Yellow Court Daoist

At Yu Mountain's location.

Piles upon piles of white clouds spread out, vast and stretching unknown tens of thousands of miles, like layers upon layers of snow-white earth.

Above the clouds.

Under the Guang Hui tree.

The Three Ancestors of Yu Mountain and Ao Shang's gazes converged, both nodding in recognition.

Awaiting Ao Shang's ascension.

The Guangning True Immortal's smiling face receded, frowning as he said, "This Luo Fu, having joined our Yu Mountain and received various privileges, still pines for the minor Min River!"

To be trifled with by an insignificant newly-promoted Primordial Spirit Practitioner, if not for considering that Luo Fuzi was a Shang River Practitioner with good talents and now even endowed with fortune worthy of nurturing, the temperamental Guangning True Immortal would have long since struck down with a heavy palm and crushed Luo Fuzi's Divine Soul, to wash away the shame.

It was hard to suppress his anger.

Now seeing Lu Qingfeng wielding power as if he were a fox exploiting the tiger's might, ordering the Swallowing Star Seven Ancestors to work for the Min River, and what's more, the Swallowing Star Seven Ancestors appeared as if they had reaped great benefits from it, growing ever more congested with resentment.

Hearing this.

Rong Hong True Immortal, whose face was covered with wrinkles, chuckled and said, "Junior brother, your words are not quite right. Just think about it, Luo Fu today honors Ao Zhan with respect as if he were his equal. Our Yu Mountain has treated him just as well; one day when he becomes a True Immortal, he will surely honor our Yu Mountain as he does the Min River. This is a good thing."

As these words were said, Guangning True Immortal listened, a conflicted expression on his face, but in the end, he looked toward Rong Hong True Immortal and bitterly smiled, saying, "Senior brother sees more clearly than I do."

Rong Hong True Immortal simply smiled without replying.

However, it was Tongxuan True Immortal who leisurely said, "According to the information from Ancient Shang's Min River, this Luo Fu is a man who values relationships, promises, and possesses great fortune. Capable of becoming a Seventh Order Alchemist and Artifact Refiner, he must have had deep good fortune and exceptional comprehension before. If we nurture him well and treat him with sincerity, in the future he may well become a pillar for our Yu Mountain Sect."

Both Tongxuan and Rong Hong had very insightful views.

Both held high expectations for Luo Fuzi.

Seeing him pay his respects to the Min River, they couldn't stop praising him.

Guangning True Immortal was somewhat impatient, but not unreasonable.

After listening to both pieces of advice, his dislike for Luo Fu was greatly reduced. Without going so far as to develop immediate fondness, at least upon seeing him in the future, there would be no glaring in anger.

...

Three days later.

Three streams of tunneling light descended from Cloud Sky, heading straight for the upper stream of Thunder Sound River.

"Your Majesty."

"Third Prince."

"General Luo Fu."

At the Min River Navy campsite, Xuan Shuang and Zhang Shu had already been waiting outside, and upon seeing the three streams of tunneling light descending, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Their gazes involuntarily lingered on Lu Qingfeng, clad in brocade robes and carrying a sharp sword, with surprise evident in their eyes.

Obviously.

News of 'Luo Fuzi' becoming the Sect Leader of Yu Mountain spread following the battle three days prior.

"Let's go into the tent to discuss in detail."

Ao Zhan took the lead towards the main tent of the general.

Ao Lie, Lu Qingfeng, Xuan Shuang, and Zhang Shu followed closely.

Inside the tent.

Everyone took their seats.

Xuan Shuang was the first to ask, "Your Majesty, was your trip smooth?"

Naturally, what she asked about was the outcome of the handling of the conflict between Min River and Wujiang after ascending to heaven.

"Fifty boards each."

"Relieved of my duties as Min River Dragon Lord, temporarily in command of the Min River Navy; Ao Geng relieved of his duties as Wujiang Dragon Lord, temporarily in command of the Wujiang Navy. Depending on performance in this battle, we will consider reinstatement afterwards."

Ao Zhan's tone was flat.

This punishment sounded serious—

The position of a Second Grade Dragon Lord was removed.

But in fact, it was only the removal of the Divine Position in name, with no reduction of actual power, not harming the big picture at all. And the so-called 'reinstatement after the battle' was basically certain to be reinstatement to the original position.

Talking about effects, there was some.

