Chapter 11: Wuji Apricot Flag
Minghe knew that such actions would attract others attention, especially Luohou, the Lord of Devils, the mastermind who stirred up war among the three tribes. However, Minghe had come up with a strategy to disrupt his sensibilities so that Luohou would not be able to guess who had done this. The existence of Blood Sea was well-known, but Minghe was not.
What Minghe relied on was one of the skills he had created previously, the Blood God Transformation. The Clone of the Blood God and the Blood God Doppelganger he sent would first refine the Blood of Essence of the Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land. They would travel Untainted Land as a member of these tribes and collect treasures and dead bodies from them for Minghe.
Suddenly, Minghe felt like he was becoming slightly perverted! He had not been afraid of blood in his previous life, but now he was stealing dead bodies. It seemed that he had gotten used to Untainted Land and had become the true Lord of Blood Sea, Ancestor Minghe.
While the Blood God Doppelganger and Clones of Blood God were scavenging outside, Minghe quietly cultivated on Sacred Island. The emergence of Sage-to-be was a great burden and several hundred years later, he successfully broke through to the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality realm, just one step away from the Sage-to-be realm.
The Sage-to-be Realm might or might not be a challenge for him, and he had two methods devised. One was quite simple, he would absorb merits and enter the Sage-to-be realm. Thereupon he could even do the Separation work through the Primordial Spiritual Treasures. The only disadvantage was that this method could cause an unstable foundation.
According to his prediction, Ancestor of Dragon, Lord of the Phoenix and Forefather of the Kylin had entered the Sage-to-be realm through merits from the Way of Heaven, but they were only in the early stage. When calculating the Way of Separation, one Separation meant the secondary stage of Sage-to-be, two Separations the late stage and three Separations the peak level. Separation through merits could help Minghe reach the secondary stage of Sage-to-be, but skipping the early stage could lead to an unstable foundation and affect the future cultivation.
Another method was to cultivate through the Divine Law. Currently, Minghe's enlightenment on the Law of Killing and the Law of Spiritual Beings had reached eight percent and 20 percent respectively. 20 percent was the maximum a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal could comprehend, and so as long as Minghe could comprehend any of the laws above 20 percent, he would be able to enter the early stage of Sage-to-be realm.
According to his prediction if Separation was not done, he could reach the early stage of Sage-to-be after understanding 30 percent of the Divine Laws, and 40 percent understanding would result in the secondary stage of Sage-to-be, 50 percent the late stage and 60 percent the peak level. Thus, to be a sage, Minghe needed to receive 70 percent of the enlightenment of the Divine Laws. The problem was that cultivation through the Divine Laws was as difficult as going to heaven.
The path of the first method was very simple for Minghe since he was endowed with half of the Merit of Origin, and the Blood River Formation had been constantly amassing merits for Minghe, ever since its Origin. Every little bit counted, and it had collected one percent Merit of Origin. Adding onto it was the one percet Merit of Origin from his sermon tablets, it was enough for Minghe to make the Separation.
Nevertheless, Minghe was unwilling to take this shortcut because cultivation through merits was unpredictable. Moreover, all his merits had their own use. There was a Golden Wheel above Minghe's Original Spirit in the center of Blood Sea, and this was a representation of all the merits that Minghe had obtained.
The Original Spirit had always been the most important part for cultivators. When one's body was destroyed, it could be restored using the Original Spirit. When the Original Spirit was destroyed, one would be destroyed with no hopes of reincarnation. And a great number of Magic Weapons could cause damage to the Original Spirit in Untainted Land, so Minghe had to be very careful.
Hence, he made the Golden Wheel of Merit by using the Merit of Origin as the core, and combining the post-celestial merits of the Way of Heaven that he had gotten. The Golden Wheel of Merit was above his Original Spirit to protect it from any form of attack, even from demons. It acted as a simplified version of the Baraka Exquisite Pagoda, which was a post-celestial Treasure of Merits.
Minghe was not willing to destroy the Golden Wheel of Merit just for an unpredictable shortcut, and the Golden Wheel took a lot out of him before it was stabilized. Besides, cultivation was a path against the heaven, and only hard work and effort could lead to the Way of Great Way. Any shortcut, while seemingly useful now, would surely be only a route for destruction.
After giving up the first method, Minghe had to take the second one. Luckily, he was assisted by numerous Clones of Blood God which would accelerate his enlightenment on the Divine Law. The Clone of Blood God could contribute a lot to the prediction of techniques, but little to the cultivation itself through the Divine Laws. Though minimal as it was, Minghe was quite satisfied. As the old saying went "a contented mind is a perpetual feast".
"Mmm?" Minghe suddenly hummed. He was currently in Closed Door Meditation to gain enlightenment from the Divine Laws; both the Blood God Doppelgangers and the Clones of Blood God were linked to him mentally, and they would not disturb him for any reason, unless the war among the three tribes was about to end and the base camps were unprotected. But the war was not supposed to end so soon. It had only just begun!
Seeing the message from the Blood God Doppelgangers, Minghe was surprised at first, then exultant. "Hahaha! God has blessed me. I was always searching for you while traveling throughout Untainted Land, now you're right before me. I'll get you this time." Minghe stepped out and turned into a Cloud of Blood, flying towards Untainted Land.
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Inside a Spiritual Mountain somewhere in Untainted Land, lived the Golden Lion Tribe, one of the Beast Tribes ruled by the Kylins. Most of the tribesmen were on the battlefield of the war among the three tribes. The person remaining with the highest cultivation was their Third Elder, who was in the late stage of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortality realm.
One day, Third Elder was cultivating inside the mountain. Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed past him. He was attacked by something and lost consciousness. Then, a flash of blood aura taking human form emerged, it was one of Minghe's Blood God Doppelgangers.
The Blood God Doppelganger was a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. Adding on to his uniqueness and the ability to utilize the Power of Divine Laws, he would still stand a chance even if an Early Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was here. In addition, there were tens of thousands of Clones of Blood God hidden within each Blood God Doppelganger which could form diverse tactical formations when necessary. Even if the Blood God Doppelganger could not defeat his opponent, he could escape easily by sacrificing some Clones of Blood God.
After Third Elder fainted, the Blood God Doppelganger walked towards the Golden Lion Tribe's treasure vault furtively. The treasure vault was protected by some tactical formations. It would attract other's attention and war would break out if he tried to break them. Though Minghe was not afraid of killing, it did not seem reasonable to steal from others and kill them all. This was simply how he felt, his Core of Thoughts.
Minghe stunned Third Elder with a sneak attack, so he could steal treasure without attracting others. The tactical formations guarding the treasure vault was not as complicated as he had originally thought, so the Blood God Doppelganger went out with the formations silently and as easily as it had gone in.
After flying and submerging for a long time, the Blood God Doppelganger stopped and checked his gains. He was shocked to notice a small flag. This?! This was the Center Wuji Apricot Flag from the same origin as the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag! This was a Highest-Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure, and it had been thrown in the vault and treated like trash. Um? The Blood God Doppelganger found that the Wuji Apricot Flag had been sealed with a restriction. Damn! The Blood God Doppelganger wanted to scold the foolish Golden Lion Tribe for sealing such a treasure. But frankly speaking, the Blood God Doppelganger was wrong about the Golden Lion Tribe.
The Golden Lion Tribe had just obtained the Wuji Apricot Flag. Ordinary treasures were spiritual, never mind the Highest- Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. The tribe leader had tried to convert the flag, but since he was just at the peak of Primordial Unity Golden Immortality realm, he received resistance from the flag. It ended in a deadlock, so the tribe leader had no choice but to seal it and continue cultivating until he reached the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality realm.
However, with the outburst of the war among the three tribes, the tribe leader had been called out by the Forefather of the Kylin. Hence the conversion was put aside, providing Minghe with ample opportunity to pick up from what was left behind. The restriction seal on the flag was not too complex. These kinds of seals had originated from Minghe's Enlightenment Tablet. Despite the small changes, it was a piece of cake for the Blood God Doppelganger to break the restriction. Upon removal of the restriction, the Wuji Apricot Flag regained its vitality. Waves of spiritual air converted into ten thousands of golden lotuses, guarding the flag on both sides, and then the flag attempted to submerge into the sky. But there was no way the Blood God Doppelganger would let it go, for countless Clones of Blood God had made the Blood River Formation block its escape path. Upon the exertion of the Formation, the Blood Aura pervaded into the sky and absorbed the golden lotus gradually.
Chapter 12: My Fellow Taoist, Please Wait.
The Wuji Apricot Flag was the highest grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure with ten thousands of golden lotuses. This gave it the ability to ward off all evil and invincible defenses, making it indestructible. But now the flag had no master. With no one to use it, it could only depend on itself by absorbing the Heavenly Spiritual Air, which would not last long.
Moreover, being in the midst of the Blood River Formation, the Heavenly Spiritual Air was cut off. With only the boundless Evil Blood Aura and the lack of the Heavenly Spiritual Air, reviving the Wuji Apricot Flag was hopeless. Once the golden lotus had been wiped clean, the Blood God Doppelganger immediately inserted an original spirit and started refining the treasure. From then on, the Wuji Apricot Flag belonged to Minghe.
The Blood God Doppelganger began to remove the formation by taking back the Clones of Blood God, when finishing the first step to convert the flag. In a rush to prepare for his return to Blood Sea, he then handed the Wuji Apricot Flag to Minghe. After all, this flag was a treasure. It was not safe to leave with an avatar and the flag was only in the first step of conversion. It still needed Minghe to personally convert it in the next step to be able to serve its purpose.
After a few steps, the Blood God Doppelganger heard a cry behind him. "Fellow Taoist, please hold on a moment!" The Blood God Doppelganger could not help but shiver, knowing that anyone who had read the Investiture of the Gods or novels about Untainted Land knew about this phrase. The lethality of this phrase was shocking, and the Blood God Doppelganger could not help but be afraid.
