Zhang Chen was taken aback upon hearing Xu Erniu's words: Super Hemostatic Pill?
Seeming afraid that Zhang Chen wouldn't understand, Xu Erniu explained, "You don't know, in recent years, a terrifying evil demon has emerged from beneath the mountain, wielding a blade as thin as a cicada's wing, with the abilities of Immortal and Blood Rebirth. Countless masters have perished at its hands, including experts from the Demon Race and our Five Villages Temple. Every time it acts, blood flows like rivers. The Five Villages Temple and Taiping Dao have dispatched masters multiple times to jointly destroy this beast, but it splits into blood shadows and has the Immortal ability. Not only has it countered its attackers, but it has also turned to assault the two factions. Among the Demon Race, it's feared that up to three hundred thousand have died under its Blood Saber, and amongst the Five Villages Temple brethren and allies, the number is also too many to count. This evil demon wields a dominant Bloodstain power capable of contaminating the Earth Vein, specializing in corrupting our Five Villages Temple's Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, turning countless seniors into puppets!"
Xu Erniu's voice was filled with horror and fear: "It's said that once struck by the Blood Saber, the victim, if lucky, bleeds unceasingly, but if not, is instantaneously drained of Essence, Qi, and Spirit and dies—thus making that fiend truly evil."
Zhang Chen took a deep breath upon hearing this. From Xu Erniu's account, he realized that Xiu Liu had ultimately succumbed to temptation and had been controlled by the Blood Transformation Divine Saber to become its puppet.
"Who knows how formidable the Blood Transformation Divine Saber has become now?" Zhang Chen thought with some anticipation, believing that the stronger the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, the greater his chances against the Longevity Thief Dao in the future.
"What is the situation like below the mountain?" Zhang Chen inquired.
"The realm under East Profound Ancestor's command has already been breached and transformed into a Demon Country by the Taiping Dao. All the islands under the Three Immortals from Overseas have become ruins as well, with their forces either submitting or being completely slaughtered. One might say that all the territories of those venerable ancestors have fallen, leaving only our Five Villages Temple struggling to hold on." Xu Erniu's voice carried disbelief: "I heard that when the realm under those ancestors fell, they didn't show up, letting their own followers be slaughtered. I don't know why those ancestors stood by and watched their power be destroyed so completely."
Zhang Chen was well aware of the backstory, for all the ancestors have fallen, leaving only Longevity Ancestor.
Xu Erniu's confusion is not unique to her; it is shared by all disciples of the Five Villages Temple, and by the Ancestral Master of Longevity alike.
Had those ancestors interceded, the situation would never have deteriorated to this extent, presenting such a one-sided scenario.
The Ancestral Master of Longevity stood in the courtyard, holding a letter from the battlefield, with a pensive look in his eyes: "This shouldn't be the case! Why haven't Xuanji Ancestor, the Three Immortals from Overseas, and others appeared yet?"
He found it hard to believe. The human realm was the foundational territory of those ancestors, now utterly destroyed by the Taiping Dao, yet the ancestors did not emerge to stop it, watching their lifelong efforts turn to dust—could anything be more absurd?
Most crucially, the whereabouts of these ancestors remained unknown, even to him, as if they had vanished entirely from Heaven and Earth, erased, leaving him deeply puzzled.
"Regardless, those ancestors should never have stood idly by, watching their domain be destroyed. Could it be that they have already met with disaster? Yet no master in this world could silently defeat all these ancestors. Even if an Immortal revived, or the Innate Peacock returned to peak state, they could never silently subdue those ancestors. So what is the truth behind these strange disappearances?" The Ancestral Master's eyes were filled with confusion, detecting anomalies ever since the array appeared at the Five Villages Temple, their absences aligning with the destruction of their forces—all too bizarre and against reason, filling him with fear.
The Ancestral Master took a breath and folded the letter in his hand: "And then there's this Blood Demon, reportedly a disciple from under my Five Villages Temple, initially just cruel and aggressive, later losing control amidst the slaughter, killing indiscriminately, regardless of camp or enemy. By the time the disciples below realized, it was too late—the Blood Demon had already become a force to be reckoned with."
The Ancestral Master squinted, quickly devising strategies in his mind, after a long time finally forming a plan: "No matter the deceptions or schemes they have up their sleeves, I possess the Immortal Slaying Sword and one more trump card, fearing no storm. Since the demon beast desires a decisive battle, let it be a final stand!"
The Ancestral Master of Longevity was acutely aware of his strengths and weaknesses. In earlier times, with the support of the other ancestors, handling the Taiping Dao-led demon forces came effortlessly, but now without their help, he was overstretched, barely able to keep pace. Given this, a decisive strike seemed more sensible.
"Qingming!" The Master called out aloud.
"Master!" One of the four disciples, Qingming, stepped out from the shadows, bowing respectfully to the Ancestral Master of Longevity.
