Blood Gourd Old Demon was stunned, watching the Azure Sky Sword Venerable depart. He hesitated for a good while before flying towards the battleship below. Deep behind the boundless tide of beasts in the demon race's formation,

The shadowy figures of the Six Path Demon Sages were barely perceptible. Not to mention the Eastern Sea cultivators, even the surrounding demon beasts had not noticed their presence.

"Captain Wu must have discovered traces of Qingqiu Li in this area, which is why he attacked Linhai City. It's a shame that before he could find Qingqiu Li, Captain Wu was driven off by those two Nascent Soul cultivators. Damn it! Do you think Qingqiu Li might still be in Linhai City?"

"The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox is skilled in transformation and bewitching spells—it's not easy to find her tracks."

"Let's just charge straight into the city and check it out! Can those two Nascent Soul cultivators really stop us all?" "That's unwise. Our mission this time is to retrieve the sacred object; we must not provoke a war with Nascent Soul cultivators! Although Linhai City only has two Nascent Soul cultivators showing, who knows if they have backup forces! If those ancient cultivators are drawn out, it could be a huge problem. The Holy Lord likely wouldn't be pleased to see a war ignite between the Demon Realm and the Nascent Soul cultivators."

A captain among the Demon Sages shook his head, his voice low and gravelly.

"Since that's the case, let's observe the situation quietly! Captain Wu will never give up on the sacred object like this; the tailless fox can't escape far... she will be found sooner or later. We just need to kill Qingqiu Li and bring the sacred object back to the Demon Realm's Holy Temple before the Nascent Soul cultivators discover it!" The Demon Sages fell silent as they recalled the lost sacred object. This object was tied to the fortune of the entire Demon Realm and could not be lost.

The vanguard beast tide, having fought fiercely for a day and a night, suffered heavy losses, with seventy to eighty percent annihilated. If it weren't for the demon cultivators supervising from the rear, the beast tide would have likely collapsed and fled long ago.

Perhaps the demon race intended to regroup their shattered formation, as this wave of the beast tide temporarily retreated a thousand miles to gather its forces anew.

Ye Qin, having endured a day and a night of brutal combat, finally found respite as the enemies engaging him ceased their attacks. He awoke from a state of ethereal consciousness, finally remembering that he was on the Immortal-Demon Battlefield.

He offered a faint, bitter smile.

Breaking through to the seventh layer of the Nascent Soul stage on the battlefield—this would surely spark considerable speculation. However, it didn't matter much; the cultivation world of the Eastern Sea was a place where strength spoke louder than words. Doubt and conjecture would vanish with sufficient power.

Ye Qin collected his thoughts, retrieved his Great Five Elements Flying Swords, and returned to the battleship belonging to the Northern Sect lineage of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

On the surrounding battlefield, many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators were taking advantage of the beast tide's retreat to hastily collect various spoils: demon spirits, demon cores, beast hides, beast bones, broken artifacts, and more. These were excellent materials for artifact refinement and alchemy. Additionally, the remains of fallen cultivators needed to be collected as much as possible and returned to their families.

In such fierce fighting, it was not uncommon for cultivators to carry the bloody aura of slaughter. Yet, few possessed the thick, almost purple, killing intent that Ye Qin radiated. Cultivators of the same rank or lower who approached him felt an innate fear, instinctively giving way, not daring to face the sharpness of his sanguinary aura.

On the flagship of the Purple Sword Palace, Sect Master Zhou, numerous Elders, and many Nascent Soul cultivators greeting Ye Qin couldn't help but cast him strange looks.

As for the countless Golden Core cultivators manning the large and small battleships, they were all bursting with excitement, gazing at the returning Ye Qin with undisguised adoration.

"He is Elder Ye, the one who holds the battle commands for the Purple Sword Palace. I heard he became an Elder of the Purple Sword Palace while only in the early Golden Core stage—he's too formidable!"

"Sect Master Zhou's vision is indeed discerning; he recognized Elder Ye's strength so early on."

"Elder Ye is so young in appearance; he must be the youngest late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the Eastern Sea cultivation world! His lifespan is probably only one or two hundred years—good heavens, he has ample time to strive for the Nascent Soul stage!"

"He will certainly feature prominently on this month's Demon Slaying List for Nascent Soul cultivators!"

Ye Qin paid no mind to these voices. He returned to the flagship intending to find a quiet spot to meditate and rest, preparing for the next bloody battle.

Just then, a beam of light shot straight down from ten thousand feet high in the sky. With a boom, a man as tall as an iron tower with bronze skin, barefoot, carrying a massive cudgel and a blood-red gourd, landed firmly on the deck at the bow of the battleship.

The colossal flagship shuddered violently.

"We welcome Old Ancestor Blood Gourd!"

"We did not know of the Old Ancestor's arrival; what are your commands?! We shall exert our utmost efforts."

The cultivators on the flagship, Sect Master Zhou, and many Elders of the Heavenly Dao Alliance were flustered by the sudden appearance of Old Ancestor Blood Gourd. They hurriedly welcomed this Nascent Soul stage ancestor from the Heavenly Demon Alliance, unsure why he had come to their Heavenly Dao Alliance battleship.

