In an unknown domain of Black Demon Heaven, the rules of the Great Dao circulated.
Eight Great Ultimate Principles sat upon the clouds, their figures obscured.
Black flames burned with crackling pops, accompanied by the faint, muffled rumbles of heavenly tribulation.
At that moment, six Great Ultimate Principles were gathered together, refining a Blood Shaping and Comprehension Elevation Pill.
This pill could greatly boost Hei Jian's cultivation progress and shorten his growth period.
Ordered by the supreme First Elder of the Black Demon Abyss and led by Third Elder, six Great Ultimate Principles who could spare the time expended their vitality to refine it.
"Settle!" Third Elder commanded.
The black flames leapt. The surrounding space collapsed under the searing heat before swiftly knitting back together.
Seeing this, the other five elders each cast their immortal spiritual energy into the fire.
Beneath their obscured forms, their faces paled for a fleeting instant before returning to normal.
Even for beings of their caliber, concocting a Blood Shaping and Comprehension Elevation Pill took a toll on their vitality.
Raging flames blazed. Multicolored liquid coalesced within the space and, driven by immense immortal spiritual power, condensed into pills.
After about an hour, all the Great Ultimate Principles withdrew their immortal spiritual power.
Third Elder took a deep breath, cupping his hands toward the figures shrouded in the void. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"
The Great Ultimate Principles present nodded slightly, their forms slowly fading away.
Seeing this, Third Elder prepared to leave.
Just then, a voice called out to him: "Third Elder, where is my share?"
Ancestor Ziyuan held out his palm with a beaming smile, seemingly in high spirits.
Once he gave this Blood Shaping and Comprehension Elevation Pill to Blood Robe, that lad's talent would leap another notch, and his progress in cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art would accelerate even further.
In less than a century, he might well surpass Hei Jian.
At the thought, Ancestor Ziyuan felt rather smug, silently praising his own discerning eye.
A look of difficulty appeared on Third Elder's face. "Old Six, the Blood Shaping and Comprehension Elevation Pill... I cannot give it to you."
Old Six's smile instantly froze. His gaze turned razor-sharp, and the surrounding space destabilized, threatening to collapse at any moment.
"Why?" Old Six asked in a heavy voice, his expression darkening. "Did the batch fail?"
"No." Old Three shook his head with a bitter look. "It is Master... a decree was handed down. Knowing your temperament well, he deduced that you would definitely demand this pill from me. Thus, his venerable self sent the decree in advance."
Ancestor Ziyuan's face grew terribly grim.
"Old Six, the Old Ancestor personally handed down the order; my hands are tied. Sigh, he also said that with the Linya Molt drawing near, more resources should be devoted to Hei Jian. The Black Demon Abyss is of modest means; we cannot afford to support two Great Ultimate Principles who grasp the Supreme Ultimate Principle."
Old Three shook his head, looking desolate.
There was reason in the Old Ancestor's words.
Given the gathering storms across the Sixth Heaven, the Linya Molt could begin at any moment. When that time came, the entire Sixth Heaven would be plunged into upheaval, and the Black Demon Abyss would not be spared. They had to hurry and nurture Hei Jian so that he could quickly advance to a Great Ultimate Principle commanding the Supreme Ultimate Principle. Only then might the Black Demon Abyss have a chance to become a player at the board and secure a voice in what was to come.
The Black Demon Abyss had limited resources. Spreading them thin risked delaying Hei Jian's ascent to Great Ultimate Principle.
"I contributed my strength to refining this pill!" Ancestor Ziyuan snapped, displeased.
"Master's decree cannot be disobeyed," Old Three sighed.
His meaning was unmistakable: take it up with Master.
Ancestor Ziyuan snorted coldly.
Take it up with Master? Naturally, he would not go. Otherwise, given his temperament, a confrontation would inevitably turn into a fight—something exceptionally disadvantageous for Ziyuan Heaven.
"Summon Hei Jian! Have him restrict his cultivation to Blood Robe's level, let them contest each other, and whoever wins... gets the Black Demon Abyss's resource backing!" Ancestor Ziyuan declared loudly.
