A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 136 Both States Fall into Trap
Wei Feng and his two companions never expected that the strange beast in the lake was actually the "Ink-scaled Dragon Fish".

This beast is the most ferocious among aquatic creatures, and its strength is overwhelming. It has no natural enemies, and now it is affected by the power of blood yang, making it even more troublesome. If things go wrong, all three of us might perish here.

Seeing the Frost Arrow flying towards him, He Fang raised his hand, and his sword and shuttle flew out together. With two soft clangs, the sword and shuttle successfully shattered the ice arrow, but the recoil caused Wei Feng's blood to surge, and he took four steps back before he could regain his footing.

Meng Yu and Wang Xiao responded simultaneously. The black python leaped out from the white jade fan, coiled its body, and surrounded the three of them. Wang Xiao shook the Blazing Fusion Cauldron, and wisps of blood energy emerged, forming a blood shield around the black python. Just as the two finished setting up their defenses, four frost arrows whizzed and struck the blood shield. In just a few breaths, the blood shield and the two ice arrows shattered at the same time.

The remaining two ice arrows struck the black python's scales directly. The black python phantom, impacted by the immense force, let out a mournful cry, and the ice arrows dissipated. However, two bloody holes remained on the black python's body, emitting wisps of cold air, preventing the phantom from healing its wounds.

Meng Yu felt a pang of pain in her heart. The white jade fan flashed and retracted the black python phantom. At the same time, the three of them immediately moved to create distance from the black-scaled dragon fish. Just now, it was only its six ice arrows that had taken the three of them to neutralize. If they had used their full strength, who knows what would have happened.

"Senior brother, this dragonfish is incredibly powerful. Let's retreat for now."

Although Meng Yu coveted the dragonfish spirit, the beast's strength was beyond what the three of them could handle, so it was best to leave as soon as possible.

Wei Feng nodded upon hearing this and said, "Junior Brother is absolutely right. Let's hurry and leave before the beast becomes completely enraged."

Just as the three were about to leave, the sky suddenly darkened, and a layer of black clouds suddenly covered the valley, reflecting the blood-red sunlight, which looked very eerie. At this moment, the black-scaled dragon fish in the lake raised its body and spat out a column of water that poured into the black clouds. Half a breath later, black rain fell from the black clouds and attacked Wei Feng and the other two under the guidance of the dragon fish.

"not good"

Wei Feng cried out in surprise and immediately scattered several spiritual talismans. With a flash of spiritual light, several layers of blood shield were erected. The black rain hit the shield with loud bangs and soon smashed large holes in the outermost layer of blood shield. The rain continued its momentum and struck the three people in the inner layer.

"Junior Brother Wang"

Wei Feng shouted, and Wang Xiao immediately summoned the Blazing Fusion Cauldron. A burst of black light shone, and a strong blood aura was released from the cauldron, soon weaving a blood curtain that protected the three of them.

"Go quickly"

Before the black rain could break through the blood curtain, the three immediately turned away, but they hadn't gone far when suddenly everything became blurry and dozens of black water arrows shot out from the rain curtain.

Upon seeing this, Wei Feng's expression changed drastically. He leaped into the air, his longsword gleaming with blood-red light. With a deep shout, circles of sword light stretched out like dragons, rushing towards the water arrows. With a roar, the sword light succeeded, breaking through the rain curtain and revealing a clear path ahead.

Wei Feng landed, his face much paler. Wang Xiao quickly fed him a pill. Seeing that the opportunity was not to be missed, Meng Yu released four illusory beasts in his hand: tiger, leopard, wolf, and bear guarding the four directions. The three of them quickly ran towards the exit.

Just as the three of them left the valley, their eyes were suddenly opened, the rain disappeared, and only roars could be heard in their ears. Looking back, they saw that the thick black cloud above the valley was still there, and its power was growing stronger, with lightning flashing faintly visible inside.

"Senior brother, could the rain and dark clouds we just encountered be the dragon fish's innate divine ability, 'Thousand Waves of Water Curtain'?"

Meng Yu was still shocked when he recalled what had just happened. In just a short while, the four beast phantoms were severely injured and could not be used for a while.

"That's right"

Wei Feng, who had regained some color in his face, was filled with lingering fear. If he hadn't acted decisively and retreated with the other two before the Water Curtain Thousand Waves was fully activated, they would probably be the dragon fish's meal by now.

"This place is not safe to stay for long; let's find somewhere to settle down first."

After resting for a while, the three headed east and rested in a cave.

Saiwonju, Xuguyuan

Irradiated by the power of the Blood Yang, tens of thousands of skeletons on the Corpse Plain were covered with a layer of blood color. Some of the more severely eroded skeletons sat cross-legged like Taoist cultivators, meditating and practicing their Qi towards the Blood Yang in the sky.