Only two people regularly used this phrase. The first was the famous Sage of the Heavenly Way, Zhunti, who Minghe knew was the most shameless sage. He often used this phrase to hold up fellow Taoists saying how they were fated to meet, basically lying and cheating to get what he wanted. Anyway, no good could come out of meeting Zhunti.
The second one was Shen Gongbao, who heavily relied on this phrase to help Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty reel in dozens of powerful cultivators and disciples of the Clan of Severity. In the end, all of them were killed and ended up on the list of Investiture of the Gods.
Upon hearing these words, the Blood God Doppelganger could not help but think of those two. Anything could happen and if it was meant to be, it would be. Hearing this phrase right after laying his hands on the treasure, the Blood God Doppelganger simply thought it was hilarious.
He turned around and saw a middle-aged Taoist walking over, the Blood God Doppelganger sighed in relief. He thought about, even if Zhunti was born, Zhunti would have to follow Jieyin to the west to train. And as for Shen Gongbao? He was someone who would only appear during the war of the investiture gods, and he was not even born yet. The Blood God Doppelganger blamed himself for being too paranoid.
When the Taoist caught up to him, he arched his hands and bowed. "I, Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, have seen my fellow Taoist. Just recently there was a luminous bright light with lots of golden lotus around here. I'm not sure if you, my fellow Taoist know what happened?" The Blood God Doppelganger listened and thought to himself. If he had known earlier, he should have set a Blood River Formation before unsealing the Wuji Apricot Flag, and now trouble had befallen on his doorstep.
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth? The Blood God Doppelganger had not heard of such a person before, and there was no mention of such character in the myth of Untainted Land either. However, armed with a cultivation realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality Late Stage, the Blood God Doppelganger did not dare to be careless. He replied politely, "Oh, so it's the Heaven and Earth fellow Taoist. I'm merely passing by and did not see any extraordinary happenings. I still have other urgent matters and will be on my way."
Just as the Blood God Doppelganger was leaving, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth blocked his way with an unpleasant expression. "Fellow Taoist you're lying. You were the only one here, so how could you not know what happened here? Unless you're afraid that I would steal from you? Harrumph!" His tone was not as polite as before. It was no wonder as in the eyes of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, though the Blood God Doppelganger was at Primordial Unity Golden Immortality peak, it was nothing to be afraid of.
The Blood God Doppelganger felt that the situation could not be settled peacefully now. He could only stubbornly insist. "I did see some abnormality but when I rushed to the site, I saw a yellow light heading towards the west. I was going to chase after it, and if you will, you could even catch up to it."
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth said coldly. "Harrumph! You think you, with such low realm, can cheat me. Release your Original Spirit immediately and let me check. If what you said is true, then I'll allow you to go. But if you dare lie... humph!" The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth released his Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality Late Stage imposing it towards the Blood God Doppelganger.
But he was surprised to see that the Blood God Doppelganger did not seem to be affected by the pressure. Without any change in his facial expression, this seemed to be slapping the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth in the face. He originally wanted to force the Blood God Doppelganger to hand over the treasure but unexpectedly, the Blood God Doppelganger was not affected by the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality pressure at all.
Then again, although the Blood God Doppelganger only had Primordial Unity Golden Immortality peak realm, the forty- nine Blood God Doppelgangers had been created by Minghe by splitting his Original Spirit. Even though at that time Minghe's supernatural power had only been at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortality peak level, his Original Spirit realm was already within the realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality. Now, Minghe was at the Peak of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality realm. With only mere Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality late stage, there was no way the Blood God Doppelganger could be affected. The Blood God Doppelganger saw that the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was beginning to have murderous intent, he quickly converted into a blood cloud to run away. Naturally, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth did not let the Blood God Doppelganger have that chance. He brought out a ruler and waved it against the Blood God Doppelganger. A gust of Heaven and Earth breath, division of Yin and Yang, was shot towards the Blood God Doppelganger.
The Blood God Doppelganger saw the ruler and not dare to belittle him, he instantly brought out the Wuji Apricot Flag. The Wuji Apricot Flag stood atop the head of the Blood God Doppelganger, scattering ten thousands of golden lotuses, and stood guard on both sides. The gust of Heaven and Earth dispersed once the flag appeared, but Blood God Doppelganger did not dare to underestimate the ruler of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth as it was most likely the famed Ruler of Heaven and Earth.
The Ruler of Heaven and Earth was a Top Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure containing a breadth of Heaven and Earth. The world's Yin and Yang and heaven and earth formed into one to represent the Yin and Yang of the world. It would be used by the Dipankara Taoist in the future, who would then use it to launch a surprise attack on Zhao Gongming of the Clan of Severity and cause severe injuries to him. The ruler and the Sea- protection Pearl were reliant on each other, so the Dipankara Taoist used the ruler to make twenty-four Sea-protection Pearls evolve to form the twenty-four heavenly soldiers.
Blocking an attack from the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, the Blood God Doppelganger attacked back by waving the sword in his hand. The sword had been refined by Minghe in the image of the Yuantu and Abi sword, combined with an abundance of evil blood aura from Blood Sea. Although it was only a Highest Grade Post-Celestial Spiritual Treasure, its attack power could not be dismissed. It was on par with the Primordial Spiritual Treasure and each of the forty-nine Blood God Doppelgangers were armed with one.
The Blood God Doppelganger moved seemingly like a dance that diffused blood air as the sword struck out. The Rain of Blood, was the first stance of the technique "Boundless Sword Incantation" that Minghe had created. It may have simply looked like blood air was diffusing, but yet it hid a vast menace intent. Blood aura was false, whereas the sword's aura was real. Moreover, the sword's aura was tainted with an evil spirit. To be injured by the sword aura was no simple matter.
When the blood aura attacked, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was not fazed. A map glowing with green light rose from him and absorbed all the blood sword's aura into it. The sword of the Blood God Doppelganger, filled with menace intent, was resisted just like that.
The Map of Heaven and Earth, which was a Highest Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure, contained the world of Heaven and Earth and could contain anything. The world in the map did not lose to the holy grounds of Untainted Land when facing an enemy. The ability to move the power of Heaven and Earth, and to absorb thousands of attacks into the map ultimately belonged to Lao Zi of Three Pure Ones.
Seeing the appearance of the Map of Heaven and Earth, the Blood God Doppelganger felt the urge to vomit blood. The man was an Ancestor of Heaven and Earth and all his magic weapons had something to do with Heaven and Earth. Was there a need to be so extraordinary? However, Minghe's magic weapon did not lose to that of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth.
After blocking an attack from the Blood God Doppelganger, the Map of Heaven and Earth kept itself above the head of the ancestor. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth could see the Wuji Apricot Flag above the head of the Blood God Doppelganger. His eyes flashed with a glint of cunningness. "Kid, this must be the treasure you just got! Not bad at all, but this isn't something you can handle. If you hand over this treasure, I'll let you go. How about it?"
The Blood God Doppelganger heard and could tolerate him no longer. "No way! The treasure is right here. Come and get it!" The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth boiled with rage after seeing how the Blood God Doppelganger acted. Menace intent rose up. Bringing forth the Ruler of Heaven and Earth, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth used all the force he had, including the power from the Map of Heaven and Earth.
The attack landed on the Wuji Apricot Flag's shield. Suddenly, half of the Golden Lotus disappeared. The Golden Light Defense trembled upon the attack. Pu! The Blood God Doppelganger spat out fresh blood. It was obvious that he was injured and though the defense was not broken through, the Wuji Apricot Flag was only in its preliminary refinement, so part of the attack still landed directly on the Blood God Doppelganger.
Chapter 13: Battle between the Blood God Doppelganger and the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth
The Blood God Doppelganger wiped the blood stain on his lips. The difference between a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal and Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was a large boundary to overcome. The attack from the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth could not be deflected by the Wuji Apricot Flag alone. Since defense was not working, forgoing it might have been best. As the old saying went: "The best defense is the best offense."
The Blood Burning Tactic was meant to be a trump card for emergency use for the future disciples. But who knew that the first person to use this technique would be Ming He's own Blood God Doppelganger. The activation of the technique caused the Blood God Doppelganger's blood to burn. Once every second blood was being ignited, his presence became stronger with hair like blood and the aura bright like a rainbow.
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was surprised when he saw this. He considered the Blood God Doppelganger was struggling impotently. He pretended to be saddened and said, "Why bother? To reach the realm you're at was not easy, why struggle so hard for one treasure? My promise still stands; I'll spare your life so long as you hand over the treasure."
The Blood God Doppelganger laughed coldly. "Oh, really? But now I want your life and your two Magic Weapons seems to be fated with me. If you hand them over, I could spare your life." In the blink of an eye, the doppelganger's power grew, reached the state of being equivalent to an Early Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth opened his mouth in shock. He only thought that the doppelganger was a goner for burning his blood essence to become slightly stronger. But he could not have known that his strength would increase a realm. Such secret techniques were rare. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth had immediately thought to defeat him and force the doppelganger to spit out the technique.
"Rain of Blood." The doppelganger struck out with his sword and a burst of blood rain hurtled towards the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth like a thunderstorm. It was completely unlike the previous attack. A Primordial Unity Golden Immortal at its peak might seem like only a step away from an Early Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, but they were incomparable. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth saw the attack and the Map of Heaven and Earth unfurled above his head. Countless green lights shone from the map, becoming a blurring swirl that absorbed the attack. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth sneered when he saw that, the technique might be good but it did not last. He could just use the same methods till the doppelganger lost his strength, and that would be when he could go in for the final blow.
The Blood God Doppelganger did not stop his attack, even when he saw that the blood fog released by the sword was absorbed by the Map of Heaven and Earth. He struck again and again until the sky was literally raining blood. This confused the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth.
Having used the same method more than 10 times, the Blood God Doppelganger finally stopped. His body grew weaker and he would revert back to his original realm subsequently. Though all his attacks had been absorbed by the Map of Heaven and Earth, he laughed it off.
