Blood Sea Trial Blade, The Way of Alchemy! (2-in-1 Chapter)

Blood Sea Domain and Alchemy Inheritance

"Ssh! Ssh!"

Scorching sand grains were whipped up by the wind, weaving through the depths of the desolate and deathly silent desert.

The wind howled, carrying the dry, sweltering heat unique to the desert.

Hai Bodong faced a formidable enemy, pushing his lifelong cultivation to its absolute limit!

The ice-blue Dou Emperor Armor covered his entire body, gleaming with a cold, radiant light.

The massive ice spear in his hand spat out frigid air, a chill sufficient to freeze an entire river solid.

The aura of a six-star Dou Emperor was released without reservation.

It churned the surrounding heat waves, forming a zone of icy mist before him.

He stared fixedly at Lin Chen ahead, his eyes filled with vigilance and tension.

There was less of a desperate, life-or-death resolve, and more of a probing intent.

Yet, facing this battle-ready stance from Hai Bodong, Lin Chen remained calm.

He merely raised his right hand slowly, fingers slightly splayed, toward the endless sea of sand below.

He whispered softly, his voice not loud, yet it reached Hai Bodong's ears with perfect clarity:

"Boundless Blood Sea..."

"Open!"

Hum—!!!

It was as if some ancient taboo had been thoroughly awakened!

An indescribable, terrifying will descended with a boom, centered on Lin Chen!

This was not the pressure of Dou Qi, but a power on a much deeper level.

The power of a domain originating from the soul and the essence of slaughter instantly shrouded the surroundings!

The next moment, centered beneath Lin Chen's feet, a dark red domain spread wildly.

The domain was thick and viscous, exuding an endless aura of blood and slaughter, writhing as if it were a living thing.

This was no illusory vision, but the true manifestation of a domain!

The dark red "blood" instantly dyed the surrounding hundreds of meters of desert crimson!

The sand lost its solidity within the Blood Sea Domain.

It became muddy and viscous like a swamp, hindering all movement.

The air was filled with a nauseating, metallic stench of rust.

More terrifyingly, countless illusory and twisted wraiths floated and wailed within the sea of blood.

The wraiths emitted shrieks that struck directly at the soul, stinging the eardrums with pain.

Hai Bodong felt his entire body suddenly sink, as if he had fallen into a ten-thousand-foot abyss of blood!

The surrounding space became incredibly sluggish, making movement several times more difficult!

Even worse, the circulation of Dou Qi within his body became obscure and sluggish.

It felt as if it were being suppressed and eroded by an invisible force, making it difficult to mobilize even a fraction!

Even his soul felt waves of bone-chilling cold and dizziness.

The shrieks of the wraiths hammered frantically at his mind, making it impossible for him to concentrate!

"What... what kind of monster is this?!"

Hai Bodong was terrified out of his wits:

He was completely unable to comprehend everything before him.

He felt that his strength as a six-star Dou Emperor.

Within this bizarre sea of blood, was actually suppressed to less than a one-star level!

Moreover, that pervasive sense of erosion and the soul-shaking impact.

Made him feel so wretched he nearly vomited blood, and even breathing became difficult!

How was he supposed to fight this?!

"Ice Seal Ten Thousand Miles!" Hai Bodong gritted his teeth, desperately driving his Dou Qi.

He unleashed his strongest area-of-effect Dou Technique, attempting to freeze the sea of blood with extreme cold!

Terrifying icy Dou Qi erupted, sweeping outward like a tsunami.

Wherever it passed, the sand was instantly frozen into ice crystals, the cold biting to the bone!

However, this extreme cold, capable of freezing an entire city, lost its power upon rushing into the Blood Sea Domain.

It was as if a clay ox had entered the sea, unable to stir up even the slightest ripple!

The Blood Sea merely rippled slightly before completely enveloping the cold air.

Endless killing intent and bloody baleful aura within the domain.

Rapidly neutralized, devoured, and annihilated that icy Dou Qi!

It didn't even manage to stir up a single splash!

"What?!" Hai Bodong's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

His strongest area-of-effect technique was completely ineffective?!

"The attack is decent, but the force is insufficient," Lin Chen's calm voice rang out.

He remained standing in place, not having moved even a fraction.

He merely lifted a finger and casually swiped it toward Hai Bodong's direction.

"Blood Wave, rise."

As his voice fell, the viscous Blood Sea below suddenly boiled!

A hundred-meter blood wave surged up, formed entirely from pure killing intent and Blood Origin Dou Qi.

Like the roar of an ancient blood dragon, it carried a terrifying momentum capable of crushing everything.

It slammed down fiercely toward Hai Bodong!

