Battle at the Blood Sea, Obtaining the Yuantu Sword

Looking at the Mysterious Origin Water-Control Banner that blotted out the sky and covered the earth, its sheer spectacle alone showed that it lived up to its name. It was indeed one of the Innate Five-Element Banners.

Rise!

Li Yu gave a low shout. With a sweep of the banner, the Blood Sea immediately churned with wind and clouds, monstrous waves surging to the heavens with astonishing force.

This disturbance immediately drew a response from within the Blood Sea. A warrior-like being emerged, horns growing from his head, followed by a densely packed host of more than ten thousand Blood Sea creatures wielding all manner of weapons.

"Who goes there? Why are you causing trouble in my Blood Sea?" the leader demanded.

Before Li Yu could react, Hongyun stepped forward and said, "Dafantian, I am Hongyun. Surely you recognize me. Go summon Minghe at once!"

Dafantian was one of the Four Great Devil Kings under Minghe.

Humph!

Hearing Hongyun's words, Dafantian said disdainfully, "You have the nerve to come again? Last time, my Patriarch beat you until you were battered and scattered, and you fled in miserable disarray. Sparing your life was already an enormous act of mercy, yet not only do you fail to repay it with gratitude, you have come here again to make trouble. Do you truly think my Patriarch cannot kill you?"

"You, Minghe's lackey, dare lecture me?"

Hongyun flew into a rage. He immediately drew out the Soul-Scattering Gourd and released crimson red sand, which swept toward Dafantian.

Though Dafantian spoke fiercely, he was not lacking in cleverness. He was merely in the Golden Immortal Realm; before a Quasi-Saint mighty expert like Hongyun, he could not possibly stir up much trouble.

As the crimson sand swept across the sky, Dafantian plunged into the Blood Sea without even turning his head. Those Blood Sea creatures who reacted a beat too slowly were swept up by the red sand and drawn back into the gourd. Before long, their souls would scatter and their spirits disperse.

"That bastard ran quite fast!" Hongyun snorted coldly.

Li Yu also raised his hand and withdrew the Mysterious Origin Water-Control Banner, quietly waiting for Minghe to emerge.

Before long, a crimson lotus rose from the Blood Sea. It had twelve ranks, and aside from its color, it was no different from Li Yu's Pure World White Lotus.

The Twelfth-Rank Karma Fire Red Lotus!

Minghe sat cross-legged atop it as he emerged from the Blood Sea. Behind him stood the Four Great Devil Kings, the Four Great Devil Generals, and a host of Asura warriors. He truly cut an imposing figure!

"Minghe! Release Jin Shan at once, or we will never let this matter rest today!" The moment Hongyun saw Minghe, he began cursing loudly.

"Who did I think it was? So it is you, Hongyun. I spared your life last time, yet you still dare return."

Minghe sneered and continued, "It seems you have found some helpers!"

"Enough of this useless chatter. Take this!"

Zhen Yuanzi could no longer wait. He directly activated his magical treasure and struck at Minghe.

Minghe merely smiled at the sight. The Karma Fire Red Lotus shone brilliantly, and the spiritual treasures Zhen Yuanzi had sent flying were all rebounded.

"Hehe, do not come out and make a fool of yourself with such petty tricks!"

An innate defensive spiritual treasure truly was extraordinary!

Watching from the side, Li Yu was not surprised. Yet he could not simply allow Minghe to swagger about, or the three of them would be the ones losing face in the Primordial World in the future.

Whoosh!

Li Yu flung out a streak of black light that shot straight toward Minghe. Minghe paid it no mind and continued activating the Karma Fire Red Lotus.

Then, with a boom that shook heaven and earth, even the Blood Sea was blasted open across a vast stretch.

Minghe and the Karma Fire Red Lotus were struck by that black light. Though he resisted with all his might, he still could not withstand its power and was smashed deep into the Blood Sea. His body held on beneath the black light for several breaths before directly collapsing.

The Godslayer Spear!

The most powerful offensive treasure among innate spiritual treasures!