In his heart, Blood Robe far surpassed Hei Jian. Of course, that involved secrets that could never be leaked; otherwise, Blood Robe would not survive a single day. But by having Blood Robe defeat Hei Jian fair and square to earn the resources, Ancestor Ziyuan felt there was a slim chance.
Seeing this, Old Three looked troubled. "Old Six, setting aside that Hei Jian's talent stands first in the Black Demon Abyss and Blood Robe cannot possibly defeat him... even if he did win, would Master change his mind? Hei Jian shares the same origin as the Black Demon Ancestral Blood. That single fact predetermines that he will be the sole... leader of our Black Demon Abyss!"
Third Elder naturally did not believe Blood Robe could defeat Hei Jian. Even across the wider Sixth Heaven, Blood Robe's talent would easily rank in the top ten. Yet Hei Jian shared origin with the Black Demon Ancestral Blood, an incomparably noble lineage. Either fact alone was enough to shake the Sixth Heaven, let alone both embodied in one person.
Ancestor Ziyuan's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and swept away.
He had no choice but to swallow this loss.
Watching Ancestor Ziyuan's departing back, Old Three let out a long sigh. "I hope Hei Jian steps into the Great Ultimate Principle Realm soon. Otherwise... the Black Demon Abyss is not far from falling apart."
***
In an overlooked corner of Tianxuan Cliff, Qi Yuan opened his eyes, a golden gleam flashing within them.
"Ninth layer."
By devouring the Black Demon Ancestral Blood to accelerate his practice of the Ancestral Blood Art, he had finally broken through to the ninth layer in short order.
The ninth layer of the Ancestral Blood Art was immensely powerful, enough to elevate his Myriad Dao Martial God cultivation to match the Lesser Ultimate Principle Realm.
"I've grown stronger... and caught heavy metal poisoning."
Qi Yuan took a look at himself.
This time, the gold in his blood had multiplied, and even his pupils carried a thread of gold, making him look rather eerie and menacing.
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan dyed his blood red once more and turned his eyes back to black.
"Now that I can barely protect myself, I can sneak over to see who on earth plotted against me!"
The immense power of the Ultimate Principle Realm gave Qi Yuan a tiny sliver of security.
With a flicker, he broke out of Tianxuan Cliff and returned to the Sixth Heaven.
***
Inside Tianxuan City, the woman in gold narrowed her eyes, looking displeased.
"Still no trace of Blood Robe?"
She was growing anxious. A mere Blood Robe was not worth wasting too much of her time. She planned to kill him, refine his divine soul into a spirit emissary to absorb into her Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and make a clean getaway.
Fleeing was an absolute necessity. If a prodigy of Demon Scion rank were slain, the Yang Gods of Ziyuan Heaven would certainly fly into a rage and hunt her down. She would only need to flee into the domain of Guiyu Heaven and lie low. Would any Yang God truly risk their life just for Blood Robe by barging into Guiyu Heaven?
"Senior Sister, our people have laid an inescapable net with formations everywhere. The moment he appears, we will definitely spot him!" The young man bowed his head, not daring to look straight at his senior sister.
"So he's been hiding somewhere, too scared to show his face?" the woman in gold remarked coldly.
Right at that moment, a voice laden with killing intent drifted over from nearby.
A man clad in crimson robes appeared, his figure indistinct and his features obscured.
"Have whoever put you up to this show themselves. I'd like to see who dared scheme against me!"
"You're Blood Robe?" The woman in gold looked startled, then delighted. "To slip past the formations and sneak in undetected—you have some skill after all!"
She had never expected the Blood Robe she was hunting to deliver himself straight to her door.
"Someone putting me up to this? No one. It is I... who wants you dead!"
With that, the woman in gold strode forward, a mighty aura surging around her.
She had traveled far along the Mythological realm, carrying an aura far beyond ordinary Mythological cultivators. In terms of strength, she was notably superior to Horned Sis.
As she advanced, a sinister Ten Thousand Soul Banner manifested.
