Chapter 634: The Battle of Blood God against the Vine King, Fishing at the Abyss

Chapter 634: The Battle of Blood God against the Vine King, Fishing at the Abyss

Rustle!

The gentle breeze blew, and Lu Chen's feet lightly touched the treetops.

With a graceful and carefree movement, Lu Chen stood atop the tree canopy.

As he saw Dao Lan retreating with his blade, Lu Chen also instinctively distanced himself from that valley.

The earlier part of this battle was just as Old Fisherman had described before their departure, not really as "dangerous" as it seemed.

The countless Withered Blood Vines, under the powerful strength of their late Golden Core stage, could be easily destroyed with a wave of their hands.

Even the seemingly troublesome Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vines, with their explosive lethality, posed no real threat to them.

Of course, this was based on the premise that all five of them possessed the strength of Grand Cultivators.

If they were replaced by early or mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators, dealing with the situation would not be as effortless and carefree.

Sometimes, a single realm's difference could be as vast as a heavenly chasm!

At this moment, even the powerful Dao Lan had taken the initiative to retreat, indicating the formidable strength of the upcoming enemy.

Lu Chen was no fool; he immediately created some distance.

Looking up at the sky, at the terrifying white vine that stretched across the void, seemingly endless in length, Lu Chen couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

"Is this the Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vine?"

Unlike the human and demon races, which could easily communicate with spirits and embark on the path of cultivation, it was extremely challenging for plants and stones to achieve spiritual consciousness and cultivate.

It was not only due to their innate physical limitations but also the harsh survival environment.

In all these years, Lu Chen had only seen one type of spirit, the Pearl Spirit, which had achieved spiritual consciousness.

One could imagine how formidable a Withered Blood Vine that could achieve spiritual intelligence and cultivate to the Fifth Stage under such harsh restrictions would be! Even without the abilities of a Soul Transformation stage cultivator, it was at least comparable to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

This was Lu Chen's conclusion about the terrifying white vine before him.

With this judgment in mind, Lu Chen was curious about how Old Fisherman would deal with the Vine King.

In his line of sight, beneath the white vine, Old Fisherman's aged body seemed like a flickering candle in the wind, trembling incessantly.

However, he showed no signs of retreating, and his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.

"It has indeed achieved spiritual consciousness, breaking free from its innate shackles!"

Amidst his ecstasy, he suddenly knelt on one knee and shouted, "Blood God Son, descend!"

The next moment, his body began to tremble violently, and thick red light emanated from him.

The white vine in the sky seemed to sense something and suddenly lashed down a massive vine, like a colossal whip.

The terrifying power had not even fully descended when the sturdy valley crumbled into dust with a thunderous roar.

How could a Golden Core stage cultivator withstand such an attack?

Old Fisherman!

As Lu Chen's heart tightened, a figure emerged from the swirling dust.

The man held up his hand and, with a wave, caught the whip in mid-air.

He was a man with a stern face and narrow eyes.

Clad in a red robe, he seemed to be enveloped in blood and fire.

Recalling the shouting voice of Old Fisherman before this man's appearance, Lu Chen exclaimed, "Blood Scattering Person?"

"Not him!"

At the edge of Lu Chen's ear, Starlight Envoy's voice sounded, and he had already arrived at a low peak a hundred zhang away from Lu Chen without Lu Chen noticing.

As Lu Chen looked on curiously, Starlight Envoy spoke softly, "It is Blood Scattering Person, but not the person himself. This is the Blood Sea Incarnation he refined, also known as Blood God Son."

Lu Chen was puzzled.

From his observation, the man was clearly a genuine Nascent Soul stage cultivator, so how could he still be an incarnation?

Starlight Envoy seemed to sense Lu Chen's confusion and, with his knowledge of the Heavenly Demon Star Sect and Demon Origin Sect, quickly provided Lu Chen with a brief explanation.

"Blood Scattering Person is a heaven-gifted genius. Based on the Demon Origin Sect's Blood Sea cultivation method, he has cultivated the Blood God Scripture to the extreme, surpassing even the direct disciples of the Demon Origin Sect's Blood Sea lineage."

"This incarnation is the Demon Origin Sect expert who guarded Dragon Abyss Immortal City a hundred years ago."

"After being killed, he was refined into Blood God Son!"

"Fellow Daoist, this existence is inherently cruel and ruthless without its master's control. You and I must keep our distance."

Lu Chen still didn't understand why Starlight Envoy was explaining this to him in such detail. Could it be because he had praised him a few times before their departure?

Only now did he realize that Starlight Envoy was concerned about the Blood God Son's lack of control, which might pose a threat to them.

