Chapter 1255: Corpse Flower Blood Amber

Qin Sang had attempted to use the Boundless Blood Mulberry as bait, but the plan backfired spectacularly; instead of catching something, he was ensnared himself. Qin Sang found nothing amusing about the situation. Fat Chicken, however, was absolutely terrified, reflecting on the world's inherent dangers.

"Is there someone in this great Black Pagoda formation who has survived from ancient times to the present day?" Qin Sang asked, his voice grave. Having rescued Bai, endured the demonic tribulation at the Seven Kills Hall, activated the remnant shadow of the Azure Luan, and witnessed the bone formation left by a mysterious figure at the Celestial Corpse Sect's main altar, Qin Sang was no stranger to such anomalies.

The upheaval at Ziwei Palace had far-reaching implications: ancient prohibitions were shifting, causing all manner of malevolent spirits and demons to emerge. Qin Sang's emotions were a mix of joy and concern. He was pleased that more ancient cultivators were surfacing, believing that some of them must hold knowledge of ancient secrets. His worry, however, was that if another brutal demon lord were to appear, the Northern Star Realm possessed no Soul Transformation stage cultivators powerful enough to turn the tide and re-seal it. The entire realm would be utterly devastated.

The Blood Lake was a place of both peril and profound treasure, home to the Boundless Blood Mulberry, the Boiling Blood Evil Flower, and a spiritual medicine that had lured Jing Yu. What made it even more valuable was how rarely anyone ventured there. Qin Sang wondered how much Old Devil Ye and his group truly knew about this place, and if they were aware of the ancient cultivator still lurking, a hidden danger. Was it possible they had come specifically for that ancient cultivator? While a few individuals might be deceived, Qin Sang refused to believe that all the cultivators from the Sinful Abyss had gone mad and would assist Old Devil Ye in releasing an ancient demon, unless they had obtained some critical information beforehand.

"I don't know that person's origin," Jing Yu said, his voice laced with resentment. "Perhaps they are an ancient cultivator, as you suggested, or perhaps a senior who stumbled in by mistake and also became trapped here. But this individual harbors ill intentions, filled with malice towards me; they are certainly not benevolent!"

Years ago, Jing Yu had been drawn by a spiritual item known as Corpse Flower Blood Amber. The conditions required for Corpse Flower Blood Amber to form were exceptionally stringent. First, several unique and rare spiritual flowers needed to sprout in an extremely sinister place, saturated with dense blood energy. If these flowers, once bloomed, remained unpicked and never withered, they would, over a long period, absorb an excessive amount of blood energy. This process would lead to their gradual crystallization and transformation, shedding impurities and becoming an amber-like substance. Resembling a gem, it was also a potent spiritual medicine for demon beasts.

Corpse Flower Blood Amber contained a potent blood poison, which humans avoided like the plague. However, powerful demon beasts, when on the verge of a breakthrough, could directly consume it. After refining it, they could forcefully stimulate their bloodline power, thereby seeking an opportunity for advancement. Yet, if one's strength proved insufficient, the blood poison would overwhelm them, leading to instant death with no hope of recovery. It was, therefore, both a spiritual medicine and a deadly poison. Demon beasts harbored a complex love-hate relationship with Corpse Flower Blood Amber.

"I was initially drawn here by the fluctuations of the Blood Lake's seal," Jing Yu explained, recalling his past ordeal. "I saw several ethereal images of Corpse Flower Blood Amber hovering precariously over the lake, seemingly on the verge of shattering at any moment. When I then noticed the Blood Lake's seal had loosened, I believed it was a heaven-sent opportunity. So, I teamed up with another demon beast colleague who resided in Boundless Valley, and together we breached the seal to enter..."

The Blood Lake's seal would experience a disturbance every ten years. Having grown accustomed to this over time, they no longer found it unusual. This particular time, however, the tremors were simply more pronounced.

Upon breaching the seal, Jing Yu saw the true form of the Corpse Flower Blood Amber at the mountain peak, suspended in the center of the basin, right within this Black Pagoda formation. Lacking the ability to retrieve the Corpse Flower Blood Amber remotely, they had no choice but to physically enter the basin and locate its position. At that time, the restriction on the Blood Gate was not as formidable as it is now. The two demon beasts jointly attacked it for a while, managing to pry open a crack and slip inside.

