txolops Chapter 176 Blood Shadow Stirs, Flowing Clouds Shocked
Chapter 176 Blood Shadow Stirs, Flowing Clouds Shocked
Located in a remote part of Dongzhou, deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
The night wind swept through the bare, black mountain ridges, emitting mournful howls like ghosts.
The ground was covered with withered yellow leaves and grayish-white miasma.
A hidden natural cave is concealed beneath the vines.
Inside the cave, in the dark, uneven ground, thick blood had accumulated.
Several dried-up corpses of demonic beasts, whose life force had long been drained, were piled haphazardly in the corner.
At the deepest part of the cave, there is a pool of blood made of bones.
In the pool of blood, the scarlet blood churned and bubbled, then burst, releasing a pungent, fishy odor.
A figure dressed in a dark red, wide robe sat cross-legged in the center of the blood pool.
The figure had long, flowing hair that looked like it was soaked in blood, draped casually over its shoulders.
His face was pale and handsome, with an eerie quality that made him seem like an unnatural being, and a blood-red vertical line between his brows that looked like a crack.
A longsword without any guard, its entire body a dark red color, hovered silently above his knees.
This was the Blood Swordsman clone that Gu Yan left in the outside world to stir up trouble in the Eastern Continent's demonic path.
In the darkness, the Blood Swordsman slowly opened his eyes.
Those were terrifying eyes with absolutely no whites, only endless crimson.
A fleeting image flashed in the depths of his eyes, a scene that his true self had just transmitted through divine consciousness.
It was a blood-red Buddha seated cross-legged on white bones, and countless transparent threads that drained the life force of all living beings.
The Blood Swordsman raised his pale, slender right hand and glanced at his palm.
In his palm, a ball of crimson spiritual energy, equally filled with an aura of violence and destruction, was leaping.
This power is remarkably similar to the cultivation technique I saw in that magic crystal; they share the same origin and have a very clear hierarchy.
The Blood Swordsman remained expressionless as his body merged into the blood in the water, instantly dissipating and disappearing above the blood pool.
Three hundred miles away from the cave, there is a gloomy valley that is shrouded in gray mist all year round.
This is the headquarters of the Blood Fiend Sect, a sect with a minor reputation in the Eastern Continent's demonic path.
Although the Blood Fiend Sect is not considered a top-tier demonic sect in the Eastern Continent, it is still quite free and easy in this area.
The sect's disciples all practiced the evil art of sucking people's life essence, and they acted ruthlessly, robbing rogue cultivators and mortals everywhere.
Inside the black stone hall in the center of the valley, the lights were on.
Dozens of oil lamps made from human skulls burned with eerie green flames.
The Blood Fiend Sect Master, Che Haoran, sat shirtless on a large bone chair covered with a tiger skin, his body covered with dark red, centipede-like scars. He had two young female cultivators with vacant eyes in his arms.
Below stood several elders of the Blood Fiend Sect, reporting on their recent plunder of mortal cities.
Suddenly, the heavy ironwood doors of the main hall creaked under the strain.
"Boom!"
The two massive gates, each weighing tens of thousands of kilograms, shattered instantly, as if struck head-on by a battering ram.
The shattered wood, accompanied by a violent gust of wind, pierced through the two Blood Fiend Sect elders closest to the gate, pinning them to the black stone pillars behind them.
Che Haoran abruptly pushed away the female cultivator in his arms, unleashing a violent aura of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.
He grabbed a blood-red, thick-backed cleaver from beside the bone chair and stared intently at the billowing smoke and dust outside the gate.
When the smoke and dust cleared.
A young man dressed in a dark red robe with an eerie face slowly walked into the main hall, carrying a blood-red longsword without a guard.
With each step he took, crimson blood seeped from the bluestone floor beneath his feet.
The temperature in the entire hall dropped to freezing point at that moment, and all the burning green flames turned into an eerie scarlet red.
The terrifying suppressive force emanating from the superior bloodline technique caused the remaining Blood Fiend Sect elders in the hall to feel their knees go weak, and the blood in their bodies uncontrollably wanted to burst out.
Che Haoran swallowed hard, trying to appear calm.
He recognized the person who came.
That was the Blood Swordsman, a madman who had risen to prominence in the Eastern Continent's demonic path in recent years, known for killing without blinking an eye.
