Chapter 1108: The Power of the Blood Bead, The Scholar Enters the Building

In the crimson world, vast and boundless stretches a sea of corpses and blood deep enough to submerge a normal person's waist. At the end of this realm, seven towering illusory blood trees reach toward the sky, with dry bones dangling from their branches, one after another, creating a shocking and eerie sight.

"Sheng Li!"

Floating above the Xue Jie, Yan Wuse with pale golden hair suddenly turned back, gazing toward the direction they had come from, his voice laced with surprise.

"You're right, it is Sheng Li," said Er Hao, whose height seemed more suited to this land of giants, his tone devoid of emotion. "Counting this one, and the one I sensed near Miracle Zhi Sen, there are now two kinds of Ban Sheng power on Xukong Dao."

"That one is Jiang Buyi," Yan Wuse said with absolute certainty.

After entering the Xue Jie, he could sense that the forbidden attributes of Miracle Zhi Sen in the distance had been activated, where a battle at the Ban Sheng level had once erupted.

He wondered who would dare provoke a Ban Sheng...

But more likely, Yan Wuse thought, Jiang Buyi had targeted the "core" of Miracle Zhi Sen...

If that were true, then the Pu Xuan Jiang clan in the Northern Domain could cease to exist!

"Jiang Buyi isn't that reckless," Er Hao said, his eyes flickering with the light of heavenly mechanisms, quickly calculating that the chances of Jiang Buyi targeting the "core" of Miracle Zhi Sen were almost zero.

"Perhaps you're right, but what's most important now is..."

Yan Wuse turned his head away, dismissing other meaningless thoughts, and fixed his gaze on the seven illusory blood trees at the center of the Xue Jie.

His expression grew solemn, his tone laced with even more killing intent.

"No wonder the spatial passages of Du Yuan are all disrupted..."

"Who dares to steal the 'Xue Shi Zhu'?"

"Achoo!"

At the entrance of Zui Yi Dian, Huang Yang Zhenren suddenly sneezed, snapping out of the hazy, blood-tinged blurry world he had glimpsed.

"How strange..."

He rubbed his nose and took a deep breath, his brows furrowed tightly.

Just moments ago, following his spiritual intuition, he had wandered here, and upon regaining his senses, he found himself at the grand entrance of Zui Yi Dian.

This was undoubtedly shocking and eerie!

Before this, Huang Yang Zhenren had only a vague understanding of what "Zui Yi Dian" was and no idea where it was located.

Yet, after a period of hazy consciousness, he had arrived at his intended destination—right in front of Zui Yi Dian.

As for what had happened along the way, Huang Yang Zhenren could barely remember any of it.

He felt as if he had been possessed, and that sneeze had brought his true self back.

"Premonition of impending events...?"

He muttered to himself, his mind now unsettled.

If possible, he wanted to leave Xukong Dao immediately, but he didn't even know where the exit was.

"Speaking of which, it's odd that Xie Lao and Gui Po haven't followed me. Given a killer's greed, I was prepared to defend against an attack from who knows where—they wouldn't be satisfied with just the 'Xue Shu Yin Zhi'."

"Hmm, this is too strange, strangely without reason..."

Huang Yang Zhenren stroked his chin, standing beneath the plaque of "Zui Yi Dian," unable to take another step.

As a Tai Xu who had grown to this point, he wasn't unfamiliar with the feeling of being manipulated, but with the "premonition" as a warning, he could usually turn danger into safety.

But this time, Huang Yang Zhenren felt that even his impulse to evade danger was on the verge of being erased.

This sense of "strangeness" wasn't just from the lost memories of his journey or the fact that Xie Lao and Gui Po hadn't pursued him.

It was more like...

Intuition!

An intuition about the "strangeness" within himself!

With a flick of his dust whisk, Huang Yang Zhenren decided he couldn't continue wandering aimlessly.

He formed a hand seal and began reciting the "Qing Xin Mantra," quietly observing his inner self, trying to uncover the source of the "strangeness."

His spirit, soul, and even will seemed to detach, viewing his body from a second perspective. Soon, Huang Yang Zhenren discovered the "abnormality" within himself.

"Buzz!"

Regaining consciousness, Huang Yang Zhenren pulled out a blood-red pearl.

This blood pearl was obtained in the Xue Jie. Before acquiring it, his life as a Tai Xu pursuing the Dao had been normal, without any "strangeness."

But after obtaining the "blood pearl," the trajectory of his fate seemed to shift...

"Is it because of you?"

Huang Yang Zhenren instinctively wanted to throw away this treasure, whose purpose he couldn't fathom.

His greatest survival skill, having lived this long through cultivation and self-discipline, was "avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune."

After quietly observing his inner self, his spiritual intuition told him to discard the "blood pearl" and leave immediately, even if it meant reluctance.

But...

"Death countdown: nine days!"

