Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 240
Hence the name of the Blood Demon Sector.
The Red Tide Moss was a very weird life form that seemed to be a mix of an animal, a plant, and a fungus. Under the shining blood moon, it could surge out like a red tide and cover an entire mountain overnight with a thickness of several meters.
Countless demonic plants pierced their roots into the Red Tide Moss and sucked the demonic energy of the Blood Moons contained in it.
Innumerable mediocre demon beasts would feast upon the demonic plants, which then ended up being food for higher-level demons.
It was with the amazing ecosystem made by the Blood Moons and the Red Tide Moss that the energy provided by the stars was utilized to the greatest extent, which was also the reason why the Blood Demon Sector could produce so many expert demons and beast tides despite the unfavorable environment.
Right now, on a rugged, rocky mountain road, a long team whose head and tail couldn't be seen at the same time was marching on.
It was the regular army which had retreated from the Heaven's Origin Sector carrying a lot of dead bodies of the demons.
In the bottom of the valley, deep holes more than ten meters in diameter which were deep and enshrouded in black fog were everywhere.
Grunts could be heard from the bottom of the holes now and then, indicating that some gargantuan demon beasts were taking the place as their home.
Almost a hundred warlocks were standing beside the burrows wearing seven-colored feather clothes with devilish rings and staffs. Earsplitting shrieks were uttered from their mouths and echoed in the valley, before they congregated into the most soul-stirring music of the demons.
"Huala! Huala!"
The demon bodies were thrown into the black burrows.
From deep down the burrows, chewing noises immediately came out, which were indeed blood-freezing.
But the demons of the regular army carrying the bodies were all overjoyed and danced in great happiness. Many of them were watching the scene in admiration.
The warlocks bellowed, "Souls of the warriors of the saint clan now return to the Pantheon of Demons and will live forever as demon spirits!
In the team carrying the dead bodies, there were some demons who were too seriously wounded to be cured. When they passed by the burrows, flames suddenly burst out in their eyes as they screamed out.
"Long live the demon spirits!"
"Pantheon of Demons, embrace me!"
While they were screaming, they leaped forward and jumped into the burrows.
Feeble screams seemed to be coming from in the chewing sounds, but they were mostly blocked by the black fog.
The valley was now a sea of cheers.
Not far away from the valley, there was an enormous mountain which pierced through the sky like a tusk. It had almost been emptied and was riddled with tunnels and caves.
Thousands of giant, red crystals were embedded on two sides of the pathways. Each crystal was breeding a bizarre-shaped demon, many of whom were grimacing in pain as their flesh and blood were being torn apart and granulation tissue was growing crazily.
The countless tunnels zigzagged and gathered in the depths of the tusk-like mountain, leading to a vast mansion.
On a corner of the mansion, there was a blood pool about three meters in diameter. Intense stenches were being emitted from the thick, red liquids which were bubbling with hot steam.
It seemed like both blood and magma!
Wang Ji was soaked in the blood pool. His head was the only part that was exposed to the air. But the raging spoondrift hit his face now and then, and after every hit, a large cluster of skin and flesh would be ripped off, revealing the pale bones below. But after the next hit, his flesh and skin were reconstructed.
Wang Ji had been soaking in the 'Rebirth Pool' for nine days and nine nights.
It was both a treatment and a cruel punishment.
For nine days and nine nights, his flesh was corroded, filled up, re-corroded, and refilled up, and so on. He felt that thousands of ants were nibbling on his heart and couldn't be more miserable.
But Wang Ji dared not show the slightest pain or discontent. Even his moans had to be suffocated within his own throat, because he did not wish to disturb the one who had been contemplating inside the mansion.
It was Elder Blood Robe, his teacher and master, as well as a formidable demon emperor!
