Chapter 153: with translation of title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities/coined terms appearing in these lines, using

Minghe.

Minghe Old Ancestor.

Landlord of the Sea of Blood.

However, although he has the suffix of an old ancestor title, he is thus respectfully addressed by the beings of Honghuang.

But actually, he is not particularly old, nor is he ugly at all.

On the contrary, he is quite young and handsome.

——In fact, among the three thousand deities of Honghuang heaven and earth, not a single one is ugly.

After all, each of these deities is the most precious crystallization of heaven and earth, radiating from inside out the eternal, flawless, perfect light of the Great Dao…… In terms of temperament, that is perfection itself.

Furthermore, with the benefits of cultivation, unless one falls into the distressing state of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, otherwise grooming one's appearance is exquisitely meticulous.

Even if the Great Dao of cultivation is associated with destruction, slaughter, evil, and sin, that does not mean one will appear extremely gloomy and ferocious; on the contrary, it adds a touch of strange charm, profound and unfathomable, full of mystery.

Of course.

Minghe Old Ancestor, whose bearing is excellent, destined to shine upon debut, and can perfectly embody the image of a domineering CEO, now has a not-so-good complexion.

He glared at Shaoyang, the three words 'unwelcome' almost etched onto his forehead to show his inner displeasure.

This mighty one, while pointing at Shaoyang Emperor who descended from the Blood Light Great Dao, also gripped the Avici Sword, as if he would stab him the next second, leaving dozens of blood holes on his body.

"Don't block the door…… How disrespectful to guests!"

Shaoyang spoke boldly, seeming to pay no heed to the killing intent and anger emanating from Minghe, even provoking him, as if adding fuel to the fire.

Minghe's gaze instantly turned cold.

"When a good friend comes, naturally we welcome them with fine wine and delicacies; when an evil guest arrives, of course we have the Avici Butcher attend…… Shaoyang, you tell me, what kind of guest are you?"

Minghe stood at the doorway, not yielding an inch.

But in the end…… Shaoyang still walked in.

Because.

Someone proved with concrete actions that he is Minghe's good friend.

Not far from the gate, ten large chests lined up in a row——this is the symbol of a good-friend relationship.

Especially, those ten chests flung open, brilliant golden light bursting forth, illuminating the surrounding thousand miles with dazzling brightness.

Top-notch goods!

This completely captured Minghe's attention, leaving him dazed.

After he came to, for some reason he stood beside the ten large chests, his hand reaching out uncontrollably…… Meanwhile, Shaoyang Emperor swaggered in, treating himself as no guest at all.

Minghe Old Ancestor remained silent.

After a long while, he sighed helplessly.

"How can I not control these hands……"

"I clearly know that guy harbors malicious intent, sneaking over to my remote corner of the Sea of Blood without any pomp—he must be full of scheming and dark schemes…… I didn't want to give him a chance to speak, but?"

"The merit coins he gave are……"

Minghe fell into deep self-reproach and repentance.

After repenting, he swiftly gathered those ten chests of merit coins——

Can't let my repentance go to waste, can we?

Having done that, Minghe cleared his throat, straightened his face, solemnly entered the palace, and focused all his energy to deal with Shaoyang.

There's no other way.

Minghe Old Ancestor still remembers the clouds and waves of the Dragon-Phoenix era of the previous eon.

How someone rose from an ordinary innate deity to become one of the topmost mighty beings?

The hidden secrets behind it are truly numerous.

The unseen black hand, how much of right and wrong does it involve? Now, Shaoyang Emperor is active again.

This makes Minghe unable to not stay vigilant and on guard.

He must admit.

Shaoyang is a truly capable, powerful strongman.

But likewise, he is too dangerous! Skilled at calculating hearts, he often gives genuine benefits, pointing the way to successful gains.

Yet on that very road, pitfalls may also lie hidden.

How to avoid those pits tests the partner's abilities.

……

"Speak."

"You sneaked in like this—what secret dealings do you want to discuss with me that others must not know?"

Minghe lifted the teapot and poured tea for both of them.

"Am I really such a profit‑seeking, sly petty person?" Shaoyang sighed lightly, "Can't I just come purely to visit, to catch up on feelings?"

"Heh." Minghe replied with those two characters, "Back in the Dragon‑Phoenix eon, how many years of friendship have we had?"

"I still don't understand you?"

"No profit, no early rise!"

"Slander! This is blatant slander!" Shaoyang looked at Minghe, saying with heartache, "We've been friends, and you actually view me like this?"

"Hmph!" Minghe snorted coldly, "Fine, I won't see you that way, I'll believe you came purely to visit…… Then we won't talk about heavenly affairs or future patterns?"

