Chapter 528: Crisis Looms, Figures Emerge

Chapter 528: Crisis Looms, Figures Emerge

Upon hearing the plan, Xue Ji was thrilled by the prospect of becoming the ruler of the world. If it was that simple—to usurp and replace the current ruler—he couldn't help but be excited.

Only a disciple of the Tao Zu could devise such a method.

"Master, from now on, I will be the Blood Demon, the mighty one from the Unchanging Temple!" Xue Ji declared, pounding his chest.

"I'm glad you understand," Su Lingxiu nodded in satisfaction.

Once Xue Ji successfully replaced the Blood Demon, his betrayal by backstabbing the Unchanging Temple during their battle with the Great Wilderness would be incredibly effective and unexpected.

As for whether Xue Ji would betray them after replacing the Blood Demon, Su Lingxiu believed that Xue Ji was an intelligent person who knew what choice to make. After all, just as she had enabled him to replace the Blood Demon, she could also easily reduce him to ashes. She trusted that he was aware of this.

"The process of transforming into a soul seed will be rather painful and will take some time. Moreover, I need to modify your divine soul to make it easier to replace the Blood Demon," Su Lingxiu explained as she began her preparations.

To ensure the plan's success, she would also need some help from her master, as the Blood Demon was, after all, the ruler of the world.

In a certain mountain within the Unchanging Land, there lay the remains of a fallen true spirit, and within it, the true body of the Blood Demon was hidden.

As for chasing after the Witch Demon, he was too lazy to bother.

"It won't be long now. I can sense the power of the subsidiary soul growing stronger. I'm close to a breakthrough," the Blood Demon exclaimed excitedly.

Through his connection with the subsidiary soul, he realized that it had become much more powerful and had cultivated various mighty divine techniques.

At this point, the strength of the subsidiary soul was not much weaker than his own.

"I must find a way. Once the subsidiary soul becomes stronger, I need to pull it back and strengthen myself," the Blood Demon thought to himself.

He was also worried about the possibility of the subsidiary soul going out of control, even though the probability was extremely low. Nonetheless, he couldn't let his guard down.

He immersed his mind and began to communicate with the subsidiary soul.

At one point, he acquired a technique from the subsidiary soul—the Unification Art. This technique allowed him to assimilate all the cultivation of his clones back into his original body.

Any divine techniques and cultivation levels his clones had attained would be absorbed.

"This will come in handy," the Blood Demon thought as he began cultivating the art. As he practiced the Unification Art, he found that his connection with the subsidiary soul was strengthening.

It seemed that he could pull the subsidiary soul back to him at any time.

Moreover, even if the subsidiary soul's strength surpassed his own, because it originated from him, it couldn't resist his pull or the power of the Unification Art.

"No wonder it's a technique passed down by the Tao Zu," the Blood Demon marveled.

However, he didn't know that as he cultivated the Unification Art, Tian Zi had slightly weakened the Heavenly Dao's blocking effect on the subsidiary soul, creating the illusion of a stronger connection. This was all part of the plan to ensure that the Blood Demon remained unaware of the Heavenly Dao's existence and the deception crafted by its power.

Moreover, the Heavenly Dao governed the entire world, and with the establishment of the reincarnation cycle, its power had become even more profound and mysterious. There was no way for the Blood Demon to see through it.

"There's no rush. Once the subsidiary soul breaks through to the level of establishing its own Dao, I'll immediately pull it back, unify and assimilate it, and gain its cultivated powers and strength. Then, I'll surpass that person from the Unchanging Temple in one fell swoop," the Blood Demon said, his voice shaking with excitement.

It wouldn't be long before he could replace the current ruler.

"Witch Demon, you'd better run far and hide. Don't get killed too quickly. After I take his place, I can accept you as my subordinate. I'm not like that person; I don't need to devour the world..." the Blood Demon muttered to himself.

A blood pool appeared beneath him, and his figure gradually disappeared as he merged into it. Soon, all that was left in the mountain was the blood pool, bubbling and steaming.

Not long after, one true spirit after another was drawn to the scent of blood. They entered the mountain, their eyes shining with excitement at the sight of the blood pool.

They rushed to the edge of the pool, eager to drink from it, but just then, a bloody hand reached out and pulled one of the true spirits into the blood pool.

Plop!

The true spirit let out a brief, piercing scream before disappearing into the blood pool. The blood in the pool seemed to boil even more vigorously, and the steaming bubbles increased in number.

In another part of the Unchanging Land, the Witch Demon's strong arm was embedded in the body of a true spirit. The true spirit struggled, its flesh withering and its blood and flesh disappearing, leaving only a thick layer of skin.

