["Huh?"]
["Who's there?"]
[Although you had focused your entire mind on transforming your divine sense, you still sensed the change outside and opened your eyes almost immediately.]
[A cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm did not lose all awareness of the outside world.]
[The moment you opened your eyes, you saw a blood-colored figure standing nearby, looking you up and down.]
[Your heart jolted. This was a tier-two cultivation abode in Azure Moon Immortal City, covered by the city's tier-three formation. Even a True Person would have found it difficult to slip inside without a sound.]
["Have you forgotten this old master so soon, my dear disciple?"]
[The blood-colored figure spoke in an aged voice.]
["You..."]
[Your pupils contracted sharply.]
[Then you looked at the Mountain Sea Ring on your right index finger.]
[The sky-blue Mountain Sea Ring had turned completely blood-red, as though it contained a sea of blood.]
[At the same time, you discovered that the blood-colored Mountain Sea Ring had all but fused with your flesh and could not be removed.]
["You're Blood-Sea True Person?"]
[In the flash of a spark, countless thoughts surged through your mind. Finally, you looked at the blood-colored figure nearby and spoke.]
["Indeed. I am that very True Person."]
[The blood-red figure stared at you and slowly said, "Back then, that old bastard Mountain Sea went to every conceivable length to lure me into the secret realm. He used its power to wear away my flesh and golden core, then sealed the last wisp of my soul essence within the Mountain Sea Ring..."]
["He knew that the Blood Sea Immortal Art I cultivated excelled at preserving my life. Soul essence was formless and difficult to destroy directly, so he sealed me inside the Mountain Sea Ring, intending to slowly wear me down to death..."]
[The blood-colored figure seemed to have been sealed away for too long, with no one to confide in, which was why he was telling you all this.]
[But you distinctly sensed that, as the blood-colored figure spoke, wisps of aura were constantly seeping into your flesh from the blood-colored Mountain Sea Ring on your right index finger.]
[Clearly, the blood-colored figure was deliberately telling you these things to draw your attention and buy time, allowing the blood-colored Mountain Sea Ring's power to penetrate your flesh more thoroughly.]
["But he miscalculated. Because he devoted most of its power to suppressing me, the secret realm could no longer sustain itself. Breaches appeared, drawing in cultivators from outside, who then carried out the Mountain Sea Ring that sealed me... Hahahahaha..."]
[The blood-colored figure burst into wild laughter, clearly immensely pleased with himself.]
["So that's what happened."]
[You calmed your mind and asked, "What would you have me do, Master?"]
[Although you sensed Blood-Sea True Person's ill intentions, you still intended to try for a chance.]
["What would I have you do?" The blood-colored figure stared at you, a trace of emotion actually entering his voice. "In all my two hundred years roaming this world, this is the first time I've encountered someone so... so stupid."]
["Do you know what price I paid to ensure you could cultivate the Mountain Sea Art smoothly to Qi Refining Perfection? If not for..."]
[There was an undertone of irritation in the blood-colored figure's voice.]
[You realized that, over the past several decades, the blood-colored figure really had paid an enormous price to cleanse your marrow and transform your sinews while posing as the Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit.]
["You needn't do anything for me. Just offer up this body." The blood-colored figure stared at you.]
["You want to possess me?"]
[You asked.]
["Indeed." Certain of victory, and secretly controlling the Blood Sea Ring to corrode your flesh, the blood-colored figure was willing to chat a little longer. "If I hadn't been cultivating this body of yours, why would I have paid such a steep price for you?"]
[The blood-colored figure's flesh and golden core had been destroyed in the Mountain-Sea Secret Realm more than two hundred years ago.]
[Only a wisp of soul essence remained, urgently in need of a new physical vessel.]
[Of course, he thought little of an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator's body.]
[That was why he had made you cultivate the Mountain Sea Art and the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art, sparing no expense to cleanse your marrow and transform your sinews.]
[After speaking, the blood-colored figure watched you with interest.]
[At this moment, this Core Formation True Person was very curious about how you would react.]
[Would you refuse to accept your fate and rise up in resistance?]
[Or would you kowtow and beg for mercy?]
[Your reaction, however, genuinely stunned the blood-colored figure.]
[After a moment of silence, you suddenly spoke. "Could you wait until I break through to Foundation Establishment before we discuss this?"]
[As long as you broke through to Foundation Establishment first, even if you died the next instant, your original self could still inherit your Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. That way, it wouldn't be too great a loss.]
["Break through to Foundation Establishment first?" The blood-colored figure failed to process your words.]
