Outside the Black Water Palace of the Pit of Immortals, over the bottomless chasm, the Old Ancestor Black Stone and the demon immortal, known as the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord, faced each other from a distance.

The attendant immortals of the two stood behind them. Behind Old Ancestor Black Stone were thirty-six Grand Unity Golden Immortals and over twenty thousand Great Unity Golden Immortals.

Behind the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord were eight Grand Unity Golden Immortals and over three thousand Great Unity Golden Immortals.

This alone showed that Old Ancestor Black Stone’s power far surpassed that of the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord. Though both were monstrous figures of the Icy Hell, the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s strength was clearly insufficient to contend with Old Ancestor Black Stone.

However, what Old Ancestor Black Stone had done was far too humiliating for the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord to swallow. Without so much as a preamble, Black Stone had ripped out the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s heart. If the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord did not react forcefully, his territory would be annexed within days, and he himself would be crushed by the surrounding mob of demons.

The Icy Hell was a place where only the strong held the right to exist; the weak could only become sacrifices, mere stepping stones for others.

Reaching up to touch the area where his heart had just been pierced, the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Old Ancestor Black Stone, you are far too tyrannical. Had it not been for my profound Daoist arts, if this had been an ordinary person whose heart you tore out, wouldn't it have been..."

Old Ancestor Black Stone cackled hideously. He deliberately or inadvertently shot a glare towards the observing Old Ancestor Carbonization, interrupting the other with smug satisfaction: "Cut the nonsense. Isn't this just a Blood Vow Battle? Three rounds to decide the victor. Whoever loses more rounds slices their own throat. Heh heh, quick and clean!"

Lifting his head proudly, Old Ancestor Black Stone roared with laughter, "In my entire life, I loathe nobody more than someone who dares stand above me!"

The observing monstrous figures knew very well that Old Ancestor Black Stone’s words were directed at Old Ancestor Carbonization.

Old Ancestor Carbonization let out a few soft chuckles, lightly clapping his hands: "There, there. With so many Daoist friends as witnesses, perhaps the two of you should establish the terms. This Blood Vow Battle will consist of three rounds of wagered combat. Whoever loses two rounds must destroy their own soul and primordial spirit, or..."

Old Ancestor Black Stone glared coldly at the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord and sneered cruelly, "Or surrender as a slave! I choose this path! Whoever loses becomes the other’s servant, eternally bound, heh heh. Four-Eyed Immortal Lord, I want you to be my concubine!"

The assembled demons watching were all aghast. Killing and being killed were things they were used to, and they had witnessed many Blood Vow Battles. But a condition like Old Ancestor Black Stone’s was unheard of! They had long heard that Old Ancestor Black Stone was unrestrained in his desires, indulging in both male and female. The way they looked at the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord now held a new layer of secretive speculation.

The Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s body trembled slightly, and he instinctively reached down to touch his hip.

In the next instant, he regained his composure. Didn't this action already signify fear of his opponent? The Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s face flushed crimson with terror, and he sneered, "Fine, I agree to your terms, Black Stone! Heh heh, if you fall into my hands, you won’t fare any better!"

Old Ancestor Black Stone also chuckled strangely a few times, then drifted over. With Old Ancestor Carbonization and the host of monstrous figures as witnesses, he and the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord exchanged the blood oath for the Blood Vow Battle. They cut their palms with a specially made bone-bladed demonic saber, letting their blood drip out as they swore the vicious curse of the blood vow.

The Blood Vow Battle was a unique method of deciding supremacy among the demons of the Icy Hell.

Both sides would exchange a blood oath, agreeing to three rounds of wagers. One round would naturally be the direct confrontation between the main figures themselves, and the other two rounds would be contests between their designated subordinates. This could involve the Grand Unity Golden Immortals, or the Great Unity Golden Immortals, or even Golden Immortals and Heavenly Immortals. Both sides would field an agreed-upon number of combatants for a fight to the death, with the tally of wins determining the final outcome of the match.

The side winning two of the three rounds claimed victory.

There were, however, other variations. For instance, if Old Ancestor Black Stone, the main figure, had his subordinates lose both subordinate matches, but he himself won the main duel, he would gain the qualification to request an additional tie-breaker match decided by his subordinates.

Broadly speaking, the Blood Vow Battle somewhat preserved the vitality of the Icy Hell, preventing the total annihilation of lineages due to constant mutual slaughter among the myriad demons.

Deciding the victory or defeat of two major powers through a small-scale duel was considered a relatively civilized method.

Otherwise, if every encounter resembled those between Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Carbonization, resulting in the casualties of billions of demons from each side, soon all the demons in the Icy Hell would be wiped out by these monstrous figures.

