Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 564 Blood Prison

Chapter 572

"And the ancestor of the Blood Prison Lord, the first Blood Prison Lord, was once an exceptionally talented and powerful figure. He also embarked on the ancient path, seeking transcendence."

"But he failed, and, from the ancient road, he brought out something... "

At this point, Tianjizi lowered his voice considerably, as if he were afraid of something.

"What is it?" Xu Ran asked.

“A drop of… ‘black blood’.”

These three words seemed to contain some kind of forbidden magic. The moment they were uttered by Tianjizi, the entire Tianji Pavilion trembled slightly. The "Myriad Phenomena Mirror," which hung in the center of the hall and was used to deduce heavenly secrets and reflect the heavens, inexplicably showed traces of scarlet blood lines on its surface, spreading like a spider web and exuding an aura of ominousness and decay.

Tu Feng felt a chill originating from the depths of his soul, surging wildly up his spine and making his hands and feet icy cold. He seemed to see an endless sea of ​​blood and hear the wails and drowning of billions of living beings within it; the scene was a thousand times more terrifying than any hell he had ever seen.

"puff!"

Tianjizi suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning ashen. His green robe fluttered without wind, and his once perfect and flawless Dao Ancestor aura showed signs of disorder and decay.

“The incantation of truth…” He clutched his chest, his eyes filled with horror and lingering fear, “Simply mentioning the name of that drop of 'black blood' has brought about such a backlash. Fellow Daoist Xu, do you know what this means?”

Xu Ran looked calmly at the blood-stained mirror and said indifferently, "This means that the source of this drop of blood is far above the being that establishes the causal laws of this universe. Its path is incompatible with this world."

Upon hearing this, Tianjizi's pupils suddenly contracted, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Xu Ran was no longer one of fear, but rather one of awe, almost like looking up at a god.

Ordinary Dao Ancestors would only see this as a taboo, a curse. But the person before them revealed its essence in a single sentence—the crushing power of one's status, the conflict of the Great Dao!

Such insight and perspective have long surpassed those of these "prisoners" struggling under the rules of the universe.

“Fellow Daoist Xu… is right.” Tianjizi smiled bitterly, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi, and continued, “That first generation Blood Prison Lord was exceptionally talented and had the opportunity to go further on the ancient path. But in the end, he was tempted by greed. He thought he had obtained an opportunity for transcendence and a source of supreme power. He integrated that drop of ‘black blood’ into his true spirit and bloodline.”

"From that moment on, he gained unimaginable power. His Blood Prison Divine Body transformed into an unprecedented 'Immortal Demon Body,' and his combat power soared, sweeping away all the geniuses of his era. After his return, he created the Blood Prison Star Sea, established a domineering rule based on bloodline inheritance, and achieved an immortal hegemony."

"But... he also paid a price."

Tianjizi's voice grew increasingly low: "He's gone mad. That drop of 'black blood' contains not only power, but also a mad will from some unknowable and unspeakable being, as well as the deepest malice and pollution towards all living things."

"The first generation of Blood Prison Lord, after shining for only one era, was completely assimilated by that will and turned into a monster that only knew how to kill and devour. In the end, he was suppressed by several of the strongest beings in the universe at that time and sealed in the deepest part of the Blood Prison Star Sea - the Abyss of Blood Prison."

"And his descendants, while inheriting that powerful bloodline, also inherited that curse. Each generation of Blood Prison Lord must expend 99% of their energy to fight against the mad will from the depths of their bloodline. The higher their cultivation, the more severe the erosion they suffer. This is why the Blood Prison Star Sea's style of doing things is always so brutal and extreme, because killing and plundering can temporarily calm the restlessness in their bloodline."

"They are the most powerful predators in this starry sky, and at the same time, they are a group of pitiful creatures cursed by their bloodline, never to have peace for eternity."

Upon hearing this, Tu Feng was already deeply shaken and suddenly realized the truth.

No wonder! No wonder everyone in the Blood Prison Star Sea seems like a madman. No wonder Xue Wuyai acts without any scruples. Their origins are truly bizarre and terrifying!
"The Ancient Road to the End is the source of their power, and also the source of their curse." Tianjizi looked at Xu Ran and said, word by word, "Their attitude towards the Ancient Road is one of extreme fear and extreme longing. They fear that the great terror on the Ancient Road will descend and completely detonate the curse in their blood; yet they also long to be able to step onto the Ancient Road again, find a way to lift the curse, or even go further."

