Chapter 707

Xuan Daozi?

Li Yuan was deeply startled, his mind brimming with speculation.

"Could it be that the one secretly plotting against Blood Phoenix is a cultivator of Tai Huang Tian?"

"So many cultivators…"

In the void, the qi signatures of countless cultivators merged into one vast network; Li Yuan barely sensed them and discovered over a hundred fourth-rank cultivators, the rest all third-rank.

"Could these be sacrifices?"

Li Yuan shifted his thoughts, burying his Shadow Demon Body even deeper; the ten thousand shadow shadows he had sent out all fell utterly silent, motionless even as the storm tore through them, like true shadows.

He merely watched silently as the outsiders arrived.

…

"So many Guidi?"

In the void, not only the group that had followed Xuan Daozi, but Xuan Daozi himself was taken aback.

Though the Youjing was not as boundless as the starry cosmos of the mortal realm, its scale was still nearly infinite; ordinary explorers might spend three to five years without finding a single Guidi.

Yet here, at a single glance, thousands upon thousands of intact Guidi were colliding violently, with countless fragments and Gui beasts beyond counting.

"A treasure land—indeed, a supreme treasure land!"

Amid the storm, many explorers rode magic vessels or spiritual beasts; seeing so many Guidi, even those wary of danger could not suppress their wild joy.

"Master Daozi has not deceived us!"

One cultivator of the Yu Clan, riding a crimson dragon with a wild, grass-like beard and an immensely powerful build, could not help clapping and laughing: "Unlike Feng Wuding, who kept me locked out!"

His name was Yu Mujiao, a famed explorer of Tian Shi Yuan; he had personally approached Feng Wuding when he recruited explorers, only to be turned away.

Later, hearing that the Tianli Sect was also recruiting explorers, he immediately passed through a dimensional gate to Da Xuan Realm and ultimately joined Xuan Daozi's group.

"Feng Wuding? Hmph!"

Among the explorers, several sneered coldly—all of them, like Yu Mujiao, cultivators from Tian Shi Yuan.

'Fools blinded by profit—none of this is my fault…'

Xuan Daozi stilled his thoughts, memorizing every reaction, then bowed and called out loudly:

"The Guidi of the Youjing are relics left by the ancients—they are a shared blessing for all of us!"

He paused slightly, waiting until all the explorers turned to him, then continued:

"Though this realm belongs to Tai Huang Tian, I, Xuan, will not claim this blessing alone. You may claim any Guidi here—just hand over one-tenth of your spoils when you leave."

"Master Daozi is righteous!"

"Excellent!"

"No wonder you're from Tai Huang Tian!"

Hearing this, all cheered—some even those harboring hidden motives were taken aback.

Normally, the cultivator leading an expedition could take three-tenths of the spoils; one-tenth was far too generous.

Xuan Daozi knew many among them harbored suspicion, but he didn't care; he merely gave a slight bow:

"Gentlemen, I shall take my leave!"

Before his words had fully faded, he shot straight toward a nearby Guidi; shortly after, brilliant divine light blazed—and that Guidi had already fallen to him.

"Let's go!"

Seeing this, most cultivators could no longer hold back; the cautious rushed toward the outer edges, the bold formed groups of three or five and charged toward Guidi above third-rank.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Soon, as one Guidi after another fell, nearly all the cultivators joined the fray; the already brutal battle within Blood Phoenix's belly grew fiercer still.

Using his ten thousand shadow shadows, Li Yuan hid deep within the shadows, observing clearly.

The explorers recruited by Xuan Daozi were no weaklings—most were seasoned veterans; within half a day, dozens of Guidi had been seized, not a single death among them.

"Each is fully equipped with magic treasures, skilled in combat, and all at least third-rank cultivators who have forged a thread of golden nature!"

This was Li Yuan's first time observing other cultivators exploring Guidi; he could not help focusing intently.

Explorers rarely had weaklings—those too feeble had long since died; from what he saw, these thousands of cultivators were at least third-rank combatants on the Dueling Stage.

Each possessed expert exploration techniques, immense patience, calm and unhurried, preferring to miss an opportunity than rush in—clearly seasoned hands.

Yet…

"Xuan Daozi has ill intentions."

Li Yuan muttered to himself, deciding firmly not to move.

Even if fragments of a shattered Guidi fell before him, he would not touch them—he suspected the hidden one was watching now too.

