Dao Companions Help Me Live Forever

In the study.

Thump thump--

Yu Xian put down the jade slip he received from Xuanyang Sect and lightly tapped the table in front of him, lost in thought.

The jade slip contained a letter written by Ruan Linlin to Zhan Hong.

In the letter, she mentioned that the selection for the true transmission disciples had ended, and she was regretfully not chosen, missing the opportunity to become a true transmission disciple.

Many things don't necessarily yield results just by putting in effort.

After all, if hard work alone was enough, what would be the point of innate talent?

Xuanyang Sect holds a true transmission selection every hundred years, selecting three true transmission disciples each time, always adhering to strict standards and preferring quality over quantity.

Ruan Linlin's level is right on the edge of the standard for true transmission disciples. She practices top-tier techniques, has a third-grade Divine Ability engraved in her Gold Core, possesses the Star Nebula Body, which is a profound-level physique, and has the potential to break through to Nascent Soul.

At this level, it is possible to be selected or not, depending on the performance at the critical moment.

However, among the disciples of this generation, there is a monstrous talent who possesses a physique similar to the founder of Xuanyang Sect - the Xuanyang Tyrant Body. Although it is also a profound-level physique, it is one of the closest to the Dao Body.

It was this person who squeezed Ruan Linlin out of the possible position of true transmission disciple.

Regarding this, Ruan Linlin is quite open-minded.

After all, she has a strong background. Even if she loses the position of true transmission disciple, she still has her master and ancestors to support her. As long as she doesn't fall too far behind, there will always be a chance to break through to Nascent Soul.

After the true transmission selection, the three previous true transmission disciples were granted the opportunity to cultivate Nascent Soul in seclusion.

According to past practice, at least two of the three true transmission disciples would break through to the Nascent Soul realm, and sometimes all three would have the chance.

Of course, occasionally there would be no progress at all.

Generally, after the true transmission disciples break through, the sect will hold a Nascent Soul ceremony for them, which is also a way to showcase their strength to neighboring forces and factions, demonstrating that their sect's inheritance is orderly and continues from generation to generation.

In the letter, Ruan Linlin mentioned that she had already obtained her master's consent and would return to Mingyue Heavenly City after the Nascent Soul ceremony, rejoining the Demon-Slaying Squad and fighting alongside her senior brother.

This decision was a bit unexpected.

Yu Xian thought that Ruan Linlin would stay within the sect for cultivation.

After all, the younger one is when breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, the greater the chance.

For cultivators like Zhan Hong and Chu Fuzhu, who are Gold Core cultivators, if they don't stay within the sect for cultivation, their chances of breaking through to Nascent Soul on their own are slim. Coupled with their responsibilities, they probably wish to stay in the sect for cultivation for their entire lives.

The sect possesses high-grade spiritual veins and abundant resources, which are the most abundant in the entire Xuanyang Realm.

Ruan Linlin doesn't have their concerns.

With her master and ancestors protecting her, as long as she casually greets them, she can transfer back to the sect from the Demon-Slaying Squad and become an elder of a peak, which is not difficult.

"First love is indeed the most unforgettable."

Yu Xian let out a sigh and lamented:

"But the way you're doing it makes it difficult for me. I just hope that the time for the true transmission disciples to break through will be a little longer."

But he also knew that no matter how slow the breakthrough was, it would be over within one or two years at most.

By the time Ruan Linlin returns, his injuries should have healed, and he can no longer use them as an excuse to delay taking action.

But once he takes action, he will expose everything.

Unfortunately, his breakthrough still requires four or five years.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Xian took out a blank jade slip, his divine sense transformed, imitating Zhan Hong's appearance, and began writing a reply.

In the letter, he first expressed his longing for Ruan Linlin, without mentioning her regret for not being chosen as a true transmission disciple.

Then he casually mentioned the matter of the Blood Demon Ancestor, saying that he couldn't find him and that he had cultivated many disciples to cause trouble, even causing dissatisfaction among the members of the neighboring Chu Mansion's Demon-Slaying Squad.

Due to his oath, he couldn't take action against the Blood Demon Ancestor and could only exhaust himself dealing with those disciples.

