Naruto but as ISSTH

by Zelinku

This is just a continuation of another story that dropped off basically Naruto as Meng Hao and that's about it

2. Chapter 2

1

I will be posting a remake of the first chapter since I had to do it on my phone and it didn't turn out good at all

"The black pearl represents death and the white pearl represents life!

"No, wait. The white pearl represents death and the black pearl represents life!

"Hmm, that's not right either. How many Daos are represented here? The cause and effect of Karma. Truth and falsehood. Life and death. The cycle of reincarnation. Heaven and Earth…." True Patriarch Six-Daos' face flickered. As the pearls neared him, he waved his right hand out in front of him. Immediately, the incense burner flew out and began to expand. Turbid water suddenly exploded out from within.

"Yellow Springs!" growled true Patriarch Six-Daos, causing the turbid water to emanate a monstrous aura of death. It expanded, transforming into a river that swept toward the two pearls.

However, even as it neared the pearls, the Yellow Springs began to tremble and then fall apart…. Countless souls appeared and began to dissipate out in all directions, looking blank and confused.

Next, the incense burner trembled, and images of burning incense sticks from inside began to float up. True Patriarch Six-Daos' face flickered, and he quickly flashed an incantation gesture with his right hand and then pointed out.

"Joss Flame!" The incense burner began to shake, and illusory worlds suddenly sprang into being. All of them contained countless living beings who were kowtowing on bended knees.

Along with their obeisance, their auras pulsed up into the air and then merged together. Next, the worlds themselves transformed into statues, each one of which bore the semblance of true Patriarch Six-Daos. They then shot at top speed toward the Black White Pearls.

The two pearls closed in, and a shocking boom rattled out. All of the worlds and statues instantly turned black and white, then began to collapse. The incense burner trembled and then shrank down rapidly. True Patriarch Six-Daos' face once again flickered. He stretched his right hand out and pushed down toward the ground.

"Yin-Yang Rotation; Heaven and Earth Transformations!" He held his right hand aloft, causing an enormous flag to appear.

As the flag swept out, shockingly, countless souls could be seen inside, howling.

"One Billion Joss Souls."

Astonishingly, one billion souls were inside the unfurling flag, which flew directly toward the Black White Pearls, emanating the shocking howls of the billion souls.

It only took a moment for the billion souls to be dispersed. However, the Black White Pearls were incapable of maintaining their form, and once more transformed into black and white mist that shot toward Six-Daos.

Six-Daos' eyes filled with a strange light, and he did nothing to evade. In fact, he strode forward as the black and white mists neared, and then opened his mouth to swallow them. At the same time, a three-headed six-armed figure appeared behind him, which also opened its gaping mouth.

Six-Daos directly swallowed the black and white mists, whereupon his body began to tremble. His face paled as he tried to endured the force, but it was clearly too great. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and then cracking sounds could be heard coming from inside his body. Suddenly, the black and white streams of mist burst out from his chest and then faded away into the air.

The surrounding Black Sieve Sect disciples were completely shocked. Naruto stood there silently, looking at true Patriarch Six-Daos. This was in fact his most powerful technique he could employ.

"Interesting. Very interesting!" said Six-Daos, lifting his head up and laughing loudly. "Great! What an excellent divine ability. Well, you accomplished the task I arranged for you, therefore, it's time to fulfill my end of the bargain!" With that, he tightened his left hand, causing cracking sounds to fill the air as nearly half of the crystal ball Hinata's soul was shattered. Her soul did not emerge, however, and the discarnate souls in the area all shot forward with expressions of insatiable greed.

"You!" roared Naruto, his eyes bright red. Right now, he didn't care about life or death. He didn't care about anything in the world except for the soul in that crystal ball!

The soul's eyes suddenly opened and looked at Naruto. It was a gaze filled with gentleness and longing….

"In my years of practicing cultivation," said Six-Daos, his voice hoarse, "I've never kept my promises. And since you've managed to piss me off, do you really think I would spare you a painful death?" With a ghastly smile, he waved his hand, causing an altar to appear next to him that resembled a pagoda, with nine steps leading to its top.

On top of the altar were countless discarnate souls with bulging eyes, who emitted soundless screams.

Next, Six-Daos sent the crystal ball shooting toward the altar, where it floated in the air, emitting cracking sounds.

BANG!

The crystal ball completely shattered, and Hinata's soul emerged. The discarnate souls around her let out excited howls as they pounced.

"If you can save her," said Six-Daos, looking at Naruto, "then I'll keep my promise this one time."

Naruto, in a frenzy, shot directly toward the altar. Before he could even get near it, though, the discarnate souls' mouths bit into Hinata's soul. Trembling, she looked over at Naruto, and it seemed as if there were tears in her eyes.

He felt like his heart were being ripped to shreds. His voice filled with misery, he howled, "Eat MY blood and flesh!"

With that he slashed at his chest with his hand, causing blood and gore to splash out in all directions. The aura of a Demon Sealer spread out explosively.

The discarnate souls froze, then turned their heads. The insatiable greed in their eyes surged to an apex, and they charged toward Naruto. In the blink of an eye they bored into Naruto's chest and began to feed.

PAIN!

Indescribable PAIN!

However, Naruto didn't care. He forced himself to continue onward. One by one, he proceeded toward the stairs that led to the top of the altar. More and more discarnate souls latched onto him, and they didn't even bothering to bore into him before beginning to consume his flesh and blood.

However, none of that could prevent Naruto from walking onward.

The Black Sieve Sect disciples in the area were completely astonished, even the ones who harbored intense hatred for Naruto.

Six-Daos' eyes narrowed.

Black mist billowed around Naruto, and his flesh and blood were rapidly disappearing. However, he still had his Eternal stratum, which caused his body to rapidly heal itself. Of course, that only led to more pain.

Step after step led him to the staircase, and finally, Hinata. He reached out with trembling hands to take ahold of her.

However, it was in this moment that Six-Daos' eyes glittered with evil.

He gave a cold snort and then stretched out a finger causally. Immediately, black mist shot toward Hinata's soul.

"This is over," he said.

The black mist shot toward Hinata. Naruto then let out the most desolate roar he ever had in his life. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Disregarding anything and everything, he stretched his hands out to grab Hinata. However, the black beam didn't stop. It slammed into Hinata's soul, enveloping her, transforming into what appeared to be black flames.

It was at this point that Naruto's hands landed on Hinata's soul. They passed through the black flames to take ahold of her.

The instant he touched her, the tears in his eyes finally spilled out. He had descended thoroughly into madness now. All he could do was watch as Hinata slowly faded away within the black flames.

Hinata began to murmur, although no sound came out. Only her lips moved. "You live, I die…. Promise me, that you will keep on living…."

Naruto was desolate, helpless. His cultivation base was useless, and the world was useless. "I just want to practice cultivation in happiness! I just want to be with Hinata! Cultivation? Just… just what kind of life is cultivation?!"

It was in this moment that suddenly, a voice rang out in Naruto's mind.

"Promise me something, and I can help you!" The voice was completely unexpected, but as of this moment, Naruto didn't care. As soon as he heard it, he responded, without hesitation, without taking time to think about how strange it was.

"I promise. Anything you want. I promise!"

As soon as he spoke the words, Hinata, who seemed just on the verge of fading away completely, was suddenly enveloped by a blood-colored beam of light that shot down from the sky.

Instantly, the black flames were extinguished!

Six-Daos' face fell as suddenly, a seething red cloud appeared up above. The sky turned red, and an enormous face appeared in mid-air.

It was the face of an old man, his eyes crimson, with a blood-red horn protruding from his forehead. As soon as the face appeared, the disciples of the Black Sieve Sect felt the blood in their bodies starting to boil, as if it might burst out from within them.

The entire world, the sky, the land, was now the color of blood.

Everything visible was completely blood-colored!

Six-Daos' pupils constricted, and his energy surged. He waved his right hand, causing the incense burner to circle around his head.

"Blood Demon! Do you really dare to interfere with the matters of the

Black Sieve Sect?!"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" replied the face in the sky. Six-Daos entire body filled with a roaring sound, as the scant amount of blood that actually existed inside of him suddenly exploded out, showering in all directions.

His face flickered, and he flew up into the air, transforming into a beam of light that shot toward the face. "Everybody says Blood Demon is the Top Expert of the Southern Domain! Well I don't believe it!"

"Southern Domain?" The face shook its head. "An uncivilized land at best." Shockingly, a wrinkled, blood-colored hand appeared that emanated a shocking blood will. It shot toward Six-Daos, grabbed him, and squeezed lightly.

A boom echoed out as the incense burner shattered. The Yellow Springs vanished, and more blood sprayed from his mouth. Six-Daos was astonished to the extreme.

"You… you…."

"I'm not going to kill you," the face said coolly. "That task will be accomplished in the future, by the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect." The hand loosened its grip, allowing Six-Daos to drop to the ground, his body oozing blood.

The surrounding Black Sieve Sect disciples watched on with pale, astonished faces.

The face in the sky slowly turned to look at Naruto, as if he were the only existence in the world it would deign to look upon.

"You made a promise."

Naruto's face was devoid of blood, but his expression was calm as he looked down at Hinata's soul, enveloped as she was in the red glow. She was no longer in pain, and was now slowly recovering. He looked back up at the face in the sky.

"Even if it's Demonic Transmigration, Junior is willing."

"There is no need for Demonic Transmigration. What I want you to do… is experience bedevilment!

"Join the Blood Demon Sect. Turn into a one-of-a-kind Devil. Become the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!

"The League of Demon Sealers will finally become Devilish. How amusing. This is not the desire of the Heavenly Dao. This is my desire!

"Experience bedevilment. From now on, you are a Devil, a position above Demons. Continue on your path. What I want you do… is no longer seal Demons. No, I want to see if you can use your Demon

Sealing powers to seal the Heaven of the Ninth Mountain and Sea!"

—–

The voice belonging to the face up in mid-air was ancient, and as it echoed about in all directions, an enormous red hand descended. The hand snatched up Naruto and Hinata's soul, then shot up into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished….

The only thing left behind was the wreckage of the Black Sieve Sect, and tens of thousand of ashen-faced disciples. True Patriarch Six-Dao's stood there, an unsightly expression on his face.

He glared with clenched jaw at the redness in the sky as it faded away.

"Blood Demon Sect!" His heart dripping with blood. He had been defeated, thoroughly and utterly defeated, leaving him with unmitigated terror that raced through his heart.

"The Southern Domain's Top Expert!" he thought. Previously, he had despised the thought, but after this day's battle, he had no choice but to admit that Patriarch Blood Demon absolutely was the Top Expert in the Southern Domain.

"I don't think even Jian Chenzi from the Solitary Sword Sect is a match for Blood Demon." His face sank further. Finally, he flicked his sleeve, transforming into a black smoke that shot down into the ground.

The Black Sieve Sect had not been completely destroyed. However, the majority of the Hundred Thousand Mountains had been crushed. Only about 20,000 remained. Whether it be in terms of the Black Yang or the Sieve Yin factions, the Sect had been severely damaged.

Four Spirit Severing experts had died!

Innumerable Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators had also lost their lives. Thanks to the Black Sieve Sect's Dao Reserve, they could still technically be considered a great sect. However, the sect was so badly mangled that it would be difficult to match their previous pinnacle even after ten thousand years passed.

Meanwhile, the blood-colored shield covering the Southern Domain vanished. The blood-colored shields that had been erected over the Violet Fate Sect, Solitary Sword Sect, Golden Frost Sect, and theShimuraand Song Clans also disappeared.

The sects and clans were no longer sealed. Their powerful experts immediately sent divine sense out into the Southern Domain to settle accounts with the Blood Demon Sect. However, when they saw the wreckage of the Black Sieve Sect, they gasped.

Instantly, they concealed any desire they had to settle accounts.

Gradually, word of the ancient title of 'Top Expert' once again began to spread throughout the Southern Domain.

A few hours after Naruto's departure, Pill Demon appeared in the air above the Black Sieve Sect. His face looked more ancient than ever as he looked down silently at the wreckage below.

After a long moment passed, he sighed and began to murmur to himself. "I'm the Master, and I couldn't even save my apprentice. Do I even qualify… to be his Master…?

"He kowtowed three times, and called me Master…." Finally, Pill Demon raised his head up, determination glowing in his eyes.

"I've been living an easy life for far too long now…. I've long since reached the point where I'm not willing to search for the Dao of Immortality…. Is it because I'm afraid? Perhaps.

"The time has come for Severing…." Shaking his head, he left and returned to the Violet Fate Sect.

Three days after returning, a great Dao descended. In that moment, the eyes of all the powerful experts in the Southern Domain turned toward the Violet Fate Sect.

In truth, it was not a single great Dao which descended, but rather, a succession of three!

In the Solitary Sword Sect was an old man wearing a white robe, in front of whom floated a sword of moonbeams. "Violet East… is finally performing his Severing!" he said softly.

In the Golden Frost Sect, deep in a restricted area, within a field of blackness, a mysterious glow suddenly appeared that looked like eyes. "He's been simmering for all these years, did he finally reach a conclusion?"

Li and Song Clan experts, as well as many others, all gazed toward the Violet Fate Sect to bear witness to the goings on.

"In his previous life, Reverend Violet East refused to become a false Immortal of theHebiClan. He longed to be a true Immortal. Unfortunately, he passed away in meditation before his Immortal Tribulation arrived. He transmigrated his next life from the cycle of reincarnation into a medical pill, and when the spirit of that pill awakened, it became Grandmaster Pill Demon…." 1

"Three great Daos, and three Severings in a row. Based on the knowledge he has from from his last life, it seems he's going from Spirit

Severing… directly into Dao Seeking!"

"Considering the latent talent of Reverend Violet East, and the nature of this Severing, it won't be long before he's at the peak of Dao Seeking. The only question is… will he be able to reach true Immortal Ascension this time?!"

"True Immortal… true Immortal…. Either reach Immortal Ascension, or experience the soul scattering in death. After that there is no reincarnation, only a complete blotting out of one's existence."

In addition, there was one other powerful expert who appeared, someone who sat in a blood-colored mountain, wearing a blood-colored robe. "The path to true Immortality that opens every 10,000 years, has once again opened. The opportunity to become a true Immortal has once again appeared. I wonder… how many will experience the downfall of their Dao, dispersing their bodies and souls? Naruto, destiny links both you and me to the League of Demon Sealers.

"Although it was for selfish reasons that I forced you to join the Blood

Demon Sect, I have absolutely no ill intentions toward you whatsoever. I'm just not too pleased with the inflexible, pedantic eight generations of your league!

"The League of Demon Sealers. Wardens of the great Nine Mountains and Seas. Is your heart… with the Nine Mountains and Seas, or outside!?

"If it is outside, then you are not worthy of the Mountain and Sea Realm. If your heart is here, then why haven't you sealed the Heavens, Demon Sealer!?

"Starting in ancient times, the League of Demon Sealers has always been heartless. Could it be that the Ninth Generation… is the same…? I refuse to believe it!

"I won't harm you, and in fact, I will give you great good fortune. I will help you to grow up, and I will be your Dao Protector. When you wish to leave this place, I won't stop you. I just hope that your experiences and time here in the blood Demon Sect will make you pause for thought when it comes time to make those critical decisions in the future." The man sighed as he muttered to himself, and it echoed throughout the Southern Domain.

The name of the mountain the man stood on was Mount Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon Sect was one of the five great sects of the Southern Domain. In the past, it was a place of incredible mystery that struck fear into the hearts of anyone who heard its name. In fact, few people knew exactly where it was. They only knew that Blood Demon Sect disciples were all decisive killers.

For example…ShimuraShiChakra!

Another well-known figure among the rising stars of the sect was Uchiha Youcai, who was surrounded by the glow of blood wherever he went.

Actually, the Blood Demon Sect was not a very large place. It consisted of only five mountains.

The centermost mountain was Mount Blood Demon, which was surrounded by four other mountains that had no true names, but rather, were called by the names of whoever occupied them.

Currently, Naruto sat cross-legged on Mount Blood Demon. Behind him was a cave mouth that emanated a glow of blood, and pulsed with a cold, imposing aura.

In front of him was Hinata's soul, surrounded by a glowing sphere of red light.

He looked at her, and she at him.

They were as separated as Yin and Yang, but their gazes seemed capable of lasting an eternity.

Also standing there on Mount Blood Demon was a figure surrounded by an aura of blood. It was impossible to see his face, but he was currently staring off into the sky. "Have you thought it through?" he said slowly.

Naruto didn't reply. He had been in the Blood Demon Sect for several days now. When he first arrived, the blood-colored figure had spoken a few words to him.

"Do you wish to accompany your beloved for your whole life, or for a single lifetime? A whole life includes a single lifetime, but a single lifetime does not include whole life. A single lifetime is a simple matter, and I can help you with that. As for a whole life… I can't help you." That was the choice which had been set before him.

Naruto didn't respond. He only looked at Hinata. She didn't say anything either. She only looked back at him.

That lasted all the way to the moment in which the blood-colored figure spoke again. Finally, Naruto responded, his voice soft. "Hinata and I have an agreement. She lives, I live. She dies, I die."

The blood-colored figure was silent for a long moment before his ancient voice once again echoed out in Mount Blood Demon.

"If you choose a single lifetime, then I will fuse her soul into her fleshly body. By nourishing it with a miraculous object of Heaven and Earth, she can be completely recovered in a hundred years.

"However, her soul has been damaged, and her body weakened. The fusion is difficult and if it fails, she won't last even a hundred years. Even if it does succeed, she will be incapable of Spirit Severing. You will be able to spend a thousand years with each other, until her longevity reaches an end.

"If you choose a whole life, then… she must enter the cycle of reincarnation. Her soul will travel to the underworld of the Fourth

Mountain, and she will be born anew. As to which Mountain she is born in, it is impossible to say. Before reaching Immortal Ascension, she will remember nothing from her previous life. However, in the moment she does reach Immortal Ascension, she will remember everything.

"Then, she will be able to accompany you for your whole life.

"You have a choice to make. Take her to the underworld to be reincarnated. Or, live with her here for a thousand years.

"If you take her to the underworld, then I can make you a promise. I'm on good terms with Kṣitigarbha, the Earth Store Bodhisattva. Your beloved will be able to avoid any suffering in the underworld, and upon reincarnation, she will be accompanied by incredible good luck. Afterward, there will be a high likelihood that she can achieve true Immortal Ascension.

"You have a month to decide. I'll be waiting for you in the Blood Pond." Gradually, the blood-colored figure transformed into a glow of blood that faded away into the surroundings.

The sun rose and set. Naruto looked at Hinata, and she gazed tenderly back.

They didn't speak, they just looked into each other's eyes. Day, after day, after day….

Half a month went by, although it seemed like an eternity. Finally, she smiled. "Send me into the cycle of reincarnation. I don't want a thousand wonderful years. I want to spend my whole life with you."

Naruto didn't respond.

She looked at him for a moment. "We agreed, didn't we? I want to grow old with you…."

Naruto shook his head. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Hinata smiled and interrupted him. "You're scared that you won't be able to find me, aren't you?

"Senior Blood Demon said that if we pick reincarnation, then it's impossible to tell which Mountain I will end up on…. However, let's make an agreement. You come looking for me, and I'll wait for you….

"There's no need to fear, Junior Brother. Our agreement in this lifetime, is an agreement for a whole life….

"In my next lifetime, I'll definitely dream of you treading through the Heavens to come find me. You'll hold out your hand to take mine, and then we will live the rest of our lives together.

"There's no need to talk any more about what decision to make. We can live together for ninety-nine years. In the final year… I'll enter the cycle of reincarnation." Hinata looked at Naruto earnestly.

Naruto looked at her and then nodded, pain stabbing through his heart.

She smiled, a beautiful smile. He reached up toward the glowing red pearl that contained her soul, and it floated down onto his palm. He closed his eyes and clutched it as if he was embracing her.

He would never forget how her beauty had turned into old age.

He would never forget how some of his life force contained hers.

Finally, he opened his eyes and stood up. "It doesn't matter which

Mountain you are reincarnated to, I will find you."

With that, he carefully took Hinata's soul into the mouth of the cave behind him, which glowed brightly like blood.

Naruto walked into the shallow cave, quickly reaching its end. Up ahead was a blood-colored pond, within which was a withered corpse. It emanated invisible ripples that made it look incredibly ferocious, and growing out of its forehead was a blood-colored horn.

He wore a tattered blood-colored robe, and the skin visible through the tears was dark-red flesh covered with blue veins. The entire image was quite terrifying. His lips were shriveled, his eyes sunken in, his entire body dried up. Visible within his mouth, were razor-sharp fangs.

His body was the shape of a human, but this was clearly no cultivator.

This was a Demon! Patriarch Blood Demon!

This was his true self. Whenever he appeared outside the sect, he used clones. Be it that year in the Reliance Sect, or earlier in the Black Sieve Sect, everything were clone incarnations.

His true self slumbered here eternally. From the beginning until now, he had never stepped even half a foot out of the cave, nor moved out from the pond.

As Naruto laid eyes on him, his head slowly raised up and he looked back.

His gaze was archaic, seemingly filled with countless years of time. Anyone who saw him would think that they were watching time move in reverse. It was as if they were looking far into the past, into ancient times, and the stars.

"I'm already aware of your choice," he said, his hoarse voice echoing about in the cave.

A withered, emaciated hand lifted up and waved through the air gently. Blood rose up from within the pond, moving in accord with the gesture of his finger to congeal into a magical symbol.

As soon as the magical symbol finished forming, its color changed. It was no longer blood-colored, but rather, glowed with a golden light.

An incredibly powerful life force emanated out from it, as if the symbol itself were alive. As soon as the life force appeared, Patriarch Blood Demon visibly became even more ancient and withered. He didn't offer an explanation to Naruto, but this gold magical symbol was created from some of the essence of his life force. The power of such life force was developed through ages of cultivation, and was something that could not be restored.

The golden symbol flickered a few times and then flew toward Naruto.

"Place this magical symbol on her old fleshly body," he said, his voice hoarse and his tone casual. "After nine nine-day-cycles of nourishment, a total of eighty-one days, your beloved's soul can re-enter her body, and she can once again walk about in the lands of South Heaven. If she does not enter the cycle of reincarnation within a hundred years, then her longevity of a thousand years will be cut short.

"Once she enters the cycle of reincarnation, this magical symbol will guide her through the void. When she is in the underworld, it will protect her. It will also help her when she reaches Immortal Ascension."

Naruto looked at the symbol. Considering the level of his cultivation base, how could he not see the terrifying life force that existed inside of it, and how Patriarch Blood Demon had grown weaker after it appeared?

Complex emotions suddenly rose up inside of him. It didn't matter that Patriarch Blood Demon had coerced him into accepting the title of Blood Prince, he still felt incredible gratitude in his heart.

Naruto carefully accepted the magical symbol and put it away, then clasped hands and bowed deeply to Blood Demon.

"My respects, Patriarch!"

Blood Demon's eyes shone with a strange light, and his hoarse laughter echoed out throughout the Blood Demon Sect.

Naruto didn't say anything more. He knew that originally, there was little reason for his life to have much of anything to do with the Blood Demon Sect. And yet, Patriarch Blood Demon had already showed him incredible kindness.

It wasn't limited to the events which occured outside the Reliance Sect that year. If you traced matters back further, Patriarch Blood Demon had actually made an appearance INSIDE the Reliance Sect as well.

Obviously, Naruto had long standing connections to the Blood Demon Sect.

Of course, Naruto was aware that his hand was forced back in the Black Sieve Sect. Despite that, he still chose to walk down this path in front of him.

"I make no requirements of you," said Patriarch Blood Demon. "Even if you want to lead the Blood Demon Sect out into the Southern Domain to wage war on the Black Sieve Sect, to destroy them… I won't stop you.

"You can do anything you want here. My only wish is that you cultivate the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Cultivate it all the way to the sixth level, and then you can leave without any hindrance from me."

Naruto's head jerked up to look at Patriarch Blood Demon, a shocked expression on his face. He would never have been able to guess that there would only be one requirement laid on him, and that it would be something like this.

"When you cultivate it to the third level," said Patriarch Blood Demon, his gaze fixed upon Naruto, "I will bestow upon you some good fortune. After that, each additional level will come with further good fortune!

"I didn't kill Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect, I only crippled his foundation. His cultivation base will quickly fall to the early Dao Seeking stage. When your Blood Demon Grand Magic reaches the fourth level, you will easily be able to slaughter that very stage. At that time, you can personally wipe out the entire Black Sieve Sect."

Naruto didn't say anything in response, but his eyes gleamed with a strange light.

"All I am giving to you is a title in the sect. As to whether or not you can stand on your own, can convince everyone to follow you… and to acknowledge your position, well…

"That depends on your capabilities." Blood Demon gave Naruto a profound look, then waved his right hand. A drop of blood flew out to hover in front of Naruto. He took hold of it, and when it touched his palm, it turned into a blood-red crystal, within which flickered magical symbols that seemed to contain a mysterious, great Dao.

After delivering the drop of blood, Patriarch Blood Demon once again grew visibly weaker. The drop was obviously made of lifeblood, which contained some of his will, and was indestructible. It also contained good fortune.

This was a legacy! The legacy of Patriarch Blood Demon!

After watching Naruto accept the blood drop, Patriarch Blood Demon looked at him with warmth.

"I've lived far too many years," he murmured in his heart, "and my condition worsens on a daily basis. Eventually, my soul will disperse, and I will die. When that happens, I will finally be able to accompany my long-dead friends in the underworld…. They died, and I live on alone…. Wait for me, my sister. Wait for me, friends. We can reunite soon….

"When I die, my death will have the greatest value of them all. My death will change the League of Demon Sealers!

"In fact, that is the reason I chose to descend here into the lands of the Southern Domain…. This is the homeland of the Demon Sealers. Wait for me, all of you. The day is coming soon…."

Naruto clasped hands and bowed deeply, then turned to leave the cave.

Just as he was about to step out of the cave mouth, he suddenly stopped in place.

"Patriarch," he said, "as the Blood Prince, I have a license to kill, right?

How many disciples' lives are covered by it?"

As soon as Patriarch Blood Demon heard the words, his eyes flickered, and he lifted his head up once again from within the Blood Pond.

"One hundred per year."

"Regardless of status?"

"Regardless of status," was the calm reply. To him, none of the other disciples in the Blood Demon Sect were as important as Naruto.

Naruto didn't say anything further. He left the Immortal's cave, and as he did, Patriarch Blood Demon's voice echoed out to fill the entire sect.

"From this day forward, Naruto… is the Blood Prince of the Blood

Demon Sect!"

The words rumbled like thunder throughout the five mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect. Instantly, streams of divine sense appeared from within the four outer mountain peaks, all of which focused on Naruto as he stood there on Mount Blood Demon.

His expression was the same as ever as he strode down the steps. His calm face seemed reticent and taciturn; after dying, his personality had changed dramatically. That was especially so after the massacre at the Black Sieve Sect. After that, he was more ruthless and vicious, and it showed.

Even more influential was everything that had occurred with Hinata. As far as Naruto was concerned, his entire life was different now.

He walked silently, doing nothing to stop the countless streams of divine sense that began focusing on him. Each and every stream was filled with hostility. After all, to the Blood Demon Sect, Naruto… was a stranger!

For a stranger to suddenly come to the Blood Demon Sect and then immediately be promoted to Blood Prince was something that affected the interests of more than a few people. Clearly, many people were resentful.

Their resentment could not be displayed in Patriarch Blood Demon's presence, but when it came to Naruto, they didn't care about him one bit. Even if he had been appointed the Blood Prince, in the Blood Demon Sect… words need to be backed up by strength.

As for what had occurred in the Black Sieve Sect, only Naruto knew about it. The other experts in the Blood Demon Sect only knew that their Patriarch had set up a spell formation and then returned from the Black Sieve Sect with Naruto.

Regarding the particulars of what had occurred, the Black Sieve Sect obviously wouldn't be spreading the news. For the rest of the Blood Demon Sect to learn the details wouldn't likely happen in a short period of time.

There were powerful experts who occupied all four of the outer mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect. They built their own organizations within the sect that eventually caused the Blood Demon Sect to be divided into four major powers or sections.

Generally speaking, the four sections did not get along, and it was difficult to determine who was in the superior position. On the surface, things were harmonious, but in reality, there were ceaseless secret struggles that occurred.

Whether it be outside of the sect or inside, it had always been that way.

As for the position of Blood Prince, that was something that each of the powers wished for their own. If they could acquire the position of Blood Prince, it would change everything and would give them the qualifications to take control of all of the mountain peaks.

The first mountain peak was referred to as Mount Ironblood. 50,000 cultivators called it home, and all of them were Demonic cultivators and cold-blooded killers. Currently, all of their cold gazes were fixed on Mount Blood Demon.

They didn't care a whit about the new Blood Prince nor his extraordinary cultivation base. Even were it more extraordinary, he was still nothing more than a stranger. How could he possibly stand up to all of Mount Ironblood?!

In an Immortal's cave at the highest point on the mountain were the two

Ironblood Patriarchs. They were not cultivators, but rather, Demonic Incarnations; as for their true selves, few people knew what they looked like.

Normally, they didn't venture out very often, and currently, they sat there cross-legged, eyes open as they looked at Naruto.

"Nothing more than some member of the junior generation," said one of them.

There was also a middle-aged man who stood outside of the two Patriarchs' Immortal's cave. His eyes flashed with killing intent as he stared toward Mount Blood Demon.

"The title of Blood Prince was intended for me, Chang Yi! This Naruto dares to snatch food out of the tiger's mouth? He's looking to die!" His body began to glow with a bloody light, and seas of blood surged inside his eyes. The man was clearly in a rage, and countless bloody souls appeared around him, all of them emitting miserable shrieks.

Gritting his teeth, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed toward the

Immortal's cave. "Masters, please allow disciple to take action!"

"He might be the Blood Prince," said one of the two Ironblood Patriarchs, "but the only difference between his position and yours is that he has unique access to the Blood Demon Grand Magic. If you're skilled enough to make him bow his head, then he can become your puppet!"

"That's right," said the other, his voice cold. "If you're skilled enough to make him capitulate, then as the operators of the torture chamber, your Masters will be within their rights to crush him. Of course, he was appointed by the Patriarch, so you can't be the first one to make a move!"

The middle-aged man looked up, and his eyes flickered with viciousness. Without hesitation, he left the peak of the mountain.

At the same time, on the second mountain peak of the Blood Demon Sect, which was known as Mount Darkheaven, a cultivator rose up from meditation to look at Mount Blood Demon. This was respected Patriarch Darkheaven, who was referred to as a Demon, but was in fact a cultivator.

Behind him were his seven apprentices, none of whom seemed to be people of goodwill. Their eyes flickered with red light and killing intent.

The tens of thousands of disciples on Mount Darkheaven, all of whom were commanded by Patriarch Darkheaven, silently stared with cold eyes toward Mount Blood Demon.

—–

"Interesting," murmured Patriarch Darkheaven. "The Patriarch did not assign him a mountain peak, nor any followers, huh…? What does that mean?" He appeared in the form of a boy wearing scholar's garment, and he stood there with his arms clasped behind his back.

"Master," said one of the apprentices standing behind him, "why the hell does a stranger get to be the Blood Prince? I can't accept this!"

"Yeah, allow us to go fight this Naruto guy, Master! Let's see whether or not he has the skill to act as the Blood Prince!"

"What's your rush?" the boy said with a ghastly chuckle. "There will most certainly be others who are in much more of a hurry than you."

Without another word, he turned to head back into his Immortal's cave.

The seven apprentices' killing intent filled the air. They exchanged glances and then stared back at Naruto as he descended the stone steps of Mount Blood Demon.

A similar scene played out on the fourth mountain peak of the Blood

Demon Sect, albeit with much more intensity. The three Demonfire Patriarchs 1 did nothing to restrain themselves, and their fury and arrogance exploded up.

Only the fifth mountain peak was silent. At the very peak of the mountain was a white-haired, hunchbacked old man who supported himself with a walking stick as he looked off toward Mount Blood Demon.

Next to him stood a girl who was quite pretty, yet also radiated killing intent.

"Master," said the girl, "why prevent the disciples of Mount Ghostcrutch from expressing their discontent with the Patriarch's arrangement? It's inherently unfair! I could accept it if Chang Yi from Mount Ironblood became the Blood Prince. But I've never even heard of this Naruto before."

The old man smiled. His voice hoarse, he said, "Your Master has lived for a long time. Although I used to be a bit of a fool, I've become much more sensible over the years.

"You know, I was there on Mount Blood Demon the year the Patriarch descended.

"Throughout the years, the position of Blood Prince has been filled seven times. I was there every single time.

"I've lived a long time and seen many things. These eyes of mine can pierce through the ancient and archaic…. I can tell that this Naruto carries something very unusual."

The girl beside him frowned.

"Don't provoke him," continued the old man. "Don't even get near him. Master needs to observe him a bit more before making a decision." His eyes glittering, the old man returned to his Immortal's cave.

Naruto's expression was calm as he walked down the steps. When he was about halfway down the mountain, he suddenly paused as he caught sight of a white-robed woman up ahead. She stood on a boulder off to the side, in front of which was a cliff that stretched down into swirling fog.

The woman's robes swayed in the wind, making her look quite otherworldly. She was beautiful, and in this moment, looked like a graceful Immortal.

Naruto glanced at her for a moment and then looked away as he continued down the mountain.

The woman turned and stared at Naruto. "Elder Brother Naruto," she said, "we last ran into each other in the Demon Immortal Sect. Could it be that you've forgotten about humble little me?"

This woman was none other than Blood Demon Sect Dao ChildShimuraShiChakra, who had been dressed like a man the first time Naruto met her. 2

Naruto didn't say anything in response. He merely looked at her and nodded, then continued on his way down the stairs.

"Elder Brother Naruto," she continued, "the only people who live on Mount Blood Demon are myself and the Patriarch. I've been waiting in this spot because I need to give you a warning. The other four mountains won't approve of you being appointed as the Blood Prince." She waved her graceful hand, sending a jade slip flying out.

"This is a bit of information about the other four mountain peaks," she went on. "Take a look, it should be helpful."

Naruto accepted it and was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Thank you," and proceeded on his way.

"How… how is Fellow Daoist Hinata?"

"Thank you," he repeated, his voice drifting up from further down the mountain.

After leaving Mount Blood Demon, Naruto found himself in a bleak and desolate forest. The Blood Demon Sect was not like other Sects, where grand temples existed at the bottoms of the mountains, filled with Outer Sect disciples.

Although there were Outer Sect disciples, they also resided on the mountains. As for the region beneath the mountains, there existed only forests.

They weren't completely uninhabited, though. Log cabins could be seen throughout them, belonging to disciples who had descended from the mountains to practice cultivation in isolation. There were quite a few visible, although some were in states of disrepair.

Occasionally, disciples could be seen and, without exception, they looked at him coldly and without an ounce of respect.

Naruto's expression remained calm in the face of the coldness. He had sensed that he was the subject of many, many such gazes when he made his way down the mountain. Therefore, he proceeded until he found remote corner of the sect where he then sat down cross-legged. He closed his eyes and retrieved the soul orb of the exhausted and slumbering Hinata, who he examined for a long moment before stowing away.

At the same time, quite a few streams of divine sense from the surrounding mountain peaks were retracted by their owners, not a few of which were filled with disdain.

"What kind of Blood Prince is this Naruto? I thought he was supposed to be super skilled! He can't even fight with somebody for a log cabin at the bottom of the mountains!"

"He's not even willing to provoke anyone over a log cabin? In the Blood Demon Sect, everything depends on your strength and viciousness! Immortal's caves, mountain peaks, one's beloved, techniques, cultivation resources, everything goes to the strongest! And that includes the position he holds!"

"Hmph. He wants peace and quiet, huh? Well, considering he acquired a position that wasn't his to begin with, he better give up that idea!"

"Although, there's no reason to act too quickly. We only know a little bit about him, so let's just observe for a bit longer…."

Naruto closed his eyes and ignored all of the gazes and streams of divine sense, which he couldn't care less about. Instead, he sent his own divine sense into his bag of holding. There, he found the Blood Mastiff, who had been seriously injured defending him against the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch. It had now regrown a physical body, although it was still weak and small.

And then there was the matter of the parrot and the meat jelly…. When Naruto thought of them, he frowned. He hadn't seen any traces of them since he awoke on the Underworld Ship.

However, he had the strange sense that the two ninnies were definitely in the Southern Domain.

Silently, he rotated his cultivation base until night fell. Finally, he opened his eyes and produced Hinata's desiccated corpse. He slowly fused the golden magical symbol into it, whereupon she instantly began to show signs of life. Gradually, she began to recover.

Her skin slowly changed, and her entire body began to look more limber and charming as she showed signs of awakening. It was a process that would take nine nine-day-cycles, a total of eighty-one days, to complete.

Naruto suppressed the excitement he felt, looked her over for a long moment, then carefully put her body away.

"Elder Sister Xu, your eyes will open in eighty-one days," he murmured. After a long moment, he finally took out the blood crystal given to him by Blood Demon.

He looked at it for only a moment before unhesitatingly pinching it between his fingers. Immediately, all the blood in his body began to seethe as if it were boiling, and emanate an indescribable, bloody aura.

Simultaneously, magical symbols appeared in his head. They emanated a crude, ancient aura that transformed into a legacy.

At the same time, the blood-colored mask inside of his bag of holding suddenly began to emit intense ripples. The Blood Mastiff inside trembled, seemingly instinctively responding to the aura coming out of Naruto, which it in turn absorbed.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!" murmured Naruto.

The Blood Demon Grand Magic was actually a taboo art in the Blood Demon Sect. Only Patriarch Blood Demon himself possessed it. Even previous Blood Princes of the sect had only been introduced to the art orally. Naruto was the only one to acquire the true lifeblood legacy.

The magic was organized into six levels, which were organized two to a stratum, meaning there were three strata in total.

"Chakra and Blood, Spirit Meridians, Blood Soul…." he murmured, and a red glow appeared in his eyes. He suddenly discovered that he was possessed of incredible latent talent in regards to the cultivation of the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

After only a moment, he reached the first level, and was halfway through the Chakra and Blood stratum.

The Chakra and Blood stratum was terrifying; it was capable of absorbing the power of someone else's Chakra and Blood.

Immediately, Naruto's eyes turned as red as fire. He slowly lifted up his hand, which had now turned bright red.

It was almost like his hand was covered with innumerable black holes, all of which were ready… to consume Chakra and Blood.

"I can't believe I was able to cultivate this art so quickly…." thought

Naruto. "It must have something to do with my cultivating the Blood Immortal divines abilities…. Blood Immortal. Blood Demon…. There must be some relationship between the two." After a moment of thought, he realized there might be another explanation. He reached inside of him and realized that his Demon Sealing magics were now slightly different than before.

It was as if some intangible change had occurred, although he was unsure of the exact details.

"Patriarch Blood Demon cares about my status as a Demon Sealer. In that case, perhaps that is why the Blood Demon Grand Magic was so easy for me to cultivate."

He contemplated the matter a bit further, and after a moment, decided that he might as well make another attempt at cultivating the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Following the prescribed method, he continued on. Two hours later, his eyes snapped open, and the bloody glow in his eyes seemed to have completely filled the pupils; he looked terrifying to an astonishing degree.

"The great circle of the Chakra and Blood stratum!" Naruto took a deep breath. By now, he could see just how tyrannically frightful the Blood Demon Grand Magic was. By consuming the Chakra and Blood of others, it could strengthen the fleshly body!

As for how strong, there seemed to be no limits!

"Unfortunately, it's not permanent and is only a borrowed power." His eyes glittered as he suddenly was filled with the strong desire to enter halfway into the Spirit Meridians stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

"All Cultivators build up vast quantities of spiritual energy in their bodies. Because of that, spirit meridians exist. The Spirit Meridians level allows me to consume the spirit meridians of others, which I can use to add to my cultivation base."

He closed his eyes and sank into cultivation. The sun was high in the sky before he finally opened his eyes and frowned.

"I can't cultivate it. I'm missing something." He was in the middle of considering the matter when suddenly the archaic voice of Patriarch Blood Demon echoed in his ears.

"Very good. You reached the second level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic. When you reach the third level, I will give you something that is sure to leave you astonished.

"It has something to do with your League of Demon Sealers. With that item, you will be able to acquire… a Demon Sealing magic!"

Naruto looked up toward Mount Blood Demon. He didn't speak, but his heart trembled. As of this moment, he was now absolutely certain that Patriarch Blood Demon… placed importance upon his identity as a Demon Sealer.

"Just what secrets have I yet to uncover about the Demon Sealers?" he thought. Despite being a Demon Sealer for many years, he still could use only the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex and Righteous Bestowal.

The sky was clear, and cultivators bustled about the Blood Demon Sect. It actually did have the air of a sect, although many of the people were actually engaged in deadly combat. The sound of mutual slaughter was intense, and the glow of blood glittered up radiantly.

If disciples from other great sects in the Southern Domain came here, they would be quite out of sorts. However, as far as Naruto was concerned, it was just like the Reliance Sect, so it actually felt quite familiar.

He stuck to his remote corner of the sect, ignoring everyone else. No one else cared to come to him, either. It was as if they didn't even notice his existence. Because of Naruto's experiences, a single glance was all it took for him to perceive the deep-seated feelings behind the cold expressions on their faces and the scorn in their eyes.

"That's fine," he thought, his face calm. He wasn't the type of person who enjoyed rowdiness. He didn't care about mountain peaks and fighting over resources. He was happy to be left alone to practice cultivation in peace and quiet.

At noon, Naruto rose to his feet. He casually felled some of the trees in the area and built a log cabin. Naturally, people noticed this, and everyone stared in shock, especially the people who harbored strong hostility toward him.

"He's actually building a log cabin?"

"It looks like he's really made up his mind to immerse himself in cultivation. But, does he really think that this will allow him to remain separate from sect affairs?!"

Up on Mount Ironblood, middle-aged Chang Yi saw what was going on, and frowned.

It was at this point that Naruto opened his eyes and looked out of his log cabin. Approaching slowly on foot was a somewhat emaciated looking middle-aged man. His body emanated the ancientness of time, and he was very thin. There was a ruthlessness to him, which presently seemed to have been replaced by complex emotions.

The ripples of a Nascent Soul cultivation base spread out from him, and when Naruto saw him, many different feelings filled him, along with a sense of reminiscence.

As he walked up slowly, his appearance caused many of the surrounding disciples to be shocked.

"That's Elder Brother Uchiha Youcai!"

"What is Elder Brother Uchiha doing here?"

"Wait, look at his expression. Something strange is going on."

People watched as Uchiha Youcai walked up to Naruto and looked at him silently. Clearly, he was recalling past times.

He didn't say anything, and neither did Naruto. As they looked at each other, both of them seemed to be recalling Mount DaChakrang.

That was the place where they both began to walk their path of cultivation, and also the place… where Naruto and Hinata met.

After a long moment passed, Uchiha Youcai clenched his jaw as if to some inner pain.

"Do you drink?" he asked. With that, he sat down cross-legged and tossed a flagon of alcohol over to Naruto.

Naruto caught it, and immediately took a long drink. The alcohol burned as it slid down his throat. It felt almost like a knife stabbing into his guts.

"Li Fugui told me about what happened with Elder Sister Xu," Uchiha Youcai said, keeping his voice low.

Naruto nodded and took another drink. His earliest memories of the cultivation world contained the group from Mount DaChakrang: Uchiha Youcai, Fatty, and Dong Hu.

The four of them, including Naruto, were taken by Hinata to the Reliance Sect. Later, Dong Hu and Uchiha Youcai apparently had a falling out, and Uchiha Youcai disappeared. Regarding Dong Hu, his disposition changed completely, and as for Fatty…. Well, out of all four of them, he seemed to have ended up far, far happier than the rest.

Uchiha Youcai and Naruto sat together drinking silently, each one wrapped up in various memories. Of course, there was one thing that existed in both of their memories, and that was Mount DaChakrang.

"Did you ever run into Dong Hu again?" Uchiha Youcai suddenly asked.

"Not after I left the Konoha," replied Naruto. He looked at Uchiha Youcai, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Back then, the two of you…?"

"His body was physically weak, so I ended up caring for him like a younger brother," replied Uchiha Youcai, his voice cool. "I would help him when it came time to haul water, and if people picked on him, I would handle it. In the end… he shoved me off a cliff because of a pearl."

Naruto didn't respond. He picked up the alcohol flagon and took a big mouthful.

"Be careful of Chang Yi," continued Uchiha Youcai. "In fact, be careful of everyone in the Blood Demon Sect…. There is no such thing as camaraderie here. The only thing that matters is who is more vicious!" With a sigh, he rose to his feet and prepared to leave.

"You shouldn't have come," said Naruto, looking up at him.

Uchiha Youcai didn't reply. He knew that what Naruto said was true; he shouldn't have come. The entire sect currently viewed Naruto with hostility, which meant that after leaving, he would most certainly face some difficulties. And yet, he came anyway.

In fact, in almost the same instant that Uchiha Youcai rose to leave, Chang Yi stood there on the first mountain peak, a cruel smile on his lips.

"So, they know each other!" He flicked his sleeve and flew up into the air. "Follow me, Junior Brothers!" Immediately, nineteen beams of light rose into the air from Mount Ironblood and teleported down toward the bottom of the mountain. "You don't have to make a move, Naruto," he thought. "You can sit there and refuse to provoke anyone. But now, the time has come to see exactly what amazing abilities you have, and why the hell you deserve to be the Blood Prince.

"I'll test you out and see exactly how profound you are. If you don't fight back hard, then I'll just keep pushing until you reach the boiling point. After all, I have plenty of methods to deal with you. If you fight back hard… well, that's what I'm waiting for.

"Hopefully, you'll end up killing someone, and then my Masters will have every right to throw you into the torture chamber!"

As Uchiha Youcai emerged from Naruto's log cabin, twenty beams of light, including Chang Yi, shot down toward the very same area.

Their appearance on the scene instantly caught the attention of the Blood Demon Sect disciples in the surrounding forest. Their expressions turned lively; they knew that an entertaining drama was about to unfold.

Meanwhile, back on the second mountain peak, the seven apprentices of the Spirit Severing Patriarch were all paying very close attention. Merciless gleams glittered brightly in their eyes.

"Now we'll see exactly how profound this Naruto actually is!"

"That Chang Yi has an irascible personality. A whole day hasn't even passed and he already reached the limits of his patience!"

"No wonder he's behaving like that, this is a good opportunity to test out Naruto. We'll be able to learn a bit about him by observing how things turn out."

On the fourth mountain peak, three figures wreathed in flames watched on coldly from outside their Immortal's caves. The disciples of the fourth mountain peak were also watching on, expressions of derision clear on their faces.

One among their number was a young man, who held a magical fan in his hand. He exuded an air of coldness as his lips twisted into a smile.

"Chang Yi really couldn't hold on very long," he said. "That's good, though. This is only a test; presumably, there won't be too much of a ruckus. It does have to be said, though, that Chang Yi is quite the fool.

"It's only been a single day, and Naruto was appointed directly by the Patriarch. If someone really tries to subdue him, the Patriarch will intervene. It's too bad a good opportunity will have been lost."

On the fifth mountain peak, the pretty young woman's eyes were fixed on the scene that was playing out, and she was starting to get excited. As for the hunchbacked old man, he casually looked over to watch.

"Master, do you think this Naruto will really be subdued if the matter turns serious?" Her eyes flickered with viciousness.

"Serious?" said the old man, his tone one of pride in his own wisdom. "Oh no, it won't get serious. It's a small matter. At worst, the harmony will be broken temporarily. You have only practiced cultivation for a short time, but Master has lived for far too long, and has seen many things. I've watched things like this play out too many times.

"You just watch, the dispute regarding Naruto being the Blood Prince is just starting. It will take quite some time before it gets resolved…"

On Mount Blood Demon, Patriarch Blood Demon rested in the Blood Pond. His eyes opened, and he looked over at what was happening.

"So… what will he do?"

Li ShiChakra was also paying close attention, and a profound glint could be seen in her eyes.

Everyone in the whole Blood Demon Sect was looking in Naruto's direction. They all knew that this was his first time making a true public appearance in the sect. They all wanted to see exactly how he would respond to the test.

Of course, it was only a test….

Naruto's face was calm as he looked at the twenty beams of light approaching from Mount Ironblood. It didn't matter if it was Chang Yi up in front, or the other nineteen of his followers. They were all the same to Naruto.

Of the nineteen, eight were Nascent Soul cultivators, and eleven were at the great circle of Core Formation. As for Chang Yi, he had the highest cultivation base, the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

"Uchiha Youcai!" cried out someone from the group. The sound of the voice was like springtime thunder echoing out in all directions.

They didn't even bother with any pretenses; as soon as the voice rang out, its speaker turned into a red beam of light that shot out from the group toward Uchiha Youcai, filled with killing intent. Blood-colored magical items also flew out, whistling through the air. Three of the Nascent Soul Cultivators directly shot toward Uchiha Youcai.

As for everyone else, they surrounded the air, their eyes filled with coldness and derision as they eyed Naruto.

That was especially true of Chang Yi, whose eyes were sinister and cold as he hovered in mid air, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at Naruto, waiting to see what he would decide to do. If Naruto didn't make a move, then it meant allowing Uchiha Youcai to be seriously injured. If Naruto did make a move, well… that was exactly what Chang Yi was waiting for!

He firmly believed that in that moment, his Masters would appear and subdue Naruto.

Rumbling sounds echoed out, causing Uchiha Youcai's face to turn grim. He immediately teleported forward to escape, and at the same time transmitted an urgent message to Naruto.

"Don't do anything! This is Chang Yi. His Masters control the torture chamber, and you can't give them any reason to subdue you down.

Don't worry about me." Even as Uchiha Youcai teleported forward, Chang Yi laugh coldly and waved his right hand. Seven tiny flags flew out, which rapidly expanded in mid-air to form seals that forced Uchiha Youcai back to the ground. Uchiha Youcai's face flickered as the three Nascent Soul Cultivators closed in, their faces filled with vicious killing intent.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Booms echoed out, and blood poured out of the corners of Uchiha Youcai's mouth. He retreated, performing an incantation gesture that caused a divine ability to appear. At the same time, he shouted, "Elder Brother Chang Yi, I'm a disciple of the second mountain peak, do you really dare to attack me?!"

"The second mountain peak?" replied Chang Yi, laughing. An arrogant expression appeared on his face as he glanced in the direction of that very mountain.

Immediately, a voice echoed out from the second mountain peak. "As is customary, we won't interfere with the matters of the torture chamber. Elder Brother Chang, if Uchiha Youcai violated any rules, then you can do anything you wish. However, if he didn't violate any rules, then you'll be held responsible."

Uchiha Youcai's face grew grimmer as he looked at the incoming vicious Nascent Soul cultivators. He gritted his teeth, and was just about to employ one of the sect's restricted techniques to stimulate his Chakra and Blood, when suddenly Naruto stood up. His expression was calm as he arrived next to Uchiha Youcai with a single step and gripped his shoulder.

In the moment that he appeared, all eyes instantly fixated on him. Everyone from all of the five mountain peaks were watching.

That was especially true of Chang Yi, who was inwardly going wild with joy.

"Blood Prince," he said coolly. "What is the meaning of this? Don't tell me you're really going to interfere with torture chamber matters?" He suddenly glared angrily at the other Mount Ironblood cultivators, who looked a bit hesitant. "Why haven't you apprehended him yet?!"

The cultivators gritted their teeth. Ignored Naruto, they advanced on Uchiha Youcai, their killing intent radiating about intensely.

It was at this point that a shocking coldness suddenly appeared in Naruto's placid eyes.

A whistling sound filled the air as the three Mount Ironblood Nascent Soul cultivators gritted their teeth, ignored Naruto, and shot past him toward Uchiha Youcai, radiating killing intent.

They wouldn't kill him, of course. However, they would seriously wound him, especially considering that they represented the torture chamber, and their Elder Brother Chang Yi had personally given the orders. In their opinion, they clearly occupied the superior position, especially considering that they were essentially backed by the two Ironblood Patriarchs. A trifling Blood Prince, even if he did have a cultivation base exceeding their own, couldn't possibly fight back against the two Ironblood Patriarchs.

Because of this line of reasoning, their killing intent grew even more intense than before. Magical items appeared as they shot forward, and the blood-colored glow rose to the Heavens. Under the eyes of everyone in all of the mountain peaks of the sect, they shot forward.

A cold smile could be seen on the face of Chang Yi as he glared icily at Naruto, waiting to see how he would respond to this test.

"There is ruthlessness in my heart," murmured Naruto. "It's been there since I perished in the Milky Way Sea…." He lifted his right hand and casually waved a finger.

Although it appeared that the finger didn't actually point down onto anything but air, in the blink of an eye, the fastest of the three Mount Ironblood cultivators immediately began to tremble. An expression of confusion flashed across his face, and then he coughed up blood. A moment later, he literally exploded.

It was as if an enormous, invisible pair of hands had crushed him into a pulp!

The speed with which it happened was incomparable. It was so sudden that everyone who was observing was flabbergasted.

Behind Naruto, Uchiha Youcai's face fell, and his heart began to pound. "Not good," he thought. "Naruto is far too impulsive! What should I do?"

Anxiety welled up in his heart. He could tell that Chang Yi was just testing Naruto, and could never have imagined that Naruto would act so rashly.

Chang Yi's eyes went wide. Previously, he had never thought that the Blood Prince would attack… with lethal force. However, this twist caused joy to surge up inside of him. He couldn't help but muse that the Blood Prince was clearly far too inexperienced. Coldness gleamed in Chang Yi's eyes as he strode forward.

"Blood Prince!" he bellowed. "How dare you violate sect rules!"

At the same time, the seven shady-looking apprentices on the second mountain peak watched on with glittering eyes, clearly interested in what was happening.

On the fourth mountain peak, the young man with the fan smiled faintly, and a strange light gleamed in his eyes.

As for the hunchbacked old man on the fifth mountain peak, his eyes flickered. Next to him, the pretty young woman stared in shock. She could never have guessed that Naruto would actually kill anyone. "So, this Blood Prince turns out to be quite a vicious person," said the hunchbacked old man, sighing emotionally. "However, he is a bit reckless, and also a tad young. He's not like me, a person who has lived far, far too long."

Naruto completely ignored the reactions of everyone around him. He seemed to be immersed within a world of regrets.

"The ruthlessness grew stronger in the Rebirth Cave…." he sighed. He waved his finger again, and the second incoming Nascent Soul Cultivator's face fell. He suddenly stopped in place. Rumbling sounds echoed out, and then he exploded, completely dead in body and soul.

Another person slain!

The sight of it caused Chang Yi's face to flicker, not with happiness, but with shock. Moments ago, he had assumed Naruto would stop after killing one person, but unexpectedly, he killed again.

Simultaneously, the surrounding cultivators' eyes began to shine with a strange light. The disciples on the mountains felt their hearts filling with shock.

"In the Black Sieve Sect… the ruthlessness exploded out," murmured Naruto. "And yet, it was not sated. Instead, it festered at the bottom of my heart and became even more intense, transforming into… what Patriarch Blood Demon mentioned. Devilishness."

The third Nascent Soul cultivator, seeing his two companions killed right in front of him, was completely dumbstruck. His eyes went wide, and he began to retreat, but it was in that moment that Naruto raised his hand and gestured a third time with his finger.

"Eldest Brother, save me…." the man screamed. But then, his body exploded with a bang that echoed out in all directions. Everyone trembled violently, as they were shaken out of their reveries from the events of moments ago.

"He… actually killed three people in a row!"

"How moronic! This guy is a real idiot! He just arrived in the Blood Demon Sect, but won't bow his head in submission, and even dares to act with unbridled aggression!"

"He's in big trouble now. Not only did he dare to kill fellow sect members

IN the sect, but he chose to kill torture chamber disciples!"

As the buzz of conversation echoed out, Chang Yi flew up into the air, glaring at Naruto the entire time. At first, he had been shocked, but that shock was been replaced with boundless elation. Inwardly, he was roaring with laughter.

"My Masters said not to take the initiative in provoking him," he thought, "but as it turns out, the dolt decided to start killing. Considering his position, killing one could be tolerated, but he killed three…. In that case, if I could get him to kill some more, he would definitely be flirting with death!"

Having reached this point in his train of thought, Chang Yi smiled.

"I offered respect to you as the Blood Prince," he called out, "and in response you dared to make deadly attacks in the sect, and even offended the torture chamber! It doesn't matter how high your cultivation base is, you will be put down! Men… take him into custody!"

The faces of all the Mount Ironblood disciples flickered in hesitation. However, it was at this moment that two shocking pulses of Spirit Severing energy erupted from Mount Ironblood.

"When the Blood Prince commits a crime, he will be treated as anyone else!" rumbled an ancient, somber voice. "Take him into custody and bring him to Mount Ironblood. If he resists, subdue him immediately!" As the words echoed out throughout the entire sect, Chang Yi's expression flickered, and he almost started to laugh out loud with self-righteous laughter.

"He's dead!" he thought.

At the same time, the other disciples with Chang Yi started to look excited. Now that they knew they had the support of the two Ironblood Patriarchs, they were completely confident. They instantly surged forward toward Naruto, completely sure that the Blood Prince would never dare to attack them. If he did, then the two Ironblood Patriarchs would instantly reveal themselves.

Meanwhile on the second mountain peak, Mount Darkheaven, in a temple on the peak, Patriarch Darkheaven sat cross-legged in the form of a young boy. He wore a scholar's garment, and his expression was grim as he cast his gaze down the mountain.

Outside of the temple were the seven apprentices, all of whom sneered coldly as they watched the scene play out. Their contempt for Naruto was even greater than before; they believed his ability to think and plan was clearly lacking.

In response to a simple test, he instantly revealed his weaknesses.

On the fourth mountain peak, the young man with the fan laughed to himself. "This Blood Prince is far too inexperienced," he thought. "His cultivation base is incredible, but he doesn't know how to conduct himself. Well, let this be a lesson to him. In the end, he isn't worthy of his title. He will bow his head in submission soon enough."

The hunchbacked old man on the fifth mountain peak sighed. "Too young."

Naruto looked up, and his eyes were frigid. In fact, his entire person was like a block of ice, and the ruthless aura within him radiated out explosively.

"My ruthlessness turned into Devilishness," he murmured, "and I can't suppress it. It does not conform with my Dao, but… it is what it is…. I might as well let it out!"

He stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye, his killing intent erupted out. At the same time, he swished his sleeve.

It was a simple wave of an arm, but it caused an astonishing gale-force wind to rage up. It was like a wind of Heavenly destruction that swept out in all directions, slamming into more than a dozen incoming cultivators.

As soon as it touched them, their faces fell, and blood sprayed out of their mouths. Regardless of the various levels of their cultivation bases, they were incapable of standing up to the mightiness of the wind, and their bodies were ripped into shreds. Blood and gore sprayed out in all directions.

As for Chang Yi, his face instantly went as pale as death, and his pupils constricted. His cultivation base was at the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, so it was with great astonishment that he was barely able to stand up to the wind. However, the wind then wrapped around him, transforming into an enormous hand that grabbed him violently.

It squeezed down, and cracking sounds could be heard. Chang Yi screamed miserably. "Masters! Save me!"

When the onlookers saw this, their faces flickered with astonishment. Up on the second mountain peak, Patriarch Darkheaven shot to his feet. The hearts of the seven apprentices outside of the temple filled with shock.

On the fourth mountain peak and the fifth mountain peak, similar scenes played out.

"What is he doing!?"

"I can't believe he actually killed so many people!"

"Is he challenging the torture chamber to battle?"

"This… this was just a test, but he responded in this way!?"

At this point, a cold snort echoed out from Mount Ironblood, and two streams of divine sense shot down toward the land below to rescue Chang Yi.

Naruto's expression was calm as the huge hand in mid-air suddenly began to squeeze shut.

"Stay your hand!" roared the two streams of divine sense.

Even as the sound rang out, Chang Yi's screaming reached a fever pitch.

"No…" he cried. "This… was just… a test…." Before he could finish speaking, a boom echoed out as his body was crushed into a pulp of mutilated flesh. His Nascent Soul was also completely destroyed. He was dead in flesh and soul.

To him, it was just a test, but to Naruto… when it came to attacking, there was no such thing as any so-called testing.

Deathly silence filled the air. No one could ever have predicted that a simple test would unexpectedly end this way. Moments later, the two streams of divine sense descended toward Naruto.

"Are you looking to die?!" roared one.

"How dare you kill my Mount Ironblood disciples! I'm going to crush you!" The two Ironblood Patriarchs were furious. At the moment, it didn't matter that Naruto was the Blood Prince, or that they could sense something strange about his cultivation base. Those things didn't matter.

Truth be told, there was something strange about Naruto's cultivation base. The life force of a Resurrection Lily obscured the traces of his Second Severing, making it seem that he was only in the First Severing level.

He looked up, and not a trace of hesitation could be seen in his eyes as he sent his divine sense shooting out with intense ferocity.

BAM!

His divine sense was simply too powerful. The fact that the two

Ironblood Patriarchs were Spirit Severing cultivators didn't matter. Their streams of divine sense were completely incapable of standing up to to Naruto's, and were immediately shattered.

Massive ripples raged through the Blood Demon Sect, whipping the trees and vegetation into a fury. All of the surrounding cultivators gasped in astonishment.

"There's no need to come down here to try to subdue me," said Naruto coldly. "I'll head up there to subdue the two of you!" With that, he flew directly toward the first mountain peak.

As of this moment, the entire Blood Demon Sect was in a complete uproar

It took Naruto only a single step forward to reach the first mountain peak. The instant he stepped foot onto it, all of Mount Ironblood shook. Inside their temple at the peak of the mountain, the faces of the two Ironblood Patriarchs flickered, and they erupted with shocking First Severing energy.

Rumbling filled Heaven and Earth, and the clouds and mist in all directions seethed. At the same time, an enormous face appeared in mid-air up above Mount Ironblood. It was completely the color of blood, and two horns protruded from its forehead.

It looked matchlessly vicious. As for the two Ironblood Patriarchs, their robes whipped madly in the wind, and in their hands they held enormous battle-axes.

The battle-axes were Demon Weapons; the two Patriarchs were facing a mortal enemy, and their hearts were trembling with great waves of shock.

"I can't believe… he's so powerful!"

"What level is his cultivation base?! I can't see any traces of a Second Severing, but even at the great circle of the First Severing, he shouldn't have such powerful divine sense!"

"Could it be that he cultivates some technique to specifically enhance his divine sense!?"

The moment the two Patriarchs appeared was the same moment that Naruto stepped foot onto the stairs leading up to the peak of the first mountain. Slowly, he began to make his way toward the top.

All eyes were fixed on him, and everyone was thinking that as of this moment, Naruto really was worthy of his title after all.

On the second mountain peak, the scholarly looking child, Patriarch Darkheaven, could sense the result of the confrontation between the divine sense of Naruto and the two Ironblood Patriarchs. His face was covered with shock as he hastily stood, then instantly teleported out of his temple.

Outside, his seven apprentices gasped, and their faces filled with disbelief.

"He resisted the divine sense of the two Ironblood Patriarchs all by himself!"

"Just… just what type of cultivation base does he have!?"

"What is he doing? Wasn't this just a test?"

"QUIET!" barked Patriarch Darkheaven. Shocked, his seven apprentices instantly went as silent as cicadas during winter.

On the fourth mountain peak, the three old men wreathed in flames also rushed out of their temple. Their expression were that of astonishment as they looked toward the first mountain peak.

Off to the side, the young man with the fan who had previously been observing the events with a look of disdain on his face, now stood there slack-jawed, seemingly incapable of even breathing.

He suddenly realized that this was not a situation in which the Blood Prince was being immature. Quite the opposite, his cultivation base was so high that he didn't need to bother with any sort of strategy or planning. He took out all of his opponents in one blow!

As soon as Naruto started up the staircase, the first, second, and fourth mountain peaks were sent into complete, reeling shock. In that same moment, the wind and clouds surged. A black fog appeared, within which could also be seen a white fog.

In the blink of an eye, black and white began to swirl around each other and form into the shape of two enormous pearls. Furthermore, beneath the two pearls was a mountain wreathed in mist and clouds!

The Ninth Mountain!

The Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain!

Together!

This was something that Naruto had come up with after his battle with Patriarch Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect. Although it was not complete, he was still able to use them to shocking effect.

Rumbling echoed out as the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain crushed down onto the two Patriarchs of Mount Ironblood.

RUMBLE!

The ground trembled, and rumbling filled the air. The two Ironblood Patriarchs' faces quivered.

Meanwhile, back on the fifth mountain peak, the hunchbacked old man's eyes widened, and he took a deep breath.

The pretty young woman who stood next to him was utterly shocked.

