Chapter 668: Heaven's Chosen Gather in Eastern State
Shen Mo enveloped the blood crystal with his vital energy.
Very soon, the crystal began to melt.
Fine strands of pure blood essence flowed into Shen Mo's body.
However, the process was incredibly slow.
This blood crystal seemed to be formed from the essence of some rare ancient beast.
After hundreds of thousands of years of time and transformation, it had become immensely solid.
For an ordinary Nirvana Realm cultivator, even a hundred years wouldn't be enough to melt a single fraction.
But Shen Mo cultivated the Divine Elephant Prison-Suppressing Force, which granted him an immensely powerful blood essence.
Moreover, he possessed the Heaven-Earth Furnace Technique.
This technique was designed to refine all things under the heavens.
It could also accelerate the melting of the blood crystal.
After some thought, Shen Mo retrieved another item from his storage ring.
A deep cyan cauldron etched with mysterious patterns.
The Azure-Cyan Reincarnation Cauldron.
This treasure accelerated the burning of Dao marks.
Shen Mo's rapid advancement to 250 Dao marks was due in no small part to this cauldron.
It had another use as well: refining heavenly and earthly treasures.
It could separate medicinal essence from impurities and toxins.
Turning chaotic medicinal energy into something pure.
Shen Mo figured it might also help with the blood crystal's refinement.
As expected—
The moment he placed the blood crystal into the Azure-Cyan Reincarnation Cauldron,
the melting speed noticeably increased.
It was now visible to the naked eye.
"At this rate, I should be able to fully melt it within ten years."
"Perfect. This blood crystal contains incredibly pure blood energy. It'll also aid my cultivation of the Divine Elephant Prison-Suppressing Force."
Shen Mo smiled.
Roars! Roars! Roars!
From within his body came the deafening trumpeting of ancient giant elephants.
Eight hundred and forty million war elephants stampeded across the starry skies—crushing planets, shattering space.
Their earth-shaking bellows reverberated within the small cultivation room.
Yet not a single sound escaped its confines.
Time flowed by, day after day.
The blood crystal gradually melted.
And the ancient, majestic aura within Shen Mo grew stronger with each passing moment.
At the same time—
Eastern State, Southern Domain.
Deep inside a dark and ancient underground ruin.
A place cloaked in darkness and stillness for countless years.
Only beasts ruled here with howls that shook their domain.
Suddenly, an ancient and dormant teleportation array began to glow.
In a pitch-black corner, countless scarlet lights flickered to life, all staring toward the array.
Moments later, a figure stepped out from the array into the desolate ruin.
His appearance was cold and sharply handsome, with sword-shaped brows and starlit eyes.
It was Ye Yan.
Previously, he had arrived at the Southern Sky Archipelago and joined the Blood Sun Sword Sect.
Later, he became a disciple of the sect master, Xiong Tianxing, and ventured into the Azure-Cyan Grotto.
He had believed that the Supreme Corpse Sovereign would certainly revive—but the plan went awry.
Both the Blood Sun Sword Sect and Five Thunder Mountain Sect were annihilated.
He even ran into Shen Mo and nearly lost his life.
Fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to escape just in time.
Recently, he obtained the True Martial Sky-Crushing Seal in the Blackwater Sea of the archipelago.
Under the guidance of Lin Dongtian, he discovered a forgotten teleportation array.
The other end of the array led to a grotto once used by the Martial Ancestor.
Long ago, the Martial Ancestor had been hunted across Eastern State by more than a dozen forces. It was here, in this very grotto, that he recovered and broke through to the Nirvana Realm with one hundred Dao marks, then slaughtered his pursuers.
From then on, he became famous across Eastern State.
Now that the Martial Ancestor's former grotto was within reach, there was no reason to miss the opportunity.
Naturally, Ye Yan came seeking his fortune.
But just as he arrived, the scarlet lights surged toward him.
"You foul beasts dare wound me?"
Ye Yan was prepared.
With a cold laugh, he flipped his palm, and a domineering, overwhelming seal came crashing down.
It was the True Martial Sky-Crushing Seal!
