Chapter 1108: Blood Pearl Power, Scholar Ascends the Building

It was a crimson world. Stretching endlessly before them were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, enough to submerge an ordinary person to the waist. At the farthest reaches of this place stood seven towering, ethereal blood-red trees that seemed to touch the sky. Dried bones hung from their branches, one after another, a horrifying and bizarre sight.

"Holy power!" Yan Wuse, with his light golden hair, floated above the blood-red realm. He suddenly turned his head, gazing in the direction they had come from, his voice filled with surprise.

"'You are right, it is holy power,' said Number Two, whose unusual height seemed better suited for this land of giants. He spoke without emotion: 'Including this person, and the one I sensed after nearing the Forest of Miracles, there are now two types of demi-saint power on Void Island.'"

"'That is Jiang Buyi,' Yan Wuse stated with absolute certainty."

After entering the blood-red realm, he could sense that the 'Forbidden Zone' attribute of the distant Forest of Miracles had been activated. A demi-saint level battle had once erupted there.

Who would dare provoke a demi-saint? However, Yan Wuse felt it was more likely that Jiang Buyi had set his sights on the 'core' of the Forest of Miracles... If that were true, the Jiang clan of Northern Domain Puxuan might as well cease to exist!

"'Jiang Buyi wouldn't be so reckless,' Number Two said, as divine calculation lights flickered in his eyes. He instantly calculated the probability of Jiang Buyi targeting the 'core' of the Forest of Miracles to be almost zero."

"'Perhaps you have a point, but what's most important now is...' Yan Wuse turned his head, no longer dwelling on irrelevant thoughts, and instead focused on the seven ethereal blood trees in the center of the blood-red realm."

His expression grew solemn, and his voice held a stronger hint of killing intent.

"'No wonder the spatial pathways of the 'Fallen Abyss' are all in disarray...' 'Who dared to steal the 'Bloodworld Bead?'"

"Achoo!" At the entrance of Sin Hall One, True Monarch Huang Yang suddenly sneezed, pulling himself out of the vague, hazy, blood-red world he had mysteriously seen moments before.

"'How strange...' He rubbed his nose, took a deep breath, and frowned tightly."

Just moments ago, following his spiritual intuition, he had walked along. When he next regained full consciousness, he was already at the main entrance of Sin Hall One. This was undoubtedly unsettling and bizarre! Because before this, True Monarch Huang Yang only vaguely knew what 'Sin Hall One' was, and had no idea where it was located. Yet, after his consciousness blurred and then cleared again, he found himself at his destination—Sin Hall One.

As for what happened during the journey in between, True Monarch Huang Yang had almost completely forgotten. He couldn't recall a single thing, only feeling as though he had been possessed, and that the sneeze had brought his true self back.

"'A sudden impulse...?' he mumbled. True Monarch Huang Yang's mind was already uneasy."

If he could, he would have left Void Island immediately, but he didn't even know where the exit was.

"'Speaking of which, it's also very strange that Elder Xie and Granny Gui didn't pursue me! Considering the greedy nature of assassins, I had already prepared myself to ward off an assassination from unknown quarters. They shouldn't have been satisfied with just the 'Blood Tree Dark Branch.' Hmm, it's too strange, strangely so without reason...'" True Monarch Huang Yang stroked his chin, standing beneath the plaque of 'Sin Hall One,' unable to take another step for a long time.

As a Grand Void, having grown to this point, he was not unfamiliar with the feeling of being manipulated. However, with the warning of 'sudden impulse,' as long as he prepared to respond each time, he could always turn danger into safety. But this time, True Monarch Huang Yang felt as though even his impulse to 'turn danger into safety' was on the verge of being erased.

This sense of 'strangeness' was not only reflected in the almost complete loss of memory from the recent journey, nor just in Elder Xie and Granny Gui not pursuing him. It was more like... intuition! An intuition that something was 'strange' about himself!

Dropping his whisk, True Monarch Huang Yang felt he couldn't inexplicably continue forward. He made a hand seal and began chanting the 'Heart-Cleansing Mantra,' observing his true self, attempting to find the source of his 'strangeness.' His spirit, soul, and even will seemed to be drawn out, beginning to examine his physical body from a second-person perspective. Soon, True Monarch Huang Yang discovered his 'abnormality.'

"Buzz!" His consciousness returned to his body, and True Monarch Huang Yang pulled out a blood-red bead. This blood bead had been obtained in the 'Blood-red Realm.' Before acquiring it, he had led the normal life of a Grand Void cultivating the Great Dao, with nothing 'strange' about it. But after acquiring this 'blood bead,' the trajectory of his destiny seemed to have begun to shift...

"'Is it because of you?' True Monarch Huang Yang subconsciously wanted to throw away this supreme treasure, whose purpose he couldn't even fathom. He had survived until now, cultivating his path and mind to this point, his greatest life-saving ability being 'seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity.' After observing his true self, the answer his spiritual intuition gave him was to discard this 'blood bead' and leave immediately, even though he was extremely reluctant!

But then... 'Death Countdown: Nine Days!'"