The "death countdown" that had appeared in his mind after obtaining the blood pearl made him hesitate slightly.

In that moment of hesitation, a faint, obscure red light flashed across the blood pearl, and Huang Yang Zhenren's eyes took on a deeper crimson hue.

He paused for a full three breaths.

Then, slapping his forehead and shuddering as if fully awakening, he looked back at the "Zui Yi Dian" plaque above the grand doors and let out a heavy sigh.

"Thank goodness—after traveling all day, I've finally reached this place. Now, my 'death countdown' should have a chance to be reset."

"Staying alive is more important than anything!"

He stroked the blood pearl in his hand, shrugged his shoulders, and chuckled to himself:

"I've been so focused on studying this thing that I've finally figured out one of its abilities. Luckily, I didn't run into any other dangers or fights along the way. Now, I can test my guess... heh."

"Logically, Zui Yi Dian has the ability to reset the 'death countdown,' and with so many battles happening across Tian Kong Zhi Cheng, there should be plenty of people like me wanting to enter this place."

"Let's see who's been here!"

With a red gleam in his eyes, Huang Yang Zhenren formed a hand seal, channeling his spiritual energy into the "blood pearl."

"Buzz!"

The blood pearl flashed with red light, and Huang Yang Zhenren felt his connection to it deepen. Each time he used it and infused spiritual energy, their bond grew stronger.

Perhaps this was a form of "blood recognition."

His Qi Hai spiritual energy began to deplete rapidly...

Until Huang Yang Zhenren's face turned pale, as if drained from head to toe, the blood pearl's suction finally ceased, and his eyes turned a deep crimson.

"Buzz!"

His vision blurred, and the hazy blood-colored world appeared. The scene before Zui Yi Dian shifted slightly.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Footsteps stopped at the grand doors.

A young man in pristine white robes glanced at his companion and said:

"I know what you're thinking, but unlike the other nine great forbidden zones, the forbidden attributes of Zui Yi Dian are the easiest to activate."

"Even without a Ban Sheng entering, just a Wang Zuo Dao Jing practitioner going in might trigger the powers inside to awaken."

"So, waiting for headquarters' Ban Sheng to arrive on Xukong Dao and come here... their fate upon entering Zui Yi Dian would be even more terrifying, perhaps not as straightforward as us going in first and shutting down Xukong Dao."

"At least, below Ban Sheng, with you in the open and me in the shadows, we could practically cross the entire Xukong Dao together, couldn't we?"

In the blurry blood-colored world, Huang Yang Zhenren recognized the vague figure as the deceased Ling Bu Shou Zuo, Yu Ling Di!

"He's still alive?"

Huang Yang Zhenren watched in shock and listened in astonishment.

Shutting down Xukong Dao, the nine great forbidden zones, Ban Sheng arriving, forbidden attributes activating...

Through the blood pearl's power, he had traced back time and secretly witnessed all this.

"The blood pearl is truly a supreme treasure!"

Huang Yang Zhenren was overjoyed. Anything involving spatial-temporal power was undoubtedly a supreme treasure.

He didn't dare dwell on it and quickly looked at the person beside Yu Ling Di, but the blood pearl only showed a patch of black, like a shadowy figure hidden in darkness.

"Ga—"

The shadowy figure, with a massive frame and clad in black feathers, neither male nor female, didn't say a word. A three-legged black owl on their shoulder cawed once, and everything ended.

The next scene showed Yu Ling Di pushing open the doors and entering, with the black-feathered figure merging into the shadows and following inside.

The vision faded.

"That's it?" Huang Yang Zhenren stared in disbelief.

What kind of person was that? Yu Ling Di spoke to you, and you didn't even respond—such an air of superiority!

"They must be a big figure too..."

After a quick assessment, Huang Yang Zhenren focused again on the blood pearl's blurry vision, as the scene shifted to another approaching figure.

"Tap."

Footsteps halted.

A figure in orange robes and an orange mask, hiding their identity, stopped at the spot where Huang Yang Zhenren now stood.

They let out a sinister cackle, glancing back into the distance, and sneered:

"You're a Ban Sheng, after all—there's no need to hang back so far. Are you planning to bolt at the first chance?"

Ban Sheng!

Huang Yang Zhenren's eyes widened instantly.

What was going on? This orange-masked person had a Ban Sheng following them?

And what was their tone?

Who would dare speak to a Ban Sheng like that?

Was he also a Ban Sheng? Or did he have that Ban Sheng under control?

Any normal Ban Sheng wouldn't tolerate such irreverence, right?

As Huang Yang Zhenren pondered, the blood pearl's vision expanded.

He easily spotted the Ban Sheng trailing far behind the orange-masked person, their entire body covered in illusory grids, making even their clothing color indistinguishable.

"This..."

Huang Yang Zhenren's mouth twitched, feeling both reassured and helpless.

