Sea of Blood, Minghe Hall.
Old Ancestor Minghe sat atop the Twelve-petal Karmic Fire Red Lotus.
Blood waves churned around him, and baleful aura soared into the heavens!
Bloodlight flickered in his eyes like two Ghost Fires of the netherworld.
"Hehehe... With all six Saints emerging, the workings of heaven and earth are in chaos. This is the perfect time for this ancestor to fish in troubled waters!"
"That good old fool Hongyun possesses a treasure like Primordial Violet Qi, yet he carries it through the market like a child carrying gold!"
"It should rightfully belong to this ancestor!"
"Once this ancestor obtains the violet qi, comprehends the Primordial Dao, and creates a race with the origin of the Sea of Blood, my path will be complete!"
"By then, the Sea of Blood lineage may not be unable to contend with Saints!"
At that thought, the bloodlight around Old Ancestor Minghe grew even stronger.
His body flickered, turning into a dark crimson bloody shadow nearly indistinguishable from the Sea of Blood. He silently fled the Sea of Blood and sped toward Longevity Mountain.
Like a venomous wyrm lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to strike.
Fangzhang Immortal Island, quiet room of Xuan Yuan Palace.
Dao Xuan sat cross-legged, four golden long staffs floating before him, Dao Rhymes flowing across them.
The staffs were neither metal nor wood, inscribed with profound Merit Runes and emanating an upright, peaceful aura that repelled all evil.
They were the merit spiritual treasures he had forged using his own merit as the primary material, supplemented by numerous precious materials—the Xuanhuang Merit Staff!
These staffs were incomparably heavy and indestructible. Moreover, their killing power incurred no karmic consequences, making them excellent weapons for protecting the Dao and subduing demons.
"These staffs suit the strength of the Four Mixed Monkeys perfectly."
Dao Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
With a thought from him.
"Six-Eared, Yuan Chi, come see your master."
His voice spread throughout the island.
Before long.
The Six-Eared Macaque and Yuan Chi, the Red-buttocked Macaque, respectfully arrived in the quiet room.
"Greetings, Master!"
Dao Xuan pointed at the two floating merit staffs.
"These are treasures your master forged with merit. They are called Xuanhuang Merit Staffs."
"They are as heavy as mountains, indestructible, and their killing power carries no karma."
"Six-Eared, this staff is bestowed upon you."
"Yuan Chi, this staff is bestowed upon you."
"I hope you refine them well, diligently cultivate the profound technique, and do not disappoint these treasures."
Six-Eared and Yuan Chi looked at the glittering golden staffs, their naturally flowing Dao Rhymes, and the vast power and boundless aura of merit within them. They were immediately overwhelmed with excitement!
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing these treasures!"
Six-Eared stepped forward and gripped the merit staff that belonged to him.
Buzz!
The long staff gave a soft hum, faintly resonating with the qi and blood of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique he cultivated. It was immensely heavy, yet fit his hand perfectly!
Yuan Chi also grasped the other one. It felt heavy in his hand, yet as though it had always been meant for him. A sense of bloodline connection welled up within him!
"This disciple will certainly not disappoint Master's high hopes!" the two monkeys answered in unison.
Dao Xuan nodded. "Go. Refine them well and familiarize yourselves with these treasures."
"Yes!" The two monkeys respectfully withdrew, impatient to get acquainted with their newly acquired treasures.
Dao Xuan looked at the remaining two merit staffs.
"Long-Armed... Clever... Their destined chance has not yet arrived."
With a wave of his hand, he put away the remaining two staffs.
"The island's affairs have all been settled. It is time to go out for a walk."
Dao Xuan rose, without summoning the Five Spirit Qilin.
He took a single step, and his figure vanished from the quiet room.
He silently left Fangzhang Immortal Island.
The primordial land.
Dao Xuan did not deliberately choose a direction, simply following his heart as he traveled and contemplated heaven and earth.
On this day.
He reached the skies above a range of ancient mountains in the central region of the primordial continent.
Dao Xuan sensed something and slightly raised his brow.
He detected several powerful yet concealed auras faintly emanating from the direction of Longevity Mountain, far ahead.
Like dormant venomous snakes, these auras lurked in the void, earth veins, and clouds surrounding Longevity Mountain.
