Fairy Qingxia also found the matter too fantastical and deemed it more likely for the Blood Demon Ancestor to be lying.
“How could she possibly be my master?”
Daoist Yuxuan was even more frantic.
Though he had lost a portion of his memory, in his mind, his master should be a goddess with an ethereal presence and dignified conduct, not some brute engaged in constant violence…
The Blood Demon Ancestor snorted coldly: “Although I am not considered one of the Orthodox Sects, there is no need for me to lie about a matter that concerns my life. When this little devil made a sudden appearance, he beat me to a pulp, and I had no choice but to undertake my Tribulation earlier to ascend and avoid his sharp edge. How could I possibly mistake someone else for him?”
“…”
The people of Mount Shu were silent upon hearing the Blood Demon Ancestor openly admit to having been severely beaten by Lu Qinglian, leaving them speechless.
Could Lu Qinglian truly be the ninth Sect Leader of Mount Shu?
Why does this matter become increasingly perplexing?
Lu Changsheng originally thought that capturing the Blood Demon Ancestor would unravel some of the mysteries about Mount Shu from those days, but instead, things became even stranger.
Lu Qinglian was the disciple he had raised from childhood; it was impossible for him to have been resurrected from death like Yun Qianyue or to be a reincarnated person from the Buddhist Sect.
There was then only one possibility left.
Lu Changsheng transmitted a message to his little disciple Yun Qianyue, asking: “When you were in the Heavenly Sect, did you ever hear about a Cultivation Technique that allows one to traverse upstream the River of Time?”
Though Yun Qianyue was his disciple, back in Ancient Times, she was the Chief Senior Disciple of the Heavenly Sect, a supreme sanctuary for Sword Cultivators. With her status, she certainly knew many secrets of the Three Realms.
Yun Qianyue fell into reminiscence: “Indeed, I did hear my master talk about Divine Skills capable of reversing the flow of time. Some who had just died could even be resurrected through such reversal. But to return to a time a million years ago, tantamount to contending against all the karmic causality of a million years, is essentially impossible. Not even my master could do it. He once said, not even the ancient Human Emperors could achieve it. Otherwise, they would have revised time to eliminate threats before they could grow.”
As expected, the paradoxes of time travel also exist in the Cultivation World.
If Great Experts could traverse time, then it would lead to both sides desperately going back to the past to kill each other before growing in strength, which would have turned the Three Realms into utter chaos long ago.
This made things even more bizarre.
How did Lu Qinglian appear in the era of the Blood Demon Ancestor to brutally defeat him, forcing the Blood Demon Ancestor to flee to the Immortal Realm prematurely?
“If all you wish to ask pertains just to this, then I have answered your questions, and I may take my leave now, right?”
The Blood Demon Ancestor thought Lu Changsheng and the others would interrogate him about matters concerning the Blood Sea Palace, but they merely wanted to inquire about Immortal Green Lotus’s identity from those days.
The events of those days were quite straightforward; the Blood Demon Ancestor had reached Great Accomplishment in his Demonic Cultivation Skills and established the Reincarnation Hall, becoming sworn enemies with the leaders of the Orthodox Sects of Mount Shu at that time.
With his unparalleled Demonic Cultivation Skills, the Blood Demon Ancestor killed many Mount Shu Elders and Disciples, causing widespread panic throughout Xia State.
Latter on, a female disciple named Qinglian emerged as a prodigy of Mount Shu, became its foremost genius, and succeeded as the ninth Sect Leader. She beat the Blood Demon Ancestor repeatedly, prompting him to hasten through his Tribulation and ascend to the Immortal Realm. He never saw Immortal Green Lotus again until…
“Wait, you cannot leave just yet. I didn’t say we only had one question to ask.”
Lu Changsheng wasn’t going to let the Blood Demon Ancestor off the hook that easily; it wasn’t going to be that simple.
Since they had caught the Blood Demon Ancestor, they might as well inquire about some matters regarding the Blood Sea Palace.
Though the mystery of the Lower Realm remained unresolved, its impact was minimal in comparison to the imminent threat of the Blood Sea Palace: “Where is the main stronghold of the Blood Sea Palace located?”
The Blood Demon Ancestor’s expression changed; Lu Changsheng truly intended to question him about the Blood Sea Palace: “Given my standing, I do not have the privilege to know the location of the main stronghold.”
“Then tell us all the locations of the branch halls that you know of.”
Lu Changsheng kept a close watch on the Blood Demon Ancestor’s changing expression, sensing that he wasn’t lying. Given the Blood Demon Ancestor’s position within the Blood Sea Palace, he indeed wouldn’t have the rights to know the location of its main stronghold.