However!

"From what we can see now, this Blood God Son is clearly following Blood Scattering Person's orders to capture the Vine King and won't pay attention to us."

Starlight Envoy shook his head, "Even so, a Nascent Soul stage battle has an extremely wide range of influence, often spanning thousands of li. You and I should still be cautious."

Lu Chen nodded and immediately retreated with Starlight Envoy.

In his line of sight, Dao Lan had retreated even further.

After finding a slightly safer spot, Lu Chen turned to look back.

On Withered Wood Ridge, the battle between Blood God Son and the Vine King had reached a critical stage.

The surging waves of mana reverberated throughout the mountain range.

As the blood-red robe fluttered, thick crimson light was unleashed.

Once the white vine's main body was stained with the blood light, it emitted a foul odor.

However, the Vine King was not an easy opponent. Its powerful body relentlessly bombarded the surroundings, causing mountains to crumble and thunderous winds to howl.

Under its fierce attacks, Blood God Son remained silent, looking slightly disheveled, and was frequently knocked to the ground.

Even though he could stand up and continue fighting, the thick blood light on his body gradually thinned.

"Can he win?"

Lu Chen's eyebrows furrowed as he sensed something amiss.

After careful observation, he finally discovered the source of the uneasiness.

Although Blood God Son possessed the combat power of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, he didn't seem to have the Nascent Soul domain enhancement.

As he executed each move, the mana on his body gradually diminished.

On the contrary, the Withered Blood Vine King, which initially seemed feeble, grew more vigorous with each battle.

It seemed as if its spirit energy was inexhaustible, and it freely unleashed its pure spirit energy as if it were free.

The Starlight Envoy descended beside Luo Chen, maintaining a relatively close distance while keeping a few hundred meters away.

Witnessing this scene, he sighed, "It's the Blood God Child refined from the deceased. Not only has it lost its potential for growth, but its Nascent Soul Domain from its previous life can no longer be manifested."

Luo Chen curiously glanced over.

The Starlight Envoy explained, "The so-called Nascent Soul Domain is actually a kind of resonance generated by the harmony between a cultivator's Nascent Soul and the heavens. Once a cultivator dies, even if their Nascent Soul remains, that resonance is severed. Blood Scattering Person used a secret method to preserve the Nascent Soul of this powerful Demon Origin Sect member and refined it into a Blood God Child, but it's difficult to go against the laws of nature and recreate his domain from his previous life."

Luo Chen suddenly understood, and then said, "In that case, won't this Blood God Child become increasingly powerless?"

"It should be so," the Starlight Envoy nodded, his gaze fixed on the battlefield several hundred miles away where smoke and dust were rising. "It depends on whether Blood Scattering Person has given this Blood God Child other powerful combat methods."

Luo Chen calmed himself, and the light between his eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the constantly moving battlefield.

In his line of sight, the Blood God Child continuously unleashed spells.

Sometimes, his fingers moved like swords, and sword lights crisscrossed.

Or, he clapped his hands together, and blood hand seals struck the giant white vine.

Occasionally, as he waved his sleeves, large amounts of blood light were scattered.

After watching for a while, Luo Chen suddenly realized that the blood light should be a high-level malevolent qi, extremely powerful. Each time it hit the white vine, the vine's aura would weaken.

However, it was clear that this malevolent qi diminished with each use.

If they wanted to use this method to wear down the white vine's strength, one could only imagine how much blood light malevolent qi the Blood God Child would need.

As the Starlight Envoy had said, if this Blood God Child didn't have other powerful combat methods bestowed by Blood Scattering Person, it would be difficult to defeat it.

...

In the Withered Wood Ridge, the battle had lasted for a full half an hour.

The battlefield was no longer limited to the original valley.

One person and one vine constantly changed the battlefield.

Wherever they passed, devastation followed.

Even the earth veins were struck, erupting into blazing mountain fires.

The spectators, including Luo Chen, were forced to retreat early to avoid the aftermath of the battle.

If their task hadn't been unfinished, they would have left this human hell long ago.

Even so, the increasingly heavy atmosphere made them lose their desire to talk, and they focused all their attention, preparing for the possible battle aftermath.

Boom! A loud explosion sounded, and four figures scattered in different directions.

After the smoke and dust cleared, the four looked at each other.

Their gazes fell on the lifeless white vine remains on the ground, and they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"We underestimated this Blood God Child. Even without the boost from the Nascent Soul Domain, its ferocity is beyond what we can imagine," the Starlight Envoy swallowed, his eyes filled with intense fear.