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth maneuvered his weapon to suck in the blood fog from the sword's aura. After seeing how weak the doppelganger became, he laughed. "Oh come on. Don't tell me you only know of this one technique? It might look flashy, but it's useless. Now it's my turn, prepare to meet your doom."
The Blood God Doppelganger laughed eerily. "Really? My sword's aura won't be swallowed so easily." Immediately, the face of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth had changed, as the green light of the Map of Heaven and Earth trembled, and then disappeared. The map seemed to have suffered a great blow and lost its luster, only to fall straight from the top of the ancestor's head.
"Humph!" The Blood God Doppelganger laughed hysterically at the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth's miserable appearance, blood dripping from his mouth with bloodshot eyes. "Bwahahaha... Did you really think that my Sword Aura would be so easily destroyed? Old fool! Blood River Formation!"
The Blood God Doppelganger released dozens of clones to create a Blood River Formation that emitted a dangerous aura. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth did not dare to underestimate him and instantly cast an Art of Immortality to block the attack whilst trying to take back the Map of Heaven and Earth. The Map of Heaven and Earth was available for anyone to take control of. How would the Blood God Doppelganger let him take it back? The attack was actually a bluff, what was hidden within the attack was the real killing move. Though it was a real technique being released, the attack itself hid dozens of Clones of Blood God.
The map sucked in the attack together with the clones, flying in unnoticed by the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth as he was too fixated on the Blood God Doppelganger. The Clones of Blood God found the center of the map and instantly self-destructed within.
The self-detonation of dozen of peak Golden Immortal, especially in the center of the map was a huge blow. The Map of Heaven and Earth was badly damaged which resulted in the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth's Original Spirit being erased, thus making the map a free treasure. There was no way for the Blood God Doppelganger to allow the ancestor to lay his hands on it again.
Evil Blood Aura, the second stroke of Boundless Sword Incantation, struck down as if to split the sky, the doppelganger's sword cast out countless Sword Auras. Unlike the Rain of Blood which was used to kill hundreds in a simple stroke, the Evil Blood Aura was a focused attack. The Sword Auras gathered and slowly turning blood red, barreled toward the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth.
Facing the attack, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth could not think about the map and hurriedly deflected the attack. The Clone Blood God made use of this opening and snatched the map. It was damaged but the Blood God Doppelganger was still happy as the map could be repaired and it would be as good as new.
Upon acquiring the Map of Heaven and Earth, the Blood God Doppelganger looked towards the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth trapped in the formation. He was so furious and reasonably, for instead of stealing from someone, he was stolen from. The anger was intensified because the one who had robbed him was of a lower cultivation realm than him. This was an embarrassing blow and he would be the joke of the century if this ever got out.
The Blood God Doppelganger did not nor did he want to know what the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was thinking as he was stunned with drool coming out of his mouth. What was that above the ancestor's head? He truly lived up to his name as the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth. Looking at the volume spiritual treasures hanging on him, this was a set and especially the last piece of the set.
An ancient, desolate cauldron with old scriptures written on it was floating above the ancestor's head, while the scriptures looked messy and meaningless but it encompassed the profundity and essence behind the Tao. The cauldron cast down shafts of aura that looked like a curtain of light, stopping the Evil Blood Aura right before the Ancestor.
With an incredibly rare treasure before him, the Blood God Doppelganger could not believe his own eyes. This was what Ming He had wished for every day and night. With it appearing right before him, how could the Blood God Doppelganger not be excited? "Mine! Mine! This shall belong to me and me only." The Blood God Doppelganger was so obsessed in this treasure that he looked possessed.
According to the plan of the Blood God Doppelganger: After retrieving the Map of Heaven and Earth, he would leave and use the Clones of Blood God to create the Blood River Formation. This was to stall for time as the ancestor was a Late Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, and the Blood Burning Tactic of the clones might not be able to defeat him. Better to be safe than sorry and to use tens thousands of clones in exchange for a Peak Grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. It was a fair trade.
But with the appearance of the cauldron, the Blood God Doppelganger had a change of plans. With such a treasure laid before it, he could not leave or he would regret it for the rest of his life. The Blood God Doppelganger maneuvered the formation to attack the ancestor while hurriedly informing Ming He, who was meditating in Blood Sea.
This cauldron was exactly the same that Ming He thought of when he was transforming. This cauldron was formed by Green Lotus of Chaos, a Top Grade Primordial Supreme Treasure. It had an incomparable defense with endless Air from Heaven and Earth, the unbelievable ability to Return to Genesis, and not only to increase the grade of other spiritual treasures and weapons but to also convert them from Postcelestial to Primordial. Since he had seen it, there was no way he would let it go and considered the ancestor a dead man. Now all he needed to do was to wait for Ming He's arrival.
Chapter 14: The Blood River Formation Trapping Ancestor of Heaven and Earth
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was shocked. The Blood Burning Tactic showed its great power, but at this moment, it unexpectedly churned out thousands of doppelgangers. All of which were at the peak of the Golden Immortality. This secret tactic was truly beyond common sense. If he could use this tactic with his Daluo Golden Immortal realm cultivation, it meant that he would be followed by countless doppelgangers at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Thinking of this, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was excited again. Looking at the formation in front, his eyes were filled with greed. He believed that if he could retrieve his Map of Heaven and Earth back, loot the Wuji Apricot Flag and the two secret tactics from the Blood God Doppelganger, he would gain a great harvest. As for the formation in front, it was formed by Golden Immortals, so it just seemed full of power but lacked strength.
Like ants sieging an elephant, they wouldn't be able to win this battle even in a great number. At this moment, Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was more vigilant than before, so he would not allow himself to suffer losses again. He had realized the principle that a lion should go all out to fight against a rabbit. When the Blood River Formation was formed, it was filled with a bloody miasma. All Evil Spirits outside this formation were attracted to it, enhancing its power. However, it was not enough to trap a Daluo Golden Immortal. Moreover, the Ancestor of Heaven was a Daluo Golden Immortal with a defensive Spiritual Treasure.
Launched with tens thousands of Clones of Blood God, the Blood Burning Tactic painted a magnificent scene. The clones burned themselves without a care for the consequence, like the Blood God Doppelgangers. If other cultivators did something like that, they could be killed or injured badly. Although their bodies could be healed, if they did not have any remarkable encounters, they would be disabled. If Minghe did not have any doppelgangers, he would not use this tactic.
However, Blood God Doppelgangers were different from Clones of Blood God, which were formed by wisps of Minghe's Original Spirit, Spiritual Thoughts and Essence of Blood from Blood Sea. It did not matter for him to burn too much blood because he could go back to his Blood Sea and recover. One thing that needed to be mentioned was that the more fighting capacity increased, the less time the Blood Burning Tactic would last. Minghe had reached the peak realm of Daluo Golden Immortal and would be a Sage-to-be soon. With his speed, Minghe could reach here immediately, so what the Blood God Doppelganger should do was to trap the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth in this Blood River Formation before his arrival. Tens thousands of Clones of Blood God forced themselves to break into the early stage of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortality, which enhanced the power of the Blood River Formation.
Ancestor of Heaven and Earth in this formation naturally noticed his situation, which made him incensed. He thought it was illogical that the doppelganger could also use this secret tactic. At this moment, the formation was formed by Primordial Unity Golden Immortals instead of Golden Immortals, so it was not easy for the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth to break out.
What worried the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was that the Blood God Doppelganger would escape with the Map of Heaven and Earth and leave his doppelgangers to defend him. If so, he would feel a great loss. What the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth thought was the same as the Blood God Doppelganger's original plan. However, because of the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, Blood God Doppelganger changed his mind.
Tens thousands of Clones of Blood God at the early stage of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm initiated this tactical formation, the Blood God Doppelganger acted as the master to control the Evil Blood Aura inside. It formed a blast of Sword Aura, rushing towards the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth. It flowed like a flood and seemed unstoppable.
The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth could not afford to be neglectful in the slightest. He controlled his Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, releasing some fresh air to enhance his force of defense. Actually, the attack formed by Evil Blood Aura could not break the defense of the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth but left the wall of air rippling gently.
Ancestor of Heaven and Earth struck the attack with his Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, and struck back with the Ruler of Heaven and Earth in his hand. He said, "Boy, you can't break my defensive treasure at all. It was time for me to attack." He swung his Ruler of Heaven and Earth several times, and the power emitted even was much better than that supported by the Map of Heaven and Earth before. He must have provided the power from the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth.
There was no surprise that the Blood River Formation began to stir under several attacks of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, the Evil Spirit inside starting to scatter and disappear. Seeing this, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth laughed and said, "Haha... it seems that your formation isn't that powerful. I haven't gone all out, but it's nearly done." His words were full of irony.
Blood God Doppelganger was not angered by the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth's arrogance because he knew that moodiness was a poison in combat. He looked at Ancestor of Heaven and Earth and said indifferently, "Really? Do you know how long you can continue to support these two Magic Weapons with your supernatural power? Moreover, well?"
"Sacrifice to the Blood God, and connect with the Origin. Blood River Formation, expand!" At this moment, thousands of Clones of Blood God exploded at the same time, which refilled the Blood River Formation with abundant Evil Blood Aura. The attack formed by the Evil Blood Aura sharpened as well, piercing towards the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth without stopping.
The Blood God Doppelganger sacrificed thousands of Clones of Blood God, connecting with the origin of Blood Sea, which largely enhanced the force of this formation. In this way, the supernatural power of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth would be consumed more quickly. With a little luck, he might beat him down before Minghe's arrival.
The power of Blood River Formation was enhanced, as was the attack. Under the continual barrage, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth naturally felt more pressure, and his supernatural power also was consumed faster. Although the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth was his Eternal Spiritual Treasure, it was still a Primordial Supreme Treasure. It also had not been completely converted yet. It was a trifle for the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth using his supernatural power at the Daluo Golden Immortal realm to activate his Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. Moreover, he also needed to defend the attacks from the Evil Blood Aura.
However, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was not muddleheaded. He activated the tactic and his Cauldron of Heaven and Earth suddenly turned many times larger. He said, "In the endless heaven and earth, the cauldron covers the universe. Absorb the Evil Blood Aura." After he said this formula, his Cauldron of Heaven and Earth turned into a black hole, absorbing all the Evil Blood Aura around.
In this cauldron, a flash of black fire appeared and the Evil Blood Aura disappeared after being burned, turning into the spiritual air for Ancestor of Heaven and Earth to recover his supernatural power. With the spiritual air, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth fought back again, forming a powerful blast of air to hit the Blood River Formation.
Blood God Doppelganger was greatly frightened. The insane Cauldron of Heaven and Earth could turn the Evil Blood Aura back to Genesis, forming it into the Primordial Spiritual Air which could greatly improve his condition. At this moment, Blood God Doppelganger knew that his plan was over.
Moreover, the attack from the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was too powerful, and the enhanced Blood River Formation stirred under the attacks of his Ruler of Heaven and Earth. Right at the moment, the formation was like a small boat in a rough river. Without any other means, the Blood God Doppelganger could only use another kind of Magic Skill, named Deceiving Eyes.
Through this Magic Skill, he could transform the attacks from Ancestor of Heaven and Earth into Clones of Blood God, which could temporarily maintain the Blood River Formation. However, the Clones of Blood God would be blown away by the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. Actually, Clones of Blood God could not withstand the full attack of a Late Stage Daluo Golden Immortal. Having seen the continual disappearance of Clones of Blood God, the Blood God Doppelganger became anxious.
At this rate, every Clone of Blood God would disappear soon. Finally, his Blood River Formation could not bear attack anymore. If Blood God Doppelganger had to face the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth alone, he would definitely die. The time limit of Blood Burning Tactic was already over, and his supernatural power was lowered into the Secondary Stage of Primordial Unity Golden Immortality due to the side effects.
Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was excited about this situation. Under his attack, he could clearly feel that the Blood River Formation was continually weakened. Sooner or later, the Blood River Formation would be totally broken. He was starting to expect how to punish him after catching the Blood God Doppelganger. After all, the Blood God Doppelganger had played a trick on him. He would not work off his anger until he tortured him.
Right at the moment, the whole formation shook immediately, the Evil Blood Aura inside was also in a mess. The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth who was still in his victory dream regained his consciousness. Looking at the scene in front of him, the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was totally shocked and frowned. "Is this the so-called space fluctuation?" The Ancestor of Heaven and Earth immediately recognized the real reason causing this phenomenon. All of his Magic Weapons were full of the force of heaven and earth, and he had comprehended a little piece of the Law of Space when breaking into the Daluo Golden Immortality. Facing the scene in front of him, his vigilance sharpened. He was wondering whether it was a trick of the Blood God Doppelganger or not. He thought he needed to finish this battle as soon as possible, so he swung the Ruler of Heaven and Earth with his full strength, the formation was breaking right at the same time. However, when he saw the scene outside of the formation, he froze and wondered where he was.
Chapter 15: The Death of Ancestor of Heaven and Earth
Out of the expectation of Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, the last stroke by the Ruler of Heaven and Earth effortlessly broke the Blood River Formation. In general, the formation could not have been destroyed with a single stroke even if it cannot last for long. A sudden idea came to his mind: could it be Blood God Doppelganger had already escaped with the Map of Heaven and Earth?
The fact, however, was that Blood God Doppelganger stood in front of him after the formation broke. His cultivation was just at the Secondary Stage of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, probably the result of the Boomerang. To Ancestor of Heaven and Earth's surprise, Blood God Doppelganger smiled instead of being frightened.
And where was he? Ancestor of Heaven and Earth looked around and only saw Blood Sea, which was full of Evil Spirit. He felt cold, despite his deep cultivation reaching the Late Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. He was in Untainted Land a moment ago. How did he come here? Where was this place?
Nether Blood Sea suddenly came to his mind. In the Untainted Land exited some untraversed dangerous places. Nether Blood Sea was one of them. It was said that Nether Blood Sea was formed by blood of Pangu and gathered evil spirit from the Heaven and Earth. Therefore, it was a place of big fierce.
Untainted Land had been around for a long time. Ever since its birth, there had been creatures that never returned from Blood Sea. Several Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals had even gone missing. Thereafter, Nether Blood Sea had earned its bad reputation.
Ancestor of Heaven and Earth felt a strong wave of the space just now, so he couldn't help feeling anxious. As soon as he came to the Blood Sea, he smelled a sense of deadly crisis. "Who are you? What's your relationship with Blood Sea? How did you bring me here?", asked he with anger to the smiling Blood God Doppelganger.
Blood God Doppelganger laughed at his questions and replied, "Since you'll die anyway, let me satisfy your curiosity. I'm a doppelganger of Blood God, Master of Blood Sea, Ancestor Minghe. What you call Nether Blood Sea is naturally my home. As for how I brought you here, hehe…" ...
Receiving Spiritual Thoughts from Blood God Doppelganger, Ming He went to their location at his top speed. It was Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, the treasure Ming He had longed for day and night. Though he had many Primordial Spiritual Treasures, only a few were suitable for his use. As for Primordial Supreme Treasure? He had none of them.
Among all his collections, only six were most valuable treasures to him: four Primordial Spiritual Treasures of the Highest Grade (Red Lotus of Fire, Xuanyuan Water Control Flag, Book of Life and Death and Judge Pen), as well as Wuji Apricot Flag and Map of Heaven and Earth; they were all enough to make even the Sages envious. Besides, Yuantu Sword and Abi Sword were Primordial Spiritual Treasures of Top Grade, both of which was Tools of Massacre, and when combined, they had great power over Primordial Spiritual Treasures of the Highest Grade. As for Zhen Yue, Ming He completely disregarded it.
Though he owned many Spiritual Treasures, few were suitable for him. Yuantu Sword and Abi Sword were his most valuable treasures for attacking. Red Lotus of Fire had the mightiest power of defense and could also attack by releasing Red Lotus Fire. Xuanyuan Water Control Flag, Wuji Apricot Flag, and Map of Heaven and Earth had little defense power, but there were other uses for them.
Book of Life and Death and Judge Pen had great attacking power. However, Ming He dared not use them in case of damage as they belonged to Six Path of Reincarnation. Any resulting Karma was beyond what Ming He could bear.
Now, a Primordial Supreme Treasure was in his reach. Ming He couldn't hold himself from owning it. Even the Sages would not get a Primordial Supreme Treasure, among whom only Three Pure Ones would get from Honourable Ancestor, Hongjun. If Ming He could get one, he would benefit from it a lot.
It was not far away from Blood Sea. Ming He traveled fast and spent the time it took for him to drink a few cups of tea to get there. He was relieved to find Blood God Doppelganger and Ancestor of Heaven and Earth still in a stalemate. He would have killed himself if Ancestor of Heaven and Earth escaped.
Yet Ming He did not have absolute confidence to defeat Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, for he sensed a wave of Divine Law from his rival's attack, who must have received enlightenment from some kind of Divine Law. Seeing Ancestor of Heaven and Earth owned a Primordial Supreme Treasure, he was at least a Primordial Mazinger. He would definitely have a unique Spiritual Inheritance, so Ming He was careful not to underestimate him.
Seeing the shaking formation, Ming He thought for a while and made up his mind. With a flick of his sleeve, millions of Clones of Blood God appeared and formed a much more powerful Blood River Formation. Reciting the formula, he shouted, "Millions of the clones sacrifice; formation transmits; homeland calls, heaven and earth shakes… Move it!"
Millions of Clones of Blood God were sacrificed at the same time, elevating the power of Blood River Formation. The whole sky was covered by blood and evil spirit. Blood Sea was also rocking. Ming He dared to combine the formation for which the Clones of Blood God sacrificed with the formation guarding Blood Sea, channeling the formation for which the Clones of Blood God sacrificed through the Void into Blood Sea.
It had to be admitted that it was not only a crazy move but also a difficult one. Further, it was to transmit the formation through the Void! As soon as he returned to Blood Sea, Ming He spat a mouthful of blood arrows. The pressure in the Void was far too great. If not for his strong body, he would have been severely wounded. But this move had badly injured the roots of Blood Sea. It seemed like it would not make a full recovery for another tens of thousands of years.
The root of Blood Sea was essential to Blood River Formation, and thus its damage would surely decrease the formation's power. Fortunately, the most powerful ones in Untainted Land were currently Sage-to-bes. The current Blood River Formation was enough to protect Ming He. The Sage-to-bes were also not likely to have any ideas about fighting him. That was why Ming He dared to pull such an insane stunt.
No pain, no gain. Ming He regarded it as a worthwhile cost to trade the Primordial Supreme Treasure. Now that he was back in Blood Sea, he was safe. Ancestor of Heaven and Earth's desperate struggles would surely be useless.
...
Ming He showed up in front of the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, who had broken out of the formation. The Blood God Doppelganger handed Map of Heaven and Earth and Wuji Apricot Flag over to Ming He, and returned to Blood Sea to recover.
Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was alarmed at Ming He's appearance because he was unable to see through his cultivation. Moreover, Blood Good Doppelganger said he was in another nest at this moment. He was in such terrible condition that he felt cold at the backbone. From the look of things, his rival had a deep cultivation.
Trying his best to hide his uneasiness, Ancestor of Heaven and Earth looked at Ming He and said, "You must be Fellow Taoist Ming He. I'm the Taoist Heaven and Earth. There must be some misunderstandings between us. I apologize and ask for your understanding. The Map of Heaven and Earth is my gift for you." At the moment, Ancestor of Heaven and Earth just wanted to leave as soon as possible. He had no intentions of getting his map back.
In his opinion, he was at Late Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and he also owned Cauldron of Heaven and Earth and Ruler of Heaven and Earth. If he expended all his effort to fight Ming He, he might not lose. But he made a mistake. He did not expect Ming He to make such a great sacrifice to bring him here. How could Ming He let him go now? Ming He was well aware that a snake he let go would come and bite him back. Ming He said without expression, "Really? It's already mine. You want to apologize? Show your sincerity by offering the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth to me." In his mind, Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was talking nonsense. The Map of Heaven and Earth was already in his hand. What a joke to compensate a person with his own belongings.
