Chapter 1272: A Daydream

Lord Dongyang was certain Qinsang wouldn't dare to kill in public. As long as he was careful, he wasn't afraid of any tricks Qinsang might pull.

As expected, Qinsang had already removed his mask. Lord Dongyang keenly noticed that the others' attitude towards Qinsang was intriguing, subtly showing a mix of apprehension and caution—a status born of strength. After learning what had transpired inside the Blood Gate, Lord Dongyang was even more startled. Qinsang's performance was even more remarkable than he had anticipated, destroying Old Demon Ye's avatar. It was an unprecedented feat for the Alliance of Two Realms!

At that moment, Qinsang subtly raised his head and met Lord Dongyang's gaze. Their gazes were perfectly calm, meeting only briefly before parting. Qinsang partly understood Lord Dongyang's intentions. He had proactively concealed the fight, partly because he didn't want to openly fall out with Qinsang and force others to choose sides now, and secondly, to cover up his disgraceful act of secretly plotting against an ally. If revealed publicly, even if he were to accuse Qinsang in return, others might not believe his nonsense. Sometimes, the truth isn't important. Since Qinsang had obtained the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, he naturally wouldn't bring it up either.

Qing Jun, the only one privy to the full story, saw the two of them acting as if nothing had happened and could only sigh, recognizing a meeting of equally matched talents.

At that moment, Tongyou Demon Monarch, who had gone into the blood mist to investigate, returned and said in a deep voice, "The monsters are similar to flesh puppets, with comparable strength, but they are even more violent and bloodthirsty. This place is perilous; what are your thoughts, fellow cultivators?"

The others exchanged glances. Each of them had harbored their own intentions before. Some wanted to return to the Black Pagoda Formation to explore the ruins and search for treasures. Others wanted to search for fragments of the Boundless Blood Mulberry. But now, none of that was possible. If these monsters continued to roam around instead of falling dormant again, there would be little chance of re-entering the Blood Lake in the future.

After a private discussion, Qinsang and Qing Jun decided to leave. Jingyu had just failed to find the Boundless Blood Mulberry in the Blood Pool, and the Blood Lake's area was vast. Searching for the Boundless Blood Mulberry here would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Without the Positive-Negative Nine Palace Array, the situation was full of variables. If he were besieged by monsters, even with his extraordinary escape techniques, he would hardly escape unscathed. He had plenty of time, and there would be other opportunities in the future.

Tongyou Demon Monarch, discerning the others' thoughts, and after asking Qinsang and a few others for their opinions, said coldly, "Whether to leave or stay, you must decide for yourselves. However, let me state this in advance: once there are signs of monsters rushing out of the Blood Lake, we will immediately seal it!"

Upon hearing this, a commotion rippled through the crowd. Even the strongest among them were unwilling to take risks. No one knew the location of any treasures; they would only be searching aimlessly. If they missed their chance, even if they survived, they would be forever trapped within the Blood Lake, unless they had Jingyu's luck and waited for someone to rescue them. Who would dare to stay? With lingering gazes at the Black Pagoda Formation, everyone sighed inwardly and agreed to retreat.

Lord Dongyang entered the Positive-Negative Nine Palace Array. They took turns controlling the jade talismans, and with Lord Dongyang leading the way, they swiftly navigated through the blood mist, avoiding the territories of monster leaders, in search of an exit. Their luck held; the monsters they encountered along the way were manageable, and they dealt with them collaboratively before alarming others.

As they were about to exit the basin, the master and two disciples of the Taiyi Pill Sect, for some unknown reason, began to argue.

"Master, absolutely not! The ancient restriction there is powerful and extremely perilous..." Si Di exclaimed in alarm, quickly moving to block Daoist Chongyi.

Everyone cast sidelong glances. After leaving the Blood Gate, the three had been whispering amongst themselves, and no one knew what they were up to.

"Presumptuous!" Daoist Chongyi sternly rebuked him, displaying his master's authority. "Do I still need your permission for what I want to do? Although I failed to pass through before, the ancient restriction was impacted when the seal was broken, making this an excellent opportunity."

The other disciple, whose dharma name was Yaojing, seeing that Daoist Chongyi's mind was made up, said, "My senior brother and I will accompany Master."

