The retreat has ended, and the overall strength of the Blood God Sect has made tremendous progress. The number of both Saints and Saint Kings has significantly increased, giving everyone hope for revival.
As long as this development continues, the Blood God Sect will sooner or later rise again, standing proudly above all realms and heavens.
Because of this, the members of the Blood God Sect hold even greater reverence for their leader, Zhang Ruochen, as all these changes stem from him.
Jin Yu, Luo Chen, and Bao Lie have all reached the Lin Dao Realm, making significant breakthroughs difficult. However, this retreat still brought them considerable gains.
The only regret for Zhang Ruochen is that Mu Lingxi and Han Xue failed to break through to the Jie Tian Realm, hitting a bottleneck. Similar to Zhang Ruochen’s situation, their rapid cultivation has led to comprehending mostly minor principles.
Without special opportunities, it will likely be challenging for them to break through to the Jie Tian Realm, requiring a period of consolidation.
“Master, I want to go out and train, seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough.”
As he was thinking, Han Xue approached, saying earnestly, “Master, I want to train alone, broaden my horizons, and seek an opportunity for a breakthrough.”
Clearly, Han Xue has realised her own issues. Merely retreating in seclusion, she doesn’t know how long it would take to achieve a breakthrough.
The Thousand Bones Physique requires experiencing more battles to fully unlock its potential.
Zhang Ruochen instantly understood Han Xue’s thoughts and nodded, saying, “Do what you want to do. Your master will always support you. Be cautious in all matters, and if you encounter something you can’t resolve, send a message to me.”
“Yes, I understand. Master, Mistress, Little Black, and my three martial uncles, please take care,” Han Xue said, her eyes revealing reluctance as she bid farewell to Zhang Ruochen and the others.
Since returning from the Hell Realm, she hasn’t had the chance to spend much time with Zhang Ruochen, and now she must part with him again, feeling deep reluctance.
However, as the successor of the Thousand Bones Empress, she is destined to walk an extraordinary path. Her resolve for the Great Dao must be unwavering, moving forward courageously, cutting through all distractions.
To pursue the path to godhood, everything can be set aside.
With a swift movement, Han Xue turned decisively, stepping into the void and darting out of the Blood God Sect.
Watching Han Xue leave, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes revealed complex emotions. He felt great pride in Han Xue’s growth but also deep sympathy.
He knew that Han Xue’s current achievements must have come at the cost of immense hardship.
As her master, all he could do was support her fully.
Zhang Ruochen believed that in the near future, Han Xue would surely become the next Thousand Bones Empress, carving out a formidable reputation. However, he felt somewhat unworthy as her master.
Mu Lingxi approached Zhang Ruochen and said, “Since even Han Xue is going to train, I must work harder too. I plan to return to Phoenix Lake to obtain the inheritance of the Ice Phoenix Ancestor.”
Zhang Ruochen snapped back to attention, gazing intently at Mu Lingxi, and asked, “Are you confident?”
“I wasn’t confident before, but now my cultivation has reached the peak of the Dao Domain Realm, and I’ve achieved the Heavenly Phoenix Dao Body. I should be able to accept the inheritance. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything without confidence,” Mu Lingxi said.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen pondered briefly and said, “Then follow your plan. Once I handle the affairs of the Blood God Sect, I’ll escort you back to Phoenix Lake.”
Given the complex and perilous situation in the Kunlun Realm, Mu Lingxi’s decision to go to Phoenix Lake to receive her ancestor’s inheritance, away from conflicts, is a good thing.
Once she successfully obtains the inheritance, she will truly soar like a phoenix, free to roam the vast world.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen began handling some critical matters within the Blood God Sect. After the previous great battle, it’s unlikely anyone would dare trouble the sect again soon.
The only matter requiring Zhang Ruochen’s attention was the placement of the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions.
Since he doesn’t practice demonic techniques, he has no intention of carrying the inscriptions with him.
Apart from the four inscriptions held by Mu Lingxi, Du Mosheng, Pei Linhu, and He Yuan, the remaining eight need proper arrangement, ensuring both security and accessibility for the sect’s disciples to comprehend.
After careful consideration, Zhang Ruochen decided to place the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions in the underground space of the Blood God Altar, effectively entrusting them to the protection of the Blood God’s corpse.
With Zhang Ruochen’s arrangements, anyone who dares to tamper with the inscriptions will trigger the Blood God’s corpse, a consequence even a true Great Saint could hardly withstand.
The previous incident with Blood Floating Great Saint from the Hell Realm serves as a warning.
Entrusting sect affairs to Elder Yuan Xing, Zhang Ruochen left the Blood God Sect with Mu Lingxi and Little Black.
Little Black found staying at the Blood God Sect boring and preferred following Zhang Ruochen for more excitement.
