34: Chapter 34 The Nascent Soul Stage Monster Emerges from the Mountain! A Storm is Brewing!

Elder Blood River!

When these four words echoed eerily through the great hall, a chill shot up the spines of all the Demonic Path Elders, and their Souls trembled.

If Sect Master True Person Xue Tu was the "King" of the Blood Fiend Sect, representing the power and authority to rule the world.

Then this Elder Blood River was the "Shadow" of the Blood Fiend Sect, the deepest, most ancient darkness lurking beneath the throne.

He became famous a thousand years ago and was an Old Monster of the same generation as True Person Xue Tu's Revered Master.

His cultivation had long since reached the ceiling of the Early Stage Nascent Soul, only a step away from the Middle Stage.

What was even more terrifying was his suspicious and ruthless nature; the Cultivators of the same rank who had died at his hands had long since turned into piles of white bones. The ancient forbidden techniques and bizarre curses he practiced could make any opponent die without knowing why.

Even True Person Xue Tu had to restrain all his arrogance when facing this Old Ancestor with a terrifyingly high seniority.

"Elder Blood River, aren't you in secluded cultivation, attempting to break through to the Middle Stage Nascent Soul?"

True Person Xue Tu suppressed the displeasure in his heart, his voice becoming a bit dry.

Elder Blood River ignored him.

Those eyes, murky as a deep pool of stagnant water, just quietly stared at the delirious Shadow Killer on the ground.

He slowly raised his right hand, which was so withered it was nothing but skin and bone, his five fingers curled like an eagle's claw, aiming at the center of Shadow Killer's forehead from a distance.

He tapped lightly.

A thread of blood, finer than a hair, shot from his fingertip and accurately drilled into Shadow Killer's mind.

"Soul Searching Technique!" an Elder exclaimed in shock.

This was a forbidden technique of the Demonic Path, overbearing and unparalleled, capable of directly plundering another's memories. But this technique was extremely dangerous, especially when used on someone whose Divine Soul had already collapsed; it was akin to lighting a candle in the eye of a storm.

"Ah—!"

Shadow Killer let out a wail that didn't sound human, his body arching violently as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, and foul-smelling black blood gushed from his seven orifices.

Elder Blood River's body also swayed violently, his face instantly turning ashen; he had clearly suffered a terrible backlash.

A moment later.

He withdrew his finger, and in those eyes like stagnant water, turbulent waves were surging.

"How is it?" True Person Xue Tu asked impatiently, "What did you see?"

Inside the great hall, there was dead silence; everyone's breathing stopped as they all looked at the hunched figure.

Elder Blood River did not speak immediately.

He closed his eyes, his murky eyeballs rolling wildly beneath his eyelids, as if digesting the terrifying information that was enough to burst a Nascent Soul.

After a long while, he opened his eyes again, his voice raspy like dry bones rubbing together in a grave.

"This old man saw..."

"A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood."

"Saw... countless corpses of gods and demons, piled into mountains, extending to the end of the horizon."

"And also saw... a figure sitting on a throne of white bones... I couldn't see the face clearly, but just by sitting there, it suppressed the eternal time and space."

His voice was very slow, every word as heavy as a mountain, crashing into everyone's hearts.

"Most importantly," Elder Blood River turned abruptly toward True Person Xue Tu, speaking word by word, each word dripping with blood, "This old man sensed an aura in the remaining memory imprints of Shadow Killer..."

"An aura that made this old man... feel fear!"

"That aura does not belong to this world!"

"It is ancient, vast, and filled with the meaning of death and finality... It is the destination of all things, the end of the Universe!"

Once these words were spoken, the air in the entire Demonic Hall was drained away.

If anyone else had said this, True Person Xue Tu would have taken it as a joke.

But the one who said it was Elder Blood River!

A Nascent Soul Old Monster who had lived for over a thousand years, a being even he had to fear by three parts!

An aura that could make him blurt out the word "fear"?

The greed on True Person Xue Tu's face was finally replaced by cold rationality, and he asked in a heavy voice: "Do you mean that within the Taixuan Sect, there is truly hidden... a monster?"

"Hard to say." Elder Blood River shook his head, "Perhaps a person, or perhaps... some 'thing' that has awakened from an ancient slumber."