The 'Death Countdown' that appeared in his mind after obtaining the blood bead caused him to hesitate slightly. In that moment of hesitation, a faint, almost imperceptible red light flashed across the blood bead, and a crimson hue entered True Monarch Huang Yang's eyes.

He paused for a full three breaths. Then, he slapped his head, and his body shivered, as if he had completely woken up. Looking back, the plaque of 'Sin Hall One' hung above the main entrance. True Monarch Huang Yang let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"'Excellent! After a day's journey, I've finally reached this place. Now, my 'Death Countdown' should be able to reset to zero. Indeed, living is more important than anything!'" He rubbed the blood bead in his hand, shrugged his shoulders, chuckled, and muttered to himself: "'I've been so busy studying this thing all the way here, and I've finally figured out a bit of its ability. Thankfully, I didn't encounter any other dangers or battles on the way. Now, I can verify my hypothesis... Hehe!'"

"'Logically, Sin Hall One has the ability to reset the 'Death Countdown.' And with so many battles having occurred in the Sky City, many people should want to enter this place, just like me. Let's see who else has been here!'" A faint red glow appeared in True Monarch Huang Yang's eyes, which were filled with anticipation.

He made a hand seal, mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body and injecting it into the 'blood bead.'

"Buzz!" The blood bead flashed red, and True Monarch Huang Yang felt the connection between them deepen further. Each time he used the blood bead, injecting spiritual energy into it, he could feel their bond strengthening. Perhaps this was a different kind of 'blood pact acknowledgment.'

His Qi Sea's spiritual energy began to rapidly deplete... It wasn't until True Monarch Huang Yang's face turned ashen, as if he had been completely drained, that the suction from the blood bead ceased, and his eyes also became completely crimson.

"Buzz!" His vision blurred, and a hazy, blood-red world appeared. The scene before Sin Hall One also changed slightly.

"Tap, tap, tap." Footsteps halted at the hall entrance. A youth in a brand-new white robe, who didn't appear very old, glanced at the person beside him and said: "'I know what you're thinking, but unlike the other nine forbidden zones, Sin Hall One's forbidden zone attribute is the easiest to activate. Even without a demi-saint entering, if just a single Throne Dao realm cultivator steps inside, the power within will likely begin to revive. Therefore, if we wait for the demi-saints from headquarters to arrive at Void Island and come here... their experience after entering Sin Hall One will only be more terrifying. It might even be easier for the two of us to go in first and directly shut down Void Island. At least, below the demi-saint level, with you and I working together, I in the open and you in the shadows, we can virtually traverse the entire Void Island, can't we?'"

The hazy, blood-red world reflected the blurry figure of the youth, yet True Monarch Huang Yang recognized him instantly: it was Yu Lingdi, the deceased Chief of the Spirit Division!

"'He's still alive?' True Monarch Huang Yang was shocked by what he saw and heard, almost losing his mind. Shutting down Void Island, the nine forbidden zones, demi-saints arriving, forbidden zone attributes activating... These terrifying things, he had secretly overheard and witnessed by using the power of the blood bead to rewind time and space!"

"'The Blood Bead is indeed a supreme treasure!' True Monarch Huang Yang was overjoyed. There was no doubt that anything involving the power of time and space was a supreme treasure."

He didn't dare to think too much and quickly looked at the person next to Yu Lingdi. He couldn't recognize this person at all; even the blood bead only reflected a patch of black, as if the figure was hidden in shadows.

"'Gah—' The shadowy figure, whose frame was exceptionally large and who was clad in a black feather robe, with no discernible gender, did not utter a single word. Instead, the three-legged black owl on their shoulder let out a cry, and then everything ended."

The next scene showed Yu Lingdi pushing the door open and entering, followed by the figure in the black feather robe, who melted into the shadows and went inside. The scene ended.

"'That's it?' True Monarch Huang Yang stared blankly. What kind of person was that? Yu Lingdi spoke to them, and they didn't even need to reply! Such an air of arrogance was truly excessive! Must be an important figure...'" After a quick assessment, True Monarch Huang Yang once again focused on the blurry image transmitted by the blood bead, as the scene within shifted, and another figure approached.

"Tap." Footsteps stopped. A figure in an orange robe and an orange mask, hiding their identity, stopped at the exact spot where True Monarch Huang Yang currently stood. He let out two strange, cackling laughs, then looked back into the distance and sneered: "'You're a demi-saint, at least. You don't need to trail so far behind. Are you waiting for a chance to flee?'"

A demi-saint! True Monarch Huang Yang's eyes widened instantly. What was going on? This orange-masked man was followed by a demi-saint? And what was that tone? Who would dare speak to a demi-saint like that? Was he also a demi-saint, and the one behind him was under his control? Any normal demi-saint wouldn't tolerate such blasphemous behavior from the orange-masked man, would they?

As he pondered this, the image from the blood bead magnified. True Monarch Huang Yang easily saw the demi-saint trailing far behind the orange-masked man, a figure covered in illusory grids, making even the color of their clothes indiscernible!

