The Slate of Fate

"Him? He was wearing a blood-red robe and looked exceptionally handsome," Bai Luo described from memory. The old man froze for a moment, then scoffed. "Hmph! Sounds like one of those old geezers ranked beyond the first thousand. Those old bastards were seated far from the Blood Lord, nowhere near as close as us. To make it look like they were intimate with him, they're always dressing up just like him." Something occurred to Hei Yu, and he could not help but chime in, "He also claimed he was the Blood Lord." "What?!" A brilliant light burst from the old man's turbid eyes. Immense strength erupted from his frail, diminutive frame as he grabbed Hei Yu by the collar. "He said he was the Blood Lord?!" Every soul who had ever heard the Blood Lord preach revered him without reserve. They viewed him as a father and honored him as their master. No one would dare impersonate the Blood Lord! "What did he look like?" the little old man asked anxiously. This was the very first time Bai Luo and Hei Yu had ever seen their master like this. With a wave of Bai Luo's hand, a water screen materialized, condensing an illusory figure within its depths. Yet the moment it took shape, the illusion shattered. It was as if an inexplicable force was preventing her from revealing Qi Yuan's appearance. Seeing this, the little old man's eyes widened. "Could it... could it truly be the Honored Master?" The Blood Lord was born sacred. No portrait could ever capture his visage, nor could any Daoist technique manifest his likeness. Bai Luo froze as well, realization dawning upon her. In her childhood, she had admired the Blood Lord deeply and had once asked her master to show her what he looked like. But just as today, it had been completely impossible to manifest. "Is he really the Blood Lord?" Bai Luo grew intensely excited. "B-but... the Slate of Fate explicitly stated that the Blood Lord had fallen!" The Slate of Fate was a supreme treasure of the Liufeng Realm; it could not possibly be mistaken. The old man lowered his head, lost in deep thought. Just then, Bai Luo remembered something else. She extended her pale, slender hand. "This is a small gift that senior gave me!" A blood-like droplet appeared. The moment the little old man saw it, his eyes locked onto it unblinkingly. "Honored Master... He truly is Honored Master Blood Lord!" He was now completely certain that the man was indeed his master, the Blood Lord. "Where did he go?" the little old man asked hurriedly, consumed by urgency. Bai Luo quickly recounted everything that had happened that day in full detail. When her master finished listening, old tears streamed down his face. "He really is Honored Master Blood Lord." A storm of conflicting emotions surged within the little old man. Then, a thought struck him, and he looked at Bai Luo with great anticipation. "Aside from Canary, did Honored Master mention anyone else? Did he mention me?" Bai Luo: "..." Hei Yu was also deeply moved, yet he answered coldly, "No!" Upon hearing this, the little old man did not seem discouraged at all. "The Honored Master has a poor memory, so it's only natural he didn't mention me. But he definitely keeps me in his heart. Right now, he is surely heading toward the Ends of the Earth. I must quickly pass word of this to them!" The little old man paced back and forth, contemplating how to transmit the message. After a few dozen breaths, he made up his mind. "Let's go. We're heading to the Ends of the Earth!" He wanted to go to the Ends of the Earth to see his master with his own eyes. At the same time, he planned to use a special channel to deliver the news of the Blood Lord's return to the people of the Blood Palace! *** High above the firmament, a streak of light flashed across the sky. Many cultivators looked upward, their eyes filled with awe and reverence. Several purple-robed cultivators wore expressions of astonishment, sending continuous streams of messages back toward the Purple Sky Alliance. Every so often, this streak of light would halt in one location. Witnesses had seen a crimson sword shadow descend from the heavens, instantly obliterating a stronghold of the Purple Sky Alliance. The various continents across the Liufeng Realm were thrown into turmoil. Countless dispatches flooded toward the Purple Sky Alliance headquarters. A terrifying rumor also began to sweep through the realm: The Blood Lord had revived, and he had come to settle scores with the Purple Sky Alliance! Inside the Purple Sky Alliance headquarters, a handsome man sat upon a phoenix throne, a sneer playing across his lips. "The Blood Lord revived? What an utter farce!" This man was the male favorite of the Mystic Maiden of the Purple Sky, and currently served as the acting chief steward of the Purple Sky Alliance. "The Slate of Fate is a supreme treasure of this mortal world; it would never be mistaken. The Blood Lord fell long ago, so that person must be an imposter! I suspect it's the remnants of the Blood Palace. Seeing our alliance's grand army marching upon the Ends of the Earth, they are powerless to resist and can only deploy a few experts to sabotage our strongholds!" spoke a man three meters tall, his voice booming like a heavy bell. His words met with unanimous agreement from everyone present. From atop the phoenix throne, Chief Steward Lin Xuemei declared with overbearing arrogance, "Times have changed. Even