Boom!
The massive seal came crashing down.
Its mountainous weight slammed into the beast.
Hissss—!
The beast howled in agony as it tumbled into the shadows.
Blood spurted through the air mid-fall, splattering across the ground.
"Filthy creature! Still won't show yourself and submit?!"
Ye Yan bellowed coldly, his voice full of threat.
The hissing slowly died away.
A massive serpent slithered forward from the darkness and obediently lay at Ye Yan's feet.
Like the most docile of servants.
One section of its body had nearly been crushed by the True Martial Sky-Crushing Seal.
Scales had been shattered, skin torn open, blood flowing freely.
And yet, it dared not show even a flicker of rage.
The fearsome power of the True Martial Sky-Crushing Seal—it had felt it before, even back when it was just a serpent egg.
Now that it had witnessed the seal's reappearance, it had no intention of resisting.
Ye Yan immediately offered a drop of blood and sealed a contract, taming the great serpent.
Only then did he reveal a satisfied smile.
In his mind, Lin Dongtian's voice rang out.
"Good! The True Martial Sky-Crushing Seal is in hand, and the Desolate Blood Serpent has been subdued!" Lin Dongtian laughed heartily.
The Desolate Blood Serpent had been left here by the Martial Ancestor—originally just a serpent egg.
He had intended to raise it as a companion beast.
But due to his hasty departure, he never returned for it.
After hatching, the Desolate Blood Serpent remained trapped within the grotto, unable to leave.
Now, it had become Ye Yan's.
All this had already been known to Ye Yan, thanks to intel Lin Dongtian gave him back when they were still in the Blood Sun Sword Sect.
Xiao Fan spoke softly, "This grotto was the Martial Ancestor's domain. There must be many divine pills and rare medicines hidden within."
"It's likely you'll find treasures needed to ignite your Divine Manifestation."
"Ye Yan, you'd do well to stay and train here. Once you reach thirty or forty Dao marks in the Nirvana Realm, then emerge."
Ye Yan nodded deeply. "That's exactly what I intend."
His spirit soared, pride and ambition written all over his face.
"Now that I've shaken off Shen Mo, no one can block my fortune!"
"When I emerge, Eastern State will have no choice but to make room for me, Ye Yan!"
Ten Years Later
Thunder Saint Tower – Ninth Level Cultivation Room
The endless trumpeting of ancient war elephants within Shen Mo's body suddenly fell silent.
It was as if eight hundred and forty million giant elephants had welcomed a king.
ROAR!
Ten thunderous, majestic elephant cries rang out.
Shaking the heavens.
Tearing through the sky and earth.
The countless war elephants fell silent, not daring to make a sound.
As though kneeling in reverence, bowing before the birth of their sovereign.
At that moment, Shen Mo opened his eyes.
His blood energy surged like a raging waterfall, swirling around him.
With a single motion of his hand, the blood energy condensed into a pitch-black, ancient holy spear.
Its shape and aura were utterly different from the previous Nether-World Divine Spear.
If that earlier spear was a divine weapon forged to kill enemies across heaven and hell—
then this black holy spear was forged to pierce the void itself and annihilate one's enemies body and soul.
Gripping the spear, Shen Mo closed his eyes.
Suddenly, all barriers around him vanished without a trace.
Everything became clear and transparent.
He could see a curvy female cultivator in the adjacent chamber, sitting in silent meditation.
He could see chaotic flows of void energy drifting beside him, swarms of void mites phasing through his body, hunting a virtual beast.
Suddenly, Shen Mo hurled the black spear.
Whoosh!
The spear tore through space and vanished in an instant.
When it reappeared, its tip had already pierced through a strange pitch-black beast.
This beast had four eyes, twelve legs, and razor-sharp mandibles.
Its entire body was covered in coarse bristles, extremely unsettling to look at.
This creature was a void mite—known to swarm in groups and prey on powerful virtual beasts like those from the Food Realm.
"Void-Annihilating Holy Spear."
Shen Mo softly spoke six words, a satisfied smile curling at his lips.
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