The Death of the Bamboo Saint

Within a wooden cottage courtyard in the Blood Blade Divine Court.

Two figures sat facing each other, drinking and chatting with laughter. One was the Blood Blade God Emperor, with Black Bird perched on his shoulder; the other was a burly, stubble-faced man in loose robes. Even seated there, this burly man gave off a strange sense that the surrounding heavens and earth were faintly collapsing, as though his every movement could effortlessly tear this world apart.

"Convinced now?" the Blood Blade God Emperor said with a smile. "Primal Origin named me first—not for nothing."

"I thought I could defeat you this time, but I still fell just short. Blood Blade, you started cultivating so much later than I did—how do you know so much?" This bearded...