Upon arriving at Phoenix Lake, Mu Lingxi immediately entered the secret realm, eager to receive her ancestor’s inheritance. This time, she was determined to succeed, no matter the difficulty.
Watching Mu Lingxi enter the secret realm, Zhang Ruochen whispered, “I hope everything goes smoothly.”
Since he was already at Phoenix Lake, Zhang Ruochen wasn’t in a hurry to leave. With nothing urgent to attend to, he could relax and spend time with Lin Fei.
When Saint Ming City faced trouble previously, he had left in a rush without even saying goodbye to Lin Fei.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen return, Lin Fei was naturally overjoyed and immediately offered to cook herself.
Zhang Ruochen pulled Lin Fei to sit down and asked, “Mother, why don’t I see Kong Xuan?”
Usually, Kong Xuan was always by Lin Fei’s side, but this time, she was nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Ruochen had already scanned Phoenix Lake with his spiritual power and found no trace of Kong Xuan.
“Kong Xuan is no longer here,” Lin Fei said.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression changed slightly, and he asked, “Where did Kong Xuan go?”
“Chen’er, not long after you left, a mysterious person appeared and took Kong Xuan away,” Lin Fei said.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly and asked, “What mysterious person? Why did they take Kong Xuan?”
This is Phoenix Lake, guarded by two top Saint Kings from the Guanghan Realm. For someone to intrude and take Kong Xuan away, this matter is clearly not simple.
A subtle glint flashed in Lin Fei’s eyes, and she said, “That mysterious person, like Kong Xuan, had seven-coloured wings. They said they were taking Kong Xuan to a place for cultivation. Kong Xuan was initially unwilling, but I persuaded her to go with them. This is her opportunity, and it would be a pity to miss it.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred. He hadn’t expected Lin Fei to say such a thing.
At the same time, he vaguely understood that, if his guess was correct, the person who took Kong Xuan was likely a mysterious powerhouse from the Peacock Half-Human Clan.
Kong Xuan’s chance to train with them was indeed a good thing.
In fact, when he returned earlier and saw that Kong Xuan’s cultivation had reached the Saint King Realm, Zhang Ruochen had been curious. The *Peacock Sacred Canon* he had passed to Kong Xuan was incomplete, so logically, she shouldn’t have been able to cultivate to the Saint King Realm.
Now, it seems likely that Kong Xuan had another opportunity, possibly related to this mysterious powerhouse from the Peacock Half-Human Clan.
Zhang Ruochen was quite looking forward to Kong Xuan growing into a top-tier powerhouse.
On the third day at Phoenix Lake, Zhang Ruochen went to the island in the lake’s centre, inviting Wine Maniac and Gu Songzi to drink and chat together.
Wine Maniac and Gu Songzi lived leisurely lives, free from fighting, only needing to brew wine and refine pills.
Suddenly, Gu Songzi’s expression changed, and he said, “Someone has intruded into Phoenix Lake.”
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen sensed subtle spatial fluctuations in Phoenix Lake and turned his gaze toward the vast, rippling lake surface.
Immediately, a woman in purple, walking on the water, came into view.
The woman in purple had an elegant figure and exquisite features, flawless in every way. Her skin was fair as jade, and she exuded an ethereal aura, like a fairy descended from the heavens.
Most striking was the vertical eye at her brow, deep as the starry sky, seemingly capable of seeing through the essence of all things.
“Three-Eyed Ancient Clan.”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed, instantly recognising the woman’s origin.
The Three-Eyed Ancient Clan was once an extremely mysterious and powerful clan in the Kunlun Realm.
However, in the Middle Ages, the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan had gone extinct, leaving only legends.
Yet now, a woman from the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan appeared before him, sparking many speculations in Zhang Ruochen’s mind.
At that moment, Wine Maniac’s face changed dramatically, his eyes wide as he stared at the woman in purple, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
“How could it be her? Zhang Ruochen… don’t you think she looks familiar?”
Wine Maniac’s mind trembled, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Familiar? Perhaps a little. Have we met before? No, I don’t think so.”
Wine Maniac reminded him, “The Three-Eyed Ancient Clan went extinct in the Middle Ages. But when we went to the ancestral land of the Dragon God Clan at the Yin-Yang Sea, in the deepest part of the Abandoned Divine Sea, we found a female corpse of the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan…”
At this point, Wine Maniac paused, gasping.
Zhang Ruochen recalled that distant memory and was slightly stunned. The woman in purple looked exactly like the female corpse of the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan they had encountered in the Abandoned Divine Sea.
A corpse, dead for over 100,000 years, had somehow come back to life and appeared before him—an undeniably eerie event.
What’s more, Wine Maniac felt guilty because he had taken the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower from the corpse.
In the blink of an eye, the woman in purple appeared on the island in the lake’s centre.