In an instant, the world seemed to erupt with ghostly wails and howling wolves as countless wronged souls shrieked in agony. Demonic qi soared skyward, and shadowy spirits flickered in an eerie, murky gloom.
Holding the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, the woman in gold looked like an emissary descending from the underworld.
"Blood Robe, remember this: the one who kills you is... Mona!"
The soul banner billowed as yin winds raged.
Facing Blood Robe, Mona held nothing back, opening with her absolute strongest attack.
Not far away, Qi Yuan stared intently at Mona, a hint of bewilderment on his face. "There really is no one behind you?"
"Hmph, no one!"
The soul banner shuddered, and countless spirits let out shrill shrieks.
A formidable divine soul attack bore down on Qi Yuan.
The piercing, agonizing screams of tens of thousands of remnant souls rattled his eardrums and struck straight at his divine soul.
Qi Yuan froze in disbelief. "No one? A puny Mythological like you dared scheme against me? Who gave you the guts!"
Qi Yuan laughed from sheer exasperation.
Before Mona's horrified eyes, his arm reached out and clamped directly around the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
With a sharp crack, the formidable Ten Thousand Soul Banner shattered into pieces.
Mona stared in utter shock.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner... broken?
This was her Ten Thousand Soul Banner, a supreme treasure she had refined for a hundred thousand years!
"You..." Terrified bewilderment washed over her face.
Before she could make another move, an immense force crashed in, and a gaping bloody hole was punched through her chest.
Qi Yuan's hand gripped her heart, his voice cool and indifferent. "Speak quickly. Who put you up to this?"
This speed? This immortal art?
Mona was completely stunned, the dharmic powers throughout her body utterly suppressed.
The crushing pressure Blood Robe exerted on her reminded her of Hei Jian.
Pale-faced and trembling with fright, she could not manage a single word.
"Talk, don't force me. I never hit women!" Qi Yuan said earnestly.
At times, he could be quite chivalrous.
Though Mona's body was immobilized and unable to reply, hearing those words sparked a ray of hope in her eyes.
Could it be... she might still live?
"Damn it, you still won't talk!"
Qi Yuan had fully confirmed that Mona alone had plotted against him, with no one pulling the strings from behind.
"Gave me a fright! Courting death!"
With a surge of formidable dharmic power, Qi Yuan shattered Mona's divine soul into dust.
Despair flooded Mona's face. In her final moments, she finally managed to send a sound transmission: "Didn't you say you don't hit... women?"
Looking at Mona's crumbling remains, Qi Yuan said solemnly, "When did I hit you? I killed you!"
Qi Yuan felt rather pleased with himself.
Even if she argued that killing counted as hitting, he still had an ultimate move: revoking her womanhood on the spot.
The jimei back on Blue Star had plenty of experience with that kind of logic.
Qi Yuan knew plenty of guys who never took pictures while traveling, opting instead to steal scenic photos posted by jimei on lifestyle apps to put on their own Moments.
In a breath, Mona perished.
Inside the hall, the cultivators from Guiyu Heaven trembled in sheer terror.
"Y-You..."
"You what?"
Qi Yuan's gaze was placid. He struck without hesitation, unleashing a mighty punch.
Instantly, space throughout the hall caved in, and the Guiyu Heaven cultivators were wiped out on the spot.
Looking at Mona's corpse, Qi Yuan grew cautious. "Time to run, before a Yang God comes chasing!"
Mona's body bore the imprint of a Yang God.
With her death, that Yang God would definitely know right away and might charge over in pursuit.
The best move now was to head straight back to Ziyuan Heaven.
After all, who knew how strong a Yang God coming from Guiyu Heaven would be?
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan stepped onto the teleportation formation and headed toward Ziyuan Heaven.
About a hundred breaths later, a terrifying aura swept over Tianxuan City.
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth roiled as a furious voice echoed through the entire city.
"What audacity!"
Heavenly Venerable Motang appeared above Tianxuan City, her presence alone making the entire city feel as if it were on the verge of collapse.
