Engraving the Origin Divine Ability!

A look of surprise flickered in the Venerable's eyes. She could not understand the scenes playing within the ancient mirror. Even now, she could not comprehend how the Blood Lord had walked out of the Gate of Myriad Fiends. Even she would have succumbed and become an Archdemon had she entered it. How had the Blood Lord... managed to step out? At that moment, an inexplicable ache gripped Ning Tao's heart. She could not help remembering the blood-red robes she had seen that day outside the City of No Return. A coincidence? The scene shifted once more. Upon Mount Jiupan, a brightly plumed little bird fluttered its wings and landed beside a drop of blood. Curiosity filled the little bird's eyes. And the story continued. "I'm Canary. Pretty, aren't I? This lady happens to be the greatest beauty of Mount Jiupan!" "You round little thing, I'll call you... Blood Pearl." "Leaving without saying goodbye—this lady won't come looking for you! I won't miss you at all!" "Blood Pearl, it's raining..." If the earlier scenes had been an elegy sung across a winter expanse of snow, then this scene was like the gentle patter of spring rain—fresh, yet tinged with faint melancholy. "Blood Pearl, you're back!" "Blood Pearl, you're amazing! Hurry and tell everyone that in all Eighteen Mountains, Canary is the greatest beauty!" "He isn't an Archdemon! He won't die!" "This lady will reluctantly believe you this once!" "How do I enter the Gate of Myriad Demons..." The young girl emerged from the Gate of Myriad Demons. Upon the face she took such vain pride in was carved the character "Demon." "I'm so clumsy. I can't even put on makeup properly... so hideous..." "Am I very ugly? Why won't you come see me?" Here, the scene came to an abrupt halt. Ning Tao covered her left cheek with a hand; it ached terribly. Memories flooded into her mind like a surging tide. Thousands, tens of thousands of years—endless, boundlessly deep memories. Blood Pearl's whispers in her ear, and the cold, ruthless thrust of that blood-robed swordsman. She remembered. She... was Mount Jiupan's greatest beauty, Canary. And Blood Pearl was the childhood companion she admired most. Lifetime after lifetime, reincarnating through illusions. She had entered the Gate of Myriad Demons, watching Blood Pearl sink into the illusions, constantly trying to awaken him. "Blood Pearl..." Ning Tao clutched her face, her heart hesitating and trembling. She remembered the tenderness in the eyes of the blood-robed figure she had seen that day outside the City of No Return: "Do you know Canary? She's a haughty, vain girl. I've been looking for her." A smile played on the Venerable's lips. Looking at Ning Tao, she asked, "Demoness, you've regained all your memories, haven't you? Do you hate the Archdemon now?" She seemed to care deeply about this. Ning Tao looked up, regarding her coldly. "He is not an Archdemon!" Blood Pearl had said he wasn't an Archdemon! And she believed him! Even if she had seen him slaughter all living beings in the illusion, even if she had watched his sword pierce her again and again, she still believed he was not an Archdemon. The world called him an Archdemon, but Canary knew he was simply her childhood companion. He was no one else. "Haha, yet another fool deceiving herself." Shang Yanran chuckled, then turned toward Bai Ze. "We were husband and wife once, and they are my fellow junior disciples. I am willing to spare them. But as for... this demoness, I must either kill her or take her away." A terrifying aura radiated from Shang Yanran, formidable enough to unsettle Grand Sovereigns. The seven powerhouses behind her stepped forward in unison, their pressure bearing down upon Bai Ze. "This time... no one can save you, demoness," Shang Yanran said, a chill glinting in her eyes. "Only by eliminating the demoness and dealing with the Archdemon can this realm truly find peace. "Bai Ze... do you truly intend to stand in my way? "Can you stop me? "Or are you willing to disregard the common people of this world for your own selfish desires?" A terrifying aura emanated from Shang Yanran. She had to take the demoness away. In the past, she had believed the Blood Lord dead, so she had merely left the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends alone to use as pawns. Yet not long ago, her avatar in the mortal realm had sensed a wisp of the Blood Lord's aura. Therefore, Canary had to be in her grasp. In this life, the one she coveted most was Bai Ze; now, there was also the Blood Lord. Bai Ze looked at Shang Yanran. After a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, he said, "She is no demoness. Even if she was... that was two cycles of reincarnation ago. "If you want to take her away, you'll have to go through me!" "No one... can stop me today!" Shang Yanran's expression contorted into something ferocious. No matter who came today, she