Minghe was startled, "A child? I'll go take a look."
With that, he took a step and exited the Sea of Blood.
Inside the hall, Tianfei had already risen, her luxurious palace attire trailing on the polished floor.
The guards immediately prostrated themselves, trembling incessantly. Fearfully, they replied, "Your Highness, forgive me! Your Highness, forgive me! This servant deserves death, this servant deserves death!"
Tianfei slowly bent down, her slender fingers gently touching the head of the attendant. Whispering by his ear, her lips parted, and she spoke softly, like flowing water, "You do deserve death!"
As her words fell, the attendant whose head she was touching let out a piercing scream that echoed through the Blood Palace. Who would know in the deep, silent palace that a small attendant was missing?
Tianfei walked out of the grand hall, a palace-attired maid appearing beside her, who respectfully said, "Your Highness, the origin of that lowly Rakshasa has been found. She is the daughter of the former ancestor of the Blood Worm tribe, Luo Hua!"
Tianfei Wu Mo coldly sneered, "Well done, Blood Worm tribe! The grudges between the seventeen tribes of Blood Heaven and the Blood Worm tribe from back then have not yet been settled. Now that they have rejoined the Asura forces, they dare to scheme against me."
The palace-attired maid's eyebrows twitched, and she said, "Your Highness, shall we execute first and then report, eliminating this woman to prevent future trouble? Even if the ancestor blames us, it will be..."
"No~" Tianfei chuckled, "Death is just a release. What is more terrifying than death is to live!"
Even though the palace-attired maid was her subordinate, her heart gradually turned cold.
Outside the Sea of Blood, Qi carried a long saber on his back. His face bore the marks of wind and frost, evidence of the years he had lived through.
Minghe walked to the "child's" side, a smile in his eyes, "The Dao Master of the Eastern Wilderness actually has a brother?"
Qi looked up, his gaze meeting that of the approaching man. He was a middle-aged man with flowing hair, clad in a blood-colored robe. Though his eyes held a smile, the boundless killing intent hidden within was undeniable.
"My elder brother sent me to find you!"
Minghe smiled and said, "Do you have proof?"
Qi produced a piece of jade and handed it to Minghe.
The moment Minghe's hand grasped the jade, a voice he would never forget echoed in his ear: "Fellow Daoist Minghe, I entrust my brother to you. If he does not reach the Great Luo realm within ten Yuanhui, I will personally guide him to achieve the Dao in the Sea of Blood!"
Ancestor Minghe's heart trembled. His teeth gnashed, and though he felt indignant and wanted to curse the owner of the voice, he restrained himself.
"What is your name?"
"Xishan, Qi!"
The young child's face was cold. Having experienced the great tribulation and the death of his loved ones, though he had emerged from it, he seemed to have lost his former innocence and playfulness, leaving only coldness and reticence.
"Qi, hmm, not bad." Ancestor Minghe sized him up, noting the heavy killing aura surrounding him. "You are a good seed. Since you are his brother, I will leave a part of the Dao of Slaughter for you!
Come, enter the Sea of Blood, kill from south to north. Do not mind anyone you encounter; just kill.
When you have finished killing, your Dao will be achieved. Then you may come and see me."
Qi nodded slowly, drew the long saber from his back, and walked into the Sea of Blood.
However, after taking just two steps, he stopped and turned back.
Minghe asked with a smile, "What? Are you reluctant? Do not worry. The Dao of Slaughter is about killing. Only in slaughter can the true meaning of the Dao be found."
"No," Qi said, "If I encounter you, should I still kill?"
Minghe was taken aback, feeling a sense of amusement.
"You will not encounter me."
Qi nodded, turned, and continued walking. He cleaved open the blood waves with his saber, the malevolent aura coalescing into armor on his body as he stepped into the Sea of Blood.
Atop the Jianmu tree, Qing Ling was fully immersed in his cultivation.
Even though he was currently ahead of many innate deities, the gods who stood upon the tide of fortune were not progressing at a mere thousand miles a day, but rather ten thousand times that.
With the great fortune of heaven and earth enveloping him, as the protagonist of the Primordial Tribulation, and the destiny of a Heavenly Saint, were any of them simple individuals?