"The blood pearl is such a treasure—it even considered that my current cultivation isn't enough to face a Ban Sheng. How thoughtful!"

"But I can't see anything clearly like this. Isn't there a way to see that Ban Sheng without triggering the danger?"

Huang Yang Zhenren had just started muttering when he suddenly felt a frantic suction from the blood pearl.

His Qi Hai spiritual energy hadn't even recovered halfway, and this pull emptied it completely. He felt his life force draining, while the Ban Sheng's figure and features in the vision began to clarify.

"Enough! Enough!"

"Any more, and I'll die!"

After just a few breaths, Huang Yang Zhenren hurriedly stopped, staring in awe at the blood pearl itself.

It could understand his words, had its own awareness, and even the ability to block a Ban Sheng's perception... this was a supreme treasure among supreme treasures!

The loss of life force wasn't terrifying—Huang Yang Zhenren sensed that he and the treasure were nearly fusing as one, their connection deepening through this extraction.

Perhaps, once fully integrated, he could wield the blood pearl without side effects!

As he envisioned the future, the previously muffled voices in the blurry blood-colored world became clear under the pearl's glow.

"This Ban Sheng has followed you all the way and nearly triggered three Sheng Jie. If not for that 'exile countdown,' I would've turned and left by now."

From initially inaudible words and invisible faces, Huang Yang Zhenren could now see hints of bitterness and discomfort on the Ban Sheng's face.

This must mean they were caught in some leverage...

Sheng Jie... Huang Yang Zhenren stared at the orange-masked person, intuiting that this individual hadn't reached Ban Sheng level, but their ability to control a Ban Sheng made them even more formidable than an ordinary one.

"I told you, this is a fair deal. I want Xu Xiao Shou's head, and you need help below Ban Sheng level to seize the 'exemption from exile' order. We each get what we need."

"Don't forget what I said before— even at full strength in Zui Yi Dian, you couldn't act freely, let alone now with your actions restricted and strength greatly diminished."

As the orange-masked person spoke, they pushed open the doors of Zui Yi Dian and stepped inside without a second thought, not even caring if the Ban Sheng followed, vanishing into the darkness within.

"Tian Ren Wu Shui..."

The Ban Sheng flashed to the entrance in an instant, muttering through gritted teeth, then followed inside.

"Wow!"

Huang Yang Zhenren's heart pounded, feeling he had glimpsed some high-level secrets.

Before obtaining the blood pearl, he had been like a headless fly, stumbling blindly through Tian Kong Zhi Cheng, unaware of when he'd blunder into danger or a dead end.

Now, he could access upper-level secrets, foresee events... or in another way, peer into risks he couldn't have seen before.

This gave Huang Yang Zhenren a sense of superiority.

"The blood pearl is the real treasure! What Xie Lao and Gui Po got—the Xue Shu Yin Zhi—might let them hold out an extra breath against a Ban Sheng at best."

"But I'm different. Knowing the risks of Zui Yi Dian, I can choose to turn back now..."

A flash of red in his eyes made Huang Yang Zhenren shake his head, his face flushing with excitement.

"How interesting!"

"This is the kind of battlefield I, Huang Yang Zhenren, should join!"

"Struggling against Tai Xu, bargaining with Ban Sheng... a true man lives boldly in the world, nothing more!"

With that, he forcefully pushed open the doors of "Zui Yi Dian," clutching the blood pearl glowing with red light, and strode inside without a glance back at the outside world.

Unnoticed, footsteps sounded again at the entrance of Zui Yi Dian.

"This place feels a bit familiar..."

A soft voice of doubt arose as a figure in luxurious brocade robes stopped before the doors.

He had a full forehead, bright eyes like stars, black hair tied in a neat bun without a strand out of place, clearly a well-read scholar, handsome and refined with an otherworldly air.

Notably, around his neck on a black cord hung a rough, door-shaped wooden carving, like a talisman, though the cheap wooden piece clashed with his opulent attire.

"Zui Yi Dian..."

The jade-faced scholar murmured the three characters on the plaque at the entrance, then pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing as he muttered to himself:

"This shouldn't be Zui Yi Dian, should it? Or have I remembered wrong again?"

With that, he reached out and wiped the air in front of him.

No spiritual energy fluctuations were visible, but at the site of Zui Yi Dian, an ancient, dark-golden three-story pavilion overlapped into existence.

It replaced the original grand hall but appeared faint and elusive, as if invisible to outsiders.

"That's more like it!"

"Hmm, what did I come here for?"

The jade-faced scholar chuckled lightly, then a look of confusion crossed his eyes, but he didn't stop. He stepped into the pavilion while pondering.

As his figure gradually vanished into the dark-golden three-story pavilion, the plaque above Zui Yi Dian, now overlapping with the pavilion, showed slight distortions in its characters.

Sometimes it read the three characters "Zui Yi Dian."

Other times, it shifted to the five characters... "Gu Jin Wang You Lou."