if the Blood Lord has truly revived, what of it? Thirteen Purple-Robed Soulreapers, whether this Blood Lord is real or fake, I leave him to the thirteen of you!" Within the grand hall, thirteen purple-robed figures materialized, each radiating formidable power. All thirteen were at the level of Terrestrial Myths, extraordinarily powerful. "By your command!" The thirteen purple robes departed the hall. A smile tugged at the corner of Lin Xuemei's lips. "Tomorrow is my hundredth birthday celebration. Are the preparations complete?" The Mystic Maiden of the Purple Sky had led the grand army toward the Ends of the Earth, leaving Lin Xuemei in full command of the Purple Sky Alliance. Tomorrow would mark his hundredth birthday. None of the Mystic Maiden's previous male favorites had ever lived past a hundred. Most had been discarded and buried once she grew tired of them. But Lin Xuemei was different—he was the most favored, and he was about to cross the threshold of a hundred years, becoming the very first of her paramours to do so. Consequently, he cared immensely about this centenary banquet. Compared to his banquet, this so-called Blood Lord amounted to nothing at all. "Rest assured, Chief Steward, everything has been arranged properly!" an elderly man replied humbly. Everyone present directed flattering smiles toward Lin Xuemei. After all, being able to climb into the Mystic Maiden's bed was a remarkable feat in itself. *** Late at night. Tongtian City was as bright as day. Tomorrow would be Lin Xuemei's hundredth birthday celebration. Lanterns hung throughout Tongtian City, bathing the streets in a festive atmosphere. Inside a tavern, three men sat with their auras carefully concealed. The leader bore a scar across his face, giving him a fierce and sinister appearance. "That son of a bitch Lin Xuemei is utterly vile! Tomorrow, I'm going to take his life no matter what!" Murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the other two. All three shared irreconcilable vendettas with Lin Xuemei. Their parents, wives, and children had all perished at his hands. Banding together now, their sole objective was to assassinate him. Just then, the man wearing a conical bamboo hat remarked, "Have you heard the rumors? A powerful cultivator calling himself the Blood Lord seems to be cutting a path toward the Purple Sky Alliance." "The Blood Lord fell ages ago; it's likely an imposter," the scarred man said. "Today, the Thirteen Purple-Robed Soulreapers were dispatched to hunt him down. I doubt he'll make it this far." The man in the bamboo hat sighed. "If he could make it here, the three of us could join forces with him to slay that old dog Lin Xuemei! Dying alongside a hero like that wouldn't be a bad way to go!" The three had already accepted their deaths. Even knowing that attempting to assassinate Lin Xuemei tomorrow was virtually suicidal, they were determined to proceed. Delaying any further would only leave them with even less of a chance. At this moment, the frail man who had remained silent spoke up. "I have a friend in the Blood Palace. That friend said... there's a strong chance this Blood Lord is the real thing." "The real Blood Lord?" The scarred man looked surprised, though not excessively shaken. Even if the real Blood Lord had returned, so what? This era belonged to the Purple Sky Alliance! The alliance possessed a hundred Sovereigns, enough to suppress the entire world under heaven! Legend held that the Blood Lord was born sacred, but in terms of cultivation, he might not have reached the level of a Sovereign. And even if he had stepped into the Sovereign realm, what difference would it make? With heavy hearts and tangled thoughts, the three drank their wine in silence. Outside Tongtian City, fireworks erupted continuously into the night sky, illuminating the darkness. Suddenly, an eerily bewitching voice resonated across the entire expanse of Tongtian City. "Purple Sky Alliance, the Blood Lord has come to pay a visit!" The voice boomed like thunder, crashing against the ears of every soul in the city. An inexhaustible tide of blood-qi surged through Tongtian City like an ocean, vast crimson clouds weighing heavily upon the city walls! Within the Purple Sky Alliance, countless shouts erupted. "What manner of scoundrel dares bark here?!" "Whoever violates our Purple Sky Alliance must die!" Following the cries, over sixty figures soared into the air. Every one of them wore purple robes, radiating terrifyingly potent auras. "They're all Terrestrial Myths..." Seeing this, the scarred man's expression grew exceedingly grave. In their eyes, over sixty Terrestrial Myths were more than enough to surround and slaughter several Sovereigns. Even if this Blood Lord were a Sovereign, he was doomed. Sovereigns of this era differed from those of later generations who had comprehended origin divine abilities. At most, like Qi Yuan, they were Level 120 half-step Sovereigns. The man in the bamboo hat remarked with regret, "The Blood Lord is being rather unwise. He should have infiltrated in secret to ambush Lin Xuemei. Calling them out head-on like this is pure folly!" Inside the Purple Sky Alliance, Lin Xuemei donned a long robe, displeasure written across his face. "Those Thirteen Purple-Robed Soulreapers are truly useless. They couldn't even stop a mere Blood Lord!" Beside him, someone immediately said, "For the Blood