Chapter 958 : The Daoist's Eternal Vow

The Eastern Wastes Blood Spring, also known as the Boundless Blood Sea.

This Boundless Blood Sea lies deep beneath the endless Eastern Wilderness, a forbidden land for all living beings and one of the most terrifying places of desolation within the Purple Realm.

It is said this Blood Spring is a key nexus for the circulation of the world's Baleful Qi [malevolent spiritual energy], a place where the world's stagnant and foul energies accumulate. Within its depths, malignant specters and wraiths are constantly born, and on occasion, great demons gestate and emerge to bring calamity upon the world.

Tens of thousands of years ago, a Peerless Dao Lord named Compassionate Ferry Daoist once dwelled within the Purple Realm. In his lifetime, his Mana [cultivation power] approached the profundity of Creation [the act of creation itself]. He sought to purify the Blood Spring and achieve immortality through the accumulation of merit.

At that time, Compassionate Ferry Daoist entered the Eastern Wastes Blood Spring and made a great vow: he would not ascend to immortality until the day the Blood Spring was cleansed. Empowered by the Heaven and Earth Will [the collective will of heaven and earth], he attained a Dao Fruit [the fruit of one's cultivation path] nearly at the level of an immortal.

Thereafter, Compassionate Ferry Daoist spent his days and nights wielding his supreme Mana, striving to completely refine the karmic obstructions within the Blood Spring and purify it to a state of utmost clarity and purity.

Yet, the Blood Spring was formed from the convergence of the world's foul energies. As long as the Purple Realm existed for even a single day and the impure thoughts of all living beings persisted for even a moment, these foul energies would endure forever. To purify it completely was nearly impossible.

Compassionate Ferry Daoist sat in meditation for tens of thousands of years, seeking to use his great Mana to redeem the Blood Spring. However, the foul energies of heaven and earth continuously regenerated, and in the end, he found it impossible to completely redeem the Blood Spring.

Ultimately, even with the combined power of his entire life, Compassionate Ferry Daoist's efforts fell just short of success. As his lifespan neared its end, he descended into a state of cultivation deviation, driven to slaughter all living beings in the world to eradicate the very root source of the foul energies.

Yet, given the glorious might of the Purple Realm at that time, how could a mere Compassionate Ferry Daoist hope to defy the heavens? This content originates from audio‑novel.com. Please respect copyright.

Several Immortal's Dao Heritage [profound legacies of immortal cultivation arts] joined forces to strike, ultimately suppressing and slaying him within this Eastern Wastes Blood Spring [a cursed spring of blood located in the desolate eastern lands].

The unending resentment from Compassionate Ferry Daoist's final moments fused into this Blood Spring, causing its foul and corrupt aura to grow increasingly terrifying and astonishing, transforming it into the most dreadful locus of defilement within the Purple Realm [a vast and mystical cultivation realm].

Today, however, was different, for a young man had quietly stepped into the boundless Blood Sea [a vast ocean of coagulated blood and spiritual corruption].

"Heh heh heh!"

The moment the youth set foot within the Blood Sea, a strange, cackling laugh echoed from the void.

From within the Boundless Blood Sea, a figure coalesced from congealed blood stepped forth upon the air. It was none other than the long-missing Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor.

"In ages past, the Compassionate Ferry Daoist cultivated a power that touched upon the very Creation [the act of cosmic creation and the weaving of fate], yet failed to comprehend that the world's foul and corrupt energies are themselves one aspect of the Yin and Yang Dual Qi [the fundamental opposing and complementary spiritual energies of the universe]," he spoke.

"Just as in the vast cosmos, even in realms where the Immortal's Path [the righteous path of cultivation] flourishes, the Demonic Path [the heretical and destructive cultivation path] can never be wholly eradicated—only suppressed, never utterly purged. How could such forces ever be completely purified?"

"This humble one has long since mended his ways and turned from wickedness, harming no living soul of heaven or earth. Why must you, young Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator], press so relentlessly?"

Sylas Ye listened quietly, his longsword cradled in his arms. A trace of serene detachment flickered in his eyes as he calmly shook his head in response to the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor's words.

Having cultivated under Eldrin Chen for several Millennium, Sylas Ye had, almost imperceptibly, ascended to the level of a Pure Yang Dao Lord. He was no longer the unpolished youth of yesteryear.

"There is some merit to your words," Sylas Ye conceded.

"A pity, however, that before this journey, my Master offered guidance to this disciple."

Yet Sylas Ye merely offered a faint smile, his gaze settling calmly upon the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor before him. He shook his head and spoke with serene conviction, "My Master once said that the Yin and Yang Dual Qi [the primordial opposing forces of passive and active energy] coexist within the world, yet they bear no inherent distinction of good or evil."

"However, the Defiled Qi [a corrupt, impure energy] is a later-born affliction. Though it belongs to the category of Yin and Yang, it excels at clouding the hearts and minds of men. To rectify the source and return to the purity of the original Yin Qi [the pure, foundational passive energy]—that is the enduring principle for the cyclical balance of heaven and earth."

Upon hearing this, the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor's countenance twisted violently into a mask of utter savagery. "That whelp Eldrin, the Abyss," he snarled, "truly has no intention of sparing this old man?"

"Wretched fiend!"

