Chapter 407 - 367: Nether Spring

Within the meditation chamber, the blood-red light had yet to fade.

The Taiyou Nether Spring Dharma Body—Nether Spring—slowly opened his eyes, which were as deep as an abyss of blood.

Unlike the Great Sun Purple Extreme True Monarch, whose path from Buddhism to the Dao was one of light and integrity, his own Demon Dao aura was pure, tyrannical, and so potent it was almost tangible.

His hair, black as ink, cascaded down like a waterfall. Flowing, dark golden patterns of blood adorned his crimson Magic Robe. His face bore a strong resemblance to Qi Yun’s true self, yet he projected a sharper, more imposing aura.

The vicious and sinister air about him was so intense it threatened to erupt from his very being.

With a flick of his sleeves and a smile playing on his lips, Nether Spring faced Qi Yun’s true self and gave a slight bow.

"I, Nether Spring, greet my True Self."

His voice was deep, carrying an echo like the tides of the Blood Sea—a stark contrast to his youthful, wicked appearance.

Qi Yun’s true self stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his deep blue Daoist Robe accentuating his calm and profound aura.

His gaze fell upon Nether Spring’s face, lingering for a moment on the features so like his own before he slowly shook his head.

"This face won’t do."

"Change it."

The profound ability of his Primordial True Body to generate Dharma Bodies was one of his greatest trump cards.

Until he became a True Monarch and possessed enough power to protect himself, he was determined to prevent any outsiders from glimpsing this secret.

A Dharma Body that looked nothing like his true self would undoubtedly spare him a great deal of unnecessary suspicion and trouble.

"Mm."

Nether Spring voiced no objection. With a soft grunt of assent, he swept a sleeve across his face.

In an instant, the bones and muscles of his face seemed to ripple like water as his features subtly transformed.

His eyebrows canted more sharply toward his temples, his nose grew high and chiseled, his lips thinned into a severe line, and his jaw became as sharp as if it were carved.

Though he was still handsome, any resemblance to Qi Yun was gone, replaced by a more wanton and overt evil nature.

This was especially true of his eyes. The corners tilted upward slightly, and faint, blood-red vortexes swirled in their depths. His every glance held a soul-stealing demonic charm.

"How’s this?" Nether Spring smiled, the expression on his new face a mask of roguish arrogance.

Qi Yun’s true self studied him for a moment, then nodded.

"Acceptable."

He said no more and turned to leave.

The Blood Sea Dharma Body was complete, and the secrets of the Blood Spirit Scripture were unlocked. All that remained was for Nether Spring to follow the steps of cultivation, attain the rank of True Monarch through the Blood Sea Dao as soon as possible, and personally experience the profundity of the Profound Yellow Dao Certification Method.

His true self still had many matters to attend to. He had only just grasped power in the Holy Sect and needed to solidify his authority. Furthermore, his own path to the Venerable Dao Foundation required him to be cautious with every step.

Yet, just as he took a step, Nether Spring’s voice came from behind.

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment."

Qi Yun stopped and glanced back, a question in his eyes. "What is it?"

But Nether Spring didn’t answer directly. The smile on his lips widened, laced with a strange cunning unique to the Blood Sea.

"There’s something I need to show you... You’ll understand once you see."

Before the words had even left his mouth, he raised his right hand, palm up, and slowly unfurled his fingers.

WHOOSH—

Within the meditation chamber, the blood-red light, which had started to fade, suddenly blazed forth again!

It didn’t spread outward; instead, it converged frantically upon his palm, collapsing inward!

In the blink of an eye, a miniature, viscous, churning Blood Sea took shape in his palm.

Though this Blood Sea was small, its essence of filth, malevolence, and violence was condensed to an extreme purity. As the blood waves roiled, the death wails and Curses of innumerable creatures seemed to rise and fall within it.

Next, from the depths of the palm-sized Blood Sea, orbs of dark red light, one by one, were lifted by some invisible force, slowly rising from the vile, sinister liquid.

The orbs were about the size of a fist. There were over a hundred of them, and they hovered above the Blood Sea, arranged in some kind of esoteric formation.