The face of Ancestor of Heaven and Earth darkened. "It seems you don't want things to end well. Yes, you have higher cultivation than me. But I'm afraid you're still not capable of entrapping me." He then shouted, "Nonpolar, break the Heaven!" Cauldron and Ruler of Heaven and Earth burst into mighty power at the same time, enveloping a fleeing Ancestor of Heaven and Earth.
Ming He chuckled. "Now that you're here, did you think you can leave? You underestimate my Blood Sea. Endless Blood Sea, block the Void!" A Blood River Formation appeared over the sea, bursting into great power and blocking the whole area. The Flying and Submerge of Ancestor of Heaven and Earth seemed to hit a barrier and bounced.
The whole Blood Sea was barricaded. Ancestor of Heaven and Earth turned deadly pale as he looked at Ming He. Grinding his teeth, he said, "Ming He, don't you push it! If push comes to shove, I'll just drag you down to hell with me!" Push it? If Ancestor of Heaven and Earth had not coveted his Wuji Apricot Flag, would he have angered the killer force, Ming He?
Ming He did not want to waste time speaking with him. Holding Yuantu Sword and Abi Sword in both hands, he brandished them as he said, "Blood River Formation, come to my order; Yuantu and Abi Sword, kill the immortal!" After receiving the enlightenment of the Law of Killing, he need not use any sword methods. In battles, he needed only to kill.
The power of the formation was upon Ming He and the might of Law of Killing was its peak. The aura of Yuantu Sword and Abi Sword was full of Menace Intent. With only one strike, the Heaven and Earth faded and Blood Sea rocked, far beyond what Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal could bear.
As Ancestor of Heaven and Earth saw the deadly strike, he lifted Cauldron of Heaven and Earth to defend himself. However, he underestimated the power of this stroke. Cauldron of Heaven and Earth was hit away by just one strike. Meanwhile, his Original Spirit in the cauldron was damaged, leaving Ancestor of Heaven and Earth seriously injured and spitting blood. Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, however, had absorbed most of the attack. With a single blow, Cauldron of Heaven and Earth was hit away and Ancestor of Heaven and Earth was severely injured. Ming He naturally would not miss such an opportunity to kill him. Just as Ancestor of Heaven and Earth wanted to retrieve the cauldron, it was already too late. The second strike cut him in half, leaving him to fade into bloody vapor. The ancestor was considered one of the excellent ones in Untainted Land, but due to his greed, he was reduced to ashes.
Chapter 16: Consequences
The death of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor was inevitable since Minghe had exerted all his strength. With Blood River Formation, he could even reach the realm of Sage-to-be. Paired with Law of Killing and Law of Spiritual Beings, killing a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was a breeze. Even though his rival possessed Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, he did not have enough cultivation to use a Primordial Supreme Treasure.
After his death, the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth and Ruler of Heaven and Earth lost their owner and tried to fly away. Unfortunately, the Blood Sea was closed, so they had no way to go but became Minghe's assets.
Minghe was elated to get the two Primordial Supreme Treasures because few owned such treasures in Untainted Land. Hence, he was far ahead of others simply by collecting four Spiritual Treasures in this trip.
But he was not delighted even after killing Heaven and Earth Ancestor. It was impossible that his sacrifice of millions of Clones of Blood God to exert Blood River Formation would go unnoticed. He recalled all his Blood God Doppelgangers and Clones of Blood God to protect the sea, just in case. Blood Sea was Minghe's base. He could not allow anything to happen to it. He was wary of even the slightest possibility that someone might keep their eye on his sea. This was Untainted Land; anyone could die here. As the master of Blood Sea, Minghe had seen too many deaths because the sea expanded every single day. It had more than doubled since he first got here.
...
Minghe's guess was right on the mark. The sacrifice of the Clones of Blood God and the abnormal fluctuation of Blood Sea aroused attention from various parties. The Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin also suspended their war because of this.
Few could cause such chaos in Untainted Land. But even the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix and Kylin that ruled the land failed to track who was behind it. It frightened them. After an investigation, they learned that the force left in the scene was similar to that of Nether Blood Sea. Was there something going on there?
Nether Blood Sea was a forbidden land that no one could make out of alive. It would be a catastrophe if the sea became unstable and flooded Untainted Land. Hence, the tribes stopped their war and started investigating.
However, everyone who went there failed to return. Many Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals also died. The three tribes had no choice, but to give up the investigation and bid their time. Luckily for them, Blood Sea reverted to its usual state after tens of years. The Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land were relieved.
···
At Mount Yujing, Hongjun was predicting the Way of Separation and Rectification while holding onto Jade Butterfly of Fate. Cloud of Blessings rolled above him. He had finished Good Separation and Evil Separation, bringing himself closer to the Sage-to-be Peak Level. After completing Separation of Obsession, the three separations could be combined. Fusing with Hong Meng Immortal Qi, he could become the Sage of the Heavenly Way.
Hongjun was naturally aware of all the chaos, but had no clue who was behind it. Cultivation Tribulation had begun and heaven's mystery was in chaos. Evil Spirit in Untainted Land had gotten denser. Hongjun sighed and said, "Alas! Who on earth caused such chaos and slowed the speed of Cultivation Tribulation? Well, it gives me more time to cultivate. If I don't become a sage, I'm nothing!"
···
Hongjun was of course pleased to see such a situation because he had only completed Good Separation and Evil Separation. He needed more time to complete the more difficult Separation of Obsession. What Minghe did was to stop the war among the three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix and Kylin and slow the spawning of evil spirits. It would be hundreds of years before the next war and the Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land were given a chance to rehabilitate.
Where someone was happy, someone else was naturally furious. In the Demon Tribe Mountains, Luo Hou exploded in anger. "Damn it! Who's the one behind this? Why the strange phenomenon in Blood Sea? My plan has been put on hold since the three tribes war stopped. Have you all found out why?"
Looking at the indignant Luo Hou, Flame Demon trembled with fear. Ever since Luo Hou's cultivation realm increased, even Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals were terrified to be in his presence. Flame Demon answered, "My Lord, I've sent our people to investigate in Blood Sea, but no one returned. Not even Shadow Fiend."
Luo Hou got angry and shouted: "What? The Shadow Fiend died too? What was wrong with the Blood Sea or had anyone done this on purpose? If it was not for the fact I was in a crucial stage of cultivation, I had to take a look by myself to find out what was going on there." Luo Hou reached the Late Stage of Sage-to-be, same as Hongjun, but what he cultivated was The Divine Law of Demons. In the end, The Way of Great Way would be the same.
Flame Demon replied, "My Lord, what should we do next? Do we wait for our chance to act or...?" Luo Hou sneered and said, "Wait? They're just daydreaming if they want to rest now. Order the people we placed in the three tribes to act and bring them back to war. Only in this way can I... Humph!"
···
Minghe was quite clear about what was going on outside and killed everyone who tried to enter Blood Sea for investigation, even the people from Demon Tribe sent by Luo Hou. He was not relieved until the consequences of the incident gradually faded.
This irrational act had exposed Blood Sea to the Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land. Luckily, Minghe's existence was still unknown. This could be considered the best result. With time, memories of this incident would fade. After all, the most important event at the moment was the war among the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin. Not even Luo Hou had the time to care about Blood Sea.
However, Minghe had no regrets. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So it was worthwhile taking risks to obtain treasures like Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. Even if he was really noticed, he could protect himself through Blood Sea. The fact that nobody could kill Minghe except the Sage was enough to boost his confidence.
Cauldron of Heaven and Earth made it easier to cultivate weapons and medicines. What was crazier was that he even cultivated his own body, though the speed was slower than a Original Spirit cultivation. What Minghe wanted was the simultaneous cultivation of both his body and Original Spirit. In recent years, the speed of his body cultivation had fallen far behind his Original Spirit cultivation. With Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, Minghe could cultivate his body directly through the fusion of Veridical Fire and Purpleheaven Thunder. The speed was improved greatly and his body cultivation had caught up with his Original Spirit cultivation in a short hundred years, reaching the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. This meant he could fight against a top Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal simply with his body.
In addition, his Divine Law cultivation had reached a bottleneck. He made no further progress after receiving 20% enlightenment of Law of Killing and Law of Spiritual Beings. The Sage-to-be Realm was only one step away from him, but he always failed to get there. It depressed him a lot.
Minghe knew that the cultivation could not be rushed, so he halted the cultivation and turned into the study of medicines, weapons, and formations. The Way of Great Way could be achieved in numerous ways. Sometimes the inspiration was crucial for cultivation and Minghe needed to review what he got in recent years to make further progress.
After studying Divine Law, Minghe found that the greatest truths were the simplest. The tactical methods, formations, and magic skills he had previously predicted before were all too flashy. It was the result of the influence martial art stories had on him. However, they were all useless. Take Pangu for example. He could destroy anyone with raw strength, no matter what methods or formations his opponents used. That was true power.
Chapter 17: The Defying Spiritual Treasure
Initially, Blood Sea was formed by the polluted and residual blood of Pangu and three thousand Mazingers. As the master of Blood Sea, Minghe knew about the importance of the initial Blood Sea, so he separated it from the newly-formed Blood Sea after he set up the Blood River Formation.
Blood Sea might be horrifying to others but to Minghe it represented a huge treasure vault. Moreover, the initial Blood Sea was a rare treasure through which Minghe could gather some knowledge about the mystery of Rakshasa. He envisioned many methods of body cultivation from the enlightenment of the Rakshasa's vital force left in the initial Blood Sea.
By killing the Heaven and Earth Ancestor, Minghe obtained two things. The first was the Spiritual Treasures, like the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, and the other was the Spiritual Inheritance of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor. The Spiritual Inheritance of every Primordial Mazinger carried distinct characteristics from which Minghe could use to his advantage, so he made sure not to miss this opportunity.