Li Yu's strike immediately made Minghe suffer a tremendous loss. Had this not been within the Blood Sea, whether Minghe could have survived would have been another matter entirely. Though Minghe's body had collapsed, it had merely been one of his avatars.

The Godslayer Spear flew back into Li Yu's hand.

"Minghe, does such a method meet your discerning eye?" Li Yu called out loudly.

After some time, Minghe reappeared before the three of them. This time, however, he was exceedingly cautious. The Karma Fire Red Lotus constantly radiated blazing light, having been activated with all its strength.

Moreover, he gripped two treasured swords in his hands, both radiating a chilling gleam.

Yuantu and Abi!

"If I am not mistaken, you must be Fellow Daoist Li Yu!" Minghe said with a dark expression.

Li Yu chuckled. "Though Cult Master Minghe does not leave the Blood Sea, you certainly keep a close watch on affairs in the Primordial World. She is no more than a Blood Sea creature. Why must you be so obstinate, Cult Master?"

"Humph! Fellow Daoist Li, do not grow too pleased with yourself. So long as the Blood Sea does not dry up, my avatars will never cease. You cannot truly do anything to me. What have I to fear?" Minghe declared arrogantly.

"Then I shall kill another one of your avatars!"

At the side, Zhen Yuanzi activated his accompanying spiritual treasure, the Book of the Earth, spilling down a hazy earthen-yellow radiance that enveloped Minghe.

Though Minghe, trapped beneath the earthen-yellow light, could not move, his face still carried a mocking expression. "Even if I abandon this avatar, what can you do?"

As soon as Minghe finished speaking, that avatar suddenly collapsed on its own. The Karma Fire Red Lotus transformed into a streak of bloody light and fled into the Blood Sea, while Yuantu and Abi became rays of light that slashed toward Hongyun.

Li Yu had long guarded against this move from Minghe. He immediately cast out Chaos Qi, sweeping it toward Yuantu and Abi.

The Chaos Qi only caught Yuantu. The other sword, Abi, abruptly veered away and flew back into the Blood Sea.

Wrapped in Chaos Qi, the Yuantu Sword flew back into the Innate Gourd. The Yuantu Sword was Minghe's treasure, one he had kept by his side and painstakingly refined for countless years. Though it had been taken, it still struggled to return to its master's hand.

Yet under the suppression of Chaos Qi, no matter how the Yuantu Sword struggled, it could only be futile. For the time being, however, this spiritual treasure could not be used!

Having lost the Yuantu Sword, Minghe stood far away beneath the Karma Fire Red Lotus and said, "Return my spiritual treasure, and the grudge between us shall be wiped clean with one stroke!"

"Release Miss Jin Shan and fulfill her union with Fellow Daoist Hongyun, and the Yuantu Sword will naturally be returned to you!" Li Yu said.

"Jin Shan is already dead. This is absolutely impossible! Even if she were still alive, I could not agree!"

Seeing Minghe's attitude, Li Yu said, "In that case, this Yuantu Sword can only remain with me!"

After hearing this, Minghe said nothing more and turned back into the Blood Sea.

"This Minghe truly is not easy to reason with. He values his face above everything else!"

Li Yu sighed. "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, I fear this matter will be difficult to handle. Moreover, if what Minghe said is true, then Miss Jin Shan..."

Sigh!

Hongyun also sighed. "Minghe likely was not lying. Jin Shan was merely one of many Asura princesses. To kill one as a warning to a hundred, Minghe is capable of such a thing."

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun..."

Zhen Yuanzi wanted to offer some comfort, but realized he did not know what to say. He had never experienced such a thing and could not offer any useful words.

"Sigh! After all these years, I had long accepted it in my heart. Let us return, then. Seizing one of Minghe's Yuantu Swords can at least be considered venting the resentment in my heart!" Hongyun said.

Zhen Yuanzi and Li Yu both nodded. Minghe had withdrawn into the Blood Sea like a turtle in its shell, and there was nothing they could do. For now, they could only retreat. Yet Li Yu remembered this well. Once Houtu transformed herself into reincarnation and the Blood Sea greatly diminished, he would return to take a look. Perhaps he might even be able to collect the other Abi Sword!