Chapter 154: Blood Realm

Chapter 154: Blood Realm

The Emperor's Tomb Forest was vast, with graves scattered everywhere and tombstones standing like a dense forest. The ground was covered in black soil, emitting a faint scent of blood. Ghostly blue flames floated in the air, casting eerie, flickering shadows around them.

The two of them had fled through the tomb forest for who knows how long before finally shaking off the Nether Knight behind them.

Yue Mingsong’s gaze remained fixed on the Mystic Beast Manual in Ning Xiaochuan’s hands. "Lend it to me for a little while. I think this piece of bone might be priceless," he said.

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t afraid he would snatch it away, so he handed the Mystic Beast Manual over, curious to see if Yue Mingsong could truly discern its origins.

Yue Mingsong held the Mystic Beast Manual carefully in both hands, studying it intently. The light in his eyes grew brighter, and he clicked his tongue in admiration. "Space engravings, spirit-gathering engravings… Priceless, absolutely priceless! Name your price—I’ll buy this treasure!"

Ning Xiaochuan replied firmly, "Not for sale."

Yue Mingsong looked utterly disappointed and reluctantly returned the Mystic Beast Manual to Ning Xiaochuan, still unwilling to give up. "Where did you get this treasure?"

"The treasure vault of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House," Ning Xiaochuan answered.

Yue Mingsong’s expression turned complicated. "This is very likely a Super Mystic Artifact. Most people wouldn’t recognize its value, thinking it’s just an ordinary bone. Even many Forging Masters probably wouldn’t be able to identify its crafting techniques. But I’m different—I’m the neighbor of the disciple of the Greatest Forging Master in the World! My discernment is far superior. I could tell its extraordinariness at a glance. Are you really not selling? I’ll pay any price!"

"Not selling," Ning Xiaochuan raised an eyebrow. "What did you mean by 'Super Mystic Artifact' just now?"

"Treasures and weapons that surpass Ninth-grade Mystic Artifacts are called Super Mystic Artifacts. Every Super Mystic Artifact is priceless, a divine weapon of heaven and earth, capable of shaking mountains and severing rivers," Yue Mingsong said enviously.

Ning Xiaochuan was stunned.

After all, even a Seventh-grade Mystic Artifact was already incredibly powerful, and many Martial Venerables might not even possess one that suited them. The Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s guardian artifact, the Jian Pavilion Pagoda, was only a Ninth-grade Mystic Artifact, yet it had protected the house’s prosperity for eight hundred years.

And this piece of bone… was a Super Mystic Artifact? Even more formidable than the Jian Pavilion Pagoda?

This…

Yue Mingsong continued, "If you’re worried the Mystic Beast Manual might bring you fatal trouble, you can entrust it to me for safekeeping. I’m not afraid of being targeted for my wealth!"

Ning Xiaochuan put the Mystic Beast Manual away and chuckled. "Let’s focus on figuring out how to survive and escape the Emperor's Tomb Forest first. The Nether Knight could find us at any moment. One Nether Knight might not be a big threat, but if ten show up, we’d be in grave danger."

"Woo woo—" The cry of a Human-Eyed Crow echoed, sounding like a child’s wail.

In the sky, a blood-red moon appeared, casting an eerie crimson glow over the heavens as gloomy clouds drifted above.

A terrifying celestial phenomenon unfolded in the sky— Headless vengeful spirits dragged iron chains, tongueless ghosts roared, and a skeletal ghost chariot rumbled across the firmament… It was a scene of the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," as if the gates of the underworld had been thrown open, releasing all the spirits into the world.

"It's happening again—the celestial phenomenon of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," Yue Mingsong muttered as he gazed at the sky. He pulled out a Yin-Yang Diagram from his robes and produced two jars of black and white chess pieces, arranging and sketching them atop the diagram.

The black and white pieces fell onto the Yin-Yang Diagram, forming a path.

"Let’s go to the Yin-Yang Convergence Point and see what’s really happening," Yue Mingsong said, rolling up the diagram before heading in the direction the pieces indicated.

Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t help but glance curiously at Yue Mingsong’s back. This guy really had a lot of treasures on him—that Yin-Yang Diagram alone was at least a Second-Grade Mystic Artifact.

Even if he were a Forging Master, he shouldn’t have been able to produce so many Mystic Artifacts.

"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a celestial phenomenon usually born from the Yin-Yang Convergence Point, formed by the collision of Yin and Yang energies," Yue Mingsong explained.

The two crossed over two great mountains and arrived at the peak of a steep cliff, where they were met with a shocking sight.

On the other side of the mountain flowed a massive river, its surface shrouded in blood-red mist.

Spanning the river were three ancient stone bridges, across which marched a grand procession of Nether Knights, Yin Soldiers, and Corpse Fiends, all heading toward the opposite shore and disappearing into a colossal mountain.

The mountain’s cliff face bore a pitch-black cave entrance, into which tens of thousands of Yin Soldiers vanished without a trace—as if swallowed by the maw of some monstrous beast.

Waves of Cold Qi rose from below, chilling them to the bone.

"My heavens, something big is really happening. Could the gates of hell truly have opened?" Yue Mingsong spat fiercely into his palm and rubbed his hands together.

Ning Xiaochuan stared down at the great river, noticing eight Natives—martial experts—standing guard beside each bridge.

They were draped in white bones, gripping long spears as they patrolled the bridges.