According to the agreement between Old Ancestor Black Stone and the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord, each side would send out three Grand Unity Golden Immortals and nine Great Unity Golden Immortals to fight in separate matches. First would be the contest among the three Grand Unity Golden Immortals; whichever side won two bouts first would win this portion of the wager.

While the victor gained a point, the loser also held an advantage: the contest among the remaining nine Great Unity Golden Immortals would see the loser’s subordinates select their opponents from among the winner’s subordinates, thus securing a slight positional advantage.

Having sworn the oaths for the Blood Vow Battle, Old Ancestor Black Stone retreated to his original position with a strange laugh. He murmured menacingly to the demons accompanying him behind, "These upstarts dared to utter arrogant words and challenge this Old Ancestor with a Blood Vow Battle. I could crush them with the flip of my hand, but I cannot lose face over this!"

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Old Ancestor Black Stone spoke sinisterly, "You must go all out, slaughter these puny subordinates for this Old Ancestor. Heh heh, when I've played with that little Four-Eyed brat until he’s about to ascend from sheer ecstasy, you will all be rewarded!"

Licking his lips, a trace of crazed lust flashed in Old Ancestor Black Stone’s eyes. He nodded toward the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord as if looking at a pig on a cutting block. The Four-Eyed Immortal Lord, unwilling to show weakness, grinned fiercely back at Old Ancestor Black Stone, then turned to issue orders to his own retinue.

Gu Xiechen stood far behind, arms crossed. He had no intention of fighting for Old Ancestor Black Stone.

He coldly surveyed the Pit of Immortals and the Black Water Divine Hall, calculating why Old Devil Carbonization had summoned the myriad powers of the Icy Hell. Could it be that Old Devil Carbonization intended to become the Lord of all demons in the Icy Hell? That presented a fine opportunity for Gu Xiechen to achieve success amidst chaos! Meanwhile, Guan Hua was muttering conspiratorially with Siren.

Guan Hua grumbled that Old Ancestor Black Stone was clearly insane. He could have crushed the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord with a single move but insisted on this time-wasting Blood Vow Battle.

Siren’s analysis was more incisive: Old Ancestor Black Stone feared no challenge from the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord. He intentionally wanted to humiliate Old Ancestor Carbonization by using the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord. If a guest sincerely invited by Old Ancestor Carbonization ended up as Old Ancestor Black Stone’s 'concubine,' that would be a resounding slap in Old Ancestor Carbonization’s face. Furthermore, because of the Blood Vow Curse, Old Ancestor Carbonization wouldn't even have an excuse to help the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord! It remained a mystery where the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord found the courage to fight back, considering how easily Old Ancestor Black Stone had casually pierced his chest and seized his heart. The disparity in strength was so obvious; how could he still possess the audacity to challenge Old Ancestor Black Stone? Of course, the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord might console himself that perhaps he wasn't skilled in body refinement, perhaps Old Ancestor Black Stone specialized in body forging, or perhaps he was caught off guard due to not expecting anyone to dare such an outrage in the Black Water Divine Hall, launching a surprise attack at close range. But none of this could conceal the gap in strength between them. On what grounds was the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord so confident?

After about half a cup of tea's time, a demon immortal with the cultivation of a First-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal slowly flew out from the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s side. This immortal looked like an essence spirit cultivated from a rare, jade-veined, golden-winged fly. A hazy purple energy rose from his head, upon which the faint phantom of a several-zhang-wide wasp could be vaguely discerned. Occasionally, when its wings fluttered, the surrounding void echoed with fine tearing sounds, and a few black spatial rifts flickered into view.

To be able to tear space in the Icy Hell with the cultivation of a First-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal, this Jade-Veined Golden-Winged Fly clearly possessed some unique inherent talent from its bloodline.

Old Ancestor Black Stone laughed toward the sky dismissively. He leisurely beckoned his finger and casually assigned a demon immortal from his entourage—a White Tiger spirit with Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation—to fly out and meet the challenge.

The Golden-Winged Fly stood barely three feet tall, appearing lean and withered, yet it wore a loose black robe that made it look as though a gust of wind could blow it away. The White Tiger spirit, in contrast, stood about three zhang tall, its muscles knotted, radiating a vast, crushing aura that caused the surrounding void to tremble as it moved.

Other than a peculiar dagger no more than half a chi long in its hand, which shone with a mystical brilliance, the Golden-Winged Fly’s gear was unremarkable. Even its Daoist robe was merely a low-grade immortal artifact—the kind of worn-out clothing favored by Heavenly Immortals. For a Grand Unity Golden Immortal to wear such a thing was embarrassing if word got out.

The White Tiger spirit, however, glowed faintly with treasure light all over its body. Its battle armor was a high-grade immortal artifact, and the great axe in its hand was an ultimate-grade immortal artifact.

