Chapter 244: Battle Against the Ancient Demon

Chapter 244: Battle Against the Ancient Demon

"Boom—"

Thick Blood Qi enveloped the heavens and earth, transforming into Blood Clouds, Blood Seas, and Blood Mist. Even the entire Imperial City was shrouded in Blood Qi, turning into a city of blood.

Every Martial Artist felt fear gripping their hearts, their pulses pounding violently as if their hearts were about to burst out of their chests.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Within the Imperial City, thousands of Martial Artists collapsed straight to the ground, their Martial Arts Heart Palaces shattered, their cultivation dispersed, blood spilling from their mouths as they died on the spot.

This was an utterly terrifying force, capable of affecting thousands of Martial Artists—a power that seemed capable of annihilating all living beings in the world.

At the Ancestral Grounds of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, two Martial Venerables perished, their blood splattering onto the Sacrificial Altar. Their flesh was refined by the altar’s power, leaving behind two crystalline skeletons that floated up, radiating divine light.

From the mouths of the skeletons came the agonized wails of the Martial Venerables, echoing for hundreds of kilometers, sending chills down the spines of all who heard it.

The entire Sacrificial Altar trembled violently, the ground shaking so fiercely that even the protective barrier of the Ancestral Grounds struggled to contain the force.

It was an utterly shocking sight. Five Martial Venerables had joined forces to suppress the Herb Gatherer, yet not only had they failed, but two of them had been slain by the Herb Gatherer with Lightning Speed.

Just how terrifying was this man’s martial prowess?

"Could he truly be the Ancient Demon sealed within the Fire Demon Mountain Range?"

"That Ancient Demon was suppressed for a thousand years yet did not die. Having descended from beyond the heavens, he may bring calamity upon the Yulan Empire!"

"The celestial omens appeared a year ago. What was destined to happen has finally come to pass."

With the fall of the two Martial Venerables, no one dared to underestimate the Herb Gatherer any longer. Instead, an ominous premonition took hold—a great catastrophe was imminent.

Ning Xiaochuan’s body had merged with the Sacrificial Altar, its blood continuously surging into him. Though he knew standing atop the altar was perilous, he could not escape.

After all, he was the focal point of today’s ceremony. His Blood Qi had already fused with the altar, making him a part of it. Unless the ritual concluded, he could not leave.

"Ugly Granny said that the enormous heart from the Demon Palace had escaped, possessing a body and hunting for the hearts of Martial Artists to restore its own Blood Qi. It seems she was referring to this Herb Gatherer… and he has come to the Imperial City."

Ning Xiaochuan understood better than anyone why the Herb Gatherer had come to the coronation ceremony. He sought to kill and harvest hearts, refining them to restore his own power.

The stronger the Martial Artist, the more likely they were to become his prey.

Taking a deep breath, Ning Xiaochuan roared with a voice like thunder, "He intends to slay Martial Venerables and use their hearts to replenish his Blood Qi! If he succeeds, no one in the Yulan Empire will be able to stop him! Before he grows any stronger, we must act now and suppress him!"

"Boom—"

A surge of powerful Blood Qi erupted above the Sacrificial Altar.

The Cloud Marquis, the Five Elements Marquis, and the Heavenly Sound Marquis plummeted from the bloody mist, grievously wounded and drenched in blood. Forcing themselves to steady their footing, they retreated hastily, landing at the base of the altar.

"Pfft—"

The Five Elements Marquis spat out a mouthful of Martial Venerable’s Blood Essence, the impact carving a massive crater into the ground, the blood searing through the stone slabs.

The Heavenly Sound Marquis had a blood-red claw mark on his chest, a large chunk of flesh torn away, with a piercing red light emanating from the wound. Fortunately, he had avoided his heart, or the consequences would have been dire—he might have followed in the footsteps of the Heavenly Elephant Marquis and the Divine Arrow Marquis.

The Herb Gatherer descended from the sky, clutching a bloody heart in each hand, refining them into two crimson heart-pills before swallowing them. His body radiated a dazzling glow, his heart pounding violently with thunderous booms, each beat resonating like a celestial drum. Weaker Martial Artists felt their own hearts resonate uncontrollably, only for them to shatter violently, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Hovering 33 meters above the Sacrificial Altar, the Herb Gatherer stared down at Ning Xiaochuan and smiled amiably, "Little friend, you seem to know me quite well?" Ning Xiaochuan felt an immense pressure converging on his heart, as if it were about to be crushed. He quickly activated the Seventh Level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi,' circulating the Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi within him and mobilizing the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to resist the Herb Gatherer's oppressive force.

"Sir, you are a Millennium Ancient Demon. Surely you wouldn’t stoop to bullying a junior? Let this old man test your mettle!" The Jian Pavilion Marquis rose to his feet, his aura transforming abruptly. A white sword shadow rose from beneath his feet, morphing into a nine-meter-long giant sword that enveloped his body—Human-Sword Unity. This was the pinnacle of the Sword Dao, where one's vital energy and Sword Qi merged into one, the body becoming the sword and the sword becoming the flesh.

"Whoosh!" With majestic authority, the Old Marquis transformed into a sword, soaring onto the altar with earth-shaking momentum, thrusting toward the Herb Gatherer. The Herb Gatherer summoned the Blood Qi from the altar, condensing it into a Blood-Red Divine Dragon. "Boom!" The giant sword cleaved through the dragon, grazing past the Herb Gatherer's head and severing his hair tie, sending his streaked locks cascading loose. The Herb Gatherer touched his disheveled hair and praised, "Human-Sword Unity—impressive, quite intriguing."

