Chapter 471: Seven Emotions First Battle

A translucent little lizard, its long neck extended, frantically paddled its four slender legs. In an instant, it scrambled thousands of feet across the viscous blood sea, then stood there, cautiously surveying its surroundings.

It had been targeted by something.

In a flash, a dark shadow burst forth from beneath the blood sea. A gaping, blood-red maw "whooshed" the little lizard away, leaving behind only a shallow eddy and a few faint chewing sounds.

Because the blood sea was too viscous, the eddy quickly subsided.

The predatory beast, having successfully hunted, quietly swam away, not daring to reveal the slightest trace of its aura, and quickly sank into the depths of the blood sea.

A hundred miles away, Li Changshou, who had witnessed this scene, lowered his head and looked at the identical little lizard he had transformed into.

These days, being a low-level creature in the blood sea was quite difficult.

Dispelling all distractions, Li Changshou activated the Wind Language Spell – Ten Thousand Miles Wind Search to its fullest extent. He focused sixty percent of his mind, sifting through the information he gathered from all directions.

This was undoubtedly the place. The tremor of the Great Dao and the gathering of Asura masters were all originating from below.

The Blood Sea, the confluence of all impure springs of heaven and earth, represented the extreme of turbidity.

In the early ancient times, the Blood Sea was almost boundless. Ancestor Minghe, a primordial powerful being born from the Blood Sea, was famous throughout the Primordial World. He created the Asura race and founded the 'Killing' sect, claiming that he would never die as long as the Blood Sea remained.

Unfortunately, he later failed to keep up with the times.

When Houtu was about to transform into the Six Paths Samsara Disk, a Grand Master active in ancient times, who wished to remain anonymous, used several supreme treasures of the Human Sect to ally with Houtu and the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder, eradicating Ancestor Minghe.

The legend of 'Ancestor Minghe never dying as long as the Blood Sea does not dry up' was thus spectacularly shattered.

Subsequently, Empress Houtu transformed into the Six Paths Samsara Disk, a supreme treasure of the Heavenly Dao, dividing the Netherworld and establishing the Underworld, thereby forming the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Human.

Most of the Blood Sea evaporated, with only a remnant remaining on the west side of the Netherworld, still occupying a significant portion.

Heaven and Earth are divided into clear and turbid, with Yin and Yang mutually complementing each other, so the Blood Sea could never fully dissipate.

The Asura race and the various fierce beasts living within the Blood Sea were not extinguished; by today, they have gradually recovered some of their vitality.

Although the Asura race can no longer be as powerful as they were in the late ancient or early ancient times, they are still barely considered a major race in the world, holding a place within the Six Paths Samsara Disk. After aligning with the Western Sect, they gained another surge of luck.

Time waits for no one; procrastination breeds trouble.

The little lizard, Li Changshou's transformation, burrowed into the Blood Sea, activating a water escape technique. Fully concealing his aura fluctuations, he explored all the way into its depths.

Within the Blood Sea, it could even be called a unique hidden world.

Upon arriving, Li Changshou observed numerous 'bubbles' within the Blood Sea. Inside these bubbles, large and small 'islands' floated, on which many Asura tribes were settled.

Many Asura also wandered around.

A distinctive feature of the Asura race was that all their women were exquisitely beautiful, while the men's appearances varied wildly. Ordinary breathtaking beauties were commonplace here, as were the "brothers" whose diverse looks could terrify a child.

The entire Asura race exemplified this principle:

While beautiful appearances might be common, unappealing souls aren't necessarily interesting.

If Tianya Pavilion were to recruit some people here...

His thoughts were too scattered; he reined them in.

Li Changshou naturally didn't linger on these Asura women; after all, Fairy Yunxiao was right there in the Glazed Pagoda, observing his every move.

After gathering sufficiently detailed and comprehensive information, he continued to dive deeper, silently approaching the deepest part of the Blood Sea.

After diving unknown miles, the surrounding viscous turbid blood actually began to thin out.

As he continued to descend, all turbidity faded, and beneath him, wisps of immortal spiritual aura began to appear!

In a daze, Li Changshou felt as if he had stumbled into a hidden immortal realm deep within the earth.

