639 The Beast King is Here!
Despite their motives being power-driven, the little emperor pondered the potential alliance. âDo you believe that if the dragon clan helps him, heâd stand a chance in the future?â
âAnd your imperial uncle?â
âHe relies heavily on schemes but lacks divine strength. Heâs pinned all his hopes on my exceptionally gifted royal sister. Itâs quite cunning.â
âAlasâ¦â The elderly voice sighed deeply, then lapsed into silence.
â¦
Near the periphery of Pingwang countyâs secret realm, the Beast King listened intently to the update from his subordinate.
âOne person managed to push back six clans, and thereâs an invincible puppet⦠Given the glowing blood sea as evidence, the identity of the one challenging the Beast Kingâs power becomes clear.â
âIt must be the white-robed king,â he concluded. âCould he be considering a rebellion?â
Deep wrinkles formed on the Beast Kingâs brow as he pondered this development.
âYour Majesty,â the dog-headed advisor began, âIâve mentioned before that this is the white-robed king flexing his strength. Heâs using his achievements in battle to earn the lordâs respect.â
The Beast King exhaled heavily. âThat could be the only reason behind the white-robed kingâs actions.â
âIf he dares to set foot in the secret realm, then I have every reason to confront him,â declared the Beast King, his voice echoing with determination. âLetâs proceed! Weâre entering the secret realm!â
With a commanding wave, the ground trembled with the combined roars of the beasts behind him. He felt compelled to lead. If he didnât and dispersed his best warriors instead, the valuable resources required to cultivate the blood beasts would be claimed by the white-robed king. Once the secret realmâs gates shut, a renewed war would erupt in the Great You, stalling his progression. Comparatively, this would likely displease the Supreme One, jeopardizing his factionâs position.
The mere thought of facing that man sent chills down even the powerful Beast Kingâs spine.
Without hesitation, the Beast King and his mighty forces stormed into the already tumultuous secret realm battlefield.
â¦
Time flew, and in what felt like a moment, half a year had gone by.
Qin Huaiâs secluded training on the mountaintop was mostly undisturbed.
Shortly after the defeat of the six royal clans, a now-forgotten sect tried to assassinate Qin Huai. They believed him to be gravely injured from his previous battle and thought they could catch him off guard. But their assumptions were misplaced. Qin Huai single-handedly wiped out the entire sect.
Despite this, other powerful fighters periodically tried their luck against him, attacking him at various power levels. Each met the same fate â defeated by Qin Huai. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
As time passed, such confrontations became rare. Some misguided thieves ventured to the mountain for loot, but they were swiftly dispatched by the formidable king corpse beside Qin Huai. Gradually, the mountaintop took on an eerie aura, turning into a forbidden zone, where piles of white bones formed walls around a gruesome moat of blood and ground flesh.
âDing! You have collected some [Spiritual Palace Fragments]. Your spiritual palace fusion rate has improved!â
Days turned into months, and soon it was the eighth month of Qin Huaiâs time in the secret realm. As he reflected on his journey, he noted a discrepancy in his cultivation rate. He had expected his spiritual place fusion rate to be at 48%, but it was currently 8% short.
Gazing into the distance, Qin Huai took in the vast landscape of Pingwang countyâs secret realm.
The three leading factions were holding their ground. However, the number of martial artists on the mountaintop had significantly dwindled. Most had turned to mining and set up safe channels to transport spirit stones. But these channels were paved with bloodshed, littered with corpses. The aftermath of battle was evident.
Turning his attention to the smaller factions, the sight was even bleaker. Half of what was once a bustling area was now desolate, with bones carpeting the ground like a layer of snow.
In the middle of this devastation, blood beasts thrived. These fierce creatures resembled the original eight royal clans, consuming the warriors to enhance themselves. Enormous blood eggs were nestled within the rivers of gore, guarded by warriors drawing blood from the blood sea.
Sacred Heart Sectâ¦
âThey disrupted the blood seaâs equilibrium, stealing resources meant for it,â Qin Huai observed to himself.
Across the realm, small sect warriors were relentlessly pursued by the Sacred Heart Sect, treated merely as sustenance. Even the three sects and six clans werenât spared. Their martial artists, rich in blood and qi, were prime targets for the Sacred Heart Sect.
As Qin Huai surveyed the scene, his eyes settled on a group of particularly strong martial artists reminiscent of the Qiongqi clan. Atop the mountain, they stood dominant, with fresh conquests at their feet.
Qin Huaiâs gaze settled on the towering figure leading them. âThis person stands out,â he mused quietly.
Suddenly, the leaderâs head snapped up, meeting Qin Huaiâs eyes. A smile tugged at the leaderâs lips as he mouthed words that Qin Huai couldnât hear.
âCould he be one of the last three protectors of the Sacred Heart Sect?â Qin Huai wondered. After all, not even the famed white-robed king had detected Qin Huaiâs silent observation so quickly.
Scanning the blood seaâs secret realm, Qin Huai noted, âOver two thousand blood beastsâ¦â
In just six months, the Sacred Heart Sect had expanded immensely, even with the restraining presence of the blood sea. Without this restraint, the entire realm wouldâve been overrun by these fiends.
The Sacred Heart Sect was proving a formidable adversary, reproducing quickly and taking over whenever given a chance. Qin Huai could already predict the challenges other factions would face against them.
A formidable Xuanwu blood beast emerged, towering at ten meters tall. Its prowess matched peak bone pattern realm experts. Most importantly, it did not feel any pain. It could even harness the blood heart technique for self-repair. These beasts were undoubtedly potent weapons. Could Qin Huai harness their power for himself?
His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that these creatures were creations of the Sacred Heart Sect, tied intricately to the blood heart technique. Observing them further, Qin Huai delved deep into the mysteries of the blood heart technique.
âThe blood beasts owe their existence to the blood guillotine, and are nurtured by blood food. The core of this guillotine is the enhanced blood of a martial artist familiar with the blood heart techniqueâ¦â he murmured, ââ¦perhaps, itâs a trace of Wang Kunâs essence.â
Days passed. Qin Huaiâs frustration grew. He knew there was a link between the blood heart technique and these beasts, but the solution eluded him.
His attention shifted to the Beast King and his formidable followers in the blood mirror. They stood apart from the usual disciples of the Sacred Heart Sect. An idea struck him, âWhy donât I just take a look at their cultivation techniques?â
Sinking into a meditative trance, Qin Huai explored the Beast Kingâs groupâs essence and the knowledge they possessed. Moments later, clarity dawned on him.
Opening his eyes, he murmured with a triumphant smile, âSo thatâs the case. Iâve finally understoodâ¦â