C2 The Time Has Come to Change Everything
A scroll depicting the heavens unfurled before him, revealing a celestial tapestry studded with stars and inhabited by countless Star Gods.
"Whole Heaven Star Map!" Yang Xiu gasped, astonishment written all over his face.
This Star Map was familiar to him. It was the very reason he had been granted a second chance to walk the path of cultivation within the Mountain Sea Immortal Cultivation Realm.
Yet, during his time there, the Star Map had seemed mundane, lacking the profound mystery it now exuded. It was clear that it was no mere mortal artifact.
Boom!
Yang Xiu's consciousness clashed with the Star Map, and the Dao hummed faintly as the map expanded, the celestial bodies leaping forth to scatter across his mind.
The myriad Star Gods vanished in an instant.
"This..."
"With such clarity and the overwhelming surge of Star Power, could this Star Map..."
"... be so incredibly potent?"
Yang Xiu's eyes snapped open, overwhelmed by the shock of it all. The world around him was clearer than ever before, with the luminous moon overhead casting its brilliance into his sensory realm.
The moon and the stars seemed within reach, closer than they had ever been.
The Star Power surged like a vast ocean.
Boom!
Employing the Whole Heaven Star Map Secret Scripture from his past life, Yang Xiu harnessed the moonlight, and an invisible white halo cascaded down, cleansing his already faint vital essence.
The Grand Yin Star Power permeated his flesh, flowed through his meridians, traversed his bones, and settled into his organs.
It transformed his body slowly but resolutely, without a sound.
"This Star Map has the power to bridge the gap between me and the myriad stars. It's truly fearsome. Had I possessed this ability in my past life, how could I have only reached the Beginning Sea Stage?"
"And how could my foe have struck me down!"
His fists clenched, Yang Xiu's eyes blazed with boundless brilliance. He sensed that the ultimate mystery of the Star Map was still concealed from him.
He had yet to uncover it.
The wind howled through the valley, its mournful cries like those of a desolate beast, as a sense of impending danger enveloped Yang Xiu, who stood resolute and focused.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three clouds of mist dissipated, revealing the forms of the Mist Demons. These three were noticeably more robust than the one Yang Xiu had previously dispatched, and their power matched their stature. Upon encountering each other, there was no time wasted on idle chatter. They immediately unleashed a barrage of thunderous attacks, clashing fiercely.
The Mist Demon leveraged its innate ability to conceal itself, seeking to ambush Yang Xiu. In the past, Yang Xiu might have been taken by surprise by such tactics, but now, having been enhanced by the Whole Heaven Star Map, he could easily see through the Mist Demon's petty tricks with just a glance.
"Great Prison Tablet Hand!" Yang Xiu bellowed as he launched forward like a dragon, his palm striking fiercely into the void.
Bang!
The dull thud resonated as the Mist Demon was sent flying like a torn piece of cloth. Yang Xiu quickly pocketed the pale green crystal without a moment's hesitation and immediately turned his attention to the remaining two Mist Demons.
Bang! Bang!
His palms struck out in rapid succession, the shockwaves booming through the air. The technique Yang Xiu employed was one he had meticulously selected from the Sect Master's library, as befitting his status as a direct descendant. It was an extraordinary method, one that could be cultivated even by those unable to practice cultivation, and its energy channeling technique was exceptional. It had saved Yang Xiu from peril on numerous occasions.
Now, wielding the technique with practiced ease, Yang Xiu dispatched the last two Mist Demons without breaking a sweat.
"This..." Yang Xiu mused, examining the three pale green crystals in his palm. As before, they melted and absorbed into his body of their own accord.
"These crystals don't seem to have much effect on the Whole Heaven Star Map; most of their essence merges with my body instead. The Mist Demon's bloodline is known to awaken the bloodline within a human. Could there be some hidden lineage within me?"
Typically, a few Mist Demon bloodlines would suffice to awaken one's own, but Yang Xiu's case was puzzling. The crystals he had were nowhere near enough to trigger such an awakening.
"Could there be a hidden bloodline within this body?"
A hidden bloodline, as the term implies, is a lineage concealed within the human body, possessed by only a rare few.
Moreover, this type of bloodline is exceedingly difficult to awaken.
But once awakened, it becomes immensely powerful.
Yang Xiu had dredged up this information from the depths of his mind, but he didn't dwell on it. He believed he had no need for any bloodline.
His sole focus was on mastering the Whole Heaven Star Map Secret Scripture.
With that, he was certain to reach the ultimate pinnacle of the Dao!
...
Outside.
The cultivators from the Three-essence Sect arrived with overwhelming force, halting the spread of the Cloud Mist Valley.
Not stopping there, under the guidance of two Deacons, they launched a counteroffensive, scattering the forces of the valley.
Boom!
One Deacon unleashed a thunderous green lightning strike, forging a direct path.
"Given these circumstances, there must be a Blood Refining Fog Demon of the Blood Refining Apprentice level within the valley. All disciples, heed my command: whoever slays the Blood Refining Fog Demon will be rewarded with ten Blood Essence Pills.
Those who defeat ordinary Mist Demons and gather ten Bloodline Crystal Stones will be elevated to the rank of official disciple."
Cui Yuanhai's resonant voice filled the air as he stood with an imposing presence, his formidable strength evident to all the disciples.
Instantly,
The eyes of all the Miscellaneous Affairs Disciples blazed with fervor as they charged into the valley.
The allure of becoming an official disciple was more enticing than that of a supreme beauty, for it represented the lifelong aspiration of many.
"The Blood Essence Pills are as good as mine."
Catching the subtext in Cui Yuanhai's words, Cui Lang grasped the implication. With a flick of his sword, he surged into the Cloud Mist Valley with zeal.
As time marched on,
The Cloud Mist Valley was alive with the sounds of battle, the tumultuous air currents dispersing the mists.
"What's happening? Why can't I locate the Blood Refining Fog Demon?"
Cui Lang, his face twisted with ferocity, had just torn an ordinary Fog Demon to shreds. Despite his relentless search, the Blood Refining Fog Demon mentioned by Cui Yuanhai was nowhere to be found.
As the moon made its retreat, the sun climbed high into the sky. With daylight, the Mist Demons of Cloud Mist Valley would vanish completely, rendering them impossible to locate.
"Haha, I've collected ten crystal stones. At last, I can move up in rank," a disciple exclaimed, laughing so heartily that tears streamed down his face without him even realizing it.
"I refuse to believe they can't be found," Cui Lang stubbornly proclaimed, charging into the valley with determination. But soon enough, he returned to the camp, defeated and without strength.
"Did you find any?" Cui Yuanhai inquired, seeking an update from Cui Lang.
Shaking his head in disappointment, Cui Lang replied, "Sadly, I'm still one crystal stone short."
"Everyone, look! Isn't that Yang Xiu? He's actually returned alive," someone exclaimed as the sun hovered just above the horizon. The dissipating mist, lit by the sun's rays, revealed a figure approaching at a steady pace.
Indeed, it was Yang Xiu.
"Haha, just look at his disheveled state. He's barely clinging to life by a thread," they mocked. Yang Xiu's clothes were torn and ragged, suggesting he had survived a brutal encounter.
"How many Mist Demons have you slain? Did you manage to gather enough Bloodline Crystal Stones? If so, you're eligible for promotion to a full-fledged disciple," Cui Yuanhai asked, going through the motions without much expectation of a positive answer from Yang Xiu.