Suddenly, the blood-red light intensified, and the blood puppet skeletons below rose up one after another. Then, a blood curtain appeared in the sky, and blood threads flew out from the blood curtain, quickly wrapping around the blood puppet skeletons and pulling them all into the blood curtain. After several hours, the blood curtain suddenly rolled up and headed towards Nanling Prefecture.

Since the demon race migrated the population, apart from some false gods and their loyal followers, there have been no other living beings in this place.

At this moment, in Pantuo Village, the High Priest looked at the blood curtain floating in the sky, shouted, and immediately rang the bone bell. Soon, everyone in the village came here.

"Great Sacrifice, what's going on?" the chieftain asked in alarm, pointing to the strange phenomenon on the horizon.

The people in the village also changed their expressions drastically. They had never seen anything like this before, and it was even more terrifying than the miasma they had encountered before.

"This is a blood calamity, from which no one can escape. Now we can only place our hopes on our ancestral gods, hoping they can help us overcome this crisis. Chieftain, let's perform the Heaven-Opening Sacrifice."

The high priest's deep voice shook the village chief to his core. Meeting the high priest's gaze and looking at the fearful and uneasy people below, the village chief immediately said, "The opening ceremony, all is in your care, high priest."

"I will definitely try my best"

After speaking, the high priest got up and went into the inner room. A moment later, he came out with a jade sacrificial staff and walked step by step toward the village shrine.

At the village chief's command, the villagers cut their fingers and dripped their blood into earthenware bowls. The village chief then ordered the bowls to be taken into the shrine, while he led the villagers to sit outside and recite the Pantuo Song, a prayer praising the ancestral gods.

Inside the shrine, the high priest performed a shamanic dance, humming a strange tune. As time passed, the eight-armed demon statue inside the shrine slowly changed, its eyes suddenly brightening as it surveyed the scene inside and outside.

Upon seeing this, the high priest's face lit up with joy. He immediately poured bowls of blood onto the demon statue. Accompanied by the songs outside the shrine, half a moment later, the demon statue emitted a bright red light, and a straight crimson beam shot into the sky. Then, a layer of blood-red light enveloped the area within a hundred miles of Pantuo Village, forming an isolated world.

"The ancestral gods have appeared!"

Seeing this, the people chanting outside became excited. The village chief, however, had a bad feeling. He got up and went into the shrine, only to find that the grand ceremony was gone, leaving only white ash and broken sacrificial staffs on the ground.

Just after the chieftain entered the shrine, the blood curtain quickly covered the area. The corrosive power of the blood demon peeled away the blood shield layer by layer, and then a river of blood swept away the Pantuo Village amidst the horrified cries of the crowd. It then rolled back without leaving a trace.

Several hours later, the entire Nanling Prefecture, like Xiyuan Prefecture, became a blood mist region.

Qi Feng, far away in Tianhua Prefecture, was secretly alarmed as he watched the bloody light in the southwest. The speed at which the blood mist was eroding was indeed quite fast. Fortunately, the speed had slowed down. Only after the western plains and southern ridges were completely digested would the blood mist attack the next target.

According to his calculations, it would probably take decades or even centuries for the enemy to invade Tianhua Prefecture, which would be enough time for him to come up with a solution.

Meanwhile, in Pingshan Prefecture, Lord Qingshan gazed southwest, looking at the hazy, blood-red sky, frowning deeply. After calculating for a moment, Lord Qingshan sighed deeply.

"It truly is a calamity. In another thirty years, Pingshan Prefecture will suffer this disaster. I hope Hu Xuan and the others can gain a foothold in Tianhua Prefecture, otherwise the demon race will face annihilation."

With a flash, Lord Qingshan returned to the cave below, entered an ancient green tree, sat cross-legged, and continuously drew up wisps of earth spiritual energy, causing the clear light on his body to gradually intensify.

Just as the blood mist was engulfing Nanling Prefecture, in Lianyun Prefecture, Gu Xu was harmonizing Yin and Yang energies, preparing to break through the final layer of the Primordial Spirit Realm.

The five elements of spiritual objects around Gu Xu were completely absorbed by him. The pure yang true qi circulated within his body, and the five-colored light behind him slowly merged. As time passed, Gu Xu slowly opened his eyes. A glint flashed in his eyes, and the five-colored light behind him quickly gathered together, finally merging into one, forming a black and white aura.

Standing up, Gu Xu pointed a finger, and a black and white sword light struck a stone statue. Without a sound, the stone statue first cracked with several fine lines, and in just a few breaths, it turned into a pile of dust and fell to the ground.

