At the Ancient Underworld Source, within Hou Ming's Dao Field.
Blood River Dao Ancestor was trapped there, bound in chains of the Grand Dao. Fragments of Hell Netherflame that Hou Ming had deliberately separated from herself filled the space around him, flying over now and then to scorch him.
If that pain was already unbearable, Long Qilin lying obediently beside him and cultivating made the humiliation worse.
Everyone knew Long Qilin was Dao Origin's mount.
And now, the two of them had deliberately imprisoned him beside Dao Origin's mount. The insult could not have been clearer.
Of course he knew Hou Ming would not kill him. The Ancestral Land strictly forbade it.
But this humiliation was worse than death.
Long Qilin was an Ancestor Beast at the Dao Ancestor level, yet he was so docile, seemingly content to serve as Dao Origin's mount without a shred of regard for his own standing as a Dao Ancestor.
Blood River could not understand it. How could he know that Long Qilin had suffered bitterly at Jiang Yun's hands and witnessed his heaven-defying strength?
Blood River knew none of that, though he could roughly guess that Dao Origin's overwhelming strength was the reason.
What he truly could not understand was how Dao Origin had gained such heaven-defying power.
They were both Dao Ancestors. How could the gap between them be so vast?
Dao Origin had cultivated for so little time, too. He should never have possessed such terrifying strength.
Even a reborn ancient monster should not have been capable of it.
Blood River Dao Ancestor bitterly regretted his actions. Never had he imagined he would end up like this.
Yet he had not lost all hope. He had placed it all in the young lord named Di Yi.
Once that young lord arrived