221: True Demon Trial-Leaping Dragon Gate

Blood Sea Dynasty.

Secret stronghold.

Bang—

A figure flew hundreds of feet away like a broken sack, crashing heavily into a wall engraved with Yaksha reliefs. Rolling stones tumbled down, burying him in a pile of rocks.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, a ferocious face emerged from the pile of rocks.

It was the remnant of the Yaksha Clan—the Red Yaksha who had bid against Gu Changsheng for the Saha Qi True Understanding at the auction.

Tap, tap...

Gu Changsheng slowly stepped into the main hall, his gaze sweeping around: “So this is the hidden stronghold left behind by Guangyuan Sacred Ancestor… It wasn’t in vain that I spent some effort calculating his location…”

Heaven And Earth Treasures were piled all around.

Ancient Rhyme Flowers, Mottled Fruits, Thunder Grass… Such Heaven And Earth Treasures, in variety and quantity, were enough to drive any Late Stage Profound Cave Great Cultivator mad.

The value of this stronghold alone far surpassed the entire wealth of ten Late Stage Profound Cave Great Cultivators.

Conservatively estimated, it exceeded three hundred million High Grade Devil Crystals.

A moment later, a figure flew out from the depths of the Blood Sea Dynasty, the fierce gales making Gu Changsheng's green robe flap loudly.

A hint of disappointment was in his brows.

Even after emptying the treasury, he still couldn't find any trace of True Devil Qi.

With a flip of his palm, a purple-green ancient jade appeared.

This was an Immortal Fate Jade, capable of sealing living beings within and isolating the passage of time.

It was quite rare.

Small mountain village.

A young man with a fresh and handsome face, his hair tied in a blue topknot, was ambushed behind a tree, drawing his bow and arrow, the bowstring pulled to a full moon.

Whoosh—

An arrow streaked across the sky, a sound of breaking air following it.

His gaze followed the arrow to where it landed, only to see a snow-white brocade rabbit pierced through the throat by the arrow, toppling over beside the grass, its snow-white fur stained red with blood.

“Good archery! Ruxian’s Comprehension Ability and talent far surpass yours back then…”

Gu Changsheng stood on the hilltop, teasing.

Beside him, Su Shuisheng gave an awkward smile, a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

These years, he had often gone out, seeking doctors and medicine, trying to find a way to break the Absolute Dao Physique.

Alas, he still found nothing.

“Once the Immortal Fate Jade is sealed, it isolates the passage of time.

Perhaps when we meet again, you all might have turned into Ku Gu in tombs. It would be better to let Ruxian live out his life peacefully under your protection.”

Gu Changsheng's tone shifted.

“Youth is fleeting. If he passes fifteen, his bones will set, and even if he can cultivate later, he won’t go far… Have you thought it through?”

“Revered Master, even if there’s a glimmer of hope, Shuisheng must try.

If I watch Ruxian grow old and die before me, my heart will be uneasy…”

Su Shuisheng’s eyes reddened, then his gaze sharpened, and he injected his profound magical power into the purple-green ancient jade in his hand. A ray of light shot out, immediately sucking Su Ruxian from below the mountain into it, his face still holding expressions of fear and surprise.

Decades passed leisurely, and now, the opening of the True Devil Pool was less than a month away.

Guangyuan Grotto-heaven.

A True Core Realm Senmu Clan male sat cross-legged, his brows tightly furrowed. His mind was as if filled with demonic whispers, the complex and chaotic babbling almost shattering his Dao Heart.

After a long while, his eyes slowly opened, and a strange smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He twisted his palms and neck joints, emitting cracking sounds.

“Using this body to participate in the True Devil trial is quite secretive…”

“Even if it attracts the attention of Yang Spirit Realm existences, at worst, I’ll abandon this body as a pawn…”

“Right now, the most important thing is to create blank scrolls…”

Gu Changsheng muttered.

Whether it was True Devil Qi or Immortal Spiritual Energy, as long as it didn’t touch a physical body, it was a wisp of energy that could be sealed into a scroll.

Of course, ordinary scrolls couldn't bear such high Rank spiritual essence energy.

Gu Changsheng looked towards the vast Grotto-heaven. Towering trees shot up into the sky.

These were planted and nurtured by the Senmu Clan members decades ago.

Now, it was time for harvest.

Clang, clang, clang—

Several Sword Qi swept across his fingertips, wood chips flew, stripping off the bark, taking the essence of the tree heart, and grinding it little by little into a pool of green-white spiritual liquid.

The next few days would be the steps of refining the tree pulp and making the scrolls.