Before the blood wave even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused Hai Bodong's breathing to stall.

The Dou Emperor Armor on his body even emitted a groan of unbearable strain!

"Mystic Ice Mirror!!" Hai Bodong was terrified out of his wits, desperately condensing his strongest defensive Dou technique.

A massive ice mirror, several meters thick and carved with countless profound runes.

Instantly blocked his front, radiating a biting chill.

"BOOM!!!"

The blood wave slammed heavily against the Mystic Ice Mirror!

The Mystic Ice Mirror, capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a six-star Dou Emperor, shattered in an instant.

It burst like paper, scattering into a sky full of ice powder!

The blood wave's momentum remained undiminished, striking heavily against Hai Bodong's Dou Qi armor!

"Pfft!"

Hai Bodong felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, spewing a mouthful of blood.

His entire body was like a projectile hit by a high-speed flying ship.

He flew backward faster than he had come, his posture incredibly disheveled.

The ice armor on his body instantly filled with cracks, nearly collapsing entirely!

He felt as if his internal organs had been displaced, and he had no idea how many of his bones were broken!

This was a suppression! A thorough, absolute, and suspense-free suppression!

Hai Bodong even suspected that if Lin Chen had truly intended to kill him.

That single wave just now would have been enough to flatten him into a pulp!

This wasn't a sparring match; this was a father beating his son!

No, it was even more absurd than that!

"Too weak."

Lin Chen shook his head slightly, appearing somewhat dissatisfied.

In truth, he wasn't disappointed in the power of the blood wave, but rather felt that Hai Bodong was too fragile.

With another shift of his thoughts, new changes immediately occurred within the Blood Sea Domain.

Countless Blood-colored Tentacles, condensed from blood, suddenly extended from the domain.

Like ghosts, they coiled toward the retreating Hai Bodong from all directions!

Hai Bodong was scared out of his soul, desperately brandishing his ice spear to hack away.

Ice shards flew as one Blood-colored Tentacle after another was severed.

But those Blood-colored Tentacles regenerated immediately after being cut, endless and inexhaustible!

Soon, he was bound like a zongzi, unable to move a muscle.

Only his head remained exposed, his face filled with terror and helplessness.

There was no trace of his previous desperation, replaced instead by the frustration of being "bullied" by an old friend.

"Kid Lin Chen! Show mercy!" Hai Bodong had completely lost his temper, begging for mercy with a wry smile.

"This old man admits defeat! I am thoroughly convinced!!"

In all his life, he had never fought such a frustrating and terrifying battle.

Yet, his opponent happened to be a little one he was close to, leaving him without even a reason to get angry!

Lin Chen watched his miserable state, a trace of a smile flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He also felt it was rather dull; the power of the Blood Sea Domain driven by his Spirit Realm soul far exceeded his expectations.

Its suppression of a Dou Emperor was simply too strong, and for an ordinary Dou Emperor like Hai Bodong, it was overwhelming.

Inside it, he had absolutely no power to fight back, and there was no point in continuing.

He dispersed the Blood Sea Domain and the Blood-colored Tentacles.

Instantly, the sky-filling blood light and the phantoms of vengeful spirits vanished.

The desert returned to its original scorching scene.

It was as if that terrifying Blood Sea Domain had been nothing more than an illusion.

Hai Bodong fell onto the sandy ground with a thud, gasping for air in large gulps.

He was drenched in cold sweat, lacking even the strength to lift his arms.

The look he gave Lin Chen was filled with both fear and irritation; there was no trace of reverence left.

Instead, he looked as if he were staring at an "ancestor" he couldn't afford to provoke, his expression full of helplessness.

"You brat, couldn't you have gone a little easier?"

"Have you forgotten who helped you block trouble before?"

"Get up, let's head back," Lin Chen said indifferently.

His tone, however, lacked some of its coldness, carrying instead a hint of indulgence for an old companion.

After speaking, he turned to leave.

As if granted a reprieve, Hai Bodong struggled to climb to his feet.

Grimacing, he circulated his Dou Qi to mend his injuries and hurried to follow behind Lin Chen.

He kept muttering under his breath, filled with complaints.

"Next time you want to test a move, you have to tell this old man in advance."

"Otherwise, I won't accompany you in your madness next time..."

The two chatted along the way, flying at a low altitude toward the Holy City.

Hai Bodong rambled on, complaining about his recent "encounter" without stopping.

Lin Chen responded occasionally, appearing nonchalant.

Yet, his fingers were secretly savoring the sensation of controlling the Blood Sea Domain from just moments ago.

He was constantly refining the subtle details, striving to unleash even greater power next time.

After flying for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they were about to leave this extremely desolate region.