…

"Woo~"

In a stretch of dark void, Blood Phoenix let out a mournful cry; its crimson body was now draped in a deep, ink-black hue.

Within its transparent wound, a large monk sat cross-legged—it was Ling Ji, his gaze lowered, observing every scene within Blood Phoenix's belly as clearly as reading palm lines.

"Why are so many gone again?"

Ling Ji calculated with his fingers, feeling a deep sense of misfortune; Blood Phoenix's fall into the Dao of Loss drained immense magic power each time he urged it to unleash its power.

Back and forth, he had replenished it countless times—he was certain he had far exceeded the required amount—so why were there still gaps?

"Swallowed by those three Guidi?"

Ling Ji gazed at the three remaining Guidi at the core battlefield, frowning inwardly, yet helplessly ignited his magic power to urge Blood Phoenix to activate its Devour Heaven technique.

"Liiii~"

Blood Phoenix shrieked, shaking the void for tens of thousands of miles; every Guidi, no matter where hidden, was swept up by the gale and drawn into Blood Phoenix's belly.

"Master Fanjing's 'Call Gui Array' combined with this Devour Heaven technique is truly formidable—such a method of locating Guidi is beyond the reach of ordinary deities."

Ling Ji exhaled deeply, visibly exhausted.

He calculated again—now the Guidi were sufficient; only the blood sacrifice of cultivators remained.

"Huh!"

Ling Ji sat cross-legged, restoring his magic power while gazing down at the battlefield within Blood Phoenix's belly, waiting for Feng Wuding's arrival.

He waited another month, unable to suppress his impatience and sent a message to urge him, his mood souring:

"Feng Wuding is far too slow—he lacks the decisiveness of Brother Xuan Daozi."

…

Whoosh~

In Tian Shi Yuan's Youjing, gray and silent, ninety-three immortal cities shone like great stars, scattering faint starlight.

Outside Fengshen City, atop a massive vessel, a young cultivator in a blue robe with long hair hanging to his shoulders frowned:

"They're still following!"

He didn't even turn—he knew at least ten thousand cultivators lurked behind him, and this was after he'd shaken off most of them.

"Poison Dragon Academy, Boatmen's Sea, Demon Lin Court, Martial Immortal Sect… why is Phoenix Child also joining in?"

Feng Wuding pinched his fingers, listening; amid the ever-present wind, he heard the divination result, and inwardly cursed Ling Ji.

Had that bald monk not blurted out "Fanjing," he would never have agreed to this.

But the true disciple of Xuan Yuan Temple…

"Brother Feng, when do we depart?"

On the vessel, hundreds of cultivators sat or stood; many wore clear impatience—if not for Feng Wuding's status, someone would have already cursed aloud.

For months, Feng Wuding had merely circled Fengshen City; even the most patient cultivators were growing restless.

"Are you in a hurry?"

Feng Wuding cast a cold glance at the gaunt cultivator.

His name was You Gui, infamous among explorers—whenever he teamed up, he always returned alone.

"Not too urgent."

You Gui chuckled awkwardly and retreated into the crowd.

Among the crowd, Zhao Xuanlong lowered his eyes; he knew Feng Wuding was trying to shake off hidden watchers like Zhao Xuanlong and Phoenix Child, and felt a quiet satisfaction.

For years, countless scions of holy sects and great clans had begged to join Feng Wuding's team—all rejected without exception; only he had succeeded.

"Brother Feng, You Gui isn't in a hurry, but I am."

A low voice rose from the crowd; a middle-aged man with red hair spoke coldly: "If you keep circling, I won't accompany you further!"

This red-haired man was Chi Yingjiu, a peak fourth-rank cultivator, one step away from forging a magic realm.

He chose this man because Chi Yingjiu, like You Gui, always joined teams but returned alone.

"Hmm."

Feng Wuding gave no reply, only gazed deeply at his "carefully selected" explorers, then slapped the vessel:

"Divine Wind, Unfixed!"

He directly activated his technique!

A resonant " Weng " rang out—the massive vessel vanished instantly from the Youjing, moving at unimaginable speed.

"Worse! Divine Wind, Unfixed!"

"That bastard actually activated his technique!"

"Don't think you can hoard it all!"

The hidden watchers all cursed inwardly, each unleashing spells and methods to chase after Feng Wuding.

……

……

"Huh!"

"Suck!"