Once inside the great Black Pagoda formation, the two demon beasts evaded the flesh and blood puppets, conducting a thorough search until they reached the formation's core. Just as they were on the verge of collecting the Corpse Flower Blood Amber, they suddenly sensed that something was gravely amiss.

"We had been stuck at a bottleneck for far too long, completely beguiled, and overlooked countless anomalies along the way. I don't know if he lured us in to deceive us into helping him break his seal, or if he intended to use us as blood sacrifices. The moment he realized we had detected him, he immediately showed his true colors. I am naturally adept at thunder evasion and, though severely wounded, managed to escape. Despite being sealed, he could manipulate the flesh and blood puppets within, relentlessly pursuing us. When I finally reached the Blood Gate with great difficulty, I found it tightly sealed, utterly beyond my own power to open. Fortunately, he couldn't maintain his malevolent influence indefinitely. I struggled to evade him within the Black Pagoda formation until he fell into slumber. As for my companion, their whereabouts remain unknown, and they have not been seen since."

Jing Yu sighed softly, then paused before continuing, "I was severely wounded, and I spent my time both healing and searching for an escape. After that, he would awaken once every ten years. Even with a decade-long interval, it was exceedingly difficult for me to recover in this sinister place. That period was incredibly arduous, and my injuries steadily worsened. Then, by chance, I discovered this hidden dungeon. At that point, my life force was nearly depleted. Although I knew the dungeon might not be safe, I had no other option..."

As he spoke, Jing Yu gently stroked Fat Chicken's head, saying softly, "Heaven has been kind to me; the dungeon's restrictions merely confined me without inflicting harm, which allowed us to reunite today."

Jing Yu recounted his experiences in a calm tone, yet both Qin Sang and Fat Chicken could discern the sheer terror and intensity of his ordeal. To escape demonic clutches only to be trapped in a hidden dungeon, potentially with no hope of ever breaking free—such despair was unimaginable!

Having heard Jing Yu's account, Qin Sang still knew remarkably little about the ancient cultivator sealed within.

"The Blood Lake's seal experiences fluctuations every ten years; that must be him attempting to break free, isn't it? Since he can manipulate the flesh and blood puppets, why doesn't he use them to assault the seal or to venture out in search of blood sacrifices?" Qin Sang inquired, puzzled.

Jing Yu recalled, "Based on my observations, the flesh and blood puppets don't seem to belong to that individual. Rather, they are generated by the great Black Pagoda formation, and I don't know what method that person uses to forcibly control them. Even under control, these puppets cannot harm the grand formation or the seal, and I believe they are unable to leave the formation's boundaries."

"That does make sense," Qin Sang nodded, a frown deepening on his face. "However, with so many cultivators from both realms having trespassed, the flesh and blood puppets showed no anomalies, and I received no warning from the Underworld Demon Lord. We were forced to separate; did that person not seize the opportunity to capture blood sacrifices because they were in too deep a slumber, or is there some other sinister plot at play?"

Jing Yu pondered for a moment, then stated gravely, "Perhaps it's not that he's unwilling, but that he's actually unable!"

"What makes you say that?" Qin Sang asked, surprised.

A chilling glint flashed in Jing Yu's eyes. "Before I took refuge in the hidden dungeon, I noticed that the number of flesh and blood puppets he controlled dwindled each time. Even from within the dungeon, I could still perceive the fluctuations he caused when assaulting the seal. Yet, during his last two scheduled awakenings, there was absolutely no activity..."

"Are you implying..."

"Even if that individual isn't dead, their life force is utterly depleted!" Jing Yu declared unequivocally.

Qin Sang finally grasped Old Devil Ye's true objective. Mere Corpse Flower Blood Amber wasn't worth such an extensive mobilization. The Sinful Abyss had likely discovered the existence of the ancient cultivator sealed within the Blood Lake from some undisclosed source. An ancient cultivator whose life force was utterly depleted! That was nothing short of a walking treasure vault!

The only uncertainty was whether they would ultimately succeed in imprisoning the ancient cultivator, or if the ancient cultivator would seize this opportunity to escape and unleash a widespread catastrophe. Qin Sang had personally witnessed a Demon Lord, and the memory still left him with a lingering sense of trepidation.