Chapter 789: Blood Ming and the Proof of Worth
"The Treasure Beast's inheritance… it's in your hands, isn't it?"
The man in the crimson robe narrowed his eyes as his cold voice drifted across the gathering. Every gaze immediately turned toward Mo Yu's group, expressions flickering with curiosity and disbelief.
"Isn't that a human? And he's with the Swallowing Python Clan and the Ximo Clan… unlucky fellow, catching the eye of the Blood Sky Jiao Clan."
"Tsk, to actually obtain the Treasure Beast's legacy—what treasures could they have taken? Maybe a quasi-sacred artifact?"
"Hard to say. But if that weren't the case, Blood Ming wouldn't have bothered showing up himself."
"That one's no ordinary opponent. He's rumored to have touched the realm of ninth-rank Supremes, wielding the clan's quasi-sacred Blood Jiao Dragon Spear. Even a full ninth-rank expert would think twice before crossing him."
"Heh… this could get entertaining."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Most surrounding cultivators glanced at Mo Yu with mocking smiles, already envisioning his downfall. A newly advanced seventh-rank Supreme, facing a Blood Sky Jiao elite? It was a foregone conclusion.
On the frontmost platform, the serene woman of the Forest Python Clan cast one indifferent glance toward Mo Yu before turning her attention elsewhere—he was beneath her notice.
The Kunpeng youth stood with his arms crossed, smirking in amusement. The rest of the apex bloodlines simply watched, cold and detached. None of them had any reason to offend the Blood Sky Jiaos on behalf of outsiders.
Under the weight of countless mocking stares, Cai Lin's group tensed, their expressions dark. They hadn't expected news of the Treasure Beast's inheritance to spread so quickly—clearly Hei Yin Tian had spoken before leaving.
When they turned to Mo Yu, however, they were startled by his calm. Though his brows drew together slightly, there was no hint of fear or frustration in his black eyes. He faced Blood Ming's killing intent as if it were no more than a gust of wind.
"So we obtained it. What of it?" Mo Yu's tone was even, his words cutting clearly through the silence. "The Treasure Beast belonged to no clan. Are you saying your Blood Sky Jiao Clan owns even the relics of the dead?"
The remark rippled through the crowd. Many lifted their brows in surprise. None had expected a mere human—barely seventh rank—to respond with defiance rather than submission.
"Such nerve…" someone muttered.
On the Blood Sky platform, Blood Ming's lips curved into a faint smile—but it carried no warmth. Only bone-deep malice.
"Not much strength… but you've got a spine." He leaned forward slightly, his tone soft but chilling. "I'll offer you a deal. I'll let you enter the Divine Burial Grounds. I might even see you through its outer wards unscathed. In return… you'll give me what I want."
Mo Yu's gaze sharpened. Hidden behind Blood Ming's eyes was greed—a hunger that revealed his true aim.
The quasi-sacred artifact—the Primordial Gold-Banded Staff—that was what he sought.
But that weapon was worth more to Mo Yu than life itself. To give it up was unthinkable.
His lips curved in quiet mockery. "I refuse."
Blood Ming's smile flattened. "Refuse?" His voice dropped, turning glacial. "You think you have that choice?"
A moment later, the world exploded with blood mist. A storm of scarlet energy erupted from his body, filling the air with the stench of iron and death.
The very space around him warped as spiraling blood light tore through the air, racing toward Mo Yu's group. It crushed everything in its path, even freezing the surrounding spiritual energy.
The watching teams recoiled instinctively. Even the strongest among them couldn't meet this head-on.
Cai Lin and Han Yue moved protectively, energy blazing around them, preparing for the storm. They knew fighting here was reckless—but surrender wasn't an option either.
Before they could unleash their defenses, Mo Yu stepped forward. He didn't call on his spiritual power, nor raise his defense. He simply stood there, calm as iron.
"Is he insane?"
Stunned whispers broke out. A seventh-rank walking into the strike of a near-ninth-rank—he was looking for death.
Blood Ming frowned in brief confusion before sneering. With a flick of his fingers, the blood storm condensed into a lashing whip of scarlet lightning and shot forward, aimed at Mo Yu's chest.
This single blow could shatter mountains—it would leave even an eighth-rank crippled.
As the blood light bore down, Mo Yu raised his hand slowly. A silver glow emerged in his palm—a bead, small as a fist, swirling with swirling bolts of lightning.
With each turn, its core rippled with deafening thunder. The air trembled as destructive energy spilled outward, heavy and suffocating.
"What—what is that!?"
"That power… it's terrifying!"
"He'll kill us all if he detonates it!"