Within each orb of dark, blood-red light, the blurry, spectral image of a face was faintly visible.

The faces belonged to men and women, young and old, with varied expressions: some were savage, some despairing, and some were utterly blank.

Yet all of them emanated fluctuations of aura that originated from the Blood Spirit Scripture, varying only in strength.

The gaze of Qi Yun’s true self swept over the orbs of blood, one by one.

At first, he merely watched them with calm scrutiny.

Most of the faces were unfamiliar; they had to be the imprints left on the Blood Sea Dao by Cultivators throughout history who had practiced the Blood Spirit Scripture, regardless of whether they had perished or were still alive.

It was not surprising that Nether Spring, as the Blood Sea Dharma Body, could sense and gather these imprints.

However, when his gaze swept over one of the orbs in the back, his pupils constricted in an instant!

The face within that orb of blood-red light was old and wrinkled. Its eyes were clouded, yet they held a profound weariness born from having weathered the vicissitudes of life.

Although slightly distorted and blurred by the surrounding blood-red light, the familiar contours, the faint line between his brows from a lifetime of frowning...

The aura around Qi Yun’s true self froze for an almost imperceptible instant.

Nether Spring took in his entire reaction. A flicker of understanding crossed his blood-red eyes as he began to speak, his voice cutting through the tidal sounds of the Blood Sea with stark clarity.

"The Blood Sea Dao is arrogant and tyrannical, but... its connections run deep."

"Anyone who cultivates the Blood Spirit Scripture, regardless of their level of Cultivation or their success, forges an unbreakable, unseen connection between their qi, blood, and Divine Soul and this Blood Sea."

With a light tap of his finger, the blood orbs flickered erratically.

"This connection is like a brand."

"Ordinarily, it allows practitioners to sense, borrow, and command the Power of the Blood Sea, causing their Cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds."

"Conversely, however, the insidious corrosion and assimilation from the Blood Sea’s very source also uses this connection, working on the practitioner’s body and mind day and night without rest."

"This is one of the root causes of the ’backlash’."

Nether Spring paused, his gaze falling on the orb with the old man’s face. His tone took on a peculiar quality.

"And more importantly... even if a practitioner’s body dies and their dao perishes, and their Divine Soul enters the cycle of reincarnation, as long as their True Spirit is not utterly annihilated, this ’brand’ from the Blood Spirit Scripture—this link to the Blood Sea Dao—will follow them like a shadow, clinging to them eternally."

"The spectral images within these orbs... they are every person who has ever practiced this technique since the Blood Spirit Scripture’s creation and left their mark upon the Blood Sea..."

His explanation completely confirmed Qi Yun’s earlier suspicions and revealed a much deeper purpose behind the design of the Blood Spirit Scripture.

This was not merely a Cultivation Skill for controlling the living, but a terrifying tool... for tracking, and even influencing, their reincarnated selves.

Qi Yun’s true self remained silent, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed for a long time on the blood-red reflection that belonged to the Elder Master.

Within the blood-red light, the old man’s face was indistinct. His eyes were shut tight, as if he were slumbering in an endless, filthy Blood Sea, enduring its ceaseless corrosion.

In the meditation chamber, the only sound was the thick, churning slosh of the Blood Sea.

After a long while, Qi Yun suddenly broke into a smile.

It was a faint smile, yet it swept away his earlier solemnity. Deep within his eyes, a warm, determined light ignited, blending strangely with the profound aura he held as the Sect Leader of the Demon Sect.

He spoke softly, his voice calm, yet every word was crystal clear, carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Good."

"When I was weak, adrift like a weed in the water, I was indebted to my Master for his secret protection and his final words of guidance."

"I was powerless then and could only hold the debt in my heart."

His gaze seemed to pierce through the blood-red light, seeing the gray-robed elder who, even as his own life was ending, had used all his strength to leave a warning behind.

"Today..."

Qi Yun slowly raised his hand, pointing toward the orb of blood that held the Elder Master. No power erupted from his fingertip, but an invisible and vast will began to emanate from him as he spoke.

"It is time for this disciple..."

"to protect you."

