The Ambush

Chapter 46: The Void-Trapping Raid

Innate spiritual treasures are birthed from the convergence of heaven and earth's creative essence, each possessing its own profound mysteries. The Blood Transformation Pearl is no exception. As a low-grade evil-path innate spiritual treasure, it can reduce all things to thick blood—a truly malevolent treasure!

The Blood Python Holy King watched with extreme excitement as countless aquatic creatures below transformed into the Blood Python clan. Ever since the Great Beast Calamity, when he gained the protection of the Blood Transformation Pearl, he had been using the blood power of the Blood Python clan to catalyze the pearl. This was one of the advantages of an evil-path innate spiritual treasure. After much hard work, the Blood Transformation Pearl had finally nurtured one-third of its potential, and the Blood Python Holy King could now use its power to propagate his clan.

Countless aquatic creatures were suffused with a scarlet, bloody aura. Holy King City was a sea of red to the eye, and the countless shrill screams and roars had gradually unified into the hissing of giant pythons. The power of Celestial Immortals surged one after another, ranging from the early to late stages of the Celestial Immortal realm.

As the Northern Abyss aquatic creatures transformed into blood pythons, the Blood Transformation Pearl suddenly retracted its bloody light, a faint vortex of blood energy swirling within. At the moment the vortex appeared, every blood python felt a twitch between their brows, and a wisp of bloody light submerged into them—it seemed to have no effect, just an ordinary strand of light.

Dense, countless threads of blood swarmed from every corner of Holy King City, converging into the Blood Transformation Pearl. Once all the threads were absorbed, the pearl shuddered. A streak of blood energy tore through the void at high speed, slipping into the Blood Python Holy King's mouth and entering his body without even causing the water to ripple. At the same time, a terrifying pressure erupted from the Blood Python Holy King's entire body, rising rapidly.

Boom! Rumble! ...

Under the impact of this formidable pressure, many buildings in Holy King City collapsed, including a section of the royal palace. The water surged violently, creating whirlpools, yet the Blood Python Holy King paid no heed.

Feeling the unimaginable, ocean-like mana within his body, the Blood Python Holy King immediately threw his head back and laughed, arrogant to the extreme!

Early Mysterious Immortal stage!

With the countless Northern Abyss aquatic creatures transformed into the Blood Python clan and the use of the Blood Transformation Pearl—the clan's supreme treasure—the Blood Python Holy King's cultivation not only reached the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm but broke through the shackles, entering the early stage of the Mysterious Immortal realm. He had truly stepped into the ranks of the powerful.

One must know that the leaders of the six great clans were only at the early Mysterious Immortal stage!

At this moment, with the Blood Python Holy King's cultivation and the momentum of the Blood Python clan, they were enough to rival the six great clans.

Xuanji, hiding within the coral, completely suppressed his aura. Watching everything before him, he was incredibly shocked. The power of a low-grade innate spiritual treasure, even at only one-third capacity, could establish a clan. He could not help but think of the Sun Moon Pearl gestating within the Ancient Wild World. If it were the power of a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, how terrifying would the clan it created be!

"Hahaha! From now on, the Eastern Wasteland will no longer be dominated by six clans, but seven! My Blood Python clan can finally rise!" The Blood Python Holy King's eyes flickered with blood-red light, his heart surging like a stormy sea.

"Seven clans? Heh, what a pity that this dream is impossible to realize!" An abrupt, mocking voice rang out. A figure flew in with the sound, the resistance of the deep water appearing as nothing to this person. The speed was like a lightning-fast arrow, causing no more disturbance than a small fish swimming by.

This... who is this person? His cultivation feels like only the early Mysterious Immortal stage, but there is a strange, eerie quality to him. He seems very formidable. Seeing the newcomer, a strange feeling arose in Xuanji. Although his own cultivation was only at the early Hexu stage, his Daoist attainment was not low. With the help of the Primordial Avatar, the Ancient Wild Heavenly Dao, and his own insights, Xuanji's attainment was no less than that of an Earth Immortal. His state of mind was clear, his thoughts reflective, and he could vaguely sense the past and future. Though he lacked immortal mana, he already possessed immortal divine abilities.

Within a few breaths, the newcomer arrived. He appeared to be sixty or seventy years old, with three wisps of silver beard fluttering. His silver hair was tied in a bun, casually pinned with a withered yellow branch. He wore a slovenly, tattered, pale yellow Daoist robe, and his frame was exceptionally thin and short—about 1.6 meters tall. His face had a hint of an immortal's air, yet no matter how one looked at him, there was a strange feeling—as if he were... wretched!

