Chapter 434: Intelligent Microscopic Probe Insects?

Chapter 434: Intelligent Micro-Detection Bugs?

Under Ziyuan Xiaolu’s guidance, Qi Yuan rode a teleportation array and returned to Ziyuan Heaven.

“The Ancestral Blood Pavilion is where one tests progress in the Ancestral Blood Art. Every day, many from Ziyuan Heaven come here to check their advancement.

Even a fringe cultivator with thin bloodline can become a core figure of the Black Demon Abyss if they reach the sixth layer of the Ancestral Blood Art.

Thus, every cultivator in Ziyuan Heaven, and even the Black Demon Abyss, spends their entire life cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art.”

Ziyuan Xiaolu spoke calmly as she led Qi Yuan, flying across the sky.

Gazing into the distance, black mountains and rivers stretched endlessly, with occasional towns visible.

“Reach the sixth layer, and a serf turns master, singing a new tune?” Qi Yuan said in surprise.

Core figures of the Black Demon Abyss enjoyed various privileges.

Back in the Fifth Heaven, the snitch Qi Yuan had encountered was a Mythical cultivator, yet he had always striven to become a core figure of the Black Demon Abyss.

Of course, though Qi Yuan had also reported An Xunlu this time, his report was righteous, so he couldn’t be called a snitch—rather, a righteous reporter.

“But we demon seeds have no such restrictions. Below the Yang God realm, we hold the highest status!” Ziyuan Xiaolu explained to Qi Yuan.

In Ziyuan Heaven, more than half of each generation’s demon seeds could step into the Yang God realm.

“If we pay the price, we can even invite Yang God Celestial Venerables to act for us!” Ziyuan Xiaolu’s face lit up with excitement.

Yang God Celestial Venerables were towering mountains.

For a Yin God to invite a Yang God to act was unimaginable below the Sixth Heaven.

“Oh, with three sentences, I could make four thousand Yang Gods spend thirty billion for me!” Qi Yuan wasn’t particularly impressed by Ziyuan Xiaolu’s words.

Ziyuan Xiaolu opened her mouth, forming an “O” like a bubble-milk-tea expression.

Their figures landed near the Ancestral Blood Pavilion.

It was less a pavilion and more an Ancestral Blood Nation.

A massive walled city stretched for countless miles; at a glance, the living beings numbered over a hundred million.

And these living beings were all cultivators.

Without enough space and sufficient spiritual energy, cultivation progress would be slow.

Many were natives, locals.

But even more came from various realms under Ziyuan Heaven.

Ziyuan Heaven governed six hundred worlds in total.

Every day, a flood of cultivators came for Ancestral Blood tests.

The scene was somewhat like candidates on Blue Star taking the imperial exams.

One layer of the Ancestral Blood Art could make one a person above others in their own world.

“The Black Demon Abyss truly lives up to being a major power of the Sixth Heaven—Zifu cultivators are as common as dogs!”

Qi Yuan swept his gaze and, before even looking closely, spotted thousands of Zifu cultivators.

He himself was a Zifu realm cultivator, feeling a bit insecure.

Inside the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, stretching for unknown miles, many cultivators queued for testing.

Looking out, it resembled a black dragon.

Many cultivators looked excited, clenching their fists.

Some youths appeared dazed, their spirits somewhat lost.

That was only natural.

In the kingdom they once belonged to, they might have been among the top ten prodigies; in their world, ranked in the top three hundred—dragons and phoenixes among men.

But here at the Ancestral Blood Pavilion of Ziyuan Heaven, someone like them… was just common cabbage.

The strong were as common as dogs.

Even prodigies had to line up in the bustling queue.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan felt deeply moved.

Great places had so many prodigies.

Pick anyone from down there, and they could probably thrash Senior Brother Kang Fulu.

Thus, sometimes, birth mattered a lot.

“This queue would take until the Year of the Monkey?” Qi Yuan clicked his tongue.

Honestly, he didn’t want to queue.

But his morals and worldview told him to be fair and just, to stand in line.

It felt like he’d run into Sister Bullhorn.

He needed to comprehend some truth to patch this shortcoming.

