Blood Sea, Doubts

Liu Yi walked into the village and found a scene of utter devastation. Not even the elderly or the children had been spared; all had lost their lives.

After joining forces with Ye Xuanxiao and Su Yaoguang to give the villagers' bodies a proper burial, he parted ways with the two of them.

Traveling alone, Liu Yi was deeply upset, his thoughts unsettled. He wanted to root out the person spreading the Blood Devil Cultivation Method from the shadows.

He looked at Little Yellow and said, "Stand guard for me. I'm going to get to the bottom of who's spreading the Blood Devil Cultivation Method."

"Okay, master," Little Yellow answered, standing ready for anything.

Liu Yi took out the Blood Devil Cultivation Method manual and simultaneously unleashed the Principle of Fate and the Principle of Cause and Effect, which he had just comprehended.

In an instant, the light of the principles blazed around him, and the True Power within him drained away like water from a breached dam.

"Let this manual be the bond. Trace the cause and seek the effect; let fate reveal itself!"

"Buzz!"

With a roar, the void ahead shifted, and a vast crimson ocean appeared before him. Bloody waters churned, and waves of blood surged into the heavens.

Suddenly, a pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened within the Blood Sea. Their gaze disregarded the boundless expanse of space and fell directly on Liu Yi.

An icy killing intent pierced the endless void and stabbed straight at his soul.

As though struck by lightning, Liu Yi let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Blood Devil Cultivation Method manual in his hand shattered inch by inch, turning into powder that filled the air.

The vision of the Blood Sea collapsed with a crash, leaving only a faint, lingering smell of blood in the air to bear witness to the heart-stopping scene.

"Master, are you all right?" Seeing Liu Yi spit blood, Little Yellow leaped over in alarm, his eyes full of concern.

"Don't panic. It's only a minor injury." Liu Yi waved a hand and circulated the Heaven and Earth Creation Technique to heal himself.

This investigation had confirmed his suspicion: the Blood Devil Cultivation Method was indeed being deliberately spread.

The eyes that had appeared in the Blood Sea were too terrifying. With a single glance, they could injure him across the endless void. Such strength was horrifying.

And could the owner of those eyes be the Blood Devil who had created the Blood Devil Cultivation Method all those years ago?

But why had such a powerful being ended up being suppressed?

And who had possessed the strength to do it? A string of questions flashed through his mind.

Liu Yi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

The world of immortal cultivation was far more dangerous than it appeared. What he had seen so far was merely the tip of the iceberg.

From now on, he had to be even more cautious. A single misstep could leave him beyond redemption.

"Master, could that crimson ocean just now have been the legendary Blood Sea?"

"Those eyes were so frightening that my heart's still pounding!" Little Yellow asked, shaken, his eyes full of fear and bewilderment.

Liu Yi patted Little Yellow on his doggy head and reassured him, "It's hard to say for now. Don't worry, though. The owner of those eyes is most likely still trapped and unable to get out."

"Just give me time, and I can surpass him. I can even kill him for good, instead of merely suppressing him."

With that, his gaze grew resolute, and a powerful presence radiated from him.

"I knew you could do it, master! Next time, we'll beat him so badly he'll never get back on his feet!" Little Yellow nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration and trust.

A smile spread across Liu Yi's lips, and he said calmly, "Let's go. It's about time, so let's pick up the pace and head for the capital."

Little Yellow said excitedly, "The three months are almost up! That nation-guarding immortal master won't stand a chance. Master will beat him until the flowers scatter and the waters flow!"

Liu Yi shook his head and laughed. "That nation-guarding immortal master, Zheng Siqi, is a Golden Core Realm cultivator. It won't be that simple. I'll have to give it my all."

Outside the capital of Jin State, a dark mass of people gathered like a tide on the vast Fallen Leaf Plain.

More than a million people waited there eagerly, all to witness an earth-shaking showdown.

It was the battle at the pinnacle between the martial artist Liu Yi and the nation-guarding immortal master Zheng Siqi.

The influence of this contest had long since crossed national borders.

Not only did it hold everyone in Jin State in suspense, but neighboring states had also sent people to watch.

