Chapter 97: Trial of the Sea of Blood

Page (1/3)

Fei Chen chose the magical treasure, and Yu Ming felt a bit guilty.

Ji Fei Chen smiled with ease. "If you don’t mind, fellow cultivator, why not gift me a few seeds of immortal herbs? After I tidy up the Moon Yang Garden, I will invite you for a drink."

“How come—junior brother invites guests but doesn’t invite us?” Jing Xuan and Zhang Yuanchu chimed in, teasing from the side.

Ji Fei Chen feigned helplessness. “In that case, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, after I renovate the immortal mansion, I will open the gates and invite all of you fellow cultivators over.”

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month, according to Ji Fei Chen’s calculations, was about the time the Huangyang Demon Sect would come to trouble him. Dragging a group of Xuanmen cultivators to fight then would be easy.

“But my place is cramped and hidden. You must come alone, no bringing others.”

“That goes without saying,” Jing Xuan said heartily. “I’ll bring some immortal wine and also arrange for a place to stay.”

Zhang Yuanchu and Li Jingxun smiled and agreed, along with Yu Ming, to visit the Moon Yang Garden on that day.

Although Ji Fei Chen had only recently entered the path, he had considerable connections with the Taoist Morality Sect, the Supreme Clarity Sect, and the Lingwei Faction. Friends from these three sects promised to visit the immortal mansion at that time.

After lingering in the mansion for a while, some immortal cultivators came in to pay respects to the Lingwei Faction’s sect leader. Ji Fei Chen, citing his preference for quiet, first took Fu Yutang away.

Yu Ming was unable to leave, so he entrusted Gao Ning to gather and pack the immortal herb seeds for him and to send him off.

Once outside, Ji Fei Chen handed over the treasured sword in his hand to Fu Yutang: “Your master’s Dragon Whisker Sword has shattered. I’ve infused this sword with the Yin-Yang Dragon Whisker Divine Skill, which can help you defend yourself. The Central Plains is no place for you to stay long. Go back overseas to cultivate your Dao fruit in seclusion. I will visit your master in due course.”

After speaking, he transformed into a radiant immortal light and departed.

After he left, two earth-immortal souls deep within the Lingwei Faction suddenly opened their eyes.

“This successor of Yunxiao Pavilion truly embraces sincerity and simplicity, with a heart as vast and pure as the white sun in the sky,” one said. He took two items: one to give away, one to keep. The one he kept—the Moon Soul Treasure Pearl—had little use beyond sentimental value.

“Magical treasures are external possessions. Besides, he has the Dragon Whisker Fan in hand. The trivialities in the mansion are normal,” said another immortal cultivator. “You’re not truly a noble gentleman, of benevolent Dao. You’re more of a double-faced traitor with grand schemes.”

“Speaking of which, Yunxiao Pavilion is not exactly on our side.”

“Though our cultivation paths differ, our fundamental ideals align. It’s just a matter of seeking common ground while preserving differences. Both our sects are in decline; mutual support is acceptable.”

“You’re not like him?”

“Not yet, but no evil deeds have surfaced. We can use him for now.”

The two immortals discussed the future of the Lingwei Faction. After the Xuanmen disciples returned to their sects, news of the Dragon Whisker Fan’s appearance stirred everyone’s hearts.

All earth-immortals had heavenly secrets watching over them: the next immortal-demon calamity might bring about the return of Qi Refiners to settle current karmic debts. Coupled with the rise of the demon clans, everyone frowned anxiously.

“Troubles ahead,” the earth-immortals thought. Immortals of their rank lived carefree lives, except for the looming calamity that required reckoning. Though the calamity was still a thousand years away, some had already begun to act.

Moreover, the omen of Qi Refiners’ return was sensed by many scattered immortals overseas. Many of these cultivators were inheritors of Qi Refining traditions, some ancient beings from three thousand years ago, peers of Feng Qianli—survivors of a great upheaval that destroyed their sects. Their profound Dao cultivation and secret protection helped them evade disaster.

Feng Qianli and Empress Chen quickly set off to visit friends overseas to discuss plans for the millennium ahead.