I heard that the Blood Swordsman died in the desolate wasteland of Meteor Abyss. Now it seems that it was all just the righteous path burying their heads in the sand.
Che Haoran gripped his broadsword tightly and roared, "Fellow Daoist Blood Swordsman, my Blood Fiend Sect has never had any dealings with you, and we've always kept to ourselves. Today you've breached my gates and killed my elders; do you really think I, Che Haoran, am made of clay?"
The Blood Swordsman tilted his head, his scarlet eyes staring at Che Haoran as if he were looking at a corpse.
He didn't answer, but simply raised the longsword in his hand and casually swung it forward.
A thin, hair-like streak of crimson sword energy surged wildly.
Che Haoran didn't even have time to raise the thick-backed machete in his hand.
The crimson sword energy lightly grazed his neck.
Che Haoran's expression froze instantly, and a thin red line appeared on his throat.
Immediately afterwards, his head slid off his neck and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The blood did not gush out like a fountain, but instead turned into thin red lines that all gathered in the Blood Swordsman's palm.
The Demonic Sect Master, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, was easily killed by the Blood Swordsman with a single sword strike.
The remaining elders in the main hall were terrified. Their legs went weak, and they all knelt on the ground, frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy.
The Blood Swordsman walked up to the headless corpse, extended his finger, and touched the corpse's brow.
The domineering soul-searching technique forcibly flipped through Che Haoran's still-fragmented memories.
He quickly withdrew his finger, and the corpse turned into a pool of ashes.
The Blood Swordsman turned around, looked at the trembling elders, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Three months ago, a gray-robed man wearing a human skin mask came here. What did he ask you to collect?"
One of the elders was so frightened that he wet himself and stammered, "M-Sir, that man claimed to be an envoy from Zhongzhou. He gave the sect leader a high-level blood cultivation technique. In exchange, he asked our Blood Fiend Sect to secretly slaughter three mortal cities within the next three months, refine the blood of everyone into blood condensation beads, and give them to him."
"Where was it handed over?" The Blood Swordsman's tone remained calm.
The elder kowtowed frantically: "Ten days ago, the sect leader personally took the Blood Coagulation Pearl to the Great Yan Kingdom in the mortal realm, to Fengling City. He said there was a secret exchange point there, where all the blood offerings would be gathered... My lord, spare my life, that's all I know."
Upon hearing the words "Fengling City," the Blood Swordsman nodded in satisfaction.
Then, his figure transformed into a streak of blood-red light that shot into the sky, crashing through the dome of the main hall and disappearing into the vast night.
Inside the main hall, the elders kneeling on the ground also shriveled up the moment the bloody light disappeared, all their essence and blood were drained away, turning them into several dried corpses on the ground.
The clues have been obtained. It seems that the demonic sects of Zhongzhou are using the local demonic forces of Dongzhou to frantically collect the blood of mortals.
And the point where all of this converges is Fengling City of the Great Yan Kingdom.
The blood pool they wanted was far larger than anyone could have imagined.
……
Outside the gate of Liuyun Sect.
As dawn broke, a white mist, like a veil, enveloped the rolling green hills.
A clear stream meanders down the blue stone steps, and several cranes leisurely preen their feathers by the water's edge.
The spiritual energy here is extremely thin compared to blessed lands like the Cangxuan Sect, but it offers a more secluded tranquility.
The sect leader of the Liuyun Sect, Qingyunzi, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, paced anxiously back and forth in the open space in front of the mountain gate.
His brow was furrowed, and his beard trembled.
In the past two days, rumors have been circulating throughout the cultivation world that the two major powers of Dongzhou, Cangxuan Sect and Guixu Sect, have started fighting.
The battle was so fierce that the heavens and earth trembled, and many Nascent Soul stage experts died.
When Qingyunzi heard this news, he almost fainted from shock.
His beloved disciple, Gu Changsheng, went to the Cangxuan Sect and never returned.
In a battle between gods of that level, even the slightest aftershock of a spell could crush Gu Changsheng, who only had the Foundation Establishment cultivation, into dust.
Moreover, Gu Changsheng also possesses the miraculous Divine Transformation inheritance.
