Chapter 471: Seven Emotions First Battle

Da da da!

A translucent little lizard stretched its long neck, flailing its four slender legs, and in a flash, it dashed across the thick Blood Sea for thousands of zhang. It stood there, vigilantly scanning its surroundings.

It had been targeted by something.

With a swish, a black shadow burst from beneath the Blood Sea, its gaping maw sucking the little lizard away in an instant. All that remained was a shallow whirlpool and a few faint chewing sounds.

Due to the extreme viscosity of the Blood Sea, the whirlpool quickly settled back to calm.

The beast that had successfully hunted its prey slunk away quietly, not daring to reveal even a trace of its presence, swiftly sinking into the depths of the Blood Sea.

A hundred li away, Li Changshou, who had witnessed the scene, glanced down at his own transformed version of the same little lizard.

In these times, even being a lowly creature in the Blood Sea wasn't easy.

Pushing aside distracting thoughts, he activated the Fengyu Curse to its maximum extent, channeling sixty percent of his mind to discern the various messages he heard.

This was definitely the place—the source of the Great Dao's tremors and the gathering of Xiuluo clan experts was right below.

The Blood Sea, where the world's foul springs converged, was the epitome of turbidity.

In the ancient primordial era, the Blood Sea was nearly boundless, and the innate great power Minghe Laozu rose to fame, creating the Asura and founding the "Killing" teachings. He claimed that as long as the Blood Sea did not dry up, he would not die.

Unfortunately, he failed to keep up with the times.

When Houtu was about to transform into the Six Paths Disk, a certain active figure from the ancient era—who preferred not to reveal his name—the Great Mage, joined forces with Houtu and the Zixiao Shenlei, using a few supreme treasures from Renjiao, to eliminate Minghe Laozu.

The legend of "Blood Sea undrying means Minghe undying" was splendidly shattered.

Subsequently, Houtu transformed into the heavenly treasure, the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, dividing the Netherworld, establishing the underworld, and forming the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity.

Most of the Blood Sea evaporated, leaving only remnants on the western side of the Netherworld, still occupying a small half of it.

The world divides into clear and turbid, with yin and yang intermingling. The Blood Sea could never completely dissipate.

The Xiuluo clan and the various fierce beasts surviving in the Blood Sea were not entirely wiped out; by now, they had gradually regained some vitality.

Although the Xiuluo clan could no longer match their strength from the late primordial era or early ancient times, they still counted as a major clan in the world, holding a place in the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. After aligning with Xijiao, they gained a bit more luck.

Time waits for no one, and delays breed trouble.

Li Changshou, transformed into the little lizard, dove into the Blood Sea here, employing the Shuidun technique to fully conceal his aura fluctuations, probing deeper along the way.

Within the Blood Sea, it was quite a hidden realm of its own.

When Li Changshou arrived, he saw numerous "bubbles" existing inside, each suspending large and small "islands" where many Xiuluo clan tribes were scattered.

There were also quite a few Xiuluo wandering around.

The Xiuluo clan's hallmark was that their women were all strikingly beautiful, while the men varied wildly—ordinary stunning beauties were everywhere, and the "big brothers" who could scare neighboring kids came in all sorts.

The entire Xiuluo clan embodied this truth:

Beautiful appearances are all alike, but unattractive souls aren't necessarily interesting.

If Tianya Pavilion were to recruit here...

His thoughts were wandering too much—time to rein them in.

Li Changshou naturally didn't linger on these Xiuluo women, as Yunxiao Xianzi was inside the Liuli Baota, watching his every move.

After gathering sufficiently detailed and comprehensive information, he continued his descent, stealthily approaching the deepest parts of the Blood Sea.

Descending an unknown number of li, the surrounding viscous foul blood began to grow lighter.

Pressing further down, the turbidity faded completely, and wisps of immortal spiritual energy appeared below!

In a daze, Li Changshou felt as if he had entered a hidden immortal realm deep within the earth.

As the saying goes, all things carry yin and embrace yang; pure yang cannot thrive alone, nor can isolated yin; at the extremes, yin and yang give birth to each other.

All these principles were encapsulated in a simple Taiji Diagram.

Slowing his movements, Li Changshou analyzed the auras around him and changed his concealment method, avoiding any rash actions.

The Great Dao tremors he had felt earlier originated within a radius of ten thousand li.

Inside the Liuli Baota, the various Daoist experts were also probing the environment and casually sharing their insights, inadvertently showcasing their own Dao realms.

Kong Xuan, alone on his floor, stood by the tower's window, gazing at the Blood Sea scenery.

Thousands of li below showed no anomalies, but Li Changshou suddenly halted.

He hid within a cluster of multicolored flowing lights, maintaining the Fengyu Curse, and relayed what it detected into the Liuli Baota.

—To let the experts help translate.

The tower echoed with strange guttural sounds: "Gu li gu li, Mu da mu da, Ou ba ou ba."

This was the ancient Xiuluo language.

Duobao Daoist smiled and rummaged in his sleeve, pulling out a turtle-shell-like treasure that emitted a pale green immortal light.