“Hmm, this quantity should be enough…”

Gu Changsheng flipped his palm, and a small mountain of blank green-axis scrolls fell into his sleeve.

A few days later.

Jialan Holy Ancestor City.

Unlike ordinary cities, this city was built against Demon Subduing Mountain. The city walls alone were tens of thousands of miles high, and the city's interior was almost comparable to a region, capable of accommodating hundreds of millions of living beings.

Any city or building paled in comparison to it.

“The Sacred Realm is truly terrifying; it actually gathers so many races…”

Gu Changsheng’s gaze swept over, finding that the Sacred Race only accounted for less than thirty percent. Most of the others were beings from various races outside the Sacred Realm.

They were all participants in the True Devil trial, intending to temper their demonic Physiques.

A rough glance revealed over a thousand different races.

“Sacred Realm, from ancient times to now, how many worlds has it devoured…”

Gu Changsheng murmured.

After paying a sky-high Spirit Stone fee and staying in the city for a few days, at noon one day, a dazzling light descended, and Void Realm light and shadows flickered, like a mirage, ethereal and unpredictable.

It gradually manifested into a massive, boundless gate of flesh and blood.

It was covered with various grotesque tumors, emitting a strange Devilish Qi.

Through the gate, one could vaguely see golden steps extending into the depths of the Void Realm.

“It appeared! The first trial of flesh and blood, Leaping Dragon Gate!”

“It is said that approaching this gate will project a flesh and blood giant demon corresponding to one's own cultivation, obstructing entry, which is truly troublesome.

Moreover, there is a barrier of light at the gate, which must be broken to leap over the Dragon Gate.”

“Ordinary Cultivators below the True Core Realm probably don't even have the qualifications to approach.”

Countless Cultivators in the city looked towards the Void Realm, their faces filled with fanaticism.

“Haha, today I, Three Talents Immortal, shall leap this Dragon Gate and achieve an unsurpassed demonic Physique!”

At the forefront of the crowd, a grey-robed Cultivator with a sharp mouth and monkey-like cheeks shot forth.

Immediately, the gate of flesh and blood creeping, forming a grotesque creature thousands of feet tall, covered in putrid tumors.

Flesh and Blood Giant Demon!

Pfft—

A silver, crescent-shaped blade streaked across the sky, and the Flesh and Blood Giant Demon was cut in half, putrid purple liquid raining down. The Cultivators it touched cried out in agony and fell into the Void Realm.

With another flash of blade light, the barrier of the Flesh and Blood Gate dissipated, and the Three Talents Immortal swept into it, disappearing into the depths of the Flesh and Blood Gate.

“The opportunity to achieve Dao, I must have a share!”

“Today, this Venerable One shall seize a wisp of True Devil Qi.”

“All of you, get out of my way!”

Soon, figures moved about, some slaying Flesh and Blood Giant Demons, others being devoured by them. Sounds of fighting, wailing, and wild laughter resounded throughout heaven and earth.

In just a few dozen breaths, at least thirty percent of the Cultivators were defeated and died.

“His strength is decent… The Flesh and Blood Giant Demon he conjured is roughly of upper-middle Rank among those of the same cultivation level.

This obstacle seems to test the trial-takers' offensive methods.”

Gu Changsheng’s eyes sharpened, and a Escape Light appeared beneath his feet as he flew towards the Flesh and Blood Gate.

When he was dozens of miles away, the gate of flesh and blood creeping, forming a Flesh and Blood Giant Demon hundreds of miles tall. Its giant palm, covered in putrid blisters, pressed down like a sky-covering blanket.

Gu Changsheng, however, did not dodge or avoid.

“Fool, hurry and hide!”

“This person must have been scared silly!”

“This person is dead for sure!”

Beside him, several Sacred Race members quickly avoided and mocked him repeatedly.

However, the next moment, their eyes widened, and the mocking smiles froze on their faces.

Gu Changsheng transformed into a stream of light, passing through the Flesh and Blood Giant Demon as if entering an uninhabited realm, and disappeared into the depths of the Flesh and Blood Gate.

Neither the Flesh and Blood Giant Demon nor the barrier seemed to offer any resistance, as if he had entered an uninhabited realm.

In the Void Realm, the Flesh and Blood Giant Demon remained frozen in place, not moving at all.

“This… such astonishing speed…”

“His attack speed was too fast; to the naked eye, the barrier at the gate seemed to offer no resistance at all.”

“Huh? Strange, why isn't this Flesh and Blood Giant Demon moving?”

As soon as the words fell, with a bang, the Flesh and Blood Giant Demon exploded, turning into a sky full of blood rain that fell, engulfing countless trial-takers.