The crimson world pulsed like a living heart.
Each beat shook the ground, sending waves through the rivers of blood that surrounded Lu Fan.
The Blood Sovereign's gaze was unblinking, as if staring through Lu Fan's soul.
> "To control blood is to control life itself," the ancient voice murmured. "But every drop holds memory, and every memory carries sin. Tell me, White-Haired Sovereign — can you bear them all?"
Lu Fan closed his eyes. "I already do."
He knelt slowly, touching his palm to the flowing river. The blood hissed under his touch — and then, as if drawn to him, began to spiral upward.
> [Eternal Reversal Art: Initiating Blood Resonance]
The crimson essence crawled up his arm like molten fire, seeping through his skin, merging with his veins. His body trembled violently — his bones creaked, his flesh cracked, and his spirit sea boiled like a storm.
Pain consumed everything. His bloodline itself was rewriting.
In his consciousness, the Universal Library flickered to life, whispering across the storm:
> "Warning — internal energy is exceeding mortal thresholds."
"Recalibrating cultivation framework…"
The scene inside his dantian was chaos — the Void Core, formed during his ascension, pulsed erratically as rivers of blood essence poured into it. The golden light of his Qi dimmed, replaced by a deep, pulsating red-gold glow.
Then, something shattered.
And something new was born.
His entire meridian network rearranged, forming the ancient sigil of a lotus — its petals inscribed with the runes of Void, Shadow, and Blood. In the center floated his soul flame, now flickering crimson-white.
> [Cultivation Framework Reconstructed — Blood Reincarnation System Established.]
[Core Grade: Sovereign Lotus Form — Stage 1.]
Lu Fan gasped as his aura exploded outward, parting the rivers for miles. His body began to glow faintly — veins like liquid crystal, skin gleaming faintly with inner light. His heartbeats were rhythmic, yet each pulse rippled through the very fabric of the realm.
The Blood Sovereign's eyes widened in awe.
> "You've fused blood and void… life and nothingness cannot coexist — yet you stand."
Lu Fan slowly stood, his voice steady despite the strain.
"I've learned that nothing is meant to coexist. Balance isn't peace — it's choice."
He raised his hand. The rivers of blood responded instantly, spiraling upward into a vast crimson lotus that floated behind him — silent, terrifying, divine. Each petal radiated both death and rebirth.
> "Eternal Reversal Art — Third Form: Blood Reincarnation!"
The crimson lotus bloomed. From its center, energy burst forth, purifying the realm itself. The screaming souls were silenced — not erased, but released. Their light ascended into the broken sky like a rain of stars.
The Blood Sovereign staggered, watching in disbelief.
> "You… didn't consume them."
Lu Fan shook his head. "Power taken without purpose is corruption. Power shared… becomes legacy."
The Blood Sovereign bowed slightly, his form beginning to dissolve into a crimson mist.
> "Then take my legacy, Sovereign of the White Flame and Void. Take the essence of life itself."
He pressed his palm against his own chest, drawing out a single droplet of golden-red blood. It pulsed with the weight of eons — the lifeblood of the first Sovereign of Blood.
The droplet floated into Lu Fan's chest, merging seamlessly with his heart.
A surge of vitality erupted from within — his body reforged in real time. The Library's voice resonated again, louder, grander:
> [Sovereign Vitality: Unlocked.]
[Longevity Core Initiated — Estimated Lifespan: Undefined.]
[New Ability: Blood Echo — Manipulate lifeforce frequencies within 10,000 meters.]
His aura shifted again — no longer mortal, no longer even immortal.
The realm bowed to him. The blood rivers calmed, turning to crystal, and the bone mountains cracked apart under his pressure.
He opened his eyes — and for a moment, the entire world reflected within them.
The Blood Sovereign's voice, fading into eternity, spoke one last time:
> "You've turned suffering into source. The world will fear you… but one day, it will need you."
Lu Fan bowed deeply.
"I don't seek their fear," he whispered. "I seek their freedom."
As the realm crumbled to dust, the crimson lotus behind him folded, merging into his back as a divine seal. The gate to the next trial emerged — black and gold, radiating the essence of souls and eternity.
The Universal Library hummed faintly, almost reverently.
> "Three paths aligned: Void, Shadow, Blood. Core system stabilized. Soul synchronization recommended before further ascension."
Lu Fan nodded slightly, eyes calm but fierce.
"I understand."
He stepped toward the gate.
The crimson dust swirled around him, forming faint silhouettes — the souls he had freed, bowing silently before fading away.
He whispered,
> "Rest now. Your stories are safe within me."
And with that, he vanished into the light of the next realm.
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