The Redmoon Immortal Continent was vast and boundless. Apart from the main plane with a diameter in the tens of billions of li, it also encompassed millions of worldlets.
These worldlets varied in size, with the smallest having an internal diameter of just hundreds of thousands of li, and the largest nearing a hundred million li.
The capacity of each individual worldlet to harbor life was no match for the main plane of the immortal continent. However, amidst the countless worldlets teeming with lives, frighteningly talented geniuses would occasionally be born throughout the ages.
The Rainbow River World was a super worldlet with an internal diameter of about sixty million li, subordinate to the Hundred Rivers Hall.
The Hundred Rivers Hall was one of the thirty-two first-rate sects on the immortal continent, with its overall strength ranked in the top ten.
In the heart of Rainbow River World lay a river that was truly one-of-a-kind. It was vast and splendid, glowing with seven vibrant colors. This river flowed through the entire worldlet, and the world was named after it.
Positioned directly above the middle section of the river was a floating hall.
Boom~ Without warning, a gigantic wave rose up from the river, spanning hundreds of li wide.
A bare-chested figure soared into the sky, reaching a hundred li in a single leap.
He landed heavily on the metallic floor of the hall’s plaza, causing the ground to shake. Crimson liquid resembling blood splattered onto the ground.
He was a young man with short red hair, holding a large poleaxe taller than himself. Fresh blood dripped from the blade.
“Congratulations, Sageling! You’ve killed another Shambhala trial taker. This is the 10th Shambhala powerhouse you have killed.” Two Void Refiner Eminences in red robes stepped forward with smiles.
“Hm.” The young man with the poleaxe nodded, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “This Shambhala opponent was somewhat weak. Prepare a stronger one next time.”
With that, he strode purposefully towards the hall’s interior.
The two Void Refiner Eminences exchanged a bitter smile.
Shambhala cultivators were already a rare sight, let alone those who possessed just the right amount of power and had committed serious crimes. The young man was truly giving them a tall order.
However, they could only reply, “Understood.”
“Sageling, the Dragon Star Tournament of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect has just ended,” one of the Void Refiner Eminences suddenly brought the topic up.
“Oh? The Dragon Star Immortal Sect?” The poleaxe-wielding youth paused, glancing at the Void Refiner Eminence. “I remember they have a disciple called Li Xia, right? He even got taken in as an Archimmortal’s disciple.”
The two Void Refiner Eminences couldn’t help but chuckle.
They knew the Sageling’s character well—focused on combat and cultivation. Though he was only at the Golden Core phase, he had already revealed terrifying talent!
He was regarded highly by many immortals, and even specially invited to train in the Rainbow River World—one of the most important worldlets of Hundred Rivers Hall.
“Yes, Li Xia became an Archimmortal’s disciple over five years ago,” one of the Void Refiner Eminences said. “In this Dragon Star Tournament, Li Xia exhibited immense strength.”
“He has nine lifebound flying swords and is able to control three Thousand Swords Arrays formed solely of fourth-grade spirit flying swords,” added the other Void Refiner Eminence.
“What? Nine lifebound flying swords?” The previously composed youth suddenly halted, spinning around. “Is that true? Show me the battle recording.”
Even though he was a Golden Core cultivator, he was highly knowledgeable. From what the two had said, he could tell that Li Xia was truly formidable.
The Void Refiner Eminence quickly nodded. “Sageling, please observe.”
With a wave of his hand, a massive light screen projection appeared, revealing the battle scene between Wu Yuan and Hao Shanjing.
Without a word, the youth watched the recording from beginning to end, studying it meticulously.
“They are both very strong,” the youth muttered.
“Yes, according to the information we’ve collected, both of them are comprehending Intermediate Laws. They’re extremely talented,” a Void Refiner Eminence stated.
“Overall, Li Xia poses a much greater threat. He has cultivated for a shorter period and doesn’t seem to have reached the ninth-stage Golden Core phase. In another ten years, his power will grow much stronger. Plus, he has the guidance of an Archimmortal.”
“As per the hall master’s words, Li Xia’s power in ten years could rival that of a sixth-stage Amethyst Cradle cultivator with a sixth-degree immortal root,” the Void Refiner Eminence stated.
“In terms of overall strength, there’s an eighty percent probability that he’ll be stronger than Zhuang Liang from the Moonsilver World.”
The youth listened in silence.
He knew that the sixth-stage Amethyst Cradle referred to the most ordinary caliber of cultivator: those with sixth-degree immortal roots, and Dao comprehension at the ninth-level Domain stage.
