Chapter 1085: Meeting and Parting, A Godsend Opportunity

Sunlight streamed down.

Within the vast realm of giants, three human figures on the long street appeared incredibly tiny.

"Finally, we escaped that wretched place!" The ragged, limping old man, Elder Xie, tightly clutched the dark, withered branch in his hand. His face still bore traces of gloom and horror, but a hint of joyous relief flickered in his eyes.

He would never forget that dreadful place, where a blood-red moon hung in the sky and mountains of corpses and seas of blood stretched as far as the eye could see. Especially horrifying were the seven towering blood trees standing in the sea of blood, with terrifying corpses hanging from their branches—a nightmare within a nightmare!

If he hadn't run quickly and possessed some means of mental defense, Elder Xie believed that even with his Grand Void cultivation, he would likely have ended up as another withered skeleton on a blood tree, just like those who had been lured in.

"Alright, it's good that we managed to get out," the hunched Ghost Granny beside them panted heavily. "We're so far away now; I doubt those dreadful things will find us again." Through the tears in her clothes, blurred flesh, oozing pus, and rapidly healing ugly scars were visible.

Ghost Granny didn't care. This was the price of survival; as long as her life was spared, it was fine. She, too, gripped a withered branch tightly. After catching her breath, she gently caressed the branch from top to bottom as if it were a treasure. Then, she raised her face grimly and said, "Elder Xie, Daoist Huang Yang, remember what you said in the Blood Realm! This time, you both owe me a huge favor, an enormous favor!"

"Hehehe..." Daoist Huang Yang, clad only in tattered robes, chuckled. His face was pale, but his elated mood was uncontrollable. "Don't worry, I am not like you assassins of Three Incense. One of our sect's tenets is integrity. Since you saved my life this time, I will certainly repay you in the future." Daoist Huang Yang solemnly promised, his gaze fixed on an ominous blood-red bead he held in both hands. A faint red glow flickered in his eyes.

"How many years have we known each other?" Elder Xie also chuckled, looking at Ghost Granny, betraying no other emotions. "After so many years of cooperation, there must be at least some trust, right? At least I, this old man, won't kill you for your treasure."

In the assassin world, the "family of three"—Elder Xie, Ghost Granny, and Little Ren—were already well-known. With others, post-escape infighting might indeed occur, but Ghost Granny and Elder Xie knew each other inside out and understood that harming each other would bring no benefit. Moreover, what they obtained this time was distributed very evenly: the Blood Tree Shadow Branch! They had risked their lives in the "Blood Realm," one of the nine Forbidden Lands, to break off actual Blood Tree Shadow Branches from the seven illusory blood trees. Each of them got one, so there was no unfair distribution.

As for post-escape infighting, Elder Xie and Ghost Granny exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked at Daoist Huang Yang.

"What are you doing?" Daoist Huang Yang's perception was sharp. He immediately shifted his gaze from the blood-colored bead in his hand and looked at the two in front of him with vigilance.

"Cough, cough..." Elder Xie coughed twice, his voice weak. "Nothing, I'm just curious, what exactly is that thing you risked your life to grab?" Ghost Granny also looked on curiously.

Teleported from the deep sea to Sky City, seven Grand Void cultivators gathered, all landing within the "Blood Realm." After struggling for over a day in that land of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the seven eventually became three; the other four Grand Void cultivators were "eaten" by the blood trees. Ghost Granny finally broke free from her restraints using a secret soul technique and, at the desperate pleas of Elder Xie and Daoist Huang Yang, helped them escape successfully as well.

She and Elder Xie each obtained a Blood Tree Shadow Branch, while Daoist Huang Yang got nothing. When the blood tree's final wave of attack hit, she and Elder Xie had already started to flee. However, Daoist Huang Yang turned back and rushed into the Blood Sea's devouring range, dug out this blood-colored bead, and then successfully escaped with the two of them. It must be said, this Daoist was truly greedy! But his greed paid off, and Ghost Granny felt a surge of admiration. If it were her, in that environment, her life would be paramount, and turning back would be impossible!

