C1103 Like a Fish in Water!

Atop Destruction Fortress, Ann Ziqing, Lulu, Elena, Old Cash, Luo Yue, and others stood gazing downward. The Luan Bird Queen had ushered them up here, and they were now intently observing the fierce battle unfolding below.

Chen Qinghuang had separated from the group, standing alone in a corner of the fortress, equally focused on the combat below. The Asuras emerging from the biting cold and darkness boasted Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Level bloodlines. Yet, the strength demonstrated by those of the Seventh Level was astonishingly formidable.

"Elena," Chen Qinghuang called out softly. The Asura girl, also brought to the fortress, quickly joined her side.

"Why are these Asuras so formidable?" she asked, pointing to several Asura clansmen engaged in a fierce fight with Kennard, the Child of Forest, a Dark Elfkind of the Eighth Level.

At this very moment, every area within the Plover Realm had turned into a battlefield. The Asuras, emerging from the shadows, along with mutated monsters descending from the skies, spared no living creature in their onslaught, except for those they chose not to target.

Kennard, known as the Child of Forest, had ventured with Arlene and some Dark Elfkinds, who had not been banished by Mia, into a lush forest within the Plover Realm. Utilizing the towering ancient trees and abundant vegetation, they battled the Asura warriors and mutated monsters. The Dark Elfkinds' strength was enhanced amidst the jungle's cover.

Mia and Arlene, facing off against a Ninth Level Bloodline Dark Domain Platinum Asura, were marred by numerous injuries, leaving them unable to attend to Kennard.

Four Asuras, stepping out from the darkness, donned jade-like armor and identical masks. The quartet of Seventh Level Asura youths, wielding long spears, silver lances, and war blades, exuded a chilling presence. They cornered Kennard among the dense trees, striking him with divine light from their weapons. Were it not for Kennard's garments, which harnessed the essence of flora to form a protective light shield, he might not have endured.

"They're not like us," Elena remarked after a brief glance, her voice tinged with complexity. "These Asuras are born in the Dark Domain, naturally acclimated to its severe conditions, which makes their combat prowess surpass that of other Asuras with equivalent bloodlines. Yet, those who spend their lives in the Dark Domain tend to have much shorter lifespans."

"Short-lived?" Chen Qinghuang exclaimed in surprise.

"Asuras from the Dark Domain have only a third of the lifespan compared to those in the outside world. They must rapidly enhance their bloodlines to grow stronger within their brief lives. Otherwise, without advancing their bloodline rank, they'll die even sooner," Elena said with a gentle sigh. "Dark Domain Asuras make up less than one percent of the entire Asura Clan."

"Those Asuras living outside, the ones with exceptional talents, only enter the Dark Domain for training. Once their training is complete, they leave. It's highly unlikely for them to remain in the Dark Domain indefinitely."

"Although we of the Asura Clan are born in the Dark Domain, our true endeavor is to escape its influence."

"..."

While she spoke, her eyes were actively searching until they fixed on her father, Fernand.

Fernand stood motionless like a sculpture in front of the stone building adorned with Lim Zhuyun.

Seemingly under some directive, Fernand was still, not engaging in the fierce combat.

"The Asura Clan is certainly one of the most extraordinary alien races."

Chen Qinghuang nodded thoughtfully, considering the Asura King and the Great Demon God Grec as her hypothetical adversaries, eager to understand as much as possible about the Asura Clan and the Blood Devil Clan.

"Ann, do you detect any familiar presences among those mutated monsters?"

She shifted the conversation, glancing at Yu Yuan, who was brandishing the Demon Blade Blood Prison, slaying the mutated monsters. "If I recall correctly, doesn't the Blood God Cult possess a secret technique for creating Blood Slaves to fight on their behalf?"

"Grec's Blood Puppets are far superior to the Blood Slaves we refine," Ann Ziqing replied, somewhat reluctantly.

Having delved into the heart of the galaxy and witnessed the Blood Devil Clan's traits and Grec's tactics, she had formed new perspectives deep within her.

She also suspected a profound connection between the Blood God Cult and the Blood Devil Clan, the most enigmatic of the alien races.

Yet, she was hesitant to acknowledge this.

Given the ancient history of the Blood Devil Clan, any such connection would imply that the Blood God Cult's arcane secrets were derived from the Blood Devil Clan.

Whoosh!

The Initial Spirit Ghost King, garbed in the attire of a young emperor, appeared out of nowhere, standing next to Ann Ziqing.

He, adorned in a dark dragon robe, appeared to be acquainted with Chen Qinghuang. Without any formalities, she allowed him entry into the Destruction Fortress.

"It's been a while," she said, initiating the conversation.

"Hehe, you've become more and more impressive. Even I can't gauge the depth of your strength or the extent of your cultivation level," chuckled the Initial Spirit Ghost King.

"You guys... know each other?" Ann Ziqing inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, shortly after I condensed my Yin God, I ventured into Horror Land. The unique imperial aura within my Yin God caught the attention of Senior Initial Spirit," Chen Qinghuang candidly shared. "He looked after me quite a bit in Horror Land, and I've never forgotten his kindness."

She was well aware of the Initial Spirit Ghost King's backstory. This Ghost King, perpetually in the form of a young boy, had indeed been an emperor in the mortal realm. Initial Spirit was thrust onto the throne following his father's sudden death.

Back then, he was just as he appears now, a youth clad in an imperial dragon robe. Tragically, his naivety and frailty led to his untimely demise—murdered by the same general who had killed his father before he could firmly establish his reign.

After his death, an outsider took his soul to Horror Land, and centuries later, he emerged as the Initial Spirit Ghost King. The general, also a practitioner, met his end at the hands of the Initial Spirit Ghost King, who, shortly after becoming a ghost, stealthily exterminated the general and his entire family in a single night.