"What… what is he doing? Could he really be trying to fight back against

Mount Ironblood? Master, didn't you say things wouldn't get serious?"

The hunchbacked old man blinked and cleared his throat. "Calm down, alright? Based on my experience, I can tell you that the matter definitely won't get extremely serious. At the most, the first mountain peak will be involved. Hahaha! It seems this Blood Prince is going to take it as a show of force!"

In the central mountain peak, Mount Blood Demon, Patriarch Blood Demon's face was tranquil, but a smile of contentment could be seen on his face.

"The ruthlessness in your heart is too intense, and can't be dispelled. You might as well let it condense into Devilishness. This has been a long time coming. It wasn't that I wanted to coerce you; rather, this was the only method that would count as being helpful to you.

"You don't understand now, but when you reach your Third Severing, you will be enlightened."

Li ShiChakra was also on Mount Blood Demon, and her eyes shone with a strange light as she watched the scene play out. After all, she knew Naruto much, much better than anyone else in the Blood Demon Sect.

The events in the ancient Demon Immortal Sect were imprinted indelibly in her heart, and she hadn't forgotten about anything that happened there. Furthermore, after returning, she told no one in the sect about what had happened, with the exception of Patriarch Blood Demon.

Most shocked of all was Uchiha Youcai. He stared blankly as everything happened, then began to breathe deeply. Determination began to glow in his eyes. "Naruto… is so strong! I… can't let myself fall behind!" RUMBLE!

A massive clamor filled the air as Naruto took his third step up the stairs. Up in mid-air, the pearls in the black and white mist, as well as the Ninth Mountain they orbited, shot toward the peak of the mountain. Under the force of the incredible pressure, the two Ironblood Patriarch's gigantic, ferocious face suddenly revealed an expression of pain.

Naruto's face was cold as he took his fourth step.

Shocking rumbling caused everything to shake. The face formed by the energy of the two Ironblood Patriarchs struggled and howled. However, it did no good. Under the crushing pressure, it shattered into countless fragments.

To the observers, it almost looked like half of the sky had been ripped apart, superseded by the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain. Having seen their vicious face destroyed, the two Ironblood Patriarchs trembled and coughed up blood. In the blink of an eye, they seemed to age, and their faces filled with astonishment.

"Just how powerful is he?!" they thought, their minds reeling. In their wildest imaginations, they could never have guessed that Naruto, using only his own aura, could suppress them to this extent.

On the second mountain peak, Patriarch Darkheaven's face flickered as he stared at the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain. "What divine ability is that?!"

The apprentices next to him were trembling, and so were rest of the 50,000 cultivators of the first mountain peak. They looked up at the sky, and at Naruto, and were terrified.

The three flame-cloaked figures on the fourth mountain peak watched on in shock.

"Crushing! Now, that is crushing!"

"He didn't even attack them directly, he just used energy to pound the two Ironblood Patriarchs into such a tattered state!"

"Blood Prince! He really is the Blood Prince!"

Everyone was panting. In the Blood Demon Sect, respect was shown to the strong. Other than some of the Elite Apprentices who earned their place because of their bloodline, everyone else was now completely astonished by Naruto's show of force.

He took a fifth step.

Everything shook as the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain continued to emit crushing pressure. The two Ironblood Patriarch's faces flickered, and with growling roars, they shot up into the air. However, even as they flew up, rumbling echoed out and they were swatted back down. They slammed into the top of the mountain, causing it to tremble violently as it sank down into the ground by a full three meters!

All observers were dumbfounded.

The two Ironblood Patriarchs coughed up blood. Their bodies were covered with wounds, and their astonishment regarding the Ninth Mountain and the Black White Pearls could not grow any further.

"If we can't fight the divine ability, then we'll battle with his true self!"

"His magical techniques are monstrous. We can't fight from a distance, we need to get closer to attack!"

The two Patriarchs roared, and their bodies emitted thumping sounds as they began to grow. They rapidly turned into thirty-meter tall, fourarmed giants that looked like devilish fiends.

Their foreheads sported double horns, and they looked nothing at all like humans, but rather, Demons. Their energy exploded out violently as they hefted their battle-axes and then transforming into streaks of light that shot down toward Naruto with monstrous killing intent.

"DIE!"

"KILL!"

Naruto was taking his sixth step as they bore down on him. He glanced at the two Demons coldly, then lifted his right hand and slapped out violently.

His fleshly body had experienced sanctification and was essentially at the great circle of Spirit Severing. It was second only to Dao Seeking!

His cultivation base was at the Second Severing, but his true power… placed him as the number one person under Dao Seeking in all the lands of South Heaven.

His palm roared through the air to land directly onto the two Demons.

A huge boom echoed out as the battle-axes shattered into pieces. The faces of the two Demons filled with astonishment, and blood sprayed out of their mouths. Miserable shrieks could be heard, and they appeared to be on the verge of exploding. Blood spurted out everywhere as they were sent tumbling backward.

Naruto's palm slammed them back up toward the peak of the mountain. At the same time, the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain began to descend.

"NOOO!"

"Patriarch, save us!"

"Darkheaven! Demonfire! Help us!"

When the two Ironblood Patriarchs called out, bloody glows rose up from the second and fourth mountains. As they shot forward, a voice echoed out.

"Enough!"

"Your power has been established! Why haven't you stayed your hand!?"

The ruthlessness in Naruto's eyes flickered as he took his eighth step.

"SCREW OFF!" he said, sending his divine sense exploding out. It transformed into a monstrous blood-colored beam that shot toward the incoming bloody glows. Its explosive intensity instantly shattered the two opposing beams, and they vanished.

"Still want test me? Well then, take a good long look. I've taken a liking to this Mount Ironblood." As his voice rumbled out, the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain slammed down onto the peak of Mount Ironblood.

CRUSH!

Everything quaked, and a riot of colors flashed across the sky. The

50,000 disciples of the first mountain peak trembled as the two Ironblood Patriarchs screamed miserably. Their bodies were instantly smashed by the Ninth Mountain.

As their bodies were destroyed, their Nascent Divinities flew out, but were unable to escape. The Black White Pearls immediately absorbed them, and they were sealed inside.

In that moment, Naruto finished taking his eighth step, and reached the peak of the mountain. As he stood there alone, all of the disciples of the first mountain peak dropped trembling to their knees and began to kowtow.

"We offer our respects, Blood Prince!"

"We offer our respects, Blood Prince!"

The voices echoed out from the first mountain peak, rising into the air and spreading out like massive waves.

The entire Blood Demon Sect was filled with the sound of it.

However, even as the sound rolled out, a grim, penetrating voice could be heard.

"Naruto, you might have a high cultivation base, but this is the Blood Demon Sect! Killing the torture chamber Patriarchs to usurp their position is against sect rules! You WILL provide compensation!"

"Crushing the two Ironblood Fellow Daoists requires that you provide compensation!"

The voices came from the second and fourth mountain peaks. Patriarch Darkheaven and the three Demonfire Patriarchs refused to give in, and in their minds, Naruto had already established his power. In their opinion, Patriarch Blood Demon would certainly appear soon. Since that was the case, they spoke up to maintain their own face, and make sure everyone knew that they did not fear the Blood Prince.

—–

In their opinions, there was no way that Naruto would be willing to make enemies of the entire Blood Demon Sect. The price had already been paid for the test, so they would naturally speak up to preserve their dignity.

Therefore, they made up their minds to worry later about how to deal with Naruto. In their reckoning, the next that would happen was that Patriarch Blood Demon would appear and smooth things over.

On the fifth mountain peak, the pretty young woman raised her hand to her chest. Everything that had occurred so far had left a deep impression upon her. As for the hunchbacked old man, he took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and then coolly said, "Patriarch Blood Demon will appear now, and the matter will be concluded. Ah, this Blood Prince…. Too young. Too impulsive. I've lived for too long and…." However, before he could finish speaking….

Naruto completely ignored the mangled corpses at his feet and turned his head to look at the second mountain peak. The icy ruthlessness in his eyes grew even stronger.

"How about I give you your compensation right now!" he said. To the disbelief of all onlookers, he began to move straight toward the second mountain peak!

The Blood Demon Sect instantly went as quiet as a graveyard.

On the second mountain peak, Patriarch Darkheaven's face fell.

"Lunatic!" he thought. "This damned bastard is a lunatic!"

Face flickering, he backed up. "I… I was just babbling," he thought. "But he's actually… dammit!"

The three Demonfire Patriarchs on the fourth mountain peak were also shocked. Gritting their teeth, they flew in succession toward the second mountain peak.

Naruto moved with incredible speed, so it only took a moment for him to close in. He raised his right hand, and the Black White Pearls appeared, circulating around the Ninth Mountain. As they hovered above the second mountain peak, the sky shook and the land quaked.

The disciples of the Blood Demon Sect were flabbergasted to the extreme. Gasps could be heard as they looked up at their matchlessly domineering Blood Prince!

"'There's no need to come down here to try to crush me, I'll head up there to crush all of you!'

"'How about I give you your compensation right now!'

"That's what the Blood Prince said! Domineering to the max! He's definitely the Blood Prince of our Blood Demon Sect!"

The bloodline disciples of various other Patriarchs in the sect were now all panting as they realized that their Blood Prince was completely domineering. Their eyes were filled with fanaticism as they stared at Naruto.

To have a Blood Prince like this was something incredibly impressive.

In contrast, Patriarch Darkheaven of the second mountain, as well as his seven apprentices, were all pale-faced and trembling. Previously, they had sneered at Naruto and looked down with scorn at his youth. By now, they had come to their senses, and could do nothing but stare at him in astonishment.

As for the young man with the fan on the fourth mountain peak, his face was pale white with shock. He suddenly realized that the Blood Prince… might look harmless, but was in fact completely overbearing when provoked.

He did not give second chances, and when he decided to establish his might, he did so completely and thoroughly.

Naruto sped toward the second mountain peak, and when he stepped foot onto it, the entire mountain rocked back and forth. Naruto raised his hand toward the retreating Patriarch Darkheaven and extended his finger.

"You want compensation? Here's my compensation. Compensation to the second mountain peak, delivered by me for Uchiha Youcai." The reason Naruto chose to make a move against the second mountain peak really was Uchiha Youcai.

Naruto had noticed how they treated him earlier, and was not pleased. As he extended his finger, wind blasted out that seemed to split the Heavens. The Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain transformed into a blur that shot toward the boy in the scholar's garments, who was none other than Patriarch Darkheaven.

Patriarch Darkheaven's face fell, and he immediately performed an incantation. A bloody glow erupted around him, transforming into a blood-colored blade that slashed toward the blast of wind from Naruto's finger.

The slashing blade was filled with the energy of the great circle of the First Severing, an explosive power that appeared to be almost on the verge of Second Severing.

Naruto snorted and waved his finger again.

"How dare you!" howled one of the three Demonfire Patriarchs, an old man who emanated the aura of Second Severing. "Naruto, you've gone too far! You think you're tough because you're in the Second Severing? So what if you are!?"

Naruto didn't even turn to look at them. He simply waved his sleeve.

An enormous boom echoed out as the finger attack slammed into the blood-colored blade. The blade immediately fell to pieces, and blood sprayed out of the mouth of Patriarch Darkheaven. Even as he tumbled back like a kite with its string cut, Naruto's second finger attack slammed into him.

Another boom rattled out, and Patriarch Darkheaven let out a bloodcurdling scream as over half of his body directly exploded. His Nascent Divinity flew out, which was the exact moment in which the three Demonfire Patriarchs from the fourth mountain peak arrived.

"Well," said Naruto calmly, "since you're here, I guess I might as well provide some compensation to you as well." He stepped toward them.

The three were shocked. However, the Second Severing Patriarch, who was the eldest of the three Demonfire Patriarchs, waved his hand, causing a sea of blood to appear.

"Why do you keep attacking us?! What are you, a spy from another sect? Did you trick Patriarch Blood Demon!?"

"My license to kill will cover seventy-eight more deaths this year," replied Naruto calmly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire Blood Demon Sect uttered a collective gasp, even the three Demonfire Patriarchs, whose eyes went wide. As for the Nascent Divinity of Patriarch Darkheaven, his face was a picture of shock.

The surrounding disciples immediately broke into an uproar in response to Naruto's shocking words.

"License to kill?!"

"The Blood Prince has… don't tell me he has a license to kill!?"

"Heavens, does the license to kill cover all cultivation bases?"

"He has so much power! The lives of all disciples are in his hands!"

On the fifth mountain peak, the hunchbacked old man stood there blankly. Next to him, the pretty young woman's eyes were wide and she was panting.

"Master, what's this license to kill all about?"

Without even thinking about it, the old man started to talk. "Ahem, there's no need to worry. I've lived for too long, and this is just a test, it won't…."

He was only about half way through his speech when he noticed his apprentice staring at him with a strange look in her eye. He cleared his throat again.

"Master, you said the same thing in the very beginning, except that Chang Yi got killed. You repeated yourself, and afterward the first mountain peak was crushed…. You said the same thing, after which, the second mountain peak and the fourth mountain peak took action.

"Now, you're saying the same thing yet again…." The young woman trailed off and didn't continue speaking.

In the same moment that her voice trailed off, Naruto waved his arm, causing the Ninth Mountain to appear and shoot toward the three Demonfire Patriarchs.

As it bore down on them, the three Demonfire Patriarchs' expressions were extremely serious. They immediately unleashed divine abilities. As for the Second Severing cultivator, he spit out a fireball that set the sea of blood aflame. Bloody fire roared up around him, rapidly transforming into the shape of a gigantic deer's head.

The deer's head was formed completely of fire, and it had two enormous antlers. It shot toward the incoming Ninth Mountain. As it flew through the air, the other two Demonfire Patriarchs combined their power to cause the body of a deer to form around them, which then connected to the deer head.

The massive, fully formed deer then hurdled toward the Black White

Pearls and the Ninth Mountain, emanating incredible ripples of Second Spirit Severing power that were only a hair away from the power of Third Severing!

Naruto's eyes glinted with coldness. Without hesitation, he waved his right hand, causing the power of his cultivation base to explode out. Fissures appeared in the air all around him, the wind surged and the clouds seethed. Rumbling sounds echoed about in all directions as the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain suddenly expanded, doubling in size and might.

The increase caused an incredible pressure to radiate out. Inside the deer, the three Demonfire Patriarchs' faces filled with disbelief.

BOOM!

The Ninth Mountain slammed into the giant deer, sending a huge explosion blasting out in all directions. The deer was torn into pieces, and the three old men inside coughed up blood as they were sent spinning backward through the air. Their cultivation bases were in chaos, their faces pale, and their hearts surged with waves of shock.

"This is impossible!"

"He's so strong! He wasn't even fazed by the combined power of all three of us!"

They weren't the only incredulous ones. All of the disciples in the Blood Demon Sect had similar reactions. EvenShimuraShiqi, who knew a bit about Naruto's cultivation base, was shocked.

She never expected Naruto to be powerful to such a terrifying level.

After all, she only knew a bit about what had happened in the Black Sieve Sect.

Nobody knew the true level of Naruto's strength. Were it not for Patriarch Six-Daos, the Black Sieve Sect would have been completely annihilated.

The hunchbacked old man on the fifth mountain peak had an incredibly serious look on his face, and his eyes shone with a strange light.

"I'm old," he muttered. "Really and truly old. I finally ran into one of those legendary inhumans, and yet didn't recognize it…. He's clearly a Dao Severing inhuman!

"There is a rare type of cultivator whose lives are filled with such twists and turns that they either perish, or shock the Heavens! When they mature, they can slay the Dao Seeking stage, even when in the Spirit Severing stage!

"People like that, are called… Dao Severing!

"His ruthlessness has already turned into a Devilish will…. However, the Devilish and the Dao are linked. Both contain a will of persistence. Both are ultimate achievements!

"The path of Dao Severing is a difficult one. Sever the Dao, become a Devil!

"Of course, Devil Severing is another path, an even more difficult one. Sever the Devil, achieve the Dao! Patriarch, is that why you made him the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect?

"Dao Severing requires a Dao heart. Devil Severing requires a Devilish will!

"I suddenly have a very strong desire… to be there the day he performs Devil Severing!

"Sever the Devilish. Seek the Dao!" Even as the old man muttered to himself on the Fifth Mountain, his eyes grew bright, and he turned to look at Mount Blood Demon.

In Mount Blood Demon, Patriarch Blood Demon sat cross-legged in the Blood Pond. His eyes gleamed with abstruseness, within which infinite ancientness seemed to flow.

"Sever the Devilish," he murmured. "Seek the Dao!

"Naruto, you can't blame me. I planted the devilish seed within you, but the reason is that the path of the League of Demon Sealers is incorrect…. I will use my remaining years to help you mould your Devilish will, and then wait for you… to Sever the Devil….

"That is Dao Seeking!

"Sever the Devilish. Seek the Dao, then Sever the Immortal. What's so difficult about that?!"

"When that time comes, you will have sown great Karma with the Demonic. When the day arrives in which you reach the true pinnacle… don't forget your Demonic destiny.

"Wait for me, my sister, my friends. We will be meeting again soon…. Soon, I will be able to accompany you once more…." The aura of death which surrounded him continued to grow stronger.

709

Chapter 709: Blood Demon Grand Magic! 1

The enormous deer collapsed, and the three Demonfire Patriarchs were sent tumbling backward. Trembling, Patriarch Darkheaven's Nascent Divinity attempted to flee with all the speed he could muster. His heart was currently filled with infinite regret, regret at the words he had spoken earlier.

He also felt incredible hatred toward the two Ironblood Patriarchs, and especially the now-dead Chang Yi. Were it not for them, he and the others wouldn't be in such a tough situation now.

"Dammit, if I had known earlier that it would end up like this, I would never have provoked that jinx!"

"Why hasn't the Patriarch appeared? Don't tell me this Naruto is really going to kill all of us?!"

As they rushed to escape, Naruto's eyes flashed with coldness. He sped forward with unspeakable speed that caused the four cultivators' scalps to go numb. As he neared, he began to unleash the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

As soon as the magic began to stir, a blood Chakra exploded up around him, and his right hand turned completely crimson, as if it were made of blood.

"The first stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

"The Chakra and Blood stratum!"

Naruto stretched his hand out toward the three Demonfire Patriarchs and Patriarch Darkheaven's Nascent Divinity. Although they were separated by dozens of meters, as soon as he reached his hand out, their bodies were surrounded by an enormous blood-colored vortex.

The shocking vortex began to rumble, and from a distance it actually didn't look like a vortex at all, but rather, a gigantic hand!

The four cultivators were now stuck in the middle of the palm, and were unable to extricate themselves.

The faces of the four filled with even more intense shock than they had been. They could sense that because of the vortex, the Chakra and blood in their bodies was boiling. Furthermore, they couldn't even control their cultivation bases; the more they tried, the more they found themselves unable to suppress the boiling.

Immediately, countless cries rang out through the Blood Demon Sect.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

"This is the Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

Countless disciples' eyes gleamed with covetousness as they looked at Naruto.

"Only the Blood Prince is qualified to cultivate… the Blood Demon Grand magic!"

"I can't believe that the Blood Prince actually acquired the first stratum in only a single day!"

The disciples looked up at Naruto and the blood-colored vortex spinning in mid-air, and were filled with both shock as well as unprecedented levels of fanaticism.

There was no other magical technique that could inspire such a craze among the Blood Demon Sect's disciples like the Blood Demon Grand Magic did. After all, the Blood Demon Grand Magic was the number one magic in the entire Blood Demon Sect!

Once the Blood Demon Grand Magic was unleashed, the three Patriarchs began to struggle violently. Rumbling sounds could be heard as the power of their cultivation bases exploded out. However, it doesn't matter what they did; they were completely incapable of freeing themselves.

Their fleshly bodies began to wither as blood and Chakra pulsed out from inside of them to be absorbed by the vortex and then fused into Naruto. His mind trembled as he sensed the power of his fleshly body shooting up at high speed!

As the Chakra fused into him, an intense sensation of strength rose up from deep within.

"So this is the Blood Demon Grand Magic!" he thought, his eyes shining with a strange light.

The three Demonfire Patriarchs howled.

"Nooo! The power of my Chakra and blood! Dammit!"

"Stop! Naruto, if you slaughter members of your own sect, you'll meet a horrific end!"

"Patriarch Blood Demon, save me!"

They were unable to prevent the Chakra and blood from flowing out of them, only to be replaced by a sensation of incredible weakness. The only one who wasn't affected was Patriarch Darkheaven, who had already been reduced to his Nascent Divinity; nevertheless, he was still frightened and astonished.

The entire scene was incredibly shocking to all the onlookers. Hovering in mid-air, Naruto lifted up his right arm and made a grasping motion toward the blood-colored hand, causing more pulses of Chakra and blood to emerge from the men in front of him, which he then absorbed.

"Do you submit, or not!?" he asked coolly.

"Never!" cried one of the three Demonfire Patriarchs.

"We three Demonfire Patriarchs serve Patriarch Blood Demon! Do you really think we would submit to a trifling brat like you!?" In their rage, the three Demonfire Patriarchs continued to struggle to free themselves from the vortex, and yet were completely incapable.

Their bodies were visibly withering, their skin was smeared with blood. And yet, that did not leave them in despair. What truly left them without hope was… Patriarch Blood Demon still had not appeared.

That cleared up any doubts about one matter. The license to kill that Naruto mentioned truly did exist!

And even the lives of Spirit Severing Patriarchs were covered by it. That also made it obvious that… to Patriarch Blood Demon, no one in the entire Blood Demon Sect could compare to Naruto!

Because of that, the heart of the Demonfire Patriarch with the weakest cultivation base began to quiver. Blood was oozing out of him, and he could feel the shadow of death looming over him.

"I submit!" he cried through gritted teeth. "I submit! Blood Prince, I give you my allegiance!"

The other two Demonfire Patriarchs were furious.

"Third Brother, what are you doing!"

"How could you possibly give your allegiance to a brat like that!?"

His voice cool, Naruto said, "Swear a Dao oath."

"You…." The Third Demonfire smiled bitterly, then looked over apologetically at the other two Demonfire Patriarchs. He had no choice but to submit to Naruto. The terror he felt because of Naruto caused coldness to rise up from within the depths of his heart. That was especially true after he realized that Naruto… really could kill him.

It didn't matter that he was a Spirit Severing Patriarch of the Blood Demon Sect!

He really had no other option. He dared not rebel against the sect, and was already terrified of Patriarch Blood Demon. Adding one more terrifying person into the mix, especially since it was the Blood Prince, was something he could accept.

He quickly swore a Dao oath, after which the gravitational power of the vortex surrounding him ceased to affect him.

Because the Chakra and Blood stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic now had one less person to split its power amongst, the other two Demonfire Patriarchs felt even more pressure than before. Chakra and blood flowed madly into Naruto. At the same time, he suddenly seemed to slip into a strange, indescribable state.

He suddenly sensed… a sort of boundless awareness that existed outside of the lands of South Heaven. It seemed to be faintly connected to the universe in myriad, uncountable ways.

"Is that Dao Seeking…?" thought Naruto, his eyes glittering.

"I submit! I'll swear allegiance!" roared the Second Demonfire Patriarch. He gritted his teeth and swore a Dao oath. His body was already extremely withered, and his energy almost completely depleted. If he tried to hold on any longer, his fleshly body would be crushed into dust.

Now that he swore allegiance, the most powerful of the three Demonfire Patriarchs, the Second Severing cultivator, was alone. His body was stained red from blood, and rips could even be seen in his skin. Clearly, he was on the verge of collapsing.

"I submit!" he said, letting out a long sigh. Under the Blood Demon Grand Magic, he had no other choice but to submit. He too was incredibly intimidated by Naruto, whom he was simply unable to contend against whether it was in terms of cultivation or combat skills.

As soon as the Demonfire Patriarch submitted and offered up his Dao oath, Naruto's eyes flashed over to Patriarch Darkheaven, who had been sucked into the vortex. Though the vortex had no effect on him due to his lack of a physical body, his whole body shuddered when Naruto's gaze landed on his body and he hastily squeaked, "I submit too!"

When the leadership of the second and fourth mountain peaks submitted, the hunchbacked old man on the fifth peak raised his voice and called out, "I am Yuan Daozi! I offer my respects, Blood Prince!"

Behind him, the pretty young woman was looking at Naruto with ardor burning in her eyes. She immediately dropped to her knees and kowtowed, as did all of the disciples on the fifth mountain peak.

"Respects, Blood Prince!"

Up in mid-air, the three Demonfire Patriarchs as well as Patriarch Darkheaven unhesitatingly clasped hands and bowed deeply.

"Respects, Blood Prince!"

The fourth mountain peak, the second, the first, all of the 200,000 disciples of the Blood Demon Sect joined their voices together. It far exceeded the sound of the combined voices of the 50,000 disciples of the first mountain peak. The massive sound waves exploded out, shaking everything.

As he hovered in mid-air, Naruto waved a hand, causing the bloodcolored vortex to vanish. At the same time, the absorption of any Chakra and blood ceased.

"I can't waste any of it," he thought. "I need to see exactly how powerful this Blood Demon Grand Magic is." A strange light appeared in his eyes, and he clenched his fist. Then, he focused all of the power of the Chakra and blood he had absorbed into a single blow aimed at the sky.

Bright colors flashed, and a huge roaring sound filled the air as Naruto's fist shot out. The sky shook, and the air was rent by rifts. An enormous black hole appeared in mid-air, which then transformed into a twisting beam of light that shot off into the void.

From a distance, it almost looked like a black dragon, incomparably vicious, with a desire to cause the fall of the Heavens.

The rip in the Heavens emanated an aura that left even the Spirit Severing cultivators trembling. These were the vibrations of Dao Seeking!

Everyone was shocked to the core, even the Spirit Severing Patriarchs.

"That attack… contained the will of Dao Seeking!"

"That was comparable to the early Dao Seeking stage!" As of this moment, everyone was completely convinced of Naruto's qualifications, and no one dared to show him even the slightest scrap of disrespect.

As for the ordinary disciples, they were in awe to the point of fanaticism, and cries to the Blood Prince echoed out with increasing intensity.

Naruto took a deep breath. He had viewed the Blood Demon Grand

Magic as incredible before, but as of now, he realized that it was actually far more powerful than he had ever imagined!

"This art far exceeds the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal. It's probably on the same level as the mysterious Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!" Naruto's eyes glittered. 2

"And this is only the first stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic! If I can cultivate it all the way through the third level and the fourth, thus unleashing the great circle of the second stratum, then I can summon ten vortexes!

"The hand formed by those ten vortexes would have the power to absorb cultivation bases!

"If I can complete the fifth and sixth levels, which is the third stratum, the Blood Soul stratum… according to the description of the technique, the sky will turn the color of blood, and the Heavens will transform into an enormous hand that can wrest away souls!

"No wonder Patriarch Blood Demon said that if I can reach the fourth level, I can slay Patriarch Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect!

"When I reach the fourth level, the great circle of the Spirit Meridians second stratum, then I can definitely strike down the early Dao Seeking stage!

"This art, is a Demon magic!" He looked up in the direction of the Black Sieve Sect, and the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. Deep in his heart, even more ruthlessness took hold, and his devilish will grew stronger.

"Of the magic that I cultivate, the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal can strengthen my fleshly body, and the Blood Demon Grand Magic along with the Blood Immortal divine abilities can act as my trump cards.

"Furthermore, by fusing the Black White Pearls with the Ninth Mountain, I have created my own divine ability!

"Now… all I have to do is cultivate the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao, and I can form a true self clone!

"When all of them have reached the great circle, then I will definitely be able to find enlightenment regarding my Third Severing!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Matthew Gessen, Tan Adrian, Timothy

O'Brien, and Steven Jaco

No, this chapter title IS NOT the same title as chapter 704. If you have eyes, you should be able to see the difference ↩ Naruto got the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao in the Demon Immortal

Sect in chapter 584. Very little information was given about it. ↩

710

Chapter 710 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 710: Hinata Awakens

Naruto hovered in mid-air. Up above was the massive rift ripped in the sky, the sight of which was incredibly shocking.

The surrounding Blood Demon Sect disciples, regardless of who they were, looked at Naruto with trembling minds and hearts. As of this moment, he had everyone's complete attention.

Even the sect's Spirit Severing cultivators felt awe in their hearts, an awe that was now permanently branded there.

The complete and utter silence that filled the Blood Demon Sect was suddenly broken by an archaic voice that echoed out from the centrallylocated Mount Blood Demon.

The voice, hoarse and filled with the feeling of countless ages of time, filled the entire Blood Demon Sect, and was heard by all disciples.

"Naruto was originally a scholar, born three hundred years ago in the

Konoha in the Southern Domain…

"By chance, he began to walk the path of cultivation. He had a Perfect

Foundation with ten Dao Pillars, and slew Core Formation cultivators!" The voice, of course, belonged to Patriarch Blood Demon. As it echoed about, all of the cultivators of the Blood Demon Sect listened intently. When the Konoha was mentioned, Uchiha Youcai's expression was one of reminiscence. After all, the Konoha was his hometown, too.

"Later, he made his way to the Southern Domain. In the Song Clan's search for a son-in-law, he clinched victory in the competition, but then abandoned his status as a son-in-law of the Song Clan to join the Violet Fate Sect!

"In the Violet Fate Sect, his skill in pill concocting reached the highest of levels. He was promoted to Violet Furnace Lord, and became known as… Grandmaster Pill Cauldron!"

By the time these words rang out in the Blood Demon Sect, the silence was impossible to maintain. Gasps could be heard, and a massive commotion erupted. Once again, all eyes came to focus on Naruto, who hovered there calmly in mid-air.

"Naruto… I remember now! Naruto was Grandmaster Pill Cauldron back in the Violet Fate Sect!"

"Heavens! Last year I went to an auction where a pill marked with

Grandmaster Pill Cauldron's emblem was sold at an astronomical price!"

"It's him! Grandmaster Pill Cauldron!"

"I remember! Naruto caused a huge disaster that year, and then just disappeared!"

People were now staring at him with even more fervor than before. Earlier, they had submitted to Naruto's cultivation base, but now, his experiences were shaking them, filling them with incredible admiration.

Li ShiChakra gazed silently at Naruto as images of all the past events flitted through her mind.

"In Foundation Establishment, he could vanquish Core Formation. In

Core Formation, he could slay Nascent Soul. All of you have heard

stories about Naruto over the years. He left the Southern Domain and went to the Black Lands, where he quickly rose to prominence. He entered the Western Desert, where he single-handedly led his tribe out of the Violet Rain Apocalypse. He slaughtered countless enemies and his name rocked the Western Desert!

"Later, he sank to the bottom of the Violet Sea, the waters of which have the power to decay all living things. It was on the seafloor that he gained enlightenment of a great Dao and entered the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage!"

Patriarch Blood Demon's voice was as ancient as ever. When all the disciples heard his words, it gave rise to massive waves of shock. They stared in disbelief at Naruto; to them, his experiences were the stuff of legend.

Even the previously hostile Legacy Apprentices of the Spirit Severing Patriarchs were now staring at Naruto with awe and fanaticism.

"He's done so many things!"

"Compared to him, our lives are soft and easy! Sure, we might kill a few people here and there, but compared to him… our experiences aren't even worth mentioning!"

Naruto said nothing. Hearing Patriarch Blood Demon recount his experiences was almost like listening to the stories of a stranger. However, he wasn't surprised that Patriarch Blood Demon knew so much about him.

"When Naruto was in the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, he battled with a First Severing cultivator. In a war that rocked the Black Lands and shocked the Western Desert, he exterminated the man's entire tribe.

"The war didn't last long, nor did word of it spread very far, before he left for the ancient Demon Immortal Sect!

"As for the details of what happened there, I'm not entirely clear. One thing I do know… the events that occurred there because of him were nothing short of incredible!

"After leaving the ancient Demon Immortal Sect, Naruto encountered the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch, a peak Dao Seeking expert. Naruto slew his clone, and was then forced to go to the Milky Way Sea. After multiple encounters, his cultivation base was stolen away, and he became mortal!"

At this point in the tale, gasps rang out. The listening disciples could scarcely believe what they were hearing. What they had heard before already left them with the sensation that Naruto's experiences were a legend, but then the story encountered an even more shocking twist.

"He… became mortal?!"

"He lost his cultivation base? He made an enemy of a Dao Seeking expert? The Blood Prince… he's incredible!"

"He lost his cultivation base? But look at him now! He's obviously incredibly fierce and valiant. What happened in the meantime?"

The buzz of conversation filled the air. The three Demonfire Patriarchs were gobsmacked, and Patriarch Darkheaven was staring at Naruto with an expression of intense astonishment. As for the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak, his eyes radiated a strange glow.

The pretty young woman next to him, as well as the other Legacy Apprentices, were hearing the story of Naruto for the first time. All of them were panting as they looked up at him floating there calmly in midair. Gradually, they began to realize that there was something about him that seemed… lonesome.

Uchiha Youcai was staring at Naruto in a daze. He was aware of the rest of the story, although he wasn't sure of all the details.

Naruto continued his silence. He wasn't surprised that Patriarch

Blood Demon even knew about his encounters with the 10th Uchiha Clan

Patriarch in the Milky Way Sea. What happened in the Black Sieve Sect showed that.

Clearly, Patriarch Blood Demon was not holding back anything about Naruto. He revealed everything he knew.

"After becoming mortal, Naruto chose to go to the Rebirth Cave!

"There, his beloved chose to give up everything for him. In the end, he was reborn. He performed his Second Severing, becoming the number one figure under Dao Seeking. As for his beloved, she was captured by the Black Sieve Sect!

"Naruto, acting alone, slaughtered his way into the sect. He killed tens of thousands of Black Sieve Sect disciples, including several Spirit Severing Cultivators. In the end, he fought with the Black Sieve Sect's number one Patriarch, Six-Daos!

"I intervened in that battle, which is how the Blood Demon Sect came to have a new Blood Prince, Naruto!

"This is his story. Who among you… choose not to submit?" As the echoes of Patriarch Blood Demon's archaic voice faded away, the heart of each and every disciple surged with waves of shock.

They were completely shaken by hearing of Naruto's experiences. The shocking path which he had walked, as well as his cultivation base, filled them with intense zealotry.

In their astonishment, the three Demonfire Patriarchs and Patriarch Darkheaven now understood everything.

As for the seven Legacy Apprentices of Patriarch Darkheaven on the second mountain peak, the fan-wielding young man on the fourth mountain peak, and the pretty girl on the fifth mountain peak, they gazed at Naruto with minds and hearts reeling.

They now clearly understood how powerful Naruto was, and it filled them with a terror that far exceeded that which any other Chosen could impart.

To them, this was not just a matter of Naruto being worthy of becoming Blood Prince. In fact, few sects could ever have a Sect Prince like this.

A person like him could actually found his own Sect!

One by one, everyone began to clasp hands and bow to Naruto.

"Blood Prince, we offer our respects!"

Naruto's cultivation base had crushed anyone who refused to bow their head in submission. The recounting of his experiences had shocked the hearts of anyone who inwardly refused to acknowledge him. Patriarch Blood Demon's words ensured that Naruto was now truly worthy to be… Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!

Naruto said nothing. He waved his right hand, causing the Black

White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain to vanish. At the same time, the Nascent Divinities of the two Ironblood Patriarchs were released. Naruto had not truly wiped them out of existence.

Their Nascent Divinities trembled; from their position within the Black White Pearls, they had seen everything that had happened, and had also heard Patriarch Blood Demon's words. Currently, they didn't even have the tiniest intention of provoking Naruto. Quite the opposite. They were filled with deep awe, and went along with everyone else to bow to Naruto.

Naruto's gaze swept across the crowds. Then, he turned silently and made his way off into the distance. He did not choose to occupy one of the mountains within the area of the five mountain peaks. Instead, he chose to occupy a beautiful valley on the outside.

The valley had no name, but after Naruto occupied it, the blood Demon Sect disciples came to view it as a Holy Land second only to Patriarch Blood Demon's mountain peak.

There were plenty of disciples who were more than happy to stand guard outside, transforming the valley into one of the most important locations in the Blood Demon Sect.

Because of Naruto, Uchiha Youcai became even more famous in the Blood Demon Sect. In fact, the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak personally appeared to take him as an apprentice.

As a result, Uchiha Youcai became a Legacy Apprentice of the fifth mountain peak, a position far higher than what he had occupied before.

As for the valley Naruto occupied, the Blood Demon Sect disciples secretly began to refer to it as… Blood Prince Gorge.

The Blood Prince liked peace and quiet, and therefore no one dared to enter Blood Prince Gorge unless they were summoned.

Time passed. Nine nine-day-cycles later, on the eighty-first day, Naruto sat in his log cabin in the valley. The fragrance of flowers drifted through the air, and green grass carpeted the entire area. It was like a utopia hidden away from the turmoil of the world.

A woman lay in front of Naruto, her eyes closed. She was beautiful, and she radiated the aura of an Immortal spirit. Her skin was as pure as flawless white jade.

Naruto looked down at her and continued to wait patiently.

Around dusk, the woman's eyelashes trembled, as if she were gathering the strength to awaken. A moment later, she slowly… opened her eyes.

At first, her eyes were filled with a confused look, as if countless memories were streaming into her mind. The process continued for a long moment before finally, the blankness vanished and transformed into lucidity. It was then that she realized that someone was sitting next to her, looking at her with warmth in his eyes…. Naruto.

Hinata looked at Naruto, and smiled a warm, beautiful smile.

She slowly sat up, and then reached out to stroke the side of Naruto's face.

"It feels wonderful to wake up…."

Naruto looked back at her and also smiled. However, it was a smile that, deep down, contained sadness. He knew that what he was experiencing now could last no more than ninety-nine years.

"I won't leave this valley for the next ninety-nine years," Hinata said.

"I'll accompany you… until the time for reincarnation comes."

711

Chapter 711 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 711: Ancient Dao Lakes

One year.

An entire year had passed since Naruto had arrived in the Blood Demon Sect. During that time, he didn't even step half a pace outside of his valley, nor did anyone disturb him. In the utopia of his valley, he and Hinata watched the sun rise and set. Everything was calm and peaceful, and they spent their time enjoying the warmth and sweetness of each other's company.

During that year, Hinata did not practice cultivation. She lived like a mortal woman, accompanying Naruto. Occasionally, her laughter would drift out from within the valley, and the Blood Demon Sect disciples standing guard on the outside would smile and look back toward the valley.

This was their Blood Prince and their Blood Prince's beloved.

During that year, Naruto's reputation inside the Blood Demon Sect did not lessen. Furthermore, stories of what had occurred in the Black Sieve Sect began to spread out from the Blood Demon Sect into the rest of the Southern Domain. Soon, Naruto's name became even more illustrious.

He was a Spirit Severing expert, Grandmaster Pill Cauldron, Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect, and had waged war against the Black Sieve Sect. The stories spread, and soon the name 'Naruto' was on the minds of everyone in the Southern Domain.

As for Naruto, he learned of the tragic fate of the Uchiha Clan, and heard about the broken-souled lunatic who raved of Immortal Ascension and wandered around, having lost everything…

During that year, Naruto did not give up on cultivating the Blood Demon Grand Magic. However, on repeated occasions he sensed that he was incapable of reaching the third level. He was missing something.

He had reached a bottleneck, that much was obvious. Patriarch Blood Demon did not provide him with any tips or reminders. Actually, during the entire year, he didn't even speak to Naruto at all. It seemed he had delivered the entire Blood Demon Sect into Naruto's hands. Naruto now had authority over the life and death of everyone in the sect.

Although he experienced no breakthrough in the Blood Demon Grand Magic, he did gain enlightenment regarding the cultivation of the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal.

The art was crude and simple, but it could temper the fleshly body to an incredible degree. Unfortunately, it required a vast number of magical items to fuse into the flesh. Essentially… it was a divine ability that could refine one's body into a treasured magical item.

Most people, even if they could gain enlightenment, would find it difficult to cultivate. After all, it required incredible amounts of magical items. Just to cultivate the first level required 10,000 Spirit Severing level magical items.

Thankfully, the requirement wasn't Spirit Severing life-essence treasures; were that the case, Naruto would have given up immediately. He simply could not cultivate something like that.

However, if he could successfully cultivate the first level, then his fleshly body would exceed Spirit Severing, and would reach the Dao Seeking stage. When the fleshly body reached Dao Seeking, the Chakra and blood contained a natural law of Heaven and Earth.

Such a body was like a precious treasure.

If the second level was cultivated successfully, the fleshly body could break through Dao Seeking and then experience Fleshly Body Immortal Tribulation. If transcended… the Chakra and blood could reach Immortal Ascension.

"There are a total of four levels to this art. If I can cultivate the highest level…" His eyes gleamed with a brilliant light for a moment. It quickly faded. The items required to cultivate the fourth level were things the like of which he had never even heard of.

"And then there's the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!" he thought, his eyes shining with a strange light. During the year, his greatest achievement was not related to the Nine Heavens Treasured

Body Seal, but rather, the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!

After much pondering, Naruto had finally gained a bit of understanding. It was actually an art that could be used to create a clone. Granted, clone magic was not common in the Southern Domain, but neither was it rare, and most Spirit Severing Cultivators had found a way to create clones.

After all, if a clone died, the true self could continue on living. Likewise, if the true self died, the clone could also continue on living. Creating an additional clone was like creating an additional life.

There were many magics that could be used to cultivate clones, and they all had their various unique aspects. As for the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao, it was one of the highest ranked Daoist magics in the ancient Demon Immortal Sect. Furthermore, it was the lifeessence Daoist magic of the Withering Flame Demon, one of the three Archdemons ranked directly beneath Lord Li.

In terms of how powerful it was, it would be hard to find something more illustrious in all the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

"Other clone magics require extracting a strand from one's own soul, then inserting it into a flesh and blood body, or perhaps a spirit body. Another option is to use some sort of magical item to create a body, then link it to the true self.

"Those are the safest methods, and avoid any problems that can arise from the clone revolting.

"However, the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao can create a homologous clone body. The clone body also requires a strand of soul, except not from one's own soul, but rather, the soul of an outsider.

"The stronger the soul, the stronger the clone! In fact, more than one soul can be fused into it, which would make the clone even more powerful!

"It is not a matter of controlling the body with the soul, but rather, controlling the soul with the body. The soul withers, transforming into a flame that nourishes the clone. This is not a Daoist art, but rather, Demon magic. Once the clone is created, the physical body's will transforms it into a true self, suppressing the clone's soul and becoming the True Self Dao.

"The body is like a sheath and the soul is like a blade. They key to it all is controlling that razor-sharp blade!

"This art is incredibly overbearing!

"Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!

"What this magic cultivates is not actually a clone, but a second true self! An incredibly powerful true self!"

Many things happened in the outside world during the year that passed.

One of the most shocking events was not the reappearance of Naruto, but rather, the fact that one of the three Danger Zones of the Southern Domain, the Ancient Dao Lakes, had begun erupting.

Furthermore, the eruptions were occurring with increasing frequency. At first, they were limited to Dao Geysers on the periphery of the Dao

Lakes, but eventually, even the Dao Lakes themselves began to erupt. 1

"The Ancient Dao Lakes are erupting again!"

"I heard that last month, one of the smaller Dao Lakes erupted, and a

Spirit Severing magical item appeared!"

"You don't even need to mention the Dao Lakes. The Dao Geysers are also erupting. Cultivators are gathering, and I heard that many people are gaining enlightenment."

Such cries could be heard frequently in the Blood Demon Sect in recent days. More than a few disciples left the Sect and traveled to the Dao Lakes to seek good luck and fortune.

As time passed, more and more of the disciples became interested in the Dao Lakes. Of course, at first, it was only Core Formation up to mid Nascent Soul cultivators who were most interested.

However, a month later, a great circle Nascent Soul cultivator from the

Solitary Sword Sect received enlightenment and entered the Spirit Severing stage. This shook the entire Southern Domain, and caused virtually all the great circle Nascent Soul stage cultivators who were stuck beneath the Spirit Severing stage to immediately rush to the Ancient Dao Lakes to seek good fortune.

Soon, witnesses began to spread reports of an eruption which had occurred within the Ancient Dao Lakes. Apparently, it gave rise to incredible ripples that could allow Spirit Severing cultivators to experience enlightenment regarding a great Dao.

The news gave rise to a virtual storm that swept across the Southern Domain. Spirit Severing Patriarchs from all sects and clans went wild with eagerness.

The Blood Demon Sect was no exception.

After obtaining permission from Naruto, the two Ironblood Patriarchs, Patriarch Darkheaven, and the three Demonfire Patriarchs entered the valley and approached Naruto, who sat cross-legged outside of his log cabin, a flagon of alcohol placed in front of him.

"Blood Prince, the Dao Lakes are erupting. The Patriarch is in secluded meditation and has not inquired about any sect affairs. Will the Blood Demon Sect be allowed to participate in this opportunity for good fortune?"

"It's true, Blood Prince. The other sects and clans are beginning to stir. As a matter of fact, a few days ago the Solitary Sword Sect sent a large group of cultivators to the Ancient Dao Lakes, led by a Spirit Severing Patriarch."

"The Dao Geysers in the border region of the Ancient Dao Lakes don't erupt according to any sort of pattern. However, the small lakes in the inner region erupt once every two thousand years. As for the Prime Lake, it erupts once every ten thousand years.

"According to the calculations, now is the time when virtually all of the

Ancient Dao Lakes will be erupting!"

Hinata stood quietly off to the side. The Spirit Severing Patriarchs treated her very courteously. After all, the fact that Naruto had single-handedly fought the entire Black Sieve Sect because of her showed the place she held in his heart.

Naruto opened his eyes, and a profound light could be seen therein, as well as a ruthlessness that was difficult to conceal, so intense that it could not be dispelled. The instant his eyes opened, the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs' hearts shuddered, and they respectfully bowed their heads.

"The Ancient Dao Lakes…." murmured Naruto. His cultivation base was now stuck at a bottleneck. Although he had some ideas, he was still not clear regarding his Third Severing. Furthermore, even further secluded meditation would not help him to progress with the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

He turned his head to look at Hinata.

"I'll be fine," she said with a smile. "I'll be waiting here for you…. Wouldn't the best thing be for you to acquire some good fortune?" Her gaze was filled with warmth as she looked at him. During the past year, she had been very happy. She didn't worry about cultivation, or about the complications of life. She was with Naruto, and it almost felt like the simple life back in the Reliance Sect.

The Spirit Severing Patriarchs all looked expectantly at Naruto, waiting for his answer.

It was at this point that Yao Ming, the Second Severing expert of the three Demonfire Patriarchs, suddenly seemed to notice something. He looked down toward his bag of holding and then produced a glowing jade slip. He looked at it deeply for a moment, his expression flickering.

"Blood Prince, we can't hesitate for too long. Now that the Solitary

Sword Sect has taken action, the Golden Frost Sect, Violet Fate Sect, Black Sieve Sect, Song Clan, andShimuraClan have followed suit. All have sent forces led by Spirit Severing experts to the Ancient Dao Lakes." With that, he handed the jade slip over to Naruto.

When Naruto heard the words 'Black Sieve Sect,' he saw Hinata's expression darken. Killing intent flickered in his eyes as he accepted the jade slip. After examining it, he looked up, and his eyes shone with determination.

"Let's go!" he said, rising to his feet and striding forward. The six Blood Demon Sect Spirit Severing Patriarchs' expressions brightened. Considering the level of Naruto's cultivation base, with him as their leader, the Blood Demon Sect would definitely reap an abundant harvest.

Naruto walked out of the valley followed by the six. There were already tens of thousands of disciples gathered outside, looks of anticipation on their faces.

Naruto glanced over them.

"Each mountain peak shall select 10,000 disciples to come with me to the Ancient Dao Lakes!"

"Yes, Blood Prince!"

"Yes, Blood Prince!" The excited cries instantly rang out through the

Blood Demon Sect. Under the direction of the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs, arrangements were made, and soon a crowd of tens of thousands of beams of light shot up into the air to follow Naruto.

Li ShiChakra was among them, but as for Uchiha Youcai, he remained behind to maintain guard cross-legged outside of Naruto's valley.

In the same moment that Naruto led the disciples flying away, Patriarch Blood Demon sat in the Blood Pond in Mount Blood Demon. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"To Sever the Devil, one must first accept bedevilment. His Devilishness is not profound enough yet…."

—–

This chapter was sponsored by John Andre Klemsdal

You may remember the events which transpired around one particular Dao Geyser, which began in chapter 266. Naruto/ Namikaze Mu was disguised as the Faceless Azure Hero. He eventually gained enlightenment and defeated Black Lands Dao Child Luo Chong ↩

712

Chapter 712: Gathering at the Dao Lakes!

The three Danger Zones of the Southern Domain!

The Rebirth Cave, the Ancient Dao Lakes, and the Ancient Temple of Doom.

The most mysterious of them all was the Rebirth Cave. The most ferocious was the Ancient Temple of Doom. However, to cultivators, the site that offered the most benefits in terms of cultivation… were the Ancient Dao Lakes!

However, it was still considered a Danger Zone. After entering, it would be difficult to predict whether you could come out alive or not. Only when the Dao Lakes region was in a state of eruption would the danger be slightly reduced, and the opportunities for good fortune increased.

Within the Dao Lakes region, invisible rifts often appeared that could cut through anything except perhaps certain precious treasures. In addition, there were many restrictive spells which had existed for countless years. If you stumbled into one there was a ninety percent chance that you would end up dead.

In addition, there were many teleportation traps. They would appear without any warning whatsoever, and would randomly teleport you to certain areas in the region of the Dao Lakes. If you got lucky, then you might walk away completely unharmed. If you were unlucky, however, you might get teleported into one of the rifts or even into one of the Dao Lakes. Even Dao seeking experts would either be killed or wounded in such a situation; no one could escape unscathed.

There was an even more terrifying possibility… it was possible to enter into a cycle of teleportation in which you entered a teleportation trap that constantly teleported you in and out to various locations, without letting you leave.

It was an endless cycle, and cultivators who entered one would be tormented by continuous teleportation until they died in body and spirit.

Such a tragic outcome was something not unheard of in the Ancient Dao Lakes. In fact, sometimes it was even possible to see corpses passing in and out of various teleportation traps.

Few people were aware of exactly how the Ancient Dao Lakes were formed. In the very center of the entire region was the largest Dao Lake, which was surrounded by numerous smaller lakes. These lakes had mirror-like surfaces, which to onlookers seemed to reflect the entirety of the Heavens.

Further out were the Dao Geysers. Normally they were dry and empty, but when they erupted it was possible to see Dao Projections.

In addition to the Dao Projections that would become visible in the Dao Geysers and Lakes, they would sometimes spit out precious treasures, ancient records, or even bizarre and terrifying beasts. Occasionally, precious materials would appear, or jade slips with special techniques. Some were worthless, whereas others were priceless. In summary, it was possible for just about any type of item to erupt out.

Over time, some people came to suspect that beneath the Ancient Dao Lakes were the ruins of some ancient structure or city that had fallen ages ago.

Many people wished to make their way into those ruins, but even peak Dao Seeking cultivators were incapable of doing so. Even the cultivators of theHebiClan of South Heaven were incapable, much to their chagrin.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of cultivators were gathered outside of the Ancient Dao Lakes. The vast majority were rogue cultivators who didn't dare to enter into the inner region of the Dao Lakes. They couldn't do anything more than squabble with each other over control of the Dao Geysers.

Those who had enough strength could occupy a Dao Geyser, which would allow them to establish a foundation for their future. However, there were less than three thousand Dao Geysers, which led to bitter fighting on virtually a daily basis.

Of course, even with all the violence, one cultivator after another would gain enlightenment and rise to prominence in the area. That in turn led to even further excitement among the crowds of cultivators, who would go mad at the chance to acquire good fortune.

As time passed, more and more cultivators arrived. Of course, some attempted to venture into the inner region where there weren't just Dao Geysers, but 30-meter Dao Lakes!

As far as the Dao Geysers were concerned, ninety-nine percent of the time, they spit out Dao Projections. Only occasionally would they erupt with other items.

When it came to Dao Lakes, it was an entirely different matter, which tended to depend on the size of the lake. For example, the 30-meter Dao Lakes had a ten percent chance of spitting out items other than Dao Projections. The 300-meter Dao Lakes further in had a thirty-percent chance.

Then there were the 3,000-meter Dao Lakes that had a sixty-percent chance.

Finally, there was the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, which had a ninetypercent chance of erupting with precious treasures!

As for the Dao Geysers, once they erupted, a Dao Projection would appear. Afterwards, that particular Dao Geyser would be locked with that one single Dao Projection, which would appear in every subsequent eruption. The Dao Lakes were different. Even if a Dao Projection did appear, it would eventually vanish. Then, you could wait at the edge of a lake for a certain period of time for another eruption.

Within the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, there were roughly a thousand 30-meter lakes, each one of which was occupied by smallscale sects, making it difficult for any outsider to get near. There were a few hundred of the 300-meter lakes, the majority of which were occupied by mid-scale sects or clans.

As for the 3,000-meter Dao Lakes, there were ten in total, which great sects or clans like the Solitary Sword Sect were qualified to occupy.

By this point, the number of Southern Domain cultivators that had gathered did not exceed 1,000,000, but rather, was more in the range of 700,000 to 800,000. As more arrived, there was more fighting and killing.

Boom!

A group of cultivators suddenly appeared up in the sky. Each and every one shone with a golden light, the reason being that they were all wearing golden suits of armor. Altogether, they looked completely wild and rough.

As they shot through the air, the sky and land grew dim, and ripples spread out in all directions. They didn't look down, but instead, fixed their gazes on the inner region of the Ancient Dao Lakes. When they entered, they didn't fly, but rather, proceeded carefully under the leadership of sect experts.

"The Golden Frost Sect has arrived!"

"Those are cultivators from the Golden Frost Sect! The one in the front is

Golden Frost Sect Patriarch Ling Dong! Don't tell me that the guy behind him is Grandmaster Eternal Mountain!?" 1

"See that fat guy off to the side? That's the guy who swore to take a hundred beloved, the shamelessShimuraFugui, right?"

Cries of alarm began to ring out from the interior region of the Dao Lakes as the small-scale and even mid-scale sects began to grow anxious. That was especially true of the female disciples, whose countenances flushed with trepidation at the mention of the nameShimuraFugui.

Soon, more voices rose up from the region outside.

"TheShimuraClan is here!"

"That's… the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch! They say he's a Second Severing expert! Look at the people behind him! They seem to have an equal status, don't tell me they're also Spirit Severing Patriarchs?!"

"The Song Clan's here too! I can see the Song Clan's Inkstone Puppets!"

"The Black Sieve Sect! The Black Sieve Sect people are here!"

"Just about all the sects and clans in the whole Southern Domain have arrived!"

Voices echoed about in all directions throughout the Ancient Dao Lakes. The person in the lead position of the Black Sieve Sect was none other than the Third Severing Patriarch who had survived Naruto's attack. Clearly, his cultivation base had recovered quite a bit, but his face was grim as he glanced around and led his people into the Dao Lakes.

Within the group from the Song Clan was Song Jia. Her expression was placid, and she was followed closely by a middle-aged man. Somehow, he looked threatening despite the lack of any sort of anger on his face. Also in the group was Eccentric Song, whose cultivation base was slightly higher than before. He was now in the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, just half a step from Spirit Severing. 2

Behind them were over ten thousand junior members of the Song Clan, as well as more than ten thousand puppets. The puppets were black, emanated an intense coldness, and were completely shocking in appearance.

Almost in the same instant in which the Song Clan entered the inner region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, a violet-colored auspicious cloud appeared in the sky off in the distance. As it neared, a sallow-faced old man became visible within. He was surrounded by several other old men who all bore similar auras. Their faces were grim and they did not speak. Behind them within the cloud were tens of thousands of disciples, as well as an enormous pill furnace, around which circulated a sword.

Their energy was bright and colorful, and as they neared, the cultivators outside the Dao Lakes immediately realized who they were.

"The Violet Fate Sect!"

"That's Reverend Withered-Dao of the Violet Fate Sect! He's a Spirit

Severing Expert!"

"Look behind him! It's the two beauties of the Violet Fate Sect…Sakura

and Hanxue Shan!"

Within the crowd of Violet Fate Sect disciples, Sakura's gaze swept over the scene down below. Her delicate brow was furrowed, as if she was looking for someone in particular, only to find that person not present. Next to her was a charming young woman with skin like snow, incredibly attractive. She was none other than the Holy Daughter of Holy Snow City in the Black Lands, Hanxue Shan.

She also seemed to search through the crowds, after which her expression grew somewhat gloomy. Next to her was a taciturn, middleaged man with handsome features. Occasionally, he would look over at Hanxue Shan with a tender look in his eye that he kept well-hidden. 3

He was none other than Ye Feimu, the same person who vied with Naruto that year for the title of Violet Furnace Lord…. He was a Chosen of the Dao of alchemy, and after the hundreds of years that had passed he was now in the late Nascent Soul stage. 4

There was another person within the group who seemed somewhat nondescript, and yet had an early Nascent Soul cultivation base. He also looked down below as if he were searching for a figure that existed somewhere in his memories.

"He didn't come…?" the old man sighed. "Oh well, I bet he wouldn't even remember who I am…." Within the old man's mind flickered countless memories of past times in the Violet Fate Sect.

"Elder Brother Namikaze Mu, do you still remember Bai Yunlai…?" 5

Surprisingly, among the forces of the Violet Fate Sect could also be seen An Zaihai and Lin Hailong, the two Violet Furnace Lords. Their gazes swept about, and complex expressions could be seen on their faces. 6

The auspicious cloud carried the group from the Violet Fate Sect into the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, and then vanished. Finally, the region outside the lakes returned to its previous state.

Three days later, far off on the horizon, a blood-colored light shone out. The bloody glow spread out in all directions as something that bore the semblance of a blood-colored Demonic beast appeared. It shot forward at incredible speed, whereupon a gigantic face could be seen.

The vicious, blood-red sported a spiraling horn, which emanated an astonishing energy!

If you looked closely, you would be able to tell that, shockingly, the face was actually made up of tens of thousands of cultivators. As for the horn, at its tip was a young man wearing a blood-colored robe. His long hair whipped about his dispassionate face. Within his eyes could be seen a streak of ruthlessness.

He was handsome, but there was nothing scholarly about him. Instead, he seemed cruel and cold. This was… Naruto, who after experiencing death, had the ruthlessness of a Devil.

Behind him were six Spirit Severing Patriarchs of the Blood Demon Sect, as well as 40,000 disciples.

"The Blood Demon Sect!"

"That young man… could he be Naruto? He used to be called Fang

Mu, Grandmaster Pill Cauldron. Now… he's the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!"

"To save his beloved, Hinata, he single-handedly battled the entire

Black Sieve Sect! It's Naruto!" Instantly, the region outside the Dao Lakes was thrown into a huge commotion. By now, more than a year had passed since the incident at the Black Sieve Sect, and the news had long since spread out through the masses.

Within the crowds, more than a few female cultivators gazed at Naruto

with shining eyes and thought, "I want a beloved just like Naruto!"

As the buzz of conversation rose up from all the Cultivators, Naruto and the group from the Blood Demon Sect entered the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes.

In that moment, the entire region suddenly began to tremble. Along with the quaking, one Dao Geyser after another, along with a succession of Dao Lakes, all began to erupt. Innumerable Dao Projections appeared, and a riot of colors flashed in Heaven and Earth.

The Blood Demon Sect had arrived just in time for a Dao Lake eruption!

The rumbling of the sky echoed out in all directions, and the land quaked violently. It seemed almost like a giant was buried under the ground, roaring, the power of its voice exploding out through the Dao Geysers and Lakes.

From a distance, it almost looked like volcanos erupting, except what was exploding out was not lava, but numerous colorful Dao Projections.

These Dao Projections were images of cultivators wearing ancient attire. Some were engaged in magical combat, others were practicing cultivation or gaining enlightenment regarding Heaven and Earth.

A variety of cultivation bases could be seen, the lowest being Foundation Establishment and the highest being Nascent Soul.

Looking at the scene as a whole, there were quite a few Dao Projections.

It was in this moment of eruption that Naruto and the force from the Blood Demon Sect entered the region of the Dao Lakes. At the same time, cries of shock spread out.

"That's…."

"A Spirit Severing Dao Projection!"

"It's actually a Spirit Severing Dao Proj… wait, no! That's a Dao Projection of a great circle Nascent Soul Cultivator in the moment of his First Severing!"

Great numbers of cultivators swarmed at top speed toward the Spirit Severing Dao Projection.

Naruto stopped for a moment and looked back. Off in the distance, he saw a Dao Geyser erupting with shocking blue light. Inside the light was a Dao Projection of a tall, slender cultivator performing Spirit Severing.

Hundreds of thousands of cultivators in the area were spurred into action. Many among the tens of thousands who were with Naruto were also visibly moved.

Naruto did nothing to stop them. "Why don't you try to gain enlightenment here?" he said. Immediately, 20,000 cultivators clasped hands and bowed to him, then flew off. Not all were of the Nascent Soul stage; there were other items in the area that were of interest to other stages as well.

Rumbling, as well as intense ripples, echoed out from the area up ahead of Naruto. Numerous 30-meter Dao Lakes, as well as countless Dao Geysers, were erupting with intense booms.

"Dao Treasure! It's a Dao Treasure!"

"Look at that sword! It's fragmented, but the sword aura is still incredibly sharp!"

A black sword flew up out of one of the 30-meter Dao Lakes at incredible speed, and the sword Chakra it emanated was monstrous. Further off, other Dao Treasures erupted up into the air.

All of the 30-meter Dao Lakes were being defended by various small sects. When the eruption began, everyone became incredibly excited and began to fight. In the blink of an eye, the entire area dissolved into chaos.

The remaining 20,000 disciples of the Blood Demon Sect wore expressions of hope on their face as they looked at Naruto.

"Do as you wish among these Dao Lakes," he said. "If you run into danger, remember to call for help from fellow sect members." In response to his words, the majority of the 20,000 or so cultivators sped off, some rushing towards the inner regions, and others toward the various 30-meter Dao Lakes to join the fighting.

Still following Naruto were the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs as well as several thousand disciples. These were people who couldn't care less about the 30-meter Dao Lakes, and they joined Naruto as he sped onward. All of them transformed into streaks of colorful light that shot forward.

Although they appeared to be moving quickly, Naruto had plenty of time to send his divine sense up ahead. What he saw was cultivators flying back and forth, some of them letting out bloodcurdling screams as their bodies were slashed by the rifts. The lucky ones lost arms or legs, and unlucky ones were completely ripped apart.

Everything was in chaos, and without exception, deadly battles were taking place next to the Dao Lakes and Geysers.

RUMBLE!

Up ahead, the air started to rumble. Seven or eight cultivators neared the area, and suddenly seemed to be swallowed up into nothing. They vanished, leaving behind only the echoes of miserable shrieks.

Rivers of blood flowed down below, especially in the areas where Dao Treasures appeared. Massacres were being carried out in all directions.

"Kill them!" Cries such as this echoed out constantly.

Naruto ignored all of that and proceeded forward. After advancing about 3,000 meters, he suddenly stopped in place and raised his right hand to signal those behind him to do the same.

As they ground to a halt, they saw a 30-meter Dao Lake up ahead, above which floated a Dao Treasure that looked like a bottle-gourd. Several hundred cultivators could be seen near it, locked in heavy combat. However, it was at this point that the ground in the area suddenly began to glitter with light. Magical symbols appeared, which flickered for a moment and then caused a shocking power of teleportation to surge out.

At the same time, a dozen or so corpses suddenly appeared out of thin air.

There was no time for anyone to react. The moment in which the corpses appeared, the power of teleportation rumbled out. The several hundred cultivators who were fighting next to the Dao Lake, as well as the corpses that had just appeared, all vanished in the blink of an eye.

Even Naruto couldn't prevent his eyes from going wide. The six Spirit Severing Patriarchs behind him had serious expressions on their faces, and the other disciples gasped.

"Was that a teleportation trap?"

"That sort of thing happens all the time in the Ancient Dao Lakes. The fearsome teleportation traps can appear randomly, without any warning…."

"When the teleportation trap appeared just now, I could swear I saw more than ten desiccated corpses inside!"

After the teleportation trap disappeared along with the cultivators that it snagged, the bottle gourd floating above the Dao Lake glittered as resplendently as ever, attracting even more attention. More cultivators surged toward it. However, Naruto was already on the move. In the blink of an eye, he was above the 30-meter Dao Lake, where he flicked his right sleeve to collect up the bottle gourd.

His actions immediately caused all of the cultivators who had been rushing over to stop and turn to fly off towards other areas.

"Let's go!" he said. He and his followers transformed into beams of light that shot onward.

As they proceeded onward, they saw more than ten teleportation traps and more than a hundred instances in which the rifts appeared. On one occasion, a single rift slashed through over one hundred people at once.