The jumbled dialogues instantly transformed into human speech:

"...They just sent word that the Water God has gotten involved in this matter. Everyone, be careful and don't let your guard down."

"The Water God is full of schemes, endlessly changing, with a heart dirtier than the Blood Sea and hands blacker than the old ancestor's. We're no match for him.

Sigh, in the end, we're just being used by Xijiao."

"Xijiao is using us, and we're using them.

At least Xijiao has saints on their side. Without the old ancestor to protect us, we're just prey in the great wilderness.

This is our Blood Sea clan's last chance.

Even if it costs our lives, we have to secure a final foothold for our descendants!"

"Don't say more. The Water God might be listening. Keep watch everywhere, and don't overlook any movement. Better to kill the wrong one."

"Better to kill the wrong one."

"Even our own clan members can't enter without permission!"

In a corner of the tower, Yunxiao spoke softly to Jinling Shengmu. The two immortal maidens formed seals together, mutually concealing each other's Dao rhythm fluctuations, and simultaneously pointed a finger forward.

Their combined Yunjing Technique revealed the source of the conversation.

It was above the ruins of a grand city at the bottom of the Blood Sea, where hundreds of figures stood outside the array formations, each enveloped in faint black killing intent.

Eight-armed Xiuluo were common, and there were also some double-armed ones with dense murderous aura—fearsome Blood Sea deities at first glance.

They seemed to be guarding something.

Beneath them lay layer upon layer of grand arrays, with even more hidden setups below.

Duobao Daoist sent a voice transmission to Li Changshou about what the Yunjing showed. Li Changshou listened carefully for a while longer before quietly approaching the grand city below.

Inside the Liuli Baota, Huanglong Zhenren pondered aloud:

"These Xiuluo experts are guarding so tightly, and the arrays here aren't simple. How can we get inside?"

Taiyi Zhenren laughed: "What kind of array could stop the great Water God? He's always been skilled at navigating them."

He clearly wanted to say more but didn't dare.

Zhao Gongming, however, said: "This place is so conspicuous—could it be a trap?"

"It's probably one. This matter involves Xijiao's luck and their long-term schemes, so they wouldn't let us find it this easily..."

Duobao Daoist stroked his chin in deep thought, reaching this conclusion.

The experts mulled it over and agreed this was the most likely possibility. Something so openly displayed was probably problematic.

But delving deeper, they wondered if this was intentional, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

Yuding Zhenren said solemnly: "Changgeng would never fall for such a scheme so easily. Let's just stay put."

No sooner had he spoken than the Liuli Baota trembled slightly.

It was Li Changshou, carrying the tower, using the Taiji Tu to enter the "outside the painting" void once more, burrowing toward the ruins of the grand city below.

Zhao Gongming chuckled: "It seems our considerations still don't match Changgeng's depth."

The Daoists all nodded in agreement.

Taiyi Zhenren muttered quietly: "Why does it feel like we're overthinking? Changgeng always plays it safe—he definitely won't skip checking this place..."

Huanglong Zhenren asked: "But what if it's a trap?"

"Isn't that why we're here?" Taiyi Zhenren smiled calmly, and the Daoist immortals all showed faint smiles.

Indeed, with them acting together, there was nothing to fear.

What followed was Li Changshou's actions continually refreshing their understanding of the word "cautious."

The Taiji Tu's power was unfathomable; the Great Mage had once used it to traverse the universe freely in the "outside the painting."

Though Li Changshou's realm wasn't sufficient, he could barely enter it.

He opened a gate of Taiji, slipped inside, and proceeded with utmost care, taking three steps to probe each one, passing by several elderly Xiuluo and entering the city's range.

The surrounding world was hazy, with figures and buildings distorted. Li Changshou vaguely saw the intertwined veins of the Great Dao.

The Taiji Tu had led him into some wondrous interlayer between heaven and earth and the Dao principles.

Unfortunately, Li Changshou couldn't use this to investigate everything.

The opponent had clearly anticipated this, or knew the Taiji Tu's capabilities. After passing through over a dozen layers of protective arrays in the "outside the painting," Li Changshou's spiritual sense trembled slightly.

The voice of the Taiji Tu elder rang out: "Can't go further."

Ahead, the Dao marks intersected chaotically, sealed by a grand array that blocked both inside and outside—it seemed both a killing array and a trapping array, laid by someone with extraordinary array skills.

Something that could block the Taiji Tu...

A saint's array?

Li Changshou, as the little lizard, crouched in the void outside the painting, pondering quietly. He quickly dismissed the idea of forcing his way through and retreated stealthily.

A voice transmission echoed in his mind—it was Duobao Daoist:

"This place has a saint's Dao rhythm; it's likely a trap. Changgeng, be careful."

The little lizard nodded slowly but didn't change his course.

He continued searching in the void outside the painting, scouring back and forth several times and turning the city ruins upside down, before finally identifying a safe corner and quietly returning to the earthly realm.

This place was riddled with killing arrays, with the damaged palace at the city's center being the overlap of their coverage.

Moreover, while investigating the city's arrays in the "outside the painting," Li Changshou discovered a crucial detail:

The direction of spiritual power flow in all the killing arrays—the direction of their power release—was inward, not outward.