Qing Ling meditated and cultivated for countless eons. Despite the golden opportunity of the Great Dao where many paths were vacant, his cultivation beyond the twenty-first heaven still required accumulation over vast stretches of time.
One day, outside Dugguang, a gust of nine heavens qi descended. A blue bird flew before the western canyon and announced loudly, "By the order of Western Kunlun, I am here to pay respects to the Dao Master of the Eastern Wilderness!"
From within the canyon, Bai Fu emerged. Looking at the graceful and beautiful woman before him, he replied, "Esteemed guest, please follow me."
The woman smiled and nodded, "Blue Bird has caused you trouble."
Bai Fu shook his head and chuckled, "Not at all. Western Kunlun is a place where my Dao Master has received great kindness. We at Dugguang are all extremely pleased."
Fairy Blue Bird followed Bai Fu towards the center of Dugguang. The surroundings were filled with rare herbs and extraordinary spiritual beasts. Immortal deer trod upon clouds, spiritual rabbits grazed, spiritual monkeys frolicked in the forest, and birds sang from the branches. It was not a transcendent realm of illusion, but a place of tranquil beasts.
Stepping into this world, it was as if heaven and earth were purified, and even one's heart became much more serene.
She couldn't help but praise, "Dugguang is truly a good place. It is the rarest tranquility in the Primordial World."
Bai Fu smiled and said, "Indeed. My master is the Dao Master of the Eastern Wilderness, a renowned supreme being in the Primordial World today. Who would dare to cause trouble here?"
Blue Bird sighed, "It is a pity that the beings of the Primordial World find no peace."
"And why is that?" Bai Fu, seeing that her words held meaning, followed up.
"Esteemed friend, you may not know, but the tribe that emerged two Yuanhui ago, the Wu tribe, now roams the land, preying on all living beings. Whether they have taken human form or not, they are all food in their eyes.
Western Kunlun has already taken in many fellow cultivators who have fled their homes."
Bai Fu was stunned and said, "This Wu tribe is so ferocious? Indeed, I also know something of the Wu tribe. They claim to be the true descendants of Pangu, so they must be quite powerful.
Alas, we have arrived. This is the base of the Jianmu tree."
As he spoke, Blue Bird and the other had reached the base of the Jianmu tree.
Blue Bird's face was filled with shock. The Jianmu tree pierced the heavens, straight as a blade, reaching into the clouds. Its roots were tens of thousands of miles thick. Her gaze extended for tens of thousands of miles upwards, yet she could not see the top.
Bai Fu bowed towards the Jianmu tree and respectfully said, "Reporting to the Dao Master, a guest from Western Kunlun requests an audience."
Atop the Jianmu tree, Qing Ling did not rise, nor did he even open his eyes. He said indifferently, "For what purpose does the guest seek me?"
Blue Bird stepped forward and respectfully said, "Reporting to senior, I am the Blue Bird Immortal attendant under the command of the Queen Mother, the mistress of Western Kunlun. Today, by the command of the Queen Mother, I am here to invite the senior to Western Kunlun in thirty thousand years to witness the Queen Mother's Dao."
Qing Ling fell silent for a moment. It seemed that the Queen Mother of the West was about to emerge.
There was no response from atop the Jianmu tree for a long time. Fairy Blue Bird could not help but feel anxious.
"Is it only your mistress who will achieve the Dao?"
Blue Bird's heart skipped a beat. Could there be a second Queen Mother of the West achieving the Dao?
She quickly replied, "Senior, naturally, it is only our Queen Mother who will do so."
Qing Ling nodded and said, "Very well. I will personally attend to congratulate your mistress at that time."
Fairy Blue Bird joyfully exclaimed, "Thank you, senior. The Queen Mother will certainly await your esteemed arrival at Western Kunlun! I shall take my leave!"
Blue Bird turned and departed, with Bai Fu accompanying her.
Atop the Jianmu tree, Qing Ling's primordial spirit stirred. He probed the Heavenly Dao and searched the myriad heavens with the Great Dao of Wood, yet he could not find the person he was looking for!
He murmured to himself, "The Queen Mother is about to emerge. That person should be close as well. I wonder how much of the Heavenly Dao is pressing down on him."