After Qing Ling stepped into the realm of mighty beings in heaven and earth, each further advancement in his cultivation was an incredibly long process.
Even with the blessings of numerous authorities and destinies, and twenty-odd yuanhuis of preparation, Qing Ling still cultivated diligently for twelve yuanhuis before barely reaching the twelfth heaven of the Great Luo Golden Immortal.
At this rate, he would need at least two hundred yuanhuis to reach the apex of mighty beings in heaven and earth.
However, this era was about to draw to a close.
The most obvious sign was the increase in conflict and the escalating struggles between various races over these past dozen yuanhuis.
In this barbaric era, although the Three Clans were the overlords, they still played a crucial role in maintaining the overall peace and harmony of heaven and earth.
The twelve regulations of the Dragon Clan, spread throughout the four seas, were obeyed by all races.
These twelve regulations restricted the slaughter of lesser races by greater ones and also maintained peace among the greater races.
Furthermore, the lesser races, protected by the Dragon Clan, naturally shared their fortunes and misfortunes. For the greater races, their elders and Great Luo Golden Immortals had received assistance in their Dao cultivation from the Dragon Clan, and their karmic ties were already intertwined.
Therefore, the Dragon Clan's seemingly loose reign was, in fact, the most solid alliance.
Unbeknownst to them, a faint black mist began to permeate the sky. This mist did not obscure the sun, moon, or stars; although formless, it could be sensed.
The black mist was an aggregation of the resentments of countless beings, formed from the death qi, killing qi, malevolent qi, and baleful qi of countless souls.
In truth, these negative energies had always existed, but they were previously very faint and scarce, making their presence almost indistinguishable from absence.
However, with the accumulation over time, they gradually took shape and gained momentum.
This was largely thanks to the demonic path of the West.
Demonic cultivators specifically thrived by absorbing the negative energies of heaven and earth; they were the purifiers of this world. The more they absorbed, the less negative energy remained in the world.
But the more the demonic cultivators absorbed, the greater their power became, and the more their ferocity would turn into demonic nature, leading to slaughter and indiscriminate killing. If left unchecked, this would create even more resentment, baleful qi, and increase the negative energies in the world.
The mighty beings collectively referred to this negative energy as calamity qi!
Calamity qi, calamity arises.
In the primordial world, in the northwest, lay the Sea of Blood.
Countless scarlet lotuses floated on the Sea of Blood, blooming faintly, their scarlet hue dazzling and their beauty enchanting.
But it was a scene of great terror!
Innumerable insectoid beasts swarmed, attempting to devour the scarlet lotuses. However, flames of red emanated from above the lotuses. Once touched, these flames became inextinguishable, disregarding divine abilities and treasures, burning directly into the primordial spirits. Every moment, countless insectoid beasts’ primordial spirits were incinerated.
This was because these flames were karma fire, the Scarlet Lotus Karma Fire, fueled by karma. As long as karma persisted, the flames would not cease, until the body was cast into the karma fire and turned to ashes.
A crimson-haired youth walked among the myriad scarlet lotuses, his crimson robes fluttering, his red hair flying. His handsome face bore a terrifying indifference to life.
Around him, at a distance of ten thousand zhang, six Great Luo Golden Immortal powerhouses were gathered, yet they all appeared unsteady, merely surrounding him.
The crimson-haired youth let out a mocking laugh. Above the countless insectoids, he resembled a breathtaking scarlet lotus, whose bloom was destined to shake the world and be revered by all.
"Six Great Luo Golden Immortals, hundreds of billions of clan members, facing me alone, yet you hesitate. How can the Sea of Blood breed such trash like you?"
Among the six Great Luo Golden Immortals, one youth with four eyes exclaimed in anger, "You! What are you being so arrogant about? When the mighty beings of the Qilin Clan arrive, it will be your time to be executed."
"Heh!" The crimson-haired youth chuckled, "Such useless beings, the Sea of Blood will no longer have them."
A long-bearded elder said grimly, "What do you mean by that? You and we were all nurtured by the Sea of Blood, sharing the same origin. Why the need for endless conflict unto death?"
"Oh? When I first emerged, you did not seem to feel that way," the crimson-haired youth curled his lips. "Murder for treasures, heart-rending slaughter, you are not the only ones capable of such deeds."
A young woman in a palace dress said coldly, "Everyone, can't we, the seventeen clans of Blood Heaven, deal with him, a single Great Luo Golden Immortal? No matter how unfathomable his divine abilities, he is still just a mighty being in heaven and earth. Why are you not acting? Do you intend to wait until our clan members are all dead before making a move?"
A pale-faced old woman hesitated, "But the mighty beings of the Qilin Clan have not arrived yet. Let's wait a little longer."
"Enough!" The young woman in the palace dress said coldly, "You have lived too long and forgotten yourselves. Which one of you present was not a renowned mighty being of your time? Not an ancestor of your clan, painstakingly taught by Great Luo Golden Immortal ancestors to protect your clans? You are living longer and becoming more afraid of death, losing your spirit. How long can you prolong your existence like this?"
