Ancestral Blood Art

Cloaked in black robes, Ancestor Ziyuan stood as laws of ultimate principle circulated around him. His entire form did not resemble a living being at all, but rather the embodiment of some fundamental rule. He stood beyond the sky canopy, his gaze deep and inscrutable. After an unknown length of time, another figure in black robes appeared by Ancestor Ziyuan's side. A powerful aura emanated from this newcomer. He was none other than an Ultimate Principle. Apart from the old ancestor, this man was the paramount figure of Ziyuan Heaven—its sole Lesser Ultimate Principle. Yang Gods were difficult to produce, and Ultimate Principles were absolute overlords in the Sixth Heaven. A clan like the Ziyuan Clan drew its power from its bloodline, yet was also trapped by that same bloodline. With this branch having produced a Great Ultimate Principle, yielding another Yang God was extraordinarily difficult. Conversely, a clan like the Moluo Clan, despite lacking a Great Ultimate Principle, surpassed Ziyuan Heaven in its numbers of both ordinary Yang Gods and Ultimate Principle Yang Gods. Thus, to expand, a clan like the Ziyuan Clan often ventured out to search for other bloodline branches, incorporating any talented individuals they found. Every additional Yang God was hard-won. "Greetings, Ancestor. Blood Robe has arrived in Ziyuan Heaven. Will the Ancestor grant him an audience?" Ziyuan Tan bowed respectfully, not daring to look directly at the ancestor. In his perception, the ancestor possessed no fixed physical form at all, existing merely as an incarnation of ultimate principle. Ancestor Ziyuan shook his head. "No." Hearing this, Ziyuan Tan was not surprised. "What sort of... treatment shall he receive?" Ziyuan Tan asked for instructions. At the same time, he mentally weighed what tier Blood Robe's bloodline talent truly belonged to. "In Ziyuan Heaven... he shall be first beneath the Yang Gods," Ancestor Ziyuan said placidly. "Understood." Ziyuan Tan was not surprised. Anyone capable of catching the ancestor's attention had to possess a bloodline with the potential for the Ultimate Principle Realm at the very least. It was only natural that his privileges would surpass Ziyuan Daxue's. "Here is a welcoming gift. Pass it to him." With a flash of streaming light, a black storage pouch landed in Ziyuan Tan's hand. Catching the pouch, Ziyuan Tan bowed respectfully. Many thoughts raced through his mind. Nowadays, Ziyuan Heaven suffered from a dearth of rising talent, so it was no wonder the ancestor cared so deeply. After all, Ziyuan Heaven possessed only him as an Ultimate Principle, and its total number of Yang Gods was sparse. Compared to other branches, they lagged far behind. This had cost the ancestor a great deal of face. "Give him the Ancestral Blood Art. Tell him that once he cultivates it to the seventh layer, he may come see me, and I will grant him a small wish." "Yes," Ziyuan Tan nodded, not daring to raise his voice. "Oh, right. Which layer has Hei Jian reached in the Ancestral Blood Art?" "Reporting to the Ancestor, the specifics are unknown, but rumors circulating in recent years suggest at least... the ninth layer." Hearing this, Ancestor Ziyuan's tone shifted slightly. "The seventh layer is too easy. Let him reach the ninth layer before coming to see me!" Ziyuan Tan did not know whether to laugh or cry. This old ancestor still loved comparing himself to others. The ninth layer of the Ancestral Blood Art was simply too difficult. Even if Blood Robe became a Yang God, he might not be able to achieve it. As for his daughter, Ziyuan Daxue, she was currently nearing the Yang God Realm, yet had only reached the sixth layer. The Ancestral Blood Art was a most peculiar cultivation technique; one's cultivation speed depended solely on bloodline and comprehension. The correlation with bloodline was ninety-nine percent, while comprehension accounted for only one percent. When Hei Jian received the Ancestral Blood Art, he broke through to the third layer within half a month, astonishing everyone. That stood as the fastest record for cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art. Even Ancestor Ziyuan's master could not match it. His master