The Blood Demon surveyed his surroundings, observing the warriors from diverse races, each bearing a blood-red mark floating between their brows, all cultivating the Profundity of Death.
Those warriors stared back at him.
Thousands of cultivators occupied this place, yet their realms varied. Before his arrival, the highest realm belonged to a member of the Black Scale tribe of the Demon Race, holding the second heaven of the Prime God realm.
That being stood over three meters tall, clad in pitch-black scales, his expression inherently arrogant and cold.
The moment the Blood Demon appeared, the man’s face dramatically shifted. A flicker of apprehension surfaced in his eyes, and he immediately suppressed his haughty demeanor.
He even took the initiative to retreat, vacating a central area and maintaining a respectful distance from the Blood Demon.
“Senior!”
The young man from the Undead Demon Race looked towards the Blood Demon with awe and excitement. “Among those who cultivate the Profundity of Death, aside from the Leader, your realm is the highest. Senior, which high-level star domain do you hail from?”
“The Ma Ya Star Domain.” The Blood Demon frowned, pondering for a few seconds before asking, “What is this place? And where did the rest of you… come from?”
“This is the sacred land of our Bloodthirsty lineage. We all cultivate the Profundity of Death. We were scattered across various star domains of the universe. We were transported here by the blood decree, marked by the seal.” The youth explained respectfully.
The Blood Demon froze, his eyes displaying extreme surprise. Suddenly, he recalled something Shi Yan had told him long ago.
When Shi Yan first conferred the Profundity of Death upon him, he had explained the potential dangers and origins of this profound art. However, at the time, the Blood Demon had never heard of the Bloodthirsty lineage nor grasped the mysterious profundity of this power; he hadn't taken Shi Yan’s words to heart at all.
Never had he imagined that by cultivating the Profundity of Death, he would be transported to this place. His mind reeled, temporarily losing his composure.
“Senior, have you seen the Leader?” the youth asked hesitantly, then suddenly posed the question.
All the cultivators practicing the Profundity of Death paid close attention upon hearing the query, quietly turning their gaze towards the Blood Demon.
These individuals originated from different star domains, all practicing the Profundity of Death. Most of them were unfamiliar with each other. Only a very small fraction knew the connection between the Profundity of Death and the Bloodthirsty lineage.
Most of that small fraction had never met Xuan He. Their profound arts were either inherited from their families or obtained accidentally from the Death Altar left behind by former powerful cultivators of the Profundity of Death.
After arriving, the youth had inquired of many, discovering that not a single person had received the inheritance directly from Xuan He.
Nor had anyone personally witnessed Xuan He.
In his estimation, since the Blood Demon was kin from the same Undead Demon Race, and rumor held that Xuan He was also a powerful figure from the Undead Demon Race, with the Blood Demon possessing the third heaven realm of a Prime God, perhaps the inheritance had come directly from Xuan He.
The Bloodthirsty lineage operated under an absolute supreme leader—the Leader—who held the power of life and death over them. Strictly speaking, they were all disciples under the Leader and were required to obey implicitly.
Many of these individuals, notorious figures in their respective star domains, had been eerily teleported here, leaving them all frightened and uneasy. They desperately wanted to know what was about to transpire.
“I have not seen him either,” the Blood Demon shook his head.
Disappointment spread across everyone’s faces.
Suddenly, a streak of blood-red light pierced the distance, instantly settling in the center of the island.
A gaunt figure with an ancient, strange countenance descended abruptly. His eyes were crimson like blood, and hair as black as ink cascaded down his neck, radiating an evil and mysterious aura.
He possessed no intense life fluctuations, nor any surging, violent energy circulating through his meridians.
Many cultivators of the Profundity of Death glanced at him and then quickly averted their gazes.
Only the Blood Demon and the Black Scale warrior who had reached the second heaven of the Prime God realm experienced a monumental shock. Dazzling divine light erupted in their eyes as they stared intently at the newcomer.
“You are the Blood Demon?” the newcomer suddenly chuckled.
The Blood Demon nodded gravely.
The newcomer raised a hand and pulled. A torrential power, like collapsing heavens and shattering earth, instantly enveloped the Blood Demon. He opened his mouth and spat out a thread of blood, which immediately coiled around the Blood Demon, binding him into a cocoon of blood in an extremely short time.
The blood cocoon exuded an overpowering, nauseating stench. Within it, the Blood Demon’s flesh appeared scarlet red, utterly immobilized.
The cultivators of the Profundity of Death on the Bone Island watched the newcomer in utter horror, frozen in place, fear gripping them.
The Blood Demon, a cultivator of the third heaven of the Prime God realm, was rendered helpless and instantly sealed into a blood cocoon by this person. Such power lay far beyond their comprehension.
“I offer you a fortune. Whether you can absorb and assimilate it depends on your own ability,” the newcomer stated.
The newcomer’s crimson eyes flickered with an eerie, bloody luminescence. He uttered a low cry, and above the Blood Demon’s head, numerous scarlet pupils abruptly materialized. These pupils bore a striking resemblance to those embedded in the hilt of the blood sword held by Shi Yan; vigorous vital energy writhed within the eyeballs, like bolts of blood-colored lightning.
Nine blood-colored eyes, guided by his will, descended one by one onto the Blood Demon’s celestial spirit cover, sinking into the Blood Demon’s altar through his head.
Pfft, pfft, pfft!
The Blood Demon’s flesh split open, leaking blood. Drops of viscous, scarlet demonic blood coated his entire body, the spiritual form completely enveloped by the cocoon.
“I am your Leader. My name is Xuan He. From this moment on, you shall all obey my command.”
