Traveling alone

Suddenly, Shi Yi remembered something. On this journey, he had devoured the Purple Qilin blood droplets in the Blood Pool, draining it dry.

This had been the source of the Blood Pool Baptism held by the Primordial Divine Mountain once every ten years. Now that it had vanished entirely, there would be no more Blood Pool Baptism ten years from now.

But none of that mattered.

After all, ten years from now, the Desolate Region would already have undergone great changes, and nearly all the forces of the Primordial Divine Mountain would have fled to the Upper Realm. The Blood Pool Baptism would become a thing of the past regardless.

Besides, Shi Yi would be almost sixteen by then. Barring any accidents, he would already have risen to prominence. Who would dare come to him demanding answers about the Qilin Blood Pool?

He gave it no further thought and merely activated his Double Pupils, scanning the end of the passage for a way out.

The stone chamber was ancient, its walls covered in the traces of time. After Shi Yi had devoured the Qilin blood droplets, the walls had even begun to show signs of weathering. That did not mean they were fragile, however. Terrifying Qilin patterns remained branded upon them.

Even though Shi Yi had obtained the complete Qilin Precious Technique, he could not shake those patterns in the slightest. The gulf between them was too vast.

Shi Yi's eyes shone brilliantly, dazzling in the gloom. He searched carefully, letting no trace escape his notice.

At last, he spotted a clue at the bottom of the Blood Pool that had held the Qilin blood droplets.

There seemed to be a hollow space beneath it.

Shi Yi leaped into the Blood Pool. Runes erupted within his eyes as he unleashed the great divine ability, Opening Heaven and Earth.

Crack!

With a sharp crack, Shi Yi's ocular power tore open the bottom of the Blood Pool, revealing a broad expanse of pitch-black space.

It was an underground passage, unfathomably deep, leading to some unknown destination.

With his Double Pupils open, Shi Yi slowly entered the passage. Although the darkness around him was so thick he could not have seen his hand before his face, his Double Pupils made it as bright as day to him.

He followed the passage onward without encountering any obstacles. It seemed to be an escape route the Purple Qilin had prepared expressly for whoever was fated to receive its legacy.

After walking an unknown distance, Shi Yi finally saw light. When he emerged from the passage, he discovered, to his surprise, that he was already outside the Qilin Secret Realm.

He stepped out of the passage and stood atop a hill, gazing toward the majestic mountain ranges.

This time, Shi Yi no longer saw that elusive Qilin presence. The greatest opportunity hidden within the Qilin Secret Realm had fallen into his hands, as though its very soul had been drawn out.

He shook his head slightly, then turned and left.

Shi Yi was no longer the same as before. Although he was still in the Blood Moving Realm, he had surpassed the Extreme Realm. Even traveling alone through the Great Wilderness, he had the strength to protect himself.

Thus, he did not seek out the adult Golden Spider.

Of course, there were other reasons for traveling alone.

The beings of the Primordial Divine Mountain were probably all watching for news of his entry into the Qilin Blood River passage. After all, he had broken historical precedent, made the impossible possible, and possessed the heaven-defying gift of Double Pupils. There was a strong chance he would accomplish something within the passage and gain access to the Qilin Precious Technique.

Under these circumstances, showing himself would be tantamount to stepping into the heart of a vortex.

If the forces of the Primordial Divine Mountain joined together to pressure Demon Spirit Lake, its reserves would hardly be enough to protect Shi Yi.

It would be just like the original story, when countless factions stormed Demon Spirit Lake after Shi Yi's defeat in the Void God Realm, fighting over his body.

The Qilin Precious Technique was a technique of the Ten Fiends. Its allure was countless times greater than that of a corpse with Double Pupils. Who could say those forces of the Primordial Divine Mountain would not be tempted?

Even the Celestial Clan of the Upper Realm had gone mad over the Kun Peng Precious Technique, let alone the divine mountain factions of the Lower Realm.

For now, his only path was to travel alone for a while and lie low until the storm passed.

Some things were beyond Shi Yi's control. If others wanted to search his primordial spirit to check whether he had obtained the Qilin Precious Technique, his current strength would leave him utterly unable to resist.

Only when Shi Yi truly rose to power and gathered an invincible momentum could he cow those petty villains and stop hiding.

Having thought through the stakes, he decided to leave Demon Spirit Lake here and now, never to return, lest the beings of the Primordial Divine Mountain set their sights on him.

As for the debt he owed Demon Spirit Lake, he would naturally repay it once he became strong.

Even with those who cared about him, Shi Yi chose to keep his survival a mystery, telling no one.

His life was at stake. He could not afford the slightest carelessness.

What Shi Yi needed to do now was find a way to conceal his Double Pupils.

In the Desolate Region of this lifetime, he alone possessed this gift. Anyone who saw his Double Pupils would know who he was.

At present, his mastery of his Double Pupils had not reached the point where he could merge them into one and look no different from an ordinary person. He could only rely on external means to conceal them.

As he considered his predicament, he sped away from the area.

He knew his disappearance would inevitably alarm Demon Spirit Lake's two Venerables-the Old Golden Spider and the Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider.

Once the two Venerables made their move, the higher-ups of the other Primordial Divine Mountain factions would also turn their attention this way.

The Qilin Precious Technique was simply too tempting. Those divine mountain Venerables would certainly learn that Shi Yi had used the Qilin Step before a crowd of Pure-Blooded Younglings and forced his way into the passage.

Only by promptly leaving this land of trouble could Shi Yi ensure his safety.

As he fled, he used secret techniques to conceal his form and aura, shooting through the Great Wilderness like an arrow.

Before long, surprise suddenly crossed Shi Yi's face, and he looked back toward the Qilin Secret Realm.

Over there, a golden column of vital energy shot into the clouds like a pillar holding up the heavens. In an instant, the winds and clouds changed color, and heaven and earth seemed to overturn.

Shi Yi knew that vital energy all too well. It belonged to the master of Demon Spirit Lake-the Old Golden Spider.

After learning that Shi Yi had vanished into the passage within the Qilin Blood Pool, the Old Golden Spider had expended tremendous effort searching for traces of him. In the end, however, the search yielded nothing.

This enraged the Old Golden Spider.

Demon Spirit Lake had paid a staggering price for Shi Yi's baptism, using Heavenly God Blood, part of a divine mountain's deepest reserves. If Shi Yi had died in the Qilin Secret Realm, all its efforts would have been like drawing water with a bamboo basket-nothing to show for them.

The Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider was also furious. Its enormous, terrifying body towered above the clouds, its gaze cold and brimming with murderous intent as it looked down over the lofty mountains, trying to find Shi Yi.

Unfortunately, no matter what methods the two Venerables employed, they could not locate him.

"Could Yi'er really have perished in the Qilin Secret Realm?" Disbelief crossed the Old Golden Spider's face as it muttered involuntarily.

"No. Yi'er does not have the look of one doomed to die young. He possesses Double Pupils and is blessed with great fortune. He will surely turn calamity into good fortune." The Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider shook its head.

Shi Ziteng said nothing, but like the two spiders, he kept scanning the mountains and land before him.

"According to the prodigious youngling of my clan, Yi'er obtained a great opportunity connected to the Qilin before entering the Blood Pool."