"Foolish! I, your master, have one foot in the grave; my death is of no consequence. If you two are implicated by me, what would be the meaning of my hundreds of years of toil?" Unable to dissuade them, Daoist Chongyi roared in anger, "I ask all fellow cultivators to bear witness! After I leave, should these two unfilial disciples dare to take a single step, I will expel them from the sect today, forbidding them from ever stepping foot into the Taiyi Pill Sect again for their entire lives! Let this be my vow, witnessed by both gods and men!"

Having finished speaking, Daoist Chongyi flicked his whisk, drawing a deep line on the ground. Seeing their master's unwavering resolve, Si Di and the other disciple trembled, their faces filled with sorrow. Tongyou Demon Monarch and the others also understood the situation and repeatedly tried to dissuade him.

"This place is dangerous, Daoist, please reconsider!"

Daoist Chongyi made a Daoist bow and said calmly, "The heavenly tribulation is approaching, and I have not much time left. Rather than merely lingering on, it's better to give it my all. Farewell, fellow cultivators!"

The news of ancient cultivation, once revealed, had been thought to bring a glimmer of hope, but it had turned into a fleeting illusion. Daoist Chongyi had dedicated his life to his sect. Now, with two Nascent Soul cultivators guarding the Taiyi Pill Sect, he finally had no worries and went to his death with a smile.

With that, he raised his whisk and stepped into the blood mist. A faint chant drifted:

"In youth, I ascended Taiyi, hailed a celestial, how unbound and free?A thousand years fleeting by, a life's dream on a millet pillow."

The others watched in silence as Daoist Chongyi's figure disappeared into the depths of the blood mist. Among them, some had only recently formed their Nascent Souls and had not yet experienced the oppressive nature of the heavenly tribulation. Others found themselves in a similar predicament to Daoist Chongyi but were burdened by too many concerns, lacking the courage to fight to the death. Nevertheless, everyone could understand Daoist Chongyi's feelings. Even Lord Dongyang, who had always been at odds with Daoist Chongyi, felt a heartfelt respect for the old man.

They jointly tried to dissuade Si Di and Yaojing, and then continued to rush out of the Blood Lake. As they made their way, the number of monsters they encountered grew steadily. They moved in silence, finally reaching the entrance to the Blood Lake's seal safely, though with some alarm. Seeing that the monsters had not yet gathered there, they all breathed a sigh of relief and swiftly flew out.

Several figures were guarding outside the seal, staring fearfully at the Blood Lake, still shaken from their ordeal. These were the Golden Core cultivators who had previously entered, and only about two or three tenths of them remained.

Upon flying out of the Blood Lake, the group did not immediately depart, nor were they in a hurry to restore the seal. They spontaneously took action, clearing out as many wandering monsters as possible while waiting for Daoist Chongyi. Moved by his unwavering resolve, they were, for once, unusually united.

Si Di and Yaojing, guarding Daoist Chongyi's soul tablet, were restless with anxiety. Qinsang observed the varied expressions and behaviors around him. The newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators looked pensive. They had only heard about it before and hadn't deeply experienced it; for most, it was their first time directly confronting the cruelty of heavenly tribulation. Qing Jun's expression remained serene; her Dao heart was firm, having long ago set her own path, unmoved by external matters or individuals. A flicker of relief crossed Jingyu's eyes. He had paid the price of two hundred years of imprisonment, but fortunately, he had finally achieved his desire, obtaining the Corpse Flower Blood Amber, which offered a glimmer of hope for survival. The older generation of Nascent Soul cultivators, including Tongyou Demon Monarch, all faced, to varying degrees, the threat of heavenly tribulation, their expressions grave. Lord Dongyang stood alone on the periphery, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.

Time passed, minute by minute. Inside the Blood Lake, the chaos grew. Qinsang also took action. Everyone worked together to clear out the monsters, but it was clear they couldn't hold on much longer. The monsters had discovered the gap in the seal and were beginning to converge there. Still, there was no sign of Daoist Chongyi.

'Crack!'

Suddenly, a faint sound, like a clap of thunder, resonated deep within everyone's hearts. The soul tablet had shattered.