Lord to swagger right up to our doorstep, he must have some scheme!" "Hmph! Scheme or not, what does it matter before the overwhelming might of our Purple Sky Alliance?" a Sovereign scoffed, his face brimming with confidence. Lin Xuemei looked toward the eleven Sovereigns present. "With all of you here, is there anything I need to fear?" The Sovereigns nodded in unison, relaxed smiles appearing on their faces. Over sixty Terrestrial Myths hovered in the void, exuding an overpowering presence that showcased the alliance's absolute dominion to the world. Right then, the blood-red clouds hanging in the firmament condensed into a single sword. "To send mere shrimp soldiers and crab generals to welcome me—are you not underestimating me a bit too much?" The blade formed from the blood cloud descended from the heavens, plunging straight toward the sixty-odd Terrestrial Myths. A crimson sword light swept across the void, accompanied by a resounding, boundless voice: "Die!" Countless beams of scarlet sword light streaked across the sky like a shower of crimson meteors. Sword qi raged, and a bloody radiance spread. In less than a single breath—before the echo of the word "Die" could even fade—the sixty-odd Terrestrial Myths in the sky plummeted toward the earth like dumplings dropping into boiling water. Every cultivator witnessing this scene was struck dumb with horror. Slaying over sixty Terrestrial Myths with a single sword strike? Was this even humanly possible? The man in the bamboo hat stood frozen, struggling to speak. "I... take back what I said earlier!" The Blood Lord had not sneaked in simply because he had no need to. His strength was more than enough! "I fear the Blood Lord's power is infinitesimally close to that of the Mystic Maiden herself!" The scarred man swallowed hard. Above the sky, a figure clad in a blood-red robe appeared. A crimson mark rested between his brows, and his features were breathtakingly handsome. Qi Yuan looked down, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes. "I thought the Purple Sky Alliance would make for a qualified arch-villain, but this is all you've got?" Lin Xuemei was completely dumbstruck. The eleven Sovereigns beside him were equally stunned. "Sovereigns, quickly make your move and slay this fiend!" Lin Xuemei shouted frantically. None of the Mystic Maiden's male favorites had ever lived past a hundred. With only an hour remaining before his centenary, he refused to fall victim to that curse! The eleven Sovereigns exchanged glances and had no choice but to attack together. "Kill him!" "That strike must have drained him immensely! We can wear him down to death!" Qi Yuan watched the eleven Sovereigns charge forward, his expression serene. "You haven't even awakened an origin divine ability, yet you dare call yourselves Sovereigns? You're nothing more than... super minions!" Qi Yuan had long realized that in this world of origin comprehension, cultivators above Level 120 possessed no origin divine abilities. Such Sovereigns were inferior even to that old man in Dijue. "Take my sword!" Qi Yuan extended his hand. The blood clouds in the firmament condensed into eleven swords that descended and hovered behind his back. The eleven scarlet blades radiated a terrifying aura. Slaughter, pride, greed, lust... It was as though the swords harbored the most dreadful evils in the mortal realm. "No, you're not even worthy of being called super minions. Super minions can at least backdoor a base. What about you?" Qi Yuan sneered. The eleven swords shot forth from behind him, rocketing directly toward the eleven Sovereigns. The Sovereigns' eyes nearly tore from their sockets as they felt the horrifying sword intent. The aura woven into the crimson blades shook their minds so violently that they could not even move. "The Archdemon... You are the Archdemon!" "Inner demons... You are a demon!" Terror consumed the eleven Sovereigns, their inner demons surging wildly. The sword light flashed past, and just like the sixty-odd Terrestrial Myths before them, all eleven Sovereigns plummeted from the sky. Qi Yuan's expression remained tranquil, his demeanor unnervingly bewitching. He raised his hand and looked at the sword taking form in his grasp, which already carried the embryonic shape of an origin divine ability. "Monstrosity Origin... Is this my origin divine ability?" Once this divine ability was unleashed, any cultivator who laid eyes upon it would have their inner demons provoked, driving them into madness and qi deviation. Perhaps its effect would not be as potent against cultivators from the Canglan Realm, but against those of the Liufeng Realm, it was absolute. Influenced by his divine ability, who wouldn't instantly transform into a demonic monstrosity? Right now, Qi Yuan had a feeling that if he wished, he could instantly condense Monstrosity Origin into his origin divine ability and become a true Sovereign. However, he did not immediately do so. Monstrosity Origin was deeply intertwined with the Archdemon, and the world already mistook him for the Archdemon. If he condensed such an origin divine ability, wouldn't he truly become the new Archdemon? He was a player! After slaying the eleven Sovereigns, Qi Yuan descended beside Lin Xuemei. Looking at Qi Yuan, Lin Xuemei seemed to calm down instead. "It seems the Alliance Leader spoke the truth after all. You truly are the reincarnation of