"Right!"

"Those ten chests of merit coins, I won't give them back."

Minghe glanced sideways at Shaoyang.

Shaoyang locked eyes with him, big eyes staring at small eyes.

Finally……

The Shaoyang Emperor helplessly suffered defeat.

No way.

He came to the Sea of Blood this time to add bricks and tiles to his grand plan; he was doing legitimate business.

"Alright."

Shaoyang leaned back in his chair and said, "I really do want to discuss some major matters with you."

"Brother, I've spotted a great opportunity, but my own funds are a bit low, so I want to pull you in as a partner to strike it rich…… What do you think?"

"Oh?" Minghe raised his brow, not immediately agreeing but being cautious, "Tell me first…… what exactly is this so‑called 'opportunity' and 'striking it rich'?"

"What situation…… tsk." The Shaoyang Emperor smiled, "……Do you want to become stronger? Strong enough to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Hongjun, even surpass him?"

"Set foot on the road to pursue Pangu's achievements!"

Shaoyang's tone was full of seductive meaning, stirring Minghe's ambition.

However.

Minghe felt a flicker of interest, then forced himself to be completely calm, possessing a machine‑like rational mindset.

"You're just fooling me, aren't you?"

"If such an opportunity truly exists, will you give it to me?"

"You'd have kept it all for yourself by now."

Minghe hit the nail on the head.

"I told you! It's because my own funds are small." Shaoyang didn't even blink.

"So, when you look for partners, are you just handing out blank checks like that?" Minghe gave a faint smile, "Let me become strong enough to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Hongjun, even surpass him…… with such returns, I suppose I should take the lion's share of this venture's profit, right?" "Would you really be that kind‑hearted?"

"I don't believe it."

Minghe was not swayed by promises of profit; he first considered reasonableness.

He had roamed the Honghuang for years, and had seen countless trumpets wandering the Myriad Heavens—what tricks hadn't he seen? Often, a business that truly yields heavenly profits is never passed on at all! Like the advertising spiel—"Just join and you'll earn loads, overnight riches aren't a dream!"

A little thought makes it obvious.

If such a benefit really existed, I wouldn't have time to do it myself—why would I tell you?

Those who run this advertisement haven't even gotten rich yet; you, who just listened to the ad, how can you have that blind confidence to reach the pinnacle of life?

Minghe indicated he hadn't lost his mind; his basic intellect was still intact.

Shaoyang also immediately said he had no intention of taking advantage of an old friend's intellect; it was purely because Brother Minghe held the most crucial chip, an indispensable part of this big venture.

Without Minghe, this business couldn't be done; Shaoyang wouldn't even have a chance to make money.

But with Minghe on board, the business succeeds—although he earns less than Brother Minghe, at least he makes something!

……

"Minghe…… if I remember correctly, your primary cultivation is the Great Dao of Slaughter, right?" Shaoyang said, "Your innate spirit treasure is the Primordial Slaughter Avīci—nothing but implements of carnage!"

"Correct." Minghe nodded, "I prove the Dao through slaughter, overseeing the killing machines of Honghuang; I hold heavenly and earthly calamities in my hand, cleanse the sins of all beings, return to the source, and maintain the universe's long‑term stable operation."

"That's a slow‑and‑steady approach, right? Is there a method for a sudden surge in cultivation?" the Shaoyang Emperor pressed.

"Of course." Minghe Ancestor chuckled, "By personally stirring a world‑shaking calamity, slaying one Great Luo after another, even mighty divine‑ability users, or luring them into the traps I designed."

"Then why don't you do that?" Shaoyang countered.

"They're all Great Luo, all innate divinities…… slaughtering my own kind, I cannot bear it!" Minghe Ancestor said, declaring himself a peace‑lover.

Shaoyang burst out laughing, "It's not that you can't bear it—you just don't dare, right?"

"Everyone else farms, vies for hegemony, and upgrades by seizing fortune's flow; you alone play the monster‑kill‑upgrade route, growing stronger the more you kill…… If we don't join forces to resist, that's the real problem."

"I reckon countless great beings have kept an eye on you…… as soon as you show that dangerous idea, they'll surely band together and beat you to death without a word."

"……" Minghe's face darkened——since you know this so clearly, why bother saying it and exposing someone's shortcoming?

"If I say I can create a suitable stage for you," Shaoyang said, word by word, with a solemn expression, "I'll shield you while you pursue this craziest method of advancement, using the flesh and bones of countless great beings as sacrifices for your sword, helping you reach unprecedented heights!"

Minghe's eyes instantly narrowed.

He couldn't help but admit.

At this moment.

He was moved.

Of course, he still had some doubts.