“Senior Brother Blood Robe, we are demon seeds—no need to queue. Follow me.”

Ziyuan Xiaolu said with a smile.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan blinked.

Such good fortune?

No queue—his mood lightened.

But… deep down…

Qi Yuan suddenly admired some of his fellow countrymen from Blue Star.

They could automatically adjust their worldview to suit their own benefit.

If he comprehended such a truth, wouldn’t he be invincible?

“Let’s go!” Qi Yuan said softly.

The two turned into streaks of light, swaggering toward the Ancestral Blood Pavilion.

The cultivators queuing below looked on with curiosity.

“How can they fly directly?”

“Those are demon seeds—the ones with the strongest bloodlines in all of Ziyuan Heaven!”

“I never thought I’d have the chance to see demon seeds in this life.”

Under the gaze of the crowd, Qi Yuan and Ziyuan Xiaolu arrived at the Ancestral Blood Pavilion.

As they landed, a white-haired old man scurried over to greet them, his expression especially kind: “Greetings to the two demon seeds!”

“Mm, I’m here to test my progress in the Ancestral Blood Art and convert it into contributions.” Qi Yuan was direct, unwilling to waste time here.

The old man bowed his hunched body: “Demon Seed Highness, please follow me.”

Ziyuan Xiaolu did not follow inside.

Stepping into the testing grounds of the Ancestral Blood Hall, Qi Yuan’s expression was calm as he swept his gaze around.

Unlike the imagined wisps of immortal mist, the atmosphere within the Ancestral Blood Hall was somber, dim, and blood-red.

A massive crimson chandelier hung, grotesquely bizarre.

A river of blood split the room in two.

Within that blood river, Qi Yuan’s eyes caught sight of countless tiny creatures.

These creatures were no larger than bacteria.

Dense and packed, they seemed almost alive.

“Please, Your Highness the Demon Prince, channel the blood spirit aura of the Ancestral Blood Art you cultivate into the blood river.

The blood spirits within the river will sense Your Highness’s blood and thus determine how many layers you have reached.”

The old man spoke in a low voice, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation.

This Demon Prince seemed to have arrived at the Black Demon Abyss less than half a year ago.

He had been cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art for only a short time, yet he came for the test.

This made the old man sigh inwardly—no wonder the other was a Demon Prince, while he was just a gatekeeper.

He himself had spent a full ten years cultivating the Ancestral Blood Art before barely reaching the first layer.

Compared to those Demon Princes, it was still quite impressive.

This blood-robed Demon Prince had cultivated for less than half a year… now, the first layer? Or the second? Or perhaps… the legendary third?

After a moment’s thought, he shook his head.

Black Sword had reached the third layer in half a month and the fourth in three months.

That was the fastest record in the entire history of the Black Demon Abyss.

Aside from Black Sword, no one had ever reached the third layer within a year.

Even ordinary Demon Princes took about a year to enter the first layer.

So he estimated that the blood-robed Demon Prince was most likely at the first layer, with a small chance of the second.

Qi Yuan listened to the old man’s explanation, his gaze falling upon the strange creatures in the blood river, a look of surprise in his eyes.

[Intelligent micro-detection bugs, capable of detecting the cultivation progress of the Ancestral Blood Art.

Network connection is in a fractured, floating state.]

His eyes perceived a different aura from the blood spirits.

This talk—how was it somewhat sci-fi?

Didn’t it match the immortal path?

No, that wasn’t quite right either.

Because the immortal path and sci-fi, in a certain sense, lead to the same destination.

“Where did this blood river come from?” Qi Yuan asked curiously.

The old man looked puzzled: “This… this old man does not know.”

“Could you give me a bit? My home is too empty, I have no pets.” Qi Yuan reached out his hand to ask for something.

This put the old man in a difficult spot.

Finally, he gritted his teeth: “Alright, but only a tiny bit.”

“Many thanks, here’s a Good Person Card for you.”

As Qi Yuan spoke, he pulled a card from his bosom, took up a brush, and wrote the three characters “Good Person Card” on it.

“Look, your Good Person Certificate!”