Truly wretched!

"Who is this fellow Daoist?" Looking at the strange creature (in human form) before him, the Blood Python Holy King dared not underestimate him. Although the opponent's cultivation was also at the early Mysterious Immortal stage, it was clearly much deeper than his own, and there was an unfathomable quality to him. Despite his wariness, the Blood Python Holy King was not afraid. With countless blood pythons now at the Celestial Immortal level, even if the visitor's cultivation was higher, a swarm of his kin would surely make short work of him.

"Those about to die need not know my name. You have held the Blood Transformation Pearl for long enough; today, I have come to take this treasure." The old Daoist scanned the blood pythons. When he saw the Crab clan, his face froze for a moment, then a hint of realization dawned before he fixed his gaze back on the Blood Python Holy King.

This... who is this old Daoist? Why does he have a human form? And he actually discovered me earlier. Fortunately, he thought I was just an ordinary, mindless little crab. Terrifying, truly terrifying. Xuanji's heart surged, and he felt a great crisis. The world was now filled with powerhouses. While the mysterious six clans were unclear, one could judge the whole from a glimpse; the Shadow Clan's terror spoke to the horror of the six. Not to mention the Yin Yang Spirit, but now this old Daoist—Xuanji could be certain that such powerhouses were not rare in the Eastern Wasteland, let alone the Primordial World. Compared to them, his cultivation was too low. Even if he paid a price to use the power of the Ancient Wild World and the Sun Moon Pearl, he could at most possess the strength of an early Celestial Immortal. Such strength offered no sense of security!

Now that I have the Sun Moon Pearl, I can soon deduce the Immortal-Dispelling chapter of the Daoist arts. It seems I need to go into seclusion for a while. I will not come out until my main body reaches the peak of the Loose Immortal stage and my Primordial Avatar reaches the peak of the Celestial Immortal stage. However, before I go into seclusion, I must get my hands on the rare refining materials in this Holy King City. As for the Blood Transformation Pearl, I will have to see how things develop. Xuanji pondered.

"Hmph! Boastful words! Today, not only will you fail to take the Blood Transformation Pearl, but you will also leave your life behind." The Blood Python Holy King's eyes flashed with cold, murderous intent. The Blood Transformation Pearl was his clan's supreme treasure; he would not allow anyone to covet it.

"Kill!" At the Blood Python Holy King's command, countless blood pythons swarmed toward the old Daoist. The five hundred giant beasts surrounding the Holy King also joined in. In an instant, the scene was vast and mighty, the blood-red light blinding. There were tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, as far as the eye could see, dense as a tide. Aside from the three hundred Earth Immortal giant beasts, the rest were all Celestial Immortals. Such numbers were truly terrifying!

Facing the attack of countless Celestial Immortal-level blood pythons, the old Daoist remained calm, smiling indifferently with a trace of disdain in his eyes. He slowly extended a hand, palm upward. A pale yellow, hazy brilliance flashed, and a four-inch square seal appeared in his hand. The pale yellow, misty treasure light illuminated ten miles, containing the immense power of heaven and earth. As the seal appeared, a circle of pale yellow light waves expanded and impacted outward. Any blood python or giant beast that touched the light waves was instantly sent flying, their bones shattered and muscles torn.

"Hmph!" The Blood Python Holy King's face was grave as he let out a loud shout. The Blood Transformation Pearl emitted a layer of blood-colored shield to wrap around him, which held firm upon contact with the pale yellow light waves. Seeing this, the Blood Python Holy King's face was filled with disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

A low-grade acquired spiritual treasure? How is this possible? Who exactly is this old Daoist? How could he possess a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure? Seeing the pale yellow four-inch seal in the old Daoist's hand, Xuanji recognized it instantly as a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure and was shocked. One must know that acquired spiritual treasures are crafted by hand. With Xuanji's current abilities, he would struggle to even craft a top-grade spiritual artifact, yet someone had crafted a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure. Suddenly, Xuanji realized that things were becoming increasingly complex; the waters of the Eastern Wasteland were deeper than he thought!

Whoosh!

The old Daoist tossed his hand, and the pale yellow seal rose into the air, hovering dozens of feet high. Then, the old Daoist moved his hands in a series of incantations, and streams of pale yellow spiritual light and mana poured from his hands into the seal. Instantly, the four-inch seal began to grow rapidly.

