The Mystery of Helian Tu, Lightning Strikes Two Great Sages

With the new ritual formation completed, Yu Tunzhou made a special trip to show Huntian the results.

After confirming everything was correct, Qi Anmei and her companion went back to make final adjustments.

After bidding farewell to Chen Xuanjing, Yu Tunzhou went to the dungeon, intending to find out the whereabouts of Feng Yanleng and the others from Hua Nongying.

During the journey, he discussed the origins of the Five Thunder Temple with Huntian.

After all, the lineage of the mighty Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole shouldn't have fallen into such ruin.

Evergreen Mountain, one of the ancestral temples of Daoist School today, claims to be Great Emperor Qinghua of the Eastern Pole.

According to Huntian's guess, "The founder of this Daoist temple may have obtained a fragment of that being by fortuitous opportunity, or perhaps he was a descendant of one of that being's disciples."

Boy----

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but say, "If I remember correctly, none of the servants around those important figures did poorly."

Huntian also agreed with this, as the one in the Heavenly Court back then was only a child in his early years.

Of course, it's the pageboy beside the Dao Venerable.

"In the ancient times, the world was turbulent and unpredictable. You never knew what powerful figures stood behind the child you had just offended," Huntian sighed. "It wasn't until the great wars began that many hidden threads gradually surfaced, and even then, they were incredibly chaotic. This is why the world collapsed during that war. A single move could affect everything; cause and effect were intertwined, and no one could escape it—"

Yu Tunzhou's heart stirred, and he immediately inquired about the ancient past.

"The past is too painful to recall," Huntian shook his head and said, "It's actually a good thing that you've forgotten it, fellow Daoist. Memory itself is a kind of anchor, whether for oneself or others."

This statement made Yu Tunzhou suspicious.

His memories might also serve as an anchor for others?

Unbeknownst to him, Yu Tunzhou walked into the depths of the dungeon and saw Hua Nongying, Ji Zhaole, and others imprisoned there.

Faced with the hysterical Ji Zhaole, Yu Tunzhou flicked his finger and knocked her unconscious with his internal energy, then went to Hua Nongying.

But Hua Nongying kept her eyes closed and didn't respond to his questions.

Yu Tunzhou is currently helpless in this regard.

With a major battle imminent, invading with Primordial Spirit is far too risky.

"Ungrateful wretch." Huntian sneered. "Rest assured, fellow Daoist. After I devour that fellow's Primordial Spirit tomorrow, you lure this woman's Primordial Spirit into your Niwan Palace, and I, the Saint, will personally question her."

Just as Yu Tunzhou was about to leave after failing to get an answer from his questions, Hua Nongying's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Yu Tunzhou, if you don't escape tonight, tomorrow will be your death day!"

Yu Tunzhou looked back and saw that the woman's eyes were full of mockery, as if she was laughing at their imminent demise, completely unaware of the kind of enemy they were facing!

Yu Tunzhou laughed and said, "Then it's settled. If I still have the energy to come see you the day after tomorrow, tell me what I want to know."

After saying this, Yu Tunzhou left the dungeon, watched by Hua Nongying.

This night was destined to be sleepless for Twin Rivers Commandery.

Soon, the next day arrived.

As the day passed and night fell again, nothing happened in the city, but no one let their guard down.

The tranquility of Twin Rivers Commandery under the setting sun is like the calm before a storm.

Qi Anmei atop the city wall, gazing at the red sun rising deep into the desert.

Wang Chongyi walked up behind him, carrying the Wang Household's clan's sacred weapon, the Coiling Dragon Great Spear, on his back.

Have you found anything?

Upon hearing this, Qi Anmei turned around, but instead of looking at Wang Chongyi, she looked towards the city. After a moment of silence, she said, "I have a feeling that guy might have already entered the city."

Wang Chongyi's expression was grave. He said in a low voice, "Very likely. You and I must be careful from now on and ensure we can provide support at any time. I also don't know if Helian Tu can see that the formation has changed."

"Of the seven key points of the formation, we destroyed four and left three intact. I wonder if we can still fool this person."