"Thank you for your assistance with Ann," he said, sensing the concealed power within the Destruction Fortress and glancing at the barrier of the Plover Realm. "I hope you can keep her safe."

"I'll do everything I can," Chen Qinghuang assured him, nodding.

With a moment's hesitation, she added, "The Destruction Fortress beneath us can penetrate the barrier into the Outland Star River. But I'm not convinced that the outside is any safer than within. The Chaos Roc is out there, and the Great Demon God Grec could very well be lurking too."

"I understand," the Initial Spirit Ghost King acknowledged, his enigmatic eyes as if piercing through the veil of secrets. "The Asura King hasn't made his true descent either. I have this intuition that the Chaos Roc, Grec, and the Asura King are all silently observing from above, not yet prepared to manifest their true forms."

"What are they afraid of?" Elena asked, astonished.

In her heart, the clan's king, the Great Demon God Grec, was an invincible presence, and the legend of the Chaos Roc had been passed down through the ages in the depths of the Outland Star River.

There seemed to be nothing to worry about in the Plover Realm. Why were they so hesitant to come?

"What is there to fear? The arrival of the Divine King, of course!"

The Initial Spirit Ghost King scoffed, "Little girl, you should understand that for nearly ten thousand years, it's been the humans and the great demons of the vast cosmos that have been the most fearsome. And the Divine Kings of the Divine Soul Sect's heyday were each as strong, if not stronger, than the three you mentioned."

"But that nest has been flooded by the Frost Energy from the Dark Domain," Elena murmured.

"Nothing in this world is absolute," Chen Qinghuang interjected suddenly. "I've got a bad feeling too, so I'm going to watch and wait, not intervening for now. You're neither from the Divine Soul Sect nor the merchants. So, join me in observing their next moves and what tactics they'll employ."

"All I need to do is keep an eye on my father and Yu Yuan," Elena huffed.

"Yu Yuan..."

Chen Qinghuang looked down, her gaze following the blood-red rivers, witnessing the mutated monsters perish in an instant.

"It seems he has finally met a formidable opponent."

"Ah!"

Luo Yue, Lulu, Elena, and Old Cash all looked down and cried out together.

...

On the brutal battlefield below.

Yu Yuan, wielding his saber in both hands, carved a blood-red river of light, cleaving the three mutated monsters into pieces.

The blood and flesh of the monsters, falling into the river of light, were instantly dissolved and eroded, fueling the Demon Blade Blood Prison with new strength, making it shine even brighter.

Simultaneously.

The Life Altar within Yu Yuan spun, and with the Evil Body Refining Skill at work, a magnetic field centered on him seized the chance to absorb a dense and pure essence of blood.

The blood essence, once inside him, was purified and refined, then diffused through his organs and bones, replenishing what had been lost.

And there was still a surplus.

The violent and murderous desires within him surged like boiling water. His eyes turned a deep crimson, merging with the Demon Blade, achieving an ever-greater harmony.

The Demon Blade had become an extension of his body, wielded effortlessly at his command.

With but a mere thought.

The Demon Blade soared from his grasp, tracing a graceful, blood-red arc before him, conjuring a crimson purgatory that effortlessly dispatched six mutated monsters.

Chuckling to himself, Yu Yuan began to feel grateful to Chen Qinghuang. Without her unwavering support, he might never have dared to acquire the Demon Blade.

It was only after mastering the Demon Blade that he understood why its seven former masters had perished.

The Demon Blade, known as Blood Prison, could engulf all opposing beings in battle, absorbing their flesh and bones to fuel a growing surge of blood souls and blood-colored glimmers within.

These were the sources of the Demon Blade's formidable power!

In essence, with each battle, with every act of slaughter, the Demon Blade's strength would swell, amassing more vital energy and making the blood souls and blood-colored glimmers within even more fearsome.

At that moment, the wielder of the Demon Blade was depleting his own life force.

The wielder had to constantly infuse his own essence into the Demon Blade to tap into its combat potential.

Over time, this would lead to an increasing drain on the wielder's vitality, leaving him weakened and exhausted.

If the conflict were to drag on indefinitely, the wielder would one day find himself utterly drained.

Yet the Demon Blade would not weaken; through battle and bloodshed, it would only grow more terrifying.

Ultimately, the disparity in power would become stark, and the Demon Blade would likely turn on its master with a high probability of success.

"They will be consumed, devoured by the Demon Blade, but not I!"

Yu Yuan flashed a wide grin, his laughter echoing as he reclaimed the Demon Blade, nonchalantly severing the arm of an Eighth Level Asura from the Dark Domain.

The Asura, now armless, fixed a brutal gaze on the Demon Blade, his expression chilling with the acute pain.

Seemingly indifferent to the agony, he watched his severed limb get devoured by the Demon Blade. He then used Frost Energy to cauterize the wound, stopping the bleeding. After casting a lingering look at Yu Yuan, he turned and departed.

"Quite perceptive."

Yu Yuan nodded approvingly, squinting as he sensed that the severed arm had not become a new blood-colored glimmer within the Demon Blade but had instead been consumed by a swirling "Blood Soul."

The "Blood Slave" was once a master of the Demon Blade and a formidable Asura warrior.

"You're growing stronger, your power is steadily increasing, and so is mine."

He gazed at the Demon Blade in his grasp, observing the dense blood patterns that adorned the blade, and felt the endless glimmers of blood-red light within. "My Life Altar and my Evil Body Refining Skill allow me to constantly draw in the essence of blood and flesh through combat, growing ever more powerful."

"If you think you can wait for a moment of weakness to consume me, you're sorely mistaken."

"Hmm!?"

A ten-zhang tall mutated monster from the Djinn Clan thundered toward him, like a mountain collapsing, with him squarely in its sights.

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