Chapter 736: Temptation and Breakthrough

Facing the Black Demon Ancestor, Emperor Wanxing dared not show the slightest disrespect.

The Black Demon Ancestor was an eight-tribulation realm mighty figure, renowned throughout this Space-Time River. He had forged two great heritage treasures, the Black Demon Hall and the Nightmare Hall. For seven-tribulation realm cultivators, these two items were comparable to eternal secret treasures. Just by observing his methods of crafting treasures, one could grasp the unfathomable depths of the Black Demon Ancestor's power.

The Black Demon Hall's influence had plagued this Space-Time River for a long time, and even other eight-tribulation realm mighty figures could only tolerate it.

On one hand, Dragon Ancestor believed that "appropriate threats are beneficial for the growth of tribulation realm cultivators," and therefore only imposed some restrictions without completely destroying the Black Demon Hall. On the other hand, the Black Demon Ancestor himself was too powerful. Along with the Eternal Tower Master, Demon Mountain Master, Phoenix Ancestor, and a few others, he had advanced significantly within the eight-tribulation realm, easily qualifying as a top-tier eight-tribulation realm cultivator.

Having reached this stage, Dragon Ancestor could not eliminate the Black Demon Ancestor in a one-on-one confrontation. To destroy a top-tier eight-tribulation realm cultivator, Dragon Ancestor would need to gather allies and pay an enormous price, and even then, success wouldn't be guaranteed.

Thus, figures like the Black Demon Ancestor and Demon Mountain Master possessed the right to act as they pleased. As long as they didn't "overturn the table" (cause absolute chaos), other eight-tribulation realm cultivators would largely tolerate them.

"You've awakened me again?" The Black Demon Ancestor's eyes seemed to contain billions of worlds. Emperor Wanxing dared not meet his gaze, respectfully stating, "Black Demon Ancestor, I have prepared enough treasures."

The Black Demon Ancestor looked at him.

"Please see, Ancestor."

Emperor Wanxing respectfully offered a treasure pagoda, within which were countless rare artifacts he had prepared.

The Black Demon Ancestor waved his hand, and the pagoda landed in his grasp. He revealed a faint smile, a smile that influenced the surrounding space-time. Even with his head bowed, Emperor Wanxing felt a surge of inexplicable joy, yet his heart grew even more wary: "Last time, I met his gaze once, and my physical body twisted, gradually transforming into a nightmare creature. This time, I didn't even dare to look at him, yet he can still affect my mind?"

It wasn't that he hadn't encountered eight-tribulation realm cultivators before. With several other eight-tribulation realm figures he had met, he could converse and laugh freely, looking them directly in the eye without any adverse effects, as he himself was a half-step eight-tribulation realm cultivator who had mastered the rules of time and space.

But only the Black Demon Ancestor!

The pressure he exerted was immense! Yet, the benefits the Black Demon Ancestor could offer were also the greatest.

"Very good," the Black Demon Ancestor said, probing the many rare treasures within the pagoda. He nodded with satisfaction. "Their value is approximately thirty billion Fang."

Just as the Demon Mountain Master left a method to summon him—collecting one thousand six-tribulation realm forbidden creature life cores, or ten seven-tribulation realm forbidden creature life cores, allowed one to request an audience with him.

The Black Demon Ancestor had also left a similar method, but his demands were higher.

"Thirty billion Fang" was the threshold for offering tribute to meet him. Disturbing him without having gathered enough treasures was simply courting death.

The Black Demon Hall had long plundered the entire Space-Time River. Its lower-level members received their share of benefits, as did the contemporary Black Demon Hall Master and Nightmare Hall Master. Benefits were distributed layer by layer, but each time, a portion was eventually submitted to the "Black Demon Hall" treasury. From the treasures submitted to the Black Demon Hall treasury, the Black Demon Ancestor would awaken once every long epoch to harvest them.

"Tell me, what do you wish to exchange for?" The Black Demon Ancestor stood there as an illusory book appeared.

Emperor Wanxing had seen this book before during his previous visit.

