The Blood of Heaven and Earth

“So the so-called Ancestral Dragon Village is actually that Primordial Ancient Village? Unexpected.”

“What is here, really?”

“Unclear. It seems to be a place that even half-ancestors dread. Let's dig three feet down and search thoroughly—take anything suspicious away.”

“But that crazy old man is blocking the way. No one can move him.”

For nearly two months, cultivators had been arriving, only to be turned back by Shanwaishan.

Xiao Chen knew that the ancient village could no longer remain peaceful. The flames of war had reached even here. He strode out of the village and walked straight into the forest.

“Hey, looks like a cultivator. He's coming toward us.” Someone sneered. In the distance, more people watched in silence, concealed.

The ancient locust forest cast dappled shadows, spreading a wide swath of cool shade.

Two cultivators stepped forward and blocked Xiao Chen's path. “You came out of that village. You're no ordinary mountain folk—you're a cultivator. So you have to come with us.”

“Ridiculous. You say come, and I just follow?” Xiao Chen walked forward slowly, unhurried. “You don't look like you're from the Cultivation World. Could you be from the World of Immortality?”

The two stepped back involuntarily, sensing they were facing an expert. They no longer dared treat him like a commoner.

“Kill him!” A cold shout came from deep in the woods. Two old men shot forward like lightning. At the same time, the two younger cultivators near Xiao Chen also attacked.

After two months of sitting on the Yellow Clay Altar, Xiao Chen had undergone a transformation. His spiritual senses were now extremely sharp. In an instant, he caught a trace of a woman’s figure—it was someone from the Tiger family—Hu Diewu.

This woman had fought Xiao Chen before. Back in Yin Capital of the World of Immortality, when several demigods of the Tiger family fell, she alone had escaped. She was a close friend of Hai Yunxue, who had married into the Tiger family.

Bang! Bang!

The two young cultivators had barely reached Xiao Chen when they flew backward, spitting blood, their eyes filled with horror. The light in Xiao Chen’s pupils faded. Cold electricity flickered in his gaze, as sharp as sword energy, directly shattering the bones inside their bodies.

At the same time, the two old men charged forward without a word, striking to kill, intent on ending his life immediately.

“The Tiger family really is a lingering curse…”

Since emerging into the world, the most troublesome enemy Xiao Chen had faced was the Tiger family, entangled with him endlessly. He dodged the two old men’s pounce with his peerless movement technique, streaking into the forest like a wisp of smoke, charging at Hu Diewu. Capture the leader to defeat the band.

Hu Diewu was a junior of the Tiger family, but she was the patriarch’s beloved youngest daughter, a person of extraordinary status. Killing her would be worth more than killing two aged demigods.

Hu Diewu sneered, her expression unchanged.

Swish, swish, swish!

Shadows flickered repeatedly in the forest. Nine old men materialized as if from nowhere, all deep in shadow, carrying no trace of life force. Xiao Chen retreated decisively without a moment’s hesitation. The nine lifeless shadows followed like specters, striking like lightning.

“They were prepared for that crazy old man. I didn’t expect to find you here too. Perfect—I’ll take your life.” Hu Diewu laughed coldly. “Even if you were a Deathless Longevity expert, you couldn’t escape the Shadow Hands.”

This was a foul art. After powerful beings fell, remnants of their souls lingered. Through decades of ritual refinement, the deceased could be turned into shadows, able to exert at least eighty percent of their peak power.

Xiao Chen sensed the danger and retreated in the shortest time. When he encountered the two Tiger family demigods, he showed no mercy, unfolding the Eight Aspect Worlds and drawing them inside.

Behind him, the nine shadows were far faster than demigods. If he hadn’t mastered the Eight Aspect Ultimate, he would have been caught by now.

Shanwaishan walked out from the village and, in a single step, appeared among the nine shadows. His expression silly, he chuckled, “Prepared just for me? Let me see how formidable they are.”

With that, a gale swept forth. Wind and clouds churned across heaven and earth. Dead leaves flew wildly in the forest. Everything turned gray, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Muffled thunder rolled. Dark light flashed. From within came sounds that made one’s hair stand on end, while crimson light constantly shot into the sky.

