Stepping out of the teleportation array, he smiled, lightly stroking Cang Wa’s head and offering a word of praise.
Cang Fa was overcome with inexpressible excitement.
The Azure Dragon's gaze held the antiquity of ages, yet his physique remained robust. After a brief moment of contemplation, he subtly stirred the bloodline within his body.
Far across the opposing poles of Demon Dragon Star, Bass and Gute were violently jolted, an echo of the Heavenly Demon Tribe bloodline within them thrumming uncontrollably, threatening to tear itself free from their forms.
All members of the Tyrannosaurus and Evil Dragon tribes carrying the Heavenly Demon Tribe bloodline felt the same shockwave, recoiling in horror, utterly clueless as to what had transpired.
The Sacred Beast Azure Dragon displayed a flicker of embarrassment, his eyes conveying an inexplicable strangeness.
Cang Hong lowered his head, a sudden thought stirring within him, and a strange expression mirrored the Dragon’s on his own lips.
He had begun to decipher the reason for the Sacred Ancestor’s peculiar demeanor.
The Heavenly Demon Tribe boasted numerous Demon Ancestors; any primordial being nurtured on the Divine Grace Continent could claim the title. However, the Four Sacred Beasts held an exceptionally high status within the lineage, having been born at the four corners of the continent, endowed with innate divine abilities from birth.
Cang Hong had heard many tales concerning the Sacred Ancestor Azure Dragon, but they invariably featured descriptions of rampant debauchery, unrestrained lust, and indiscriminate pleasure with every female being…
Rumor had it that after fleeing the Ancestral Star, the Azure Dragon became even more unrestrained in this regard, plundering women from various races for carnal delight, leaving behind countless descendants. These descendants carried his bloodline mark to varying degrees, yet too diluted to be considered true inheritors.
In the starry expanse, ninety percent of all dragon-named demon races—frost dragons, flood dragons, evil dragons, tyrannosaurs—were his progeny.
The moment he landed on Demon Dragon Star and moved his bloodline, he immediately sensed countless faint responses—clearly, those bloodlines that resonated with him were the legacy of his youthful follies.
He pondered carefully, unable to recall which race’s women had borne him the descendants now manifesting as the Evil Dragon and Tyrannosaurus tribes. The recollection of his past, boundless indulgence brought a wave of awkwardness.
The four ancient demons of the Heavenly Demon Tribe also grasped the delicate implication, stifling their smiles and remaining silent.
The Azure Dragon feigned ignorance, clearing his throat lightly, and extended his soul’s perception across the entire Demon Dragon Star.
Suddenly, he let out a soft “Oh,” his face taking on an expression of wonder.
He furrowed his brow, musing for a few seconds, then fixed a gaze upon Cang Wa. Instantly, a streak of lightning flashed, sweeping away Wu Ge, Na Ta, Tian Yin, and Bie Hu—the direct inheritors of the Golden Crow, Phoenix, Heavenly Serpent, and Qilin bloodlines, respectively—and vanishing in a blink.
Cang Hong was left standing exactly where he was.
In an instant, he appeared with the four ancient demons in the valley where Gui Liao was undergoing severe seclusion. A strange light shone from his eyes as he stared at a sealed cavern entrance.
Under his gaze, the restrictive seals on the entrance instantly tore apart and pulverized, revealing Gui Liao, who had been meditating within, his eyes closed.
Gui Liao’s eyes were clouded with savage ferocity, and he was about to explode into action, but his expression abruptly changed.
From the middle-aged man with the ancient eyes emanated a majesty that compelled him to kneel, as if facing the primordial progenitor of the Great Desolation. The shock was so profound that the thought of resistance failed to materialize.
He had never felt anything like it.
“Who are you?” Cang Hong demanded sharply.
The Azure Dragon offered no reply. He raised a hand and grabbed; Gui Liao was instantly pulled forward, his demon form involuntarily morphing into the shape of a monstrous, terrifying beast—all sharp spikes, bloodthirsty eyes, condensed from the malevolent aura of a primeval behemoth.
