Intelligent Micro Probe Bug?

Under Ziyuan Xiaolu's guidance, Qi Yuan took a teleportation array and returned to Ziyuan Heaven. "The Ancestral Blood Pavilion is where one tests their progress in cultivating ancestral blood. Every day, countless people from Ziyuan Heaven come here to test their progress. "Even a marginal cultivator with a thin bloodline can become a core figure of the Black Demon Abyss if their Ancestral Blood Art reaches the sixth layer. "So across the entire Ziyuan Heaven, and even the Black Demon Abyss as a whole, every cultivator spends their entire life cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art." Ziyuan Xiaolu explained calmly as she flew through the sky with Qi Yuan. Looking out, black mountains and rivers stretched boundlessly, with towns coming into view from time to time. "Reach the sixth layer and the serfs turn their fortunes around to sing?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise. Core figures of the Black Demon Abyss enjoyed all manner of privileges. Back in the Fifth Heaven, that snitch-dog Qi Yuan had encountered was a Mythological figure, yet he had continuously strived to become a core figure of the Black Demon Abyss. Of course, although Qi Yuan had also reported An Xunlu this time, his was a righteous report, so he couldn't be called a snitch-dog; he should be called a snitch-hero. "However, we Demon Scions have no such restrictions. Beneath the Yang Gods, our status is the most exalted!" Ziyuan Xiaolu explained to Qi Yuan. In Ziyuan Heaven, more than half of each generation's Demon Scions could step into the Yang God realm. "If we are willing to pay the price, we can even invite a Yang God Heavenly Venerable to take action for us!" An excited look appeared on Ziyuan Xiaolu's face. A Yang God Heavenly Venerable was a towering mountain. For a Yin God to be able to request a Yang God to act was unimaginable below the Sixth Heaven. "Oh? In three sentences, I could get four thousand Yang Gods to spend thirty billion on me!" Qi Yuan didn't care much for Ziyuan Xiaolu's boast. Ziyuan Xiaolu opened her mouth in a round "O-Bubble" shape. Their figures landed near the Ancestral Blood Pavilion. Rather than calling it the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, it was more like an Ancestral Blood Nation. It was a colossal walled city stretching for countless miles. Looking across it, there were over a hundred million beings. One had to understand that all these beings were cultivators. Without enough space and spiritual energy, cultivation progress would be very slow. Many beings were natives, locals. Yet even more had come from the various worlds under Ziyuan Heaven. Under Ziyuan Heaven's jurisdiction, there were six hundred worlds in total. Every day, a massive multitude of cultivators came to undergo the ancestral blood test. The scene somewhat resembled Blue Star examinees taking the imperial civil examinations. With just the first layer of the Ancestral Blood Art, one could stand high above others in their own world. "The Black Demon Abyss is truly a major power of the Sixth Heaven—Purple Mansions are everywhere like stray dogs!" Qi Yuan swept his gaze across and, without even looking closely, saw thousands of Purple Mansions. He was a Purple Mansion cultivator himself, so he felt a bit inadequate. Inside the Ancestral Blood Pavilion grounds, stretching for countless miles, many cultivators queued up to take the test. Looking out, the line was like a giant black dragon. Many cultivators looked excited, clenching their fists. Some youths appeared dazed and despondent. This was only natural. In his former kingdom, one might have been a top-ten prodigy, and in his world, ranked in the top three hundred, a dragon among men. Yet upon coming to Ziyuan Heaven's Ancestral Blood Pavilion, someone like him... was as common as cabbages. The strong were treated like stray dogs. Even prodigies had to wait in this bustling queue. Seeing this scene, Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh with feeling. Big places really had a surplus of prodigies. Anyone picked at random down there could probably thrash Senior Brother Kang Fulu. So indeed, sometimes one's background was very important. "How long would this queue take? Until the year of the monkey?" Qi Yuan clicked his tongue. To be honest, he didn't want to wait in line. However, his morals and values told him to be fair and just, to queue properly. This made him feel as if he had run into Horned Sis again. He really needed to comprehend an ultimate