As his words fell, the Blood Sea within the chamber fell silent.

Nether Spring’s blood-red eyes narrowed. Gazing at the unshakable will in his true self’s eyes, the roguish, wicked smile slowly faded from his face.

He gave a slight nod, and the Blood Sea in his palm, along with the hundred-odd orbs of blood, vanished without a trace.

"Nether Spring, I want you to handle this. Notify me when you find him."

Qi Yun’s words hung in the meditation chamber, filled with indisputable resolve.

There was still much to handle within the Holy Sect. The True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law’s tolerance was only temporary, and the situation could change at any moment. He had to use his time in power to pave his own path toward becoming a True Monarch.

The Blood Sea Dharma Body was connected to the very source of the Blood Spirit Scripture; its sensitivity to the unseen connection with the Blood Sea was far sharper than that of any outsider.

Having him search for the Elder Master’s reincarnation was the most suitable choice.

Nether Spring raised his blood-red eyes. Seeing the sharp intent in his true self’s gaze, he understood the gravity of the matter.

He nodded slightly, his crimson sleeves stirring in a nonexistent breeze.

"Understood."

Qi Yun’s true self said no more, but he didn’t leave right away.

His eyes fell half-closed, and his aura settled. A faint, Chaos-colored light began to circulate over his deep blue Daoist Robe.

He lifted his fingertips, making swift gestures and calculations in the air as he silently divined the web of karma and the omens of fortune and misfortune surrounding Nether Spring’s journey.

The meditation chamber fell deathly silent.

After a moment, Qi Yun’s fingers paused, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The omens were mixed, a blend of fortune and calamity. The threads of karma were tangled and unclear, as if shrouded by a thick fog or stirred by several powerful external forces, making it impossible to glimpse the true future.

Only one thing was vaguely discernible: the place involved had a vast and chaotic aura, thick with the rhythm of water... It was, without a doubt, the Overseas.

"This journey..." Qi Yun opened his eyes, the light of Chaos not yet fully retracted. He looked to Nether Spring, his tone turning grave.

"The omens are chaotic and karma is unclear. It is indeed the Overseas."

"The powers there are a tangled mess, nothing like the landscape of Central Earth. There are far too many variables."

"You must..."

"I’ll be careful," Nether Spring said with a nod.

"No."

"I’m saying—you are to act without restraint."

A subtle ripple passed through Nether Spring’s blood-red eyes.

Qi Yun continued, his voice low but each word landing with the weight of a heavy hammer striking Profound Iron.

"At any and all costs."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"I will handle any trouble that arises."

"The Holy Sect is in my hands now, and Great Sun Purple Extreme is by my side."

"Even if a True Monarch interferes... it won’t be a problem!"

He leaned forward slightly, locking his gaze on Nether Spring. The absolute will of the Demon Sect’s Sect Leader and possessor of the Venerable Dao Foundation—a will usually hidden beneath a gentle exterior—was now unleashed without reservation.

"On this journey, you need only remember one thing—"

"Find my Master’s reincarnation, and protect him."

"And then,"

Qi Yun’s voice was low, yet it carried a resolute, unshakeable power.

"Safely..."

"Bring him back to me."

The air in the meditation chamber seemed to freeze.

Nether Spring listened in silence, then nodded.

"When do I leave?" Nether Spring asked.

"Immediately." With a wave of his sleeve, Qi Yun sent a dark gold Storage Ring flying toward Nether Spring.

"There are some things inside you may find useful in the Overseas."

"The Holy Sect has a few hidden agents in the Overseas. Their contact information is in there as well."

Nether Spring caught the ring. He swept it with his Divine Thought, nodded, and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Go," Qi Yun said, giving him one last, profound look. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll return."

Nether Spring said no more. His crimson figure flickered, and he transformed into a viscous, blood-red streak of light, vanishing in an instant.

The meditation chamber returned to silence.

Qi Yun stood alone for a moment, then took out the purple-gold Taixu Jade Order that signified his status as Vice Sect Leader of the Holy Sect and sent a message.

"Qian Xin, Qing Li, Flowing Light—come to Taixu Hall and see me."

...