When the world returned to clarity, Shanwaishan stood in the forest. Nine piles of black ash lay on the ground, faint traces of undried black blood still visible.

At the same time, Xiao Chen hurled the two Tiger family demigods, still trapped in his Eight Aspect Worlds, toward Shanwaishan. Then he charged again at Hu Diewu, deep in the woods.

“Unexpected… that old man is unfathomable.” The nine demon shadows had been destroyed. Hu Diewu’s voice was full of regret. Seeing Xiao Chen charging at her, she showed no panic. “Even if you have the ultimate speed in the world, you cannot kill me.”

Xiao Chen said nothing and directly activated the Lingxi Sword Wave. Destructive ripples spread outward.

Hu Diewu sneered, “I came prepared. The spatial coordinates are already set.”

As the Lingxi Sword Wave reached her, she had already unfolded a spatial scroll, and her figure rapidly faded.

“You think tearing through space can let you escape?” Xiao Chen shot up into the sky using the Eight Aspect Ultimate and swept in all directions, seeking Hu Diewu’s trail.

Whoosh!

He chased southeast at incredible speed. Though he seemed to be strolling leisurely, he was constantly crossing space, swift as a shooting star.

“Unexpected—it’s you who followed. We were originally lying in wait for that crazy old man.” Hai Yunxue stood on a cloud, her flower-patterned long skirt fluttering in the wind. She was enchanting and beautiful, but her smile was cold and ruthless. Hu Diewu stood beside her. Behind them was a dense array of shadows—clearly, they had made ample preparations to deal with Shanwaishan.

“Fate brings us together everywhere. It seems you and I will have to settle things soon.” Xiao Chen knew his attempt to kill Hu Diewu had failed.

Hai Yunxue’s eyes shifted. She retracted her killing intent and revealed a faint smile. “On what basis do you contend with me?”

Xiao Chen stared at her. “Your confidence has swelled beyond measure. Your younger brother Hai Yuntian once asked me to spare your life—clearly, he worried too much.”

Hai Yunxue laughed coldly, her expression turning cruel. “Behind me stands the mighty Tiger family, with the White Tiger Saint Emperor as my backing. What do you have? You can trouble Chiyou once or twice, but can you trouble a half-ancestor again and again?”

She lightly waved her jade-white hand, and the host of shadows behind her charged at Xiao Chen in perfect unison.

Xiao Chen turned and left. “The old grudges will be settled completely, right here in this mortal world, soon enough.” With a flash, he vanished at the horizon.

“Spread the word: the Primordial Ancient Village has reappeared in the world. The Nine Provinces will be unsealed because of this.” Hai Yunxue commanded those beside her.

Hu Diewu hesitated. “Didn’t the elders in the family tell us to dig three feet down and find certain things?”

Hai Yunxue shook her head. “I suspect a half-ancestor is stationed here. Let the power of the entire world come instead. It’s no longer a secret anyway—we’re just fanning the flames. From now on, we watch from the shadows.”

When Xiao Chen returned to the village, he found Shanwaishan standing respectfully. Before him were a plump, fair-skinned child and a roguish young man—Renwairen and Tianwaitian had arrived. They stood at a distance, gazing at the Yellow Clay Altar, but did not approach.

Then, with grave expressions, they began circling the village, examining every inch of land as if it were a demon’s lair.

Finally, the three of them took up positions on three sides outside the village, sitting cross-legged in the ancient locust forest.

Xiao Chen was puzzled. He wanted to ask, but he knew that if such masters did not wish to speak, asking would be futile.

Everything seemed to calm down. Though many cultivators kept coming, the three experts stationed outside the village made it impossible for anyone to break in.

Xiao Chen asked nothing. He sat alone on the Yellow Clay Altar, beginning his cultivation in earnest. At this moment, everything else was illusory—only rapidly improving his own strength was real.

Autumn wind swept the fallen leaves, and in the blink of an eye, deep autumn arrived. Xiao Chen felt a killing atmosphere—a half-ancestor had descended!

Tianwaitian and Renwairen went out to meet him, and the powerful killing intent instantly subsided.