The Xuanmen trembled, and various forces appeared frequently. While Ji Fei Chen traveled outside the Lingwei Immortal Mansion enjoying the mountains and waters, he was “accidentally” bumped into by many Xuanmen cultivators, including probes from major sects.

“Are these people too idle?”

Three days after leaving the mansion, Ji Fei Chen met two immortals wanting to discuss the Yin-Yang Dao, encountered three sect elders testing his intentions and inheritance, and even had Taiyuan Palace members secretly tailing him.

He guarded his identity as a scattered immortal who had “accidentally obtained an ancient Dao inheritance” meticulously, barely managing to handle all encounters.

“They want to discuss Dao with me, that’s fine. But Taiyuan Palace remains wary. Their reaction to the Yunxiao Pavilion successor is indeed intense.”

Page (2/3)

Taiyuan Palace was a direct beneficiary of the previous incident. According to Empress Chen, the destruction of Yunxiao Pavilion was definitely disgraceful. If it had been an honorable fight, wouldn’t other supreme sects have joined? In fact, the blame was pinned on Empress Chen herself, as if she were the culprit. The real mastermind was too ashamed to show their face.

“Fine, if they want to follow, let them!”

Ji Fei Chen sensed a hidden immortal behind the scenes—a Taiyuan Palace earth-immortal elder. Using the Dragon Whisker Fan, he detected a faint immortal aura.

While pondering, another immortal came to discuss the Dao.

Yunxiao Pavilion specialized in the Yin-Yang Dao. News of the scattered immortal Qing Hong inheriting the Yunxiao Dao legacy quickly attracted many to seek him out for debates. These visitors had no ill intent; they simply wanted help fixing flaws in their Yin-Yang Dao techniques.

Qing Hong was happy to be helpful, patiently guiding them in practice and divining their fortunes.

Days passed, and one day he arrived at a small village where many children had gone missing, and a faint blood aura lingered.

“Is it the Blood Sea?” Qing Hong halted, waving his treasured fan and stepping on auspicious clouds into the village. A Taiyuan Palace immortal followed behind.

Qing Hong’s own fate was hard to divine, so Taiyuan Palace sent someone to trail him closely, observing his every move to decide how to deal with him.

Qing Hong stopped; the elder also paused on the clouds, cautiously observing. The elder, a Taiyuan Palace earth-immortal with profound cultivation, immediately discerned the cause: “The Blood Sea is training disciples?”

The Boundless Blood Sea, a leading demon sect, relied on blood cultivation, fostering competition among disciples so only the elite could become true Blood Sea disciples.

Now, they were sending disciples out for trials—demon cultivators still unripe in Dao fruit venturing out to hunt.

“This is the demon sect’s initial pledge. I wonder how this young man will respond?” he thought, watching Qing Hong soothe the villagers. Then he stood, seeking out faint red demon aura from a distant mountain cave.

“There!” Qing Hong flew over, stealthily hiding nearby.

Inside the cave, besides a dozen captured children, five pale-faced young demon cultivators stood. Beside them were two demon disciples who had reached Dao fruit, one quite familiar.

One respectfully said, “Didn’t expect Senior Brother Song to be handling matters here.”

Song Shaoming smiled. “Junior Brother, this isn’t the sect. You needn’t be so cautious. I just passed by, sensing the turbid earth aura here, so I came to check. You’re careless—beware of being discovered by Xuanmen cultivators.”

“Heh, Senior Brother is here, isn’t he?” the other said. “With you by our side, besides a few Xuanmen, what is there to fear?”

“Enough flattery. Let’s get down to business.” Song Shaoming stepped back. He was only a bystander in this mission, not its leader. Quietly, he approached the five youth.

“You have made some progress in your divine cultivation. You have been practicing drinking blood to adapt. Now I’ve caught some mortal children for your practice. Their pure blood and spiritual power is perfect for your foundation building.”

At this, the five paled. One said, “Senior Brother, must we use human blood to practice demon… no, divine arts? Wouldn’t beast blood suffice? I can catch some wild deer nearby—their blood is rich in Yang energy and essence, better than human blood.”

“Original Junior Brother, you must understand, humans are the spirit of all things. We share the same lineage. Refined essence and blood reduce rejection—that is the first step in divine cultivation.” He stared intently at the five.

