Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Zhang Ruochen had received many treasures in the netherworld. Each one was worth entire fortunes, especially the divine blood, the Shenwan Fruit, the Divine Blood-red Earth, etc. Selling a tiny bit would be enough to buy a Divine Origin Pill.
With his current wealth, he’d even surpassed some influential saint families.
Murong Yue’s eyes darkened. “The Black Market of the Yuan Mansion probably doesn’t have any third class Divine Origin Pills. If you really want it, you’ll have to wait some time. If I send the message to the main base of the Black Market in the state of Tiantai, they will naturally escort the Divine Origin Pill over.”
“How long will it take?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“It’ll take at least three months,” Murong Yue said. “After all, all Half-Saints would fight over the Divine Origin Pill. It’s already a difficult task to bring it out to sell. Plus, even if the Divine Origin Pill appears on the market, it’ll be taken to the auction before being transported to the Black Markets of the various counties.”
Zhang Ruochen understood this. After all, only a top-tier auction could get the Divine Origin Pill’s price to the highest level.
Things were already unfair to an independent cultivator. If they wanted to get cultivation resources, they had to risk their lives. This was because some sects had monopolized the resources. Some things were difficult to buy even if they had money.
If Zhang Ruochen was still at a Saint Academy or Yin and Yang Sect, he would have a chance to receive a Divine Origin Pill with his talent. He wouldn’t have to wrack his mind for ways to enter a higher cultivation level.
“Three months… I can’t wait that long.” Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brow tightly. “It seems like I’ll have to personally visit the main Black Market in the state of Tiantai.”
The state of Tiantai was one of the nine states in the Central Region. It was vast and had rich resources. Families and sects were spread across the land. It had been part of the Sacred Central Empire.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen was quite familiar with the Zhouwan Divine Land in the heart of the state of Tiantai. The Zhouwan Divine Land had basically been the number one gathering spot for Monks of the Sacred Central Empire, other than the Royal Capital. A city hadn’t been established there, but it was more prosperous than any other city. The martial arts there flourished and had many hidden strong figures.
It was also the hub for resources, wealth, strong cultivators, and beauties of the entire state of Tiantai. As long as one had enough saint stones, one could buy anything.
The main base of Tiantai’s Black Market was in the Zhouwan Divine Land.
Murong Yue also agreed with Zhang Ruochen going there personally to bid for the Divine Origin Pill. This way, he could save a lot of time and also buy pills of other levels.
Murong Yue’s heart jumped as she thought of something else. “A big event happened recently. Perhaps you will be interested.”
“What is it?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“Not long ago, a conflict occurred in the Zhouwan Divine Land,” Murong Yue said. “It was bloody and countless human Monks died. It was comparable to the disaster at the Yuan Mansion.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression turned serious. “Why?” he asked.
“I heard it had something to do with the Vampire Secrets. The imperial court, Confucius Way, Shang Guan clan, Immortal Vampires, Blood God Sect, and even some clans and saint families were involved. More than half of the top forces in the entire state of Tiantai had acted.”
Zhang Ruochen was interested. “What is it with the Vampire Secrets?”
“I’m not sure.” Murong Yue shook her head. “The battle was extremely intense and involved many people. However, very few people actually know the details. Every force had different losses from the battle. Of course, the most shocking one has to be the death of the Saint Lady.”
“How is that possible?” Zhang Ruochen’s expression changed. It was like a bolt from the blue. “The Saint Lady has fallen? How could she…”
The Saint Lady had overflowing skills and extraordinary talent. She was comparable to the people on the Five Heroes List. Plus, she had countless defense treasures.
Zhang Ruochen couldn’t believe that she could die.
“The details from the various sides are unclear,” Murong Yue said. “I only heard rumors. At that time, the Saint Lady went to the Shang Guan clan alone. She requested to see Shangguan Que, the old patriarch, to see the Vampire Secrets.”
“But when she left, she was stopped by the Vampires. That was how the entire conflict started. Many forces all wanted the Vampire Secrets, so they all got involved.”
“The last battle took place on the Blood God Sect’s land. Some people saw a Blood King of the Vampires pierce the Saint Lady’s defensive treasure. She was turned into a bloodied corpse and fell into a Bottomless Abyss.”
“The Saint Lady was indeed powerful and at the Saint level, but she was still only a cultivator of the Spiritual Power. Her physical body was still extremely fragile. Once she was hit, death was imminent. Plus, she’d fallen into something as hopeless as the Bottomless Abyss. It’s even less possible for her to survive.”
Zhang Ruochen clenched his fists tightly. “The…Bottomless…Abyss…” he gritted out.
He was very familiar with the Bottomless Abyss.
Back then, the undefeatable Blood Empress had forced Zhang Ruochen’s father into the Bottomless Abyss. He never returned to the Kunlun’s Field. It was said that the Bottomless Abyss really had no bottom. No one could return from it, even a god.