Xiao Chen immediately understood. The roguish youth and the fair-skinned child were far from simple. When they unsealed their physical seals, their power directly approached the half-ancestor level.

What secrets did the Primordial Ancient Village hold? Why did it attract even half-ancestors? Xiao Chen’s heart was uneasy. This once-peaceful village would likely be stained with blood from now on.

When Xiao Chen sat on the Yellow Clay Altar and fell into silence once more, Tianwaitian and Renwairen approached. After silently watching for a long time, they spoke in heavy, weighty voices.

“The blood of the sky, the essence of the earth. Yin and Yang do battle, weeping blood and darkness. How many heroes have fallen beneath the Yellow Clay Altar…”

“Weeping blood and darkness—I see destruction… This place no longer needs us. Let’s go.”

Tianwaitian and Renwairen disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, Xiao Chen had already sunk into complete stillness, his spirit wandering beyond the cosmos. He had no idea what was happening outside.

In the following months, cultivators with keen spiritual senses all detected abnormal fluctuations between heaven and earth—half-ancestors were locked in continuous battle. But no one knew where it was happening or who was fighting.

When Xiao Chen opened his eyes again, Shanwaishan walked over.

“I may have to leave this place.”

Shanwaishan’s sudden words caught Xiao Chen off guard. “Why leave?”

The unkempt Shanwaishan, who looked like a beggar, narrowed his cloudy eyes. “My master wants me to go. He has a feeling that this village will undergo a great upheaval. If I don’t leave now, I’ll die here.”

“After you leave, who will guard this place? Didn’t you say it’s crucial to the Nine Provinces seal?”

“We misjudged. This village is extremely sinister. It doesn’t need guarding.”

And so Shanwaishan departed without hesitation, vanishing in an instant.

“What exactly happened? Is this village so terrifying?” Xiao Chen stared at the dissipating afterimage.

The villagers felt nothing unusual. Though they were often questioned when working outside, no tragedy had befallen them.

Xiao Chen stored the Yellow Clay Altar into his divinized acupoint and walked out of the village again. With a sweep of his divine sense, he found many people hiding in the forest outside. He called out to the watching cultivators, “Anyone who wants to enter the village may do so. But do not disturb the villagers. If you find nothing, leave as soon as possible.”

After Shanwaishan left, he could not hold back so many people. It was better to let them come and see for themselves.

No one moved, suspecting a trap.

“Hmph, I’ll go take a look.”

“That’s… Fang Tianqi, one of the ten strongest young experts of the Cultivation World. He sealed his title at Mount Tai.” Someone whispered.

Fang Tianqi, in blue robes, strode into the village, circled once, found nothing, and flew out on his sword.

Seeing this, the others all surged forward. Countless figures—easily over a thousand—while even more remained hidden in the dark outside the village.

The thousand people charged into the village, terrifying the villagers, who shut their doors and hid.

“Dig three feet down! Get to the bottom of it!” someone shouted.

“Right, investigate thoroughly. What kind of ancient village makes even our ancestors afraid to set foot here lightly?”

“Tear down the houses, excavate this village!”

Voices clamored. There were cultivators from the Cultivation World and experts from the World of Immortality. Now their goal was unified. With Shanwaishan, Renwairen, and Tianwaitian gone, no one could stop them.

The thousand were about to riot. No matter how powerful Xiao Chen was, he could not hold them back alone.

“The blood of the sky, the essence of the earth. Yin and Yang do battle, weeping blood and darkness… Those who do not wish to die, retreat quickly!” At that moment, a vast voice came from the shadows.

But it was too late. Xuanhuang qi flooded the ancient village. Blood light flashed. The thousand cultivators all burst apart, their blood light soaring into the sky and then dissipating.

When the Xuanhuang qi disappeared, not a single person remained inside the village—all had turned to ash.

Everyone was horrified. In an instant, there was dead silence. The scene was one of utter terror: a thousand cultivators had died without leaving a trace.

Fang Tianqi felt a chill of fear. If he hadn’t come out earlier and not gone back in, he would have shared their fate.

“Yin and Yang do battle, weeping blood and darkness. Heroes fall, and ants turn to ash…” A sigh came from the shadows, then faded away as the person departed.

