366: Outsiders

The person who arrived was Cao Yunqing.

“Junior Brother! We haven't met in years, and your cultivation has become even more unfathomable!” Cao Yunqing's face was wreathed in smiles, but deep in his eyes, a flicker of undetectable complexity passed—a mix of helplessness and awe in the face of a higher existence.

The invisible Soul Locking Seal still bound him tightly, signifying the distinction between Revered Master and servant.

However, as he advanced to True Immortal, the Soul Locking Seal's distortion of his perception had become extremely faint. If he hadn't sensed the increasingly powerful Divine Soul mark Xiao Zhuo left in his body, making him dare not act rashly, he would have long since begun to sever their connection.

“Senior Brother has also successfully ascended to the True Immortal Realm? Congratulations.” Xiao Zhuo responded indifferently, his gaze calm and unruffled.

As the two exchanged pleasantries, Xiao Zhuo's brow twitched slightly, and he looked up.

A ferocious black Dragon Puppet, laden with heavy pressure, descended with a rumble from the sky.

Several Immortal Realm auras emanated from it, undisguised, and the leader had clearly reached the Profound Immortal Realm—this was the limit of power the current Blood Demon Realm could bear!

Cao Yunqing shot an apologetic glance at Xiao Zhuo, then turned to face the descending black Dragon Puppet.

Clearly, his trip was not solely to welcome Xiao Zhuo.

With the Dragon head on the ground, several figures floated down.

The leading Young Master was dressed in a luxurious silver and gold-patterned robe, with a seven-treasure glazed belt around his waist and a silver crown binding his hair; his attire was extraordinarily opulent.

However, his broad and flat face was strikingly out of place with this elegant demeanor; his appearance was quite distinctive.

Xiao Zhuo's Divine Sense covertly swept over him, discovering that his cultivation was at the Early Stage of Profound Immortal, and his bone age was only three thousand years, truly placing him among the Prodigies.

The six people behind him, whose cultivation ranged from True Immortal to Heavenly Immortal, all had arrogant expressions. Facing Cao Yunqing's welcome, they merely nodded slightly, without a hint of a smile.

Xiao Zhuo had no intention of bothering with them. He directly processed the temporary transit tokens for Wang Xianzhi and his/her siblings, then turned and walked towards the barrier/boundary entrance.

“This one, I presume, is the renowned Saint of the Blood Palace?” A voice filled with scrutiny came from behind, belonging to the square-faced Profound Immortal.

Xiao Zhuo acted as if he hadn't heard, his steps unwavering.

Swish!

A white shadow instantly flashed in front of Xiao Zhuo; it was one of the Late Stage True Immortals among the seven.

His face was stern, and his tone was a reprimand: “Saint of the Blood Sea! My Young Master called you, how dare you be so rude?!”

Xiao Zhuo's steps did not falter, his gaze sweeping over them like cold ice.

“Ugh!” The Late Stage True Immortal felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his body trembling. The subsequent reprimand was abruptly caught in his throat, and he stood frozen on the spot.

Only then did Xiao Zhuo slowly turn, his gaze falling on the square-faced Profound Immortal.

This person was strutting over with an arrogant expression, his Profound Immortal pressure fully unleashed, pressing down on Xiao Zhuo like an invisible mountain!

Upon their first meeting, he intended to assert dominance over him!

Xiao Zhuo sneered inwardly.

He had never met this person before, so where did this unprovoked challenge come from?

Cao Yunqing's personal welcome indicated his extraordinary status. Observing his Cultivation Technique aura, which was not of the Blood Palace's lineage, he must be from the outside world.

But, was he, Xiao Zhuo, someone to be easily manipulated?

His eyes flickered slightly, Immortal power circulated within him, and pressure erupted abruptly, solid and substantial, bravely meeting the challenge!

“Bang!”

A dull explosion resounded in the Void Realm between the two!

Xiao Zhuo's figure remained motionless, his robes fluttering.

The square-faced Profound Immortal, however, seemed to have crashed into an invisible iron wall, his feet stopping abruptly, and he uncontrollably staggered back half a step!

Although he managed to stabilize himself forcefully, his face was already slightly flushed.

The difference in strength was immediately apparent!

The eyes of his followers behind him immediately filled with solemnity and surprise.

Cao Yunqing's figure flashed, inserting himself between the two, and he smiled at the square-faced Profound Immortal: “Young Master Mu Na, if you wish to spar with my Junior Brother, perhaps we can choose another time. You must be tired from your journey; I have prepared a superior room, please follow me!”

At the same time, a secret sound transmission accurately entered Xiao Zhuo's mind: “Revered Master, this Young Master is Mu Na, the only son of a Grand Elder from the Sumeru Immortal Sect in the Immortal-Demon Realm. He is here to gain Luck and gild himself by leveraging the Blood Demon Realm's ascension tribulation.”

Xiao Zhuo understood instantly.