principle to make up for this shortcoming of his. "Senior Brother Blood Robe, we are Demon Scions, so we don't need to queue. Follow me," Ziyuan Xiaolu said with a smile. Hearing this, Qi Yuan blinked. There was such a perk? Not having to queue was a relief. Yet... in his heart... Qi Yuan suddenly deeply admired certain folks back on Blue Star. They could automatically adjust their values and worldviews to whatever benefited them. If he comprehended an ultimate principle like that, wouldn't he be invincible? "Let's go!" Qi Yuan said softly. The two transformed into streaks of light and strode toward the Ancestral Blood Pavilion without a care. Seeing this, some of the cultivators queuing below showed curious looks. "How can they fly directly in?" "Those are Demon Scions, among the few with the strongest bloodlines in all of Ziyuan Heaven!" "To think I'd have the chance to see a Demon Scion in this lifetime." Under the crowd's watchful eyes, Qi Yuan and Ziyuan Xiaolu arrived at the Ancestral Blood Pavilion. As soon as they landed, a white-haired old man jogged over to greet them, his expression exceptionally genial: "Greetings, honored Demon Scions!" "Mm, I'm here to test my progress in the Ancestral Blood Art and convert it into contribution points." Qi Yuan was straightforward and didn't want to waste time here. The old man bowed with a stooped back: "Please follow me, Your Highness Demon Scion." Ziyuan Xiaolu did not follow him inside. Stepping into the testing area of the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, Qi Yuan's expression was calm as he surveyed his surroundings. Unlike the ethereal, immortal mist one might imagine, the atmosphere inside the pavilion was gloomy, dark, and blood-red. A colossal blood-red chandelier looked extraordinarily bizarre. A river of blood divided the chamber into two halves. Within that blood river, Qi Yuan's eyes caught sight of countless tiny creatures. They were merely the size of bacteria. Dense and teeming, they seemed alive. "Please, Your Highness Demon Scion, channel the blood-spirit aura cultivated from your Ancestral Blood Art into the blood river. "The blood spirits in the river will sense Your Highness's blood and determine which layer you have reached," the old man said in a low voice, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. This Demon Scion had seemingly been in the Black Demon Abyss for less than half a year. He had cultivated the Ancestral Blood Art for only a short while, yet had already come to test his progress. This made the old man sigh inwardly; no wonder the other was a Demon Scion while he was a mere gatekeeper. It had taken him ten full years of cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art just to step into the first layer. Compared to ordinary people rather than Demon Scions, that was still quite exceptional. This Blood Robe Demon Scion had cultivated for less than half a year. Was he now at the first layer, the second layer, or perhaps... the legendary third layer? After thinking it over, the old man shook his head. Hei Jian had reached the third layer in half a month and the fourth layer in three months. That was the fastest record in the entire history of the Black Demon Abyss. Apart from Hei Jian, no one had ever managed to cultivate to the third layer within a year. Ordinary Demon Scions also took about a year to reach the first layer. Thus, he estimated that the Blood Robe Demon Scion was most likely at the first layer, with a slight chance of the second layer. Listening to the old man's explanation, Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon the strange creatures in the blood river, surprise flickering in his eyes. [Intelligent micro probe bug: capable of detecting cultivation progress in the Ancestral Blood Art. Network connection status: severed / adrift.] His eyes saw an entirely different aura from the blood spirits. Why did this description sound so sci-fi? Did it not fit the immortal path? No, that wasn't right either. Because to some extent, immortal cultivation and science fiction converged at the same destination. "Where did this blood river come from?