"Heh." Daoist Huang Yang merely chuckled upon hearing this. "You two escaped death and each received an opportunity, obtaining the 'Blood Tree Shadow Branch.' If I had come out with you two without getting anything, wouldn't this perilous journey of near-death and survival have been in vain?"

Elder Xie gave two wry laughs. His attention wasn't diverted; his gaze remained fixed on the blood bead. "So, what is it?"

"I don't know," Daoist Huang Yang shook his head. "Since I couldn't get a Blood Tree Shadow Branch, I had to grab something, right? Although I don't know what it is, I can feel that it's at least a Grand Void-level treasure. Who knows, once I figure out its use, it might even grant a 'Sanctification Opportunity'?" After making a self-deprecating remark, Daoist Huang Yang hid the bead, then chuckled and added, "Truth be told, my bead certainly can't compare to your 'Blood Tree Shadow Branches.' But something is better than nothing, isn't it?"

Elder Xie and Ghost Granny chuckled simultaneously. This was true. The Blood Tree Shadow Branches were broken off from a blood tree, one of the Nine Ancestral Trees, and provided a terrifying increase in combat power. What else in the world could be better than this? Seeing that Daoist Huang Yang didn't want to elaborate, the two assassins stopped pressing the issue.

Recovering from the recent terrifying experience, Elder Xie looked around the unfamiliar, massive ancient city and asked, "Sirs, what are your plans next?" Without waiting for a response, he paused and continued: "Sky City truly lives up to its name. Opportunities abound, but the dangers are also terrifying. My suggestion, since we're all 'fellow Daoists' who've faced death together, is to travel together. That way, we can look out for each other."

Ghost Granny had no objection and immediately nodded in agreement.

Although Daoist Huang Yang spoke of repayment, he secretly dared not travel with these two assassins. How could he not see that they coveted his treasure? Furthermore, with the inexplicable "death countdown" that had appeared in his mind, Daoist Huang Yang's sole objective at that moment was the Hall of Sin. Earlier, when trapped in the Blood Sea, they had exchanged information about Sky City. The "death immunity token" from the Hall of Sin was something he had learned about from a now-deceased Grand Void cultivator. Perhaps it could remove the strange countdown in his mind.

Just as he thought of this and was about to refuse, a whooshing sound suddenly swept across the sky.

"Whoosh!"

All three stiffened, hunched down, and scattered to hide in the shadowy corners of the dilapidated ancient city, their hearts pounding. Without looking, all three knew that the aura was many times stronger than their own! Yet, unable to suppress their curiosity, these three Grand Void cultivators, as if by some strange impulse, simultaneously released their spiritual senses and swept them across the sky.

A small giant, fully three zhang tall, dressed in simple hemp clothes, appeared like an enlarged human. In its left hand, it held an old man of normal human size, clad in luxurious golden robes, with pale golden hair, and an imposing demeanor.

With just one glance... "Bang! Bang! Bang!" In the shadowy parts of the ancient city, all three simultaneously slammed their knees to the ground, blood oozing from their seven orifices, their bodies cracking, creating three large craters in the earth.

"Half-Saint!" "Two Half-Saints!" The faces of the three Grand Void cultivators, oblivious to their peril, turned green. Cold sweat and blood seeped from their bodies, and their minds roared with frantic regret. Sky City truly had Half-Saints! And not just one, but two appeared at once! What the hell, was I looking for death? How dared I recklessly use my spiritual sense to scan unknown individuals in such a terrifying place? It's over, facing a Saint, my newly acquired treasures... all ruined!

"Yan Wuse, the three beneath us are Grand Void cultivators... Elder Xie and Ghost Granny, assassins of Three Incense, and Daoist Huang Yang of the Xuan Gate lineage... Their auras are weak, likely after a major battle." Number Two, carrying the person, spoke with no emotional fluctuation.

