Chapter 213 - 205: The Blood Spirit Scripture
In the depths of the Holy Sect, on the highest level of the Taixu Mirror Heaven.
Specks of starlight twinkled in the far distance. Desolate Halberd Shattering Void True Monarch Guan Si Hai, bare-chested, was sitting casually on a floating Meteor Core. His magnificent physique, as if sculpted by an ancient Divine Demon, radiated a heart-stopping sense of power.
At this moment, the True Monarch of the Holy Sect was toying with a single Buddha Bead in his hand with great interest.
The entire bead shimmered with Treasure Light, containing incomparably pure Buddhist Power within.
The faint illusion of a Bodhisattva’s face appeared on the bead.
But unlike the compassionate or majestic Bodhisattva Dharma Aspects typically seen in temples,
this Bodhisattva’s face was twisted, its eyes filled with an unconcealable terror and agony, as if it were enduring some great horror.
"Did you give it to him?"
Desolate Halberd True Monarch didn’t even raise his head, his deep voice echoing in the void.
His coarse fingers gently caressed the Buddha Bead that recorded the Bodhisattva’s terror, as if stroking an interesting trophy.
The void below rippled slightly as Nan Dou Master’s figure materialized. He bowed and replied respectfully,
"Reporting to the True Monarch, it has been delivered to him.
Before Deng Yin underwent liberation by arms and reincarnation, he did indeed have the thought to completely destroy the general principles of the *Blood Spirit Scripture* to prevent it from harming future generations.
However, this disciple discovered his intention in time and managed to ’fish’ it out.
It has now been delivered to Qi Yun in its entirety, as per the True Monarch’s will."
"Mm," Desolate Halberd True Monarch grunted noncommittally, still toying with the Buddha Bead as he asked casually,
"Do you think the boy will try to comprehend it?"
Nan Dou Master seemed to have already prepared his answer, his tone firm.
"According to this disciple’s close observation during this period, the boy may appear to be a rule-follower on the surface, perhaps even a bit lazy, but he is extremely ambitious on the inside. The fortitude of his Dao Heart far surpasses his peers, and he possesses the will to devour Heaven and Earth.
If not for such a disposition, it would have been impossible for him to succeed on that dead-end path and attain the exceedingly rare Venerable Dao Foundation."
He paused for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Although the general principles of the *Blood Spirit Scripture* are exceptionally dangerous, they also point directly to the origin of the Blood Sea Dao. It is one of the world’s most supreme inheritances.
With the boy’s domineering mentality that ’all things can serve as Resources,’
once he knows he has this item and understands the supreme potential it contains,
he will absolutely not shrink back because of its fearsome reputation. He will surely see it as another heavenly ladder to climb on his path to the Great Dao.
Therefore, this disciple asserts that he will definitely try to comprehend it, and... it will be very soon."
"Oh? You’re that confident?" Desolate Halberd True Monarch finally raised his eyelids. His gaze, like two tangible bolts of lightning, swept over Nan Dou Master with a hint of inquiry.
"This disciple’s judgment has never been poor," Nan Dou Master said in a low voice, his tone unwavering.
"Heh." Desolate Halberd True Monarch chuckled lightly and didn’t press further. He turned his gaze back to the Buddha Bead, which seemed to be wailing silently in his hand, and said slowly,
"I hope it’s as you say.
This general outline was indeed extremely difficult to obtain back then. The number of men lost... Hmph, best not to speak of it.
It’s just that the Blood Sea Dao is notoriously bizarre and difficult to master.
This general outline possesses an even more evil nature. Whoever practices it either goes mad or dies.
It has practically become a Curse."
He seemed to recall something, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a hint of annoyance.
"That boy, Deng Yin, originally had the most hope. His talent, temperament, and opportunities were all top-tier. Even that fellow Wu Dao once held him in high regard.
In the end... his mind was still affected by the ancient resentment and the baleful aura of the Blood Sea, and he was led astray.
It was all for naught in the end. What a pity."
