Chapter 451 - 400: Heaven and Earth in Crisis

’I have it!’

Qi Yun’s eyes flew open!

From the depths of his cyan gold eyes, a piercing glint suddenly erupted!

’The being Above the True Monarch... its method for influencing the other True Monarchs must be through their [Fruit Positions]!’

’The Fruit Position is a True Monarch’s most fundamental anchor. Only by going through it could that being touch their Heart and Spirit, their very will!’

’Otherwise, Great Sun Purple Extreme—who forged a new path to enlightenment and isn’t bound by a Dao Fruit—wouldn’t have been the only one unaffected!’

’In that case...’

’If I can just shake [All Marvelous Heaven]!’

’If I can just cause those Fruit Positions, suspended high above the river of time, to tremble even slightly!’

’Perhaps...’

’Perhaps then I can shock some of the True Monarchs awake, breaking them free from that state of influence!’

’I don’t know if this will actually work, or if the affected True Monarchs will be able to break free during that fleeting tremor.’

’But right now, it’s the only way!’

’As for *how* to shake [All Marvelous Heaven]...’

A flicker entered Qi Yun’s eyes as a trace of color surfaced from their depths.

Blood.

’That blood-red color... thick, foul, the epitome of Supreme Yin and evil. It seemed to be the ultimate condensation of all the negative forces in the world!’

’That’s the Blood Sea!’

’It’s the one hidden deep within the Celestial Demon Well, currently performing the Refinement of the Supreme Yang evil, fusing the evils of both Yin and Yang...’

’The Taiyou Nether Spring Dharma Body!’

...

「Inside the Celestial Demon Well.」

Here, there was no time, no space, no up or down, no cardinal directions.

There was only eternal turbidity, and within that turbidity, a boundless Blood Sea.

The Blood Sea was completely different from when he had first entered.

The viscous blood plasma was no longer simply dark red, but had taken on a blackish-red hue so deep it was profound.

Within the blackish-red, countless specks of golden light swam faintly, like ancient stars sunk into a bloody abyss, or like the final traces left behind after the Supreme Yang evil of countless Celestial Demons had been completely refined.

Waves of blood surged, yet there was not a sound.

With every surge, an indescribable aura spread out.

It was the ultimate fusion of Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang, the complete assimilation of the Blood Sea’s origin with the Celestial Demons’ malevolence—an unprecedented and great terror sufficient to make any living creature tremble.

And in the very center of this boundless Blood Sea.

A Twelve-Grade Blood Lotus floated quietly.

The Blood Lotus was as large as a ceremonial canopy. Its twelfth-grade lotus petals were layered one upon another, each petal a luscious, dripping shade of blood-red.

Upon the lotus platform, a figure sat cross-legged.

He wore a Crimson Magic Robe, his ink-black hair was unbound, and his face was handsome yet demonic.

His eyes were tightly closed. The aura around him fluctuated, at times high like the surging Blood Sea that devoured Heaven and Earth, at times low like the placid surface of a deep, ancient well.

It was none other than the Nether Spring Taoist!

Beneath him—

In the depths of the Blood Sea, two streaks of sharp, supremely cold light were currently darting about!

The two streaks of sharp light were one black, one white.

The black one was as deep as an abyss.

The white one was as sharp as a blade’s edge.

The two streaks of sharp light, one black and one white, frantically chased, collided, and intertwined in the depths of the Blood Sea!

With every collision, innumerable blood waves were blasted into nothingness, and countless newly-formed phantoms of Blood God Children were swept away by the aftershocks, instantly annihilated!

But no matter how they darted or collided, they could never escape the thousand-zhang radius beneath the Twelve-Grade Blood Lotus.

Nether Spring’s eyes remained tightly shut.

But the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his current state of mind.

’Soon.’

’Soon.’

’I have cultivated arduously in this Celestial Demon Well for untold years, devouring massive numbers of Celestial Demons and fusing the evils of Supreme Yang and Supreme Yin. I have finally fished these two things from the deepest part of the Blood Sea...’

’Supreme Treasures formed from Innate Killing Qi!’

This was the ultimate expression of slaughter, born naturally in the deepest part of the Blood Sea after accumulating countless acts of killing, countless deaths, and countless defilements since the beginning of Heaven and Earth.

’If I can perform Refinement on them and make them my own...’

The smile on Nether Spring’s lips slowly widened.

The next instant—

He snapped his eyes open!

In that moment, his blood-red eyes erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant, bloody light!

The light was so intense it nearly overshadowed the glow of the entire Blood Sea!

"Come!"

With that one word, the Blood Sea trembled!

Nether Spring shot out both hands, fingers splayed, reaching for the two streaks of sharp light that were frantically trying to escape the depths of the Blood Sea!

He suddenly clenched his fists!

BOOM—!!!

The entire Blood Sea instantly began to boil!

With Nether Spring at the center, blood waves for ten thousand miles around exploded simultaneously, transforming into countless massive pillars of blood that shot toward the sky!

The pillars of blood intertwined and coiled in midair, finally forming a boundless, bloody hand that covered the Celestial Vault!

