Chapter 503 - 484: The Biggest Contributor

Chapter 503: Chapter 484: The Biggest Contributor

The fighting spirit of the Blood Sea Sect Cultivators was rapidly plummeting. Their Sect Leader, Blood God True Monarch, had actually abandoned the Sect and fled, and the Joyful Sect now had two more Nascent Soul True Monarchs joining the fight.

The scales of battle had clearly tipped to one side.

At this moment, the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map, laid out long ago, finally proved its worth.

Previously, when facing Blood God True Monarch, it had been a mere decoration, making people doubt whether it was a genuine Tier Four Array Map.

When the Blood Sea Sect Cultivators tried to use their Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique to perform a Blood Escape, they were all blasted by successive bolts of Thunderbolt, interrupting their attempts.

Even one of the Blood Sea Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs was struck by a thunderbolt formed from the Five Thunders Convergence. He was knocked straight out of his Blood Shadow state, cutting a pathetic figure.

’What a Sect war—it started with a bang and is ending with a whimper. Who could have expected such a tumultuous course of events...’

Xuan Nü murmured to herself. Her original goal was merely to make the Blood Sea Sect cede some of its territory. But as the war progressed and the enemy appeared so weak, her ambition swelled.

However, the appearance of Blood God True Monarch was undoubtedly a rude awakening.

Not only had his Cultivation fully recovered, but his Divine Techniques were even more powerful and bizarre than before. Even without the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword, his strength was on par with hers.

Furthermore, his Divine Power Magical Techniques were clearly superior. He could come and go as he pleased and even had the leeway to attack others.

If not for the unexpected reinforcements, Xuan Nü would have had to use the projection of that Purple Mansion Treasure to trap the enemy, then personally stay behind to cover the Joyful Sect Cultivators’ retreat.

It was foreseeable that the path back would have been paved with flesh and blood; it would have been a good outcome if even three out of ten made it back to the Mountain Gate.

But it was precisely because of these unexpected factors that Blood God True Monarch, after suffering a setback, made a decisive escape that took both sides by surprise.

He had even destroyed the Blood Sea Sect’s own Tier Four Grand Array to directly summon the Blood Sea.

Otherwise, if the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs had simply defended their gates without taking a single step out, they would have been very difficult to defeat.

’His behavior was strange, his True Essence contained a heart-palpitating power, and he even performed a forbidden act like sacrificing an Earth Vein to create Demon Land so naturally... That poor Blood God True Monarch. A titan of his generation, yet he met such an end, with no chance for reincarnation.’

The Xuan Nü lineage’s history was far more ancient than that of the Joyful Sect.

First came the Xuan Nü’s legacy, and only then was the Sect founded.

It was likely tens of thousands of years later that the Xuan Nü of that generation decided to establish a Sect, creating the Joyful Sect.

The first disciples were the handmaidens and guards who followed that Xuan Nü.

When it came to certain secrets of Ancient Times, the Xuan Nü lineage’s understanding was no less than that of the Super Sects.

Xuan Nü was not surprised by what had happened to ’Blood God True Monarch’. The more profound a Demon Path Cultivator’s Cultivation Technique, the greater the chance of attracting a Demon Thought.

Those Demon Venerables who performed a Descent Realm were all Void Refining Cultivators who had survived since Ancient Times. It was only due to the constraints of the Laws of Heaven and Earth that their Cultivation had been suppressed to Divinity Transformation Perfection.

Among the Demon Race Cultivators trapped in the Human World, some had been slain and suppressed, some had failed to endure the long river of time and perished completely, and others survived only as a Divine Thought, bewitching Demon Cultivators and using a host to regain their strength.

In the inherited memories of the successive Xuan Nüs, such situations had occurred many times.

In the beginning, a Cultivator might think they had stumbled upon some great Immortal Fate, with their Cultivation soaring and their lucky encounters unending.

But if they managed to reach the Nascent Soul stage, their success would turn them into a sweet, ripe fruit to be devoured directly by the Demon Venerable’s Divine Thought.

The Forbidden seals placed in the deepest parts of their Sea of Consciousness could not be uncovered by any detection method.

