Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Being Someone's Mount After Ascending?
The demon lands in autumn were covered with golden leaves, like a sea of gold.
Li Ya stood on the North Sea Heavy Sword, flying through the air, while Zhang Buku stood behind him, staring into the distance.
Zhang Buku saw a figure in the distance flying towards the horizon at a speed far beyond theirs, the powerful aura of their cultivation level making him secretly astonished.
"Brother Li, are we really going to get involved in this mess?" Zhang Buku couldn't help but ask.
Li Ya had been his first friend. This past year, they had ventured through the demon lands together, facing life and death, forming a deep bond, but it was easy to get hurt.
Even though they often got injured, being able to rely on each other was far better than going it alone.
The fierce wind blew against Li Ya's face, and he showed a smile on his handsome and resolute face, he said, "So many great cultivators are rushing there, let's go take a look. We won't fight yet, we'll observe quietly. If there's no opportunity, we'll just watch the excitement, but if there is one, all the better."
Zhang Buku heard this and found it reasonable. He looked ahead, eyes showing a hint of anticipation.
On the other side.
Gu An was not continuously watching the Ascension Land but had begun to busy himself.
He was preparing to expand Nianchu Cave. Nianchu Cave, watched over by Tian Yao'er, truly belonged to him. Apart from the Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion, the other Medicine Valleys were mostly exposed, making direct expansion difficult.
He entered Nianchu Cave and used his own mana to enlarge it.
Tian Yao'er watched Gu An's back, her little mouth opened wide, while Tianqing and Tian Bai squatted on her shoulders, shaking their heads as they watched Gu An.
Gu An walked in front of the mountain wall, his right hand leading the way, and with each step, the mountain wall ahead would cave in without any rocks falling or the cave shaking. This ability left Tian Yao'er's eyes wide with amazement.
She always knew Gu An was strong but hadn't realized just how formidable.
Even after training for many years, she couldn't comprehend Gu An's divine skills.
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Nianchu Cave had doubled in size. Since Heavenly Phoenix Mountain was particularly large, it wouldn't affect the mountain body, and further expansions by ten times would be no problem in the future.
Gu An arrived at a stone table, placed down a storage bag, and said, "These are all seeds, up to you to plant them. Don't disappoint me."
Without waiting for Tian Yao'er to respond, he vanished into thin air.
Tian Yao'er didn't look at the storage bag but instead mimicked Gu An's earlier posture, raising her right hand and carefully recalling his movements.
…
The moon set and the sun rose, ushering in a new day.
In the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An put down his pen and stood by the window, looking at the demon lands. After the Ascenders arrived last night, that stele triggered a restriction, opening an entrance to a Minor Heaven and Earth, where all the great cultivators swarmed in.
Early this morning, many people had flown out and started fighting, including Li Ya and Zhang Buku.
In the mountain forests by the riverbank, Li Ya lay bloodied amongst the fallen trees, staring at the overbearing figure high in the distant sky, clenched his teeth, and struggled to stand up.
"Hahahaha, so this is the ability of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land? Nothing more! I don't know whether I ascended to the wrong place or if this world is just so weak?"
The speaker was a man with blood-red hair, two curved black horns on his head, bare-chested, in black pants, with a fiery red sash around his waist, crawling with strange blood-colored runes. With his spiritual power surging, the runes wriggled, lifelike.
He wielded a silver rod, sweeping it at the great cultivators attacking from all directions. Blood flames erupted, sweeping across the sky in a spectacular display, forcing those great cultivators back.
He vanished into thin air, appearing instantly behind a great cultivator of the Mystic Heart Realm, and smashed down with his rod.
Boom!
The great cultivator plunged into the river, their life or death uncertain.
Zhang Buku quickly flew to Li Ya's side, also severely injured but not as badly, he said in a deep voice, "Brother Li, we should retreat!"
Though reluctant, Li Ya could only nod.
The two supported each other, flying away, with mad laughter and the sounds of heaven and earth clashing coming from behind.
That guy deliberately didn't kill, specifically tormenting opponents. The more they suffered, the more excited he became, like a mad demon.
"Runaway ants, remember the name of this one. This one is honored as the Great Saint, you all may call this one the Blood Prison Great Saint!"
Hearing this, Zhang Buku immediately accelerated, fearing the Blood Prison Great Saint would chase them.
In fact, the Blood Prison Great Saint was indeed watching Li Ya and Zhang Buku.
He was very interested in these two guys with half-human, half-demon blood.
Especially Zhang Buku, whose qi-blood was so strong it seemed he was hiding a cultivation level, and his axe technique was also impressive.
After a while, with no one left standing around, the Blood Prison Great Saint smacked his lips, looking at the white light whirlpool hovering over the distant forest, hesitated, then flew off in another direction.
That direction was where Zhang Buku and Li Ya had fled!
An ancient hour later.
Zhang Buku and Li Ya landed in a dense forest shrouded in thick fog, with rich spiritual energy, perfect for hiding.
After landing, Li Ya began to set up a formation, with Zhang Buku merely watching, not knowing the technique.