Although both were among the lower tiers of high-grade and ultimate-grade immortal artifacts, their quality far surpassed the attire worn by the Golden-Winged Fly.

Old Ancestor Carbonization smiled faintly and clapped his hands. Several streams of black energy shot up from the rapidly swirling sea below, coalescing into a transparent barrier a hundred li in circumference, firmly trapping the White Tiger spirit and the Golden-Winged Fly within.

This black energy appeared thin, yet it concentrated the power of the entire sea within the Pit of Immortals beneath them, further refined by Old Ancestor Carbonization’s divine arts. Its defensive power was astonishing; even a High-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal would find it difficult to penetrate this barrier, let alone the two demon immortals before him.

The White Tiger spirit grinned menacingly as it advanced on the Golden-Winged Fly, roaring with derision, "What? Are these the trash your master fields?"

Old Ancestor Black Stone was impatient to waste any more time with the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord. He roared sharply, "Stop your prattling! Attack!"

The White Tiger spirit jolted, and the great axe in its hand immediately flew out, transforming into a colossal axe shadow spanning ten li as it smashed down toward the Golden-Winged Fly’s head. The White Tiger spirit also let out a tiger roar, sucking away all the surrounding air to form an air cannonball the size of a human head, blasting straight toward the Golden-Winged Fly.

Fearing the Golden-Winged Fly might evade its attack, the White Tiger spirit waved its hands, and its white, lustrous fur suddenly detached, flying out as countless white arrows that shot toward the Golden-Winged Fly with piercing sounds. The White Tiger spirit had at least a hundred thousand strands of fur; once loosed, the space within the entire barrier was instantly covered by a blinding expanse of arrow light.

It was a foregone conclusion for a Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal to deal with a First-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal. When the White Tiger spirit attacked with full force, its momentum was even more shocking.

In Gu Xiechen's view, the few spells displayed by the White Tiger spirit were crude—purely savage techniques relying solely on brute force to overcome the opponent. However, the immortals and demons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths did not seem to possess any particularly exquisite divine arts, making the White Tiger spirit’s moves appear quite impressive by comparison.

It happened faster than words: the axe shadow, the air cannonball, and the innumerable arrow-like strands of fur struck the Golden-Winged Fly almost simultaneously.

The Golden-Winged Fly made no attempt to defend. Its immortal body suddenly exploded, and the axe shadow in the air, the air cannonball hitting its chest, and the fur arrows attacking from all directions were all blasted several li back by the shockwave generated by the self-detonation of its immortal body. A narrow gap, barely three chi wide, suddenly opened between the Golden-Winged Fly and the White Tiger spirit.

The self-detonated Golden-Winged Fly’s soul transformed into a fly the size of a fist. It actually employed the Spirit Soul Controlling Sword Art—a technique considered exquisite even in ancient times. Its entire soul attached itself to that small, shimmering flying sword, transforming into a sword-waterfall torrent hundreds of li long, trailing dozens of dense spatial rifts, and shot abruptly toward the White Tiger spirit.

A magnificent flame coiled around the sword-waterfall torrent. The flame was seven-colored and emitted a spirit-chilling aura of destruction.

"Hmph! Self-immolating his soul for a desperate final blow! This fly is a death soldier!"

Gu Xiechen applauded, praising the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord’s side for possessing such a determined fighter. Old Ancestor Black Stone’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and the demons under him stirred in shock.

The sound of flesh tearing was incredibly clear. The White Tiger spirit’s tall, sturdy body was sliced open by the sword, spraying countless drops of blood. A wisp of his divine soul rushed upward, transforming into a phantom White Tiger, ready to flee back to the warm, safe protection of Old Ancestor Black Stone.

If the White Tiger spirit had maintained a clearer mind, its soul power would have been thousands of times stronger than the Golden-Winged Fly’s. A desperate counterattack could have easily killed the Golden-Winged Fly on the spot.

But the White Tiger spirit, having its physical body suddenly destroyed, was terrified to the point where its gall bladder cracked. It lacked the resolve for a fight to the death and instinctively sought refuge under Old Ancestor Black Stone’s warm and secure wings.

The barrier formed by the black energy of the Pit of Immortals trembled slightly, jolting the White Tiger’s soul back.

Old Ancestor Carbonization let out a faint, cold laugh: "Blood Vow Battle, no quarter given!"

The Golden-Winged Fly, having burned its soul essence and sacrificed its Daoist realm attainment, unleashed an earth-shattering sword torrent that swept across the White Tiger spirit’s soul phantom. The sword torrent shattered the White Tiger spirit’s soul, tearing apart its soul essence, scattering it into countless streams of pure soul energy everywhere.