"Once the primordial spirit achieves harmony between Yin and Yang, true energy circulates freely, and even an ordinary move possesses immense power."

Gu Xu looked at the dust scattered all over the ground and was very satisfied. He silently calculated the time; five years had passed since he went into seclusion.

"While there's still time, let's take some time to settle down," Gu Xu said, sitting upright on the cloud platform again. He released the Azure Thunder Sword and the Soul-Cleansing Heart Mirror, which floated beside him. Whenever he circulated his true energy, the waves of true energy around him would flow to the two objects, refining them. "I almost forgot about you, little fellow," Gu Xu said, beckoning. The Seven-Star Toad let out a croak and landed beside Gu Xu's legs, squealing a few times. Gu Xu flicked his finger, feeding it two pills.

"During this time, you should stay by my side and cultivate diligently to improve your strength, so that you won't be lacking in power when I need you in the future."

With the Seven-Star Toad receiving the elixir, everything was fine. The seven stars on its body shone brightly. Upon seeing this, Gu Xu smiled faintly, reached out to stroke it, and suddenly felt a stirring in his mind. After silently calculating for a moment, his eyes sharpened slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, several treasures flew out. After transmitting his voice to Elder Gu, Gu Xu closed his eyes and circulated his true energy to stabilize his realm.

Since Gu Xu went into seclusion, Elder Gu held great power and enjoyed a period of glory. However, with the encroachment of the blood mist, he became anxious again.

"I heard that Xiyuan Prefecture and Nanling Prefecture have already fallen. I wonder which one will be next to suffer," an elder muttered quietly.

"I think it's either Pingshan Prefecture or Peng'an Prefecture overseas. In any case, Tianhua Prefecture and our Lianyungang Prefecture are fine."

"Elder Zhao is right, but I believe Pingshan Prefecture is the most likely candidate."

"Oh, Elder Zheng, how do you know? Pingshan Prefecture is the territory of the demon race. Qingshan Jun's supernatural powers are no less than those of Qi Feng, the Supreme Dao Lord. He shouldn't be affected by the blood mist, right?"

"Elder Zhao, have you forgotten that when Hu Xuan and the other three led their people to migrate to Tianhua, wasn't that a backup plan left by Lord Qingshan? Moreover, even the Supreme One could only temporarily seal off the blood mist to prevent it from coming to Tianhua Prefecture and Lianyun Prefecture. How could Lord Qingshan's supernatural powers compare to the Supreme One's?"

After hearing Elder Zheng's words, everyone present nodded in agreement. The cultivation levels of Crimson Blood Demon Lord and Green Mountain Lord were roughly equal. If the Supreme One could suppress Crimson Blood Demon Lord, then Green Mountain Lord would naturally be no match for him either.

Just as everyone was talking, Elder Gu's voice reached their ears.

"Gentlemen, blood puppets have appeared in the west of Lianyun Prefecture. The Supreme One has ordered that they must be eliminated immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Gu appeared before everyone.

“Since it is the order from His Majesty, we should obey,” Elder Zheng immediately stepped forward and said with righteous indignation.

The others cursed inwardly and also spoke up, expressing their willingness to help eliminate the problem.

Seeing this, Elder Gu smiled faintly and said, "Since that's the case, then I won't waste any more words. Elder Zheng, Elder Zhao, you two will lead your disciples to eliminate the trouble. This is a treasure bestowed upon you by the Supreme Being; keep it safe."

As everyone looked over, they saw a green gourd, a golden beast-head knife, gold-patterned talismans, and a jade bottle, each radiating light and clearly not ordinary items, which made the elders extremely envious.

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

Elder Zheng and Elder Zhao hurriedly accepted it and bowed in the direction of the Zhenwu Hall.

"Gentlemen, do not betray the trust of the Supreme One. If you accomplish the task well, you will be rewarded."

Upon hearing this, Zheng and Zhao immediately pledged their loyalty. After exchanging a few words with Elder Gu, they led their disciples, who were already waiting, down the mountain.

"Don't be discouraged, everyone. If blood puppets appear elsewhere, you'll have plenty of opportunities to use them. Take advantage of this time to improve your cultivation; you might just find a use for them someday."

Seeing the envious looks in the eyes of the elders, Elder Gu said in a low voice.

After listening to Elder Gu's words, the group exchanged glances and decided to increase their training. Elders Zheng and Zhao had been favored by the Supreme Being because of their cultivation levels. After saying a few words, they all went back to cultivate in seclusion.

Watching the group leave, Elder Gu stroked his beard and smiled.

Elder Zheng and Elder Zhao led fifty disciples on a long journey, and after several days, they arrived at a region bordering Lianyun Prefecture and Xiyuan Prefecture.

