Chapter 268: Wang Xunzhen

As the Teleportation Array's brilliant light slowly faded, the surrounding world shifted, revealing an entirely different landscape.

Jiuyou stood atop a solitary, lofty peak. Raising his gaze, he saw an impossibly massive tree rising from the earth at the very edge of his vision, its canopy seemingly holding up the sky and covering the land. This was the core of the secret realm—the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree.

Five-colored light flowed across the sacred tree, and an auspicious mist spread in all directions. Lush green mountains and babbling streams stretched out below, while spiritual islands hovered in the sky. It was a tranquil, breathtaking paradise untouched by the mortal world. Floating among the tree's massive branches were warm, radiant orbs of light—newly formed Longevity Divine Fruits brimming with life force, on the verge of ripening.

The landscape was vibrant and its spiritual qi flourished. A serene harmony filled the air, entirely devoid of any baleful aura. It looked as though it had never been defiled by that demonic entity.

Xuan Zhenzi's small figure floated in mid-air. He stared at the breathtaking scenery before him, his face full of shock and wonder.

"This is the Tian Yuan Secret Realm?" he murmured in awe. "And this giant tree is the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree rumored to seal the Blood Demon? Could this be the West Sea Northern Boundary?"

He had lived through countless ages and had long heard of the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree's supreme prestige, yet he had never been fated to see it for himself. Witnessing such a majestic sight today finally settled a long-standing regret.

Jiuyou gave a slight nod. He was somewhat surprised that Xuan Zhenzi could deduce their general location at a glance, though the spirit's expression made it clear he had never set foot here before.

"Spectacular. Truly spectacular." Xuan Zhenzi stroked his short golden beard, his burning gaze fixed on the sacred tree with intense curiosity. "This tree is an ancient supreme treasure. The old records say it was placed specifically to suppress the Blood Demon, firmly locking away the deadly energies here for thousands of years. As long as the sacred tree remains unharmed, that monster will never fully break free. Speaking of which, did you Deity Transformation Cultivators risk your lives breaking into this secret realm just to pry the method of ascension from that Upper Realm monster's mouth?"

Jiuyou smiled faintly but did not answer. He could naturally not admit that back then, every cultivator in the Heavenly Abyss Sea had coveted the sacred tree's spiritual fruits and the secret realm's fortunes, flocking here in droves...

But this fleeting peace vanished in an instant. Jiuyou's mind suddenly tightened, and the hairs on his body stood on end as an overwhelming premonition of lethal danger enveloped him.

"Something's wrong!" His voice turned icy, his expression instantly severe.

Xuan Zhenzi was also an old monster who had weathered countless storms. Hearing this, he immediately dropped his playful demeanor. His small hands paused, and he quickly used the Five Elements Heaven and Earth Ring to probe the surrounding spiritual flow. In the blink of an eye, the wonder in his eyes vanished, replaced by profound vigilance.

"Not good, this entire place is an illusion! Something incredibly malicious is heading straight for us!"

Before he even finished speaking, Jiuyou darted away, moving so fast he left only an afterimage. Xuan Zhenzi knew better than to linger; he transformed into a streak of golden light and instantly retreated into the Heaven and Earth Ring to hide.

The exact moment they retreated, a blood-red arrow plummeted from the sky, smashing precisely into the peak where they had just stood.

A deafening explosion ripped through the air, sending earth and stone flying. The entire mountain peak was instantly leveled. The residual blood-red baleful aura swept wildly outward; the killing force contained in that strike was fierce and domineering, radiating a bone-chilling intent.

Jiuyou hovered in the air, his gaze bone-chillingly cold as he locked onto the depths of the void where the arrow had originated. Forming a one-handed seal, he sent the Ember Moon Sword shooting from his palm with a blazing, piercing light. In the next instant, dozens of sword clones trailed closely behind it. They layered and wove together, fusing into a massive golden sword that spanned the heavens. Radiating a sharpness meant to incinerate all illusions, it ruthlessly bombarded the murderous void.

The strike was pushed to the absolute limit of speed, arriving in a fraction of a second.

A crisp shattering sound erupted from the depths of the void, like cracking glass or shattering jade. Centered on the point of impact, the breathtaking illusory scenery began to fracture. A dense web of pitch-black cracks spread out, tearing across the entire world.

The stunning paradise of verdant mountains, crystal streams, and the radiant sacred tree shattered completely. It scattered to the wind, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The harmonious atmosphere faded entirely as a thick, murky blood-red mist bred from thin air, rapidly flooding the world. An oppressive, malicious aura blotted out the sky. The Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree, once radiant and flawlessly holy, was drenched in this pervasive blood mist. Its divine brilliance faded, replaced by an eerie, demonic scarlet.

As the illusion shattered and the veil of deception was stripped away, a figure seated upon a skeletal throne was starkly revealed before Jiuyou's eyes.

Jiuyou's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice devoid of all warmth. "Fang Buxin? You're actually still alive? The Blood Demon didn't kill you?"

Beneath the blood-red sacred tree, the massive White Bone Throne radiated a chilling, macabre presence. The figure remained seated upon it without moving a muscle, only letting out a cold, piercing sneer filled with mockery and unbridled arrogance.

"What? Surprised to see I'm not dead?"

He glanced down at Jiuyou, his eyes brimming with mockery. "To be honest, I am quite surprised myself. I didn't expect you to reach the Deity Transformation Realm, much less make it all the way here to face me. I suppose I should think a little higher of you."

"But let's be clear—the real Fang Buxin perished completely over two thousand years ago. That piece of trash spent his entire life dreaming of breaking through to Deity Transformation and defying the heavens. In the end, fate played a cruel joke. Destitute of fortune, he was reduced to nothing, his body perishing and Dao vanishing. How truly pathetic."

Jiuyou's footsteps paused slightly as every nerve in his body pulled taut. Shifting into a flawless combat stance, he demanded in a low voice, "If you aren't Fang Buxin... then from the very beginning, the one who resorted to body seizing to resurrect... was you."

In that moment, everything became clear to him.

The figure on the throne stared down from on high, his face full of disdain. He looked at Jiuyou with haughty indifference, his tone carrying the absolute contempt of a superior addressing an inferior.

"The Blood Demon you speak of is me—or rather, it isn't..."

He paused slightly, then corrected himself, "I am no longer the same entity as the fool trapped here. Also, my true name is Wang Xunzhen."

"Do not lump me in with you frogs in a well."

His arrogant voice echoed through the blood-red world, thick with a chilling malice.

Jiuyou said no more. Taking a half-step back, he erupted with spiritual power. A full eighty-one Ember Moon Swords materialized in the void, spinning rapidly around him. Layers of sword light stacked and fused, condensing into an unimaginably massive golden sword wheel at his back. The frigid sword qi locked onto Wang Xunzhen on the throne, not daring to relax for even a fraction of a second.