The Ancestral God's Blood and the Return

Over one hundred and fifty years had passed. The great continent had not changed. In the central region, the sovereign cities of old still stood, towering and oppressive.

"This bottle contains the blood of an Ancestral God!" Tianwaitian said, lightly holding a small ink-jade vial. The vessel gleamed with a translucent luster─though it was opaque black, sealed with layer upon layer of restrictions, the sacred blood within still radiated through the walls, crimson light like that of blood-red agate.

"What a gain," Renwairen sighed. "When forging a heavy treasure, adding a single drop of this blood can raise its quality by a full grade."

"And when you hit a bottleneck, drinking a drop can be a great help in breaking through your shackles," Yingxiong added in admiration.

A single drop of sacred blood held such divine efficacy. And the Great and Mighty Pluto had devoured most of an Ancestral God's corpse─one could imagine the immense benefit he had gained.

Now, the seven were all severely depleted in spirit energy, and could use this as a primer to restore their vitality. Of course, they would still have to rely on their own cultivation to recover fully.

"These War Swords... can they truly not be repaired?" Xiao Chen asked, unwilling to give up. It seemed a waste to discard the three broken swords.

"If we used Ancestral God's blood to forcibly rejoin them, it would not be entirely impossible. But you must understand, the interior of a War Sword is engraved with a divine sword formation. Even if we forcibly reconnect them, the formation diagrams within would likely be damaged beyond repair." The three Tree-Man Sovereigns had personally experienced that terrible night long ago. An unknown, supremely powerful being had broken into the Heavenly Palace and fought the Ancestral God for three days and three nights, ultimately killing him. But the War Swords had been destroyed in the process and discarded within the palace.

At that time, the words of that mysterious powerhouse had clearly spread throughout the Heavenly Palace, and the three Tree-Man Sovereigns still remembered them vividly.

"The War Swords are broken, their internal diagrams shattered. Even if you gather all forty-nine War Swords, they will become as useless as a chicken's rib. Better to discard them than keep them."

After hearing this, Xiao Chen felt intense unwillingness. He had collected more than half of the forty-nine War Swords. If three broken ones prevented the formation of a perfect sword array, it would be a terrible pity.

"Is there no other way?"

Tianwaitian, born in the Mortal World, was far more knowledgeable than the sovereigns of the Death World. "It's not entirely hopeless. When it comes to artifact refinement, naturally the strongest are the masters of the Cultivation World. And in that world, the most famous is the Artifact Refining Sect. You can go there and seek a solution."

Passing through the territory of the female sovereign, Tianwaitian and the others did not follow. Xiao Chen alone went deep into the sovereign city.

When the Seven-Colored Skeleton Emperor Lian Po saw him, he was greatly shocked. He had thought that Xiao Chen had met with some mishap in the Death World, never expecting to meet again after more than a hundred years.

"Unbelievable. Your encounters are truly astonishing." After learning of their experiences, Lian Po sighed repeatedly.

"Has your sovereign returned?" Xiao Chen urgently wanted to know the fate of the young woman who resembled Qingqing.

Lian Po shook his head. "She has not returned."

Xiao Chen's heart sank. This result deeply worried him.

"But our sovereign is unharmed," Lian Po added. Xiao Chen breathed a little easier.

Back then, the young woman who resembled Qingqing, together with Yi Tianzhong and several other sovereigns, had ventured deep into the Death Continent. They did not return for a long time. It was only ten years ago that one of the powerful sovereigns, grievously wounded and barely alive, had fled back, bringing news that was both good and bad.

The deepest part of the Death Continent was fraught with danger. The sovereigns who had entered together had nearly been annihilated. They had been trapped in a primordial ruin for over a hundred years. If it had not been for the three skeleton war-emperors under the young female sovereign, who had merged with the Deep Prison Abyss and could shield them safely within, they would all have perished, body and soul.

The young female sovereign had a great opportunity, and Yi Tianzhong had also made gains. They chose to press deeper. As for the two besides them, the sole surviving sovereign chose to withdraw and had returned.

After hearing all this, Xiao Chen let out a sigh of relief.

The deepest part of the Death Continent was perilous and bizarre. Xiao Chen had experienced it himself and knew the dangers well.

"It seems I can only drag Keke along next time to have a chance of going deeper. Without the protection of Paradise Lost, it would be a near-certain death." He thought to himself as he walked out of the sovereign city.

He rejoined the other six, and they set off again, moving like lightning. In another day, they would reach the God Village.