They were far apart and did not interfere with one another, yet they vaguely formed an invisible net, tightly monitoring Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.
"Oh? There are quite a few 'fishermen' lying in wait."
A hint of amusement curled Dao Xuan's lips.
His body flickered, transforming into an intangible Clear Wind that silently merged into the void.
In an instant, he had approached the territory of Longevity Mountain.
He found a solitary peak shrouded in mist and clouds, its mountainside steep and strange. Concealing himself, he quietly observed from its summit.
The view here was excellent. He could overlook Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain while taking in all the many "ambush points" around its outskirts.
Longevity Mountain, Wuzhuang Temple.
Beneath the Ginseng Fruit tree, spiritual qi swirled thickly.
Zhenyuanzi held a whisk in his hand. His face resembled a silver moon, and three strands of long beard hung beneath his chin. Yet his brows were tightly furrowed, and worry filled his expression.
The phantom image of the Earth Book rose and fell above his head. Its dense earthen-yellow glow enveloped the entire temple grounds, closely connected to the earth's veins.
"Old friend Hongyun! Killing intent is everywhere outside, and demonic aura reaches the heavens. You must not leave the temple grounds even half a step!" Zhenyuanzi earnestly advised him, anxiety in his voice.
Old Ancestor Hongyun sat on a stone stool, dressed in a crimson Daoist robe and wearing a Pure Yang Scarf. His normally genial face was now filled with melancholy and irritation.
"Dao brother! Five thousand years! A full five thousand years!" Hongyun slapped the stone table, sending fragments flying everywhere. "This poor Daoist has been in Wuzhuang Temple like a prisoner! If I remain any longer, even my Dao heart will gather dust! The Dao of freedom values following one's heart. How can I cultivate while feeling so stifled?"
He rose and paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.
"I, Hongyun, have always been free-spirited and loved traveling across the primordial world and making friends!"
"Yet now I am trapped in this tiny place, unable to even enjoy a mouthful of immortal brew properly!"
"Stifling! Truly stifling! Dao brother, just let me go out for some fresh air! I will stay nearby and absolutely will not go far!"
Zhenyuanzi repeatedly shook his head, frantically waving his whisk. "Old friend! Your life is at stake!
Endure for a moment and the wind and waves will calm; take a step back and the sea and sky will open wide! Kunpeng, Dijun, Taiyi, even Minghe—who among them is not eyeing you covetously? They are simply waiting for you to leave!
The moment you go out, it will be like a sheep entering a tiger's jaws!"
"Hmph!" Hongyun flung his sleeve, resentment on his face. "This poor Daoist is also a Quasi-Saint who has severed two corpses! I have the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd to protect me!
How am I some soft persimmon for others to squeeze? If they dare come, this poor Daoist will let them taste the power of Red Sand Soul Scattering! Besides, Dao brother, you have the Earth Book's protection and can arrive in an instant. What is there to fear?"
"Old friend! Two fists cannot defeat four hands, and open spears are easy to evade while hidden arrows are hard to guard against!" Zhenyuanzi was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Do not try to dissuade me any further! This poor Daoist is leaving!" Hongyun had made up his mind. He transformed into a crimson streak of light and shot out of the protective formation surrounding Wuzhuang Temple like an arrow released from a bow!
"Old friend! Return quickly!" Zhenyuanzi cried urgently. He hurriedly activated the Earth Book with all his strength, sensing Hongyun's location and preparing to support him at any moment, though a sense of foreboding had already risen in his heart.
The moment Hongyun left the territory of Longevity Mountain.
He felt the sky was vast, the earth broad, and the spiritual qi fresh. The pent-up frustration of five thousand years was swept away!
"Haha! Wonderful! It is still more comfortable outside!" Riding his escape light, he casually flew among the nearby mountains, admiring the scenery in great delight.
Atop the solitary peak.
A sharp glint flashed through Dao Xuan's eyes.
"They have come!"
He clearly saw that the instant Hongyun stepped beyond Longevity Mountain's protective range.
Those powerful auras lying dormant in every direction stirred at once like sharks that had smelled blood!
An invisible killing intent suddenly spread through the air!
Within a rift in space.
Old Ancestor Kunpeng's cold, sinister eyes suddenly erupted with a horrifying gleam!
"Hongyun! You finally came out!"
"This ancestor has waited for you for so long!"
