Beneath the Blood Ravine Cave, Li Xuan's expression grew solemn as he observed his surroundings.
After leaping into the chasm, Li Xuan had been caught by a powerful suction and pulled to this place. Fortunately, his physical body's defense was formidable, allowing him to maintain his balance.
Upon landing, Li Xuan discovered a pool of blood before him. The crimson liquid flowed, emitting waves of chilling energy that assailed his skin like a hot blast. As for Bai Xinghan, he had already fallen unconscious.
"Could it be true that this place was formed from the blood of ancient gods and demons?" Li Xuan channeled all his spiritual energy to resist, yet dared not take a single step forward. Despite his robust physique, he could feel the terror of this place. He had a fleeting thought that a single drop from this blood pool would be enough to shatter his body. The immense pressure felt as if a colossal mountain rested upon him.
"Such terrifying energy. In my prime, I would have likely perished instantly," Li Xuan swallowed, then swiftly scooped up Bai Xinghan's body and retreated. As he moved back, he clearly felt the oppressive force diminish.
*Boom!*
Perhaps sensing Li Xuan's intention to escape, the blood pool churned again, and a fearsome suction surged towards him.
"Damn it!" Li Xuan immediately felt the change in the blood pool and didn't dare to delay, accelerating to his absolute limit. Yet, despite Li Xuan's rapid speed, the suction behind him was even faster. In less than ten breaths, it was less than ten meters away, and Li Xuan realized this suction was far more potent than before.
"Whether you live or die depends on your own fortune!" Li Xuan declared, then hurled Bai Xinghan into the distance with all his might. As Bai Xinghan was flung away, Li Xuan's body was enveloped by the suction, rapidly pulling him towards the blood pool.
*Plop!*
With a splash, Li Xuan vanished into the blood pool.
"Ah!"
Overwhelming pressure descended, and the churning blood, seemingly able to penetrate anywhere, breached Li Xuan's defenses and poured into his body. In a mere ten breaths, Li Xuan's body was riddled with wounds. Blood flowed out, only to be quickly reabsorbed into the blood pool. Even with his rapid healing, Li Xuan could not stem the invasion of the blood. Within a minute, he succumbed to the pain and lost consciousness.
"Though this vessel is weak, it is sufficient to bear this Demon Lord's power. Sacrifice your soul and prostrate yourself before me!" As Li Xuan fell unconscious, a hoarse voice echoed in his mind.
"Even in death, you offer no respite. Do you truly believe you can resurrect through this child's body? Heavenly Demon, I shall not allow it!" Before the first voice finished, another deep voice boomed. Li Xuan, if conscious, would have been astounded to find two consciousnesses within him. These were the blood of the ancient gods and demons.
"Chen Changsheng, though you are a Saint, you were annihilated along with me. For tens of thousands of years, you have suppressed me, but after soaking in this blood pool, I have recovered one ten-thousandth of my strength. Did you truly believe the one percent of my essence blood I dispersed was merely for self-preservation?"
"Heh heh, Chen Changsheng, Chen Changsheng, do you truly believe a single drop of your essence blood can stop me?" the Heavenly Demon scoffed, showing no regard for the divine blood.
"Damn it, you had a plan all along!" Chen Changsheng exclaimed upon hearing this.
"Heh heh, Chen Changsheng, Chen Changsheng, are you unaware of our Heavenly Demon race's Blood Sacrifice Grand Technique? Today is the day of my liberation!" The Heavenly Demon let out a sinister laugh, and the blood pool's waters began to surge into Li Xuan's body at an alarming rate, inflating him like a balloon.
"Blood Sacrifice Grand Technique!" As Li Xuan's body reached its maximum expansion, the Heavenly Demon's voice sounded again. A savage and bloodthirsty aura permeated the air, enveloping Li Xuan's form. A crimson rune appeared in mid-air, radiating an incredibly evil energy that flowed into Li Xuan's body.
"You have even linked with the Heavenly Demon Domain! Damn it, I will not let you succeed, even if it costs me my life!" As the rune appeared, Chen Changsheng's voice echoed from within Li Xuan. In the next instant, a sacred light rippled outward. The two energies repelled each other, causing Li Xuan's body to alternately swell and return to its normal state. This cycle continued, and the blood light began to dim. However, the sacred white light, thin as paper, was on the verge of dissipating.
"Heh heh heh heh, Chen Changsheng, in the end, I am still superior!" the Heavenly Demon sneered, and the blood light flickered once more, brightening. The exceedingly thin white light was instantly shattered and vanished.
"Chen Changsheng, once I have fused with this body, I shall refine you!" the Heavenly Demon declared triumphantly. The blood light rune in mid-air spun rapidly, and Li Xuan's body began to turn a deep crimson.
"You wish to refine and devour me? Deluded!" Chen Changsheng coldly snorted, and his sacred energy instantly decomposed.
The Heavenly Demon roared, "Damn it, you are decomposing yourself!"
"We have suppressed each other for tens of thousands of years. Let us settle this today!" Chen Changsheng chanted, and Li Xuan's body began to shrink again. The surrounding blood light rapidly dissipated under the force of this sacred power. Within Li Xuan's sea of consciousness, two marble-sized drops of blood were visible. One was steadily shrinking, yet its sacred power grew ever stronger.
"Chen Changsheng, this is your doing!"
"Blood Sacrifice Grand Technique, reverse!" The Heavenly Demon roared, and the blood-colored rune stopped its forward motion and began to spin counter-clockwise. The other drop of blood in the Qi sea also continued to shrink. Both were decomposing themselves.
Terrifying energy collided within Li Xuan's Qi sea, causing it to surge and churn like waves, rapidly evaporating. Li Xuan's spiritual platform began to reveal itself.
*Boom!*
Just as the spiritual energy in Li Xuan's Qi sea evaporated completely, and using the brief moment of mutual suppression between Chen Changsheng and the Heavenly Demon, Li Xuan's body achieved a delicate balance. A faint wisp of divine soul, devoid of consciousness, appeared in the Qi sea.
As this wisp of soul emerged, both the Heavenly Demon and Chen Changsheng's blood drops trembled. Their decomposition and suppression actions ceased. The wisp of divine soul transformed into Li Xuan's shadow, its混沌 eyes slowly opening. After glancing at the two blood drops, its eyes gleamed with an appetite-like brilliance.
"Bloodline power! This child's bloodline power is even superior to mine! How is this possible!"
"Heavenly Demon, oh Heavenly Demon, I can finally witness your utter annihilation!"
'Li Xuan's' hazy form glanced at the two blood drops, then opened its mouth wide, instantly sucking both the Heavenly Demon's and Chen Changsheng's essence blood into its maw.
"Hic."