The Jian Pavilion Marquis stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze blazing, a faint sword shadow coalescing between his brows. Forming a sword seal with his fingers, he shot forward again. The Herb Gatherer spread his arms, summoning hundreds of weapons—blades, swords, halberds, bronze mirrors, and cauldrons—all hurtling toward the Jian Pavilion Marquis. "Boom! Boom!" The Marquis shattered them all into scrap metal, breaking through the barrage and piercing the Herb Gatherer's body with a single finger, blood dripping from the exit wound. The Herb Gatherer's spine was shattered by the force.

Watching from below, the Cloud Marquis, Five Elements Marquis, and Heavenly Sound Marquis were stunned. They knew better than anyone how terrifying the Herb Gatherer was—even the combined might of five marquises couldn’t defeat him. Yet, the Jian Pavilion Marquis had pierced through his body with sheer dominance, proving the vast disparity between marquises.

"The Jian Pavilion Marquis has been biding his time, accumulating strength. The world thought he had lost his edge, yet his cultivation has reached such heights. Human-Sword Unity, a lucid Sword Heart—he must have at least reached the Seventh Level of the Earthly Venerable Realm," remarked the Peacock Ming King.

The Great Golden Roc King sat calmly on his palanquin and said leisurely, "Ten years ago, the Jian Pavilion Marquis was already capable of defeating the Asura Dao Lord of the Demon Sect and even severed one of his legs. I believe he had already reached the seventh level of the Earthly Venerable Realm back then. As for now... heh."

Any Martial Artist who reaches the Earthly Venerable Realm can be conferred the title of "Martial Venerable." However, the Earthly Venerable Realm is further divided into nine levels, each representing a vast gap and a critical threshold. A Martial Artist who reaches the seventh level of the Earthly Venerable Realm can be considered a supreme figure among Martial Venerables, unrivaled under the heavens, and it would not be an exaggeration to call them a grandmaster of martial arts.

The world had always believed that the Jian Pavilion Marquis's cultivation was, at most, at the fourth level of the Earthly Venerable Realm. But this time, his true strength completely overturned their perceptions.

One could imagine that once news of the Jian Pavilion Marquis's martial prowess spread, the prestige of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House would rise significantly, possibly even surpassing all other marquis houses.

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, the Jian Pavilion Marquis's expression suddenly changed. He saw the Herb Gatherer grinning at him and saying, "Your heart is quite good. It can help me recover a great deal of Blood Qi."

The Herb Gatherer's fingers reached toward the Jian Pavilion Marquis's heart.

He still wasn't dead?

Could he truly possess an Undying Body?

The Jian Pavilion Marquis was shocked, never expecting such a turn of events. At this moment, dodging was already impossible.

The Herb Gatherer's fingers clawed at his chest, nails crackling with electricity, sharp as blades.

"Heart Furnace Unbreakable!"

The Jian Pavilion Marquis's heart transformed into a crimson divine furnace, blazing with fierce flames and inscribed with countless characters. Millions of Sword Qi erupted from within.

"Boom!"

Both the Jian Pavilion Marquis and the Herb Gatherer were forced back. The powerful shockwave tore a crack in the Sacrificial Altar, and boiling blood flowed out from the fissure, forming a river of blood.

Not only was the Jian Pavilion Marquis stunned by the sudden turn of events, but the nobles below were also astonished. The Herb Gatherer's vitality was too formidable—even after being pierced through the forehead, his body impaled, and his spine crushed, he still refused to die.

Could he truly be an Undying Body, impossible to kill?

Blood seeped from the Jian Pavilion Marquis's chest. Though he had escaped calamity, his heart was severely wounded, cracks appearing in his Martial Arts Heart Palace, and his Meridians shattered in multiple places.

Ning Xiaochuan warned, "His true form is a heart. The body he wears now is merely a shell. Even if you cut off his head, he won't die. The only way is to destroy his heart."

Hearing Ning Xiaochuan's words, the Herb Gatherer's expression darkened slightly. He chuckled, "Little friend, how do you know so much? How peculiar."

The Herb Gatherer transformed into a streak of Blood Qi and instantly appeared before Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan wanted to activate Rainbow Teleportation to escape, but the gap in their cultivation was far too vast. Not only could he not flee, but even moving a finger was an immense struggle.

At this moment, even the Jian Pavilion Marquis, who was closest, couldn't intervene in time. Just as the Herb Gatherer's hand was about to rip out Ning Xiaochuan's heart— "Whoosh!"

A Short Sword flew out from Ning Xiaochuan's embrace, radiating boundless divine might and emitting a deafening blade hum. With a single slash, it severed the Herb Gatherer's arm.

The Herb Gatherer's expression shifted slightly as he hastily retreated.

The Short Sword hovered above Ning Xiaochuan's head, releasing droplets of Light Rain that enveloped him within its blade.

The moment the Short Sword emerged, the Heavenly Emperor's phantom above the Sacrificial Altar grew more solid, exuding a terrifying imperial aura.

Ning Xiaochuan gripped the Short Sword, merging with the Heavenly Emperor's phantom, and fixed his gaze upon the Herb Gatherer.

The Herb Gatherer's arm regenerated on its own. He glanced at the Heavenly Emperor's phantom behind Ning Xiaochuan, then at the Short Sword in his hand, and suddenly burst into laughter. "What a bold lad! Not only did you summon the Emperor's spirit, but you also obtained the Heavenly Emperor's Blade. The Emperor actually bestowed his fortune upon you? Interesting, very interesting! Let me see if the Emperor's fortune can truly protect you!"