Like a venomous snake that had lurked for ages, he launched his attack in an instant!
"Demon Master Palace! Suppress!"
Rumble!
The phantom image of a colossal palace, emanating endless Demonic Aura and icy coldness, crashed down from the void without warning!
The entire palace was dark blue, seemingly carved from eternal ice. Countless Demonic Script characters flashed along its eaves, radiating terrifying pressure capable of suppressing the heavens!
Its target was Old Ancestor Hongyun, who had been admiring the scenery without the slightest guard!
"Kunpeng! Despicable!"
Hongyun's face changed dramatically!
In his haste, he only had time to summon a defensive treasure!
"Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd! Come forth!"
Whoosh!
A crimson gourd inscribed with profound runes soared into the sky!
A vast torrent of red sand spewed from its mouth!
The red sand was exceedingly vicious, specially fouling the primordial spirit, corroding souls and bones. It transformed into a scarlet cloud that covered the sky and met the descending Demon Master Palace!
Boom—!!!
A world-shaking explosion erupted!
The red sand collided fiercely with the Demon Master Palace!
The violent shockwave of energy swept in all directions, instantly flattening several mountains below!
Old Ancestor Hongyun gave a muffled groan. His face paled, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
He had been forced into battle too hastily, his mana circulation sluggish, and he suffered a hidden loss.
The Demon Master Palace was delayed by the red sand, but its momentum did not diminish. It still descended with overwhelming force!
"Kunpeng, you old thief! How dare you launch a sneak attack!" Hongyun was alarmed and enraged as he fully activated his mana and poured it into the Soul Scattering Gourd.
The red sand grew denser, churning like a sea of blood as it firmly held back the Demon Master Palace.
"Hmph! Hongyun! Hand over the Primordial Violet Qi, and I will spare your life!" Kunpeng's figure emerged from the void.
He wore a dark blue Demon Master robe and an obsidian ice crown. His face was sinister, and killing intent blazed in his eyes.
"Wishful thinking!" Hongyun roared, though his heart sank. He knew that today's odds were stacked against him.
"Stubborn fool! Then die!" Kunpeng shrieked, forming seals with both hands.
The Demon Master Palace blazed with light, its cold aura intensifying. Countless ice spikes shot from the palace like sharp swords, piercing toward the red sand!
At the same time, Kunpeng opened his mouth and spat!
A dark blue ray of icy light, swift as lightning, shot directly at Hongyun's face!
It was his natal demon weapon, refined over countless years—the Northern Darkness Cold Soul Thorn!
It specialized in piercing Body Protection Divine Light and was incomparably vicious!
Hongyun was greatly alarmed!
The Soul Scattering Gourd was using all its power to resist the Demon Master Palace itself, leaving it unable to spare strength against this sinister sneak attack!
He could only barely twist aside while summoning a small crimson shield.
Pfft!
Though the Cold Soul Thorn was deflected by the small shield, its sharp icy aura still grazed Hongyun's shoulder!
Sizzle!
His protective immortal light was torn apart, and his shoulder instantly froze black. Even his primordial spirit felt a piercing pain!
"Ah!" Hongyun cried out in pain. His aura fell into disarray, and the red sand from the Soul Scattering Gourd stalled as well.
The Demon Master Palace seized the chance to press down!
Boom!
The red sand was crushed backward!
Hongyun was struck as though by a massive hammer. He spat out another mouthful of blood and flew backward like a kite with a severed string, smashing heavily into a cliff and shattering the rocks!
"Kunpeng! This ancestor will fight you to the death!" Hongyun's hair was disheveled, his Daoist robe stained with blood, and he looked utterly crazed.
He knew there would be no peaceful resolution today. Kunpeng had attacked first, and he was already severely wounded.
Run? Kunpeng's speed ranked among the greatest in the primordial world. How could he escape?
Call for help? Though Dao brother Zhenyuanzi was nearby, would Kunpeng give him the time?
Despair and fury surged into his heart!
"You want the violet qi? Dream on!"
A flash of madness and determination passed through Hongyun's eyes!
Instead of defending himself, he frantically poured all his mana, essence blood, and even the origin of his primordial spirit into the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd!
The Crimson Gourd instantly swelled, releasing destructive fluctuations! Fine cracks even appeared across its surface!
"Not good! He is going to self-destruct!" Kunpeng's expression changed drastically!