"Although the Thousand-Meter Mountain and the magic array are there to block it, the blood mist is still spreading. This thing is truly not to be underestimated. Elder Zhao, instruct the disciples to be careful and not let the blood mist touch them."

"Don't worry, with the golden-patterned talisman bestowed by the Supreme Being, the blood mist won't get on you for a while. Don't waste time; the blood mist here is already condensed and won't dissipate. Quickly collect it."

Upon hearing this, Elder Zheng immediately released the green gourd. The gourd opened, and his true energy was activated. Instantly, a clear light sprayed out from inside, enveloping most of the blood mist in the area. As Elder Zheng continued to exert his strength, the gourd continuously absorbed the blood mist. Just then, the sound of fighting suddenly came from the outside.

"It's a blood puppet."

Elder Zhao, who was protecting the Dharma from the side, took a closer look and saw that more than a dozen blood puppets were attacking the magic array set up by the disciples.

Upon seeing this, Elder Zheng's eyes sharpened. These blood puppets had appeared at the exact moment he was collecting the blood mist; he couldn't believe there wasn't a conspiracy. This follow-up move should be coming soon.

Elder Zhao, who was guarding the side, straightened his expression, gripped the beast-headed golden knife, and looked around warily. He also understood that those blood puppets were just a smokescreen, and he could not relax. Just then, a blood-red light rushed towards Elder Zheng. The latter was fully controlling the "Nine-Turning True Gourd" and had no strength left to deal with it, but Elder Zheng was not flustered at all.

Seeing the blood-red light appear, Elder Zhao moved instantly, slashing at the blood-red light with a blade of light. With a clang, the blood-red light shattered, revealing a withered bone cut in two.

"Be careful"

Elder Zheng gave an instruction and immediately accelerated the absorption of the blood mist. Seeing that the test had failed, the person hiding behind the scenes immediately fired dozens of blood arrows, attacking the two people and the disciples who were confronting the blood puppet.

"That's a clever plan," Elder Zhao said, his figure flashing as he cleaved the incoming blood arrow with a single slash. He then flicked his wrist, and the golden beast-headed sword swirled into the air, transforming into a golden tiger that roared and howled, blocking the blood arrow aimed at his disciple. At the same time, Elder Zheng produced a talisman and shouted, "Probe!"

The moment the talisman burned, a golden light shot towards his southeast, and a figure seemed to stand in the misty blood fog.

"So that's where it was hidden."

Elder Zhao reached out and summoned the golden saber, which flew back several feet away and slashed through the air. The saber light, about a foot long, slashed down towards the figure, but the moment it struck, Elder Zhao's expression changed. It was actually an illusion.

"not good"

Looking towards Elder Zheng's direction, they saw a blood puppet wielding an axe approaching. Elder Zhao roared angrily, threw his golden sword from his hand, and tried to fight back. However, the blood puppet ignored the incoming golden sword, raised its blood axe high, and slashed down fiercely at Elder Zheng.

At the critical moment, the Blood Axe struck Elder Zheng, but no blood flowed. A flash of blood revealed a broken talisman, which fell to the ground and turned to ashes.

Before the blood puppet could react, a dark light struck it. Just as the blood puppet was about to break free, it suddenly froze, its blood axe fell to the ground, and the red light in its eyes gradually dimmed.

“This blood puppet has developed sentience; no wonder it has such cunning,” Elder Zheng said to Elder Zhao, who had just arrived, as he put away his treasure gourd.

“Elder Zheng is right. One blood puppet is easy to deal with, but if there are hundreds or thousands, it will be a disaster,” Elder Zhao said solemnly as he sheathed his golden sword.

Upon hearing this, Elder Zheng's heart sank. It seemed that the Blood Puppet would be the main calamity for the next few decades.

"The 'Nine-Tier True Gourd' has absorbed a large amount of blood mist and will take several months to dissolve. It is no longer usable in the short term. The only option now is to repair the formation that has been eroded by the blood mist and to fix any remaining gaps. We should hold out for as long as we can. If these things get into Lianyun Prefecture, how will we face our superior?"

Elder Zhao nodded upon hearing this. This time, Gu Xu sent them to guard the area, and they lacked nothing. Just that bottle of Qingling Yuan Dan was enough to make them risk their lives for it.

"Take care of those blood puppets first, then have the disciples set up the formation."

After exchanging a few words and helping their disciples eliminate several powerful blood puppets, the two stopped intervening and watched them fight the blood puppets. They believed that without hardship, they would not amount to much, and otherwise, they would only be insignificant cannon fodder in the future calamity.

(End of this chapter)