The four ancient demons of the Heavenly Demon Tribe were profoundly moved, staring dumbly at Gui Liao.
They sensed an exceedingly unique aura emanating from him—an aura that contained the essence of the Heavenly Demon Tribe ancestors, ancient beyond measure, identical to their own progenitors.
“Sacred Ancestor…”
Wu Ge, the Golden Crow descendant, exclaimed.
The Azure Dragon remained silent, gazing deeply at Gui Liao, and extended a finger to touch him.
A drop of blood floated out from Gui Liao’s brow and settled into the Dragon’s palm. As soon as the blood touched his hand, it sprouted like a seed, fine crimson lines connecting miraculously with the lines of his palm. He adopted a thoughtful expression, using his own blood to scrutinize the exquisite nature of the drop from Gui Liao.
The four ancient demons stared intently at Gui Liao, their faces growing more astonished, as if pondering some deep mystery.
After a long interval, the Azure Dragon suddenly returned the drop of blood to Gui Liao. Then, his expression grew solemn, and an earth-shattering fluctuation erupted from his body. He forced a drop of blood from his fingertip; the energy fluctuation contained within that single drop was comparable to that of an Origin God.
“Sacred Ancestor!”
The four ancient demons of the Heavenly Demon Tribe shrieked in unison.
The Azure Dragon, visibly paler from forcing out a drop of his essence blood, turned back. “You four, each offer a drop of your own vital essence blood!”
The four elders’ faces twisted in horror, but they dared not defy the Azure Dragon’s command. With expressions reflecting profound pain, they utilized their power to urge forth their bloodline essence, slowly condensing it. Soon, four drops of blood appeared in their palms, each containing a different fluctuation and possessing considerable energy.
The Azure Dragon’s eyes shimmered with arcane light, billions of symbols seeming to spring alive. Five clusters of dim, bluish-green lightning enveloped his essence drop and the blood drops from the four Heavenly Demon descendants, forcefully shoving them into Gui Liao’s brow.
The four elders were shaken beyond measure.
“Sacred Ancestor!”
The four could not help but cry out.
The Azure Dragon glanced back at them. “Is there an issue?”
“Shouldn’t this Blood Sacrifice Art be cast upon Cang Hong? Cang Hong risked his life in the Desolation, achieving immense merit for our Heavenly Demon Tribe, precisely for the Sacred Ancestor’s Blood Sacrifice, to become a servant… Why cast it on this person?” the Heavenly Serpent descendant exclaimed in shock.
This was the shared confusion of the other three elders.
The Blood Sacrifice was a secret art of the Heavenly Demon Tribe, only executable by a Demon Ancestor. Using the vital essence blood of a Heavenly Demon Ancestor could instantly boost the cultivation and power of a younger demon, tempering their flesh and raising their strength immediately.
For instance, Cang Yun, at the twelfth level of High Tier cultivation, equivalent to Void God Third Heaven, could break through to the thirteenth level—comparable to an Origin God—if subjected to the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon’s vital essence blood sacrifice.
The growth of the Heavenly Demon Tribe differed from other races; their breakthroughs did not rely on profound comprehension of realms. Each time their demon body underwent transformation, a breakthrough occurred, a process extremely slow, often taking several times longer than other races took to comprehend a breakthrough.
As the Sacred Ancestor of the Heavenly Demon Tribe, the Azure Dragon’s essence blood was the most perfect and unique, possessing immeasurable efficacy.
Cang Hong had labored for ten years tempering himself in the Desolation, instrumental in facilitating Shi Yan’s fusion with the Origin Fruit, thus revitalizing the Heavenly Demon Tribe lineage.
Logically, Cang Hong was the most qualified recipient of the Azure Dragon’s Blood Sacrifice! In fact, the Azure Dragon’s initial purpose in coming to Demon Dragon Star was indeed to perform the sacrifice on Cang Fa, helping him leap to the thirteenth level.