As the saying goes, all things carry Yin and embrace Yang; solitary Yang generates nothing, isolated Yin grows little. When Yin and Yang reach their extremes, they transform into one another.

All these principles were contained within a simple Yin-Yang diagram.

Slowing his pace and analyzing the aura of the place, Li Changshou changed his concealment method, opting not to advance rashly.

The tremor of the Great Dao he had felt earlier originated within ten thousand miles.

Inside the Glazed Pagoda, the various Daoist masters were also exploring the surroundings, casually offering their insights and inadvertently showcasing their own cultivation realms.

Kong Xuan, who resided alone on one floor, stood at the pagoda window, gazing at the Blood Sea scenery.

Thousands of miles below, there was nothing unusual, but Li Changshou suddenly stopped.

He concealed himself within a colorful stream of light, maintaining the Wind Language Spell and transmitting the information it gathered into the Glazed Pagoda.

—Let the big shots help translate.

Strange gurgling and mumbling sounds echoed within the pagoda.

This was ancient Asura speech.

Daoist Duobao smiled, fumbling within his sleeve before producing a turtle-shell shaped treasure that emitted a light green immortal glow.

These unintelligible dialogues immediately turned into human voices:

"...They just sent word that the Water God has already intervened in this matter. Everyone, be careful and absolutely do not let your guard down."

"The Water God is full of schemes, constantly changing. His heart is dirtier than the Blood Sea, and his hands are blacker than our Ancestor's. We will never be his match."

"Alas, in the end, we are just being used by the Western Sect."

"The Western Sect is using us, and we are also using them."

"At the very least, the Western Sect has Saints. Without our Ancestor's protection, we are at the mercy of others in the Primordial World."

"This time, it is our Blood Sea clan's last chance."

"Even if we have to risk our lives, we must preserve this last place of survival for our descendants!"

"Don't say anymore. The Water God might be listening. Watch everywhere; don't miss any movement. Better to kill the wrong one."

"Better to kill the wrong one."

"Even our own kin are not allowed to trespass!"

In a corner of the pagoda, Yunxiao whispered a few words to Saintess Jinling. The two powerful immortal maidens simultaneously formed hand seals, concealing each other's Dao rhythm fluctuations, and then both pointed a finger forward.

Their combined Cloud Mirror Art revealed the source of this conversation.

It was at the bottom of the Blood Sea, above the ruins of a large city covered in formation light barriers. Hundreds of figures, each cloaked in a faint black murderous aura, stood outside the formations.

Eight-armed Asuras were everywhere, along with some two-armed Asuras emanating dense malevolent aura, all of them Blood Sea fiends clearly not to be trifled with.

They seemed to be guarding something.

Beneath these figures were layers upon layers of grand formations, and even beneath those, there appeared to be hidden arrangements.

Daoist Duobao transmitted what the Cloud Mirror revealed to Li Changshou, who listened carefully for a while longer before quietly approaching the city below.

Inside the Glazed Pagoda, True Person Huang Long mused:

"These Asura masters are guarding so strictly, and the formations here are not simple. How can one enter?"

True Person Taiyi laughed: "How could formations of this level possibly stop the esteemed Water God? He's always been good at getting through formations."

He clearly wanted to say more but dared not speak recklessly.

Zhao Gongming, however, said: "This place is so obvious, could it be a trap?"

"Eighty percent likely. This matter concerns the Western Sect's destiny, and it's been their long-standing scheme. They definitely wouldn't let us find it so easily..."

Daoist Duobao stroked his chin, pondering carefully, and reached this conclusion.

The masters pondered carefully and also felt this was the most likely possibility, agreeing that anything so openly displayed was probably problematic.

But continuing to ponder, they also felt it might be intentional, making it hard to discern truth from falsehood.

True Person Yuding said solemnly: "Chang Geng would never fall for such a scheme so easily. We can rest assured."

No sooner had he spoken than the Glazed Pagoda trembled slightly.

It was Li Changshou, carrying the pagoda, who once again used the Taiji Diagram to escape into the 'void beyond the painting', burrowing towards the ruins of the large city below.

Zhao Gongming laughed: "It seems our considerations are still not as profound as Chang Geng's."

All the Daoists agreed.