At one point, Naruto noticed that the teleportation traps contained living people inside of them, and he grew even more cautious. The people stuck inside were madly trying to break free, but as they only materialized for a split second, they were powerless to escape and were helpless to do anything but be continuously teleported around.

For the lucky ones, the power of the teleportation traps might dissipate after three or four activations. The unlucky ones… ended up being stuck in the cycle until they died.

As they proceeded deeper into the Dao Lakes region, there were fewer people, but the fighting was far more intense. Soon, 300-meter Dao Lakes appeared, all of which were forcibly occupied by mid-scale sects and clans.

For the most part, it was great circle Nascent Soul cultivators who stood guard.

Such cultivators were locked in combat as Naruto and the Blood Demon Sect forces approached. These cultivators were instantly shaken, and at the same time, there were thousands of Blood Demon Sect disciples whose eyes began to shine with a strange light. After asking for permission from Naruto, they shot forward to join the fray.

The sounds of intense fighting caused everything to shake, and as Naruto looked over the chaotic scene, the ruthlessness in his eyes grew even stronger. He continued onward, refraining from joining the fighting. After all, the Dao Projections and Treasures here were of no interest to him.

They proceeded onward, and soon, only 300-meter Dao Lakes were visible. Suddenly, Naruto turned his head to look at one such lake not too far off, above which was a Dao Projection of a cross-legged figure in meditation.

It appeared to be a Nascent Soul cultivator in the midst of gaining enlightenment regarding Heaven and Earth. A Dao Projection like that was actually a common sight both outside, and in this area.

Surrounding the Dao Projection were seven or eight early Nascent Soul stage cultivators, all fighting over the chance to gain enlightenment. Any time one of them got close to the Dao Projection, the others would join forces to prevent that person from seizing the opportunity.

The methods being used were ruthless, the attacks deadly. Furthermore, the surrounding area was littered with corpses.

Naruto looked the scene over, and his eyes glittered slightly. He moved forward toward the Dao Projection, which caused the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs and the other Blood Demon Sect disciples to stare in shock.

Seeing Naruto nearing at high speed caused the seven or eight early Nascent Soul stage cultivators' faces to fall.

"The Blood Demon Sect!"

"He's… don't tell me that's the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!"

It appeared as if their hearts were trembling in fear, and they were just about to approach as if to cover something up, when Naruto stretched his hand out and made a grasping motion. He then jerked his hand up.

RIIIPPP!

It was like the surface of a painting had just been peeled away. Ripples spread out, revealing another world. There was still a Dao Lake, but instead of a Dao Projection, floating above it was a 30-meter tall mountain peak. Also visible were three old cultivators fighting each other.

The air around the mountains twisted and distorted, as pulsating ripples were sent out. The mountain seemed to contain some sort of magnetic force that caused the magical items of the three old men to be gradually sucked toward it.

As soon as Naruto appeared, the faces of the three old men flickered.

"Who's there?!" said one of them. All three looked toward Naruto, and when they saw his clothing, as well as the six experts behind him, they gasped.

Earlier, they had used a deception spell to prevent outsiders from seeing what was really happening in the area. That way the three of them could focus on their own fight. Of course, they had never imagined that someone like Naruto would appear.

"Hmm," thought Naruto, looking over the mountain peak with glittering eyes. It was obvious that the mountains were not ordinary items, and he could even sense a bit of Spirit Severing aura on them.

"Spirit Severing level magical item!" he murmured. With that, he stretched his arm out toward the mountain and made a grasping motion. The three old cultivators were simply too slow to react and were incapable of doing anything to block him. The mountain peak rumbled, then transformed into a huge hand that flew down into Naruto's palm.

After putting it away, his entire person flickered as he proceeded onward.

The forces of the Blood Demon Sect followed. As for the three old men, they stamped their feet, but were not truly angry. After all, the items that appeared in the Ancient Dao Lakes had no owner; they belonged to anyone who had the power to take them.

"Dammit, what a waste of time! Fine, let's stick with the old plan and go rob some things from somebody else!"

"Hurry up! If we wait any longer this eruption is going to end!"

Just as the three old men were about to head to another Dao Lake, an unprecedentedly loud rumbling sound could be heard coming from deeper within the region. At the same time, a 3,000 meter pillar of light shot up into the air off in the distance. Shockingly, a black hammer could be seen floating inside of it, surrounded by crackling lightning. The incredible sound echoing out caught the attention of quite a few onlookers.

"3,000…. Is that a 3,000-meter Dao Lake erupting!?"

"A 3,000-meter Dao Lake! They don't erupt very often, usually it's only the 300-meter Dao Lakes. But look, it's erupting now!"

"This is the first time a 3,000-meter Dao Lake has erupted during this flare-up of the Ancient Dao Lakes!"

"It's too bad only the great sects and clans can survive over there. We can't win against them!"

Naruto's eyes glittered as he looked in the direction of the 3,000 meter beam of light. The six Spirit Severing Patriarchs behind him also had looks of fervor in their eyes. Along with the few thousand disciples who remained in the group, they sped forward at top speed.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Joshua Acker, Peter Manolov, Theodoros

Sfyris, and Colin Ding

714

Chapter 714: Teleportation Cycle

From their current position, the 3,000-meter Dao Lake didn't seem to be very far away from Naruto and his group. However, considering the dangers that lurked in the Ancient Dao Lakes, it was not a distance that they could traverse rapidly.

Furthermore, the other sects and clans had arrived earlier than the

Blood Demon Sect, and had already reached the innermost ring of the Ancient Dao Lakes. There, the ten 3,000-meter Dao Lakes had already been divided up, as had the 300-meter Dao Lakes in that area.

One might think that the fighting in the area would be intense, but in reality this was not the case.

Once a great sect or clan occupied a Dao Lake, others would not take the initiative to try to fight with them over it – unless, of course, the item spit out by the lake was incredibly valuable.

Otherwise, all parties would abide by customs and rules; a Dao Lake belonged to… whoever occupied it!

In reality, the battles over the treasured items were really battles for the Dao Lakes themselves.

In fact, what the sects and clans really came to this area to fight over was… something located in the central-most position of the recesses of the Ancient Dao Lakes. That was… the 30,000-meter Dao Lake!

The eruption of the Dao Lakes was shocking in the extreme. As Naruto and the others sped onward, the air in front of them suddenly began to distort. Naruto's eyes flashed, and he waved his right hand behind him. The group immediately dodged to the side as a huge rift suddenly slashed through the air.

It was in such a fashion that they slowly made their way forward. More and more rifts appeared, and many of the Blood Demon Disciples eventually gave up on going onward, deciding instead to stay behind and search for good fortune on their own.

Eventually, only the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs and less than a hundred of the most powerful Blood Demon Sect disciples were able to keep up with Naruto as he continued further into the inner ring of the Ancient Dao Lakes.

Soon, it was possible to see that there were less than 3,000 meters between them and the Dao Lakes. By this point, the other sects and clans had caught sight of their group.

There were many familiar faces there. However, as soon as their gazes fell upon Naruto… all of a sudden, countless magical teleportation symbols appeared all around him.

The moment the magical symbols appeared, the faces of Naruto and the other Blood Demon Sect disciples flickered. As for Naruto, although he was at the edge of the teleportation trap, he was still fully inside its borders. As for the other Blood Demon Sect disciples, there were only a few that were trapped inside with him, including Patriarch Darkheaven, the two Ironblood Patriarchs, as well as the most senior member of the three Demonfire Patriarchs.

Off in the distance, there were quite a few members of the Violet Fate

Sect who suddenly shot to their feet. The faces of Fatty of the Golden Frost Sect and Chen Fan of the Solitary Sword Sect fell as the power of teleportation rose up around Naruto.

The teleportation happened too quickly. In the blink of an eye, Naruto and the other Patriarchs began to vanish.

Before disappearing, Naruto had only enough time to bark out: "Go to the central zone and wait for me there!"

When he vanished, a look of wild joy appeared on the face of the Black

Sieve Sect Third Severing Patriarch, who was occupying one of the

3,000-meter Dao Lakes. "Die! I hope that jinx dies in there!"

For the most part, the members of the Solitary Sword Sect and the Golden Frost Sect, as well as theShimuraClan, were all gloating at Naruto's misfortune. Only Chen Fan, Fatty, and many of the Violet Fate Sect cultivators looked worried. That was especially true of Sakura, whose face was deathly pale.

The members of the Song Clan were silent and pensive, and as for Song Jia, a complex expression could be seen on her face. The middle-aged man next to her watched as Naruto vanished, then closed his eyes mutely.

When the teleportation trap vanished, it took only a few moments for the remaining two Demonfire Patriarchs to conceal their anxiety and lead the rest of the disciples to the central zone of the Ancient Dao Lakes.

Without Naruto there to protect them, the journey was even more fraught with danger, and they ended up losing several dozen disciples in the process. By this point, there were only about thirty survivors.

Even as they hurried along, the two Demonfire Patriarchs noticed that all of the ten 3,000-meter Dao Lakes were occupied. Many of the people among those forces glared at them as they passed, which caused the Demonfire Patriarchs to frown.

Furthermore, the surrounding sects and clans suddenly erupted with Spirit Severing auras. There were multiple Spirit Severing auras near each and every lake. The sect with the fewest Spirit Severing cultivators was the Black Sieve Sect, although their Patriarch was in the Third Severing.

"Blood Demon Sect, you came late! There's no place for you here now!"

"Your luck is bad, you only have two Spirit Severing experts! Do you really think we're going to share with you!?"

"Why don't you just scram!"

"There aren't any extra Dao Lakes here! However, considering your strength, you could always go occupy some of the 300-meter lakes. There are more than enough to spare."

"Your fellow Blood Demon Sect disciples who fell into the teleportation trap just got unlucky. About half of the Spirit Severing cultivators who fall into them never make it out alive."

Of the ten 3,000-meter lakes, the Solitary Sword Sect had occupied three, the Golden Frost Sect two, the Black Sieve Sect one, and the Violet Fate Sect two. As for theShimuraand Song Clans, they each had one.

Surrounding each of the 3,000-meter lakes were ten 300-meter lakes, all of which were also occupied by the sects and clans.

The two Demonfire Patriarchs' eyes filled with anger. The words of ridicule from the other sects and clans caused their pupils to glow with the color of blood. They exchanged a frustrated glance. If Naruto were here, they wouldn't be afraid at all. But he wasn't. If the other four Spirit Severing Patriarchs were there, they would be a force that could contend with anyone. But they weren't.

Unfortunately… they simply weren't capable of contending for any of the 3,000 meter Dao Lakes.

"Why don't you hurry up and beat it?" said an old man from the Solitary Sword Sect. He wore a gray Daoist robe, and sat cross-legged with a wooden sword resting on his legs. His words echoed out like thunder.

The sound rumbled in all directions, causing the two Demonfire Patriarchs' faces to flicker.

"Sir Jian!" 1

There had always been serious grievances between Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect, and it seemed that now, they were on the verge of exploding out. 2

It was at this point that the emaciated old man from the Violet Fate Sect suddenly rose up from his cross-legged position.

"Fellow Daoists from the Blood Demon Sect," he said coolly, "this Dao Lake is yours!" Instantly, the Violet Fate Sect disciples backed away from the 3,000-meter Dao Lake that he pointed to.

The eyes of the cultivators from the other sects flickered. As for Sir Jian from the Solitary Sword Sect, he turned his head to look coldly in the direction of the Violet Fate Sect. "Reverend Withered-Dao!"

Reverend Withered-Dao of the Violet Fate Sect calmly looked back at him.

Their gazes met, and then Sir Jian looked away and gave a cold snort. He did nothing to interfere with what was happening.

The two Demonfire Patriarchs were shocked, but then seemed to remember something. Clasping hands, they bowed politely and then led their group over to the Dao Lake.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples thanked the Violet Fate Sect, but their inward frustration didn't lessen. They had arrived late, losing any advantage, and then their most powerful experts had been teleported away. The once domineering Blood Demon Sect was suddenly in an incredibly weak position in the Ancient Dao Lakes.

They were in such a bad position that they couldn't even compare to the severely weakened Black Sieve Sect.

Furthermore, the Solitary Sword Sect was clearly in the position of greatest power; they had three 3,000-meter Dao Lakes, and would obviously be difficult to contend with.

The two Demonfire Patriarchs exchanged a glance. Enduring the frustration, and ignoring the words of ridicule from the other sects, they closed their eyes and began to meditate.

As for the other Blood Demon Sect disciples, they couldn't hold back from commenting.

"Blood Prince, when are you going to return?!"

"Wait until the Blood Prince returns, he'll take care of them!"

"That teleportation trap might be strong, but considering the Blood Prince's cultivation base, he'll definitely get out of it soon!"

Meanwhile, in another location in the Ancient Dao Lakes, Naruto was frowning. Next to him were Patriarch Darkheaven, the two Ironblood Patriarchs, and the First Demonfire Patriarch, their faces flickering with various emotions. There were also seven or eight other Blood Demon Sect disciples, all of whom were sitting cross-legged in meditation, although it seemed like they wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

The teleportation continued on without stop. Just now, it had paused, but before anyone could do anything, another teleportation commenced.

Plop!

One of the disciples coughed up blood, and then his entire body withered up into a desiccated corpse. More sounds rang out as others suffered the same fate.

In a relatively short period of time, they had already teleported thirteen times.

The world in front of Naruto changed over and over. Every time they teleported, an intense force would slam into their bodies, causing their souls to shudder. Apparently there was some sort of power inside the teleportation trap that was consuming their energy.

"Blood Prince, we can't keep going on like this!" said the First Demonfire Patriarch, his voice gloomy. "Blood Prince, what do we do?!" RUMBLE!

The teleportation ceased, and they found themselves in a grassy area. Then they vanished again.

Naruto stood there the entire time. Finally, he raised his hand, and the Black White Pearls appeared, swirling around the Ninth Mountain. His eyes were fixed ahead of him, and he waited for a few more teleportation cycles, until they reached the thirtieth teleportation. Up ahead, he saw some Dao Lakes. It was at this point that his eyes glittered.

Without hesitation, he sent the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain out ahead. Rumbling filled the air, and the teleportation trap once again began the teleportation process.

"Expand!" said Naruto, his voice echoing out. Inside the teleportation trap, the Ninth Mountain suddenly began to grow. It expanded to a thousand meters in height, ten thousand, until it appeared as if an enormous mountain peak were growing up out of the land.

As soon as the mountain appeared within the Ancient Dao Lakes, it was noticed by quite a few other cultivators. As for the Blood Demon Sect disciples by the 3,000-meter Dao Lake, as soon as they saw it, their expressions brightened.

There were even cultivators in the region with the 30-meter Dao Lakes who saw it and stared with gaping mouths.

"It's… it's someone trying to break out of a teleportation trap!"

"Once you get into one of the teleportation traps, it's impossible to get out!"

RUMBLE!

In order to attempt to move the enormous mountain, the teleportation trap had to condense huge amounts of power, and it began to shudder.

In that instant of pause, Naruto shouted, "Go!"

Immediately, Patriarch Darkheaven flew out, taking advantage of the pause to break out of the teleportation trap.

Naruto was right behind him.

However, even as they neared the border, the teleportation trap surged with more power in its attempt to block their way.

"Suppress!" said Naruto, his brow furrowed.

Intense rumbling filled the air as the Ninth Mountain began to expand once again. The teleportation trap was forced to a standstill. In that moment, Patriarch Darkheaven and the other Spirit Severing Patriarchs burst out. However, at the same time, the teleportation trap began a shocking teleportation, the likes of which were rarely seen in the Ancient Dao Lakes. A pillar of light rose up into the air that closely resembled the eruption of a 3,000-meter Dao Lake. Amidst the rumbling, Naruto and the Ninth Mountain vanished.

"Blood Prince!"

"Considering the Blood Prince's strength, he should be able to free himself within a few teleportation cycles. We should head to the central zone and seize a Dao Lake as soon as possible!"

"That's right, let's go!"

The four Patriarchs had the utmost faith in Naruto. After exchanging glances, their eyes filled with determination, and they transformed into colorful beams that shot toward the central zone.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Sam Taranowski, Jon Vinther, Matthew

Gessen, and Retrac

Jian is a surname, but also same character as 'sword' ↩ The problems between the Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect were first mentioned in chapter 167 and again in 176 ↩

715

Chapter 715 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 715: Crushing Spirit Severing!

In a valley in a particular area of the Ancient Dao Lakes, the glow of teleportation rose up into the sky. Rumbling sounds echoed out as a figure emerged at high speed from within the valley.

As soon as the figure emerged, the light of teleportation faded away.

Flying through the air was none other than Naruto.

His face was pale white, and as soon as he flew out from the valley, he landed on the ground and looked behind him, a trace of fear on his face.

"After getting Darkheaven and the others out, I was teleported seventy more times! The cycle of teleportation is astonishing. Toward the end, it started going faster and faster, and my Chakra and blood was being sucked out, weakening me."

He took a deep breath and then produced some medicinal pills, which he quickly consumed. Then he flew up into the air and looked around to gain his bearings. The eruption of the Dao Lakes had ceased, as had most of the fighting.

"The disciples from the Blood Demon Sect most likely followed my instructions and went to the central zone."

Having determined the general direction of the 3,000-meter Dao Lakes, Naruto started flying.

The entire way, he sent out his divine sense out to avoid the rifts, and also employed teleportation techniques.

Meanwhile, near the 3,000-meter Dao Lakes in the central region, the Solitary Sword Sect and the Blood Demon Sect were faced off with proverbial daggers drawn.

"The Blood Demon Sect are cultivators of a Demonic Dao! If they only occupied one lake that's one thing, but they even dare to covet more!"

"Are you looking to die!?"

The Solitary Sword Sect was the most powerful force in the area. They had seized the initiative and taken control of three Dao Lakes. They had eight Spirit Severing cultivators, all of whom had cold expressions and iridescent auras.

In addition to the eight, the old man called Sir Jian, who sat cross-legged off in the distance, glared at the Blood Demon Sect.

As for the Blood Demon Sect, Patriarch Darkheaven and the others had arrived a bit earlier. Killing intent swirled around the six Spirit Severing Patriarchs as they faced off against the Solitary Sword Sect.

"The Blood Demon Sect is simply borrowing the Violet Fate Sect's lake, and it must be returned to them. Your Solitary Sword Sect is occupying three lakes! You need to give one up!

"Look, Solitary Sword Sect. You can fight, or share. You decide!"

Both parties' killing intent radiated out. The Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect were already mortal foes, which meant that fights between the two could break out easily at any time. That was not even to mention the current situation in the Ancient Dao Lakes, where so much potential benefit was on the line.

Suddenly, the Third Severing Patriarch from the Black Sieve Sect rose to his feet and started laughing uproariously. His eyes glittered with coldness as he looked over at the Blood Demon Sect.

"Blood Demon Sect, I couldn't care less that your Dao is Demonic.

However, the Dao Lakes represent good fortune for all cultivators of South Heaven. If you keep causing problems, I'll personally have to step in to do something about it!"

Hearing this, the cultivators of the Solitary Sword Sect began to chuckle.

Sir Jian looked over at the Third Severing Patriarch and nodded cordially.

The faces of the six Patriarchs from the Blood Demon Sect flickered.

Next, booming laughter rang out from a middle-aged man who strode out from the the Golden Frost Sect. He was tall and well-built, with skin that seemed as hard as a diamond, and a full suit armor. "Fellow Daoists from the Solitary Sword Sect and Black Sieve Sect," he said, "your words couldn't be more appropriate."

Further back were five old men who sat cross-legged. When their eyes opened, they glowed brightly with the aura of Spirit Severing.

His appearance made clear that an agreement had been reached between the Golden Frost Sect, the Solitary Sword, and Black Sieve Sects. The combined might of three sects was now bearing down oppressively onto the Blood Demon Sect.

In the worst position of everyone were Chen Fan and Fatty. They could do nothing about the situation, so they backed up silently.

As for the Violet Fate Sect and the Song Clan, they were silent.

Only theShimuraClan was left. The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch flicked his sleeve, and a gleam of killing intent could be seen in his eyes as he stepped forward.

"Well, is your Blood Prince dead, or not? If he's not, then why isn't he here?" The death of theShimuraClan Dao Child all those years ago was something they had brooded about ever since.

Now that theShimuraClan had joined in, there were four sects in the alliance. The faces of the Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs fell, and they backed up. There was no way they could stand up to the combined might of four sects.

"Why waste your breath on them?" said the Black Sieve Sect Third Severing Patriarch, his eyes glittering. "Just drive them away, and if they won't leave, exterminate them!" With that, he leaped forward and waved his right hand. Immediately, eight white tigers appeared, roaring as they charged toward the Blood Demon Sect cultivators.

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch also attacked, as did the Solitary Sword Sect cultivators. There were more than ten Spirit Severing experts who all flew out and attacked at the same time. In the blink of an eye, a chaotic Spirit Severing battle had begun.

BOOM!

The two sides slammed into each other, and the six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs were instantly sent into retreat. Facing up against the more than ten attacking Spirit Severing experts on all sides, they were simply incapable of fighting back.

Attack after attack met with success against the Blood Demon Sect cultivators. Shocking magical items and divine abilities were employed, and the dozens of the Blood Demon Sect disciples present were forced back bit by bit. Even as they retreated, cultivators from the other four sects flew out to join the fray.

Of the four allied powers, the Black Sieve Sect had the largest grudge with the Blood Demon Sect. TheShimuraClan was targeting them because of Naruto, and as for the Solitary Sword Sect, they had a long-standing feud. Only the Golden Frost Sect had no apparent reason to attack.

Booms echoed out, and blood sprayed out of the mouth of Patriarch

Darkheaven as he tumbled backward. With the exception of the First Demonfire Patriarch, all the others also coughed up blood and fell back. As the fighting played out, a bloody glow rose up, and miserable shrieks sounded out.

Reverend Withered-Dao of the Violet Fate Sect frowned, hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes. As for the Song Clan, they did not come to the aid of the Blood Demon Sect, but neither did they join with the alliance of four.

"Retreat!" The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs' hearts burned as with fire, but facing up against this force, they had no choice but to flee. They would have to surrender the Dao Lake, which had been given to them by the Violet Fate Sect.

"Screw off to wherever you came from!" said the Third Severing Patriarch from the Black Sieve Sect. "The Blood Demon Sect isn't allowed to be in a place like this!" He swished his sleeve, causing the eight tigers to send out roars that transformed into terrifying ripples. They slammed into the six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs, sending them spinning backward, blood spraying from their mouths. Some of the other ordinary disciples directly exploded because of the intensity of the ripples.

Their desire to slaughter could not be any higher.

"Where is the Blood Prince?"

"If he doesn't come, then we'll have to give up and leave!" The six Patriarchs' faces flickered with their suppressed grievances as they continued to retreat.

"It doesn't matter who shows up," came a voice from the Solitary Sword Sect, along with a cold snort. "The Blood Demon Sect is not allowed to be here. Screw off!"

It was at this point that a beam of light appeared off in the distance. It neared at incredible speed, like a shooting star, carrying with it a shocking murderous air, as well as a will of ruthlessness that towered into the heavens.

As soon as the beam appeared, the cultivators from the Violet Fate Sect looked over, especially Sakura and Hanxue Shan, whose faces bore intent gazes.

Song Jia couldn't stop from looking up.

The beam of light moved so fast that in the blink of an eye, it had arrived. It shot past the six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs and came to a stop directly in front of them.

A booming sound exploded out, along with a shocking ripple that slammed into the force of cultivators from the alliance of four powers. The more than ten Spirit Severing cultivators' faces flickered, and they immediately stopped in place. As for the cultivator in the vanguard position, a Spirit Severing expert from the Golden Frost Sect, he let out a bloodcurdling scream as he was thrown backward, then immediately exploded. The blood and gore that spattered about in all directions was incapable of obscuring the young, crimson-robed man who stood there in front of the group.

The young man's face was calm, but his eyes were so cold that they seemed capable of freezing the highest heavens. His right hand was clenched into a fist, a fist that had just burst into pieces the Spirit Severing expert from the Golden Frost Sect.

The fact that one punch had just destroyed a First Severing expert caused everyone present to be shaken.

Naruto's long hair floated around him, and his robes swayed gently. His Second Severing cultivation base emanated shocking energy out in all directions.

All color in the land and sky dimmed and the wind howled. It was as if a tempest had arrived, causing all the dust in the area to fly up into the air.

As of this moment, all eyes were completely fixed upon Naruto.

"Who said that the Blood Demon Sect isn't allowed to be here?" he said, looking around. His gaze flickered with killing intent and ruthlessness as he looked at the Spirit Severing cultivators who made up the force of four allied sects.

From behind Naruto, the cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect immediately grew excited and began to bow and offer greetings.

"Blood Prince!"

"Greetings, Blood Prince!"

The face of the Third Severing Patriarch from the Black Sieve Sect flickered. "Naruto!" he shouted.

The cultivators from the Golden Frost Sect also looked shocked, and the eyes of theShimuraClan Patriarch widened. As for the people from the Solitary Sword Sect, their faces all filled with astonishment.

In the group from the Violet Fate Sect, An Zaihai andShimuraHailong stared blankly at Naruto in his blood-colored robe. It was as if memories were flitting through their mind of a young man with a very different face whose features now seemed to merge with the person in front of them.

Sakura was trembling. There were thousands of things she wanted to say to Naruto, but right now, she couldn't say a single thing.

Hanxue Shan was a bit more innocent and immature than Sakura. As she gazed at Naruto, she kept thinking about everything that had happened in Holy Snow City in the Black Lands.

Ye Feimu stood there, taciturn. His expression was a complicated one as he looked at Naruto, who was now a Spirit Severing expert of high standing. He was illustrious and famous. Ye Feimu couldn't help but think back to the time the two of them had wrangled over the title of Violet Furnace Lord.

Although he didn't want to admit it, it was obvious that he himself… had fallen even further behind.

Another person stood within the group from the Violet Fate Sect, an old man within whose eyes flickered many memories of Naruto. He also stood there quietly, wondering if Naruto would remember a nobody like himself.

Everything was quiet. Naruto looked over the group standing in front of him, and then his eyes came to rest on the Third Severing Patriarch from the Black Sieve Sect.

"Was it you who said it?" he asked.

When the Third Severing Patriarch heard the words, his face filled with dread, and his mind roared. He thought back to how terrifying Naruto was last time he saw him, and he backed up, his body trembling.

When the others in the area saw this, it caused them to be even more shaken.

To be able to strike dread into the heart of a Third Severing expert with a single sentence was incredible. Granted, what the man had Severed was only a simple and ordinary Dao, making him unlike those terrifying, inhuman, and almighty Third Severing experts who severed great Daos. But it still served to show… how powerful Naruto was.

The man from the Golden Frost Sect immediately fell back, his eyes flashing. He took the other Golden Frost experts with him. The person who had just been killed was from their sect, so of course they could retreat. Naturally, theShimuraClan also retreated, unwilling to even touch the razor-sharp blade that was Naruto.

Naruto had burst onto the scene and destroyed a potent Spirit Severing expert with a single blow. Such an act deeply shocked everyone who saw it, and the results were apparent.

716

Chapter 716: Overbearing!

"You want to leave?" said Naruto, killing intent radiating out of his eyes. The instant he laid eyes on the cultivators from the Black Sieve Sect, that desire to kill had become insuppressible! Nor did he want to suppress it!

He wanted catharsis! He wanted… to kill!

Others could leave, but as for the cultivators from the Black Sieve Sect, well, if he hadn't seen them, it wouldn't matter. But now that he had… they had to die!

They absolutely, positively had to die!

Even as the words left his mouth, Naruto was moving forward at an incredible speed. He shot toward the Third Severing Patriarch, whose face instantly fell. Of course, he had long since prepared himself, and immediately shot backward in retreat.

"Naruto, you can have our Dao Lake, we're leaving this place!"

"Not happening!" was Naruto's cold reply. It was with incredible speed that he shot forward to appear directly in front of the Patriarch. He waved his hand, giving rise to an intense rumbling sound that caused everyone in the area to begin to pant and look over.

That was especially true of the Spirit Severing Patriarchs, whose eyes glittered. They assumed that this was going to be a fierce battle, like a fight between a dragon and a tiger. However, even as the thought occurred to them….

Naruto lifted up his hand and made a gesture toward the Black Sieve Sect's Third Severing Patriarch. Instantly, an enormous blood-colored vortex appeared around him. At the same time, a gigantic blood-colored hand magically appeared, which grabbed down onto him mercilessly.

RUMBLE!

"NO!" shrieked the old man from the Black Sieve Sect. He went all-out as he tried to struggle free, but was completely incapable. His fleshly body withered away with incredible speed as his Chakra and blood was absorbed by Naruto.

The sight of it caused the onlookers to gasp with shock. Amazed exclamations could be heard from all directions.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

"That's the true magic of the Blood Demon Sect, the Blood Demon

Grand Magic!"

Sir Jian from the Solitary Sword Sect stared at what was happening, his expression one of unprecedented seriousness. His eyes shone with an intense, bright light, and he was breathing heavily.

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch's pupils constricted, and his heart skipped a beat.

In the Song Clan was a cultivator who appeared to be an ordinary old man. Suddenly, he lifted his head up, and his eyes shone with a bizarre glow.

In the Violet Fate Sect, Reverend Withered-Dao's face was covered with a strange expression. He looked at Naruto and let out a long sigh in his heart.

All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in the space of only a few breaths. The Black Sieve Sect Patriarch's miserable screams rang out in all directions. However, he was a decisive individual. He saw his body withering rapidly, and realized that he couldn't break free. When the decisive moment arrived, he gritted his teeth and chose to self-detonate.

His fleshly body exploded, causing the power of Chakra and blood to surge out; Naruto's Blood Demon Grand Magic trembled. At the same time, the Black Sieve Sect Patriarch's Nascent Divinity shot out at top speed from within the blood-colored vortex.

"Damn you, Naruto!" howled the Nascent Divinity. "I should have tortured that slut Hinata even more when I had the chance!" He shot through the air toward a rip that had just appeared, and was about to enter it, when….

When Naruto heard the old man's words, his killing intent skyrocketed to the pinnacle. He lifted his right hand and then pushed it out in front of him.

In response, the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain appeared in mid-air. They were almost like Naruto's hands, smashing down onto the fleeing Nascent Divinity.

BOOOMMMMMM!

The ground quaked and the air vibrated. The Ninth Mountain crushed down, drowning out the miserable scream that rang out. When the mountain vanished, the Black Sieve Sect Patriarch's Nascent Divinity was in fragments; he was completely and utterly dead.

The entire process lasted only for about ten breaths of time. To Naruto, slaughtering a Third Severing expert was like turning over his hand. The sight caused all onlookers to be thrown into deathly silence.

Of course, the Blood Demon Sect members were all quite excited, and looked at Naruto with more fanaticism than ever.

"Fall back!" said Sir Jian. The words echoed in the hearts of the Solitary Sword Sect cultivators as they returned to their places in the three Dao Lakes.

The Golden Frost Sect cultivators also retreated without the slightest bit of hesitation, as did theShimuraClan members. All returned to their various Dao Lakes, keeping a vigilant eye on Naruto the entire time.

"Do not leave any Black Sieve Sect cultivators alive," said Naruto calmly. Immediately, the several dozen remaining Blood Demon Sect disciples shot toward the Black Sieve Sect cultivators next to the Dao Lake.

This was not Naruto engaged in random killing. No, these Black Sieve

Sect disciples had all been part of the spell formation used to dissolve Hinata. Sad and shrill screams filled the air for about ten breaths worth of time as the Black Sieve Sect's force was completely slaughtered. Although everyone in the vicinity saw what was happening, no one tried to interfere.

There were also quite a few 300-meter Dao Lakes in the area surrounding the 3,000-meter Dao Lakes. Naruto immediately flew toward one of them and waved his hand, causing a blood-colored flag to stab into the dirt next to the lake.

"This lake is mine!" he declared.

The blood-colored flag was of course the standard of the Blood Demon

Sect, and its surface was embroidered with the character 'Naruto 孟.' This was actually Naruto's Blood Prince standard, of which quite a few had been specially crafted by the disciples of the Blood Demon Sect during the past year.

A standard like this was an item that, as Blood Prince, he had to possess as a token of his authority.

When he stabbed the flag into the ground, and his voice echoed out, the faces of the people in the area flickered, especially those of the cultivators who were standing guard next to that particular lake.

Naruto approached another nearby lake, then waved his hand to send another flag flying down.

"This lake is mine.

"This lake is mine, too!

"And this one!

"This one also!" Naruto flashed back and forth. Shockingly, in the blink of an eye, more than half of the 300-meter Dao Lakes were marked with Naruto's Blood Prince standard.

It took only a moment for blood-colored flags to fill the area. Naruto was like a surging flood, domineering to the extreme.

It didn't matter which sect or clan the Dao Lakes originally belonged to, as long as the people guarding a particular lake weren't from the Violet Fate Sect, Naruto would occupy it.

The other sects and clans were shaken by Naruto's slaughter of the Black Sieve Sect disciples, and didn't dare to do anything to stop him. He whistled through the air, much to the excitement of the Blood Demon Sect disciples, who flew after him to occupy the various lakes.

As for the cultivators who were originally occupying those lakes, they unhesitatingly retreated one by one.

While Naruto was in the middle of seizing one Dao Lake after another, there was suddenly a minor eruption. Not many items emerged from the Dao Lakes, especially in the center zone that Naruto was in. However, there was one 300-meter Dao Lake up ahead of him that did spit something out.

In this case, it wasn't a Dao Shadow, nor a magical item, but rather… a violet-colored humanoid beast. It was completely ferocious in appearance, with bat-like wings and a horn sticking out of its forehead.

As it shot out of the Dao Lake, it transformed into a violet beam of blinding light.

It roared as it shot forward to try to break through the shield that surrounded the lake.

Immediately, excited cries rang out.

"It's a beast! A violet beast!"

"That's a violet beast! Its body is like a treasure! You can refine countless items from it! Violet beasts like that are virtually extinct!" Some people were so shocked they were speechless.

The instant the beast appeared, the cultivators guarding the lake shot forward toward it. Before they could get near, a boom echoed out. The beast roared, its sound transforming into ripples that surged toward the cultivators.

The cultivators retreated, but Naruto moved forward. He slapped his hand down, causing the image of a gigantic hand to appear, which then shot toward the violet beast.

The violet beast let out a shrill cry and was about to fight back when the huge hand smashed onto it. Its body began to crumble, and then it was smashed into the surface of the lake, a mess of flesh and bones. Naruto quickly collected it up.

"This lake is also mine," he said calmly, throwing down a flag.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto had occupied nearly seventy percent of the 300-meter Dao Lakes. When he finally finished, everyone watched with complex expressions as he returned to the area with the 3,000 meter Dao Lakes.

Along with other Blood Demon Sect members, he occupied the Dao Lake formerly held by the Black Sieve Sect. After that, the Blood Demon Sect members explained everything that had happened before, including the matter of the Violet Fate Sect offering them a Dao Lake.

After hearing the explanation, Naruto looked over toward the Violet Fate Sect. There were many people looking back at him, and their gazes met.

Naruto saw Sakura and Hanxue Shan. He saw An Zaihai, Lin Hailong, and Ye Feimu, as well as that other old man.

"Bai Yunlai…." he thought, instantly recognizing the man who had been a fellow apprentice alchemist with him when he joined the Violet Fate Sect.

In his former days, Bai Yunlai had been known as the young man who knew everything about the East Pill Division. Now, he was an old man in his declining years.

Naruto avoided Sakura's gaze. In his heart, there was only Hinata.

Sakura seemed to be able to sense his state of mind, and a tremor ran through her. She lowered her head.

Naruto sighed inwardly, then glanced over at Fatty and Chen Fan. Finally, he closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened, his pupils were once again as cold as ice.

He turned his gaze to theShimuraClan, then began to walk over to them. Blood Demon Sect cultivators followed him excitedly.

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch's face flickered. Four other old men from theShimuraClan walked out to stand with him, as if they were about to face a mortal enemy. The other members of theShimuraClan nervously produced magical items.

"Naruto, what are you doing?!" bellowed the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch.

"Screw off!" replied Naruto. It was a single command, but it rang out like claps of thunder. Everyone in theShimuraClan who was under the Spirit Severing stage coughed up blood. As for the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch and the other four Spirit Severing Patriarchs, their faces went pale, and two of them even staggered backward.

"You're going too far!" cried the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch. "Fellow Daoists Sir Jian and Han Yun, don't tell me you're just going to ignore this matter?!" Clearly, the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch was terrified of Naruto because of the slaughter that had just occurred with the Black Sieve Sect.

"SCREW OFF!" repeated Naruto, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. Again, it was only a single command, but it caused Heaven and Earth to tremble. With the exception of the 19th Patriarch, all the Spirit Severing Patriarchs coughed up blood. As for the ordinary cultivators, some couldn't endure, and their bodies exploded.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Jusaz

717

Chapter 717: Old Friends Meet by the Dao Lake

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch's face fell. Gritting his teeth, he ceased hesitating and backed up. The other four Spirit Severing Patriarchs looked at Naruto in shock as they, too, retreated. Along with their fellow clan members, they left the Dao Lake.

"Everything within 30,000 meters of this spot is a restricted zone," said Naruto slowly. "Any of you who dares to enter will be killed. By me." TheShimuraClan members sullenly moved to a position 30,000 meters away.

A buzz of conversation immediately rose up among the bystanders.

"Just what cultivation base does this Naruto have?!"

"He single-handedly fought the entire Black Sieve Sect before. Granted, he was defeated by Six-Daos, but according to the rumors, he's the number one figure under Dao Seeking!"

"He just killed a Third Severing expert. Calling him the number one person under Dao Seeking is definitely appropriate!"

As the sound of conversation filled the air, the Blood Demon Sect disciples took possession of the Dao Lake. Forgetting about the Dao Lake that the Violet Fate Sect had given them, they now controlled two Dao Lakes.

The Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs' killing intent was boiling as they waited for Naruto to accomplish his next goal.

Naruto stood there, ignoring the Violet Fate Sect, allowing his gaze to pass over the Song Clan to fall onto the Golden Frost Sect.

The middle-aged Golden Frost Sect cultivator's face darkened. Moments ago, he had wanted to come to aid of theShimuraClan, but the feeling he got from Naruto was too terrifying. It was in his brief moment of hesitation that theShimuraClan dispersed.

Now that Naruto was staring at them, everyone from the Golden Frost Sect began to tremble inwardly. As for Fatty, he hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Naruto. Their gazes met for a moment, and then Naruto looked away toward the Solitary Sword Sect.

In that moment, the Golden Frost Sect let out a collective inward sigh of relief. As for the middle-aged man, he looked thoughtful for a moment before his eyes turned cold.

When Naruto looked at the Solitary Sword Sect, he saw Chen Fan, who was standing toward the back. His cultivation base was at the great circle of Core Formation. His face was sallow, and he looked thin. When Naruto looked over, he returned the gaze.

After a long moment, Naruto began to look away from the Solitary Sword Sect. However, it was in that instant that he suddenly sensed a feeling of danger, coming from a person located behind Sir Jian.

As for Sir Jian, his eyes were ice cold as he stared at Naruto. When Naruto stared back in the same direction, it almost seemed as if an intangible rumbling resulted.

Sir Jian gave a muffled groan, and his body quivered. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and a nervous expression appeared on his face as he suddenly realized that he couldn't withstand the pressure weighing down on him. And then he realized… Naruto wasn't even looking at him.

Rather, Naruto was looking at the teenager behind him, an unremarkable boy who was rather frail-looking.

As soon as Naruto looked at him, he lifted his chin slightly and looked back, a calm expression on his face.

Their simple act of looking at each other actually caused Sir Jian to be injured.

When he realized that Naruto was looking at the teenager behind him, Sir Jian's heart began to thump.

Suddenly, as everyone watched on, Naruto walked forward toward the Solitary Sword Sect. The atmosphere in the area couldn't be any heavier.

Every step he took seemed to ring out like thunder.

He headed toward the third of the Solitary Sword Sect's Dao Lakes, causing the cultivators gathered there to brace themselves as if they were about to face a deadly foe. The Spirit Severing cultivators' faces grew anxious, and they started breathing heavily.

Naruto looked back at the teenager behind Sir Jian, and coolly said, "I want this Dao Lake too."

"Impossible!" blurted Sir Jian, instantly rising to his feet. The Solitary Sword Sect disciples drew their swords, and the eight Spirit Severing experts' cultivation bases exploded with intensity. In one short moment, the sword Chakra of the Solitary Sword Sect burst out, causing the wind to scream and a riot of colors to flash in the sky.

However, it was at this moment that the teenager behind Sir Jian suddenly spoke. His voice was hoarse and ancient, and didn't match his youthful appearance at all.

"Take it."

Sir Jian's expression immediately changed as he turned and bowed his head respectfully. The other Spirit Severing Cultivators stared in shock, then looked at the teenager and seemed to suddenly realize something important. One by one, their expressions began to fill with incredible respect, as well as fanaticism and inspiration.

"Since you like this particular Dao Lake," continued the teenager, "I'll give it to you." He spoke with a smile, but his eyes were as cold as ice, something he did nothing to conceal.

When Naruto looked at the teenager, it felt like he was looking at a sword!

A shocking, astonishing sword!

Even as the words left the teenager's mouth, the Solitary Sword Sect disciples surrounding their Third Dao Lake all fell back, leaving it open for Naruto.

Naruto nodded, and Blood Demon Sect disciples moved forward to take control of the Dao Lake.

As of now, the situation regarding the 3,000-meter lakes in the central zone of the Ancient Dao Lakes was as such: Blood Demon Sect, three. Solitary Sword Sect, two. Golden Frost Sect, two. Violet Fate Sect, two. Song Clan, one. Black Sieve Sect, , driven 30,000 meters away.

As for the 300-meter Dao Lakes, including the ten that surrounded each of the 3,000-meter Lakes, there were more than 700 in total.

Of those, more than four hundred bore the standard of the Blood Demon

Sect's Junior Leader. Of course, there were only a few dozen Blood Demon Sect cultivators in this area. Even if one disciple occupied each lake, there were still hundreds of lakes with only a flag to watch over them.

Naruto sat down next to the 3,000-meter lake that formerly belonged to the Black Sieve Sect, closed his eyes, and rotated his cultivation base as he waited for the next Dao Lake eruption. The people in the surrounding sects and clans who knew him all sighed inwardly.

This version of Naruto, and his coldness, made him seem like a stranger.

In the Song Clan, Eccentric Song looked over at Naruto and sighed emotionally in his heart. He couldn't help but think back to the time in the Konoha when he saw Naruto for the first time.

It was the same with Wu DingChakrau in the Violet Fate Sect. He was in the same mood as Eccentric Song. In fact, he was actually thinking about a certain spear, which still existed to this day in the Violet Fate Sect…. 1

Time passed by. The 3,000-meter lake region was completely silent. As for the 30,000-meter lake which all of those lakes surrounded, not even a ripple could be seen on its surface. It looked almost exactly like a huge mirror.

Sakura sat quietly for a long time before finally rising to her feet and walking out from the crowd of Violet Fate Sect disciples. Reverend Withered-Dao looked over, but did nothing to prevent her from approaching the Blood Demon Sect.

Her actions immediately drew the attention of quite a few people.

As she neared the area where Naruto sat cross-legged, she was blocked by a Blood Demon Sect disciple.

"I want to see Naruto," she said softly, looking over at him sitting cross-legged not too far off.

The Blood Demon Sect disciple hesitated for a moment, aware that the Blood Prince had ties to the Violet Fate Sect.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked over at Sakura. "Let her pass," he said.

The Blood Demon Sect disciple immediately stepped aside. Sakura said nothing as she walked up to Naruto and then sat down next to him, a complex expression in her eyes.

At first, she didn't say anything, and neither did Naruto.

After what seemed like a very, very long time had passed, she finally spoke. "It's been a few hundred years. Did you ever go back to that ravine?"

Naruto knew exactly which ravine she was referring to. That was the location in which the two of them truly got to know each other, and where he acquired the good fortune of the Blood Immortal legacy.

"No, I didn't," he replied calmly.

"I did," she said, looking him in the eyes.

Naruto didn't respond.

Sakura stared back out at the Dao Lake, her expression one of bitterness. Several hours passed, and she finally stood up and began to walk back toward the Violet Fate Sect. After seven steps, she stopped.

"If there was no Hinata…?"

"No 'ifs,'" Naruto replied softly.

"But why?"

"The opportunity was missed. What's done is done."

Sakura trembled, and then left Naruto's Dao Lake and returned to the Violet Fate Sect, tears streaming down her face.

Hanxue Shan came to see Naruto, innocent and making no attempts conceal her lingering feelings for him.

Fatty came, carrying a wild chicken. Naruto glanced at it, then summoned flames. The two of them sat next to the Dao Lake for a long time, eating wild chicken while everyone around watched on.

Fatty laughed and filed away at his teeth with a sword. In the end, he pulled Naruto into a bear hug and then left.

An Zaihai and Lin Hailong both came. Sighing, they recounted past times, although they avoided mentioning Grandmaster Pill Demon. They were well aware that to Naruto, the most important person in the Violet Fate Sect… was his Master.

Ye Feimu didn't come. The last person from the Violet Fate Sect to come was an old man. His Cultivation base was not very high, but as soon as he neared, Naruto's face broke out into a smile.

"Bai Yunlai."

"Fang… Naruto." The old man inadvertently started to call Naruto by the name Namikaze Mu.

People came from the Song Clan, the Golden Frost Sect, and the Solitary Sword Sect. Earlier they had faced off with hostility, but now they came to chat. These were people of the same generation as Naruto in the Southern Domain, Dao Children and Chosen, the most powerful of whom were merely in the Nascent Soul stage.

When they saw Naruto, the couldn't help but think of all the things that had happened in the past. Naruto didn't seeShimuraTiandao of theShimuraClan, who hadn't come to the Dao Lakes this time. 2

As far as Uchiha Lihai, and that figure who existed deep in his memories, Uchiha Tengfei, after the genocide of the Uchiha Clan carried out by their 10th Patriarch, Naruto wasn't sure if they were even still alive.

There was one person who Naruto hadn't seen at all since returning to the Southern Domain, and that was Han Bei. Han Bei of the Black Sieve Sect.

The last person to come visit was Chen Fan. He looked older than before, and hadn't reached the Nascent Soul stage yet. His body was somewhat emaciated, which sharply contrasted with the Chen Fan that Naruto remembered.

It seemed that many matters of the heart had built up in him during the past centuries, and had reached the point that they were suffocating him.

He didn't say much at first, and he brought a flagon of alcohol with him, which he drank from continuously. It was hard to say when, but at some point, he had begun to drink on a daily basis. It had reached the point where he didn't just need to drink, he needed to get drunk.

He was no longer the blazing sun that he had been in past years, nor was he one of the Seven Swords. One fellow sect member after another had surpassed him, and his dreams of rising up within the Solitary Sword Sect had not come true.

However, he still smiled. He smiled at Naruto, and it contained the same warmth it always had, the same concern and love.

"Elder Brother Chen…." said Naruto, looking him over. Every time he saw his old friends, he couldn't help but think of the Reliance Sect.

"Make sure to focus well on your cultivation," said Chen Fan. "If you ever reach Immortal Ascension, then I can boast to people that I have a little brother who's an Immortal." He chuckled, and clapped Naruto on the shoulder. Then he took a long swig of alcohol and headed back toward the Solitary Sword Sect.

Naruto could clearly see the scorn with which many of the Solitary Sword Sect disciples looked at Chen Fan.

If you forgot about the story of the spear, you can read an apocryphal version in chapter 211 ↩ShimuraTiandao is Dao Child of theShimuraClan. Naruto beat the crap out of him in the Demon Immortal Sect in chapter 610, then ripped him off in chapter 612 ↩

718

Chapter 718: Give Me This Lake!

RUMBLE!

Several days later, the Ancient Dao Lakes once again began to erupt. It was an enormous eruption in which glowing pillars of light shot up into the sky from roughly eighty percent of the Dao Lakes and Geysers.

It was the same in the inner region as the outer.

When the Dao Lakes erupted, countless Dao Shadows appeared. In the inner region, there were even three hundred or so Dao Lakes that erupted with magical items and other treasures. As far as the 3,000meter Dao Lakes, there were two that erupted with Dao Shadows and eight that spit out magical items.

All of the magical items were different, there were intact ones and ones that were broken apart or missing parts; some were ancient and dilapidated, others were brand new. Even more numerous than these were fragments of magical items. Lastly, there were broken bits of rocks and dirt from ancient ruins.

Of the Blood Demon Sect's three Dao Lakes, two spit out magical items. As for the lake Naruto occupied, a Dao Shadow appeared above it.

The other Dao Shadow appeared from within the 3,000-meter lake belonging to the Golden Frost Sect, the one Fatty was seated next to.

That particular Dao Shadow depicted a plump fellow cultivating some sort of formidable magical technique. When Fatty saw it, his eyes went wide, and he immediately began to seek enlightenment.

Because of the eruption, the previous quietude was instantly shattered. However, there was no descent into chaos. The Dao Lakes had been divided up, so unless some incredibly shocking item appeared, there would be no frenzied fighting like that which occurred in the outer region.

Whoever occupied a given lake had rights to whatever it spit out.

Immediately, countless cultivators flew up into the air toward their various Dao Lakes. Rumbling filled the air. The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs began to collect the various objects that had been spit out.

All of this takes some time to describe, but it actually only took the space of about ten breaths of time for all of the items from the 3,000meter Dao Lakes to be collected up by the various sects. It was then that attention was turned to the 300-meter lakes.

That was especially true of the more than four hundred 300-meter lakes that belonged to Naruto. More than a hundred of them had spit out magical items, which floated there in mid-air. There were also some that had Dao Shadows and other miscellaneous objects. The sight was shocking, and would naturally cause anyone who saw it to be moved.

Despite that, not a single fight broke out. Naruto's actions earlier had clearly shown how powerful he was, as well as the unbridled manner in which he tended to act. Any cultivator who coveted an item protected by one of the Blood Prince's standards would first think long and hard before doing anything.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples were tired but happy. They bustled about for nearly two hours collecting up the various objects spit up by the Dao Lakes. The cultivators from the other sects and clans looked on enviously.

Just when they were about to deliver all the objects up to Naruto, one of the 300-meter lakes that had spit out a Dao Shadow, suddenly began to rumble.

Immediately, large numbers of cultivators rose to their feet, their eyes burning with passion.

"A second eruption!"

"It's common for Dao Geysers to erupt twice. For a 30-meter Dao Lake to do so is uncommon. For a 300-meter Dao Lake to erupt a second time… is rare!"

"A second eruption almost certainly means a precious item will appear!"

Up to this point, Naruto had been sitting there meditating, but now that one of the Dao Lakes was erupting a second time, he opened his eyes.

RUMBLE!

Bright light blasted out from the Dao Lake as a corpse was spit out from within!

"A corpse!"

"The corpse of a cultivator from ancient times?!"

"Wow… I have to get that!"

Corpses were incredibly rare, and in the instant that it appeared, the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, the Violet Fate Sect, the Song Clan, and even theShimuraClan off in the distance, were shaken. However… the Dao Lake that was erupting for the second time happened to have a blood-colored flag flying next to it. That instantly made quite a few people suddenly calm down.

Not everyone calmed down, though. Three of the Spirit Severing experts from the Golden Frost Sect flew out with glittering eyes. In their minds, Naruto had refrained from taking action against the Golden Frost Sect earlier because he was apprehensive; a fact they could take advantage of to keep him in check.

The three cultivators flew up into the air and then shot directly toward the 300-meter Dao Lake.

The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs instantly moved to intercept.

"How dare you, Golden Frost Sect!"

"What gall!"

When Naruto saw what was happening, a cold smile turned up the corners of his mouth. He then slapped his hand onto the ground, causing everything to tremble. At the same time, his body transforming into an afterimage, which then completely vanished.

His incredible speed far exceeded both the three Golden Frost Sect cultivators and the Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs. He appeared next to the Dao Lake in the blink of an eye, then waved his right hand to collect up the corpse. Finally, he turned to stare coldly at the three men from the Golden Frost Sect.

"It seems you three are looking to die."

The three cultivators' faces flickered. Shocked by Naruto's display of speed, they unhesitatingly retreated.

At the same time, the armored man from the Golden Frost Sect flew out, followed by the other experts from the Golden Frost Sect.

Naruto snorted coldly, then raised his right hand into the air and made a grasping motion. The Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared. A huge vortex surrounded the three cultivators, and a bloody hand appeared. Immediately, the three old men started to be consumed.

Miserable shrieks could be heard as the three cultivators exerted every scrap of power they could muster to try to free themselves, all to no avail.

"Stay your hand!" roared the man in the golden armor. He sped through the air with explosive speed. The five cultivators behind him began performing double-handed incantations, after which they pointed forward. Shockingly, the illusory images of puppets encapsulated them.

The puppets were dozens of meters tall, and as they flew forward, the armored man suddenly performed another incantation. Blue veins popped up on his forehead as another puppet image appeared above him!

Cracking sounds could be heard as all of the puppets quickly merged together. Shockingly, they transformed into an enormous golden puppet, three hundred meters tall and carrying a golden greatsword. It emanated a shocking pressure, which caused everything to tremble.

A similarly shocking voice rumbled out from the mouth of the puppet.

"Stay your hand!"

The voice turned into powerful sound waves that spread out in all directions.

"Too late," replied Naruto, his voice cold. He clenched his hand into a fist, and a boom resonated out. The three Golden Frost Sect Spirit Severing cultivators let out bloodcurdling screams as they were crushed into a bloody pulp. Their Chakra and blood streamed toward Naruto, merging into his body, where it transformed into a shocking power that raged inside of him.

As the three Nascent Divinities frenziedly tried to escape, the six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs shot in pursuit.

"Dammit!" cried the man in the golden armor. "Do you really think the Golden Frost Sect is afraid of you!?" He and the five cultivators behind him began to perform incantation gestures in unison. In response, the resplendent puppet began to emit… a shocking aura that bordered on Dao Seeking.

The instant the aura appeared, the faces of the members of the surrounding sects and clans flickered.

"That aura is borderline Dao Seeking!"

"That's the supreme magic of the Golden Frost Sect, the Golden Frost Marionette!"

The golden puppet raised its greatsword and slashed down. A ripping sound could be heard as a 30-meter rift appeared. An aura close to Dao Seeking exploded out, transforming into a pressure that could weigh down on anyone in the Spirit Severing stage.

"DIE!" cried the six Golden Frost Sect cultivators, their voices joining together into a shout that caused everything to tremble.

"Dao Seeking aura, huh?" said Naruto, eyes glittering. "I have that too!" The power of the Chakra and blood of the three Spirit Severing Cultivators combined with the dissipating remainder of what he had absorbed from the Third Severing Patriarch of the Black Sieve Sect, fused together inside of him and then exploded out.

He clenched his hand into a fist and then punched directly toward the incoming sword.

RUMBLE!

The air shattered under the power of the fist. A black hole appeared that was not 30 meters, but rather, 90 meters wide, raging with a Dao Seeking aura.

Dao Seeking was an embodiment of natural law, a stage in which such laws were fused with the body.

The natural laws were based on the enlightenment of the Dao that accompanied the Third Severing. Dao Seeking was the time to see whether or not the Daos of the three Severings conflicted with each other. It was an introspection regarding the heart, and could not be interfered with nor influenced in any way.

If one had been correct in one's Dao, then that was that. If they had erred, there was nothing to be done. If correct… one entered Dao Seeking. If incorrect… the Dao vanished.

Therefore, this so-called aura, was a Dao aura.

As the aura spread out, the surrounding cultivators gasped. Sir Jian, Reverend Withered-Dao, and the Spirit Severing Patriarch leader from the Song Clan were especially shocked. They watched on in shock as the power from Naruto's fist connected with that of the greatsword.

BOOOMMMMMM!

The golden greatsword shattered into pieces that swirled about like flower blossoms. The puppet shook violently, and numerous cracks appeared on its surface. As they spread out, a look of shock appeared on the puppet's face, and then it exploded.

As the puppet blew up, the six cultivators inside, including the man in the golden armor, spit up blood. Their bodies sagged, and their expressions were that of astonishment as they retreated at full speed.

As for Naruto's fist, it lost its Dao aura.

After all, the power came from the strength he had gained by using the Blood Demon Grand Magic, and not from within himself. Now that the energy had been released by his first blow, he was incapable of making a second similar strike.

"The more I fight with the Blood Demon Grand Magic, the more ferocious it becomes!" Eyes glittering, he shot after the six retreating figures.

The three Nascent Divinities being chased by the six Blood Demon Patriarchs were incapable of escaping; at this point they had already been sealed up and collected. The Golden Frost Sect's power base in the area was now significantly weakened.

Seeing Naruto flying toward him, the man in the golden armor suddenly felt his heart tighten with anxiety. Gritting his teeth, he called out: "The Golden Frost Sect will give you a 3,000-meter Dao Lake!" "One won't do!" shot back one of the six Patriarchs. "Give us two!"

"Dammit…." The cultivators of the Golden Frost Sect grumbled, and the man in the gold armor's face fell. He had been in fear of Naruto's strength earlier, and actually didn't want to end up fighting him. He was just about to agree when….

Naruto's eyes fell onto Fatty, who was sitting next to the Dao Lake staring at the Dao Shadow.

He then looked at the other lake and pointed at it. "Give me that lake."

The man in the golden armor gaped for a moment, then quickly nodded his head. He looked at Fatty, and then finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. At this point, he realized that the reason Naruto hadn't made a move against them earlier wasn't because of any apprehension regarding the Golden Frost Sect, but rather, because ofShimuraFugui.

The Golden Frost Sect retreated to the Dao Lake with the Dao Shadow, and the Blood Demon Sect occupied another 3,000-meter Dao Lake. As of now, they had a total of four!

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Anonymous, Daniel Rodriguez, Bee Vang, and Count Grey

719

Chapter 719 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 719: Main Lake Eruption!

The appearance of a Dao Seeking aura had ensured that Naruto would now be completely and utterly famous within the great sects and clans of the Southern Domain.

The battle just now would soon spread to become a legend in the Southern Domain, and Naruto's name, and his titles of Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect and Grandmaster Pill Cauldron, would rise to complete prominence.

Most shocking of all was that not one, but two instances of Dao Seeking aura occurred. This enabled a comparison between the two, which made it all the more astonishing.

The first was the Dao Seeking aura of the Golden Frost Sect puppet.

Moments ago….

Everyone in the inner region of the Ancient Dao Lakes sensed it, but few actually recognized it for what it was. What they could tell, however, was that the aura was fearsome to the extreme. It immediately astounded all the cultivators in the area.

"Whose aura is that?!"

"It's so terrifying! In fact, it almost feels like Heavenly might!"

"Even our sect's Patriarch doesn't have an aura like that!"

Tens of thousands of cultivators in the central region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, all of them from famous sects and clans of the Southern Domain, could sense the terrifying pressure of the aura.

The pressure was so intense that even the Dao Shadows above the Dao Geysers and Lakes distorted, as if some intangible force were affecting them.

"Dao Seeking aura!"

"It's definitely the aura of Dao Seeking!"

"Heavens! Don't tell me there's a Dao Seeking treasure in one of the Dao Lakes!? Or what if… it's a Dao Seeking eccentric who came here personally?!"

RUMBLE!

Even as everyone looked around in astonishment, another pulse of Dao Seeking aura exploded out. The intensity of this aura far exceeded that of the first; it shook everything!

Winds seethed, and even the divine abilities of the cultivators in the area were affected, and began to dissolve into chaos. Magical items began to tremble, and it seemed as if they would lose their connection to their owners.

A natural law descended, something that seemed to pulse with a strange power that caused all of the cultivators to feel intense pressure suppressing their cultivation bases. At the same time, the power of their fleshly bodies seemed to temporarily increase.

Furthermore, because of the Dao Seeking aura, some of the Dao

Shadows above the Dao Geysers distorted to the point that they were destroyed.

"Heavens! Another aura!"

"This aura is even stronger than the first one! Two pulses of aura means that it's not a Dao Seeking treasure. No, there are two Dao Seeking experts fighting!"

"Who is it? What Dao Seeking eccentric showed up!? There are very few Dao Seeking cultivators in the lands of the Southern Domain. If you count them up there can't be more than thirty, and most of them have been in secluded meditation for countless years!"

A huge commotion filled the entire region of the Dao Lakes as Naruto and the Golden Frost Sect puppet slammed into each other. Two massive Dao Seeking forces slammed into each other, sending out a shockwave that instantly swept out like a gale-force wind.

Most of the Dao Shadows were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of cultivators felt as if their minds were under barrage. They were stunned, and required a long moment to recover.

In contrast, things quickly settled down in the inner region of the Ancient Dao Lakes. After the Golden Frost Sect submitted, peace and calm were restored. Naruto now sat cross-legged next to the Dao Lake, contemplating the enormous Dao Shadow.

The eruption of the Dao Lakes had caused two Dao Shadows to appear above the 3,000-meter lakes. One Dao shadow was being studied by Fatty, the other by Naruto.

The Dao Shadow Naruto was studying was that of a middle-aged cultivator wearing a simple, ancient Daoist ensemble. He sat crosslegged, meditating, and a drop of blood hovered in front of him . He performed incantations, after which ghost images sprang up around his body. After a single glance, Naruto could tell that the Dao Shadow was cultivating some sort of clone magic.

He couldn't determine the the Dao Shadow's cultivation base, but he could tell that in certain aspects, the clone magic was similar to the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao. Naruto looked over the image a few times, then began to immerse himself in studying it.

He had examined the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao many times over the years, and had a general understanding of it. However, there were some parts that he couldn't completely understand. He knew the general process, but not exactly how to carry it out.

Every time he felt he had enlightened regarding important aspect, and then lifted his hand up to perform the incantation, he discovered that his understanding actually didn't seem to amount to anything at all.

Therefore, the appearance of a Dao Image such as this was definitely a lucky break.

Time went by gradually, and soon three months had passed.

The eruptions of the Ancient Dao Lakes grew more intense. In the beginning, they would erupt once every four or five days. In the last month, however, the frequency had increased to every other day. Furthermore, the quantity of the items spit out was also increasing.

Seven or eight corpses had appeared, as well as five beasts. The sects and clans fought bitterly over them, and the victors made incredible gains.

Although the Dao Lakes were erupting with more and more items, more than half of the lakes were controlled by the Blood Demon Sect. However, nobody went near them. Naruto's actions three months before made it so that anyone who even thought of trying to snatch an item from one of them would instantly think of the violent repercussions that would follow.

As such, the Blood Demon Sect disciples were the most tired of all. More and more magical items were delivered to Naruto, and in this three months period, he had built up quite a stash.

As for Naruto himself, he never moved from the lakeside, where he sat studying the Dao Shadow. As long as he didn't take the initiative to disperse it, the Dao Shadow would remain in place. That was a special feature of the 3,000-meter lakes.

Fatty had emerged from his meditation two months ago, seemingly enlightened on many things. Afterward, he once again closed his eyes and continued to cultivate.

Two more months passed.

The Dao Lakes were now erupting at a frequency of once per day. To the cultivators of the Southern Domain, the Ancient Dao Lakes had turned into something like a paradise. As long as one could secure control of a Dao Geyser or Dao Lake and avoid wandering about randomly, then shocking good fortune was guaranteed.

To the cultivators in the central region, however, the increase in the frequency of eruptions meant only one thing. The main lake… would soon experience a massive eruption!

The pivotal moment in this surge of activity of the Ancient Dao Lakes was about to arrive…the 30,000 meter Dao Lake, which had not produced even a single wave the entire time, was finally going to erupt!

According to the information in the ancient records, the 30,000-meter Dao Lake wouldn't erupt with just one object. It would spit out many items at once, and among them were sure to be precious treasures!

In fact, it was even possible for magical items to appear that were equivalent to the legacy treasures of the sects and clans. Such items essentially gave that sect or clan the equivalent of a Dao Seeking eccentric. A possibility like that was enough to cause the cultivators of the Southern Domain to go mad with desire.

Gradually, more and more eyes came to be fixed in the direction of the 30,000-meter main lake.

In contrast, Naruto was immersed in seeking enlightenment, and in fact, had already formed some speculations about the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao.

"Withering Flame. Demon Magic. True Self Dao! This is not just a clone magic! There are other Daoist magics hidden within!" This enlightenment caused Naruto's mind and heart to tremble. He had never seen a divine ability or magical technique that was so profoundly layered.

After another month had passed, the Ancient Dao Lakes were now erupting every few hours. The disciples of the Blood Demon Sect were swamped. They had literally no time to rest as they shot back and forth between the erupting Dao Lakes to collect various magical items and miscellaneous objects. To everyone else in the central region of the Dao Lakes, they almost looked like they were harvesting crops.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples were in pain from all the hard work, but they were happy.