Seeing this, the old man was caught between laughter and tears, but he accepted the “Good Person Card”: “Thank you for the gift, Your Highness the Demon Prince.” When His Highness ascends to become the Yang God Celestial Venerable, his ink marks… might be worth something, right?

The old man spoke, waved his hand, gathered the blood river water, and placed it into a golden bowl.

A small golden bowl, yet the water it held weighed ten thousand jin.

“Is it enough?” the old man asked cautiously.

He was actually a bit puzzled—someone was interested in this blood river?

Apart from testing the progress of the Ancestral Blood Art, this blood river had no other use.

“Enough.” Qi Yuan accepted the golden bowl.

“Alright, I’ll take the test now.”

As Qi Yuan spoke, he began to circulate the Ancestral Blood Art.

His thoughts also wandered.

Should he conceal something?

Generally, cultivators would hide their true abilities.

Then, he shook his head.

Hide my ass.

He very much wanted to tell the old ancestor of the Purple Fate Heaven: Fight with ancestral blood!

He needed to quickly improve his cultivation and increase his ability to protect himself.

Without further thought, Qi Yuan’s Ancestral Blood Art spun wildly.

The old man watched intently, his eyes fixed on the blood river, a look of anticipation in them.

About a breath of time passed, and the old man’s eyes lit up: “One pillar of blood rises without diminishing—Your Highness the Demon Prince is indeed beyond the first layer, still surging toward the second.”

Seeing this, the old man was convinced in his heart.

How could the gap between people be so vast?

Entering the second layer in half a year—this speed, in the entire Black Demon Abyss, could rank in the top ten, right?

He felt a sense of witnessing history.

Geniuses emerge in succession.

The Purple Fate Heaven was about to produce a true genius.

But in the next breath, his eyes widened: “It’s… three pillars!”

There, in the blood river, three pillars of blood sprayed forth.

This blood-robed Demon Prince… was truly the first beneath Black Sword.

Aside from Black Sword, no one in the Black Demon Abyss had ever entered the third layer within a year.

No wonder rumors outside said the old ancestor intended to pit the blood robe against Black Sword.

At first, the old man thought it was a bit far-fetched.

To use an improper analogy: if the Demon Prince was a genius seen once in ten thousand years, then Black Sword was a genius seen once in a trillion years.

He believed the Blood Robe surpassed the other demon seeds and eclipsed the Ice Sword, yet he did not believe he could match the height of the Black Sword.

But at this very moment...

His breathing turned ragged.

The Old Ancestor possessed brilliant foresight indeed.

However, once his agitation began, it could not be contained.

For the river of blood before his eyes was bubbling up furiously, frame by frame.

Pillar after pillar of blood surged upward in a frenzy.

When the third pillar ceased, a fourth appeared, then a fifth!

The old man froze, utterly struck with awe.

He gazed at the river of blood before him with an expression of sheer disbelief, his mind completely blank.

"Seven... pillars?"

His eyes widened, his pupils dilating as his thoughts descended into chaos.

How could there be seven pillars!

This was the seventh layer!

To cultivate the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method" to the seventh layer meant that without any further effort, even if one slept every single day, provided there were enough resources, one would step directly into the Yang God Realm after a hundred thousand years had passed.

The seventh layer was a watershed.

Among all the demon seeds currently in the Nine Heavens, those who had cultivated the Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method to the seventh layer could be counted on a single hand.

Now, another was to be added to their number.

Yet the time they had spent cultivating the Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method... was all measured in tens of thousands of years.

And the result here...

The Blood Robe had taken a mere half a year?

The old man was utterly stupefied, or perhaps he simply no longer knew how to react.

"Stop gasping for air, I already feel this room getting a bit warm; it's the seventh layer now, hurry up and exchange it for my contribution points!"

Qi Yuan extended his hand, beginning to demand his contribution points.

After all, he still needed to attend the Great Discussion of Ultimate Truths.

These words startled the old man back to reality.

This was the first time he had ever encountered such a situation.

After all, in less than half a year, the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method" had reached the seventh layer.

This was far too shocking to the world.

It was no less absurd than the Old Ancestor being killed by the flatulence of a three-year-old toddler.

"This... according to the procedure, this old servant must report upward," the old man said with great difficulty.