He had never expected Hongyun to be so unyielding!
It was already too late to retreat!
"Explode—!!!"
Old Ancestor Hongyun let out a furious roar that shook heaven and earth, filled with the resolve to perish together with his enemy!
Rumble—!!!
It was as if hundreds of millions of suns had exploded at once!
An indescribably destructive force erupted with Old Ancestor Hongyun at its center!
The first to bear the brunt were Old Ancestor Kunpeng, who stood close at hand, and his enormous Demon Master Palace!
Blinding radiance swallowed everything!
A violent energy storm swept across heaven and earth!
Space shattered inch by inch like fragile glass!
The earth was torn open with bottomless chasms!
"Ah—!"
An utterly miserable scream rang out from the heart of the explosion!
A dark-blue figure, covered in blood, was sent flying. Half his body had nearly been blasted apart, while the Demon Master Palace had dimmed and become covered in cracks!
It was Old Ancestor Kunpeng!
He had paid a terrible price. At the final moment, he had used the Demon Master Palace to protect his vital points, yet he was still gravely wounded, his aura so feeble that he was barely clinging to life!
At the center of the explosion—
Old Ancestor Hongyun's figure had already vanished.
Only a dim strand of violet qi, wrapped around a faint imprint of his primordial spirit, fled frantically through the lingering shockwaves!
And the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, its radiance equally dim and the cracks on its surface even more obvious, floated in midair.
At the mouth of the gourd, that dim Primordial Violet Qi was about to enter!
"Primordial Violet Qi! Mine!" Seeing the violet qi, the critically wounded Kunpeng's eyes erupted with greed and madness, like a drowning man clutching his last straw!
He forcibly gathered his final breath of demonic essence, burned what little blood essence he had left, and transformed into a dark gleam as he lunged desperately toward the gourd!
"Hahaha! In the end, it still belongs to me!"
Before countless covert gazes, Kunpeng's demonic claw seized the dim Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd!
The gourd fell into his hand, and the Primordial Violet Qi was firmly restrained by him as well!
"I got it!" Kunpeng was ecstatic. Even though he was grievously wounded and near death, he felt it had all been worth it!
Atop a solitary peak—
Dao Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly.
He looked at the Soul Scattering Gourd and Primordial Violet Qi in Kunpeng's grasp.
A trace of temptation quietly rose in the depths of his Dao heart.
"Primordial Violet Qi... the chance to become a Saint..."
One of his fingers twitched almost imperceptibly.
But then he returned to calm.
"The time has not yet come. There are too many fishermen waiting to profit."
His gaze swept over those powerful auras that remained motionless, and a faint smile touched his lips.
However—
"Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, this item is fated to be mine!"
A majestic, domineering voice rang out!
At the same time—
Dong—!!!
A bell chime that seemed capable of stilling primordial chaos resounded through the cosmos!
Time seemed to freeze for an instant!
Space was forcibly suppressed!
A massive golden hand burning with Solar True Fire ignored the distance of space and struck later despite moving first!
It reached for the dim Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd in Kunpeng's hand!
Boom!
Two figures appeared in midair like descending blazing suns.
One wore an imperial dragon robe and a sun-crown, his expression imposing and imperial aura permeating his body. He was none other than Demon Emperor Dijun!
The other wore a Golden Crow battle robe and looked exceptionally heroic. Above his head floated an ancient chaos-colored bell, its body dark yellow. He was Eastern Emperor Taiyi!
The golden hand reaching for the gourd had been formed by Dijun!
Dijun's lightning-sharp gaze locked onto Kunpeng. "Fellow Daoist, you have worked hard. This item carries grave importance and should be safeguarded by the Heavenly Court. Hand it over."
His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable command!
Kunpeng's eyes nearly split apart with fury! The venom in them almost took physical form!
"Dijun! Taiyi! You want to reap what I sowed?!" He clutched the gourd tightly, as though protecting his final hope of survival. "I risked my life to obtain it! Why should I hand it over? Dream on!"
"Hmph! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Taiyi snorted. The Chaos Bell above his head blazed brilliantly, and its pressure intensified as the Suppression Power suddenly surged!
"Then do not blame us for disregarding the bond between our kind!" Golden flames flickered in Dijun's eyes as imperial pressure swept outward! His golden hand abruptly tightened!