If they were to be targeted by those bloodthirsty powerful figures who would directly search their souls and seize their treasures, then the Liuyun Sect's hopes for rise would be completely shattered.
"May the Ancestral Master protect us. Changsheng has been clever since he was a child. He will definitely be the fastest to run away when there is danger. Please don't let anything happen to him."
Qingyunzi had lost his composure. He clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly to the heavens.
Just then, the sky above him suddenly darkened.
An immense pressure, so overwhelming that it suffocated many of the Flowing Cloud disciples, descended from above the clouds.
Qingyunzi suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open.
A magnificent flying boat, hundreds of feet long and adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, slowly pierced through the clouds and hovered above the dilapidated gate of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
The sails of the flying boat were embroidered with the Taiji totem of the Cangxuan Sect.
Qingyunzi's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.
The flying boat of the Cangxuan Sect.
Could it be that the number one sect in Dongzhou won the battle and is now settling scores with these smaller sects that refused to take sides?
The airship slowly descended, and the strong wind it generated caused the ancient trees around it to bend and sway.
At the edge of the deck, a figure in blue sat in a wooden wheelchair and slowly came into Qingyunzi's sight.
"Sect Master, Changsheng has returned."
Gu Yan's face was pale, but a familiar, gentle smile remained on his lips.
When Qingyunzi saw Gu Yan, he was initially overjoyed, but upon seeing Gu Yan sitting in a wheelchair with a deathly pale face, his heart ached: "Changsheng, what happened to you? Who hurt you?"
Qingyunzi rushed forward, her eyes filled with heartache.
He was about to check Gu Yan's injuries when he saw three people slowly walking out of the cabin behind Gu Yan.
The young man leading the group, dressed in a blue ink-wash Taoist robe, looked disheveled, but the arrogant and domineering aura between his brows could not be concealed.
Behind the young man were two elderly men with white hair.
The two old men simply stood there, yet the spiritual energy emanating from them caused subtle distortions in the surrounding space.
That's...? A Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator!
Qingyunzi gasped, frozen in place as if petrified.
Apart from the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, he has seen very few Nascent Soul cultivators in the past hundred years.
Now, two living Nascent Soul stage experts were standing in front of him without any warning, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
What made him even more breathless was the young man in the ink-wash Taoist robe.
The young sect leader of the Guixu Sect, a renowned prodigy in the Eastern Continent, Zhou Tianqi.
"Chang Sheng...who...who are these seniors?"
Qingyunzi asked, stammering.
Gu Yan sat in his wheelchair, coughed weakly twice, and then smiled slightly at Qing Yunzi: "Sect Master, don't panic. This is Zhou Tianqi, the young sect master of Guixu Sect, and these two are Elder Song and Elder Chen of Guixu Sect."
Gu Yan spoke casually, as if he were introducing a few distant relatives who had come to visit.
"They will be staying at our Flowing Cloud Sect for the next few days. Changsheng has already made arrangements to clear out the Serene Valley in the back mountain for these distinguished guests. Sect Master, what do you think?"
Zhou Tianqi stepped forward, showing no airs of a young sect leader whatsoever. Instead, he bowed deeply to Qingyunzi, the sect leader of Liuyun Sect, who was only at the Golden Core stage: "Zhou Tianqi of Guixu Sect greets Sect Leader Qingyunzi. Brother Gu was seriously injured while saving our two sects and protecting the overall situation. I feel guilty and have come to Liuyun Sect to serve Brother Gu. I hope the sect leader will forgive any inconvenience caused."
The two Nascent Soul elders also withdrew all their aura and nodded slightly to Qingyunzi in greeting.
Qingyunzi felt a roar in his mind, as if ten thousand cranes were screaming in unison in his ears.
The young sect leader of Guixu Sect, the future overlord of Dongzhou, came to their third-rate Liuyun Sect, saying he wanted to serve his disciple.
The two Nascent Soul stage experts nodded and bowed to this old man in the Golden Core stage.
Has the world gone mad?
Qingyunzi opened his mouth, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
Seeing this, Gu Yan sighed helplessly and instructed the Cangxuan Sect attendants on the flying boat to push the wheelchair off the deck: "Sect Master, this matter is a long story. Changsheng will explain it to you in detail later. Let's arrange for our distinguished guests to rest in the back mountain first."