"This Ancestral God iron armor is truly a rare and extraordinary treasure," one Tree-Man Sovereign remarked, and the others agreed.

The iron armor gleamed with dark light, forged from black divine metal. When worn, it did not feel stiff but was flexible─an absolute defensive treasure. Its dark luster was shot through with golden gleams, making it appear exceptionally extraordinary. Even the Tree-Man Sovereigns could not help but admire it.

"In truth, the most important thing is that the little tree absorbed a wisp of the Ancestral God's essence. If a Nine-Heaven Sovereign could obtain it, entering the Ancestral God realm would not be a vain hope."

The fire in the eyes of the seven half-ancestors was undisguised, but in the end they all restrained themselves. Reaching the Ninth Heaven of the Sovereign realm was no easy feat. Moreover, nurturing greed would be like drawing a prison with one's own heart, locking on a mental shackle. They might never have hope of becoming an Ancestral God. Other realms could be broken through by force, but to become an Ancestral God required more than combat power; the most important factor was one's state of mind.

At last, the God Village came into view, a faint silhouette visible in the distance.

"Spring has a hundred flowers..."

From far away, they could see a lecherous fellow lying on a rattan chair under a big tree in front of the God Village, leisurely crossing his legs and humming a little tune, extremely narcissistic.

"Brother Sanyi, please stop singing! You've made all the children in the village cry again!" The Divine Tribe burly man Qier came out of the village and said, "You'd better return to the Nine Provinces."

"Tragedy. Is this the loneliness of a highbrow artist?" Jin Sanyi shot him a glance. "Qier, you've really forgotten your brother now that you have a wife. You've become too vulgar."

The Divine Tribe man instantly grew agitated. "Brother Sanyi, be fair! All these years, you go steal a donkey and I pull out the stake; you go peeping and I take the beating. My wife is still at war with me because of this. How many pots have I carried for you?"

"Did those things happen?" Jin Sanyi lay comfortably on the chair, blinked his peach-blossom eyes, and said, "I don't recall."

"Ah!" Qier grew even more anxious. "You have a conscience! Brother Sanyi, don't forget your roots. I carry the black pot in front, while you swagger for a thousand miles, leaving no trace after the deed, then disappear into the grass. If you won't admit it, let's go over it properly."

When Xiao Chen and his group arrived at the village entrance, they saw exactly this scene.

"Sanyi, you've really made progress! Now you have a full-time pot-carrier?"

Jin Sanyi and Qier jumped when they saw the seven appear. "Ghosts!" they cried out.

Except for Xiao Chen, the other six were ragged and blood-stained from the Great and Mighty Pluto's torment. In particular, Yingxiong the demon looked especially fierce and evil. Jin Sanyi scrambled to his feet, jumped back several steps, turned around, and stared at them suspiciously. "X-Xiao Chen?"

"What nonsense? Can't you recognize me?"

"Ah! You're not dead!" Jin Sanyi showed a look of surprise.

Xiao Chen said nothing, went up and gave him a slap first. Then Tianwaitian, Renwairen, Yingxiong, and the others came over and, without any politeness, each gave him a few heavy smacks.

It hurt so much that Jin Sanyi's mouth twisted. Now he was sure Xiao Chen and the others had returned.

The news spread through the God Village. With a whoosh, a large crowd came running, all staring at the seven in shock. Then they surrounded them, asking questions with great concern. It was suddenly very lively.

Xiao Chen and his party had been gone for over a hundred years. Everyone thought they had met with an accident in the depths of the Death World. They never expected to see them return today.

"Brother Xiao Chen!" A handsome young man pushed through the crowd.

"You are...?"

"I'm Tianya."

Over a hundred years had passed. The little boy of yesteryear had grown into a young man. He was no longer the timid child who had first met him and called him "Skeleton Sir."

The Divine Tribe's burly man Qier had already married and had children. His wife was not the Yaksha Heavenly Queen he had once spoken of, nor any of the hundred races' Perfected Man heavenly kings─she was a very ordinary woman of the human race. Life was truly strange. This ordinary, low-cultivation woman had Qier completely under her thumb, and he seemed very satisfied with this life.

Qier's child was a very lively little one, full of spirit. Barely a year old, he lisped and called Xiao Chen "Uncle," but when he saw Jin Sanyi, he immediately started crying─and very bitterly. In the end, he even began to spit up milk.

