Blood Moon Marsh
Inside the Sacred Jade Room, three people and a demon-beast donkey were huddled together in front of a wooden table.
Spread across it was a detailed map of the Woodland Empire on the Divine Continent—specifically the region known as the Blood Moon Marsh.
Lines. Circles. Cross marks.
A horn-sheep pen glided across the surface of the map, stopping at a specific location.
Each stroke meant they were one step closer to their final goal.
After deciding on their next route, Xue Hui lifted his head and glanced at the trio in front of him. In each of their eyes flickered the same glint of anticipation.
They had been traveling for almost an entire year.
They had left behind the comfort and protection of Glory City's walls.
Their journey first took them to the ruins of Wu Zhen Yi, where they experienced their first months-long trek through the treacherous outside world.
With control over Wu Zhen Yi's royal family defense array, Xue Hui faced an entire army of demon beasts and acquired the Ten Whiskers Water-Attribute Needles.
He later used that treasure to remove the Blood Pungent Butterfly larvae poisoning Chen Linlin's body, completely curing her of the affliction that had plagued her for years.
Continuing onward, the trio arrived at the vast wasteland of the Blue Hue Desert.
It was there that they obtained the Sacred Jade Room—a treasure left behind by a supreme expert of the ancient past.
Then they got their hands to the Heaven Breaker Heart Crystal Fungus, an unrivaled treasure guarded by a powerful demon beast.
By successfully stealing it, Xue Hui was able to refine it into the Realm Breaker Soul Ascendant Pill, an elixir capable of allowing a Black Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist to break through into the Legend Rank.
Xue Hui passes the pill to Chen Zhenlong, as the latter is trying to break through to the next realm.
Later, in the Endless Mist Jungle, they met their newest companion.
a black gold rank Demon beast, Holy Cloud White Dash Donkey.
With the Demon Blood Submission method laid out by Xue Hui, Chen Zhenlong managed to subdue the beast, allowing him to make contact with the beast, turning it into demon beast companion which Chen Zhenlong named it Silver.
Although his actions made Chen Zhenlong angry that day, scolding Xue Hui after he got back.
Asking the boy to keep it between them is how Chen Zhenlong subdued Silver.
Xue Hui agreed.
Part of it was because Xue Hui felt slightly guilty for putting Chen Zhenlong on the spot.
What Xue Hui didn't tell Chen Zhenlong was that all they needed to do was draw blood from the mark where the Demon Blood Submission array had been drawn and inject his Soul Force into it completing the ritual.
That's the usual method.
However, consuming a drop of the demon beast's blood would have worked far better.
Each method would yield different results.
The former would force the demon beast into a slave contract, one that would gradually erode its will until it slowly deteriorated the beast's health over time.
The latter method, on the other hand, was more like a friendship contract, a mutual bond that created a soul connection between both parties.
Not only would the demon beast be able to understand its master, it would also grow alongside Chen Zhenlong. Silver was already a Black Gold Rank demon beast, yet his physique rivaled that of a Legend Rank.
If Silver ever managed to break through to the Legend Rank, Chen Zhenlong would possess an incredibly powerful demon beast companion, increasing his combat prowess by many folds. Just the thought of it made Xue Hui and Chen Linlin feel excited.
After deciding to bring the demon beast donkey along with them.
Chen Zhenlong had named his new partner Silver, which was rather unusual.
Forget the fact that The demon beast donkey liked to spout "RAUL" whenever it tried to speak.
Its fur wasn't even silver—the Holy Cloud White Dash is known for its unblemished white fur, thanks to its unique sweat, which acts like a barrier that prevents all kinds of dirt from sticking to it.
Still, Xue Hui didn't fuss over its name too much. Chen Linlin liked the name, so Silver it was.
Although it took quite a time before Chen Zhenlong gradually warmed up to silver.
Over the past few months, Silver has proven himself to be a valuable addition to their group. Despite being a demon beast, he followed their lead flawlessly.
Chen Zhenlong had initially worried that bringing Silver along would derail their journey, but his worries turned out to be needles.
Silver could match their pace perfectly. Whether navigating dangerous terrain, sneaking through demon-beast-infested areas, or coordinating during battles, he never once caused any trouble.
Chen Zhenlong quickly realized that Silver was anything but a burden.
Moreover, because of their soul connection, Silver became instinctively protective of their group, especially to Chen Linlin.
