253: Chapter 253 Asura City and the Bloodbath

Ironblood City, Teleportation Hall.

The massive teleportation Formation buzzed, and a blinding white light shot into the sky, churning the violent blood-colored Evil Qi in the surroundings.

“Senior Li, take care on your journey!”

Shen Tieshan stood respectfully outside the hall with his daughter Shen Qiao, who had just regained some color in her face, and bowed deeply toward the green-robed figure at the center of the Formation.

“This ‘Shura Token’ is a token of trust bestowed upon my ancestors by Domain Lord Luo Hou. Although many years have passed, it might still grant you some face in some of the older shops in Shura City.”

Shen Tieshan tossed a blood-colored token, polished from an unknown beast bone, into the Formation.

At the center of the Formation, Zhou Wannian (under the pseudonym Li Feiyu) caught the token with a casual hand. He glanced at the ferocious character ‘Luo’ inscribed on it and said nothing, merely nodding slightly.

“We are even.”

As his calm voice fell, the white light suddenly contracted before violently exploding outward.

That green-robed man, who resembled a god or devil, along with his terrifying golden insect, completely vanished into the Void Realm.

Shen Qiao gazed at the empty Formation, her eyes filled with a sense of loss.

“Father, will Senior Li... ever come back?”

“Come back?” Shen Tieshan gave a bitter smile, looking toward the core of the Shura Realm with eyes full of awe. “A figure like that is destined to be a true dragon soaring through the Nine Heavens. How could this small Ironblood City, or this barren edge of the Shura Realm, ever hope to contain him?”

“The place he is going... is the true Shura Battlefield.”

...Shura Realm Core, Shura Plain.

The landscape here was completely different from the Burning Bone Forest at the edge. If the Burning Bone Forest was a Hell of flames, then this was a wasteland of blood.

The ground was a dull reddish-brown, as if it had been soaked in the blood of countless living beings for eons. There were no clouds in the sky, only a thick layer of blood-colored Evil Qi, covering the world like a lid on a pot.

“Buzz—”

The void rippled, and a streak of green light shot out from a spatial rift.

Zhou Wannian paused, coming to a steady halt in mid-air.

“So this is the core region of the Shura Realm?”

He took a deep breath, and the thick, almost tangible smell of blood rushed into his lungs through his nostrils, instantly igniting the restlessness of the Fan Sheng True Demon Art within his body.

“Tiezhu, analyze the environment.”

“Analyzing... ‘Blood Evil’ concentration in the air: Extremely high (approximately twenty times that of Ironblood City). Gravity coefficient: One hundred and fifty times. Spatial stability: Extremely poor; long-distance teleportation is not recommended.”

“One hundred and fifty times gravity?”

Zhou Wannian’s brow twitched slightly. In such a gravitational environment, an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator would likely be crushed into meat paste before even hitting the ground. Even a True Immortal would have their movements severely restricted.

But he was different.

After the dual tempering of the Xisha Pool and the Taiyi Blood蛟 Inner Core, his Physical Body had already stepped across the threshold of the Taiyi Middle Stage.

“This bit of pressure is perfect for polishing my Physical Body.”

Zhou Wannian withdrew his protective immortal light, allowing the heavy gravity and violent Evil Qi to wash over his body. A faint, dark-golden flowing light shimmered on the surface of his skin—a sign of physical sanctification.

“Squeak squeak!”

From his sleeve, Golden Boy (the Gold Devouring Insect King) poked his head out, his two antennae trembling with excitement.

“Boss! It smells so good! There's a big guy up ahead! So much good food!”

Zhou Wannian looked in the direction Golden Boy sensed.

At the edge of his vision, a giant city so majestic it was suffocating sat across the land like a slumbering primordial blood beast.

Shura City.

This city was not built of brick and stone, but was established upon a massive, long-extinct super volcano.

Black volcanic rock and red blood-crystal stones interlaced to form city walls ten thousand feet high. Atop the walls, countless massive ballistae and Formation turrets stood in rows, radiating a cold Killing Intent. At the very Peak of the city, the mouth of the volcano, a blood-red palace floated—the residence of the Shura Domain Lord, the Daluo Gray Immortal Luo Hou.

“What a war fortress.”

A flash of admiration crossed Zhou Wannian's eyes.

Compared to the gloomy and eerie Nine Nether City, this Shura City appeared even more domineering and wild.