Ignoring Zhang Ruochen and Gu Songzi, she fixed her gaze on Wine Maniac and said flatly, “Hand over my clan’s sacred relic.”
Hearing this, Wine Maniac’s heart skipped a beat. His guess was correct—this woman in purple was indeed the one he had encountered in the Abandoned Divine Sea.
Composing himself, Wine Maniac said calmly, “What sacred relic? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve probably got the wrong person.”
“Need me to spell it out? Hand over the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower,” the woman in purple said, her expression turning colder.
Though Wine Maniac was wary of her, he persisted, “I don’t know anything about a Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower. Don’t accuse an innocent man.”
“Since you’re so uncooperative, don’t blame me for being impolite,” the woman in purple said, a cold glint flashing in her eyes as an extremely terrifying aura emanated from her.
The vertical eye at her brow glowed with an eerie light, locking onto Wine Maniac, as if it could seize his soul.
“What immense power.”
Feeling the aura emanating from the woman in purple, Zhang Ruochen couldn’t help but be moved.
He had vaguely guessed that the woman was likely one of the beings sealed in the icebergs of the Abandoned Divine Sea, revived for some unknown reason, still carrying traces of the sea’s icy aura.
If she could be revived, had the other beings in those icebergs also come back to life?
The Abandoned Divine Sea held countless icebergs, each sealing a corpse, all of whom were powerful in life, at least at the Saint Realm, with many reaching the Saint King Realm.
The beings imprisoned on that stone bridge were even more terrifying, all peerless fiends. Little Black’s physical body had also been imprisoned there.
If all those beings were revived, it would undoubtedly be an immensely terrifying force.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, before the woman in purple could act, Zhang Ruochen moved, positioning himself in front of Wine Maniac. He extended his palm, forming a dazzling cloud of fire that dispelled the eerie force enveloping Wine Maniac.
Wine Maniac’s eyes showed shock, his heart filled with dread toward the woman in purple.
In the moment she locked onto him, he had genuinely felt death’s approach.
“Are you trying to stop me?” the woman in purple asked, looking at Zhang Ruochen with displeasure.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly and said, “I have no such intention. I only wish you wouldn’t harm my friend.”
Turning to Wine Maniac, Zhang Ruochen said seriously, “Wine Maniac, take out the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower. It’s a sacred relic of the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan, and holding onto it isn’t good for you.”
Hearing this, Wine Maniac’s eyes showed reluctance, but seeing the cold glint in the woman’s eyes, he had no choice but to comply, retrieving the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower.
Seeing Wine Maniac’s unwilling expression, Zhang Ruochen acted, snatching the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower from his hand and tossing it to the woman in purple.
“Returned to its rightful owner.”
The woman in purple reached out, catching the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower.
Her cold demeanor quickly softened, and she retracted her powerful aura.
Her purpose was solely to retrieve the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower, and she had no desire to conflict with anyone unless necessary.
However, if anyone tried to prevent her from reclaiming her clan’s sacred relic, she wouldn’t hesitate to fight.
As long as the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan still had survivors, they would never allow their sacred relics to remain lost.
With a flip of her hand, the woman in purple stored the Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower, then turned to leave Phoenix Lake.
“Please wait,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The woman in purple paused, turning back to look at Zhang Ruochen, and asked, “What is it?”
“I’d like to ask, how did you revive? And what is the current situation in the Yin-Yang Sea?”
Zhang Ruochen asked with a serious expression.
At this question, a terrifying killing intent flashed in the woman’s eyes, and she coldly uttered four words, “No comment.”
Without waiting for Zhang Ruochen to say more, she turned, her figure flickering, and vanished in an instant.
“This woman is no ordinary person. Old drunkard, you’ve got some nerve stealing from such a powerhouse,” Gu Songzi said, clicking his tongue.
Wine Maniac, with a pained expression, grumbled, “How was I supposed to know a corpse could come back to life? My Three-Leaf Nine-Life Flower! Zhang Ruochen, aren’t you supposed to be powerful? Why were you so wary of her?”
He was no match for the woman in purple, but with Zhang Ruochen’s strength, why yield so easily?
“It’s not about fear. This woman likely died in the Middle Ages, yet she’s suddenly revived. Combined with what happened in the Yin-Yang Sea, don’t you think there’s something deeper at play? The Yin-Yang Sea has likely undergone a shocking change.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression was grave, suspecting the woman might be a survivor of the Kunlun Realm, perhaps not truly dead but in a state akin to suspended animation.
It seems a trip to the Yin-Yang Sea is necessary.
Wine Maniac’s pupils constricted, and he couldn’t help but gasp. Hearing Zhang Ruochen’s words, the secrets hidden in the Yin-Yang Sea were indeed chilling to contemplate.
