A Blood-Deep Vendetta, Everyone Like a Dragon

Jixia Academy.

Since the ancient emperors established their rule over the world, the Jixia Academy has been one of the ancestral homes of celestial divination in the Central Plains. It was responsible for predicting the rise and fall of dynasties and the fortunes and misfortunes of cultivators. It was as famous as the Star Palace, and there has always been a saying that "the Star Palace controls the heavens, and the Jixia Academy controls the earth."

But Qingxuzi, who stepped into the Jixia Academy today, found the place as quiet as a desolate tomb.

As far as the eye could see, there were only corpses, their life Essence Blood drained away, leaving only desiccated bodies, their appearance gruesome and unbearable to look at.

Immediately afterwards, he stepped into the hidden paradise deep within the academy.

This place is the core and most important location of the Jixia Academy. Without the corresponding method, even Immortals and Gods cannot enter.

As soon as he stepped into the room, a strong stench of blood hit him.

The entire world had turned blood red.

This stands in stark contrast to the outside world.

Qingxuzi's expression remained unchanged, but a faint sense of apprehension and doubt arose in his heart.

Why is there such a stark difference between the internal and external aspects? What exactly is the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother planning?

As they ventured deeper, they saw the corpses of many elders of the Jixia Academy lying scattered everywhere, each one dying a gruesome death, their Primordial Spirit shattered. Even Qingxuzi couldn't help but frown.

Such ruthless methods are truly befitting of a demon god from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.

The saintess and this being are companions...

As he pondered, he arrived at the depths of the cave. Looking up, he saw a scene completely different from what he had imagined: the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother slaughtering everyone.

The little girl, who was actually the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother, stood with her arms crossed against the stone wall, while An Ruyu, dressed in pure white, stood in front of the corpses.

"What's on your mind?"

The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother turned around, her voice crisp and clear, but her eyes were full of amusement.

"You think this place is all my masterpiece? You're in for a disappointment."

"Outside the cave, everything was indeed my doing, but inside the cave, I merely handed over a knife."

She raised her chin and pointed at the still immaculate white-clad figure in front of her, her meaning self-evident.

Everything here was the work of this Holy Maiden. Qingxuzi frowned, his gaze passing over the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother and landing on An Ruyu.

The latter, dressed in spotless white, stood in stark contrast to the bloodstains all over his body. He then pointed a finger at the brow of the old man in front of him, whose limbs were severed and whose face was contorted in a ferocious manner.

Qingxuzi recognized the other party at a glance: Ji Chen, the previous head of the Jixia Academy, who had retired to his grotto more than a decade ago and no longer concerned himself with worldly affairs.

Those who can foresee all the secrets of heaven rarely have a good ending. They often choose a suitable time to hide in a blessed land to avoid possible natural disasters and man-made calamities. But this person still could not escape this calamity today.

"Spirit Refining Method?"

Qingxuzi recognized the Secret Method used by An Ruyu and was filled with surprise and doubt.

This person shouldn't have met Ji Chen before, so why would they torture him with the Spirit Refining Method?

This method was originally intended to refine the Primordial Spirit, but because it is so painful, it is specifically used for interrogating and tormenting the Primordial Spirit, making it impossible for people to die.

To date, Qingxuzi has never seen anyone who can keep their mouth shut under this method.

Qingxuzi, filled with suspicion, transmitted his voice, "Blood Spirit Venerable Mother, what grudge does the Holy Maiden hold against this person?"

The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother glanced at him. "I don't care about these things. Ask her yourself after she's done."

Qingxuzi looked again and saw that Ji Chen's eyes were filled with fear, truly wishing for death but unable to live. After an unknown amount of time, An Ruyu gracefully got up, ending the torture, but An Ruyu Ji Chen was still trapped in the hell of his Primordial Spirit, unable to escape the sea of suffering.