was also Hei Jian's master: the First Elder among the Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss. ... "Everywhere in your Black Demon Abyss is pitch-black and dingy gray. It really doesn't look like an orthodox cultivation sect, does it?" Qi Yuan surveyed his surroundings. The water flowing through the river was black. The trees were a dusty gray as well, looking almost fake. "How can you still judge by appearances? Didn't you say all people are equal?" Ziyuan Daxue retorted using Qi Yuan's own words. Qi Yuan froze, rendered speechless by the comeback. Promptly, he sighed. "Who would have thought the beacon of humanity would be found in the Black Demon Abyss, in you. Now that is true equality for all!" Just then, space rippled, and a man cloaked in black robes appeared. He also bore an ox horn atop his head, yet it did not make him look rough or boorish; rather, he appeared quite refined and scholarly. Qi Yuan's mind instantly grew taut. Ziyuan Heaven was teeming with powerhouses. Earlier, he had vaguely sensed two supreme powerhouses spying on them. Now, yet another Ultimate Principle had manifested. Seeing who had arrived, Ziyuan Daxue beamed with excitement. "Dad, I brought Blood Robe back!" She waved her hands as if seeking credit. Horned Sis's roughness and unruliness vanished, replaced by the demeanor of a little girl angling for praise. Ziyuan Tan gave a gentle smile. "What gift do you want this time?" He was a Yang God of the Ultimate Principle Realm; how could he fail to see through his daughter's little tricks? He simply indulged her willingly. "I want a Black Cloud Blood Steed!" Ziyuan Daxue said excitedly. "Ever since I was little, I've dreamed of having my own Black Cloud Blood Steed to roam the myriad realms. It's just too cool!" On the way here, Qi Yuan had heard Ziyuan Daxue mention the Black Cloud Blood Steed more than once. It was a vehicle... for cultivators. Translating it to Blue Star terms—yep, a motorcycle. It fit Horned Sis's stereotype in Qi Yuan's mind perfectly. Of course, a Black Cloud Blood Steed was far more than just a motorcycle; it also possessed spatial jump capabilities. Random ones. Once started, there was no telling where it might end up. In other words, it was thrilling as hell. After all, the Sixth Heaven was vast and boundless; even Yang Gods could not explore all of it. "A few years back, your cousin rode a Black Cloud Blood Steed, plunged into a perilous anomaly, and fell to his death." "You still want a Black Cloud Blood Steed?" Hearing this, Horned Sis felt a shiver run through her. A touch of warmth stirred in her heart. "Dad, I shouldn't have been so willful." "What willful? I think your cousin's Black Cloud Blood Steed is pretty good. Do you want it?" Horned Sis blinked. "..." Finally, she took a deep breath. "I do!" "However, you must remember the lesson of your cousin!" Ziyuan Tan added. "I know! I won't go zooming around recklessly!" "No, I mean don't pick up just anyone. That rascal of a cousin of yours took someone else's newlywed Dao companion out joyriding, just the two of them. In the end, her partner contacted her through a transmission jade slip. That woman was ruthless—she swore right to the heavens that if she was fooling around outside with some side-piece, she'd be struck dead by lightning. As luck would have it, your cousin was carrying her across a lightning zone. A lightning bolt struck the Black Cloud Blood Steed, causing a malfunction, and they crashed into a perilous anomaly... dead." Ziyuan Daxue blinked. She hadn't expected her cousin's death to have such comedic entertainment value. "Dad, I'll take the lesson to heart. Don't worry, I won't fool around on a Black Cloud Blood Steed with a married side-piece." "What I meant was, if you do take someone, you have to seal their mouth so they don't say stupid things," Ziyuan Tan said calmly. Standing nearby, Qi Yuan was at a loss for words. Why did everyone in this Ziyuan Clan seem a bit unhinged? Could it be that something was wrong with their bloodline? He made wild guesses. At this moment, Ziyuan Tan turned his gaze upon Qi Yuan. "Blood Robe, are you interested in marrying into Ziyuan Heaven?" "Not interested!" Qi Yuan refused