"No need for formalities; I am not here for you all!" Blood Gourd Old Demon waved his hand carelessly, pointing his huge hand at Ye Qin. "That kid, come here, this Demon has a few things to ask you!" Ye Qin was startled but obediently walked over.

"Let's go chat over there." The Blood Gourd Old Demon transformed into a dazzling streak of blood-red light, shooting toward the now-silent sea battlefield.

Ye Qin followed closely on his sword.

On the battleship, Palace Master Zhou and the other Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, having no clue why Old Ancestor Blood Gourd sought out Ye Qin. They could only stare helplessly.

However, most of the other cultivators were immensely envious.

Regardless of whether the matter was good or bad, being personally summoned by a Nascent Soul stage ancestor was an immense honor, a treatment not afforded to just any cultivator.

Blood Gourd Old Demon arrived in the sky above the sea battlefield, clearing away all the cultivators who were cleaning up the area. Then, he tossed the blood-red gourd toward the sky.

Ye Qin was somewhat perplexed, unsure what the Blood Gourd Old Demon intended.

The blood-red gourd spun rapidly high in the air, transforming into a gigantic, thousand-zhang-tall, blood-colored luminous gourd. Its mouth faced the sea below and began to inhale violently.

The flesh and blood of countless demon beasts, the vibrant crimson seawater, turned into a blood dragon rising from the sea, drilling into the gourd. In just a short time, the thousands of floating demon beast corpses on the surrounding ten-plus li of sea surface—a mountain and sea of gore—were completely sucked into the Blood Gourd in one go.

"Ha, satisfying! Tsk, tsk, the flavor is a little weak. If there were more high-level demon cultivators, the taste would probably be richer. Kid, want a swig? This blood wine is particularly fortifying~! One big gulp is equivalent to several months of your cultivation."

Blood Gourd Old Demon held the now-shrunken blood gourd, guzzling several large mouthfuls of the blood wine, roaring with laughter. This blood gourd, perhaps an artifact of great divine ability, had directly refined the corpses of countless demon beasts into blood wine.

"No, no need, Senior should keep it for yourself." Ye Qin's scalp tingled, and he quickly waved his hands in refusal.

"Kid, where did you get your Seed of the Blood-Devouring Demon Vine? Don't tell me you found it in the Eastern Sea. This demon vine requires extremely abundant spiritual energy to grow—the spiritual energy in the Eastern Sea is too sparse for it to thrive. Moreover, it usually grows alongside other rare heavenly treasures. The most suitable place for the demon vine's sacred growth is only the Demon Realm. How did you get your hands on this thing?"

After drinking, the Blood Gourd Old Demon's tone suddenly changed, his bronze-bell-sized eyes fixing intensely on Ye Qin. "Replying to Senior, half a year ago, this junior and four fellow cultivators visited the Ancient Eastern Demon Realm. We unintentionally discovered an Ancient Blood-Devouring Demon Vine and obtained some tenth-tier Nascent Soul level seeds. However, we didn't stay long in the Demon Realm and left quickly."

Ye Qin considered it and chose not to hide anything.

The passage to the Ancient Eastern Demon Realm could likely be known even by Nascent Soul stage cultivators, who could enter. The Blood-Devouring Demon Vine was a top-tier treasure for Nascent Soul cultivators, but for mighty Nascent Soul cultivators, it wasn't a particularly formidable item—they might not even care for it.

He had no need to deliberately conceal it.

"Ha! There really are those who don't fear death and dare to enter the Demon Realm! It’s likely your cultivation was too low, which meant you didn't attract the attention of the Demon Sages, allowing you to sneak in and out alive. If a Nascent Soul cultivator entered, it would probably result in significant trouble."

The Blood Gourd Old Demon was somewhat surprised after hearing this. He wasn't a Wood-attribute cultivator, so the Blood-Devouring Demon Vine seeds were of little use to him; he had merely asked casually. His true purpose in seeking out Ye Qin was to see if Ye Qin was interested in going to the Southern Demon Continent.

"You are now in the late Nascent Soul stage and can establish yourself in the Southern Demon Continent. Have you ever considered heading there to carve out a path? Cultivating there is far superior to the Eastern Sea—your chances of reaching the Nascent Soul stage here are less than two or three tenths. In the Southern Demon Continent, your chances of achieving Nascent Soul would certainly exceed seven or eight tenths. This old Demon has claimed a territory on the Southern Demon Continent and is currently short of a few fierce generals capable of fighting and expanding our domain. I see you, kid, radiating intense killing intent—you look quite promising. If you follow this old Demon, you'll live well, drink plenty of blood wine, have an endless supply of spiritual elixirs, and never worry about spirit stones. You certainly won't be at a disadvantage."

The Blood Gourd Old Demon took a few more sips of blood wine and clapped Ye Qin on the shoulder, proclaiming loudly.

Ye Qin was somewhat at a loss, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Was the Blood Gourd Old Demon recruiting him? Nevertheless, he considered the matter seriously, paused for a moment, and said, "This junior will consider it!"