"You're faster than I expected!" the Witch Demon said, turning to look in a certain direction and coldly huffing before disappearing in an instant.

Not long after he left, a figure appeared and looked in the direction of the Witch Demon's departure, giving chase once again.

...

A loud crack of a whip rang out in the Unchanging Land, accompanied by the painful howls that followed.

Among this group of true spirits were some with power comparable to that of a Realm Lord, yet even they dared not defy this figure's command.

The vast army of true spirits marched through the Land of Unchanging, their progress marked by the occasional crack of the whip. Finally, in the distant horizon, a brilliant gem could be seen.

"Taicang, the time has come for your world to disappear," the figure declared, lifting its head to gaze at the distant gem. A faint, eerie green light shone from its eyes.

Crack! The whip lashed out, and the true spirits roared as they surged forward, rushing towards the brilliant gem.

The Great Wilderness had returned to calm.

The strong had gradually begun to adapt to the new order of the world, the division of Yin and Yang.

Li Xuan devoted himself entirely to the pursuit of martial arts, paying little attention to the goings-on in the Great Wilderness.

Xu Yan returned to Canglan Island to be with his parents, guiding them and their family in their cultivation.

Meng Chong and Jiang Buling were in seclusion, cultivating diligently. Fang Hao, the master of Qinghua Peak, busied himself with managing the affairs of the sect in between his own periods of seclusion.

Su Lingxiu and Tianzi were plotting against the Blood Demon.

She had successfully refined the Blood Extremity's soul into a soul seed, seamlessly integrating it into the Blood Demon's subsidiary soul.

Quietly and stealthily, the soul seed was growing stronger, preparing to usurp the Blood Demon's power.

Plotting against a ruler of the world was no easy task, so Su Lingxiu sought help from her master, enhancing the soul seed and teaching the Blood Extremity a divine soul technique to increase their chances of success.

Wu Tiannan had broken through to the Supreme Realm and accompanied Yu Yao to her immortal realm, leaving Li Xuan to marvel at Wu Tiannan's good fortune in finding a companion for his journey.

Lao Xiao immersed himself in the comprehension of the Heavenly Dao, confident that his strength would increase and that he would find a new path forward.

Xie Tianheng had returned to Jianzun Cliff with his wife, Fu Yun, resuming his pursuit of the sword path and his ambition to establish a sword sect.

Xie Lingfeng, on the other hand, had returned to Canglan Island.

Meng Shushu and Shi Er also made their way back to Canglan Island, feeling more at home and useful in familiar territory, as their strength was still advantageous in the former Inner Domain of the Great Wilderness East Region.

Everyone had found their own path, their own goals, and with that, the world settled into a peaceful interlude, a time of recovery after the tumult.

In the vast ocean, a giant turtle emerged, its head breaking the surface as it basked in the heavenly laws, nourishing itself.

The Primordial Sea Turtle noticed that with the changes in the world, it no longer seemed to be in danger. The Realm Lords no longer targeted it, and it could exist without fear of exposure.

"Life is good in the Great Wilderness!" the turtle thought contentedly.

In the True Dragon Immortal Realm, a massive sculpture had been completed—a nine-clawed, purple-gold dragon constructed from extremely rare materials, located at the very heart of the realm.

"Pay your respects!"

Ao Lie led the true dragons in a bow, their foreheads touching the ground as they worshiped the purple-gold dragon.

"Honor to the Ancestor!" the true dragons chorused.

Ao Ming was perplexed as to why his father had ordered the construction of a dragon shrine to worship their ancestor upon his return.

What confused him even more was that the ancestor of the true dragon clan was his grandfather, Ao Hong, and he most certainly did not look like this, nor did he have nine claws. Grandfather was a five-clawed dragon.

Yet, his father insisted that this was the true ancestor of their clan, the nine-clawed purple-gold dragon! He spoke with such conviction that it left no room for doubt, even suggesting that Grandfather Ao Hong would have to pay his respects upon his return.

The other true dragons shared Ao Ming's confusion, but Ao Lie was the clan leader and the most powerful and senior member of the true dragon clan. If he said it was so, it must be true, and perhaps it involved a secret of the dragon clan.

After Ao Lie and the true dragons finished paying their respects, he looked pleased as punch, his entire dragon body relaxed.

"My true dragon clan also has a powerful backer," he said. "Our dragon ancestor is the true pinnacle of strength."

Rather than returning to the true dragon clan, Ao Yuxue chose to follow Xu Yan to Canglan Island, a decision that Ao Lie wholeheartedly supported.