The expressions of the other five Great Luo Golden Immortals faltered, and for a moment, no one spoke.
Instead, the youth they were surrounding showed a look of appreciation in his eyes.
"Good!" The crimson-haired youth's blood-red eyes flickered. "You are truly a mighty being of the Sea of Blood. What is your name?"
The young woman in the palace dress said coldly, "Blood Heaven You Die, Wu Mo!"
The crimson-haired youth smiled, "Fellow Daoist Wu Mo, I am called Ming He, the master of the Blood Sea Dao. From this day forth, you and I shall be friends of the Dao."
The young woman in the palace dress still looked cold. "Such arrogance. Master of the Blood Sea Dao is not a title anyone can claim."
"Therefore, only I can be the one," Ming He laughed wildly. "Those who follow me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish."
As his words fell, he raised his hands, and from the Sea of Blood emerged an item. Crimson light filled the sky, and a killing aura that shook all spirits emanated from it. Two characters were inscribed upon it, reading: "Yuan Tu."
Then, another sword emerged from the Sea of Blood, its terrifying purple light engulfing the sea. All beings within its reach died miserably, slaughtered and tortured.
Two Dao patterns were carved on the sword, named: "Abi."
In his left palm, Yuan Tu; in his right, Abi. His feet trod upon a blood lotus, his killing aura overturning the cosmos.
The six mighty beings, though fearing death, unleashed their attacks. Once they moved, their every blow was fatal, insidious and vicious.
Within the Sea of Blood, towering waves churned, and divine abilities and treasure lights shot forth.
On the shore of the Sea of Blood, beside the shore-blooming flowers and the Three Lives Stone, Daoist Qing Xuan opened his eyes and looked towards the Sea of Blood, sighing, "Born from the killing intent of heaven, the first great tribulation arises. From the earth's killing intent it ceases, and dragons and snakes rise. This Ming He, born of human killing intent, will invert heaven and earth. The very heaven and earth of the Sea of Blood are about to change."
Just then, outside the shore-blooming flowers, two figures, one black and one white, appeared and respectfully said, "My lord, the ancestor of the Blood Worm Clan, Luo Gong, requests an audience."
Daoist Qing Xuan sighed and said, "Give him a message. If he wishes to live, he must follow. I can protect him for a time, but not for eternity."
The black and white figures, receiving the command, stepped out in unison and returned to the shore of the Sea of Blood.
On the shore of the Sea of Blood, Luo Gong, who had met Qing Ling once before, waited with a slight unease. Upon seeing the black and white figures, he eagerly asked, "Two young friends, what did the senior say?"
The black and white figures bowed and said, "Our lord asks us to convey a message to you, Senior."
"What message?" Luo Gong asked anxiously.
"If you wish to live, you must follow. I can protect you for a time, but not for eternity."
Luo Gong's face instantly turned pale. He murmured, "Protected for a time, but not for eternity."
Understanding dawned in his heart. He quickly bowed towards the depths of the underworld and said, "Thank you, senior."
After Luo Gong left, the white figure asked doubtfully, "Wujiu, why do these powerful beings spend their days fighting and killing?"
The black shadow replied grumpily, "How would I know? These are not things we need to worry about. We only need to serve by the lord's side. If our lord had not saved you and me from the River of Forgetfulness, would you, Xie Bian, be standing here spewing nonsense?"
The white figure quickly fell silent and returned to the Three Lives Stone side by side with the black figure, reporting, "My lord, the message has been delivered."
Daoist Qing Xuan nodded. "If you two have nothing to do, then go to Fengdu City."
Upon hearing this, the black and white figures immediately knelt and pleaded, "Our lord is merciful. We brothers were saved by you and are willing to be your slaves and servants for eternity, never harboring any other intentions. We implore our lord to allow us brothers to remain by your side to repay your kindness."
Daoist Qing Xuan shook his head and sighed, then said, "You two were born with twin souls of Yin and Yang accompanying each other. If you seek the path of cultivation, you should go to Fengdu City and pay homage to the Ghost Ancestor."
The black and white figures, as if telepathically connected, simultaneously bowed and said, "We brothers only know of the Underworld Lord, not the Ghost Ancestor."
Qing Xuan couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Get up."
The black and white figures' faces lit up with joy as they quickly stood up.
"Since you two have this intention, I shall bestow upon you a creation. Fan Wujiu, I grant you the position of Black Wuchang. Xie Bian, I grant you the position of White Wuchang. You two shall act on my behalf in the Yin and Yang realms, specifically conveying the will of my Underworld Lord. You do not belong to any faction of the underworld, and you shall only obey my command."
The black and white figures bowed in ecstatic joy. "Thank you, my lord, for your bestowal. Black and White Wuchang shall eternally, in heaven and earth, only obey the Underworld Lord."