She turned around and looked at Qingxuzi, seemingly knowing that he would definitely ask questions. With a gentle smile, she took the initiative to speak:

"The Jixia Academy murdered a descendant of the Human Emperor, and should be exterminated along with the entire family. Now that the Dharma King has arrived, please confirm again that there are no survivors in this grotto-heaven. I will go and retrieve the Earth Ranking first."

Qingxuzi was shocked. This charge was far too serious. He was about to ask when he heard the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother speak:

"Of the last remaining bloodline of the Human Emperor in the Northern Plains, the one with pure blood, according to our calculations, only one person remains. That person is you, isn't it?"

Qingxuzi's brow twitched.

The Holy Maiden does indeed possess the bloodline of the Human Emperor, or rather, almost all the Holy Maidens of the Incense-Smelling Cult throughout history have possessed the bloodline of the Human Emperor.

But this is not surprising, as countless members of the world's great Aristocratic Clan possess the bloodline of the Human Emperor.

However, the bloodline of the Human Emperor is extremely special. After the major Aristocratic Clan inherited the blood of the Human Emperor, none of their descendants were born with extraordinary abilities. In terms of cultivation talent, they were generally inferior even to the descendants of Immortals and Gods.

Later, a powerful being discovered that the Human Emperor had long ago placed a restriction in his own bloodline to prevent such a thing from happening.

Today, the only remaining bloodline that can truly be called the pure blood of the Human Emperor is that long-hidden lineage in Northern Plains.

According to the deductions of some High Antiquity people, this bloodline possesses the method to communicate with the Human Emperor's Immortal Heaven, and also holds the only key to unlocking the Human Emperor's bloodline. But unfortunately, to this day, no one has found the whereabouts of this bloodline.

Is the Holy Maiden the last descendant of the Northern Plains Human Emperor's bloodline?

Qingxuzi immediately recalled the past when he received the Holy Maiden into the sect, and glanced at the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother.

The selection of holy maidens throughout history has always relied on the "divine pronouncements" of the various matriarchs.

It is said that more than eight mothers issued a divine decree that day, and they even chose the same person, which is a rare occurrence throughout history. This person was one of those eight mothers.

Even the final arrangements for welcoming the Holy Maiden into the church were handled by the Blood River Dao Sect.

And the Blood River Dao is now...

Qingxuzi's eye twitched.

He quickly recalled the time when Ji Chen abdicated, only to discover that An Ruyu should have just been born the year Ji Chen abdicated and went into seclusion in the grotto!

An Ruyu was three years old when she joined the sect!

The timing doesn't add up... unless Ji Chen secretly participated in a plot against the bloodline of the Northern Plains Human Emperor after his abdication.

Qingxuzi looked closely. Was this Holy Maiden now settling scores? As for the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother's confirmation, An Ruyu neither denied nor agreed. She simply smiled and bowed before heading deeper into the cave to retrieve the Earth Ranking.

Qingxuzi looked at Ji Chen, who was still being tortured, raised his hand and took him into his grasp, directly extracting Ji Chen's Primordial Spirit.

The latter's Primordial Spirit was almost completely shattered, a truly pitiful sight.

Qingxuzi frowned, and simply used Secret Method to swallow all of Ji Chen's remaining Primordial Spirit. After digesting it, he obtained some of Ji Chen's memories, including scenes of the Jixia Academy joining forces with others to secretly find the hiding place of the last branch of the Human Emperor's bloodline in the Northern Plains and cruelly massacre them.

In an attempt to force them to reveal the Secret Method for entering the Human Emperor's Immortal Heaven, this group even went so far as to slowly torture the clan's young children one by one in front of the clan's elders...

After witnessing the horrific scenes, Qingxuzi's expression grew increasingly grim, feeling that Ji Chen's death had been far too easy.

He is the Heavenly King who protects the Incense-Smelling Cult, and he worships all the old mothers, but his most fundamental belief is still that of the Human Emperor.

The Incense-Smelling Cult is originally the lineage of the Human Emperor.

