260: Chapter 260 Emperor's Blood Acquired

On the edge of the ruins, those Northern Plains Cultivators who were watching the scene could not recover from their shock for a long time.

The Master of Tiansha Abyss, Ye Chen.

The number one person below the Quasi-Emperor Realm, one of the top hegemons of the Central Plains.

Just like that, he was captured?

Those Cultivators who were just discussing how Ye Chen was "only one step away from the Quasi-Emperor Realm" now had complex expressions. They looked at Ye Chen, then at Shen Qingyuan, and the awe in their hearts grew even heavier.

In the distance, light swirled in Jiang Yan's crimson eyes as he looked at that figure in green robes, his expression becoming increasingly respectful.

"Venerable Qingyuan..." he whispered to himself, his tone filled with emotion, "I never expected that there would still be such a person in this world."

Beside him, Jiang Li had already jumped up in excitement, waving her small fists and shouting incessantly, "Brother Qingyuan is so amazing! Brother Qingyuan is invincible!"

Shen Qingyuan smiled and glanced at her, then withdrew his gaze, letting it fall back onto the drop of golden emperors blood still suspended above the scorched earth.

He raised his hand and beckoned gently. The drop of emperors blood transformed into a streak of crimson-gold light and landed steadily in his palm.

The heavenly phoenix emperor blood floated in his palm, its crimson-gold light pulsing slightly as if it were a living thing. Every pulsation caused the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a hundred-zhang radius to resonate.

That pure Emperor prestige slowly unfurled in Shen Qingyuan's palm, appearing extremely docile.

Around the ruins, hundreds of gazes fell simultaneously on the figure in green robes.

Everyone knew that the emperors blood now had an owner!

Quasi-Emperor had fled, Ye Chen had been captured, and two Quasi-Emperor Realm Puppets stood like silent guards by Shen Qingyuan's side. Furthermore, the lingering might of that palm which had suppressed a Quasi-Emperor had not yet dissipated, so even the top Saint King Realm experts of the Northern Plains dared not voice any doubts at this moment.

Having witnessed Shen Qingyuan's terrifying strength with their own eyes, they dared not harbor the slightest intention regarding the emperors blood.

Finally, the gray-robed Saint King Elder from before was the first to break the silence.

He leaned forward slightly, cupped his hands in front of him, and bowed towards Shen Qingyuan, his voice even more respectful than before: "Congratulations, Venerable, for obtaining this heavenly phoenix emperor blood. The emperors blood has spirit, and for it to fall into the hands of the Venerable is truly the result of destiny. This old man is here to offer his congratulations!"

His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread to every corner around the ruins.

Once these words were spoken, those Cultivators at the edge of the ruins who had still been watching were jolted awake from their silence.

"Congratulations to the Venerable for obtaining the emperors blood!"

"The emperors blood falling into the hands of the Venerable is the fortune of the Northern Plains, and also the fortune of Cangxuan!"

"The Venerable's achievements are Heaven-Defying, well-deserved!"

"If the Venerable has time, we hope you will visit our Profound Ice Valley so we may fulfill our duties as hosts..."

Voices rose and fell, surging from all directions.

There were Saint King Realm Old Ancestors of the Northern Plains, Elders of major sects at the Asking Dao Realm, and Loose Cultivator experts hiding in the crowd. At this moment, they all cast aside their reserve, bowing and saluting, their words filled with flattery and goodwill.

Those Cultivators who had been restless just moments ago, wanting to fish in troubled waters, now shrank back. Some even quietly took two steps back, fearing that Shen Qingyuan might notice the improper thoughts they had held just before.

After all, the terrifying combat power of those two Quasi-Emperor Realm Puppets, as well as the means by which that Venerable in green robes had casually suppressed Quasi-Emperor and captured Ye Chen, were like an invisible mountain pressing down on the hearts of everyone present.

Even the Northern Plains fiend from ten thousand years ago, Quasi-Emperor, had fled in a panic, and a Central Plains hegemon like the Master of Tiansha Abyss had been taken down by him. Who would dare to show their face at this critical juncture? That would simply be tired of living.

Shen Qingyuan scanned the Cultivators bowing around him. He did not speak, merely nodding slightly.

Xu Jianan stood not far away, holding that pitch-black wine gourd in one hand. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and muttered in a low voice: "Heh, I knew long ago that Young Master was a Heaven-Defying talent and would surely become the strongest person in Cangxuan, but I didn't expect this day to come so quickly."

Jiang Yan stepped forward to stand before Shen Qingyuan and cupped his hands: "The Venerable is indeed possessed of vast Divine Ability; Jiang admires you."

He paused here, a flash of light passing through his crimson eyes, his tone becoming a bit more solemn: "Since the Venerable has obtained the emperors blood, do you plan to return to the Southern Region next, or do you have other plans?"