"'This...' He immediately twitched his lips, feeling both some relief and immense helplessness. 'The Blood Bead is truly a treasure! It even considered that my current cultivation isn't enough to face a demi-saint. You're so considerate! But with this, I can't see anything clearly. Is there no way to see the demi-saint without triggering the danger of facing one?'"

True Monarch Huang Yang had just begun muttering when he suddenly felt an insane suction coming from the blood bead. However, his Qi Sea's spiritual energy had not even recovered by a small fraction. With this suction, his Qi Sea instantly became empty. True Monarch Huang Yang felt his life force beginning to drain away, while the figure and face of the demi-saint in the image began to clear.

"'Enough! Enough! If it drains any more, I'll die!'" After only a few breaths, True Monarch Huang Yang hastily reacted, calling for it to stop, and then examined the blood bead itself with shock. It could understand his words, had its own consciousness, and could even block a demi-saint's perception... This was a supreme treasure among supreme treasures!

The loss of life force wasn't terrifying. True Monarch Huang Yang already felt that he and this supreme treasure were quickly merging into one. Their connection, thanks to this draining, had deepened further. Perhaps, after complete fusion, he could wield the blood bead without any side effects!

As he envisioned this future, the previously indistinct voice in the hazy world illuminated by the blood bead also became clear.

"'I've traveled with you all this way and nearly attracted three saintly calamities. If it weren't for that 'Exile Countdown,' I would have already turned around and left.'" From barely hearing the words and not seeing the face at first, True Monarch Huang Yang could now discern a hint of bitterness and discomfort on the demi-saint's face. Was he truly being held by some leverage? Saintly calamities... True Monarch Huang Yang stared at the orange-masked man, intuitively sensing that this person might not have reached demi-saint status, but being able to control a demi-saint made him more terrifying than an ordinary demi-saint!

"'As I said, this is a fair trade. I want Xu Xiaoshou's head, and you need assistance below the demi-saint level to contend for the 'Exemption Order.' We both get what we need. Don't forget what I told you before: even if you were at full strength in Sin Hall One, you couldn't act recklessly, let alone now, when your actions are restricted and your power is greatly diminished.'"

As the orange-masked man spoke, he pushed open the door of Sin Hall One and stepped inside without hesitation, uncaring if the demi-saint behind him would follow, disappearing directly into the darkness within the hall.

"'Five Heavenly Decays...'" The demi-saint behind him instantly flashed to the hall entrance, muttered through gritted teeth, and then followed inside.

"'Good heavens!' True Monarch Huang Yang's heart pounded wildly, feeling as though he had touched upon some high-level secret. Before obtaining this blood bead, he had been like a headless fly, aimlessly scurrying around Sky City, never knowing when he might stumble into danger or a dead end. Now, he could actually access top-tier secrets, foresee the future... or rather, in another way, glimpse risks in places he couldn't have possibly seen before. This gave True Monarch Huang Yang a sense of superiority."

"'The Blood Bead is the true supreme treasure! The Blood Tree Dark Branches that Elder Xie and Granny Gui have could probably only let them hold on for one extra breath under a demi-saint. But I am different. Knowing the risks of Sin Hall One, I can now choose to turn around and leave...'" A red glow flashed in his eyes, and True Monarch Huang Yang suddenly shook his head, his face showing excitement.

"'Interesting! This is the kind of battlefield True Monarch Huang Yang should join! To contend with Grand Voids, to play against demi-saints... A true hero finds joy in life precisely like this!'" With that, he forcefully pushed open the door of 'Sin Hall One,' holding the blood bead that now glowed crimson, and strode inside, showing no reluctance to leave the outside world.

At some unknown moment, footsteps again settled at the entrance of Sin Hall One.

"'This place feels a little familiar...'" A soft, questioning voice arose, and a figure in brocade robes stopped before the hall door. He had a full forehead, eyes shining like stars, and black hair tied into a neat topknot, not a single strand out of place. He appeared to be a well-read man, handsome and refined, with an extraordinary temperament. Noticeably, around his neck hung a rough, door-shaped wooden carving, strung on a black cord. It resembled an amulet, but the cheap wooden ornament seemed out of place with his otherwise luxurious attire.

"'Sin Hall One...'" The jade-faced scholar, new to this place, softly read the three characters on the plaque above the hall entrance. He then mused for a moment, frowning slightly, and muttered to himself: "'This shouldn't be 'Sin Hall One,' should it? Or have I remembered incorrectly again?'"

After speaking, the scholar extended his hand and swept it through the empty space before him. No spiritual energy fluctuations were visible, yet a quaint, dark-golden three-story pavilion rose from nowhere, overlapping the location of Sin Hall One. It replaced the original grand hall, yet it remained indistinct, as if invisible to outsiders.

"'That's more like it!' 'Hmm, what was I here for again?'" The jade-faced scholar first chuckled softly, then his eyes filled with doubt, but he did not stop. He continued to ponder as he stepped into the pavilion.

As his back slowly faded within the dark-golden three-story pavilion, the characters carved on the plaque of Sin Hall One, which overlapped with the pavilion, also began to subtly shift. For a moment, it read 'Sin Hall One' with three characters. Then, it transformed into five characters: 'Ancient & Modern Forget-Sorrow Pavilion.'