Most of the book contained knowledge such as cultivation methods and secret techniques, as knowledge incurred little cost for the Black Demon Ancestor. A very small number of entries listed rare treasures, whose true value was far less than "thirty billion Fang," perhaps only hundreds of millions of Fang. Yet, these were still beyond Emperor Wanxing's reach.

"I desire the second volume of the Eternal Method, 'Bloodline'," Emperor Wanxing stated without hesitation. He had long coveted this volume.

The Black Demon Ancestor gently pointed, and a black light flew into Emperor Wanxing's glabella, transmitting the knowledge.

The Black Demon Ancestor was most willing to sell knowledge. These were things he had already mastered, allowing him to personally impart them at no cost, essentially a business with no overhead. Ordinary eight-tribulation realm cultivators might not even be able to learn a complete Eternal legacy, and even if they did, they couldn't impart it without fully mastering it.

"You still have ten billion Fang worth of value to exchange. What else do you want?" the Black Demon Ancestor inquired.

Emperor Wanxing absorbed the vast content of the second volume of "Bloodline." Many confusions from his study of the first volume were now being answered. Suppressing his urge to immediately delve into its insights, Emperor Wanxing spoke again: "Black Demon Ancestor, in this era, the situation is unfavorable for me. An eight-tribulation realm cultivator might target me. Can Ancestor teach me how to preserve my life?"

"I will not get involved in your conflicts," the Black Demon Ancestor said calmly. "As for preserving your life, I have already helped you in all the ways I should."

Emperor Wanxing felt a little disappointed.

During his first tribute, the Black Demon Ancestor had hoped that this "tool" for collecting treasures would live longer, and had already imparted numerous methods.

However, this time, the Ancestor of Worlds had exposed everything, leaving Emperor Wanxing still uneasy. After all, no matter how invincible he was in the current era, if an eight-tribulation realm cultivator truly made a move against him, he would still panic.

"Do you wish to exchange for something with these ten billion Fang?" the Black Demon Ancestor asked again.

"I'll save them for now and exchange them next time." Emperor Wanxing showed resolve. His goal was to acquire as many of the nine volumes of the Eternal Method "Bloodline" as possible. It was said that these nine volumes explained all the mysteries of bloodlines. For instance, in the first volume, he had glimpsed part of the mystery behind forbidden creatures' ability to "devour" and grow stronger, significantly enhancing his own power as a result.

The Black Demon Ancestor was quite fond of Emperor Wanxing, who only exchanged for cultivation methods. He considered him a good "tool." He immediately said, "You have offered tribute twice. I have a treasure that I can make an exception for you to exchange. It is a drop of source blood from a Chaos Overlord who manipulated blood, whom I once slew. If you consume this drop of source blood, your physical body will transform, elevating it to a level close to the eight-tribulation realm. Since you have already mastered the rules of time and space, your consciousness will not be distorted, and you will be able to control this physical body."

"A physical body nearly at the eight-tribulation realm?" Emperor Wanxing's eyes lit up.

"Through this, your strength can greatly increase, helping you deal with crises," the Black Demon Ancestor said. "Furthermore, you can use it as a foundation to create a body cultivation method perfectly suited for yourself, thus increasing your chances of reaching the eight-tribulation realm."

He made it sound good.

In reality, this was a clever trick: letting the Chaos Overlord's source blood twist his own body, making him align with a Chaos Overlord. His physical body would indeed approach the eight-tribulation realm. But to create a body cultivation method based on this? The hope would still be very low. If previously there was only a one percent chance, obtaining that drop of Chaos Overlord's source blood would only increase the chance of creating a body cultivation method to two or three percent.

The Black Demon Ancestor did this primarily because he hoped this "tool" would live longer. Many things were unsuitable for eight-tribulation realm cultivators to do, but cultivators of these eras were well-suited for them.

"How much would it cost to exchange?" Emperor Wanxing's heart burned with eagerness as he pressed for an answer. He was unwilling to give up the chance to personally experience a physical body close to the eight-tribulation realm.

"Fifty billion Fang," the Black Demon Ancestor stated.

Emperor Wanxing secretly felt a headache. This was a figure that made his heart tremble. Despite cultivating for so many years and devouring numerous medium-level life worlds, aside from his other personal expenses, he had only offered tribute twice. Including the ten billion Fang he had saved this time, he would still need forty billion Fang next time.

