Chapter 471 - Do You Still Think You're Human?

In the desolate reaches of the Blood Devil Ruins, the once pitch-black sea of blood had diminished by a third. The coagulated darkness of old had given way to a lively crimson tide, pulsing with energy, waves crashing thunderously, shrouded in dense, rolling smoke.

"That damnable Human Zenith Immortal has finally departed!" Deep within this sea, a figure shrouded in red mist, a vision of perilous beauty, came to a halt. She panted, her face pale, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that painted a picture of a tempest stilled, breathtaking in its raw intensity.

"Damn, I thought I was a goner for sure. At least I succeeded in delaying him..." she murmured, relief washing over her.

Had the Human Zenith Immortal and the Mystic Earth Immortal arrived together at the Jade Immortal Tower, disaster would have been certain. The Three Immortals, in their arrogance, sought too much—aiming for three things at once; to seize the Immortal Asylum, eradicate the remnants of the Blood Devils, and shatter the Primordial Pagoda. Now, their ambition was cut in half.

"What shall we do next?" the War Princess mused aloud, her gaze dropping to her chest in contemplation.

At her words, a sharp pain seized her, causing her to cry out, her body trembling violently. With a grimace, she witnessed blood surge from her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, swirling before her to form a blood effigy of Yun Xiao.

This effigy, unmistakably his likeness, was yet tethered to her, signifying she remained alive, her consciousness and warmth intact.

"Why'd you do that? That hurt like hell!" she protested, annoyance threading her voice.

"You're too slow. So, I decided to do it myself," the blood-formed Yun Xiao responded.

"Aghhh!" she whimpered, feeling wronged.

"You'll grow accustomed to it," he retorted, unsympathetic.

"You...!" Her frustration was palpable, trapped in a situation she could neither escape nor endure without complaint. She swallowed her anger, cursing him silently, all her ire choked down in silent fury.

"Scoundrel, lowlife, you deserve a thousand cuts!" As she hurled insults, she realized the blood figure entwined with countless threads of her blood, resembling a gaping abyssal maw, voraciously consuming the devilish blood around them. The molten lava heated the blood, making its absorption easier and faster.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Like a leviathan, he drew countless waves of blood towards him, creating a storm in which even the War Princess found herself adrift.

Behind this blood figure, she bore witness to the extreme terror of Yun Xiao, her heart initially seized with shock, and then, inexplicably, tears clouded her vision.

"Why are you crying?" the blood figure paused to ask, turning back to her.

"Nothing." The War Princess shook her head.

"Speak," the blood figure demanded, eyes narrowing.

Frightened, the War Princess could only bite her lip and respond, "So much devil blood... I can't help but feel the pain and resentment of countless kin who died here."

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Silence fell upon the blood figure for a moment before he spoke, "It's all history now. Try to see beyond it."

"How can I? Who's at fault? Your kind always claims the moral high ground. Now that devils are being slaughtered, what would you say? In our histories, could you be painted as unforgivable villains?" the War Princess retorted, her voice tinged with anger.

The blood figure fell silent once more, and finally, he said, "I don't know. But I am human, fighting for my people, which is my righteous duty."

"The question is, are you still human?" the War Princess asked, her gaze lost.

The blood figure looked deeply at her, saying nothing more. Turning away, he embraced the vast sea of blood, frenziedly absorbing the grudges and power of the blood sea.

At last, he spoke, "I can't answer your question now. Let's continue together. Maybe, if one day we traverse all realms, I might find your answer."

"Can I really stay with you that long?" the War Princess asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"Yes," Yun Xiao affirmed, his reply simple yet resolute.

The War Princess lingered on those words before finally lowering her head, whispering, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Yun Xiao replied, looking forward. The blood figure's face broke into a smile as he declared, "Enough talk. Let's forge ahead to become a Yang Immortal!"

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In a certain city in the Nine Hells, Yun Xiao completely absorbed the Mystic Earth Immortal's Kun Sigil into his Prison Warden Sigil.

Upon his Life Sigil, a vast expanse of complete continental landscape now lay, an addition to the Life Sigils of 100,000 descendants of the Three Immortals. The number of Runes had burgeoned to 9,000,000, forming a staggering 100,000 miniature formations capable of unleashing a maelstrom of attacks in an instant.