Sylas Ye's eyes sharpened to lethal points. At last, a roar of righteous fury erupted from him. "You have plagued the world for countless years! Today, This Venerable One [a formal and powerful self-referential term used by high-level cultivators] shall act in my master's stead to vanquish this demon and cleanse the source for the Purple Realm!"

"With what power?" the Ancient Ancestor sneered.

The Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor let out a cold laugh. From the churning, boundless Blood Sea, countless sanguine phantoms surged forth. One after another, Blood God Clone [a powerful technique to create avatars imbued with the user's blood essence and power] took to the skies.

A full nine Primordial Spirit Realm [the spiritual core cultivation stage beyond the Nascent Soul] Blood God Clone [a powerful avatar or duplicate formed from blood essence and demonic power] soared into the air, surrounding Sylas Ye so tightly he was sealed within a cage of crimson.

The Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor [an ancient and powerful demonic cultivator who commands blood arts], seeming utterly confident of victory, spoke with a cold sneer, "Had your Master [a title for one's teacher or mentor] come in person, this old man would have turned and fled without a second thought."

"But you are merely a junior. How dare you act so arrogantly before me?"

"Today, this Ancient Ancestor [a venerable title for a supremely powerful and ancient cultivator] shall capture you. Let us see if that whelp Eldrin, the Abyss dares to be so insolent then!"

As the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor's words fell, the nine Blood God Clone surged forward, intent on seizing Sylas Ye.

Yet Sylas Ye remained unmoved. Cradling a single sheet of pristine white paper in his hands, he gently offered it forth. Access the full story on site: audio-novel.com.

"Master, I beseech you to act!"

"*Huummm—*"

Only then did the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor notice the paper bore but a single, starkly written character: Slay.

A mere sheet of paper, a solitary word, yet within it brewed an astonishing, overwhelming Sword Intent [the conceptual will and sharpness embodied by a master swordsman or sword technique]. Before any action was taken, its torrential Sword Intent congealed the very void, freezing all creation in place.

It turned out that Eldrin Chen had infused a wisp of his own Sword Intent [a cultivator's concentrated will and concept of the sword, given tangible form] into that single written character.

This Sword Intent possessed half the might of Eldrin Chen's full-powered strike. While it could not claim to slay all Nine Heavens Immortal Demons with a single character, its power was beyond anything mortal strength could withstand.

Its sole flaw was that mere paper could scarcely contain such a peerless Sword Intent. Within a hundred days, the Sword Intent sealed within would dissipate completely, rendering it unsuitable as a Deep-Seated Foundation [a legacy treasure or technique that can be passed down through generations to secure a clan's future] for the clan.

Yet even so, it was more than enough to slay a single Demigod Ancestor!

"*Screech—*"

A sword cry that could rend the heavens and split the earth echoed forth, and a blade-light of unparalleled brilliance erupted.

In that instant, Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor's heart quailed. A nameless, lethal peril surged within him.

Alas, it was too late to flee. The Sword Intent, forged to slay Immortals and slay gods, suppressed all in its dominion. Before Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor could even form a second thought, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest form of a cultivator's soul] was extinguished by the single, devastating stroke.

The sword-strike annihilated everything. Not only was Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor himself utterly destroyed, but his nine Blood God Clone [demonic duplicates formed from blood and essence] were also eradicated. Not a single wisp of remnant soul escaped to find renewed life.

To the very end, Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor, that supreme existence at the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul cultivation stage], did not utter a single scream.

A generation's Demonic Path Heaven's Chosen, the greatest demonic sovereign of the Purple Realm in thirty thousand years, could not withstand a single strand of Sword Intent from Eldrin Chen.

From beginning to end, Eldrin Chen had not even deigned to appear in person, merely sending Sylas Ye with a blank sheet of paper.

"Our Master's might is supreme. I fear he is not far from an Immortal who has weathered the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation," Sylas Ye could not help but sigh in admiration.

Witnessing the demise of Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor, Sylas Ye let out a sigh.

He then strode deeper into the Blood Sea. A sudden, profound inspiration illuminated his mind. Rising to his feet, he faced the heavens and earth and proclaimed a solemn vow.

"Heaven and Earth bear witness! I, Sylas Ye, hereby swear the Great Oath of Reincarnation!"

"I pledge the entirety of my life's power to purify the foul energies of the Blood Spring for the Purple Realm. So long as a single trace of the Blood Spring's corruption remains in the Purple Realm, I shall not ascend to immortality."

"Only when the Blood Spring runs clear as water shall I attain the Great Dao of immortality!"

"BOOM—"

As Sylas Ye's words faded, a profound gaze, the will of Heaven and Earth itself, descended from the lofty Nine Heavens Above.

In the stillness that followed, a torrential cascade of Merit's Pure Radiance [a luminous manifestation of pure, virtuous energy bestowed by the heavens as a reward for great deeds] descended from the Nine Heavens, completely enveloping Sylas Ye.

Sylas Ye closed his eyes, immersing himself in the power of the Merit's Pure Radiance. After a moment of profound absorption, he opened them again, his gaze now clear and serene.

"My gratitude for your guidance, Master," he said, his voice filled with newfound understanding. "This disciple comprehends."

For in that instant, a sudden flash of divine insight had illuminated Sylas Ye's mind, revealing the true nature of his own destined opportunity. Original English translation available at (audio-novel.com).