Even though Minghe killed the Heaven and Earth Ancestor and ensured that he had no chance of reincarnating, he did not destroy all the Original Spirit and kept some Original Spirit pieces through the Law of Spiritual Beings. This way, he could gain the Primordial Spiritual Inheritance of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor.
Minghe was surprised to find that the Heaven and Earth Ancestor was actually a being converted by the residual soul from one of the 3 thousand Mazingers, the Mazinger of Heaven and Earth who was adept in the Law of Heaven and Earth. His every move involved unfathomable power. Naturally, the Heaven and Earth Ancestor had inherited the Law of Heaven and Earth and received enlightenment when he reached the realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortality and was awarded some clues about the Law of Space.
However, the Heaven and Earth Ancestor had paid great attention to his treasures rather than the cultivation of the Divine Law. If he had had 10% enlightenment of the Law of Heaven and Earth, he could have broken the Blood River Formation set by the Blood God Doppelganger. With the magical power of the Heaven and Earth, he would have been able to kill the Blood God Doppelganger easily.
What a pity! The Cauldron of Heaven and Earth and the Ruler of Heaven and Earth had diverted his attention from the cultivation of the Divine Law, and the nature of Rakshasa destroyed him. These two things had spurred his arrogance, but he had never known that there were plenty of Sage-to-be master-hands like Hong Jun and Luohou who remained unknown.
To Minghe, his death was slightly wasted as what he needed the most now was to battle with other skilled cultivators. Had the Heaven and Earth Ancestor paid more attention to the enlightenment of the Law of Heaven and Earth, he could have fought against Minghe. This was like an ancient Chinese saying: Miss an inch and you miss the whole battle.
Minghe moved on to concentrate on the Primordial Spiritual Inheritance of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor. He was disappointed at the result because the residual soul and the spiritual inheritance were too little to cultivate, which also accounted for the unstable state of mind of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor.
Although Minghe did not gather much information about Rakshasa, he gained some understanding on the method of body cultivation from Rakshasa. According to his previous prediction, the strength of the physical body of a Mazinger was achieved by cultivating his body through the Air of Chaos. But Minghe was only half right.
The method of a Mazinger's body cultivation required the Air of Chaos but the core part was the Divine Law. The strength of the physical body of a Mazinger was achieved by cultivating his body by absorbing the Power of Divine Law, so every single move involved the magic power of the Divine Law.
Not only that, the Spiritual Treasures which Rakshasa used were also embedded with the Power of Divine Law. The power and quality could be improved and even upgraded to higher grades upon reaching a certain stage.
Knowing this, Minghe was disgruntled. He now had to predict tactical methods again and complete another circle of cultivation after the prediction in order to prevent an unstable foundation. This would consume a lot of time.
However, the Cultivation Tribulation had begun and would be completed in a comparatively short time. Minghe did not intend to get involved in the war between Hong Jun and Luohou, but he wanted to gain some benefits from the war among the three tribes. Given the current situation, he would probably miss the opportunity.
After thinking for a while, Minghe came up with an idea. He called out the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth and poured numerous primordial materials into it, as well as the residual soul pieces of the Heaven and Earth Ancestor. He also added some blood of Rakshasa and tens of millions of Clones of the Blood God.
In a word, this was a hotchpotch. Others would definitely scorn him for wasting so many first-grade materials including 64 Enlightenment Fruits. A peculiar looking fetus of a magic weapon came into being after 49 years of calcination.
A sphere. That's right, this fetus was a globe-shaped object. Minghe separated one portion of his soul after the fetus was formed and set up a tactical restriction formation. The Spiritual Treasure finally appeared after another 81 years. Its appearance spurred Blood Sea and even Minghe could not calm it down.
All of a sudden, Minghe felt extreme pressure and began to sweat out of tension. Looking up, he saw a vertical eye floating atop Blood Sea. It was the Eye of Great Way. Yes, it was! Minghe had sworn to the Way of Great Way when he first arrived here and had experienced its power and mystery. It was definitely the Eye of Great Way.
Minghe was quite terrified to be scrutinized by the Eye of Great Way. He had not done anything that went against the Heaven, so why had the Way of Great Way come to him? Even if he had done something against the Heaven and changed the momentum of the heaven and earth, it should be the Way of Heaven who came to him. Was it—Minghe looked to the newly- born Spiritual Treasure—because of this?
Minghe became increasingly nervous as the eye continued to watch him. The Way of Great Way kept looking his way for a long time, making Minghe feel torturous.
The Eye of Great Way finally moved after a long time and a silver light ejected from it right into the Spiritual Treasure. Then the Eye of Great Way disappeared like nothing had happened.
Minghe was relieved, it was an agony to be stared at by the Eye of Great Way, especially when he was only a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Minghe picked up the Spiritual Treasure and wondered what the silver light had done to it.
It was a Highest-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure! Minghe was elated to be able to refine a Highest-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure through the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. But this Spiritual Treasure was unique. It did not have any attack power and even the defense strength was similar to that of a Low-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure.
Luckily, it had an extremely strong prediction power when combined with the separated soul from Minghe. All the Clones of Blood God and Blood God Doppelgangers combined could not be compared to this portion of his soul. If it were not for Minghe's proficiency in the Law of Spiritual Beings, he would not have dared to do so and even then, such damage would take thousands of years to recover from.
Luckily Minghe had the Three Light Holy Water, which could heal the soul trauma and if Minghe could make further progress in the enlightenment of the Law of Spiritual Beings; the recovery speed would be quickened. Fortunately, all his efforts were paid off in the end. The Spiritual Treasure in front of him was the pay-off. When Minghe first talked about prediction, he linked it to the modern-world supercomputer with a calculation speed of a trillion bits per second. If a mere mortal from the future generation could make such powerful machines, so could Minghe.
Thereafter, the first computer in Untainted Land emerged and it was also a Highest-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasure. Minghe named it the Magical Tao Mirror. Its prediction power was thousands of times better than Minghe and all his Doppelgangers combined. It was for this reason that the Magical Tao Mirror captured the attention of the Way of Great Way.
Chapter 18: The Exposure of Luohou
Only the Way of Great Way knew that Minghe came from the future and had knowledge of that time from Minghe's memory. However, the Way of Great Way was impartial and would not expel him even if he was an abnormality. Besides the Way of Heaven, there was the Submerging Yi which represented Fated Chance and all creatures in Untainted Land were likely to become the Submerging Yi and surpass the Way of Heaven.
Currently, the Way of Heaven had no idea what the Magical Tao Mirror was, but it knew that although the treasure was against the heaven, Minghe had not done anything against the heaven. Therefore, the Way of Great Way had only come to give him a warning and the silver light from the Eye of the Great Way had covered the secret Magical Tao Mirror. As a result, nobody knew what exactly had happened in Blood Sea even the Way of Heaven.
Seeing the first half of the messages left by the Way of Great Way, Minghe was greatly moved. The Way of Great Way had not destroyed this Spiritual Treasure and it even covered the secret for him. It was so good to him. However, upon seeing the second half of the message, Minghe jumped up and cursed. The Magical Tao Mirror could have been a Primordial Supreme Treasure rather than a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, if it were not for the interference by the Way of Great Way. Despite it being at the Highest Grade, it was far lower than a Primordial Supreme Treasure. In addition, the Way of Great Way had left restrictions on the use of the Magical Tao Mirror.
There were no limitations to predicting tactical methods, tactical formations and magic skills through the Magical Tao Mirror, but it was supposed to be used to predict the Divine Law, like the Jade Butterfly of Fate. The difference was that the Jade Butterfly of Fate was endowed with three thousand Ways of Great Way while the Magical Tao Mirror had nothing and could only be used to predict the Divine Law which Minghe had been enlightened with before.
To predict the Divine Law through the Magical Tao Mirror should have been an easy task and then Minghe could become a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin soon and surpass the Way of Heaven. However, the Way of Great Way did not leave so many advantages for Minghe.
Since it was unfair for other creatures in Untainted Land, the Way of Great Way had restricted its ability to predict the Divine Law. Minghe had to sacrifice something like the Spiritual Air, Spiritual Treasure materials, Spiritual Fruits and Medicines, Power of Original Spirit, supernatural power or merits to the Magical Tao Mirror before he could use it to predict the Divine Law.
For example, the abundant Spiritual Air in the Untainted Land was necessary for every creature to cultivate themselves. When the Spiritual Air was consumed to a certain extent, the Cultivation Tribulation would befall. Those who died in the Cultivation Tribulation would return to Genesis and convert to the Spiritual Air again. The Cultivation Tribulation would end in a certain circumstance, which constituted a self-protection way of the Untainted Land.
If Minghe wanted to sacrifice Spiritual Air to the Magical Tao Mirror, he needed to deplete a vast amount to do so. Besides, Minghe would be connected to Karma and his soul might disintegrate when the Cultivation Tribulation started. Even if he could survive the Cultivation Tribulation, the strong Karma would affect his cultivation.
Regarding other materials, the blood was abundant in the Blood Sea and could be consumed as long as it would not damage the initial Blood Sea; Spiritual Fruits and Medicines were renewable resources so that they could be recycled; the Spiritual Treasure materials were too precious to be sacrificed; the Power of Original Spirit and supernatural power could be sacrificed as long as they would not be overused in case the Original Spirit and Foundation would be damaged.
As for merits, Minghe was not willing to sacrifice them, but they turned out to be the most effective. Although the Blood River Formation could repeatedly provide merits by absorbing the Evil Blood Aura in Untainted Land, its effect would become weaker after the Sorcerer and Demon tribes's Cultivation Tribulation. Then, the Blood River Formation would grow weaker and be unable to provide enough merits as required by the Magical Tao Mirror.
Minghe got a longing for merits now. He could earn some merits based on his understanding of the Untainted Land. Now, however, it was the most economical way to sacrifice Spiritual Fruits and Medicines, Power of Original Spirit and the supernatural power whose effect was weaker but more enduring.