"What have you done to offend both gods and men?" Xiao Chen glared at Jin Sanyi. Qier grimaced and said earnestly, "Brother Sanyi, please don't show up in front of our kid again. He can't stand you, and he especially hates your singing."

Jin Sanyi: "...#@%#..."

Then Xiao Chen spotted two other acquaintances: Binglan and Xuemeng.

So many years had passed, and the two girls had become even more dazzling and beautiful, but they were still as lively and spirited as before. They came over cheerfully to greet Xiao Chen, but completely ignored Jin Sanyi, who was right next to him.

"What's with this?" Xiao Chen quietly asked Jin Sanyi.

"Alas. Many stories have their reasons for sorrow."

Seeing his pretentious deepness, Xiao Chen wanted to kick him. "A thousand reasons for sorrow, and in the end my love slowly ages in the story." Even as he said this, Jin Sanyi's peach-blossom eyes were still sparkling.

Go to hell. Xiao Chen really wanted to say those two words. Even if everyone in the world were heartbroken, this guy never would be.

A large crowd escorted them into the village. The Divine Tribe elders Li Mu and Zhao Ying had already heard the news and come out to meet them.

Tianwaitian and Renwairen immediately walked over. They urgently wanted to know what had happened in the Nine Provinces. After talking for a while, their expressions gradually relaxed. Xiao Chen knew there had been no major upheaval.

A lavish banquet was laid out, and the people of the God Village welcomed them and washed away their dust. It was a lively celebration of their survival.

"Where is Sha Polang?" Tianwaitian cared a great deal about this former apprentice. The sovereign killed in the gray mist had had most of his fire seed refined by Xiao Chen. Tianwaitian had taken the remaining portion, hoping to complete his disciple's cultivation.

"He went to the Nine Provinces to wander," a member of the Divine Tribe replied.

This stunned Tianwaitian and the others. That guy was no harmless character either. Who knew what trouble he would stir up in the Nine Provinces.

For some reason, seeing Jin Sanyi's peach-blossom eyes darting around, Xiao Chen started laughing. So many years had passed, and this guy's nature hadn't changed at all.

"Is there something wrong?" Jin Sanyi said in dissatisfaction. "Brother here is very sad, and you're laughing."

"What's so sad?"

"I've met a powerful rival, and it's taken away my appetite and my sleep. Life is so boring."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen glanced at Binglan and Xuemeng, then asked Jin Sanyi with a smile, "If someone is on your mind, can they have a good day?"

"This time it's no good. The opponent is too strong," Jin Sanyi shook his head, even as he ate with gusto at the table.

The Divine Tribe man Qier directly spoke up. "This time Brother Sanyi has to take a back seat. The people Binglan and Xuemeng have taken a liking to─put a hundred Sanyis together, and they can't compare."

"Who?" At this, Xiao Chen was genuinely curious.

Jin Sanyi put some food in his mouth and said gloomily, "Xing Tian and Chi You."

"Pfft!"

Xiao Chen immediately sprayed out a mouthful of wine. Fortunately, it only landed on Jin Sanyi and didn't splash on anyone else.

He deeply sympathized with Jin Sanyi's misfortune. As for Binglan and Xuemeng's taste, Xiao Chen could only admire it. Those two girls really were formidable.

Renwairen and Tianwaitian settled in the God Village for a long time, beginning quiet cultivation to restore their soul and vital energy.

Xiao Chen also stayed for a while, then set out for the Nine Provinces with Jin Sanyi, Qier, Tianya, and the others.

When he appeared before the Dead City, Xiao Chen's heart was stirred. He had left this great land for nearly one hundred and sixty years. Such a vast span of time was enough for people to forget him.

"Oh?"

After appearing before the Dead City, Xiao Chen felt that this time was completely different from before. It seemed as if ferocious flames were burning all over his body.

"Bang! Bang!"

Jin Sanyi, Qier, Tianya, Binglan, and Xuemeng were all blasted away by the powerful aura erupting from his body.

"What is this...?"

They were astonished to see a demonic pattern emerge on Xiao Chen's forehead, standing vertically like a heavenly eye. Moreover, his entire body was radiating dazzling light, as if a great blazing fire were burning, illuminating the entire sky.

"This feeling... this feeling..." Xiao Chen murmured. Then he suddenly shot up into the sky, landing on the towering Dead City wall, standing atop the hundred-meter-high rampart. Unable to hold back, he raised his head and let out a long roar.

The vertical line on his forehead, that demonic pattern, pulsed like a heavenly eye, leaping and spinning, shooting beams of light in all directions.