"But this matter is by no means as simple as a 'Soul Attacking Treasure'."

"Sect Master, if you just go charging over there, Shadow Killer's today will be your tomorrow."

Elder Blood River's words were a basin of icy water from the Nine Netherworlds, completely extinguishing True Person Xue Tu's ambition.

He was arrogant, but not stupid.

He knew better than anyone that Elder Blood River never alarmist.

"Then in your opinion, what should be done?"

"This matter requires this old man to go personally." Elder Blood River leaned on his white bone cane and coughed violently a few times, "However, not to fight, but to... see."

"See?"

"Correct." In Elder Blood River's murky eyes flickered the cunning unique to an old fox, "The opponent was able to cripple Shadow Killer with a single glance; their strength is beyond doubt. But they crippled him without killing him, and even let Shadow Killer return—this in itself is a signal."

"Either it is a warning like a cat playing with a mouse."

"Or, it is the arrogance of a supreme Master who does not wish to stain their hands with the blood of ants."

"This old man will go, only to spy from the shadows, to see if that Taixuan Sect is truly a dragon's pool or a tiger's den."

"If there is indeed a treasure with an owner, this old man will find an opportunity to seize it. If... I truly encounter an existence that even I cannot afford to provoke..."

Elder Blood River paused, the corners of his mouth curling into a sinister arc.

"Then this old man will treat it as paying a visit to a Senior Master, establishing a good connection, and probing the truth—that is also not unacceptable."

Advance to attack, retreat to defend.

These words were watertight; True Person Xue Tu could not find any reason to refute them.

"Good!" True Person Xue Tu finally made the decision, "This matter will be entirely handled by Elder Blood River! The Sect treasury is yours to command!"

"Sect Master, rest assured." Elder Blood River revealed a confident, sinister smile.

He had absolute confidence in his ability to sneak and conceal himself.

To ensure complete safety, he even took three life-saving treasures from the Sect treasury.

A "Nether Ghost Skin" that could perfectly blend into the Void Realm, difficult to detect even by the Divine Sense of a Late Stage Nascent Soul.

A "Nine-Orifice Calming Jade" that could protect the Divine Soul and resist all mental shocks.

And a "Ten-Thousand-Mile Void Escape Talisman" refined by an ancient powerful being, which could instantly teleport ten thousand miles once activated!

"Offense and defense in one, invincible for running away. This old man would like to see who exactly you are!"

After preparing everything, Elder Blood River did not alert anyone; that night, he turned into a trace of imperceptible black smoke, silently slipped out of the Sect, and crept toward the direction of the Taixuan Sect.

A larger storm was quietly brewing.

Meanwhile, the Taixuan Sect was still immersed in the joy of its greatly enhanced reputation.

Su Changge was also enjoying the simple, unadorned happiness after his cultivation Breakthrough.

He discovered that he could finally fly around on his own mountain peak in a decent, proficient manner.

Although his posture was still a bit crooked, and he occasionally took the wrong turn, like a drunken crow.

But in the eyes of Ye Qingyao, who was looking up from the foot of the mountain, this was another earth-shattering sight.

"Revered Master... is he evolving some kind of supreme movement technique?"

"Seemingly clumsy and staggering, but in reality, every step secretly aligns with the ultimate principles of space, as if measuring this world with his Physical Body... I understand! Revered Master is personally demonstrating for me what 'Dao follows Nature' is, what 'Great Skill is not Crafty' is! I must observe carefully and never let down Revered Master's painstaking efforts!"

The young girl's over-interpretation was, as always, extraordinary and transcendent.

Just then, in Su Changge's mind, the System's alarm sounded once again, without warning.

【High-risk warning! High-risk warning!】

【Detected a "Fatal" level threat source, has entered within a hundred miles of the Sect!】

【Threat assessment: Nascent Soul level!】

【Warning: The target possesses extremely strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities and is infiltrating Changge Peak via an abnormal avoidance route!】

Su Changge stumbled in the air, almost falling headfirst from the sky.

"F*ck!"

"Are you ever going to stop?!"

"This time... it's a Nascent Soul Old Monster?!"

His heart instantly turned cold, but more than that, it was the madness of being forced to work overtime.

He had just learned to fly, hadn't even enjoyed it for half a day, and now this?!

Is he not allowed to enjoy his retirement life properly!