Suddenly, Lin Chen frowned slightly and came to a halt.

"What's wrong? Thinking of a new move again?" Hai Bodong asked, leaning in.

His tone carried a hint of teasing, the previous tension having vanished.

Lin Chen did not answer; instead, he closed his eyes and fully expanded the perception of his Spirit Realm soul.

That vast and keen perception acted like the most precise radar.

He carefully scanned a massive sand dune below, unwilling to let any anomaly escape.

Just a moment ago, he had sensed an extremely faint trace of life.

It was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, appearing exceptionally abrupt in the depths of this deathly silent desert.

"There is someone below," Lin Chen said, opening his eyes and locking his gaze precisely onto a spot below.

He descended first, and although Hai Bodong was puzzled, he quickly followed.

Lin Chen walked to the shaded side of the sand dune and flicked his sleeve gently.

A gentle surge of Dou Qi swept across, blowing away the surface layer of sand.

It revealed a figure buried beneath.

It was a woman dressed in a plain cyan dress, her figure graceful.

But at this moment, she was unconscious, her face as pale as paper.

Dried blood remained at the corners of her lips, and her aura was weak to the extreme.

Her gorgeous dress was damaged in several places and covered in sand and dust.

A few strands of dark hair clung to her pale cheeks, adding a sense of fragile beauty.

It was none other than Yun Yun, who had been sent flying by the combined strike of the Snake-people elders earlier!

"It's her?"

Hai Bodong exclaimed in surprise, never expecting to encounter Yun Yun here.

"Still alive? You've got quite the life in you!"

Lin Chen crouched down, his fingertips gently brushing the sand and dust from Yun Yun's cheek.

His movements softened instinctively, fearing he might cause her pain.

He placed his fingers on her wrist, sending a wisp of pure Blood Origin Dou Qi into her body.

The moment he touched her slightly cool skin, his fingertips paused.

He soon furrowed his brows; Yun Yun's injuries were far more severe than he had imagined.

Multiple meridians were severed, and her internal organs had sustained heavy damage!

Clearly, resisting four high-level Dou Emperors—including two at the peak—was no small feat.

That she hadn't perished on the spot was already a testament to her profound strength and immense luck.

It was perfectly normal for her to remain unconscious for a day or two.

It seemed she had been swept away by the sandstorm to this extremely remote location, which was why she hadn't been discovered.

"This is somewhat interesting."

Lin Chen looked at Yun Yun and muttered to himself.

Even in her coma, her brows retained a cold, aloof air, and the faint trace of blood on her lips made her appear all the more delicate.

His gaze softened slightly; this woman was quite pleasing to his eyes.

At the very least, she was better than those greedy fellows, and seeing her so vulnerable now made it hard to simply leave her be.

He carefully lifted Yun Yun into his arms, his arms deliberately avoiding her tattered clothing and wounds.

He spoke to Hai Bodong:

"Let's go, back we go."

Returning to the temple room arranged by the Holy City of the Snake-People.

Lin Chen gently laid Yun Yun flat on his own bed.

He even took the trouble to pull a thin blanket from the side and cover her from the waist down.

He shielded the skin beneath her damaged dress to avoid any embarrassment once she woke up.

He first removed a pale cyan Storage Ring from Yun Yun's finger.

His movements were gentle, fearing he might wake her.

His soul power slowly breached the weak mental imprint on the ring.

With Yun Yun unconscious, the mental imprint had no power to resist.

His consciousness probed into the Storage Ring; the space inside was quite large.

It contained many items of women's clothing, daily necessities, and some gold coins and purple-gold cards.

There were also several jade bottles, one of which was a small, delicate ointment that emitted a faint, elegant fragrance.

It was likely something Yun Yun used daily, allowing her to maintain a fresh scent even amidst her cultivation.

Lin Chen took out the jade bottles and opened them one by one to inspect them.

Most were fourth or fifth-tier healing pills, and their quality was quite decent.

However, for Yun Yun's current severe injuries, their effects were limited.

Still, it was better than nothing; he would use these pills to stabilize her condition first.

He selected two fifth-tier healing pills with the mildest medicinal properties.

He leaned close to Yun Yun and used his fingertips to gently pry open her lips.

He carefully fed the pills into her mouth.

Afterward, he used his Dou Qi to slowly help dissolve the medicinal power, protecting her heart and primary meridians.

While feeding her the medicine, he remained at an extremely close distance to Yun Yun.

He could clearly smell the elegant fragrance lingering on her, mixed with the scent of sand and dust.

As for her more serious injuries, they would require higher-grade pills or slow recuperation; there was no rushing it.

Once he finished, Yun Yun's breathing seemed to stabilize just a fraction.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, yet she remained unconscious.