The previous battle aftermath, even from a distance of a hundred miles, was beyond their endurance.

If it weren't for the four of them working together and using their methods, someone among them would have been seriously injured by that attack.

Dao Lan leaned on his massive broadsword, his gaze shifting to Luo Chen.

Looking at the man with fluttering black hair and a fluttering robe, he suddenly praised, "That treasure is not bad!"

Luo Chen smoothed the trembling armor, pursing his lips.

Under that previous attack, he had first unleashed a Qingyang Great Palm Seal, then activated the Mystic Dust Armor's armor, allowing him to escape unscathed.

He had thought he had done it secretly, but he hadn't expected Dao Lan to be so sharp in discovering it.

Huang Pu Song, with the giant seal on his head, was the most composed among the four. Under the purple glow, he was completely unharmed.

He smiled and said, "Qing Yangzi is a famous artifact-forging master in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly. Dao Lan, you've been longing for a close-fitting defensive artifact, why not ask Qing Yangzi to forge one for you after returning?"

Dao Lan seemed to be tempted and silently looked at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen coldly snorted, "My artifact is good, but it seems it's still not as good as your giant seal!"

In an instant, the three of them turned their gazes towards the giant seal covering Huang Pu Song's head.

Looking closely, they saw a dragon head standing tall, and the patterns became clearer with full activation. Upon closer inspection, they were clearly carvings of flowers, birds, insects, fish, mountains, rivers, and seas.

This was clearly an imperial seal of a secular dynasty!

Seeing the three of them staring, Huang Pu Song felt uncomfortable.

He wanted to put away the imperial seal, but the battlefield was too dangerous. With his experience in combat, he might not escape without this treasure's protection.

Previously, he had wanted to stir up trouble by asking Dao Lan to find Luo Chen to forge a treasure, hindering his cultivation.

But he hadn't expected that Luo Chen would turn the tables and draw Dao Lan's attention to his protective treasure.

He coughed to change the subject, "Where's the Old Fisherman?"

The other three were startled and became curious.

Yes!

Where was the Old Fisherman?

Since the Nascent Soul battle erupted, there had been no sign of the Old Fisherman.

None of the four believed that he had died in the aftermath of the battle.

Don't be fooled by the Old Fisherman's usual appearance of being on the verge of death; his true combat power must be above everyone else's.

One of the three major eight-star monster hunters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, representing not only status but also strength!

Luo Chen was also puzzled as to where the Old Fisherman had gone.

His gaze wandered, then suddenly stopped.

"The Blood God Child is finally ending this battle.

The crowd followed the sound, and they saw a blood-red figure soaring towards the heavens. When it reached the clouds, it spread its arms wide, and a dazzling and brilliant blade light filled the space between heaven and earth!

As the blade appeared, the world seemed to respond with thunder and lightning, and amidst the brilliance, there were countless wailing ghosts and howling wolves crying out in unison.

"It's the Divine Gale Blood Blade!"

"The true artifact that Blood Scattering Person has been cultivating for hundreds of years!"

"I never expected that for a fifth-stage Withered Blood Vine, Blood Scattering Person would even take out his lifebound true artifact."

Exclamations of surprise arose, and everyone's expressions changed.

True artifacts were magical treasures that had transformed, but in essence, they were still magical treasures.

However, these magical treasures had undergone tribulation and shed their mortal nature, and each move wielded with them possessed immense power.

Luo Chen had seen many Nascent Soul True Monarchs, but those who possessed lifebound true artifacts were few and far between.

Tian Yi Zi might have one, but after being captured by the Qing Shuang Demon Emperor, it had been taken away.

As for the others, some didn't have one at all, and those who did were reluctant to use them in battles.

But to everyone's surprise, Blood Scattering Person was willing to take out his lifebound true artifact for a fifth-stage Withered Blood Vine, and even handed it over to a Blood God Son to control.

Looking at the narrow and long Divine Gale Blood Blade in the sky, which resembled a scythe, Luo Chen's eyes stung, and he subconsciously glanced at the broadsword in Dao Lan's hand.

On the sword, there seemed to be wailing ghosts and howling wolves echoing through it.

Perhaps noticing Luo Chen's gaze, the usually silent Dao Lan's face was abnormally flushed.

"This Divine Gale Blood Blade is indeed of the same origin as my Golden Lion Saber, following the path of absorbing soul blood slaughter energy for promotion. After years of cultivation and slaying countless demons, I've only managed to nurture it to an upper rank with demon beast blood slaughter energy, but it's still far inferior to Blood Scattering Person's blade."