"Why aren’t those Nether Knights, Yin Soldiers, and Corpse Fiends attacking them?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

Yue Mingsong also spotted the Native experts below. "I suspect the bones they wear were taken from the Nether Knights, masking their human aura and preventing attacks. Some Natives must have already entered the Corpse Cave beyond the bridges. We should hunt some Nether Knights, take their bones, and fashion them into disguises to follow and see what’s really happening here."

"Charging in recklessly like that, we wouldn’t even make it across the bridge," Ning Xiaochuan said, pulling Yue Mingsong back. "There’s definitely a Transcendent Realm expert among the Natives guarding the riverbanks. Though I can’t pinpoint his exact location, I can sense his presence."

"A Transcendent Realm martial artist? Hah... Then we’d better not act rashly. Let’s wait for the elders from the academy to arrive," Yue Mingsong conceded.

Ning Xiaochuan fixed his gaze on the massive mountain across the river, sensing an indescribable, oppressive force emanating from within—so intense it felt as if his heart might shatter.

The Small Red Dragon grew restless, squirming inside Ning Xiaochuan’s robes.

"Look at the shape of that mountain—doesn’t it resemble a grave?" Ning Xiaochuan said gravely.

Yue Mingsong’s eyes widened in realization. He scrambled to his feet, pulling out a tattered Bronze Mirror from his robes and pointing it toward the mountain.

The mirror was covered in a mist of blood, emitting a dense Yin Evil aura.

"Boom!"

The Yin Evil became so intense that the Bronze Mirror exploded, shattering into fragments of copper scattered across the ground.

Yue Mingsong cursed, "It really is a grave! Using an entire mountain as a tomb, built at the convergence of Yin and Yang, with rivers channeling the Yin Evil here to maintain a bizarre balance of energies. Could it be… could this truly be the Emperor's Tomb?"

"Damn! The Emperor's Tomb must be filled with treasures—maybe even resurrection Mystic Pills! If the Natives get their hands on them, we’ll lose out big time. We have to break in!"

Yue Mingsong had gone mad with greed, ready to risk his life.

This was the Emperor's Tomb, after all. It undoubtedly held treasures that would drive even a Martial Venerable into a frenzy.

"Since the three bridges across the river are all blocked, we’ll go underground," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Wait, you know how to travel underground?" Yue Mingsong exclaimed in surprise.

Ning Xiaochuan took out the Mystic Beast Manual and summoned the Tai Sui Cub.

Yue Mingsong seemed to recognize the creature, his face lighting up with excitement as he rubbed his hands together. "Amazing! With a Tai Sui Cub as our mount, we can move freely through the earth—maybe even break straight into the Emperor's Mausoleum. This thing is a divine beast for grave-robbing! I wish I had one. Will you sell it?"

"No." Ning Xiaochuan mounted the Tai Sui Cub without hesitation. The soil beneath them softened like sand, rippling in waves as they sank downward.

In an instant, Ning Xiaochuan and the Tai Sui Cub vanished into the earth.

"Are we even teammates? You didn’t even wait for me!"

At the last moment, Yue Mingsong grabbed the Tai Sui Cub’s tail and was dragged underground as well.

The Tai Sui was the sovereign of the earth, capable of traversing the Underground World with ease. A fully grown Tai Sui could cover thousands of kilometers in the blink of an eye.

The Underground World beneath the Emperor's Tomb Forest was a terrifying place. Coffins were buried between the rocks at every turn, some containing unknown creatures writhing inside, their claws scraping against the lids.

The Tai Sui Cub moved past these coffins as if swimming through water, unimpeded by anything.

Suddenly, the Yin Evil in the Underground World grew increasingly dense. Even with the protection of the Nine-Yang Evil-Warding Pearl, they could feel the sinister energy seeping into their Meridians.

The soil beneath them had also turned blood-red, saturated with vast amounts of blood, transforming into Blood Soil.

"We can’t go any further. If I’m not mistaken, we’ve reached the underside of the Emperor's Tomb. This is the Blood Realm. Even a Martial Venerable would face calamity if they trespassed here." Yue Mingsong pulled out a white pearl the size of a fist from his robe.

Countless strands of Blood Qi surged into the pearl, staining it crimson before it exploded.

"It really is the Blood Realm. As expected of the Emperor's Tomb," Yue Mingsong muttered.

Ning Xiaochuan, who knew little about the balance of Yin and Yang, asked, "What is the Blood Realm?"

"It takes the blood of at least a million martial artists, condensed over thousands of years, to form a Blood Realm. It’s a murderous land where the living should never tread. Usually, such places only exist beneath ancient battlefields or mass graves. In any case, we must not proceed further," Yue Mingsong explained.

"Tai Sui, take us to the surface!"

The Tai Sui Cub was just about to carry Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong back to the surface when suddenly, the blood-colored soil surged violently. The Blood Qi condensed into an armored warrior wielding a crimson sword, slashing straight toward Ning Xiaochuan.

This was a warrior formed from Blood Qi.

Even the Tai Sui Cub was startled and immediately turned to flee.

"Roar!"

The crimson warrior pursued relentlessly, exuding a terrifying killing intent, as if it were the incarnation of a malevolent spirit. Its combat power surpassed that of the Nether Knight by more than tenfold.

Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong felt their spines freeze, their bodies breaking into cold sweat.

The crimson warrior had already closed in behind them—its face twisted into a ghastly visage, resembling a ghostly soldier. It bared its fanged maw, revealing rows of jagged teeth.