"I'm pretty rich now after taking down the Mystic Earth Immortal and the 100,000 descendants."

The Calamity Bones that Yun Xiao had obtained elevated his Sword Aura to almost 10,000,000 layers. At this moment, he felt the presence of a bottleneck.

It became evident that increasing the Sword Aura and Rune count any further would be a formidable challenge.

"Nonetheless, over 9,000,000 is already well beyond the level of the Three Immortals." Yun Xiao recognized his supreme status across various domains in the mortal realm, including swordsmanship and the way of the dao. Having absorbed the essence of numerous schools of thought, he swiftly ascended to become the unparalleled leading figure in the Primordial Ruins, without peer in the world. The only thing he lacked was cultivation.

"The Five Decays Realm is a unique state that cannot be rushed. I can only passively await the arrival of the next four decays."

Waiting was his only option.

"It's annoying that I couldn’t find a single Sword Heart in their belongings; likely, the Three Immortals ordered them to all be destroyed after learning I could enhance my power with Sword Hearts."

This was a minor frustration. Beyond this, everything aligned closely with Yun Xiao's expectations.

"Now that I have so much stuff that I can't use, I'm thinking most of the mid to low-tier treasures should be used in rebuilding the Primordial Ruins and Nine Hells." Having organized everything, Yun Xiao stepped out from his chamber.

In another chamber, Lian Xi was deep in her cultivation.

A thunderous explosion and a surge of lightning fire indicated a monumental breakthrough, as if a celestial white tiger roared, sending a vast aura sweeping across the Nine Hells. The mountains and earth trembled, the air teeming with screaming lightning and flames.

Despite the grandeur of this anomaly, the figure that appeared before Yun Xiao was a pure and charming young beauty.

"Yun Xiao," she ran up to Yun Xiao, clutching his arm with delight, "I have wonderful news—I've become a Yang Immortal!"

"So soon?" Upon closer inspection, Yun Xiao noted the radiant glow of her skin, the captivating luminescence, and the powerful, sun-like vigor within her, truly majestic and boundless, her being akin to a miniature world.

"Did Pomelo help you?" Yun Xiao asked with a smile.

"I did it on my own!" Lian Xi pouted.

Laughing, Yun Xiao wrapped an arm around her waist, "Then, let me show you around. The Nine Hells is my homeland, after all."

"Aren't you continuing your cultivation? We're going to take action in three days," Lian Xi asked.

"No more training," Yun Xiao shook his head.

"Is it because of the peculiarities of the Five Decays Realm?" she asked.

"Yes." Yun Xiao sighed softly, then smiled. "So, by strolling with you and seeking joy, I might have an epiphany."

"Alright." Lian Xi nodded, a hint of nervousness coloring her cheeks a soft pink, perhaps anticipating something special.

With a hum, Yun Xiao held her and ascended on his Sovereign Sword.

"Hold tight!" He laughed, suddenly accelerating. The snow-white figure of the girl crashed into his embrace with a series of startled cries.

WHOOSH!

The Heaven Burial Sword Soul cut through the air, soaring into the distance.

"Hey, how can I enjoy the scenery if we move this fast?" Lian Xi's hair flew about, nestled in his arms.

"We haven't reached our destination yet," Yun Xiao responded.

"Destination?" Lian Xi looked ahead, her heart racing.

Soon, a spatial vortex appeared before them.

"Where does this lead?" Lian Xi asked, a touch of nervousness in her voice.

"To a place called the Heavenly Realm," Yun Xiao gazed down at her, "where we met, a place marked by our presence."

"Ah?" Lian Xi was puzzled.

"Just kidding," Yun Xiao chuckled.

"Oh," she nodded, relieved.

"You'll like it here." With that, Yun Xiao led her into the vortex.

Amidst the flickering light and shadow, the little white tiger in Lian Xi's arms popped its head out, whispering, "An uninhabited pocket world is the perfect chance! Three days, three attempts, you could rise above him, chest out, stepping over the Sky Source Immortal and the Human Zenith Immortal!"

"I'm not doing it! Stop with the nonsense!" Lian Xi covered her ears.

"You're the nonsense!" Pomelo huffed.

The two had arrived in the Heavenly Realm.