Chapter 260: Blood God Art, Tongming

Jiushan Sect.

Master Pang stood atop the Ninth Peak, outside the mountain, and said softly:

"I've lived in Jiushan Sect for tens of thousands of years, yet I no longer recognize this place."

The Sect Master beside him remained silent.

The world beyond the mountain had changed utterly.

At the mountain's foot, beside the dock, the great river had lost its flow—only thick, dark red blood now coursed through its bed.

Though it should have been daytime, a celestial river appeared in the sky—also crimson.

Above and below, the two rivers of blood mirrored each other, casting an ominous glow over a hundred li of landscape.

"Is this Soul Transformation?" Master Pang sighed. "Even the heavens shift at its emergence."

"It's more than that."

The Sect Master whispered: "Lately, I've noticed my talisman arts are losing power…"

Master Pang froze, exclaiming: "That sounds like the Heavenly Stele Realm? It can alter the strength of spells and talismans?"

"Yes. Master Zhang spoke to me two days ago about Soul Transformation… this transformation may truly influence the Dao of Heaven." The Sect Master spoke, then fell silent.

Master Pang's face had grown pale.

On the other hand, saying more now would be useless.

"Speaking of Master Zhang, where is she? Still at the Mountain-River True Form Talisman?"

The Sect Master nodded, looking at his junior: "I don't know why the Blood River Ancestor delays, but the malevolent energy within the blood river grows stronger each day—I fear even he won't wait much longer."

Master Pang nodded, as if understanding the Sect Master's meaning.

"I've ordered Master Zhang to descend the mountain. These past days, she's expended vast spiritual energy and soul strength awakening our Ancestor. The situation is urgent—she must rest."

The Sect Master nodded, watching Master Pang ascend the mountain.

He turned back, gazing at the blood river outside, then pulled out a formation disc and gently stroked it.

…

Master Pang climbed the mountain and saw Master Zhang seated beneath the Mountain-River True Form Talisman, her surrounding spiritual energy shifting endlessly like clouds and rosy hues, as if trying to provoke a response from the talisman.

But the Mountain-River True Form Talisman emitted only faint, flickering light—nothing more.

Master Pang waited a while, but Master Zhang showed no sign of waking. He softly called: "Master Zhang."

Master Zhang slowly opened her eyes, her gaze revealing a trace of exhaustion—she was utterly drained.

Master Pang knew: Master Zhang had only just entered Nascent Soul, and now she was contemplating the path of Soul Transformation—her mental fatigue was only natural.

Thinking of this, he felt a pang of shame:

"We're of no help here."

He had read the books Zheng Fa gave him—truthfully, he wasn't completely lost, but understanding the intricate spiritual pathways of the Mountain-River True Form Talisman was simply too difficult.

The Sect Master was the same.

Master Zhang shook her head. She was never one to complain; she simply asked: "Uncle, what is it?"

"The Blood River Ancestor…" Master Pang seemed unsure how to explain. "Something's changed outside the mountain. It doesn't bode well."

Master Zhang looked toward the outside, as if she'd expected it: "This is likely the Blood River Ancestor's Dao Fruit influencing this realm."

"Hm?"

"These past days, while contemplating the Mountain-River True Form Talisman, I've gained some insight," Master Zhang explained. "The struggle between Soul Transformation cultivators is likely not what we imagine. It's a struggle of Dao…"

Master Pang looked confused.

Master Zhang shook her head: "The Blood River Ancestor moves so slowly not because he fears Jiushan Sect—but because he fears this realm."

Master Pang listened, stunned, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

But he hadn't come to discuss such matters with Master Zhang—he wanted her to stop fixating on Jiushan's Ancestor.

He wanted her to prepare properly for the Blood River Ancestor.

…

"Is the Blood River Ancestor truly come in person?"

Far away, Tongming Shangren, facing off against Qingyun Dasheng, stared at the scene, mouth agape.

Qingyun Dasheng chuckled at him: "The Blood River Ancestor attained his Dao through the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's teachings. You and I used our life treasures—that's one thing. But he's bound to obey the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor."

"Moreover, spiritual energy is nearing collapse. The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor has merely placed his first move."

"And what is a mere Blood River Ancestor?"

Tongming Shangren sighed: "We're all just pawns… But you know associating with the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor brings no good—why do you still serve them?"

He didn't believe Qingyun Dasheng was defending the demon race.

The demon race was fundamentally fragmented.

Besides, while demon race cultivators below Nascent Soul suffer, Qingyun Dasheng—a Soul Transformation cultivator—has few who dare to bully him.

"Great Freedom Heaven."

Qingyun Dasheng spoke four words.

Tongming Shangren understood at once, his eyes widening in shock: "The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor is willing to surrender Great Freedom Heaven? Isn't hiding within Great Freedom Heaven the only way to avoid the spiritual energy collapse?"

He now understood why Qingyun Dasheng allied with the Great Freedom Demon Cult.

He also understood why Qingyun Dasheng dismissed the Blood River Ancestor as insignificant.

The demon sects have endured so long, and the Demon Ancestors have survived two eras, precisely because of places like Great Freedom Heaven.

"How would I know? Besides, what kind of being is a Demon Ancestor? Would he deceive me?" Qingyun Dasheng shook his head. "He offers you this price—in exchange for the entire Hundred Immortal Alliance…"

"You won't accept?"