The scene before him was too exaggerated, too dreamlike, as if it were fake.

It was just like on Planet Blue, if your neighbor told you he won the first prize in the lottery with a payout of a trillion, you probably wouldn't accept it either, finding it too preposterous.

The old man dared not question it; this matter required reporting upward.

As the one in charge of the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, he possessed a power ordinary people did not: the ability to transmit information from within the Ancestral Blood Pavilion directly to the Old Ancestor.

As he spoke, he produced a stick of black incense and swiftly lit it.

Within the Black Demon Abyss, the color black reigned supreme.

Black incense represented the highest tier of information.

After lighting it, the old man felt somewhat anxious, staring at those seven pillars of blood with a dazed expression.

Beyond the canopy of heaven.

Ancestor Zi Yuan was refining the Black Demon Ancestral Blood, and after a brief moment, a look of worry appeared on his face.

"Alas, I cannot cultivate any further; the Root Demon Tribulation is drawing near. With my current cultivation level, I fear I will not survive the next Root Demon Tribulation."

When experts of the Ultimate Truth Realm increased their cultivation, they would face the Root Demon Tribulation.

The Root Demon Tribulation would only grow stronger and stronger.

If the grade of the Ultimate Truth one comprehended was too low, when facing the Root Demon Tribulation, it was very easy to perish within the Sea of Root Demons.

Among Yang Gods of the Ultimate Truth Realm, very few died in battle; most perished within the Root Demon Tribulation.

Even some experts of the Great Ultimate Truth Realm had fallen to the Root Demon Tribulation.

Only a Great Ultimate Truth expert who mastered a supreme ultimate truth would not walk on such thin ice when facing the Root Demon Tribulation.

"Is this old man's limit truly only three tribulations?" Ancestor Zi Yuan lamented.

Within the Great Ultimate Truth Realm, he had only survived three Root Demon Tribulations.

Aside from the Supreme Elder, not a single one of the remaining Great Ultimate Truth experts had survived four tribulations.

"The Linya Molting is also approaching, it is better not to cultivate. Ah, it is truly difficult to be a Great Ultimate Truth expert," Ancestor Zi Yuan sighed, and then, remembering something, he spoke with dissatisfaction, "With this dog brain of mine, why did I have to comprehend an ultimate truth of this particular grade?"

And at that moment, a wisp of faint black smoke arose outside.

Ancestor Zi Yuan's attention was drawn slightly toward it.

"Message from the Ancestral Blood Pavilion..."

His thoughts revolved a myriad times.

"Could it be that a genius has emerged, or perhaps... the Blood Robe went to be tested?"

After some thought, the likelihood of the Blood Robe taking the test was the greatest.

An expectant look appeared in his eyes: "Will it be the third layer, or perhaps even the fourth layer?"

He held very high expectations for the Blood Robe.

The Black Sword and the Black Demon Ancestral Blood shared the same origin; it was only normal that the Blood Robe could not compare to the Black Sword in cultivating the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method," but as long as the gap was not too vast, he could accept it.

His hand came to rest upon the black incense.

His eyes rolled for a brief moment.

"The seventh layer?!"

For a time, he was somewhat stupefied.

Three months... the seventh layer?

Are you even human!

The Blood Robe had never cultivated the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method" before; this he could be absolutely certain of.

Three months to reach the seventh layer.

This was no longer a case of him cultivating the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method," but rather the "Ancestral Blood Cultivation Method" begging him to cultivate it, wasn't it!

Ziyuan Ancestor waved his hand, and the scene within the Ancestral Blood Pavilion appeared before him.

Seven pillars of blood, dazzling beyond compare!

This proved that the Blood Robe had truly stepped into the seventh layer within three months.

He stared at Qi Yuan, his expression shaken, then burst into wild joy: "Bullshit Linya's Shedding, bullshit Sixth Heaven—I, your lord, am done serving!"

The one he would serve... was naturally the one before him.

Thinking of something, the Great Principle within him spun wildly.

He would intercept and obliterate this piece of heavenly secret!

PS: Starting tomorrow, eight thousand words every day this month!

That's right, this sentence is not for readers to see—it's to motivate myself!

(End of this chapter)