"Ignore them, they're just reckless fools," Yan Wuse said, annoyance on his face. "Our top priority is to complete our mission first." Tugging at his pale golden hair, Yan Wuse's expression was displeased. Their mission was to reinforce the seal on the inner island of Void Island. However, during their journey through the "Fallen Abyss," all the spatial passages were disrupted. Forget "reinforcing the seal," they couldn't even find where the "seal" was.

—The Fallen Abyss, one of the Nine Forbidden Lands, was the only currently safe forbidden land discovered by the Divine Saint Hall that could connect to Void Island's inner island.

"Someone has disrupted Void Island's seal. Can you figure out the situation? Like those tricks by charlatans such as Dao Qiongcang." Yan Wuse looked forward, his holy thoughts sweeping unrestrainedly through the giant kingdom, searching for suspicious individuals, yet still trying to lighten his workload by asking Number Two.

"Either the fellows on the inner island are up to something, or someone on the outer island has interfered with the sealing array," Number Two replied calmly.

"The inner island is impossible; they can't get out and would struggle to interfere with the seal. The probability is too small," Yan Wuse shook his head.

"You are correct," Number Two nodded.

Yan Wuse's eyebrow twitched at this, and he looked up angrily. "I'm asking you for solutions!"

"This is inherently your job..." Number Two said calmly, then suddenly noticed that the aura of the person in his hand had become somewhat off, and he quickly changed the subject, immediately stating: "Three solutions. One, the will of Void Island's Spirit... this probability is also very small. It is essentially impossible for It to emerge, It won't respond to anyone, nor will Its will be twisted. Two, go to the other eight Forbidden Lands. As long as the 'core' is still there, the seal won't go wrong. Three, the Void-Suppressing Steles. All three hundred and sixty-five Void-Suppressing Steles must be found. As long as their corresponding array positions remain unchanged, as above, the seal won't go wrong."

Yan Wuse was amused. The three solutions Number Two provided were, in reality, only one. First, Void Island's Spirit was practically non-existent now and didn't need to be considered at all. Secondly, who would be so bored as to move the Void-Suppressing Steles? Not only were these things useless except for suppressing the inner island's seal, but they couldn't be moved by ordinary people! Spirit refinement and sword arts were ineffective on them; they could only be used for simple name inscription. Surely, there wouldn't be someone who enjoyed body tempering on Void Island, carrying those broken stones to exercise, doing some strenuous squats, would there? Leaving so many natural treasures and spiritual artifacts untouched, not plundering or digging them, only to move stones instead? Anyone with a brain wouldn't do such a foolish thing!

"Which Forbidden Land is closest to here?" Yan Wuse asked, directly considering the second solution.

Number Two also thought the second solution was more likely and replied without hesitation, "There are three, from nearest to farthest: the Blood Realm, the Abyssal Embers Fire Domain, and the Forest of Miracles. Which one first?"

"The Blood Realm," Yan Wuse chose without hesitation. That wretched Abyssal Embers Fire Domain was so hot even he could barely stand it, and no one could approach its core, the "Heart of Embers," not even those from the Saint Palace's Embers lineage. The Divine Farmer's Medicinal Garden in the Forest of Miracles was guarded by Void Attendants, and its core, the "Dragon Apricot," had self-defense properties. Anyone attempting to pick a dragon apricot would face trouble, so disorder there was impossible. The Blood Realm was different! Every time Void Island opened, the Blood Realm would devour a large number of spirit refiners. Yan Wuse had already investigated and found that the last time the inner island's seal loosened, there was suspicion of a ghostly beast hiding in the Blood Realm, luring outside invaders, and successfully escaping Void Island after parasitizing them. This time, the key problem might also be in the center of the chaos—the Blood Realm!

"Blood World Bead..." Yan Wuse murmured silently, hoping for no surprises. Fortunately, although many people entered the island this time, breaking all previous records, most were Grand Void cultivators, who should not have the strength to access the "cores" of the various Forbidden Lands.

He glanced downwards, then withdrew his gaze. Yan Wuse inexplicably felt as though he had overlooked something, but in the next second, even the thought of "feeling" disappeared.

"Let's go, to the Blood Realm first!"