This campaign followed the Heaven Suppressing Army to conquer Dong Xian, and after success, there would definitely be rewards. But due to the previous conflict, Min River's reward might as well be washed away.

Or to put it another way.

This punishment essentially pre-empted compensation with post-battle awards.

"This is already very good."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Shuang let out the anxiety she had been holding. Min River had no backers, while Wujiang had the support of the esteemed Commander of East Heaven; to have such an outcome was indeed the best possible result for Min River.

"We still have to thank Senior Brother Luo Fu for this."

"Otherwise, with Wujiang having the support of Commander of East Heaven behind them and no one above our Min River, how could this matter have been dismissed so lightly before the Great Marshal?"

Ao Lie also understood this reasoning and spoke aloud.

His terrifying waist injury had long since healed, and his face had also regained its rosy hue. Laughing heartily, he got up and deeply bowed to Lu Qingfeng at his side, saying, "I must thank senior brother for intervening this time; otherwise, I, Ao Lie, might have already fallen at the hands of Ao Liang and Ao Zhi."

"Third Prince, you are too courteous."

"Wujiang initiated the provocation and injured the Third Prince severely; the Great Marshal wouldn't turn a blind eye. Although the old master was at fault, he was merely implicated by Chi Bai."

Lu Qingfeng hurriedly helped him up.

This was Ao Le's elder brother, and Ao Le was even closer to him than to her own father. Although Lu Qingfeng was now just an avatar, he dared not accept a grand gesture of gratitude.

Indeed, he played a role in this outcome.

But at the root of it, it was because the culpability on Min River's side was not thoroughly pursued, so the matter could be settled lightly. Even if Chi Bai were not a disciple of Ao Zhan, perhaps even this small punishment could have been avoided.

It's a pity.

Teacher and disciple were one.

Even though Chi Bai was just casually taken in by Ao Zhan, in the eyes of outsiders, he was part of the same lineage. A disciple's wrongdoing couldn't be completely separated from the teacher.

This was also why many Primordial Great Powers were reluctant to take disciples lightly.

Nothing else.

Taking disciples lightly, should the disciples cause major trouble, the causality involved, and the teacher also can't escape the calamity. Likewise, if a teacher encounters misfortune, the disciple must also be implicated.

"Senior brother, you do not need to be modest, Min River is out of trouble this time, all thanks to senior brother's intervention."

Ao Lie stood up, his face sincerely grateful as he earnestly said, "Senior brother saved my life and previously also killed Ao Yin and Ao Pi, saving Guang Yuan. This bow cannot express enough thanks. Should senior brother have any directives in the future, Ao Lie will surely go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Counting carefully.

The favor was indeed not small.

"As a disciple of my teacher, and also a person of Min River, these are all matters within my responsibility."

Lu Qingfeng spoke.

Amid this exchange of pleasantries and glances, both Lu Qingfeng and Ao Lie couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Laughter filled the tent.

Suddenly, at this moment.

Buzz!

The sky and earth were filled with a blood-red radiance, shaking the universe, with the Nine Heavens' clouds parting instantly, startling everyone present.

"What is this—"

"What happened?"

"Is it the Blood Spring Demon Sect?!"

Ao Zhan, Xuan Shuang, and others rushed out of the tent. With one step, they stood upon the void, looking towards the eastern part of the East Xian State, only to see that at the edge of the sky, endless blood radiance twinkled, and boundless blood energy soared into the heavens.

The stench of blood was pervasive, with blood raining down and malevolence filling the air.

Lu Qingfeng stood to one side, gazing at this scene, somewhat entranced, his expression occasionally blank and a bit strange. Fortunately, at this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the spectacle, and no one noticed him.

...

Deep beneath the land of East Xian State, unknowable miles down,

There lay a Blood Sea.

The Blood Sea stretched tens of thousands of miles in every direction, within which blood waves churned violently. No fish or shrimp thrived, no birds or insects approached. The world's malevolence converged here, becoming the most ferocious place in the world, vaguely connected to the unknown Netherworld.

Cursed spirits sank, tainted by the blood energy, forever lost in eternal damnation.

Rolling blood waves and towering malevolence.

Amidst this were two figures, standing tall as if they supported the heavens.

Upon closer inspection, they were the two old ancestors of the Blood Spring Demon Sect—

Yu Gong and Miao Yu.

"The time has come."

