In the boundless sea of blood, on a solitary island, an eruption of vital blood ascended, dyeing the firmament a deep scarlet. The endless blood sea surrounding the island boiled ceaselessly, bubbling and churning, while wisps of bloody mist drifted out, drawn by the island's power, converging toward it.

On the island, within a valley, the blood in the colossal blood pool was thick and viscous. A massive, blood-red protective barrier descended, completely enveloping the entire pool. No one but Tongtian Guimu could perceive the scene within; it was unknown what Ji Changkong was enduring inside.

The scarlet barrier concealed everything, yet the sounds seemed unimpeded. Ever since Ji Changkong entered the pool, his agonizing shrieks had not ceased. "Aoo-aooo! Roar!"

Crude screams erupted one after another. Near the blood pool, the kneeling members of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe watched with astonished expressions. Some of the devastatingly beautiful women furrowed their brows, a trace of pity stirring in their hearts.

Only Tongtian Guimu remained impassive, resting atop a slope with her eyes closed, seemingly adrift in distant contemplation, utterly unaffected by the miserable cries from the blood pool.

The wailing from the blood pool was incredibly piercing. Even though the Purgatory Ghost Tribe members outside couldn't see the reality, the sheer sound of the howls led them to guess that Ji Changkong must be suffering an unbearable agony.

The screams persisted for a long time, shifting from initial high-pitched frequency to a final, low, drawn-out sound, as if Ji Changkong, sunk deep within, had exhausted all his strength. After an unknown duration, no more sounds emanated from the blood pool; it became eerily calm.

Many secretly conjectured that Ji Changkong had succumbed to the terrifying power of the Blood Marrow within the pool, tormented to death. They watched Tongtian Guimu stealthily, hoping to glean some sign from her face. Alas, Tongtian Guimu’s eyes remained firmly shut, as if the life or death of Ji Changkong was utterly irrelevant to her.

After yet another stretch of time, a sharp, sorrowful howl tore through the silence of the wilderness, startling the crowd.

With that single cry, everyone understood that Ji Changkong was not dead. Following this, the shrieks began again in succession for a period. After some more time, the wails gradually diminished, and the blood pool once again fell silent.

A long while later, another burst of frantic cries shattered their doubts. In this manner, the sounds from the blood pool repeated cyclically...

After enduring nine cycles of screams, the noise within the blood pool finally settled completely, never to be heard again.

"Ninety-nine years," whispered a young maiden of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe. "I wonder if he's finally dead..."

"To endure the baptism of nine Blood Refinements—if he hasn't perished, this fellow will surely astonish everyone," a woman beside the maiden mused thoughtfully. "Nine Blood Refinements equate to nine tribulations; nine is the extreme of number. If he can survive, his future will indeed be boundless, truly worthy of becoming the new Divine King!"

"Impossible!" A young man of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe scoffed disdainfully. "His blood is already impure, mixed with the vile essence of human blood. It's a wonder he survived at all. It seems the next Divine King of our tribe is fated not to materialize."

"Who knows," the maiden pouted, glancing sideways at the youth. "Lu Teng, when you underwent Blood Refinement, I recall you only managed six baptisms before you couldn't hold on, right? His ability to last to the extreme clearly shows he is much stronger than you."

"I was only at the Realm of Subtle Manifestation when I refined my blood!" Lu Teng grunted.

"Nonsense," the maiden sneered dismissively. "Everyone knows Blood Refinement has little to do with the level of one's cultivation realm; it is solely dependent on the soul’s endurance, testing one's capacity to bear pain. Stop making excuses. Even if you tried now, the result would likely be the same."

Hearing this, Lu Teng snorted again but offered no rebuttal.

"Nine Blood Refinements—both soul and body have clearly been purified to the utmost. Once he circulates the power of our tribe's blood, he will undoubtedly unleash that power entirely, without reservation or omission. If he truly emerges alive, our tribe will gain another expert at the Chaos Realm!" the woman praised. At this very moment, Tongtian Guimu gently opened her eyes.

A streak of crimson light flashed through the void, like a sharp blade, tearing open the barrier above the blood pool. In a short while, the barrier vanished without a trace, revealing the entire blood pool it had concealed. The pool was empty!

The vast blood pool—every drop of Blood Marrow had disappeared without a trace, exposing the blood-stone floor. Not a single drop of blood remained visible.