“Let’s go, enter the city.”

...Shura City, South Gate.

The entry inspection here was even stricter than in Nine Nether City, and also... more violent.

There was no queue at the city gate; instead, a circle of Gray Immortals had gathered to watch the spectacle. In the center of the crowd, a Shura guard three zhang tall, wielding a spiked mace, had just smashed a Middle True Immortal Cultivator who tried to sneak through into meat paste.

“You want to enter Shura City without money? Remember to bring enough sha yuan crystals in your next life!”

The guard grinned savagely, casually picked up the Storage Pouch from the ground, and kicked the corpse into a nearby ‘Bone Melting Pool’.

The surrounding Gray Immortals were unfazed by this, even letting out bloodthirsty cheers.

This was the rule of the Shura Realm: the weak are prey to the strong, and power is supreme.

Zhou Wannian blended into the crowd, lowering his bamboo hat and restraining his Aura, looking like an ordinary Late True Immortal traveler.

“Next!”

The guard wiped the blood from his face, his fierce gaze landing on Zhou Wannian.

“An outsider?”

The guard's nose twitched, seemingly catching a scent of ‘freshness’ on Zhou Wannian that differed from the natives of the Gray Realm.

“Entry fee, one hundred sha yuan crystals. Also...”

The guard pointed at the Storage Pouch at Zhou Wannian’s waist, a flash of greed in his eyes.

“Take off that green robe you're wearing. I've taken a liking to it.”

Although Zhou Wannian’s green robe was worn, it was, after all, woven from Immortal Realm spiritual materials. It was not only impervious to water and fire but could also automatically repel dust; in a place as resource-scarce as the Gray Realm, it was indeed a rarity.

Zhou Wannian stopped in his tracks and looked up slightly.

Beneath the bamboo hat, a pair of eyes as calm as an abyss glanced indifferently at the guard.

“Are you sure?”

Just three words.

No pressure was released, and no Killing Intent leaked out.

But the previously arrogant guard, the moment he met those eyes, felt his heart suddenly contract, as if he were being stared down by an ancient Vicious Beast.

That fear, originating from the depths of his Soul, forced the insults at the tip of his tongue back down.

“Uh...”

The hand holding the spiked mace trembled slightly, and cold sweat instantly soaked the guard's back. Instinct told him that if he dared say another word, he would become fertilizer in the Bone Melting Pool the next second.

“That... one hundred sha yuan crystals is enough.”

The guard swallowed hard, forcing a way out for himself, and even subconsciously stepped aside.

Zhou Wannian casually tossed a pouch, not even looking at him as he walked straight into the city.

It wasn't until Zhou Wannian’s back disappeared into the city gate passage that the guard slumped to the ground, panting heavily as if he had just escaped the gates of Hell.

“Boss, why did you let that fat sheep go?” a subordinate nearby asked, confused.

“Fat sheep?!”

The guard backhanded him with a slap.

“That was a Tyrannosaurus Rex in sheep’s clothing! If you want to die, don’t take me with you!”

...Inside Shura City, West District.

Unlike the bloody violence outside, the order within the city was relatively ‘orderly’. However, this order was built upon absolute suppression of power.

The streets were wide, and the buildings on both sides were mostly made of black iron and blood stone, with a rugged style. Shops selling weapons, armor, and various slaves could be seen everywhere.

Zhou Wannian was in no hurry to find a teleportation Formation. He knew very well that in any Immortal Domain, cross-domain teleportation formations were core strategic resources and would never be opened to an outsider at will.

To use one, he had to have enough bargaining chips.

“First, find a place to stay.”

Following the markings on Shi Zhanfeng’s map, he crossed several bustling streets and arrived at a secluded alley.

There was an Artifact Refining shop here called the ‘Ghost Soldier Pavilion’.

The shopfront was small and even somewhat dilapidated. On a black iron plaque hanging at the door, the words ‘Ghost Soldier’ were written crookedly, yet they exuded a sharp Sword Intent.

“This is the place.”

Zhou Wannian stepped into the shop.

The interior was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with various strange-looking weapons, though most were defective. A one-armed old man was slumped over the counter napping, with a jug of low-quality ‘Blood Wine’ beside him.

“Look for yourself if you want to buy something, no bargaining.”

The old man didn't even lift his head, his voice raspy.

Zhou Wannian did not speak, but simply walked to the counter, extended a finger, and lightly tapped the tabletop three times.