’I wonder if it was lurking in him all along, or if it took advantage of his weakness when he returned heavily injured... If it’s the former, I fear all his so-called lucky encounters in this life were nothing but a pre-arranged puppet show, where he was unknowingly guided to each discovery.’

A chill ran down Xuan Nü’s spine. The speculation was horrifying.

To think his supposedly brilliant life was actually just following a pre-determined script.

Being the Blood Sea Sect’s hope for Divinity Transformation, conquering a Tier Five Demon Sword that no one had subdued for ten thousand years, having various Spiritual Treasures vie to acknowledge him as their master...

All of it was orchestrated by the Demon Venerable’s Divine Thought, making him believe it was the result of his own hard work and heaven’s favor.

’Even in defeat, my own methods would have been insufficient to stop a Blood God True Monarch who was dead set on escaping.’

’The pure True Demon Qi within his blood light, the powerful Secret Technique he activated that surpassed his Realm—they were even more terrifying than the few Divinity Transformation Level Divine Techniques in my lineage’s inherited memories.’

’I’m afraid only a Divinity Transformation Great Power intervening personally could capture him.’

As Xuan Nü and Ruoxi, now freed up, joined the battlefield, the expressions of the three Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul True Monarchs turned ugly. The space they could move in grew smaller and smaller.

"Fellow Daoist, I’m here to help!"

Bai Zichen’s figure flickered as he took the initiative to move near the Sword-Controlling Divine General.

The man seemed to read his mind; with a shift of his Sword Light, he let him in.

The two joined forces, beating the opposing Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul Cultivator until he was screaming in agony.

One hid his Realm of Refining Sword into Silk, while the other relied solely on his formidable physique. Even so, with the Blood Shadow Escape Technique suppressed by the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map, after several hundred exchanges, Bai Zichen caught an opening as the man switched between his tangible and intangible states and smashed a fist into his head.

It exploded like a ripe watermelon.

The exposed Nascent Soul shot them a venomous glare. Clutching a Blood Bottle, it teleported, attempting to force its way out of the Array Map.

Bai Zichen watched quietly, displaying only the capabilities expected of an Early-Stage Nascent Soul Body Cultivator.

He was confident the Joyful Sect would not let this Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul escape. Otherwise, even if they annihilated the Blood Sea Sect, they would face endless retaliation in the future and would know no peace.

A streak of clear light descended, covering the crimson Nascent Soul in an unremarkable fashion. The very instant it tried to teleport through the void, the space around it was sealed.

The crimson Nascent Soul slammed headfirst into an invisible wall and was sent flying back, its face ashen. It tried to find another exit, but the two men who had caught up to it blocked its path.

Several hours later, the Sword-Controlling Divine General formed a Curse with his hands. Countless threads of profound yin flew out, and the tightly bound crimson Nascent Soul fell unconscious, losing all power to resist.

But the man was still not at ease. He produced three black, jujube-pit-sized nails. He inserted one into the crown of its head, pierced another through its navel, and drove the third into the vital point on its back.

Only with these two measures in place did he finally feel relieved.

Bai Zichen witnessed firsthand just how difficult it was to kill a Nascent Soul True Monarch under normal circumstances.

Without overwhelming power, even with the two of them holding a complete advantage, even with the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map suppressing their opponent’s Escape Technique, and even with Xuan Nü high in the sky lending her assistance by gathering Grotto Heaven Power, it still took all their effort just to capture the first Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul.

"I am Lü Siwei of the Joyful Sect. Many thanks for your staunch assistance, Fellow Daoist..."

The Sword-Controlling Divine General didn’t waste words. He knew he would need this Nascent Soul Body Cultivator’s help later, as the man’s physical prowess surpassed even his own Divine General’s body.

"You may take half of the Treasures in this man’s Realm, Fellow Daoist."

Using some unknown method, Lü Siwei forcibly tore open the Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul’s Realm, exposing a lifetime of savings.

In a situation like this, it was impossible to pick through everything item by item; one could only rely on their eye and Spiritual Sense to make a rough appraisal.

"Since you’re so generous, Fellow Daoist, it would be rude of me to refuse."

Bai Zichen inwardly looked at Lü Siwei with new respect. ’If we were to divide the spoils after the battle, the situation would be entirely under the Joyful Sect’s control.’