[He had never imagined that, even now, you would still be thinking about breaking through to Foundation Establishment. What could reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm possibly accomplish? Could you somehow survive?]
["You should stop struggling..." The blood-colored figure looked at you, his voice gradually turning cold.]
[At the same time, you sensed the Blood Sea Ring on your right index finger corroding your flesh even more intensely.]
[You guessed that the blood-colored figure had already completed the first stage of corrosion and no longer needed to act in secret.]
["I have one more question..." You spoke again.]
["..." The blood-colored figure fell silent, unable to quite understand what you were thinking.]
[You were about to die. What was the point of asking so many questions?]
["Do the Mountain Sea Art and Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art you gave me have any hidden flaws?" You asked directly.]
["Of course not. They're orthodox ancient inheritances..." The blood-colored figure frowned. Your body was the vessel he intended to possess. Why would he have you cultivate flawed arts?]
["Then could you let me take a look at the Core Formation section of the Mountain Sea Art?"]
[You asked again.]
[The Mountain Sea Art the blood-colored figure had passed on to you contained only the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment sections. He had not given you its Core Formation section.]
[You had not thought much of it at the time. After all, you had not even reached Foundation Establishment, so Core Formation was far too early for you.]
["..." The blood-colored figure fell silent once more.]
[He began to suspect that you had gone mad.]
[At such a moment, with your life hanging in the balance, you were actually asking such irrelevant questions.]
[Seeing the blood-colored figure fall silent, you knew he could no longer be bothered to converse with you, and could not help sighing.]
[Meanwhile, as he continuously used the Blood Sea Ring to permeate your flesh with his mana, the blood-colored figure also noticed something amiss.]
[Even by the time the Blood Sea Ring's power had completely permeated your flesh, you had not offered any resistance.]
[Of course, in the blood-colored figure's eyes, whether you resisted meant little. He had even predicted what resistance you would attempt, how you would mobilize your body's qi and blood, and how you would try to block the Blood Sea Ring's invasion.]
[Whatever resistance you offered, the blood-colored figure could easily handle it. It was merely a question of time.]
[The only thing the blood-colored figure had not anticipated was that you would simply let him invade and permeate your body.]
[After permeating and invading your flesh, the Blood Sea Ring's power continued seeping into the mana within your dantian.]
[Still, it encountered no meaningful resistance.]
["Are you..." The blood-colored figure observed you carefully, faintly discerning something. His voice filled with disbelief. "Are you transforming your divine sense?"]
[Transforming one's divine sense was the divine sense trial, one of the three Foundation Establishment trials.]
[The blood-colored figure could understand that you were attempting Foundation Establishment and transforming your divine sense.]
[But what kind of moment was this? Your flesh and mana were both on the verge of being completely permeated and invaded. What use was transforming your divine sense now?]
[You remained silent, doing nothing but transforming your divine sense.]
[Time passed, and soon the blood-colored figure had permeated all thirteen drops of liquid mana within your dantian.]
[Then the Blood Sea Ring's power controlled your body's qi and blood, along with your liquid mana, sending all of it toward your sea of consciousness.]
[At that very moment, you finally completed the transformation of your divine sense.]
[You passed the divine sense trial.]
[You passed the qi-blood trial, mana trial, and divine sense trial, stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm.]
[You opened your eyes and looked at the blood-colored figure again.]
[At this moment, you had lost control of every part of your body except your sea of consciousness.]
["Finished transforming your divine sense? Planning to use your Foundation Establishment Realm divine sense to flee and find a nearby Qi Refining Stage cultivator to possess?"]
[Understanding dawned in the blood-colored figure's voice and expression. This was indeed your only chance of survival. Though vanishingly slim, it at least offered some hope.]
[Everything you had done thus far had exceeded the blood-colored figure's expectations. In his original plan, you had not had the slightest chance of survival.]
["Possess someone, my ass!"]
[A trace of madness appeared in your eyes.]
[This was Azure Moon Immortal City, with formations everywhere. Even if your divine sense managed to escape, it would immediately be suppressed by the great formation and refined away in an instant.]
[Then your soul would be searched.]
[Besides, you did not think you could escape. Who could guarantee that Blood-Sea True Person had no other contingencies?]
[You stared at the blood-colored figure and detonated your divine sense without the slightest hesitation.]
[Under the blood-colored figure's shocked and furious gaze, your sea of consciousness instantly exploded, and your head burst like a watermelon.]
[You died.]
[This simulation ended.]