But he had a premonition that the Blood Demon Ancestor might be planning a big conspiracy using his disciples.

So he subtly expressed his hope that Ruan Linlin could use her connections to transfer him back to the sect to avoid trouble, and also allow the two of them to meet within the sect.

A letter filled with affection was quickly finished.

Yu Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah, although I feel a bit like a freeloader and incompetent, it's Zhang Hong's reputation that's been tarnished, not my concern," Yu Xian thought.

Without mentioning whether Ruan Linlin is willing to help with connections, just the process itself would take up a considerable amount of her time.

"When the transfer order comes down, I'll find a few more excuses to delay it for a while. That should be enough."

...

Meanwhile.

Bubbling!

Several bubbles rose from the blood-colored pool, and several new blood-colored cocoons emerged from the bottom of the pool, making the color even more intense.

Roughly speaking, there were already fifty to sixty densely packed cocoons, making the blood pool somewhat crowded.

A tall figure approached.

A mist-like fog rose from the soul flag floating in the center of the pool, and then slowly condensed into the form of the Beastmaster.

Compared to when he was first seen, the current Beastmaster was filled with a sinister aura. His eyebrows and hair tips were a bright red color, as if dyed with blood.

Anyone who saw him would think that he was an extremely fierce and evil spirit.

But the gaze of the Beastmaster, enveloped in the sinister aura, was calm.

Having experienced the struggle of hatred and decades of darkness and loneliness, he was still able to maintain his original nature, far stronger than an ordinary person.

But the Beastmaster knew that he couldn't hold on for much longer.

In the past, there were only a few souls in the Beast Soul Flag, so although its power was not at its peak, it also weakened its erosion on him.

But the current Beast Soul Flag was extremely dangerous. Sometimes, the sinister aura eroded him, and even he found it difficult to resist.

"Yu Xian, the hundred-year agreement, I probably won't be able to see it," the Beastmaster said calmly, looking at the Blood Demon Ancestor standing by the poolside. He was probably the only one who knew Yu Xian's true identity.

"I can feel my sanity gradually slipping away. I know that I am no longer worth mentioning to you now.

My collection of treasures is even more insignificant. You don't have to provoke a Nascent Soul True Immortal for these things."

He shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"Thinking back to when we first met, it felt like it had been a thousand years. You left too quickly, so fast that I didn't even have time to react."

As a witness to Yu Xian's journey, only he knew what kind of miracle this guy had created.

"Come," the Beastmaster said calmly.

"Let me be the first sacrifice for the promotion of the Spiritual Treasure."

The Blood Demon Ancestor's face showed a wry expression.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, when did I say that I would use you as a sacrifice? Although I am currently acting as the Blood Demon Ancestor, I haven't truly become a demon."

The Beastmaster's expression froze.

"Aren't you here to refine treasures?" he asked.

The Blood Demon Ancestor nodded.

"The promotion of the Beast Soul Flag to a Spiritual Treasure is a natural process. How could it allow the existence of a fierce soul like me, who has autonomous abilities?

And I have long since Integrated Union with the Beast Soul Flag in order to survive, unable to separate.

Even if I can preserve my life in the end, the Spiritual Treasure-grade Beast Soul Flag will have an even stronger sinister aura. How long can I maintain my sanity and survive? It's better to disperse now and make a contribution to the promotion of the Spiritual Treasure."

The Blood Demon Ancestor said, "Since that's the case, Fellow Daoist Yang, have you ever thought about going down with me?

Now you are still the main soul of the soul flag. As long as you want, you can make the soul flag self-destruct. Although it can't completely destroy this treasure, it can delay its promotion for several decades."

The Beastmaster sighed.

"When I anticipated this moment, evil thoughts did indeed arise in my heart. But upon further reflection, besides disgusting you, there is actually no use in doing so.

Even if it angers you and makes you more ruthless, causing a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood to restore the power of the Ten Thousand Beasts Soul Banner.

If I were to do that, I would also bear responsibility for the lives lost in the process.

It would be better to die here and now, seeking a clear conscience."