Qingyunzi then seemed to wake from a dream, nodding repeatedly in agreement, and personally led the way, his back bent so low it almost touched the ground.
After settling Zhou Tianqi and the other two in Qingyou Valley behind the mountain, Qingyunzi specially dispatched several of the most clever disciples in the sect to serve them, and strictly ordered no one in the entire sect to approach Qingyou Valley.
……
Night falls.
In the bamboo house where Gu Yan lives alone in the back mountain of Liuyun Sect.
After listening to Gu Yan's account of what had happened, Qing Yunzi sat in his chair, having already drunk seven or eight cups of cold tea, still unable to suppress the turmoil in his heart: "You, you used a Nascent Soul senior's trump card to prevent the Cangxuan Sect's array core from exploding, causing your own Dao foundation to be completely destroyed?"
Qingyunzi looked at Gu Yan's pale face, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Not only that, you even used the reputation of both sects as collateral to bring this living ancestor of the Guixu Sect back to the Liuyun Sect. Changsheng, you've put the Liuyun Sect on the hot seat!"
Although Qingyunzi was moved by Gu Yan's righteousness, he was also clear about the stakes involved.
If either of the two sects backs out, or if the Central Plains Demonic Sect attacks, the Liuyun Sect, with its small size, wouldn't even be able to withstand a single finger from them.
Gu Yan leaned back in his chair, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Sect Master, there's no need to worry."
Gu Yan took out the two tokens that exuded terrifying pressure from his pocket.
One Cangxuan Sect Taiji Token, one Guixu Sect Fuhai Token.
The two tokens were placed side by side on the bamboo table.
Upon seeing these two items, Qingyunzi's hand trembled, and the teacup fell directly to the ground, shattering into pieces.
"With these two tokens, the Flowing Cloud Sect is now the safest place in the Eastern Continent. As long as Master desires it, the Flowing Cloud Sect can soon become a first-class sect in the Eastern Continent, with abundant resources and magical treasures."
Gu Yan's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable air of dominance.
Qingyunzi stared at the token on the table, his breathing rapid.
He knew that he, as a disciple within the sect, had grown to a level that he could only look up to.
"Chang Sheng, what about your injuries?"
"Qingyunzi asked with concern."
"My master left behind a method for recovery, but it requires time to recuperate. Changsheng returned to the sect to go into seclusion. Sect Master, please tell Senior Sister Shen and the others that they will visit him when he recovers."
Qingyunzi nodded solemnly: "Alright, I will make the arrangements right away. You take good care of your injuries. If the sky falls, I will hold it up first."
After Qingyunzi left, the bamboo building returned to silence.
Gu Yan removed his disguise, stood up from his wheelchair, and walked to the window.
The night breeze ruffled his long hair.
He closed his eyes, and the information shared by the main body and the Blood Swordsman's clone resurfaced in his mind.
The Central Plains Demonic Sect, the Great Yan Kingdom, Fengling City, the Blood Pool, and the Blood Coagulation Pearl.
All the clues point to that mortal realm.
The mastermind behind it all wants to use the blood of every mortal in the city to brew a grand conspiracy that could overthrow Dongzhou.
The Central Plains Demonic Sect, the Great Yan Kingdom, Fengling City, the Blood Pool, and the Blood Coagulation Pearl.
All the clues point to that mortal realm.
The mastermind behind it all wants to use the blood of every mortal in the city to brew a grand conspiracy that could overthrow Dongzhou.
Gu Yan, on the other hand, needed a massive amount of qi and blood to break through the barrier of the Nascent Soul stage.
This is a battle in which there is no room for retreat.
A chilling glint flashed in Gu Yan's eyes.
The Taiji Token of the Cangxuan Sect and the Fuhai Token of the Guixu Sect shimmered faintly on the table.
With these two get-out-of-jail-free cards, I can stay behind the scenes and remotely command everything.
And it's time for his ruthless and decisive Blood Swordsman clone to go to the mortal realm and present a grand gift to that so-called Zhongzhou Envoy.
Fengling City, I, Gu Yan, have arrived.
Inside the bamboo building, the oil lamps were extinguished, and the entire Liuyun Sect fell into a deathly silence.
Meanwhile, on the distant border of the Great Yan Kingdom, a scarlet storm is quietly brewing.