All told, three tributes would total exactly one hundred billion Fang!

"Obtaining this source blood will make your strength far greater than it is now, and your hope of reaching the eight-tribulation realm will also increase," the Black Demon Ancestor said leisurely. He could discern Emperor Wanxing's unease, especially since his first attempt to target a young medium-level life world had been exposed. The Black Demon Ancestor did not want Emperor Wanxing to become restrained; he wished for Emperor Wanxing to be even greedier, even more insane.

As for Emperor Wanxing's ultimate fate, he didn't care.

What he cared about was that the treasures would eventually be offered to him.

There was no other way! Even as an eight-tribulation realm cultivator, he greatly valued treasures.

Even a mighty figure like Dragon Ancestor went to great lengths to collect treasures, not just in his home universe but throughout the boundless space-time. He was widely acknowledged as the wealthiest in this universe, even extending his reach into other universes, which made other eight-tribulation realm cultivators incredibly envious. It was very difficult for other eight-tribulation realm cultivators to reach into other universes, as they would face resistance from the native eight-tribulation realm cultivators there. Only someone as exceptionally powerful as Dragon Ancestor could forcefully infiltrate despite such resistance.

Similarly, the Demon Mountain Master painstakingly set up the "Chaos Turbid River," continuously luring seven-tribulation realm forbidden creatures into it, and he would periodically awaken to "harvest" them.

The Eternal Tower and the Black Demon Hall operated differently to acquire treasures: one facilitated transactions throughout the Space-Time River, earning fees from every deal, while the other plundered the Space-Time River.

Only with sufficient treasures as resources could one advance further on the path of cultivation.

Everyone knew that the treasures within medium-level and even high-level life worlds were the most immense, the greatest treasures in the entire universe! However, life worlds were the universe's inverse scale (a metaphor for something deeply sensitive or taboo). Countless lives were born within these life worlds, and the universe strived to protect each one. Eight-tribulation realm cultivators were born in this universe, and everything about their growth originated from it; they owed a tremendous karmic debt.

Their actions, whether righteous, evil, or wicked, must not shake the foundations of this universe or touch its inverse scale. They already owed their home universe a great deal; if they were to incur its complete disdain, entangled by karma, the trouble would be immense.

But for those below the eight-tribulation realm, it was different.

Those below the eight-tribulation realm had not transcended the Space-Time River; they were still a part of it. No matter how they fought, plundered, or moved things around, everything remained within the Space-Time River.

The Black Demon Ancestor was currently enticing Emperor Wanxing, though this was merely a casual move for him. While traveling through boundless space-time was difficult and earning treasures was not easy, what Emperor Wanxing offered as tribute was negligible to the Black Demon Ancestor. He only presented a drop of source blood to entice Emperor Wanxing, adhering to the principle that even a mosquito, however small, still provides sustenance.

The transaction concluded, and the Black Demon Ancestor's figure dissipated and vanished.

Emperor Wanxing stood there, silently pondering for a long time.

In the following days, the Space-Time River remained peaceful. Emperor Wanxing did not immediately destroy another life world, nor did any eight-tribulation realm cultivators descend to deal with him. However, all factions sensed the surging undercurrents beneath the calm surface.

On the distant Qianyuan Mountain, within a wooden house.

Meng Chuan was painting.

On Qianyuan Mountain, he was usually the only one awake, and he felt lonely, able to focus only on cultivation and combat. Ever since he mastered the Six-Stroke Talisman Seal Secret Art, painting had become a form of cultivation for him.

The painting before him depicted black light, with each stroke of ink converging into terrifying black radiance.

This black light seemed capable of cleaving through everything, its terrifying fluctuations affecting the outside yet completely confined within the wooden house.

Meng Chuan revealed a faint smile: "Having been on Qianyuan Mountain for over two thousand years, I have finally comprehended the rules of Creation today."

Two thousand years had passed in cultivation on Qianyuan Mountain, while only sixty-eight years had elapsed in his home universe, as the time flow rates in the two locations differed significantly.