On the Qi-Collecting Platform, clouds and mist swirled; Li Yuan sat cross-legged within, the White Bone Demon and the Law-Enforcing Dao Soldiers lined up outside, while the Gourd Dao Soldier crouched in a corner.

Since acquiring the Law-Enforcing Dao Soldiers, any third-rank demon lord who pierced through the veil would immediately be cast out and promptly beheaded and skinned by the Demon.

The method of refining demons grew ever more composed.

While cultivating and practicing, Li Yuan divided his attention, visualizing the True Form while also silently listening for sounds within the gray stone platform, ever ready to summon the Shadow Demon Body.

"Boom!"

In an instant, through the Shadow Demon Body, a thunderous roar echoed.

Li Yuan fixed his gaze and saw a vivid, illusory divine realm crash into a corner of the battlefield, its incense-light flickering, resisting the encroaching ink-black shadows.

"Another dead!"

Li Yuan watched calmly.

Since Xuan Daozi entered this place, the Shadow Demon Body had not moved a single step, merely observing from near the core battlefield.

Among these explorers, many were veterans, yet the Guidi were too numerous—even with caution, over a month, dozens had already perished.

Some died from Gui beast counterattacks; others fell to the hands of fellow explorers.

Li Yuan had watched a grand drama of exploration.

At first, most explorers remained calm, avoiding one another unless they were familiar, until lower-rank Guidi began to dwindle, and friction inevitably rose.

Half a month ago, the first died; after that, deaths surged rapidly, growing more intense by the day.

"If this continues, the hidden one need not lift a finger—these explorers will die in droves…"

Li Yuan watched intently, waiting.

Soon, change came.

"Boom!"

The crimson sky split open again, revealing another vast, dark hole.

"Here they come!"

Li Yuan turned his gaze.

From within the black hole, a flying vessel sliced in, followed swiftly by several more—another fleet of sacrificial offerings at a glance!

"Huh?"

Li Yuan's perception was extraordinarily sharp.

On those treasure ships, he spotted several "acquaintances," two of whom he had faced in the Combat Arena's random duels.

Another was Zhao Xuanlong!

"The leader is Feng Wuding…"

Li Yuan had watched Fenghuang'er's duel with him; he recognized Feng Wuding at once, which struck him as deeply strange.

Was Tai Huang Tian really using its own disciples like this?

……

"They followed after all!"

Feng Wuding glanced at the two escort ships behind him; those who had caught up were a few "old acquaintances."

"Fenghuang'er, Zhao Xuanlong, Huan Yitong!" Feng Wuding's expression was blank; he no longer cared to speak. He had done all he could—if they insisted on seeking death, he could do nothing.

"So many Guidi?!"

The You ghost explorers scanned the surroundings, all stunned and horrified.

"Treasure land!"

"Worse—someone beat us to it!"

"That's Yumu Jiao? Did Xuan Daozi recruit explorers to seek this hidden realm?"

On the great vessel, Feng Wuding didn't even speak—his recruited "elites" had already scattered in all directions, rushing toward the Guidi.

"Chi Yingjiu!"

At the edge of the core battlefield, Yumu Jiao sensed something amiss, whirled around, and saw a torrent of swordlight surging toward him—he roared in fury and struck back.

His crimson dragon beneath him let out a mighty cry, its aura surging as it charged head-on.

Soon, the thunderous clash of magical arts echoed.

Realizing newcomers sought to seize the hidden realm, the disciples recruited by Xuan Daozi would not stand for it—combat erupted instantly and spread rapidly across the entire battlefield.

"This place…"

On the Phoenix Ship, Fenghuang'er's eyelid twitched—he was deeply startled, then sensed something wrong and turned back; the rift in the void had vanished.

"This aura feels strangely familiar…"

On the neighboring vessel, Huan Yitong, clad in a colorful magic robe, pressed his hand upon his shoulder's "Golden Toad," frowning deeply:

"Feng Wuding, what kind of hidden realm is this?"

"Each of you, do as you please."

Feng Wuding no longer cared to speak; he turned and charged toward the nearest fourth-rank Guidi.

"Indeed a treasure land!"

Zhao Xuanlong's eyes gleamed slightly; he scanned the surroundings, his gaze passing over several high-rank Guidi, finally settling on the crimson sky:

"Fenghuang, Huan Brother, you must know where this is, right?"

"Inside the Blood Phoenix's Belly!"

Fenghuang'er and Huan Yitong's faces darkened—they felt they had stepped into a swamp of filth.