point-blank. He was now certain that the Ziyuan Clan's bloodline had massive problems. Otherwise... why would someone ask if he wanted to marry in the very first time they met? Shouldn't they first ask if he owned a carriage and a house, or inquire about his salary and the like? Oh, wait, for a matrilocal son-in-law... none of that needed to be asked. "This is the Ancestral Blood Art that the Ancestor instructed me to give you. When you cultivate it to the ninth layer, you may pay him a visit and make a small request." Ziyuan Tan simply and directly handed the Ancestral Blood Art to Qi Yuan. Taking the technique, Qi Yuan grew somewhat curious. "Is this a cultivation technique?" Qi Yuan asked. "Yes and no. This is an art unique to bloodline practitioners like us." Ziyuan Tan knew Qi Yuan hailed from the Second Heaven and understood little of the Black Demon Abyss. He continued, "In our Black Demon Abyss, the greatest power is bloodline. The stronger the bloodline, the greater the talent, the higher the potential, and the grander the future achievements. The Ancestral Blood Art allows our bloodlines to evolve and make leaps, granting various unique abilities until reaching perfection. There are fifteen layers to the Ancestral Blood Art in total. If anyone can cultivate it to the highest layer, no matter how abysmal their bloodline is, they could simply lie down and sleep without cultivating, and given enough time... they would still reach the Ultimate Principle Realm." Speaking up to this point, Ziyuan Tan wore a look of immense pride. Of course, such a case had never actually occurred in the Black Demon Abyss. Generally, the stronger one's bloodline, the faster one cultivated the Ancestral Blood Art. "How many years does that lying down take?" Qi Yuan asked, full of anticipation. Didn't that mean that once he maxed this out, he could just find a game world to lie around in, and when he emerged, he'd be an Ultimate Principle Yang God? "Only a hundred thousand years!" Ziyuan Tan said, looking deeply invigorated. "...Isn't that word 'only' a bit inappropriate here?" Qi Yuan was speechless. A hundred thousand years, and he called it "only." With that much time, he might as well stay in the Gate of Ultimate Principle and properly comprehend ultimate principles. After a million years passed, he'd emerge directly invincible. Of course, compared to playing video games, neither could hold a candle. Ziyuan Tan was slightly taken aback, then offered earnest counsel: "Blood Robe, your bloodline is extraordinarily powerful, but do not aim too high too fast. How could the realm of ultimate reason be achieved so easily? However... if you truly master the Ancestral Blood Art, with your talent, you could probably step into the Yang God Realm in a mere century." Saying this, Ziyuan Tan felt a twinge of envy. The beings of the Black Demon Abyss were a race that had stepped forth from a Creation Treasure. They were somewhat different from the Sixth Heaven's cultivation system. In the eyes of other Sixth Heaven cultivators, the breakthroughs of Black Demon Abyss cultivators into Yang Gods could be considered... a quick track. Other cultivators needed to temper their dharmic powers, strengthen their divine souls, and comprehend the Grand Dao. Any of those, with just a bit of contemplation, could consume ten thousand years. Bloodline practitioners of the Black Demon Abyss were different; all they had to do was strengthen their bloodlines. Bloodline was everything. Bloodline could bring about everything. Blood Robe's bloodline was visibly far more powerful than his own; otherwise, the ancestor would never have been moved. Ziyuan Tan's bloodline was actually quite ordinary, inferior even to his daughter Ziyuan Daxue's. Yet with high comprehension and painstaking effort, he had become the foremost Ultimate Principle beneath the old ancestor of Ziyuan Heaven. Toward a bloodline practitioner like Qi Yuan, he felt considerable envy. "Sounds like terrible value for the effort, but I'll practice it when I have time," Qi Yuan said lazily. At the ninth layer, he could make a request of Ziyuan Heaven's ancestor. That counted as a decent reward. The corner of Ziyuan Tan's mouth twitched, and he chose not