Absorbing soul blood slaughter energy to promote the rank of magical treasures was the most popular method of artifact refinement in the Northern Sea Cultivation World.

It was said to originate from the Demon Origin Sect.

This style indeed had a strong demonic flavor.

Clearly, Blood Scattering Person's lifebound true artifact had reached an extremely high level.

It had even purified ordinary blood slaughter energy to the level of gale slaughter energy.

And now, Blood God Son taking out this blade meant something obvious.

As expected!

After the Divine Gale Blood Blade appeared, Blood God Son changed his previous combat style and started fighting with wide, sweeping moves.

With each swing of the blade, he would inevitably sever a section of the White Vine's main body.

In the dilapidated Withered Wood Ridge, strange and eerie wails would occasionally echo.

As time passed, the eerie wails that pierced the soul became lighter.

Seeing this, Starlight Envoy's expression relaxed.

"The Vine King can't hold on anymore, and our mission should be over soon."

The others shared the same thought.

However, before they could voice their opinions, the ground began to tremble violently!

Everyone's faces were filled with astonishment and doubt, and their gazes fell on the nearby trees.

The lush greenery gradually faded, turning pale, and in a short moment, it transformed into withered wood.

Even ancient trees that were thousands of years old withered under the strange tremors, becoming increasingly dry.

It was as if something was draining their vitality.

This strange phenomenon wasn't limited to their vicinity.

Looking around, the entire Withered Wood Ridge was in the same state.

The once lush green mountains were now rapidly turning pale, visible to the naked eye, and in just a few breaths, only a pale white remained.

Luo Chen was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and his spirit eyes suddenly stopped at a mountain peak.

On that peak, the Old Fisherman, who had been missing for a long time, reappeared.

He sat on a rock, holding a black-gold fishing rod, and the withered Heaven's Broken Silk line hung down into the endless abyss below. The sound bell on the fishing rod trembled wildly, as if a huge creature had been hooked.

All the fading vitality around seemed to be converging towards the Old Fisherman's direction.

The Old Fisherman's face was pale, but his eyes were filled with intense joy.

Even with blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, he held onto the fishing rod with a death grip.

From the abyss, a terrifying and strange sound erupted, and a blood-red whip lashed out.

A earthen yellow radiance burst from the Old Fisherman's body, but it only lasted for a moment before dissipating.

In the depths of the abyss, a terrifying power was gathering.

Fear filled the Old Fisherman's eyes, and he screamed to the sky.

Blood God Son, who was trembling in front of the White Vine, shot towards the sky.

He pointed one hand at the Old Fisherman, and a blood-red light flew towards him.

Then, he reached out towards the direction where Luo Chen and the others were.

Luo Chen and the others were bewildered.

The next moment, they heard a scream.

"My imperial seal!"

In their sight, Huang Pu Song, with the imperial seal above his head, looked insane as he chased after the Old Fisherman.

In the sky, a purple radiance, like a meteor, was forcibly controlled by Blood God Son and fell onto the abyss.

A blood whip lashed out from the abyss but was resisted by the blood light struck by Blood God Son.

As the strange sounds in the abyss were about to erupt again, the imperial seal had already floated above the abyss.

The majestic and dignified purple radiance poured out from the imperial seal.

Despite the frequent strange sounds, the blood whip could no longer be seen rising into the sky.

At this moment, Blood God Son no longer cared about the barely surviving White Vine. He descended next to the Old Fisherman.

Wielding his long blade, he continuously slashed the White Vines that attacked from all directions.

With his eyes fully focused, he stared at the abyss.

When Huang Pu Song arrived like a bolt of lightning, like a madman, Luo Chen gave him a cold glance. Huang Pu Song's crazed expression vanished, leaving only despair.

Luo Chen, the Starlight Envoy, and Dao Lan exchanged glances, seemingly realizing something.

Without further delay, they flew towards the mountain peak at a steady pace.

When they arrived, Blood God Son didn't even spare them a glance, his gaze still fixed on the abyss.

The Old Fisherman continued fishing at the abyss, his aura weak and feeble, yet his grip on the fishing rod remained firm.

Just as everyone was quietly waiting.

Suddenly, Blood God Son reached out and brushed away the Imperial Seal that was suppressing the abyss.

Huang Pu Song eagerly took the seal, but his face paled after a single glance.

Luo Chen and the others curiously looked over, only to see that the purple glow on the seal had completely dissipated, revealing the treasure's true form.

At this moment, it was hard to believe that it had withstood countless withered blood vines and even the aftermath of a Nascent Soul battle.

Moreover, several cracks had appeared on the seal.

Luo Chen pondered this revelation.