Tongming Shangren fell silent, unable to refute. Yet his gaze toward Jiushan Sect grew pitying—

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's willingness to abandon Great Freedom Heaven was no small act.

Jiushan Sect had likely drawn terrible luck—blocking the exit to the Great Freedom Demon Cult's secret realm…

…

Zheng Fa sat beside the Sun-Moon Bell, refining the spiritual materials he had acquired, while watching Xiao Yuying sense electromagnetic fluctuations in the herb garden.

He occasionally had to activate the Sun-Moon Bell to move it—

Controlling it required immense spiritual power.

Add to that the Fusang Tree, a massive spiritual energy consumer lodged in his dantian, and these materials seemed meant solely for the two of them.

They were moving slowly—Zheng Fa estimated it would take days to return to Jiushan Sect.

It wasn't that the Sun-Moon Bell was weak—it simply wasn't designed for travel.

Zheng Fa's spiritual power was too weak—he likely couldn't unleash even one ten-thousandth of its power.

Hence, the slow speed.

Sensing his impatience, Xiao Yuying smiled: "You're worried about Jiushan Sect? Afraid the Great Freedom Demon Cult will breach its gates?"

Zheng Fa nodded.

"It's the Great Freedom Demon Cult that should be worried about you…"

Xiao Yuying suddenly said, after a moment's thought.

"Hm?"

"They're truly unlucky… emerging right into the presence of someone with such great fortune."

"…."

Zheng Fa faintly understood why Xiao Yuying's attitude toward him had shifted so noticeably.

"Great fortune?"

"It's an ancient term," Xiao Yuying said. "One who wields a cave-tian magic treasure possesses great fortune."

Zheng Fa suddenly understood—this must trace back to the Divine Era—

Back then, the great ones all rose to power through cave-tian magic treasures.

"Actually… I thought that though you could defeat me in the Heavenly Stele Realm, you still couldn't yet control a cave-tian magic treasure."

"Hm?"

"Even my master couldn't control one…"

Zheng Fa froze.

The implications were staggering—first, Xiao Yuying's origins were indeed formidable; her master was at least a Soul Transformation cultivator, and owned a cave-tian magic treasure?

But unlike you, she was less fortunate.

You seized it through the Positive-Negative Five-Colored Light, like a thief stealing a nest.

Xiao Yuying looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes filled with confusion and envy.

"Lady Xiao, how many cave-tian magic treasures are there?"

Zheng Fa, finally encountering someone who understood, asked without hesitation.

"How would I know?" Xiao Yuying scoffed. "My master said cave-tian magic treasures aren't all the same—they vary in rank, apparently based on how many complete treasure inscriptions and spell prohibitions they contain."

Zheng Fa paused.

He looked at the spiritual pathways on the Sun-Moon Bell—so they called these things "spell prohibitions"?

Come to think of it, that made sense—these spiritual pathways determined the rules of spiritual energy within Jiushan Realm; they were indeed spell prohibitions.

"You wield this Sun-Moon Bell, yet you're still at Foundation Establishment… I'm certain the Great Freedom Demon Cult will regret this."

Xiao Yuying looked at Zheng Fa and spoke softly.

…

Tongming Shiren remained silent for a long time, gazing at the distant blood-red Tianhe.

Qingyun Dasheng seemed to understand his thoughts: "Friend, you wish to leave?"

"Will the Dasheng still block me?"

"Friend, you jest… Though I covet the Da Zizai Heaven, I am no servant of the Da Zizai Demon Ancestor. I merely fulfill my duty." Qingyun Dasheng chuckled.

"Da Zizai Heaven…"

Tongming Shiren sighed; he had originally hoped to rescue one or two members of Jiushan Sect.

Now he understood that even a single Da Zizai Heaven was enough to make Qingyun Dasheng fight to the death.

For he himself would fight to the death for such a paradise—this was a chance to survive in an age of dwindling spiritual energy!

Jiushan Sect is surely doomed now—Qingyun Dasheng's reluctance to clash with him is one thing, but fulfilling the Da Zizai Demon Ancestor's orders is another.

"Actually…" Qingyun Dasheng added, "from what I gathered from Xuehe Laozu, the Demon Ancestor doesn't truly care about Jiushan Sect. Blocking the gate with the Lei Chi is merely a minor matter."

"But Zhang Wuyi, and a young disciple named Zheng Fa—the Demon Ancestor somehow places extraordinary importance on them… He mentioned something about a 'Three Sons Talisman Theory' back then."

Tongming Shiren frowned slightly, not understanding.

"The true body of Xuehe Laozu has come here solely to capture Zhang Wuyi."

After much thought, Tongming Shiren spoke: "I've long heard of Zhang Wuyi's reputation as a genius, but who is this Zheng Fa?"

Qingyun Dasheng waved his hand and looked toward Jiushan Sect.

On either side of Jiushan Sect, the two blood rivers surged into towering waves; atop the crests, two strange, lifeless, and terrifyingly dazzling immortal swords appeared.

A gaunt old man emerged from the void, grasping both immortal swords—it was Xuehe Laozu.

He glanced at Jiushan Sect's protective mountain array, a sneer curling on his lips; he raised his hand, and the swords vanished.

(End of Chapter)