Qingxuzi suppressed his anger and tried to see more of the scene. He discovered that the Jixia Academy had long ago locked onto the last branch of the Human Emperor's bloodline, but the person who truly persuaded them to take action was someone else, and not just one side!

The Ji Clan of the Great Yan and the Divine Capital Xiao Household.

More than a decade ago, the one who represented the Ji Clan of the Great Yan was none other than the current Emperor Tianshun. Back then, before he ascended the throne, he represented the Ji Clan and went to the Jixia Academy, hoping to find a way to open the Human Emperor's Immortal Heaven.

As far as Qingxuzi knew, the Ji Clan of the Great Yan also Human Emperor. Was this an attempt to unseal their bloodline? At the time, the Jixia Academy did not immediately agree.

Just as they were hesitating, the appearance of the Divine Capital Xiao Household completely dispelled the concerns of the Jixia Academy, thus propelling the final tragedy to unfold.

In Ji Chen's memory, Qingxuzi could see that Ji Chen had never imagined that the Xiao Household and the Ji Clan would force the bloodline of the Human Emperor to reveal the Immortal Heaven Law in such a tragic way. Therefore, upon his return, he immediately chose to abdicate and go into seclusion.

But in Qingxuzi's view, this was utterly foolish and self-deceptive!

As the head of the Jixia Academy, Ji Chen had witnessed countless human natures. How could he not guess the fate of the Ji Clan and Xiao Household after they secretly discovered the bloodline of the Human Emperor?

It can only be said that this person was already blinded by the prospects promised by the Xiao Household and the Ji Clan, and his death is not a pity!

Qingxuzi snorted coldly and used Secret Method to preserve Ji Chen's Primordial Spirit memories.

This will become a powerful weapon in the future to attack Emperor Tianshun and the Xiao Household!

"Did Mother already know that the Jixia Academy, in collusion with the Ji Clan and Xiao Household, was plotting to harm the bloodline of the Human Emperor?"

Qingxuzi left Ji Chen's corpse and asked.

"I have not yet reached the level of omniscience," the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother said calmly.

"How did the old mothers choose the Holy Maiden back then?" "The traces left by the Human Emperor showed signs of change. After we deduced them, we discovered that the last pure bloodline left by the Human Emperor in the Northern Plains had only one person left, and we ultimately focused on this woman."

"Blood Spirit Venerable Mother said calmly."

Qingxuzi suddenly frowned. "But if I remember correctly, when we found the Holy Maiden, she still had quite a few family members with her!"

"That's right. When Xue Wuya found this woman back then, she still had many relatives with her. Xue Wuya used Secret Method to check, and they were indeed related to him by blood. So over the years, we have had doubts about whether we have found the wrong person."

The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother coldly gazed in the direction An Ruyu had left.

Qingxuzi's face twitched slightly. "Back then, it was Xue Wuya who was responsible for severing worldly ties?"

He only knew that the one who made the move back then was Blood River Dao, but he didn't know that it was actually Xue Wuya who made the move personally.

Not long ago, the Holy Maiden said she wanted to sever her ties with the mortal world, so she went to the Northern Plains. After that, news came that Xue Wuya by Yu Tunzhou.

She was indeed settling scores with the past!

Could it be that she has broken the seal on the Human Emperor's bloodline, awakened the corresponding divine abilities, and recalled her childhood memories?

Qingxuzi gradually came to believe it.

Although doubts remain, they are not inexplicable. For example, those relatives at that time were also of the Human Emperor's bloodline, but they did not possess the pure bloodline of the Human Emperor. In his view, the key to truly corroborating the evidence was the journey to Dragon Gate!

The best explanation for why the Holy Maiden was able to obtain the Luo River Diagram, sealed by the Human Emperor, from the Dragon Gate is her bloodline!

If this person has truly awakened the bloodline of the Human Emperor and obtained the Human Emperor's inheritance, would her desires still align with those of the other elders?