Qi Anmei frowned, then quickly relaxed. "According to intelligence, Helian Tu is still being pursued by Lord Qin, so he won't have much time left."

"Even if he has doubts at that time, as long as we work together and hold him off for a while, he will either give up or have no choice but to rely on the formation."

Wang Chongyi nodded solemnly.

They had already captured Yin Jiuquan and the others. If the ritual formation remained intact, it would arouse suspicion from the enemy. Therefore, they left behind and modified three key points of the formation.

According to Yin Jiuquan's dying words, this so-called Blood God Ritual was just a supplementary formation, and the real core was suspected to be Helian Tu!

Just then...

The two of them turned around at the same time.

"They're here?!"

The Qingyang Prince's Residence.

Thanks to Yin Jiuquan's last stand, the Prince's mansion was reduced to ruins. Qi Anmei left two people to guard it in case anything went wrong.

As night deepened, the crackling of the burning torches was the only sound in the surroundings.

The two Gold-Wielding Guard sat amidst the ruins, discussing in hushed tones.

One of the younger Gold-Wielding Guard looked rather dejected, feeling that by staying here, he had completely lost any chance of making a contribution.

The other Gold-Wielding Guard was quite old, a senior officer, but he had recently injured his foot, which is why he was sent here.

Hearing the young man's complaints, he shook his head repeatedly and scolded, "You really don't know the meaning of death! Do you know who's coming this time? It's Helian Tu! Helian Tu, the leader of the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert!"

"You can still claim merit, but the prerequisite for merit is survival!"

After saying that, the old man rubbed his hands together, leaned closer to the fire, and asked in surprise, "Why is it so cold tonight?"

He glanced at the pitch-black surroundings and felt a chill creep into his bones for no apparent reason. Instinctively, he reached for the hilt of his knife.

What he didn't know was that just moments before, a figure had walked past him three steps away.

He was dressed in a black robe, and his face was fair and delicate, like a sickly young master who had been living in seclusion for a long time.

He walked slowly, as if strolling leisurely between the two Gold-Wielding Guard.

It was Helian Tu, the leader of the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert.

This person walked deep into the ruins and found himself standing on the very spot where Yin Jiuquan had died the day before.

He looked around, taking in everything, then looked down at the ground beneath his feet, where there was a patch of soil soaked in blood.

Helian Tu raised his hand and gestured, and the blood that had seeped into the soil slowly emerged, gathering into lines, like tiny blood-red lizard worms, winding their way towards Helian Tu's palm.

The forbidden technique of the Blood River Dao, the Blood Seed Returning to the Flow.

All Blood River Dao warriors who have cultivated to the External Scenery can receive a life-saving secret technique from the Blood God they worship; this is the method.

As long as the life Essence Blood that has been nurtured Indestructible, there is a chance to return to the Blood River Dao Blood River for further nurturing, and in the future, to reshape the physical body and be reborn.

This is the biggest secret of the Blood River Dao, and the reason why it has Indestructible being besieged by the righteous Blood River Dao for so many years.

Soon, this Essence Blood floated in Helian Tu's palm, containing the core array of Yin Jiuquan's final will ritual before his death.

At the last moment, Yin Jiuquan still managed to deceive Qi Anmei and the others. The core array eye of the ritual was not anywhere else, but right here in the Qingyang Prince's Residence, in every place where Yin Jiuquan's flesh and blood and aura had stained when he self-destructed!

As one of the four guardians of the Blood River Dao, Yin Jiuquan has been a believer of the Blood God for many years and is qualified to use his own flesh and blood as an array.

Unfortunately, at the last moment, Qi Anmei intervened and banished Yin Jiuquan into the Void, causing most of his flesh and blood to spill into the Void, leaving the formation incomplete.

Now, Yin Jiuquan has passed on the method of activating and completing the great formation to Helian Tu through his own life Essence Blood.

According to their previous agreement, once the Blood God successfully descends upon the world, Helian Tu must sacrifice the flesh and blood of living beings in exchange for Yin Jiuquan's reincarnation and resurrection.

While reincarnation is possible in the Blood River Dao of Blood, returning to the Blood River is a lengthy process, unlike direct resurrection through the Blood God.