Yu Gong's face was sinister, and suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, filled with malevolence, syncing faintly with the boundless Blood Sea. Around his body, the void swallowed the energy of annihilation, akin to a black hole. Blood waves continuously surged into Yu Gong's body mixed with the malevolence of the world.

Endlessly, without cessation.

Miao Yu was experiencing the same.

Yet, such consumption, compared to the vast Blood Sea, was completely negligible.

"Elder brother."

"Once we perform the 'Blood Abyss Great Method', embracing immeasurable sin, we will truly fall into the Demon Dao and lose all hope of transcendence. Although this method was unearthed by our Blood Sea Sect, in ancient times, only during the overturning of the Blood Sea did the old ancestor of the Blood Sea ever perform it, and it's unknown if he achieved his goal. Whether this method can indeed breakthrough the barriers of the Chunshen Realm and reach the Nine Netherworld is also uncertain."

"You and I—"

Miao Yu frowned, her appearance inadvertently adding a few strokes of seduction.

But Yu Gong laughed, "Is the younger sister afraid?"

"Of course not."

"Miao Yu is just worried that if this method fails, she might never see Elder Brother again."

Miao Yu looked at Yu Gong, her eyes full of affection, reluctant to part.

Yu Gong shook his head, "The constraints of the world prevent freedom. Without becoming a great demon among demons, you and I might live for a hundred thousand years, but we will still reincarnate and may not meet again in the next life. The conditions for the 'Blood Abyss Great Method' are harsh. We waited thousands of years for this one chance that comes once in a million years. If we give up now, we will indeed be trapped in this tiny human world and miss the vastness beyond the heavens."

"I can't accept that."

"I refuse to."

Yu Gong's eyes looked up to the sky, piercing through the ground as if seeing the infinite quietude beyond the void. The more one cultivates, the more one perceives the world, the more one realizes how narrow this part of the universe is.

"Rather than exhausting our Life Span and dying of old age in Chunshen."

"Or leaving this part of the world to wander aimlessly in the void."

"It's better to take a chance on the turmoil of the world!"

Yu Gong's face showed a look of madness, with fervent and longing eyes gazing at Miao Yu.

Miao Yu remained silent.

After a long while, she finally raised her head to look at Yu Gong, "Miao Yu wishes to follow Elder Brother."

"Good!"

Yu Gong praised loudly, his face beaming with joy, pointing towards the heavens and saying, "The Chunshen Nine Provinces are currently merging into the Ancient Shang Region. The mechanism of the heavens is chaotic, and the suppression of the Blood Sea by East Xian State is at its weakest point. The disturbance of the earth can even lend us strength, helping the two of us overturn the Blood Sea and upheave East Xian State."

"Billions of Life Spirits as a sacrifice, turned into a Blood Abyss devouring immeasurable sins, can surely help you and me break the shackles of this world, emulate the old ancestor of the Blood Sea, and ascend to the Nine Netherworld!"

Saying this,

Yu Gong spread his arms wide, and in an instant, his clothes disappeared.

"Elder brother."

Seeing this, Miao Yu stepped forward, and as she moved, her clothes also shed, revealing a devilish figure that inflamed one's blood.

Embracing Yu Gong.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Quietly feeling each other's heartbeat.

Their minds melded, like water and milk blending together. At their feet, lines began to appear out of nowhere. The lines crisscrossed, spreading instantaneously in all directions. They revealed endless mystery, such that even a Primordial Spirit True One, if not versed in Array, would feel dizzy and overwhelmed at a glance.

The Blood Pattern Array unfolded over the Blood Sea.

Up above,

It connected to various parts of the void, with a myriad of blood-colored lines piercing through the void, echoing remotely with numerous Earth Realms' 'Zhenyuan Arrays', like the Ghostly Wailing Mysterious Realm.

Below,

It spread deep into the Blood Sea, proliferating endlessly.

Lines drew upwards, downwards, extending in all directions.

In a trance,

It seemed to form an endless Abyss. Upon closer inspection, the infinite lines appeared to outline a colossal giant whose veins, skin, hair were the lines themselves.

The giant stood with feet in the Blood Sea, half its body submerged. Hands upholding the earth, as if carrying the whole East Xian State.

After an unknown period of time,

The giant within the Blood Sea suddenly opened its eyes—

In an instant, blood-light burst forth for thousands of miles, rushing up to the stars, illuminating the entire East Xian State.

...