The form of society of the Blood Demon Sector was different from that of the Star Glory Federation. It could be divided into countless demon tribes. When several tribes collaborated, they would call themselves a kingdom. Dozens of demon kingdoms large and small had always been at war with each other. The Kingdom of Lion Butchers, in which Wang Ji was born, was one of the stronger ones.
Above the demon kingdoms, there were demon emperors, who claimed to be the spokespersons for the Pantheon of Demons in the Blood Demon Sector with their immense powers allowing them to communicate with billions of demon spirits in the infinite sea of stars.
It was under the leadership of the demon emperors that dozens of demon kingdoms in conflict could unite and attack the Heaven's Origin Sector together.
Wang Ji was the 21st son of the Lord of Lion Butchers. In an attempt to assume the title 'prince' to be the rightful heir, he gathered a few subordinates and sneaked into the Thunderous Sound Mountain trying to tame the mutated lion dragon.
However, when he was one step close to victory, somebody interrupted. Not only did the guy murder the mutated lion dragon, he also set up a trap with the demon core of the mutated lion dragon which blew all his loyal subjects to pieces.
But Wang Ji was not fated to doom yet. After the big explosion, the two demon kings that his father sent to support and supervise him were also seriously wounded.
On the other hand, he was almost entirely free from any injury with a piece of demonic equipment that his mother gave him.
Wang Ji made up his mind quickly. He ambushed the two demon kings and slayed them, before digging out their demon cores.
Then, he escaped to the Blood Demon Sector and found a peaceful place to digest the demon cores in order to improve his strength.
When he was out on a hunting trip, he met Elder Blood Robe.
After absorbing two demon cores, Wang Ji had been completely transformed and his blood had been cleansed. Elder Blood Robe thought highly of him and recruited him as a disciple.
After that, Wang Ji returned to the Kingdom of Lion Butchers with the support of Elder Blood Robe and cleaned up his dozens of brothers as fast as a lightning. Not only did he ascend on the seat of prince, he was even able to stand equal to his father now, if not planning to oust his father at some point.
However, this was as far as his luck went.
This invasion to the Heaven's Origin Sector was only meant to be a test battle for the larger-scale conquest later. But Wang Ji took it for an opportunity to make remarkable achievements. Not only did he make thorough plans for the battle, he even begged Elder Blood Robe over and over for the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber.
He had thought that he would be able to slay dozens of Building Foundation Stage Cultivators with the help of the saber. With any luck, he could even ambush several lone and wounded Core Formation Stage Cultivators!
The one rule that applied for the Blood Demon Sector was survival of the fittest. The winner took it all; the loser had to fall. Capability and credits mattered more than anything else.
If he could really kill a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, thousands of warriors in the Kingdom of Lion Butchers would gather behind his blood saber and listen to his command after he was back. His old father would definitely lose popularity.
It was a pity that… he failed!
Not only was his physical body completely ruined, he even lost the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber that he had borrowed from Elder Blood Robe when he was going to the Heaven's Origin Sector.
"I hate it!"
The moment he thought of the Cultivator who sabotaged his endeavor, Wang Ji's head was dizzy because of fury. The teeth that just grew out were grinded into pieces again.
That Cultivator was not even in the Building Foundation Stage yet, and he was wearing nothing but an MP crystal suit. But Wang Ji suffered a crushing defeat because of all his dirty tricks.
"Sordid Cultivator, I will find you and kill you, your family, your friends, your lover, and your teachers, leaving no one behind. I will mince you all!"
Wang Ji finally grumbled in the excruciating pain.
A moment later, his grumble suddenly stopped, as if a sharp blade had cut open his neck.
Deep inside the mansion, a crimson figure drifted over slowly.
It was a handsome, almost 'flawless', man. There was not the slightest hint of demon beast on his body. His skin was smooth and fair, like that of a new-born baby. His face looked like that of a naïve child of seven to eight years old.
But his eyes were full of age, gloom, and darkness, which seemed to belong to a 300-year-old senior.
A red robe was on his body, flowing slowly like blood.
