Daqin Zhentiansi

The journey was not without its challenges.

The closer one gets to that area, which resembles a giant wound entwined in the deepest part of the sea of ​​blood, the stronger the obstacles encountered become.

In addition to the ever-increasing number of ferocious monsters in the Blood Sea, there are also assassins from sects within the Blood Sea.

"Surround them!"

"Kill them, and all their treasures are ours!"

"Attack! First, kill that strong kid riding the beast!"

Seven or eight figures suddenly rose from behind the boiling blood-soaked reefs and the wreckage of the sunken ancient ship!
Their clothing varied, and their auras were mixed, including the fierce and evil aura unique to the remnants of the Blood Sea Demon Sect, as well as the sharp and ruthless nature of rogue cultivators from different regions and even some disciples of minor sects.

The three leaders possessed particularly powerful auras, all being at the half-step Grandmaster level, clearly forming a temporary alliance to ambush and kill.

In an instant, sword light, magical artifacts, demonic flames, and poisonous mist swept in from all directions, creating a terrifying spectacle!
"Hmph! They're courting death!" Yuwen was truly seething with anger, and now that these small fry had run into him, it was the perfect opportunity for him to vent his frustration and prove his worth!

Although he was suppressed by Zhang Yuan, as a prodigy of the Yunliao Sword Sect, his strength should not be underestimated.

"Burning Heaven Sword Wheel!"

The ancient sword on Yuwen Zhen's back was drawn once again!

This time, it was no longer a single-target attack. The sword light split into seven, forming a crimson sword wheel that burned across the entire world!

Each sword light was scorching hot, spinning and cutting, forming a destructive storm that enveloped him.

Not only did he shatter and incinerate all the attacks aimed at him, but he also fiercely turned around and took the initiative to meet the two Grandmaster-level bandits who rushed at him!
The sword light collided with the magical artifact, unleashing a dazzling brilliance and a deafening roar.

Yuwen Zhen followed the sword. Where the sword wheel passed, blood steamed and demonic energy dissipated. A demonic cultivator who was half a Grandmaster screamed as he was caught in the sword light, instantly severely injured, and fell into the sea of ​​blood!
On the other side, the Blood Armored Dragon Crocodile sensed the attack and roared as it was about to pounce, but Zhang Yuan on its back gently pressed its head down to stop it.

Despite facing several attacks that tore through space and carried either deadly poison or freezing power, Zhang Yuan didn't even leave the crocodile's back.

He gripped the end of the "Broken Waves" heavy ruler with one hand, his gaze cold and sharp.

There were no extra movements, just a plain and unremarkable upward flick!
“Woo-boom!”

The heavy ruler stirred up a thick, ink-black wave!

This powerful wave is not pure energy, but rather a condensation of unparalleled strength and the heavy suppressive force of the Canglang River!

A gust of wind swept by, as if an ancient giant god were wielding a pillar of heaven!

Those seemingly powerful magical treasures, demonic flames, and sword lights are as fragile as withered branches and fallen leaves in front of this simple and unadorned yet absolutely powerful one-foot-long sword!
"Bang bang bang!"

Several loud explosions followed, and several high-quality magical artifacts were smashed and sent flying, shattering into pieces!

The two streams of icy power were forcefully shattered!
A malevolent, cursed green light was directly purified and annihilated by the heavy water essence carried by the ruler wind!
A half-step Grandmaster cultivator who attempted to ambush Zhang Yuan from the side couldn't even see the trajectory of the heavy ruler; he only felt an irresistible, immense force bearing down on him!

The protective aura around him was as thin as paper, and his body felt as if it had been hit by a mountain!
"puff!"

Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, the man's eyes bulged out, and his face was filled with disbelief and horror.

His entire chest caved in deeply, and the sound of bones shattering could be clearly heard.

Like a tattered sack, it flew hundreds of feet backward and crashed into the depths of the sea of ​​blood, barely making a splash. Its fate was unknown!

