Chapter 1234: Taichu Realm

A vast, ancient aura enveloped him, as if he had suddenly been transported to the distant past of the cosmos. This was Lu Yiye's first sensation after entering through the portal. He knew then that he was in the Primeval Realm.

According to Yang Qing, this was the ancestral land where the Reincarnation Tree was born, a land belonging to the desolate ancient era. The Reincarnation Tree had integrated it into itself, preserving its original appearance, which is why this place possessed various incredible abilities compared to other realms in the cosmos. Its most significant feature was the emergence of miraculous spiritual energy every hundred years, capable of transforming a cultivator's physical body and granting them power aligned with the cosmos—a crucial element for cultivators at the Divine Sea Realm to advance to the Constellation Realm.

Lu Yiye was unsure of the Primeval Realm's exact size, but he imagined it wouldn't be small; it could easily be considered a full-fledged realm. Two to three thousand people might seem like a large number, but dispersed within a single realm, they would be quite inconspicuous.

The moment he appeared in the Primeval Realm, he activated his power to shield himself, cautiously surveying his surroundings. Had Yang Qing not given him prior instructions, he would have immediately used spirit patterns for concealment and breath suppression to hide his presence. However, having made an agreement with Yang Qing, he couldn't afford to act so discreetly. In fact, he had to be conspicuous.

The Divine Sea Contest was ranked, and the key to ranking depended on one's gains.

He figured that in the early stages, the numerous prodigies from various realms would likely operate independently. Firstly, the Primeval Realm was vast, making it difficult to gather. Secondly, everyone needed to accrue gains, and if they were to truly act together, whose gains would they be? Moreover, these were the top prodigies of their respective realms, figures leading their generations—who among them lacked confidence? Seeking alliances from the outset would only diminish their own prestige. Only in the later stages, as the Primeval Realm shrank and more cultivators began to congregate, would various factions start to band together.

Several major races undoubtedly held an advantage in such a contest, as there was a natural possibility of alliance between members of the same race, such as humans, demons, and insects. Naturally, realms with existing ties and friendly relations were even more natural allies. In this regard, Kyushu had no advantage whatsoever. Although Kyushu had reconnected with the cosmos, it remained in a dormant state; even Constellation Realm cultivators traveling through the void were hesitant to casually announce Kyushu's name.

Of course, Lu Yiye wasn't foolish enough to believe that all humans could be trusted. Among the cultivators participating in this Divine Sea Contest, humans accounted for almost forty percent, yet only a hundred would ultimately emerge victorious. Therefore, even among fellow humans, conflict and friction were inevitable.

In such an environment, there was only one principle to uphold: on a narrow path, the brave prevail!

His divine sense spread out, probing the surroundings. The next instant, Lu Yiye felt another divine sense extending from a different direction; the two senses met and retracted instantly. Lu Yiye immediately leaped up and headed in that direction. Since the contest was on, he decided to go all out. He hadn't expected his luck to be so good, that someone would appear so close to him in such a vast Primeval Realm. He wondered which race it was. If it were a human, he wouldn't want to kill them outright, as there was no deep enmity between them; everyone was just there to seize opportunities. Perhaps he would only need to fight them once to make them retreat. Forcing someone out of the Primeval Realm would also count as a gain, so it wasn't necessarily a fight to the death.

With his mind made up, he soon sensed an aura approaching from ahead. Just like Lu Yiye, the opponent was coming towards him, clearly hoping for an early victory. As Lu Yiye focused his vision to observe, the figure rushing towards him showed a look of delight. Lu Yiye felt lucky to have encountered an opponent so soon after arriving in the Primeval Realm, and the opponent felt equally lucky because the cultivation level displayed by this adversary was only Divine Sea Realm Eighth Layer! He had never imagined that someone at the Divine Sea Realm Eighth Layer would participate in such a contest for opportunities.

However, since the opponent dared to come, they must have some reliance. Perhaps their strength wasn't as simple as it appeared, and they could kill opponents above their realm. But then again, which of the prodigies gathered here from various realms couldn't fight across cultivation layers? The disparity in cultivation realm was ultimately insurmountable.

As the distance closed, both clearly saw each other's appearance.

Lu Yiye's human features were distinct, and his attire indicated he was a weapon cultivator. This further pleased the approaching opponent, as his own racial traits made him particularly adept at dealing with human weapon and body cultivators; spell cultivators, however, were quite troublesome.

Lu Yiye was equally pleased, for his opponent had pointed ears, blood-red skin, and a tall, slender physique. If the opponent had been human, Lu Yiye would have had to consider whether to go for a killing blow, but since it was a Blood Race member, there was no need for such hesitation.

When only a hundred feet away, Lu Yiye suddenly stopped, politely cupped his fist, and declared, "Lu Yiye of Nine Heavens, greetings, fellow Daoist!" The Blood Race member was startled. He had approached with aggressive intent, not to exchange pleasantries with Lu Yiye. Without pausing, a crimson light flared behind him, and he sneered, "It's too late to beg for mercy now!"

