The crimson and azure thunder interwove, dyeing the entire firmament, leaving only a constant erosion and transformation of purple-tinted green and blood red.
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
The successive collisions erupted in the sky, with endless waves of blood surging incessantly, each one seemingly capable of devouring everything, shattering the void.
Purple-green thunder flickered, surrounded by the Four Seasons and Five Orders, and layers upon layers of thunder patterns shone, forming a barrier around Pei Xuanjing, just like the Innate Thunder Gang Qi from before, fending off the erosion of the Sea of Blood.
The Jade Ruyi vanished, the Six-Color Sword appeared in his hand, and Pei Xuanjing's might was like that of a prison, like a god king, upright and majestic, powerful and brilliant, cleaving through space.
Beneath his feet, ripples of thunder spread out, each sword strike capable of shattering stars, formidable and piercing, annihilating myriad laws.
The Blood Fiend Ancestor's combat power was overwhelming; the Blood Spike in his hand flickered in and out of visibility, with each appearance bringing an extremely terrifying strike. His figure was omnipresent in the Sea of Blood, a killing intent pervading the skies and striking directly at the Divine Soul.
With their clash, the entire firmament shook, far exceeding the scale of the battle from not long ago when Bai Qicang challenged the Blood Fiend Ancestor.
"The Blood Path is mighty; the Blood Fiend Ancestor truly is a giant of the Demonic Way, never expected that the pair of Blood Spikes in his hands is almost transformed into Immortal Artifacts," muttered Daoist Xuantian, his figure hidden in the distance, looking at the avatars of the two True Immortals clashing. Even his usually composed demeanor revealed a shock.
He realized that in recent years he had paid too much attention to the threat posed by the rise of the Sword Sect to the leader of the Xuantian Sect on the Righteous Path, overlooking these old demons of the Demonic Way.
It's known that in these years the power of the Righteous Path has been increasing, while the Demonic Way has been weakening, leading to a somewhat neglectful attitude towards the Demonic Way by the various factions of the Righteous Path; yet unexpectedly, the power of this old demon was so terrifying.
Now, not to mention anything else, just the transformation of the pair of Blood Spikes in the other's hands is far beyond the Xuantian Banner in the hands of Daoist Xuantian.
For a True Immortal, apart from their divine abilities, Immortal Artifacts are also part of their combat power, and for most True Immortals, it's only with Immortal Artifacts that they can fully manifest their power.
"The Xuantian Banner handed down in my Xuantian Sect, which was refined by countless generations of powerhouses and consecrated with the power of the entire sect upon my ascension to True Immortal, seems not as powerful as this old demon's Blood Spikes," Daoist Xuantian's eyes flashed with suspicion.
He now began to doubt the identity of this old demon; it seemed not as simple as previously shown.
This was the concern that the Blood Fiend Ancestor harbored; once he took action, all that was revealed would undoubtedly be exposed to the eyes of others, impossible to hide.
"I thought that after a hundred years of reclusion, my Sword Way had undergone a transformation, yet it never occurred to me that this True Monarch's progress is by no means inferior to mine," said the Sword Emperor, standing with hands clasped on Sword Mountain amidst rows of swords, his tranquil face showing a trace of emotion.
He had secluded himself for over a hundred years and finally pushed his Sword Way to the Immortal Dao Realm, creating a script of Immortal Dao Swordsmanship for the Sword Sect, which pleased and filled him with pride. However, at this moment, the Sword Way displayed by Pei Xuanjing seemed to have also stepped into the same realm.
"Could it be that this True Monarch has abandoned the essentials to pursue the trivial, forsaking the Thunder Path in this reclusion to instead diligently study Swordsmanship?" the Sword Emperor speculated incredulously in his heart.
Unlike himself, who focused solely on Swordsmanship, True Monarch Shen Xiao mastered various complicated skills but was known for his advancement to the True Immortal Realm with the Dao of Spirit Immortals at the core, currently founded on the Thunder Path, to further perfect his authority.
Now, witnessing the display of Immortal Dao Swordsmanship from the other party clashing with the Blood Fiend Ancestor, the Sword Emperor couldn't help but wonder whether the other had gone mad, forsaking the Thunder Path to immerse in Swordsmanship, or had he not only advanced the Thunder Path to the Immortal Dao Realm but also found the time to advance Swordsmanship to the same level.
Beyond these two possibilities, the Sword Emperor could think of no other reasons.
Not only the Sword Emperor, even Heavenly Mechanism Daoist was utterly shocked by Pei Xuanjing's performance.
It's known that Heavenly Mechanism Daoist excels in the art of prophetic abilities, and he can nearly claim to know everything under the heavens; it seems there are no secrets from him.