"Whoosh!" They came in a rush and left in a rush.

Below, Daoist Huang Yang, clad in ragged clothes soaked with blood and sweat, felt the two terrifying auras recede. He waited a long while before daring to stand up, his heart filled with lingering fear. "It was too terrifying, two Half-Saints appearing at once..."

To one side, Elder Xie and Ghost Granny also scrambled to their feet, equally shocked and filled with terror. "Damn it, good thing I hid early, otherwise this Blood Tree Shadow Branch would probably have drawn the attention of a Half-Saint," Elder Xie grumbled.

"Oh, please, a mere single Blood Tree Shadow Branch, perhaps a Half-Saint wouldn't even care about it." Ghost Granny sneered, then her expression quickly turned solemn. "Let's stop discussing Half-Saints, lest we be sensed."

Elder Xie shivered and nodded in strong agreement. Then, he turned his gaze to the other side of the long street and quietly asked again, "Well, Daoist Huang Yang? You've seen the 'dangers' of Sky City. Shall we travel together?"

Daoist Huang Yang, who had distanced himself from Elder Xie and Ghost Granny, had no intention of going back. He directly shook his head and said, "No, sirs... I am still accustomed to traveling alone. Let us part ways here!" A red glint flashed in his eyes, and he instinctively chose a direction, intending to leave.

"You don't trust us?" Ghost Granny suddenly spoke.

"Yes!" Daoist Huang Yang's footsteps halted, and he turned to look, chuckling. "A great favor is a great favor, and I will naturally repay it in the future. But at this moment, if you were me, would you feel at ease?" With that, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot.

"Should we keep him?" Ghost Granny tilted her head.

Elder Xie watched the distant afterimage fade, then looked up at the sky and sighed, "Forget it. The Half-Saints just left, let's not stir up trouble... Besides, assassinating a Grand Void cultivator who is already on guard is difficult, let alone openly killing them?"

"Two against one!" Ghost Granny licked her tongue, still coveting the blood-colored bead.

"He could fight to the death and take one of us down! Don't forget, when the Blood Sea was devouring everything, that Daoist ran out holding the bead, completely unaffected. Perhaps he has been hiding his true abilities." Elder Xie dared not take the risk.

"Perhaps it was the bead's doing?" Ghost Granny, however, had another idea.

"Anyway, I, this old man, am afraid of death, so I'm not going!" Elder Xie pulled out his Blood Tree Shadow Branch again, chuckling. "I'm satisfied with this. Let's refine the Blood Tree Shadow Branch first. I advise you to do the same."

"Heh, the older one gets, the less courageous," Ghost Granny scoffed, but didn't argue further. She walked alongside Elder Xie, quickly moving away from the area.

The ancient city was desolate, as lifeless as it had been since ancient times. The longer one walked within it, the more panic they felt, the more they perceived the fear of the "unknown" and the "immense." At some point, after passing through countless urban districts, more districts still lay ahead, as if endless. Ghost Granny and Elder Xie had long stopped talking. Their crisp footsteps echoed in the silent realm of giants, until finally, both resorted to flying, not daring to make a sound.

"Tap."

Suddenly, at one moment, Ghost Granny stopped and landed on the ground.

"Something wrong?" Elder Xie asked, vigilant, and immediately looked over.

"Three soul auras..." Ghost Granny instinctively wanted to use her spiritual sense to scan, but then abruptly remembered the terror of facing the Half-Saints just now, and she halted her action.

"Don't use your spiritual sense, use your 'Soul Veil Banner,'" Elder Xie said, knowing her concern.

Ghost Granny nodded, pulled out the dark and eerie Soul Veil Banner, and with a hand seal, channeled energy into it. Soon, three blurry, illusory human faces appeared on the banner.

"This..." Elder Xie's pupils suddenly contracted. He didn't recognize the two more mature faces beside it, but the younger one in the middle—that one was all too familiar! In an instant, Ghost Granny and Elder Xie exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with intense surprise.

"Xu Xiaoshou?!"

"A God-given opportunity!"