How could Kunpeng's heavily wounded body withstand the pressure and seizure of two peak Quasi-Saints?
He felt an overwhelming force crashing down upon him, and the gourd in his hand nearly slipped free!
He knew that fighting head-on would lead only to death!
"You want to take it? Keep dreaming! I am leaving!"
Kunpeng let out a shrill howl, his voice filled with unwillingness and madness!
An unprecedented dark-blue radiance erupted from his body!
An extreme Dao rhythm of speed spread outward!
He actually burned his nearly exhausted Lifeblood Essence again, forcibly activating his innate divine ability—Northern Sea Soaring Wander!
This was the greatest speed in all the primordial world!
Even critically wounded and at death's door, once he unleashed it with all his strength, he was still unimaginably fast!
Whoosh—!
Kunpeng's figure, along with the Soul Scattering Gourd clutched in his hand, instantly became a dark-blue line that nearly merged into the void!
He ignored the distance of space!
He was so fast that even the Chaos Bell's suppression lagged behind by an instant!
He fled desperately toward the Northern Sea!
"Where do you think you're going?!" Dijun and Taiyi roared as they transformed into two heaven-shaking golden rainbows and gave chase!
They were fast, but compared to Kunpeng, who had burned his blood essence to unleash his innate extreme speed, they were still a fraction slower!
Just as Kunpeng was about to escape into the Northern Sea region—
Another change arose!
"Hehehe... Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, this treasure is fated to belong to me. You should leave it behind!"
A sinister voice, like the cry of a night owl, sounded without warning ahead of Kunpeng's escape route!
At the same time—
A boundless phantom of the Sea of Blood, exuding monstrous blood stench and foul miasma, appeared out of thin air!
It instantly covered Kunpeng's route of escape!
Blood waves churned, and countless resentful souls wailed within them! Polluting power permeated the area, as though even space itself were being corroded!
A massive blood hand formed from pure filthy blood reached out from the Sea of Blood!
It carried a terrifying aura capable of corroding all things and defiling primordial spirits!
The timing was flawless!
Kunpeng had just exhausted his burst of extreme speed. His old strength had faded while new strength had yet to arise; he was at his weakest, and his mind was at its most unguarded!
The hand struck viciously at Kunpeng!
"Minghe! You scheming bastard! You dare—!" Kunpeng was horrified out of his wits!
He had never imagined that Minghe had calculated his escape route and laid an ambush here!
He was gravely wounded and near death, with his blood essence nearly depleted. This was his weakest moment!
How could he possibly block this long-planned fatal ambush?
Pfft!
The filthy blood hand ignored the already fragile ice barrier Kunpeng hastily erected and smashed into his battered body!
"Ah—!"
Kunpeng let out a scream even more shrill and despairing than during the earlier self-destruction!
The defiling force contained within the blood hand frantically eroded his demonic body and primordial spirit, like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart!
The Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd he had clutched so tightly could no longer be held and flew from his grasp!
A dark-red bloody shadow, swift as a ghost, flashed past and snatched the gourd into its hand!
It was Old Ancestor Minghe!
Wearing a blood-jade crown and a dark-red Daoist robe, his face was withered and his eyes glowed crimson. Seated atop the Twelve-petal Karmic Fire Red Lotus, he let out an incomparably smug, eerie laugh:
"Hehehe! Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Kunpeng and Fellow Daoists Dijun and Taiyi for delivering it right to my door! I shall gladly accept this treasure! So long as the Sea of Blood does not dry up, I shall never die. Until we meet again!"
Before his words had faded, Old Ancestor Minghe swept up the phantom of the Sea of Blood and became an unfathomably strange blood-red gleam. Ignoring Dijun and Taiyi's furious roars and attacks, he instantly vanished into the void! His destination was the Netherworld Sea of Blood!
"Minghe! How dare you!" The furious voices of Dijun and Taiyi shook heaven and earth! The Chaos Bell boomed, and Solar True Fire burned heaven itself!
But Minghe had succeeded in his ambush and did not linger. His blood escape art was strange and unfathomable, and in an instant he had fled tens of thousands of miles away! All that remained was a patch of foul, bloody stench!
"Chase!" Dijun and Taiyi burned with fury as they transformed into two golden rainbows that could Burn Heaven and Boil Sea.
Before you continue