Chapter 362: When Will It Be the Mortal Ranking?

Chapter 362: When Will the Human Rankings?

At this moment, Zhao Changhe truly was the Blood God.

It was in concert with the activated Blood God formation plate; the entire space seethed with an utterly violent energy reaction… blood qi brimming, baleful qi overflowing, its might majestic, its spirit resplendent.

With Lord Xue absent, which of the remaining elders and protectors, at most at the sixth or seventh Mysterious Pass, could withstand the bloody baleful qi that filled the space, all of which he had summoned and commanded? The spiritual intimidation was as if they beheld their own master.

He was also the master of the blood fiend power.

The baleful qi was violent yet did not invade him, bearing a strong resemblance to what the Blood God Sect sought in the later stages of cultivation: becoming the lord of baleful qi.

At the current level of cultivation, every practitioner of the Blood Fiend Art suffered backlash unto a state of blissful agony. Zhao Changhe was no exception. That he had not suffered backlash for a long time was due to Tang Wanzhuang’s technique and the calming effect suppressing it—not that the baleful qi had vanished or ceased to exist… he still needed to use it!

Once he fell into a state where Tang Wanzhuang’s heart method could not take effect—for instance, if he suffered an extremely severe internal injury and could not guard his spiritual platform—then the baleful qi would surely turn violent, making him endure all the backlash he had suppressed for so long in one go.

But at this moment, the illusion given to others was that he had already mastered the world’s baleful qi, all of it obedient to his command.

That was a future realm; Zhao Changhe had only just touched the edge now, yet in the eyes of onlookers, it was already so.

And Zhao Changhe’s body was extremely well-suited to this environment, making him feel as if his power could even double here. His muscles bulged, as thick as a head.

This should have been a matching set… the Blood Asura Body and the Blood Fiend Art. Lie had said, “Forge my Asura body.”

Lie was of slave origin, without any powerful internal cultivation heritage. His Blood Fiend Art was self-realized on the battlefield, relying entirely on his own blood and qi—that was external cultivation.

The essence of external cultivation was actually to transform the body. Its Mysterious Pass stage was a layer-by-layer evolution of muscles and blood qi. By the Secret Treasury stage, the foundation of the body was already laid, and it was time to evolve toward a special Dao body. In ancient times, perhaps heavenly materials and earthly treasures were everywhere, allowing Lie to easily forge a body suited to himself—but now they were gone.

Coupled with the incompleteness of the formation plate, the Blood God Sect had no such thing as the Blood Asura Body. It was said that the Blood God Sect’s inheritance was incomplete, and the truly most missing part was right here. On the contrary, Zhao Changhe, guided by the Heavenly Book, had long since rushed toward the most suitable physique… The main reason he broke through to Secret Treasury more easily than Xue Canghai was precisely here.

That is to say, Lord Xue’s realm had reached Secret Treasury, but the core physique required was not yet complete. Zhao Changhe, on the other hand, had a complete foundation—from the inside out, thoroughly Secret Treasury first level.

In others’ eyes, he was not just a holy son; he was the Blood God reincarnated, no matter how you looked at it.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Xue Canghai, sensing the change in the sacred artifact here, hurried back. As soon as he saw the internal environment, he was overjoyed: “It truly is the Blood God Token! Truly the means to activate the sacred artifact! This power to destroy everything! Enough to shatter the world and turn all into a sea of blood! We shall be invincible, hahaha… uh…”

Zhao Changhe looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Where did this two-dimensional villain come from?

Xue Canghai noticed Zhao Changhe’s wooden expression and felt awkward for a moment. Then he noticed that all his protectors were prostrating themselves, foreheads pressed to the ground, not lifting their heads for a long time, utterly unresponsive to the arrival of their own sect leader—even more awkward.

He coughed twice and asked tentatively, “This is…?”

Zhao Changhe said expressionlessly, “As you see, this is the key item to activate the sacred artifact… Actually, it should not be called the Blood God Token, because Lord Blood God had no faction; he was a lone wanderer. His token had no meaning of commanding anyone, so it cannot be called a ‘token.’ It should be merely a personal keepsake.”

Xue Canghai said, “What it’s called doesn’t matter. The key is whether it truly activated the sacred artifact? Uh, I know the sacred artifact is still missing many things, but at least the crucial inheritance can be reconnected?”

Zhao Changhe said indifferently, “Perhaps it can, but you might have to meditate here for a few years. I wonder if your intelligence is enough to comprehend anything.”

Xue Canghai said excitedly, “With my understanding of the Blood God’s methods, absolutely!”

Zhao Changhe said expressionlessly, “Oh. Then go meditate for a few years.”

Xue Canghai observed his expression and found it very strange: “What does the Holy Son mean…?”

Zhao Changhe tucked his hands into his sleeves: “I have a ready-made one. Do you want it?”

Xue Canghai: “?”

The tall and imposing man unconsciously hunched his back, carefully forcing a smile: “Well… you are already our Holy Son…”

Zhao Changhe still had his hands in his sleeves: “Didn’t you say I could refuse to acknowledge it?”

Xue Canghai wiped his sweat: “This… you also came to comprehend the sacred artifact. We opened the door wide for you. This bond of incense…”

Zhao Changhe sighed: “Lord Xue, I am not trying to hold you hostage.”

Xue Canghai straightened his back slightly: “Then what is the Holy Son’s command?”

“Because I do not wish to pass on the inheritance to an evil, bloodthirsty sect. Even if you curse me for disregarding the bond of incense and showing no mercy, I cannot personally create a group of demons to plague the mortal world.”