When Li Ya finished setting up the formation, they both sat down and exhaled in relief.
Li Ya grinned, even with a face full of blood, his excitement was evident. He raised his right hand, pulling a fist-sized golden fruit from his storage bag.
"With this, our efforts weren't in vain." Li Ya said contentedly.
Zhang Buku wiped the blood and sweat from his face, saying admiringly, "Brother Li, you're amazing. You were so fast those great cultivators didn't notice you seeing the treasure."
"We're brothers, half each. I can feel the power within this fruit, it's definitely a treasure that can transform the body." Li Ya laughed proudly, enjoying Zhang Buku's gaze.
Although he couldn't beat Zhang Buku in combat, he could play the big brother in actions!
As they excitedly talked, little did they know, several miles away, the Blood Prison Great Saint was silently approaching, already hearing their conversation, and Li Ya's formation was as good as nonexistent to him.
The Blood Prison Great Saint's mouth curled up in a sneer.
At that moment, a hand rested on his shoulder, instantly freezing his demonic power, and his body could no longer move forward.
His eyes widened, instinctively wanting to struggle, but he was entirely powerless.
How could this be...
What realm was this opponent at?
The Blood Prison Great Saint panicked. He had never been so suppressed before, with even his divine sense unable to spread out, clueless about who was behind him.
Naturally, it was Gu An, who had used the Nine Extremes Yin Yang Body.
Before attacking, Gu An ensured that no one was following the Blood Prison Great Saint.
[Blood Prison Great Saint (Mahayana Realm Eighth Floor): 1209/9000/9999]
Mahayana Realm Eighth Floor, far stronger than Lu Lingjun.
Gu An immediately used the Soul Capturing Skill to search the Blood Prison Great Saint's memories.
The Blood Prison Great Saint hailed from the Spirit Realm, a mortal world with nine continents and seven seas, where the Mahayana Realm was the highest realm.
He had been a cultivator of the human race, later transforming into a demon body after obtaining Divine Beast True Blood, completely unleashing his talent, sweeping through those of the same realm, even able to battle across realms, invincible.
Interestingly, although the Blood Prison Great Saint's name sounded terrifying, he was actually a soft-hearted individual. As long as there wasn't a blood feud, he would spare those who knelt and begged for mercy after defeat. He had never committed an evil act in his life.
His notorious name stemmed from his foul mouth. His threatening boasts made many believe he had committed those evil acts, compounded by slander from enemies, gradually earning him the Blood Prison Great Saint title, which he proudly saw as the fear and dread of the Spirit Realm's beings, his greatest achievement.
After reading his soul, Gu An unexpectedly didn't want to kill this guy anymore.
With no one watching him, he could take him in.
Because Gu An saw the Divine Beast's true form whose blood was absorbed.
With the fall of the Demon Ancestor, many demons were slaughtered, and the demon lands had become a place where the human race sought opportunities, with great cultivators fighting everywhere. The focus of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm was on the evil demons, ignoring the Blood Prison Great Saint, perhaps having seen countless Ascenders.
…
The Blood Prison Great Saint's consciousness gradually awakened, feeling a heavy and uncomfortable drowsiness.
He struggled to open his eyes, seeing a large tree with a man sitting on the grass in front of it, holding a book.
He abruptly opened his eyes wide, trying to teleport away, but only managed to stand up, not jump away.
He seemed to realize something, his eyes showing panic.
He had turned into a red-furred bull, almost as tall as a grown man.
He wanted to speak, but all that came out was a moo.
The most despairing thing was that his cultivation level was gone!
This must be the Path of Returning Primordial Spirit!
Gu An had sealed his cultivation to the Energy Cultivation Realm, with mana wrapping his demon core and primordial spirit, making him appear no more than a First Order demon beast.
"Ascender from the Spirit Realm, if you serve me for a thousand years, I'll let you go."
Gu An put down his book and said leisurely.
Looking at his youthful face, the Blood Prison Great Saint felt only fear.
Gu An stood up and walked toward him, making him retreat in fear.
Without his cultivation, how could he dare escape? Eventually, he was caught by Gu An and humiliatingly ridden.
Gu An sat on his back, patting him, pointing in a direction. He could only move forward.
By dusk, Gu An had ridden the Blood Prison Great Saint back to the Mystic Valley.
With his dark red fur and majestic body, he instantly drew the curiosity of numerous disciples, who gathered around, pointing.
The Blood Prison Great Saint was dazed.
With his divine sense sealed, he had worried all the way about which demon cave he would be taken to.
Yet...
These cultivators' qi-blood was so weak, seemingly all in the Energy Cultivation Realm?
He felt like he had arrived in some small place in the Spirit Realm.
As Gu An introduced him to the disciples with a smile, this feeling of illusion became a mix of complex emotions.
He was the Blood Prison Great Saint, the most outstanding genius of the Spirit Realm in ten thousand years, sweeping the nine continents and seven seas, reigning invincible, earning the title of Great Saint through his battles.
Yet...
After ascending, he had become a mount?
The Blood Prison Great Saint sank into bewilderment.