With a flick and a sweep, sparks flew!

The siege was instantly broken by more than half!
The remaining few bandits, whose cultivation was weaker, were terrified as they stared at the black-clad figure on the crocodile's back, who resembled an ancient demon god.

That dark, heavy ruler seemed to them like the scythe of death!

"Monster...run!"

Someone screamed, and the remaining robbers scattered like birds and beasts, not daring to linger for even a moment, disappearing into the thick blood mist in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Yuwen Zhen had just defeated another Grandmaster-level opponent, causing him to cough up blood and retreat in panic.

He was slightly out of breath, looked in Zhang Yuan's direction, and his pupils contracted again.

Although it was expected that Zhang Yuan could resolve the situation, the sheer efficiency with which he instantly crushed the combined attack of several experts, including a half-step Grandmaster, with just a foot of his sword was astonishing!
His gaze swept over the shattered magical artifacts on the ground, and his fear deepened.

"The leaderboard has changed! Zhang Qingyang... and Yuwen Zhen's points have increased again!"

"Wow, so fast! They've wiped out another wave! At least Grandmaster-level experts!"

"Hiss... Yuwen Zhen is fine, his points have always been consistently in the top five. But Zhang Qingyang... what kind of incredible luck did he run into? He just teamed up with Yuwen Zhen and his score has increased so much?"

"I think it's highly likely that Yuwen Zhen is promoting him! Look at how Zhang Qingyang's points stagnated for a long time before suddenly skyrocketing again. Who knows, Yuwen Zhen might have given him some big gifts?"

"Yes, yes, yes! That must be it! He's a newcomer to the Great River Sword Sect, and he's only a Grandmaster Level 1. How could he have such a high score? It's all thanks to Yuwen Zhen guiding him!"

"Hmph, I knew it! His sudden rise to the top ten was pure luck, he just stumbled upon a 'gift package.' His true level was revealed when he was brought back down to earth! He's just found another powerful backer!"

"What kind of skill is it to accumulate points through external forces? Once we enter the core area and encounter a true genius, let's see how he reveals his true colors!"

The discussions on the Crystal Monument platform became noisy again.

People stared at "Zhang Qingyang" and "Yuwen Zhen" rising side by side on the leaderboard, especially Zhang Yuan's name and points, which were right behind Yuwen Zhen's.

Yuwen Zhen, fourth: 31,000.

Zhang Yuan, sixth: 29,000.

Most people subconsciously attributed Zhang Yuan's surge in points to Yuwen Zhen's "mentorship" and "sharing".

The doubts and underestimation of Zhang Yuan's abilities only intensified because they were unwilling to admit their misjudgment.

No one believed that Zhang Yuan was the real monster who could decide the fate of the world with one hand and whose strength far surpassed Yuwen Zhen's.

Yuwen Zhen suppressed the turmoil in his heart, swallowed a pill to stabilize his breathing, and cupped his hands to Zhang Yuan, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, the real entrance to the 'Blood Sea Burning Heart Palace' is just ahead. Please be careful! The dangers here are far greater than those on the outside!"

Zhang Yuan nodded.

The two ignored the fleeing robbers and continued deeper into the area.

Before long, the surrounding environment suddenly changed.

Hundreds of miles ahead, the entire space seemed to be blocked by a scarlet substance that was extremely viscous and resembled coagulated blood plasma.

The dark red was no longer waves, but rather like a huge, semi-solidified amber, radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure.

In the center of this boundless "Sea of ​​Congealed Blood," an unimaginably enormous palace phantom floats indistinctly.

Its outline is twisted and bizarre, unlike any human building, but rather like a forcibly glued-together mass of hideous demonic bones and resentful blood that has accumulated over millions of years. Filthy dark light flows across the surface of the palace, and countless distorted runes and faces howling in pain flicker and float on its surface.

Just looking at it from afar is enough to make one's mind tremble and one's blood rush backward, as if millions of wronged souls are howling and wailing in one's ears.