"This place… must be strange."

Zhao Xuanlong's face was grim; he sensed something amiss and whispered:

"I intend to perform the 'Poisonous Dragon Great Sacrifice'—three fifth-rank peak Guidi, plus this Blood Phoenix, should draw the Poisonous Dragon Lord's favor!"

"I'll perform a sacrifice too!"

Fenghuang'er and Huan Yitong spoke almost simultaneously.

"This place may be dangerous, but for us, it's an ideal site for sacrifice!"

The three exchanged glances; though close, they still pulled out their Communication Spheres—no surprise, their thoughts were nearly identical.

Inside the Blood Phoenix's Belly perfectly met the conditions for a "Evil God's Advance Sacrifice." Even though Tai Huang Tian had recruited disciples, other Celestial Dao Sects still recognized this ritual!

"Then, let each rely on his own skill!"

Zhao Xuanlong sneered, transforming into a crimson dragon—within an instant, he lunged toward a fourth-rank Guidi.

……

"Feng Wuding's methods are not shallow!"

Ling Ji, observing the battlefield from above, his eyes brightened.

In numbers, Feng Wuding's recruits were far fewer than Xuan Daozi's, yet the former's were far more elite—and he had even drawn three sixth-rank prodigies!

These were top-tier sacrificial offerings!

"Though slightly troublesome, still within expectation."

Ling Ji secretly communicated with the "Call-Devil Array," severing internal and external qi connections, his gaze locked on Fenghuang'er and the others.

These true disciples of holy clans, even without guardian elders due to the Call-Devil Array's restrictions, would surely carry divine treasures—and each was an expert in sacrifice.

Must not let them summon those old bastards…

……

"Feng Wuding is ruthless!"

Li Yuan, recognizing Fenghuang'er and the others, was taken aback—he had underestimated Feng Wuding.

Fenghuang'er and the other two all possessed sixth-rank potential, core figures of their respective clans and sects—especially Zhao Xuanlong, who was none other than the current Dao Heir of the Crimson Line!

He truly isn't afraid of the Golden Toad Academy, the Poisonous Dragon Academy, and the Fire Phoenix Clan coming after him…

"A ruthless man."

Li Yuan silently noted him, then resumed watching the battle.

Most of the first wave of explorers had been restrained, but the arrival of the second wave shattered that balance instantly.

The intensity of slaughter surged visibly—within three days, hundreds had died!

"At this rate, there won't be many days left?"

Li Yuan calculated in his mind, pulled out his Communication Sphere, apologized to Master Fu Fa, and postponed his attendance at the Sword God Tomb gathering.

Then he halted his cultivation, pouring all his attention into the Master of Arms Space.

Aside from listening for sounds, he remained ever ready to summon the Shadow Demon Body back.

"With my current physique, plus the Master of Arms Talisman's enhancement, if the chance arises, I can imprison the Blood Phoenix within myself…"

Li Yuan prepared himself.

During his five-year seclusion, his "Red Emperor Fire Seed" had long reached the peak of the third realm; under massive incense consumption, his physique now rivaled that of a third-rank body-refining cultivator, growing ever stronger—already sufficient to imprison a ferocious entity.

"Now, I only need to wait… hmm?"

As Li Yuan pondered, he suddenly sensed something—he turned to the Listening Wood Talisman, where a distinctly higher-tier listening sound reverberated.

"…Deep within the Return Void, a desolate ocean—a venerable old man sits cross-legged, holding a fishing rod, as if angling; behind him, his fish basket emits a faint, luminous aura…"

"That old bastard again!"

Li Yuan cursed under his breath, feeling his Lingyin incense had been wasted, then he steadied his mind and took residence within the Shadow Demon's body.

……

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Within the shadows, the Shadow Demon subtly suppressed his aura; atop the nine-layer rosy pavilion, watching the escalating intensity of Duan Tianyi, he felt a chill crawl up his spine.

"Old Wang's probably done for…"

Duan Tianyi felt both frustration and dread; suddenly, he thought it wasn't so bad to stay with this demon.

"Your companion is still alive."

The "demon" spoke, startling Duan Tianyi badly.

"His minor Void-Dash technique is quite refined; though he narrowly escaped death several times, he always got away."

Li Yuan was also monitoring Wang Xuan.

More precisely, of the hundreds of cultivators initially swallowed by the Blood Phoenix, over a hundred had miraculously survived, later persuaded one by one by Wang Xuan.