was taking Canary! The White Emperor felt despondent. Shang Yanran was right. He could not stop her at all. Shang Yanran's avatar, combined with those seven powerhouses, could take Ning Tao away with ease. Even if his revered master arrived in person, he might not be able to stop Shang Yanran. This situation... had become an impasse with no solution. *** Inside the underground palace. Qi Yuan sat with eyes closed, contemplating his origin divine ability. Ten years had passed. His comprehension had deepened, yet he had never been able to truly engrave it, nor could the Great Oblivion Heart Scripture reach the Subtle stage. "Oblivion... what on earth did I forget?" He racked his brains, but found no answer. Suddenly, an intermittent voice drifted into his ears. "Blood Pearl..." "Blood Pearl..." The voice sounded wretched, laced with helpless sorrow. Qi Yuan's heart gave a violent jolt. He seemed to see Canary, her face streaked with tears and eyes red, stubbornly looking up at him in utter helplessness. Countless scenes surged into his mind like an overwhelming tide. He saw himself trapped in the Archdemon's reincarnation, slaughtering the living along the Archdemon's path. He saw himself walking through the vast desert clad in blood-red robes, while an indistinct silhouette gave chase from behind, only to be run through by his blade. He saw himself bound to a stone pillar, engulfed in myriad burning flames, and that same silhouette throwing herself forward without a second thought to endure the endless torment alongside him. He saw that silhouette holding him and leaping into the churning magma without the slightest hesitation. He saw himself piercing that silhouette again and again, yet she still came for him without looking back, seeking him out in every lifetime, staying by his side even when the whole world was their enemy. In that illusion, that figure truly existed; she was not his delusion. He understood. That silhouette was Canary. "Canary..." The endless illusions had been like one reincarnation after another. Those... were illusions, the life of the Archdemon. Originally, entering the Gate of Myriad Fiends had forced him to experience the Archdemon's lifetime. Canary had barged into it, hoping to wake him. "I remember." All the visions condensed into a deluge of emotions. A trace of tenderness entered Qi Yuan's eyes. Along with a hint of restlessness. His desire to see Canary grew ever more urgent. "After she sank into the illusion with me... where did she go?" Countless emotions erupted from Qi Yuan's body. The Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons seemed on the verge of bursting forth, uncontrollable. The moment Qi Yuan remembered everything that had transpired within the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, the Great Oblivion Heart Scripture stepped fully into the Subtle stage. A storm of mixed feelings swept through Qi Yuan's heart, heavy with deep self-reproach and tender heartache. He forced himself to calm down. "Why did I hear Canary's voice...?" It was only because he heard Canary's voice that he had recovered all his memories. Why had he heard it? That was crucial. Ever since entering Foundation Establishment, Qi Yuan's ears had been able to pick up strange sounds. Even before entering this game, he had heard Ning Tao's voice. Where was the source of that sound? Where was Canary? Who... was she now? Suddenly, a tearful, aggrieved voice reached his ears once more. "Am I very ugly? Why won't you come see me?" Canary's voice struck his ears like a bolt from the blue. Qi Yuan remembered in a flash. Back on Seven Colors Peak, he had heard Ning Tao muttering in her sleep: "Am I very ugly? Why won't you come see me?" He had heard those sleep-talked words more than once. Back then, he had always treated it as a joke, even teasing Ning Tao for talking in her sleep despite being a Sovereign. During the ten-thousand-li manhunt, Ning Tao had carried the blood sphere and fought Grand Sovereigns. When night fell, she would curl up like a little cat while Qi Yuan stood guard beside her. He had also heard Ning Tao's tearful murmurs in her sleep. He understood! He understood completely! Ning Tao was Canary. Ning Tao had the character "Demon" carved into her face. The Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends were abhorred by heaven and despised by earth. In the eyes of the world, she was a hideous monster. Canary, who cared so much about beauty, had become a "demon" spurned by all, viewed as the ugliest monstrosity. How could she have endured such agony? And how could she have borne the pain of sword after sword from him within the illusion? Back then, influenced by the Gate of Myriad Fiends, he had fallen into the Archdemon's path, slaughtering the living just like the Archdemon. Yet unlike the Archdemon, someone had always been waiting for him. "Canary... Ning Tao..." A boundless aura