What's even more chilling is that several terrifying aura storms are swirling above this frozen sea of ​​blood!

That was a spatial turbulence entirely formed by the chaos and distortion of the laws!
Sometimes it transforms into an invisible storm of demonic sound that tears at the soul, sometimes it condenses into a soul-destroying demonic light that shoots out filthy blood light, and even more so, it directly forms spatial rifts that mercilessly devour everything that gets close!
These storms wander, change, and erupt without any pattern, forming an absolute forbidden zone where even a Grandmaster at the peak could perish instantly!

This is the true outer perimeter of the Blood Sea Burning Heart Palace!

The solidified sea of ​​blood acted as a natural barrier, while the chaotic spatial law storm served as a deadly guardian, making it as difficult as ascending to heaven to approach the palace itself!
Standing on the back of the Blood Armored Dragon Crocodile, Zhang Yuan squinted and stared at the Demon Palace that was faintly visible amidst the viscous blood light and deadly storm.

He sensed the intense malevolent aura emanating from it, as well as a strange fluctuation hidden deep within, which held immense attraction for his soul.

Yuwen Zhen took a deep breath, his expression extremely solemn: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, how do we enter this hall?"

Faced with this desolate and deadly place, his previous arrogance had long since vanished, leaving only caution and inquiry.

Finding a viable path was the first and most perilous challenge facing the two prodigies.

Zhang Yuan did not answer immediately. His fingers gently caressed the rough, cold surface of the "Broken Waves" ruler. Deep within his eyes, the phantom of the Soul-Devouring Wheel and fragments of the Blood River Ancestor's memories began to rapidly unfold and converge...

Deep within the sea of ​​blood, outside the Burning Heart Palace, where the blood had thickened like blood, turbulent currents of laws raged like a raging python.

Yuwen Zhen stared at the desolate wasteland ahead, his brows furrowed, racking his brains for a way to bypass or defend himself.

His usual swordsmanship mindset is to find an opening and exploit a weakness to win.

However, Zhang Yuan, who was on the back of the giant crocodile beside him, had a flash of golden-purple light in his eyes, and his fingertips left the rough ruler.

“The path is clear.” Zhang Yuan’s voice was as deep as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple.

But Yuwen Zhen instinctively felt a sense of unease; beneath the calm seemed to lie a storm about to erupt.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang intends to..." Yuwen Zhen's pupils suddenly contracted before he could finish his question!

Instead of attacking with the ruler, Zhang Yuan slightly bent his knees and then stomped hard on the crocodile's back!
"boom!!!"

The Blood Armored Dragon Crocodile, a grandmaster-level demonic beast, was actually shaken by this stomp of pure power, causing its massive body to sink several feet, stirring up a towering wave of blood!
It let out a painful roar, but instantly understood its master's meaning and steadied itself with awe.

Zhang Yuan's figure shot forward like a human-shaped meteorite, hurtling towards the viscous sea of ​​blood and chaotic currents of laws that were powerful enough to tear apart a Grandmaster!

"He's gone mad?!"

Yuwen Zhen had only this one thought left in his mind.

That solidified sea of ​​blood contained immense pressure, and the intertwined storms of laws could annihilate even the divine soul!

Break in?

It's simply suicide!

The next moment, Yuwen Zhen witnessed a scene he would never forget.

"open--!"

Zhang Yuan's roar was like the roar of an ancient dragon and elephant, piercing through the sea of ​​blood!
Instead of using the ruler, he directly rammed his body into the solidified blood sea barrier!
"Boom!!!"

A ring of dark red shockwave, visible to the naked eye, exploded violently from the point of impact!

That viscous sea of ​​blood, which seemed to have been frozen for millions of years, was like a giant lake with rolling stones thrown into it, and a huge hole with spider web-like cracks was actually smashed open!
At the same time, several twisted storms of law, including the Soul-Devouring Demonic Sound, the Soul-Destroying Blood Light, and the Spatial Rift, all lashed out at the intruder like enraged venomous snakes!
"Zheng——"

Zhang Yuan finally stirred Duan Tao!