Having learned everything, Helian Tu's lips curled slightly, and a very faint smile bloomed on his fair and delicate face.

He swallowed the Essence Blood without hesitation.

The Essence Blood sensed something and tried to struggle, but it was all in vain, and it was swallowed by Helian Tu.

Only then was Yin Jiuquan truly dead.

An unnatural crimson flush rose from Helian Tu's neck, spreading down his jawline, across his cheeks, and all the way to his brow.

His eyes blazed crimson, then slowly receded. The damage he had suffered from being hunted by Qin Zang for many days was partially replenished by this mouthful of Essence Blood.

But what concerned him even more than the Essence Blood itself was the extremely faint aura contained within Essence Blood.

He savored it carefully, discerning the essence mixed with the Blood Qi.

Within it lies a wisp of divine essence, ancient and profound, carrying the unique killing and annihilation intent of the Netherworld Blood Sea, originating from the Blood God worshipped in the Blood River Dao.

It felt strangely familiar to him.

And that was his real goal for this trip.

Suddenly, Helian Tu's expression changed, his entire face contorted, the muscles on the left side of his face twitched violently, and the corner of his mouth was pulled down, making him look extremely ferocious.

The right side of his face remained calm, even bearing that faint smile.

The same face, with two completely different expressions, looked extremely eerie under the moonlight.

He suddenly raised his left hand, his fingers bent like hooks, and gripped the right side of his face. Blood seeped out from between his fingers as he desperately tore the left side of his face downwards. His right hand, however, remained motionless at his side, not stopping him, as if he were watching the struggle taking place on his body.

"This is my body!"

A hoarse, violent voice, filled with endless hatred, was squeezed out of his throat.

"Your body?"

Helian Tu uttered a second voice, as gentle as if coaxing an ignorant child, "You borrowed my power to break through the External Scenery and cultivate my Cultivation Method to reshape your Dao body. Don't you know the price? I have never hidden it from you. It was your greed that betrayed you. From the moment you began to kowtow to me, this body was no longer yours."

"No, you lied to me—" The hoarse voice struggled, as if being suppressed little by little.

Helian Tu raised his right hand and gently removed his left, revealing his face, which had been mauled and was now a bloody mess. He smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, I deceived you. Once this ritual is complete, I will return your body to you."

"----really?"

"You're not worth me deceiving you," Helian Tu laughed. "If nothing unexpected happens this time, I should be able to obtain a new body, which I'll return to you."

The struggle on the left side of the face gradually weakened and was suppressed little by little.

Those violent eyes were filled with resentment and bitterness, yet they could only close helplessly.

His face was covered in blood, but his expression had returned to calm.

"Those Qin fellows are pressing too hard." Helian Tu looked towards the northern horizon of the county town and muttered to himself, "I'm afraid Huyan Zhuo and his companion won't be able to hold out for long. It's a pity we don't have time to play around with the people in this county town."

According to Yin Jiuquan's dying words, the array's core is flawed and needs to be repaired with the blood of a large number of living beings.

This was also Yin Jiuquan's revenge on Qi Anmei and the others. In his view, Helian Tu would inevitably raise his butcher's knife and slaughter indiscriminately to collect the blood needed for the array's core.

But at this moment----

Helian Tu simply raised his right hand, his five fingers spread wide, palm facing down, and a crack appeared in his palm, from which blood dripped.

As blood dripped in little by little, he single-handedly repaired the flawed core of the array!

The first to notice the anomaly were the two Gold-Wielding Guard stationed at the Prince's residence.

The younger Gold-Wielding Guard was breathing rapidly, constantly wiping the sweat from his palms.

Just then, the senior officer suddenly reached out and patted him on the shoulder, pushing him back, and said in a deep voice, "Young man, your time to make a contribution has come. Go and report to your superiors immediately."

The young Gold-Wielding Guard looked at the old man blocking his way in astonishment.

"What are you standing there for? If I hadn't injured Laozi leg, would I have given you this chance to make a name for yourself? Get the Laozi out of here! Don't tell me your legs are too weak to run!"