Ten inches!... One foot!... One mile!...

Ten miles!

The pale yellow seal grew until it was ten miles in circumference before stopping. The blood pythons, giant beasts, and the Crab clan were all left dumbstruck, as was the hidden Xuanji. Seeing the power of this low-grade acquired spiritual treasure, a legendary supreme treasure surfaced in his mind: the Fantian Seal! In Investiture of the Gods, it was the treasure of Guangchengzi, the first disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Chan Sect. It was an acquired supreme treasure, crafted by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable using the upper half of Mount Buzhou combined with many rare heavenly materials and his own Heavenly Dao Saint mana. Its power was vast and immense; a single strike could cover a million miles, capable of destroying even a Moral Golden Immortal. It truly possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth!

"Void-Trapping Seal? Are you the Void-Trapping Old Ancestor from the Void-Trapping Cave of Cangyun Mountain?" Seeing the massive, pale yellow seal that blotted out the sky, the Blood Python Holy King noticed two archaic runes on the base of the seal, which were extremely conspicuous, with countless faint runes flowing within. The moment he saw the two runes, his entire body stiffened, and his eyes were filled with shock and fear as a terrifying powerhouse surfaced in his mind.

Void-Trapping Old Ancestor? I have heard this name in my previous life, but it seemed to be a fictional character from the novel "Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu"! How is it that he exists in the Primordial World too? It seems he has quite a reputation! Seeing the Blood Python Holy King's expression, it was clear he knew the Void-Trapping Old Ancestor and found him terrifying.

"You have some knowledge, but unfortunately, your life will not be long." The Void-Trapping Old Ancestor sneered disdainfully. Under his control, the Void-Trapping Seal above slowly descended. The blood pythons beneath it all tried to flee, but an invisible, mighty force sealed them, preventing them from escaping the seal's coverage. They tried to burrow into the ground, but the earth was incredibly hard, and despite using all their strength, they could not damage it in the slightest.

Fear and despair!

Facing the Void-Trapping Seal, they could not escape and could only resist. However, the blood pythons clearly felt that even if all their strength were combined, it would not be enough to shake the Void-Trapping Seal. The power of a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure used by an early Mysterious Immortal was simply unimaginable.

"Void-Trapping Old Ancestor! You and I have no past grievances or recent enmities. As long as you are willing to give up the Blood Transformation Pearl, you will be an honored guest of my Blood Python clan from now on. If you wish, you can even be an honorary elder of our clan, with a status equal to mine. How about that?" The Blood Python Holy King suddenly spoke. He knew the reputation of the Void-Trapping Old Ancestor well and was incredibly wary. Unless it was a last resort, he truly did not want a life-or-death battle.

"Someone needs the Blood Transformation Pearl, and your Blood Python clan is merely the sacrificial offering to catalyze it. Do you think this Old Ancestor would let you go?" The Void-Trapping Old Ancestor sneered at the Blood Python Holy King as if he were a clown. Everything about him was under the calculations of "that person"; from beginning to end, he was nothing but a chess piece.

(A brief explanation here: "Human" does not just refer to the human race, but also to demon-humans, witch-humans, immortal-humans, and demon-humans. Basically, any existence can call themselves human. I hope readers do not find it abrupt when the Void-Trapping Old Ancestor says "someone"!)

"Who is it? Who is the one who needs the Blood Transformation Pearl and is plotting against my clan?" The Blood Python Holy King's face was pale, his dreams shattered in an instant. So, he had always been just a chess piece, a sacrificial offering for someone else to catalyze the Blood Transformation Pearl. At this moment, the Blood Python Holy King felt that everything was so ridiculous. He desperately wanted to know who had plotted against him; even if he were to die, he needed to die with understanding!

"You want to know? Keep dreaming. You are not qualified to know that person. You are but an ant; the vastness of the Primordial World is far beyond what you can imagine." The Void-Trapping Old Ancestor gave a ferocious laugh, and the Void-Trapping Seal smashed down heavily. The dozens of early and mid-stage Celestial Immortal blood pythons beneath it were terrified, using all their mana to resist, but it had no effect. The Void-Trapping Seal smashed down in an instant, and all the blood pythons beneath it were crushed into meat paste, their bones and flesh turned to mud, leaving not even a corpse behind.