In the beginning, Chen Feng had been able to easily collect the bloody bead. Unexpectedly, something like this would happen. By then, Chen Feng was no longer capable of moving. The bloody bead’s power had bound him and more runes kept appearing from his body.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Jian Wuming, who was fighting against the two malevolent, yin-type objects, suddenly laughed loudly. The aura emanating out from his body abruptly grew stronger and he evaded the attacks from the two objects. Next, a blood-red gourd created from jade appeared in his hand. Opening its stopper, he sucked the two objects into the gourd.

Following that, Jian Wuming formed hand seals again and even more runes appeared from Chen Feng’s body, like a fountain gushing out from the ground.

“Senior, what is going on here?” Chen Feng shouted.

“Ha ha ha! Kid, did you really think I am so goodhearted as to bring you along? In all my years adventuring, I have never met someone as foolish as you. To think that you could even trust the things I said.” A triumphant look appeared on Jian Wuming’s face.

“Senior, what do you mean?” There was still a lost look on Chen Feng’s face.

“Fine, I will enlighten you.” After Jian Wuming said that, his beard grew longer and strands of blood energy surged out from his body. Even his eyes had turned scarlet-red in colour. As a result, the strength that Jian Wuming was exuding doubled.

“I am someone from the Blood Plane and this Blood Essence Bead is an item from my Blood Plane. Although I can collect this treasure, I will have to pay a price for doing so. I don’t want to pay that price. Thus, I found someone to substitute for me instead.

“You’re the substitute I found. I had spent the past few days planting the runes on you. Collecting this magic treasure requires some sacrifices. I have already prepared the other items. All that is left is a living person. More, it has to be someone who will willingly come forward to take the Blood Essence Bead.”

Holding a porcelain bottle in his hand, Jian Wuming opened it and torrential streams of blood surged out. All of them were absorbed by the Blood Essence Bead.

“I have spent over 10,000 years collecting all these blood. All for the sake of this day. When I obtain this Blood Essence Bead, I will be able to advance to the Ascendant Immortal stage in one go. Then, I will be able to return to the Blood Plane!”

“You’re despicable!” Chen Feng cried out in pain several times before the Blood Essence Bead devoured his whole body. Next, it flew into Jian Wuming’s hand, where it rested quietly like a normal bead.

In the beginning, Jian Wuming had been feeling worried that Chen Feng was playing the pig to bait the tiger. However, after the Blood Essence Bead arrived in his hand, he felt relieved. After that, he grew overjoyed.

“Blood Essence Bead, oh Blood Essence Bead. I have been waiting for tens of thousands of years! Finally, you are mine!” Despite his cultivation base at the Earthen Immortal stage, Jian Wuming was still trembling somewhat.

Looking around, Jian Wuming then swiftly moved. He set up a magic array around him. It was an illusion array. Next, bringing the Blood Essence Bead with him, he entered the hole.

He wanted to refine the Blood Essence Bead.

Although the hole looked like a bottomless pit, Jian Wuming only needed to descend through 500 kilometres before reaching hard ground. Waving his hand, he then brought out a thick and circular disc – forged from jadestone – and placed it on the ground. Strands of ice energy radiated out from the circular disc. It was the Frost Jadecore, something that was of an even higher grade compared to the 10,000-year-old Frost Jade. When used for cultivation purposes, it could help stave off the rise of inner demons.

Jian Wuming was someone from the Blood Plane. At that very moment, he wanted to refine a magic treasure of the Blood Plane. Thus, inner demons would surely be born during the process. This Frost Jadecore would help him stop that.

Seating himself on the circular disc, Jian Wuming felt increased clarity. The Blood Essence Bead in his hand floated before him. After that, he sprayed a mouthful of energy onto the Blood Essence Bead, causing blood-coloured light to shine from it before rippling outwards.

This was a special secret technique from the Blood Plane. It utilized one’s essence, energy and soul power to nurture a magic treasure, making it easier to integrate with.

One mouthful of essence power after another sprayed out from him. One month later, Jian Wuming’s face took on an abnormally red look while his whole body gradually withered up. It seemed as though he was suffering from severe depletion of essence, energy and soul power. During the past month, Jian Wuming would spray out a stream of essence power once a day. That essence power was the most important part of him and every bit spent would require a very long time to recover.

And yet, his eyes instead became increasingly bright and he grew more and more excited. The Blood Essence Bead before him had begun linking up with his mind.

One more month. After just one more month, he would be able to completely refine this Immortal artifact. Only, he had exhausted his essence, energy and soul power to their very limits. Still, for the sake of this Immortal artifact, any sacrifice was worth it.

Ten days later, Jian Wuming’s body became like a bag of skin and bones. No, even his bones were shrinking. However, Jian Wuming’s eyes had grown even brighter.

“I will be succeeding soon,” Jian Wuming said, his voice quavering.

Weng!

Suddenly, a bloody scarlet-red light flared out from the Blood Essence Bead and a blood-coloured hand emerged from it. With a grasping motion, it pulled Jian Wuming into the Blood Essence Bead.

Truth be told, the moment the hand grasped Jian Wuming, he had realized that something was happening. Only, he had no time to react to it at all. By the time he was able to mount a reaction, he was already inside the Blood Essence Bead. Additionally, there was a young cultivator standing before him. Who else could it be but Chen Feng?

“You must be surprised to see me, no?” Chen Feng said smilingly.