"Where do these great beings come from……"

"Aside from the Wu Clan and the Demon Race, where else could you find so many great beings for sword sacrifices?" The Shaoyang Emperor's lips twitched. "Are you afraid? You don't dare?"

"Don't try to goad me." Minghe waved his hand, "How could I fear the Demon Race and the Wu Clan?"

"Aside from a few fierce individuals, those two clans don't really matter to me——there's also a difference among great beings!"

Minghe was supremely confident.

"But how can we ensure the calculations are sound? Otherwise, instead of using them as sword sacrifices, we might end up drawing concentrated fire…… then I'd be in big trouble."

"The Zhou Tian Star‑Dou Grand Formation, the Du Tian God‑Slaughter Grand Formation…… I don't even want to experience them personally."

"As for the planning, I'll naturally handle it properly," the Shaoyang Emperor smiled, "I'll create the most perfect and suitable entry timing for you!"

He described his Immortal Clan strategy for the third time.

Speaking of which,

The middle tier of the Demon Race is also pitiable.

This is already the third time they've been used as a pawn, cooperating with three completely different opponents.

The first time was with the Wu Clan, used to scheme against the Demon Race.

The second time was with the Demon Race, indicating it was used to scheme against the Wu Clan.

The third time was even more vicious, directly sending both the Wu Clan and the Demon Race to heaven.

"You participate in my plan, personally intervene and stir things up, triggering the most brutal killing calamity of the Wu-Demon blood war; your Slaughter Dao will surely be elevated." Shao Yang gave a coherent analysis, "Afterwards, I will guide the Wu and Demon races into a situation where both sides suffer losses..."

"At that time."

"At the utmost extreme and peak of the Lich Great Tribulation, you will personally enter, reap the endless lives of Wu-Demon immortals and gods, slaughter these two races, and end the era of the Wu and Demon!"

At this moment, Shao Yang's tone was very composed and calm.

It seemed that the rise and fall, even the annihilation of these two terrifyingly massive clans, held little weight in his heart.

This made Ming He, sitting across from him, somewhat unable to stay calm.

This is a ruthless deity.

Compared to Ming He, who cultivates slaughter, he possesses an even harder, ice-cold spirit of iron-blooded killing!

"Slaughtering through an entire era, using many Great Luo as sacrifices, you will become very powerful, right?" Shao Yang said leisurely.

"Not bad." Ming He gave a solemn nod, "Such a great benefit promised to me... what do you want me to do?"

"What I want is... at that moment, you condense the killing intent and calamitous energy of the entire Wu-Demon era into the strongest sword." Shao Yang Emperor said, "Then, against Hongjun... swing that sword!"

Ming He's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Don't look at me like that." Shao Yang smiled, "You, for your cultivation, have taken the Demon Race as sacrificial offerings... you've knocked out Hongjun's hand; won't they come looking for trouble?"

"Either you strike first at their door, or Hongjun will come looking for you... if so, why not strike first to gain the advantage?"

"Slay the Wu and Demon races, then sever the Heavenly Dao... you will accomplish the most glorious feat, with hope to stand shoulder to shoulder with Pangu!"

Ming He's mouth corner twitched incessantly.

Slaughtering so many Great Luo Supreme Emperors, innate divinities, and even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun... using them as sacrifices, one gains boundless mana.

This maneuver looks somewhat familiar, doesn't it?

It's just like in the Chaos era, when the Great God Pangu stood in Chaos, tears in his eyes, and slew the three thousand demon gods who also sprang from Chaos? Too... too crazy! But...

"I like it!"

"Slaughtering an era, exterminating an entire age... I feel my hot blood beginning to boil."

"Good!"

Ming He nodded solemnly.

"This deal... I've taken it!"

"But, I also have a little curiosity."

The strongest Supreme Emperor of the Slaughter Dao is puzzled.

"You... what can you gain from this?"

"What can I gain?" Shao Yang smiled, not answering but posing a counter-question, "You say, if the Wu-Demon alliance is annihilated and Hongjun is severely wounded... then in the ensuing Honghuang, who should take charge?"

Ming He froze slightly, then pondered.

"Then... it should be the human race, right?"

At the moment of his realization, a chill rose in Ming He's heart.

Even though he himself is a mighty figure, he also felt an ultimate iron-blooded killing aura... in a daze, he saw layer after layer of black curtains being woven, descending to shroud this era.

"Who stands behind you...?" Ming He asked, "The Wu Clan can also be counted as human strength."

"You guess?" Shao Yang kept his smile, "Exactly."

"I have come up with a name for this plan... what do you think of 'Desperate Heaven-Penetrating'?"

(End of chapter)