Of course, the members of the other sects and clans watched them bustling about, and also felt a bit of pain… and they were not happy.

Least happy of all were the members of theShimuraClan, who were still positioned 30,000 meters away. They could do nothing more than watch on helplessly as more and more magical items erupted from within the Dao Lakes. They didn't dare to step even a foot past the 30,000-meter border. Although there were Dao Lakes in the area they occupied, they couldn't even compare to the ones further in. They were better than nothing, of course, but theShimuraClan cultivators only continued to grow more and more frustrated.

Their hatred for Naruto increased with each passing day.

Despite that, they didn't dare to proceed past that 30,000-meter mark. Naruto was just far too powerful and intimidating.

The members of the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, the distantShimuraClan, and the Song Clan were all looking toward the 30,000meter main lake, suppressing their emotions and continuing to wait. "Come on, hurry up! The 30,000-meter main lake is going to erupt soon!"

"We've been waiting the entire time just for this day! The only thing we don't know is exactly when the eruption will occur!"

"That Naruto's cultivation base is just too high! However, we don't need to fight him. When the 30,000-meter lake erupts, the rules here will change. The teleportation talisman that didn't work before will be able to function. Once the 30,000-meter lake erupts, all you have to do is grab an item and then use a greater teleportation talisman to get away! The real competition will be over who is fastest!"

"Naruto might have a high cultivation base, but he's only one person.

With so many items, we'll just have to wait and see who gets lucky!"

The Violet Fate Sect was also taking things seriously. However, considering their close ties to Naruto, their attitude toward him was much warmer.

The Song Clan kept to themselves, but they also had their ambitions. All the sects and clans had their hearts set on the main lake.

As for the teenager who sat cross-legged behind Sir Jian in the Solitary Sword Sect, his eyes shone with a strange light as he looked toward the 30,000-meter main lake.

"The reason I sent my clone here in the first place was for this instance of good fortune," he thought. "If my augury was correct, then the good fortune I seek will be coming with this eruption. That rascal Naruto might have Heaven-defying power, but if we end up fighting, I'll have no choice but to subdue him."

In the Golden Frost Sect, the man in the armor glanced over at Naruto, and then exchanged looks with some of the people behind him. They could all see the hesitation in each other's eyes.

Then their eyes glittered, no longer with hesitation, but determination. "Fight!"

"Cultivation is all about the smash and grab! When it comes to luck and good fortune, it won't just randomly come to you! You have to fight for it!"

The entire central region of the Dao Lakes gradually filled with an oppressive aura. No one spoke, and all attention was focused on the coming eruption of the 30,000-meter main lake.

Naruto was still concentrated on enlightenment, although he wasn't looking at the Dao Shadow anymore. His eyes were closed as he inwardly pondered the truths of the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao.

Three days later.

RUMMMBBBBLLLLEEEEE!

The land quaked as all of the Dao Lakes ceased any eruption. The lake in front of Naruto began to vanish. Everything became blurry. The 3,000-meter lakes, the 300-meter lakes, the 30-meter lakes, all of the lakes dried up and shrank rapidly.

Even the Dao Geysers were completely drained.

It almost seemed like someone was beneath all of the lakes, breathing in, inhaling the lake water away.

Of course, what came after an inhalation, was an exhalation!

"The 30,000-meter main lake is going to erupt!"

"It's going to start! This is when the true good fortune appears!"

"I wonder what the 30,000-meter main lake is going to spit out! I heard that the Solitary Sword Sect's precious treasure came from the eruption of the main lake!"

The teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect rose to his feet. The armored man from the Golden Frost Sect was panting. The cultivators from the Song Clan stood there with glittering eyes. Reverend Withered-Dao was pulsating with ripples. 30,000-meters away, theShimuraClan cultivators were focusing all the power in their bodies.

Only Naruto still had his eyes closed.

And then….

The formerly placid 30,000-meter Dao Lake was marred by ripples, as if something were bubbling underneath its surface.

BOOOMM!

720

Chapter 720: Everything Explodes!

With the exception of the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, all of the Dao Lakes and Geysers were drying up. Splits and cracks began to appear across the entire landscape, some of them enormous.

Teleportation traps flashed in and out madly, in some case appearing by the thousands to sweep across the land.

When the water of the 3,000-meter lakes began to lower, the South Heaven cultivators outside of the inner region began to withdraw. They knew the greatest windfall of all was just around the corner.

Unfortunately for them, it was good fortune they could never acquire.

Only the cultivators in the inner region would have that chance. Furthermore, anyone who remained in the outer region would be killed during the eruption.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of cultivators milled around outside the border, peering inward. After all, even though they had no chance at getting the good fortune for themselves, the chance to witness the event was still an incredible opportunity. For all they knew, they might be able to gain some enlightenment that could lead to a breakthrough into another stage of cultivation.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the main lake.

RUMMMMMBBBBLLLE!

The ground quaked as the 30,000-meter lake exploded.

It is difficult to describe how shocking the scene was, and how completely gobsmacked everyone was. The only thing that can be said is that in the enormous outer region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, massive fissures spread out across the land as if some enormous gravitational force under the ground was causing the land to sink down.

The land itself was too brittle, so fissures and cracks appeared as it sank.

When the entire land had sunk to a certain degree, it actually reversed itself and, amidst continuous rumbling, inflated back to its original state, as if it was an exhalation subsequent to an inhalation. It was almost like there was a giant, living deep beneath the ground, breathing, causing the land to sink and rise. As for the single 30,000-meter main lake, it formed what seemed like a passageway connecting the ground to the Heavens above, something completely unique in all existence.

It was the epicenter of the explosive exhalation; water surged up from the 30,000-meter lake into the air, forming a massive column!

From a distance, the sight was completely astonishing. It was not a pillar of light, but when illuminated by sunlight, the column of water glittered brightly with a rainbow of colors. It was dazzling to the extreme, and its allure irresistible.

Of course, what drew people toward it was not the light itself, but the great Daos of Heaven and Earth that seemed to be contained within.

In this moment, a blurry figure appeared in mid-air outside of the Dao Lakes among the hundreds of thousands of cultivators, although none of them could see him. He was a young man in a Daoist robe, around whom a black wind swirled. His eyes glittered as he stared at the Dao Lakes region.

"So, I didn't come in vain this time. My Coffin Altar Sect of the Northern reaches uncovered the fact that great fortune is available for me here. I, Zhou Chen, have arrived, so how could the good fortune possibly escape me!?" 1

The young man clearly did not have a Dao Seeking cultivation base.

However, his body emanated faint bits of a virtually undetectable Dao Seeking aura. He appeared to be scanning the area for something in particular, when he suddenly jerked his head to look toward the Ancient

Dao Lakes. He frowned. "Hunh… Dammit! That guy's here too? Lu Bai…." 2

Off in a different direction, a burly man stood on the peak of a mountain. He wore garments crafted from animal skins, and looked completely barbaric. He held a flagon of alcohol in one hand, and at his feet was the corpse of an Outlander Beast. Occasionally, he would rip some flesh off of the Outlander Beast corpse and eat it raw. His eyes glittered with a savage gleam.

"So, quite a few people are here from the Northern Reaches," the man thought. "Well, the good fortune here belongs to me, Di Ye of the Desolate Clan! And I don't just want the good fortune, I'm gonna chow down on some of these Southern Domain cultivators. Their flesh is soft, definitely much more delicious than the people from the Northern Reaches." 3

A smile twisted his face as he stared down at the Ancient Dao Lakes region.

Suddenly, he caught sight of something, and his face flickered with rage. "Lu Bai from the Imperial Bloodline Sect 4. Dammit! He's generally acknowledged to be the number one figure under Dao Seeking in the Northern Reaches, and is also one of the four great Young Starlords of South Heaven. What is he doing here? At the Second Severing level, he can fight early Dao Seeking! He's inhuman! Considering he's such a hotshot superstar with access to limitless good fortune, what the hell is he doing here?!"

As the thousands of teleportation traps swept through the Ancient Dao lakes, a young man proceeded along, his expression cool. He seemed gentle, and was extremely good looking, to the point of perfection. The teleportation traps in his path were completely incapable of even touching him.

"What an interesting place," he thought, "although it doesn't suit me very well. Why did the exalted Dawn Immortal send me here? According to her, I would encounter the enemy I am destined to face….

"How amusing. I wonder who this supposed enemy will turn out to be?"

As he proceeded forward, the image of a Resurrection Lily could be seen behind him, swaying back and forth ominously.

The Dao Lakes region was full of powerful forces!

The ground quaked in shocking fashion, and everyone watching from a distance was astonished.

Just outside the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, the experts from the great sects and clans were staring fixedly, holding their energy in check, just waiting until the full eruption.

And then… it happened.

A thunderous roar could be heard as countless magical objects, corpses, Dao Shadows, miscellaneous objects, and even beasts exploded out from the 30,000-meter main lake.

In the blink of an eye, multicolored glows appeared, the shocking light of magical treasures. The collective gasp of the cultivators outside turned into a sound wave that rolled out. Considering that they had such a reaction, there is little need to mention the reaction of the people in the inner region, who simply had to reach out to grab the treasures.

Among the magical items was a longsword, two meters in length, around which circulated nine one-meter-long shortswords. The pressure it exuded was incredible.

There was also a gigantic war drum, next to which was an enormous puppet, which seemed like the only thing even remotely capable of matching up to the war drum.

There was also an enormous halo. It was impossible to tell what it was made from, but it shone with golden light, and its surface was covered with countless inscriptions of magical symbols. From within could be sensed an incredible sealing power, radiating out in all directions.

In addition… there was a shocking corpse! It wasn't the corpse of a human, but rather, a black-colored dragon!

To say that it was a dragon would be correct. However, this particular dragon had wings! Although it wasn't a Flying Rain-Dragon, it was fully 3,000 meters in length and had long horns!

There was also a tree with a red trunk and branches, black leaves, and blue flowers. As for the three fruit it produced, they were white!

There were vast quantities of jade slips, one bag of holding after another, and even shrunken palaces. Most astonishing of all, however, was a gigantic claw!

The claw was pitch black, and had three talons. It was over three hundred meters in length, and emanated an oppressive, murderous air.

There were a vast variety of items, and it would be impossible to describe them all. Upon cursory examination, there were roughly ten thousand in total, and because the various auras were all mixed together, it was difficult to determine which of the items was the most powerful.

In any case, as they burst out from the lake water, the rippling aura that spread out was shocking to the extreme.

The instant the Dao Lake erupted, the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect immediately teleported. Ripples of Dao Seeking energy spread out as he headed directly toward the lake.

In addition to the teenager, the Spirit Severing experts from the Solitary Sword Sect also shot toward the lake.

The golden-armored man from the Golden Frost Sect, along with the other Spirit Severing experts, transformed into the golden puppet, which immediately stepped into the lake.

From the Violet Fate Sect, Reverend Withered-Dao moved with shocking speed that matched the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect. He vanished, and when he reappeared, he was also above the Dao Lake. Of everyone in the Violet Fate Sect, he was the only one to take action.

As for theShimuraClan off in the distance, they instantly went mad. Their Spirit Severing Cultivators couldn't match up in terms of speed, but they had teleportation talismans. They instantly activated them and appeared in mid-air above the erupting Dao Lake.

At long last, the old man from the Song Clan, who up to this point had not spoken a single word nor revealed the tiniest bit of his aura, rose to his feet. The area around him transformed into what looked like a tempest as he, along with the two Spirit Severing cultivators from the Song Clan, headed toward the Dao Lake.

The shocking eruption of the Dao Lake made it seem like it was raining.

Even as all the others took action, the invisible Coffin Altar Sect disciple Zhou Chen took a step forward. Nine bottle gourds began to spin around him, creating a tunnel, which led directly to the erupting Dao Lake.

On the mountain peak across from him, the burly Di Ye lifted his head up and roared. "Shrink, shrink, SHRINK!"

He called out three times, and with each call, the world seemed to shrink in front of him. By the time he said 'shrink' for the third time, the world looked like a zoomed-out image to him. He took a single step, and crossed the void to appear in mid-air directly above the Dao Lake!

At the same time, the young man Lu Bai, who was walking through the teleportation traps in the Ancient Dao Lakes outer region, stretched out his hand. The illusory Resurrection Lily behind him suddenly shrank down, and a six-colored Resurrection Lily appeared in his palm.

The instant the flower appeared in his hand, the area around him began to distort. Suddenly, images appeared around him of everything that had ever existed or even passed by the spot that he stood in.

He stood in the middle of the glowing lights, staring around at how everything had changed.

"Going back three breaths should suffice," he thought with a slight smile. Everything around him began to distort again, and suddenly, what he saw was the world that had existed three breaths of time ago. He took a step forward, and he was back in that exact same time, just before the Dao Lake was going to erupt. He took another step, and was in mid-air above the Dao Lake. It was in that instant that the lake suddenly erupted.

His divine abilities and magical techniques were bizarre and astonishing!

When the Dao Lake erupted, the light of magical items shone up into the Heavens. The six Spirit Severing Patriarchs of the Blood Demon Sect anxiously looked over at Naruto. Since his eyes were still closed, they stamped their feet and flew up into the air, shooting directly toward the erupting Dao Lake.

They weren't far from it to begin with, so it didn't take long to get close.

As for Naruto, his eyes were still closed, and his mind was filled with the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao. He was still in the midst of contemplation. Although it first seemed impossible to comprehend, he was now reaching the limits of his understanding.

He had already determined that the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao was actually split into three different Daoist magics, the first being the Withering Flame, the second being the Demon Magic, and the third being the True Self Dao!

But now, he suddenly sensed that the Daoist magic… could actually be split into seven sections! Each section was its own shocking Daoist Magic.

Withering. Flame. Demon. Magic. True. Self. Dao!

The clone aspect was merely the divine ability represented by the character "self!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Espen Leonhardsen, William Storer, Shin,

Philipp Schröder, Clement Moriceau, Nam Tran, , and Jacques-

Landry Kengne

Zhou Chen's name in Chinese is 周尘 zhōu chén. Zhou is a common surname. Chen means "dust" or "dirt" ↩ Lu Bai's name in Chinese is 陆柏 lù bái. Lu is common surname. Bai means "cypess" or "cedar" ↩ Di Ye's name in Chinese is 帝野 dì yě. Di is a surname which also means "emperor" or "god." Ye means "wild" or "rough" ↩ An organization with a name very similar to this sect was mentioned in chapter 599 ↩

721

Chapter 721 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 721: You Must Know Liu Zichuan

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators outside of the Ancient Dao

Lakes region were bearing witness to a rare and shocking spectacle!

"That longsword… is two meters long, the nine shortswords are each one meter long. Look at the brilliant glow, and the lightning! It almost looks like Tribulation Lightning! Is it possible… is it possible that sword is the legendary Deadwinter Tribulation Sword?!"

"Why does that war drum looks almost the same as the Primordial True Spirit Drum that I read about in the ancient records…? And that puppet next to it…. I get the chills just looking at it!"

"What is that tree?! It looks so bizarre, and has three fruits on it!"

"Check out that beast claw! It looks incredible! Could it be a Dao

Seeking treasure?!"

"That's… that's a black dragon!? It's a real-life dragon! It looks relatively small, but its body is definitely a treasure!"

The few dozen Spirit Severing cultivators immediately convened above the 30,000-meter main lake as one object after another appeared amidst the eruption of the lakewater.

Boom!

There were simply too many magical items! Fierce fighting broke out in the blink of an eye. "Screw off!"

"Hey, I wanted that!"

"This is mine! Anyone who dares to fight me over it will die!"

Explosions immediately began to echo out as the Spirit Severing experts shot toward the treasures they had taken a liking to. Shocking roars filled the air, and wild colors danced about.

The greatest focus of attention was the teenager from the Solitary Sword

Sect, then the Golden Frost Sect puppet, both of whom exuded Dao

Seeking auras. Strangest of all were the three people from the Northern Reaches. They flew about in three different areas, causing the air to shatter around them wherever they went.

Their sudden appearance on the scene was quite a source of alarm for the Southern Domain cultivators. However, there was no time to try to uncover information about their origins and backgrounds. Everyone sped toward the treasures that they wanted.

The teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect flew at top speed toward the two-meter longsword. In the blink of an eye, his hand clasped the hilt.

The enormous puppet from the Golden Frost Sect exploded with a Dao Seeking aura as it headed toward the puppet next to the war drum, slamming aside several Solitary Sword Sect Spirit Severing cultivators in the process.

The Song Clan Patriarch flew along at top speed, his body pulsing with an aura that seemed to contain a force which was incompatible with the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Everywhere he passed, shocking illusory blades flew about. His goal was one particular jade slip that glowed with violet light.

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch shot furiously toward the black dragon.

The only member of the Violet Fate Sect to make an appearance, Reverend Withered-Dao, headed toward the red-trunked tree with the black leaves, blue flowers, and three white fruits!

As for the barbaric, hulking Di Ye from the Northern Reaches, an enormous wolf-tooth club appeared in his hands. A savage and wild aura exploded out from him, reaching a pinnacle in the blink of an eye. His wolf-tooth club swept back and forth, shattering the surroundings as he charged toward his goal, the three-hundred-meter long black-colored claw.

"This claw belongs to Di Ye!"

Dao Child Zhou Chen from the Coffin Altar Sect, also from the Northern Reaches, looked incredibly soft and feminine. The air around him did not shatter, but rather his surroundings warped and twisted, causing everything he passed by to wither.

His expression was cold as he headed toward the enormous golden halo that emanated a pulsing power of sealing.

Last was one of the four Young Starlords of South Heaven, the number one figure under Dao Seeking from the Northern Reaches, Lu Bai of the Imperial Bloodline Sect, who could battle Dao Seeking even when in the Spirit Severing Stage!

As he hovered in mid air, the Dao Lake eruption surging around him, he almost seemed to exist in a different time and location. It was as if he could, at will, travel anywhere in space and time.

He glanced around at the various objects in the area until his gaze came to rest on the corpse of the enormous black dragon. As it did, a strange gleam began to shine in his eyes.

He immediately headed in the direction of the black dragon, and toward the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch, who was clearly vying for the same object.

Everyone had their own targets and goals, some the same as others, some different. In addition, there were Spirit Severing experts from the other sects and clans who also headed toward their own favored objects.

The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs scattered and headed toward various things that attracted them.

The fighting seemed chaotic, but was in fact quite the opposite. Only the most powerful experts would actually fight over any of the visibly extraordinary items. Others weren't qualified to do so.

"Dammit! That's mine!"

"Nobody owns the Dao Lakes! The treasures go to the lucky, and you're not lucky! Screw off!"

"Die!"

Explosions rattled out, and in the blink of an eye, they were joined by miserable shrieks.

A Golden Frost Sect cultivator was cut down by Reverend Withered-Dao. AShimuraClan member excitedly closed in on the black dragon, and was about to grab it when a soft sigh could be heard. The sigh caused his body to begin to tremble, and then blood sprayed from his mouth. His fleshly body immediately transformed into a pool of blood. His Nascent Divinity flew out without hesitation, but was then crushed by the power of Time.

Meanwhile, Naruto still sat at the edge of the dried-up 3,000 meter Dao Lake that bordered the 30,000-meter Dao Lake. His mind rang with thunderous roars as he gained further enlightenment regarding the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao. He was finally able to thoroughly break it down.

"Withering. Flame. Demon. Magic. True. Self. Dao!" His eyes opened.

"This magic has three levels and seven parts! Each character represents a different secret art. Combined, they form something unbelievably powerful!

"The 'self' character is the clone magic!

"It's too bad I didn't understand it before, and pursued some incorrect theories. Were it not for that, I might have already been able to gain some true understanding, and therefore, some boosts in power!

"What I currently have the deepest understanding of is not the 'self' character and its clone magic, but rather the 'withering' character!

"All living things wither. However, a withered tree can grow anew in spring. The character 'wither 枯' has a 'tree 木' component on the left, which represents life. The 'ancient 古' component on the right represents death. The left is the past, the right is the future.

"The character 'wither' is also similar to the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Once I enter the Spirit Meridians stratum, I will be able to consume spirit meridians, which in actuality… is very similar to the 'wither' character!

"Withering someone's spirit meridians is akin to crippling their cultivation base and influencing time. It's like planting a seed. The seed is planted, then reaped immediately, ignoring the time that normally passes inbetween!

"That is the true meaning of the Spirit Meridians stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic!

"All I need is some time spent in secluded meditation, perhaps half a month, and I should be able to step fully into the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic!" Naruto's eyes flickered with a brilliant glow. It was in this moment that shocking energy suddenly surged up from within him.

Instantly, the eyes of all the cultivators above the Dao Lake turned in his direction.

He raised his head, and a golden gleam could be seen in his eyes. Suddenly, he performed a minor teleportation and reappeared in mid-air above the lake.

"Naruto!"

"He was meditating before, and based on his energy now… could it be that he made a breakthrough?!"

"Dammit! If he gets involved, that means there's one more powerful foe in the mix!"

"Please, please, PLEASE don't take a fancy to this magical item here, go look at someone else's."

Various thoughts and feelings such as these bubbled up in the blink of an eye.

Rumble!

When Naruto appeared above the Dao Lake, his energy immediately drew special attention from four people.

The first was the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect, whose pupils constricted.

The other three were the Chosen from the Northern Reaches. One of them, Dao Child Zhou Chen from the Coffin Altar Sect, frowned and stared seriously for a moment. A look of scorn appeared on the face of Di Ye, although his heart filled with vigilance.

The person who seemed most interested in Naruto was none other than Lu Bai. He turned to look at Naruto, and when he did, a tremor ran through him.

"It's him!" he thought.

He sensed a feeling like destiny, and was instantly sure that the young man he was looking at was the person the esteemed Dawn Immortal had referred to, his destined adversary.

Naruto's arrival on the scene shocked everyone. He glanced around, and then, to the shock of many, shot toward the black claw.

His decision caused quite a few people to sigh in relief, and continue fighting.

Di Ye's eyes flickered with killing intent as he too barreled toward the black-colored claw.

The teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect had just grabbed the twometer longsword. Energy exploded out, and he lifted his head back and laughed loudly. Next to the black dragon, the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch coughed up some blood. He was no match for Lu Bai, who swept his sleeve to collect up the black dragon.

The Golden Frost Sect was after the enormous war drum and puppet. There were a few Spirit Severing experts fighting them over it, but with the power of their Dao Seeking aura, the Golden Frost Sect steamrolled everyone in their way and promptly seized it.

As for the red-trunked tree, no one else dared to fight with Reverend Withered-Dao over it. Everyone knew that Grandmaster Pill Demon could refine all types of objects into medicinal pills. Since the tree didn't seem to be of much use to others, Reverend Withered-Dao was easily able to collect it up.

The Song Clan successfully acquired the violet-colored jade slip they had been after.

As for the golden halo, there were quite a few people who tried to fight Zhou Chen of the Coffin Altar Sect over it, but all were sent into retreat, blood spraying from their mouths. Two people were even slain. In the end, Zhou Chen took it.

Regarding the other miscellaneous objects, Spirit Severing cultivators from various sects and clans had already divvied them all up.

Di Ye arrived near the black-colored claw. His wolf-tooth club swept about, causing lake water to spray about. His left hand reached out toward the black-colored claw.

However, just when his hand was about to latch onto it, Naruto pierced through the air with indescribable speed to appear directly next to the claw.

Seeing that Naruto wanted to contend with him over the claw, Di Ye roared, "Screw off!" Then smashed his wolf-tooth club down toward Naruto.

Naruto's expression was the same as ever as his fist struck out. The fist had no Dao Seeking aura, but considering that Naruto was the number one figure under Dao Seeking, it contained explosive power, which smashed directly into the wolf-tooth club.

A huge boom rattled out. A tremor ran through Naruto, and the wolftooth club was sent flying back. Di Ye's face fell as he was sent staggering back seven or eight measures. He looked up, and a vicious expression could be seen on his face.

"So you're not on par with that inhuman Lu Bai!" Di Ye's body flickered as he charged forward once more. Although Di Ye and the other two from the Northern Reaches had actually arrived quite a bit earlier, even Lu Bai wasn't able to see what was happening inside the Dao Lakes. Only after the master lake had erupted, causing the surrounding air to distort and churn and allowing them to teleport closer, were they able to get a clear glimpse of what was going on. As such, he was unaware of the shocking things Naruto had done.

After looking more closely at Di Ye, Naruto realized that the hulking man had the familiar aura of a Northern Reaches cultivator. "Northern Reaches?" he asked.

"Yeah! I'm Di Ye from the Desolate Clan in the Northern Reaches!" Di Ye roared as he closed in on Naruto. "You must know Liu Zichuan!" 1

Liu Zichuan was the Northern Reaches cultivator Naruto beat up in the Demon Immortal Sect chapter 599. He also made a brief appearance in chapter 607 and the following chapter ↩

722

Chapter 722 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 722: A Second Eruption!

Rumbling echoed out and everyone looked over to watch Naruto and Di Ye fight over the black-colored claw.

The eyes of the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect flashed as he gripped the rotating two-meter longsword. In his mind, nobody here could possibly pose a threat to him except perhaps for the handsome Lu Bai, with his mastery of Time power.

The Golden Frost Sect puppet also looked over at Naruto, and its eyes glittered.

Reverend Withered-Dao said nothing, as if he didn't care to watch anything that was happening.

The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch was severely wounded and in full retreat. As for the members of the Song Clan, after acquiring the item they sought, they seemed to be ready to leave.

Dao Child Zhou Chen from the Coffin Altar Sect seemed to be itching to fight. When he looked over at Naruto, he suddenly frowned.

"He's only at the peak of Spirit Severing," he thought. "He can't compare to Lu Bai."

As for the Imperial Sect's Lu Bai, he was also observing the fight between Naruto and Di Ye. After seeing them attack, his expression remained tranquil. From a young age his talent had been prodigious and no one from the Northern Reaches was a match for him. Even theHebiClan from the Eastern Land's Great Tang had wanted to take him in as an honorary disciple. Afterwards, though, he had been favored by the Dawn Immortal, who guided him on his path of cultivation. Thus, he no longer cultivated normally, but rather, pursued the Dao of the Resurrection Lily.

What was more, the Dawn Immortal did not permit the Resurrection Lily to absorb him. Rather, she had planted a seed within him that had no consciousness, allowing him to consume it and acquire the power of the Resurrection Lily. It was as if she was trying to sow good karma with him.

Instead of saying he was a cultivator, it would be more accurate to say that he… was a Resurrection Lily!

Because of that, even the Namikaze Clan took him quite seriously, and expressed interest in bringing him into the clan as a son-in-law. Because of all these things, he had a unique status. There were even rumors that he was in fact some almighty expert who had descended to Planet Ninshu to be reincarnated and rebuild his cultivation base from the ground up.

Considering his mastery of Time power, he would be able to take care of Di Ye in only three moves.

"Too weak," he thought after a single glance, shaking his head at Naruto.

However, it was in that exact moment that Naruto spoke the words "Northern Reaches." The sound of it echoed out, evoking tempestuous thoughts in all the South Heaven cultivators. Even the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect turned to look at Di Ye.

Relations between the Southern Domain and the Northern Reaches was a sensitive subject. Although it had been many, many years since fullscale war raged between them, it wasn't a rare thing in the history of the lands of South Heaven.

Every time there was a war, one side among the two would flow with rivers of blood.

"Northern Reaches?"

"No wonder the cultivation bases of those three seem so unfamiliar. It turns out they're from the Northern Reaches!"

"The Northern Reaches are connected to the Eastern Lands, both of which are on the other side of the Milky Way Sea! It takes a long time to cross the Milky Way Sea. Did they really come here just for the Dao Lakes?"

Even as the crowds from the Southern Domain were reeling in shock, Naruto spoke the name Liu Zichuan.

Although the name was unfamiliar to the Southern Domain cultivators, as soon as Dao Child Zhou Chen from the Coffin Altar Sect heard it, his eyes flickered and he looked at Naruto.

Lu Bai was slightly taken aback. He was from the Imperial Bloodline

Clan, Zhou Chen came from the Coffin Altar Sect, and Di Ye was from the Desolate Clan. As for the Liu Zichuan Naruto had just mentioned, he was also from the Imperial Bloodline Clan!

The Imperial Bloodline Clan was the number one clan in the Northern Reaches!

And Liu Zichuan was the Imperial Son of the Imperial Bloodline Clan!

His cultivation base was only at the First Severing level, but as far as his position went, he could be considered one of the top figures in the entire Northern Reaches.

"You know Liu Zichuan?" asked Di Ye, his pupils constricting. His Desolate Clan was an auxiliary branch of the Imperial Bloodline Clan, so although he had a high cultivation base, whenever he heard the name Liu Zichuan, he had no choice but to lower his head and voice greetings to the young Lord.

"He owes me 9,000,000 spirit stones!" said Naruto with a cold snort. "How could I not know him?!" He casually opened his bag of holding and pulled out a fistful of jade slips, which detailed the amount of spirit stones owed to him by the cultivators from the ancient Demon Immortal Sect.

"Xu Shouyan owes me 8,000,000 spirit stones!

"Tian Lei Namikaze owes me 7,800,000 spirit stones!

"Zhou Jie owes me 9,500,000 spirit stones! 1

"Di Luo owes me 11,000,000 spirit stones!

"And then there's someone named Han Peng, who owes me the most.

15,000,000 spirit stones! 2

"All of these people are from your Northern Reaches, right?"

Every single sentence spoken by Naruto caused the faces of the three Northern Reaches cultivators to flicker. That was especially true when the names Zhou Jie, Di Luo, and Han Peng were uttered. Even Lu Bai gaped in shock.

Zhou Jie and Zhou Chen were from the same clan, and Di Luo was Di Ye's younger brother. As for Han Peng, he was a Chosen from the Imperial Bloodline Clan, with a position second only to Lu Bai.

"How… how could they owe you so many spirit stones?!" bellowed Di Ye, his eyes wide. Unfortunately, the jade slips in Naruto's hands were imprinted with life essence aura. Due to the fluctuations of these auras that emanated from them, the three Northern Reaches cultivators could not doubt their authenticity, nor the identities of who they belonged to.

The surrounding members of the various sects and clans of the Southern Domain were even more shocked than the three Northern Reaches cultivators. They looked at Naruto with expressions of disbelief and astonishment.

This was especially true of the cultivators of the Blood Demon Sect and the Violet Fate Sect. They stared with gaping mouths.

"What did the Blood Prince do in the past?"

"He…. How did he get so many people to owe him so much?"

"Th-th-this…. I noticed that when he pulled out those jade slips just now, he only took out a few, the ones that belonged to the Northern Reaches cultivators. Could it be that the rest of the jade slips include people from the rest of the lands of South Heaven?!"

"The Blood Prince must have done a lot of business in the past!"

Di Ye's eyes were bloodshot, and he was filled with feeling of humiliation. Throwing his head back and roaring, he hefted his wolftooth club and charged toward Naruto.

"NONSENSE! I'm gonna smash you to death, fool!"

Naruto's eyes glittered brightly. As the hulking man bore down on him, he raised his hand up and pointed forward.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

Immediately, a blood-red vortex began to spin around the man. As the vortex rotated, an enormous blood-colored hand appeared that grabbed onto Di Ye. He struggled, but was absolutely incapable of doing anything to free himself. He could do nothing but cry out in rage and look around with confusion.

It only took a moment for him to realize that his fleshly body was rapidly withering, his Chakra and blood pulsing out of him and speeding toward Naruto. As for Naruto, his fleshly body was rapidly becoming stronger.

Up to now, Naruto had not met anyone under Dao Seeking who could free themselves from the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

The scene didn't faze the Southern Domain cultivators at all. However, Zhou Chen of the Coffin Altar Sect from the Northern Reaches was completely shocked. His face flickered and his eyes went wide as he stared at Naruto.

Shocked, he began to pant, and any scorn which he had felt toward Naruto was now long since vanished. As far as he could tell, a magical technique like this was on the same level as Lu Bai's Time magic.

"Inhuman! Just as inhuman as Lu Bai!"

Lu Bai of the Imperial Bloodline Clan was also staring with a strange light in his eyes, and a slight smile on his face. Inwardly, the desire to do battle was growing stronger. "If that's how it is, he might be worthy of going up against me!"

Inside the Blood Demon Grand Magic, Di Ye's fleshly body was withering rapidly. Horror and astonishment filled his heart, and he was completely terrified of Naruto.

"Dammit! You're just as inhuman as Lu Bai!" he roared. He clenched his teeth and then slapped his bag of holding to produce a crystalline magical talisman.

The magical talisman glittered brightly; this was a life-saving treasure given to him by his clan before leaving for the Southern Domain. He never imagined that he would have to use it after making his first appearance. However, facing this deadly crisis, he ignored any consternation and instantly smashed it between his fingers.

The instant the magical talisman was smashed, a stream of Dao Seeking power descended. The intensity of the power caused a tempest to spring up and slam toward the blood-colored vortex.

Rumbling filled the air as the Dao Seeking power descended. The bloodcolored vortex trembled, and Di Ye, taking advantage of the surge of power, burst out. However, in that exact moment, Naruto gave a cold snort and waved his finger.

"Wither!"

Instantly, the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao that Naruto had just come to understand, sprang into action.

The single character transformed into a natural law of Heaven and Earth, replacing what currently existed. A will of Heaven and Earth descended. In the blink of an eye… the air transformed, and distortions appeared.

Di Ye let out a miserable shriek as his body once again began to wither. This time, the withering was not limited to his fleshly body. His cultivation base withered, his life force withered, everything withered.

Sensing his death approaching, Di Ye looked toward Lu Bai, who hovered off in the distance, his eyes glittering. "Lu Bai, save me!"

Lu Bai lifted a hand and pointed out. "Reverse!"

As soon as he uttered the single character, the air distorted, and transformations of Time appeared around Di Ye. It almost seemed as if time were being forced to run in reverse, initiating an abstract struggle against the power of Naruto's 'withering' character.

One moment, Di Ye's body was almost completely withered; in the next, it had been completely restored. The sort of pain caused by going back and forth between these states made Di Ye intermittently issue bloodcurdling screams.

The entire process lasted for the space of three breaths.

However, to Di Ye, those three breaths were like three lifetimes.

In the end, there was a boom, and Naruto backed up four measures. The 'withering' character and the Blood Demon Grand Magic collapsed. Lu Bai fell back three measures, his face flickering. His secret art of Time magic also vanished.

Between them was Di Ye, his body half-withered. He was now bony and thin, but not dead. He had managed to scrape by with his life. Aghast, he shot toward Lu Bai, his terror regarding Naruto having reached a pinnacle.

As far as the struggle between Naruto and Lu Bai, it was hard to say who won and who lost. However, it seemed clear that Lu Bai was a bit more powerful.

And yet, even as Naruto backed up, he reached up with his left hand and slapped the 300-meter long black-colored claw. Immediately, the treasure was sucked into his bag of holding. The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs appeared behind him, having finished gathering up a large assortment of various items.

As for the surrounding crowds from the Southern Domain, they were all panting.

"He's gotten stronger again!"

"Naruto only had a little flash of enlightenment, but his magical techniques actually advanced again. Dammit… He could already display Dao Seeking power, but now… if a Dao Seeking expert doesn't appear, who could possibly suppress him?!"

"Naruto!"

Dao Child Zhou Chen from the Northern Reaches' Coffin Altar Sect looked at Naruto with astonishment. He was well familiar with Lu Bai's reputation. He wasn't just famous in the Northern Reaches; he was also well-known in the Eastern Lands.

If he weren't, how could he receive the honor of being deemed one of the four great Young Starlords of South Heaven?!

Starlord was an honorific title in the lands of South Heaven to refer to the four strongest people in the Spirit Severing stage.

"He was able to fight Lu Bai and even make him retreat three paces!

This Naruto is too powerful!"

Lu Bai gazed at Naruto, and within his eyes the desire to do battle grew even stronger. He raised his right hand, and the air in the area distorted. A pulse of Dao Seeking power began to descend.

"I'm not in Dao Seeking," he announced, "I'm only at the Second Severing level. However, I can enter the Third Severing at any time. It's just that my Dao still requires refinement, so I haven't performed it yet.

"Today, you will be the whetstone to sharpen my blade!" By this time, his desire to fight was raging to the heavens. He took a step forward.

However, even as his foot descended, the lake beneath him suddenly began to rumble. The water began to shrink down, as if… another eruption were about to occur!

"A second eruption!"

"Heavens! The 30,000-meter main lake is going to erupt a second time!

What… what exactly does this mean?!"

"It's actually going to erupt a second time!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Nathaniel Charles, Monty St John, Remco

Schimmel, Emmanuel Martinez, Abu, Michael Q, Joel F, Isaac, Christopher

Choi, Quang Tran, Nazmul, Daniel Antoniuk, and Michael Tashkoff

Fun fact: The name Zhou Jie is exactly the same as the Dao Child from the Black Sieve Sect back in the day! ↩ Other fun fact: I know someone named Han Peng here in China, same Chinese characters as this! ↩

723

Chapter 723 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 723: True Immortal Soul

The lands of the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes sank down once again into a concave shape, almost as if it were inhaling.

The sight of it instantly caused the hundreds of thousands of cultivators on the outside to gape with wide eyes and reeling minds.

"A second… a second eruption!"

"When the 30-meter Dao Lakes erupt a second time, there's a good chance that treasured items will appear. It's the same with the 300meter lakes. For the 3,000 meter lakes… there's no need to even mention that. But this is actually… a second eruption of the 30,000 meter lake!"

"It's going to spit out a precious treasure! It will definitely be a precious treasure!"

"It will definitely exceed everything from before! A… precious treasure!" If the cultivators on the outside were aware of such things, then one can only imagine the understanding of the people above the lake itself.

Even Lu Bai's mind trembled. Abandoning any thoughts of fighting Naruto, he looked down at the Dao Lake, his heart quivering.

The teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect stared down at the Dao Lake with glittering eyes, and began to breathe heavily. "Don't tell me… that sword wasn't the good fortune. Is this… the real good fortune?!"

A strange gleam appeared in the eyes of the Golden Frost Sect puppet. The Golden Frost Sect cultivators inside had already acquired a treasure, and planned to leave, but seeing the new development caused them to collectively change their minds and resolve to make one last gamble.

Reverend Withered-Dao stared in astonishment and stood there mutely, while the Song Clan cultivators unleashed their auras. As for the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch, he wiped the blood from his mouth and glared about with wild eyes. He had been defeated earlier, but this time he was willing to pay any price to steal something away.

Di Ye grumbled inwardly. He was currently weak, and not in a condition to be fighting. Next to him, Zhou Chen's eyes began to shine brightly.

It was then that more rumbling could be heard. The second eruption of the Dao Lake would begin momentarily. The lake water began to boil, and it seemed a huge blast was imminent.

Just when the lake was about to erupt… all of a sudden, Naruto flickered and shot toward the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch.

"Dammit!" The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch's face fell, and he retreated at top speed. The otherShimuraClan members behind him all had similar reactions.

"Lunatic! Madman! The second eruption is about to begin and you still think you have time to try to kill us?!"

"Naruto, what are you doing!?"

"You crossed the 30,000-meter line, so I'm going to kill you," responded Naruto coolly. He had never had a good impression of theShimuraClan. Whether it wasShimuraDaoyi that year in the Blood Immortal Tournament, or the overbearing way that theShimuraClan cultivators forced him into a corner outside the rebirth cave, they all caused Naruto's killing intent to rise. 1

Currently, the Chakra and blood in his body was bursting with vigor. After having absorbed Di Ye's fleshly body, he was ready to explode out with power at any moment. He moved forward with incredible speed, and as he neared, waved a sleeve.

Immediately, a gigantic hand magically appeared, which emanated a Dao Seeking aura as it shot toward theShimuraClan members.

Surrounding cultivators watched on but did not interfere. The eruption was imminent, and they were more concerned with what treasures would appear.

BOOM!

Five people, including the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch, all spit out blood and tumbled backward. They were just about to employ teleportation talismans to leave, when Naruto pointed a finger toward them.

The Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared. A blood-colored vortex began to spin around them. The 19thShimuraClan Patriarch and the others could only watch on in shock.

"NO!"

"Naruto, let us go! Give us a chance!"

"We'll leave immediately! IMMEDIATELY!"

"Did you give me a chance at the Rebirth Cave that year?" responded Naruto coolly. The blood-colored vortex began to absorb them, and miserable screams rang out. The bodies of all five, including the 19thShimuraClan Patriarch, rapidly withered. Massive amounts of Chakra and blood power flew toward Naruto.

As that happened, Naruto's fleshly body became even more powerful.

A Dao Seeking aura exploded out, followed by bloodcurdling screams as theShimuraClan cultivators' bodies turned into skeletons. As the skeletons shattered into dust, their Nascent Divinities flew out and tried to escape.

Naruto waved his arm in response.

Wither!

A wind suddenly kicked up, and the five Nascent Divinities trembled for a moment, and then began to wither and dry up. It took only a moment for the fiveShimuraClan cultivators to be dead in body and soul.

"It's too bad I haven't entered the third level of the Blood Demon Grand

Magic, otherwise I could use the Spirit Meridians stratum!" Even as Naruto sensed the ripples of strength inside his fleshly body, a massive roaring sound filled the air.

Down below, the 30,000-meter Dao Lake was beginning to erupt!

The second eruption!

All eyes came to be fixed on the lake down below, and the boundless lake water rising up into the air. There was only one person who wasn't looking at the lake.

Naruto's eyes flickered over to Dao Child Zhou Chen of the Coffin Altar Sect. After a quick glance, he headed directly in the man's direction.

Who would have ever thought that Naruto would actually attack Zhou Chen? Even Zhou Chen could scarcely believe it. After all, he had no enmity with Naruto.

Moving with incredible speed, Naruto punched out. A Dao Seeking aura surged out, and the air shattered as the fist sped toward Zhou Chen. Zhou Chen's energy surged; he performed an incantation and then shoved his hand out in front of him.

BOOM!

Blood sprayed from Zhou Chen's mouth, and he tumbled backward. Mind spinning, he roared, "What are you doing?!"

"I want the halo you took earlier and put into your bag of holding," said Naruto, advancing toward him.

"Dammit! DAMMIT!" Zhou Chen was just about to retreat when suddenly the eruption of the Dao Lake grew more intense. A bright glow appeared within the water, as if treasured items were about to appear.

By this point, nobody was paying attention to Naruto and Zhou Chen, although they remained on guard. Virtually all attention was focused on the Dao Lake below.

Naruto punched again, and a shocking rumble sounded out. Zhou Chen's face paled as he tumbled back. He performed an incantation gesture that caused his body to distort and grow blurry, but he was still just as incapable of fighting back. More blood sprayed from his mouth.

"Too powerful! I'm simply not a match for him!" Zhou Chen's face was ashen. The timing of Naruto's attack couldn't be worse for him. Right now, teleportation was impossible; it only worked after the eruption had begun.

"It's going to erupt any moment now," he thought, clenching his teeth. "There's no way that I can't hold on for just a few breaths worth of time!"

Naruto's expression was cold. The reason he had attacked theShimuraClan cultivators was to absorb their Chakra and blood, which he planned to then use to snatch away treasures that others had already collected.

There was no enmity between him and Zhou Chen. However, it was better to rob Northern Reaches cultivators than Southern Domain cultivators. That had nothing to do with any hatred between them, but rather territorial allegiances.

Of course, this was a line of reasoning that Zhou Chen wouldn't be able to understand.

"Give me the halo, or you die!" said Naruto, shooting in pursuit. The rumbling of the Dao Lake grew even more intense; the waters were boiling, and had sunken down so low that it appeared the eruption would occur in the next breath.

"Hold on!" thought Zhou Chen, gritting his teeth tightly. "Just hold on a few more breaths!" His face flickering, he retreated with all the speed he could muster."

"You really are looking to die!" Naruto said with a cold snort. He waved his hand, causing the Ninth Mountain to appear, around which swirled the Black White Pearls. As it descended toward Zhou Chen, Zhou Chen's face filled with intense astonishment. He wanted to struggle, but

Naruto's fleshly body was already comparable to Dao Seeking. Naruto

raised his right hand up, seemingly fusing it with the Ninth Mountain. An indescribable force of destruction then rumbled down. CRUSHING!

An incredible sensation of deadly crisis filled Zhou Chen's heart. The sensation was intense to the extreme; Zhou Chen was absolutely certain that he was incapable of evading, and that if the mountain did strike him, he would be dead in body and spirit.

"Dammit!" He was a decisive person, so with a snarl, he produced the glowing, golden halo from his bag of holding and tossed it out. The instant that Naruto laid hands on it…

RUMMMBBBLLLEEE!

The Dao Lake erupted!

Endless amounts of lake water shot up into the air, within which could be seen, not vast quantities of treasures like the first time, but only one item!

It was an illusory object that shone with multitudinous colors, like a soul. It looked like a man, although the features were somewhat obscure. As soon as the soul shot out from within the lake water, the sky grew dark and the land below began to quake.

An unprecedented aura suddenly burst out, the intensity of which could suppress Spirit Severing and subdue Dao Seeking. This was….

Immortal!

An Immortal aura surged skyward.

Furthermore, it was not that of a false Immortal but rather… a true Immortal! The area surrounding the soul instantly changed; natural law spun and altered, as if this object's existence could substitute its own laws for what already existed.

"The soul of a true Immortal!" said the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect, his voice hoarse and his expression one of extreme excitement.

"True Immortal's soul!" said the Golden Frost Sect puppet, panting.

Reverend Withered-Dao, the Song Clan Patriarch and everyone else were completely shocked. Although they had all braced themselves mentally earlier and knew that the second eruption of the Dao Lake would produce a precious treasure, none of them had ever imagined that it would actually be… the soul of a true Immortal!

"To someone at the peak of Dao Seeking, absorbing the soul of a true

Immortal would create an incredible opportunity to achieve true

Immortal Ascension!"

"It's actually a true Immortal's soul!"

Not many people actually recognized what it was, especially among the hundreds of thousands of cultivators outside. However, the majority of the people above the 30,000-meter lake could tell what it was at a single glance.

Naruto's eyes glittered.

There were both true and false Immortals. True Immortals were people who were enlightened regarding a personal Dao, and after reaching the pinnacle, experienced Immortal Tribulation. Those who survived passed from Dao Seeking to Immortal Ascension!

On the other hand, false Immortals faced no Immortal Tribulation. They carved their name onto the Immortality Bestowal Dais of the Ninth Mountain, and were bestowed with Immortality. They had Immortal Chakra, but… could only be Immortals in the Ninth Mountain.

Such Immortals could not step foot outside of the Ninth Mountain. Furthermore, were the Immortality Bestowal Dais to be destroyed, they would all perish. After all… they were all Immortals of theHebiClan!

"Not good! The appearance of a true Immortal soul will definitely attract the attention of the peak Dao Seeking cultivators from the various sects and clans of the Southern Domain."

"This aura is extremely difficult to seal. It won't get out of the Southern Domain, but as of this moment, there are definitely people here who have already sensed it."

The Solitary Sword Sect teenager, the Golden Frost Sect puppet and Reverend Withered-Dao, as well as some of the other cultivators, all realized what this meant.

"Fight!"

"I have to get my hands on it as quickly as possible! Even if I can't use it, I can give it as a gift, and still be rewarded with incredible good fortune!"

"I have to have it! Anyone who fights me for it is dead!"

The teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect shot out, his eyes bloodshot. Everyone else in the area also shot forward with glowing eyes.

In the blink of an eye, everyone surged into motion, even Naruto. Fight for the soul of the true Immortal!

They would fight to gain control of the true Immortal soul as soon as possible, before the peak Dao Seeking eccentrics arrived. This was Immortal destiny, the opportunity to become a true Immortal. When opportunities such as this came along, nothing else was important.

The only important thing… was the Immortal destiny!

BOOM!

Li Daoyi was Naruto's main competition in the Blood Immortal Tournament. He made his major debut in chapter 130. He killed him in chapter 305, shortly after which theShimuraClan Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces with theHebiClan in chapter 311 to try to kill Naruto. ↩

724

Chapter 724: Pull Out All the Stops!

Deep within Mount Solitary Sword of the Solitary Sword Sect in the Southern Domain, a rumbling could suddenly be heard. An ancient aura exploded out, causing the sky to go dark. An illusory sword appeared, floating in midair.

At the same time, an ancient old man in a black robe appeared out of nowhere. As he stood there, his peak Dao Seeking aura burst out, causing everything to tremble. He turned to look in the direction of the Ancient Dao Lakes.

"The soul of a true Immortal!" A glow of determination appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly vanished, disappearing in the direction of the Ancient Dao Lakes.

In a restricted area of the Golden Frost Sect could be seen a tombstone with nothing written on its surface. It looked ordinary and unremarkable. However an ancient aura of decay suddenly emerged from inside the tomb, and a dried-up hand stretched out. The ground cracked and shattered as an ancient figure with disheveled hair abruptly flew out.

"The soul of a true Immortal! That's the aura of a true Immortal's soul!" A bizarre glow appeared in the figure's eyes as it shot through the air.

Within the Violet Fate Sect, everything was still. A sigh rang out, and then the silence resumed.

A roar could be heard within theShimuraClan. In the blink of an eye, an ancient man appeared. He wore a brightly brocaded robe, and had towering killing intent. He flew through the air in the direction of the Ancient Dao Lakes, accompanied by rumbling booms.

Deep in the Song Clan, a half-corpse sat as still as death. Suddenly, its eyes opened, and they shone with a bizarre light.

"A true Immortal's soul! My chance to achieve Immortal Ascension has finally arrived! Flesh and blood suddenly appeared to fill out the lower half of his body. In the blink of an eye, he was a middle-aged man. He had no hair, and wore a long Daoist robe. He took a step forward and then vanished.

In the Black Sieve Sect, Patriarch Six-Daos could sense the same thing as everyone else. However, he hesitated, then let out a frustrated growl.

"Dammit! My cultivation base has already dropped to the mid Dao

Seeking stage. How could I hold my own in the fighting? Naruto!

Blood Demon Sect! I won't rest until you're dead!"

Meanwhile, on a mountain in the border region between the Southern Domain and the Milky Way Sea was a hamlet populated by a hundred or so families.

Smoke curled up into the air, and crisp peals of laughter could be heard from children playing outside the village.

"Wheeee! You can't catch me, old man!"

"Grandpa, your hands are too dirty, don't try to grab me!"

"Try to catch me, old man! We're right here!"

The children were playing hide-and-seek with an old man. His hair was unkempt, and he looked a bit crazy. His clothes were dirty, and even his skin had splotches of mud on it. It looked like his long, draping hair hadn't been tended to in a very long time. The old man laughed foolishly as he chased the children back and forth, which made the children laugh merrily.

"Hahaha! I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna catch ya! Hahaha! I have no soul! I'm gonna getcha! Naruto…. Who's Naruto…? Immortal Ascension, Immortal Ascension…." In the middle of running back and forth, the old man suddenly stopped in place, as if he had noticed something. A tremor ran through his body, and he looked off into the distance, his eyes listless.

"The soul of an Immortal…. A true Immortal's soul…. Who am I…? Who am I?

The old man grabbed his head in his hands. "Immortal Ascension!

Immortal Ascension! I will become Immortal!"

He then lifted his head up and let out a disconsolate howl, filled with shocking ripples and Immortal Chakra. The amorphous ripples swept out in all directions.

The smiles on the faces of the children twisted, and then their bodies began to turn illusory. The entire hamlet twisted and distorted, and began to glow with glittering lights. The lights flew up into the air and then shot toward the old man, where they swirled together to form a heavy saber. The man gripped the saber in his hand and shot off into the distance.

The hamlet was never real, and neither were the people who lived there. They were all simply incarnations of the saber.

"Immortal Ascension! Immortal Ascension! I will become Immortal!" The old man continued to roar as he shot through the air. His expression was one of confusion, and his soul was incomplete.

Meanwhile, back in Mount Blood Demon, Patriarch Blood Demon sat in the Blood Pond. His eyes suddenly opened, and he was about to rise to his feet, then hesitated.

"No Karma or destiny connected to me," he said, shaking his head. He settled back down and continued to meditate.

Throughout the entire Southern Domain, all the great powers were shaken. A streak of colorful light shot out from the Western Desert. It was a black-robed young man who looked very similar to Naruto. His expression was grim as he sped through the air. If you looked at him from a distance, he resembled an enormous, black bat.

He shot toward the Ancient Dao Lakes at top speed.

"He's there…. I can sense him…."

As the Southern Domain was shocked, back in the inner region of the

Ancient Dao Lakes, booms rang out across the 30,000-meter Dao Lake.

The battle for the True Immortal's soul was not something that ordinary

Spirit Severing cultivators could participate in. Even someone of the Second Severing would have a hard time wresting away this good fortune without perishing.

Although the mere thought of the opportunity caused everyone's hearts to shake. After experiencing the fighting after the first eruption of the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, the Spirit Severing experts of the various sects and clans were left shaken. Therefore, they now hesitated, and many of them retreated from the fighting.

The six Blood Demon Sect Patriarchs were the first to fall back. Then, Sir Jian and the others from the Solitary Sword Sect. As for the Song Clan, the Patriarch who had led them here finally gritted his teeth and departed.

Reverend Withered-Dao was the only one present from the Violet Fate Sect. A strange gleam appeared in his eyes and he hesitated for a moment, but in the end, chose to leave.

Booms rattled out, and violent pulses of magical energy spread through the air. Only a few people qualified to participate in this battle!

The mysterious teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect, the composite puppet from the Golden Frost Sect, Lu Bai of the Imperial Bloodline Clan from the Northern Reaches, and lastly… Naruto!

Di Ye had been seriously injured by Naruto, and Zhou Chen from the

Coffin Altar Sect had experienced having his pride completely destroyed. The two of them didn't dare to participate in the fighting, and retreated off to the side.

The booms were shocking. The mysterious teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect wielded the two-meter longsword. As he slashed it out in front of him, a dazzling, resplendent crescent moon exploded out, sending out shocking ripples.

In the battle for the true Immortal's soul, no one had any allies; everyone was an enemy. Therefore, no one dared to fight one-on-one with anyone else, but instead used divine abilities that were essentially area attacks.

Currently, the path to victory involved blocking the way of others.

"All of you get out of my way!" roared the Golden Frost Sect puppet. Brilliant light rose up from it, and it raised its hand and then swept it forward. A black mass of seawater magically appeared, within which surged numerous black dragons. Each of the black dragons spit out a pearl, which became a world that surged out in attack.

Lu Bai of the Imperial Bloodline Clan let out a cold snort. He quickly performed an incantation gesture and then waved his finger. The air distorted, as if time were beginning to reverse. Everyone suddenly slowed down exponentially, and it seemed as if time were about to flow backward.

As for Lu Bai, in a scant moment, he was closing in on the soul of the true Immortal.

And then there was Naruto. He didn't employ any special divine abilities. All he did was summon the Black White Pearls and the Ninth

Mountain, which then bore down directly onto the position of the true Immortal's soul.

The incoming Ninth Mountain caused Lu Bai's face to flicker. A moment ago, he had been on the verge of reaching the true Immortal's soul, but now he was blocked.

The other powerful experts in the area were all attacking one by one. Everything rumbled, and for the moment, all of the cultivators were prevented from advancing toward the soul. It was in this moment that the teenager from the Solitary Sword Sect lifted his head up and roared. His body began to grow; in a split second, he had become a young man.

His aura grew explosively. Dao Seeking power rose up, and he was no longer in the Spirit Severing stage. Apparently, he had stepped into Dao Seeking. Natural law formed around him, and he advanced forward through the black seawater. He broke through Lu Bai's time reversal and slammed into Naruto's Ninth Mountain.

A boom echoed out as the Solitary Sword Sect teenager lifted his hand and pointed. His natural law slammed into the Ninth Mountain and pierced it through. The man reached his hand out toward the true Immortal's soul.

"Dammit!"

"You're looking to die!"

"Kill him!"

Lu Bai's face fell and he quickly performed a double-handed incantation, then pointed out. Immediately, a beam of light flew out, and the power of time reversal instantly appeared around the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect.

The Golden Frost Sect puppet roared and then waved a hand. Monstrous black light transformed into a black rain, which then coalesced into ten thousand howling dragons that shot toward the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect.

Killing intent flickered in Naruto's eyes. He did not use any offensive magic, but instead, waved a finger to employ the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!

It didn't matter that the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect had an early Dao Seeking cultivation base. The combined might of the three others was still enough to shake him. Lu Bai's bizarre magic made it so that he was almost stuck in time. Naruto's shocking divine ability thoroughly bound him in place and weakened his cultivation base. Then the Golden Frost Sect puppet closed in with raging killing intent.

The combined attack of the three different parties caused the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect to go pale in the face. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he tumbled backward.

Lu Bai was the first to make a move. Utilizing time reversal, he appeared next to the soul of the true Immortal, and was about to grab ahold of it when the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect roared. His sword raged, and ten thousand moons roared forth. They combined with the ten thousand snarling dragons of the Golden Frost Sect puppet and Naruto's irksome hex.

BOOM!

Lu Bai couldn't hold up. His scalp went numb, and blood sprayed from his mouth. He had no time to grab the true Immortal's soul, and was forced into retreat.

In almost that exact same moment, Naruto and the Golden Frost Sect Puppet flew forward toward the true Immortal's soul. Their speed was shocking, and only a tiny instant passed before both were about to lay hands on it. The Golden Frost Sect puppet's eyes flickered, and ten thousand dragons roared toward Naruto. At the same time, the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect and Lu Bai joined together to attack Naruto and the Golden Frost Sect puppet.

This was a battle royale, filled with strikes and counterstrikes of all sorts!

If this continued, no one would be able to prevail. Furthermore, time was of the essence. They all knew that peak Dao Seeking experts were definitely approaching, and then none of them would be able to continue to participate in the fighting.

The Blood Demon Grand Magic was powerful, but Naruto wasn't confident that it could restrain all three of the others at the same time. If he missed even one, it would be difficult to fight that person while simultaneously maintaining the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

His eyes flickered as he saw the divine abilities nearing. He suddenly lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist. All of the power of Chakra and blood that he had absorbed merged together in that fist, creating the most powerful blow he had ever delivered.

This punch was comparable to Dao Seeking!

However, what he attacked was not a person.

The fist struck out, and the air vibrated. The land shook, and a deafening sound filled the air. He punched a gigantic hole into the air itself, after which, a shocking gravitational force exploded out from within.

It seemed that, in order to repair itself, it needed to suck everything from the outside world into it. This was a part of a natural law. Behind the emptiness was the void.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Avijit Wadhawan, John Rufino Aguilar,

Budescu Ionut, Dan Gabber, Thomas, Potkeny, Nils Müller, Davis Won,

Kenneth McCarty, Nich, Patrascu Gabi, David Jeltema III, Fiber Optic, Drk,

Michael Michalczyk, Caleb Gleason, Cole Hausner, Hal, Griff-And-Or, Kari

Yi, Joseph, Andreas Asselman, ONI_Ghost, Costin C, and Arkanth

725

Chapter 725: Grab That Soul!

The power of the gravitational force within the gap in the void was actually not very great. However, Naruto's strike contained Dao Seeking power. An incredible wind arose which, in combination with the gravitational force, caused the others to gasp in shock.

The young man from the Solitary Sword Sect looked astonished as he was helplessly sucked toward the gap. It was the same with the Golden Frost Sect puppet, and even Lu Bai. In just a short moment, they were already nearing the rift.

Their expressions flashed again when Naruto, despite being as out of control as them, suddenly looked at them with flashing eyes.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

An enormous vortex suddenly appeared around Naruto, and a gigantic red hand wrapped around him. He was using the Blood Demon Grand Magic, not on one of them, but on himself.

He was using the power of the red vortex to fight against the gravitational force coming from the gap.

A rumbling sound could be heard as Naruto instantly came to a stop. Everyone could see that, of the group, he was the closest to the soul of the true Immortal!

Fighting against the power of the gravitational force, he used the power of his fleshly body to shrug off the attacks from the Solitary Sword Sect teenager and Lu Bai, as well as the Golden Frost Sect puppet's divine ability. After coughing up some blood, he stretched his hand out and grabbed the soul of the true Immortal!

"Dammit!"

"Naruto, are you looking to die?!"

"Naruto!"

As soon as he touched it, a rumbling filled his mind. At the same time, the soul of the true Immortal began to shrink. It took only a moment for it to transform into a crystal, which Naruto closed his fingers around.

"Got it!" he thought. His eyes glittered, and he prepared to teleport away.

However, it was in that instant that the 30,000-meter Dao Lake down below suddenly emitted an astonishing rumbling sound. At the same time, the lake water transformed into an enormous whirlpool that pulsed with an incredible gravitational force.

This intense gravitational force instantly superseded the gravitational force from the fissure in the air. Immediately, the Golden Frost Sect puppet broke into pieces, reverting to the five cultivators from the Golden Frost Sect. Their bodies were completely beyond their control, and they let out miserable screams as they were sucked down into the Dao Lake below.

Next were the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect and Lu Bai, whose faces instantly fell. The young man from the Solitary Sword Sect immediately crushed a jade slip. His body began to fade with the power of teleportation. However, it was not powerful enough, and he too was sucked down into the Dao Lake.

The power of Time immediately began to ripple around Lu Bai as he attempted to reverse the flow of time. However, after a single breath of time, the distortions shattered; time was incapable of being reversed. He was transformed into a streak of light and sucked down into the Dao Lake.

Naruto was the last person remaining. The Blood Demon Grand Magic remained, but it was trembling violently. Naruto's mind reeled as he fought to free himself from the gravitational force. However, he was only able to hold out for the space of three breaths before cracking sounds could be heard from the Blood Demon Grand Magic and the enormous hand. They shattered, and Naruto was violently dragged down into the Dao Lake.

Almost in the same moment that they were sucked down into the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, two beams of light appeared far off in the distance. It took only one breath of time for two old men to suddenly appear above the lake.

"Dammit!"

One of them immediately gestured down toward the lake, but not even a single ripple spread out across its surface. At the same time, more beams of light approached from all directions, closing in on the same position. These were all the peak Dao Seeking eccentrics who had sensed the soul of the true Immortal.

All of them were just a moment too late. However, they wouldn't give up that easily. They joined forces to attack the lake, after which they guarded it, observing it for a long time. When they were finally convinced that they couldn't get inside, they left, sighing with regret.

It was at that point that the Ancient Dao Lakes were finally restored to peace and quiet.

As for Naruto and the others, they were considered missing. Of course, the fact that Naruto ended up obtaining the soul of the true Immortal was something that couldn't be kept under wraps. After all, Spirit Severing experts from all the clans and sects had witnessed the event personally.

More and more people across the Southern Domain learned of the matter, and the various eccentrics of the sects and clans nearly went mad. They even joined forces to perform auguries which revealed that Naruto was, in fact, not dead. A furious search then unfolded across the entire Southern Domain.

If Naruto appeared, then the sects would surely find out immediately. Of course, the Blood Demon Sect didn't agree to all of that. As such, random skirmishes between sects became common in the lands of the Southern Domain.

The entire Southern Domain was slipping into chaos. Rogue cultivators feared for their lives; although there was no formal declaration of war, minor battles and fights were a common occurrence.

As for Naruto, after he was sucked down into the Dao Lake with the others, he entered what seemed like a tunnel, and then lost consciousness. He was sucked along for an indeterminable period of time before an incredible roaring sound suddenly shook him awake.

When he came to, he found himself in mid-air. Above was not a sky, but rather a boundless solid surface inlaid with infinite shining pearls that lit the entire area as brightly as day.

Interspersed among the pearls were the mouths of tunnels, virtually endless. As soon as he saw them, Naruto could guess that he had dropped out of just such an opening.

"What is this place…?" he thought, his mind trembling. As he looked around, his eyes instantly went wide and his face filled with shock.

He was… not in the Ancient Dao Lakes!

He was surrounded by endless ruins, the sheer enormity of which was difficult to describe. Wreckage and corpses stretched out in all directions, some of them half-buried. From the look of it, there were even more ruins that were completely buried beneath the ground.

It seemed as if this place was filled with layers of ruins that had built up over countless years of time.

There were also mountains visible!

The mountains were not true mountains, but rather, enormous collections of magical items, medicinal pills and even corpses. There were tens of thousands of such mountains scattered about everywhere. The sight was completely shocking.

Even more shocking was that in the middle of the tens of thousands of mountains floated an enormous portal of flames.

The bright red flames of the portal shot up high into the sky, causing the entire world to be filled with the color of its fire.

Up above in the air flew vicious winged creatures which were too numerous to count. Their bodies were completely violet, and they carried armfuls of magical items that they tossed into the portal's flames, which then burned them to absolutely nothing.