’A lone Cultivator facing a Nascent Soul Major Sect would naturally be worried about the distribution of loot, fearing he’d get the short end of the stick.’

’Distributing it on the spot eliminates that worry.’

’Lü Siwei’s true strength is second only to Xuan Nü in the Joyful Sect. He’s deeply cunning yet acts with such magnanimity. His motives are probably far from simple.’

However, that was an internal struggle within the Joyful Sect and had nothing to do with him, so there was no need to expose it.

Aside from a few Treasures that shone with the most brilliant Treasure Light, the mountain of items piled in the Realm was split in half.

Bai Zichen didn’t even glance at the finished Magical Treasures, nor did he dare touch the Spirit Pills left behind by the Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul. He simply took a few High-Tier Spiritual Materials and stopped.

With a wave of his sleeve, a gentle breeze swept by, and items enough to fill several Top-Grade Storage Bags vanished.

Lü Siwei’s eyes flashed with surprise. There were two Top-Grade Magical Treasures in the pile. He had assumed the other man would surely take one, but he hadn’t expected him to only take Spiritual Materials.

In terms of value, the two shares were likely comparable.

But even if one couldn’t use a Top-Grade Magical Treasure, it could always be sold to someone else.

Selling High-Tier Spiritual Materials, however, required a bit more luck. Without a suitable buyer, they would just sit idle in one’s treasury.

Compared to Top-Grade Magical Treasures, High-Tier Spiritual Materials were definitely much less liquid.

’Could it be that this person is also an Artifact Refiner? Is that why he made such a choice?’

Lü Siwei closed the Realm and tossed the Blood Sea Sect Nascent Soul into a special Golden Silk Pouch.

The two men exchanged a look and charged toward their next target.

...

It was common for wars of annihilation between Nascent Soul Sects to last for several years, or even decades.

The once-thriving Blood Sea Sect, after being besieged by the Joyful Sect for more than half a year, was utterly annihilated on the fifth day after all-out war erupted. This set a new record of sorts.

Although the sounds of battle still echoed within the Blood Sea Sect’s Mountain Gate as Treasure Light clashed and Magic exploded, many disciples were still putting up a desperate last stand, relying on internal Arrays and layers of Forbidden seals.

But with the fall of the Blood Sea Sect’s three Nascent Soul True Monarchs—either killed or captured—the outcome of the war was set in stone.

All that remained was the cleanup, and the question of how many spoils of war the Joyful Sect could salvage.

"First target, the Transmission Pavilion! Extinguish the Demon Fire and preserve every Cultivation Technique Manual you can... As for the Blood Sea Sect disciples who set fire to the mountain in a last-ditch attempt at mutual destruction, don’t kill them. Hang them in front of the Mountain Gate, and test every single one of their own sect’s harsh rules on them, one by one."

Despite the sect-destroying war, Xuan Nü’s white gauze remained spotless, and not a single speck of dirt or blood stained her bare feet. She looked pure and otherworldly.

With a wave of her hand, she sealed the tragic fate of dozens of Blood Sea Sect disciples.

Among the Joyful Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs, Xuan Nü had contributed the most. She had fought Blood God True Monarch and had also drawn upon the scarce Grotto Heaven Power within her Realm to bind the three remaining Blood Sea Sect Nascent Souls, preventing them from abandoning their bodies to escape.

She wasn’t overly concerned about the escape of ’Blood God True Monarch’. ’A Cultivator who has clearly been replaced by a Demon Thought would hardly turn back to avenge the Blood Sea Sect. Its first priority will be finding a suitable body to survive.’

’Otherwise, rejected by the heavens and the earth, it won’t be able to live for long.’

The three remaining Early-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators, however, were a different story. If even one of them escaped, it would be a huge disaster.

From now on, any Joyful Sect disciple who left the Mountain Gate could be subjected to the brutal revenge of a Nascent Soul True Monarch at any time.

’Speaking of which, I should actually thank that parasitic Demon Thought. If it hadn’t destroyed the Grand Array first before turning tail and running, how could this have been so easy...?’

Xuan Nü was filled with a strange mix of emotions. She then turned to Lü Siwei, who was standing before her.

"Junior Brother Lü, how much do you know about that Nascent Soul Body Cultivator from the Central Domain?"