Upon hearing this, Blood Demon Ancestor couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Yang Fellow Daoist, I like this conflicted nature of yours. Clearly, you are a demonic cultivator, yet you still hold onto benevolent thoughts and consider the innocent strangers."

"It was not in vain that I spent so much effort and delayed my own breakthrough to specifically deduce the method of integrating the spirit of the Integrated Union for you."

"Yang Fellow Daoist, let me ask you, are you willing to be trapped forever within the Soul Banner, completely merging with it and becoming its spirit, under my control?"

Wan Shou Zhen Ren looked at Blood Demon Ancestor with a complex gaze, or rather, at Yu Xian hidden within Blood Demon Ancestor's body.

"I know so many of your secrets. Aren't you afraid that I will turn against you in the future?

Although I don't know how you can refine me into a spirit, I believe that the spirit you personally nurtured wouldn't be so easy to handle.

Using me as a spirit brings you no benefits and only harms. Are you really willing?"

Blood Demon Ancestor said, "Yang Fellow Daoist, you have misunderstood me and underestimated yourself.

Perhaps in your heart, I, Yu Xian, have long been corrupted, heartless, using all living beings as pawns to achieve my own path.

But everything I have done is also without guilt.

Today, my promotion to the Ten Thousand Beasts Soul Banner is an unchangeable fact. If you are unwilling, I will extinguish your main soul and send you into reincarnation.

I don't need your soul."

"But I promised you something, and I will not easily break that promise. I will go to Donghua City and avenge your enemies for you."

"Yang Fellow Daoist, please make your choice!"

Blood Demon Ancestor laughed wildly as powerful mana surged from his body, igniting blood-colored flames in the Blood Demon Pool.

The blood cocoons, resembling giant eggs, cracked open, revealing cultivators inside who were pale and lifeless.

A small portion of these cultivators were enticed by the Blood Demon Command and entered the secret realm to pay their respects to the Ancestor with their demonic Gold Cores, while the majority were disciples accepted by Blood Demon Ancestor.

For Yu Xian, he had never regarded these demonic cultivators as disciples, but merely as advanced consumables.

They were still alive, but worse off than dead.

Because being alive meant being constantly drained.

Gold Core cultivators possessed a Transcendent constitution and astonishing vitality. As long as they maintained a certain level of life signs, they could absorb spiritual energy on their own and continuously produce refined blood.

This entire pool of refined blood was thanks to these "blood vials."

But today, he was going to kill the chickens to get the eggs, sacrificing all these blood vials for the promotion of the Ten Thousand Beasts Soul Banner.

Boom!

The blood pool turned into a sea of fire.

The demonic cultivators within the blood cocoons displayed expressions of pain and relief, gradually transforming into a blood-colored radiance.

Wan Shou Zhen Ren could already feel the scorching heat and burning pain in his soul.

"Yu Xian, you will regret this in the future! As long as I am here, I will never let you fall into darkness!"

Blood Demon Ancestor showed no fear on his face, only absolute confidence.

"Yang Fellow Daoist, then let's give it a try."

Wan Shou Zhen Ren glanced at Yu Xian one last time, and his soul entered the Soul Banner, beginning the promotion.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Soul Banner radiated brilliance, as if it contained all the rivers and absorbed all the refined blood accumulated in the Blood Demon Pool over the years.

This refined blood was not ordinary mortal blood, but all produced by Gold Core cultivators. Its quality was astonishing, with a single drop almost equivalent to the refined blood of a low-level cultivator's entire body.

There were not just millions, but tens of millions of drops in this blood pool.

Endless blood energy surged, and the material of the Ten Thousand Beasts Soul Banner gradually transformed.

The Blood Demon Dao's treasures are made from blood. By refining a fetus from basic materials, it can be gradually transformed into the supreme treasure of the Blood Demon Dao through a unique refining technique.

The original name of the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner was the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. It was only changed to the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner because the Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal did not want to use humans as materials, but the essence remains the same.

After the promotion of the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner, it becomes the famous Spiritual Treasure of the Blood Demon Dao, the Blood Sea Banner!