swept through his body, and the sky above the entire City of No Return turned crimson blood-red at that very moment. Qi Yuan had found the path to engrave the Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons. *** Inside the redoubt, the White Emperor's avatar was immobilized by Shang Yanran. The seven supreme powerhouses strode toward the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends, heading straight for Ning Tao. A smile curved Shang Yanran's lips. "In the past, the Blood Lord protected you. Today... who can protect you?" Ning Tao stared at Shang Yanran, her gaze burning with dense killing intent. Just then, a hoarse voice full of boundless self-reproach rang out. "Canary, I'm late." "I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you." The chains Canary gripped tightly in her hands trembled at that moment. Horrifying auras of all kinds radiated from that blood-colored sphere of flesh. Seeing the blood sphere, Shang Yanran's eyes revealed a hint of astonishment. "The Blood Lord? No, you are a single drop of the Blood Lord's blood!" Long ago, when the Blood Lord entered the Gate of Myriad Fiends, he had severed his own arm and left it beside Canary. Later, the Blood Lord fell within the Gate of Myriad Fiends, and only a single drop of blood flew out. The blood sphere before them was that very drop of the Blood Lord's blood! Ning Tao's slender frame trembled. Clutching the chains tightly, she looked at the blood sphere—a single glance that seemed to span oceans turning into dust, a single glance that felt like ten thousand years. She was finally seeing the person she had yearned for and dreamed of across endless ages once again. The blood sphere condensed at that moment into a figure clad in blood-red robes. "Blood Pearl!" She threw her arms tightly around the blood-red robes. Just like when the flames had spread long ago, she had embraced him without hesitation to perish together in the sea of fire. A smile lingered on Shang Yanran's lips. "How moving. Archdemon... you're finally willing to show yourself." Clad in blood-red robes, Qi Yuan looked at Shang Yanran, a cold edge surfacing at the corners of his mouth. "Today, you die!" Hearing this, Shang Yanran's smile broadened. "Let alone a single drop of your blood, even if you, the Blood Lord, arrived in person, you might not be a match for this avatar of mine. "Besides, can your true body even make it here right now?" Canary held tightly onto Qi Yuan's arm. The White Emperor looked at Qi Yuan, agitation welling up in his eyes. He had never expected to see his revered master at such a time: "Master, unless you have reached the sixth realm, under no circumstances should you come here! "Shang Yanran obtained the Slate of Fate—she is no longer herself!" Shang Yanran's smile was brilliant. It was merely a drop of blood that could not even harm a Sovereign. What right did it have to take Ning Tao from her hands? "Archdemon, I am taking Canary today. If you want to see her, have your true body come find me in the Myriad Demon Palace!" Qi Yuan's expression was utterly tranquil. His earlier self-reproach and guilt transformed into surging murderous intent. "Even a single drop of blood can kill you!" As Qi Yuan spoke, a terrifying transformation occurred within the figure condensed from that drop of blood. Divine Soul Blood! The Divine Soul Blood that had fallen from the Great Void was now deployed by Qi Yuan. The Divine Soul Blood obtained from Old Demon Black Chicken could parasitize a treasure, condensing that treasure into a Divine Soul artifact. What treasure could possibly be more precious than a drop of his own blood? This was a drop of blood from a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment! At this moment, Qi Yuan condensed himself into a Divine Soul artifact. As the Divine Soul Blood descended, Qi Yuan's blood underwent a monumental transformation. He glanced at Canary. "Wait for me!" Once he became a Divine Soul artifact, his consciousness could no longer descend here. The blood-robed figure continuously shifted. Engrave! Within the City of No Return, Qi Yuan let out a thunderous shout. He finally understood why he had been unable to engrave his origin divine ability. In the illusion, he had severed an arm to forget the consciousness forced upon him by the Gate of Myriad Fiends—the consciousness declaring that he was the Archdemon. That severed arm had turned into a drop of blood. That drop of blood held endless demonic monstrosities; it was the Archdemon, the root of all demonic sin. Only that drop of blood truly matched the origin divine ability of the Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons. He would engrave this divine ability onto that Divine Soul artifact! Inside the redoubt, the blood-robed figure had already vanished. Ning Tao's eyes brimmed with deep reluctance. The blood-robed silhouette had transformed into an