653: Above the Blood Moon

Let's rewind the time a bit.

Blood Clan World.

The crimson moon rose in the sky along a trajectory unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years, casting a hazy red glow over the entire world.

As the Blood Moon ascended, countless Blood Clan members across the world devoutly prayed and bowed towards it, hoping to receive blessings from the Progenitor.

At this moment, countless specks of light emerged from these Blood Clan members, then, like swallows returning to their nests, flew majestically towards the Blood Moon in the sky.

And above the Blood Moon, a palace exuding an ancient and vast aura was situated.

All the specks of light overflowing from the Blood Clan flew into this palace, then merged into the old man seated on the bronze throne.

The old man's figure was withered, his hair completely white, and his exposed skin resembled rough tree bark; at first glance, he gave the impression of someone on the verge of death.

However, the occasional crimson glints in his cloudy eyes made this aged body exude a suffocatingly terrifying oppressive aura.

The Blood Clan Progenitor.

The creator of the entire Blood Clan World, an 11th Stage pinnacle powerhouse.

His power represented the limit of the entire Blood Clan World; he alone could flatten everything.

After absorbing all the swarming specks of light, a hint of vitality returned to the Blood Clan Progenitor's aged face. He lifted his eyelids, his gaze fixed on the hall below.

There, a tall, slender young man dressed in a luxurious suit stood.

His appearance was demonically handsome, and a vigorous Bloodline aura emanated from his body.

When the Blood Clan Progenitor's gaze fell upon him, a hint of greed appeared on his aged face.

The flow of time is the most powerful force in the All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

Even though he was an 11th Stage powerhouse, possessing the great power to create worlds, after hundreds of thousands of years of erosion by time, he was inevitably heading towards decay.

"Edward, I am very disappointed!"

"You are the junior I had the highest hopes for, yet now you collude with outsiders to deal with an old man like me."

The Blood Clan Progenitor spoke calmly, his voice faint yet resonating with the entire palace, like a celestial sound in a trance.

He had already discovered that ever since Edward arrived at the palace, the entire Blood Moon had been isolated from the outside world by a powerful force.

"Old man, do you believe what you're saying yourself?"

Edward sneered, his eyes meeting the Blood Clan Progenitor's without fear.

"Your so-called high hopes are nothing more than treating me as caged Bloodline, cultivating me to a certain degree, and then turning me into nourishment to prolong your life."

"Stubborn!"

The Blood Clan Progenitor snorted coldly, his tone remaining unperturbed:

"As a member of the Saint Clan, everything you possess now was bestowed by me. You should be grateful that you can integrate with me in the future."

"Heh heh!"

Edward sneered upon hearing this, his face full of intense mockery.

"Perhaps your filial descendants would relish this, but unfortunately..."

"I am not one of your filial descendants!"

As his voice fell, a surge of Bloodline light emanated from Edward.

When the Bloodline light dissipated, he had transformed into a resolute, valiant middle-aged man with yellowish skin.

"Having been dormant in this world for eighteen years, my only goal is to stand before you, and then watch you die!"

Edward, or rather, Yang Yuankong, now looked at the Blood Clan Progenitor with icy eyes, filled with undisguised hatred.

Eighteen years ago, he self-detonated his body on the Myriad Heavens Battlefield to open a path for his comrades, wife, and children. His surviving Soul remnant was saved by a Dragon Kingdom Saint and cast into the Blood Clan Blood River. Since then, he had lived as Edward of the Blood Clan for eighteen years.

Today, he could finally cast off the shackles he had always carried and openly let the name Yang Yuankong stand in the sunlight.

"Foolish!"

"You were born from the Blood River; both your body and Soul are branded with the mark of my Saint Clan. Human Race?"

"You haven't been for a long time!"

With that, the Blood Clan Progenitor rose from the bronze throne.

Rumble!

At this moment, violent power surged, space trembled, and the light in the hall was distorted into a kaleidoscope of colors.

The Blood Clan Progenitor's aged body gradually became upright, his withered skin regained its smoothness, and his white hair turned an eerie red.

And in his eyes, crimson lightning seemed to surge, tearing the air with his gaze.

"I've lost my patience. Let all your helpers come out."

"Today, I will shatter your unrealistic fantasies and let you know that in the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are nothing but castles in the air!"

The Blood Clan Progenitor's red hair fluttered, his aura growing increasingly intense. His less-than-two-meter body at this moment seemed to stand tall, filling the entire world.

The entire palace, under this terrifying aura, transformed into the smallest particles, vanishing without a trace.

Yang Yuankong's body trembled uncontrollably under the pressure of this powerful aura.

He felt as if forces were tearing at his body, threatening to rip him into pieces.

However, at this moment.

The ring on his index finger suddenly shattered, and a dazzling light shot out from it.

As soon as this light appeared, an overwhelming pressure collided with the Blood Clan Progenitor's aura.

Rumble!!

Amidst the thunderous vibrations, a tall, white-haired old man appeared beside Yang Yuankong.

"Old Bat, long time no see."

The old man simply took a step forward, blocking Yang Yuankong, as if becoming the center of the entire world.

"It's you?"

"Zhang Dingguo!"

"The Blue Star Human Race only sent one of you? Do you think I'm too old to kill people anymore?"

The Blood Clan Progenitor stood with his hands behind his back before the bronze throne. With just a raised eyebrow, surging killing intent filled the heavens and earth, tearing cracks in space itself.

At this moment, even the entire Blood Moon trembled.

11th Stage powerhouses are the strongest among the strong in the All Heavens and Myriad Realms; each possesses the power to create worlds, and with a thought, can destroy stars and shatter Small Worlds.

However, facing the Blood Clan Progenitor's terrifying aura, Zhang Dingguo's expression remained calm, only the corner of his mouth curling in disdain:

"Old Bat, it's been fifty years, and it seems you only have this much capability left!"

As he spoke, he even had the leisure to send Yang Yuankong a thousand li away, far from this battlefield.

"Hmm?"

Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the Blood Clan Progenitor's eyes. He hadn't expected Zhang Dingguo to be so calm.

Fifty years ago, this 'youngster' in front of him could only maintain an undefeated stance against him by combining the strength of several people.

And now, facing his oppressive aura, he appeared composed and unruffled.

"When your Blue Star Human Race first set foot on the Myriad Heavens Battlefield, I should have utterly annihilated you."

A faint hint of regret arose in the Blood Clan Progenitor's heart.

A few hundred years were just an insignificant period in his hundreds of thousands of years of life. At that time, the Blue Star Human Race, though showing some brilliance, was in his view merely another excellent source of Bloodline replenishment for the Blood Clan.

He hadn't expected that in just a few hundred years, the Blue Star Human Race had produced powerhouses capable of threatening him.

However, the Blood Clan Progenitor had, after all, lived for hundreds of thousands of years. Though now aged, he still held absolute confidence in his power.

"In hundreds of thousands of years, you are the first outsider to set foot on this Blood Moon. I will leave your corpse intact."