True Person Taiyi, however, whispered: "Why does it feel like we're overthinking it?"

"Chang Geng always strives for stability in his actions. He definitely wouldn't bypass this place without investigating..."

True Person Huang Long asked: "Then, what if this place is a trap?"

"Isn't that why we're here?"

True Person Taiyi smiled calmly, and the other Daoist immortals also showed faint smiles.

Indeed, with their combined power, there was nothing to fear here.

What followed, Li Changshou's actions continued to redefine their understanding of the word "stability".

The Taiji Diagram possessed unfathomable power; the Grand Master once used it to directly traverse the universe and walk freely 'outside the painting'.

Although Li Changshou's cultivation was insufficient, he could barely jump 'outside the painting'.

He opened a Taiji Gate, his figure burrowing into it. Cautiously, taking three steps for each probe, he passed by several elderly Asuras and entered the city's perimeter.

The surrounding world was hazy, with distorted figures and buildings. Li Changshou could vaguely discern the interwoven patterns of the Great Dao.

The Taiji Diagram seemed to have led him into a peculiar interlayer existing between Heaven and Earth and the Dao laws.

Unfortunately, Li Changshou could not use this method to investigate to the very end.

The opposing side had clearly anticipated this, or perhaps knew the Taiji Diagram's power. Li Changshou, relying on the Taiji Diagram, passed through over a dozen layers of protective formations 'outside the painting', feeling a slight tremor in his spiritual perception.

The Diagram's voice sounded: "Cannot pass."

Ahead, Dao marks intertwined. A grand formation, seemingly both a killing and a trapping array, sealed off the universe within and without. The formation master's skill was extraordinary.

Able to block the Taiji Diagram...

A grand formation set up by a Saint?

The little lizard, Li Changshou's transformed self, lay in the void 'outside the painting', quietly pondering. He quickly dismissed the idea of forcing his way through and quietly retreated.

A transmitted voice also sounded in Li Changshou's mind, from Daoist Duobao:

"This place has the Dao rhythm of a Saint. It's eighty percent likely a trap. Chang Geng, be very careful."

The little lizard slowly nodded, not altering its course of action.

He continued to shuttle 'outside the painting', searching back and forth several times and thoroughly examining the ruins of the large city. Finally, he identified a safe corner within the city and quietly burrowed back into the world.

Numerous killing formations were deployed in this location, with the damaged palace in the center of the large city being the overlapping point of all their covered areas.

Furthermore, Li Changshou had searched every part of the city 'outside the painting', meticulously investigating the formation layouts here, and discovered a crucial detail...

The direction of spiritual energy flow for all killing formations, i.e., the direction in which the formations unleashed their power, was inward, not outward.

The distribution of spiritual energy for all trapping formations also emphasized inward, not outward.

In other words, whoever set up this place intended to use the grand formations to eliminate any being that trespassed into that damaged grand hall.

"It's undoubtedly a trap."

Inside the pagoda, True Person Huang Long couldn't help but sigh: "A Saint has personally set up this formation, and the tremor of the Great Dao attracted Chang Geng's attention. This arrangement is likely specifically designed for Chang Geng..."

"The malevolence of their intent is truly beyond words."

Li Changshou's spiritual sense transmission entered the Glazed Pagoda: "Perhaps it's not that simple."

"Be careful, self-preservation above all else," Zhao Gongming cautioned.

Li Changshou acknowledged with a sound, then dispersed his 'little lizard' transformation, reverting to his usual form as an old Daoist carrying a gourd on his back.

His form remained translucent as he sat cross-legged in the corner of a dilapidated house within the city. He then removed the 'Seven Emotions Grass Ring' from his wrist and placed it into a treasure pouch, though he did not seal it shut.

Then, faint sighs wafted, and wisps of pale blue ripples dissipated around Li Changshou, as an aura of sorrow rippled outwards.

"I'm so miserable! I finally got out once, and now I'm thrown into this cold bag, unable to see outside, and still being used as a magic treasure..."

Li Changshou: ...

"Just keep quiet for now. This level of sadness is just right."

The Asura masters above the city detected no such emotional fluctuations.

A short while later, these Asura men and women were all crestfallen, each sighing, none spared.