That's why the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist established the Sky Mechanism Pavilion to sell information and refrained from involving himself in any disputes between forces; otherwise, with his abilities, he would likely have already drawn the wariness and strikes of countless supreme powerhouses.
After all, while the Sky Wasteland can tolerate the existence of someone proficient in the art of prophetic abilities, it cannot allow someone who can interfere in the powers at will.
After ascending to True Immortal, not only did the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist's power increase, but his ability in prophetic calculation also became much stronger.
At this moment, as he watched Pei Xuanjing and the Blood Fiend Ancestor clash, he too was continuously calculating the prophetic trajectories in his heart.
"Strange, as for that old demon, the Blood Fiend, I can discern something, but regarding this Shen Xiao True Monarch, everything seems veiled in fog, all obscured, beyond my calculations, no trace to be seen," murmured the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist, with the Yi Dao Treasure laid out before him, yet his brows remained deeply furrowed.
To a master of the art of prophetic abilities, divining the future also depended on context. For instance, for ordinary cultivators, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist wouldn't need to put much effort into it; a glance would suffice to allow him to see mostly everything.
However, when dealing with powerhouses of the same realm or those Fortunate Ones with thick Qi Luck, even if their power was weaker than his own, he still had to pay a certain price to calculate their trajectories.
That's why he wouldn't casually calculate these matters. Of course, whether this was truly the case or just an explanation provided to the many powerhouses was a secret known only to the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist.
Before the two worlds had merged and the Ancestral Land had awakened, upon hearing the name Pei Xuanjing, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist once tried to prognosticate his future. But the result was the same as now, a grey blur, with no trace of the subject's trajectory to be seen.
Of course, even without any results from the prognostication, it was completely sufficient for a sage like the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist. At the very least, it made it clear that Pei Xuanjing was someone beyond his sight, and naturally, he harbored great wariness in his heart.
For that reason, not only did he not participate in the Shenxiao Dao Debating Conference at that time, he also did not visit Pei Xuanjing even when Heaven and Earth Ascension occurred.
He even avoided excessive contact with Pei Xuanjing to the extent that he did not deliberately target Bai Xiaosheng, the traitor in the Ancestral Land, to prevent entanglement with him.
"Even if he's a Fortunate One from the awakening of the Ancestral Land, the ascension of Heaven and Earth has already been completed. Why does the will of Heaven and Earth still occupy so much, and the Qi Luck hasn't dissipated?" the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist wondered perplexedly.
As a powerhouse who excelled at and was wise in the mysteries of heaven, and having lived for an unknown number of years, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist had seen countless Fortunate Ones rise with the favor of the Will of Heaven and Earth added to them.
But, those people carrying great Qi Luck, even if they did not fall in calamities, would have their Qi Luck and the Will of Heaven and Earth gradually diminish, eventually becoming ordinary.
This was the normal course of events, but the True Monarch Shenxiao was an exception.
Based on the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist's earlier prognostications, he guessed that the prophecy about the emergence of a person with great Qi Luck upon the awakening of the Ancestral Land to become immortal in the Great World referred to this True Monarch Shenxiao.
But now that Heaven and Earth had ascended, it was expected that as a True Immortal, he would receive a certain divine favor from the Will of Heaven and Earth. But, he should not have received favor to such an extent.
"Even after gaining the position of the Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life and being favored by the Will of Heaven and Earth, it should not be to the degree that I, an old Daoist, can't detect a trace of his destiny's path," the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist was confident in his proficiency of the Heavenly Mechanism.
What's more, at this moment, his predictions were not mere routine exercises. He had brought out all his auxiliary magical weapons and despite the subject's position being reinforced, it should not be so vague that he could detect nothing at all.
"This True Monarch Shenxiao surely has some great secret," a sharp light flashed in the eyes of the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist as he came to a judgement.
However, having reached a conclusion and aware of the secret the other party carried, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist had no thoughts of pursuing it.
Among the cultivators in this world, which powerful individual did not have secrets? If he tried to pry into every secret, he would work himself to death.
Moreover, the most important thing to note was that his most reliable Heavenly Mechanism could not detect any trace of the other's path, plotting against the other's secret would undoubtedly be seeking his own demise.
Therefore, the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist simply made a mental note not to become an enemy of True Monarch Shenxiao, without any further designs.
After all, it was likewise that Pei Xuanjing, carrying a Life Simulator, went through a cycle of reincarnation in just over a hundred years and integrated the cultivation experiences of the Human Immortal Martial Lunatic and the Ghost Immortal Three Treasures Daoist, something that no one could have anticipated.
For the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist, while he could calculate everything under the heavens, he was limited to within the confines of the Daming World and had no understanding of the other vast worlds within Chaos.
