On the cliff face, there was a door—a stone carving rather than a true entrance—yet people could now pass through it.
Golden blood flowed, glowing upon the stone wall. It belonged to Dugu Yun, a descendant of the guardians, and with it as the key, the sealed door was opened.
A group had already rushed inside, while the rest hesitated—should they follow?
“Send someone to report to the elders! We’ll go ahead!”
“It might be dangerous in there. That’s an ancient land where the royal clan of the otherworld was sealed. If we get trapped, we might never come out!”
After heated arguments, some retreated, leaving to inform the elders of the two academies. This was a momentous decision, and many couldn’t bring themselves to commit.
Yet, the bold still acted, charging one after another into the stone wall and vanishing.
This was a desolate land, stretching endlessly under a sky of eternal gloom, where leaden clouds hung so low they nearly touched the earth.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Shi Hao roared as he burst into this realm, relentless in his pursuit of the red-furred creature.
Blood splattered as the red-furred creature suffered grievous wounds—its neck nearly severed, its chest pierced through.
“Once I recover, I’ll extract your soul and refine it for a hundred years!” the creature hissed, transforming into a crimson whirlwind as it fled.
Shi Hao gave no quarter, chasing with his Great Luo Immortal Sword unleashing a devastating blade light, carving another deep wound into the creature’s back.
The cold, barren land was vast and shrouded in darkness, with only wisps of black mist coiling like demonic tendrils.
The red-furred creature seethed with hatred. Had it not been caught off guard, it would never have been reduced to such a state—fleeing like prey from a junior.
It swore vengeance, vowing to torment Shi Hao and tear his soul apart once it recovered.
Shi Hao sensed the creature’s overwhelming strength. In a true battle, it would be a formidable foe, but he had no intention of wasting time. If he could kill it now, all the better.
The creature’s neck glowed as its wounds healed, but the invasive runes within couldn’t be purged so quickly, forcing it to keep running.
Those who followed through the stone wall watched in awe. Though all were students of the Divine Academy, the gap between them and Shi Hao was staggering.
Ordinary cultivators would have been slaughtered by the red-furred creature. Even elites like Xuan Kun and Wang Xi had been defeated. Yet Shi Hao hunted it down like a dog.
“Shi Hao is truly extraordinary, transcending mortal limits!” they murmured, knowing they could never match him.
“Roar—!”
The red-furred creature sped away, leaving afterimages as it twisted through space, vanishing into a misty region at the horizon.
Shi Hao halted abruptly, not advancing another step.
Soon, the others caught up, staring at the scene before them.
At the horizon, thick mist veiled the land like a shroud of mystery.
Mountains loomed within, countless peaks swallowed by the fog.
The abrupt shift from the desolate plains to this eerie mountain range was jarring—as if it had appeared out of nowhere.
A sense of dread gripped them, as if ancient demonic overlords slumbered within, ready to awaken at any moment.
Shi Hao activated his Heavenly Eye, spotting anomalies deep in the mountains—runes rising, radiant with divine light.
The others arrived, including Dugu Yun, who gazed uneasily, torn between entering and retreating.
Shi Hao soared into the sky for a better view, as did the likes of the Ten Crown King, the Banished Immortal, Wang Xi, and Lü Tuo.
Those with sharp vision saw it—a cluster of towering peaks encircling an ancient land.
At its heart stood a massive stone vase, carved from a mountain, emanating terrifying energy.
This was the seal imprisoning the royal clan.
“Earlier, when we entered the Boundary Tomb on the warship, an unparalleled expert appeared to intimidate us. Could that have been a projection of the royal clan’s power? Is he here?” someone shuddered, regretting their rashness.
“Unlikely. This place bars supreme beings, like a net catching only the largest fish while letting smaller ones pass,” another reasoned, noting even the elders couldn’t enter.
The red-furred creature had reached the stone vase, glaring hatefully—especially at Shi Hao—before sitting to heal.
“Dugu Yun is gone!” someone suddenly cried.
“How? We were watching him!” Panic spread.
“He used a spatial technique—vanished without a trace!”
Then they spotted him, standing beside the red-furred creature inside the seal.
“He’s trying to break the seal!” Faces paled.
“Dugu Yun, think carefully! If you release some immortal monstrosity, you’ll die too. Allying with them is like making a pact with a tiger!” Shi Hao warned. The consequences would be catastrophic.
“I won’t free them. I just need answers,” Dugu Yun secretly transmitted.
Shi Hao frowned. Even with this assurance, he couldn’t relax. If living beings remained in that vase, the implications were unthinkable.
Ssshh—!
Dugu Yun slit his wrist, golden blood splashing onto the vase, igniting a blinding radiance.
The colossal stone vase, as grand as a mountain, stood majestic and imposing.
It was both a vase and a furnace, meant to refine the ancient horrors sealed within—though after eons, who knew if they’d been reduced to elixirs?
“Ha! Compared to that massive vase, Dugu Yun’s blood is a drop in the ocean. Even if he bleeds dry, it won’t cleanse the seal,” someone scoffed in relief.
“Are there still living beings inside? I’ll undo the seal, but you must answer my questions!” Dugu Yun addressed the vase.
“Is the Heavenly Seed inside too?” a young immortal from the Immortal Academy wondered.
“Likely. It’s both a furnace and a vessel of the Great Dao!” another agreed, eyes gleaming with greed.
But most feared the worst—if the creatures inside hadn’t been refined, their release would bring untold carnage.
The royal clan alone could annihilate the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths without the otherworld’s armies.
Dugu Yun’s blood was miraculous, but insufficient to break the seal.
“Are you sure your ancestors still live? Why no response?” Dugu Yun asked the red-furred creature.
“Some died, but others endure. Otherwise, how could I have been sent out?” it replied.
“How did you escape?”
“They expended great power to send me. This place’s rules are clear—it traps the strong, spares the weak. I was the weakest, barely surviving.”
“Why didn’t you take the Heavenly Seed?”
“Look for yourself. Sprinkle your blood at the vase’s mouth.”
When golden blood touched the rim, divine light erupted with thunder and sword qi that split the heavens.
The stopper was a smaller vase, sealing the Great Dao Vase’s mouth.
“The Heavenly Seed is inside that smaller vase—it’s the key to the seal!” the creature declared loudly, hoping others would remove it.
Gasps filled the air. The Heavenly Seed’s power was beyond imagination—it was the linchpin of this prison.
“Your blood alone isn’t enough. We need theirs too,” the creature told Dugu Yun.
“What must we do?”
“First, use your blood to awaken the surrounding mountains.”
Golden droplets, sparse yet radiant, fell upon the peaks.
“Aooo—!”
In an instant, the wails of countless ghosts filled the air, piercing and soul-shaking.
The mountains trembled as strange plants sprouted from their summits, shrouded in thick mist.
These plants grew wildly, each like a colossal tree, blooming with flowers—each containing a creature struggling to break free.
“What’s happening?!”
Those outside recoiled, chilled to the bone by the eerie aura and bloodcurdling screams.
A mere sprinkle of Dugu Yun’s blood had birthed these horrors. Why?
They felt the world’s spiritual energy surge like a flood, pouring into the mountains and the plants.
The creatures within the flowers stood, revealing their forms, roaring at the sky.
“These are species from the otherworld! Is this the army led by the sealed royal clan? This is bad!” Terror gripped them.
Then, the legion surged forth—some wielding spears, others halberds—charging with a battle cry that shook the heavens!
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