Chapter 360: Fierceness of Antiquity

Chapter 360: The Ancient Ferocity

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly.

The altar was not tall, but low and broad, surrounded by a pool of blood—no one knew how much blood had been poured into it, emitting a pungent, metallic stench. The blood encircled the altar, and strange blood-red patterns spread toward its center, winding around the array disk as if nourishing it.

This blood had to be human blood. Who knew how many people had been killed for it? But it didn’t look fresh; the Blood God Sect’s massacres had been rare in recent years, most of it accumulated long ago.

He wondered if offering it to the sacred relic was even useful. Did the relic never lose its temper?

Suppressing his revulsion, Zhao Changhe stepped onto the narrow bridge over the blood pool.

The Blood God Sect’s nature had always been like this; it was already good that things had improved in recent years. Cursing was pointless. If he himself could interpret their doctrines, he might yet steer this force toward the right path.

If you must kill—kill demons, kill alien races—where could you not kill? What prowess was there in striking down civilians?

This could be reformed, perhaps. We’ll see.

With these thoughts passing through his mind, he crossed the blood pool and stood before the array disk.

The disk’s light grew brighter, and the “longing for home” emanating from the blood tablet and bead inside his ring was so intense it nearly burst free from the ring’s confinement, breaking through the barrier.

Zhao Changhe ignored them and examined the disk instead.

He couldn’t tell what material the disk was made of—it looked somewhat like bone, but where could such a massive bone come from?

In fact, the main body was intact, with only the faintest cracks. The so-called damage was mostly in the inlays: missing here, absent there, leaving the surface pitted and the array incomplete. Many of the inlays were bead-like, and he wondered where the bead in his hand was supposed to go.

Since this was an array, missing these components meant it couldn’t function, and naturally it had no power.

At the very center of the disk was a square slot—judging by its shape and size, it was meant for the blood tablet. But it didn’t seem to be part of the array itself; rather, it resembled a key for activation.

Apart from the many missing inlays, the disk’s main body was intact. This must have been the final work of its creator’s life, poured with all their heart and soul, and it clearly contained the creator’s lifelong martial intent. If someone stayed close to it for long, they could certainly comprehend and compile a complete cultivation method from it.

For someone like him, who possessed the Heavenly Book, there was no need to rely on others’ interpretations. With the Heavenly Book’s cheat, he could see it all clearly.

Zhao Changhe closed his eyes and gently reached out to touch the array disk.

His spirit connected with the Heavenly Book, and the scene suddenly changed.

Before him was a cataclysm—earthquakes, mountains collapsing, the sky falling. Rocks flew everywhere, thunder and fire raged, and screams came from far away, though he couldn’t tell who was dying in the upheaval.

In the midst of this apocalyptic vision, a blood-soaked, wounded man sat cross-legged in the center of blood that pooled ankle-deep. His expression was calm as he worked—using a thick-backed single-blade knife, very similar to Sect Leader Xue’s Blood God Blade, as a carving tool to slowly shape the array disk.

He guessed that Sect Leader Xue’s Blood God Blade was probably crafted by a predecessor of the Blood God Sect who had sensed the shape of this knife; it likely wasn’t the same one.

At that moment, the man was carving the disk and placing inlays. The blood and grime on him—whether his own or others’—didn’t matter. Blood flowed from his wounds, dripped into the bloody water on the ground, and was absorbed by the disk, as if he were using his life to complete his final masterpiece.

The collapsing mountains and falling sky didn’t affect him; the disk seemed to emit an invisible barrier, keeping the disaster at bay.

“Bang!” A sound came from outside, as if a barrier had been broken. Someone burst in: “Lie! You stole my clan’s blood-turtle bone, and you dare sit here in the wilderness so brazenly? Do you think my clan has no one?”

That name… no surname, just a single character? Was this how it was in ancient times, or was it unique to this man?

Just as Zhao Changhe had this thought, several figures flashed into view. Before they even arrived, a blade’s aura had already crossed an unimaginable distance, aimed straight at Lie’s neck.

Zhao Changhe broke out in a cold sweat.

Such speed, such a blade, such powerful sword aura! It was like that sword strike Cui Wenjing had delivered from afar.

Were all ancient warriors at Cui Wenjing’s level?

Suddenly, blood light flared.

The Blood God Blade, still carving the disk, transformed into a flash of blood.

The incoming blade aura was shattered, vanishing completely. Several black-clad figures appeared within a few feet, their heads flying off as if fountains had erupted around them.

