Chapter 651: The Three Fundamental Secret Arts

Dongbo Xueying felt both amused and exasperated in his heart.

So that’s how it was.

Given the relationship between the Demon Ancestor and the master of the Lakeheart Island, if this were the Third Cosmic Epoch, a soldier of the Destruction Legion arriving at the Demon Ancestor’s domain would indeed be courting death! But the Demon Ancestor and the master of the Lakeheart Island had long since departed from this universe—whether they had perished or gone elsewhere, the two most formidable beings across countless cosmic epochs were no longer present. Yet their enmity still managed to affect him? How unjust was that?

“Just ten thousand years. If you can’t master it, get lost.” The blood-robed, cold-faced man finished speaking and immediately sat cross-legged at the edge of the hall, not even bothering to spare Dongbo Xueying another glance.

“No need to argue with a mere artifact spirit.” Though Dongbo Xueying found the other’s attitude excessively harsh, he understood that the artifact spirit was merely following the Demon Ancestor’s orders. No matter how much it despised him, it could only cause trouble within the limits of its authority. Reducing the time from a million years to ten thousand years—rather than outright expelling him—wasn’t out of kindness, but because its authority didn’t extend that far.

“The Demon Ancestor even gave opportunities to beings from other universes. As a soldier of the Destruction Legion, he still granted me a chance.” Dongbo Xueying raised his head to study the *Hemolysis Secret Art*.

The *Hemolysis Secret Art* was a blood-based technique, excruciatingly painful to cultivate. The closer one got to success, the more unbearable the pain became.

Though he had never practiced it before, the intelligence reports had long detailed its challenges. The difficulty of the *Hemolysis Secret Art* lay in two aspects: first, the test of comprehension—mastering a complex blood technique in a short time was incredibly difficult, requiring extraordinary insight. Second, the test of pain endurance—the deeper one delved into the technique, the more intense the pain. Continuing cultivation under such torment was a trial in itself!

Having endured the agony of the Witch Poison, Dongbo Xueying knew all too well how difficult it was to cultivate while suffering.

“Bring it on.” With calm resolve, Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged in the dilapidated hall and began his cultivation.

Mortals feared pain.

But at his level of cultivation, it was seen as a tempering of life and spirit.

—

The moment he began, veins bulged beneath Dongbo Xueying’s skin as his blood surged violently.

“This technique’s manipulation of blood is truly remarkable.” Dongbo Xueying marveled at its intricacies the moment he started. “No wonder it’s derived from the foundational components of the supreme art *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*.”

The *Hemolysis Secret Art*, *Bone-Corrosion Secret Art*, and *Heart-Refinement Secret Art* were the three trials of the Three Demons Hall. Yet all three originated from the legendary *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*, being the most basic components of that supreme art.

This supreme art far surpassed the Demon Ancestor’s most renowned six legacies, for the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body* was the ultimate technique he created, enabling him to rival the master of Lakeheart Island. To truly master it, one first had to fully cultivate all six legacies—a condition that required opening six distinct paths, each reaching the Sovereign realm, along with other external aids. In short, the difficulty was immense.

Merely obtaining this supreme art was a monumental challenge, requiring one to venture deep into the Upper Three Caverns.

Success in the Three Demons Hall trials, however, would grant the foundational volume of *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*. Though the most basic, it was still invaluable to Venerables—along with other rewards.

Thus, Dongbo Xueying considered himself fortunate to enter the *Hemolysis Hall*. Unfortunately, the artifact spirit seemed to harbor hostility toward those from Lakeheart Island.

“Humph!”

As Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, a faint red glow emanated from his body—reflections of his surging blood. Suddenly, the glow dissipated, and countless droplets of blood mist sprayed from his skin.

“Pfft!” Not only did blood mist erupt from his skin, but Dongbo Xueying also spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Tch.” The blood-robed, cold-faced man in the hall cracked open an eye and sneered.

“How could this happen?”