It's not a sophisticated technique, just the most basic chopping, smashing, and sweeping!
"Screech—Crack!!"

The dark, towering body of the broken wave, carrying immense power and the profound, turbulent spirit of the water, forcefully clashed with the turbulent currents of the laws!
The sonic storm was crushed by the wind.

The soul-destroying blood light was scattered by the water spirit.

The most deadly spatial rift was twisted and stretched open by that pure, extreme power, and then brutally swept over by the heavy ruler, like shattered glass!

Space fragments mixed with filth and blood splattered everywhere!
Zhang Yuan's movements were devoid of any elegance, displaying only the most primal aesthetics of violence.

One step at a time, pushing forward against the immense force of collapsing space!

He paved the way with his own body and broke the law with a heavy ruler!
Terrifying roars and explosions resounded in succession, instantly echoing across the vast sea of ​​blood!
The energy ripples caused by the fluctuation of the laws are like a boulder thrown into the water, stirring up violent waves!

The entire Burning Heart Palace area was shaking and groaning!
"Hiss—that's... the core area is shaking?!"

A hundred miles away, a top 100 player on the leaderboard who was killing a high-level blood demon suddenly stopped in shock and looked toward the source of the commotion.

"Someone has forced their way into the Burning Heart Palace?!"

"What terrifying fluctuations! Even the laws of nature are groaning!" From another direction, a Xuan Yin Valley prodigy, ranked thirty-seventh on the leaderboard and riding a bone boat, flashed a blood-red light in his eyes. "Something has happened at the Burning Heart Palace! Go quickly! A great treasure must have appeared!"

"The source of the commotion is the Burning Heart Palace! Who is it? Yuwen Zhen? Or someone else?" A rogue cultivator who controlled the Wind and Thunder Flying Wheel and ranked twenty-eighth on the leaderboard changed his expression and immediately turned around, whipping up wind and thunder to head straight for the source.

Many of them live nearby.

A sharp silver sword light came from the Taixu Sword Pavilion. Qin Mu, ranked twenty-second on the leaderboard, tore through the blood waves and rushed over.

Several powerful disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, each riding a giant beast, including one ranked in the top fifty on the leaderboard, roared and urged their mounts to charge.

At this moment, it was mostly the bodies shrouded in demonic energy within the sea of ​​blood that turned their heads.

More figures, like sharks smelling blood, were drawn to the earth-shattering commotion, friend or foe alike.

Emerging from the blood mist and behind the wreckage from all directions, they rapidly converged!
Yuwen Zhen was completely stunned.

He watched Zhang Yuan's dark figure silently advancing through the chaotic storm, each simple swing of the ruler subverting his understanding of power and bravery.

That's not skill, that's absolute, crushing, and brute force proving the way!

It's a declaration to this world: Those who block my way, shatter!
"Still standing there?" A deep voice pierced through the roar, it was Zhang Yuan urging him on.

Yuwen Zhen snapped back to his senses, gritted his teeth, and followed closely behind!
He couldn't be as domineering as Zhang Yuan, but the sword in his hand was by no means just for show!
He acted like a guardian, his sword flashing, precisely detonating the scattered chaotic currents of law that had been shaken away by Zhang Yuan's sword wind but still had the strength to struggle, or annihilating the blood sea demons that were unaware of their fate and lurking close by into dust.

He perfectly played the roles of "cleaner" and "fire support," filling in the gaps and making up for any shortcomings under Zhang Yuan's overwhelming offensive.

The entrance to the Demon Abyss, a massive crystal platform.

"Insane! Someone's forcibly breaking into the outer perimeter of the Burning Heart Palace?!" The team leaders, who had been focused on their respective disciples, were now completely drawn to the massive image representing the "core" area. (End of Chapter)