A sharp shout, loud as thunder, startled the young man awake.

He gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran away.

As the array eye beneath his feet was completed and activated, Helian Tu instantly sensed the location of the auxiliary array eye set up in the county city.

To his surprise, three of the seven array cores were still standing.

It seems that the efforts of the vaginal enthusiasts over the past few days have not been entirely in vain.

Very well, I will carry on Yin Xiaoyou's will and go to "greet" the Blood God Son, whom Blood River Dao has worshipped as a deity for many years, to see how much power this "old friend" has recovered.

The next moment.

A crimson light shot up from beneath his feet, soaring straight into the sky!

"They're here! It's the direction of the Prince's Mansion!"

Yu Tunzhou, who was guarding a key point of the formation, immediately noticed the unusual activity in the ritual, which resonated with the fluctuations coming from the direction of the Prince's Mansion.

"Fellow Daoist, don't be hasty. This guy is still somewhat wary; he's testing us."

Huntian's voice echoed in Yu Tunzhou's mind, carrying a hint of hunter's patience, "First, get the auxiliary formation running. I personally modified the formation; unless that guy is a master of formations, he won't be able to see through it in a short time."

As blood-red light shot into the sky, three locations within the county town responded simultaneously.

At the old well in the south of the city, a column of blood burst forth from the ground, and the well water boiled like syrup under the reflection of the blood.

--

The Land God Temple of the city shattered under the impact of the Blood Sha.

In the western mortuary, the array core buried deep underground suddenly activated, enveloping the entire mortuary in a layer of eerie blood mist.

Four beams of blood-red light rose simultaneously from four directions, converging and intertwining above the city, like four giant blood-red serpents weaving together in a complex and eerie array.

The array continued to expand and spread, shrouding the entire county in crimson. Each flicker of the array's patterns was like the beating of a giant heart, as if responding to something.

On the city wall, Qi Anmei and Wang Chongyi stood side by side, neither of them speaking, their eyes fixed on the ever-expanding crimson array above their heads.

They all sensed that the array diagram connected to a certain place in the Void, as if it had transformed into Daoist School. Behind the portal, a mighty and vast will, filled with evil, bloodlust, and overwhelming killing intent, was rapidly approaching, traversing countless layers of Void!

"That Blood God of the Blood River Dao— " Qi Anmei said in a low voice.

Wang Chongyi had long heard of the Blood God of the Blood River Dao, and suddenly asked, "Could this Great Sage of the Nine Netherworlds be the Blood God?"

Qi Anmei's gaze sharpened, unable to answer.

At this moment, they can only hope that the lightning-summoning array will be successfully deployed!

In the dungeon, Hua Nongying sensed that majestic and powerful aura. Struggling, she knelt on the ground, her face filled with fervor. "We respectfully request the Venerable God to descend!"

Once the deity's divided soul successfully descends and possesses Helian Tu, even Qin Zang will have to bow down!

In the end, they still won!

On Yu Tunzhou's side, Huntian squatted on Little Black's back, his golden eyes half-closed, watching the will through Yu Tunzhou's perception.

It had been trying to recognize the aura since the beginning, feeling that it was somewhat familiar.

Those it can become familiar with are basically strong individuals of the same level.

Suddenly, Huntian's wings spread wide. "Blood God Son?!"

At the same time.

At the ruins of the Qingyang Prince's Residence, Helian Tu smiled and called out the same name.

"Blood God Son, it's been a long time. It seems you had indeed been planning this all along. Very well, I'll lend you another hand."

The next moment, the crimson pillar of light that shot up from the great formation beneath his feet expanded once more, with the crimson halo extending outwards in layers, drawing the aura from the depths of the Void closer to the mortal world!

At the same time, a dark light flowed in Helian Tu's eyes.

He had been looking forward to this meeting for fifty years, hoping to scare his old friend whom he hadn't seen for many years and to put on a new body that suited him.

Unfortunately, the situation changed, and an auspicious day could not be chosen.

"You know the Great Sage?"

Yu Tunzhou sensed something unusual in Huntian's voice, but it wasn't fear or apprehension; rather, it was an incredulity as if he had seen a ghost.