"That's why their reaction was so intense when they learned that you possessed the 'Ancient Navigation Map,' which could point to the depths of the ancient route and might even be related to the source of that drop of 'black blood.'"

"The Lord of Blood Prison isn't afraid of you seeking revenge. He's afraid that you... will draw out something on the ancient path that they cannot bear!"

A long silence fell over the hall.

The amount of information was too vast; even a Dao Lord like Tu Feng needed time to digest the historical secrets involved.

Xu Ran, however, seemed to be listening to a story unrelated to himself. He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and gently tapped the rim of the cup with his fingertips, making a crisp sound.

“I see.” He nodded. “A wrong beginning led to a series of wrong continuations. The very existence of this Blood Prison Star Sea is a ‘mistake’ that needs to be corrected.”

His tone was calm, yet it sent a chill down the spines of both Tianjizi and Tufeng.

Correction?

How can he correct an immortal empire that has been passed down for countless eras, is deeply rooted, and is already deeply bound to the cause and effect of this star field?

They couldn't even imagine what that scene would look like.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts." Xu Ran put down his teacup and stood up. "In return, I can also sell you some information."

"Huh?" Tianjizi was taken aback, somewhat confused. This being wanted to sell him information? As the manager of the Tianji Pavilion, what information did he need to buy from outside?
"You cultivated the 'Heavenly Evolution Dao Canon,' peeking into the secrets of heaven and revealing the future, and have already been devoured by the karma of the Heavenly Dao." Xu Ran's gaze seemed to pierce through Tianjizi's physical body, looking directly at his Dao origin. "On your Dao foundation, there are 3,721 karmic fires of cause and effect, burning day and night. If you hadn't used the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's treasure of fortune, the 'Myriad Manifestations Mirror,' to suppress it, your Dao foundation would probably have collapsed long ago, and you would have died and your Dao would have dissipated. Even so, you will never have any hope of advancing any further in your life, and can only wait at the peak of the Dao Ancestor realm until the day your lifespan is exhausted."

boom!
These words exploded in Tianjizi's mind like a bolt of chaotic divine thunder!

The composure and calmness on his face vanished completely, replaced by unparalleled shock and horror!
This is his biggest secret! It is the source of his cultivation, and also the greatest constraint of his life! Apart from a few elders at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion headquarters, no one knows it!
The person in front of him, with just one glance, revealed his entire background, even accurately describing the number of karmic fires entwined on his Dao foundation!
What a terrifying insight!
“You…” Tianjizi’s lips trembled, and he couldn’t utter a single word.

“This intelligence is free for you,” Xu Ran continued. “Now, let’s discuss the next deal.”

"I need the exact location of the 'immortal-level' star vein that Blood Prison Star Sea offered to you."

Tianjizi suddenly came to his senses and exclaimed, "You...you're going to seize that star vein?"

That's a huge price that Blood Prison Star Sea is willing to pay, and it must be one of their most important strategic resources. Their defenses are absolutely extremely tight!

"Since they're willing to pay for my life, why can't I take it?" Xu Ran's logic was as simple and direct as ever.

“But…” Tianjizi looked troubled. “Fellow Daoist Xu, that star vein is located deep within the ‘Burial God Starfield,’ a forbidden zone where the void is chaotic and the laws are broken. More importantly, the Blood Prison Star Sea has deployed its most elite ‘Blood Prison Divine Guard’ Third Legion there, personally overseen by the ‘Suppressing Prison Blood King,’ one of the three ‘Blood Kings’! You…you are all alone…”

“That’s my business,” Xu Ran interrupted him. “You just need to tell me, whether to sell this information or not.” Tianjizi was caught in a fierce struggle.

Selling intelligence about the strategic location of Blood Prison Star Sea to Xu Ran is undoubtedly a grave offense against Blood Prison Star Sea. Although the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has a powerful background and is not afraid of the Lord of Blood Prison, it will also bring endless trouble upon itself as a result.

But if we don't sell...

He glanced at Xu Ran's deep, unfathomable eyes, and couldn't help but shudder as he recalled the terrifying method of having his memories altered out of thin air.

