Whoosh...
A fierce wind swept past, carrying a few wisps of desolation.
Inside the ruined pavilion, Daoist Randeng walked slowly onward. He surveyed the devastation in Jiankang City and sighed.
"I wonder whether the beings from Beyond the Mundane can truly establish a foothold here."
Just then—
"You sent only those two to stop him. Are you truly at ease?"
Drops of blood seeped from the surrounding soil and slowly gathered into a human figure: a formidable man wearing a red mantle.
Daoist Randeng glanced at the newcomer, his expression unchanged. "Since the dawn of legend, you've been reborn from the ashes several times and suffered grievous wounds, yet you still endure. Worthy of you indeed... Blood Sea Venerable."
"This Venerable must thank you all this time." The Blood Sea Venerable smiled. "Had you not suppressed the Power of Heaven and Earth in the Mortal World to this extent, it would not have been so easy for my true body to descend and be reborn through mortal flesh."
Daoist Randeng said, "Since you've gained from it, why not find a blessed mountain and live there in peace, studying the mysteries and cultivating the Dao? Why come here? Surely you don't think that, just because your true body has descended, you can claim this mountain as king and turn the source of the Southern Heaven Dragon Vein into your Daoist sanctuary?"
"There you go again. The moment you open your mouth, you pin a label on someone, set the terms, and throw mud." The Blood Sea Venerable took no offense. Instead, he smiled. "I've come here, but I wouldn't dare seize the Dragon Vein. Besides, it's already been destroyed..."
Boom!
As he spoke, a stretch of ground ahead suddenly collapsed, leaving a hollow. Its interior was covered in moss and weathering,