Chapter Thirty-Seven: Within the Blood Demon Cave

Tang Yi and Lu Changsheng landed at the site where the Blood Demon was sealed. There, a number of people had already stationed themselves in every direction—these were envoys from various major sects. Among them were several cultivators with supernatural abilities. Yet what caused Tang Yi to frown was not the presence of these guardians, but the Blood Demon itself, imprisoned within the Blood Demon Cave—for the Blood Demon, too, possessed supernatural powers. That in itself was not the issue. The problem was that the Blood Demon’s source of power, its trapezoidal form and luminous energy, were unimaginably vast. Tang Yi had never seen such an enormous orb of supernatural light before. While supernatural luminescence varied in size, the Blood Demon’s light sphere was excessive—at least twenty times greater than usual. The origin, the trapezoidal form, and the orb of such power expanded as one’s supernatural rank increased. Clearly, this Blood Demon was a fiend of ten thousand years' standing. How it had survived so long was anyone’s guess.

“Elder Lu, I’ve discovered that the Blood Demon is also a wielder of supernatural powers,” Tang Yi said to Lu Changsheng, his tone deeply troubled.

“A wielder of supernatural powers? That explains much—no wonder the Blood Demon is so formidable and fearsome,” Lu Changsheng nodded.

“By the way, Elder Lu, what are these disciples from the various sects stationed here for?” Tang Yi glanced at the disciples around them, all of whom were above the Nascent Soul stage—clearly, the elites of their respective sects.

“You may not know this, but the Blood Demon’s cultivation technique is itself a top-tier art. It enables the creation of numerous avatars—though these avatars are far weaker than the true body, they all possess at least the Out-of-Body stage of cultivation. While the Blood Demon is sealed, over the years, the seal has suffered damage. The Blood Demon often exploits these flaws to send out avatars. Therefore, people are stationed here year-round to eliminate these avatars and repair the seal. Normally, you’d see only a third of the current number; but these are extraordinary times, so reinforcements have been dispatched, and more will follow. Alas, every time the Blood Demon emerges, the world is plunged into disaster,” Lu Changsheng explained.

“Oh, is that so? But tell me, how has the Blood Demon survived for so long without ascending? Don’t tell me he still hasn’t survived his tribulation?” Tang Yi inquired.

“You’ve guessed correctly. It seems the Blood Demon’s cultivation has long stagnated at the middle stage of the tribulation and he’s never ascended. Perhaps it’s a side effect of his technique—he has lived all these years without dying. He was a contemporary of Kuafu, you know,” Lu Changsheng speculated.

“Let me take a look,” Tang Yi said, approaching the cave where the Blood Demon was sealed. The mountain itself was barren, made entirely of massive boulders, not a trace of greenery in sight—not even a blade of grass. The cave was actually a hole in a giant stone atop the peak, said to be so deep it led straight to the earth’s core. The natural formation of the mountain ensured that the Blood Demon could not break free by shattering the rocks, so cultivators of old had sealed the fiend here.

“This Blood Demon truly lives up to his name—everything here reeks of blood,” Tang Yi sighed.

That’s hardly news, Lu Changsheng thought with disdain.

“Fellow Daoist Tang, have you discovered anything new?”

“Yes, a little. Tell me, is the Blood Demon even human anymore?” Tang Yi asked.

“He is—or was. The elders say he was once a cultivator like us, but after a certain accident, his temperament changed and he descended into evil. Strictly speaking, he is a human demon,” Lu Changsheng explained.

“A human demon? Or perhaps a demonized human? Still a person, then. Why don’t I go in and talk to him?” Tang Yi suggested, surprising Lu Changsheng. In truth, Tang Yi was eager to absorb the Blood Demon’s supernatural powers and instantly become stronger. Yet he hesitated, recalling how one such power, like Serra’s, could drive a man to madness—he had once struggled long to suppress such violent urges by blending it with another power that fostered compassion. At that time, the whole world had been filled with superhumans. Now, with the Blood Demon’s powers being so warped, should he absorb them and become a monster himself, it would be a grave mistake.

“Are you certain? You want to negotiate with the Blood Demon?” Lu Changsheng eyed Tang Yi incredulously.

Tang Yi nodded with conviction before adding, “Another thing: the people of the Pegasus Galaxy wouldn’t dare meddle at a time like this, would they?” he asked, suddenly recalling an important point.

“They? They’re busy dealing with the monsters of the Andromeda Galaxy—there’s no time to trouble us.”

“Oh, so both sides have their spies at work…” Tang Yi understood.

“How are you going to get in? The seal can’t be opened; even if you wanted to, it would take ten cultivators at the middle stage of tribulation or higher. With just the two of us, it’s impossible,” Lu Changsheng reminded him.

“Come now, that’s nothing. What a lousy seal. I could break it with a wave of my hand—but for the sake of the world, I won’t. Just wait here, Elder Lu. I’ll go in and chat with the Blood Demon, see if there’s a chance for reconciliation.”

With that, Tang Yi slipped into the Blood Demon’s cave. Behind the seal, the mouth of the cave glimmered with a faint, blood-red glow. The moment Tang Yi entered, a stifling heat pressed upon him. He quickly summoned a thick layer of ice armor to shield himself, but it melted so rapidly that he had to keep reinforcing it as he advanced deeper, the heat intensifying with every step.

“Who are you, daring to trespass on my domain?” A terrifying, booming voice filled the air—though to Tang Yi, it was hardly frightening, and he even thought it sounded a bit like a tadpole’s croak.

“Me? Heh, I’ve come to visit a prisoner! It’s been a long time since anyone paid you a visit, hasn’t it?” Tang Yi called out, his own voice amplified with a lion’s roar. He could not afford to lose the battle of momentum—if he yielded now, negotiations would be hopeless.

“Hmph! I am close to breaking this seal, and you arrive at this moment—a mere child. Have all those old men finally died off, or have they ascended?” the Blood Demon muttered to himself as Tang Yi walked steadily deeper into the cave.

“You’re hardly any younger! Tell me, Blood Demon, after all these centuries, don’t you get lonely here? Now someone’s come to chat, and you’re not pleased?” Tang Yi teased.

“Haha… What a joke! That is the shamelessness of your so-called righteous path. Though I am trapped in this wretched place, my spiritual sense can reach any corner of the world whenever I please. I can even sense a falling leaf as it drifts from a tree, clear as day—haha…” the Blood Demon laughed heartily.

“Heh, but from what I observe, your spiritual sense can only extend in a line outside this cave, not spread out widely as you claim. Am I wrong?” Tang Yi pressed on, seeking to deflate the Blood Demon’s arrogance.

“Ignorant child! Do you think it’s easy to train spiritual sense to form a line? In the entire world of cultivation, I alone possess this ability—” The Blood Demon’s words broke off as Tang Yi suddenly appeared before him…