"In one year, this Demon will return directly to the Southern Demon Continent through the space gate. You won't be able to withstand the power of the spatial storm, so you can't use the gate. You'll have to cross the sea, which will take about five or six years. If you cross the sea to the Southern Demon Continent, first go to Demon Spirit City on the Southern Demon Continent and mention this old Demon's name. Ask someone to guide you to my territory. Don't join any other faction; whatever they can offer you, this old Demon will give you double!"

The Blood Gourd Old Demon promised great benefits lavishly, worried that Ye Qin might be poached by another power once he reached the Southern Demon Continent.

Ye Qin was rendered speechless; he hadn't even agreed to join the Blood Gourd Old Demon yet.

However, since he needed a favor from the Old Ancestor Blood Gourd, he didn't completely reject the recruitment offer.

"Senior, this junior has one matter to inquire about."

Ye Qin paused, then spoke.

"What is it, speak up! This old Demon has roamed the Eastern Sea and the Southern Demon Continent for over a thousand years; there isn't much I don't know." The Blood Gourd Old Demon was very straightforward.

"Does Senior know where one can find the Nascent Soul and Nascent Soul stages of the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion? This junior searched the Heavenly Dao Alliance's Scripture Pavilion but couldn't find it. I wonder if it exists on the Southern Demon Continent?" Ye Qin asked. Without the subsequent cultivation methods, he didn't know how to proceed, and this had become a growing concern for him.

"Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion? Why on earth are you cultivating that damned Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion!"

The Blood Gourd Old Demon's right eyelid twitched violently. He cursed inwardly and downed several large gulps of blood wine, clearly frustrated.

"The Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion... this is a long story."

The Blood Gourd Old Demon seemed unwilling but finally spoke, "The Eastern Sea cultivation world was originally established by the Ancient Heavenly Dao Alliance. Later, the Ancient Alliance fractured, becoming the current Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance."

"The Heavenly Dao Alliance pursues the Supreme Heavenly Dao, restraining the seven emotions and six desires, emphasizing being unattached—seeking the immortal path."

"The Heavenly Demon Alliance follows its own heart's will, employing any means necessary to use the self to prove the Heavenly Dao."

"In the last few hundred thousand years, both the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance have produced many peerless geniuses and cultivation madmen. But compared to those ancient cultivators who pioneered the Eastern Sea cultivation world, they are still deeply inferior."

"The Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion was the supreme cultivation method of the Ancient Alliance. Many of the most powerful ancient cultivators practiced this technique. These ancient cultivators almost swept through the Eastern Sea cultivation world, confining the Demon Sages within the Demon Realm, unwilling to set foot in the Eastern Sea. They conquered the Eastern Sea, went to the Southern Demon and Northern Darkness, and claimed vast territories. For them, cultivation was merely the purest instinct; it was no longer a pursuit."

"No one was willing to provoke those Nascent Soul stage cultivators practicing the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion!"

"Later cultivators found this technique too ruthless, severing ties even with their own kin, utterly devoid of sentiment. They became unwilling to pass this technique down. Cultivators practicing this technique gradually dwindled. Furthermore, the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion was secretly and repeatedly destroyed by the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance in the Eastern Sea, so very few copies should remain."

"Generally speaking, for a cultivator of the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion, the more you forget, the stronger you become. When one day you achieve great success in the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion and forget yourself and everyone else, even this old Blood Gourd Demon and the Azure Sky Sword Venerable combined probably wouldn't be a match for a single hand of yours. —Forget it, let's not talk about this technique. The Northern Darkness Continent is bitterly cold; that place is incredibly dull, far less enjoyable than the Southern Demon Continent. If you go to the Southern Demon Continent someday and manage to survive the journey, this old Demon will find you a top-tier Heavenly Demon cultivation technique that won't be much inferior to the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion. You don't need to participate in this Immortal-Demon War here either—hurry to the Southern Demon Continent as soon as possible, perhaps you can find this old Demon there sooner."

The Blood Gourd Old Demon finished speaking, looking at Ye Qin with an unusual expression—a mix of apprehension, pity, or perhaps contemplation—some feelings he himself couldn't clearly define.

Ye Qin was stunned, and after a long while, he couldn't utter a single word.

Only now did he realize this was the true reason why he couldn't find a copy of the Nascent Soul stage of the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion in the vast Eastern Sea cultivation world!

Was the consequence of cultivating the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion truly oblivion?

In fact, during the intense, non-stop slaughter on the battlefield, he had unknowingly entered a state of ethereal clarity, forgetting everything—a very subtle state. This condition lasted for a day and a night, only breaking when he had slain every demon beast within sight.

This wasn't something he deliberately sought; it was instinctual.

Ye Qin had harbored doubts before, but after hearing the Blood Gourd Old Demon's explanation, a chill ran down his spine.

The lineage of the Scripture of Sitting in Oblivion was continuous. Although he had only learned the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core stages, the profound meaning of the subsequent Nascent Soul stage techniques was already embedded within. The endless fighting on the battlefield had caused him to inadvertently enter a deeper level of attainment, even if only briefly.