Apparently, the magical items provided some sort of power, which caused magical symbols to occasionally appear on the flame portal. Every time the magical symbols flickered, a sea of flames would roil out.

Beneath the flame portal was a gigantic awl, fully 30,000 meters long. It was bright crimson, and was suspended in midair to point down toward a 3,000-meter wide abyss.

There were a few of the winged beasts who glowed with a silver light. They seemed as if they were in a position of great authority, and carried whips, which they used to lash the others. There were also some goldencolored beasts who lay prone near the flame portal, apparently asleep.

In addition to all that, there were also a variety of strange beasts going to and fro on foot. They emanated shocking auras as they made their way among the ruins, carrying all sorts of objects.

They carried corpses, magical items, spirit stones, and other wreckage.

Almost in the same moment that Naruto saw them, the denizens of this place seemed to notice him. They all stopped moving and suddenly looked in his direction.

Countless gazes came to fall on him, causing his scalp to go numb.

Naruto had actually seen the violet, winged, humanoid beasts being spit out from the Dao Lakes in the outside world. Each and every one he saw now was similar to the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, and there were even some who had Spirit Severing auras.

As for the silver-colored beasts, each and every one…. was a Spirit Severing beast! There were even some who had Dao Seeking auras, nearly two hundred of them.

Most shocking of all… were the gold-colored beasts that lay prone by the flame portal. There were eleven in total.

From what Naruto could sense, the golden-colored beasts all had Dao Seeking power.

One of them was a violet-gold color, and Naruto could tell that it was even more powerful, at the peak of Dao Seeking.

It was even above Patriarch Six-Daos and the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch.

As for the beasts who walked about on foot on land, they were a bit weaker. Even still, the vast quantity of the beasts was in and of itself enough to fill Naruto with a sense of deadly crisis.

"What is this place?!" he thought, his scalp tingling. As he saw the beasts turning to look at him, he felt as if he were standing under the shadow of death. If the golden-colored beasts weren't there, it wouldn't have been so bad. But with them present, the threat Naruto sensed was just far too great.

Worst of all, there was a deep-gold-colored beast sitting in the middle of the fire portal. Naruto could sense an even more terrifying aura, the aura of an Immortal!

It was at this point that the gold-colored beasts laying prone around the flame portal all began to open their eyes. They stared over at Naruto with cold gazes. At the same time, the deep-gold-colored beast looked at Naruto, and he immediately felt as if he was being sealed in place.

"That thing is far more powerful than the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch!" thought Naruto. "If Six-Daos were here, he wouldn't be close to being a match.

"What kind of beast is this? I can't believe this underground world has such shocking beasts in it. Or perhaps… they're Demons?" His face flickered, and he edged backward. However, it was then that he suddenly saw a person pop out from one of the tunnel mouths up above.

It was none other than Lu Bai!

The instant he appeared, he looked around, and his face flickered.

After him came the young man from the Solitary Sword sect, and then the five Golden Frost Sect cultivators.

When he realized the order in which they emerged, Naruto's eyes glittered.

"I was the last to be sucked in, but the first to be dropped out," he thought. "The five Golden Frost Sect Spirit Severing cultivators were the first to be sucked in, and the last to drop out."

When the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect and the five Golden Frost Sect cultivators saw the lands around them, their faces also fell.

All eight of the cultivators backed up, fearful of offending the terrifying beasts and provoking an attack.

"Foreigners!" an ancient voice said. It echoed out through the entire world, from none other than the most powerful of the beasts, the deepgold-colored one that sat in the flame portal.

It flew up into the air and suddenly began to grow larger. In a brief moment, it was 300 meters long, and it appeared to be the overseer of the place.

"You are the second group of foreigners to arrive during this era…"

726

Chapter 726: Trial by Fire!

"In accordance with the ancient treaty, you may take part in the life-ordeath trial by fire here. If you succeed… then according to the ancient charter, you may acquire treasures from this place.

"If you fail, then this place shall be your grave!

"There are three levels, and by passing the second level, you earn the right to leave if you wish.

"If you make it past the third level, you can enter the land that has been guarded by my clan from generation to generation. There… you can acquire the ultimate good fortune.

"That good fortune is the Divine Flame Essence, the most supreme flame that exists in Heaven and Earth. Even the tiniest spark of that flame can burn an Immortal to death!

"In this age, you are the second group to enter this place. As for the first group, it consisted of nineteen people in total. Of that group, two made it through the second level. One left, and the other died in the third level."

As the voice echoed out, Naruto's mind trembled, and he stopped in his tracks. The young man from the Solitary Sword Sect, as well as Lu Bai, both had strange gleams in their eyes. As for the five Patriarchs from the Golden Frost Sect, their eyes were glittering brightly.

"You of this second group are quite powerful, more powerful than the first group…."

One of the old men from the Golden Frost Sect hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Can we decline to participate in the life-ordeath trial by fire?"

As soon as the words left the man's mouth, the deep-gold overseer's eyes flickered and it looked over at the old man. "What was that?!"

The old man immediately began to quiver, as if his cultivation base had suddenly become unstable.

A look of scorn appeared in the eyes of the deep-gold overseer. "Once you come to this place," it said coolly, "you must participate! If you choose to quit… you die! Those were the terms of the ancient treaty. Our clan gave its approval, so the agreement will not be changed!

"Once you pass the second level, then you may choose to depart!

"The first level, is none other than our current location!

"You will battle with my fellow clan members. If you can enter the flame portal, then it signifies that you have passed the first level!" The deepgold overseer's voice echoed out in all directions.

Lu Bai's eyes glittered and he cautiously said, "Senior, you're at the peak of Dao Seeking! How can we compare to you?"

"I will not participate," was the calm reply. "Furthermore, only one of my gold-colored fellow clan members will join the battle."

The golden-armored man from the Golden Frost Sect immediately asked,

"Do we fight one at a time, or can we go together?"

"One at a time. One person, one level. You will have three chances to get past a level. If you lose on your third chance, you die!"

Next to speak was the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect. "What if we kill too many of your people, and then you regret letting us fight?"

"Kill too many?" The deep-gold overseer laughed heartily. "Our clan descended from the Undying Divinity Clan. Do you really think you can kill us?" As his voice echoed out, black flames sprang up from the bodies of the beasts down below. As soon as the fire appeared, the level of their auras shot upward!

The explosive growth was terrifying; many of the violet-colored beasts, which were at the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, actually completely exceeded the limits of the Nascent Soul stage and stepped directly into Spirit Severing.

As for the silver-colored beasts, their energy also shot up.

"Fine. I, Gu Tianxiang, will be the first to go," said the young man from the Solitary Sword Sect. He lifted his right hand, causing the two-meter longsword to appear, as well as the nine one-meter shortswords that circulated around it. The energy that surged out was that of the early Dao Seeking stage. The young man's eyes flickered as he shot forward.

The instant he charged forward, the violet-colored beasts began to fly toward him one after another. Booms rang out without cease as Gu Tianxiang of the Solitary Sword Sect shot forward with incredible speed, slaughtering the entire way. However, his expression soon began to flicker; the violet-colored beasts were extremely valiant. When they were injured, the flames that covered them would heal their wounds in a flash.

However, Gu Tianxiang was also incredibly valiant. As he fought his way on, silver-colored beasts appeared. He fought his way onward until he was about 1,000 meters from the flame portal. It was at that point that that he fell, surrounded by a group of twenty silver-colored beasts. With a miserable shriek, he retreated back to his original position.

"1,000 meters. Your first attempt has failed," stated the deep-gold overseer in a cool voice. "Although, the fact that you were able to retreat in one piece is quite an accomplishment. You have the potential to make it past the first level."

The expressions of Naruto and the others sank when they saw the incredible power of the beasts' fleshly bodies. They didn't seem to possess any divine abilities or magical techniques, but their physical might really was too powerful, to the point that they seemed virtually unkillable. Furthermore, after being injured, their flames would immediately heal them.

Lu Bai's eyes flickered, and he suddenly strode forward. He was a powerful expert from the Northern Reaches who wielded the power of Time and Space, and possessed no scant amount of life-saving treasures. In the Spirit Severing stage, he had already slaughtered experts of the early Dao Seeking stage.

He immediately transformed into a streak of light that charged forward, surrounded by distortions of space-time. As he proceeded along, it almost seemed as if the beasts were incapable of even touching him. Every blow landed on thin air.

Gu Tianxiang's pupils constricted, and unsightly expressions could be seen on the faces of the five men from the Golden Frost Sect. As for Naruto, his eyes began to shine brightly.

"Eee?!" said the deep-gold overseer, its expression one of surprise as it watched Lu Bai. "A master of the secret arts of Time, with your own Dao. Excellent. You are qualified to match up to the two members of that first group of foreigners who entered here."

Boom!

Lu Bai slaughtered his way on, passing the 1,500-meter mark, where he was immediately surrounded by twenty silver-colored beasts. When that happened, he began to sweat, but still managed to kill his way more than 500 meters further. By now, he was only about 500 meters away from the flame portal. Gu Tianxiang from the Solitary Sword Sect had a very unsightly expression on his face.

"Is this really my limit…?" Lu Bai's eyes were shot with blood as he performed an incantation with his right hand and then pointed up into the sky.

"River of Time!" he cried. Immediately, countless sparkling lights appeared around him, which transformed into a river that stretched out far and wide. The twenty silver-colored beasts had no choice but to fall back. Lu Bai charged forward 250 meters. He was now only 250 meters away from the flame portal!

The deep-gold overseer up in mid-air watched on with a strange gleam in its eyes.

It was at this point that a gold-colored beast suddenly rose to its feet. It shot with incredible speed toward Lu Bai, and when the two met, a huge boom rose up into the sky. Blood sprayed from Lu Bai's mouth, but his expression was one of savagery as he backed up and slapped his bag of holding. Immediately, a black dragon corpse appeared.

This black dragon corpse was none other than the one he had procured during the eruption of the Dao Lake.

"Time Reversal, Resurrection!" Blue veins popped out on Lu Bai's forehead, and he suddenly seemed to age by ten years. The River of Time exploded into countless colorful lights which then inundated the black dragon.

It was now possible to see the dragon apparently returning to life from the dead. Its eyes suddenly snapped open, and a shocking aura roiled out which contained the power of an Immortal!

The power exploded out for only a moment. Then it vanished, and the dragon was once again dead.

But that one moment was shocking to the extreme!

Gu Tianxiang of the Solitary Sword Sect gasped, and a look of astonishment could be seen in his eyes. How could he have imagined that Lu Bai… would have such an amazing secret art?!

The five men from the Golden Frost Sect all looked shocked, and their minds were filled with roaring. A secret art like the one they had just seen was unbelievable!

Naruto's eyes widened. Earlier, he had been able to sense that Lu Bai was powerful, but now he realized… Lu Bai was even more powerful than he had imagined!

"However, he was only barely able to use that secret art!" he thought. Suddenly, the same desire to do battle that he had seen in Lu Bai's eyes now appeared in his own. "I wonder who between the two of us… is stronger!?"

Surrounded by the beast horde, Lu Bai's secret art unleashed the explosive power of the dragon, which turned into an incredible attack that shot toward the gold-colored beast. The gold-colored beast's face fell, and it wanted to flee, but before it could, the attack slammed into it with a boom, shredding its flesh into ribbons. It let out a miserable scream and fell back at high speed. Flames burst out, rapidly healing the wounds.

It didn't die, but it was forced into retreat. That gave Lu Bai the opportunity he needed. Coughing up blood, he shot forward at top speed, crossing the final 250 meters and stepping up into the flame portal.

He coughed up some more blood, then waved his hand to collect up the black dragon corpse.

"What an incredible cultivator!" said the deep-gold overseer, an expression of admiration on its face. "To have passed the first level in one attempt… you may proceed to the second level. I look forward to seeing how you perform there. After passing the second level, you will acquire a precious treasure from our clan.

"When your secret Time art has reached its pinnacle, you can bring dead things back to life. Unfortunately, your cultivation base is too weak. If you can achieve true Immortal Ascension, and then utilize that art… you can resurrect that Nightmare Dragon to aid you for an entire battle!"

"There's no need to wait to be a true Immortal!" said Lu Bai coolly, wiping the blood from his lips. "The day I reach the peak of Dao Seeking, I can resurrect it to use in battle!" He turned to look back toward Naruto who was standing 3,000 meters away.

His gaze passed through the hordes of beasts to lock with Naruto's.

"Naruto, can you pass through?" he asked coolly. "Don't disappoint me, now." With that, he turned, paying Naruto no more heed as he stepped into the fire portal. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"Your turn," said the deep-gold overseer, his gaze sweeping over Naruto and the others. "If you're not confident, you can wait here until you are.

"Time means nothing to us. If you wish to practice cultivation here for a few thousand years before you try to charge through, you may.

"Normally speaking, it's quite lonesome here. Now that I've been able to lay eyes on you foreigners, I feel… it would be a shame to see you die here.

"However, if you fail three times in a row, then I will personally slay you. And of course, there is always the possibility that you will be killed trying to break through."

Naruto's eyes glittered.

"Thousands of years…? I can't wait at all. Elder Sister Xu won't even stay alive for another ninety-nine years. I need to spend this life with her, not end up getting stuck in this place!" His eyes shone with coldness as he stepped forward, transforming into a beam of light that shot toward the beast hordes.

This time, it was the Solitary Sword Sect's Gu Tianxiang whose eyes were fixed on Naruto as he shot forward.

"I always thought Naruto was the most inhuman cultivator I'd ever seen. I never imagined that Lu Bai would be even more shocking…

Although, it took a bit of effort for Lu Bai to pass the level. This Naruto… won't be able to make it across."

The five Golden Frost Sect cultivators were looking on with unsightly expressions. If they joined forces, they might have a chance. But alone, none of the five had any confidence at all.

To them, this place was a dead end. After seeing Gu Tianxiang suffer defeat, and then seeing Lu Bai succeed, they were filled with many complex emotions. At the moment, they were watching Naruto.

Naruto shot forward with incredible speed, smashing into the beast horde with a bang.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Arhys, LoveCross, Ocean McCool, and

Susanto Ali Budiman

727

Chapter 727: Completely Golden!

Immediately, countless violet-colored humanoid beasts surrounded him with flapping wings. All he could see was a mass of violet.

Of the 3,000 meters to the flame portal, the first 1,500 meters were firmly occupied by the violet-colored beasts. Only after passing through that region would they stand down. The silver-colored beasts made their move at the 1,000-meter mark, which was where Gu Tianxiang of the Solitary Sword Sect had been defeated.

If one could pass the silver-colored beasts, the next challenge was a gold-colored beast.

Naruto's eyes glittered. He didn't have time to waste here, so he immediately went on the offensive. The Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain rumbled out. As the Ninth Mountain descended, with the Black White Pearls circulating around it, everything trembled. The air vibrated, and multiple layers of ripples expanded out, transforming into an astonishing pressure that weighed down on everything.

The intense pressure was like a wall that crashed into the violet-colored beasts. As Naruto charged forward, they tumbled back, howling. Even the most outstanding of the violet-colored beasts were incapable of even getting close to Naruto before being smashed backward.

250 meters. 500 meters. 750 meters. 1,000 meters….

Within in the space of only a few breaths of time, Naruto proceeded forward as if he were walking along a paved path. He quickly reached the 1,500 meter mark, with the violet-colored beasts left behind in the dust. They glared at him, but didn't pursue or attack him any further.

Up ahead was a glittering, silver glow, which was a silver-colored beast. It shot forward with a ferocious expression and incredible speed. Its power seemed equivalent to the Second Severing.

Naruto gave a cold snort as he waved his right hand. The Ninth Mountain arrived, crushing the silver-colored beast. It let out a miserable howl as its body began to fall apart. However, the flames leaped out and quickly restored it.

Naruto quickly advanced by about 250 meters, putting him only 1,250 meters away from the flame portal.

It was then that six more silver-colored beasts joined the beast from earlier. Seven total, five with Second Severing cultivation bases, and two with Third Severing cultivation bases, charged toward Naruto.

"Crushing time!" Naruto advanced, waving his right finger. The Ninth Mountain grew in size, rumbling as it crushed down onto the seven silver-colored beasts.

Naruto charged onward. He was now only 500 meters away from the flame portal.

At this point, more than ten silver-colored beasts attacked him furiously. Booms rang out from the Ninth Mountain as the seven silver-colored beasts being suppressed burst out from within, their bodies wreathed in flames. They joined in to completely surround Naruto.

The five men from the Golden Frost Sect were watching intently as all of this happened. Off to the side, Gu Tianxiang's eyes glittered. Naruto was now in the same position he had been when in when he suffered defeat. "That Lu Bai is inhuman!" he thought. "Naruto might be powerful, but if he thinks he can get any farther, well, that's impossible!"

The deep-gold overseer up in mid-air was also watching the proceedings closely, and thought, "He's definitely going to be defeated."

However, it was then that Naruto's right hand flashed with an incantation gesture, and he waved his sleeve.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

Rumbling could be heard as a gigantic vortex formed, enveloping the roughly twenty silver-colored beasts. At the same time, an enormous blood-colored hand appeared, which firmly grasped the beasts.

"Chakra and Blood stratum!" roared Naruto. The more than twenty silvercolored beasts began to tremble, and expressions of astonishment could be seen on their faces. Their bodies began to wither rapidly as vast quantities of Chakra and blood shot toward Naruto.

A tremor ran through him. The Chakra and blood was incredibly powerful, and in an instant his body had already reached the limit that Spirit Severing could accommodate.

The more than twenty silver-colored beasts struggled violently, to the point that the vortex seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. Apparently, the limit of the second level of Naruto's Blood Demon Grand Magic had been reached.

Gu Tianxiang's eyes glittered. "He's going to be defeated!"

The five members of the Golden Frost Sect sighed. If Naruto couldn't get past the first level, then there was no hope at all for them.

Up in mid-air, the deep-gold overseer eyed Naruto's Blood Demon Grand Magic, and its expression flickered, but then quickly returned to normal.

Currently, the more than twenty silver-colored beasts were struggling and roaring so violently that the vortex couldn't handle it. Cracking sounds could be heard, and rifts spread out. However, Naruto then pointed his finger and cried, "Wither!"

The 'withering' character from the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao caused the silver-colored beasts' bodies to tremble. Their fleshly bodies began to wither even more rapidly, and their cultivation bases were instantly suppressed. Even their life forces showed signs of withering.

Because of their weakening, the Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex was no longer under the strain it had been. It once again rumbled into motion. From a distance, the vortex was incredibly huge and shocking.

Boom!

Even denser streams of Chakra and blood poured from the vortex to be absorbed by Naruto. He trembled violently as his fleshly body suddenly burst out of the Spirit Severing stage and into Dao Seeking.

The more than twenty silver-colored beasts were withering rapidly, and seemed to be just on the verge of death. Flames appeared to restore their bodies, but their power was sucked away by Naruto even as the restoration occurred.

It was a cycle that became like a wellspring of power for Naruto. It was almost as if he could continue to grow stronger… forever!

Early Dao Seeking. Mid Dao Seeking….

He lifted his head up and roared as he felt an unprecedented level of power coursing through him. Along with this incredible fleshly body power came an increased self-confidence.

This was the Heaven-defying might of the Blood Demon Grand Magic!

This intense, unprecedented strength also caused Naruto to be wracked with severe pain; it felt as if his body might be ripped apart. When Gu Tianxiang saw what was happening, he gasped. The five cultivators from the Golden Frost Sect watched with wide eyes.

The deep-gold overseer up in midair was even more astonished. He gasped and thought, "What divine ability is that!? It's so shocking! It's completely different than the River of Time, and, in fact, far more terrifying!"

Furthermore, the regeneration of the more than twenty silver-colored beasts was actually not able to keep up with the absorbing power of the vortex. Looks of despair could even be seen on some of the beasts' faces.

Naruto seemed as if he had become the vortex itself as he gobbled up all the incoming power of blood and Chakra.

The deep-gold overseer's face fell. "Dammit! If this goes on, he might really be able to wither my clan members to death!"

Naruto's eyes flashed as his fleshly body exploded with power. It burst through the mid Dao Seeking stage and then stepped into the late Dao Seeking stage!

In that moment, the Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex suddenly changed color, turning from red to gold!

When it became gold-colored, intense rumbling sounds filled the air and an incredible pressure weighed down on everything. The five Golden Frost Sect cultivators' faces were filled with shock, and their hearts trembled. They could clearly sense the fearsomeness of the golden vortex, and they knew that even if they combined into the puppet, they would be incapable of fazing Naruto in the least bit.

Gu Tianxiang of the Solitary Sword Sect was even more shocked. His pupils constricted as he realized that Naruto was actually just as inhuman as Lu Bai!

The golden vortex seemed to have transformed on a fundamental level. The pressure exploded out tenfold, and Naruto trembled inwardly as he sensed the terrifying nature of the golden vortex.

"No wonder I wasn't ever able to cultivate the third level. The bloodcolored vortex… isn't the final limit of the second level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic! Only by turning the vortex golden can I reach the great circle of the Chakra and Blood stratum!"

Enlightened, Naruto was now confident that he could easily suck the silver-colored beasts out of existence. However, that was not the course of action he chose.

After all, the deep-gold overseer was in control of this entire place, so it was best not to go overboard.

"Dammit!" thought the deep-gold overseer. "One inhuman is bad enough. How could a second one have appeared! And this new one is even more shocking than the previous one!"

Lu Bai had passed through the first level by using his River of Time to avoid the silver-colored beasts. Naruto, on the other hand, was relying on the power of his magic to crush everything in his path. It was easy to see which of the two was superior!

The deep-gold overseer was getting anxious, but because of the ancient treaty there was nothing he could to interfere. Just when he was at the peak of anxiety, Naruto waved his hand, causing a boom to rattle out. The golden vortex faded away, and the more than twenty silvercolored beasts were sent spinning away, blood spraying from their mouths. They were listless and dispirited, and they looked at Naruto with expressions of unprecedented fear and awe.

They had not feared Lu Bai; were Lu Bai to be even stronger than he was, he still wouldn't be able to kill them.

Naruto was quite different, though. He was qualified to utterly exterminate them!

Even as rumbling sounds continued to echo out, and the more than twenty silver-colored beasts retreated, Naruto proceeded onward. He had absorbed a virtually inexhaustible amount of Chakra and blood. Although it didn't truly belong to him, he was temporarily incredibly powerful, and could explode out with fleshly body power that was almost completely equivalent to the peak of Dao Seeking.

He proceeded forward, and natural law spread out around him. The world rumbled, the air distorted, and shocking energy filled him. As he charged forward, the deep-gold overseer's eyes flickered. It had a certain amount of control based on the treaty, so it quickly called upon a gold-colored clan member that was more powerful than the one that had attacked Lu Bai. It roared and charged toward Naruto, its Dao Seeking cultivation base surging. Its body was surrounded by flames, and it streaked toward Naruto like a shooting star.

Naruto could instantly see the difference between this beast and the one that had attacked Lu Bai. He snorted coldly and then clenched his fist.

"SCREW OFF!" he roared, punching with all the strength his fleshly body could muster. Everything dimmed as an insane, earth-shattering wave of power rocketed forth which seemed capable of covering the sky and burying the earth.

The incoming gold-colored beast looked shocked, and was instantly filled with an intense sensation of deadly crisis. Without hesitation, it attempted to dodge. However, the wave of power generated by Naruto's fleshly body was far too shocking. In the blink of an eye, it completely inundated the gold-colored beast.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed out. Flames completely covered it, but they were incapable of preventing the creature's body from beginning to fall apart completely.

Seeing that its fellow clan member was about to die, the deep-gold overseer shot down in a flash of light. It grabbed the gold-colored beast, then slapped out to disperse the wave of power generated by Naruto. It managed to save its fellow clan member in the nick of time.

The gold-colored beast was panting for breath and staring at Naruto with intense fear. It wasn't just this particular gold-colored beast. All of the others were watching on with intense shock.

"You have passed the first level!" said the deep-gold overseer, staring at Naruto with a deep look.

—–

728

Chapter 728: Second Level!

The gold-colored beast that had attacked Naruto was clearly far more powerful than the one that had been dispatched against Lu Bai.

Despite that, it almost died. Were it not for the intervention of the deepgold overseer, it would surely have been destroyed.

However, Naruto was also only capable of throwing this one punch!

That strike had contained all the power he had just absorbed. At the moment, his body was returning to normal. Although his aura was quite a bit weaker, there was no one who would dare to look down on him.

The five Golden Frost Sect cultivators were thoroughly shaken.

"He's… even stronger than before!"

"Don't tell me that golden vortex appeared because he was just enlightened?! Or, was he simply holding back before?!"

The five men exchanged glances, and each could see how shocked the others were. If they were to fight Naruto, and he used the golden vortex, then even in their puppet form, they would still be… completely defeated!

Gu Tianxiang from the Solitary Sword Sect had a face filled with shock.

His eyes were wide, and his heart trembled. "He's clearly only at the Second Severing level, but that Blood Demon Grand Magic… it's simply… simply terrifying!"

He was a powerful expert from the Solitary Sword Sect, and had previously viewed himself as quite knowledgeable regarding the Blood Demon Sect. As of now, though, he realized that the magic of the Blood Demon Sect was beyond imagination.

The deep-gold overseer was also shocked, and could do nothing but stare wordlessly at Naruto.

Naruto's expression was the same as ever as he slowly walked forward. When he reached the flame portal, he stepped in without hesitation.

On the other side of the flame portal was what seemed to be a completely different world. As soon as Naruto entered, he saw Lu Bai off in the distance, coughing up blood as he tumbled backward like a kite with its string cut. The black dragon in front of him was returning to its usual lifeless state.

This world was a world of fire. A sea of flames stretched out in all directions, from within which emerged an enormous, towering altar. The altar was colossal, hundreds of thousands of meters tall, arranged into nine levels.

Just now, Lu Bai had met defeat on the third floor, and was ejected, blood spraying from his mouth. He hovered in mid-air, his face pale. He looked back and saw Naruto, and his eyes began to shine with a bright glow as well as complex thoughts.

"So, you're here," he said as he floated down to the ground. Paying Naruto no more heed, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate.

Naruto looked up at the enormous altar stretching up out of the sea of flames. For some reason, he got an odd feeling about this place. For some reason, he felt more relaxed, as if some intangible shackles had been removed from him. His mind felt clearer.

"Foreigner!" said an ancient voice, which echoed out from up above. Looking up, Naruto was shocked to see a white, humanoid beast, another overseer.

It hovered up above at what seemed to be the very top of the world, emitting absolutely no cultivation base aura whatsoever.

It looked down at Naruto and said, "You have passed the first level, which is your good fortune. If you pass the second level, you will be qualified to leave this place and can also receive a treasured item of our clan.

"This is a life-or-death trial by fire, the result of the treaty with our benefactor long ago. Any foreigner who enters, regardless of which clan they come from, may participate in the trial by fire.

"Step across the flames and onto the altar of nine floors. Defeat the enemy you find on each floor, and you may pass to the following floor!

"You may employ any magical technique, any divine ability, any means or method you wish!

"You have three chances. If you suffer defeat on your third attempt… you will be blotted out of existence."

When the white-colored overseer finished speaking, it closed its eyes and said nothing further.

Naruto took a deep breath and then immediately sat down crosslegged to meditate. After fine-tuning his cultivation base for a day, he opened his eyes and stepped out over the sea of flames.

In that instant, Lu Bai opened his eyes and looked at Naruto.

"Be careful of the third floor," he said slowly. "There, you will find a copy of yourself."

Naruto stopped for a moment, looked at Lu Bai, and nodded. Then,

he flew across the sea of flames and stepped onto the first floor of the altar. As soon as he did, he saw a human-shaped statue, which immediately melted and transformed into a young man wearing an azure robe.

The young man's eyes were listless at first, but when Naruto looked at them, they suddenly began to shine with a brilliant light.

"That kid from earlier got past me by a fluke. You… won't be so lucky." Even as he spoke, he lifted his hand up into the air and then pointed forward. Behind him, a single, black bee appeared. Immediately, ghost images sprang up around it. In the blink of an eye, Naruto was facing over ten thousand bees.

Buzzing sounds could be heard as the bees shot toward Naruto. The young man's fingers flickered in an incantation, and he pointed out again. This time, shockingly, more than ten thousand centipedes appeared.

"A Dragoneer?" thought Naruto, shocked. Everything that was happening seemed very familiar. In the Western Desert, Dragoneer cultivators attacked in much the same fashion. Naruto didn't immediately respond, but rather backed up a bit and looked the situation over. After a moment, he realized… this was not Dragoneer magic, but overall, it was very similar.

As for Naruto, when it came to the Dao of Dragoneering, he was once a Grand Dragoneer of the Western Desert. In fact, it could be said that he was the most powerful Grand Dragoneer of his generation.

Naruto's face was the same as ever as the bees and centipedes closed in. He performed an incantation gesture to employ Dragoneer magic. His divine sense rolled out, and the bees and centipedes immediately stopped short.

They looked a bit confused, and as for the young man, his face filled with shock.

At the same time, Naruto pointed out, causing the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain to appear. Roaring sounds filled the air as they crushed down. Naruto shot forward with incredible speed to appear directly in front of the young man. He waved his right hand, and the Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared.

The shocking golden vortex appeared, as well as a golden hand that grabbed ahold of the young man. Immediately, his body began to wither as his Chakra and blood were absorbed. It only took a moment for him to completely collapse.

After collapsing, the young man reappeared in another location. He looked deeply at Naruto for a moment before coolly saying, "I am merely a Dharma Clone created by a strand of Chakra. However, you were able to rout me, which is something no one has ever done before. You… have passed."

Naruto frowned slightly. He had not absorbed very much Chakra and blood, and he was still unable to see the young man's cultivation base. Without another word, he flashed toward the second floor.

As soon as he stepped foot onto the second floor, an incredible power surged toward him.

Naruto's face flickered and he raised his hand and pushed it straight out in front of him.

Rumbling filled the air as an incredible surge of energy bore down on him. Naruto trembled, and his face flickered as he retreated at full speed.

He looked up to see a giant minotaur, looking back at him with an expression of surprise. "At the very least," thought Naruto, "he also has Dao Seeking fleshy body power. It also seems like the attack just now was casual! How did Lu Bai get past this part?"

"Hahaha!" the minotaur laughed maliciously. "Excellent! Excellent!

Finally somebody with some real power has arrived! That brat with the Time powers was much weaker than this!" The minotaur's muscles bulged as he stamped his foot into the ground and charged at Naruto.

"Don't let me down, now!" he roared. "That brat from before was a complete hassle! That secret Time art he used was strange and difficult to deal with. Fighting that fool wasn't fun at all! He pestered me to the max until I finally let him past. But you…. I like you, punk!"

BANG!

The minotaur punched out with explosive Dao Seeking power, causing Naruto's face to flicker. He rotated his cultivation base and immediately sent out his own punch.

A massive, astonishing roar rippled out, and Naruto's face went even paler. He was now in full retreat; the minotaur lifted his head back and laughed heartily.

"Excellent! Excellent!" he said, charging toward Naruto once again at full speed.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"He's using more power this time!" he thought, and the desire to fight gleamed in his eyes. Power surged throughout his fleshly body, and he once again counterattacked, adding the power of vibration into his attack.

The two massive powers collided, and Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood as he was sent tumbling backward. As for the minotaur, his body vibrated, and the ground beneath his feet cracked and split. When he looked up, his eyes shone with a bright light.

"This is awesome! Awesome! You're not bad at all, brat. Come come, allow Grandpa Minotaur to smash you to death!" With a hearty laugh, he charged again.

Naruto's face flickered, and his entire body was shaking and numb. In contrast, his opponent didn't seem to be even slightly hurt. In fact… Naruto could sense that the thing's fleshly body was actually growing increasingly powerful.

"I can't compete with him in terms of physical strength!" thought Naruto, his eyes flashing. As the minotaur bore down on him, he performed a minor teleportation to evade.

"Why are you running away!?" fumed the minotaur, charging him once again. Naruto performed another minor teleportation, leaving the minotaur enraged.

"Dammit! You're pissing me off as much as that other guy!" roared the minotaur. He suddenly stamped his right foot onto the ground, unleashing an incredible boom. The air distorted, making it impossible for Naruto to teleport. He quickly performed an incantation and then pointed out.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

Immediately, the golden vortex appeared around the minotaur, who was immediately stuck in place. As his fleshly body began to wither away, his eyes bulged, and he howled, "What kind of crappy magic is this!?"

With that, power seemed to explode from within him, surging out to fight back against the vortex. For the first time ever… the vortex collapsed.

Naruto's face fell and he shot backward in retreat. The minotaur laughed maniacally and then unleashed another punch.

Naruto was barely able to dodge it, and yet was still forced to cough up a mouthful of blood. He retreated again, a thousand ideas flitting through his mind.

"Extraordinary strength, an incredibly tough body, can lock down teleportation in the area, and even the Blood Demon Grand Magic is useless against him…. What do I do?!" Naruto fell back constantly, and was wounded constantly. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and the minotaur continued to get more and more excited as he battled on. "If I could absorb his fleshly body, then I would definitely turn this around and win! But he simply shook off the Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex…. Wait…." Naruto's eyes glittered.

"Hold on a second. The Blood Demon Grand Magic first binds, then absorbs. That's why it requires such a huge vortex. That means its power is spread out. If I focus the vortex on the smallest area possible, and don't attempt to absorb everything, but instead only do a quick absorption…." Naruto's mind was now thinking incredibly clearly. Enlightenment had come suddenly, right in the midst of battle. At the same time, the minotaur was yet again almost on top of him.

Naruto had no time for further consideration. He waved his hand, and again the Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared. However, it was not a large-scale version, but rather, a vortex the size of the inside of his palm.

The vortex spun rapidly in his palm, fusing into his hand to such a degree that it seemed to replace his palm print.

"Well, it's go time. Will it work?!"

Even as the minotaur closed in, Naruto shot forward, extending his palm out in a strike.

"Blood and Chakra stratum!"

—–

Here's a picture of some promotional art from the ISSTH web game of a

"minotaur"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Mohamed Amro Beseiso and Bjorn Jeune

729

Chapter 729 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 729: Spirit Meridians Stratum!

Boom!

Blood sprayed from Naruto's mouth. He could tell that the minotaur's punch contained an incredible fleshly body power. Such power and ferocity was something he himself couldn't withstand.

However, before the blow could land, the Chakra and blood absorbing suction power in his hand, which was even more astonishing than before, immediately absorbed a batch of power, strengthening his own fleshly body.

Naruto's eyes gleamed brightly.

The minotaur stared in shock and astonishment.

"Well, that worked!" thought Naruto. "The Blood Demon Grand Magic doesn't just have to be used externally. I can employ it using other methods, for example, fusing it with my fleshly body!" Naruto laughed out loud, and his eyes gleamed with the desire to do battle. However, instead of rushing to attack, he fell back into a pattern of retreat just like before.

Every time he dodged or evaded, he would find ways to get close to the minotaur to touch it with his palm.

"Dammit! This is like getting bitten by a mosquito!" roared the minotaur. "I dare you to fight head on!" Naruto didn't respond with a single word. However, his eyes began to glow with increasingly bright light. Every time he touched the minotaur, he would absorb a bit of Chakra and blood. Gradually, the power of his fleshly body increased, and he grew more powerful.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Naruto's body trembled, and in the instant the next attack was leveled against him, his fleshly body burst out of Spirit Severing into Dao Seeking.

"Wanna fight? Let's fight!" As he spoke, he ceased retreating, and punched directly toward the minotaur, who was a bit slow to react.

The minotaur actually seemed to be rejoicing, and was laughing wildly as he charged forward.

BOOOOOMMMMMM!

Naruto and the minotaur exchanged blow after blow in mid-air. Each time, Naruto would end up tumbling backward, but at the same time, his fleshly body grew more and more powerful.

In contrast, the minotaur grew more and more shocked. His strength was slowly diminishing, and his previous hulking and sturdy body was gradually withering.

"You're so strong!" he exclaimed. "Don't tell me you were just going through the motions before? How dare you toy with me!" Now that it realized something was going on, it went on a rampage, charging Naruto relentlessly.

Another incense stick worth of time passed…. Naruto could now battle head on, back and forth, with the minotaur and did not need to retreat. The minotaur's rage continued to intensify.

Yet another incense stick worth of time passed….

"Y-y-you… you're so powerful! How is it possible!?" Now the minotaur was retreating, and was completely struck dumb by Naruto's display of ferocity. He punched and punched, but the result was only increasing weakness.

After enough time passed for three incense sticks to burn, a boom rang out and the minotaur tumbled backward head over heels. He slammed hard onto the surface of the altar, his body withered and incredibly weak. Compared to his previous stalwart frame, he was much weaker, though this still made him far stronger than the average person.

"How come… how come I'm skinny now? AGHHHHHH! I'm skinny!" The minotaur saw Naruto closing in again with another attack, and suddenly gave a start. "Demon magic! You little punk, you're using Demon magic!"

The minotaur was now in full retreat, it's face filled with fury. "Okay, I quit! Dammit! The contest is over! You win, you pass!"

Naruto stopped in place. He actually felt a bit bad. Thanks to the minotaur, he had gained a new understanding of yet another unique usage of the Blood Demon Grand Magic. This new technique made the Blood Demon magic even more useful.

"Many thanks, senior," he said, clasping hands and bowing deeply.

The minotaur gave a cold snort and ignored Naruto. He looked down at his body and scowled miserably. "I'm skinny now…. So skinny…. I'm finished. Finished! When I get home, my woman is gonna beat me for sure. What… what if she gets some crazy ideas about what happened? What am I supposed to do?"

Naruto felt even more guilty now. He cleared his throat; aware that no explanations could fix the situation, he quickly headed toward the third floor.

On the third floor, he found himself facing a huge, glittering mirror. From within the mirror emerged a person who looked completely like Naruto in all aspects. He glanced down at his body, then smiled bashfully and looked back at Naruto.

Naruto's eyes flashed, and then thought back to Lu Bai's warning.

"Fighting myself? Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain!"

"Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain!" Both people attacked at the same time, and instantly, shocking booms rattled out. Outside the altar, Lu Bai lifted his head and looked up toward the third level, his eyes gleaming.

Naruto retreated, as did his doppelgänger.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic!" "Blood Demon Grand Magic!"

BOOM!

Both attacked with exactly the same divine abilities and magical techniques. After fighting for several hours, Naruto's doppelgänger suddenly changed strategies. No longer did it do exactly the same thing as Naruto. Instead, it used Naruto's various techniques and magics to attack in its own unique way.

Rumbling filled the air as Naruto saw a gigantic Blood Immortal face appear in front of him, along with a blood-colored vortex that began to spin around him. His face was extremely unsightly. This magical incarnation was incredibly troublesome. A real headache.

All of a sudden, he realized what it must be like for other people to fight him…. What a feeling! That was especially true when he thought of… the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex. His doppelgänger actually utilized the technique perfectly, and Naruto had to admit that this opponent… was much better than he was.

Every time the doppelgänger attacked, it would use the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex at just the right time. Naruto wanted to bellow in rage. "So, you can use the technique in THAT way!" he thought. Even in the midst of his frustration, he began to imitate how this magical doppelgänger used his own battle magic.

The Eighth Demon Sealing Hex was incredible!

An incredible booming sounded out as the two of them attacked each other. By now, they had been fighting for close to a day. Every time Naruto used the Blood Demon Grand Magic to absorb some of his opponents Chakra and blood, the same would happen to him.

It seemed that it would be difficult for either party to clinch victory.

However, Naruto was learning a lot over the course of the fighting.

"At this rate, I won't be able to wrap things up any time soon!" He was starting to get anxious. It was at this point that the white-colored overseer up in mid-air suddenly opened its eyes.

"You may not battle for more than a day on any given level. You still have enough time left for an incense stick to burn. After that, if the battle has not been concluded… then it counts as your loss!"

"Why?!" asked Naruto, looking up at the white-colored overseer.

"Defeating others is easy and while defeating yourself is difficult…. if you can't even come up with a method to defeat yourself, then how can your Dao heart be stable? How can you face Immortal Tribulation in the future?!

"In the earliest of times, any foreigner who came here would die. However, the ancient will arrived and my clan had no choice but to enter into the treaty. After that, this place became a location for deadly refinement. According to the treaty, the purpose is to train true Immortals!

"For example, the first level tests your survival capabilities. If you reach true Immortal Ascension, you will face many Tribulations. You must have the power to protect yourself!

"This second level tests your powers of perception and understanding. If you are perceptive enough, you can naturally gain enlightenment regarding various magics that are currently stuck in atrophy. The Dao heart is only one aspect.

"Defeat yourself, strengthen your Dao heart. That is only the first step toward being a true Immortal. If you can't pass this first step, then of course you fail!"

Naruto's mind reeled.

"Don't tell me that you haven't noticed that this place is different from the outside?!" continued the overseer.

"Well, forget it. You're only in the Spirit Severing stage. You are incapable of seeing how extraordinary this place is. Let me tell you, kid… there are no natural laws here!

"The second level is a place with no laws. Here, everything is a blank!

"Therefore, you have even more opportunity to gain enlightenment regarding your magical techniques, and even your Dao. Understand your divine abilities and your path to enlightenment. Because, this place… has no law to interfere with or distort your true heart!"

Naruto stared in shock. Before, he hadn't put too much thought into why this place seemed a bit strange. All he knew was that he felt somehow freer, and his mind clearer.

He had never imagined that this place… lacked natural law?!

"You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If you can't defeat yourself in that time, then you fail!"

Naruto's eyes glittered. Rumbling filled the air as his doppelgänger closed in. The two of them once again began to battle back and forth. Time passed, and soon, half an incense stick had burned.

"What do I do?" thought Naruto. "What do I do?! If I fail the first time, the second time will be even harder!

"If I could gain enlightenment into the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic and cultivate it successfully, then I could probably slay this doppelgänger!

"Another possibility would be to gain enlightenment into my Third Severing! Or perhaps, if I understood how to use one more of the characters that make up the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!

"If I could use the soul of the true Immortal to make a second true self, it would definitely be terrifying in the extreme!

"Another option is the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal!"

Unfortunately, there was not enough time for any of those things. He only had the time it takes half an incense stick to burn!

Naruto's eyes were shot with blood as he fell into retreat. Suddenly, his doppelgänger utilized the Blood Demon Grand Magic; so Naruto did as well.

Instantly, the doppelgänger's fleshly body began to wither. However, at the same time, he absorbed Naruto's Chakra and blood, replenishing himself. Such a circumstance had occurred many times throughout their battle.

"The third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic, the Spirit Meridians stratum! All cultivators have spirit meridians running through their body. Such spirit meridians are essentially the cultivation base. The purpose of the Blood Demon Grand Magic is to stir the spirit meridians. In much the same way that a miner deals with a vein of gold, the spirit meridian is dug up and consumed!

"But, how exactly am I supposed to absorb the spirit meridians?!"

Time was running out!

"Spirit meridians!" Naruto and his doppelgänger ceased using the Blood Demon Grand Magic and began to utilize other divine abilities.

Naruto's mind was racing as he tried to come up with a solution. This was a world with no natural law, and his mind was extremely clear. It was in that moment that he suddenly thought of… the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch!

He recalled the scene of the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch absorbing his Perfect Dao foundation.

When he thought back to that time, he remembered the various transformations that occurred in his body. His cultivation base had rotated in reverse, and then collapsed, transforming into an energy which was then sucked out of him. Recalling that feeling suddenly caused a tremor to run through Naruto.

"Reversal. I understand now! The key to the third level is reversal! When the vortex of the second level reaches maximum rotation, I can suddenly reverse the flow, which will unleash an incredible power!"

His eyes shone with a bright light.

Boom!

In that moment of enlightenment, he utilized the Blood Demon Grand Magic, then immediately pushed it through from the second level… to the third!

When he entered the third level, energy exploded around him. A strange light glowed in his eyes, and he lifted his hand to point at the doppelgänger. Instantly, a golden vortex appeared around the doppelgänger, which caused it to give a cold snort. It raised its hand and pointed toward Naruto as it too once again employed the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

However,at this point, when the golden vortex was rotating at full speed, Naruto suddenly reached his hand out and then turned it over.

Immediately, the vortex surrounding the doppelgänger reversed. The doppelgänger's expression flickered as its cultivation base suddenly collapsed, completely beyond its control. It rushed out through the doppelgänger eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, to shoot toward Naruto.

Simultaneously, the doppelgänger's entire body collapsed, and it disappeared without a trace. The only thing left behind was the glittering mirror.

"In your first tempering, you defeated yourself in less than a day," said the white-colored overseer, looking deeply at Naruto. "As such, it is unnecessary for you to participate in the following floors. Please go directly to the ninth floor. If you can pass the ninth floor, then you may leave this place! In addition, you can acquire one of our clan's valuable treasures!"

730

Chapter 730 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 730: Another Lord Fifth!

Outside the altar, Lu Bai suddenly looked up. His eyes shone with shock as he caught sight of Naruto on the third level, and heard the words of the white-colored overseer up in mid-air. He suddenly grew incredibly taciturn.

"He… successfully defeated himself?" thought Lu Bai, slowly lowering his head. A moment later, he looked up again, and his eyes shone with the intense desire to do battle.

"I don't care about my status as a Young Starlord, nor my titles in the Northern Reaches, nor the rumors about me being a reincarnated, almighty cultivator. The only thing I care about… is that I must be… the strongest person in my stage!

"According to my Dao, I must become a true Immortal! My heart must be intensely staunch!

"If Naruto can do it, then I… can do it too!" With that, Lu Bai took a deep breath. Eyes radiating unprecedented resoluteness, he slowly rose to his feet and then strode back toward the first floor of the altar.

"This time, I'll definitely pass the third floor!"

Naruto stood on that very same third floor to which he referred. He didn't proceed onward immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes to feel the surging of his cultivation base, and the majestic third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Now that he was in the Spirit Vessels stratum, he could absorb cultivation bases into his own body and transform that into incredible power.

"No wonder Patriarch Blood Demon said that if I get to the fourth level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic I can hold my own against early Dao Seeking cultivators!

"This Blood Demon Grand Magic is incredibly astonishing. It's especially useful when fighting against groups. The more enemies that get stuck inside… the more powerful I can become!

"Black Sieve Sect…." Naruto's eyes suddenly snapped open, and they shone with incredible killing intent. His hatred for the Black Sieve

Sect had long since seeped into his very marrow. If it weren't for the Black Sieve Sect, Hinata wouldn't have to enter the cycle of reincarnation, and could have had the chance at Immortal Ascension in this lifetime.

Now though, they only had a hundred years, after which, this lifetime would be destroyed. This enmity… was absolutely irreconcilable!

Naruto took a deep breath and then took a step forward, whereupon he vanished. When he reappeared, he had passed the fourth and fifth floors… and gone all the way to the ninth floor!

The ninth floor was the smallest of all the floors.

This was the pinnacle of the altar!

This was the final barrier of the second level!

After passing this floor, Naruto would have the option to either leave this world or, of course, enter the third level.

Boom!

The instant he stepped foot onto the ninth floor, he felt almost like he was at the pinnacle of the sky. Around him stretched a world of boundless flames, beyond which was nothing but pitch black.

In the instant that he stepped foot onto the ninth floor, he also heard an ear-piercing, squawking laugh.

The laugh sounded almost like the call of a male duck, and was filled with an indescribable arrogance.

"It's been many years since someone has stood in front of Lord Fifth, bitch! Come come, allow Lord Fifth to see how much fur you have on your body!"

As soon as he heard that voice, all the noble and lofty feelings that had existed inside of Naruto instantly vanished . His eyes went wide with disbelief as he stared at something appearing out of thin air in the middle of the ninth level. It was…

An enormous parrot!

The parrot was covered with motley feathers that all stuck out on end. Its expression was one of extreme arrogance and pride, as if it was the only important thing in all of Heaven and Earth. As soon as it appeared, a shocking energy exploded out from its body.

"You…" said Naruto, his breath quickening. This parrot appeared to be exactly the same damnable bird that had fled the instant Naruto faced true danger.

"What do you mean 'you,' huh? Bitch! What, you've never seen a Lord Fifth as handsome as me before?" As the parrot flew out, it seemed to be completely displeased with the way Naruto was looking at it. Its eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and its voice was jarring.

Even as it spoke, the parrot went on the offensive, charging at incredible speed. Naruto could barely see it, and before he could react, he was sent tumbling backward. The parrot re-formed in midair and then squawked and attacked again.

Naruto's face flickered. The parrot was moving so fast that he couldn't see it clearly. Nonetheless, he was able determine that this parrot was actually not exactly the same as the damnable bird that he remembered.

As for what exactly about it was different, he couldn't quite say. It was more of a feeling.

Booming sounds echoed out as the parrot attacked relentlessly. However, it didn't seem to be able to completely overwhelm Naruto within a short period of time. Naruto retreated without hesitation; every time the parrot attacked, it almost felt like a mountain was bearing down on him.

He tried using the Blood Demon Grand Magic, but the parrot was too fast and impossible to entangle. It was as if it was surrounded by some strange power that enabled it to break through anything that stood in its way.

"This damned, wretched bird! How could it be so strong!?" Naruto frowned. At the same time, the parrot appeared suddenly in mid-air up ahead of him.

Staring seriously at Naruto, it said, "I'm gonna screw you, bitch! Screw you, ya hear? How could your body be so tough? Well fine, the tougher the better. Screw you, screw you, screw you into a pulp…!" With a piercing cry, and incredible speed, it circled around Naruto, and its eyes shifted maliciously in the direction of Naruto's rear end….

When Naruto sensed that, his scalp went numb, and his heart trembled. The first thing he thought of was the parrot's vile hobbies, and then, images of the parrot exploding rear ends suddenly flashed through his mind.

These thoughts stabbed through his mind, causing his train of thought to be upset and fall into disarray, such that it caused Naruto to begin to shake uncontrollably. It didn't matter how vicious he had become inside, the images left him profoundly frightened.

Normally speaking, he was the one to hear the miserable shrieks of others. There was absolutely, positively no way that he wished to experience such things himself.

"Dammit! DAMMIT!" Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Even when facing the challenge on the third floor, he had not sweat, but as of this moment, he was tempted to concede defeat.

This… this was a power that cultivators were fundamentally incapable of matching up against.

Especially the incessant hooting call of the damnable parrot, and how its previously curved beak suddenly transformed, becoming ever longer and straighter….

A few times, it opened its mouth, after which a perverse aura blasted out, causing Naruto's heart to tremble.

Having no other options, Naruto anxiously cried out, "I know you!"

"Huh?" replied the parrot, gaping. "Well, Lord Fifth doesn't know you, so you're gonna get screwed anyway!" With that, it prepared to charge again.

"I'm your master!" said Naruto, slapping his bag of holding to produce the copper mirror.

"You're insulting me!" said the parrot, completely ignoring the copper mirror. It transformed into a black streak of light that shot toward Naruto.

"What do I do? What do I do?!" Having noticed that the black streak of light was curving through the air to flank him from behind, Naruto was now in a state of complete emergecy.

As the black beam of light closed in, Naruto had a sudden flash of inspiration as he recalled the damned bird's fatal weakness. Without hesitation, he cried out, "Even if you were more powerful than you are now, who cares? I don't believe for a second that you could drill a hole through this altar! You can't, can you?!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the black beam stopped in mid-air. The parrot appeared again, and it glared at Naruto, as if infuriated.

"What did you just say? Did you say there's something Lord Fifth can't do?"

Naruto's eyes glittered, and his thinking was suddenly stable. A look of scorn appeared in his eyes.

The expression immediately caused the parrot to go mad. Its voice shrill, it yelled, "How dare you look down on Lord Fifth! Lord Fifth is omnipotent! Y-y-you…."

"Pshh." Naruto have a cold snort.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" To be scorned with such words caused the last bit of the parrot's powers of reasoning to be scorched away.

"You just watch, bitch!" raged the parrot. "Watch Lord Fifth! Watch Lord Fifth bore a massive hole into this altar!" With that, the parrot flew up into the air and then turned to charge toward the altar.

The white-colored overseer immediately flew down to intercept the parrot.

"Immortal Fifth, please calm yourself. Calm… There's no need to get impulsive, right? Listen to me…."

"Screw off and listen to this, bitch!" roared the parrot.

"Immortal Fifth, I…." The white-colored overseer smiled wryly and was about to expound when….

"I said screw off, bitch! If you don't, I'll screw you along with him!"

The white-colored overseer was getting extremely nervous. This was the first time it had heard of the parrot having such a weakness. It looked over angrily at Naruto, and was about to rebuke him, when Naruto saw the look in his eye, rolled his eyes and then snorted coldly.

"He doesn't believe you can break through the altar either. Forget about the altar. I bet you couldn't even screw that white-colored overseer!"

"AHHHHHHHH! How dare you look down on me like this!" The parrot's fury raged to the Heavens. It jerked around to glare at the white-colored overseer, who immediately began to tremble.

Seeing that the parrot was about to attack, the overseer immediately roared without hesitation, "You pass! Pass!"

Instantly, the altar began to rumble, and an incredible force enveloped the parrot, who did nothing to fight back. As the power covered it over, it stared fixedly at the rear end of the white-colored overseer.

"When this place was built, Lord Fifth helped out, and therefore left behind a stream of divine will," said the parrot. "Truth be told, it would be difficult to break a hole through the altar. However, if I have the chance, you cheeky little beast, Lord Fifth will definitely give screwing you a try!"

With that, the parrot gave a cold snort, then glared over at Naruto. It said nothing, but the look in its eyes was clear.

You just wait, brat. If I get a chance, I'll screw you too!

Naruto glared back at the parrot. He didn't say anything either, but his meaning was equally clear.

You just wait, you damned bird. When I get out of here, I'm going to track you down, and then we'll see who's boss!

Meanwhile, in the Milky Way Sea, on the shore near the Northern Reaches, a hulking, dark-faced man currently hovered in mid-air. Surrounding him was a group of smaller cultivators, all of whom looked at the man with fawning eyes. The dark-faced man seemed quite pleased with himself.

In his arms he carried a black bear, which he would occasionally lean down to kiss, his expression one of intoxication. The bear had a luxuriant coat of fur, and it was hard to tell where he had found something like it in the Milky Way Sea….

"Ah, this is the life! Don't be despondent, little Third. It's merely a master we're talking about. We can always get a new one! Look, after somebody else gets the mirror and refines it, then we can go back. Look at how free and unconstrained we are now! This is the good life!"

Suddenly, the dark-faced man sneezed, then shuddered. A strange look appeared in its eyes, and suddenly two voices began to argue inside of him.

"What's going on? What was that? Lord Third just sneezed!"

"Screw off, it was obviously Lord Fifth who sneezed!"

"You'll even steal that from me?!"

"Something fishy is going on here, bitch! Something's off! I feel an evil wind stirring, as if something bad is about to happen!"

"Huh?! Don't tell me Naruto is alive! Finished! We're finished! I'm gonna die, we're finished! When we ran off that time…."

"What do you mean ran off? That was a strategic transition! You don't understand crap!"

"Dammit! Last time, you said we needed to give him a chance to temper himself. You're changing your mind again?"

"Are you absolutely sure that's what I said?"

"You did! You said it! You said…."

Despite the bickering, the dark-faced man turned and flew toward the Northern Reaches.

"Let's go to the Northern Reaches, it should be safe there…."

731

Chapter 731: Essence of The Divine Flame!

Beneath the 30,000-meter Dao Lake, in that world within a world, at the very top of the altar in the second level, Naruto moved forward.

The parrot gave a cold snort as it faded away. The white-colored overseer sighed with relief, then looked over at Naruto, clearly displeased, but incapable of doing anything about it.

"You got lucky, but you passed," the white-colored overseer said slowly. "As of now, you have two options. You may leave, or proceed onward to the third level!

"Up to now, no one has ever passed through the third level. Therefore, no one has ever been able to inherit the essence of the Divine Flame. Now, make your decision."

Naruto muttered to himself for a moment. He still had his Eternal stratum, which meant that although he wasn't completely indestructible, he was still completely unique in the lands of South Heaven.

That was a trump card, something he could use to rise back up from the clutches of death when in battle.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time right now. If he got stuck in the third level, a hundred years could go by in a flash. Although, he wasn't quite resigned to giving up on trying to pass the level.

He suddenly looked up at the white-colored overseer. "Senior, I remember you saying that a valuable treasure would be given as a reward for passing the second level."

The white-colored overseer's eyelids twitched as if it didn't want to respond. It waved its right hand, instantly causing a pitchfork to appear.

It was pitch black, and completely unimposing. It did emanate a Dao Seeking aura, but in this world where there were no natural laws, the aura was not very powerful.

Even the white-colored overseer realized that it was being stingy. "A Dao Seeking item, a valuable treasure," it explained.

According to the ancient treaty, it was actually supposed to produce all of the clan's valuable treasures and allow anyone who passed through the second level to pick one of their choosing. However, their clan had always been a stingy one. Even the two that had passed from the first wave of people to come here before Naruto had only been given an option to take one of three items.

It was a loophole in the agreement, but the overseer did not feel that it was breaking the treaty.

Naruto's face was the same as ever as he looked the pitchfork over. It was obvious to him that the white-colored overseer was displeased with him, and his eyes glittered.

"According to the ancient treaty, it can be assumed that you can offer a better treasure than this, senior. Perhaps you can give me a few options to select from."

"Forget about it!" was the reply, accompanied by a cold snort.

"In that case, senior, I will pass on the item. However, I have two small requirements…." The white-colored overseer immediately put the pitchfork away. In truth, even giving that away was something it wasn't quite willing to do.

Naruto licked his lips and continued, "I noticed that outside in the first level, there were many mountains. They were all made up of various magical items and treasures, many of which were Spirit Severing treasures. How about this, senior. I'll just take 100,000 Spirit Severing magical items. What do you think, sir…?"

The white-colored juggernaut stared with wide eyes. The reason it didn't wish to part with the Dao Seeking treasures was that they contained their own natural law within them, and were extremely valuable. As for Spirit Severing treasures, they were far inferior.

"100,000? Are you trying to rob me? 10 at the most!"

"90,000! It can't be any less, senior. I just gave up a Dao Seeking treasure, you know…."

"Hey… Spirit Severing magical items are equally valuable! At the most, I can give you 100!"

"Senior, how can you be like that? After all, I just passed through the second level. The lowest I can go is 80,000 magical items. On the outside, Spirit Severing treasures are incredibly common. Furthermore, I want a chance to poke my head into the third level to see what it's like."

"Well… you did make it through the second level, but…."

The two bickered for a while, and in the end, the white-colored overseer gave Naruto 5,000 Spirit Severing magical items. Furthermore, Naruto was to be allowed one chance to step into the third level.

After they finished negotiating, the white-colored overseer grimly waved his arm, causing two vortexes to appear. One was the exit, the other was the entrance to the third level.

Naruto took a deep breath, and a look of resolve appeared in his eyes. He immediately transformed into a beam of light that shot toward the third level's vortex. Just as he was about to enter, the altar rumbled; Lu Bai had entered the third floor and was beginning to fight himself.

Naruto looked back, then paid no further heed as he vanished into the third level.

As soon as he stepped foot inside, he found that he was not in a land of flames. Everything around him was quiet. He saw a blood-colored field that was surrounded by enormous structures. They were pagodas that looked like spikes driven into the earth.

The grass in the world was completely white.

There was no wind, and yet the grass swayed back and forth.

Naruto's eyes flickered as he surveyed his surroundings, and he muttered to himself for a moment before sending his divine sense out.

It quickly covered an enormous area.

"990,000 pagodas!

"Countless bleached bones!

"The 990,000 pagodas seem to form a colossal spell formation!

"There's a city!"

Naruto's divine sense detected the 99,000 densely packed pagodas, which were arranged around a gigantic city.

The city was pitch black and overrun by white grass. A flame spark hovered in mid-air, seemingly an endlessly burning fire that sent resplendent light out into the entire world.

Almost in the same instant that Naruto sent his divine sense out to the limit, he suddenly heard a roar.

"Dao Fang, you must die!

"You killed me, Dao Fang, and if I'm reincarnated, I'll definitely kill you!

"The Immortal World is doomed to experience tribulation! The Immortal lands will grow old, and the Immortals will perish! But I refuse to give in!

"I know the truth! No matter how long you suppress me, I won't admit defeat!

"Damned monkey! If I can get free, I'll have your hide!

"If I'm transmigrated, I will slaughter myself out of this place! If my transmigration fails, I will fall into oblivion like all other living things, with virtually no hope of reawakening even after countless cycles of reincarnation. Therefore, I will leave a Dharmic decree for this place!

"My decree contains the essence of my Dao flame, the last vestige of me, Huoyan Zi. I hope that countless years later, that vestige will still exist!"

Naruto's mind was reeling; it felt as if a sharp sword was stabbing into his brain, preparing to split apart his body and shred his soul. Blood oozed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He staggered backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

A rumbling filled him, and he felt as if his body might explode. Thankfully, his Eternal stratum immediately pulled everything back together. However, that omnipresent divine sense and resentful will raged as madly as ever. The sensation of grave danger that he felt grew even stronger.

He looked around in shock at the world around him, backing up at top speed all the while. The divine sense filling this world closed in on him again, and he immediately leaped out of the third level.

When he emerged, he was back in the second level coughing up blood, his face pale and breath ragged. From what he had heard, he could tell that what he had encountered was a shred of will.

However, despite the fact that it was only a shred of will, it was still able to injure him instantly. This was terrifying to a degree that thoroughly astonished him.

"Failure," said the white-colored overseer, its voice cool. "No one has ever successfully passed the third level."

"What is that place…?" asked Naruto, looking over at the overseer.

"Only those who pass the third level are qualified to know the answer to that question. You may leave now.

"Remember, if you speak to anyone of the things that occurred in this place, you will meet with great calamity." The white-robed overseer gave him a meaningful look.

Naruto didn't respond. He looked back down at the altar, and Lu Bai on the third floor. Without another word, he clasped hands and bowed to the white-colored overseer, then stepped into the exit vortex.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

The white-colored overseer hovered in mid-air looking at the spot where Naruto had left through the vortex, a profound, ancient look in its eyes.

In the lands of South Heaven, not too far way from the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, was a valley in the mountains. A brilliant, glittering light rose up in the valley, a teleportation spell. Suddenly, Naruto appeared within the light.

As soon as he appeared, the teleportation spell vanished.

"I snatched the true Immortal's soul, and a lot of people saw," he thought. "Word will spread…. I need to get back to the Blood Demon Sect as quickly as possible!" His eyes glittered as he flew into the air, slapping his bag of holding to produce the war chariot.

Once in the war chariot, rumbling could be heard as it sped off into the distance.

Meanwhile, at almost the exact moment that Naruto reappeared, an old man sat cross-legged in a restricted area of Mount Solitary Sword in the Solitary Sword Sect. In front of him, nine pearls circulated in the air, apparently rotating in accord with some natural law. Suddenly, one of the pearls began to glow brightly.

The old man's eyes opened and he looked at the pearl. There were many images within the pearl, but one of them was Naruto teleporting out into the region near the Dao Lakes.

"So, he finally reappears!" The old man vanished.

In the Golden Frost Sect was a pool of water, next to which sat the peak Dao Seeking Patriarch of the Golden Frost Sect. As he gazed into the water, ripples suddenly spread out over the surface of the pool. The ripples seemed to conceal mysteries of Heaven and Earth, mysteries that others would never be able to comprehend. However, an image of Naruto actually materialized in the reflections within the Patriarch's eyes.

In theShimuraClan, in a restricted area, a cold voice suddenly rang out. "The soul of a true Immortal is not something that a tiny Spirit Severing cultivator may possess!"

The voice caused Heaven and Earth to distort, and a shocking energy shot out in all directions.

At the same time, Naruto was detected by the withered, half-bodied old man in the Song Clan. He suddenly opened his eyes from meditation.

"True Immortal's soul…. However, the person who snatched it was Naruto…." He hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes to meditate.

In the Violet Fate Sect, everything was quiet. No aura spread out, nor did any ripples appear. However, a brilliant light appeared in the enormous statue of Reverend Violet East, as it stared off into the distance.

The formerly calm and peaceful Southern Domain was suddenly stirred into commotion by the appearance of Naruto. To peak Dao Seeking experts, the soul of a true Immortal was something incredibly precious. So precious, in fact, that they would do anything in their power to get it.

In the Black Sieve Sect, Patriarch Six-Daos let out a miserable shriek. His cultivation base had already degraded to the border of the mid Dao Seeking stage. Soon, it would drop further, and he would be in the early Dao Seeking stage.

"I can't accept this! Blood Demon Sect, you must be destroyed! Naruto

Hao… you shall die!"