“You, you.” The expression on Jian Wuming’s face sank sharply. Then, realization hit him. He secretly attempted to link up with the Blood Essence Bead but found no response. That was the most terrifying issue here. Sensing that, Jian Wuming found himself incapable of remaining calm and a sense of dread grew within him.

Given the current circumstances, it would seem that all the essence, energy and soul power that he spent on the Blood Essence Bead before this had gone to waste.

Seemingly realizing what was on Jian Wuming’s mind, Chen Feng chuckled and said, “Your efforts did not go to waste. No matter how you cut it, your actions did increase this magic treasure’s power somewhat.”

Sou! Sou!

Jian Wuming’s eyes flashed with light and two beams of red light shot towards Chen Feng, one from the left and one from the right. Those were flying swords, both at the Immortal tier. As Jian Wuming was channelling all his power into them, they flew forward at an even greater velocity.

However, two gigantic blood-red hands appeared from beside Chen Feng, each grabbing hold of one of the two flying swords. Next, the power of blood surged within the Blood Essence Bead and one rope after another was formed to instantly and tightly bind Jian Wuming.

“Impossible! How can you control the magic treasure of my Blood Plane!” Jian Wuming howled and struggled furiously but to no avail.

“You were so hasty in refining the Blood Essence Bead that you have already exhausted a great deal of your essence, energy and soul power. At present, you only have 30% of your strength left. Besides, even if you are at your peak, you are still far from capable of beating me. As for how I refined this magic treasure, there is no need for you to ask.” Chen Feng waved his hand and spikes pierced out from the ropes binding Jian Wuming and they began devouring the vestiges of life within Jian Wuming’s body.

“You think others as idiots when you are the real idiot. I managed to gain a great deal this time. This Blood Essence Bead is obviously already on the verge of levelling up to become a mid-grade Immortal artifact. This is all thanks to you,” Chen Feng said, ignoring Jian Wuming’s cries of misery as he simply let the ropes devoured him whole.

Heh! This is quite the sizable harvest. Looks like my Blood Mustering Bead will have no issues rising up to the Immortal tier.

The Blood Essence Bead was already very close to becoming a mid-grade Immortal artifact while the Blood Mustering Bead was only a high-grade Dao artifact. Even so, Chen Feng had no intentions of fusing the Blood Mustering Bead into the Blood Essence Bead. Instead, he planned on breaking down the Blood Essence Bead and fusing its parts with the Blood Mustering Bead.

In addition to the Blood Essence Bead, there were also the two Immortal-tier flying swords of Jian Wuming. That said, although they were Immortal artifacts, their grade was somewhat low. Even their quality was bad. That was one of the reasons why Chen Feng was able to stop them using the Blood Essence Bead.

Chen Feng did not hesitate to break them down. Astral swords, fragments, power of laws. All the parts he obtained by breaking them down were fused into the other swords in his possession.

As a result, the grade of several of his Dao artifacts rose.

Knowing that it would be impossible to fuse the Blood Essence Bead into the Blood Mustering Bead anytime soon, Chen Feng began moving out as he continued exploring the place.

He had only been here for a few days. And yet, he had already managed to obtain such a bountiful harvest. Chen Feng had a feeling that there were still more good items to be found here.

Next up, however, after spending some more time exploring, Chen Feng failed to find anything good. Although disappointed, he also felt more grateful. More grateful at the fact that he met Jian Wuming.

It makes sense. A whole Immortal artifact is comparable to an Ascendant Immortal. It is not that easy to find one. If it is that easy, I probably won’t get the chance. Despite understanding that, Chen Feng was still feeling anxious. He did not have that much time to spend here.

Sigh! If only Eternal World can settle down, there would have been no need for me to worry so much. I can simply stay here and slowly explore this place.

Still, before coming here, I have already made the necessary arrangements. Staying here for decades or over a century should not be an issue.

Perhaps it was because Chen Feng was lucky, but as he was seated atop a mountain, mumbling to himself while feeling bored, something happened. A unique extra-terrestrial creature that was facing the pursuit of a group of cultivators ran towards the mountain that Chen Feng was on.

As Chen Feng was not releasing his divine sense, he only noticed them when there were less than 50,000 kilometres between him and them.

The unique creature was a massive python. With a length of 10,000 zhang, its entire body was covered in yellow spots and it emanated an aura of outer space. Its aura was in a state of chaos.

Normally, this unique extra-terrestrial creature could be considered an awe-inspiring existence. At that very moment, however, it looked wretched to the extreme, with deep, bone-revealing wounds on its body. Even a small part of its tail had been cut off.

A unique extra-terrestrial creature, the Sand Python. Not to mention, it is also a peak-level Yao Immortal. At the very least, it must have cultivated for 100,000 years, but it looks like it will die here. With a glance, Chen Feng figured out what was happening.

A total of 13 Earthen Immortals had joined forces to hunt down this Yao Immortal. Seeing that, Chen Feng chuckled to himself, wondering how these 13 people could come together.

Although the Sand Python had quite the value, Chen Feng had no intentions of involving himself with the matter. Just as he was about to move away, however, the Sand Python actually smashed its way towards him. Seeing no other options, Chen Feng darted backwards. With a booming sound, the mountain that Chen Feng had been standing on were smashed into pieces.

Following that, a red beam of light shot towards Chen Feng. However, it was not something dangerous. Thus, Chen Feng reflexively stretched his hand forward to catch it. Before he could inspect it in detail, though, two cultivators charged towards Chen Feng.

1 zhang = 3.333 m

1 li = 0.5 km