Whenever she was out in the open, Silver would stand at her side guarding her.
Silver would even accompany Chen Linlin during her training, acting as both support and companion.
"Silver, look! I'm standing on one foot!"
"Ra~ul!"
"Silver, look—the cloud is shaped like you!"
"Ra~~ul!"
"Hmph! I'm being ignored again. Silver, go fetch Hui-Hui."
"RAUL!"
"What the—hey, wait! Put me down!"
"Let's finish our talk tomorrow, Xiao Hui. Go get some rest. Good night, both of you." Chen Zhenlong said, watching as silver dragged the boy.
"Ra~ul."
Moments like those gradually made Chen Zhenlong warm to Silver, and he began to treat him as more than just a demon beast but as a true companion, placing his trust in him.
So much so that Silver was entrusted with the task of carrying the Fuzhuang Box during their journey, a responsibility silver had taken with utmost diligence.
Now, back in the present,
They stood at the edge of the Blood Moon Marsh.
The place exuded a deeply unsettling aura. Twisted trees clawed at the crimson sky, while thick mist curled around their feet. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay.
Every ripple across the dark waters seemed to whisper a warning. Even the silence felt alive—as if the marsh itself was watching them.
It was hard to believe that this land had once been home to a vast and powerful empire—one that had produced some of the greatest super experts of its era.
At its peak, the Divine Moon Peak Empire's influence had stretched across nearly every corner of the Divine Continent. They had been an unstoppable force, making the neighboring kingdom to either submit to them, or get destroyed.
During the height of their supremacy, no one on the Divine Continent could have imagined that the Divine Moon Peak Empire would ever fall.
And yet, standing to its ruins, everything that once made the Divine Moon Peak Empire the supreme powerhouse was gone.
What remained had been devoured by the land itself, reduced to rot and ruin, as if the world had chosen to erase every trace of their existence.
Even Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin would have found it difficult to believe the existence of the Divine Moon Peak Empire, had they not seen its remnants with their own eyes.
Xue Hui and the trio were currently resting inside the Sacred Jade Room, which was burrowed deep within a secluded corner of the Blood Moon Marsh, far from the territories of roaming demon beasts. This would be their stop for the night before making the final stretch toward the Moon Peak Emperor's treasure chamber.
"This is it. Once we cross this small lake here," Xue Hui said, tapping his small finger against the map, "we'll arrive at the location of the Moon Peak Emperor's hidden treasure chamber." Chen Zhenlong and the rest remember the route in their heart. "When we get there, I'll search for the entry and find a way to enter."
Once everyone was done studying the map, Xue Hui rolled it up and stored it in his interspatial ring.
Stretching his back, Xue Hui hopped down from the chair he had been standing on.
"Get some good rest." He said looking at everyone, "Tomorrow, we're not going to stop until we find that treasure chamber," he added, ending their discussion.
"Yay!" Chen Linlin tiredly replied, as she stretched her arm, yawning in front of everyone.
"Hm." Chen Zhenlong gave a firm nod, he was planning to increase his cultivation as much as he can, before the sun rises.
"Ra~ul," Silver answered, standing behind the swaying little girl, ready to catch her if she toppled over.
Their path for tomorrow had already been decided. Given the harsh environment of the Blood Moon Marsh, they all knew the journey ahead would be far more difficult.
Chen Linlin, Chen Zhenlong, and Silver all retired for the night to get some rest.
Leaving Xue Hui all alone with his thoughts.
He knew they were about to face the greatest hurdle of their entire journey to actually obtaining the Glaze Blood.
Xue Hui had already explained to Chen Zhenlong about the existence of the Corpse Servant, a guardian cursed to protect Suo Leiyue's body until the Moon Peak Emperor returned to take the glaze blood.
That Corpse Servant had once been a Legend Rank expert demon spiritualist when she was alive.
Even though her cultivation had declined over the years after death, a Legend-Rank demon spiritualist— even as a corpse—remained a terrifying existence.
Her experience, knowledge, and combat techniques were not something a mere Black Gold Rank could easily contend with.
Unfortunately, despite consuming the Realm Breaker Soul Ascendant Pill, Chen Zhenlong was still unable to cross the barrier into the Legend Rank.
Xue Hui understood why.
Although the pill's medicinal effects were extraordinary, Chen Zhenlong simply did not have enough uninterrupted time to cultivate and fully refine its efficacy. At most, Chen Zhenlong could only cultivate for six to seven hours a day—barely enough to stabilize the pill's energy, let alone completely absorb it.