Dongbo Xueying frowned in confusion. “This technique is merely an application of the mysteries of the universe’s laws. I’ve already forged my own path—how could I go astray so quickly?”

“No wonder the Demon Ancestor used this as a trial for Venerables.” Dongbo Xueying had initially believed that, having opened his path in just a million years, mastering a single technique would be trivial with his comprehension. Yet he had stumbled at the very beginning. Worse still, his true body in the material world had also vomited blood, clearly failing in its cultivation attempt.

“Continue.” Dongbo Xueying immersed himself fully in cultivation.

—

Days, months, and years passed.

In the Blood Demon Cave Heaven, the ancient demon slumbered like a colossal mountain range. Meanwhile, hidden in the distance, the four Protectors of the Mother Goddess Sect grew increasingly frustrated.

“A thousand years.” The gray-robed female Protector murmured. “We’ve waited here for a thousand years, and Dongbo Xueying still hasn’t shown himself.”

“The intelligence isn’t wrong. According to karma detection, he’s still in that area.” Protector Huo Zhu gazed at the distant ancient demon. “He must be trapped in one of the Blood Demon Cave Heaven’s perilous zones, unable to emerge for now.”

The gray-robed woman nodded. “The elixir we brewed was meant to be used after swiftly killing Dongbo Xueying, so we could return to refining. But now, after all this delay, the elixir has long since spoiled.”

“Just wait.” The green-eyed man added.

“We have plenty of time. Patience.” The elderly man wrapped in a purple robe, revealing only his eyes, also spoke.

The four Protectors were indeed anxious and aggrieved.

Their original plan had been to finish refining the elixir and proceed to another dangerous site. Now, with the elixir ruined, they could only wait here.

In their eyes, Dongbo Xueying was merely a newly ascended Venerable. With the four of them working together—especially Protector Huo Zhu, whose strength was unmatched—they believed eliminating him would be effortless. Yet they had waited so long, with no end in sight, all while treading carefully to avoid awakening the ancient demon.

“When he emerges, we won’t let him die too easily.” The gray-robed woman whispered darkly.

The other three Protectors agreed.

For beings of the cultivators’ universe, they held no mercy.

—

A thousand years, two thousand, three thousand… In the blink of an eye, over six thousand years had passed.

Inside the *Hemolysis Hall*, Dongbo Xueying’s body trembled faintly as he cultivated, his face contorted in pain. Finally, he couldn’t suppress a groan.

“Oh? Finally making noise?” The blood-robed man in the corner opened his eyes, a gleeful smirk spreading across his face. “Does it hurt? Hahaha! Did you think the *Hemolysis Secret Art* would be easy to master? This is one of the three foundational techniques of the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*! The comprehension requirements are astronomically high. Even for Venerables, mastering it in a million years is difficult. And you thought you could do it in ten thousand?”

“Moreover, the deeper you go, the worse the pain becomes—even your divine heart will ache.”

“Trying to succeed under such agony is even harder.”

The blood-robed man stood up, relishing the sight of Dongbo Xueying’s trembling form. “And here I thought soldiers of the Destruction Legion were so formidable! It’s only been six thousand years, and you’ve barely scratched the surface of the *Hemolysis Secret Art*. The pain hasn’t even reached its peak! When you near completion, then you’ll truly understand the taste of… Well, though I’ve never experienced it myself, I’ve seen many Venerables lose their composure at the end.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

“You only have ten thousand years. Once time’s up, I’ll toss you out! Of course, you can keep practicing outside and savor the *Hemolysis Secret Art*’s torment. Pity—once the deadline passes, even if you master it, it’ll be useless.”

“Mastery within ten thousand years—that’s the Demon Ancestor’s test of your mental fortitude and comprehension.”

The blood-robed man continued to revel in Dongbo Xueying’s suffering.

Then—

The pained expression on Dongbo Xueying’s face smoothed into serenity. His eyes opened, meeting the blood-robed man’s gaze.

“A few words from me, and you give up? Your mental cultivation is truly lacking.” The blood-robed man scoffed.