The members of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe who had stood up all changed countenance upon seeing the scene, their faces etched with astonishment. "The Marrow Pool is empty," Lu Teng gasped, his shock completely unconcealed. "This means he absorbed every bit of Blood Marrow in the pool! Heavens, he actually absorbed all of it—how is that possible!" Even the woman cried out, her expression fluctuating, murmuring, "This has never happened before. Not even the Divine King of old absorbed all the Blood Marrow when he refined his body."

The Blood Marrow Pool was a unique sacred ground belonging exclusively to the Purgatory Ghost Tribe, and the Blood Marrow itself was a rare essence refined only by them. The Blood Marrow possessed an incredible amplification effect on the bloodline power of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe.

Any member of the tribe who broke through to the Realm of Ten Directions Heaven was required to undergo Blood Refinement, using the Blood Marrow in the pool to cleanse the body, refining both soul and flesh, charging their internal blood with even more terrifying might.

Generally, a member of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe would see their blood power double after Blood Refinement. Those with better talent might achieve a two- or threefold increase. The more their blood power increased, the more Blood Marrow they could absorb. However, even the absolute elites capable of increasing their blood power threefold or more could, at best, only absorb three-tenths or four-tenths of the Blood Marrow in the pool.

Absorbing the entirety of the Blood Marrow in one go—this was unprecedented. It was rumored that even the previous Divine King, upon breaking through to the Realm of Ten Directions Heaven, had only absorbed seven-tenths of the Marrow after his refinement. That was considered the absolute limit!

Now, this sudden arrival had managed to drain the pool completely during his refinement—it was impossibly astounding. Except for Tongtian Guimu, who knew the truth, all the Purgatory Ghost Tribesmen were shocked. "Amazing!" "This generation's Divine King is too exaggerated!" "Incredible! As expected of the Royal Bloodline; their essence is indeed far superior to ours!" "Our Divine Race has hope for revival!" "Hahaha, this is wonderful! Our Divine Race will gain another expert at the Chaos Realm!" "The High Priest has existed as a soul since his body was destroyed; for all these years, he relied on the Divine Mother. Now our tribe can rise again!" The Purgatory Ghost Tribesmen were invigorated, their spirits soaring with excitement. However, Lu Teng's quiet utterance brought them back to earth, reigniting their worries. "Let's wait until he actually wakes up," Lu Teng said.

Within the Marrow Pool, not a single drop of Blood Marrow remained. At the very center of the pool lay only a humanoid cocoon of blood, enveloping Ji Changkong's body as if he were a newborn infant.

The blood cocoon was unremarkable, devoid of any brilliant light. Ji Changkong within was expressionless, showing no emotional fluctuation, his consciousness unknown.

There was an extremely faint vital fluctuation upon him, so subtle that one would miss it without intense concentration.

"It is dangerous," sighed an elderly member of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe softly. "I hope he can break free. The thick shell of the cocoon is the final barrier. That shell is tightly fused to his physical body—it is the impurity his body expelled. Within that shell lies power capable of affecting his Sea of Soul. Only by breaking the cocoon with his own strength can he truly be considered successful in his Blood Refinement."

"I hope he is alright," the maiden murmured, clasping her hands and chanting an unknown tune devoutly, as if in prayer.

Only Tongtian Guimu maintained her placid demeanor, her expression serene as she watched Ji Changkong within the blood cocoon with cold intensity. Time slipped by.

In a blink, ten cycles or more had passed. None of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe members had departed; they continued to wait in silence.

Yet, after such a long time, Ji Changkong inside the cocoon had still not broken free. On the contrary, his aura was growing weaker, lending a sense of evanescence. At this point, even Tongtian Guimu frowned slightly; she seemed unable to gauge the situation.

Many began to speculate that Ji Changkong had failed to break the cocoon, and their soaring enthusiasm immediately extinguished, leaving them sullen and deeply disheartened.

One day.

A piercingly crisp "crack" suddenly echoed within the valley. Tongtian Guimu’s eyes instantly shone bright as the moon.

"Movement!" The young maiden suddenly shrieked, jumping for joy. "The cocoon is about to break!" Her cry awakened many. All focused their gazes intently upon the blood cocoon.

Indeed, a fissure had split open in the cocoon. A skeletal arm stretched out from within. The arm was covered in strange symbols, seemingly containing the ultimate truths of the cosmos. Under everyone's gaze, the five fingernails gradually protruded, sharpening like dagger points.

"He succeeded!" The maiden's joyous shout rang out. The onlookers erupted in smiles, embracing each other in thrilled cheers, each one more elated than the last. Even Tongtian Guimu nodded slightly with a faint smile, giving the impression of a great vow fulfilled.