Upon getting the Magical Tao Mirror, Minghe started another Closed Door Meditation. He planned to make thorough progress on his tactical methods. Minghe would have no opportunity to do so once he reached Sage-to-be, and his enlightenment on the Divine Law could not be stopped if he wanted to enter the realm of Sage-to-be.
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Minghe started his Closed Door Meditation with no care as to what went on outside. The Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin stopped the war for nearly a hundred years but then they went at it again.
This time, the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin stopped again due to Blood Sea. The Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land and Individual Cultivators all noticed the violent movements of Blood Sea. They had diverse explanations about it. Some said the sea was going to submerge Untainted Land while others claimed some superior treasures were going to appear. All kinds of rumors were being spread everywhere.
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Inside Mount Yujing, Hong Jun was curious about Blood Sea as well. He wondered and thought, "What is going on in the Blood Sea? Is it possible that some Spiritual Treasures or creatures are going to appear? It's really strange that I can't predict anything about it. How should I cope with the Unforeseen Signs from the heaven?"
Luohou bristled with anger. "Damn. The last time the three tribes stopped the war was because of Blood Sea. I put in so much effort to start the war again and now it has stopped, again! If I ever catch that person I'll definitely torture whoever it is to death."
After venting for a while, Luohou calmed down and gave orders to Flame Demon. "Flame Demon, you'll slip into the three tribes yourself this time and make sure to incite war among the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin. As for Blood Sea, we'll leave it aside for the moment and I'll take a closer look after I reach the Sage realm.
But unexpectedly, Flame Demon failed to incite war and got himself killed. The Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin were shocked to find tracks left by the Demon Tribe and realized that they had been infiltrated by them.
The appearance of the Demon Tribe made Heavens' mystery clearer. Besides, Ancestor of Dragon, the Lord of the Phoenix, and the Forefather of the Kylin, had all reached the Secondary Stage of Sage-to-be and naturally spotted the plan of the Demon Tribe through some predictions. In a fit of anger, they bound together and started to attack the Demon Tribe.
However, it was too late. The previous war had exhausted too much of their strength, and Luo Ho had all his spies in the three tribes pullout when Flame Demon was killed. As a result, all Demon Tribe members retreated to the west, impairing the strength of the three tribes and increasing their own power.
After making clear what was going on, although the three tribes could not put down all resentments, they decided to launch an attack on the west for revenge. What surprised them was that the Demon Tribe could resist their attack by themselves. This also showed that the strength of the three tribes had been weakened to a great extent.
However, this was not what Luohou desired. According to his original plan, when the strength of the three tribes was severely depleted, he would lead the army of the Demon Tribe towards the east and capture the whole Untainted Land singlehandedly. The two movements of Blood Sea spoiled his plan. Luohou hated Blood Sea with every fiber of his being. Were it not for the two movements of Blood Sea, the Demon Tribe would not have been exposed so early. Actually, it was partly due to Luohou's impatience to instigate the war among the three tribes which caused the demons planted in the tribes to be exposed. All in all, Luohou would not let go of Blood Sea. If he had known that the two movements had been caused by man, he would have started attacking Blood Sea.
Of course, Minghe somehow sensed the grievance from Luohou. He sneered and joked. "Is someone missing me now?" Had he known that the guy missing him was Luohou, he would not have been so relaxed.
Chapter 19: Hong Jun Fights Luohou
Hundred years later, a riot broke out again in Blood Sea, which was smaller than the twice before. A great amount of energy penetrated from Sacred Island, even including the power of the Divine Law. On Sacred Island, Minghe was sitting on the Red Lotus of Fire, with the Magical Tao Mirror which was refined hundred years ago suspending in front.
After hundred years of Closed Door Meditation, Minghe had successfully stepped into the Realm of Sage-to-be. With his firm foundation, although he was only at the early stage of Sage-to- be, Minghe could be considered among the strongest in Untainted Land. As for the Law of Killing and the Law of Spiritual Beings, he had successfully achieved enlightenment by 30 percent.
Besides, Minghe had also been enlightened by another kind of the Divine Law, the Law of Blood, which was the Law of Origin of Blood Sea. Refining his body with the Law of Blood was the most suitable way for Minghe to return to Genesis on his road to Rakshasa. In this way, the quality of his blood lineage could be improved. Due to the Law of Origin of Blood Sea, although Minghe's enlightenment was a little bit late, he could still reach 30 percent of that. Coordinating with the Law of Blood and the Law of Spiritual Beings, Minghe had comprended another kind of Magic Skills, the Rebirth with Blood Drops. Originally, Minghe could reborn through his Clones of Blood God or Blood God Doppelgangers even if he was killed. However, compared with Minghe himself, the foundation of the Clones of Blood God and the Blood God Doppelgangers were too bad.
It was different now. One drop of blood was enough to allow him to be reborn. Even though he would be seriously injured, there was at least still hope to regain his previous glory. If Minghe kept some of his blood in Blood Sea, he could be reborn in the sea even if he was killed elsewhere.
Besides his cultivation breakthrough, Minghe also reorganized his exercise methods and officially named them the Mazinger Magic Skills. He had made up his mind to become Rakshasa. This time he had comprehended a few principles of Mazinger from the Spiritual Inheritance of Ancestor of Heaven and Earth, so he would not miss it.
Under the natural law, there would only be six Sages besides Hongjun. They were Three Pristine Ones, Goddess Nyuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin. The Hong Meng Immortal Qi from the Foundation of the Great Way was a necessary condition to become a Sage of the Heavenly Way. Later, there would be another Hong Meng Immortal Qi. That unfortunate fool was Hongyun.
However, one needed to leave his Original Spirit with the Way of Heaven to become a Sage of the Heavenly Way. Although one would become immortal after becoming a Sage, there was still a shortcoming. If Untainted Land or the Way of Heaven was destroyed, one would die with it. This was not what Minghe wanted.
The rearranged Mazinger Magic Skill was a method for becoming Rakshasa. Minghe was not sure whether he was on the way to become Rakshasa, but the prediction of his Magical Tao Mirror told it was possible. There were too many obstacles in front of him, so he could only trust his Magical Tao Mirror and himself.
Looking at the Magical Tao Mirror, Minghe had a love-hate relationship with it. During the short hundred years, with the help of it, Minghe greatly improved. However, it also consumed 20 percent to 30 percent of his collection among the tens of thousands of years. This collection not only contained his own treasure, but also the others he stole from the storehouse of the Hundred Tribes of Untainted Land. Although the 20 percent to 30 percent was low-grade treasure, the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix and Kylin would also consider them precious.
Since all his low-grade treasures had nearly been consumed, Ming He needed to feed the mirror slightly higher-grade materials or even Spiritual Fruits. He was not too happy about doing so, as he knew he still had a long way to go before breaking into the Genesis. It was akin to marriage, where the path of spending had just begun.
A shudder cold ran through Minghe when he thought about this. But no pains, no gains. He saw a great boost in his power after breaking into the realm of Sage-to-be. Particularly, his clones and doppelgangers achieved a new realm, achieving 480 million Primordial Unity Golden Immortals and 49 Daluo Golden Immortals respectively. Coupled with his Blood River Formation, not even Honjun or Luohou could escape unscratched from him.
While Minghe was immersed in his thoughts, the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix, and Kylin were engaged in a fierce war against the Devil Tribe in the west of Untainted World. Out of the blue, a strike of Evil Spirit pierced the sky and filled the west with an ominous air. When a formation wrapped by four combative swords appeared on the battlefield, the three tribes made an immediate retreat.
By contrast, the Devil Tribe appeared untouched and even pursued the three tribes, forcing them out of the inner parts of the western territory. At the moment, the sword formation in the west attracted all the Evil Spirit in Untainted Land resulting from the Cultivation Tribulation. The entire western region was covered with Evil Spirit, enveloping it in the darkness that shadowed the heaven and earth.
In front of their armies, Zulong, Lord of Phoenix, and Forefather of Kylin all stood suspended in the air. Their expressions were grim as they stared at the sword formation that suddenly popped up in the west. Luohou, on his Level 12 Black Lotus of Destruction, sat at the center of the formation. Looking at them, he laughed. "Well? You all look shocked to see me."
He was right. The three of them were definitely shocked. They only made it to the Secondary Stage of the Sage-to-be thanks to the Luck of their tribes were bestowed with. However, Luohou's cultivation was fathomless and his aura alone exerted so much pressure on them. It was definitely not the effect of him being someone of a lower realm, but the Peak Level of the Sage-to-be. Considering this possibility, they could not help being astounded.
Just as Luohou was about to speak, a rhyme descended from the sky: "On the nine clouds, I realized the real Tao. Outside of the Baraka, I'll be respected as a master. Pangu turned into heaven and earth; two images turned into four. Talents are born in the Taoism, and Hongjun is one of the best." A golden bridge materialized in the sky. That was a Primordial Supreme Treasure of the highest grade, the Map of Taichi. And the man who was standing on the bridge was none other than Hongjun himself.
The three of them were once again shocked by Hongjun's appearance. This was another master who was at the peak level of Sage-to-be. Had the world gone mad? They were the ones with the best cultivation in the war of the three tribes, but two masters with precious treasures suddenly showed up. Even at their full strength, they were unlikely to match up to those two.
Hongjun told them, "Fellow Taoists, the Cultivation Tribulation is the result of your three tribes. It plunged the creatures in Untainted Land into misery and suffering. Have you ever considered how you will pay off your Karma?" Countless creatures died in the war among the three tribes. The majority of the Karma fell on the tribes, and a smaller portion on Luohou.
The three listened to Hongjun and looked at their luck of their tribes. They were alarmed that their luck had been badly destroyed. Under the weight of an endless Karma, it was likely that their tribes would soon be extinct in Untainted Land. After a moment of silence, they came to a decision.