the Archdemon." "I am who I am, not whatever bullshit Archdemon you're talking about," Qi Yuan said casually. "Stop hiding it, Archdemon! Slaying foes with a single strike while giving rise to inner demons—if you aren't the Archdemon, then who is?" Lin Xuemei glared at Qi Yuan with an air of righteous indignation. "Archdemon, the Alliance Leader possesses peerless talent, a genius rarely seen in ten thousand years! You will certainly be destroyed by her hand! The Archdemon shall be purged from this world, and justice belongs to the Purple Sky Alliance—justice belongs to mankind!" With that, blood spilled from the corner of Lin Xuemei's mouth as he shattered his own heart meridians, ending his life. He died looking like a martyr of the righteous path, facing down a demon with unyielding resolve. Hearing those words, Qi Yuan burst into laughter. "I've become the arch-villain? How amusing." His laughter was extraordinarily bewitching. Seeing his smile, the surrounding members of the Purple Sky Alliance felt an inexplicable dread well up inside them. "Demon... The Archdemon..." Terrified, they scrambled across the ground on hands and knees, as if they had just witnessed a demon god walking out from the depths of hell. "Am I really that terrifying?" A water screen appeared before Qi Yuan, reflecting his bewitchingly handsome face. "I'm clearly so gentle, so good-looking. That vain Canary should surely be able to appreciate my looks, right?" *** That night, the Blood Lord stormed the headquarters of the Purple Sky Alliance. With one sword strike, he slew over sixty Terrestrial Myths. With another, he executed eleven Sovereigns. Unable to endure the humiliation, the chief steward of the Purple Sky Alliance took his own life, declaring with righteous indignation before his death: "The Archdemon shall be purged from this world, and justice belongs to mankind!" The world was thrown into an uproar! Powerhouses from numerous great sects, factions, and prominent clans gathered to convene a grand cultivator assembly, vowing to band together to slay the demon and restore peace to the realm. *** Fengxin Continent. The Mystic Maiden of the Purple Sky opened her eyes, a purple luminescence flickering within her pupils. "Little Mei... is dead?" "The Blood Lord... has revived?" Her expression remained calm, tinged with only a hint of surprise. A stone slate floated before her. Gazing at it, her vision seemed to pierce through time and space. "Revived from death?" "So long as the Archdemon does not perish, great thieves will never cease." "Even if the Archdemon has revived, what of it? As long as he is sealed within the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, this world can still be restored to clarity!" "This world remains the domain of my Purple Sky Alliance!" "The Blood Lord? The Archdemon? Nothing more than remnants of a bygone era. Now, I am the master of the Slate of Fate!" The Mystic Maiden's expression was unnervingly placid. A beam of crimson light flashed across the Slate of Fate, and a line of text emerged: *In one month, the Gate of Myriad Manifestations will open; Sovereigns may enter.* Seeing this, a bizarre smile crept onto her face. "The heavens truly favor me!" Her original plan had been to march her grand army to annihilate the Blood Palace, seize the Ends of the Earth, and take control of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Now that the Blood Lord had reappeared, an additional step was added to her plan: to seal him within the Gate of Myriad Manifestations and eradicate him once and for all. "Hear my command! All Sovereigns shall accompany me to the Ends of the Earth!" The Mystic Maiden chose to wait no longer. She resolved to abandon all the Terrestrial Myths and the rest of the army, taking only the Sovereigns with her to the Ends of the Earth. The various factions within the army were somewhat bewildered, but facing the Mystic Maiden's orders, none dared object. Every Sovereign took to the skies, gathering around her as they flew toward the Ends of the Earth. *** "The Honored Master... is still alive?" Daoist Yu streaked through the air as a ray of light, pursuing the Mystic Maiden up ahead. Upon learning this news, he felt both utter disbelief and boundless excitement. The Slate of Fate could not be mistaken! Yet his master had undeniably revived. How could he not be thrilled? A trace of worry arose in his heart as well, but he quickly cast it aside. The Blood Lord had shown him kindness as profound as a mountain, never mistreating him in the slightest. How could he harbor any doubts? "I must get this news back to Yanran and Bai Ze!" Over the years, to ensure the survival of the Blood Palace, he had concealed his identity, flaying the skin from his face and shaving his bones to alter his appearance, embedding himself within the Purple Sky Alliance as a mole for the Blood Palace. Now, it was time to return. Looking at the hundred-plus Sovereigns ahead and the terrifying Mystic Maiden, he gritted his teeth fiercely. A single drop of red blood appeared, and he vanished into a streak of light. The Mystic Maiden narrowed her eyes, murderous intent flashing across her face. "A remnant of the Blood Palace?" She thrust a palm forward, striking directly toward that retreating streak of light. The streak bolted through the vast skies, leaving a trail of fresh blood splattered across the earth below.