The spiritual power distribution in the trapping arrays was also focused inward.

In other words, the one who set this up intended to use the arrays to destroy any being that entered the damaged palace.

"It's definitely a trap."

Inside the tower, Huanglong Zhenren sighed: "A saint personally arranged the arrays, causing Great Dao tremors that drew Changgeng's attention. The malice behind this is truly indescribable."

Li Changshou's immortal sense transmitted into the Liuli Baota: "It might not be that straightforward."

"Be careful—put your own safety first," Zhao Gongming advised.

Li Changshou acknowledged and dispelled the "little lizard" transformation, resuming his form as an old Daoist with a gourd on his back.

He kept his figure in a faint state and sat cross-legged in a corner of a ruined house in the city. He then removed the Qiqing Grass Ring from his wrist and placed it in a treasure pouch, leaving the pouch unsealed.

A sigh echoed softly as layers of pale blue ripples dissipated around Li Changshou, spreading waves of sorrowful emotion outward.

"I'm so miserable. I finally got out once, but I was thrown into this cold bag. I can't even see outside, and I'm being used as a treasure..."

Li Changshou: ...

Better to stay silent for now—this level of sadness was just right.

The group of Xiuluo experts above the city didn't notice these seven emotions fluctuations at all.

Soon, these Xiuluo men and women were all overcome with gloom, sighing involuntarily, none escaping it.

One Xiuluo woman murmured: "Are we really an abandoned clan?"

Her words stirred a thousand waves, and beside her came a choked, angry roar:

"I refuse! What kind of destiny is this? What kind of fate?

My Xiuluo clan will never be slaves! Never be... sigh... what's the point of shouting? Who will hear it?"

"What's the use? Why bother? Does it mean anything?"

"Why struggle so hard? If heaven wants us to perish, why not just perish?"

Murmurs and sobs erupted everywhere.

The Xiuluo, fully immersed in this state, didn't realize they were being manipulated, each gripped by sorrow from within.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out as an eight-armed Xiuluo raised its eight palms in unison and slammed them into its own head.

"Old ancestor, I'm coming to join you!"

With a bang, the eight strikes landed, and the headless corpse slowly fell.

Immediately, over a dozen Xiuluo were affected, plunging into deep despair and ending their lives on the spot.

Gradually, more Xiuluo began to entertain such negative thoughts, shouting or muttering as if trying to convince themselves.

The number of suicides grew.

Most Xiuluo were reduced to incoherent weeping, recalling their life's hardships and struggles. They rarely cultivated their Dao hearts, so they had almost no resistance to the seven emotions power.

Li Changshou formed seals with his hands and said to the treasure pouch: "Could the embodiment of anger please assist?"

"The hell I care!"

"Eh? Taiyi Shixiong, why are you out here?"

"Where's that bastard!"

The Qiqing Grass Ring glowed with seven colors, and a shadowy figure appeared in the pouch, looking around.

Layers of pale red ripples spread through the world.

The embodiment of sorrow sighed: "We're all just grass-born beings. How can you keep scheming against us? Don't you feel any guilt?

I'm so tragic—why did I have to befriend you?

I'm even more tragic—my only friend is gone."

The embodiment of anger: "You tricked me!"

Li Changshou: ...

With the embodiments of sorrow and anger—formed from the power of all beings and Houtu's cultivation realm—striking simultaneously, the city ruins outside erupted in chaos. The Xiuluo looked up and roared, as if hundreds of dying beasts were unleashing unwilling cries.

"Xiuluo will not die! Blood Sea will not dry!"

"We must avenge the old ancestor! Avenge him!"

"Xijiao is using us!"

"What's the point of living like this!"

Li Changshou watched quietly, using his Kongming Dao Heart to resist the seven emotions power.

In mere moments, the scene spiraled out of control. Some Xiuluo fell into killing intent, going mad and attacking their kin, the arrays, or even themselves with knives.

Li Changshou pondered briefly, observing the Xiuluo's reactions, and finally selected a double-armed Xiuluo with high strength but unstable mindset, beginning to send an immortal sense transmission.

Hidden card: Sound of Gradual Persuasion.

"Child, do you... desire the power of your old ancestor?"

Urgh, it felt a bit like a villainous great demon king.

Inside the tower, Huanglong Zhenren was stunned by the external situation and stood speechless.

This was the power of the seven emotions?

Fortunately, the seven emotions power hadn't entered the Liuli Baota, so the immortals there didn't need to resist it.

Duobao Daoist laughed: "Any trouble in Changgeng's hands always turns out so straightforward."

No sooner had Duobao spoken than the double-armed Xiuluo "influenced" by Li Changshou suddenly turned and charged recklessly, smashing through the wavering array in front and hurrying toward the city's center—the stone palace with the saint's Dao rhythm!

His action stirred a thousand waves, with at least thirty or forty eight-armed and six-armed Xiuluo following suit, like comets crashing into the palace ruins!

The killing arrays activated, unleashing beams of golden light and thousand-zhang sword qi, filling the city with blood and gore.

By then, Li Changshou's figure had already vanished from that corner...