Qingxuzi chuckled self-deprecatingly to himself.

Even the demands of the elderly mothers were never aligned.

This is also the most fundamental problem that makes it difficult for the Incense-Smelling Cult to achieve great things: internal conflicts always precede external pressures.

At this moment.

A beautiful figure in white appeared from ahead.

Looking again, Qingxuzi noticed that the Holy Maiden was dressed in white mourning clothes.

An Ruyu returned gracefully, a gilded scroll in her palm, and said, "Mother, Heavenly King, we've obtained the Earth Ranking."

Blood Spirit Venerable Mother suddenly asked, "Do you know what the Three Rankings left behind by the Human Emperor truly represent?"

"Please enlighten me, Mother." An Ruyu bowed, her demeanor still respectful. The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother carefully examined the face, which resembled a painting, but found nothing amiss; she remained impeccable.

She snorted coldly, said nothing more, and made no attempt to instruct the woman.

Qingxuzi, standing to the side, looked intently.

Unbeknownst to her... the three-year-old girl who was brought back back then has grown into a graceful young woman, and with her wings fully grown, she has become powerful and capable of fighting back against him, thanks to the help of her mothers.

Even she herself could no longer see through her schemes and thoughts.

Qingxuzi sighed inwardly. This woman had already surpassed all the previous holy maidens, and was probably now secretly vying for power with the old mothers.

Now that the Earth Ranking is in hand, what are the Holy Maiden's next plans?

Qingxuzi asked.

"Now that we have the Human Ranking Earth Ranking, it's time to plan for the Heaven Ranking," An Ruyu said with a faint smile.

Qingxuzi said in a deep voice, "Is the Holy Maiden also plotting something with the Human Ranking?"

As far as he knew, the Human Ranking was the real core of the conflict between Daoism, Buddhism, and the Divine Capital. They came here to search for the Earth Ranking, intending to launch a surprise attack, but they did not expect to encounter Abbot Liaose of Shaolin Temple.

But he hadn't expected that An Ruyu had also made arrangements regarding the Human Ranking. An Ruyu didn't explain, but simply smiled and said, "The Heavenly King should have already seen Ji Chen's memories. I request that the Heavenly King deliver these memories to the various Lineage and sects, so that the world can see the true colors of Emperor Tianshun and the Xiao Household."

Qingxuzi's eyes flickered. "So hasty? Is the Holy Maiden about to take action against the Great Yuan?"

"The situation cannot be delayed any longer," An Ruyu said solemnly. "First, we must stop Tianshun from continuing to integrate with the Human Dao Fortune; second, we must stop that emperor from using Tianshun to further restore his strength. Both are of utmost urgency."

"In the future tributary seen in the Luo River Diagram, that emperor might descend upon the Central Plains in a few years!"

Qingxuzi's expression changed drastically. Even the little girl, a manifestation of the Blood Spirit Venerable Mother, suddenly looked over, her voice sharp:

Are you sure?!

"This matter is of utmost importance, concerning the well-being of all Dao Lord and all lords; I dare not deceive you."

The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother's expression darkened as she said, "Why haven't I and the other mothers foreseen any related changes in our destinies?"

The many elders of the Incense-Smelling Cult are neither allies nor absolute enemies. Their relationship depends on what they seek and what benefits they desire; in these matters, everything is negotiable.

And there is a possibility that Lü Bairen might return in a few years.

None of them would allow this possibility to become the final outcome!

"What if someone is covering for him?" An Ruyu asked softly. The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother coldly replied, "Are you saying that among the Twelve Mothers of the Incense-Smelling Cult, one has already reached an agreement with Lü Bairen and is covering for him?"

Among the Twelve Mothers, only a handful are capable of doing this!

An Ruyu said softly, "Whether it's true or false, our primary concern right now is the Human Dao Fortune."

Blood Spirit Venerable Mother snorted coldly. Although she was still pondering who this person was, she had no choice but to face the question posed by An Ruyu.