The newcomer laughed heartily, weaving arcane hand seals. He agitated the waters of the surrounding sea of blood; the thick fluid transformed into pure energy, descending upon the island as a curtain of blood-drop rain.
As the drops of blood touched each cultivator of the Profundity of Death, their bodies shuddered, yet ecstatic, rapturous light exploded in their eyes.
“We thank the Leader!”
The young man from the Undead Demon Race shouted fanatically, immediately followed by all the warriors on the island responding in unison, shouting loudly.
...
Island of Corrosion.
Another bone island situated within the Sea of Blood, this island held sparse figures—only a few dozen people.
They all cultivated the Profundity of Corrosion. Faint wisps of toxic smoke and miasma perpetually hovered around their bodies. In one corner of the island, a figure stood enveloped in green mist, from which faint, shrill screams could be heard intermittently.
They were all cultivators of the Profundity of Corrosion; the others wisely kept a considerable distance from him, unwilling to approach too closely.
A vortex slowly coalesced above the island, and an old woman descended, coming to rest upon the island. This was Fei Lan, now having reached the first heaven of the Prime God realm.
Upon landing, the blood-red mark on Fei Lan’s brow still burned with pain. She surveyed the dozens of scattered figures on the island, her brow deeply furrowed.
With a slight movement of her divine sense, she attempted to discern the situation on the island and grasp its secrets.
However, the moment her divine sense extended, the person in the green mist at the island’s corner suddenly shuddered violently and shot towards her at incredible speed.
Fei Lan’s expression turned cold. With a stern hum, she prepared to counter with her profound art.
“…Lan’er, is that you, Lan’er?” A trembling male voice echoed from within the green mist. The mist itself stopped directly in front of Fei Lan, shaking violently, mirroring the agitation of the man’s heart.
Fei Lan froze, her body suddenly rigid. Tears instantly flooded her eyes.
It had been so many years—a voice she had longed for, waited for, finally reappeared today!
The reason she and Liana had left the Blazing Star Domain for the Land of Fallen Gods years ago was because of one person!
This man had vanished thousands of years ago, yet she had never ceased to think of him, guarding the city he established in the Divine Punishment Land, waiting silently for his return. Her most brilliant and beautiful years had been devoted entirely to him!
The green mist slowly dispersed, revealing an aged man whose body emitted faint tendrils of smoke, his appearance weathered. He gazed affectionately at Fei Lan. “You… you cultivated the Profundity of Corrosion too. I truly never expected you to be summoned by the blood decree as well.”
“Bang Teng! How are you not dead yet!” Fei Lan gritted her teeth, though her expression was one of extreme agitation, her stooped body trembling violently.
...
At the same moment, on the Island of Darkness.
Liana descended from the sky. Yet, before she even landed, her spirit was deeply shaken by an involuntary connection of blood that surged into her heart.
In one corner of the island, a steady and resolute man stood within the profound darkness.
He suddenly opened his eyes, his divine form trembling significantly. He abruptly stepped out of the darkness, covering the distance to the island's edge in a single stride.
He spotted Liana, who had just arrived, with one glance.
Liana saw him too.
Their eyes met. The eyes of both father and daughter simultaneously welled up with moisture. Liana’s previously ferocious face displayed a moment of soft vulnerability for the first time.
“Father,” Liana whispered.
“I truly never imagined that you and I, father and daughter, would see each other again. These years… you have suffered,” Torre sighed mournfully.
...
Simultaneously, Benny and Cato separately landed on the Island of Destruction and the Island of Chaos. They recognized no one and were initially in a state of bewildered confusion, their hearts gripped by fear and unease.
Soon, someone proactively approached them to explain the situation, informing them that this was the sacred land of the Bloodthirsty lineage and that everyone had been summoned here by the blood decree.
They had been scattered across the universe, perhaps harboring secret identities, only to be yanked into this location instantly by the decree.
Few among them knew the internal details; they only understood that some major event was about to unfold. Having practiced the eight great inherited profound arts of the Bloodthirsty lineage for many years, many were experiencing this place for the first time.
Some individuals from higher-level star domains, having learned through various channels about the enormous changes in the Star Sea recently, vaguely sensed what was happening.
Those individuals spoke little, maintaining silence, waiting secretly.
They knew that when the appointed time arrived, someone would surely step forward to clarify the situation and inform them of what was to come.
...
Island of Soul Taming.
This island, too, was sparsely populated, fewer than a few hundred beings. Most were members of the Underworld Race and the Underworld Emperor Race, with a smaller contingent from the Dark Spirit Race, Ghost Pattern Race, and Shadow Race.
Unlike the other islands, the warriors cultivating the Profundity of Soul Taming here were strangely silent.
After arriving, they sat down at separate spots without uttering a word, closing their eyes to meditate quietly, communicating nothing amongst themselves, as if they had all received some directive.
There was one member of the Underworld Emperor Race, possessing the realm of a Prime God, with wisps of vengeful spirits howling around him.
Black threads emerged from his fingertips, seemingly tethering numerous souls. Those souls bore indistinct faces, writhing in agonizing struggle, attempting to break free from his grasp.
He occasionally twitched a finger, causing the souls to let out piercing screams, as if he were whipping their very essences, forcing them to endure unimaginable torment.
He appeared quite bored, seemingly waiting for something. After a long while, a faint, hazy shadow flickered deep within his pupils. That shadow swayed like a tiny flame, issuing instructions.
He immediately became respectful, listening intently, nodding occasionally.
After a while, he stood up, his gaze shadowed and grim, uttering a cold, low shout: “The Leader has issued an order: proceed according to the plan.”
...(To be continued...)RQ