The young woman who had been looking at Chen Manyao was none other than Gongsun Wan’er. Smiling slightly, she looked around, apparently feeling somewhat bored.

She didn’t seem to be interested either in the previous battles or the fighting to come. Only when she turned to look at Bai Xiaochun standing somewhat stiffly next to Hou Xiaomei did her eyes brighten in a way that no observer could notice.

“What’s your connection to that old bastard, huh sweetie?” She chuckled, and for a brief moment, her pupils turned white. However, no one noticed, and the effect quickly passed.

Under the leadership of the various patriarchs, the cultivators of the Profound Stream Division and the Pill Stream Division flew up toward their respective Heavenspan Battleships to begin familiarizing themselves with them.

Meanwhile, in the Blood Stream Division, arch-patriarch Master Godwind hovered in midair looking at the three battleships. After a moment, he turned to the Spirit Stream Division’s Patriarch Frigidsect.

After realizing that Master Godwind was looking at him, Frigidsect laughed and said, “Master Godwind, river transportation has been arranged for the other three divisions. I’m curious to see how your Blood Stream Division plans to head upriver.”

From the way he laughed and spoke, he clearly felt very proud of himself. After all, creating three Heavenspan Battleships was definitely a major accomplishment.

Arch-patriarch Master Godwind snorted and said, “No need to get nervous. You’ll see soon enough.”

In his heart were mixed emotions including jealousy, as well as anticipation. With that, he looked in Bai Xiaochun’s direction.

“Nightcrypt, my boy, are you ready?!” When the cultivators from the other three divisions heard his words, they looked in surprise toward Bai Xiaochun.

Bai Xiaochun was currently feeling a headache coming on as he looked up in the sky in the direction that Hou Xiaomei had pointed. Off in the distance, Song Junwan was smiling, but there was a coldness in her eyes which made a million needles look soft. Bai Xiaochun had no idea how to resolve the situation. Therefore, when he heard the arch-patriarch’s words, he was inwardly delighted. Putting on a very somber expression, he said, “Patriarch, disciple is ready!”

With that, he struggled free from Hou Xiaomei’s devilish clutches and flew up into the air.

Smiling proudly, Hou Xiaomei looked away from Bai Xiaochun toward Song Junwan standing there on Middle Peak. Song Junwan snorted coldly. After Bai Xiaochun had escaped from the Luochen Mountains, she and Hou Xiaomei had clashed and bickered constantly. Neither of them liked the other very much at all.

Looking very excited, the arch-patriarch spoke out in a voice that boomed like thunder, “Very well. Foundation Establishment and Gold Core cultivators of the Blood Stream Division, present yourselves! The time has come to activate our greatest reserve power!”

To the shock of the other three divisions, numerous beams of light flew out from the Blood Stream Division headquarters.

All of the Foundation Establishment Dharma protectors, grand elders, blood masters, prime elders, and blood rippers were there. Not a single one was missing!

All seven patriarchs were present. Even Patriarch Limitless looked very excited.

Master Godwind’s right hand flashed with an incantation gesture, and blood qi erupted from the assembled crowd. Instantly, the sky began to vibrate, and blood clouds began to form. The clouds rapidly began to converge upon themselves, shrinking down into a bolt of blood-colored lightning which shot down toward the enormous hand stretching up out of the river.

In response, the magical symbols on the spell formations in that area flickered and shone as they seemingly melted, revealing a large gap. That gap had apparently already existed on the skin of the Blood Ancestor’s hand, an ancient wound that had existed for countless years.

From a distance, the wound almost looked like a huge canyon.

The cultivators from the other three divisions were amazed, especially the patriarchs. Their eyes went wide as they realized what the Blood Stream Division intended to do.

“That’s... that’s... impossible!” Frigidsect said, a look of complete incredulity on his face.

Looking extremely proud of himself, Master Godwind said, “Blood Ancestor. Fleshly body: 108 major acupoints!”

He had been looking forward to this day for a very, very long time, and been making preparations for countless years. This was the culmination of generations of hard work and research on the part of numerous Blood Stream Sect cultivators!