The size of the bloody hand was beyond description!

Its five fingers were each as thick as a mountain and as long as a river!

Within its palm, innumerable phantoms of Blood God Children rose, fell, and shrieked, emitting a terrifying suction force capable of swallowing everything!

The bloody hand swooped down, grabbing fiercely into the depths of the Blood Sea!

The two black and white streaks of sharp light sensed the impending doom and fled even more frantically!

The black light was like lightning, the white light like a sunbeam. They carved crisscrossing paths through the deep Blood Sea, trying to evade the grasp of the sky-blotting bloody hand!

But—

There was nowhere to run!

ROAR—!!!

From within the black light, a roar could be faintly heard!

The roar was ancient and savage, as if it were the very first wisp of killing intent from the dawn of creation!

The white light was not to be outdone. It let out a clear, long cry, like the chime of ten thousand swords ringing in unison, piercing straight into one’s Heart and Spirit!

But all of this was futile before the sky-blotting bloody hand.

RUMBLE—!!!

The bloody hand closed!

The two black and white streaks of sharp light were gripped tightly in its palm by those five mountain-thick fingers!

They struggled madly within the bloody hand, ramming against it and tearing at it!

With every struggle, they tore countless blood waves to shreds and slew innumerable phantoms of Blood God Children!

But the bloody hand was formed from the entire Blood Sea!

Tear away one part, and ten parts’ worth of blood waves would surge to replace it!

Slay one phantom, and a hundred more phantoms of Blood God Children would re-form!

The more frantically they struggled, the tighter the bloody hand gripped!

Finally—

VMMMM—!!!

A tremor echoed throughout the entire Blood Sea!

The two black and white streaks of sharp light finally stopped struggling.

They just floated there quietly in the palm of the bloody hand, one black and one white, facing each other yet mutually attracted.

Watching this, a savage grin fully emerged on Nether Spring’s face.

His hands changed their Seal Technique, his ten fingers flying like a blooming lotus as he formed an ancient, wicked Seal Skill that nonetheless contained a supreme killing intent.

"Blood Sea as the furnace, killing intent as the fuel."

"Refine!"

As the single word fell—

The sky-blotting bloody hand suddenly contracted!

The endless Power of the Blood Sea, like a hundred rivers returning to the ocean, surged madly into the two black and white streaks of sharp light!

The black light absorbed the Power of the Blood Sea, becoming deeper and darker, as if it could devour anything!

The white light absorbed the Power of the Blood Sea, becoming sharper and keener, as if it could sever anything!

In the Blood Sea, time lost all meaning.

It was impossible to say how much time had passed—

Perhaps an instant, perhaps ten thousand years.

The sky-blotting bloody hand finally dissipated completely.

And in the place where it vanished,

Two Magic Swords floated quietly.

The first was entirely as black as ink.

On its blade, countless twisted patterns faintly flowed—the brand of Innate Killing Qi, the manifestation of the Blood Sea’s origin.

On the Sword Guard, two ancient seal characters shone brilliantly.

[Ah Bi]

The second was entirely as white as jade.

On its blade, countless sharp patterns faintly flowed—another manifestation of Innate Killing Qi, the condensation of the origin of slaughter.

On its Sword Guard, another two ancient seal characters inspired awe.

[Yuan Tu]

The two Magic Swords, one black and one white, floated quietly above the Blood Sea, slowly revolving around the Twelve-Grade Blood Lotus.

They let slip no aura, nor did they radiate any pressure.

Yet it was this ultimate tranquility that instead caused any who witnessed them to feel a shudder originating from the depths of their Divine Soul.

Nether Spring looked at the two Magic Swords, looked at the four ancient seal characters for [Ah Bi] and [Yuan Tu], and burst into loud laughter.

His laughter was clear, joyous, and unrestrained, echoing endlessly throughout the boundless Blood Sea!

He rose to his full height, standing upon the Twelve-Grade Blood Lotus. His Crimson Magic Robe billowed without a wind, and his ink-black hair danced wildly.

He stretched out his hands.

His left hand gripped the ink-black Ah Bi.

His right hand gripped the jade-white Yuan Tu.

The instant the twin swords were in his grasp—

BOOM—!!!

The entire Blood Sea completely erupted!

Countless blood waves shot into the sky, transforming into hundreds of millions of phantoms of Blood God Children. They all knelt upon the surface of the Blood Sea, kowtowing in worship toward the figure standing on the Twelve-Grade Blood Lotus!

Nether Spring lowered his gaze, looking at the twin swords in his hands, at the four ancient seal characters for [Ah Bi] and [Yuan Tu]. A bloody light swirled in his eyes.

He slowly began to speak. His voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly throughout the entire Blood Sea:

"Ah Bi Yuan Tu, slaughter at my will."

"From this day forward—"

"I shall command you, and you shall aid me."

"Slaughter all my foes, and sever all my misfortunes!"

"HAHAHAHA—!!!"

The laughter echoed for a long time within the Blood Sea.

Until a calm voice sounded by Nether Spring’s ear:

"Nether Spring, it is time for you to attain your Dao..."

...