Chapter 755: The Undying Blood Clan Expert from Eight Hundred Years Ago
"How dare you!"
Facing the provocation of the Blood Clan Third Prince, atop the Book Mountain, Shengshu Cainü snapped her folding fan shut and rose abruptly to her feet.
In an instant, a vast and mighty Sacred Might erupted from her body as she roared, "In this world today, only Her Majesty the Empress can claim the title of Emperor. You dare to call yourself a Prince? That is the greatest desecration against Her Majesty the Empress!"
Clearly, Shengshu Cainü could not tolerate an Undying Blood Clan prince participating in the Realm Son Banquet. Naturally, she had to find a reason to deal with him.
The Undying Blood Clan also wanted to become one of the Nine Realm Sons? How utterly preposterous!
Although the Black Market and the Demon Sect were also steeped in evil, they still adhered to certain rules and principles, remaining within the bounds of what the Imperial Court could tolerate.
Take the Black Market, for example. It had consolidated the vast majority of evil forces across the world, establishing rules that inherently served as a restraint on all heretical path cultivators.
Without the Black Market, the Kunlun Realm would lose one massive evil force. However, countless heretical path cultivators would spiral completely out of control, plunging the Kunlun Realm into even greater chaos.
Or consider the Demon Sect. In truth, they referred to themselves internally as the Divine Sect. All their followers firmly believed they were acting justly, sacredly, and in accordance with Heaven's mandate.
Although the Demon Sect was domineering and extreme in its methods, it still had doctrines to restrain its followers. The territories under the Demon Sect's rule were actually quite prosperous, with many commoners, men farming and women weaving. While killings occurred frequently, there was still an opportunity to guide them onto the righteous path.
This is not to say the Black Market and Demon Sect were not evil, but rather that their existence served a certain purpose. If they were eliminated, the situation might worsen. Moreover, their presence acted as a counterbalance to the Martial Market Bank, the Three Paths and Nine Schools, and all the sacred clans across the world.
For the Imperial Court, such a balance was necessary. If the Black Market and Demon Sect were completely eradicated, all the sects and sacred clans under Heaven might rebel, turning their spearheads against the Imperial Court. At that point, flames of war would rise everywhere, returning the world to the chaos of eight hundred years ago, with heroes contending for power.
For this reason, Empress Chi Yao had decreed that all heroes under Heaven could compete for the position of Realm Son, naturally including the Black Market and Demon Sect.
The Undying Blood Clan and the Dead Zen Sect were different. They were no longer heretical paths or demonic paths—they were the path of death. If allowed to run rampant in the Kunlun Realm, they would lead the entire human race toward extinction. No force could tolerate that.
Without hesitation, Shengshu Cainü extended a finger and pointed downward from the Book Mountain. Instantly, surging Spiritual Power manifested, condensing into a massive "Annihilation" character, aiming to kill the Blood Clan Third Prince and Jialuo Gu.
At this moment, Shengshu Cainü seemed like a different person—decisive in killing, giving the enemy no chance.
"What? The renowned Shengshu Cainü has no tolerance at all?"
An aged voice echoed from above the sky, louder than thunder, as if Heaven itself had spoken.
"Whoosh!"
A waterfall of blood-red mist descended from the sky, transforming into a massive blood-colored hand that shattered the "Annihilation" character.
The collision of these two immense forces created a destructive shockwave that surged outward. If allowed to spread, the entire Shentai City would be reduced to ashes, and countless cultivators would perish.
Liangyi Sect Leader Ning Xuan Dao frowned, shaking his right arm and flicking his sleeve. Thirty-six Yellow Talisman Dao Banners flew out from his sleeve, embedding themselves at the base of the Book Mountain in a massive circle.
"Whoosh—"
Each Yellow Talisman Dao Banner emitted streams of formation inscriptions, interconnecting to form a massive formation that suppressed the shockwave until it completely dissipated.
Atop the Book Mountain, Shengshu Cainü stepped back, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She looked up at the sky in shock.
In the final moment, she had mobilized the power of the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book and the Book Mountain to contend with her opponent, yet she was still severely injured. Her opponent's power was like a vast, boundless ocean—endless and terrifying.
"She actually defeated Shengshu Cainü. Who could that be?"
Zhang Ruochen looked up to see the entire sky had turned blood-red, stretching to the horizon.
The earth was shrouded in a bloody hue, and the air was thick with a nauseating stench.
Above a cloud in the sky stood an old man with a pair of blood-red fleshy wings on his back, clad in a white robe, his body covered in tumors. He looked more like a monster than a human.
It was he who had struck and injured Shengshu Cainü.
The white-robed old man's aura pierced Heaven and Earth. Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators before him were like ants gazing up at a demon god.
His voice was piercing as he said, "Her Majesty the Empress's heart can embrace all rivers and seas, accommodating every race in the Kunlun Realm. Even heretical paths and demonic paths can compete for the Realm Son position. Compared to the Empress, Shengshu Cainü's heart is far too narrow, unable to tolerate us, the Undying Blood Clan. This old man is truly disappointed."
The appearance of the white-robed old man sent a wave of crisis through everyone.