“Tup, tup, tup.”

The rhythm was strange—two long and one short.

The old man’s snoring stopped abruptly.

He slowly raised his head, revealing a face covered in scars, with a single eye that flickered with a wary light.

"Guest, what kind of weapon are you looking to buy?"

"I want to buy a blade... one that can sever Reincarnation."

Zhou Wannian lowered his voice and spoke the secret code.

The old man's body jolted. In that instant, his originally decadent Aura vanished, replaced by a deep, sea-like Taiyi Realm fluctuation (though it was deliberately suppressed).

He gave Zhou Wannian a deep look, then reached under the counter to trigger a mechanism.

*Click*.

The wall behind the counter slowly slid away, revealing a secret passage leading underground.

"Honored guest, please come inside."

...Inside the secret chamber, it was a whole different world.

The place was set up with a highly sophisticated isolation Formation, and the surrounding walls were embedded with bright moonstones.

The one-armed old man closed the secret door and gave Zhou Wannian a slight cupped-fist salute, his attitude becoming neither humble nor arrogant.

"I am 'Ghost Hand', the person in charge of the Shura City hidden post. Might Your Excellency be Lord 'Green Face'?"

Zhou Wannian took off his bamboo hat, revealing the face wearing the [Reincarnation Mask] (a repaired imitation), and at the same time, he showed the red Reincarnation Token.

"Indeed."

Seeing the token, Ghost Hand breathed a sigh of relief.

"My Lord has finally arrived. We have already received the news from Nine Nether City. My Lord, by your strength alone, destroyed the Ten Thousand Corpse Grand Formation, heavily damaged the Nine Nether Domain's Foundation, and even escaped unscathed from Yin Hua... Such a record has now spread through the upper echelons of the entire Black Earth Immortal Domain."

"Mere empty fame," Zhou Wannian waved his hand, not wanting to dwell on the topic.

"I have come here for only two purposes."

"First, I want to use the cross-domain teleportation formation to leave the Gray Realm."

"Second, I heard that Shura City is holding an auction recently, and the grand finale item is a piece of 'time crystal sand'?"

Hearing this, Ghost Hand showed a bitter smile.

"My Lord is well-informed. However... both of these matters are very difficult to handle."

"Oh?" Zhou Wannian found a chair and sat down. "Tell me about it."

"First is the teleportation Formation."

Ghost Hand poured a cup of tea for Zhou Wannian and explained:

"Shura City's cross-domain teleportation formation is located at the core of the City Lord's Manor, personally controlled by Domain Lord Luo Hou. Normally, besides Daluo Realm experts, only the winner of the 'Shura Blood Battle' is qualified to use it once."

"Shura Blood Battle?"

"Correct. That is a grand event held by the Shura Realm once every hundred years. Only experts above True Immortal and below Taiyi can participate. This session's Blood Battle will be held in half a month. The winner's rewards are—the qualification for cross-domain teleportation and that piece of 'time crystal sand'."

Zhou Wannian's fingers lightly tapped the armrest, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"In other words, as long as I win this so-called Blood Battle, both objectives can be achieved simultaneously?"

"Theoretically, yes."

Ghost Hand hesitated for a moment, then continued:

"But My Lord, this session's Blood Battle is no small matter. Because of that..."

He pointed toward the sky.

"Because the Heavenly Court's 'Supervising Immortal Envoy' has intervened."

"Heavenly Court?" Zhou Wannian's gaze turned cold.

"Yes. The Heavenly Court seems to have noticed Your Lordship's movements in the Nine Nether Domain and deduced that you might flee to the Shura Realm. Therefore, they sent a Peak Taiyi Jade Immortal expert, the younger cousin of Gongshu Jiu—[Gongshu Tian]. He is here as a special guest, but in reality, he's here to wait for the rabbit to come to the trap."

"Furthermore, to lure you out, that 'time crystal sand' is actually bait set by the Heavenly Court."

"Gongshu Tian... Peak Taiyi Jade Immortal?"

Instead of showing fear, Zhou Wannian curled his lips into a cold sneer.

"Interesting."

"They think I am the rabbit, but little do they know..."

"I am also looking for them."

Zhou Wannian stood up, his Aura like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed.

"I will participate in this Blood Battle."

"Sign me up."