Drinking human blood to practice was a necessary path for Blood Sea disciples. Only by breaking their moral barriers could the Blood Sea reshape their worldview and make them true members.

“Of course, this is voluntary,” the demon smiled, cutting a child’s arm. Blood immediately filled the cave.

Sensing the blood, the five involuntarily reacted. Their pupils turned blue as their blood energy surged, urging them to drink and train.

The demon and Song Shaoming exchanged glances, then silently left the cave, leaving the five inside.

“Take your time, no rush. If you finish, I’ll catch more.” The so-called “voluntary” was under the coercion of the demonic cultivation within them. Who could resist?

The five remained silent. Each had a troubled past; they joined the Blood Sea voluntarily to achieve their ambitions.

To them, demon cultivation and Xuanmen cultivation were not fundamentally different—just factional rivalry. There were bad people in Xuanmen too. Cultivation methods were neither good nor evil; only human hearts were. They believed they could control their hearts. When Xuanmen rejected them, they chose the Blood Sea.

Recently, though they felt reluctant to drink blood, they reasoned that eating meat also involved killing, and some restaurants served dishes and wines made with beast blood. They forced themselves to accept it.

But now, the Blood Sea demanded human blood, and not prepared— they had to kill and draw blood themselves.

They regretted underestimating the demon sect’s ruthlessness.

Their eyes turned toward the sleeping children on the ground, one with a sliced arm bleeding profusely.

Yuan Chuying swallowed hard, stepping back. As his demon cultivation stirred, waves of thirst surged within him.

“Humans are human because they cherish benevolence, knowing what to do and what not to do,” he murmured, resisting temptation.

His companions also stepped back hesitantly.

But suddenly, desire churned within the five, recalling why they joined demonic cultivation.

At home, blood flowed like a river; his family was slaughtered for offending a powerful noble. Yuan Chuying once sought justice, even petitioning the palace but was blocked. He vowed to master supreme martial arts to avenge his family.

But the noble’s bodyguards were formidable; ordinary martial skills were useless. Learning of immortal-demon secrets, he sought to join Xuanmen to cultivate divine skills for vengeance.

Sadly, the three famous sects he approached rejected him due to his hatred and lineage.

At this moment, the Blood Sea made contact. Facing deep hatred, he joined them without hesitation, leading to this scene.

Ji Fei Chen secretly observed and sighed, “There really are people who voluntarily join the demon sect?”

Yuan Chuying and Ji Fei Chen were opposites: one fleeing the demon sect, the other striving to enter it.

“The demon sect never values freedom,” Ji Fei Chen said with pity. “Within, only the crueler and more vicious rise from the bottom. Reaching the top means overthrowing former lords, becoming even more evil.” Even Ji Fei Chen was unsure if, long-term, he could remain untainted.

For now, he maintained his spirit and some bottom lines, refusing to harm mortals. But after a century, a millennium—would he also become like those who casually eat human flesh and drink their kin’s blood?

Yuan Chuying felt regret. Though he hated those who killed his family, if he stooped to drinking human blood, how was he different? Perhaps worse, since they never stooped to such depths.

He alone resisted the temptation, but others might not.

Among the five, one, swayed by Song Shaoming’s demonic influence, finally lunged forward.

“This kid’s no kin of mine. Why should I risk for him? If I don’t drink, that guy at the door wouldn’t spare us,” he said, biting the child’s wound and sucking deeply. “I want to cultivate an immortal body. This kid is part of my practice—his good fortune comes from eight generations past!”

He urged the others with his bloody mouth, “Why are you all hesitating? At this point, what’s left to wait for?” To drag them down together, he slashed the boy’s arm several more times, intensifying the bloodiness.

Except for Yuan Chuying, the others’ expressions shifted.

“Wah—” The boy, awakened by the rough treatment and surrounded by cruel demons, cried out.

“Stop crying! Cry again and I’ll kill you!” The man covered the boy’s mouth and shoved the wound towards the others.

“Ah—” Suddenly, a faint sigh came. “If you want to kill him, I’ll kill you first.” Just as the boy was about to die, Ji Fei Chen could no longer restrain himself. A ripple of water light burst forth from the cave entrance.

(To be continued.)