“She’d gone to the Shang Guan Clan because she’d heard what I’d said. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have died.”
Zhang Ruochen felt very guilty. His heart was in pain.
The Saint Lady’s beautiful figure appeared in his mind. She was filled with a scholarly aura. She was both graceful and warm. Probably only she was qualified to be called a “saint lady.”
“No, the Saint Lady has a very good fate. How can she die just like this?” Zhang Ruochen clenched his jaw. His heart hurt so much. He couldn’t accept this. “I will visit the Bottomless Abyss,” he said. “I must go no matter what.”
Murong Yue had long guessed that Zhang Ruochen had a special relationship with the Saint Lady. She wasn’t surprised at Zhang Ruochen’s decision.
However, she couldn’t let him take this risk. “The Bottomless Abyss is a place of death for all living things,” she immediately warned. “Even a Saint doesn’t dare approach it. Please reconsider.”
When she saw that Zhang Ruochen was unmoved, she continued, “The Blood God Sect has already sealed all the land around the Bottomless Abyss. Even a strong fighter from the Confucius Way or imperial court will be stopped if they go. If you force your way into it, you’ll definitely attract misfortune. You might even…lose your life.”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes hardened. “Why did the Blood God Sect seal the Bottomless Abyss?”
Murong Yue shook her head. “I’m not sure what happened. I just heard that their actions were a bit strange in the fight for the Vampire Secrets. They seem to be very close to the Vampires.”
She kept her words vague, but Zhang Ruochen still understood. The Blood God Sect and Vampires might have some unspeakable secrets.
Murong Yue continued, “Of course, it’s also possible that the Bottomless Abyss hides some secret, so they blocked it from outsiders.”
Zhang Ruochen already heard about the Blood God Sect 800 years ago. It wasn’t unfamiliar to him at all.
The Blood God Sect was a powerful force from the middle ages. Their influence in the state of Tiantai was second only to the Taichi Way. Even the imperial court wouldn’t start a fight with them brashly.
Once a fight began, it would definitely create rivers of blood and piles of corpses.
Zhang Ruochen had recovered gradually and began to think seriously. “This is why it’s even more imperative for me to make a visit.”
Murong Yue said, “But…”
Zhang Ruochen cut her off with an insistent gaze. He continued, “If I remember correctly, the Blood God Sect has a tight relationship with the Black Market. Do you have a way for me to infiltrate them?”
Murong Yue saw that Zhang Ruochen had made up his mind so she gave up persuading him. “A regular person has no chance of infiltrating the Blood God Sect with their strict defenses. However, you’re skilled in transformation skills. It may be possible.”
“But if you transform into an average Monk, you’ll have no chance of entering the top level of the sect. That way, you won’t have the opportunity to see their secrets. But if you transform into someone from the top level, it’ll be much easier to reveal flaws. That is also very dangerous. Both choices are difficult…”
Kaboom!
A huge explosion came from outside the mansion. Even the ground trembled.
Next, a deafening roar sounded. “You hurt the Blood Dragon Prince. You think you can hide from the Blood Dragon Hall by hiding in here?”
Zhang Ruochen and Murong Yue exchanged glances. They stopped talking and flew up together. They landed at the top of a tower. Standing on the tiles, they looked in the direction of the voice.
The defensive formation around the mansion was under a saint weapon’s attack. It showed completely, forming a layer of white light that wrapped around the entire mansion.
The mansion was surrounded by Monks from the Blood Dragon Hall. People clad in blood-red robes filled the streets and stood atop the roofs. Each one radiated with icy auras.
Some powerful figures even rode savage beasts and hovered in the air. They sealed the sky as well so Zhang Ruochen’s group couldn’t escape.
“They came pretty quickly,” Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself.
A few stronger elders walked out of the mansion, gathering below Murong Yue and Zhang Ruochen. They were the strong cultivators Murong Yue had brought over from the Eastern Region. Most of them were elders of the Murong Clan and were very loyal to her.
All of them were top figures. They didn’t fear the Monks of the Blood Dragon Hall at all. If Murong Yue said the word, they could walk out immediately and massacre all those Monks.
However, Murong Yue’s eyes brightened now. “Lord, I thought of something. It might allow you to enter the Blood God Sect silently and even have a chance to become part of the top level.”
“What?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Murong Yue pointed at the Blood Dragon Hall cultivator outside the mansion. “The Blood Dragon Hall is a branch of the Blood God Sect. They’re known as the Blood God Sect’s representatives in the Yuan Mansion. Gu Yan, Lord of the Blood Dragon Hall, is the disciple of Discipline King Haiming, one of the four Discipline Kings of the Blood God Sect. The Blood Dragon Prince is Discipline King Haiming’s grand-disciple.”