He could still distinguish between trouble and "disappearance".

"Sell!" Tianjizi gritted his teeth and made his decision. "However, I don't want any source crystals or magic treasures. I... would like to ask Fellow Daoist Xu to point me in the right direction!"

His eyes blazed with an unprecedented longing and hope.

Since Xu Ran could see through his predicament at a glance, does that also mean that he has a solution?

This might be his only chance in this life! A chance to escape the karmic fire of cause and effect and reach a higher realm!
“The right path?” Xu Ran glanced at him. “You’ve already blocked your own path. Peeping into secrets that don’t belong to you comes at a price. This is the ‘balance’ of the universe, and it’s ‘correct’.”

Tianjizi's eyes dimmed instantly, filled with despair.

“However…” Xu Ran changed the subject, “A blocked road can simply be reopened. A wrong cause will naturally produce a wrong effect. Once the cause is corrected, the effect will cease to exist.”

Tianjizi's breath hitched, and he abruptly looked up: "Fellow Daoist Xu means..."

Xu Ran did not answer, but instead extended a finger and pointed it at Tianjizi in mid-air.

There were no earth-shattering phenomena, nor the flow of laws and principles.

Only a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of sword intent, seemingly nonexistent in this world, silently entered Tianjizi's brow.

In that instant, Tianjizi froze completely.

He "saw" it.

Deep within his Great Dao Origin, the 3,721 karmic fires that had entangled him for countless years, like maggots clinging to bones, began to melt away layer by layer and crumble inch by inch in the face of that wisp of sword intent, just like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun!

No, that's not melting, nor is it disintegration!
Instead, it was "cut off"!

That wisp of sword intent was like a supreme blade that transcended time, space, and causality, directly severing the "connection" between these karmic fires and his own Great Dao!
It did not destroy the karmic fire, because the karmic fire is a manifestation of the cause and effect of the heavenly way, and destroying it would bring even greater backlash.

It simply separated the cause and effect of this "mistake" from Tianjizi!

"This this……"

Tianjizi felt his original Dao source, which had become pure and flawless again, even more perfect and transparent than at its peak, and he trembled with excitement, tears streaming down his face.

The shackles that had plagued him for centuries were so easily...severed?

What an incredible and audacious method!
This is no longer a supernatural power, nor a law; it is altering the way of heaven and reshaping cause and effect!
"Pfft!"

Unable to contain his excitement and awe any longer, Tianjizi knelt down deeply before Xu Ran, performing a full prostration.

"Tianjizi, thank you for saving my life, sir!"

He even changed his form of address from "fellow Daoist" to "sir".

This is the highest respect that seekers of the Way have for those who preach it!

"Get up." Xu Ran withdrew his finger, his expression unchanged, as if he had only done a trivial matter. "Now, give me the star map."

"Yes Yes!"

Tianjizi immediately stood up, his attitude extremely respectful. Without the slightest hesitation, he took out a jade slip that shimmered with starlight and presented it with both hands.

"Sir, this is a detailed star map of the Burial God Starfield, which marks the precise coordinates of that immortal-level star vein, as well as the deployment and patrol patterns of the Blood Prison Guards. The journey is long and fraught with danger, so please be extremely careful!"

Xu Ran took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and absorbed all the vast information within.

"Tu Feng, let's go."

He turned and walked out of the Tianji Pavilion.

Tu Feng was already numb from the shock of what had just happened. He followed closely behind Xu Ran, feeling as if he were living in a dream.

With just a few words, the Lord of Tiandao Mountain had an epiphany.

With a single finger, he severed the eternal karmic fire of Tianjizi.

Just how many more tricks does this senior have up his sleeve that I can't even imagine?
"gentlemen!"

Just as Xu Ran was about to step out the door, Tianjizi spoke again, his expression extremely solemn, reminding him: "The Lord of Blood Prison, this person appears tyrannical, but in reality, he is deeply cunning and has endured for countless years. He has been searching for a way to completely control the power of 'Black Blood' without being corrupted by its will. His true trump cards are far more than what you have seen."

"According to our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's calculations, he may very well... have already reached some kind of terrifying 'agreement' with his sealed ancestor in the Blood Prison Abyss!"

"Please be extremely careful, sir!"

(End of this chapter)