The Mystery of the Crystal Pillar

Qin Huai was taken aback. Since comprehending the king’s force, he had never been bested in terms of strength — he had never even met anyone whose power matched his own.

As he stared at the man in front of him, he took in his disheveled red hair cascading onto his shoulders, a scruffy beard contrasted against smooth, fair skin, and a faint trace of charm lingering on his features. This man was peculiar.

Qin Huai mused. Based on his overall appearance, the man seemed around forty or fifty years old, but his complexion and features suggested he was closer to twenty. If not for the beard, Qin Huai would have struggled to determine his gender.

“We’re on the same side! Absolutely!” The man waved his hands emphatically, attempting to put on an innocent smile.

“Same side?” Qin Huai looked down to find the man standing on the sea of blood.

“I’ve got wings!” The man hastily turned around, revealing a pair of wings not bigger than Qin Huai’s palm. These tiny gray wings flapped at a furious pace, preventing the man from descending into the sea of blood.

“What kind of guardian spirit item is this? How can it fly so freely at an altitude of seventy thousand feet?” Qin Huai questioned. “Anyway, who are you? How did you reach this height?”

This man was suspicious. He had never heard of such a person in Qingzhou City. With his strength rivaling Qin Huai’s own, he should’ve been well-known there.

“My name is Wang Kun, an elder of South Mythical Sect, originally from Fang Mountain City in Long Corridor County,” the man introduced himself.

Qin Huai was familiar with the South Mythical Sect. It was home to only two visceral prefecture realm experts and was ranked lowest amongst the sects in Qingzhou’s inner city. The sect was perhaps not even equivalent to the four gangs in the outer city.

Qin Huai recalled the South Mythical Sect because it was one of the few sects that had been razed by the Sacred Heart Sect and the demons. The South Mythical Sect community was loyal to a fault, none of them surrendering. Tragically, all thousand and three hundred seventy-six disciples, including servant disciples, were massacred. It was a rare occurrence in Qingzhou.

Qin Huai had once visited the South Mythical Sect to pay his respects to the fallen disciples. But now, he found himself standing face-to-face with a man claiming to be an elder of the demolished South Mythical Sect.

“I don’t recall a Wang Kun amongst the two visceral prefecture realm experts of South Mythical Sect,” Qin Huai retorted. “I’m the peak master of Bitter Cliff Peak. I was indeed at the level of three full patterns.”

Bitter Cliff Peak. Wang Kun… A vague memory surfaced.

“How did you get up here?” Qin Huai scrutinized Wang Kun, who didn’t appear to be deceitful.

“I… I have my ways,” Wang Kun replied with a wry smile. “When I came to, I was already here. I don’t even know how I broke through to the visceral prefecture realm.”

“Hmm?” Qin Huai was taken aback. Not knowing how he had advanced to the visceral prefecture realm?

“I recall that the South Mythical Sect cultivates the south mythical flame technique. You should be quite skilled in it, Elder Wang,” he probed.

“Indeed.” Wang Kun didn’t hesitate. His fist traced an arc in the air, releasing an inch of force, materializing a flame character that dissipated moments later.

“Do you believe me now?” Wang Kun asked with a grin.

“I apologize for my earlier offense, Elder Wang,” Qin Huai said, now more convinced of Wang Kun’s identity. The flawless execution of the south mythical flame technique couldn’t be easily replicated.

As for Wang Kun’s strange claim of realm advancement without his knowledge, Qin Huai chalked it up to some fortunate event. After all, the greater world was filled with unusual occurrences.

“I haven’t asked for your name yet,” Wang Kun realized belatedly.

“I’m Qin Huai. You can think of me as a heaven-sent demon,” Qin Huai said, without disclosing his true identity. After all, there were still too many uncertainties surrounding Elder Wang.

“We’re here to vanquish demons. I’m an exorcist too,” Wang Kun said, his smile radiant. “There are too many demons here, so I can’t handle them alone. With Brother Qin’s help, we can surely achieve great things.”

As he spoke, he clenched his fists and continued, “These demons annihilated my sect, so their deaths are not worth regretting! Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I, Wang Kun, will kill them all!”

“Elder Wang, why don’t you share what you’ve discovered here first?” Qin Huai asked. action “Oh… Alright.” Wang Kun extended his hand to touch the blood crystal pillar standing before them. “These blood crystal pillars are formed from the mysterious liquid spurting from the blood sea beneath us. I suspect they were frozen into these icy structures by the cold winds here.

“Looks like these guys were accidentally trapped inside.” Wang Kun hesitated before adding, “However, it seems the demons have found that these ice sculptures possess an extraordinarily dense life essence, capable of healing injuries and enhancing one’s strength.

“So, some have started willingly entering, hoping to increase their power.”

“Increase their power?” Qin Huai stared at the blood crystal pillar, trying to determine the truth of Wang Kun’s claim. Could this blood crystal pillar function as a sort of medicinal reservoir?

“Come with me, Brother Qin, and you’ll see.” Wang Kun took hold of Qin Huai’s sleeve, leading him eastward.

Before long, Wang Kun decelerated. They looked ahead through the dense clouds to see a group of demons surrounding the blood sea’s edge. Using their wings, they generated a whirlwind that hoisted a blood pillar from the sea.

Suddenly, one demon leaped inside. Within moments, it was fully encased within the blood crystal pillar.

“So it’s true.” Qin Huai, engrossed in the unfolding scene, asked, “But if this blood sea is beneficial, why not just dive into it? Wouldn’t that be more convenient?”

“Well… I don’t know much about that.” Wang Kun shook his head. “But I suspect it’s hard to get out of the blood sea once you’re in. I saw two people enter the blood sea directly and never resurface. However, above the blood sea, one can awaken their companions by shattering the blood crystal pillar.”

Qin Huai nodded, his mind teeming with thoughts. Could this be why demons sought to ascend the heavens? The power of this blood sea, the accumulated energy of countless deceased individuals, allowed these demons to heal and even enhance their strength while floating above it.

Exchanging their territory in Qingzhou for personal strength seemed like a worthy trade. Perhaps after growing stronger, they could revolt against the Sacred Heart Sect and reclaim their territory. Likely, the Sacred Heart Sect had similar plans: filling Qingzhou City with their followers and utilizing the blood sea’s current speed.

Then, when both sides clashed, the victor wasn’t certain.

“Is this the agreement between both sides?” Qin Huai rubbed his chin. Each faction had hidden intentions, exploiting the other’s strength for their own gains. The sole cost was the suffering of Qingzhou’s citizens.

But how could Qin Huai let them succeed?

Turning to Wang Kun, Qin Huai hesitated before asking, “Elder Wang, can we find a way to destroy the blood sea? The essence of this blood sea is actually amplified by absorbing the blood, qi, and vitality of Qingzhou City’s martial artists. This is why it can heal injuries and enhance strength.” This information wasn’t a secret.

“Oh…” Wang Kun didn’t display much surprise, as if he already knew.

“I don’t know how to destroy the blood sea, but…” His voice trailed off.

Both of them stood back-to-back, scanning the sky. At this moment, they were surrounded by demons bearing vicious expressions, glaring at them like a tiger stalking its prey.