Daqian Martial Saint

Deep beneath Sanqi Mountain.

This was a vast underground space, its most striking feature a pool of crimson blood. The water in this Blood Pool glowed with an eerie red light, as if it had absorbed the lifeblood of countless beings, and it emanated a heart-pounding aura. The surface of the pool was calm and still, with only the occasional bubble rising and popping with a faint sound, adding a touch of unease to the silent space.

In the very center of the Blood Pool stood a circular stone platform, upon which sat a wizened old man, cross-legged. He wore a tattered gray robe, his body withered and shrunken, like Withered Wood.

Across from the old man hovered a figure cloaked in a long, blood-red robe. The garment swayed gently as if in a breeze, making him look like a phantom in a Sea of Blood—mysterious and terrifying. His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood; only his crimson eyes, glinting with a cold, cunning light, were visible, seemingly capable of peering into the deepest fears of the human heart.

Neither of them spoke. The silence was broken when a stone door not far away opened and a man in a black robe entered.

“Altar Master, Elder Li, the men from the Garrison Commandant’s Office are here.”

As his voice faded, the atmosphere in the cave instantly grew tense and oppressive. A cold smirk touched the lips of the Blood Robe Man.

“Proceed according to plan. Lead them to Blood Flame Cave.”

“Yes, Altar Master,” the black-robed man replied, accepting his orders.

The Blood Robe Man glanced at the wizened old man beside him, who remained with his eyes closed in meditation, as if the clamor of the outside world had nothing to do with him.

“The Land of Ten Thousand Demons’ Inheritance must not be desecrated! Even if we must all perish together today, we will make this place a graveyard for the men of the Garrison Commandant’s Office!”

…

The moment the signal was given, the general assault on the Ten Thousand Demons officially began. The Garrison Commandant’s Office had long since narrowed down the possible location of the Ten Thousand Demons Sub-Altar.

With all fronts advancing simultaneously from the north, south, east, and west, they quickly located the entrance to the Ten Thousand Demons Sub-Altar. The entrance was a cave mouth, previously concealed by vines and strange rocks. Anyone not intimately familiar with the path would have had an extremely difficult time discovering the passage here.

“It’s here!”

“We found it!”

…

Amid the shouts, the elite encirclement force gathered. After several probing attempts, they cautiously entered the cave mouth.

As the saying goes, a crafty rabbit has three burrows. Even though they had found the tunnel entrance, the encirclement units did not relax their guard in the slightest. They maintained their previous cordon, holding a tight watch.

“Clear!”

“Move in!”

“Stay alert!”

…

Amid the echoing calls, Chen Ping’an entered the tunnel along with the others. After the initial section, the tunnel began to branch. Following a brief discussion, the group split into smaller teams to advance.

“There are thieves here!”

“Kill them!”

“Attack!”

…

BOOM!

Shouts and the sound of impacts echoed intermittently from within the cave. As Chen Ping’an walked through the passage, his Spiritual Energy flickered, and his surroundings became clearly visible.

SWISH!

A flash of a blade sliced through the air. A Ten Thousand Demon Thief who had been attempting a sneak attack fell to the ground, his head severed from his body.

“Incredible skill, Lord Chen!” Xiong Sanrang, who was following behind Chen Ping’an, couldn’t help but exclaim in praise.

Chen Ping’an paid him no mind and continued deeper into the passage. The Ten Thousand Demon Thief who had just tried to ambush them was not very strong, only at about the Inner Qi Realm level.

Along the way, they did not encounter the fierce resistance Chen Ping’an had expected; on the contrary, their progress was remarkably smooth. Chen Ping’an’s perception was extraordinary. Despite the constantly branching paths, he never took a wrong turn, leading them directly to a subterranean cavern. The ceiling was high above, a testament to nature’s breathtaking artistry, with jagged, strange rocks creating an interplay of light and shadow that made the space seem even more profound and inscrutable.

“What a grand setup,” Chen Ping’an murmured, taking in the magnificent space around him. ‘This place is much larger than the Celestial Net Hall inside Five Peaks Mountain back then. Truly worthy of a Ten Thousand Demons Sect stronghold of the Vice Altar Level.’

As soon as Chen Ping’an stepped into the cavern, he sensed more than a dozen different gazes sweeping over him. These gazes were measuring and scrutinizing. Most of them only lingered on him for a moment before withdrawing. Only a few remained fixed on him.

At this moment, quite a few people were already standing inside the cavern. Judging by their attire, they were all elite members of the Garrison Commandant’s Office encirclement force. Numerous corpses lay on the ground, and a quick glance revealed that most of them were Ten Thousand Demon Thieves.

“So fast!” Xiong Sanrang was slightly astonished by the scene in the cavern. They had encountered almost no resistance on their way and had wasted little time getting here. Yet upon arrival, they found the battle was already over.

He looked at the few figures in the cavern whose auras were inscrutable, a respectful expression appearing on his face.

“Let’s go,” Chen Ping’an said softly, walking calmly toward the group. He had sensed the auras in the cavern long before, so he was not surprised by this.

Chen Ping’an recognized almost no one among the people in the cavern. They were clearly from the other encirclement fronts. Their presence here meant that the Ten Thousand Demons Sub-Altar had other entrances.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t been the first to enter the tunnels anyway, so it wasn’t strange that another group had arrived before them. However, what did catch his attention was…

As he walked, Chen Ping’an’s gaze inadvertently fell upon a figure holding a Longsword. He was a Sword Master with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, appearing to be in his thirties or forties. Dressed in a long robe, he had an elegant and dashing air.

‘Mid-Jade Balance Stage.’

The man’s aura was elegant, but the sharpness hidden within made Chen Ping’an give him a sidelong glance.

There were a total of four Grandmasters in the subterranean cavern. The other three were all Ordinary Grandmasters at the Early Jade Balance Stage; only this man had reached the Mid-Jade Balance Stage.