An Asura woman murmured softly: "Are we truly a forsaken race?"

This sparked a ripple effect, and from the side, a tearful roar immediately erupted:

"I refuse! What kind of fate is this! What kind of destiny!"

"My Asura race will never be slaves! Never be... sigh... what's the point of shouting this? Who would even listen?"

"What's the point? Why bother? Is there any meaning?"

"Why are we struggling so hard? If Heaven and Earth want us to perish, why not just perish?"

Murmurs and cries echoed everywhere.

The Asuras, all completely immersed in this state, remained oblivious to being ambushed, each overwhelmed by sorrow.

Suddenly, a loud shout erupted as an eight-armed Asura abruptly raised all eight of its hands, slamming their palms in synchronized motion against its own skull.

"Ancestor, I'm coming to join you!"

With a thud, eight hands delivering eight impacts, the Asura's headless corpse slowly toppled.

Immediately, over a dozen Asuras were affected, falling into immense sorrow and committing suicide on the spot.

Gradually, more Asuras began to develop such negative thoughts, each continuously roaring and murmuring, seemingly trying to convince themselves.

The number of those committing suicide grew.

More than half of the Asuras were already weeping uncontrollably, recalling their miserable lives and various hardships. Having rarely cultivated their Dao hearts, their resistance to the power of the Seven Emotions was almost zero at this moment.

Li Changshou formed hand seals and asked the treasure pouch in his hand, "May I ask the incarnation of Wrath to join in?"

"I don't care about you!"

"Huh? Senior Brother Taiyi, why are you out?"

"Where is that scoundrel!"

The grass ring glowed with colorful light, and an illusory figure appeared within the treasure pouch, searching left and right.

Layers of pale red ripples spread out between heaven and earth.

Little Sorrow sighed: "We were all born inside grass, yet you still scheme how to use and deal with us. Doesn't your conscience ache?"

"I'm so miserable, why did I ever become friends with you..."

"I'm even more miserable, my only friend is gone."

Incarnation of Wrath: "Are you messing with me?!"

Li Changshou: ...

Sorrow and Wrath, two incarnations of the Seven Emotions formed by the combined power of all beings and Houtu's cultivation realm, attacked simultaneously!

Instantly, outside the ruined city, the Asuras roared upwards, as if hundreds of dying beasts had appeared between heaven and earth, letting out unwilling roars...

"Asuras never die! The Blood Sea never dries!"

"We must avenge our Ancestor, we must avenge our Ancestor!"

"The Western Sect is using us!"

"What's the point of living like this!"

Li Changshou quietly watched the unfolding scenes, relying on his serene Dao heart to resist the power of the Seven Emotions.

In just a moment, the scene completely spiraled out of control;

Asuras began to fall into murderous intent, gradually descending into madness, attacking their kin, attacking the formations, and even striking themselves with their blades.

Li Changshou pondered briefly, observing the Asuras' behavior. He then selected a two-armed Asura, one with significant power but the most unstable mind, and began to transmit his spiritual sense.

Trump card: Voice of Enticement

"Child, do you crave... to gain my Ancestor's power?"

Uh, why does it feel like a villainous demon lord's déjà vu?

Inside the pagoda, True Person Huang Long observed the external situation with astonishment, opening his mouth but remaining speechless.

"This is the power of the Seven Emotions?"

Fortunately, the power of the Seven Emotions did not penetrate the Glazed Pagoda, so the immortals inside did not need to exert themselves in resistance.

Daoist Duobao laughed: "Whenever troublesome matters reach Chang Geng's hands, they always become so simple."

No sooner had Daoist Duobao finished speaking than a two-armed Asura, 'bewitched' by Li Changshou, suddenly turned around and recklessly crashed through the precarious formation in front of it, charging towards the stone hall in the center of the city, which contained the Dao rhythm of a Saint!

This triggered a chain reaction; at least thirty to forty eight-armed and six-armed Asuras followed closely, crashing into the ruins of the grand hall like comets!

The killing formations were triggered, golden lights bloomed, and thousand-foot sword energies crisscrossed, filling the city with a storm of blood and gore.

Li Changshou's figure had, at some unknown point, vanished from that corner.