alluring, blood-colored longsword. A glint of greed appeared in Shang Yanran's eyes. "Turning oneself into a Divine Soul artifact... what an exquisite method. "If an ordinary Sovereign wielded this sword, it might even wound a Grand Sovereign! "Unfortunately, such a blade can only be called clever. Far from killing me, it cannot even scratch me!" Just as Shang Yanran finished speaking, another anomaly erupted from the blood-colored sword. Greed, lust, pride... Auras of every kind radiated from the blade. Everyone inside the redoubt, including the White Emperor, felt their minds disturbed. They looked at the blood-colored longsword, wonder surfacing in their eyes for the first time. "An origin divine ability!" Shang Yanran's eyes widened. "You actually engraved an origin divine ability onto a sword... You... you truly are... willing to part with it!" Engraving an origin divine ability onto a Divine Soul artifact was practically unheard of. Yet Shang Yanran knew it was possible. "Blood Lord, haha... this move truly exceeded my expectations. "However, by engraving your origin divine ability onto a Divine Soul artifact, your true body... is effectively crippled! "Without an origin divine ability, an ordinary Sovereign could easily execute your true body!" Shang Yanran laughed aloud. In her heart, she thought even less of the Blood Lord. Any cultivator who let emotion cloud their judgment so easily could never achieve anything great. "Let me see just how powerful your origin divine ability truly is!" Even when facing the Blood Lord's origin divine ability, Shang Yanran felt not the slightest fear! After all, her cultivation had already reached the absolute limit of this world. If she broke through one step further... bad things would occur, and all her schemes would come to naught. Ning Tao held the blood-colored longsword, her posture drawing tall at that moment. Holding the blade, she felt as if their bloodlines were linked as one. "This sword strike is named the Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons!" Ning Tao stepped forward like an unmatched swordswoman. After all these years, she could finally... fight side by side with Blood Pearl. "Die!" With a slash of the sword, boundless blood-red energy billowed, filling the entire redoubt. Greed, pride, gluttony... emotions of every kind surged forth. Shock finally appeared on the faces of the seven powerhouses. Disbelief flashed in Shang Yanran's eyes. "Inner demons? The Archdemon? How is that possible!" How could he truly be the Archdemon! An origin divine ability like this was impossible to condense. Only the Archdemon, the former Buddha, could ever condense it. Because all demonic sins in the mortal realm were the Archdemon's origin. What was going on? Shang Yanran's eyes registered stunned bewilderment, followed by a soft chuckle. A real Archdemon... then this was all the more interesting! As the sword slashed out, the seven powerhouses behind Shang Yanran were like fragile porcelain dolls; merely laying eyes on the blade caused cracks to spiderweb across their bodies. They wailed and wept continuously, as though plunging into the Avici demon realm. Seven supreme powerhouses failed to withstand even a single strike. From Shang Yanran's back, a snow-white demonic monstrosity also crawled out. That monstrosity was entirely different from everyone else's. No fear showed in her eyes; instead, she wore a smile. "Blood Lord, I concede you were the better planner this time. I'll grant you this avatar. "However, stripped of your origin divine ability, what do I have to fear from you? "I shall wait for you in the Gate of Myriad Demons! "If you don't enter quickly, Canary... will fall into my hands." As her voice fell, Shang Yanran shattered her own body with a single palm strike. After all, if that strike continued, it would be enough to injure her true body through the avatar. Shang Yanran's avatar dissipated on the spot. Struck by that single sword, the inner demons of the seven powerhouses tore through their bodies, and they perished then and there. A simple, single strike had slain eight mighty figures. The members of the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends looked at one another in stunned silence. What had happened today had far exceeded their wildest imaginations. Meanwhile, the White Emperor looked toward the blood-colored longsword, his eyes filled with shock and a touch of sorrow. Such a strike had stirred endless inner demons. Was his revered master... truly the Archdemon? If it were true... He did not know how he could face it. And Ning Tao's small hand held the longsword tightly, a smile squeezing onto her pale little face. "Blood Pearl... everything in the illusion was fake." All that agony had been caused by the curse of myriad demons after entering the Gate of Myriad Demons. Blood Pearl drawing his sword to strike her down was nothing more than an illusion.