Reaching such a power level at the ninth-stage Golden Core phase was truly horrifying.
“Send a request to the hall master on my behalf. Inform him that I wish to participate in the Bloodforge three years from now,” the youth suddenly spoke.
“Sageling, do not act rashly.”
“Absolutely not, Sageling.” The expressions of the two Void Refiner Eminences changed simultaneously.
They didn’t expect the information about Li Xia to agitate the Sageling to such a degree.
“Protectorates, are you worried that I won’t survive the Bloodforge?” The youth smirked. “I know participating in the Bloodforge is a huge risk, but I heard that Zhuo Haiyue shot to fame through a Bloodforge and even got accepted as an Astral Monarch’s disciple.”
“I’m confident in my abilities, but I know my strength well. My current strength is around the same level as Zhuang Liang’s. We both cleared level fifty of the two-star tower. Can I suppress Li Xia ten years from now? The chances are slim,” the youth stated gravely.
“He is only fifty years old, and he’s likely to make clear progress every year. Who knows how far he’ll go ten years down the road? Thirteen years ago, he was only able to conquer level forty of the one-star tower. Now, he could probably conquer up to level fifty-nine.”
“If I want to defeat him, I have no choice but to take some special measures.” The poleaxe-wielding youth said, “I’ve heard that the Bloodforge Devil World is a very unique place.”
The two Void Refiner Eminences shared a pained smile, unsure of how to dissuade him.
Their duty was simply to protect him. Providing cultivation guidance was beyond their purview.
In terms of the breadth of knowledge and extent of access to certain secret information, they might not be as well-informed as the axe-wielding youth.
“Su Yu.” A mere moment later, a gentle voice rang out. Countless specks of light converged and a figure clad in black robes appeared before the youth.
“We pay our respects to the hall master.” The two Void Refiner Eminences bowed in unison.
“Hall Master.” The youth also kept his poleaxe and bowed low.
The newcomer was none other than the master of the Hundred Rivers Hall, one of the top echelons of this vast sect.
“Su Yu, I hear you wish to participate in the Bloodforge? Do you understand what the Bloodforge entails?” The hall master of the Hundred Rivers Hall looked down at the youth, a prodigious talent that the sect could rarely produce once in ten thousand years.
“I have a general understanding. It’s the most brutal trial organized by the Bloodforge Devil Hall. They enlist countless beings from their Bloodforge Worlds to survive the harsh natural environment of the battlefield and compete with other participants.” The poleaxe-wielding youth calmly said.
“Only the strongest, and the luckiest, can hope to emerge alive. And only those who survive have the privilege of receiving training from the Bloodforge Devil Hall.”
“Likewise, as part of the Taiyuan Divine Court, we, the immortal cultivators of the Eternal Sun Immortal World, can also apply to participate in the Bloodforge.” The youth said, “However, one must obtain at least ten thousand Blood Devil Tokens to leave the trial alive.”
It was clear that he had done his research ahead of time.
“Correct! One Blood Devil Token represents the life of one Bloodforge participant. In other words, for you to emerge alive, at least tens of thousands of immortal cultivators must fall by your hands.” The hall master of the Hundred Rivers Hall said softly.
“With your strength, you have at least a fifty percent chance of surviving. But from what I’m hearing, it seems you wish to fight for the ultimate opportunity?”
“To compete for the ultimate opportunity, you need to accumulate at least one hundred thousand Blood Devil Tokens to qualify for participation, and you must compete with the strongest talents from countless worlds.”
“The participants of each Bloodforge are not limited to the immortal continent division of the Bloodforge Devil Hall, but the entire Bloodforge Devil Hall.” The hall master looked at the youth. “It’s a force comparable to the entire Eternal Sun Immortal World, filled with countless prodigies. It is a faction that’s both cruel and savage.”
The youth listened quietly.
The Eternal Sun Immortal World was an unbelievably large faction, making up an entire immortal world. The scale of the Bloodforge Devil Hall was self-evident. Each time the Bloodforge commenced, countless participants joined the trial. How many of them emerged alive each time?
“The journey of cultivation is a solitary one. The Bloodforge is harsh, with a significant risk of perishing, yet if one succeeds, immense benefits await.”
“If you have truly made up your mind, I will send your application to the Redmoon Immortal Hall,” the hall master looked at the youth and said softly. “I will give you some time to think it over. Let me know your decision within a year.”
He wouldn’t stand in the way of the youth’s decision. Afterall, one’s path could only be determined by oneself.