Chapter 652: Blood Beast

In the ancient Hemolytic Hall.

The artifact spirit, the cold-robed man in blood-colored robes, continued to mock the Destroyer Legion soldier before him.

Dongbo Xueying, however, remained unperturbed, even wearing a faint smile. He paid no heed to the artifact spirit’s taunts and instead suddenly unleashed a terrifying aura.

**”Boom!”**

A faint crimson mist swirled around Dongbo Xueying’s body, and behind him, a massive, bizarre insectoid phantom manifested. The creature had an extraordinarily long tail that coiled around its body twice, its head resting peacefully upon its tail as if in slumber.

**”The Tiger-Cricket Totem?”** The blood-robed man stared in shock at the phantom behind Dongbo Xueying. Only those who had mastered the *Hemolytic Secret Art* to perfection could externally manifest such an illusion. Legend had it that the *Ancestral Fiend*, in his quest to create the supreme *True Myriad Fiend Body*, drew inspiration from three peculiar creatures, laying the foundation for this terrifying technique. Combining his lifelong insights and numerous external cultivation aids, he ultimately perfected this form.

Once mastered, even the overwhelmingly powerful master of the Heartlake Island could do nothing against the Ancestral Fiend.

**”You… mastered it?”** The blood-robed man frowned, disbelief etched across his face. **”Were you just at the final bottleneck?”**

Earlier, Dongbo Xueying had contorted in agony, even groaning aloud. Looking back now—it was clear he had endured the most excruciating moment of the final breakthrough. This alone spoke volumes about the height of his mental cultivation.

**”Ten thousand years is indeed short. I was fortunate enough to succeed,”** Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile.

**”Hmph.”** The blood-robed man grew even more irritated. **”You Destroyer Legion soldiers do have some talent, managing to master it. But don’t celebrate too soon! Obtaining the token of the Three Fiend Halls requires two trials. The *Hemolytic Secret Art* is merely the first—a test of comprehension. The second trial is pure combat prowess.”**

**”I know. You mentioned it earlier—defeat the Bloodfiend, correct?”** Dongbo Xueying nodded.

His master had made it clear: master the secret art within a hundred thousand years, then win in direct combat to claim the token.

This token was the key to all Three Fiend Halls.

With it, one could easily be guided into the other two halls. Even if one failed ten or a hundred times, they could always try again.

Thus, obtaining the token meant half the battle was won!

If he failed now, even if his strength surged later, without locating the Three Fiend Halls again, his power would be useless.

**”Yes, the Bloodfiend. A creature bred solely for combat under my master’s command. Its battle prowess is immense—ordinary Reverends would be effortlessly crushed, even torn apart and devoured,”** the blood-robed man sneered. **”I hear your Destroyer Legion armor is formidable. No matter. The Bloodfiend will simply eat you whole.”**

He gestured toward a corner of the hall.

**”Hum!”**

A drop of black blood materialized midair, floating ominously, its surface swirling with golden patterns.

Then—**”Swoosh!”**—the black liquid twisted and expanded rapidly, morphing into a towering, black-scaled beast standing over ten meters tall. Its legs were stubby, but its arms were grotesquely long and thick, nearly matching the length of its torso. Three curved horns crowned its head, and its gaping maw was its most striking feature, while its beady eyes gleamed with savage cunning.

Most unsettling of all—

The Bloodfiend stood there, its body radiating concentric rings of black ripples that distorted the surrounding void. Dongbo Xueying could sense the lethal threat within those ripples.

**”What a terrifying creature. Just standing there, I feel death looming,”** Dongbo Xueying thought, his heart tightening. **”Unlike those fools from the Mother Goddess Sect—their comprehension was pitiful. But this Bloodfiend, bred by the Ancestral Fiend, must possess profound insights.”**

The Ancestral Fiend was, after all, of the cultivator’s universe.

Though from the Third Cosmic Era, he stood far above all others across the epochs, alongside the master of Heartlake Island, looking down upon every powerhouse beneath them.

Other eras had their own pinnacle figures—some even surpassing the Bloodblade Thearch in strength. Yet none could compare to the Ancestral Fiend.

**”That Swordmaster of yours from Heartlake Island, he trains legions,”** the blood-robed man scoffed. **”But when it comes to conquest and slaughter, none rival the Ancestral Fiend! Had he not seen potential in your Swordmaster, sparing him as a worthy opponent, your so-called master would have perished long ago!”**

**”Cultivation has its sequence. The Ancestral Fiend merely began his path earlier,”** Dongbo Xueying countered.

After all—

The *Primordial Land*… from beginning to end, only the Swordmaster of Heartlake Island had detected its existence and forced his way in. Even the black hound, painstakingly forged by the Primordial Ancestor to guard the land, failed to stop him—managing only a single bite. Fortunately, the Swordmaster was too proud to take anything from the Primordial Land.

Had he taken even a single artifact, there would be nothing left for later generations.

The Ancestral Fiend, though of the same era, had either failed to discover the Primordial Land or chose not to enter. This alone spoke volumes about the disparity between them. Across the ages, the master of Heartlake Island had always been acknowledged as the strongest.

Dongbo Xueying suspected the Ancestral Fiend’s endurance relied solely on his *True Myriad Fiend Body*.

**”Hmph. But in crafting subordinates, your Swordmaster is no match for the Ancestral Fiend,”** the blood-robed man sneered. **”Aren’t you a Destroyer Legion soldier? I’m not bullying you—fighting the Bloodfiend is the rule. Prove yourself if you can.”**

He then turned to the beast. **”Begin.”**

**”A Destroyer Legion soldier?”** The Bloodfiend’s voice rumbled low, its maw twisting into a grin as killing intent flared in its eyes. **”Since being stationed here, this is my first time facing one.”**

**”Come.”** Dongbo Xueying extended his right hand, summoning a crimson serpent spear.

**”Whoosh!”**

The Bloodfiend moved.

A blur of black ripples streaked across the void, the beast at its center. Its monstrous claws slashed forward, intricate patterns swirling across them as the ripples churned with annihilative force. Dongbo Xueying sensed that any attempt to block would only result in his weapon—and himself—being sent flying.

**”Die.”** The blood-robed man watched coldly from the side, fully aware of the Bloodfiend’s might.

**”Swish! Swish!”**

The ten-meter-tall Bloodfiend’s claws elongated unnaturally, each strike spanning over ten meters.

Twin claws sliced through Dongbo Xueying’s form—

Yet passed through as if cutting empty air.

Dongbo Xueying remained motionless, utterly unfazed.

**”Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”** The Bloodfiend unleashed dozens of claw strikes in an instant, each more ferocious than the last. Yet no matter how it attacked, Dongbo Xueying stood firm, not even swaying.

**”What?”** Both the Bloodfiend and the blood-robed man were stunned.

Their attacks couldn’t touch him?

They quickly realized—the black-armored cultivator before them seemed to exist between reality and illusion, untouchable by any assault.

**”Is he… in another plane?”** the blood-robed man muttered, suspicion dawning.