Even those as strong as demigods were nothing but ants, annihilated without leaving a corpse.

Only Xiao Chen, standing at the village entrance, remained alive, still as a statue. He too was deeply shocked.

Whoosh!

He left an afterimage and rushed toward his home.

In the room, his two parents were snoring softly, lost in sweet sleep. He ran to the homes of other villagers and found that everyone had fallen into slumber, completely unharmed.

Then he flew to the ancient locust tree where he usually trained and reached into the little nest woven from spirit herbs at the top.

Keke, who had been sleeping for over two months after eating three Yin Wood Ginseng Fruits, groggily opened her eyes. Xiao Chen pulled her up.

Only then did Xiao Chen fully relax.

“Ya-ya, ya-ya…” The little thing protested, upset at being woken from her nap.

Xiao Chen carried her to the village entrance. This was an extremely dangerous moment—a great battle could erupt at any time. He retrieved the War Swords from Paradise Lost and held them in his hand.

Keke obviously understood what was happening. She opened Paradise Lost and shook it hard, throwing Linglong and Tutu out. The little creature was ready to use Paradise Lost to capture people at any moment.

“You little beast, you’re so mean! Locking us up—we won’t let you off!” The two lolis shouted at Keke the moment they were freed. But when they saw the situation before them, they immediately quieted down.

“What exactly happened just now?” Only then did the cultivators outside the village seem to awaken from their terror. No one dared come forward again.

“Terrifying…” Everyone was shaken.

For three whole days and nights, no one dared take a single step forward.

“Ye Tian, who sealed his title at Mount Hua, has also come.” On the fourth day, someone murmured. A young man who looked very much like the deceased Ye Jun led a large group of people, joining forces with Fang Tianqi, who had sealed his title at Mount Tai.

In the following days, most of the ten strongest young experts of the Cultivation World arrived, along with many older cultivators.

Then, many experts from the World of Immortality also hurried over.

On the tenth day, Hai Yunxue led experts from the Tiger family and completely surrounded the village.

“Hmph, it’s simple. We’ll retreat, set fire to the village, and burn it down.” Hai Yunxue smiled lightly to the Tiger family experts.

“Destroy this village?”

“It’s just a village with a few people. Even if we burn them all to death, it can’t be called a catastrophe for the living. Besides, it might not even burn. Let’s try.” Hai Yunxue said calmly.

“Good, release divine fire and burn the village!” Immediately, some cultivators released true sun fire.

But Hai Yunxue and the Tiger family experts, along with Fang Tianqi, Ye Tian, and the major sects, all retreated at the first moment.

The idea came from the Tiger family, but it was others who executed it. A sea of divine fire rolled toward the village.

“Boom!”

Xuanhuang qi surged into the sky. The divine fire was extinguished, and those who had set it turned to ash.

This result chilled everyone.

“Xiao Chen, are you going to be a turtle hiding in its shell for the rest of your life?” Hu Diewu taunted. “Are you going to stay in there forever? This village is your home, but it concerns the fate of the Nine Provinces. You’d better cooperate and tell us the secret of how you can stay here safely. Otherwise, you’re making enemies of the whole world.”

“Who do you think you are to represent the whole world?” Xiao Chen glanced at her, then looked away.

“You—!”

“You can wait outside as long as you like. I’m going to cultivate.” Xiao Chen pointed at his divinized acupoint without any pretense, and the Yellow Clay Altar appeared at the village entrance with a flash. He sat down cross-legged upon it.

Little Keke yawned, bored, and flew toward the ancient locust tree inside the village, wanting to go back to sleep. The two little lolis cheerfully followed.

Just then, killing intent surged in the distance.

The very earth trembled. Countless figures appeared—it was an army.

At the head rode a pure white unicorn celestial horse, gleaming like jade. It was none other than the royal princess Zhao Lin’er. Behind her were five hundred Sun Knights, the legendary knight order that, in ancient times, dared to contend with half-ancestors.

“All under heaven is the king’s land; all upon the land is the king’s subject. The entire world belongs to the empire, and this village is no exception.”

