NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63:
Chapter 063: The Storm Approaches:
The Great Dao Sect members turned their attention toward Feng Tianchi, who held a compass in his hand. Streams of faint light flitted across its surface—black, green, white, and gray.
It was a device for tracking and detecting various energies, with each light representing distinct forces like demonic energy, beastly aura, ghostly essence, and others.
“They’re heading toward the eighth layer,” Bai Qiulan remarked.
“Are they just giving up on the treasures and sacred lands of the seventh layer?” Feng Tianchi wondered aloud.
Bai Qiulan fell into thought.
One race moving might not mean much. But when so many races mobilized simultaneously, it was undeniably suspicious.
“I’ll go check it out,” Bai Qiulan decided resolutely.
“I’m coming with you,” Sun Ruowei said.
“And me,” Yue Hongling added.
“Junior Brother Feng, contact the other sects and inform them of this. Stay in touch, and if anything arises, I’ll notify you immediately. Be ready to act quickly.”
Feng Tianchi hesitated briefly.
“Senior Sister Bai, why don’t we send our entire sect together?”
“That’s unnecessary. I’ve already reached the Harmonization Realm. Even if I can’t defeat the combined forces of these races, they’ll find it hard to keep me here.”
“Besides, our fellow disciples came to the Ancient Prodigy Battlefield seeking opportunities. We don’t yet know the full situation. You should continue your search for treasures.”
“Alright, but please be careful, Senior Sister.”
Sun Ruowei showed no expression, though she thought otherwise. Wherever Bai Qiulan went, she always seemed to draw all the attention.
Sun Ruowei glanced down at her own chest and scowled inwardly.
Hmph! We’re cultivators, yet people still cling to such shallow notions like ‘beauty is justice’ or ‘big equals truth.’ Disgusting!
“Let’s go!” Bai Qiulan waved her hand, and the three soared onto a white cloud, heading toward the gathering point of the other races.
Feng Tianchi watched them leave, then began contacting the other sects. Most, however, didn’t take the news seriously.
The Human Race was strong—very strong.
Even if the other races initiated a conflict and gained an initial advantage, once humanity responded, the price the others would pay would be tenfold, a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold greater.
To many human cultivators, collecting treasures remained the top priority. They were intent on using every possible method to rapidly enhance their strength, ascend to the pinnacle, and reach the Cliff of the Blood Sea to inscribe their names on the Eternal Prodigy List.
This list didn’t rank individuals purely based on physical strength—who could throw the strongest punch—but factored in cultivation realm, age, talent, understanding of the Dao, and more.
A cultivator in the Core Formation Realm might break into the 999th rank with a single strike, while someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm might not even elicit a reaction from the list.
Naturally, all other things being equal, those with greater power had a higher chance of ranking higher.
Over the generations, countless prodigies had left their names on the Eternal Prodigy List, creating fierce competition. To this day, a name entering the top hundred would shake not only the First Heaven but even the Upper Heavens.
Keep competing!
Compete harder!
…
Meanwhile, Lu Ye had bypassed the eighth-layer battlefield and entered the ninth layer. His goal was clear—the Spotless Bloodstone.
Having been reborn, he had no intention of hesitating or faltering. What was the point of a second chance if not to seize it with decisiveness?
Before him stretched the Blood Sea.
The endless expanse of red didn’t emit a foul stench but carried a strange sweetness. Perhaps it was because the sea was formed from the blood of countless fallen prodigies, pooling over the ages.
But the blood wasn’t usable—it was steeped in terrifying obsessions. These lingering wills hadn’t diminished over time but had grown stronger and more malevolent.
Lu Ye often wondered what kind of monster this sea might eventually give birth to. Even during his time as a Sovereign, nothing had yet emerged from it.
He stepped forward, his foot landing on the Blood Sea, ripples spreading outward with each step as he walked toward the opposite shore.
The Spotless Bloodstone was located near the stone cliff where the Eternal Prodigy List resided.
The sea was vast, and the waters lay as calm as a mirror.
Dressed in a dark robe, with his black hair simply tied back, Lu Ye’s steps sent faint ripples through the sea’s surface.
In the direction of the sunrise, a massive stone stele loomed like a mountain, suspended above the Blood Sea.
Its gray-brown surface bore names etched in crimson, like strokes of cinnabar.
This wasn’t the Eternal Prodigy List itself.
The real Eternal Prodigy List resided at the very top of the stele, emanating an unmatched, transcendent aura.
The black stone bore golden inscriptions.
Each name told a story of an era.
Lu Ye didn’t bother observing it closely. He had seen it in his past life and wasn’t in a hurry to revisit it.
In his view, the Eternal Prodigy List was a chaotic treasure, born of the heavens and earth, forged by the Dao itself.
Leaving one’s name on it meant receiving the blessings of the world and the Dao.
Satisfied with his direction, Lu Ye stopped moving.
He sank into the Blood Sea, his feet disappearing beneath its surface, his body slowly descending until the water stilled once more.
Not long after, golden light blossomed in the southeast.
Sacred Buddhist radiance filled the sky as a procession of monks approached on auspicious clouds, their solemn figures resembling mythical deities.
From the east came waves of demonic energy, thick with malice, accompanied by piercing wails. A single glance at the churning black fog could make one’s soul tremble.
In the northeast, dense beastly mist shrouded fearsome figures, their forms grotesque and menacing.
…
They’re here!
They’ve all arrived!
“Your Highness Tiger, the trail ends here. I suspect it entered the Blood Sea,” squeaked a conniving-looking rat demon.
“Where exactly?”
“Right here!” The rat pointed to where Lu Ye had vanished.
“Good!”
Husheng produced a black magic stone, its surface riddled with holes resembling a honeycomb.
“Lu Ye’s position is locked. Proceed as planned—Beast Clan, deploy the Four Symbols Heaven-Sealing Array!”
“Understood!”
“Buddhist Sect, prepare the Diamond Demon-Slaying Formation—wait, can’t you come up with a better name?”
The Demon Clan grumbled at the Buddhist Sect’s repetitive naming conventions.
“Amitabha. The Diamond Demon-Slaying Formation is being prepared,” a monk intoned.
“Ghost Clan, ready the Soul-Snatching Ghost Array!”
“Understood!”
“Spirit Clan, deploy the Ten Thousand Spirit Annihilation Array!”
“Got it!”
“Divine Race, prepare the Aurora Godlight Formation!”
“Understood!”
With all preparations set, the various races began to position themselves around the spot where Lu Ye had disappeared.
From a distance, Bai Qiulan, Yue Hongling, and Sun Ruowei observed the activity.
“What are they doing?” Yue Hongling asked.
“Setting up formations,” Bai Qiulan replied.
Sun Ruowei shot her a skeptical look.
“Do you think I’m stupid? Of course, I can see they’re setting up formations! What I mean is, why are they doing it?”