“What does this mortal world of grass and weeds have to do with you or me?” Xue Canghai was utterly incredulous: “Why have you cared so much about it since you emerged?”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a long while, then sighed: “Because I am human.”

Xue Canghai: “…You are the Blood God’s spokesperson.”

“But he was human too,” Zhao Changhe said. “Perhaps he was indeed cruel and bloodthirsty, and indeed comprehended supreme cultivation from the path of slaughter, grasping the use of blood and baleful qi… but he did not use it to fulfill base desires for killing, nor did he deliberately cultivate through slaughter. Tracing back to the source is unscientific; one should keep pace with progress.”

Xue Canghai was taken aback.

According to this, our cultivation is not wrong either—it is merely tracing back to the source, moving toward the past that the Blood God himself had already abandoned?

“If you truly regard me as the Holy Son… well, perhaps I really am, at least I truly understand him,” Zhao Changhe said. “If you are willing to let me interpret the meaning of the Blood God and follow it, then I can leave behind the cultivation methods. That is true propagation.”

Xue Canghai was silent for a moment: “That is precisely the Holy Son’s duty.”

“I can change it?”

“Yes.”

“Even if it goes completely against your original path?”

“As long as it is true, it is acceptable.” Xue Canghai said slowly, “What we revere is the Blood God himself, not the interpretation of the first sect leader. But, Young Master Zhao…”

Zhao Changhe let out an “Eh?”

No longer called Holy Son, but back to Young Master Zhao…

Xue Canghai continued: “I believe you can know the true meaning of the Blood God. But how can you make us believe that what you convey is true, and not your own interpretation and modification?”

“Very simple, because you have already verified it yourself.”

Xue Canghai was startled: “What do you mean by that?”

“Your breakthrough earlier—was it not because you had the will to resist adversity?”

“That’s right.”

“Why is the first form of the Blood Fiend Blade called ‘Gods and Buddhas Scatter’? And why can this form be used from the very beginning to the very end, running through the entire cultivation journey? Was he trying to kill himself? No, it is the roar of a rebel. From the lowest slave to becoming a demon god, he struggled all his life. His blade was swung at the strong, whether they were gods or buddhas… from the initial ‘Don’t mess with me’ to the final ‘I will mess with you’!”

Xue Canghai was dumbfounded. What are you saying?

A slave?

“Is being a slave so shameful?” Zhao Changhe glanced at him sideways: “Under the Vermillion Sparrow Venerable, aren’t you much the same?”

Xue Canghai’s face turned red.

“This has already been verified. Believe it or not.” Zhao Changhe paid no more attention to Xue Canghai. He turned and bowed deeply to the formation plate: “But you had better remember his name.”

Xue Canghai said earnestly, “Please instruct us, Holy Son.”

“His name is Lie. I do not know if it is because a slave has no surname, or if it was the custom of antiquity.”

Zhao Changhe lowered his head and gently carved the character “Lie” onto the blood token, his voice so low that only he could hear: “Those I learned by stealth don’t count. I formally studied the Sword Emperor’s techniques, many of the Tang family’s arts, the Azure Dragon’s Return to Spring technique, the Thief Saint’s Crane Control skill, and so on, yet I never felt I was their inheritor. But this senior Blood God truly passed his legacy to me… I will remember your will.”

Even though only he himself could hear, he still kept one sentence unsaid.

For himself, if he truly wanted gods and buddhas to scatter, the first person in his path would be the Blind One.

That was indeed the rebellion he had always hidden in his heart, even now that the Blind One seemed more familiar, it remained unchanged.

No one… has the right to use me as a chess piece.

He did not turn back. Looking at the token, he said in a low voice, “As for the Maitreya Envoy, send him back first. Don’t let him know I am here.”

Xue Canghai subconsciously bowed: “Yes.”

At this moment, a strange sensation welled up within him as well.

Zhao Changhe possessed a peculiar aura; when he issued commands, he truly resembled a ruler who had long occupied a high station. Coupled with the intent of the Blood God, it indeed exerted a powerful suppression over the cultists. Since even he had fallen into such a subconscious reaction, it was no wonder the protectors were still kneeling, looking as though their souls had been captivated and had yet to return.

Yet, he had clearly never held any leadership position—unless a bandit chief counted. Was this an innate disposition?

Xue Canghai suddenly recalled a rumor.

Could he truly be a prince?

Zhao Changhe was currently saying, "I will stay here for a period of time, both to preach the doctrine and to settle my own mind. What does the Cult Master think?"

Xue Canghai replied, "This is fundamentally the Holy Son's home; you ought to stay as long as you like. Why speak of a mere period of time?"

Zhao Changhe turned his head and gave a brilliant smile. "Naturally, there is a benchmark for the timeframe."

Xue Canghai was dazed for a moment. "When?"

"The day Maitreya agrees to dispatch troops with you," Zhao Changhe murmured. "When I killed Fasheng and fled north, the essence of it was still my escape from Jiangnan, lacking the courage to remain within the territory of the Maitreya Sect, unable even to help my friend defend Gusu. Others felt the broadcast of the Chronicle of Troubled Times was soul-stirring, but in truth, it weighs heavily on my own heart."

Xue Canghai was utterly bewildered, unsure why this topic had been raised.

Yet he heard Zhao Changhe continue, "I seized the crown of the Hidden Dragon by vanquishing the enemy in the northern frontiers. My entry into the ranks of the Mortal Rankings shall be found in the pacification of Jiangnan."