Lin Chen sat on the edge of the bed, watching her quietly for a moment.

Only then did he rise to tally his greatest gains from this trip:

The Storage Rings of the fallen Dou Emperors!

He first took out the alchemist's Storage Ring.

The collections of two sixth-tier alchemists would surely be extraordinary; this was what he looked forward to most.

His soul power surged into the Storage Ring, carefully probing the items within.

"Hiss!"

Even with Lin Chen's temperament, he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath!

Wealthy! Too wealthy! The treasures inside exceeded his wildest expectations!

Gold coins and violet-gold cards shimmered with a dazzling luster.

A dazzling array of precious medicinal herbs filled the space, many of which were rare varieties seldom seen in the outside world!

High-grade monster cores were piled in the corner like trash, their quantity staggering!

There were also quite a few Dou Techniques and cultivation methods of no low rank, emitting faint ripples of energy!

But what caught Lin Chen's attention most were the few items placed separately to the side!

A dense stack of pill formulas, ranging from the third to the sixth grade, numbering over a hundred in total!

Among them was even the formula for the Imperial Extreme Pill, a precious recipe capable of helping people break through to the Dou Emperor realm!

There were also dozens of thick books exuding an ancient aura.

Complete Guide to Alchemy, Illustrated Compendium of Ten Thousand Herbs, Insights on Refining High-Grade Pills, Introduction to Soul Manipulation...

They covered almost all the knowledge an alchemist needed from novice to grandmaster!

And the most precious item of all was a dark golden jade slip!

Branded upon the jade slip was an emblem of a medicine cauldron and a flame, emitting faint soul fluctuations!

Lin Chen probed the jade slip with his soul power.

Boom!

A massive torrent of information surged into his mind, carrying an ancient alchemical legacy!

Seventh-Grade Alchemist Inheritance!

This jade slip actually recorded the key to breaking through from a sixth-grade alchemist to a seventh-grade grandmaster!

The focus lay in the tempering of soul power!

Although for Lin Chen, who already possessed the Blood Scripture and a Spirit Realm soul.

The techniques within were nothing special, but the concepts regarding seventh-grade pills, refining techniques.

And the countless experiences and insights of his predecessors were priceless treasures!

"Alchemist..."

A light never seen before erupted in Lin Chen's eyes!

He had never considered walking this path before because alchemy was time-consuming and labor-intensive, with a low cost-to-benefit ratio.

But now, it was different!

He possessed all the conditions to become a top-tier alchemist!

He possessed a Spirit Realm soul!

This was the hard threshold for becoming a high-grade alchemist, one that many could not reach in their entire lives!

His Dou Qi attribute possessed both fire and wood characteristics, perfectly meeting the requirements for alchemy!

Most importantly:

He possessed that monstrous comprehension ability, transformed by the Styx inheritance and the Blood Scripture!

He could master a Dou Technique to its peak after seeing it just once!

Then what about alchemy?

Those alchemical techniques, heat control, and medicinal property fusion that others found obscure and difficult...

In his eyes, would they be as simple as one plus one equals two?

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed!

He immediately picked up the thickest book, Complete Guide to Alchemy, and flipped it open impatiently.

Like a thirsty sponge, he began to read frantically!

Indeed!

Knowledge of a first-grade alchemist: identifying basic herbs, mastering the lowest temperature of flames, refining the simplest Hemostatic Powder...

Too simple!

He understood it at a glance; there was no need to spend time comprehending it at all!

Second grade: refining the Qi Recovery Pill to restore Dou Qi, requiring the assistance of preliminary soul perception...

Simple! He remembered it at a glance and could even instantly deduce three more optimized refining schemes!

Third grade, fourth grade... the knowledge gradually became profound, involving more conflicts in medicinal properties, complex flame changes, and exquisite soul micro-manipulation...

But before Lin Chen's Spirit Realm soul and monstrous comprehension, all of this remained as clear and easy to understand as if it were transparent!

His reading speed grew faster and faster, and the light of enlightenment flickered in his eyes.

His mind had even begun to autonomously simulate and deduce the refining processes for various pills, constantly optimizing them!

He was completely immersed in this state of rapidly acquiring knowledge and solving complex problems!

It was as if a peerless genius had finally found the field best suited to them!

Just as he picked up the Insights on Refining High-Grade Pills.

And prepared to launch an "assault" on the realm of a fifth-tier alchemist?

From the bed behind him came an extremely faint groan, laced with pain.

"Mmm..."

Yun Yun's long, butterfly-wing-like eyelashes fluttered slightly.

A hint of crystalline moisture seemed to seep from the corners of her eyes, carrying an imperceptible fragility.

She was about to wake up.