At this moment, that evil and overwhelming will is extremely close to the mortal world, just one step away!

"We'll talk about it later!" Huntian suddenly jumped up excitedly, filled with barely suppressed exhilaration. "Fellow Daoist, may we begin..."

The lightning strike array has been activated!

"I thought I'd only be chopping one down, but I didn't expect this young friend from the Nine Netherworlds to be so polite, not only delivering himself to my doorstep but also bringing another one along!"

"Heavenly lightning represents the will of Heavenly Dao. Today, if one comes, strike it down; if two come, strike them both down!"

Yu Tunzhou muttered, "Buy one get one free?"

He had been worried that the enemy's formation was too large, and that the threat of this ritual formation might have surpassed that of Helian Tu himself. But upon hearing Huntian's words, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Indeed, there's no such thing as sharing or bearing the heavenly lightning; if two Great Sage come, then it's a double portion.

At this moment.

The Void in the sky suddenly tore open.

That will finally descended upon the world in its entirety.

When it stepped into this world, the spiritual energy of the entire county city froze in that instant, the wind stopped and the clouds stood still, and even the flames on countless torches in the city froze in mid-air.

A will that could kill heaven, earth, and all living beings swept down from the Void, but stopped the moment it touched Helian Tu.

Helian Tu suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh that tore through the night sky, wild and unrestrained, like someone who had been dead for too long standing before an old friend.

"Blood God Son, Blood God Son! We've finally met again!"

In the Void, that will remained silent for a moment.

Then, a cold voice rang out directly within Helian Tu's Primordial Spirit, without any emotional fluctuation.

"So it was you, Yuan Tu Yi."

Helian Tu's smile suddenly turned ferocious.

"Blood God Son, there's no need for beating around the bush between us." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling, sticky quality. "How much power does this avatar of yours contain?"

Before he finished speaking, a massive aura filled with killing intent erupted from the depths of his Primordial Spirit, pointing straight into the Void, and collided violently with the will of the Blood God Son in the night sky!

The Void trembled. The sky full of blood-red light was torn to pieces by two wills that originated from the same source but were in opposition.

The Blood God Son's will remained cold. "You've slumbered for too long; you've forgotten who you are."

"Forgot?" Helian Tu sneered. "I have never forgotten, and it is precisely because I have never forgotten that I need to borrow your power to return to my peak."

Two wills confronted each other in the Void, eroding and testing one another.

At that moment, both wills simultaneously experienced violent fluctuations!

Within the city, the key points of the three auxiliary formations are undergoing some strange changes, as if their secrets have finally been revealed.

Helian Tu suddenly turned around and looked towards the city.

The Blood God Son's will also withdrew from the Void rift and swept towards the three array eyes. But it was too late.

An overwhelming aura descended from the heavens, easily crushing them!

That aura was not the will of any ancient being; it was more ancient, purer, and more ruthless.

Faced with that aura, the earth-shattering clash of wills between Helian Tu and the Blood God Son was like two fish fighting in a stream, suddenly sensing a mountain collapsing down above them.

Regardless of their true identities, they are all "defectors" before the Heavenly Dao of the world.

The next moment.

Two bolts of cyan-purple lightning crashed down, giving them no time to react. They were like bridges Tongtian, illuminating the surrounding area for miles around as bright as day!

On the city wall, Qi Anmei suddenly looked up. Wang Chongyi's Coiling Dragon Great Spear trembled with an almost mournful sound.

Both of them had their eyes filled with the lightning bolt that had descended from the sky, and no words could describe the shock they felt at that moment.

It actually worked!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One bolt of lightning after another descended, some blue, some gold, some purple, and some chaotic in color. They were dazzling yet contained a domineering power to destroy everything!

At that moment, only the sound of thunder could be heard between heaven and earth.

"Who?!"

"Who set up the lightning-sealing array?!"

A voice filled with uncontrollable rage, even fury, echoed from the sea of thunder, resounding throughout heaven and earth.

Helian Tu and the Blood God Son's wills are struggling frantically under the lock of heavenly lightning.

But with the lightning locked on, the two had no way to avoid it.