Zhao Lin’er was peerlessly beautiful, unsurpassed under heaven. After returning to the mortal world, she had used the five hundred Sun Knights to drive away the so-called national preceptor and reclaim power for her father.

The five hundred knights were all incomparably valiant, some of them ancient warriors who had lived for untold years. Gathered together, their killing aura pierced the clouds—a terrifying sight that chilled the heart.

Some carried golden war spears, others bore greatswords on their backs. Faint blood aura wreathed each of them, proof that they were all powerful cultivators who had weathered countless bloodbaths. Their golden hair drifted in the faint mist of blood, dazzling as sunlight.

Their mounts were various savage beasts—earth dragons, winged divine leopards, three-headed giant tigers, demonic sky wolves—all roaring. This was an absolute force of power. In ancient times, the five hundred finest knights combined could shake a half-ancestor.

The impression these five hundred knights gave was nothing but overwhelming.

The earth trembled as the five hundred knights slowly advanced. The wild aura of their savage beasts spread, forcing even the powerful cultivators from the Cultivation World and World of Immortality to retreat.

Though these five hundred were not as strong as the knights of old, they were still not something ordinary experts could withstand.

The crowd made way for Zhao Lin’er and her five hundred knights.

Seeing Xiao Chen seated firmly on the Yellow Clay Altar, Zhao Lin’er was startled. “Is it really you?”

Xiao Chen kept his eyes closed, as if nothing outside mattered, and silently cultivated.

“Heh…” Zhao Lin’er chuckled. “I won’t pursue the past. We could be considered old acquaintances. And this time, thanks to you, I was able to return to the mortal world.”

“You don’t need to thank me. As long as you don’t disturb the peace of this mountain village.” Xiao Chen replied with his eyes still closed.

“Heh… That I cannot promise you.” Zhao Lin’er had returned to the mortal world with power in her hands, backed by five hundred mighty Sun Knights. Unknowingly, her demeanor had taken on a sharp edge. She said solemnly, “This concerns the safety of the Nine Provinces. I must control this village.”

Xiao Chen said nothing and continued his cultivation.

“Did you hear me?” Zhao Lin’er frowned slightly.

“I heard you. You want to control this village—you’ll have to discuss it with me. Go ahead and try.”

“I need your cooperation to guide us inside.”

“I can’t do that.” Xiao Chen refused directly.

“Xiao Chen…” Zhao Lin’er’s voice instantly turned cold. “Do you realize where you are? This is the mortal world. All under heaven is the king’s land. When the Son of Heaven is angered, blood flows for a thousand li. Do you understand the consequences?”

If an ordinary royal had spoken like this, powerful cultivators would not have taken it seriously. But behind Zhao Lin’er stood the Sun Church, a force that could contend with any half-ancestor.

“Whether I understand or not changes nothing. You’ve already made up your mind. Do whatever you want.” Xiao Chen’s voice was calm as he continued to sit cross-legged with his eyes closed.

“Fine. Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Zhao Lin’er shouted, “Sun Knights, move out! Combine your strength and blast open this village. I don’t believe that Xuanhuang qi can withstand a half-ancestor.”

A few elder knights who had survived from ancient battles urged their ancient beasts forward and approached Zhao Lin’er, frowning. “This village is very sinister. Don’t use the knight formation. Let some of us old-timers try first.”

Nine elder knights stepped forward in a line. Shouting in unison, they raised their golden divine swords or bronze ancient spears, about to strike into the village.

“Yin and Yang do battle, weeping blood and darkness… Are you all seeking death?” An aged voice came from the horizon.

The nine elder knights abruptly stopped.

A flash of light. An old woman appeared outside the Primordial Ancient Village. Her hair was white as snow, and she leaned on a dragon-headed staff. Her eyes shot lightning as she swept her gaze over the Yellow Clay Altar beneath Xiao Chen.

Ye Tian, the outstanding young expert of the Cultivation World who had sealed his title at Mount Hua, quickly walked over and knelt in obeisance. “Ancestor…”

“Rise.” The old woman nodded.

Cultivators who understood the truth were immediately horrified. This person was the Three Infant Grand Matriarch—a half-ancestor in person!