"Indeed, there's an old monster from the Undying Blood Clan protecting that so-called Third Prince."
"This old monster's cultivation is extremely formidable. Even this Saint can't see through his level."
In Shentai City, the Saint Ancestors of various major forces simultaneously released their Sacred Might. Strands of Saint Qi flowed through the air, enveloping all the cultivators present.
From above, the combined power of these Saint Ancestors resembled a massive sacred diagram spread across the ground. Each strand of Saint Qi was a line in the diagram.
Yet the white-robed old man remained composed. Even facing all the Saints, he merely smiled faintly: "What? Want to fight? Unfortunately, you're all too young to qualify to cross hands with me. If that old Daoist Taiyi from Liangyi Sect were still alive, he might be worthy of a battle."
"From your tone, it seems you know Patriarch Taiyi?" asked Liangyi Sect Leader.
The white-robed old man smiled slightly: "I met him once eight hundred years ago."
Countless cultivators were shaken to their core. It was hard to imagine that this white-robed old man from the Undying Blood Clan was a monster who had lived for such a long time.
Liangyi Sect Leader's expression shifted slightly as he asked, "Who exactly are you?"
The white-robed old man said, "Eight hundred years ago, under Blood Queen, there were ten Blood Marshals. I was just a small soldier under Qingtian Blood Marshal—a nobody. As for my name, it's not worth mentioning."
Eight hundred years ago, the Kunlun Realm had not only Nine Emperors but also Three Queens. Blood Queen was the strongest among the Three Queens.
In that battle, it was Ming Emperor who struck Blood Queen down into the Endless Abyss, later leading the heroes of the world to repel the Undying Blood Clan and seal them on Manji Island.
The white-robed old man continued, "This old man has brought the Third Prince and Jialuo Gu of the Dead Zen Sect to Liangyi Sect this time, only to comply with Her Majesty the Empress's call, participate in the Realm Son Banquet, and compete for the Realm Son position. I have no desire to stir up trouble. If Shengshu Cainü cannot tolerate the word 'Prince,' considering it a desecration of the Empress, we can lower our status and change it to 'Prince.'"
"If even that cannot allow us to participate in the Realm Son Banquet, then I must question whether the Empress's imperial decree holds any weight before Shengshu Cainü. Does this world answer to the Empress or to Shengshu Cainü?"
Empress Chi Yao's imperial decree had indeed not explicitly barred the Undying Blood Clan and Dead Zen Sect's young cultivators from participating in the Realm Son Banquet.
The white-robed old man's words were truly venomous, turning the spearhead directly at Shengshu Cainü. First, he accused her of narrow-mindedness, then of disrespecting the Empress. At the same time, by voluntarily changing "Prince" to "Prince," he highlighted the Undying Blood Clan's respect for the Empress.
Every word from the white-robed old man was pressuring Shengshu Cainü to allow the Undying Blood Clan's Third Prince and Jialuo Gu to participate in the Realm Son Banquet.
The Undying Blood Clan's Third Prince sneered, "This Prince deeply respects Her Majesty the Empress. If I have offended earlier, please forgive me, Shengshu Cainü."
Jialuo Gu pressed his palms together, his appearance solemn and dignified: "Amitabha. If the Imperial Court cannot treat the Dead Zen Sect fairly, its followers will be greatly angered, and their former respect for the Empress will vanish. The consequences, this humble monk cannot imagine."
At least so far, the Undying Blood Clan and Dead Zen Sect remained entrenched overseas, having committed no heinous acts on the Kunlun Realm mainland for centuries. If they found an excuse, they could legitimately spread their teachings in the Kunlun Realm, sway the people, and make themselves appear as the disadvantaged party.
If Shengshu Cainü continued to refuse, and the Undying Blood Clan and Dead Zen Sect later committed atrocities, they would blame all the faults on her, claiming that her oppression and hostility forced them to resist. No one could bear such a charge.
"Even if we let them participate in the Realm Son Banquet, what of it? All the heroes under Heaven are gathered here. I don't believe they can secure the Realm Son position."
"Letting them participate would also demonstrate Her Majesty the Empress's supreme virtue. I can step forward and defeat them."
At that moment, on the Book Mountain, some young talents from the Outstanding Talent Seats and Heavenly Proud Seats began to support the Undying Blood Clan's Third Prince and Jialuo Gu's participation in the Realm Son Banquet. Their words were indeed inciting.
Below the Book Mountain, the young cultivators who didn't know the truth began shouting.
"Let them participate! Our Senior Sister Beigong from the Central Domain Holy Academy can take them both on and beat that Undying Blood Clan's so-called Prince and the Dead Zen Sect's bald donkey into crawling on the ground!"
"Just two heretical people! Our sect's Divine Son can suppress them with one hand!"
"Lady Cainü, let them participate! If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll only grow more arrogant!"
These young cultivators didn't understand the true strength of the Undying Blood Clan and Dead Zen Sect. Stirred up by others, they acted on impulse, daring to support their participation in the Realm Son Banquet.
Little did they know that the Undying Blood Clan's Third Prince and Jialuo Gu, daring to appear so boldly at the Realm Son Banquet, were certainly well-prepared. Would they fight a battle without confidence?