At some point, dark clouds had appeared above the Southern Domain in many locations. Lightning danced, and thunder crackled. The sun was covered up, casting the lands into darkness. Huge raindrops the size of beans began to plop down….

732

Chapter 732: The Blood Prince Returns!

The rain appeared not because the clouds layered top of each other, building up to a critical pressure. Rather, it was the passage of people forcibly tunneling through the cloudy sky that caused them to collapse in on themselves and shed rain prematurely.

At the moment, three peak Dao Seeking eccentrics were shooting toward Naruto's location. Their speed was such that they appeared near the Ancient Dao Lakes shortly after Naruto stepped foot into the war chariot.

They did not reveal their physical appearances, but their aura was clear. It only took a moment for them to pick up traces of Naruto's passing, after which they shot after him in pursuit.

Of course, they had never imagined that Naruto would actually be equipped with something that could achieve the terrifying speed of the war chariot.

Naruto pushed as fast as possible. In the blink of an eye, he was far away from the Ancient Dao Lakes, and was nearing the border of Blood Demon Sect territory. At this point, he took a deep breath and went even faster. Behind him, a rumbling like thunder could be heard as a pair of emaciated hands ripped a massive hole in the air. From within emerged a red-haired old man.

He was big and tall, and sparks of electricity arced around his body. Rumbling filled the air as soon as he appeared, as if he were a god.

Off to his right, a sword aura appeared, seemingly capable of splitting Heaven and Earth. A black-robed old man stepped out from within the sword aura.

Further off in the distance, the peak Dao Seeking cultivator from theShimuraClan, their 3rd Patriarch, proceeded along, accompanied by booms like thunder. The full power of his cultivation base was on display. As he flew, orbs of ghostly flame twinkled around him, blazing up into the sky.

When these three people appeared, Naruto's face fell. Each of them were comparable in power to the 10th Uchiha Clan Patriarch when they fought years ago. The instant the three appeared, the war chariot rumbled, and countless fierce beasts appeared. Everything trembled, and Naruto shot off into the distance.

He moved with such speed that he disappeared in the blink of an eye. The three Dao Seeking cultivators began to pursue him.

Suddenly, from another direction, a deranged old man flew beneath the clouds, laughing maniacally as the rain soaked him.

"Hahaha! Immortal Ascension…. Immortal Ascension…." His foolish laughter seemed to contain a hint of lucidity. His body flickered, and he vanished.

Naruto's war chariot moved with incredible speed, but his three pursuers moved as fast as lightning. As they got closer and closer, the sense of danger in Naruto's mind grew more intense.

However, killing intent could also be seen in his eyes, along with ruthlessness and fury.

And yet, he did not slow down or stop. His cultivation base was no match for a peak Dao Seeking opponent, and he did not want to risk losing his Eternal Dao foundation! Nevertheless, the distance between him and his pursuers continued to shrink!

"Faster! Must go faster!" he thought with an internal roar. Behind him, the three Dao Seeking experts raised their hands and pointed in Naruto's direction. All of a sudden, a cold snort echoed out from up above.

"SCREW OFF!" said a voice that was ancient and yet also filled with boundless aggressiveness. As soon as the voice rang out, the sky turned crimson, and the land transformed into a sea of blood. Patriarch Blood Demon suddenly appeared between Naruto and the Dao Seeking experts.

His words caused rumbling to echo throughout the heavens, and groaning creaks to issue forth from the land itself as everything to turn the color of blood. A roar rose up from the ground that transformed into a shockwave which sped toward the incoming three cultivators.

The three men all used various methods. The red-haired old man lifted his hand up then dropped it down in a palm strike. 10,000 bolts of red lightning smashed down, yet the old man was forced to stop in place, his face flickering.

The black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect had a gaze that was like a sword. The air around him rumbled and then shattered as he suddenly stopped in place.

As for the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch, who wore a brocaded garment and had flowing white hair, his body emanated a powerful energy, and an illusory sun and moon circulated around him. He fought back against Patriarch Blood Demon's attack, too, but issued a muffled grunt as he was also stopped in place.

Naruto let loose a sigh of relief, then put away the war chariot. He stood next to Patriarch Blood Demon, staring coldly at his three pursuers.

The three old men's gazes were just as cold as they looked at Patriarch Blood Demon and then began to speak.

"Blood Demon, hand over the soul of the true Immortal!"

"Hand over the true Immortal's soul! Let the matter drop! You can't fight back against the entire Southern Domain!"

"Take it out and we'll decide here and now who it belongs to. In fact, we can even take turns sharing it. Blood Demon, give us your answer, or else…."

Of course, inwardly, all three feared Patriarch Blood Demon, especially after the battle at the Black Sieve Sect.

"Or else what…?" replied Patriarch Blood Demon.

"Or else you're instigating war with the entire Southern Domain!"

"The Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, theShimuraClan… and especially the Black Sieve Sect will all be happy to join forces to invade you. If that happens, you'd better prepare your Blood Demon Sect to be exterminated!"

"Four great powers of the Southern Domain can easily destroy the very foundation of the Blood Demon Sect. Blood Demon, don't do anything to bring ruin down on yourself!"

Having heard all of this, Naruto's heart was trembling. Although he had made his own appraisal of the value of the true Immortal's soul, he had never imagined that it was so valuable that it could instigate a great war in the Southern Domain.

Naruto looked at Patriarch Blood Demon. He didn't want the soul of the true Immortal that he had snatched to draw everyone into a war. "Patriarch," he began, "I don't mind…."

"There's no need to say anything," said Patriarch Blood Demon, his voice placid. "You took it, so it belongs to you. That true Immortal's soul will be of great use. How can you even think of giving it away?" His gaze then swept over the three other cultivators, and he laughed coldly.

"As for the rest of you… SCREW OFF!"

"Blood Demon!" they shouted. Their faces flickered with various emotions, and they stared fixedly at Patriarch Blood Demon. Finally, eyes flickering, they turned and vanished.

"Patriarch," said Naruto, "if you need this true Immortal's soul, it's yours…." His heart was still trembling a bit. Suddenly he realized that Patriarch Blood Demon seemed somewhat different than he had been before.

"Don't worry," said Patriarch Blood Demon, shaking his head. "I'll handle everything. As for the soul of the true Immortal…. It wouldn't be of much use to me. I'm afraid it wouldn't be of much help to your master, Pill Demon, either. In the future, let him study it for a bit, and that will do."

"My master?" said Naruto, gaping. Of course, he was unaware of the matter of Pill Demon's Spirit Severing and Dao Seeking.

"You'll understand the details later." With that, Patriarch Blood Demon flicked his sleeve, sweeping up Naruto and vanishing into thin air. When they reappeared, they were back in the Blood Demon Sect.

As soon as the disciples of the Blood Demon Sect saw him, they began to speak excitedly.

"Blood Prince!"

"The Blood Prince is back!"

"Greetings, Blood Prince!"

Patriarch Darkheaven and the five other Patriarchs all flew down from their mountain peaks to greet Naruto with excited expressions.

"Congratulations on your return, Blood Prince!"

On the fifth mountain peak, the hunchbacked old man smiled and then bowed toward Naruto with clasped hands.

Uchiha Youcai rose to his feet from his place at the mouth of the valley and looked over at Naruto. Hinata was his Elder Sister, and he had grown up with Naruto. Although Uchiha Youcai had become grimmer because of his violent surroundings, there were some fundamental aspects to his personality that would never change.

When Naruto wasn't present, he would protect the valley with his life. What he was protecting were his memories, and the last vestiges of a once wonderful life that existed inside of him.

Hinata walked out from the valley and smiled up at Naruto, who hovered overhead.

When her gaze met his, it became a memory that would last for an eternity.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Tjandra Johannes, Artur Nikoghosyan,

Simon Jacques, Brandon Varn, and Christopher Choi

733

Chapter 733: On the Eve of War in the Southern Domain

Patriarch Blood Demon looked at Naruto, smiled, then faded away into thin air. Yet another clone….

Naruto turned to look at Mount Blood Demon, and a warm feeling rose in his heart. For the first time, he felt as if the Blood Demon Sect was his home.

Welcoming voices surrounded him as he returned to Blood Prince Gorge. Hinata had alcohol warmed and waiting, and she immediately filled a cup for him. They looked into each other's eyes for a long time before speaking.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Now that he was back in Blood Prince Gorge, he felt separate from the world. He had Hinata to accompany him, and the days were wonderful. Suns rose, suns set.

Patriarch Blood Demon honored his promise to Naruto. Aware that Naruto had reached the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic, he had a cane sent over.

The cane was crafted from bone, and was pitch black. When he held it in his hand, Naruto felt icy coldness pulsating out into his body. In addition, the Demon Sealing Jade in his bag of holding began to glow, spontaneously flew out of the bag, and circulated around the bone cane.

After a moment, it actually fused into the cane, and the two apparently become one.

Simultaneously, something like memories flooded into Naruto's mind. They were vague, almost as if someone were whispering them to him. Many of the things the voice said were indistinct and unintelligible, but there was one sentence that was crystal clear.

"Seventh Demon Sealing Hex. Karmic Hex!"

Use Demonic Chakra to hex Karma, slaughter anything formed from five elements, and exterminate to the highest Heavens!

Naruto's mind trembled. The Demon Sealers had a multitude of magical arts, but the eight Demon Sealing Hexes were considered their primary abilities. Each one was personally crafted by a previous generation of Demon Sealers and were shockingly powerful.

However, the various hexes had not been passed on and had, for the most part, been lost over the years. It was only by coincidence that Naruto was able to acquire the Eighth Hex. Now, by means of this bone cane, he had acquired the Seventh Hex!

He quickly immersed himself in gaining enlightenment of the Karma of the Seventh Hex. Thankfully, he already understood a bit about Karma; therefore, he was able to cultivate the Seventh Hex without any obstacles, albeit a bit slowly.

As he practiced his cultivation, the rest of the Southern Domain made quite a contrast to the calm and quiet of the Blood Demon Sect. The Southern Domain was boiling.

The Solitary Sword Sect was fully prepared for war. Countless disciples had been recalled from all corners of the Southern Domain, and the sect was now like a shocking, unsheathed sword, ready for battle.

They even produced precious treasures that could seal the fates of entire sects. After refining the treasures, they floated up in mid-air above the sect, casting about radiant, multicolored light and incredible energy.

Anyone could tell that the Solitary Sword Sect… was about to march to war!

In addition to the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect was also preparing for war. All eighteen of their great spell formations were fully operational. Clearly, they had activated the spell formations in order to protect the sect in preparation for war.

The Golden Frost Sect disciples were nervous. They had heard bits of news here and there that slowly formed together into a more accurate version of recent events. Fatty was getting quite anxious, although he hid it well. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to prevent what was happening.

Of the three great clans, the Uchiha Clan was no more. TheShimuraClan was now in the position of prominence. The killing intent of theShimuraClan members surged high as they prepared for war.

In the Black Sieve Sect, Patriarch Six-Daos didn't hesitate at all after he received the invitation. He immediately responded in the affirmative.

In recent days, the full power of the Black Sieve Sect was focused on mobilizing discarnate souls, as well as the full power of their Dao Reserve. 193 coffins were brought in, all of which were to be used in battle.

At the same time, the medicinal pills, spell formations, and magical items needed for warfare were purchased in large quantities by all four of the great powers. All of these things caused rumors to spread like wildfire across the Southern Domain.

"There's going to be a war!"

"The sects and clans haven't mobilized like this in ages. I just wonder who they will be going to war against!?"

"The Blood Demon Sect for sure!"

The cultivators of the Southern Domain were alarmed by the developments. However, there were also some rogue cultivators who saw opportunity. When the four great powers began to recruit rogue cultivators, many joined because of the potential benefits.

The Violet Fate Sect maintained silence on the matter. Because of their relationship with Naruto, they did not join the group of four powers. The four great powers, of course, understood this, and did not expect to form any alliance with the Violet Fate Sect.

However, what they wanted to prevent was the Violet Fate Sect coming to the aid of the Blood Demon Sect.

As far as the Song Clan was concerned, the four great powers were rather confused to find that they also maintained silence, and would not join the alliance.

When an entire region goes to war, it cannot be done secretly. A properly conducted war requires much preparation, preparation that cannot be completed quickly. The preparations for war often create a stifling pressure that influences everyone, and is even more intense than the actual war itself.

As a result, in the Blood Demon Sect, taciturn silence was becoming more common and frequent.

Based on what was happening in the outside world, it was obvious that the Solitary Sword Sect, Golden Frost Sect, Black Sieve Sect,ShimuraClan, and large numbers of rogue cultivators were preparing to go to war with the Blood Demon Clan!

Hundreds of thousands of cultivators were coming to wipe them out!

Such pressure from the outside world weighed down on the Blood Demon Sect disciples, causing them to grow more and more dour. Even more so, killing intent began to radiate out from the depths of their marrow.

They were Blood Demon Sect disciples, and they behaved like Demons.

Furthermore, the name of their sect had the character 'blood 血' in it! How could such a thing not be terrifying!?

Of course, they were getting ready for the coming war too, and the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak was in charge of all the preparations.

In Blood Prince Gorge, Naruto could also sense the pressure. He knew that all of this was happening because of the true Immortal's soul. In fact, he actually attempted to hand the soul over. However, Patriarch Blood Demon once again refused.

"What's yours is yours. I brought you here to be the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect, and I'm responsible for you!

"If I allow some bystander to snatch away something that belongs to you, then what's to prevent them from taking things from other disciples? How could the Blood Demon Sect stand for such a humiliation?!

"I might be old, but I still need to maintain face! If they want war, we'll give them war!"

When Naruto heard this, his eyes began to glow with a strange light, which gradually transformed into determination. By this point, he didn't care how it was that he came to be in the Blood Demon Sect. What he cared about was a concept that existed in his heart: to face others with a clear conscience.

For the Blood Demon Sect to treat him like this meant that he needed to act just as responsibly in return.

Naruto chose to go into secluded meditation. For the moment, he ceased his constant study of the Seventh Demon Sealing Hex, and instead spent most of his time on the 'self' character from the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao.

He was already enlightened regarding most of the aspects of the 'self' character. What he needed to do now was actually make a second true self!

As for how powerful the second true self would be, even he had no idea. He did know that it was made from his own flesh and blood, and was like a sheath, within which was placed a soul. As for which soul to use, Naruto decided to use… the true Immortal's soul!

His only concern was that if he used it, then his Master Pill Demon would be unable to benefit from it later on. Therefore, he consulted with Patriarch Blood Demon on the matter. After Patriarch Blood Demon reassured him that there was no harm in going forward with his plan, he made up his mind.

Naruto was in thorough anticipation of what sort of power would be unleashed when he merged the true Immortal's soul into his second true self.

"Other people can cultivate clones, but this art produces a true self!" he thought as he sat cross-legged in the log cabin.

"Those who cultivate clones merely separate a portion of their soul and then use that as the essence. Place it into a moulded body, and that is the Dao of cloning.

"To cultivate a true self, you use flesh and blood. After nourishing it, it becomes like an invincible sheath, within which is concealed an unmatchable sword.

"Using the soul as the basis is actually very different from using flesh and blood. They seem similar, but in fact are completely different." After gaining enlightenment of the 'self' character, his eyes suddenly opened.

In unison, he splayed the fingers of his right hand, after which five drops of blood flew out. He then did the same with his left hand. Five drops of blood flew out from both hands.

Next were each of his legs, then his feet; five drops of blood each.

Finally, a tremor ran through his torso, and ten drops of blood emerged.

In total, there were forty drops of blood floating in front of him, radiating brilliant light. Then, they began to congeal together. As they did, the skin of Naruto's forehead split open, and another drop of blood emerged to join the others. Finally, he bit the tip of his tongue and spit out some Chakra and blood.

42 drops of blood radiated brilliant light and merged together, gradually forming the shape of a person.

Naruto's face paled, and his body sagged with weakness. However, his eyes were as determined as ever.

"What makes this a true self?" he mused rhetorically.

"The blood that circulates is mine. The skin is mine. The blood vessels are mine. The vital organs are mine. It all comes from me, and is the same as my original true self.

"This, is my second true self!"

A vicious gleam appeared in his eyes as he lifted his hand and stabbed it into his abdomen. A cracking sound could be heard, but he endured the pain as he broke off one of his own ribs. After pulling it out of his body, he crushed it into a powder which he then blew out toward the bloodmass of a person in front of him.

As soon as the bone powder entered the body in front of him, cracking sounds could be heard, as if a skeleton were forming inside.

Naruto trembled as his Eternal stratum healed his body at rapid speed. Unfortunately, the drops of blood, and the rib, were lost forever.

"The second true self is formed from what the Self Character Incantation permanently extracts from my body. What is taken away, can not be recovered…. This divine ability basically creates a new person. How extraordinary!" Muttering to himself, Naruto severed some of the redundant blood vessels in his body and then fused them into the other body.

Immediately, blood vessels appeared within.

Next came the vital organs and other miscellaneous parts. The only thing lacking now was the soul.

Time passed, although Naruto wasn't sure how much. His body was very weak, but in front of him was now a person whose features were the exact same as his own.

He wore a white robe, and sat there cross-legged, as fair as jade. He was handsome, and had a strong scholarly aura. He looked exactly like Naruto had when he was about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Looking at him, Naruto got the sensation that he was looking at an extension of his own body. He almost forget altogether that this was his second true self. It was almost like… a precious treasure in the shape of a person.

"And now it's time to insert the soul of the true Immortal!" His eyes shone with strange light as he slapped his bag of holding. The true Immortal's soul appeared, along with gentle, radiating light and a mysterious aura.

The instant the soul appeared, the entirety of Blood Prince Gorge filled with Immortal Chakra. In fact, the entire Blood Demon Sect instantly became like an Immortal paradise.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Ricardas Barkauskas, Gary Lam, Salman

Mubbashir, Joshua Crittenden, and Retrac

734

Chapter 734: Second True Self!

Patriarch Blood Demon opened his eyes and stared in the direction of Blood Prince Gorge.

Outside in the Blood Demon Sect, everyone was astonished.

"What aura is that?"

"How refreshing! I feel incredible!"

"I feel like my cultivation base just advanced a little bit…."

Back in Blood Prince Gorge, Naruto took a deep breath. He began to place sealing incantations onto the true Immortal's soul according to the prescribed method of the Self Character Incantation. It was not done in a forceful manner, but rather oh so gently. This was not a fusing of the soul and the body; rather, what was needed was for the soul to remain inside without struggling or fighting back.

Naruto carefully placed the sealing incantations onto the soul and then, filled with anticipation, placed the soul into his second true self with the greatest of care.

In that instant, a tremor ran through his second true self, after which he returned to his previous placid state.

"In eighty-one days, my second true self will awaken!

"There are three phases to incubating my second true self. The first is eighty-one days, the second is eighty-one months, the third is eightyone years!

"At the end of each of those phases, the second true self will become more and more perfect." Naruto took a deep breath. This was the first time he had ever worked with such a bizarre and strange magic. Finally, he closed his eyes and calmed his mind, then rotated his cultivation base.

A few days later, he opened his eyes again. He was no longer weak. Although he had sustained quite a few unrecoverable losses, the overall impact to him was relatively insignificant.

Compared to the gains, such losses were completely worth it.

"Three months!

"In three months, the first version of my second true self will emerge. I wonder… how powerful it will be!" His eyes shone with persistence and anticipation. He was extremely curious to find out how this combination of the true Immortal's soul and his second true self… would turn out!

"And now, it's time for the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal!" he thought, his eyes glowing with a bright light. In the underground world beneath the Ancient Dao Lakes, he had acquired thousands of Spirit Severing level magical items. Although he didn't quite have ten thousand, it was still enough to cultivate the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal.

"Ten thousand Spirit Severing magical items will make my fleshly body incredibly tough, and will enable me to break through from the Spirit Severing level to Dao Seeking!" With that, he opened his bag of holding and took out a sword. He placed it onto his arm, and then the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal appeared in his mind. After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, something like flames appeared in his eyes.

The flame consisted of nine layers, which merged together and then flew out shapelessly from his eyes. It was invisible, but when it touched the sword on his arm, the sword melted, then fused into his body in the blink of an eye.

When the sword fused into him, he felt an intense jolt of pain. He began to tremble, although he did his best to control it. By the time the sword was completely absorbed into him, his body was soaked in sweat.

The pain reminded him of the pain he had felt when his Dao foundation was ripped away.

He took a deep breath and clenched his right fist tightly. Popping sounds rang out, and the air around his fist twisted and distorted.

"I really am a bit more powerful…." he thought. Excitement shone in his eyes. It was painful, but the Nine Heavens Treasured Body Seal truly did make his fleshly body stronger, and that was all he needed.

"One more time!" he thought, his expression one of determination. A great war was on the horizon, and he needed to use every method at his disposal to get even more powerful.

More time passed. Two months later, the four great powers were now completely ready for war. 150,000 cultivators flew out from the Solitary Sword Sect, including ten Spirit Severing cultivators and two Dao Seeking experts.

One of them was none other than the Dao Reserve of the Solitary Sword Sect, the peak Dao Seeking old man who wore a black gown. It was impossible to tell how many countless years he had lived.

The other was an ordinary Dao Seeking eccentric. Although he was only in the early Dao Seeking stage, he was still a Patriarch of the Solitary Sword Sect.

As they flew out, tens of thousand of swords also appeared. Ten of those swords were roughly 3,000 meters in length. Most shocking of all was a 30,000-meter bronze sword.

In addition, there were various valuable treasures that flew along, circulating around the swords. Their glow seemed infinite as the countless cultivators flew through the air.

"Sword, come!" cried the peak Dao Seeking expert in the black robe. He extended his hand toward the enormous stone sword that rose up into the sky above the Solitary Sword Sect. It began to rumble, and then cracks appeared on its surface to reveal a green sword made of bamboo!

As soon as it appeared, wild colors danced in the sky, the wind howled, and a shocking sword Chakra could be sensed. When the peak Dao Seeking expert grasped the sword, it continued to vibrate with a humming sound.

"The ancestor acquired this treasure in the Ancient Dao Lakes," the old man said coolly. "Now, it will be used in battle to acquire the true Immortal's soul, also from the Ancient Dao Lakes. This is Karma! Clearly, the true Immortal's soul was meant for the Solitary Sword Sect!" With that, he flicked his sleeve, and the 150,000 Solitary Sword Sect cultivators made their way directly toward the Blood Demon Sect.

At virtually the same time, countless armored figures flew up into the air from the Golden Frost Sect. This was a force of 100,000, soaring through the air on flying shuttles, surrounded by countless valuable treasures. Shockingly, the huge group began to organize into a spell formation, which transformed into a gigantic puppet, tens of thousands of meters tall.

The huge puppet was completely shocking in appearance, and emanated an indescribably terrifying aura. The peak Dao Seeking expert of the Golden Frost Sect, a red-haired old man, appeared on top of the puppet's head. He sat there cross-legged, eyes radiating ferocity.

This red-haired old man was the only Dao Seeking expert from the

Golden Frost Sect. Apparently, they couldn't quite match up to the

Solitary Sword Sect, which made sense since the Solitary Sword Sect

was considered the number one sect in the Southern Domain.

However, that did not mean the Golden Frost Sect was weak. Their offensive techniques, utilizing puppet incarnations which combined the energy of large groups of cultivators, could explode out with multilayered power.

As their puppet strode across the land toward the Blood Demon Sect, it let out a roar, which was actually the combined roar of 100,000 cultivators.

Chen Fan of the Solitary Sword Sect refused to participate in the battle, as didShimuraFugui of the Golden Frost Sect. Fatty had a special status, so he had that right. However, Chen Fan was different. Because of his refusal, he was punished by being locked up in the sect dungeon, where he was to be tortured for thirty years.

Even as the Solitary Sword Sect and the Golden Frost Sect mobilized their forces, the Black Sieve Sect emerged in full strength. Patriarch SixDaos had been waiting for this day for a long time. As soon as he received the notice, countless discarnate souls, as well as all the Black Sieve Sect disciples, flew out.

Han Bei, however, was nowhere to be seen. Neither had she been present the day when Naruto came to wipe out the Black Sieve Sect the first time. Apparently, she had gone missing after returning from the ancient Demon Immortal Sect.

As for theShimuraClan, they also flew out in formation. Flying up ahead of them was an enormous bronze bell. It emitted a droning sound as well as golden light, which spread out to cover all of theShimuraClan members and carry them along through the air.

On top of the bell was theShimuraClan's most powerful expert, their 3rd Patriarch. He sat there cross-legged, his eyes shining with bright, flickering light.

The four great powers all sprang into action at the same time, heading directly toward the Blood Demon Sect.

Earlier, the four powers had distributed declarations of war throughout the Southern Domain, calling for rogue cultivators to join them in punishing the Blood Demon Sect. No small quantity of magical items and medicinal pills had been offered up as rewards!

The declarations of war listed nearly a thousand wicked acts committed by the Blood Demon Sect. The cultivators who perused the list were instantly furious, and felt their hair standing up on end in rage.

In truth, though, everyone also knew that much of the list was a mere fabrication. Even so, nobody would attempt to question it too much.

After all, declaring that they were righting wrongs in accordance with the Heavens, wiping out the Blood Demon Sect to cleanse the Southern Domain, was just a pretext.

Few people believed that the Blood Demon Sect would be able to escape this catastrophe. Everyone felt that they were doomed to be destroyed. All Blood Demon Sect disciples would surely be wiped out, and any who somehow managed to escape would be hunted down and killed. Soon, there would be no more Blood Demon Sect in the Southern Domain.

Therefore, hundreds of thousands of rogue cultivators sprang into action. In their minds, the outcome of this war was a certainty, and they could use the destruction of the Blood Demon Sect cultivators to acquire resources they needed for their own cultivation.

The war was like a massive storm that swept across the Southern Domain, made up of the four great powers and the rogue cultivators, a combined force of 600,000-700,000 cultivators.

The clouds blackened, and the lands grew dark. A great war… would break out at any moment.

In the Blood Demon Sect, all the disciples waited in taciturn silence, their killing intent rising to monstrous heights. They were proud to be Blood Demon Sect cultivators, and even if they were facing an apocalyptic calamity, their faith in the sect was not weakened. They… would fight!

"To battle!"

"Live or die with the sect!"

"The Patriarch is the Top Expert of the Southern Domain! The Blood Prince is the number one figure in the Spirit Severing stage! So what if we have to fight all the other sects in the Southern Domain!?"

"If we lose, fine. But if we don't, then we will sweep across the four powers and make the Blood Demon Sect the only sect in the entire Southern Domain!"

Roaring and shouting filled the air in the Blood Demon Sect. It wasn't necessarily that they were devoted heart and soul to the Blood Demon Sect. Rather, this war… was unavoidable. They had two choices: fight, or die!

No disciple would betray the sect, not even if the destruction of the sect itself was nigh. The terrifying consequences for betrayal had long since been imprinted into the hearts of the disciples.

Seven days later, the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, the Black Sieve Sect, and theShimuraClan blasted through the air to appear in the region of the Blood Demon Sect, surrounding it on all sides.

These four powers could be seen advancing from all four directions. The sword Chakra of the Solitary Sword Sect surged. The Golden Frost Sect's puppet was astonishing. The Black Sieve Sect was sinister to the extreme. TheShimuraClan was surrounded by golden light.

In actuality, they could have come earlier had they wished. However, they had spent a bit more time en route in order to make sure that they all arrived at the same time. That way they could assure victory in one fell swoop.

They didn't attack immediately, but instead, began to set up spell formations to block and surround the Blood Demon Sect.

They also began to set up teleportation portals right under the Blood Demon Sect's noses, which enabled vast crowds of rogue cultivators to teleport to the area from all over the Southern Domain.

The sealing and blockade spell formations thoroughly pinned the Blood Demon Sect down. No one would be able to escape.

The sky above the Southern Domain filled with dark clouds, as did the hearts of the Blood Demon Sect disciples.

All of their own spell formations had long since been activated. The glow of blood circulated through the air in all directions around the sect. From a distance, it looked like an enormous Demon.

The Demonic Incarnation was illusory, but its body was tens of thousands of meters tall; it was bigger than a mountain. It sat crosslegged on the land, clad in black armor. Its green hair floated in the wind, and a golden mask covered its face.

The mask was incomplete, as if it were composed of many parts. On the head of the Demonic Incarnation was a long, curved horn, around which lightning crackled.

The parts of the Demonic Incarnation's skin that were not covered by armor were crimson, like the color of blood. Anyone who laid eyes on it would be filled with a sense of awe and terror.

This was the Blood Demon Sect's most powerful spell formation, the Blood Demon Grand Spell Formation!

735

Chapter 735: War!

This spell formation resulted in a Demonic Incarnation that could merge the cultivation bases of all of the Blood Demon Sect disciples. It had protected the Blood Demon Sect for countless years, and had ensured its long-lasting survival.

Inside the Demonic Incarnation, the five mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect glowed with brilliant light that transformed into five layers of ripples. Each layer was a different color, and as they spread out, they transformed into a five-layered restrictive spell shield.

Each layer of the shield was maintained by Spirit Severing experts, and was filled with the power of the entire mountain peak. The entire defense was incredibly tough and resilient.

Suddenly, Patriarch Blood Demon's voice echoed out through the Blood

Demon Sect. "The first formation, the Demonic Incarnation, will have Naruto as the nucleus. He will lead 100,000 disciples, and will control the formation!"

Naruto currently stood in Blood Prince Gorge. When he heard Patriarch Blood Demon's voice, he looked up.

Next to him was Hinata. She didn't speak, but instead silently straightened his robe, and then wrapped her arms around him. After a moment passed, she released him and stepped back. Naruto looked at her.

"Wait for me. I'll be back."

Hinata nodded. Inside, she was getting incredibly nervous, but she didn't let Naruto see it for fear that it might distract him.

Naruto took a deep breath and then walked out of Blood Prince Gorge. The moment he emerged, the mad, burning eyes of the Blood Demon Sect disciples all came to focus on him.

When he saw their impassioned gazes, Naruto felt a deep guilt. All of this was because he had taken the true Immortal's soul. If he hadn't, this great catastrophe would not have descended on the Blood Demon Sect.

It was at this point that he suddenly heard Patriarch Blood Demon's calm voice speaking in his ear. "There's no need to feel guilty. Do you really think that the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, and theShimuraClan are willing to start a war just because of the soul of a true Immortal?

"The true Immortal's soul was just an instigating factor. The true reason for their actions… is their fear of me. They believe me to be an existential threat, and have been looking for an opportunity to get rid of me.

"Even if the true Immortal's soul didn't come along, this war still would have happened. The Southern Domain has been at peace for too long."

Naruto didn't respond, but his eyes gleamed with decisiveness and the desire to slaughter. In this war, he would definitely be doing some killing!

In fact, he would do everything within his might to kill as many enemies as possible.

His body flashed as he flew up toward the first spell formation. Behind him, 100,000 Blood Demon Sect disciples soared through the air. All of them entered the spell formation and then sat down cross-legged.

There were 20,000 in the torso. The four limbs had 15,000 each. The head had 20,000. In total, there were 100,000 disciples. As for Naruto, his position was in the forehead of the Demonic Incarnation.

As soon as the 100,000 disciples entered the spell formation and sat down cross-legged, they unleashed their cultivation bases. As the power merged into the Demonic Incarnation, rumbling sounds filled their minds. The enormous Demonic Incarnation suddenly seemed to revert from a state of deathlike inactivity, to life. Flourishing life force exploded out inside of it.

Naruto sat cross-legged in the forehead position, monstrous killing intent visible in his eyes. He would protect this place, both for the Blood Demon Sect, and… for Hinata.

As long as he was alive, he would not permit anyone to harm even a hair on Hinata's head.

Even as he sat there cross-legged, he continuously produced Spirit Severing magical items, which he absorbed into his body. Even as the pain threatened to cross the threshold that he could tolerate, he clenched his jaw tightly and pressed on. With the absorption of each treasure, his fleshly body continued to grow stronger, bit by bit.

The strongest of all…. was his right arm. That was the first location into which he had absorbed the Spirit Severing treasures. After melding exactly a thousand such treasures into his right arm, he could sense a breakthrough in that specific area; it now radiated ripples similar to Dao Seeking.

"Almost there…." he thought. His expression was calm as he continued to fuse more items into his body.

Time passed. Several days later, the Blood Demon Sect was deathly silent. The atmosphere was one of suppression, suppression of the incredible energy that had built up to a peak and was just waiting to explode out.

Outside of the sect, the four great powers had finished setting up their spell formations. Hundreds of thousands of Southern Domain rogue cultivators had arrived.

From a distance, 700,000 cultivators could be seen surrounding the Blood Demon Sect, spread across the horizon as far as the eye could see. It was an incredible force, and looking at it would cause one's heart to tremble.

"Blood Demon Sect!"

"This war will end with the extermination of the Blood Demon Sect!"

"FIGHT!"

It was noontime, but the sun was completely covered by the dark clouds. Lightning crackled through the sky as the vast crowds of the four great powers roared. 700,000 voices combined together, roaring with such intensity that the clouds were split open and rain began to pour down.

Rain. Thunder. Slaughter….

Battle!

The war was beginning!

The Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect, the Black Sieve Sect, and theShimuraClan were not the first ones to make a move. The first to attack were naturally the rogue cultivators who had come hoping to earn rewards.

Hundreds of thousands of them surged forth with earthshaking power. The sky shook, and the rain was incapable of even falling to the ground, and was instead scattered about in all directions.

A great variety of cultivation bases could be seen among the rogue cultivators. The highest were in the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage; however, there were no Spirit Severing experts present. As they attacked, the spell formations around them burst out with blinding light.

Lightning from above was pulled down, entering into the spell formations, which then produced numerous silver snakes composed of lightning bolts.

There were eight silver snakes in total, 300 meters wide and 30,000 meters long, that sucked the hundreds of thousands of rogue cultivators inside of them as they emerged. From a distance, tens of thousands of rogue cultivators could be seen inside each of the silver snakes, lending their power to the lightning. The snakes immediately shot directly toward the enormous Demonic Incarnation surrounding the Blood Demon Sect.

Inside the Demonic Incarnation, the 100,000 Blood Demon Sect disciples began to call out.

"Blood Prince, do we fight?!"

"Blood Prince, we're waiting for your command!"

Their voices echoed about inside of the Demonic Incarnation, but could not be heard in the outside world.

"The time has not come yet," replied Naruto calmly. He slowly raised his right hand, and in response, the enormous, cross-legged Demonic Incarnation also raised its hand, then pounded the ground violently with a palm strike.

Boom!

A deafening sound could be heard as a blood-colored shield of light shot out from the palm of the Demonic Incarnation to sweep out in all directions.

As the eight incoming lightning snakes closed in on the Demonic Incarnation, they were blocked by the blood-colored shield at a distance of 3,000 meters. The shield twisted and distorted under the power of the repeated attacks levied against it, but did not collapse.

Inside the Demonic Incarnation, killing intent flashed brightly in the eyes of the 100,000 Blood Demon Sect disciples. Their bodies emanated bloody glows as they waited, fused completely with the Demonic Incarnation. As for Naruto, he sat in the forehead position, continuously feeding Spirit Severing treasures into the flesh of his right arm.

1,451. 1,452…. As the items continued to fuse into his arm, it grew more and more powerful. The Dao Seeking aura became more prominent, and Naruto knew that he was just a little bit away… from making his hand the first part of his fleshly body that was truly in Dao Seeking.

Eight silver lightning snakes attacked constantly, but the blood-colored shield continued to hold strong, despite the distortions that marred its surface. It even managed to make counterattacks, such that two of the silver snakes were beginning to show signs of breaking apart.

"Trash! Even with the help of ourShimuraClan spell formations, those goodfor-nothing fools still can't break the Blood Demon Sect's first spell formation!" TheShimuraClan's 3rd Patriarch gave a cold snort.

"Fellow Daoist Six-Daos," said the red-haired Golden Frost Sect cultivator, his eyes coming to rest on Patriarch Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect. "It's about time for you to make your move."

The black-robed cultivator from the Solitary Sword Sect also looked over at him.

Six-Daos' face flickered and he snorted coldly. There was no way for him to refuse, so he raised his hand and pointed forward. The Black Sieve Sect discarnate souls and cultivators behind him gritted their teeth and charged forward. There was even one discarnate soul who emanated a Spirit Severing aura; including it, the Black Sieve Sect looked like an enormous sword, slicing through the air to stab toward the blood-colored shield that the eight lightning snakes were contending with.

A huge boom rattled out, and the blood-colored shield shuddered, seemingly growing weaker. The eight lightning snakes merged their power together. That, combined with the cultivation bases of the Black Sieve Sect, smashed into the weakest parts of the shield.

Cracking sounds could be heard as fissures spread out. The fissures quickly sealed back up, though, and even sent counterattacks back out. The two silver lightning snakes that had been weakened before suddenly exploded.

There were no miserable screams. The instant that the snake exploded, the tens of thousands of cultivators inside were instantly wiped out, dead in spirit and body.

The cultivators in the remaining six lightning snakes looked shocked. However, they had come here to seek good fortune and had been promised by the four great powers that they would get what they sought. It didn't matter that the battle was fierce; would they really give up so easily?

"Naruto!" the Spirit Severing discarnate soul cried out. "Are you going to keep hiding in the Blood Demon Sect the whole time? I dare you to come out and fight!" He assumed Naruto was somewhere in the Blood Demon Sect, not inside the Demonic Incarnation.

His voice reverberated as it passed through the blood-colored shield, all the way to the Demonic Incarnation, and into Naruto's ears.

Naruto's eyes flickered with killing intent, but he did nothing. Instead, he continued to feed Spirit Severing treasures into his right hand.

1,479. 1,480!

Naruto could clearly sense that his right arm was now almost completely beyond Spirit Severing, and had truly entered into Dao Seeking.

Booms echoed out from the outside as six lightning snakes, joined by the Black Sieve Sect cultivators under the leadership of the Spirit Severing discarnate soul, continued to attack the blood-colored shield. The shield began to distort and shrink, and portions even began to shatter.

"Naruto!" called the Spirit Severing discarnate soul. "I was the one who personally extracted Hinata's soul! The process of separating her body and soul wracked her with intense pain! The look on her face… I still remember it as if it were yesterday." He waved his hand, and the shield shook. He was obviously trying to bait Naruto into fighting.

The instant his voice rang out, Naruto looked up. Intense viciousness could be seen in his eyes, as well as explosive killing intent.

The 1,500th Spirit Severing treasure fused into his right arm, and it broke completely out of Spirit Severing and reached the Dao Seeking level.

An incomplete, fragmented natural law spread out, although it didn't affect Naruto. His right hand was now the most powerful part of his fleshly body!

"Blood Prince, let's fight!"

"Blood Prince, we want to do battle!"

"Yes," said Naruto. "FIGHT!" Even as the words left his mouth, he raised his right hand and made a violent grasping gesture. What everyone on the outside saw was the Demonic Incarnation raising its enormous right hand, which then shot out of the shield with indescribable speed to grab ahold of the Spirit Severing discarnate soul.

The hand clenched viciously, and a boom could be heard, as the discarnate soul was crushed into pieces. A lingering scream echoed out over the battlefield.

The Demonic Incarnation suddenly stood up. It was tens of thousands of meters tall, completely shocking in appearance.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Jesse McInnes, Rafael Ramirez and YYZ

736

Chapter 736: Devastating!

Naruto sat cross-legged in the forehead position of the Demonic Incarnation. The life forces and cultivation bases of 100,000 cultivators poured into the Demonic Incarnation, all of which Naruto could sense.

"Early Dao Seeking!" said Naruto, sensing the power of the Demonic Incarnation. He waved his hand, and in response, the shrinking, bloodcolored shield returned to cover the entire Demonic Incarnation. Without the blood-colored obstructing the way, the six lightning snakes instantly shot toward Naruto. So did the Black Sieve Sect discarnate souls and cultivators, who were ashen faced.

"Offend the Blood Demon Sect? You shall die!" The combined voices of

100,000 people boomed out from the Demonic Incarnation. Heaven and Earth shook, and Naruto raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

The fist slammed into one of the lightning snakes, which instantly collapsed into pieces. In the blink of an eye, the entire snake fell apart in a huge explosion.

Naruto sent the Demonic Incarnation forward. It performed an incantation with its right hand, then gestured forward. Immediately, the air was rent open as a huge fissure appeared. It slashed out and hit another lightning snake, which then exploded.

All of these things happened with incredible speed. Next, Naruto turned the body of the Demonic Incarnation and sent it directly toward the enormous sword formed by the discarnate souls and cultivators of the Black Sieve Sect.

"DIE!" Naruto's voice joined with the 100,000 cultivators to let out an incredible roar. Their cultivation bases surged, and the power of early Dao Seeking bolstered the noise to transform the roar into a terrifying sound wave.

The sound wave transformed into visible ripples which then slammed into the Black Sieve Sect discarnate souls and cultivators. One by one, the discarnate souls vanished, as if they were being erased. As for the cultivators with fleshly bodies, they were ripped into pieces by the passing ripple. Tens of thousands of Black Sieve Sect disciples… all died in body and soul.

"Your Blood Demon Demonic Incarnation is pretty good!" said the blackrobed man from the Solitary Sword Sect, his voice cool. He advanced forward, and was soon directly in front of Naruto. Although his hand was clearly empty, a shocking sword Chakra suddenly materialized and slashed toward Naruto.

However, before the sword Chakra could fully descend, a cold snort echoed out from within the Blood Demon Sect. A blood-colored figure flickered into being in front of Naruto. It was none other than Patriarch Blood Demon.

"How meaningless to bully the junior generation!" he said. "You want to fight? Let's fight!"

BOOOMMM!

Patriarch Blood Demon and the black-robed man from the Solitary Sword Sect immediately rose high up into the air as they began to fight. At the same time, the red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect, the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch, and Patriarch Six-Daos flew up. Six-Daos cast a murderous glare at the Demonic Incarnation under Naruto's control, gave a cold snort, then proceeded to completely ignore it as he flew toward Patriarch Blood Demon.

It was at this moment, though, that three more blood-colored figures shot out from the Blood Demon Sect. Each and every one looked exactly like Patriarch Blood Demon, and each one shot toward one of the three who had just flown out.

There were now four clones of Patriarch Blood Demon present. Four incredible clones, battling four of the most powerful Patriarchs of the Southern Domain.

Booms filled the air, and the battle above caused the air to warp and distort. It was difficult for anyone looking on to see clearly, but they could tell that the sky itself seemed on the verge of falling. The intense battle being carried out could clearly shake even the Heavens.

"KILL THEM!" Almost in the same moment that the Patriarchs were locked in the decisive battle up above, the rest of the forces of the four great powers charged into battle. Hundreds of thousands of cultivators sped directly toward the Demonic Incarnation controlled by Naruto.

Among them was an early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword

Sect, as well as a puppet from the Golden Frost Sect formed by Spirit Severing experts, which also emanated a Dao Seeking aura. TheShimuraClan had even more spell formations circulating around them. Unfortunately for the Black Sieve Sect, they had sustained severe casualties.

Killing intent flickered in Naruto's eyes as he brazenly sent the

Demonic Incarnation forward to battle directly with the four powers!

Inside the Demonic Incarnation, the 100,000 Blood Demon Sect disciples' eyes were bright red. They formed the Blood Demon Sect's first spell formation, which was not easily destroyed. Were it to be broken, the Blood Demon Sect would then be vulnerable to the outside world.

"To the death!"

The Demonic Incarnation emanated early Dao Seeking energy as it roared into battle against the hundreds of thousands of cultivators which surrounded it.

There were only four lightning snakes left, filled with rogue cultivators with bloodshot eyes. They flew through the air, occasionally attacking. As for the Black Sieve Sect, they were in disarray and no longer had enough forces to do battle.

However, such was not the case with the Solitary Sword Sect. Under the leadership of the early Dao Seeking expert, 100,000 flying swords exploded out, transforming into a shocking power that continuously pelted Naruto.

The early Dao Seeking expert was actually capable of fighting directly with Naruto and the Demonic Incarnation. He became the primary force in the battle, backed by the power of ten Solitary Sword Sect Spirit Severing cultivators.

The Spirit Severing experts of the Golden Frost sect combined to form a puppet, which also emanated a Dao Seeking aura that caused the clouds to seethe when it attacked. They joined forces with the early Dao Seeking cultivator from the Solitary Sword Sect and successfully pinned down Naruto and the Demonic Incarnation.

As for theShimuraClan, they were attempting to harm Naruto more covertly. They flew around the perimeter, surrounding the area with countless spell formations. Some were used to bind the Demonic Incarnation, others self detonated. Incredible pressure weighed down on Naruto.

Every time Naruto attacked, every time the two sides clashed, many of the cultivators inside the Demonic Incarnation would spit up blood. On one occasion, the Solitary Sect's early Dao Seeking expert and the Golden Frost Sect Puppet combined their attacks and struck the Demonic Incarnation with an earth-shaking force. 20,000 of the cultivators inside were unable to withstand the force and their bodies immediately exploded.

Blood oozed out from the Demonic Incarnation, forming a bloody rain that splattered down onto the ground.

However, the forces of the four great powers were also paying a heavy price.

Over a three day period, a third of the Golden Frost Sect cultivators died.

Twenty percent of the Solitary Sword Sect perished. The Black Sieve Sect was thoroughly crippled, and twenty percent of theShimuraClan were dead.

As for the rogue cultivators, Naruto had no time to pay them any heed. Despite that, of the four lightning snakes, one more was destroyed.

As of this point, the four great powers had suffered over 200,000 casualties!

Naruto persisted with gritted teeth. Were it not for the fact that his right arm possessed Dao Seeking strength, he would not have been able to hold out for this long. He lifted his right hand and punched out, connecting with the Golden Frost Sect puppet up ahead. It tumbled back, seemingly on the verge of complete collapse. However, the early Dao Seeking cultivator from the Solitary Sword Sect suddenly appeared and blocked Naruto with a flick of his sleeve.

Countless spell formations around him detonated, and amidst the booming explosions, 100,000 greatswords stabbed into Naruto's Demonic Incarnation.

"Piss off!" roared Naruto, his voice hoarse. The Demonic Incarnation collided with the Golden Frost Sect. Everywhere he passed, he left in his wake the shattered remains of countless puppets formed from the Golden Frost Sect cultivators.

"Solitary Sword Formation!" Bright gleams appeared in the eyes of the

Solitary Sword Sect disciples. All of them began to perform incantations, then gripped their swords tightly as their bodies began to shine intensely, as if they were swords glinting in the light. Each and every person seemed to transform into a sword that flew up into the air. Shockingly, the swords began to interweave into an enormous sword formation!

The sword formation swirled in mid-air, forming into the shape of a gigantic greatsword that slashed down toward Naruto.

"Black White Pearls! Ninth Mountain!" Naruto waved his left hand, and the Ninth Mountain smashed into the greatsword. The mountain trembled and then collapsed, but so did the Solitary Sword Formation!

Naruto sent the Demonic Incarnation into retreat. Of the remaining 80,000 cultivators inside, 10,000 were once again unable to withstand the force of the blow, and exploded. At the same time, the Solitary Sword Sect's early Dao Seeking expert suddenly appeared. His hand flashed in an incantation gesture, and an amorphous green fog appeared, within which was a poisonous thorn. He pointed out, causing the green fog to envelop the Demonic Incarnation.

Simultaneously, the poisonous thorn shot forward to stab directly into the Demonic Incarnation. As it passed through, bloodcurdling screams rang out in Naruto's ears.

Naruto clenched his right hand into a fist and instantly punched out. The early Dao Seeking expert frowned, then gave a cold snort and performed another incantation. Rumbling could be heard as his body vanished, then reappeared three thousand meters away. His face was a bit pale; clearly, despite have avoided the fist, he had still suffered injuries.

"Everyone, attack!" he cried. As his voice rang out, he pointed up into the sky. "Bamboo sword!"

A green streak of light shot out of his finger, which then transformed into a tiny, bamboo shoot. It rapidly grew larger, transforming into a bamboo stalk. The stalk then shed its leaves and became a bamboo sword!

There were some experienced cultivators in the surrounding groups who began to cry out in shock.

"The Solitary Sword Sect's precious treasure!"

"I've heard of this precious treasure!"

The most powerful of the Golden Frost Sect's puppets let out a cold snort, then made an incantation gesture with its right hand. It stretched its right hand out and made a grasping motion, whereupon a hand-sized piece of rock flew out. It grew rapidly, transforming into a 3,000-meter tall mountain.

It was pitch black, except for one golden character on the side.

Termination!

Mount Termination!

This was the precious treasure of the Golden Frost Sect, as famous in name as the bamboo sword of the Solitary Sword Sect!

The 5thShimuraClan Patriarch, who had a cultivation base at the great circle of the Third Severing, had been flitting about activating spell formations. When he saw the latest developments, he produced a pink Feng Shui compass and then pushed down onto its surface.

Immediately, the ground began to rumble, and multiple columns of pink light shot up into the air.

"DIE!"

The Solitary Sword Sect's bamboo sword seemed to split the heavens, transforming into a green beam of light that shot toward Naruto. The Golden Frost Sect's Mount Termination began to rotate, emitting crushing pressure as it joined the green beam of light to attack Naruto.

Naruto's face fell, and the Black White Pearls and Ninth Mountain appeared again. He waved his right hand, and summoned the full power of his cultivation base to strike out with the most powerful blow he could muster.

BOOM!

The Demonic Incarnation fell back. Green light flashed as a huge wound was opened up. The Demonic Incarnation's right arm was lopped off; it transformed into 10,000 cultivators in mid-air, and as soon as they appeared, a massive power swept over them and ripped them into pieces.

BOOM!

Mount Termination crushed down, and Naruto coughed up blood. A multitude of cracks appeared on the Demonic Incarnation, which then rapidly began to spread out. Soon, numerous cross-legged Blood Demon Sect disciples became visible, expressions of hopelessness covering their faces.

BOOM!

The final salvo came from the spell formation formed from the pink beams of light. Everything rumbled as the light transformed the land into a world of pink. The light beams then shrank down into the form of an enormous pink talon, which slashed out at Naruto's Demonic Incarnation.

The Demonic Incarnation was incapable of holding out any longer. It appeared to be on the verge of collapse, and many of the cultivators inside died. Currently, only 30,000 remained alive.

"Retreat!" Naruto shouted. "Back to the sect!" A tremor ran through the Demonic Incarnation as the 30,000 cultivators were ejected from its back.

Naruto was the last to retreat. As soon as he left, his right hand flickered in an incantation gesture and then pointed at the almostshattered Demonic Incarnation.

"Detonate!"

—

This chapter was sponsored by Anonymous, Anonymous, Michael

Harrison and LB

737

Chapter 737: A Leaf!

A shocking boom rumbled out. Even Patriarch Blood Demon and his opponents couldn't help but notice the detonation of the Demonic Incarnation.

The force of the explosion actually helped the 30,000 Blood Demon Sect in their retreat. However, to others in the immediate vicinity of the blast, it was like a devastating attack.

The shocked Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect shot forward, determined to block the force of the explosion, as did the puppet from the Golden Frost Sect. Even the 5thShimuraClan Patriarch did the same.

If they did not do so, then the losses their various sects and clans would experience would be far too critical.

Even so, there were still many cultivators who simply couldn't avoid the blast, and were incinerated.

In the blink of an eye, the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect and theShimuraClan, as well as the rogue cultivators, all sustained heavy losses.

Thanks to the Solitary Sword Sect's Dao Seeking expert, the Golden Frost Sect's puppet, and the 5thShimuraClan patriarch, the losses were reduced by about half. Were it not for them, even more would have died.

Unfortunately for the nearby rogue cultivators, no one was around to assist them. The ripples from the explosion completely wiped them out, along with the remaining silver snakes. Afterwards, not a trace remained of them.

Fundamentally speaking, this battle was not something they were qualified to participate in. They had believed that, with the assistance of the four great powers, exterminating the Blood Demon Sect would be a simple task. They had never imagined that the Blood Demon Sect would be so fearsome.

And this… was only the first spell formation!

When the Demonic Incarnation collapsed, the air distorted, and the five mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect suddenly became visible!

The five mountain peaks were actually located in an enormous basin in the ground. They were surrounded by a five-layered shield which emanated brilliant, blinding light. It was something that could not be bypassed save by battering it into nonexistence, one layer at a time.

That was actually exactly what the Blood Demon Sect wanted. The four great powers would have to smash against the shields and withstand counterattacks. That meant that in order to break the shield, they would have to pay a price.

Borrowing momentum from the explosion of the Demonic Incarnation,

Naruto led the 30,000 Blood Demon Sect disciples back into the sect.

As soon as they passed the second layer of the shield, other Blood Demon Sect disciples arrived to give aid to them, helping them along and also giving them medicinal pills to consume.

As for Naruto, his face was pale white. He had significantly depleted himself in the course of the battle, but now was not the time for rest. He stood there, surveying the scene outside of the spell formation shield.

The two Ironblood Patriarchs sat cross-legged off to the side, surrounded by more than 20,000 disciples. The forces of Mount Ironblood were the ones responsible for maintaining the first layer of the shield created by the second formation.

Behind Naruto, the cultivators on the other various mountain peaks were all in the process of maintaining the other four shield layers of the second spell formation.

Outside the shield, the cultivators of the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect and theShimuraClan were all shaken by the events of moments ago. However, after they saw the five mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect, their killing intent soared.

Immediately, a clamor arose as the cultivators of the four great powers began to call out.

"Kill them! Don't leave a single one alive!"

"The time has come to eradicate the Blood Demon Sect!"

"From now on, there will be no Blood Demon Sect in the Southern

Domain!"

Even as their voices echoed out, the remaining several hundred thousand cultivators charged toward the Blood Demon Sect.

There were so many enemy cultivators that it was essentially impossible to see the end of their ranks. They seemed infinite. Earlier, when Naruto had been fused with the enormous Demonic Incarnation, he had been able to see the extent of their forces clearly. Now that the Demonic Incarnation had been destroyed and he had retreated to this position, all he could see was cultivators, stretching out in all directions.

The sheer numbers involved caused his scalp to go numb.

The cultivators whistled through the air toward the enormous fivelayered shield formed by the Blood Demon Sect's second spell formation.

Even though the shield was in place, the Blood Demon Sect disciples had not lost their fighting spirit, and were just waiting for the enemy forces

to slam into the shield.

However, it was at this point that a bright beam of light suddenly streaked toward the battlefield from high in the sky. It sliced through the air, moving at an incredible, indescribable speed. It almost looked like the Heavens were being split apart in shocking fashion.

What was now visible was a leaf!

It was a flying, burning leaf, emitting an astonishing aura!

Its target was no single person, but rather, the Blood Demon Sect's second spell formation!

"What gall!" roared Patriarch Blood Demon furiously, who was still in the midst of battling with the other Patriarchs. Immediately, he waved his hand, and a glittering, bloody light shot toward the incoming leaf.

Rumbling could be heard as the leaf decayed by more than half. However, there was still a streak of green that made it through the blood-colored light. The streak continued on, slamming into the shield of the second spell formation, piercing through the fifth layer, the fourth, and the third, before finally stopping at the second.

The fifth, fourth, and third layers all shook and trembled. Although they did not collapse, they now had holes punched in them!

Patriarch Blood Demon let out a furious shout, but the other Patriarchs went all out to prevent him from doing anything.

When the gaps in the shield appeared, the faces of the Blood Demon Sect disciples fell.

At the same time, killing intent could be seen in the eyes of the hundreds of thousand of cultivators on the outside. They immediately changed directions and headed toward the places where the gaps had been opened.

The holes were not large, but were something that the spell formation was incapable of closing up.

Facing such a situation, and such enemies, looks of dour hopelessness appeared on the faces of the Blood Demon Sect disciples.

"Dammit…. how do we fight back now?!"

"They punched holes in the shields! Those are biggest areas of weakness now! How do we fight?!"

"Our Blood Prince killed so many of them, yet there's still more of them, as far as the eye can see… do we have any hope left at all?" Facing hordes of attacking enemies and holes punched through to the second shield, the Blood Demon Sect disciples fell into a mute despair.

Hinata had long since emerged from Blood Prince Gorge, where she had stood the entire time, nervously watching Naruto. When he finally returned safely, she had breathed a sigh of relief. The new developments, however, caused her face to go pale.

Naruto looked up into the sky, and began to pant nervously for a moment before calming himself down. He looked around at the despairing Blood Demon Sect disciples and did nothing to try to rouse their spirits. He wasn't willing to do so. He already felt guilty because of the war; how could he directly ask them to go put their lives on the line?

He couldn't.

Suddenly, a sigh could be heard echoing amongst the crowds. The hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak slowly walked out. Clearly, he intended to head toward the gap in the fifth shield layer.

Behind him was the pretty girl, his apprentice. "Master…." she said, her eyes filled with anxiety; clearly she had guessed her master's plan.

"I've lived for too long and seen too many things," he said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He was just about to step out when suddenly Naruto strode forward.

He couldn't ask the Blood Demon Sect to fight, but there was one thing he could do. He walked out, and as he did, he looked back toward Hinata and gave her a slight smile. Then, coldness filled his eyes and he advanced onward.

Next, he appeared outside of the shield, directly in front of the only weak space, that one gaping hole.

"Blood Prince!" said the hunchbacked old man, gaping.

"I will hold this gap!" said Naruto coolly. He obviously planned to use himself as the stopper to prevent anything from entering.

"My right arm already has Dao Seeking power," he thought, "and the Blood Demon Grand Magic is perfect for fighting against groups! If I can hold out for only ten more days, then my second true self will awaken! It's time to fight!"

When Naruto appeared on the outside of the shield, the Blood Demon Sect disciples behind him were shocked.

"Blood Prince!"

"Blood Prince, you…."

Naruto did not look back. He took a deep breath and rotated his cultivation base. He was tired, but he ignored the feeling, and pushed himself to the peak of his power.

His Spirit Severing aura exploded out, and his right arm gradually began to exude the pressure of Dao Seeking. He waved his hand through the air, and the Ninth Mountain magically appeared around him, as well as the Black White Pearls.

Next, he retrieved the Blood Immortal Mask from his bag of holding and slipped it onto his face.

Rumbling filled the air as hundreds of thousands of cultivators closed in on him.

It was at this point that a roar suddenly echoed out from within the mask. A beam of red light shot out to appear next to Naruto. It was none other than… the fully reformed Blood Mastiff!

It had died before, but now that it had reappeared, it was even more ferocious than before. Its Spirit Severing aura roiled out, and its energy surged.

Naruto waved his hand again, and Time Sword tips appeared. They were objects that were useless against the peak Dao Seeking powers. However, they were still incisive to the extreme. Shockingly, ten Time Sword tips flew out!

Naruto had specially prepared them just for this battle, using the copper mirror.

The ten Time Sword tips swirled about in the air, transforming into a sword formation. As it rotated, a bloody glow appeared in Naruto's eyes.

"My Eternal stratum makes my stamina… almost limitless!

"My Resurrection Lily, my Spirit Severing Treasure, has been hibernating for too long… the time has come for it to appear!" Naruto's life force surged up, and at the same time, a shocking, illusory Resurrection Lily suddenly appeared.

It had five colors, but shockingly, a sixth color could just barely be made out on one of the petals.

The sixth color faded in and out. Naruto was convinced that it wouldn't take long before the sixth color would appear in full. When that sixth color became stable, it would only need to bloom with one more color to achieve Immortal Ascension!

The sight of the ferocious Resurrection Lily caused the faces of many of the incoming hundreds of thousands of cultivators to flicker.

However, they did not cease their approach. The scene from the inside of the shield was that of Naruto, alone, facing hundreds of thousands of enemies. It was an image that would be indelibly burned into the minds of each and every Blood Demon Sect disciple, a memory that would remain for an eternity.

"DIE!" shouted Naruto. Killing intent blazed in his eyes as he performed a double handed incantation, then suddenly pointed out. The Blood Mastiff charged, and the the Time Sword Formation shot out. The Resurrection Lily behind him writhed as its tentacles shot out like whips toward the incoming waves of enemies.

The slaughter… had begun.

The power of Naruto's right arm was incredible. A single punch could cause Heaven and Earth to shake.

A glow of blood emanated out from the Blood Immortal Mask; this was the Blood Immortal divine ability. Without a face, a single word, flames of war unify!

Ceaseless rumbling filled the air as the Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared.

Despite all of this, he was still facing hundreds of thousands of cultivators. It was like a single praying mantis standing up to an army. The initial onslaught sent blood spraying from his mouth, and his fleshly body instantly began to explode.

However, in the very instant that the signs of collapse appeared, his fleshly body fused back together under the power of the Eternal stratum. Naruto could almost be considered unkillable. He remained there in front of the gap, carrying out slaughter just as before.

738

Chapter 738: A Silhouette Like a Mountain

When the Blood Demon Grand Magic was unfurled, the golden vortex sent endless quantities of blood and Chakra into Naruto, along with spirit meridians and cultivation bases.

RUUMMMBBLLLLEEE!

Only ten breaths of time had passed since the initial onslaught, yet Naruto's body had fallen apart three times. The third time was because of a combined attack from the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect puppet, and tens of thousands of cultivators.

Despite all of this, he refused to budge, nor did he allow anyone to enter through the gap.

When the Blood Demon Sect disciples behind the shield saw his body on the verge of collapse, blood smeared on his skin and soaking his clothes, their eyes went red. There were even some from the group of 30,000 survivors from the first spell formation who leaped up and began to charge toward the battlefield.

"Blood Prince!"

"Blood Prince, we will fight with you!"

However, even as they charged forward, Naruto waved his sleeve behind him, causing a powerful wind to rise up and carry them back behind the safety of the shield.

"All of you, stay back!"

He looked back, and determination could be seen in his eyes. It was a look that said, This is my fight. To Naruto, this was the only option that could leave him with a clear conscience. Besides, his body was difficult to destroy, which could not be said of the others.

BOOOOMMMMM!

Naruto fell back, a ferocious expression on his face. By this time, multiple Blood Demon Grand Magic vortexes had appeared in the area, nine in total. Each and every one was gold in color, and unleashed boundless gravitational force.

The cultivators who found themselves trapped in the vortexes could only watch in shock as their bodies withered rapidly, and their cultivation bases were sucked out.

Massive quantities of Chakra and blood flowed toward Naruto, which he absorbed, causing his fleshly body to grow powerful to an incredible degree. His cultivation base also climbed higher, making him… even harder to destroy.

A strange glow appeared in his eyes. He would not let anyone into the gap in the shield behind him, not even… over his dead body!

BOOM!

Even with the vast quantity of Chakra, blood, and cultivation base power that were replenishing him, he was facing up against assaults from hundreds of thousands of enemies. There were also many powerful experts amongst them. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and his body once again exploded into a cloud of blood and gore.

In the blink of an eye, however, it seemed that the cloud underwent a reversal of time and coalesced back into the form of Naruto. Naruto's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and yet again unleashed the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

The Ninth Mountain appeared up ahead, and descended with massive rumblings. Along with the Time Sword Formation, it swept across the battlefield madly. The Blood Mastiff was not faring well, and didn't seem capable of holding out much longer. However, with Naruto there, it would continue to fight.

But would Naruto really allow the Blood Mastiff to face such danger? He waved his right hand, causing the Blood Mastiff to return to the blood-colored mask. Then, he performed an incantation gesture, and a tenth Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex appeared.

"If I can hold on with the Blood Demon Grand Magic, then there's the possibility that the vortex will reach a certain point that it can sustain my defense of this position indefinitely!" As he gritted his teeth, Resurrection Lily tentacles shot out from behind him, creating a dense barrier in front of him.

"Looking to die?!" someone said, along with a cold snort. Three old Spirit Severing cultivators appeared, standing on glowing halos that appeared to be a spell formation. They immediately shot toward Naruto.

Behind them were tens of thousands of cultivators wielding countless varieties of divine abilities. If Naruto had faced any of these magics by themselves, he could just ignore them. However, their overwhelming numbers caused the sky to dim and the land to quake.

It was like a massive flood filled of murderous hate, surging down onto Naruto.

The three Spirit Severing cultivators closed in, and Naruto's killing intent flickered as he realized that these three were experts from theShimuraClan. He performed an incantation with his left hand, and Blood Immortal divine abilities appeared. Rumbling filled the air as they fused with the Resurrection Lily. A blood-red flower shot out to defend against the incoming flood.

Massive explosions boomed out as Naruto unleashed all his magic against the torrent of enemies. Unfortunately, he could only hold them back temporarily. Soon, they burst through, and the three Spirit Severing cultivators bore down on Naruto, roaring. As they neared, the halos beneath their feet shot out ghost images that closed in on Naruto.

"Seal!"

"Seal!"

"Seal!"

Immediately, the ghost images of the three halos began to emanate brilliant glows, as well as shocking, explosive sealing power. They descended onto Naruto, preparing to seal him away.

