The Great Chu Empire, Black Corpse Mountain Range, Shi Clan’s land :
The Black Corpse Mountain Range’s natural environment was harsh and dangerous. It was teeming with demon beasts and remnants of ancient mutated creatures. However, the Shi Clan was situated in the deepest area of this mountain range.
Rumors had it that it used to be an ancient battlefield.
The corpses buried in the depths of this land absorbed the nefarious qi of heaven and earth. Some successfully cultivated into demon spirits, some into jiangshis, and others into malevolent spirits, making it an exceedingly perilous place.
Only a brave few dared to venture into this region, as those who displayed even the slightest hint of carelessness risked falling victim to the various spirits here. As a result, its infamy spread, dissuading most from entering the Black Corpse Mountain Range for training.
Blood Valley, which looked like it was made of fresh blood, was adorned with scattered palaces, evoking the image of a world from another dimension.
Deep within the valley lay colossal blood pools, dwarfing even the one constructed by Sir Blood Shirt. Inside them, blood water turned and splashed about, bubbling.
Figures dressed in blood-soaked shirts sat on the fresh blood altars in the blood pools, wildly absorbing the power of fresh blood. These people were practicing a similar cultivation technique to Sir Blood Shirt.
“Bad news! Something terrible has happened!”
A figure burst into the hall like a gust of wind, sweat glistening on their forehead. He knelt on the floor with a loud plop and said, trembling, “Ma-Master, bad news! Third Young Master’s life tablet... has shattered!” [1]
The middle-aged man, seated upon the throne of bones, abruptly rose to his feet, his aura emanating with such intensity that his surroundings began to tremble.
“Third Young Master’s life tablet has shattered.”
A crimson pillar of primeval qi erupted from the middle-aged man's skull, shattering the roof of the hall. The pillar was visible to anyone within a hundred-mile radius.
The middle-aged man withdrew his aura after a while and gestured to the person kneeling before him. “Stand down, I understand.”
“Xue Yi’s life tablet shattered... He went to Qingyang County City to make contact with our spy. Was our spy exposed, prompting the Spring Autumn Sect’s experts to kill them and my son?” [2]
The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed. He summoned someone and issued instructions.
“What a pity.” Chen Fan lamented, gazing at the two halves of the Amethyst Horned Lion’s corpse.
As a whole, this first-tier, ninth-level demon beast held great value, but as two halves, it was useless. Only the horns remained salvageable for some profit.
“I already have a storage ring, so I’ll just give Sir Blood Shirt’s storage ring to Senior Sister.”
He meticulously sorted the contents of Sir Blood Shirt's ring, discarding the superfluous items, including the forbidden but upper profound tier martial art, Blood Demon Cultivate Technique. Its dissemination would yield dire consequences.
Moreover, if he were found in possession of it, he would be branded a demonic cultivator, a predicament from which there would be no escape.
Given his rapid advancement in cultivation, it was inevitable for others to attribute it to the Blood Demon Cultivation Technique.
Chen Fan dragged Sir Blood Shirt’s corpse into the valley. Addressing the lingering resentment in the air, he declared, “When settling disputes, one should not involve third parties. I’ve already helped you kill your enemy. Seek retribution for your grievances, then disperse.”
Leaving the grievances unattended seemed unwise, as they could evolve into malevolent spirits, harming others in the future. The wise choice was to address the matter to avert future complications.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Gusts of winds materialized in the area as wisps of resentment swiftly infiltrated Sir Blood Shirt's corpse, causing it to wither at an accelerated pace.
With that, the amassed resentment in the skies above the valley appeared resolved, dissipating into nothingness.
Chen Fan then proceeded to obliterate the blood pool before departing.
A figure sat cross-legged atop a mountain peak within the Mountain River Sect, enveloped in swirling white qi.
Suddenly, faint cracking noises reverberated.
With this silhouette in the center, a layer of frost rapidly encased the mountain peak, extending in all directions.
The summit was entirely cloaked in a sheet of ice, freezing the trees, grass, and flowers in place.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Several figures flitted over.
“Congratulations to Senior Brother Xuan Feixue on achieving major mastery!”
“Senior Brother Xuan Feixue, you recently became a Qi Grandmaster, and now that your Hornless Ice Dragon is at major mastery, our Mountain River Sect's reputation is sure to soar during our journey to the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land!”
These individuals, all outer sect disciples of the Mountain River Sect, gazed at Xuan Feixue with admiration, showering him with endless praise.
Beneath a towering mountain peak in the Burning Incense Valley, a waterfall cascaded from the sky, thundering as it plunged into the pool below.
Within this pool sat a handsome man, exuding a faint golden glow like a Buddha. His eyes were closed, but he emanated a powerful aura, allowing the violent waterfall to crash onto him.
He was the number one disciple of the Burning Incense Valley’s outer sect—Chu Qing.
Suddenly, Chu Qing leaped up from the pool, his golden radiance making him appear like a soaring golden dragon, exuding a magnificent aura.
Four marble-sized water droplets surrounded him, circling him as he leaped.
“Haha, the opening of Dragon Mountain Blessed Land is imminent. If the rumors are to be believed, it's hiding inside the blood of a divine dragon. With that drop of golden blood, I can temper my physique and become stronger than Zhong Li, Xuan Feixue, Wang Fuchen, and all the others. I could kill them all!”
Water droplets sprayed everywhere like cannonballs, bombarding the mountain cliff and causing rocks to scatter in all directions.
Floating Cloud Sword Sect, the Sword Graveyard:
Numerous swords, either broken or covered in rust, could be seen sticking out of the earth.
Invisible sword qi whistled through the space, slicing the air and producing hissing sounds.
A figure clad in white sat upon one of the sword graves; streaks of invisible sword qi coiled around him like serpents.
Suddenly, the remnants of the swords within the graveyard trembled violently as if provoked by something, producing buzzing sounds, yearning to depart from this graveyard.
Simultaneously, the white-clad figure's eyes snapped open, their gaze as sharp as a sword's edge. Seizing the precious sword resting on their lap, they gracefully leaped into the air and moved as if dancing.
A terrifying sword light darted with a swooshing sound, seemingly rending the fabric of space. A mountaintop immediately split under this sword light; the cut was as smooth as a mirror.
Wang Tengfei came over and said with a face full of surprise, “Cousin, you mastered the Hatred Asunder Sword Technique?”
“Not yet. I only learned the first form, Hatred for Man. It’s still too soon for me to comprehend Hatred for Earth and Hatred for Heaven,” said the guy in white clothes, Wang Fuchen.
Wang Tengfei said, “That’s nothing. With your strength, even if you only learned the Hatred for Man technique, it is sufficient for you to dominate the disciples from the three other sects. Our Floating Cloud Sword Sect will undoubtedly reign supreme during our journey to the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land. No one will be able to rival you, Cousin.”
The top disciples of the four great sects of Qingyang Mountain Range were all gearing up for the journey to the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land. Those disciples who had earned the qualifications to enter the blessed land eagerly anticipated the fierce competition.
Blessed lands held immense treasures for martial artists, allowing them to gain significant benefits and advance to the next level.
However, this kind of training was not a mere dance but a brutal and bloody trial. It was a place filled with ruthless battles, and those lacking in strength would only be throwing their lives away by entering the blessed lands.
1. The way this servant addressed him is rather vague. It could mean leader or branch leader of a society, so I kept it ambiguous for now. ?
2. Xue Yi is Sir Blood Shirt. Most likely, it’s his name, but it also means blood shirt, so it can get a little confusing. ?