A surging river of blood transformed into a colossal wave, engulfing Lu Yiye, who stood motionless. The next moment, Lu Yiye, bobbing erratically within the blood river, was subjected to a tempestuous barrage of attacks from the Blood Race member, leaving him struggling and utterly discomfited.

Never confront the Blood Race within a sea of blood—this was common knowledge among all cosmic races. Once ensnared in a blood sea, one's strength would be restricted, while the Blood Race could operate effortlessly within it. With such an advantage, even someone slightly stronger than a Blood Race member was likely to be defeated.

The Blood Race member couldn't understand why Lu Yiye seemed so foolish as to not evade his blood river. He had initially been cautious, thinking Lu Yiye might possess some extraordinary ability, but after a short exchange, he realized there was nothing particularly special about him; in fact, the Blood Race member felt he had been overly cautious. Lu Yiye's strength was indeed considerable; an ordinary Divine Sea Realm Eighth Layer cultivator wouldn't have lasted long under his frenzied assault, yet this person, though in distress, continued to hold on.

Amidst the fierce battle, Lu Yiye's voice rang out again: "Fellow Daoist, as your soul departs from here, you must let me know by whose hand you fall, no?" The Blood Race member was delighted, thinking Lu Yiye had resigned himself to fate. Maintaining his assault, his voice drifted from all directions within the blood river: "Zhou Sifang of the Blood Fiend Realm! Next life, if you see me, remember to steer clear!"

Lu Yiye nodded slightly. "Thank you for the information, fellow Daoist." With a shake of his long blade, he changed his tone. "Now, please, be on your way!" "What?" Zhou Sifang was stunned, then his eyes widened as he perceived a scene that shocked him to his core. Within his own blood river, a vast blood sea suddenly unfolded, rapidly engulfing his river. In terms of sheer volume, his blood river couldn't even compare. What terrified him even more was the incredibly dreadful aura emanating from that blood sea, causing his soul to tremble and his body to shake uncontrollably. He was intimately familiar with this sensation; it was clearly the suppressive sacred aura unique to the Blood Race! "You... you're Blood Race?" Zhou Sifang exclaimed in horror.

Only Blood Race members could unleash such a pure Blood River Art, and only they could possess such a profound sacred aura. Frankly, he had never encountered such a powerful and dense sacred aura in his life; even the Blood Race elders with the strongest sacred aura in the Blood Fiend Realm couldn't compare.

But if he was Blood Race, why did he look human? Why didn't he reveal his identity from the start? Zhou Sifang couldn't comprehend it. As the sacred aura began its suppression, Zhou Sifang became utterly weak, his strength plummeting instantly. Yet, moments before, he had foolishly launched a frenzied close-quarters assault on Lu Yiye.

The Mountain Breaker Blade flashed, slicing through Zhou Sifang's neck as easily as cutting tofu. His figure immediately stiffened.

The blood sea dissipated, and Zhou Sifang's corpse fell from mid-air. The Mountain Breaker Blade returned to its sheath. Lu Yiye pursued the falling corpse; having killed an enemy, looting the body was natural. There might be no gains, but the procedure had to be followed. This battle was won with ease, entirely thanks to the suppression of the sacred aura.

Lu Yiye hadn't anticipated that his frantic refining of sacred blood in the Blood Refinement Realm would lay the groundwork for today. It now seemed that any Blood Race member would likely be suppressed by this sacred aura. He wasn't sure of the exact location of the Blood Fiend Realm, but he surmised it must have some connection to the Blood Refinement Realm, perhaps being a realm formed from another body part of that colossal female entity.

The Blood Refinement Realm was the torso of that female entity; there were also head and limb sections. Furthermore, based on Lu Yiye's final struggle with the Blood Spirit in the Blood Refinement Realm, that female entity might not have had only four limbs; it could have had six or even eight.

If each of these parts could transform into a realm, then the Blood Race controlled a considerable number of realms, and it seemed they were also invading other realms.

The number of Blood Race members participating in this Divine Sea Contest also seemed significant, though the exact count was unknown. Perhaps he could leverage this among the Blood Race.

A moment later, Lu Yiye finished looting the corpse, having only found a storage bag.

He then incinerated Zhou Sifang's corpse completely before moving forward in a specific direction.

He made no attempt to conceal himself, openly flying through the air, his Divine Sea Realm Eighth Layer cultivation completely exposed.

As Lu Yiye had anticipated, the Primeval Realm was vast, and since it was only the beginning, encounters between prodigies from various realms were not frequent.

However, there were always exceptions, such as Lu Yiye and Zhou Sifang, and in other locations. When prodigies met in these places, regardless of race, a battle was almost always inevitable. For any cultivator arriving here, others were merely stepping stones for their ascent. Therefore, unless they already knew each other or their respective realms were friendly, peaceful coexistence was impossible.

After a series of battles, several individuals had already been eliminated within less than half an hour of the Primeval Realm opening. No one who knew they were outmatched voluntarily withdrew; all fought to the death on the spot.