Shen Qingyuan kept his hands in his sleeves, his gaze sweeping over the ruins that had been plowed into fragments by the battle, then looked at the still-cracked firmament in the direction of the Cangming Clan's residence in the distance. He said unhurriedly: "There are still some loose ends to handle here in the Northern Plains. Once that is finished, I will set off back to the Southern Region."

Jiang Yan nodded in understanding, "Then I shall take my leave first!"

Before he had finished speaking, Jiang Li's eyes rolled around, "Dad, I want to go to the Southern Region with Brother Qingyuan!"

Jiang Yan frowned and turned to look at Shen Qingyuan.

"Just let little Li'er come along." Shen Qingyuan was indifferent; having this little girl tag along was quite interesting.

"Thank you, Brother Qingyuan!" Jiang Li hugged Shen Qingyuan's arm, looking triumphantly at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan smiled helplessly, then bowed solemnly to Shen Qingyuan, "I trouble you, Venerable!"

He took out another jade bottle, "This is a bottle of Scarlet Sun Divine Water; I hope the Venerable will accept it."

"It is actually Scarlet Sun Divine Water?!" The Old Turtle nearby widened his eyes, staring at the jade bottle in Jiang Yan's hand, his face full of shock.

Xu Jianan also pricked up his ears. Although his experience was not as vast as the Old Turtle's, he had vaguely heard of the weight of the four words "Scarlet Sun Divine Water" while traveling through the Central Plains.

Legend has it that this item was formed when a wisp of True Sun Fire merged with the ten-thousand-year Profound Yang Qi from the earth's core when Heaven and Earth were first created. It condenses in the eye of the magma at the deepest part of the volcano's interior; one drop condenses every thousand years, and a bottle takes ten thousand years to form.

An ordinary Cultivator only needs one drop to temper the Yang Qi in their body, cleanse the marrow, and clear the meridians, making their Dao foundation three times more solid. If it falls into the hands of a Saint King Realm expert, they can further utilize the Ultimate Yang power contained within to polish their Saint Dao Law, adding a twenty percent chance of success when attempting a Breakthrough in their Realm.

Although it cannot compare to the Heaven-Defying nature of the emperors blood, it is absolutely considered a rare and precious treasure.

Shen Qingyuan glanced at the jade bottle in Jiang Yan's hand, his face showing no sign of surprise.

In these years, the treasures he had obtained from the System's sign-in were countless. Although treasures like the Scarlet Sun Divine Water were rare, he had certainly seen them before.

The Materials he had used previously to refine the Quasi-Emperor Realm Puppets were not much worse than this Scarlet Sun Divine Water.

However, Shen Qingyuan did not decline and accepted the jade bottle.

He raised his hand, his slender fingers gently brushing over the surface of the jade bottle. It felt slightly hot to the touch, as if holding a piece of warm jade just taken from a furnace fire.

Inside the bottle, a stream of extremely gentle yet majestic heat could be faintly felt flowing slowly.

"The Scarlet Sun Divine Water is indeed not bad." Shen Qingyuan tucked the jade bottle into his sleeve and nodded slightly to Jiang Yan, "Since Palace Master Jiang is so generous, I will not decline."

Seeing Shen Qingyuan accept it, the heavy stone in Jiang Yan's heart finally landed completely.

Although the Scarlet Sun Divine Water was precious, in the heart of the Chiyan Divine Palace Master, being able to exchange a bottle of divine water for the favor of a supreme powerhouse was definitely a worthwhile deal.

"The Venerable is too polite." Jiang Yan straightened up and looked at Jiang Li, who was standing beside Shen Qingyuan and pulling on his sleeve, refusing to let go. He shook his head helplessly, "Li'er, since you are going to the Southern Region with the Venerable, you are not allowed to be naughty, and you must obey the Venerable's instructions in everything."

"I know, I know! Dad, you are so long-winded!" Jiang Li made a face at him, then turned to look at Shen Qingyuan, her apricot-shaped eyes sparkling, "Brother Qingyuan, is the Southern Region fun? Is it as cold as the Northern Plains?"

Shen Qingyuan couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "The Southern Region is like spring all year round; it is indeed not as cold as the Northern Plains."

"That's great! I can't stand this ghostly weather in the Northern Plains!" Jiang Li clapped her hands in excitement, her red dress fluttering like a butterfly in the cold wind, and even those sparkling apricot-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons.

Jiang Yan watched his daughter's appearance, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, but in the end, he didn't say anything more.

He turned to Shen Qingyuan and cupped his hands again: "Venerable, then I shall take my leave first. If the Venerable passes through the Central Plains in the future, I hope you will visit the Chiyan Divine Palace so that Jiang may fulfill his duties as a host."

"Certainly." Shen Qingyuan nodded.

Jiang Yan did not linger any longer. With a leap, he transformed into a streak of crimson light and streaked towards the southern horizon, vanishing in the blink of an eye into the gray-white clouds at the edge of the sky.

The Northern Plains Cultivators watching around the ruins, seeing that this grand struggle for the emperors blood had finally settled, also began to disperse one after another.