At the sight, the cultivators fell into panic and awe, bowing their heads in reverence, not daring to offer the slightest resistance.
This was a Yang God Heavenly Venerable!
When a Heavenly Venerable flew into a rage, far more than ten thousand li would be strewn with corpses!
Looking at Mona's shattered remains, deep fury surged in Heavenly Venerable Motang's eyes.
In an instant, a flood of information rushed into her mind, and the rage on her face intensified. "Black Demon Abyss... Blood Robe... To kill my granddaughter, my flesh and blood! This matter... is far from over!"
"Curse him! To kill her so thoroughly that not even a scrap of divine soul remains, leaving nothing to collect into a Ten Thousand Soul Banner—what a waste of good materials!"
Without hesitation, she stepped straight onto the teleportation formation.
She was going to blockade the gates of the Black Demon Abyss and demand an explanation.
Naturally, she knew no meaningful outcome would come of it, nor could she slay Blood Robe.
Yet with her granddaughter dead, her heart would find no peace if she did not tear off a piece of their flesh.
As for saving face?
Did the Yang God Heavenly Venerables of Black Demon Abyss and Guiyu Heaven... have any face left to care about?
The remaining cultivators in Tianxuan City felt huge waves crash in their hearts. They knew that an immense storm was brewing.
***
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan stepped out of the teleportation formation and sprinted non-stop straight back into Ziyuan Heaven.
"Sure enough, having a great faction backing you is wonderful."
Once inside Ziyuan Heaven, Qi Yuan's heart settled completely.
In the past, the enemies he faced had always been far too powerful, and his sects could hardly shield him from the tempest.
Now, inside Ziyuan Heaven, he actually enjoyed such protection.
It made Qi Yuan feel more and more that having a great sect behind him made getting things done much easier.
"Senior Brother Blood Robe, you're back! Why in such a hurry?"
Just as he returned to Ziyuan Heaven from the teleportation formation, Ziyuan Xiaolu appeared nearby, clutching the corner of her dress with a curious expression.
"Sigh, I got tangled up with a toxic woman, so I had no choice but to kill her. Who knew that after killing the young one, an old one showed up, so I rushed back."
Qi Yuan said.
"Huh?" Ziyuan Xiaolu looked puzzled.
Nearby, An Xunlu appeared. "Hmph, why didn't you kill the old one too? If Big Brother Hei Jian were here, he would have killed the old one as well."
Hearing An Xunlu's words, Qi Yuan's face lit up with delight. "Hei Jian can really kill them? The old one... seems to have followed me here!"
An Xunlu felt rather smug and was about to reply when suddenly, an immense roar came from beyond the celestial canopy, reverberating across the firmament.
"Who dares kill my granddaughter Mona? Hand over Blood Robe!"
Heavenly Venerable Motang bellowed, her voice carrying across ten thousand li.
She stood outside the celestial canopy, here to demand an explanation—or rather, to extort some compensation.
Hearing that voice, An Xunlu's face changed slightly.
Qi Yuan leaned close to her and whispered, "The old one's here. Quick, go call Hei Jian and see if he can kill her!"
An Xunlu's face flushed crimson instantly, and she gritted her teeth. "Keep dreaming!"
This was a Yang God Heavenly Venerable!
This Blood Robe truly had nerve, actually daring to kill Mona.
She looked at Qi Yuan with guarded apprehension in her eyes.
Mona was a renowned prodigy of Guiyu Heaven.
Several thousand years ago, Big Brother Hei Jian had defeated her in three sword strikes.
Yet one had to remember that even Bing Jian could not withstand three strikes from Big Brother Hei Jian.
For Blood Robe to actually kill Mona meant his strength... might well be notably superior to Bing Jian's!
Beside them, Ziyuan Xiaolu blinked. "Senior Brother Blood Robe is amazing!" she declared proudly.
At that moment, Qi Yuan turned to An Xunlu and said, "Sigh, since Hei Jian can't kill her, why are you posturing on his behalf? Doesn't he have hands of his own?"
Chapter 436