He was Elder Blood Robe, a demon emperor!
After Elder Blood Robe appeared, the intensity of the blood pool was ten times higher. Thousands of sprouts of blood emerged from the liquids and pulled Wang Ji's face desperately like thousands of tiny hands.
Wang Ji was in such agony that tears were coming down. But he didn't not dare to complain.
With a smile, Elder Blood Robe enjoyed Wang Ji's suffering for a moment, before he opened his mouth in a low voice,
"Wang Ji, do you acknowledge your fault?"
Wang Ji almost passed out because of horror. He kept himself up while he stammered, "Master, I do acknowledge my fault. I know that the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber is refined out of the rarely-seen marrow blood crystals thousands of meters underground which are extremely precious. But I have lost it…
"I will not weasel out from my responsibility.
"I swear to all the demon spirits in the Pantheon of Demons that I will take back the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber within the next year. Otherwise, I'm willing to be punished by death sentence and leave my body in the wilderness instead of sending it to the Pantheon of Demons."
Elder Blood Robe glanced at him. A round, balloon-like, bright yellow demon beast suddenly appeared in his hand, which was tossed into the blood pool softly by him.
"You mentioned that it was a very tough Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit that stole the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber. This 'Information Bug' has deciphered almost a hundred crystal processors of human beings and retrieved a lot of information regarding the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit in question. Analyze it by yourself and find out the answer!"
The appearance of the Information Bug made Wang Ji's face change color.
He had not been as terrified when he was told that he would be soaked in the blood pool for nine days and nine nights.
However, under Elder Blood Robe's glaring eyes, he had to grit his teeth and pick up the Information Bug, before pinning it to his forehead.
"Chi!"
More than ten meat sprouts darted out from the Information Bug and pierced into his head like sharp arrows.
The meat sprouts expanded, constricted, twisted and wriggled.
"Ahhhhh!"
The whites of Wang Ji's eyes were out while he screamed desperately. He struggled and stirred thousands of splashes in the blood pool.
Pictures, roars, and data crushed into his brain like a volcano eruption.
Grand Desolate War Institution, Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit!
Military bidding meeting!
Flying Crystal racing!
A Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit versus a crystal warship!
Li Yao, student of the Grand Desolate War Institution, test pilot for the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, one of the best Exos of Mystic Skeleton Battlesuits in the Heaven's Origin Sector, and also a refiner who was adept at modifying crystal suits and establishing explosive traps.
Wait a moment…
Li Yao had been taking courses for crystal suits in the Thunder Training Camp a year and a half ago, during which time he went missing in the Thunderous Sound Mountain for ten days.
Thunderous Sound Mountain?
Thunderous Sound Mountain!
The boiling blood pool suddenly froze.
Although a sharp pain was still savaging his head, Wang Ji stopped struggling and turned into a cold statue all of a sudden.
The huge amount of information in the crystal processors of human beings was connected together, making him understand everything that had happened.
Li Yao was the one that killed all his subordinates and sabotaged his attempt in the Thunderous Sound Mountain.
He was also the one who disrupted his teleportation in Red Lotus City, seriously wounded him, and stole his Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber.
"Vulture Li Yao…"
A cruel smile appeared on Wang Ji's face, as he muttered through his broken teeth, one word after another, "It was you!"
Chapter 352: Boiled Blood Wind Slashing Saber |
"Well well well. You are quite something. Building Foundation in your junior year. It's even one year earlier than me. You truly deserve to be my boyfriend!"
In the shadowed hologram, Ding Lingdang was standing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by countless eccentric rocks. Her fire-like combat suit was somewhat ragged, but she was in high spirits. Her hands rested on her hips, as she burst into laughter. "However, if you want to defeat me, you might as well continue training for another hundred years!
"I'm going to tell you a piece of good news. No. For you, it is probably a terribly bad one. Your sister, me, has successfully ascended to the middle level of the Building Foundation Stage! Hahahahahaha!
