The Stunned Tang Pi

Suddenly, Tang Pi was taken aback. In the distance, there was a crescendo of screams.

“What’s going on?” he questioned, his brows furrowing. “Did those two pests manage to fight their way here?” That seemed impossible, given the surrounding five great clans. Even a herd of pigs shouldn’t have been dispatched so swiftly.

Then, with a loud crash, a figure traced a graceful arc in the sky, landing at Tang Pi’s feet.

“Tang Song? What happened outside?” Tang Pi left the blood crystal pillar and scooped up the man at his feet. Tang Song was a reliable general in his clan, a steadfast pillar of support who had just advanced to the visceral prefecture realm.

“It was the five great clans, the five great clans… ugh.” Before he could finish his sentence, Tang Song coughed up a mouthful of blood and drew his last breath.

Tang Pi examined Tang Song’s chest, noticing a sharp, conspicuous cut. A potent aura emanated from the wound. “How familiar…” Tang Pi thought, his eyes quivering as he considered the possibilities.

In the next instant, the face of the killer materialized in the air.

“Old Tang!” a familiar voice boomed. The figure stood tall in the air, his robust wings spread wide, basking in the descending light. A horrifying pressure swept down like a tidal wave.

“Jin Jianghong! Are you rebelling?” Tang Pi asked incredulously, his eyes bulging as he stared at the figure.

“Rebellion?” Jin Jianghong retorted with a cold chuckle, shaking his head. “No, no, no. I’m here to purge my clan of evil!”

“Evil?” Tang Pi laughed. “The evil you’re referring to is Tang Song? If you fail to provide a reason today, I’ll…”

“Sect Master, have you grown senile? Or do you assume we’re all idiots?” Jin Jianghong interjected. “You are the true embodiment of evil!”

Before Tang Pi could react, there was a sound of tearing air from above. Shui Sheng, the interim leader of the northern clan, stormed forward in rage.

“You!” he roared at Tang Pi. “You plotted against your own kind, sacrificing our lives as a catalyst to produce a pure-blooded species!”

His voice was soon echoed by the elder of the Eastern Clan, who materialized in the sky, glaring at Tang Pi with an indifferent expression. “Sect Master, your end is near!”

Tang Pi was stunned. He thought he’d carried out his plan secretly. How had they found out? He turned to Gao He, instinctively suspecting that he had divulged their secret plans. But Gao He looked just as incredulous.

“Sect Master, remember this. If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it,” Jin Jianghong advised, his sneer widening. “You bred a pure-blooded species and planned to use us as blood sacrifices. We were the true prey in your eyes.”

Confused, Tang Pi pondered his words. Were those two ‘pests’ actually purebloods? What kind of joke was this?

He desperately wanted to dismiss the notion, to claim they had nothing to do with him. But the truth was, he had indeed committed the atrocities that Jin Jianghong and others had accused him of.

However, he was oblivious to the fact that he had inadvertently exposed himself because of these two ‘pests.’ Now, as long as Jin Jianghong made a move, he would certainly learn about Tang Pi’s bloodline.

“I really didn’t anticipate something going wrong at this stage,” Tang Pi muttered, slowly ascending into the sky. “Originally, I planned to ensure your dignified deaths, leaving your names to echo through history and be honored by your clansmen. But now, you will be remembered as traitors!”

Tang Pi’s long hair fluttered in the wind as his aura began to soar. “Now you’ll witness the terrifying power of a pureblood!”

As he spoke, the wings on Tang Pi’s back kept growing — ten meters, fifteen meters, twenty meters… Even his body expanded, and within moments, he had transformed into an eight-meter-tall giant.

Tang Pi hovered mid-air, surveying Jin Jianghong and the others as if they were mere ants.

“I see, so you too are a pureblood? But remember, size alone does not dictate the outcome of a battle!” Jin Jianghong felt an immense pressure washing over him, causing cold sweat to break out on his face. Despite this, his eyes flickered with increasing excitement.

The unfolding scene suggested that once they killed Tang Pi, they too might have a chance to ascend to pureblood status. He exchanged glances with the other clan leader and the shared understanding between them was evident.

“Given that we’re both top fifth-level visceral prefecture realm experts, and taking into account your limited support, I refuse to believe you can defeat us!” Jin declared.

In an instant, the airborne figures disappeared. Even Gao He, previously below, was swept up into the chaotic fray. Explosions echoed across the skies, and a rain of blood and wing debris cascaded down, stirring up the previously placid blood sea.

…

On the other side of the blood sea, the handsome Qin Huai effortlessly navigated the battlefield, his wings beating rhythmically. Accompanying him was Wang Kun, his wings conspicuously smaller. The pair, those ‘bugs’, brazenly traversed the blood sea.

Occasionally, the chaotic battles around them would impact them, but any threat was swiftly neutralized by the duo.

“Is this Brother Qin’s strategy…” Wang Kun stared at the chaotic skirmish, his eyes wide in disbelief. “Brother Qin, how did you manage this?”

“Perhaps our perseverance moved the heavens and altered our fate,” Qin Huai replied, offering a casual excuse.

“If I truly had the power to influence the heavens, my South Mythical Sect wouldn’t have been destroyed,” Wang Kun said, a hint of sorrow creeping into his voice.

Qin Huai fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words.

As they ventured deeper into the blood sea, the aftermath of the high-powered battle waged overhead was still visible. Despite the turmoil, their journey to the heart of the blood sea was surprisingly unhindered.

“Elder Wang, can you determine where the blood sea is most concentrated?” Qin Huai asked. Ever since Wang Kun had claimed to have refined the black-red Fish King, his sensitivity to the blood sea had soared to an unimaginable level.

“There!” Wang Kun gestured towards the location where Tang Pi had previously been meditating.

As they hurriedly approached, Qin Huai bent down to scrutinize the seemingly calm sea of blood. Suddenly, spectral hands of vengeance burst forth from the blood, but a swift stroke of Qin Huai’s sword sliced them all in half.

“As expected, this place is far more terrifying than the rest!” Qin Huai noted, seeing the signs of corrosion on his arm. However, his potent life essence swiftly overpowered the corrosion, healing him via the blood heart technique.

“If I cultivate here, the effects could be astounding!” Wang Kun breathed, excitement seeping into his voice. “Perhaps it could even trigger a mutation in our bodies to adopt a unique physique!”

“Does the blood sea possess such a power?” Qin Huai questioned, surprised. He looked at Wang Kun, asking, “How did you know, Elder Wang?”

“I…I…I don’t really know. It’s just a feeling,” Wang Kun stuttered, unable to provide a concrete answer.

“Let’s focus on locating the array core for now,” Qin Huai suggested, dismissing the unanswered query. “If it’s not on the surface, it’s probably submerged in the blood sea.”

He took a deep breath, preparing to dive into the Blood Sea.

“Brother Qin, allow me to do this!” Wang Kun interjected. “The power of this blood sea is immense, its corrosiveness far surpassing other places. Without the black-red fish king to aid you, I’m afraid that even with your superior physique…”

Wang Kun pulled Qin Huai back and with a determined look, insisted, “Let me try.”

“No, absolutely not! We should stay together. If something happens, we can support each other!” Qin Huai responded adamantly. He couldn’t let Wang Kun, who carried numerous mysteries, face this final step alone.

Without waiting for a response, Qin Huai plunged headfirst into the crimson sea, leaving no room for further discussion.