Over the past few years, Wang Xuan had led these cultivators in exploring hidden and eerie lands, opening up numerous low-tier eerie zones to build strength for escape.

But the arrival of two successive waves of explorers shattered his plans—especially the band of ferocious beasts led by Feng Wuding, who nearly killed anyone they saw.

Almost all of Wang Xuan's cultivators perished; he himself escaped using his dash technique, but was now being hunted by several ruthless explorers.

"This demon has been watching Old Wang all along!"

Duan Tianyi's skin crawled, yet he worried: "Brother, you…"

"I can't save him."

Li Yuan cut him off.

If it were only the Blood God Phoenix, and he could imprison and absorb it into his body, perhaps he could let these cultivators go—but now…

"I can't even save myself."

Li Yuan sighed; though the Shadow Demon body had concealment arts, if a seventh-rank cultivator had truly been watching, he might already have been discovered.

"This…"

Seeing the demon gesture for the demon soldiers to clear a path, Duan Tianyi felt no relief—his limbs turned icy.

Over the years, he had witnessed this demonic cultivator's methods firsthand; he knew even the prodigies of holy sects and great clans couldn't match him.

For someone like this to be so pessimistic…

"Brother, save me!"

Duan Tianyi dropped to his knees with a thud.

"…"

Li Yuan merely flicked his sleeve; a shadowy wraith wrapped around him and hurled him beyond the shadows.

Then, unmoving, he sent forth countless shadowy tendrils toward the core battlefield—more precisely, toward the volcanic cluster where something was gestating.

……

"Fatty!"

Wang Xuan, mid-escape, felt his eyelids twitch violently; without hesitation, he grabbed Fatty and vanished into the Void.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, thunder-light exploded, reducing a thousand li to ash.

"Think you can run?"

Dark lightning pierced the sky; spectral ghosts pursued at breakneck speed, driving the two into drenching sweat, multiple times teetering on death—until they defiantly fled straight toward the core battlefield.

"Huh?!"

The spectral ghost's heart lurched; he violently retreated ten thousand li, looked up—and saw divine radiance blazing like a sun exploding.

The two fifth-rank eerie zones, like dark pools, crashed together, then shattered—brilliant treasure-light rained down in all directions like a storm.

"Fifth-rank treasures!"

"Seeds of fifth-rank peak spiritual arts!"

"Ah!"

Seeing this, nearly every exploring cultivator's eyes turned blood-red; they frenziedly charged toward the nearest beams of treasure-light.

Combat instantly reached a fever pitch.

"Boom!"

Terrifying ice-spirit light surged wildly, unleashing a Hanliu so fierce it seemed ready to freeze heaven and earth—in an instant, over a thousand cultivators perished within it!

The interior of the Blood Phoenix was vast—far larger than a life-bearing star—but under this terrifying cold wave's rampage, the surviving cultivators were filled with horror and despair, feeling they had nowhere to hide.

"What the hell!"

Duan Tianyi fell to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

"Still alive?"

Wang Xuan had nearly believed he was dead—yet somehow, that single dash had spared him?

Then he noticed the raging cold wave seemed blocked by an invisible barrier a hundred li away—he even felt a wave of heat…

"Heat?"

Wang Xuan whirled around—and saw a line of volcanoes melting, terrifying aura brewing within them, as if some epoch-defying great demon was about to be born!

……

"Liiii~"

Phoenix Child raised the Ten Thousand Phoenix Banner, shattering vast stretches of the cold wave; she sensed death lurked everywhere, filling her with profound unease.

She glanced around and saw that Yan Xuanlong and the other two had also activated their protective spiritual treasures—the power from the collision of the two eerie zones had targeted them three with ninety-nine percent of its force!

"Boom!"

A blade of light shot toward them.

She shook the banner, shattering it, then looked up—and saw the crimson sky above truly began to bleed.

At first like fine rain, then instantly like a torrential downpour; in moments, everything within sight was dyed crimson.

"Liiii~"

In that instant, every surviving cultivator inside the Blood Phoenix heard its cry.

Unlike before, this cry carried boundless resentment and defiance—it seemed ready to annihilate them all in an instant:

"Fanjing!"

"Bald monk!"

"I will kill you!"

Terrifying intent surged wildly—and then the blood rain ignited, filling heaven and earth.

Amid the flames, the Blood Phoenix seemed to spread its wings!

(End of Chapter)