It was at this exact same moment that six more people flew out from the crowds.

Of the six, three were from the Solitary Sword Sect and three were from the Golden Frost Sect. The air around them distorted as they unleashed their most powerful, shocking magical techniques.

"DIE!"

Nine incredible Spirit Severing cultivators all attacked with full force.

Furthermore, not far behind them was the Solitary Sword Sect's early

Dao Seeking expert, and the Golden Frost Sect's puppet. They glared at Naruto like tigers eyeing a prey. They didn't need to personally attack right now; once Naruto was either dead or sealed in place, they could enter the gap in the shield and then begin to carry out their slaughter.

It wasn't even necessary to keep Naruto sealed for a long period of time. A few short breaths of time was all they needed.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples in the shield could see that a perilous situation was developing, and their anxiety looked at Naruto's silhouette in the outside world and bit her lip, her expression one of worry.

Uchiha Youcai sat quietly, but killing intent burned hotter and hotter in his eyes. He hated the fact that his cultivation base was insufficient, and that he did not possess enough latent talent to be Chosen.

Hinata gazed at Naruto in silence, her eyes filled with an affection that seemed like it might be able to melt the world away. Naruto's current state caused her heart to ache with distress.

The six Spirit Severing Patriarchs of the Blood Demon Sect, as well as the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak, stared blankly at what was happening, at the Blood Prince that they had initially refused to acknowledge.

A rumbling suddenly echoed out from the threeShimuraClan Patriarchs. Naruto's eyes began to glow with a bright light, and he struck out violently with his right hand.

The blow caused everything to tremble and shake; this was a Dao Seeking blow!

The three incoming halos trembled and seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. However, they were able to continue on, causing Naruto to take a deep breath. The surrounding golden vortexes suddenly shattered. The force of the shattering sucked away any remaining Chakra and blood from the people trapped inside, all of which then merged into Naruto. Finally, he punched out again.

BANG!

The three glowing halos were crushed as easily as dry weeds!

The threeShimuraClan Patriarchs' faces fell, and they employed divine abilities to defend themselves. However, blood still sprayed from their mouths, and one of them let out a miserable shriek as his body exploded. Looks of astonishment appeared on the faces of the two that remained, who then clenched their jaws and charged toward Naruto.

"DIE!"

By now, the six cultivators from the Solitary Sword Sect and the Golden Frost Sect were closing in on Naruto.

At the same time, vast quantities of cultivation base power surged into Naruto. He raised his right hand and pointed up to the sky, causing the Ninth Mountain to appear. It immediately spread out to fight back against all eight of the incoming enemies.

Booms rattled out, and blood oozed out of the corners of Naruto's mouth. A ferocious expression filled his face as the illusory Ninth Mountain shook.

"Now's our chance!" said the early Dao Seeking cultivator. He and the Golden Frost Sect puppet flew up into the air. At the same time, Naruto pointed toward the two of them.

"Demon Sealing, Eighth Hex!"

Demonic Chakra roiled out like strands of silk to entangle the two of them. Although they were able to slough it off in the space of only a single breath, that was all the time Naruto needed to unleash a divine ability.

"Ninth Mountain Destruction!" Instantly, the Ninth Mountain that surrounded him exploded. The eight Spirit Severing experts were sent tumbling backward, blood spraying from their mouths. The Solitary Sword Sect early Dao Seeking expert and the Golden Frost Sect puppet were forced to stop in their tracks.

"Kill him!" roared the eight Spirit Severing cultivators. In response, hundreds of thousands of cultivators roared and then began to unleash divine abilities. Shocking booms could be heard as a rain of magic descended onto Naruto.

The air distorted around Naruto as he stood in place, panting heavily, his cold eyes flickering across the crowds. Currently, he was silhouetted against the brilliant glow of the magical techniques and divine abilities of hundreds of thousands of cultivators. His Eternal stratum once again surged into operation, and he held his ground.

None shall pass!

Behind him, the disciples of the Blood Demon Sect looked on with trembling hearts. For the rest of their lives, they would never be able to forget the image of the Blood Prince's silhouette.

It was a silhouette like a mountain!

Unfortunately, the war was not concluded, and the fighting raged on.

Time continued to pass in much the same manner. In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. Now, only seven days remained until Naruto's second true self awakened!

Naruto couldn't remember exactly how many times his body had fallen to pieces. Were it not for his Eternal stratum, he would long since be dead.

By now, he could unleash more than fifty golden vortices.

Terrifying amounts of Chakra and blood poured into him, as well as cultivation base power. And yet… it was not enough.

He trembled, and his eyes were shot with blood. His world was now a world completely the color of blood.

During those three days, Naruto finally came to understand that there was nothing truly Eternal in the world. Even though his body was restored over and over again, the speed with which it occurred was slowing, and he was even beginning to show signs of withering.

Behind him, the Blood Demon Sect disciples watched with red eyes as their Blood Prince used his own body to block the single gap in the shield. Their hearts felt as if they were being stabbed through with blades. Even someone completely apathetic would be shaken by Naruto's figure.

Even the Patriarchs engaged in battle with Patriarch Blood Demon were moved by the scene unfolding below.

Finally, after three days of slaughter, silence broke out down below. Of the hundreds of thousands of enemy cultivators, many had died. But their numbers were vast, so the group as a whole didn't really care. The only thing they cared about was that Naruto was blocking the gap. He was like a god; with him holding the pass, the entire army was blocked on the other side.

Naruto's clothes were soaked in blood, and his expression was one of exhaustion. His eyes were completely shot with blood. To his hundreds of thousands of opponents, he had become like an unforgettable nightmare.

Naruto stared out at the hundreds of thousands of cultivators, and they stared back. In truth, by this point, many of them had begun to secretly admire him.

He was one man, defending one gap. He might have extraordinary divine abilities, and he might have a bizarre fleshly body that could revive itself, but even with that, what he was doing still required courage.

He was doing something that few other people could do.

Furthermore, they could see that despite the fact that his fleshly body could heal itself, he was showing signs of withering. He was obviously reaching his limit.

The early Dao Seeking old man from the Solitary Sword Sect looked at him coldly, and killing intent flickered in his eyes. "I haven't admired very many people in my life," he said. "From today on, you are one of those few!

"Since you have some mysterious magic that prevents you from dying, then let's see how many strikes from our legacy precious treasure you can withstand!

"Release the legacy precious treasure!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Anonymous, Martine De Graef, Nicolas

Gonzalez Cordero, and Jose Arias

739

Chapter 739: Patriarch Fifth Peak!

Legacy precious treasure!

In the Dao Reserve of every sect was some sort of precious item that would ensure the continued existence and development of the sect, and could also be used as a threat to protect it from its neighbors.

The Solitary Sword Sect's Dao Reserve was multitudinous. However, it was the bamboo sword that truly intimidated the rest of the Southern Domain!

The sword came from the Ancient Dao Lakes, and was almost infinitely powerful. It could unleash different amounts of power depending on who wielded it, and after extensive research, the Solitary Sword Sect came to the conclusion that its true powers… could only be unleashed by an Immortal.

Unfortunately, although Immortals had appeared in the Solitary Sword Sect before, they were only false Immortals. As far as true Immortals went… from ancient times until the present, not a single one had ever appeared in the entire Southern Domain!

There was no need to even mention the Western Desert. True Immortals had only ever appeared in the Eastern Lands!

The early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect took a deep breath and lifted his right hand. Shockingly, a leaf appeared again, which quickly began to grow. In the blink of an eye, a stalk of bamboo could be seen, which then peeled away to reveal… the bamboo sword!

"This sword is only a subcomponent of the main treasure," the old man said coolly. "However, considering the level of my cultivation base, even if I had the full sword, I would only be able to wield a portion of its power." With that, he raised the sword up, and abundant life force surged in the area. It was as if everything had turned green, and innumerable motes of light began to swirl around. The entire scene was extremely magnificent.

The Dao Seeking puppet from the Golden Frost Sect gave a cold snort. It lifted its right hand, and the tiny, hand-sized rock in its hand rose up into the air and began to expand. In the blink of an eye, it was a 3,000meter-tall mountain.

It exuded an overbearing will, which exploded out to cover the area around the puppet. Ripples appeared, which transformed into a river that swept across the area. There was also a pulsating aura that emerged from the rock mountain.

This rock was also a precious legacy treasure, and was even more domineering than the Solitary Sword Sect's bamboo sword. Everything beneath the mountain seemed about to crack and shatter.

The 5thShimuraClan Patriarch was watching from off in the distance, his expression the same as ever, but his eyes cold and grim. He swished his sleeve, and the Feng Shui compass flew out. The countless magical symbols on the Feng Shui compass sank down and then began to glitter with shining light, giving off the feeling that there was some sort of enigmatic, undeterminable natural law at work.

All three of these people were not using their main treasures, but subcomponents. The true treasures were up in the air, wielded by the three Patriarchs who were battling with Patriarch Blood Demon.

When the three precious treasures appeared, the surrounding hundreds of thousands of cultivators slowly began to back up, yielding the battlefield to them and denying Naruto any opportunity to utilize the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

Naruto's pupils constricted, and an intense sensation of crisis welled up inside of him. However, his expression remained as calm as ever. He had experienced such feelings of danger at virtually every moment during this battle.

"Cleave!" the Solitary Sword Sect Dao Seeking expert said coolly. His hand descended, and the Bamboo Sword sucked in all the green light that it had previously emitted and then transformed it into brilliant sword of light. It flew up into the air and then transformed into half of a green greatsword.

The greatsword, filled with indescribable power, slashed down toward Naruto.

Naruto looked up.

"Ninth Mountain!" he said, and the Ninth Mountain appeared, only to immediately collapse.

Wooden Time Sword tips appeared, combining into a sword formation that instantly began to spin rapidly. And yet, this formation also fell apart almost immediately.

The Bamboo Sword continued relentlessly toward Naruto, who lifted his head up and roared, simultaneously stretching both hands out in front of him. In his left hand, a white fog appeared, and in his right hand, a black fog. They transformed into the Black White Pearls, which then flew up to resist the greatsword.

A huge boom echoed out. The greatsword shuddered and the Black White Pearls trembled. Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the pearls vanished.

The greatsword seemed just on the verge of slashing into Naruto when a bloody glow suddenly appeared in his eyes. Cultivation base power exploded out, which he focused into his right hand and then punched out toward the descending sword.

Everything shook. The sword stopped in place, and Naruto's hand looked as though it might be ripped to shreds. An indescribable pressure crushed down onto him, and cracking sounds could be heard from inside of him. It almost seemed like he couldn't stand up to the power weighing down on him.

Countless rips appeared all over his body. Although they healed almost as soon as they appeared, the matchless speed with which more appeared made it so that Naruto was quickly covered in blood. It looked like he was about to be torn to pieces at any moment.

At the same time, the Golden Frost Sect puppet raised its hand, causing the 3,000-meter-tall mountain to teleport to a position directly above Naruto. It instantly began to crush downward.

BOOM!

Naruto's body fell apart again, to be held together only by the Eternal stratum. The greatsword continued its slashing descent, sword Chakra swirling, causing Naruto's body to fall apart again. The stony mountain continued its descent, emitting massive amounts of crushing pressure.

It was at this point that the 5thShimuraClan Patriarch gave a cold snort and waved his hand, causing the Feng Shui compass to fly out.

"Black flames and hellfire, killing intent refined into a soul!" A vicious gleam appeared in the man's eyes as he spoke. Black-colored fire suddenly spewed out of the Feng Shui compass, which then transformed into numerous black flame birds. Fully a thousand appeared, which then shot toward Naruto's collapsing figure.

They were clearly aiming to strike a fatal blow!

Even with the Eternal stratum, Naruto would surely perish when facing an onslaught from precious treasures like these!

By this point, the Blood Demon Sect disciples were all going mad.

"Blood Prince!" Not a single one held back. All of the Blood Demon Sect disciples transformed into beams of light as they utilized the top speed they could muster to shoot forward.

However, in the moment that they began to charge, the hunchbacked old man let out a sigh. His hunched back suddenly straightened a bit, and his features changed. He looked different than the old man from before.

"Shield, collapse!" He pushed his hands forcefully out in front of him, and an indescribable power spread out. As soon as it touched the fifth layer of the shield, it rippled and then, in the blink of an eye, shattered into pieces.

The shattering released an incredible, surging force that spread out in all directions. The intensity of it instantly caused the three precious treasures to stop in place. Then, they started to emanate ripples that caused the ground to quake and the air to rip.

Borrowing the force of the shattering, the hunchbacked old man dashed forward, reaching the location of the three precious treasures in only a moment. He raised up both hands, then jerked them down.

BOOM!

His cultivation base exploded out, creating a huge shield that covered over Naruto and his collapsing body. It seemed the old man was using all the power he could muster to protect Naruto and give him time to recover. As for him, he fought back alone against the three precious treasures.

The greatsword descended, and the hunchbacked old man's body trembled. Blood spewed from his mouth, and a vicious gleam appeared in his eyes. Once again, his hunched back straightened, and his features changed to that of a middle-aged man. As he stood his ground, his cultivation base suddenly changed to that of the Second Severing.

Given the brief respite, Naruto's body fused together once more, and it seemed that in a moment, it would be completely whole again.

That was when the mountain completely crushed down. The hunchbacked old man's face went pale, and blood sprayed out from his entire body, forming something like a mist. His hunched back straightened even further, and he now looked like a young man.

By this point, Naruto's body was more than half materialized.

Unfortunately, that was when the black flame birds arrived. Under their onslaught, the hunchbacked old man lifted his head up and roared. His back was now completely straightened, and he looked like a teenager. His cultivation base surged again, and he was in the Third Severing.

He now appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old. His features were handsome, and his energy surged. At the same time, his body burst into flames. Not flames of darkness, but flames of life force.

As he burned his life force, his cultivation base once again climbed up until it was at the early Dao Seeking stage, where it now contained natural law.

He was using his own life force to fight back against the three precious treasures.

The scene was moving even to the hundreds of thousands of enemy cultivators.

"Master!" cried his apprentice, the pretty young woman. Tears were streaming down her face as she realized what he had chosen to do.

"Patriarch Fifth Peak!"

"Patriarch!"

As the Blood Demon Sect disciples watched what was happening, their hearts quivered, and their eyes filled with tears.

Burning one's life force in such a way would result in certain death!

Finally, Naruto's body completely restored itself, and he opened his eyes to look at the teenager burning his life force to give him time to recover.

Although his fleshly body had been on the point of shattering, his soul and divine sense had remained, so he was aware of everything happening around him.

"You…." he said, his eyes filled with grief.

"Blood Prince," said the teenager, his voice ancient and archaic, "you've done too much for the Blood Demon Sect already. This time, no arguing with me over who does what. This time, allow me to protect you!" He laughed happily, but his body quivered as he fought back against the three precious treasures. Even by burning his life force, he would not be able to hold out for very long.

"Get out of here!" he suddenly said, glancing back at Naruto. "I'm going to die, but before I do, I'll sully these three precious treasures, making it impossible for them to be used against you, at least temporarily. The Patriarch is fighting, and so am I… but soon, everything will be up to you! Go!"

Naruto trembled as he realized that Patriarch Fifth Peak was already mentally prepared to die, and that there would be no changing his mind. Naruto's heart felt like it was about to be ripped to shreds, but decisiveness appeared in his bloodshot eyes and he immediately retreated.

When he passed into the fourth layer of the shield, the teenager who had once been an old man smiled and continued to burn his life force.

"I've lived for too long, and seen too many things…." He turned back to look at his apprentice back in the Blood Demon Sect. He gave her a kind smile, then closed his eyes. The flames of his burning life force turned a bright, majestic red. Suddenly, his body exploded, releasing shocking, blood-colored undulations that slammed into the precious treasures, staining them red.

The precious treasures immediately grew dark and drab, as if their spirits had been sullied. They instantly began to fall toward the ground.

"MASTER!" cried the heartbroken disciples of the fifth mountain peak. Tears ran like blood down the face of the pretty young woman.

All of the disciples of the Blood Demon Sect were trembling. Their previous hopelessness was now gone, replaced by frenzied hatred.

They needed no rousing speeches now. The Blood Demon Sect was like a sword, ready to kill!

Naruto looked up, and a shocking red glow could be seen in his eyes.

740

Chapter 740 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 740: Fourth Level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic!

The subcomponents of the precious legacy treasures of the Solitary Sword Sect, Golden Frost Sect, andShimuraClan were sullied and fell to the ground. However, because of the heroism displayed by Patriarch Fifth

Peak, there was something that occurred which no one noticed, not even Naruto. A unique halo suddenly flickered into being around the Solitary Sword Sect's legacy precious treasure.

Apparently, the halo had always been there, but had been sealed and suppressed. Now that the item was sullied, the seal weakened a bit, allowing the halo to become visible for the first time.

Although this sword not the main treasure, only a subcomponent, the reaction that had begun was like a spark thrown onto a bale of hay. That spark, although tiny, it was impossible to extinguish. Furthermore, it even affected the main treasure in the hand of the black-robed old man up in mid-air, who was currently locked in combat with Patriarch Blood Demon's clone.

"What's going on?!" he cried, even in the midst of performing an incantation. Next to him was the true legacy precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect, the bamboo sword. Before, it had been matchlessly sharp, and could emanate astonishing pressure. Even Patriarch Blood Demon had to be careful of its potency.

Now, though, the sword was emanating a unique aura. In fact, it was an aura… that seemed like Time power!

When the aura appeared, the bamboo sword became even more astonishing, causing joy to rise in the heart of the black-robed man from the Solitary Sword Sect.

Patriarch Blood Demon frowned. He could spread his power among many clones, or concentrate it in just one. A single clone could easily defeat any peak Dao Seeking cultivator, just as he had done with Patriarch Six-Daos.

Now, however, he was facing three peak Dao Seeking experts, all of whom wielded legacy precious treasures. It was only by increasing the number of clones he was using that he could deal with the sheer number of foes.

Furthermore, deep in his heart, Patriarch Blood Demon had the feeling that someone was watching him, as if a gaze from some unknown place had suddenly come to be fixed on him.

"It's too bad I can't let my soul leave the Blood Pond…." he thought with a sigh. However, not even a scrap of fear could be seen in his expression. He was completely confident that no matter what violent upheavals occurred, he could resolve all crises that arose.

That confidence had always existed in his heart, and had not faded in the least, no matter how bad the situation seemed.

The battle in mid-air continued as he used clones to fight three peak Dao Seeking experts, as well as Patriarch Six-Daos, who had used some secret art to burn his longevity and temporarily restore his cultivation base to the point where he could battle Patriarch Blood Demon.

The hatred in his heart for Patriarch Blood Demon had turned into a festering obsession.

RUMBLE!

The fighting on the ground below was also changing.

With the fifth shield layer having collapsed, Patriarch Fifth Peak having fallen, and the three subcomponent treasures sullied, hundreds of thousands of cultivators were left shaken. At the same time, crowds of Blood Demon Sect disciples were waiting behind the fourth shield layer, looking like monstrous, blood-colored swords.

"Storm the breach!" roared the early Dao Seeking cultivator from the Solitary Sword Sect, his eyes sparkling with coldness. He was in the vanguard position, flanked by the Golden Frost Sect puppet and theShimuraClan cultivator, as well as numerous Spirit Severing experts. All of them shot toward the fourth shield layer.

"Die!" hundreds of thousands of cultivators joined the charge, their energy surging. Once again, they looked like floodwaters ready to completely submerge and shatter the Blood Demon Sect.

Inside the fourth shield layer, Naruto took a deep breath and then strode forward. This time, he was followed by the two Ironblood Patriarchs as well as more than ten thousand Blood Demon Sect disciples, who radiated killing intent.

Their eyes were filled with such decisiveness and determination that Naruto knew he could do nothing to prevent them from fighting.

"Since that's the case, today, we will fight to the bitter end!" He looked up, and his eyes shone with sparkling redness. Time Sword tips swirled through the air around him, transforming into the shape of a lotus that emanated an astonishing power of Time. Even the air seemed to affected by that power.

At the same time, a faint bloody glow became visible around Naruto. It started out as what appeared to be a ghost image, but when it moved forward, it became clear that it was a Blood Clone!

TheHebiClan Blood Clone!

"FIGHT!" Naruto's right hand flashed in an incantation and the Time Sword Formation shot forward. The Blood Clone's eyes glittered, and a blood-colored glow shot up into the sky, along with an evil will. Then it transformed into a streak of red that pounced onto one cultivator after another.

Every time it pounced, its victim would tremble and then let out a miserable shriek. It would only take a moment for that person's blood to be completely drained. After they became a desiccated husk, the Blood Clone would fly out looking like it had just enjoyed a grand meal. It would then shoot gluttonously toward its next victim.

Gradually, a bit of consciousness seemed to be awakening within the Blood Clone, which was one reason that Naruto was hesitant to use it in battle.

On previous occasions, he had dealt with resistance from the Blood Clone, and he was certain that the more blood it absorbed, the harder it would be to control. In fact, there was also the possibility of direct rebellion.

Right now, though, in this battle, Naruto did not have the luxury to worry about the future. Therefore, the Blood Clone appeared in the battle, and the glow of blood it cast rose up into the sky. The Blood Clone… could be considered undying, and was bizarre in appearance. Although it did not kill vast numbers of enemies, the sight of it caused quite a few people on the battlefield to be alarmed and bewildered.

"What's that!?"

"Don't let that blood-colored thing touch you! It's evil!"

"The Blood Demon Sect only cultivates Demon magic. Malicious magical arts like that are why the Blood Demon Sect deserves to be exterminated!"

Bloodcurdling screams, shouts of anger, cries of madness, and the sounds of explosions fused together into sound waves that shook the entire battlefield.

Amidst the cacophony of sound, the two Ironblood Patriarchs and the ten thousand Blood Demon Sect disciples met the enemy head on.

As for Naruto, he single-handedly pinned down the Solitary Sword

Sect early Dao Seeking Patriarch, the Golden Frost Sect puppet, and theShimuraClan cultivator, as well as several Spirit Severing experts. Golden vortexes of the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic spun in all directions. By use of his various magical techniques, he ensured that these powerful opponents could not break out of the area.

The task was a strenuous one for Naruto, especially against the old man from the Solitary Sword Sect, who snorted coldly and unleashed natural law. Then he strode forward, and appeared near the two Ironblood Patriarchs, toward whom he leveled a deadly attack.

Naruto's eyes flashed with killing intent.

"Detonate!" he growled, causing one of the Time Sword tips in the Lotus Sword Formation to explode. The power of Time burst out, transforming into a tempest that swept out in all directions.

Peak Dao Seeking experts could disregard such a Time tempest, but not an early Dao Seeking cultivator. The old man's face flickered, and he forced himself to a stop, then retreated.

"Spirit Severing cultivators!" he cried. "New orders. Pin him down immediately!"

The Solitary Sword Sect's Spirit Severing cultivators immediately shot forward. The Golden Frost Sect Puppet and theShimuraClan cultivator also issued similar orders. It only took a moment for numerous Spirit Severing cultivators to charge toward Naruto, unleashing divine abilities and magical techniques to obstruct him.

At the same time, the Golden Frost Sect puppet's eyes flickered as it attempted to fly past Naruto's position. TheShimuraClan cultivator was also trying to do the same thing.

It was at this point that a cold glow appeared in Naruto's eyes.

"Detonate. Detonate! DETONATE!"

Three Time Sword tips exploded in quick succession. The Golden Frost Sect puppet and theShimuraClan cultivator were forced to halt in place as Time tempests raged out in all directions.

Naruto was sparing no cost in this battle. He strode forward, and a vicious expression appeared on his face as he waved his hand.

"DETONATE!" Of the remaining Wooden Time Sword tips, five exploded, leaving only one remaining behind. An enormous tempest of Time power surged out in all directions, causing the entire battlefield to rumble and shake.

Miserable shrieks could be heard as the Spirit Severing experts' bodies rapidly aged. Several actually ran out of longevity and then directly died, and the others retreated at full speed. However, even as they fell back, Naruto transformed into a green smoke that vanished and then reappeared behind one of the men. His right hand shot out, and a crunching sound could be heard as a neck was smashed. Another flicker, and punch. Another enemy killed.

Naruto's shadow flashed back and forth, and in only the space of a few breaths of time, he had killed seven Spirit Severing cultivators.

By this time, the Time tempest had faded away. The early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect puppet, and theShimuraClan cultivator all joined forces, releasing their most powerful divine abilities in an earth-shattering attack that threatened to inundate Naruto.

BANG!

Naruto's body collapsed, then reformed. His face was pale, and he had the intense premonition that if his body continued to collapse in this way, then it wouldn't be long… before he actually died.

By now, many of the Blood Demon Sect disciples on the battlefield had been killed, their bodies dead and their Nascent Souls destroyed. Before dying, most chose to self-detonate, causing blood to spatter throughout the battlefield like red flowers.

The bravery shown was grand and spectacular! Inside the fourth layer of the shield, the rest of the Blood Demon Sect disciples' eyes were bloodshot. Tens of thousands of disciples flew out, along with the three Demonfire Patriarchs. However, considering that they were up against hundreds of thousands of enemies, the best they could do was delay them for a bit. Even then, they couldn't hold on for very long.

Even Naruto was slowly forced to fall back under the repeated onslaught of the Solitary Sword Sect, Golden Frost Sect, andShimuraClan experts.

The Ninth Mountain had collapsed.

He was no longer capable of wielding the Black White Pearls.

He had detonated his entire Time Sword formation.

The tentacles of his Spirit Severing treasure, the Resurrection Lily, had been severed, and it was in a sorry state.

His own body was weak to the extreme!

He utilized the Blood Demon Grand Magic over and over again, but by now, whenever the multicolored lights of the magic appeared, people in the area were prepared and quickly evaded.

As for the early Dao Seeking expert of the Solitary Sword Sect, the

Golden Frost Sect puppet, and theShimuraClan cultivator, the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic wasn't strong enough to thoroughly pin them down.

"The Patriarch said that the Blood Demon Grand Magic's fourth level was enough to slay early Dao Seeking," he thought. "Fourth level… I need to achieve the fourth level!" His eyes were bright red as he retreated, once again unleashing the Blood Demon Grand Magic, and once again experiencing the collapse and recovery of his fleshly body.

"I need the vortex to spin faster! If it goes fast enough, it will reach the fourth level! There shouldn't be a bottleneck before the fourth level; I'm already in the Spirit Meridians stratum. I just need the golden vortex… to rotate faster! Much faster!" His cultivation base exploded with power as he unleashed the Blood Demon Grand Magic and pushed hard toward the fourth level. At the same time, the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect puppet, and theShimuraClan cultivator were aggressively advancing toward him….

Suddenly, Naruto's mind became clear, and everything around him seemed to slow down. He lifted his hand up and pointed forward.

A golden vortex suddenly appeared that was ten times larger than any of the previous vortexes. It appeared right on top of the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect, as well as a few dozen other surrounding cultivators.

The golden vortex instantly exploded out with a frenzied gravitational force. Both cultivation base as well as Chakra and blood were rapidly absorbed, and all the cultivators inside the vortex were instantly turned into corpses, with the exception of the Solitary Sword Sect expert!

As for him, he gave a cold snort and was about to collapse the vortex when suddenly, his eyes went wide. He suddenly realized that this vortex was different than the ones before.

The intense gravitational force had already sucked away at least a third of his cultivation base!

Most importantly, he realized that he… was incapable of freeing himself! He was locked down tight!

"Impossible!" he said, his voice hoarse.

The speed with which objects were pulled by the gravitational force far exceeded the third level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Naruto had been retreating, but now, he stopped in place and looked up at the Dao Seeking expert stuck in the vortex. Killing intent flickered in his eyes.

"Blood Demon Grand Magic. Fourth level!"

His breakthrough was successful!

741

Chapter 741 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 741: Clone of the Dawn Immortal!

The Blood Demon Grand Magic had six levels in total!

The Chakra and Blood stratum, the Spirit Meridians stratum, and the Blood Soul stratum!

Three grand strata, designed to strengthen the fleshly body, the cultivation base, and the soul!

The first stratum allowed the cultivator to temper the fleshly body to a virtually limitless level of power that could shake Heaven and Earth. The second stratum was even stronger; cultivation bases of others could be absorbed, providing a temporary increase in one's cultivation base.

Limits could be exceeded, and one could temporarily achieve a pinnacle of power!

As far as the third stratum, the Blood Soul stratum, went, Naruto wasn't too clear about the details. According to the description of the Blood Demon Grand Magic, the third stratum had something to do with the soul, and divine will.

What he did know was that the 3rd stratum of the Blood Demon Grand Magic had its own unique name.

It could form divine will into clones, and butcher Immortals with a single thought!

Rumbling filled Naruto's body. As he looked out over the chaos of the battlefield, his energy surged, and his eyes radiated an unprecedented glow that caused the Golden Frost Sect puppet's heart to tremble. TheShimuraClan cultivator's pupils constricted, and as for the Solitary Sword Sect's early Dao Seeking expert stuck in the golden vortex, his mind reeled, and a sense of grave danger welled up from his heart.

Naruto slowly raised his hand up and pointed at the man.

"Die!" he said.

In response, the vortex began to spin even faster, transforming into a cyclone that seemed to stretch from the land all the way up into the sky. Viewed from a distance, it was shocking to the extreme, and all the cultivators on the battlefield, both the Blood Demon Sect disciples and the forces from the four great powers, were astonished.

The Solitary Sword Sect cultivator was no longer visible inside the tempest. Only a desolate shriek could be heard from within the raging winds. Vast quantities of Chakra and blood transformed into a bloody haze that flowed out from the tempest toward Naruto.

By this point, Naruto's entire fleshly body had already reached the Dao Seeking stage. At the same time, vast amounts of cultivation base power surged into him from the tempest, pushing his own cultivation base up into the third Severing!

Inside the tempest, the Solitary Sword Sect cultivator was experiencing unbelievable pain. His fleshly body withered rapidly, and he was transformed into a living corpse in the blink of an eye!

A tremor ran through Naruto, and a shocking aura suddenly rose up from his body that could be felt by everyone on the battlefield.

The aura was not Spirit Severing, but… Dao Seeking!

Finally, the golden vortex faded away, revealing the Solitary Sword Sect cultivator. He was nothing but skin and bones, and possessed not even a bit of cultivation base. His life force barely flickered; he had lost everything!

He was incredibly weak, virtually a mortal, without even the strength to retrieve any magical items from his bag of holding. Even his Nascent Divinity was completely withered.

Shock filled his eyes; everything had happened so quickly that he could scarcely believe it had actually occurred. As the vortex disappeared, Naruto sped forward to appear directly in front of the old man. Then he reached out and pushed down on top of the man's head.

Hundreds of thousands of cultivators all looked on, their faces awash with astonishment, shock, terror and disbelief.

BOOM!

The early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect exploded, sending blood and gore showering out in all directions, which then… transformed into ash that dissipated in the wind.

The entire battlefield went silent.

Only a withered Nascent Divinity remained behind, looking confused and terrified. He tried to flee, but before he could put much distance between himself and Naruto, killing intent flickered in Naruto's eyes. He raised his right hand, and the flag of three streamers appeared. It swept out, filling the area with rippling blackness that then wrapped around the withered Nascent Soul. Then it jerked him back toward Naruto, sealing him up inside the flag.

Deathly silence reigned….

The Golden Frost Sect puppet gasped and fell into retreat. The other

Golden Frost Sect cultivators who comprised the other puppets had

looks of astonishment and disbelief on their faces. A powerful expert of the early Dao Seeking stage had just been slaughtered in front of their eyes.

TheShimuraClan cultivator stared with wide eyes.

The deathly silence only lasted for a few moments, after which an explosion of reactions occurred.

"Early Dao Seeking…."

"Dead?!"

"A mighty Patriarch of the Solitary Sword Sect just perished!"

None of them dared to believe what they had just witnessed.

Even as they reeled in shock, they stared over at Naruto. The image of him standing there was something they would never be able to forget for the rest of their lives.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples were quivering in excitement, and began to shout out to Naruto.

"Blood Prince!"

"Blood Prince!"

"BLOOD PRINCE!" The sound surged out over the battlefield, transforming into countless echoes which caused everything to shake.

The slaying of the early Dao Seeking cultivator caused the Blood Demon Sect disciples to be more roused than ever. Naruto looked up. Now that he could wield the fourth level of the Blood Demon Grand Magic, he was completely confident that he could fight back against the hundreds of thousands of enemies.

He strode forward and then transformed into a savage beam of light that shot toward theShimuraClan cultivator.

As rumbling filled the air, theShimuraClan cultivator's face fell. He immediately fell into retreat, not daring to get close to Naruto. He was completely terrified of the Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex.

Despite his fleeing at top speed, he wasn't faster than Naruto's Blood Demon Grand Magic. Naruto waved his hand, and three golden vortexes appeared, which descended toward the hundreds of thousands of enemy cultivators.

Immediately, miserable shrieks rang out as the three vortexes enveloped several hundred enemy cultivators. Immediately, their bodies withered up, and their cultivation bases vanished. Chakra and blood and spirit meridians were extracted and shot toward Naruto.

His fleshly body grew stronger!

His cultivation base rose to shocking heights!

Naruto advanced at top speed and then pointed out toward the fleeingShimuraClan cultivator.

Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!

Demonic Chakra swept about, silk-like, entangling theShimuraClan cultivator in the blink of an eye. His body stopped in mid-air. He struggled, and seemed just on the verge of breaking free, but the price he paid for that brief pause….

Was that Naruto had time to unleash the Blood Demon Grand Magic vortex!

Rumble!

As soon as the vortex appeared, theShimuraClan cultivator screamed. He threw out numerous magical items, and fully employed all the power of his cultivation base, but if the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect couldn't avoid perishing, how could he, with his slightly lower cultivation base?

As the shrieks rang out, the Golden Frost Sect puppet looked on, eyes wide. TheShimuraClan cultivator withered up, and his cultivation base was dissolved. The cultivators in the puppet felt their scalps go numb, and they retreated at top speed.

Within the space of a few breaths, theShimuraClan cultivator's entire cultivation base, and all of his Chakra and blood, were absorbed by Naruto. Then Naruto waved his hand, and what remained of theShimuraClan cultivator exploded into bits.

"Kill them!" roared Naruto, which further roused the spirits of the surrounding Blood Demon Sect disciples. There were tens of thousands of them, and they were facing hundreds of thousands of enemies.

And yet… the death of the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary

Sword Sect, the fall of theShimuraClan Elder, the retreat of the Golden Frost Sect puppet, along with all of the shocked Spirit Severing cultivators attempting to escape, caused the forces of the four great powers to be profoundly shaken and, apparently, lose their will to fight.

Furthermore, Naruto's Blood Clone was still pouncing from cultivator to cultivator, draining them dead. All of this sapped the energy of the hundreds of thousands of enemies. For the first time, the Blood Demon Sect… forced the enemy forces into retreat!

If you likened the enemy forces to a fist, then Naruto had taken that fist… and pried it open!

Seeing the sudden shift in events down below, the old black-robed

Solitary Sword Sect cultivator up in mid-air let out a bellow of rage.

"You're courting death, kid!"

TheShimuraClan Patriarch also roared in fury. They wanted to charge down to attack Naruto, but Patriarch Blood Demon's clones clearly would not allow them to do any such thing. Echoing booms filled the air, and the air was distorted and warped.

"Dammit!" cried the black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect.

"Dawn Immortal, you promised to help!"

As soon as his voice rang out, a faint sigh could be heard echoing down from up above. It swept across the lands, causing the minds of all the cultivators to reel, both the hundreds of thousands of enemies, and the Blood Demon Sect disciples. Their minds trembled, and then went completely blank.

The Resurrection Lily suddenly appeared behind Naruto, looking incredibly vicious, with its tentacles whipping about madly. Naruto looked up into the sky, his eyes filled with grim killing intent.

Up above, a woman could be seen. As she strode down from the sky, flowers blossomed beneath her feet, and a shocking energy swirled faintly around her.

She was not beautiful, but had striking, unusual features which would cause anyone who looked at her to feel a breathtaking attraction to her.

Her appearance instantly caused quite a stir on the battlefield. Patriarch Blood Demon's clones looked up, and their eyes all came to focus on the woman.

"Dawn Immortal," he said.

"Blood Demon!" she replied.

Patriarch Blood Demon's clones all merged together into a single clone. That single clone emitted a powerful aura, which transformed into an enormous, blood-colored face that hovered in mid-air.

"A measly clone?" said Patriarch Blood Demon. He looked over at the Solitary Sword Sect expert and the others. "This is your trump card?" His gaze shifted back to the woman. "That leaf earlier was your handiwork, too, I presume."

"Under different circumstances," she responded, "I would be incapable of dealing with you, Senior Blood Demon. But now you are bound by an aura of death. You are simply too weak, Senior. If I remember correctly, the Blood Demon Grand Magic can only be utilized by one person in any given age. You haven't used it during the battle, only that child down there has…. Although, that doesn't really matter. All I need to do is delay you for a bit." She suddenly looked down toward the ground, and Naruto.

Naruto looked back up at her, and his mind trembled when their eyes met. An incredible pressure suddenly weighed down on his mind, as if an entire mountain were crushing down onto him.

Behind him, the Resurrection Lily was writhing about madly.

"Dawn Immortal!" he thought, staggering backward. Despite the fact that blood oozed from his mouth, he continued to stare at the woman up above. He would never forget the feeling of that gaze, the same gaze that had fallen upon him when he was in the Milky Way Sea!

This woman was none other than the mysterious Dawn Immortal, although it was not her true self, but merely a clone!

"The good part of me gave you her life force," the woman said coolly. "My son is now your Spirit Severing Treasure…. You and I really are connected by destiny."

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Asger Hansen, Brad Yamanouchi,

Tanawut Pitchayaboonwong, XYY, and Michèle Mouafo

742

Chapter 742: Time To Come Home, Darling

As the words left the mouth of the Dawn Immortal's clone, Naruto felt the pressure weighing down on him increase. It was as if a will of extermination was about to thoroughly crush him.

Behind him, the Resurrection Lily was in a frenzy, prismatic colors flickered across it, and its tentacles writhed violently. It even seemed to be emitting voiceless screams.

Naruto felt himself shaking, and he gritted his teeth as he continued to stare at the Dawn Immortal. He had heard of her way back in the Reliance Sect, but it wasn't until this moment… that he saw her personally.

The Dawn Immortal lifted her right hand, within which a leaf appeared. She waved it gently, and brilliant light exploded out as it shot down toward Naruto.

Everything in Heaven and Earth went still except for the leaf. It transformed into a streak of light that instantly bore down on Naruto. But then… an ancient hand stretched out and grabbed hold of the leaf.

The hand clenched into a fist, and the leaf was crushed.

When the hand opened, dust drifted out into the wind.

The hand belonged to none other than the composite clone of Patriarch Blood Demon!

"Facing the likes of you people, so what if I can't use the Blood Demon Grand Magic?" he said coolly. All of a sudden, he was surrounded by the glow of blood, which shot up into the air to encompass even the enormous face up above. Shockingly, a ferocious horn grew out of the face, which suddenly looked exactly like that of the Demonic Incarnation Naruto had been in control of earlier.

"Blood Realm, Activate!" said Patriarch Blood Demon. Rumbling filled the sky, and red mist roiled out in all directions. At the same time, the Dawn Immortal clone's eyes flickered and she waved her hand, causing a Resurrection Lily to magically appear behind her. It shone with boundless radiance that spread out to battle against Patriarch Blood Demon.

The black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect Patriarch, and theShimuraClan Patriarch unleashed divine abilities to aid the Dawn Immortal in resisting Patriarch Blood Demon!

As for Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect, he was just about to lend his assistance when the Dawn Immortal suddenly said, "Six-Daos, there's no need for you to participate in this fight. Go wipe out the foundation of the Blood Demon Sect, and destroy Mount Blood Demon. That is where this Blood Demon's true self lies!"

"Kill that kid Naruto while you're at it!" added the black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect. He waved his hand, causing the Solitary Sword Sect's legacy precious treasure, the bamboo sword, to fly toward Six-Daos. "Here, I'll even lend you my sword!"

At first, Six-Daos was about to refuse. Seeing Naruto slaughter the early Dao Seeking expert from the Solitary Sword Sect had shocked him to the core. When he saw the bamboo sword flying toward him, however, he was suddenly enlivened.

He was well aware that the Solitary Sword Sect's legacy precious treasure was shockingly powerful. As soon as his hand closed around the hilt, he flickered and shot down toward the ground.

Patriarch Blood Demon frowned as the rumbling explosions of magical battle filled the air.

Six-Daos shot down from the sky, eyes fixed on Naruto and flickering with the desire to kill. He raised his hand, and the bamboo sword began to emanate blinding light. The air distorted, and an amorphous aura began to seep out from within it. The sword seemed to be emanating the power of Time, and its might was reminiscent of a gigantic mountain.

Naruto's face was unsightly, but as soon as he sensed the aura of the Bamboo Sword, he stared in shock, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face.

As the sword grew closer, his brow furrowed. Patriarch Six-Daos' cultivation base was between the early and mid Dao Seeking stages. However, with the added might of the Bamboo Sword, he was beyond Naruto's ability to threaten.

"Get back into the shield!" said Naruto. He and the rest of the Blood Demon Sect disciples immediately fell back behind the fourth layer of the shield.

As Six-Daos neared, he laughed coldly and gestured toward the fourth layer of the shield. "BREAK!"

The wave of his hand caused an enormous incense burner to appear.

The incense burner was none other than the Black Sieve Sect's legacy precious treasure, although cracks could be seen on its surface, the result of the pressure exuded by Patriarch Blood Demon's clone back in the Black Sieve Sect.

The incense burner exuded an ancient aura as it smashed down toward the fourth shield layer.

A massive boom echoed out. Although the incense burner was cracked,

it was still a legacy precious treasure of a great sect. As it smashed downward, shocking green smoke surged out of it, transforming into countless vicious, evil spirits that joined the smashing attack.

As they neared the shield, cracking sounds could be heard, and the shield began to collapse.

Thankfully, Naruto and the other Blood Demon Sect disciples had already retreated behind the third layer of the shield. As the fourth layer exploded, massive power was unleashed, causing intense vibrations to rock the incense burner.

Six-Daos laughed coldly, lifting the Bamboo Sword and rotating his cultivation base. The most powerful sword beam he could summon appeared, fully 30,000 meters long, seemingly capable of splitting Heaven and Earth. It was filled with boundless Time power as it slashed down toward the third layer of the shield.

The bizarreness of the sword was now becoming even more apparent. Gradually, the exterior of the Bamboo Sword was filling with more and more rips and fissures, within which could be seen another sword. It was as if the inner sword were a sapling in springtime, sprouting from a wilted bough!

An even more intense aura of Time emerged from the sword, causing the black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect to be even more pleased than before.

Six-Daos was even happier, and he lifted his head up to laugh uproariously. "Naruto, you're DEAD!"

BOOM!

The third layer of the shield only lasted for the space of a few breaths before it shattered. As it did, Naruto's face should have been extremely unsightly, but instead it held an odd expression, and his eyes were glittering.

"Fall back again!" he said, leading the Blood Demon Sect cultivators behind the glow of the second shield layer.

At the same time, the hundreds of thousands of enemy cultivators felt their spirits lifting. They surged toward the Blood Demon Sect as SixDaos once again unleashed a massive attack toward the second shield layer.

Night had fallen, and the bright moon hung high in the sky. However, the ground trembled, and the fighting had reached such intensity that no one was paying attention to whether it was day or night.

"Naruto, you scamp, the day you stepped foot into the Black Sieve Sect, you must have known that this day would come!" As Six-Dao's voice echoed out in all directions, the incense burner rotated in the air above him. The bamboo sword swirled around him, emanating a brilliant aura.

Six-Dao's eyes were filled with venomous rancor. His animosity toward Naruto had long since seeped into his very marrow. He wanted to exterminate the Blood Demon Sect and destroy Naruto in body and soul. To achieve that goal, he would sacrifice anything and everything.

"DIE!" he howled, laughing maniacally as he raised his hand and unleashed the full force of his cultivation base into the bamboo sword, causing it to explode with an incredible sword beam.

The sword beam was shocking to the extreme!

Cracking sounds could be heard as the light beam burst out. More tears spread out across the Bamboo Sword and, finally, a bang could be heard as it exploded.

In the instant in which it was ripped open, shockingly, a wooden sword appeared in its place!

The wooden sword had been hidden inside the bamboo sword all along! Now that the bamboo sword had shattered, the wooden sword was revealed!

As soon as it appeared, boundless Time power radiated out, and an incredibly ancient aura flooded the area. Even the Dawn Immortal's and Patriarch Blood Demon's faces flickered when they sensed the aura.

The black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect was going wild with joy. He lifted his head up and laughed heartily. Although he had loaned the sword to Six-Daos, it was still the legacy precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect, something that had been handed down from generation to generation. Despite being in the hands of another, it still belonged to the Solitary Sword Sect; no one could ever steal it away!

There was one fact unknown to outsiders that was passed down only to the successive generations of Solitary Sword Sect Patriarchs. The primary master of this sword was the Solitary Sword Sect itself. When it was originally discovered, it was actually nothing more than a stick of bamboo which possessed a naturally-occurring, intrinsic sword Chakra. The Solitary Sword Sect had taken it to be a supreme treasure, and had refined it into a sword. 1

"That's the heart of the bamboo! The heart of the bamboo is transformed into wood, so naturally it would be a sword!" The blackrobed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect and Patriarch Six-Daos were both laughing loudly. Six-Daos' eyes shone brightly as he abruptly pointed toward Naruto.

"DIE!" he cried, his voice booming like thunder, and filled with unmatchable confidence. He was absolutely certain that even with the shield protecting him, Naruto would definitely die beneath the power of this sword!

In response to his words, the wooden sword began to rumble and then shot toward the second layer of the shield.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators in the area breathlessly watched the dazzling sword and its aura. Shocking pressure emanated from it as it shot magnificently through the air.

"Time became bamboo," murmured the Dawn Immortal, "and the bamboo concealed time. It transformed into bamboo wood…." Her battle with Patriarch Blood Demon did not slow down, but instead grew even more intense.

As the wooden sword descended, the ground trembled and fissures appeared, as if it couldn't withstand the incredible pressure of Time.

The grass withered, and time itself seemed to distort. A Time tempest appeared, shocking the surrounding cultivators, who immediately fell back.

The sword was now on the verge of slamming into the second shield layer. Inside, the Blood Demon Sect disciples had looks of despair on their faces. In contrast, the surrounding hundreds of thousands of enemies wore expressions of anticipation.

All eyes were fixed on the sword flying through the air.

Six-Daos' laughter echoed out across the battlefield.

Naruto had an odd expression. Earlier, he had sensed something familiar about the aura of the bamboo sword. When the rips appeared on its surface earlier, that familiar sensation grew stronger. When the bamboo shattered and the wooden sword appeared, a connection appeared between him and the sword that only he could sense!

He was connected to the wooden sword!

At a certain point, a bashful smile appeared on Naruto's face, and he cleared his throat. Even as the eyes of all the Blood Demon Sect disciples and enemy cultivators were fixed on the wooden sword, he suddenly stepped out from behind the second shield layer.

This action immediately attracted everyone's attention, and the buzz of conversation rose up into the air.

"What is he doing? Don't tell me he's going to try to fight the legacy precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect!?"

"He really overestimates his ability! He might be strong, but he's going to die for sure!"

"Hahaha! I never thought someone could be so arrogant! He actually dares to step out from behind the shield? That sword is going to destroy him in body and soul!"

"Looking to die?" laughed Six-Daos. He assumed Naruto must have become so frightened that he lost his senses. A normal person would never step out from behind the shield, they would cower behind it.

What attracted even more attention was how Naruto not only stepped out from behind the shield, but then stretched his hand out… directly toward the shockingly powerful wooden sword that was slashing toward him… as if he were beckoning toward it.

He cleared his throat and then said, "Time to come home, darling!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Valera McDaniel

I was curious about what the bamboo sword might look like as opposed to a wooden sword, so I did some image searching on . Check out the interesting results here ↩

743

Chapter 743: Call Out To It! Does It Answer?

As soon as Naruto's words echoed out, the majority of the hundreds of thousands of enemy cultivators immediately burst out into raucous laughter.

"What did he say? Darling? Come home?"

"Has Naruto gone insane?"

"This is pretty funny. It's the first time I've seen such a powerful expert go crazy!"

Six-Daos was also laughing loudly. "I've lived a long time, but this is the first time I've encountered a lunatic like you!"

Even the black-robed expert from the Solitary Sword Clan split off a strand of divine sense to observe what was happening. After he saw what was happening, he shook his head and laughed.

The voices and laughter rippled out, and all sorts of snide, mocking comments could be heard. When they first spoke, the wooden sword was just on the verge of slashing down. However, even in the middle of deriding Naruto, looks of astonishment began to appear on each of their faces.

That was because… the sword did not slash down, but rather, lurched to a stop.

When the sword lurched to a stop, it seemed as if hundreds of thousands of hearts similarly lurched to a stop.

Six-Daos' eyes went wide, and the Blood Demon Sect disciples inside the second shield layer seemingly forgot how to breathe. They stared blankly at their Blood Prince, who standing outside the shield, beckoning toward the astonishing precious treasure that was the wooden sword.

Up in mid-air, the black-robed Patriarch who was fighting Patriarch Blood Demon had originally been extremely pleased. All of a sudden, however, the sword ground to a halt, and his heart began to thump.

The wooden sword came to a stop about thirty meters above Naruto. The power of Time emanated out in all directions, causing everything to wither. Even the second shield layer was rippling and distorting. In this condition, it seemed that the slightest tap would cause it to instantly shatter.

And yet Naruto… was not affected by the wooden sword, even in the slightest.

The wooden sword seemed to have a spirit of its own, and was apparently hesitating. After stopping in mid-air, glittering light seemed to dance fluidly across the blade.

Six-Daos' face flickered with disbelief. What he was seeing completely exceeded the limits of his imagination. It didn't matter that he used to be at the peak of Dao Seeking, or the Patriarch of a great sect. The events that he was witnessing with his own eyes left him completely shaken.

He was incapable of even comprehending what was happening. Why had the Solitary Sword Sect's legacy precious treasure… ground to a halt directly in front of Naruto? Furthermore, it even seemed to be hesitating.

He could not come up with any explanation, even though he wracked his brains over and over again.

"Impossible!" he thought, gritting his teeth and causing his cultivation base to rumble with power. He used every scrap of strength he had to try to control the wooden sword, but there wasn't the slightest reaction. The sword completely ignored him and, even more shocking, directly severed their connection.

When that happened, Six-Daos' face fell even more.

The surrounding hundreds of thousands of cultivators stared with wide eyes at a scene they would likely never encounter again in their entire lives. Most incredulous of all were the cultivators from the Solitary Sword Sect.

The wooden sword was a legacy precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect, the symbol and foundation of their entire sect!

There was someone even more shocked than the ordinary disciples, however. The black-robed old man up in midair simply couldn't believe what was happening. His mind felt as if lightning were crashing around inside. Unable to defend against the divine ability Patriarch Blood Demon was attacking him with, he was slammed backward, blood spraying from his mouth. The mist of Patriarch Blood Demon's Blood World enveloped him, making it impossible for him to charge in and attack. All he could do was perform a double-handed incantation and then point out toward the wooden sword.

"Solitary Bamboo Sword, return!" he roared, continuing with another incantation gesture.

The wooden sword trembled, apparently in response to the old man, whose heart immediately sank. A very, very bad feeling welled up inside of him. Under normal circumstances, all it took was an incantation gesture and the simple point of a finger to instantly cause the bamboo sword to fly back to him. Now, all it did was tremble.

"Dammit! What's going on?!" He performed another incantation gesture, and even went so far as to spit out a mouthful of blood. How could he not be anxious? This was the Solitary Sword Sect's precious treasure, and if he allowed it to be snatched away, it would be a great sin against the sect.

"You were refined by the Solitary Sword Sect! We acquired you from the Ancient Dao Lakes! You were personally crafted into a sword by the ancestors of the Solitary Sword Sect! You belong to us!

"Solitary Bamboo Sword, get back here!" The black-robed man howled in rage, and blood sprayed out of his mouth. Finally, the invisible connection between him and the sword finally seemed to function. The wooden sword began to vibrate, and then moved backward several meters.

Even as the black-robed man let out a sigh of relief, the wooden sword suddenly stopped again, and the man's heart once again began to thump.

"You were born in the Solitary Sword Sect! For years, we Solitary Sword Sect disciples offered sacrifices to enable you to gain sentience! We spent countless resources making you sharper and more powerful! Our entire sect worked to help you!

"Y-y-you… you get back here right now!" Despite his anxiety, the blackrobed old man was pinned down by the mist of blood. He let out a roar, then spit out more blood, completely ignoring the wastage to his longevity as he once again pointed toward the wooden sword.

This time, however, there was no reaction whatsoever from the sword….

"Finished playing around?" said Naruto, his face grave and his tone berating. "If you don't come over here right now, just wait and see how I punish you after we get home!"

As Naruto's words rang out, the wooden sword shuddered in midair. Then, it severed its connection with the black-robed man and shot directly toward Naruto. In the blink of an eye, it was circulating around him, its thrumming sound echoing out in all directions. It was almost as if it was clamoring in joy, fawning over him, even exhibiting signs that it had missed him.

Anyone looking on could clearly tell that this sword… belonged to Naruto!

Six-Daos' eyes were wide, and he very nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The surrounding hundreds of thousands of cultivators gasped, having been thoroughly astonished by Naruto.

The Solitary Sword Sect disciples gaped as their Sect's unsurpassed, proud and aloof precious treasure, swirled around Naruto like a happy pet. Clearly… it recognized Naruto as its master.

"I must be asleep…."

"That's… that's our sect's legacy precious treasure?"

"What's… what's going on…?" The minds of the Solitary Sword Sect disciples were spinning, but most disbelieving of all was the black-robed man up in midair.

His eyes filled with an expression of both madness and injustice, which then transformed into a towering rage. He was just about to open his mouth to say something when blood spurted out and he grew visibly older.

He just couldn't understand or comprehend how the sword could possibly recognize Naruto as its master!

He just couldn't believe it. His world was turned upside down, as if enormous waves were surging through his psyche.

"How could this be happening!?" he roared madly. He wanted to try to break through the blood mist, to grab the sword in his hand and ask its spirit why it was acting this way. Why was it betraying the Solitary Sword Sect, why would it recognize Naruto as its master when it had only seen him once?

"That sword belongs to the Solitary Sword Sect!"

"It belongs to you?" asked Naruto coolly. "Call out to it. Does it answer?" He stretched out his hand, and the sword flew down to land hilt-down on his palm. It even danced back and forth, apparently in complete excitement.

"YOU!" The Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch almost spit up some more blood because of the flames of rage that burned in his heart. By this point, it didn't matter that he had a cultivation base at the peak of Dao Seeking. Even an Immortal would be unable to accept a blow like this, nor such loss.

That was especially so… considering how the wooden sword was frolicking around happily. The black-robed old man felt as if a blade were stabbing viciously into his heart. That was because he himself had needed to make sacrificial offerings to it, and had never seen it act in such a way.

Naruto could also sense that this sword, one of the ones he had buried so long ago, had developed a sword spirit. Despite that, his contingencies from the very beginning were still effective. No matter how many hands the sword had passed through, once it saw him, it knew that he was its original master.

"Alright, stop making a fuss," he said. "Now, go kill him!" Even as he spoke, Naruto pointed at Patriarch Six-Daos.

Six Daos' heart was pounding, and his face fell. He immediately retreated at top speed, but before he could get very far at all, the wooden sword shot toward him with indescribable speed. It also emanated a shocking power of Time, which caused everything around it to ripple and distort. Any cultivators who were too close withered in the blink of an eye, as if countless years had passed in an instant. There were even some who directly passed away.

"Dammit!" thought Patriarch Six-Daos, his face falling. Roaring, he employed the full power of his cultivation base, which unfortunately for him was still stuck between the early and mid Dao Seeking Stages. It wasn't enough, so he had no other choice but to summon the incense burner to block the wooden sword. A bang rang out, and the wooden sword stabbed directly into the incense burner.

Booms could be heard as cracks spread out over the surface of the incense burner. An ancient will could be sensed, and signs of decay could be seen. Six-Daos' heart ached, but he didn't dare to call back the incense burner. That was because he had noticed that the sword's ripples were causing him to age significantly. If it stabbed him, he could only imagine what would happen to his longevity; it would be thoroughly destroyed.

In his terror, he shot backward at high speed. Considering he was using a special secret art to bolster his cultivation base, what he feared most… was being obliterated by Time power.

The surrounding hundreds of thousands of cultivators were also astonished and trembling. They didn't dare to advance, and quite the opposite, retreated. Naruto stood alone outside the second shield layer. One man, one sword…caused the enemy forces to retreat three thousand meters.

"Dammit!" More and more cracks spread out across the surface of the incense burner. Patriarch Six-Daos immediately roared, "Fellow Daoist Sword Paragon, Patriarch Golden Frost,ShimuraYuanlei, if you don't help me then I'll be forced to summon discarnate souls to defend myself!"

Even as the last words left his mouth, the incense burner exploded into pieces. The wooden sword shot onward, and Six-Daos lifted his head up and roared. All of a sudden, his body exploded, allowing the wooden sword to pass right through it.

However, there was a soul strand that remained, which then transformed into a river of souls that contained 100,000 discarnate souls!

Even as the 100,000 discarnate souls flew out, the black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect burst into flames. These were life force flames, and as they burned, his cultivation base exploded with power. He transformed into a long streak of light that burst out from within Patriarch Blood Demon's blood mist. Ignoring any injuries, he shot toward Naruto's wooden sword, he himself transforming into what looked like a sword as he flew through the air.

"Naruto, you twerp! DIE!"

Naruto's eyes glittered. There was no time to slaughter Six Daos' 100,000 discarnate souls. The wooden sword flew back to him at breakneck speed. Even as the black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch closed in, Naruto stepped back behind the second shield layer.

However, the Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch did not slow down at all. Instead, he increased his speed as he stabbed toward the shield.

"BREAK!"

Patriarch Blood Demon's eyes flickered with killing intent. However, the Dawn Immortal's clone was really causing him quite a headache; it was not merely at the peak of Dao Seeking, but rather, higher than that. It was more comparable to a false Immortal.

Even as his clone frowned, deep in the cave in Mount Blood Demon, his true self's eyes opened. A drop of blood suddenly floated up from within the Blood Pond, then flew out of the Immortal's cave and dissipated. Shockingly, the first and second layers of the shield were instantly dyed red.

Boom!

The blood-colored shield easily blocked the furious attack of the Solitary Sword Sect's black-robed Patriarch.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Kristian Seljevold, Michael Bent, Steven

Sun, and Christopher Choi

744

Chapter 744 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 744: Arise, Second True Self!

When the red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect saw the blood drop fly out, he loftily said, "Patriarch Blood Demon, you're fighting all of us at the same time, and still want to split your attention? It seems you really don't have any regard for us at all."

At the same time, he performed an incantation, which caused numerous puppets to magically appear around him. Each of the puppets was thirty meters tall, and seemed both real and illusory at the same time. As soon as they appeared, they transformed into beams of colorful light that shot toward Patriarch Blood Demon.

"Patriarch Blood Demon, your destruction is imminent," said the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch. "You can't escape our net! Once Mount Blood Demon falls, your true self will face the light of the Heavens and be destroyed in body and spirit!" He snorted coldly and then waved his hand, causing the Feng Shui compass to emit blinding light as well as countless magical symbols. The magical symbols formed together into layer upon layer of spell formations as they shot forward.

Patriarch Blood Demon said nothing, and not even a trace of alarm could be seen on his face. His expression was actually indifferent. No matter what happened, he was confident that he could reverse any setback.

"Senior Blood Demon," said the Dawn Immortal's clone, her voice soft. "I know full well that your true self cannot face the glory of the Heavens. You were originally a drop of blood that transformed into a Demon, and the Heavens can turn your true self back into a drop of blood. What I don't know is, at this point… what tricks do you have left?" Behind her, the ferocious, illusory Resurrection Lily's tentacles whipped about, and an intense pressure radiated out. Rumbling sounds could be heard as countless tentacle incarnations shot out to surround Patriarch Blood Demon.

The Dawn Immortal was his strongest opponent, so Patriarch Blood Demon focused sixty percent of his attention on her. The other forty percent was divided between the red-haired Patriarch of the Golden Frost Sect and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch.

Both parties had each other locked down. Although it looked like they were engaged in magical battle, in reality, both sides were being cautious, waiting for the other to expend enough cultivation base power that, at the critical time, a lightning-like strike could be made.

Down below, a rumbling sound echoed out over the battlefield. Naruto stood inside the second shield layer, the wooden sword swirling through the air around him. A droning sound could be heard from the sword, and pulses of Time power caused the air around it to distort. The Blood Demon Sect disciples were all behind the second shield layer, staring at the hundreds of thousands of cultivators on the other side, as well as the black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect, who was in a frenzy and burning his own longevity to gain power.

The black-robed old man's fury and frustration was impossible to describe. He wanted nothing more than to slaughter Naruto over and over again and then take back the Solitary Sword Sect's precious treasure.

As he attacked, although he held no sword in his hand, the sword will which emanated out from his body transformed into an amorphous sword which repeatedly slashed into the second shield layer.

The layers of the Blood Demon Sect's five-layered shield got stronger the closer they got to the sect itself. In addition, the counter-attacks from the shields became even more intense.

Most importantly, the second shield layer was now the color of blood, thanks to the drop of blood from the Blood Pond inside Mount Blood Demon. Its power was not something that could quickly be broken.

Furthermore, the second shield layer had not been punctured by the leaf earlier; only the fifth, fourth and third layers had. The second shield layer was intact.

The shield rumbled and distorted as the black-robed old man vented his fury on it. However, the shield held!

The Blood Demon Sect forces sat there reticently, as did Naruto. He looked out coldly as the black-robed old man attacked and attacked. Killing intent flickered in his eyes, which the wooden sword could apparently sense, as it began to emit an intense droning sound.

BOOM!

The shield vibrated, and the black-robed man fell back. He lifted his head up and roared at the top of his lungs: "All cultivators, heed my command! Attack the shield with everything you have! Break it down!"

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators hesitated for a moment. The first to spring into action were the Solitary Sword Sect disciples. Tens of thousands of flying swords whistled through the air toward the shield. They were followed by the the Golden Frost Sect disciples and the members of theShimuraClan. There were also some rogue cultivators. All of them unleashed divine abilities to blast against the blood-colored, second layer shield.

Instantly, a massive roaring filled the air. The land quaked violently, and nearby vegetation was destroyed. Mountains were leveled, and the entire ground seemed to be gouged out by an entire meter by the force of the combined attack.

From a distance, the mountain range in which the Blood Demon Sect was located was now crushed into a flat plain. The vegetation in the area was completely dead, and no life existed at all.

Everything was in ruins, except for the very center of it all, where the blood-colored shield glittered brightly. Although it rippled and distorted violently, it did not fall!

The Blood Demon Sect's five mountain peaks were now the focus of all attention.

Aftershocks from the divine abilities exploded out, and the forces of the allied powers also sustained injuries from the backlash, causing countless cultivators to cough up blood and retreat. However, others immediately surged forward to take their place.

Such a cycle continued on as countless attacks were made.

The black-robed old man from the Solitary Sword Sect was especially focused on attacking. Every time he made a move, boundless sword Chakra would rumble out against the blood-colored shield. Two days later, the shield was finally starting to show signs of breakage.

When the third day arrived, more and more cracks spread out across the blood-colored shield. The Blood Demon Sect disciples sat there silently. Naruto's eyes flashed.

Finally, a snapping sound echoed out. The countless cracks merged together into something that looked like a huge wound. The black-robed

Patriarch from the Solitary Sword Sect exploded out with peak Dao Seeking cultivation base power. Natural law descended and swirled about, transforming into an incredible Heavenly sword.

As soon as the sword appeared, lightning crackled up above. The sword suddenly flashed, seemingly filled with the power of lightning as it shot toward the second shield layer.

BOOOOMMMMMM!

The second shield layer could not stand up to the blow. The amorphous sword stabbed into it, and it shattered, sending out a huge shockwave in all directions. The Blood Demon Sect disciples and Naruto had already retreated behind the final remaining shield layer.

"Do we fight, Blood Prince!?"

"The point of death has arrived! It would be better to charge out and slaughter to our heart's content than be stuck in here!"

"If we can't avoid perishing, then let's die in battle!" The Blood Demon Sect disciples' eyes shone bright red, and even the Spirit Severing experts were looking in his direction.

