Midnight in the Land of Hot Water should be the time when the hot spring mist is at its thickest, but deep in the dense forests of the southern part of the Land of Hot Water, a pungent, sweet-smelling odor, even more acrid than sulfur, permeates the valley. On the secret altar of the Jashin Cult, hundreds of stone pillars engraved with blood patterns form a circle, their tops burning with eerie green flames, illuminating the fanatical faces of the surrounding believers as if they were ghosts.
"With flesh and blood as the catalyst, with souls as the sacrifice—welcome the Blood Ancestor to awaken!" The high priest raised his scepter inlaid with blood-red gems, his hoarse voice echoing through the valley. On the stone platform in the center of the altar, thousands of civilian corpses were densely packed, and blood flowed into streams from the cracks in the stone platform, pouring into the withered body that had been curled up for tens of thousands of years below the platform.
Amidst the pile of corpses, several children, still breathing, let out faint cries, which were immediately silenced by the bloodthirsty cultists beside them. Their necks were etched with the same blood-red markings, and their faces wore a morbid piety. Some even deliberately cut their wrists, letting their blood drip into the cracks in the stone. " Blood Ancestor, please wake up! Your followers are willing to offer everything!"
As the last drop of blood seeped into the stone platform, the withered, mummy-like body suddenly twitched. Two crimson spots lit up in the sunken eye sockets, and the cracked lips slowly parted, emitting a gurgling sound like bones grinding together. The blood on the stone platform flowed upwards as if alive, rushing wildly into his seven orifices and pores. His originally shriveled skin became plump at a visible speed, and faint blood-red lines flowed beneath his pale skin.
"Sizzle--" He sat up abruptly, his ten fingernails instantly turning sharp as knives, and grabbed the nearest high priest. The priest, who had been roaring madly just moments before, didn't even have time to scream before his body visibly withered away, and bright red blood flowed through the gaps between the Jashin's fingers, forming a small pool of blood at his feet.
"Thirty thousand years..." The Jashin stretched, his voice hoarse and sticky, as if blood was stuck in his throat, "Finally, I can drink fresh blood." He licked the blood from his fingertips, his previously empty eyes becoming greedy and cold as he swept his gaze over the kneeling cultists around him, "Your blood tastes good."
The next second, a crimson afterimage swept across the altar. The cultists who had been cheering just moments before collapsed one by one, their blood drained, turning them into taut, dried-up corpses. Strangely, however, these corpses quickly and unsteadily stood up again, their eye sockets flashing with a bloodthirsty red light, and emitting low growls of "Hungry... blood..." from their throats.
The Jashin looked at his full body with satisfaction, stretching his stiff neck. "Not bad containers." He casually pointed, and three thick streams of blood mist flowed into the three strongest mummified corpses. The bodies of the three mummified corpses began to swell, their nails grew longer, dark purple veins appeared on their skin, and the red light in their eyes became deeper than that of ordinary mummified corpses.
"From this day forward, you are my princes." The Jashin's voice carried an undeniable authority. "Go and bring back as many living people as possible from outside the valley. Remember, preserve fresh blood; I will establish my own blood kingdom."
"Yes, my lord!" The three newly crowned princes knelt on one knee, their voices hoarse yet full of power. They turned and rushed out of the altar, followed by a dense mass of desiccated corpses, surging like a black tide toward the village outside the valley.
In the following days, the southern part of the Land of Hot Water became a living hell. The Jashin sat in the center of the altar, constantly turning the blood he had sucked into blood mist and injecting it into the bodies of the stronger followers. The chosen followers would undergo painful transformations; some grew bat wings, and some had fingernails that could tear rocks. They were given different titles according to their strength: the Jūni strongest were made princes, each commanding a thousand vampires; the Jūni slightly weaker ones became elders, responsible for managing the transformation of new vampires; and below them were the five ranks of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, forming a strict Blood Emperor.
These vampires sleep in dark buildings during the day and come out in droves at night, like a black tide that engulfs villages and towns. They are not afraid of being cut by swords and can heal quickly even if they are cut in two. Only when their hearts are pierced by sharp ninja tools will they temporarily lose their ability to move, but as long as they are nourished by blood, they can be resurrected quickly.
"Help! Monster!" The civilians of the Land of Hot Water cried out and fled in the darkness, but no matter where they ran, they were caught by the incredibly fast vampires. Those bitten would quickly lose their minds and join the ranks of vampires. In just half a month, five towns in the southern part of the Land of Hot Water had completely fallen and become dead cities where only vampires roamed.
When the news reached the border of the Land of Fire, the ninja army stationed there rushed to its aid. However, when they encountered the vampires in broad daylight, they discovered that these monsters were impossible to kill. Ordinary Ninjutsu could only cause temporary damage to the vampires, and blades could not even draw blood when cut; instead, the enraged vampires would pounce on them and tear them apart.
"Use Sealing Jutsu! Form the Four Symbols Seal Formation!" The Jonin the team roared as he Hand Seals, but before the formation could be completed, more than a dozen vampire princes with bat wings swooped down from the sky. Their sharp claws easily tore through the ninjas' Forehead Protector, and blood instantly stained the battlefield red.
During the day, things were alright; the ninjas could barely hold out thanks to sunlight and Sealing Jutsu. But at night, the vampires' speed and strength increased dramatically. Monsters at the King Level and elder levels could even withstand the bombardment of lightning and fire rune cannons without dying. The Land of Fire's army suffered heavy casualties and could only retreat in disarray to the border, watching helplessly as the vampires' power continued to expand.
"This evil aura... it's so strong!" Above the desert sky, the Hagoromo, Sage of Six Paths, frowned deeply, his Rinnegan reflecting the blood-red mist south of the Land of Hot Water. "It's an ancient monster that has lived for ten thousand years; even the World Will has been alarmed."
Beside him, Tsubasa, clad in a long silver-white robe, had purification runes forming at his fingertips. "I've seen records of this in the ancient books of Konoha. This is the Blood Ancestor Jashin, the legendary earliest vampire ancestor. I never imagined it actually existed, and that it had been awakened by a cult." Tsubasa created a clone to accompany the Sage of Six Paths to witness the power of the vampire ancestor.
The two exchanged a glance and instantly transformed into streaks of light, rushing towards the Land of Hot Water. The Sage of Six Paths landed and immediately took action, Hand Seals: "Seal!" A massive rock rose from the ground, trapping a group of vampires who were attacking civilians. Runes flashed, forming a solid seal. But just as he finished sealing this spot, screams of agony from the distance echoed, and even more vampires surged forth from the shadows.
"No, this won't end!" The Sage of Six Paths wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at the increasingly thick blood mist in the south. "These monsters are multiplying too fast; the sealing speed can't keep up with their expansion. We must find the source and kill that Blood Ancestor!"
The Tsubasa, Tianyi, nodded. "According to my perception, the Blood Ancestor has already occupied the capital of the Land of Hot Water. The entire southern part of the Land of Hot Water is infested with vampires, probably tens of millions of them. The rate of Reproduction and infection is terrifying."
A resolute glint flashed in the Sage of Six Paths' eyes. "To catch the thief, catch the king first. I'll go and meet this Blood Emperor. You stay at the border and help the Land of Fire's army establish a defensive line. Don't let them break out of the Land of Hot Water; it would be best to burn them all down."