"Gather all forces under the Five Villages Temple, abandon all territories, and retreat entirely to the Five Villages Temple headquarters! I shall confront the three Great Demon Kings of the demon race right here at the Five Villages Temple, bringing them down to solidify our prestige. The Five Villages Temple is my domain, Qingcheng Mountain's Earth Vein has been refined by me, so let those beasts dare act rashly if they have the gall!" The Ancestral Master of Longevity's voice was chilling.
Upon hearing these words, Qingming hesitated slightly: "Many junior brothers and sisters have already harmonized with the Earth Vein. I'm afraid they are reluctant to give up their foundation..."
"When I have slain those beasts and driven them out, the entire world will be ours. With the domains of various great ancestors available for their cultivation, what's the big deal about one or two minor Earth Veins?" The Ancestral Master's voice was full of stern reprimand.
Scolded, Qingming shrank his neck, knowing that the Ancestral Master had made up his mind, and dared not persuade further. He could only silently pray for those junior brothers and sisters, then hurriedly ran down the mountain.
With a command from the Ancestral Master of Longevity, the forces under the Five Villages Temple kept retreating, gathering towards the temple, leaving the human kingdom in suffering.
As time slowly passed, Zhang Chen also sensed that the atmosphere around the Five Villages Temple had been somewhat unusual recently. The number of disciples returning to the mountain had suddenly increased, and many unfamiliar faces were appearing. After some inquiries, he learned that it was because the Ancestral Master of Longevity planned to complete his work in one decisive battle, intending to slay all the Taiping Dao experts at his base in Qingcheng Mountain.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang Chen's heart tightened: "Oh no! The Innate Peacock has not yet emerged, and the Ancestral Master of Longevity is stirring up trouble again. What should we do? If any mistake happens, it will spell disaster."
There are still three years left before the ten-year minimum period for the Innate Peacock to emerge. What should we do?
He never expected the situation to deteriorate to such an extent, with the Five Villages Temple suddenly on the verge of capsizing.
Zhang Chen sensed the impending doom. If the Taiping Dao experts were to kill the Ancestral Master of Longevity, so be it. But if the Ancestral Master of Longevity were to kill the three Great Demon Kings and seize their Creation, his fate would surely lead to another breakthrough under the gather of fortunes.
Zhang Chen had already guessed the plan of the Ancestral Master of Longevity. Now, the Ancestral Master was not far from his tribulation. Should he succeed in killing the three Great Demon Kings, seize the territories of ten ancestors, and then force the Demon Race to submit, he would gain enormous fortune, and such a tribulation could be easily overcome.
But Zhang Chen was unaware of the details of the three Great Demon Kings and found it difficult to determine who would emerge victorious between the Ancestral Master of Longevity and the three Great Demon Kings.
"If the Innate Peacock were to emerge now, and take advantage of the fierce battle between both sides to launch a sneak attack, it would certainly quell the calamity instantly. Regardless of whether the Ancestral Master of Longevity or the three Great Demon Kings wins, the victor would be gravely wounded, providing the perfect opportunity to strike." Zhang Chen felt a bit anxious, and the next moment he used the Earth Escape Technique to arrive inside the Nine Bends Yellow River Array. He looked at the cocoon with the swirling five-colored light, revealing a trace of unease, and cursed:
"Old Peacock, can you do it or not? A great war is about to break out outside. If you don't come out soon, I'll have to take away the Nine Bends Yellow River Array to save myself, exposing you to the Ancestral Master of Longevity. If you get killed by the Thief Dao of Longevity, don't blame me for screwing you over."
Upon hearing Zhang Chen's threat, the colorful light of the cocoon flickered for a moment, expressing an unknown meaning, and then the cocoon fell silent.
Zhang Chen circled the cocoon a few times, ultimately leaving the Nine Bends Yellow River Array unwillingly, returning to his little courtyard to make preparations.
Zhang Chen kept revisiting various strategies in his mind, finally turning his attention to Xiu Liu: "I wonder what level Xiu Liu's cultivation has reached now?"
Zhang Chen closed his eyes, sensing the blood-red flower symbolizing Xiu Liu's fate in the Sea of Blood. He saw a pond of lotus flowers blooming in the corner of the sea. Among them were three flowers of the twelfth grade, though these twelfth-grade flowers were illusory, vastly different from the eleventh-grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus representing the origin of the Sea of Blood.
"Currently, Xiu Liu's fate is thriving, reaching the Tier Twelve Peak, just a tiny step away from the Fruit Realm." Zhang Chen looked at that pond of lotus flowers, muttering to himself: "If the Ancestral Master slays a Demon King, and Xiu Liu can devour the Demon King's blood, he will surely break through the shackles and enter the Fruit Realm, becoming the final one to land the decisive blow. If the Ancestral Master of Longevity falls, and Xiu Liu devours his body, he can also break through to the Fruit Realm, ensuring the safety of Xu Erniu and me."
Zhang Chen sighed lightly. In truth, the most ideal plan for him was to find the Princess and invite her to deliver the decisive blow. But he hadn't even heard of the Princess's name, which puzzled him. How could someone like the Princess remain unknown after reaching the second level of the Spiritual World? It just didn't make sense!