This first shield layer was the final line of defense. Once it broke, the Blood Demon Sect would be powerless to defend itself. Hundreds of thousands of cultivators would charge into it. When that happened… they might be able to hold out for a little bit, but in the end, they would all die.

Uchiha Youcai looked at Naruto, awaiting his decision.

Li ShiChakra was also looking at Naruto. He was the Blood Prince, and had earned respect through his strength. His lone charge into battle with no thought of personal safety gained him the utmost esteem.

Everyone was watching him.

However, Naruto's gaze… fell upon Hinata.

She had been standing outside of Blood Prince Gorge the entire time watching the battle. Now that Naruto looked over at her, she turned to look back.

In that moment it was just the two of them in the Blood Demon Sect, behind the blood-colored shield, surrounded by the booms from the outside world. They looked at each other, and Naruto could see the encouraging look in her eyes. As well as…

You live, I live. You die, I die!

BOOM!

The shockwave from the destruction of the second shield layer faded away, and the black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch took the lead in the charge. Boundless sword light surrounded him as he shot toward the first shield layer to attack.

Explosions echoed about everywhere. Of the hundreds of thousands of cultivators from the original force, only around 200,000 were left. All were wounded and tired. The battle had lasted for a long time, and regardless of whether it was in terms of them or the Blood Demon Sect disciples, it had been a long and fierce fight.

"It's almost over!"

"All we have to do is break this final line of defense, and the Blood Demon Sect… will be exterminated!"

"Four more days! In four days, there will be no Blood Demon Sect in the Southern Domain!" The 200,000 cultivators' eyes were bright red. Despite their injuries, they roared and attacked the shield with all the strength they could summon.

RUMMMBLLLLLE!

The shield rippled. However, this first layer shield was even sturdier than the second layer, and had even more counterattack power. It only took a moment for thunderous roars to rise up into the sky. Clearly, the shield would not break in any short period of time.

Unfortunately, even a stronger shield would not be able to stand up for very long under the combined assault of 200,000 cultivators.

"Blood Prince, let's fight!" The Blood Demon Sect disciples inside the shield had risen to their feet. Their energy was focused and ready, their killing intent more and more intense than before.

Naruto was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Wait four more days!"

His second true self needed exactly that amount of time before it woke up!

These were the final four days!

Naruto had no way to assess exactly how powerful his second true self would be upon awakening. Had he used something other than the soul of an Immortal, he would have been able to speculate. But since it was an Immortal's soul in his second true self, he had no way to guess. He would have to wait until it awakened… to see if it was truly Heavendefying.

"It HAS to be strong!" he thought, looking out beyond the shield.

One day passed.

The shield trembled violently under the attacks of 200,000 cultivators, pushing it to its limit. The counterattacks sent out into the 200,000 cultivators caused numerous serious injuries.

Two days!

The shield rippled and distorted in virtually every spot, and was even trembling. In fact, cracks were visible in some locations, although they quickly sealed back up.

The black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch was on the offensive; every time he launched an attack, the shield seemed as if it might collapse.

Three days!

"BREAK!"

Rumbling filled the air as, for the first time, a crack spread out that could not be sealed back up. The death knell had been struck for the shield.

The 200,000 cultivators had endured counterattacks for three days, which had sapped many of them of their ability to fight, forcing them to retreat from the battlefield.

The remaining cultivators' numbers exceeded 100,000, but they still crowded the battlefield, making it virtually impossible to see the end of the army. As they continued to attack, more and more cracks appeared!

Finally, the fourth day arrived!

On the fourth day, the blood-colored shield was covered with cracks. Many of them stretched out and then combined to form huge gaps.

The shield trembled, and cracking sounds could be heard. It didn't seem like it would be able to hold on for very much longer.

At the same time, intense killing intent and even madness could be seen in the eyes of the black-robed Patriarch from the Solitary Sword Sect. He suddenly flew high up into the air and then waved his sleeve. Immediately natural law transformed into a sword up above.

This was his Dao Seeking sword!

"The Blood Demon Sect will be eradicated on this very day!" cried the Patriarch. He pointed out, and the sword rumbled as it shot down toward the shield.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples were in a frenzy. Their eyes were red, and they were completely ready for the moment when the shield collapsed. Then, they would fight to the death.

However… even as the amorphous sword shot toward the shield, a tremor ran through Naruto as he sensed an incredibly familiar aura rising up from within Blood Prince Gorge.

His eyes glittered. The day he had been waiting for had finally arrived. "Arise, second true self!"

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Alex Tsue

745

Chapter 745 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 745: Peak!

In Blood Prince Gorge, Naruto's second true self sat cross-legged inside the log cabin. Moments ago, not a scrap of any sort of aura could be detected on him. He almost seemed dead, like a statue.

Now, though, his eyes snapped opened, and a shocking iciness could be seen within them.

Gradually, a feeling like that of an Immortal could be sensed emanating out from him. The look in his eyes was different from that of Naruto, but his body was clearly the same.

The soul was like a sword, and the body the sheath. The power hidden within… was the 'self' from the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao!

Cultivation base ripples suddenly exploded out from it.

In the blink of an eye, they filled all of Blood Prince Gorge. As the second true self took a breath, the ripples were once again drawn back, bottled up inside.

The body was the Dao, and the soul was blade. A sharp blade hidden in

a great Dao!

In that same moment, all of the vegetation in Blood Prince Gorge withered up and died. A sinister coldness, along with a terrifying aura, circulated around the second true self.

He looked up and then slowly… raised his right hand toward the sky above Blood Prince Gorge.

In that moment, it seemed as if time itself stopped.

Outside the valley, Naruto sat with eyes closed, his consciousness spread out in all directions. Next to him, the wooden sword trembled, and then suddenly seemed to sense something. Next, it shot out toward the final remaining layer of the shield.

As it emerged from within the shield, it blossomed with a radiant glow that was… the power of Time!

Time was like a river that suddenly poured out from within the sword!

100 years. 1,000 years. 5,000 years…. 10,000 years!

Ten thousand years of time swept out from the wooden sword, transforming into distortions in the air. Time suddenly stopped, causing the incoming Dao Seeking sword to… come to a halt in midair.

Apparently, in order to pass through the river of Time, it would have to pass through 10,000 years!

The Blood Demon Sect disciples were shocked by what they saw, and the more than 100,000 cultivators outside the shield were equally astonished. All eyes were now focused on the wooden sword.

The eyes of the black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch were completely bloodshot. Fury was rekindled, and raged in his heart; this wooden sword was the precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect, and had been worshiped by the sect for countless years. Even still, he could never have possibly guessed that the sword actually concealed such incredible Time power!

Although he had seen signs of it when the bamboo sword split apart earlier, it had quickly changed owners, and he had been disinclined to consider the matter further. By now, his heart was consumed with frustration and rage.

Now that he could sense the power of Time on the wooden sword, the Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch was incapable of suppressing his fury. He roared and pushed his cultivation base even harder. Peak Dao Seeking energy, bolstered by the burning of his longevity, immediately surged out.

His entire person resembled a shooting star or, perhaps, a razor-sharp sword that flickered through the air to appear next to the wooden sword. Bucking directly against the river of Time power, he stretched his hand out to grab the wooden sword.

"Get back here!" he bellowed.

However, as soon as he stretched out his hand and touched the sword… Naruto's second true self stood up in Blood Prince Valley. He took a step forward and then suddenly appeared outside the shield, next to the wooden sword. His hand slowly lifted up to grasp the sword by the hilt.

His robe was black, as was his hair, and he was very thin, but clearly had exactly the same facial features as Naruto. However, the feeling people got when they looked at him was not the feeling one got when looking at a person. This second true self was as cold as ice, and as he hovered there, he emanated a supremely haughty air, as if he looked down with contempt at every living thing.

His appearance on the scene immediately caused the Blood Demon disciples to be filled with shock. Panting, they looked back and forth between Naruto and his second true self, their expressions blank.

The more than 100,000 cultivators in the outside world were equally as astonished.

"A clone?" Those were the words that immediately appeared in everyone's minds.

"A mere clone?" said the Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch, his eyes widening. "Die you trifling…." He was just about to unleash a divine ability when suddenly, he began to tremble, and his eyes went wide with disbelief and shock.

He wasn't the only astonished one; the surrounding enemy cultivators were all dumbstruck.

Even the Blood Demon Sect disciples were thoroughly stunned.

Because….

The instant that Naruto's second true self gripped the wooden sword, his cultivation base began to erupt out from within.

First Severing. Second Severing. Third Severing…. Early Dao Seeking!

Intense rumbling filled Heaven and Earth as the cultivation base of Naruto's second true self roared up. Mid Dao Seeking. Late Dao Seeking…. It went all the way to the peak of Dao Seeking!

This development sent the entire battlefield into chaos!

Merely stepping into Dao Seeking put one on the level of a sect Patriarch, and as for peak Dao Seeking… they were the truly powerful experts, the strongest force of even the largest sects!

They would even be considered part of that sect's Dao Reserve!

In the entire Southern Domain, there were not even ten people who were at the peak of Dao Seeking!

In all of Planet Ninshu, less than a hundred peak Dao Seeking experts existed!

Any peak Dao Seeking cultivator could take a step forward and become a false Immortal!

As of this moment, Naruto's second true self was firmly in the peak Dao Seeking stage, something that would certainly shock and astonish anyone watching.

The buzz of conversation immediately rose up.

"How is this possible!?"

"Peak Dao Seeking! That's definitely peak Dao Seeking. This is the same feeling I get from our sect's Patriarch! Except… even stronger!"

"Naruto, Naruto…. No matter how this battle ends, there is a new powerful expert in the lands of South Heaven, and that is Naruto!"

"How did he create a clone like that? If his clone is at peak Dao Seeking, then his true self is definitely destined to have a peak Dao Seeking cultivation base!"

One change after another on the part of Naruto caused their souls to feel shocked. Everything that happened was something they would never be able to forget.

The Blood Demon Sect disciples excitedly began to call out.

"Blood Prince!"

"Blood Prince!"

At the same time, Patriarch Blood Demon and the others up in midair were also shocked, especially the red-haired Patriarch from the Golden Frost Sect and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch.

"Dammit! How can that kid have a peak Dao Seeking clone!?"

The eyes of the Dawn Immortal's clone widened. She knew Naruto was no ordinary person, but this development left her deeply shocked. In fact, this was the first time he truly astonished her to such an indescribable degree.

Patriarch Blood Demon's eyes swept over the land, and a profound look flickered within.

The black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch's eyes flickered.

Suppressing his shock, he gritted his teeth and said, "Peak Dao Seeking?

What's the big deal? I'm also peak Dao Seeking!"

He stretched out his hand in an incantation gesture, immediately causing more than 10,000 streams of sword light to swirl around him.

Heaven and Earth dimmed, and the clouds churned. The streams of sword light swirled about, making it seem as if the entire area were a world of swords.

The black-robed Patriarch pointed at Naruto's second true self, causing the sword lights to all shoot directly toward him!

The second true self hovered in midair, his black hair swirling, his expression cold. He held the wooden sword gripped in his right hand, and his eyes flickered. Suddenly, he squeezed his hand down.

Immediately, the wooden sword trembled, and began to drone. In the blink of an eye, it began to emit endless amounts of Time power!

10,000 years. 20,000 years. 30,000 years….

The power of Time exploded out, accompanied by the excited droning of the wooden sword, to echo out in all directions. It was in this moment that, at long last, the true power of the wooden sword could finally be revealed.

What was happening right now was something that even Naruto could not do. Only his second true self, with its peak Dao Seeking cultivation base, could unleash the power of the wooden sword in this way.

40,000 years. 50,000 years….

Everything shook above and below. A river of Time swept out around the second true self, a sight completely shocking to the eyes. As for the 10,000 incoming beams of sword light, they suddenly stopped in place, incapable of moving forward even an inch.

What was blocking their way was the passage of time!

The black-robed Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch's face fell, and a sense of danger welled up in his heart. At the same time, the more than 100,000 enemy cultivators were all flabbergasted.

Up in midair, the red-haired Golden Frost Sect Patriarch and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch, were equally shaken.

The second true self hovered in mid-air, black hair and black robes fluttering. The sword in its hand still was not finished!

Boom!

60,000 years!

The moment the river of Time surged with 60,000 years of Time power, the second true self sprang into action.

He swiped the sword out, and the 10,000 streams of sword light instantly vanished. In the blink of an eye, they passed through 60,000 years, and no longer existed.

"Impossible!" gasped the black-robed Patriarch. His astonishment had reached a pinnacle, and he finally backed up at top speed. However, the power of Time still brushed against him, and his body withered. In the blink of an eye, he seemed at least 10,000 years older. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his clothes seemed to decay. His face was waxen, his expression had turned from amazement to terror.

He could feel the shadow of death looming over him, as if he might die at any moment.

The second true self gripped the wooden sword, and its power was shocking. It could clearly battle the peak of Dao Seeking with no problem.

"Immortal's soul!" exclaimed the Solitary Sword Sect's Patriarch. "This clone is emanating the ripples of an Immortal's soul!"

Even as the words left his mouth, the second true self stepped forward, and Time turned into a wind that swept out like a river. Everywhere it passed, living things rotted and decayed.

RUMBLE!

The sword slashed, and the Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body withered significantly, and his eyes shone with terror. He looked at the approaching second true self, and fell back again. He waved his hand and, astonishingly, tens of thousands of beams of sword light shot out in defense.

Rumbling echoed out as the sword lights were crushed like rotten wood in the face of the second true self. He raised his hand, and swung the wooden sword a third time. 60,000 years of Time power surged forth.

Everything shook, and the sense of danger in the Solitary Sword Sect Patriarch's mind grew even more intense. He shot back toward the more than 100,000 cultivators, suddenly waving his hands down toward the ground. Immediately numerous cultivators were swept up, completely unable to control their own bodies as they were thrown back to block the wooden sword's Time power.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Rafael Ramirez and XKT

746

Chapter 746: False Immortal's Soul

One sword swept out, bones withered and souls perished!

The power of Time flowed out like a bright, dancing beam. In the blink of an eye, the cultivators who had been swept up by the fleeing blackrobed Patriarch, were completely withered into nothing more than dust and smoke. Their bodies, their magical items, everything was rotted into nothing.

All of the onlookers couldn't help but be shaken deeply by the deaths.

People wanted to flee, but considering the level of the black-robed Patriarch's cultivation base, they were nothing more than ants. No matter how quickly they scattered, he still threw them back as obstacles. As the power of Time consumed them, the black-robed Patriarch fled. Finally he had just a bit of breathing room.

"Dammit! DAMMIT!" His face was ashen, and the shadow of death loomed heavily over him. It had been many, many years since he had experienced the feeling of a deadly chase like this.

Inside, he was terrified, and was on full alert. Behind him, Naruto's second true self continued to close in.

It was a solitary sword that rumbled through the heavens. The power of

Time fell like rain, enveloping everything. The black-robed Patriarch's face paled even further, and his pupils constricted. He suddenly slapped his bag of holding to produce a black horn. He bit the tip of his tongue and spit some blood onto it, causing it to writhe and wriggle. It shattered with a bang as two centipedes suddenly flew out from inside!

The centipedes were pitch black, except for a white line that ran down their abdomens. As soon as they appeared, the aroma of deadly venom wafted out, along with an indescribable aura.

"Attack!" The black-robed man's face was pale. This was his trump card, something he had acquired years ago, and had even enabled him to launch a successful sneak attack against an injured false Immortal.

As soon as the centipedes appeared, they shot through the air like Immortal creatures. Their speed was incredible as they closed in on the second true self. However, as soon as they entered the power of Time, they instantly stopped in place.

The black-robed Patriarch became even more nervous, and he quickly produced even more magical items.

At the same time, the two many-legged centipedes continued to move forward, albeit much more slowly than before. They even looked excited.

The white lines on their abdomens began to expand until they covered more than half their bodies. Now, the centipedes appeared to be half white and half black.

At the same time, an incredible aura began to emanate out from them, and they grew even more excited. Gradually, their speed increased. Apparently, they were consuming the power of Time!

The sight of it caused Naruto's eyes to narrow as he stood within the shield.

The black-robed Patriarch was inwardly delighted, and he continued to flee at top speed. As he did, he waved his sleeve, causing the numerous glowing, magical items to shoot toward Naruto's second true self.

At the same time, the black-robed Patriarch's eyes flickered, and he performed an incantation gesture then pointed up into the sky. A lightning bolt crackled downward, and a lightning sword coalesced in the sky which then slashed down toward the second true self.

The second true self gave a cold snort and loosened his grip on the wooden sword, allowing it freedom to orbit around him. It immediately transformed into a vortex, which became a tempest. Sword Chakra raged, and the power of Time screamed through the air.

As for the second true self, he lifted his right hand up, during which time a confused expression appeared in his eyes.

Suddenly, his right hand became transparent, and thousands of magical sealing marks appeared. Shockingly, they shot forward to form the shape that looked like a closed parasol!

The parasol was formed from numerous magical symbols, and as soon as it appeared in full, it opened.

A shocking aura exploded out, along with a brightness that rivaled the sun. In fact, anyone who glanced at it would think that this parasol really was a sun.

This was not one of Naruto's divine abilities, but rather, a Daoist magic that existed in the memory of the Immortal's soul inside the second true self!

"Solitary Yang Sky!" said an ancient, icy voice that came from the mouth of the second true self. As the words echoed out, the black-robed Patriarch's magical items all shattered into pieces. As for the Patriarch himself, he was caught up by the glowing light and the tempest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body withered significantly.

Shock covered his face. "What divine ability is that!?"

What caused him even more despair was that the two centipedes, caught up in the river of Time, had been sated on Time power. Now, they shrank down and balled themselves up, leaving them unable to move and floating there in midair. Even when the black-robed Patriarch called for them to return, they completely ignored him.

"Dammit!" he thought, his heart filled with frustration. Suddenly, back inside the shield, Naruto waved his right hand. The war chariot appeared directly in front of him, which he entered without hesitation, at the same circulating the Chakra of Immortal Shows the Way.

RUMBLE!

The chariot vanished, to reappear moments later in front of his second true self. He waved his hand, and the two sphere-like centipedes were instantly sucked into his bag of holding.

"YOU!" roared the black-robed Patriarch, nearly coughing up blood. What he saw in front of him was two people who looked the same, and yet felt completely different. Immediately, he began to flee at top speed.

Even as he fled, Naruto's second true self took a step forward and then raised his hand, pointing out toward the Patriarch. Immediately, the wooden sword began to emit a droning sound. At the same time, Naruto also performed an incantation and then pointed forward.

Naruto's second true self was completely under his control, and in this moment he coordinated with it to jointly control the wooden sword. Droning, the wooden sword exploded with the power of Time.

70,000 years!

Under the power of 70,000 years of time, the river of Time transformed into a sword!

Boundless sword Chakra caused everything to tremble and shake as the sword itself slashed toward the black-robed Patriarch.

The black-robed Patriarch's eyes widened, and he was about to dodge out of the way when suddenly, the golden vortex of the Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared, as well as the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex.

Enveloped, the man couldn't move an inch. He could only remain there in place as a sword containing 70,000 years of Time power descended upon him.

"NO!" he howled. He performed a double-handed incantation, causing an ancient aura to suddenly appear, along with two sealing marks on both of his hands. His body was withering rapidly, not because of the vortex, or because of the decay of Time, but because of something he was doing to himself.

All of the flesh and blood in his body, even the bones and Chakra passageways, all of his fleshly body was condensing into a divine ability.

"Fleshly Sword Body!" he roared. His body collapsed, although his Nascent Divinity wasn't harmed at all. His bag of holding tumbled off to the side as the various parts of his fleshly body were shattered and then formed back together… into a sword! Its blade was made of bone, and its hilt, flesh and blood! Chakra and blood swirled around it in all directions.

The sword shot directly toward the Wooden Time Sword.

BOOOOOMMMMMMM!

A massive explosion could be heard that shook the entire battlefield, astonishing everyone.

The white bone sword shattered, and the hilt fell to pieces. Chakra and blood transformed into ripples that spread out in all directions. Naruto's wooden sword trembled and emitted a droning sound as it spun backward. However, the second true self easily reached out his hand and grabbed it.

The second true self's face was pale white as he staggered backward a few measures. As for Naruto, he was completely protected by his second true self, and yet still coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"So, peak Dao Seeking experts really can't be killed easily," he thought, his eyes glittering.

Rumbling rolled out across the lands below; the force of the explosion just now was too powerful, and the Blood Demon Sect's final shield layer couldn't take the impact. It trembled, and then directly shattered into pieces. The Blood Demon Sect was now completely exposed in the middle of the battlefield.

The black-robed Patriarch's Nascent Divinity grew very dim under the power of the explosion, but fled at top speed nonetheless, an expression of madness and hatred on his face. Since becoming Patriarch of the sect, he had never been so seriously injured, especially not to the point of being forced to use the Fleshly Sword Body. All of his failures had to do with the wooden sword. The most powerful magical arts he could utilize were all designed to be used in coordination with the sect's precious treasure.

"You're all dead!" the black-robed Patriarch roared. "Naruto, I'm going to possess your body! Golden Frost,ShimuraYuanlei, no more delays! I'm making my move now!" Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his bag of holding and then slapped it to produce an enormous statue!

The statue was fully three thousand meters tall, and completely black.

An intense energy surged up into the air as soon as it appeared.

Gradually, a seemingly infinite murderous aura began to swirl around it. Its presence caused strange colors to flash in the sky, and the clouds roiled. At the same time, a huge vortex appeared around the statue.

An aura suddenly exploded out that belonged to an Immortal.

It was an Immortal's treasure!

The Dawn Immortal had been their trump card, but this statue was their last resort.

The red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch exchanged determined glances.

The Golden Frost Sect Patriarch took a deep breath and then waved his hand. Immediately 1,000 fist-sized rocks flew out from within his sleeves. Shockingly, Immortal Chakra immediately began to emanate out.

These were not magical items, nor spirit stones. These were… pieces of Immortal jade!

Even Immortals would rarely see so many pieces of Immortal jade!

As soon as the pieces of Immortal jade flew out, the vortex around the statue sucked them up. The statue's energy shot upward, and the murderous air to its aura increased by tenfold.

The 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch had a very serious look on his face as he opened his mouth and spit out a mouthful of blood. His entire body suddenly sagged, and he backed up anxiously. Within the blood were countless dots of golden light, which formed together into countless strands that resembled a root formed of countless veins.

This was… a root of Immortality!

The Immortal root flew into the statue, and the instant it did, the statue seemed to come to life. Its limbs trembled, and the entire statue turned into a puppet!

At the same time, the black-robed Patriarch waved his sleeve to collect up Patriarch Six-Daos' discarnate soul, then threw it off to the side.

The river of 100,000 discarnate souls was no longer under the control of Patriarch Six-Daos, but rather, the black-robed Patriarch. He led the river of souls directly into the statue-puppet, which caused its eyes to open and radiate brilliant light.

The aura of an Immortal exploded out with full intensity.

This was an Immortal!

Although it was not a true Immortal, even a false Immortal could still be called Immortal.

A false Immortal puppet!

"Naruto, it's time to die!" said the puppet, its voice that of the blackrobed Patriarch.

The puppet's eyes shone with boundless light at it slowly stood up. Its energy rumbled boundlessly, and the ground quaked. An Immortal aura exploded out.

"Everyone, attack! Eradicate everyone in the Blood Demon Sect! Leave no one alive!"

In response to the puppet's voice, the more than 100,000 cultivators' hearts surged. It was almost as if their bodies weren't even under their own control. Without the slightest hesitation, they shot directly toward the shieldless Blood Demon Sect.

—–

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747

Chapter 747: Decisive Battle!

The final, decisive battle had finally begun!

Booming filled the sky and the land, the Heavens dimmed, and the wind screamed. The Blood Demon Sect was the center, and surrounding it was a vast sea of cultivators unleashing magical techniques that gave rise to enormous ripples. The earth was smashed and the air shattered. It was as if doomsday had arrived.

More than 100,000 cultivators charged across the battlefield madly toward the Blood Demon Sect disciples that they had besieged this entire time. The Blood Demon Sect disciples had repressed themselves to the limit, and now their savagery exploded out.

"KILL THEM!" There were tens of thousands of Blood Demon Sect disciples and more than 100,000 enemy cultivators. Despite the fact that they were significantly outnumbered, they did not hesitate to wade into the bloody battle.

This was their sect, and this war was being waged to exterminate them. Not a single one of them would be left alive. Since that was the case, they would take some of the enemy with them!

Or perhaps… they would be able to slaughter their way to a chance for survival.

Naruto's eyes glittered as he retreated back to Blood Prince Gorge. Hinata was shivering slightly when he landed in front of her, but when she saw him she took a deep breath and gazed at him with gentle eyes.

He embraced her, then looked up at the vast array of enemy forces charging toward them. He watched as the Blood Demon Sect disciples charged madly into the fray, and the final, decisive battle began.

"Are you afraid?" he asked Hinata softly.

"No," she replied with a chuckle.

Naruto's second true self hovered in midair, eyes glittering. He raised his hand, causing the wooden sword to circulate around him as his peak Dao Seeking cultivation base surged. Then, he turned into a prismatic streak of light that shot toward the false Immortal puppet.

The puppet immediately met him in combat and explosions rang out, sending boundless ripples out in all directions. This became a third battlefield, the second being where Patriarch Blood Demon was fighting.

On the ground below, the slaughter commenced. Shouting rang out, along with the sounds of killing. The Blood Demon Sect disciples were in a frenzy, holding nothing back, even sustaining injury and burning longevity. When they were too severely injured, they would smile bitterly and then choose to self-detonate.

Rumbling filled the battlefield as the Blood Demon Sect disciples massacred the enemy with savagery and madness.

One particular Blood Demon Sect disciple with a Nascent Soul cultivation base, received a fatal blow. Using the last bit of his energy, he lunged forward and buried his teeth into his opponent's throat and ripped out a huge chunk of bloody flesh. As his opponent screamed miserably, the Blood Demon Sect disciple laughed maniacally and then self-detonated.

Another Blood Demon Sect disciple unleashed a forbidden art. His entire cultivation base and fleshly body, even his soul, transformed into a drop of blood which stabbed through the foreheads of multiple opponents.

After slaying eight people in a row, he exploded.

Ruthlessly savage!

Due to the berserk fighting of the Blood Demon Sect, the more than 100,000 enemies were kept outside of the mountain peaks, and were incapable of stepping half a pace into the interior of the sect. The vicious slaughter being carried out by the Blood Demon Sect completely shook their opponents.

In a very short period of time, the Blood Demon Sect lost more than 10,000 cultivators. However, the enemy forces paid a heavy price; more than 20,000 of their number were killed!

Naruto did not participate in the fighting, but rather stood outside Blood Prince Gorge, surrounded by Blood Demon Sect disciples, silently observing the battle. To the other disciples, their Blood Prince had already paid a heavy enough price. Now… it was time for them to do their part.

Up in midair, the Dawn Immortal's clone began to shine with a brilliant light. The illusory Resurrection Lily behind her almost seemed corporeal. She was now relying purely on her own strength to keep Patriarch Blood Demon's clone in check.

Rumbling filled the air as they attacked each other. As for the red-haired Golden Frost Sect Patriarch and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch, they circled around the area, occasionally attempting to interfere with the battle, but mostly just setting up spell formations in an attempt to prevent Patriarch Blood Demon from breaking free.

In a different location, Naruto's second true self was fighting the false Immortal puppet. The black-robed Patriarch's Nascent Divinity was now driving the puppet, and thanks to his towering killing intent and the puppet's incredible strength, Naruto's second true self was slowly being pushed back.

The gap between the peak of Dao Seeking and a false Immortal was too vast!

Thankfully, Naruto's second true self had the Wooden Time Sword, and the Immortal's soul inside of him made him just capable of holding his own in the battle.

However, anyone could see that eventually, the Blood Demon Sect… would be defeated.

"DIE!" roared the more than 100,000 enemy cultivators as they surged onto the offensive once more. In the middle of all the fighting could be seen the Golden Frost Sect puppet with the Dao Seeking aura. Its eyes flashed as it advanced cautiously through the crowds.

The cultivators who made up this Golden Frost Sect puppet were already thoroughly frightened by Naruto. They had looked on helplessly as the Solitary Sword Sect's early Dao Seeking expert was killed, and theShimuraClan Patriarch severely injured. Then there was the black-robed Patriarch, who they didn't even come close to matching up to.

They would have long since fled, but this was war, and they could not.

Even as the Golden Frost Sect puppet started to advance, Naruto's eyes began to flicker with icy coldness. He looked at the puppet, and as he did, it stopped in its tracks.

Naruto looked down at Hinata and began to speak, his voice soft. "I'm going to kill a lot of people today. If you don't want to see so much bloodshed, you can always close your eyes."

Hinata looked up at him with a tender expression, then closed her eyes.

Holding Hinata tight with one arm, he flicked his sleeve, causing the war chariot to appear. He stepped inside, and the war chariot began to shine with a blinding light. Numerous beasts magically appeared, and they roared as they began to pull the chariot forward.

He stood there in the war chariot, Hinata at his side. Now that he had reappeared on the battlefield, he once again became the focus of attention. Everything he said and did would be noticed, and would affect the overall situation on the battlefield.

Boom!

The war chariot charged into the crowds, and instantly people were killed. In the blink of an eye, a bloody path was carved out across the battlefield.

Bloodcurdling screams filled the air constantly. Anyone who was struck by Naruto's war chariot died in a spray of blood. Soon, the chariot itself was the color of blood.

Naruto's face, hair, and clothing were also soaked in blood, but he didn't care. His eyes were cold and grim as he waved his hand, causing the Ninth Mountain to appear as well as the fourth level vortex of the Blood Demon Grand Magic.

He was no longer the scholar he had been. Nor was he the same Naruto of the Southern Domain. After joining the Blood Demon Sect, his heart had begun to fill with an insatiable desire to kill.

That desire to kill was the Devil in his heart!

Be a Devil in heart. Bedevilment! As a Devil, carry out mass slaughter!

Naruto lifted his head and roared as the war chariot shot forward, this time toward the Golden Frost Sect puppet. The Golden Frost Sect puppet's face fell, and it fell back at top speed. It performed an incantation gesture, causing the glint of blades and swords to spin toward Naruto.

Boom!

Naruto made no attempt to dodge. The war chariot smashed forward, crushing the incoming blades and swords like dried weeds as it barreled toward the puppet.

Another explosion rattled out, and popping sounds could be heard from the puppet as cracks spread out across its body. It retreated again, waving its hand to produce a golden greatsword which then slashed down toward Naruto.

Naruto snorted coldly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and punched out.

The instant his punch connected with the greatsword, cracks spread out across the sword, and it exploded into pieces. Having lost the greatsword, the Golden Frost Sect puppet appeared to be in a state of despair. It was incapable of dodging the war chariot, which slammed directly into its body.

A boom could be heard as the Golden Frost Sect puppet fell to pieces. It transformed into four Spirit Severing cultivators, all of whom were coughing up blood. Faces aghast, they were about to flee, only to find that the fourth level vortex of the Blood Demon Grand Magic was waiting for them.

The vortex rumbled into motion, and not a single one of the four were able to escape. They were enveloped by the vortex, and their bodies began to wither. Their cultivation bases were sucked away; even genuine early Dao Seeking cultivators would be incapable of getting out of this vortex. As for these four… how could they possibly escape death!?

BOOM!

Their bodies exploded, and their cultivation bases were gone. Their Nascent Divinities flew out, whereupon the flag of three streamers appeared to sweep them up.

Unfortunately, this small victory did nothing to change the tide of the battle as a whole. In the same moment that Naruto vanquished the Golden Frost Sect puppet, booming sounds could be heard from up in mid-air as his second true self coughed up blood and retreated at top speed.

The false Immortal puppet, under the control of the black-robed Patriarch, was emanating an incredible energy. Immortal Chakra surged about, and the air around it shattered. Natural law bowed before him, as if it were the ultimate sovereign.

"Blood Demon Sect! Today, you will be exterminated!" cried the blackrobed man from within the false Immortal puppet, his voice laced with killing intent. "Naruto, you twerp, you will not escape death today!"

The enormous puppet flickered, suddenly changing directions to attack, not the second true self, but Naruto.

Naruto's killing intent filled the air, but he was well aware of the gap in power between him and the puppet. The war chariot thrummed as he retreated. Unfortunately, the false Immortal puppet only continued to pursue him, and even increased its speed. It got closer and closer!

It didn't seem as if there were any place Naruto could flee to. The false Immortal puppet would catch him no matter where he went!

His second true self flickered and shot toward him. However, Naruto knew that there was nowhere to flee to. He suddenly grinned hideously, and then stopped in place. He raised his right hand, and the Blood Demon Grand Magic appeared, along with the Ninth Mountain, the Black White Pearls and the Blood Immortal divine abilities!

He also summoned the 'withering' character, and called theHebiClan Blood Clone from down on the battlefield. In addition, the Resurrection Lily blossomed behind him, writhing viciously.

And finally… he clenched his right fist!

As for the second true self, he utilized his peak Dao Seeking cultivation base to unleash the Solitary Yang Sky!

It combined with the Wooden Time Sword, a river of 70,000 years of Time power, and everything else, to form the most powerful attack that Naruto could currently unleash.

He was battling a false Immortal!

The entire battlefield shook violently!

A shocking boom rang out that turned the heads of countless people on the battlefield. The air was shattered, and the false Immortal puppet not only stopped in place, it retreated three measures!

Naruto's second true self spat up a huge mouthful of blood and stumbled backward. As for Naruto himself, blood also sprayed from his mouth. However, his body did not collapse due to the protection of the chariot. The war chariot tumbled end-over-end, and the Chakra of Immortal Shows the Way vanished, causing the war chariot to also disappear.

Naruto held Hinata tight as he fled. When he looked back, he saw the false Immortal Puppet laughing maniacally and proceeding forward with killing intent swirling.

"Time to die!" roared the puppet, raising its right hand. Shockingly, a multi-colored glow appeared, swirling Immortal Chakra which transformed into an Immortal lotus. The lotus pulsed, and a massive pressure rumbled out.

It was at this point that….

Up in midair, Patriarch Blood Demon's clone, the one that was fighting the Dawn Immortal, suddenly sighed. Then, it turned and vanished.

Meanwhile, in the cave in Mount Blood Demon, the armored Patriarch Blood Demon sat cross-legged in the Blood Pool. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and they radiated a glow the color of blood.

748

Chapter 748 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 748: Blood Demon's True Self!

An ancient voice echoed out from Mount Blood Demon.

"It's time to end this war."

Apart from the Blood Demon Sect disciples, everyone on the battlefield was immediately rooted in place.

Even the false Immortal puppet controlled by the black-robed Patriarch, which had been bearing down on Naruto, was stopped in midair.

The red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect, the 3rdShimuraClan

Patriarch, even the Dawn Immortal's clone, all were frozen in place. They could not move, but they could still think, and their minds… were filled with astonishment!

"The fact that you were able to push me this far shows that I truly did underestimate you Southern Domain cultivators," said the ancient voice. It sounded incredibly tired, yet at the same time, filled with a mighty and wild pride.

"Dawn Immortal, earlier you asked me why I was so confident. Well now I'm going to show you… exactly why I am so confident.

"You all believe that what sits in the Immortal's cave in Mount Blood

Demon is actually my true self?" Even as the voice boomed out,

Patriarch Blood Demon slowly rose from his cross-legged position in the Blood Pond. He stepped forward and then… walked out of the Immortal's cave on Mount Blood Demon.

As he stepped foot onto the mountain peak, a sea of blood burst out from behind him. It truly was a sea, vast quantities of blood that surged up into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it covered everything, so that everything up above… was the color of blood.

The previous sky was no longer visible, making the entire world seem to be one of blood. Within this world of blood, atop Mount Blood Demon, stood Patriarch Blood Demon, clad in armor, looking out at the world with ancient eyes.

Official ISSTH art of Patriarch Blood Demon Official ISSTH "cute"

Patriarch Blood Demon art

The red-haired Patriarch from the Golden Frost Sect trembled, and an intense apprehension welled up inside of him.

The 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch was equally astonished, and an unprecedented feeling of crisis filled him.

The Dawn Immortal's clone wore an expression of astonishment as she suddenly realized that her understanding of Patriarch Blood Demon… was far from complete.

The false Immortal puppet controlled by the black-robed Patriarch was also shaking. The massive pressure which weighed down on him was such that he knew a mere thought could kill him!

"Impossible! How could he be so powerful!?"

Down below on the battlefield, the more than 100,000 cultivators of the allied powers were also dumbfounded.

"There are many stories about me in the lands of the Southern Domain," said Patriarch Blood Demon coolly. "According to some of those stories, I am the incarnation of a drop of blood from a Demon. That is why… I am called Patriarch Blood Demon.

"That story is true." He stood there atop Mount Blood Demon, not even the tiniest ripple emanating from his cultivation base. He seemed, for all intents and purposes, to be a mortal.

"And yet, it is also false!" When he said this, the land began to quake. Fissures spread out, as if some enormous creature were waking beneath the surface of the land and was about to emerge.

"I say it's true because I am indeed incarnated from a drop of blood. I say it's false because this body formed by the drop of blood… is not my true self!"

Rumbling sounds could be heard as the rifts in the land grew larger. However, the cultivators were completely stuck in their original positions. Even if the land fell away beneath them, they would remain floating there in place.

As for the Blood Demon Sect disciples, they had already retreated back to the region of the five mountain peaks. Naruto was among their number, his mind reeling as he held Hinata tight at his side.

Hinata's eyes had opened and she was also looking on with shock.

"My confidence lies in my true self. I don't have much life left in me, so I didn't want to move…. However, this battle has earned you the right to see me." Even as the words began to leave his mouth, an intense rumbling could be heard from the ground.

Everything shook as, shockingly, a gargantuan hand burst out from the ground. It was followed by an arm that was thousands of meters long. It looked like a mountain as it rose up, causing everything to tremble.

The surface of the ground collapsed as a head appeared. He had bloodcolored skin, and a horn protruded from his forehead. He wore an ancient, dilapidated suit of armor. It only took a moment… for him to completely rise up from the ground!

He was nearly thirty thousand meters tall, completely crimson, and covered with innumerable complex magical symbols.

He looked almost exactly like the Demonic Incarnation of the Blood Demon Grand Spell Formation that Naruto had controlled before, only more ancient and more real!

The red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect felt his mind buzzing. His face fell, and he began to pant. Next to him, theShimuraClan Patriarch gasped, and his eyes went wide with disbelief.

The Dawn Immortal's clone was also trembling, and the Resurrection Lily behind her was struggling. As for the false Immortal puppet controlled by the black-robed Patriarch, it was also trembling.

The instant the enormous figure appeared, the Patriarch Blood Demon that stood on Mount Blood Demon stepped out into the air and then flew up to sit cross-legged on top of the enormous head. Then, he slowly merged down into the enormous Demon.

It was at this point that the Demon's eyes suddenly opened.

"This is my true self!

"I was seriously injured, and chose this place to recuperate. I incarnated a clone with a drop of blood, and founded the Blood Demon Sect." His voice rumbled across the lands like thunder. Up above, the bloodcolored sky glittered brightly. The more than 100,000 cultivators were trembling in shock, even the most powerful experts.

Naruto was equally shaken.

"Unfortunately, I can only wield a fraction of the power that I could when I was at my peak. It would be difficult for me to harm a true Immortal. However, to kill a false Immortal… is child's play." With that, his huge hand stretched out and grabbed the Dawn Immortal's clone.

Rumbling filled the air, and the Dawn Immortal's clone screamed miserably. The Resurrection Lily behind her writhed as she struggled to fight back. She could only hold on for a moment, though, before her body was crushed. She, along with the Resurrection Lily, began to fade away.

Before vanishing completely, the Dawn Immortal's cold, merciless voice rang out: "Blood Demon, I refuse to believe that you will be able to keep ahold of that Demon body for much longer! Since you're dying, your Demon body will soon belong to me!"

"Ah, so it's true…. You came here for my Demon body." It was then that Blood Demon's eyes came to rest on the red-haired old man from the Golden Frost Sect. He stretched his finger out.

The old man trembled, but could do nothing to fight back. Blood Demon's finger touched him, and it was a boundless mountain smashing down onto him. He immediately was smashed into pieces, leaving behind only his Nascent Divinity. His expression was one of terror and despair, incapable as he was of fleeing.

Just when he thought he was going to disappear forever, Blood Demon calmly said, "I'll leave you alive."

With that, a blood-red light descended from the blood-colored sky, enveloping the red-haired Patriarch, instantly transforming him into something that looked like a Blood Clone.

Along with the new body came a blank expression, as if all his previous memories had been wiped away.

"From now on, you will be a Dharma Protector of the Blood Demon Sect," said Patriarch Blood Demon, his voice cool. Next, his gaze shifted to the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch, and his finger moved again.

The 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch trembled, and his body exploded. As the blood and gore dissipated, his Nascent Divinity flew out, and was encased in a similar body of blood. His memories were erased, and he became another Dharma Protector of the Blood Demon Sect.

Patriarch Blood Demon seemed exhausted, and he closed his eyes, as if he didn't even have enough energy to keep them open. It seemed that his actions just now put quite a strain on him.

After a moment, he forced his eyes open again and looked at the puppet being controlled by the black-robed Patriarch. "And then there's you…. I think you, too, will be a Dharma Protector of the Blood Demon Sect." "That one must die!" said Naruto suddenly.

Blood Demon's eyes flickered. Without another word, he reached out and grabbed the false Immortal puppet and squeezed down violently. What was being crushed was in fact the Nascent Divinity of the blackrobed old man.

A miserable scream could be heard as the Nascent Divinity was completely obliterated.

Having accomplished these things, the enormous Blood Demon closed his eyes. Apparently, he was now completely out of energy. He once again sat down cross-legged and then sank down into the ground. The image of Patriarch Blood Demon once again appeared at the top of his head, looking completely exhausted, and surrounded by an even stronger aura of death than before. As the enormous Demon disappeared into the earth, Patriarch Blood Demon stepped foot onto Mount Blood Demon. As he entered the Immortal's cave there, the sea of blood that covered the sky rushed back into the cave to reform the Blood Pond. Patriarch Blood Demon sluggishly sat down cross-legged to meditate.

It was at this point that Naruto suddenly heard Patriarch Blood Demon's exhausted voice in his ear.

"I didn't want to use my real body, as it is an incredible drain on the scant bit of power I have left….

"But you… represent a hope that I cannot ignore….

"I need to sleep now, and I won't be able to awaken again for another hundred years. Perhaps I will never awaken. As for the Blood Demon Sect… I give it to you…. Be careful of the Dawn Immortal. She is both a Resurrection Lily, and not a Resurrection Lily…. Also, the great territorial war is coming soon."

The rift in the ground closed up, and the restrictive spell formation surrounding the area vanished. The more than 100,000 cultivators on the battlefield could now move again. Trembling, they looked with terror at Mount Blood Demon. It was hard to say who was first, but they began to retreat, scattering like a flock of birds, fighting amongst themselves to be the first to flee.

As for the 70,000 remaining Blood Demon Sect disciples, their killing intent was even more intense than ever. Their sect had narrowly escaped complete eradication in this war, and they would never rest easy unless they exacted their revenge.

"Blood Prince!"

"Blood Prince!"

All of the Blood Demon disciples turned to look at Naruto as they awaited his decision about what to do next.

Naruto looked at the exhausted Blood Demon Sect disciples and then after a moment of contemplation said, "Debts of blood can only be paid in full WITH blood! We rest for one month. After that, I will take you… to unify the Southern Domain!"

Their intense killing intent, along with the thirst to unify the Southern Domain, transformed their morale into one of excitement and frenzy. The mood completely enveloped the battered Blood Demon Sect!

Meanwhile, outside of the Blood Demon Sect, an old man sat crosslegged up in the sky. Beneath him was a pill furnace. He had a complex expression on his face as look down at the Blood Demon Sect.

It was Pill Demon, also known as Reverend Violet East of the Violet Fate Sect.

"Patriarch Blood Demon, you have paid too heavy a price in order to prepare him to Sever the Devil and enter Dao Seeking. He is my apprentice, so this kindness is something that he should not have to pay for. I will take the responsibility to repay you." After a long, deep look at the Blood Demon Sect, he turned and vanished.

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Nico Zeese, Brett Flowers, Junior

Fortytwo, and JQ

749

Chapter 749 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 749: Emperor Black Sieve!

One month later….

There was no hotter topic in the Southern Domain than the war between the four allied powers and the Blood Demon Sect. After a month, stories about the battle had already spread far and wide.

The peak Dao Seeking Patriarch of the Solitary Sword Sect had fallen in battle, as well as an early Dao Seeking elder!

Patriarch Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect had been killed!

A Patriarch of the Golden Frost Sect and the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch were wiped of their memories and transformed into Dharmic Protectors of the Blood Demon Sect!

The Blood Demon Sect's Blood Prince, Naruto, had a peak Dao Seeking clone and an undying body. No matter how many times he was killed, his body reformed!

Patriarch Blood Demon's true self was actually beneath the Blood Demon Sect, and was shockingly powerful to the extreme!

All the details were spread throughout the Southern Domain. Soon, all cultivators were shocked by the might of the Blood Demon Sect.

"The Patriarchs of four sects were either killed or enslaved! I can't believe the Blood Demon Sect is actually that powerful!"

"That's nothing. I heard that the Solitary Sword Sect's precious treasure was actually taken away by the Blood Demon Sect's Blood Prince! How bizarre is that!?"

"The number one sect in the Southern Domain is definitely the Blood

Demon Sect!"

"Four great powers were defeated, do you really think the Blood Demon Sect will stop now? It won't be long now before another great war unfolds!"

"It's too bad about all those rogue cultivators who enlisted. I heard almost all of them died…."

During the month, discussions raged regarding the battles between the Blood Demon Sect and the four great powers. Soon, people began to realize that… there were suddenly far fewer cultivators in the Southern Domain than there used to be.

Heavy casualties had been sustained by four great powers, as well as a vast quantity of rogue cultivators. Such losses significantly reduced the overall military might of the Southern Domain as a whole.

As the rest of the Southern Domain was marveling about the Blood Demon Sect, the Solitary Sword Sect was awash with misery. They had once been the most powerful sect, with two Dao Seeking Patriarchs. Now, however, both of those patriarchs were dead.

Furthermore, their sect's precious treasure now belonged to someone else. The forces that returned to the sect were less than half of the number who had left to wage war. Virtually all of their Spirit Severing experts had died. Only three returned.

As soon as the Solitary Sword Sect's forces returned, they immediately sealed down the entire sect, activated their grand spell formation and cut themselves off from the outside world.

All of the sect members' hearts were filled with fear and even terror at the thought of reprisals from the Blood Demon Sect.

The Golden Frost Sect was in much the same position as the Solitary Sword Sect. Their Patriarch had died, their Dao Seeking puppet had been destroyed, and virtually all of their Spirit Severing experts had been slain. The only Spirit Severing expert who remained was an Elder of the Second Severing, who was now the most powerful person in the Sect.

Their eighteen grand spell formations were activated one by one. The Golden Frost Sect… also chose to seal their entire sect off from the outside world!

As for theShimuraClan, both their 3rd and 5th Patriarchs were dead, and significant injuries and deaths had been inflicted on their forces. It was an incredibly heavy blow to the Clan. Thankfully for theShimuraClan, they had existed for many years, and were able to awaken a Third Severing Patriarch. However, he was only one person. Therefore, theShimuraClan also sealed itself, its mountain ranges, and all the surrounding areas.

And then there was the Black Sieve Sect…. There was no need for the Black Sieve Sect to seal anything. There were only a handful of disciples left alive. As for the ones who survived the war with the Blood Demon Sect, they didn't return to the sect.

The disciples who had been left behind to guard the sect quickly learned of the death of Six-Daos, and the great victory of the Blood Demon Sect. Filled with terror, they all left. The once flourishing mountains of the enormous Black Sieve Sect were now empty.

Of course, there were some rogue cultivators and small-scale sects who cast their eyes on the spiritual energy and resources within the sect. They snuck in to search for the sect's ancient records, legacies and magical items.

However, something happened that instantly turned the entire Black Sieve Sect into a forbidden zone that no one dared to enter.

About half a month previous, a group of several hundred rogue cultivators were wandering through the Black Sieve Sect when suddenly, a sinister roar could be heard coming from underground, deep beneath the Black Sieve Sect. Then, a voice could be heard.

"I, the Emperor, have been sleeping for so long, and when I finally wake up… well, look at what has happened to this place! Well then, you people will be staying behind!" As the voice echoed out, black fog roiled up from the ground beneath the Black Sieve Sect. It quickly enveloped the entire area, whereupon bloodcurdling shrieks could be heard coming from the rogue cultivators inside. Not a single one was able to escape.

The people who were outside of the fog fled in shock, and then spread word of what had happened.

As the Southern Domain slipped into chaos, the Solitary Sword Sect, the Golden Frost Sect and theShimuraClan were all sealed. There was little change in the Song Clan and the Violet Fate Sect. For them, things continued on as normal. They had not participated in the war with the Blood Demon Sect, and therefore sustained no losses whatsoever, and maintained their previous levels of power.

As time passed, more and more Southern Domain cultivators were trying to figure out what the Blood Demon Sect would do next. Would they strike back? If they sought revenge, which sect would they move against first?

In fact, quite a few cultivators lingered near the outskirts of the Blood Demon Sect, awaiting the day they took action.

Finally, one bright and beautiful day, beneath a cloudless sky, a beam of colorful light shot up from within the Blood Demon Sect. It was not just one beam, but hundreds, then thousands, until finally… tens of thousands of beams of light caused Heaven and Earth to tremble.

Instantly, the cultivators lingering outside of the Blood Demon Sect began to get excited.

"The Blood Demon Sect is on the march!"

"Tens of thousands of cultivators have been dispatched! There's definitely going to be a war!"

"They're absolutely going to strike back, otherwise why would they marshal such an incredible force!?"

The rogue cultivators quickly spread the news. At a sensitive time like this in the Southern Domain, this news about the Blood Demon Sect swept across the entire land like a stormwind.

The Blood Demon Sect was on the move!

Tens of thousands of beams of light shot through the air, with Naruto in the lead. His expression was grim as he whistled through the air. Shockingly, he was flanked by two figures wearing blood-colored robes, with blank expressions on their faces. They seemed barely aware of what was going on around them, but their auras were intense, that of peak Dao Seeking.

Behind them were the Spirit Severing experts, then tens of thousands of ordinary disciples, all of them bent on revenge.

They traveled in silence, and with utmost speed. Quite a few Southern Domain cultivators caught sight of them flying through the sky and were shocked, but then began to follow along. Gradually, more and more cultivators were following behind the Blood Demon Sect.

Soon, the buzz of conversation could be heard from the cultivators trailing the Blood Demon Sect.

"The Black Sieve Sect! That's their target! It's the Black Sieve Sect!"

"You're right. Based on the direction, the only target could be the Black

Sieve Sect!"

"The Black Sieve Sect has already fallen to pieces. Its disciples are either dead or scattered! The whole sect is in ruins!"

"Did you forget what happened half a month ago, though? There's a fog covering the entire sect, with some mysterious danger lurking inside."

Naruto was in the vanguard position, his expression calm, but his eyes flickering with killing intent. Many people had been wounded or killed in the fighting, and his hatred had reached such heights that retribution was absolutely necessary.

As far as the Black Sieve Sect went, Naruto had long since planned to destroy it. He didn't just want to kill the disciples of the sect, he wanted to completely rip it up by the roots and erase its name from the Southern Domain for all time.

"After joining the Blood Demon Sect, I have slaughtered countless enemies. Therefore… I might as well be thorough about it!" A bloody glow could be seen in his eyes, and a monstrous desire to kill filled him as he pushed forward at top speed.

RUMBLE!

Several days later, the Blood Demon Sect appeared as beams of light in the sky above the Black Sieve Sect. Shockingly, more than 100,000 additional beams of light were behind them. They… were disciples from other Southern Domain sects, as well as rogue cultivators. They had followed the Blood Demon Sect here to bear witness to the great war.

The Black Sieve Sect no longer looked like the place Naruto remembered. What he saw was a vast churning fog, completely black, that covered the Ninety Nine Mountains and exuded an intense aura of death. Its coldness was palpable. Furthermore, the surroundings were caked in layer after layer of bluish ice, as if the area was experiencing a glacial winter.

Naruto quickly blinked his right eye several times in succession, and the Chakra of Immortal Shows the Way spread out into his eye. Now when he looked at the fog, he was able to make out some more vague details.

He could see the ruins of the Ninety Nine Mountains, as well as a group of a few hundred people milling about in the center of them all. Their bodies were stiff, as if they existed in a state somewhere between living and dying.

A black thread was attached to the head of each one of the group of several hundred. The black threads stretched down into the ground into a mass of fog deep below the surface of earth. It was roughly thirty meters wide, and even Naruto's gaze couldn't pierce into it.

However, Naruto could sense that the ball of fog emanated a Dao Seeking aura.

He gave a cold snort as he rotated his cultivation base. He lifted his right hand and then pushed it down over his right eye. The full power of Immortal Shows the Way poured into his eye, and his pupil began to glow with a golden light. All of a sudden, it was as if a veil had been lifted from the world.

He could now see clearly into the thirty meter ball of fog. He saw a platform in the shape of a lotus, upon which a man was seated crosslegged.

The man wore the robe of an emperor, as well as a crown. His body was shriveled and emaciated, almost like a withered corpse. Hundreds of black threads could be seen on the ground, all of them connected to his head. Bizarrely, the threads were squirming and writhing.

Behind the withered corpse was a door.

The instant Naruto laid eyes on the corpse, its eyes opened. A green light appeared there which shot out through the mist to meet Naruto's gaze.

"Naruto… Hao…." said the corpse, its voice ancient and strange as it echoed back and forth.

Naruto's eyes flickered. He did not find it strange at all that this person knew who he was. As for the hundreds of threads, Naruto could sense that they were being used by the withered corpse to control the hundreds of people up above. It was something similar to Soulsearch.

"I… don't want… to be… your enem… wait, your aura…?!" The withered corpse didn't even get halfway through its sentence before it seemed to sense something. It looked closely at Naruto, and then the flickering green glow in its eyes grew even more intense.

"You're… that Demon Sealer… from that time years ago! Demon Sealer! If I kill you… I can confirm the path to true Immortality!" The withered corpse suddenly shot to its feet. In that instant, the fog covering the Black Sieve Sect suddenly exploded out, shooting directly toward Naruto.

Inside of the fog were hundreds of figures, all of them roaring as black mist bored into their bodies. Their cultivation bases surged, and although their eyes were blank, their faces twisted with rage. Their bodies grew severalfold, and black fur appeared on their skin. Their teeth turned into fangs, and dual horns sprung out of their heads.

They no longer resembled people, but rather Demons, roaring as they charged into battle.

Naruto's eyes flickered with coldness, and he said, "Looking to die?!"

750

Chapter 750 (Click to show "spoiler" title)

Chapter 750: Severing Karma

Several hundred figures with inhuman, demonic bodies charged forward. Their speed increased dramatically, and their cultivation bases climbed higher by a whole stage.

Among their number were four Nascent Soul stage cultivators who grew to an incredible and powerful level. They were now thirty meters tall, with cultivation bases similar to Spirit Severing!

After the transformation, the weakest of the cultivators was at Core Formation, with most being in the Nascent Soul stage.

The power to do such a thing could be considered top rate for any sect or clan. It was something that no power would look down upon during a fight. In fact, an ability like this could easily change the balance of power in a battle.

That was especially true for the four Spirit Severing cultivators.

Currently, the remaining Dao Seeking cultivators in the Southern Domain refused to show themselves, so if a Spirit Severing cultivator so much as stomped his feet, it would cause a huge commotion.

Naruto's eyes glittered, and behind him, the killing intent of the tens of thousands of Blood Demon Sect disciples surged. They had come here for revenge. When it came to the people who had besieged and battled them, they faced either destruction or assimilation.

There were only these two choices.

Naruto's face was calm as he looked at the hundreds of people charging forward. He did not attack them personally. Instead, he waved his sleeve and coolly said, "Exterminate them."

Immediately, roars filled the air behind him.

"DIE!" howled the Blood Demon Sect disciples. Instantly, tens of thousands of cultivators unleashed divine abilities and magical techniques. In the blink of an eye, colorful ripples exploded out in all directions. Their magic was like floodwaters that swept through the air.

The fog rumbled and cracked, and the hundreds of people inside were instantly shredded into a haze of blood and gore, with the exception of the four Spirit Severing cultivators.

That was the result of the combined power of tens of thousands of cultivators. The hundreds of strange, mutated cultivators that belonged to the Black Sieve Sect, despite being powerful enough to constitute the backbone of any Sect's fighting forces, were simply incapable of withstanding even one of their attacks.

Rumbling echoed out, and blood sprayed from the mouths of the four Spirit Severing enemies who had just been raised from the Nascent Soul stage. However, they did not fear death, nor did they do anything to evade. Instead, they charged forward in a frenzy and then… chose to self detonate.

Flames burst out on their skin, and a shocking pressure emanated out from them. Countless beams of brilliant light shone out as they prepared to blow themselves up.

Naruto's expression remained completely the same as these four seemingly Demonic Spirit Severing cultivators detonated. It was in this moment that his second true self appeared. He raised his right hand, splayed his fingers and pushed forward.

A huge boom could be heard as the four Demons exploded, the power of which transformed into an attack that made the fog seethe and the air split open. A multicolored mushroom cloud began to rise up, within which was flesh and blood, as well as incredible destructive power. However, the power of the mushroom cloud attack was met by Naruto's second true self.

As he faced the expanding mushroom cloud, the second true self slowly began to close his hand into a fist. As he did, the mushroom cloud stopped expanding, and then began to shrink down.

By the time the second true self's hand was fully closed into a fist, the destructive power of the self-detonation, the mushroom cloud, was completely suppressed.

The second true self clenched his fist violently, and a boom could be heard. The destructive mushroom cloud suddenly… faded away into nothing.

The sight of this instantly roused the spirits of the Blood Demon Sect cultivators. As for the hundreds of thousands of Southern Domain cultivators further back, their faces filled with astonishment, and they gasped.

"This clone of the Blood Demon Sect's Blood Prince… is so… is so… completely terrifying!"

"The power of four Spirit Severing cultivators' self-detonation was crushed by a single palm!"

"No wonder the joint attack of the four great powers was incapable of defeating the Blood Demon Sect. Not only that, they sealed themselves away from the world after the war was over! The Blood Demon Sect… is too powerful!"

In the moment that the hundreds of cultivators were defeated, the fog churned, then began to rise up. Up in midair, it transformed into an enormous beast that stood on two legs and resembled a black bear.

It was completely ferocious in appearance. Although it had no horns, its enormous fangs were shocking. Mist swirled around it as it roared and then charged toward the Blood Demon Sect, its eyes bright red.

Shocking pressure emanated out from the mist beast, and although it did not emanate any sort of natural law, the feeling Naruto got from it was that of Dao Seeking.

As the mist condensed and formed this beast , the Ninety Nine Mountains of the Black Sieve Sect were revealed, and at their center, a huge rift in the ground could be seen, from within which black fog emanated out.

Deep within that rift was the figure that Naruto had seen earlier.

"Left Dharma Protector, slay this mist beast," said Naruto coolly. To the left of him was what had once been the Golden Frost Sect Patriarch. His eyes were the color of blood as he unhesitatingly strode forward toward the mist beast and lifted his hand. A tiny mountain appeared, which was the Golden Frost Sect's legacy precious treasure.

A boom could be heard as the two clashed in battle.

"Right Dharma Protector, go kill the bastard hiding in that rift." The Blood Clone that was formed from the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch shot forward, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. TheShimuraClan's legacy precious treasure, a Feng Shui compass, rotated around him as he headed toward the rift in the ground.

Booms echoed out as Naruto floated in midair, declining to participate in the battle. His two peak Dao Seeking Dharma Protectors were enough to sweep across the Southern Domain and slaughter everything.

To the Blood Demon Sect, unifying the Southern Domain would be a extremely simple task, and that was exactly what Naruto intended to do. Exert incredible pressure on all the sects and clans of the Southern Domain, and unite the entire land.

Rumbling filled the sky as the mist beast, incapable of standing up to the divine abilities of the Golden Frost Sect Patriarch, was defeated in the space of only seven or eight breaths. In the end, it exploded, transforming into countless streams of fog that dissipated in all directions.

Underground, booming explosions rang out, followed by bellows of rage.

The corpse wearing the imperial robes was now battling the 3rdShimuraClan Patriarch. Currently, ripples of the peak Dao Seeking stage were now emanating off of the corpse.

As the two of them fought back and forth, the ground quaked, and the rift was torn open even wider. The corpse's enraged shouts grew louder, and then Naruto waved a finger, sending the Golden Frost Sect patriarch into the rift to join the fight. Now, it was two against one!

There was little to be suspenseful about. After enough time had passed for half an incense stick to burn, the withered corpse suffered defeat after defeat. Howling with rage and frustration, it called out, "Naruto…. Just leave! I don't care that you're a Demon Sealer any more! How about we just leave each other alone!?

"If we keep fighting this way, you might win, but one of your men will be seriously injured, maybe even killed! Let's call it quits, how about it?"

"You don't care that I'm a Demon Sealer?" said Naruto coolly. "Well I do!" His second true self's eyes glittered as he took a step forward, then suddenly teleported into the rift. In the blink of an eye, more thunderous explosions could be heard from inside.

The withered corpse let out an exclamation of shock. The ground quaked, and more rifts snaked out across the land. Even some of the mountains began to crumble.

The entire Black Sieve Sect was in a horrible state. Mountains were toppling, and the land was being torn apart. Grand palaces and other buildings that had just recently been rebuilt were now falling to pieces.

A huge crater then appeared, which began to swallow up the Ninety Nine Mountains. Four beams of light shot up from within it, one up ahead, three following. The withered corpse was in the lead, blood streaming from his mouth, his entire body in tattered and wounded. His expression was one of astonishment as he fled. Behind him were Naruto's second true self and two Dharma Protectors.

The three combined their attacks to shocking effect, making it impossible for the withered corpse to flee. He was sent tumbling through the air, whereupon the second true self appeared off to the side, Wooden Time Sword shining brightly. The withered corpse was terrified in the extreme.

As the three closed in, the withered corpse's eyes suddenly filled with madness. He lifted his right hand up and then tore open a hole in his chest, revealing his withered innards. In the same location as his heart, shockingly, there was a tiny black imp.

The pitch-black imp had three eyes, no nose and a wide mouth, and it appeared to have grown up along with the heart itself. Its three eyes opened to reveal a bizarre glow. It immediately flew out into the air, after which the withered corpse trembled. All of the life force seemed to have been sucked out of it, and it died.

As the withered corpse died, the imp shot up into the sky. It hovered there, looking down coldly at Naruto, its eyes filled with grimness and hatred. Apparently, it was committing Naruto's image to memory.

This development caused Naruto to gape in shock. The surrounding cultivators were also astonished. Who would ever have thought that hidden inside of the withered corpse was something as bizarre as this imp?

"Demon Sealer…." said the imp, its voice high-pitched. "As emperor, I will never forget this. Sooner or later, I'll make you pay! For now… I'm leaving, and nobody can stop me!" With that, it looked up, apparently preparing to shoot up into the starry sky.

The Left and Right Dharma Protectors unleashed divine abilities to obstruct its way. However, the pitch-black imp smiled mockingly, and did nothing to evade the divine abilities. Instead, he shot directly through them, and sustained no damage in the process.

Naruto's second true self gave a cold snort and then attacked. Magical symbols formed into the shape of a parasol, which emanated brilliant light. The imp's pupils constricted, and it let out a piercing shriek. Suddenly, massive quantities of black fog poured out from it and shot toward the parasol.

A boom rang out as the parasol of magical symbols collapsed into pieces. The imp's fog was melted, leaving it visibly weakened. However, it was now high in the sky. It glanced back at Naruto and then turned to fly away.

Naruto's eyes glittered as he experienced a menacing sensation. He wasn't sure where this pitch-black imp came from, but there was something about it that filled him with a feeling of grave crisis.

"I can't let him escape!" he thought. His right hand shot up into the air, and he waved his finger toward the imp.

Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!

Boom!

The imp suddenly shuddered to a stop. However, it took only a moment of struggling to free itself. Its piercing voice rang out again, "You want to hex me? Your cultivation base isn't strong enough!"

Seeing that his opponent was about to disappear, Naruto took a deep breath and then calmed himself. He stretched out his right hand toward the sky, and then made a chopping motion.

His mind was now devoid of everything except for Karma.

Seventh Demon Sealing Hex!

Hex of Karma!

—–

This chapter was sponsored by Ner Olyk and Gregor Kolm

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