Panic rippled through the surroundings. Whatever that bead was, its aura mimicked that of a Divine Lord's weapon. Even the distant prodigies abruptly scattered, unwilling to stand near its blast radius.
Mo Yu stared at Blood Ming coldly, unflinching. The silver sphere pulsed in his palm, humming with the promise of annihilation.
Across the distance, Blood Ming's smirk wavered. His instincts screamed danger—real, mortal danger. The lightning bead's energy was enough to destroy even his body.
But to retreat now? That would stain his pride forever.
Gritting his teeth, he growled, "You wouldn't dare. You'd blow yourself apart too."
Mo Yu didn't answer. His eyes merely narrowed as his palm pressed forward.
The two forces raced toward each other—blood and thunder colliding in midair—
Then—
A sudden flash of green light sliced down from the heavens, severing the blood wave completely.
Boom!
A streaking staff-shadow followed, shattering what remained of the energy into nothingness.
More lights came next—bright, deadly techniques from multiple directions—obliterating the storm of blood in an instant.
The crimson energy vanished, leaving a silent field in its wake.
Blood Ming's expression darkened. He turned sharply toward the nearby platforms. The sources of those attacks stood revealed: the elites of the top divine clans.
"If you've got grudges, deal with them elsewhere," the ethereal woman from the Forest Python Clan said coolly, her jade-green eyes glinting with cold light. "If you damage the gate to the Burial Grounds, will you compensate us for the loss?"
"Ha! I doubt he could afford it," said the yellow-robed leader of the Heaven-Reaching Ape Clan, leaning on his stone staff with a teasing grin.
Blood Ming scowled but said nothing. The Phoenix Clan's representative added, "Peace, Brother Blood Ming. This is not a place to fight."
Outnumbered, Blood Ming sucked in a deep breath, suppressing his fury. He turned back to Mo Yu, eyes burning with hatred like twin, blood-red blades, before finally sitting down again.
Everyone could feel the simmering rage beneath his calm façade.
Whispers rippled through the gathering. No one had expected that in a clash against a near-ninth-rank powerhouse, the unassuming human had forced his enemy to back down.
Even more astonishing—his restraint and cunning had dragged other apex clans into the conflict, fracturing the delicate balance between them.
Beneath the surface calm, tension coiled like wire.
Then, the ethereal woman of the Forest Python Clan, Qing Ling, spoke once more, her tone voice icy but composed. "We're all here for the Divine Burial Grounds. Keep that lightning sphere out of sight. If it goes off, none of us will escape unscathed."
She had no interest in taking sides, only in keeping the situation stable. Still, the rebuke carried the weight of power.
Mo Yu smiled faintly, tossing the bead lightly in his hand. "This little thing? A gift from a Lord of the Earth Supreme Realm. You've all sensed its power, I imagine. Rest assured, I don't pick pointless fights. But if someone mistakes me for prey…" His voice turned sharp. "Even a soft fruit has sharp teeth when bitten."
The declaration hung in the air like thunder.
No one doubted him now. Even if the lightning bead could only be used once, its mere presence was enough to keep Blood Ming in check.
Blood Ming remained still, his expression regaining cold composure. "Enjoy your bravado while you can," he said flatly. "I hope you can keep hold of that toy of yours… until we meet again."
A ripple of unease moved through the crowd at his words. His tone was calm—too calm. Everyone there knew that beneath that mask, he'd already marked Mo Yu for death.
Mo Yu only smiled, unfazed.
He tucked away the bead, the faint hum of thunder fading with it. This thing might have been forged by his true self, but it was far too valuable to waste cheaply.
"Now that we're settled," Qing Ling said softly, stepping forward, her voice carrying over the entire assembly, "we stand before the entrance to the Divine Burial Grounds. But know this—the grounds are divided into two zones. The outer sector can be entered freely… if you dare face the countless Beast Spirits that roam there.
"As for the inner sector…" Her gaze swept slowly across the sea of faces. "That requires qualification."
"What kind of qualification, Lady Qing Ling?" someone called out.
Mo Yu studied her silently, noting the terrifying depth hidden behind her calm eyes. This woman's strength—he could feel it—was not less than Blood Ming's.
"To enter the inner sector," Qing Ling said clearly, "you must present the heart of a half-step ninth-rank Beast Spirit."
Gasps rippled through the assembly. Even hardened warriors turned pale.
To obtain the heart of a half-step ninth-rank beast—one whose power stood on the very doorstep of divinity—was tantamount to declaring war on death itself.
The trial of the Divine Burial Grounds had just begun.
(END CHAPTER)
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