Opening the Blood Prison secret realm.
Required several Water Overflow Realm experts to work together.
The Confucian Academy elder flew into the air.
He joined forces with several other Water Overflow Realm experts, and at that moment, heaven and earth actually turned blood-red!
Within the seemingly endless rift ahead, a stretch of blood-red land appeared!
At the far end of that blood-red land, prisons seemed to press down in suppression!
Inside each prison sat a skeleton.
Overwhelming pressure emanated from those countless skeletons. Even before the realm had fully opened, everyone could feel it!
The Confucian Academy elder explained from the air, "The secret realm only permits those at the Purple Mansion Realm or below to enter. Anyone above the Purple Mansion Realm will be attacked by the pressure within."
"You may enter now, but you must come out in a month. Otherwise, the secret realm will close, and you will be left inside."
"Once trapped inside, you can only wait for it to open again a year later. Of course, you probably won't survive until then."
"All right, you may enter."
At once, countless disciples rushed inside.
Tian Ming, the Heavenly Origin Dynasty's sixth prince, gave Ye Qiubai an inscrutable look and said, "Look out for yourself..."
Before entering, the people from the Sunset Dynasty also gave Ye Qiubai a long look.
Qiu Libei of the Qiu Lineage also led his people inside. Before entering, he glanced at Ye Qiubai, making no attempt to conceal the killing intent in his eyes!
Standing beside Ye Qiubai, Hong Ying couldn't help laughing. "Senior brother, it seems you have quite a few enemies."
Ye Qiubai spread his hands helplessly. "What can I do? I never went out of my way to provoke anyone. They were the ones who provoked me."
Hong Ying nodded. "Only the mediocre escape envy. Still, just cut down anyone who provokes you."
This junior sister of his truly was decisive when it came to killing.
Ye Qiubai agreed as well. Smiling, he nodded. "All right, let's head inside too. We should at least bring back some opportunities and make Master look good."
Hearing that.
Hong Ying thought of her master's dead-pig-unafraid-of-boiling-water disposition, and the corners of her mouth twitched. She said helplessly, "I'm afraid our master won't care about that."
Ye Qiubai couldn't help laughing.
"True."
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Lu Changsheng was basking in the sun on a reclining chair.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked east.
That was the direction of the Blood Prison secret realm.
"Hmm? Why do I feel this sense of dread?"
This sense of dread wasn't about himself.
It concerned someone close to him!
Lu Changsheng might not have realized it, but with his current strength, he could sense certain dangers in advance.
Ye Qiubai and Hong Ying were over in the Blood Prison secret realm.
Those two disciples were the only people there connected to him.
Could something happen to them?
Lu Changsheng wasn't a cold, heartless person.
They were his disciples, after all.
Besides, they could cook...
At that thought, Lu Changsheng turned and vanished from the spot.
Inside the Blood Prison secret realm.
Hong Ying said to Ye Qiubai, "Are you sure you don't need me to deal with them for you? Their strength will be rather troublesome for you."
Ye Qiubai said helplessly, "It's fine. Don't you have something else to do, junior sister? Go on. Besides, I want to resolve this myself."
Seeing the determination in Ye Qiubai's eyes, Hong Ying stopped trying to persuade him.
She tossed him a jade pendant carved with a phoenix spreading its wings.
Ye Qiubai caught it and heard Hong Ying say, "Remember to crush the pendant if you encounter danger. It contains a defensive formation that can block a blow from one of those Four Regions Martial Ranking experts."
Ye Qiubai froze.
The Four Regions Martial Ranking? Wouldn't that mean a full-powered blow from someone like the Hidden Dao Academy's dean or the Sunset Dynasty's ruler?
Ye Qiubai didn't refuse again and nodded.
Seeing this, Hong Ying said, "Take care, senior brother," then flew into the distance.
Ye Qiubai took a deep breath.
He looked around.
A barren wasteland!
The soil beneath his feet was suffused with blood-red.
It seemed to have been soaked through by a sea of blood.
The smell of blood was extremely strong, so much so that Ye Qiubai found it somewhat pungent.
This place was probably more than just a prison.
It was also a battlefield!
Ye Qiubai wandered aimlessly across the blood-red land.
Suddenly, a strand of dark Sword Qi began bursting out from within him!
Ye Qiubai froze.
This was the Sword Qi unique to cultivating the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon!
At that moment, the black Sword Qi extended in a certain direction.
It was as though it were calling Ye Qiubai over!
Could something be resonating with the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon?
At that thought, Ye Qiubai headed in the direction the Sword Qi extended.
The call of the black Sword Qi within him grew stronger and stronger.
Meanwhile, the blood-red color of the ground began to fade.
Black took its place.
The land slowly turned pitch-black.
Gradually.
An enormous black cage appeared before Ye Qiubai, not far away.
The cage seemed to connect all of heaven and earth, immense beyond measure.
Black iron pillars rose into the sky, as though holding up the heavens.
At the same time, coils upon coils of golden chains encircled the black iron pillars.
After so many years, these golden chains still hadn't faded. Instead, they still carried an utterly terrifying sealing power!
Just what kind of expert required a cage built like this?
What level had the imprisoned person's strength reached?
The black Sword Qi extended all the way into this cage.
Ye Qiubai followed the Sword Qi with his gaze and saw a skeleton sitting cross-legged in the center of the cage.
Wisps of black Qi swirled around the skeleton.
That Qi resembled Sword Qi.
It appeared faint, but Ye Qiubai could sense it.
This black Qi was extremely dangerous!
Yet the presence it contained also felt familiar and welcoming to Ye Qiubai!
At this thought, Ye Qiubai was certain.
These remains must have some connection to the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon.
Ye Qiubai stepped forward.
Suddenly, the black Qi surrounding the remains surged violently!
It enveloped the entire skeleton!
Then, Ye Qiubai's gaze sharpened.
Once the black Qi dispersed, the skeleton had actually disappeared.
In its place stood a handsome young gentleman in a white robe, his long black hair fluttering in the wind, a fine figure amid a sullied world.
In contrast, however, the sword in the man's hand was pitch-black from end to end!
The man spoke.
"You? You've cultivated the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon?"
Ye Qiubai froze, then cupped his fists. "This junior has indeed cultivated the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon."
The man nodded. "Then you can be considered my successor. However, I do not pass my inheritance to those of inconstant character. You must still undergo a trial."
"If you fail the trial, you will remain here forever."
With that, the man lightly pointed a finger.
Instantly, the world before Ye Qiubai's eyes changed completely.
The cage wrapped in golden chains disappeared.
The man was nowhere to be seen.
The scene changed again!
Vast crowds of people suddenly appeared before Ye Qiubai.
Those people had no faces, and each held a battered sword.
Like black clouds, they swept toward Ye Qiubai!
"There is only one trial: kill every last one of these people."