Therefore, this nine-clawed, purple-gold dragon is the ancient progenitor of the True Dragon clan!

Even if his father, Ao Hong, somehow returns alive, he cannot change this fact.

Such a thick and sturdy thigh must be clung to tightly.

As long as they cling to this sturdy thigh, they need not worry about the True Dragon clan being threatened with annihilation by the Unchanging Temple.

"From this day forth, several elders of the clan shall reside in the Dragon Shrine. All dragons of the clan must frequently pay respects to the Dragon Progenitor. Outstanding talents within the clan will be nurtured in the Dragon Shrine, and every year, a grand ceremony to worship the Dragon Progenitor shall be held. Are your orders clear?"

Ao Lie said solemnly.

"Yes!"

The True Dragons nodded in unison.

Boom!

Suddenly, all the Realm Lords of the Great Wilderness looked up towards the heavens beyond, their faces turning ashen.

Whoosh!

Figure after figure appeared in an instant, gathering at the edge of the heavens, their gazes fixed on the Unchanging Land, their expressions grave.

Even Tian Sha, who was in the Underworld working on the grand construction, emerged.

The seven Witch Demons also appeared one after another.

Beyond the heavens, it seemed as if a storm was brewing, bringing with it ear-piercing roars. A group of Unchanging True Spirits was charging towards the heavens, howling as they came.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"What is that?"

Ao Lie looked at the group of Unchanging True Spirits, his eyes narrowing as an ominous figure appeared in his mind.

"It's him!"

"Who?"

A Realm Lord asked, puzzled.

"Mu Zhu!"

Ao Lie replied gravely.

The other Realm Lords were confused, wondering who Mu Zhu was.

But the older generation of powerful beings, like the Witch Demons, wore extremely solemn expressions.

"Mu Zhu, a powerful being from the Unchanging Temple. He possesses the ability to command the Unchanging True Spirits. It was he who once led the Unchanging True Spirits to invade the True Spirit Heavens, and it was during that battle that the chief of the Sky Tiger clan, Sky Tiger, fell, nearly causing the extinction of the entire Sky Tiger clan.

"In the end, it was the Master of True Spirits, Ao Hong, who, with his formidable dragon might, scattered the Unchanging True Spirits and broke Mu Zhu's command over them."

A hoarse, aged voice spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to its owner—an elderly man who seemed to be on the brink of death, exuding an air of gloom.

Moreover, he seemed to be enveloped in a peculiar aura, one that instilled a sense of foreboding in those around him.

"Ta He, you've come to this state," Tai Miao sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Tai He!

Upon hearing this name, the powerful beings present were taken aback. This was a figure they had heard of but never seen—the ruler of an ancient small world—and now, he appeared before them in such a decrepit state.

It seemed as if he was being tormented by some mysterious force.

"It's all thanks to my older brother that I'm still alive," Tai He sighed.

Tai Miao's eyes saddened at the mention of Tai He's older brother, Tai Cang.

"There aren't many of us left from those days," another aged voice piped in.

The group turned to see another elderly man, exuding the same air of gloom.

Tai Kun!

"Witch Demons, Flame Demon... We meet again," Tai Kun said with a faint smile.

The seven Witch Demons exchanged complex looks, their eyes filled with memories and a hint of sadness.

Among the powerful beings present, only Tai He, Tai Kun, and Tai Miao were of the same generation as the Witch Demons; the others, like Xiao Yao and Yu Yao, were their juniors.

With Tai Kun's appearance, three more figures stepped forward. Though they appeared aged, they lacked the air of impending doom that hung over Tai He and Tai Kun.

These three had been hidden rulers of ancient small worlds.

"Master!"

Cang Lie and Jiang Feng looked at their master, then at the charging horde of Unchanging True Spirits, their eyes filled with sorrow.

The crisis had arrived.

With their master's appearance, it meant that they would have to flee into the boundless Unchanging Land, leaving this world behind.

"Mu Zhu," Tai He said, his eyes fixed on the surging True Spirits as he shook his head. "You little dragon is still too weak. You can't intimidate these True Spirits or break Mu Zhu's command over them.

"Sky Tiger could have done it, but Mu Zhu was slightly stronger, and in the end, Sky Tiger fell."

Ao Lie sighed. "Is Mu Zhu a ruler of the world?"

"You could say that," Tai He replied. "The term 'ruler of the world' is our way of describing beings of that level. Those from the Unchanging Temple don't refer to themselves that way since they don't possess their own world and thus can't truly be considered rulers of the world.

"However, their strength is indeed on par with rulers of the world, though slightly weaker. Nonetheless, they belong to the same tier."

Tai He nodded.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end