Human Dao Fortune will be their greatest challenge!

The Blood Spirit Venerable Mother said, enunciating each word clearly, "If you can obtain the Yuan Tu, I will directly storm into the palace and, before it fully merges with the Human Dao Fortune, slay that so-called Emperor Tianshun!"

As for the Human Dao Fortune...

"You can't solve it. Even if all the Dao Lord in the world were combined, no one could untie this deadly situation!"

Danyang Commandery.

Yu Tunzhou had only been in seclusion for a day when he was awakened by Huntian. After Huntian studied it all night, he discovered that the Human Dao Fortune was actually mixed with, or rather, gathered with, the thoughts and intentions of many people.

The source of these people's thoughts and intentions should be the High Antiquity ancestors, who possessed a strong, vibrant, and burning spirit, caring for all living beings, being selfless, overcoming obstacles, and generously sacrificing their lives...

This powerful spirit and energy were something that the Human Race today could never possess, in Huntian's eyes.

It was a unique product of a special era, and a swan song of that era.

This is also one of the biggest obstacles encountered when integrating Human Dao Fortune.

Huntian discovered that the Human Dao Fortune was actually exceptionally "simple." There was more than one way to gain the Human Dao Fortune, one of which was to gain the recognition of these people's hearts and minds.

But even with recognition, it can't bear too much, and that's the key point.

Once the combined fortune exceeds a certain threshold, it will be tainted by the Human Dao Fortune and influenced by the thoughts and intentions of the people within it.

This influence is far from interfering with one's mind, but it is a hidden danger for cultivators. Even refining just a trace of it could make one's primordial Primordial Spirit no longer "pure".

For any cultivator aspiring to reach the pinnacle, whether in Martial Dao or the Immortal Dao, this is an intolerable flaw.

After repeated measurements, Huntian discovered that this limit was precisely the smallest degree that Human Dao Fortune could be divided into, which could be considered as "one millimeter".

Refining more than a fraction of the Human Dao Fortune carries the risk of being Human Dao Fortune by it, potentially sowing hidden dangers in one's Dao heart and Primordial Spirit. However, refining only that fraction of the Human Dao Fortune, while far less as astonishing as Emperor Tianshun's previous display, still brings a blessing akin to the favor of heaven and earth.

Not only will the speed of cultivation be slightly increased, but the comprehension of Divine Ability powers and principles will also be easier.

"And from this mere Human Dao Fortune, one can extract..."

"The amount sufficient for a million martial artists to refine?"

After Huntian realized this, he stared blankly at Yu Tunzhou, guessing at a possibility.

After a long silence, Yu Tunzhou finally uttered four words, his voice very soft, but in the Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, they were like a thunderclap:

"Everyone is like a dragon..."

Could this be the true intention behind the Human Emperor's creation of Human Dao Fortune?

Is this the golden age of Human Race that the Human Emperor has been hoping for?

Yu Tunzhou was momentarily stunned.

He had not been in contact with the Human Dao Fortune for long, but whether it was Mo Shougui or others, throughout history, in every dynasty, even the High Antiquity Sage Emperor had monopolized the Human Dao Fortune, regarding it as a shortcut to the Great Dao and as the treasure of the Human Race.

But now, Yu Tunzhou see a completely different path. They cannot yet discern which path is superior.

Yu Tunzhou with a soft sigh.

In the end, the Human Emperor still failed to achieve the golden age he envisioned, and he didn't even properly explain the Human Dao Fortune before disappearing into the long river of history.

Or perhaps he left behind his true intentions, only to have them erased by others...

Huntian whispered:

"If this conjecture is true, then monopolizing Human Dao Fortune is a wrong path. Perhaps we can do the opposite and find a way to decompose Human Dao Fortune."

"Therefore, that so-called Great Yuan Dynasty, its desire to monopolize the Human Dao Fortune and create an unparalleled immortal dynasty will remain nothing but a pipe dream!"