Perhaps the power didn't lie in the Imperial Seal treasure itself, but in the Nascent Soul True Monarch's techniques left upon it.

Over the years, Luo Chen's skill in crafting magical tools had become even more refined, and with just a glance, he could tell that the treasure hadn't been refined by anyone.

Huang Pu Song would have wanted to refine it, but the only reason he couldn't was due to the True Monarch's techniques left behind, which blocked his refinement attempts.

This way, the seal's protective power could be fully unleashed.

However, it also made it easier for others to forcefully take it away.

During the previous battle, Blood God Son, being one cultivation stage higher, had forcefully taken the seal and exhausted the True Monarch's techniques.

Now, the treasure was returned to Huang Pu Song, but it was no different from being broken.

Judging by its appearance, it was at best an upper-rank treasure, and due to its mixed functions, it was far inferior to a single-purpose upper-rank treasure.

"The Old Fisherman gathered us four, each with our own strengths and considerations, but it's clear that Huang Pu Song is the most crucial."

"Not only did he use his ancestral treasure to suppress the abyss, but he also exhausted one of the opponent's trump cards."

Luo Chen's thoughts flashed through his mind as he looked at the dispirited Huang Pu Song, his emotions complex.

Just as everyone was waiting.

Blood God Son, standing at the forefront, made his move again.

He grabbed the withered silk thread and pulled it upwards.

A hint of dissatisfaction flashed in the Old Fisherman's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

The next moment.

Whoosh! Under the shining sun, a blood-red, crystal-like vine appeared before everyone.

Upon closer inspection, it resembled the previous white vine, but its vitality and liveliness were a hundred or even a thousand times greater!

Everyone realized the truth.

This was the true body of the Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vine!

The white vine was merely its external incarnation.

No, the difference in vitality between the two shouldn't be this significant.

Luo Chen was puzzled, and as his gaze swept across the mountains and ridges, he paused.

The landscape was pale and withered, like ashes.

This scenery seemed to fit the name of the Withered Wood Ridge.

"Everyone, you've worked hard."

Just as Luo Chen was lost in thought, the Old Fisherman's dry voice echoed.

Luo Chen turned around, but Blood God Son was nowhere to be seen.

The old man stood up from the rock, and as he did, the boulder beneath him turned to dust.

He patted off the dust and revealed a relieved smile.

He scanned everyone and nodded slightly.

"The task is complete. After we return, I will fulfill the conditions I promised you."

"Huang Pu Song, I will also represent the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly in negotiating with the Tianqu Chen Family on your behalf. They shouldn't bother with that subordinate anymore, so you can act freely."

The latter sentence was just an addition.

Huang Pu Song managed a smile that was worse than crying, "Thank you, Old Fisherman, for your help."

The Old Fisherman chuckled, his gaze falling on the ruined mountain range. He waved his hand and scattered the Heaven's Broken Silk.

When he retrieved it, seven or eight large white vines landed in front of them.

"These white vines may not be the true body of the Withered Blood Vine, but they are its discarded shells after thousands of years of cultivation. The True Monarch didn't completely sever them, which is a boon for us."

The Old Fisherman praised, and after distributing the white vines, each person received two.

When he reached Luo Chen, there were three.

Luo Chen was surprised.

The Old Fisherman blinked, "Fellow Daoist, I hope that this task didn't interfere with your matters."

Luo Chen was speechless. The Old Fisherman had previously shown a cold attitude, disregarding their relationship, but now he suddenly changed.

Perhaps it was due to the completion of the task, or maybe he wanted to mend their relationship.

Or maybe, it was both!

Looking at the other three, aside from Huang Pu Song, none seemed dissatisfied.

Luo Chen understood that before their departure, the Old Fisherman must have reached an agreement with them, but he hadn't fulfilled his side of the bargain.

Without further hesitation, Luo Chen generously accepted the white vines.

The discarded shells of the Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vine, even without its essence, could still be used as Fourth Stage materials.

This trip wasn't a loss.

After receiving the white vines, no one lingered. The Old Fisherman summoned the flying boat, ready to return.

However, Luo Chen didn't board.

"Fellow Daoist, what's the matter?" The Old Fisherman asked curiously.

Luo Chen cupped his fists, "It's rare to come to the Demon Sea. It would be a waste to leave so soon. I plan to travel around and will return to the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly later."

After saying this, Luo Chen mounted his Dharmic Cloud and departed in the opposite direction.

On the flying boat, the Old Fisherman frowned, watching Luo Chen's departing figure. He pondered for a while but said nothing.

He merely waved his sleeve and started the journey back.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end