Yet secluding himself in the middle of their journey was not an option.
The Corpse Servant guarding Suo Leiyue's body was sustained by the Soul Attachment Crystal, and that crystal was nearing the end of its power. If the Corpse Servant sensed its inevitable demise, it might carry out the final sending-off ritual—reducing Suo Leiyue's body to ashes.
Time had never been their ally.
And Xue Hui was painfully aware of that.
'At the very least, the pill has pushed Lord Patriarch's cultivation to the absolute peak of Black Gold Rank, 'Xue Hui muttered, as he weighed their chances. 'With Silver by our side, our chances of success have greatly increased.'
Night gradually deepened.
Inside the Sacred Jade Room, Xue Hui sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber, eyes closed. His consciousness sank inward, entering the replica space of the Creation Origin Ancestral Manual.
Xue Hui stood beside a towering altar within that boundless space.
Extending his arm forward, Xue Hui called upon a certain title. In response, a book shot upward and hovered in midair. With a grasping motion, he pulled it toward him.
A sharp whooshing sound echoed as the book shot toward him at a breakneck speed, landing on Xue Hui's open palm.
Grasping the book, Xue Hui flipped through its pages as he walked to the steps and sat down on one of them, reading the book.
This was one of the many ancient tomes contained within the Creation Origin Ancestral Manual.
It was also the sole reason Xue Hui could navigate the tiny world as if it were his own backyard—despite setting foot in it for the very first time.
Every location, secret, and forgotten lore had been meticulously recorded within its pages.
More importantly, it contained detailed records about the whereabouts of the Ten Whiskers Water-Attribute Needles and the Glaze Blood.
A book written and left behind by a supreme expert who lived before the Age of Darkness… and then vanished.
Just like him, after her death, she was sent to the space of [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL] and spent all her time writing books, one of them is her memoir.
The Memoir of Emperor Shen Jiao Dao.
She was a supreme expert who had risen from the Tiny World itself, living through the era before and during the Age of Darkness, before she was forced out in the tiny world ascending to the highest realm.
All her experiences, knowledge, insights, and even personal sentiments were recorded in meticulous detail within her memoir—from the moment she first began to understand the world around her, to the day she fell into the hands of her greatest enemy.
Everything had been archived and preserved within the space of the Creation Origin Ancestral Manual.
Her guidance had been the very reason their journey through the outside world had progressed so smoothly, aside from minor hurdles here and there.
Holding the memoir, Xue Hui flipped through the pages, scanning them carefully until his gaze stopped on a particular page.
That page contained only a single sentence.
A personal message left behind by Emperor Shen Jiao Dao herself—for him.
"I paved the way. I'll leave the rest to you, Xue Hui."
After reading her entire memoir, Xue Hui discovered that Shen Jiao Dao had once performed a grand calculation upon the natural laws themselves. Through it, she uncovered their connection—one forged through the inheritance of the Creation Origin Ancestral Manual.
His death in his first life.
His regression into this present one.
All of it had been foreseen by her.
Because of that foresight, Shen Jiao Dao had spent her remaining time running away from her greatest foe.
The Sage Emperor.
Despite being hunted down by the sage Emperor and its deity rank beasts.
Shen Jiao Dao meticulously arranged everything Xue Hui might need to increase his chances of victory against the Sage Emperor, whose ambition was to refine time and space itself—an act that would result in the annihilation of all life.
For this reason alone, Emperor Shen Jiao Dao knew that Xue Hui would have no choice but to confront the Sage Emperor.
Xue Hui needs to grow stronger, he needs to fight for survival.
And Shen Jiao Dao had seen through that resolve. She did everything within her power to grant him every possible advantage while he was still building his foundation.
She arranged the creation of the Water Domain Columns in the ruins of Wu Zhen Yi.
She left behind the Sacred Jade Room.
She even preserved the Glaze Blood for him to obtain.
Every step.
Every opportunity.
All of it had been laid down by Emperor Shen Jiao Dao to help Xue Hui to achieve his goal.
"Since you are my and Linlin's benefactor," Xue Hui said quietly, his eyes flashed with determined glint, "I will make the Sage Emperor pay for what he did to you."
Xue Hui shut the book with a firm snap, the sound echoing throughout the boundless space.
End of Chapter 25