His sentimentality was fleeting. Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s expression turned cold and severe again as he spoke in a commanding tone,
"You will personally keep a close watch on this matter.
If the boy Qi Yun begins to comprehend it, you must report any and all abnormalities immediately. There must be no mistakes!"
His voice deepened, carrying the weight of a mountain.
"This concerns the grand future plans of our Holy Sect. Carelessness will not be tolerated!"
Nan Dou Master’s expression grew solemn. He bowed deeply and accepted the order with gravity.
"Yes! This disciple will respectfully obey the True Monarch’s decree!
I will watch him closely and ensure there are no oversights!"
Silence returned to the void, with only the Buddha Bead that recorded a Bodhisattva’s terror emitting a faint glow between Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s fingers.
...
「Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple, inside the quiet room.」
Qi Yun sat alone in a meditative posture, holding the Dark Blood Lotus Platform in one hand.
The light in the room was dim. Only the ancient, flowing script on the lotus platform emitted a faint, ghostly glow, illuminating his pensive face.
His eyes narrowed slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tracing across the cold surface of the platform.
Thoughts raced through Qi Yun’s mind, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes from time to time.
’Something so important...
The general principles of the *Blood Spirit Scripture*, a Supreme Secret Scripture that points directly to the Blood Sea Dao.
Master... why did he never mention a single word of this to me?’
Having spent a long time with Elder Master Deng Yin, Qi Yun knew his master’s personality well.
He seemed aloof and taciturn, but in reality, he had his own methods for everything.
He was definitely not the type to be deliberately mysterious or lay elaborate foreshadowing.
If he had truly intended to pass on the *Blood Spirit Scripture*—a scripture that concerned one’s Dao path and possibly contained immense risks—to him,
given his personality, he would have explained it himself, clarifying the pros and cons, and would never have relied on someone else.
He certainly wouldn’t have left only a vague Divine Thought message before his liberation by arms and reincarnation.
This was the Wuji Holy Sect, not some paragon of the Righteous Dao where everyone was friendly and schemed against no one.
The matter of inheritance, especially a Forbidden inheritance like this, was fraught with too many variables when left to a third party.
This was absolutely not the Elder Master’s way of doing things.
"There’s a problem..." Qi Yun muttered to himself, the doubt in his eyes deepening.
"And this problem is likely not a small one."
He recalled Nan Dou Master’s seemingly concerned, but actually meaningful, advice when he handed over the lotus platform.
"Whether you cultivate it or not, you must be extremely cautious."
’If the Sect’s upper echelons truly believed this scripture was exceptionally dangerous and feared disciples would be led astray, the most direct course of action would be to seal it away completely or strictly forbid its practice.’
’Why go to such lengths to pass this "hot potato" into my hands through him?’
’They gave it to me, yet they warned me of the danger.’
’This stance doesn’t seem like a warning against it, but rather... as if they’re afraid my fear will prevent me from practicing it.’
’Are they deliberately using the word "danger" to provoke my curiosity and competitive spirit?’
As he peeled back the layers of fog, the bait and the scheme hidden beneath the "gift" became faintly visible.
Having unraveled the hidden threads, Qi Yun had already made a decision.
’Since Nan Dou Master went to such great lengths to give this to me,’
’if I don’t make a good show of practicing it, it will probably cause other problems.’
With a flick of his fingers to form a seal, the jet-black Human Emperor Banner materialized from the void beside him. Illusions of mountains, rivers, and the state slowly swirled across its surface, emanating a majestic imperial pressure.
Then, without a second glance, Qi Yun casually tossed the Dark Blood Lotus Platform containing the general principles of the *Blood Spirit Scripture* directly into the Human Emperor Banner.
’Eight hundred True Spirits, you are to comprehend this object, analyze its principles, and record its changes.’
A mental command entered the banner, and the eight hundred orderly and sentient True Spirits simultaneously acknowledged the order.
Qi Yun’s line of thinking was clear and calm.