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. The old man was somewhat puzzled. "This... this old man does not know." "Could you give me a bit? My place is too empty, and I don't have pets." Qi Yuan held out his hand to ask for some. This put the old man in a difficult spot. In the end, he gritted his teeth. "Very well, but only a tiny bit." "Thanks! Here's a Good Person Card for you." As Qi Yuan spoke, he pulled a blank card from his robes, took out a brush, and wrote the three characters for "Good Person Card" on it. "Look, your Good Person Certificate!" Seeing this, the old man didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He accepted the Good Person Card and said, "Many thanks for the bestowal, Your Highness Demon Scion." Once His Highness Demon Scion ascended to become a Yang God Heavenly Venerable, perhaps his handwriting... would be worth some money? With that, the old man waved his hand, collecting some water from the blood river into a golden alms bowl. Though the golden bowl was small, the water it held weighed ten thousand jin. "Would this be enough?" the old man asked cautiously. In truth, he couldn't understand why anyone would be interested in this blood river. Aside from testing progress in the Ancestral Blood Art, this blood river was completely useless. "Enough." Qi Yuan put away the golden bowl. "Alright, I'll take the test now." As Qi Yuan spoke, he began circulating the Ancestral Blood Art. His thoughts drifted. Should he hide his strength a little? Generally speaking, cultivators concealed their abilities. Then, he shook his head. Hide what? He really wanted to say to Ziyuan Heaven's old ancestor: Send over ancestral blood! He needed to raise his cultivation quickly and enhance his ability to protect himself. Without further thought, Qi Yuan circulated the Ancestral Blood Art frantically. The old man watched intently, gazing at the blood river with anticipation in his eyes. About a breath later, the old man's eyes lit up. "A pillar of blood rises without waning! As expected, Your Highness Demon Scion is past the first layer and sprinting toward the second layer!" Seeing this, the old man was thoroughly convinced. How could the gap between people be so vast? Reaching the second layer in half a year—such speed would surely rank in the top ten across the entire Black Demon Abyss, wouldn't it? He felt as though he were witnessing history. Prodigies emerged in every generation. Ziyuan Heaven was about to produce a true paragon. Yet in the very next breath, his eyes widened. "To think... three pillars!" Three spouts of blood-water sprayed up from the river. This Blood Robe Demon Scion... truly was second only to Hei Jian. Aside from Hei Jian, no one in the Black Demon Abyss had ever reached the third layer within a year. No wonder rumors outside claimed the old ancestor intended to pit Blood Robe against Hei Jian. At first, the old man had thought it somewhat absurd. To make an imperfect comparison, if a Demon Scion was a prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years, then Hei Jian was a prodigy rarely seen in ten trillion years. He believed Blood Robe could surpass the other Demon Scions and outshine Bing Jian, but he hadn't believed he could match Hei Jian. Yet right now... His breath grew ragged. The old ancestor truly possessed profound foresight! However, once his breathing hastened, he couldn't calm down. Because before his eyes, bubbles violently churned in the blood river. One blood pillar after another shot up madly! After the third came a fourth, then a fifth! The old man was frozen, completely dumbfounded. He stared at the blood river in utter disbelief, his mind completely blank. "Seven... pillars?!" His eyes bulged, his pupils dilated, and his thoughts tumbled into chaos. How could there be seven pillars?! That meant the seventh layer! Cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art to the seventh layer meant one didn't even need to cultivate anymore—one could sleep all day, and with sufficient resources, after a hundred thousand years, one would step directly into the Yang God realm! The seventh layer was a watershed. Among all the Demon Scions across the Nine Heavens today, those who had cultivated the Ancestral Blood Art to the seventh layer could be counted on one hand. And now, another was about to be added to their number. Yet the time those others had spent cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art... was measured in tens of thousands of years. And Blood Robe... Half a year?! The old man was utterly bewildered; he couldn't even process it. "Stop gasping for cold air—I already feel like this room is getting hot. It's the seventh layer, so hurry up and exchange it for contribution points!" Qi Yuan extended his hand and demanded contribution points. After all, he still needed to attend the Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference. His words jolted