This place had been completely transformed. No rock remained in sight; only a vast, dark red blood river, thick as slurry, occupied the entire underground space.
Bubbles constantly churned across the surface of the Blood Pool.
Each bursting bubble released pure blood qi.
Severed limbs and remains bobbed in the pool.
Some belonged to cultivators, others to enormous demon beasts.
Most conspicuous were four massive corpses that still emanated faint pressure even in death-the remains of fourth-tier demon beasts Qing Chen had slain and stockpiled over the years.
The hazy clusters of golden-red light floating at the center of the Blood Pool were the purest essence qi and blood left after refining Nascent Soul and Dharma Nascent Soul cultivators such as Penglai True Lord, Yuan Lingzi, Ling Miao, and Chongxu.
As for their white bone essence, the Di Jiang Banner had long since devoured it all.
Qing Chen sat cross-legged at the very center of the blood river, half submerged in bloody water, with six demon banners surrounding him on all sides.
Upon his divine soul, three distinct, blood-colored aperture patterns glimmered like three bloody eyes.
Before him, the Blood River God-Slaying Spear hovered silently, its tip pointing downward. Wisps of almost tangible blood baleful intent seeped from its shaft of their own accord and merged into the surrounding Blood Pool.
"The fourth Brahma aperture..."
"The time has come!"
Qing Chen opened his eyes, a bloody gleam flashing through them.
His aura had fully stabilized at the Nascent Soul middle stage, but around the Nascent Soul in his sea of qi, the second and third strands of power of Blood Path Rules remained somewhat insubstantial, not yet fully fused with his Nascent Soul.
"Then I shall use this sky-swallowing blood qi to forge my fourth Brahma aperture and solidify my