The general principles of the *Blood Spirit Scripture* might contain earth-shattering secrets or supreme power,
but the risks and schemes behind it were equally immense.
He certainly couldn’t be the one to step on this landmine.
Letting the eight hundred True Spirits within the Human Emperor Banner scout the path first was undoubtedly the safest option.
The nature of these True Spirits was special; they were one and the same in origin as the Human Emperor Banner.
Even if they were eroded, corrupted, or even mutated by the strange power within the scripture during their comprehension, the effects would be largely confined within the banner.
’Even if some uncontrollable problem really does arise,’ Qi Yun’s gaze was indifferent, his heart as calm as still water.
’At worst, I’ll just activate the source power of the Human Emperor Banner, completely destroy the corrupted parts, and then have the banner generate new True Spirits.’
Putting the matter of the *Blood Spirit Scripture* aside for the time being, Qi Yun flipped his hand and took out his Taixu Jade Order.
He had now ascended to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The Jade Order had naturally shed its original color, transforming into the cyan-green hue that only a Master of the Sect could possess. It was warm and translucent, with Spiritual Light swirling within.
It symbolized his new status and authority within the Holy Sect.
He sank his Divine Sense into the Jade Order. His consciousness was guided along, instantly crossing some kind of invisible boundary.
Light and shadows flowed before his eyes. In an instant, Qi Yun’s "consciousness" had descended upon a place whose magnificence and mystery were beyond description.
It was a massive Marketplace floating in the void.
Jade pavilions and pearly palaces stood in dense rows, with gazebos and kiosks scattered among them. Streaks of treasured aura and brilliant light shot into the sky.
Myriad Spiritual Mechanisms converged and surged here, bathing the entire space in a kaleidoscope of colors, making it seem like a celestial paradise.
Illusory figures shuttled back and forth, conversing with one another.
Their auras were all extraordinary; the weakest among them were Masters at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
This was the Holy Sect Treasure Market, a place where only Foundation Establishment Masters of the Wuji Holy Sect were qualified to descend with their Divine Sense!
Compared to the Marketplaces that disciples of the Qi Refining Stage had access to, the quality and rarity of the treasures, scriptures, and resources circulated here were more than ten, even a hundred times greater!
Qi Yun had come here this time with a clear goal: to select a suitable Foundation Establishment Technique for himself.
True, his Daluo Decree Divine Technique was heaven-defying, capable of directly upgrading a Qi Refining Technique into a Foundation Establishment Technique.
However, this Venerable Divine Technique was immensely powerful and required a considerable amount of time to recover after use.
Ever since he upgraded the Soul Refining Banner, the Daluo Decree had remained in a dormant state. He didn’t know when it could be used again.
During this "window period," Qi Yun naturally couldn’t just wait around.
He had just entered Foundation Establishment. Although he possessed formidable Magical Power from his Venerable Dao Foundation and had two great Divine Techniques,
he was a blank slate when it came to conventional combat methods.
This was the perfect opportunity to browse the Holy Sect Treasure Market and use his new authority as a Master to see if he could find one or two Foundation Establishment Techniques that suited his Dao path and could immediately boost his combat strength.
His conscious avatar strolled down the illusory street, which was overflowing with Treasure Light, his gaze sweeping over the shops and stalls constructed from Divine Thoughts on both sides.
*Nine Heavens Thunder Sound Sword Technique*, *Mysterious Female Incarnation Technique*, *Five Elements Extinction Divine Light*, *Void Escape Secret Technique*...
These Foundation Establishment Level techniques and Divine Technique inheritances, each one capable of causing a bloodbath in the outside world, were not exactly commonplace here, but they were by no means rare.
Qi Yun walked and paused, unhurried.
He continued until he reached an inconspicuous stall, where his steps suddenly came to a halt.
’This is...’
Qi Yun raised an eyebrow, a strange look on his face.
"The *Basic Sword Qi*?
"*Foundation Establishment Chapter*?"
...