NOVPUBWatching the retreating figure of Green Smoke Taoist, Ye Feiyang finally let out a sigh of relief.
The opponent was very strong, at least that was the feeling he gave him; he couldn’t discern the other’s realm.
At this moment, dawn was gradually breaking, and the first light of day spilled over the horizon in the east, casting the first rays of light onto the world.
Clear Water Stronghold activated its Formation, and the seafaring homes slowly rose and floated away, beginning their new journey towards the Eastern Continent.
It was time for Xu Zimei and her group to leave.
Watching the gradually receding outline of the seafaring homes, Xu Zimei knew that they, these people, would continue to travel like this for the rest of their lives.
Eventually, perhaps only one in ten would survive, not until they had circumnavigated the Endless Heaven Sea around the Yuan Central Continent would their voyage be considered complete.
"Now you can take us to the Blood Clan," Xu Zimei said, looking at Shi Yan.
"Stick close to me, the Blood Clan is located in the Netherworld Blood Sea, even we dare not delve deep within," Shi Yan reminded them.
The group set off in the sailing ship, heading north under Shi Yan’s command.
After about half an hour of sailing, the ship finally stopped above a quiet stretch of sea.
Xu Zimei looked around but didn’t notice anything unusual.
The next moment, Shi Yan formed seals with his hands, as if invoking an ancient sign.
As he began to form the seals, ripples started to spread across the surface of the sea.
Countless fathoms of seawater began to churn and surge violently.
"Water Diverting Jue," Xu Zimei murmured, "The Blood Clan is well hidden indeed."
As the vast seawater roiled into the air, it became apparent that the innermost water was blood red in color.
It was as if it were real blood, and a putrid smell wafted from within.
Moreover, the blood seemed monstrous, evil, and bloodthirsty.
It seemed to coagulate all the evils of the world, thickly flowing.
"Is this the entrance to the Netherworld Blood Sea?" asked the Divine Emperor from the side.
"The Netherworld Blood Sea has many entrances; this is just one of them," Shi Yan explained.
When the Sea of Blood revealed itself, its surface boiled, and from within came strange, eerie howls.
"The Sea of Blood has corrosive properties, stay close to me," Shi Yan warned.
He then waved his right hand, and the seal he had just formed became tangible.
It enlarged dozens of times in mid-air, leading straight into the Netherworld Blood Sea, turning into a stream of light that momentarily split the Sea of Blood.
The three of them followed Shi Yan and leaped into the Sea of Blood, where the light formed by the previous seals covered their bodies.
Xu Zimei was surprised to find that all the blood surrounding them was completely kept at bay.
Apparently, the Blood Clan had been living here for so many eras that they had conducted certain studies on the Netherworld Blood Sea.
Their vision was now covered by a sea of red, and their sight was greatly disrupted.
Nevertheless, Xu Zimei could still barely make out the surroundings; many creatures lived in this Sea of Blood.
There were Eight-Clawed Serpents, Blood Longevity Turtles, and schools of Slaughter Fish.
All of them were filthy beings that fed on the rotting corpses of creatures.
These creatures didn’t attack Xu Zimei and the others, seemingly used to their presence; they didn’t even avoid them and swam by brazenly.
Following Shi Yan’s figure, they headed north, where they could vaguely see some structures.
Vast and immense, there were mountain peaks with sharp edges, soaring like giant swords deep into the sea.
There were Giants, chained and struggling to push mountain peaks behind them as they moved laboriously.
There were also fountains of blood surging like fountains in the Sea of Blood, with countless members of the Blood Clan sitting within, pondering something.
The Netherworld Blood Sea was boundless, but the territory of the Blood Clan was equally vast.
"Let me first take you to the territory of our Immortal Bloodline, then we can plan other matters," Shi Ya said.
"Your Blood Clan’s development seems quite impressive," Xu Zimei said with interest.
"When we first came to the Netherworld Blood Sea, we just huddled in one corner. After getting accustomed to life here, we’ve been expanding our territory outward," Shi Ya explained.
The group talked along the way and finally followed Shi Ya to the front of a mountain peak.
Thanks to Shi Ya’s presence, they didn’t encounter any abnormalities with the members of the Blood Clan they met along the way.
Just as humans don’t easily detect the Blood Clan, it’s similarly difficult for the Blood Clan to detect humans.
Unless they enter the battle mode, their bodily changes become more noticeable.
...…
The mountain peak the group approached looked ancient, with its steep terrain and jagged rocks midway up.
Moreover, it seemed that a great war had taken place on this peak, it appeared extremely dangerous, as if it could collapse at any moment.
"Ever since our Immortal Bloodline declined, our territory has been occupied by the other two lineages," Shi Ya said in a low, somber voice.
"Now only this abandoned peak is left, barely enough for the few remaining members of our clan to live on."
The four climbed the mountain, and due to their profound cultivation levels, they reached halfway up in just a few minutes.
The scene at mid-mountain was desolate, with hardly a soul in sight.
"Chun Er, where are you?" Shi Ya shouted halfway up the mountain.
Immediately after, a group of children ran out from the sides of the mountain walls.
There were several dozen children, all looking pale and waxen, evidently suffering from long-term malnutrition.
On seeing Shi Ya, the children cried out "Big Brother Shi Ya" with some joy.
But then their gazes shifted towards Xu Zimei and his companions, becoming cautious in an instant.
"Who are these?" Ye Feiyang asked with an uncomfortable expression.
"The children didn’t participate in the great war; they are the descendants left behind," Shi Ya said.
"The way the clan elders handled things is really disappointing," Ye Feiyang remarked. "No matter how you look at it, they are all part of one clan."
"What does it matter if they are part of the same clan? The struggles within the human race are even more brutal than ours. That they have survived is already quite remarkable."
Shi Ya laughed.
He seemed to take it philosophically, after all, blaming heaven and others was useless.
After dealing with the matter of the children, the group found a secluded cave halfway up the mountain and gathered together.
"What do you want?" Shi Ya asked.
"The Myriad Dao Red Lotus," the Divine Emperor said without mincing words.
"Your appetite is really big, that’s the clan’s treasured relic," Shi Ya said, surprised.
"Just a part of the Myriad Dao Lotus is enough to be considered a treasured relic?" Xu Zimei frowned slightly.
He remembered the Green Lotus of the True Martial Holy Sect just being placed in the Cleansing Sword Pond; it wasn’t that important.
"Do you know where this is?" Shi Ya asked with a smile.
"The Netherworld Blood Sea," the Divine Emperor replied with a frown.
"Wait, the Netherworld Blood Sea, Myriad Dao Red Lotus."
Seeing the Divine Emperor’s expression, Shi Ya chuckled and said, "You understand now, right?"
"No wonder you wanted to come to the Netherworld Blood Sea. Everyone thought you were afraid of the Heavenly Sword Mountain," Xu Zimei said, suddenly realizing.
"I hadn’t expected this level of stratagem."