The Blood Sea Banner not only possesses the characteristic of driving the souls with the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner, but it can also condense the unique domain of the Blood Demon Dao, the Blood Sea Law Domain, which possesses the power of a True Immortal.

Within the Blood Sea Law Domain, billions of fierce souls are submerged.

These fierce souls are not only immortal, but they also possess a more powerful ability called Integrated Union, which can forcefully integrate the Ghost Kings within them into Evil Ghost Emperors, possessing the battle power of Nascent Soul level.

Of course, to integrate into an Evil Ghost Emperor, a large number of Ghost Kings is required.

Under the reflection of the blood flames, the radiance transformed by the Gold Core cultivators flew into the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner like swallows returning to the forest, and a mysterious power slowly condensed.

That is the embryonic spirit of the Spiritual Treasure being born.

Within the Soul Banner, the Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal struggled, but could only watch as his soul was gradually devoured by the blood-colored radiance, leaving only a trace of spiritual seed.

He felt his consciousness slowly returning to nothingness.

Could it be that Yu Xian had deceived him?

The Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal's entire life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

Youthful arrogance, pursuing love as a young man, the destruction of his clan, a difficult escape, falling into the demonic path, gaining a notorious reputation, sudden enlightenment, changing his name to Ten Thousand Beast, dying at the hands of the Demon Emperor, barely surviving...

The last thing that remained in his mind was Yu Xian's detestable smiling face.

If he hadn't been half-fooled and half-tricked by him to become the main soul of this newly refined Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner, his soul would probably have long been annihilated within the Soul Banner, and there wouldn't be so much turmoil.

Just as the Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal completely fell silent, a clear voice rang out in his ears like a resounding bell.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, why wait for rebirth at this moment?!"

The Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal saw that his remaining trace of soul consciousness was enveloped by a majestic power and was thrown into the newly born embryonic spirit.

His consciousness felt a warm sensation, and countless insights and methods of using the Blood Sea Banner appeared in his mind, as if it were an innate talent.

Countless fragments of insights almost destroyed his consciousness.

Fortunately, he had been struggling against the fierce aura within the Soul Banner for years, so his consciousness remained firm. Despite facing a torrent of information, he maintained his original nature and was not swallowed by the instinctive power of the Blood Sea Banner. Instead, he took control and gradually absorbed these insights into his own body.

Outside the Soul Banner, the Blood Demon Pool had already dried up, and the blood-colored radiance floating in the pool had long been devoured by the Soul Banner.

However, the promotion of the Blood Sea Banner was not yet complete.

Obviously, Yu Xian had underestimated the difficulty of promoting a fourth-grade Spiritual Treasure.

The Blood Demon Art only recorded the method of refining the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner, and only briefly mentioned the Blood Sea Banner, which involved the power of the Nascent Soul. Therefore, he had to deduce the method of promotion himself.

Fortunately, the Blood Sea Banner was inherited from the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner, so it did not require much spiritual energy from the Heavenly Dao for deduction.

But he had not anticipated how terrifying the resources required for a Spiritual Treasure would be.

However, he had a rough idea of the reason.

Originally, when a Spiritual Treasure was born, the consciousness of the spirit was extremely weak and needed to be nurtured slowly in order to gradually develop adult consciousness and eventually take shape.

Now, by using a clever method to let the Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal replace the spirit, the consciousness of the spirit instantly grew, bypassing the intermediate nurturing process. Therefore, the nutrients needed for this part had to be provided from the beginning. Otherwise, if there was insufficient nourishment, the spirit would die midway.

The promotion of the Spiritual Treasure was imminent. Once interrupted, it would be a wasted effort, and the Ten Thousand Beast True Immortal would probably not have a good ending either.

Yu Xian shook his head inwardly.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, I am returning to you the favor of enlightening me with your teachings today."

The body of the Blood Demon Ancestor suddenly turned into a sea of blood, using his own power as a sacrifice to provide the final promotion resources for the Soul Banner.

Buzz!

The form of the Ten Thousand Beast Soul Banner began to stabilize, its color turning blood-red, and a faint sound of waves could be heard.

A powerful, newly born creature is about to be born.

(End of this chapter)