Those unable to attend in person watched the showdown between a martial artist and an immortal cultivator through the system's livestream.

For this grand occasion, a dense array of temporary houses and tents had been erected around Fallen Leaf Plain.

High-ranking officials and nobles of the Jin State imperial court, along with the leaders of the major forces of the martial world, had moved in.

The gambling houses had opened their books early, offering astounding odds: a bet on Liu Yi paid five to one.

A bet on Zheng Siqi, however, paid only one to one. All wagers were settled in precious Energy Points.

Even with the tempting odds, the vast majority still put their stakes on Zheng Siqi.

In their eyes, how could a mere martial artist contend with an immortal master?

As the appointed time drew near, the crowd began to stir restlessly.

People looked around in every direction, but there was still no sign of Liu Yi.

"The time for the match is almost here, and Liu Yi's nowhere to be seen. Could he have lost his nerve at the last moment?"

"If he really runs away without a fight, he'll have utterly disgraced us martial artists!"

"What's the rush? The time hasn't come yet! I bet on Liu Yi to win, and even I'm not worried."

"I met Liu Yi once. He's definitely not the sort to cling to life and fear death. Something must have happened to him on the way."

"It'd be understandable if he didn't come. That immortal master's strength is unfathomable, and Liu Yi is only a martial artist. His chances of winning are slim, and he might even lose his life."

Waves of discussion rose from the crowd, doubt mingling with regret.

At the Jin State imperial court's encampment.

Zheng Siqi looked at Lin Jing, Yue State's nation-guarding immortal master, and Li Yan, Fire State's nation-guarding immortal master, and asked in bewilderment:

"It's only an ordinary contest. How did you two find the time to make the trip?"

Lin Jing said casually, his expression calm, "I haven't had much to do lately. I heard you were going to fight a martial artist, so I came to watch the excitement."

Li Yan laughed heartily. "That's right! The system is spreading like wildfire in Fire State now, and I'm curious too. Just how formidable is this Liu Yi, who's called the number one system host?"

"It seems you've both bound yourselves to the system too." Zheng Siqi's eyes flickered as he understood at once:

"This system is too unusual. You don't dare stop it from spreading, for fear you'll be unbound and miss a fortuitous opportunity."

"You came here to take this chance to see just how capable Liu Yi really is, didn't you?"

Lin Jing nodded candidly, a note of admiration in his voice:

"As expected of you, Fellow Daoist Zheng. You see things clearly; nothing gets past you. This contest may look like a foregone conclusion, but its significance is anything but ordinary."

"If you win, you can overawe the system hosts and solidify the Jin State imperial court's rule. The same holds true for our Yue State."

"Exactly," Li Yan quickly agreed, his expression grave:

"The system's spread has become an unstoppable trend. We can't stop it, yet we also want to preserve the imperial court's rule. The outcome of this duel truly matters a great deal."

"Though the outcome isn't hard to predict, we had a rare bit of free time, so naturally we wanted to witness it ourselves."

After listening, Zheng Siqi's presence surged, displaying the strength of the Late Stage of the Golden Core. He said proudly:

"I've already broken through to the Late Stage of the Golden Core. I'm sure to win this contest."

"Hiss!" Li Yan drew a sharp breath, his shock plain to see. "You advanced to the Late Stage of the Golden Core in such a short time. It seems you've benefited greatly from the system, Fellow Daoist Zheng!"

Lin Jing was equally astonished. He pressed, "A breakthrough that swift must have required a staggering number of Energy Points. Where did you get so many, Fellow Daoist Zheng?"

A smug smile curved Zheng Siqi's lips. He said leisurely, "I merely had the emperor of Jin State step forward and purchase Energy Points from the people with gold, silver, and treasures."

"Why not use some worldly wealth to obtain Cultivation Resources?"

Hearing this, Lin Jing couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead with a rueful smile. "So that's an option too! I've buried myself in cultivation all day and cultivated my brain stiff!"

"I just never imagined there would be such benefits to having mortals bind themselves to the system. It seems my thinking was too shallow."