the old man awake. This was the first time he had ever encountered such a situation. After all, reaching the seventh layer of the Ancestral Blood Art in less than half a year was simply too shocking. It was no less absurd than if the old ancestor had been farted to death by a three-year-old brat. "This... according to procedure, this old man must report upward," the old man said with difficulty. The scene before him was too exaggerated, too dreamlike, as if entirely fake. Just as on Blue Star, if your neighbor told you he had won the grand lottery prize of a trillion yuan, you probably wouldn't accept it either, finding it completely preposterous. The old man dared not question it directly; he needed to report this upward. As the overseer of the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, he held a privilege ordinary people lacked: he could transmit information from within the pavilion directly to the old ancestor. As he spoke, he brought out a stick of black incense and promptly lit it. In the Black Demon Abyss, black was paramount. Black incense represented the highest tier of message priority. After lighting it, the old man felt uneasy, staring at the seven pillars of blood in a daze. Beyond the celestial vault. Ancestor Ziyuan was refining Black Demon Ancestral Blood. Moments later, a worried look settled over his face. "Sigh, I can't cultivate any further. The Root Demon Tribulation is approaching. With my current cultivation, I probably won't survive the next Root Demon Tribulation." When experts of the Ultimate Principle Realm advanced their cultivation, they faced the Root Demon Tribulation. Each Root Demon Tribulation grew progressively stronger. If the grade of the ultimate principle one comprehended was too low, facing the Root Demon Tribulation meant easily perishing in the Root Demon Sea. Among Ultimate Principle Realm Yang Gods, very few died in battle; most perished during the Root Demon Tribulation. Even Great Ultimate Principle experts had fallen to the Root Demon Tribulation. Only Great Ultimate Principle experts who had mastered a Supreme Ultimate Principle did not have to walk on thin ice when facing the Root Demon Tribulation. "Is this old man's limit truly only three tribulations?" Ancestor Ziyuan lamented. In the realm of Great Ultimate Reason, he had only survived three Root Demon Tribulations. Apart from First Elder, not a single one among the other Great Ultimate Principles had survived four tribulations. "The Linya Molt is also approaching. Better not cultivate. Sigh, being a Great Ultimate Principle is so hard." Ancestor Ziyuan sighed. Then, something came to mind, and he grumbled in displeasure, "With this dog-brain of mine, why did I have to comprehend an ultimate principle of this grade?" Just then, a wisp of faint black smoke drifted up from outside. Ancestor Ziyuan's attention was drawn toward it. "A message from the Ancestral Blood Pavilion..." His thoughts whirled. "Did some prodigy emerge, or perhaps... Blood Robe went to be tested?" Considering it, Blood Robe taking the test was the most likely possibility. An expectant look appeared in his eyes. "Did he reach the third layer, or maybe even the fourth layer?!" He held great hopes for Blood Robe. Hei Jian shared the same source as the Black Demon Ancestral Blood, so it was only natural that Blood Robe's cultivation of the Ancestral Blood Art couldn't match Hei Jian's. But so long as the difference wasn't immense, he could accept it. His hand rested on the black incense. His eyes twitched. "Seventh layer?!" He froze for a moment. Three months... and he reaches the fucking seventh layer?! Are you even human! He was certain Blood Robe had never cultivated the Ancestral Blood Art before. Three months to the seventh layer. This wasn't him fucking cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art—the Ancestral Blood Art was begging him to cultivate it, wasn't it?! Ancestor Ziyuan waved his hand, and the scene inside the Ancestral Blood Pavilion materialized before him. Seven pillars of blood-water, dazzling beyond belief! This proved Blood Robe truly had stepped into the seventh layer in just three months! He stared at Qi Yuan in shock, which instantly gave way to wild ecstasy. "Bullshit Linya Molt! Bullshit Sixth Heaven! This old master is done serving you lot!" The one he wanted to serve... was naturally the young man before him. Remembering something, he frantically activated his Great Ultimate Principle. He had to intercept and obliterate this thread of heavenly secrets!