As his words echoed out, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Blood Stream Division began to fly forth with solemn looks on their faces. Song Junwan, Song Que, Jia Lie, and Master God-Diviner were among them, as were the blood masters and grand elders. All of them headed directly toward the gap which had been opened up in the hand.

After they vanished inside, secret means were employed to teleport them to the various 108 major acupoints located elsewhere in the Blood Ancestor’s body.

Some were transported to various locations on their own, others went in teams. After taking their places, streams of life force power began to rise up from the Heavenspan River, causing rumbling sounds to echo about in the sky.

Looking even more excited, Master Godwind said, “Blood Ancestor. Fleshly body: 72 blood apertures!”

In response, the prime elders’ expressions flickered, and they let out excited cries as they shot toward the opening in the arm.

The 72 apertures had to be manned by 72 Gold Core cultivators. In the case of some of the cultivators who were weaker than the others, a team of two was necessary. Before Bai Xiaochun’s arrival, they had run various drills to prepare, but this was the moment of truth!

As the prime elders disappeared into the enormous arm, it was possible to see dots of light shining up from the Blood Ancestor’s enormous body beneath the surface of the Heavenspan River.

Those glowing dots of lights, some of which were visible on the hand, extended out of the river, numbering exactly 72!

The cultivators from the other three divisions were all gasping. Even Gongsun Wan’er’s eyes were glittering with surprise.

Voice rising to a roar, the arch-patriarch said, “Blood Ancestor. Fleshly body: 37 meridians!”

Instantly, the eyes of the blood rippers began to glow, and their blood qi erupted out as they shot toward the opening. They disappeared in the blink of an eye. By this point, every bit of the Blood Ancestor’s body was glowing with blood-colored light!

The light was so intense that it was rising up beyond the surface of the golden river water. At the same time, an indescribable pressure was spreading out, causing the vicious spirits within the river to scream and flee. None of them dared to get even close, and they were clearly more terrified than they had been upon sensing the Deva Realm aura from earlier.

“Three spiritual souls, seven physical souls. One Nascent Soul Daoist master for each physical soul. If the spiritual souls are lacking, the Blood Ancestor’s body will not move. Nightcrypt, my boy, you will fill the position of the three spiritual souls! You are well prepared, all of you. Whether or not the Blood Ancestor’s body can move will be up to you!” Laughing loudly, the arch-patriarch flew toward the opening, as did the other six patriarchs, giving Bai Xiaochun a glance just before disappearing.

Moments later, rumbling like thunder echoed out, and the river water began to churn as the seven powerful patriarchs took their positions in the head of the Blood Ancestor, where they became the physical soul!

Shockingly, well over two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, over a hundred Gold Core experts, and dozens of blood rippers, plus seven Nascent Soul patriarchs, were unleashing shocking power inside the body of the Blood Ancestor, to give him the strength to rise to his feet once again!

Although it was a simplistic movement, it would still be shocking enough to cause the wind to scream and the ground to quake.

However, as the arch-patriarch had said, the truly critical factor, Bai Xiaochun, had not yet gone into action. The Blood Stream Division had actually performed this exercise before, but they had been unable to get the Blood Ancestor to move even an inch.

Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Upon opening them, he sent blood qi exploding out of him, becoming a pillar of crimson light that shot up into the sky. At the same time, he blurred into motion, heading directly toward the opening in the Blood Ancestor’s hand.

As soon as he entered, it felt as if the Blood Ancestor’s body were calling to him. That call helped him to speed along even faster through the body; he didn’t need any special techniques or magics. He proceeded forward without the slightest obstacle.

“The Foundation Establishment cultivators are the acupoints. The Gold Core experts are the apertures. The blood rippers are the meridians. The patriarchs are the physical soul. And I’m the spiritual soul!” Eyes shining with a strange light, he shot toward his destination, which was located in the Blood Ancestor’s chest. He was heading toward the heart!

That was also the last place where he had seen Du Lingfei!

Nothing blocked his path, and before long he was traveling the same path he had gone along once before. Eventually, he arrived in the heart cavity, the same place he had entered not so long ago in the past!

When he saw the withered heart, and the countless blood vessels filling the area, he took a deep breath. Then he shot toward the heart itself. In the blink of an eye, he fused into the heart, completely replacing it!