Zulong said, "I, Zulong, am steeped in sins. I hope to die for the sake of my offsprings. Our Dragon Tribe swears to guard Four Seas forever to atone for our sins." The Lord of Phoenix continued, "I, Lord of Phoenix, am steeped in sins. I hope to die for the sake of my offsprings. In order to atone for our sins, our Phoenix Tribe swears to guard Sempiternal Volcano." And finally, Forefather of Kylin said, "I, Forefather of Kylin, am steeped in sins. I hope to die for the sake of offsprings. In order to atone for our sins, our Kylin Tribe swears to guard Untainted Land."
After making their vows, the three destroyed their Original Spirits at once. The Way of Heaven felt the disintegration of their souls and descended endless merits, which then disappeared immediately, paying off the majority of their Karma. The armies of the three tribes then retreated, thus marking their exit from the stage of Untainted Land. Luohou looked at Hongjun with a faint smile on his face. "Hongjun, did you really think you have the ability to fight me? I didn't think you would force the three ancestors to destroy their Original Spirits. They were at Secondary Stage of Sages-to- be. With their help, wouldn't you have more confidence in defeating me?"
Luohou then clapped his hands, looking like realization hit him. "Oh! So you're worried they'll get a piece of your merits. However..." His expression turned grim. "Hongjun, you're too arrogant. We're both at the peak level of the Sage-to-be. There's no telling who will be the victor. Don't be too confident. Let's see if you can break out of my God-killing Sword Formation first."
Luohou's voice had barely faded when the formation suspended in the western sky came alive. This formation was a Highest Grade God-killing Sword Formation strengthened with a Primordial Supreme Treasure. It could dominate the killing methods of the Way of Heaven. Its many mysterious changes exuded endless menacing intent and promised invincible dangers. When the formation was created by a Sage, It would take more no fewer than four Sages to destroy it.
Hongjun showed no expression facing the formation, as if it had nothing to do with him. He stood in place without speaking or avoiding, merely allowing the formation to swallow him. Luohou was stunned by his seeming obedience and suspected he must be up to something. When it came to Hongjun, Luohou dared not be careless. He immediately followed Hongjun into the formation and started controlling it.
Chapter 20: The End of the Cultivation Tribulation
Inside the God-killing Sword Formation, Hongjun looked as firm as ever. He was atop the golden bridge formed by his Map of Taichi that protected him. The sword attacks were unable to touch him at all. Luolou recognized the map and naturally knew the depth of its strength.
"God-killing Sword Formation; Killer of Gods and Deities; kill them all! Go!" Luo Hou shouted. Four flashes of sword shadow rose from the formation, standing at its four corners.
"Boom!"
The four swords released an endless stream of killing intents. They were different from the usual red; these were purely black and carried the will to kill the gods and destroy the heaven and earth. The chilling killing intents froze the formation and black snowflakes fell everywhere, finally forming four sword columns pointed at the heaven.
The formation kept shifting until it tore a large opening where countless black lightning burst out. The power from the lightning was beyond all creatures and capable of destroying everything. Seeing this, there was finally some expression on Hongjun's face. The formation was stronger than he had anticipated.
All the black lightning clung to the four sword columns. Countless lightning fragments twisted around the columns, condensing into four enormous black Talisman Symbols: 'Kill', 'Trap', 'Slay', and 'Sever'.
The moment the Talisman Symbols were formed, the swords made a deafening hum. They gleamed, reflecting black light, and the strong killing intents formed into four tornados that connected the heaven and earth.
The blood light in Luohou's eyes rose a few feet again. Pointing at Hongjun, Luohou released four enormous currents of gray Sword Aura, breaking a large part of the defense and locking Hongjun by his killing mind.
Luohou was fairly confident in his attack this time. His God- killing Sword Formation was naturally full of power. It was further strengthened by the inclusion of all the Evil spirit in this Cultivation Tribulation. Therefore, it would not be difficult to break into the defensive layer of the Map of Taichi.
Hongjun was unflustered. The golden light beneath his feet shimmered and formed a shadowy golden lotus. He released his Jade Butterfly of Fate. Endless columns of lights were reflected onto the golden lotus and gradually solidified it.
Four currents of Sword Aura of Chaos attacked the golden lotus, shaking the whole formation. When the Sword Aura of Chaos disappeared, the golden lotus was full of cracks and also gradually disappeared. Hongjun's face turned red. Evidently, he received damage from the attacks earlier.
Hongjun was in no hurry. Some Cloud of Blessings appeared over his head. Three figures flew out from the flowers of heaven, earth, and human, which were the three separations of Hongjun. Luohou was totally shocked of the three separations that were all at the peak level of Sage-to-be.
When his three separations appeared, Hongjun started to move. The golden bridge under his feet changed into four, protecting Hongjun and his three separations to fly to the four sides of the God-killing Sword Formation. Luohou tried to stop this change immediately, but Hongjun waved his hands and a flag turned out in the sky. A current of Sword Aura of Chaos released from it, moving towards Luohou.
The Pangu Banner, the Map of Taichi, and the Bell of Chaos were called the Three Treasures of Heaven and Earth Creation and were all Primordial Supreme Treasures of the highest grade. The three treasures possessed the power to tear apart the Hong Meng Chaos, crush the time and space of heaven and earth, dominate ten thousands of abstruse cultivation methods, and create a new universe. The banner could nurture an enormous amount of Sword Aura of Chaos, giving it unrivaled power.
Luohou remained on alert and the Black Lotus of Destructions materialized under his feet to defend against the Sword Aura of Chaos. The lotus, however, faded slightly after taking the hit. Having accomplished his purpose, Hongjun split a portion of his godly will to control the Pangu Banner. Though the power of the Sword Aura of Chaos was not enough to destroy Luohou, it could stop him for an instant. That was what Hongjun needed.
The moment Luohou was forced back, Hongjun and his three separations rushed towards the four sides of the formation. With a little time, the whole formation seemed to have gotten stuck and stopped at once. Luohou was shocked. After a dark light flashed, a black spear appeared in his hands. It was another Killing Supreme Treasure, God-killing Spear.
The God-killing Spear was a Top grade Primordial Supreme Treasure, which was formed by the mixture of the stems of the Green Lotus of Chaos and the evilest aura in the chaos. Its attacking power was above the Pangu Banner and Karma need not be taken into account after killing. It was simply a tool of massacre without special functions. It was unlike other Primordial Supreme Treasures. It did not have the ability to suppress luck like the Three Treasures of Heaven and Earth Creation and the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth.
The God-killing Spear gave out an attack, instantly bursting powerful killing intents. At the same time, the Pangu Banner fought back, endless Sword Aura of Chaos spearing out. However, the Pangu Banner was controlled by a separation of Hongjun, which could not match with Luohou.
Luohou started to feel panic. He knew his God-killing Sword Formation would be destroyed sooner or later. Who could have guessed Hongjun had three separations with the same cultivation with himself? Hongjun was, after all, the only one who had mastered the Way of the Three Separations. It truly caught Luohuo off guard.
The only way for Luohou to win now was to destroy Hongjun's Original Spirit mark on the Pangu Banner and snatch it before his formation was destroyed. Just as Luohou tried to make a grab for the banner, Hongjun enforced supernatural power into it. The banner erupted with infinite power and enhanced the power of the Sword Aura of Chaos, forcing Luohou back again.
When the power suddenly erupted, Luohuo's reaction was not quick enough. Though the Black Lotus of Destructions was known for its defense, it was nevertheless a Primordial Spiritual Treasure of the highest grade. It could not be compared to the full force of Pangu Banner. Coupled with the sudden enhancement of the Sword Aura of Chaos, Luohou was put in a truly sorry situation.
Luohou gave Hongjun a glare of pure hatred as he descended next to the Pangu Banner. In Hongjun's hands, there were still a sealed formation and four swords. Was that not his God-killing Sword Formation? Luohuo did not expect Hongjun to have the capability to break his formation. With all the weapons covering him from head to toe, Hongjun took advantage of the moment to charge fiercely at Luohou. Luohou became more and more desperate. The God-killing Spear could match up to the Pangu Banner, but it could not break the double defense of the Map of Taichi and the Jade Butterfly of Fate.
Luohou's Black Lotus of Destructions was also not enough to defend against the attack of the Pangu Banner. What was worse was Hongjun had fully equipped his three separations with the Golden Lotus of Merit at 12 grade, the Emerald Lotus Flag, the Natural Cloud Realm Flag, and so on. If Minghe were around, he would have definitely tried to rob Hongjun.
After the fight went on for three days and nights, Luohou ended up heavily injured. The light of his God-killing Spear and Black Lotus of Destructions was a lot dimmer. Evidently, they had absorbed a significant amount of damage. Hongjun appeared as calm as ever, earning him a hateful glare from Luohou. He shouted furiously, "Hongjun! It won't be easy for you to realize your Dao. Even if I die, I also won't benefit you!"
"Let it explode! Explode! Ex..." Following Luohou's screams, the whole western land shook with the explosions of the Devil Tribe and the western Spiritual Pulse. Luohou also exploded himself, the tremors shaking the whole Untainted Land. The explosions left the west terribly damaged. This was also the reason why the land would be infertile later on.
The massive explosions did not leave Hongjun unharmed, despite his many treasures for protection. He was, in fact, heavily injured. What was worse was that the western land was destroyed due to his battle with Luohuo. The enormous Karma naturally fell down on him. That was like adding salt to his injury.
Looking at the badly damaged western land, Hongjun murmured to himself, "Could it be that the Way of Heaven was denied against me? Sigh..." Hongjun returned to his ashram with his formation and a body full of injuries. He did not even have the heart to look for the Black Lotus of Destructions and the God-Killing Spear that disappeared after Luohou's explosion.
Minghe naturally knew what happened in the west. But what he did not expect was that he would leave his closed-door meditation after hundred years to find that the first Cultivation Tribulation in Untainted Land was over. His plan to rob the treasuries of the Three Tribes of Dragon, Phoenix and Kylin was ruined as well. After Luohou's explosion, Untainted Land became clear again as the Evil Spirit began dissipating. Endless merits fell down from heaven. 70% went to Hongjun's Mount Yujing while 30% went to the three tribes. But the merit was not absorbed as it was used to offset their Karma.