The Blood Demon Ancestor took a deep breath, knowing that if he revealed this information, he would be in big trouble when he returned to the Blood Sea Palace, but if he didn’t speak up now, he wouldn’t be able to get past the current predicament.
“The branches I am aware of, there are thirteen of them.”
Everyone was taken aback.
Well, the Blood Sea Palace really was ambitious, with branches scattered throughout the Immortal Realm, covertly collecting various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Just the branches known to the Blood Demon Ancestor, who was an Elder, numbered thirteen. The actual number of Blood Sea Palace outposts hidden in the darkness was countless.
“There is a branch in Ruthless Forest, another in Poison Dragon Pool, and yet another in Inquiry Heaven Valley… Telling you all this brings me no small amount of trouble, nearly costing me half my life. It is time for me to leave.”
“Who is the master of the Blood Sea Palace? Who are the protectors?”
Lu Changsheng intends to squeeze all the value out of the Blood Demon Ancestor, demanding that he lay out all the intelligence about the Blood Sea Palace.
“As for who the master is, I do not know either, only that it is one of the ancient powers. As for the various protectors, they are either traitors from the Holy Lands or demon chiefs wanted by the Holy Lands, and there are even criminals exiled by the Heavenly Court…”
Pressed by Lu Changsheng’s threat, the Blood Demon Ancestor had no choice but to reveal everything he knew.
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng’s hand pressed onto the head of the Blood Demon Ancestor, intending to forcibly read his Divine Sense.
“You!”
The Blood Demon Ancestor’s eyes widened as he was about to rebuke Lu Changsheng, but his gaze then lost its lustre.
“I must verify the veracity of your words.”
Lu Changsheng does not fully trust someone like the Great Demon Head, the Blood Demon Ancestor. Forcibly reading the opponent’s Divine Sense was the best strategy.
Even though this could damage the foundation of the Blood Demon Ancestor, Lu Changsheng only promised to spare his life; he did not guarantee it would be intact.
Daoist Taixu asked, “Changsheng, is what he said true? Especially regarding the matter of our ninth Sect Leader of Mount Shu?”
Lu Changsheng’s expression gradually became grave; in the Sea of Consciousness of the Blood Demon Ancestor, he saw Immortal Green Lotus, who had once fought the Blood Demon Ancestor, bearing resemblance to Lu Qinglian: “He did not lie.”
“How can this be possible…”
Daoist Yuxuan was stupefied.
If this matter was true, wouldn’t he, Daoist Yuxuan, need to address Lu Qinglian as his master? But how could he bring himself to do so when his master from those days was junior in seniority?
“Regarding the Blood Sea Palace, the Blood Demon Ancestor has limited knowledge. Protectors of the level of Song Tianfang may know much more about the inner workings of the Blood Sea Palace.”
Lu Changsheng finished reading the Divine Sense of the Blood Demon Ancestor, who no longer had any value to use.
“My memories have actually become fragmented; you actually forcefully searched my Divine Sense!”
The Blood Demon Ancestor was infuriated and humiliated, equivalent to having one’s browsing history completely exposed to others.
Moreover, being forcibly searched in one’s Divine Sense could cause irreversible damage.
“You better scram. I’ll let you go for now, as promised, but the next time I see you, I won’t be so lenient.”
Lu Changsheng’s True Qi shook and he directly sent the Blood Demon Ancestor flying, not giving him any face.
“Damn it, I won’t let you off.”
The Blood Demon Ancestor gnashed his teeth in anger, but his body honestly fled for its life.
Better to save his own skin first.
“Changsheng, what should we do next?”
Grandmaster Taixu also did not know what steps to take next.
The mysteries of the Lower Realm remain unsolved, and Lu Changsheng has yet to find the hidden hand behind sending several Earth Immortals down to kill him.
“Let’s leave this matter for now. As long as we cultivate to a certain Realm, the matter will sooner or later come to light.”
The Blood Demon Ancestor had spilled everything he knew; the clues were broken off here, and to continue the investigation, they would have to find someone from those days.
Lu Changsheng eradicated this branch of the Blood Sea Palace, not without gain; he had acquired one hundred billion jin of refining materials, which were more than enough to train a disciple into a Refinement Grandmaster.
“Back then I named her Lu Qinglian; it must have been just a coincidence, right?”
Lu Changsheng himself was somewhat uncertain about Lu Qinglian’s origin now.
Well then, time to go back and reward the disciple with the refining materials to calm the shock.