It seemed that Xue Tian's network in the Immortal-Demon Realm was starting to bear fruit. These 'immortal second-generations' were being inserted simply to piggyback on the immense Luck when the Blood Demon Realm ascended.

However, whether these “reinforcements” were truly sincere or had ulterior motives remained to be seen.

And how much effort would the great powers behind them in the Immortal-Demon Realm exert for Xue Tian?

“Fellow Daoist Mu, you flatter me.” Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly, his tone calm and unruffled, then turned and walked away, not lingering for another moment.

Mu Na stared at Xiao Zhuo's receding figure, his eyes burning with anger, which eventually transformed into a deep-seated jealousy.

He forcefully suppressed his rage—this was, after all, someone else's territory, and his father had strictly ordered him not to easily offend the Old Ancestor of this boundary realm.

He had once overheard his father discussing with Old Ancestor Xue Tian (one of the Six Dao Blood God Clones), praising this Blood Sea for confronting a Golden Immortal Incarnation in his Early Stage True Immortal cultivation, even making the other party lose face.

And even comparing him to himself… a mere youngster from a Middle Thousand Realm Domain!

How could he swallow this indignation?

What shocked and infuriated him even more was that this person had, in just a few hundred years, already advanced to the Profound Immortal Realm! His strength was subtly above his own!

This talent made him feel a suffocating threat.

Xiao Zhuo paid no mind to this, leading The Two Little Ones through the barrier/boundary entrance.

The three of them rode their escape light directly to the Blood God Continent.

After settling the two siblings in Mingchang Hall, Xiao Zhuo did not linger, flying directly to the Blood God Hall—Xue Tian's summons had arrived, ordering him to wait in the underground palace.

In Mingchang Hall, Xiao Zhuo briefly met with White Phoenix and Dark Thirteen, who were on guard.

He learned that Yuan Tian and Cao Xiaochuan were often out, and Cao Xiaochuan had reached the Tribulation Crossing Realm more than ten years ago, progressing with divine speed.

White Phoenix and Yuan Tian, limited by the difficulty of Yao Race cultivation, had only reached the Early Stage of Mahayana. Dark Thirteen had reached the Peak of Middle Stage Mahayana, just one step away from the Late Stage.

As the strength of these old subordinates was already far beyond his reach, Xiao Zhuo said little. After briefly understanding the current situation of the Blood Demon Realm, he rushed to the underground palace.

In the main hall of the underground palace, Xue Qin stood waiting quietly.

Although she still held the title of Palace Revered Master, daily affairs had long been handed over to her deputy, Cao Yunqing, while she herself was stationed at the core of the underground palace.

“Greetings, Revered Master.” Xiao Zhuo bowed in accordance with etiquette.

Even though his Clone had reached Profound Immortal, and his Main Body was at the Peak of Immortal King, he still maintained his identity as the “Saint of the Blood Sea.”

Old monster Xue Tian's plan was about to be revealed. Following his steps and acting according to circumstances was the only way to seize the greatest benefits in the upcoming great tribulation of ascension.

“Xiao Zhuo.” Xue Qin's eyes flowed with a hint of complex emotion, “Old Ancestor and I, after all, did not misjudge you. I thought that after my long accumulation and advancement to True Immortal, I could surpass you, but I never expected… to be left even further behind by you.”

Xiao Zhuo merely smiled faintly, not responding.

Xue Qin was not one to dwell on things. Changing the subject, she said solemnly: “I am very pleased that you could return in time, and Old Ancestor must feel the same. Today is the day Old Ancestor will assist the Heavenly Dao in completely refining the last Origin! The great tribulation… is about to arrive in an instant! At that time, I fear there will be many places where your help is needed.”

“It is my duty; just give the orders.” Xiao Zhuo nodded.

He came here precisely to seize Luck.

Whether it was to eliminate enemies born from the tribulation or to protect the beings of this boundary realm, both were favored by Luck and perfectly aligned with his intentions.

The surging Luck would nourish his zizai world, accelerating the evolution of its Heavenly Dao.

Once the foundation was sufficient, it would be the moment for him to forcefully seize the Middle Thousand Origin and push his zizai world to the Middle Thousand Realm!

As soon as their words fell—

Boom!!!

An indescribable beam of Chaos light suddenly erupted from the deepest part of the underground palace!

It carried a terrifying power capable of melting gold, eroding jade, and penetrating through all ages, instantly tearing through layers of Restriction and solid rock!

The underground palace shook violently, and the dome cracked!

The Chaos light pillar continued unabated, shooting straight into the sky, forcefully piercing a huge gap in the dome of the majestic Blood God Hall above!

The light pillar penetrated the Nine Heavens, stirring up thousands of miles of wind and clouds, and the vast Heavenly Might swept across the entire Blood Demon Realm!

The Heavenly Dao Law resonated, and the myriad Grand Dao trembled!

The entire world, at this moment, completely boiled over!