"But My Lord..." Ghost Hand was somewhat worried. "That Gongshu Tian has an imitation Xuantian Treasure in his hands, and he also brought three Early Stage Taiyi Puppets..."

"No matter."

Zhou Wannian waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Prepare a quiet room for me. I need to go into seclusion for half a month."

He took out the [World Origin Stone] he had obtained in the Burning Bone Forest from his robes.

"Half a month from now."

"I will prepare a grand gift for that Gongshu Tian."

...For the next half month, Shura City was calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging.

News about the 'Shura Blood Battle' spread like wildfire. Countless Gray Realm experts from all over were rubbing their palms, all wanting to compete for that sole teleportation slot.

Meanwhile, in the underground secret chamber of the Ghost Soldier Pavilion.

Zhou Wannian was in an extremely profound state.

He was sitting cross-legged, suspended in mid-air, with that emerald-green [heaven measuring ruler] floating before him.

As for that incredibly precious [World Origin Stone], it had already been refined by him using the Gold-Devouring Insect's innate gold fire into a globule of transparent liquid, which was slowly permeating into the interior of the heaven measuring ruler.

*Buzz—*

The heaven measuring ruler emitted a joyful hum. Originally just an Acquired Immortal Artifact, its grade was undergoing a qualitative leap after fusing with the World Origin.

The green runes on the ruler's body gradually turned silver, and streams of pure Law of Space power began to construct independent Small Worlds within the secret chamber.

"Space Law, thirty-six layers of Restriction... fully open!"

Zhou Wannian gave a low shout, silver light bursting from his eyes.

"Fuse for me!"

Boom!

The globule of Origin liquid completely merged into the ruler's body.

In an instant, a terrifying fluctuation belonging to a half-step Xuantian Treasure erupted from the heaven measuring ruler, nearly shattering the secret chamber's defensive Formation.

"It's done."

Zhou Wannian reached out and grasped the brand-new heaven measuring ruler.

At this moment, the ruler was entirely silver-white, surrounded by countless tiny spatial cracks, as if a gentle swing could sever a world.

"Half-step Xuantian, named... [Void Ripper]."

Zhou Wannian stroked the ruler's body, unable to put it down.

"Although it's not yet comparable to the true xuantian spirit slaying sword, in the path of Space, it's already enough to suppress a Taiyi Jade Immortal."

"Gongshu Tian..."

Zhou Wannian put away the Void Ripper and looked toward the City Lord's Manor, his gaze piercing through layers of obstacles.

"I've taken your bait."

"But as for whether that fishhook can catch a true dragon like me..."

"We shall see on the battlefield."

...Half a month later.

In the center of Shura City, at the massive circular Colosseum—the [Shura Blood Arena].

The stands, capable of holding a million people, were packed. Deafening cheers and roars swept across the heavens and earth like a tsunami.

In the center of the Colosseum was a blood-colored stage ten thousand feet in diameter, surrounded by a defensive grand Formation capable of withstanding Taiyi-level attacks.

At the very top of the stands sat several figures with terrifying Auras.

The one in the center wore blood-colored heavy armor, his face as cold and hard as if carved by a knife. He was precisely the Shura Domain Lord—Daluo Gray Immortal Luo Hou.

To his left sat a middle-aged man dressed in scholar's robes, holding a folding fan. Although he had a smile on his face, a cold Killing Intent flickered deep within his eyes.

Heavenly Court Special Envoy, Peak Taiyi Jade Immortal—Gongshu Tian.

"Domain Lord Luo."

Gongshu Tian lightly fanned himself, his gaze scanning the bustling participants below.

"Will that Li Feiyu really come?"

Luo Hou looked down expressionlessly, his voice like a great bell:

"As long as he wants to leave the Gray Realm, he will definitely come."

"Furthermore..."

Luo Hou's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his throne.

"I have already smelled it."

"That... disgusting scent of the Time Law."

Just then.

*Dong—*

A heavy war drum sounded.

The Gray Immortal Elder presiding over the Blood Battle shouted loudly:

"Shura Blood Battle, First Round, Melee Elimination Match!"

"All participants, enter the arena!"

Boom!

Thousands of escape lights shot into the stage from all directions.

Among these lights, an inconspicuous green figure mingled with the crowd and slowly landed in a corner of the stage.

He raised his head and looked at Gongshu Tian on the high platform through the edge of his bamboo hat.

A kind smile curled on his lips.

"The hunt..."

...has begun."