The Golden-Winged Fly, its cultivation drastically reduced to that of a Mid-Grade Great Unity Golden Immortal after using the secret art, frantically opened its mouth and began devouring the White Tiger spirit’s soul power. Its severely damaged soul rapidly recovered. By the time it had consumed all of the White Tiger spirit’s soul energy, its own soul was not only fully restored but several times stronger than before.

Old Ancestor Black Stone’s face turned rigid as stone. He merely glared sinisterly at the Four-Eyed Immortal Lord.

The Four-Eyed Immortal Lord narrowed his four long eyes to slits, applauding with reserved composure, and personally stepped forward to welcome the Golden-Winged Fly back to his formation.

Having suffered such a massive loss of face in front of so many monstrous figures, Old Ancestor Black Stone trembled with rage. He pointed a finger and dispatched another Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal from his retinue—an ancient tree spirit that was utterly repulsive in appearance.

This ancient tree spirit was tall and thin, standing about five zhang high. Its pointed head held only one eye the size of a washbasin, and it had only one leg, but it sprouted eight spindly arms. The tree spirit wore a suit of iron-black armor, which was in fact its natal supreme treasure refined from its own bark.

Gu Xiechen scanned the ancient tree spirit with his divine sense. Not only was the tree spirit’s physical body extremely strong, but its original form was a rare Iron Pine from the Ironstone Black Mountain, making its body incredibly tough. However, it was vulnerable to all manner of fire-attribute spells and artifacts.

What was astonishing was that this tree spirit cultivated not demonic Daoist arts, but a profound Buddhist Zen (meditation technique).

After the battle at Great Snow Mountain, Gu Xiechen had learned various Buddhist Zen arts from the Monkey and Fuyamer. He immediately recognized that the tree spirit was cultivating the Minor Cessation Zen Art from the Pratyekabuddha lineage—a technique that, while lacking the great power to save all sentient beings, possessed miraculous power for self-transcendence.

The Dharma of the Pratyekabuddha lineage was renowned for its properties: being untouched by fire or water, and invulnerable to blades or axes—a Zen art solely for self-preservation.

Considering the tree spirit’s formidable physical body combined with its cultivation of the Pratyekabuddha Minor Cessation Zen Art, its defensive capabilities were truly not to be underestimated.

This tree spirit was also cunning. As it slowly floated out, it deliberately spat out several gusts of toxic demonic wind, stirring up streaks of multicolored poisonous mist. The Four-Eyed Immortal Lord, currently basking in self-satisfaction upon seeing the ancient tree spirit, immediately gestured, and the strongest demon immortal under his command—a Fire Dragon spirit with peak Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation—flew out to meet the challenge.

The Fire Dragon spirit had a massive dragon head, and its entire body was covered in red scales, enveloped in plumes of fire. A set of exquisite red battle armor tightly encased its robust physique. It wielded a scarlet Halberd, the tip of which continuously spewed vast sparks of crimson fire.

Old Ancestor Carbonization smiled nonchalantly and pointed again, enclosing the two demon immortals in another barrier of energy.

The ancient tree spirit addressed the Fire Dragon spirit in a muffled voice, "Daoist friend, I beg you to show mercy."

The Fire Dragon spirit looked down upon the ancient tree spirit with smug disdain and said coldly, "Since you are here, we must each accept our fate. A Blood Vow Battle permits no mercy!"

The ancient tree spirit snorted, slowly drew out two wooden hammers the size of water vats, and violently slammed them together, producing a deafening CRACK!

The Fire Dragon spirit scornfully glanced at the two pitch-black wooden hammers. It flicked its Halberd, immediately unleashing a sky full of fire sparks. The sparks, small as mung beans, exploded in mid-air, transforming into countless fire crows the size of fists that charged toward the ancient tree spirit like a deluge.

These fire crows were crimson, but their centers held a deep black-purple hue, clearly indicating flames of terrifying heat. As the fire crows appeared, the space inside the barrier was instantly filled with soaring firelight and rising masses of fiery clouds. The two wooden hammers above the ancient tree spirit suddenly burst into raging flames.

The ancient tree spirit seemed momentarily stunned. It cried out, "Not good!" and carelessly tossed aside the two burning hammers, scrambling wildly through the air like a headless fly.

The Fire Dragon spirit laughed heartily, directing the countless fire crows to pursue and harry it, the crows converging to form a surging fire dragon that charged toward the ancient tree spirit.

Gu Xiechen shook his head and stated calmly, "He’s finished!"

Guan Hua and Siren nodded in agreement. The ancient tree spirit suddenly slid forward and lunged directly in front of the Fire Dragon spirit.

Six heavy arms, carrying a faint, shimmering Buddhist radiance, swept out and slammed forcefully into the Fire Dragon spirit’s chest.

The demons on Old Ancestor Black Stone’s side cheered abruptly, followed instantly by a chorus of shrieks.

Comrades, smash those monthly tickets! (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to F)