But contrary to expectation, the Azure Dragon not only cast the sacrifice on Gui Liao but also commanded them to yield a drop of their vital essence blood. This left the four elders utterly bewildered.
Because even Cang Hong himself had not received such treatment. Originally, they knew the Azure Dragon intended to use one drop of his own vital essence blood to forge Cang Fa, not intending to use their essence blood, which would leave them weakened for a time.
But now…
The four elders were filled with utter confusion.
The Azure Dragon ignored them, using his blood and the essence blood of the four elders as a foundation, forcibly embedding the mixture into Gui Liao’s brow.
Surprisingly, Gui Liao closed his eyes, silently enduring everything. Even on his demon form, numerous arcane symbols appeared. These symbols were archaic and crude, representing the rudimentary shapes of mountains and lakes. On Gui Liao’s spine, illusions of the demon mountains of the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range materialized.
The Azure Dragon’s eyes lit up; he intensified his focus on the spell.
The four elders screamed out in realization: “Archaic Demon Charms! The imprint of the Ancestral Star’s Heavenly Demon Mountain Range! This fellow… he originates from the Ancestral Star!”
It seemed they suddenly understood something; their eyes burst with dazzling light, and each clenched their fists in excitement.
Only those who inherit the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range can form such imprints on their demon bodies; the Archaic Demon Charms could only be accessed by the true blood of the Heavenly Demon Tribe. Clearly, Gui Liao’s origins were extraordinary.
The Azure Dragon concentrated fully, billions of symbols dancing in his pupils like myriad swimming fish. The five thunder clusters imbued with essence blood burned like flames on Gui Liao’s brow. Gradually, Gui Liao’s demon form became enveloped by lightning, which jumped erratically within his flesh and blood like knives.
Gui Liao roared and shrieked violently, his demon blood splashing out as if enduring immense agony.
As his blood sprayed forth, it was immediately trapped by the Azure Dragon’s power, drawn into threads of blood that flowed like small rivers toward his brow, forming a cycle.
Time flowed rapidly.
The Azure Dragon withdrew his hands, looking fatigued. Gui Liao, meanwhile, was encased within a massive sphere of lightning. The flesh ripping apart within the sphere appeared to be absorbing some kind of power, undergoing a profound transformation.
“He is more suited to receive the Blood Sacrifice than Cang Wa,” the Azure Dragon finally said to the four elders, his eyes deep and strange. “You were right. This time truly heralds the resurgence of our Heavenly Demon Tribe. Not only do we have the Origin Fruit on the Ancestral Star, but we also have… him!”
He pointed at Gui Liao.
The faces of the four elders were filled with bewilderment.
The Azure Dragon laughed heartily but offered no detailed explanation, merely stating: “For the next ten thousand years, he will be the key to our tribe’s prosperity. It is truly time for our race to dominate the inner and outer domains.”
Divine Grace Continent.
A place of dark desolation.
A body covered in thick dust sat beneath seven statues of demon gods, appearing as if it had been dead for many years, utterly devoid of the faintest wisp of vitality.
The vicinity was utterly dead; no plants, not a single tiny insect could survive. The world was desolate and cold.
After an unknown span of time, the withered grass that had died years ago miraculously began to show a hint of green. Soon after, many plants stubbornly sprouted. The Demon Domain, meant to be lifeless, now radiated a strange wave of vitality. This life force began infinitesimally small, then slowly grew stronger.
The entire Demon Domain suddenly teemed with vigorous life. Many plants emerged, flowers bloomed vividly, and numerous small insects appeared miraculously.
Soon, wind arrived, light broke through, and the natural essence of the heavens and earth diffused, transforming the once dead and silent Demon Domain into a star brimming with vital energy.
And the body covered in thick dust began to exhibit a faint, weak breath within, which rapidly magnified, swelling and finally surging like a tide!
An intensely powerful magnetic field of life suddenly manifested.
It burned fiercely, like a scorching sun.