Lie didn’t turn his head; he continued carving: “Why am I carving this array disk in the wilderness? Because I need you to come and offer sacrifice.”

The blood fountains framed the scene, splashing onto the ground, quickly merging into the bloody water, and continuing to be absorbed by the disk.

The disk’s bone-white color grew even more vivid.

Such murderous intent didn’t need a ferocious face to express; his expression remained calm, yet the brutality soared to the heavens.

Amid the surrounding apocalypse—thunder, fire, mountains crumbling, rivers breaking—it was hell itself.

One of the severed heads hadn’t died yet. Though it had no vocal cords, it somehow spoke: “Your own blood… is also flowing… Are you making yourself… a sacrifice too?”

Lie said calmly, “The sky is about to fall. What difference is there between you and me? The world is a furnace; who isn’t a sacrifice?”

The head: “…”

“At a time like this, who cares about your clan’s blood-turtle bone?” Lie sneered. “Planning to take it to your coffin? A bunch of fools. I simply don’t have the time, or I’d kill you all, just to stop the annoyance.”

The head: “Don’t boast. Your strength isn’t top-tier…”

Lie didn’t stop carving, saying flatly, “So what? I’m enough to kill you.”

The head: “…”

“You say my strength isn’t top-tier, but this strike I used to kill you is top-tier,” Lie said proudly. “This strike will be engraved in the array disk’s intent. If someone else obtains it in the future, they can comprehend an entire blade technique from this strike and the meaning I’ve carved… Perhaps it could be called… the Blood Fiend Blade?”

As those three words fell, the surrounding blood began to churn, as if rejoicing.

The head was incredulous: “You… are still thinking about passing on your legacy? Weren’t you always the one who said you only live one life?”

“People change,” Lie replied calmly. “I was a slave. I comprehended the Dao through countless deadly battles and blood wars. No one helped me, no god blessed me. People only wanted me to work, gods only wanted me to kneel… So I killed them all, both men and gods.”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

Impressive… A slave comprehending the Dao with no teacher? Was it the spiritual energy of the previous era, or was this man simply a genius?

Lie continued, “I forged my own Asura body, cultivated my own killing intent, and aimed to roam freely in this life. No one should stand in my way. What happens after I die—why should I care? Whether you call me Blood God or Blood Demon, praise or blame through the ages—what does it matter to me?”

“…And now?”

“That was ‘don’t provoke me.’ Now it’s ‘I will provoke you.’” Lie looked up at the blood-red sky, and his calm face finally showed the ferocity befitting a “Blood God”: “A sealed heaven, a game of gods and demons. He dies, and the world ceases to exist? On what grounds?”

The head: “?”

It had already stopped understanding.

“Crack…” Lie carved the final stroke, and the array disk blazed with blood light, seemingly complete.

He carefully inserted the various inlays he carried with him, saying, “The world doesn’t need to depend on anyone… If he dies, at most the era collapses, but the world remains. If I survive the collapse of the era by luck, I will personally break this sky. All so-called gods and buddhas can get lost.”

“And if you don’t survive?”

“Then there will be a successor. With my blood, they will tear the sky again!”

“Slap!” As he spoke, Lie inserted the final blood tablet.

At that very moment, the entire wilderness began to collapse. Even the sky split open, with wild thunder and lightning striking madly, hellfire burning across the land.

The corpses, including the head, were instantly incinerated to ash.

At the same time, the array disk’s blood light shot up like a pillar, piercing the heavens.

“Those who call themselves Night Emperor or Sword Emperor, who think themselves gods… Yet when the heavenly Dao crumbles, they all turn to dust.”

Within the blood light, a figure raised his blade and charged toward the cosmos: “No matter what lies beyond the heavenly Dao… At this moment of the world’s collapse, can I not cut through and see?”

“Rumble!”

The entire world turned to blood, and all vision was lost.

After an unknown time, blood rain began to fall from the sky, gently sprinkling the universe.

The shattered formation scattered in all directions, the cracked traces on the array bearing witness to a furious strike against the heavens, like something out of Don Quixote.

Zhao Changhe stood silent.

Old Taoist Yuxu, is this what you meant when you said this demon god wasn't very strong? Perhaps he wasn't so strong before, but at this final moment, he has clearly reached the highest level...

Oh, right... people today think they are demon gods... but in Lie's eyes, the gods and buddhas who should be gone are someone else.

It's very likely that they never existed... the scar of this blade merely records the struggles of ancient humanity.

Zhao Changhe looked down at his own body.

Just now, Lie said something... "I forge my own Asura body."

It seems this Holy Son cannot be denied.