Furthermore, the world that Pei Xuanjing experienced in the Life Simulator's cycle of reincarnation was also a mere speculation. Whether it truly existed in the Chaos Void remained uncertain.
In the Demon Domain, many Demon Tribe True Immortals gathered together, just in time to see the Fox King project an illusion showing the fight between Blood Fiend Ancestor and Pei Xuanjing.
"True Monarch Shenxiao!"
Observing the actions of True Monarch Shenxiao, even the Celestial Ape King, who was always overbearing and contemptuous of his peers, couldn't help but show a rare expression of apprehension on his face. He fiddled with the Semi-Immortal Artifact, the Golden Cudgel, in his hands, his eyes flashing with divine light, brimming with a desire to fight.
Last time, when many True Immortals made their move, seizing the Creation Profound Mystery, he had the misfortune of encountering this True Monarch Shenxiao. Not only did he return without any success, but he also lost an avatar, which to the Celestial Ape King was not only a loss of power but also a loss of face, likely drawing secret ridicule from many in the Demon Tribe.
"`
One should know that as an existence that once contended with the Lion Emperor for the Position of Demon Emperor, the Celestial Ape King's power was almost on par with that of the Lion Emperor. Of course, his violent and overbearing nature meant that he lacked supporters among the Demon Race.
Now that he has returned in a sorry state, it naturally provokes the mockery of many Demon Tribe True Immortals.
If it hadn't been for the fact that the Lion Emperor had sustained no small injury from fighting two opponents at the time and had no spare energy to target him, the life of the Celestial Ape King would have been even more difficult.
Now that his wounds have healed and his power has increased further, he was preparing to find an opportunity to take revenge on True Monarch Shenxiao.
But today, having seen the exchange between them, despite the Celestial Ape King's battle spirit remaining high, he was also clear that the other party had made progress during these hundred years, and far greater progress than his own.
It could be said that in the course of a hundred years, not only had he not narrowed the gap, but the gap between them had also grown even wider.
"It seems that unless I take that one path, there's no possibility for me to take revenge in this lifetime," decided the Celestial Ape King in his heart.
He found that the other party's power was improving too swiftly, and he could hardly catch up even if he gave his all. If he continued like this, he feared he wouldn't even qualify to be his opponent.
This was something the proud Celestial Ape King found difficult to accept. Thus, he made a decision in his heart–he had to become stronger.
During the Celestial Ape King's years of seclusion, as he ascended and retraced his True Immortal bloodline, some memories that had lain dormant in his bloodline were also discovered. These memories recorded a legendary bloodline that would make him much stronger.
Of course, any benefit comes with great risk, and one misstep could lead to even a True Immortal like him dying and his Tao perishing.
The original Celestial Ape King was still hesitant about whether to take such a risk, as becoming a True Immortal meant that he had a long life ahead of him, which allowed for gradual improvements without the need to rush for power.
But at this moment, he decided he could not wait any longer.
"This Blood Fiend Ancestor's overwhelming Sea of Blood contains infinite slaughter. It seems the more he kills, the stronger this sea becomes."
"Indeed, if this old demon could plunder more powerful blood to devour, I fear his power would grow even stronger."
"I originally thought that the human Demonic Way had declined, but now I didn't expect this old demon to be such a well-hidden figure."
The many Demon Race True Immortals were discussing among themselves. Compared with the terrifying power of True Monarch Shenxiao, they had some understanding of him when he drew his sword to block the Lion Emperor's Way of Enlightenment.
It was at this moment that the strength displayed by the Blood Fiend Ancestor surprised them.
One should know that, with a perception almost equal to people like Daoist Xuantian, the Blood Fiend Ancestor's power was recognized as decent, but not worth taking too seriously.
Among the numerous Supreme Strong figures of the human race in the past, only Daoist Xuantian, Sword Emperor, the Old Heavenly Master, Master Guan of Xuan Du Guan, a few old monks from the Buddhism School, together with the Witch God Sect Leader, and those of the Demonic Way, were considered threats by the many Demon Kings of the Demon Race. The other strong figures in their eyes posed no threat at all.
Even though the Demonic Way had produced several True Immortals this time, after many Demon Kings of the Demon Race had also ascended, they did not pay too much attention to it.
"When I fought with this old demon in the past, he never had such strength," said the Elephant King in his deep and resonant voice.
When many True Immortals used their avatars to plunder the Creation Profound Mystery, he had fought against the Blood Fiend Ancestor, whose exhibited power was far from comparable to his.
"No matter what, whether this old demon has always been hiding or has suddenly grown significantly stronger, we must be careful with this old demon in the future," declared the Lion Emperor firmly, stopping the many Demon Kings from speaking further.
His gaze coldly fixed on the exchange between the two True Immortals in the image, looking at True Monarch Shenxiao Pei Xuanjing with eyes filled with coldness.