"Over the past few months, I've been training in a special place where I couldn't reach the outside world in order to break into the middle level. As it turns out, my efforts were not wasted. I made a breakthrough without much trouble!
"Right now, I need to stabilize myself in here for some time. I will probably be back by the end of next month. I've even got a gift for you!
"Don't be sloppy in training while I'm away. I'm very looking forward to fighting you in the Building Foundation Stage for three hundred rounds!
"Right. Now that you're in the Building Foundation Stage, don't forget to eat your Foundation Building Egg. However, don't eat it by yourself either. Wait until I'm back. You ate part of my Foundation Building Egg when I reached the Building Foundation Stage. You owe me that one!"
Ding Lingdang was talking and dancing joyfully, leaving no chance for Li Yao to interrupt.
It was not a real-time conversation, but a pre-recorded video clip.
Knowing that Ding Lingdang was safe and sound, Li Yao was greatly relieved.
He was very well aware of the personality of his human-shaped tyrannosaur girlfriend, who was a lunatic in martial arts and considered fighting as the greatest fun in her life.
There could only be one reason why Ding Lingdang didn't participate in the War of Seven Cities, which was that the training sessions she'd been engaged in were not as comfortable as they appeared to be. They could be hundreds of times more perilous than the War of Seven Cities.
Ding Lingdang must've deliberately kept the place of her training a secret to prevent him from worrying.
Maybe she was fighting in an unseen frontline in the depths of the Dark Desolate Domain!
'After just one year, she has ascended from the beginning level of the Building Foundation Stage to the middle level. It is quite amazing of her.
'I thought that I had already surpassed her. But she is always one step ahead of me.
'However, I am not a body practitioner. The gap between our capability can be made up by magical equipment!
'Anyway, I'm qualified to fight side by side with Ding Lingdang without dragging her down now!'
Li Yao smiled and turned off the video clip that he had watched countless times each day over the past few days. He focused his attention on the refining furnace and sensed the temperature change inside of it.
He was at his personal refining workshop in the Diminutive Dust Domain. It had already been one month since the War of Seven Cities.
During the one month of time, with the help of Super Perception Cabin, he dwelled in the depths of his brain and absorbed Ou Yezi's memory pieces crazily.
He had absorbed Ou Yezi's two-year-long memory pieces in the month and read a lot of the classics on refining on the second floor of the Heavenly Refining Tower. He even got in touch with a lot of core secret arts of the Hundred Smelting Clan.
Seven days ago, he was finally fully prepared and was ready to refine the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber.
The Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber was a piece of demonic equipment designed to be wielded by demons. The energy flow as well as the working pattern was not very suitable for Cultivators to grasp.
What Li Yao wanted was not the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber per se, but the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures contained inside.
He had separated the precious marrow blood crystals from the Red Jade Mist Mirage Saber with the secret arts of the Hundred Smelting Clan after seven days of hard work.
Then he divided the marrow blood crystals into two portions, one larger and the other smaller.
He melded the larger portion, what was left of the marrow crystals inside his Cosmos Ring, and a huge amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that he spent a vast fortune on into his battler saber.
Today was the day of the melding's completion!
"Swoosh!"
Sensing the abrupt temperature changes inside the refining furnace, Li Yao felt that an irritated deadly animal was going to break out of its cage. He hurried to extend his telepathic thoughts into the refining furnace, while he quickly typed on the light beam to adjust the temperature, pressure, and direction of flames in the refining furnace.
Ten minutes later, the hole above the furnace opened, from which a red-and-blue laser dashed out with electric arcs.
Wind and thunder seemed to be echoing in the peaceful Diminutive Dust Domain.
"Freeze!"
Li Yao was fully focused. His spiritual energy surged out to the sky, as his hands was drawing hundreds of spiritual runes which snatched the laser and pulled it back to the long-prepared cooling liquids.
