Chapter 1659: Blood Monument

When Tuogu Yuan named the clans, the bald youth from Gate of Bitterness turned to look at him. He pressed his palms together in a quiet greeting.

The robed young man beside him smiled warmly. "You lot managed to find this place? Impressive..."

As he spoke, his eyes briefly rested on Ye Guan.

Tuogu Yuan was visibly nervous. This was his first time encountering core disciples from legendary organizations like the Nothingness Sect and Gate of Bitterness. To him, they were nearly mythical. He did his best to suppress his excitement and maintain composure, stepping forward with a cupped-fist salute.

"I'm Tuogu Yuan of the Tuogu Clan. These are Xiaoyuan Qi of the Xiao Clan, Yang Guan, and the siblings Mu Xinghe and Mu Xingchen from the Stellar Civilization."

The robed youth nodded gently, still smiling. "The Nothingness Sect. Wuyun Zai."

The bald monk pressed his palms together again. "Gate of Bitterness. Yang Seng."

Tuogu Yuan was surprised. He'd assumed that figures from such powerful clans would be cold and aloof. But these two were surprisingly approachable. He was just about to try to build rapport when a sneer cut through the moment.

"Bunch of third-rate civilizations."

Everyone turned toward the source. A young man dressed in black robes had spoken, one of the followers standing behind the white-haired man. His expression was haughty, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.

The sudden insult made Tuogu Yuan and the others' faces darken, but none dared retaliate. They knew better than to provoke the wrong people. Offending the elite wasn't just dangerous; it could lead to the destruction of their entire civilization.

Wuyun Zai gave the black-robed youth a calm glance. "Ling Lie, we're all here for the Blood Monument. No need to be so aggressive."

Ling Lie remained unmoved. "Brother Yun Zai, we were the ones who discovered this Blood Monument. Why should we share it with outsiders?"

Wuyun Zai replied, "The rule here is simple: finders keep a share."

Ling Lie's tone turned colder. "This isn't about you. It's about them. Their strength is mediocre at best. They'll only hold us back and more importantly, we found this first. They don't deserve to benefit from our discovery."

Tuogu Yuan looked awkward and upset. He turned to Ye Guan. "Brother Yang... maybe we should leave."

They all knew this Blood Monument could be hiding something valuable. But they also knew they were out of their depth. Picking a fight with these powerhouses was not an option. Still, Ye Guan had brought them here, so they waited for his opinion.

Ye Guan smiled. "No rush, Brother Tuogu."

He walked over and studied the Blood Monument for a moment, then looked at Wuyun Zai. "You haven't cracked the Blood Monument yet, have you?"

Wuyun Zai nodded. "That's right. Do you have an idea?"

Ye Guan replied calmly, "Maybe. No guarantees, but I can give it a try."

Wuyun Zai smiled. "Then how about this, if you succeed in unlocking its secrets, we share the rewards. Fair?"

Ye Guan glanced over at Ling Lie and the others. Ling Lie sneered. "And if you fail?"

Ye Guan chuckled. "Then I fail. What, are you going to kill me if I don't solve it?"

Ling Lie narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't be the worst idea."

Before tensions escalated, the white-haired man raised a hand to stop him. He looked at Ye Guan and said plainly, "If you can crack the Blood Monument, we share it."

Ye Guan nodded and stepped up to the Blood Monument. It looked as though it had been formed from solidified blood and covered in ancient, mysterious script.

He drew the Qingxuan Sword and lightly tapped the Blood Monument with its tip.

Boom!

The entire Blood Monument began to tremble violently. The dried blood on its surface suddenly came to life, writhing and pulsing. Ancient, otherworldly energy poured out from within.

"Am array sealed by blood," Wuyun Zai muttered, watching Ye Guan. He seemed curious about the sword, but Ye Guan had already put it away.

Wuyun Zai gave him another thoughtful glance.

The living blood on the Blood Monument began to flow downward. As it seeped into the earth, the ground beneath them began to quake. A moment later, a huge crack split open before the Blood Monument, revealing a deep, blood-red path that led underground.