to engage with Qi Yuan's comment. "This is what the Ancestor instructed me to pass along to you. As for this matter... try not to let word get out, lest it stir up jealousy." He handed the storage pouch to Qi Yuan, remembering to offer a word of caution. After all, special treatment from the ancestor like this would draw the attention of people with ulterior motives if publicized. "Only mediocrities are never envied," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. In any case... he was just having fun. As long as it didn't hurt his own interests, he would do whatever pleased him. Ziyuan Tan smiled faintly. "As you wish." He had only mentioned it in passing anyway. Generally speaking, in situations like this, the welcoming gift given by an ancestor wasn't particularly valuable; what was precious was the ancestor's attitude. He wasn't covetous of what the ancestor gave Blood Robe. "Daxue, take Blood Robe to his immortal cave so he can cultivate properly." Having said his piece, Ziyuan Tan vanished. Ziyuan Daxue looked at Qi Yuan with envy written all over her face. "Sis here has received a gift from the Ancestor only once in my entire life, yet you get one the moment you arrive. Sigh, comparisons are odious..." "For your information, you aren't human," Qi Yuan pointed out Ziyuan Daxue's error. With an ox horn on her head, how could she have the nerve to pose as human like him? "I wonder what welcoming gift the Ancestor gave you?" Ziyuan Daxue asked curiously. "How does it compare in value to a Black Cloud Blood Steed?" A gift bestowed by an old ancestor was bound to be of substantial value, or else others would look down on it. Naturally, it wouldn't be overly precious either. Back then, Ziyuan Tan had been gifted a Mythological-grade spirit pet. That had let her steal the spotlight back when she was young. "Let's get to my immortal cave first. As I said before, the cave abode has to be top-notch, or else... I won't be happy," Qi Yuan said. "You really... sigh, getting a great bargain and still acting spoiled. Do you know... the Old Ancestor designated you as... the head of the younger generation's Demon Scions?" Ziyuan Daxue said enviously. "Demon Scion?" Qi Yuan wasn't fond of this title. He was clearly lawful good. "Our Ziyuan Heaven originally had four Demon Scions. With you, that makes five. You becoming the head of the Demon Scions the moment you arrive will probably rub the others the wrong way," Ziyuan Daxue laughed. Talking and laughing, the two arrived at a towering mountain nestled high in the sky. The mountain was desolate and uninhabited, devoid of any buildings, littered everywhere with rubble. Looking ahead with her hands on her hips, Ziyuan Daxue said, "See that? That's your immortal cave... Isn't it cool?" Qi Yuan looked over and froze slightly. "This immortal cave... why is it so bizarre?" Before them was an enormous sphere of steel. Why use the word enormous? Because it was truly massive, larger even than the Great Shang. This was clearly a cultivation world. Yet the giant sphere was forged of steel, giving off a sci-fi, cyberpunk vibe. "What's bizarre about it? This immortal cave is named the Primordial Star, crafted after the stars that illuminate the myriad heavens!" Right at that moment, a crisp voice rang out, and two young women—one tall and one petite—appeared. One of them bore a pink ox horn tied with a bowknot atop her head, wore straight bangs, looked utterly adorable, and was dressed in a lake-green gown, petite and delicate. The other lacked ox horns, had a tall and lithe figure, and bore a cool countenance. Her dark green dress hugged her form closely, cut low with a wide opening across her chest where soft, dazzlingly fair flesh peeked out, while a black silk ribbon was tied around her smooth thigh. She was the one who had spoken. "These are two Demon Scions: the cute one is Ziyuan Xiaolu, and the sexy one is An Xunlu." Ziyuan Xiaolu blinked, glanced at Qi Yuan, and lowered her head, looking rather shy. An Xunlu scrutinized Qi Yuan, a probing look in her eyes. Qi Yuan's attention also landed on An Xunlu. Not because she was dressed so scantily, but because her name was wrong. She should have been called Anxinku—Safety Shorts.