The white-haired man didn't hesitate. "Let's go!"

He and his group immediately rushed into the opening.

Wuyun Zai turned to Ye Guan with a smile. "Shall we?"

He transformed into a streak of mystic light and vanished into the darkness. Yang Seng, the monk from Gate of Bitterness, followed closely behind them.

Ye Guan was about to step in when he turned to Tuogu Yuan and Xiaoyuan Qi.

The two looked a bit uneasy.

He smiled, asking, "You two coming?"

Xiaoyuan Qi clenched his fists. "Damn right we are. Scared money doesn't make money."

Tuogu Yuan nodded in agreement. "We'll go. We're not aiming for the best treasure, just something those big shots overlook."

Ye Guan turned to the Mu siblings.

Mu Xinghe immediately pledged his loyalty. "We follow you, Brother. It doesn't matter what we're going to do. If you dive into a pit of fire, we will dive, too."

He wasn't worried. With someone like Ye Guan, an actual Circle Breaker, on their side, even the proudest talents from the top civilizations couldn't scare him. With Ye Guan, he could even afford to trash-talk a little.

Ye Guan laughed. "Let's move."

He led the way into the blood path.

They soon arrived at an enormous underground palace that was practically a city. Vast, eerie, and utterly quiet. The ground beneath their feet was stained deep red.

Ye Guan frowned. His Mad Demon Bloodline was reacting. He glanced at the bloodstained ground, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

Xiaoyuan Qi was stunned. "This whole place... it's soaked in blood. How many people had to die for the earth to be dyed like this? And there's still energy in the blood... What the hell happened back then?"

Everyone was filled with questions.

Tuogu Yuan looked toward the depths. "They've already gone ahead. We should start searching too. If we're lucky, we might grab something before they do and then get out fast."

They entered the underground palace. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of large halls sprawled before them. Tuogu Yuan wanted to head for the central one; it was usually where the best stuff was, but Ye Guan suddenly said, "Take the right."

Without hesitation, he turned and walked toward the right wing.

Mu Xinghe followed immediately, dragging his sister along.

Xiaoyuan Qi muttered, "This guy walks like a master. I'll tag along and see what scraps I can get."

He hurried after them.

Tuogu Yuan hesitated briefly, then also followed. He believed they needed to stick together; there was strength in numbers, after all.

They passed several sinister-looking halls. It was only now that they realized that these halls were also stained with blood. Most of it had darkened over time, becoming nearly black. In the darkness, and with the rush of excitement and nerves, no one noticed it earlier.

Of course, their attention wasn't on the blood. They were hoping for treasure, anything that might change their fates.

Only Ye Guan kept his eyes fixed on the blood-soaked halls. Occasionally, a strange red gleam flickered in his gaze.

His Mad Demon Bloodline was stirring.

If not for Ye Guan's own forceful suppression, it would've already erupted. The hunger surging through it was unlike anything before.

He understood why.

The blood around them once belonged to true elites who were Circle Breakers at the very least. Though they'd long perished, their blood had been preserved, still brimming with potent energy.

If his Mad Demon Bloodline consumed it, it could break through to a new level.

His Invincible Sword Intent and Order Sword Intent had already transformed. His bloodline was the weakest link. Unlike his grandfather's generation, Ye Guan walked the Dao of Order, not the Dao of Madness, so mass slaughter wasn't exactly an option.

Unfortunately, it meant the Mad Demon Bloodline couldn't get its fill.

Still, there were other ways. Feeding on the blood of the strong... or the wicked.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

And right now, this blood was exactly what he needed.

Ye Guan didn't act on it. Instead, he quickened his pace. He could sense something far more powerful up ahead, something calling to him.

Before long, they arrived at a seemingly ordinary hall. Ye Guan walked up to the door, tapped it with his Qingxuan Sword, and the seal on the door vanished without resistance.

The door creaked open. When they crossed the threshold, they all froze in place.