After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 297 The Secret of True Blood

The sky above was covered with thick, heavy clouds, as heavy as lead, which shrouded the area and never dissipated.

As the sun sets in the west, it appears as if stained with blood, its afterglow filtering through the dark clouds and casting an eerie, blood-red glow over the earth.

A strong wind whipped up dust that flew everywhere, obscuring everything in sight.

The plains below the mountain were desolate, with withered yellow grass and cracked earth as far as the eye could see, a scene of devastation, ruins, and withered leaves.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, the scent of blood drifting slowly as if it were a tangible substance.

It not only dyed the land a shocking red, but also seemed to drape everything around it in a blood-red veil.

The corpses of dead monsters and humans lay scattered on the ground, their flesh and blood long since rotted and turned black, emitting a nauseating stench.

Flocks of pitch-black crows swept across the sky, but did not stop for the corpses, emitting mournful and heavy cries that echoed across the empty plains for a long time.

"No wonder you said this is a true battlefield of blood." Shen Xu said with emotion after arriving at Li Xiaoyi's side.

"What exactly happened? Your bloodlust nearly spiraled out of control while you were unconscious. I'm very worried about you."

"The will of blood! Out of control!"

Shen Xu felt uneasy. What exactly had that eye been feeding him?

"Through the power of blood, I sensed an extremely terrifying creature. It glanced at me out of the corner of its eye, and the True Blood Palace we are looking for is probably inside its body," Shen Xu replied slowly.

"That's about it!"

Shen Xu waved his hand, trying to recreate the scene in his mind with the mist, but when he recalled the full appearance of that blood-red creature, his soul was pierced by another pain.

This made him cover his head again, and the mist that had just gathered instantly dissipated.

"Some things can be fatal even with just a glance. If you look at them for too long, you will attract their attention. It would be a miracle if you survived. It is best not to think about them again, and not to use the Dao's intent lightly."

Li Xiaoyi took his hand, and a cool sensation traveled into his soul, gradually easing the stinging pain.

"This method can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. I estimate that only Lord Heart Demon in the Sword Alliance can solve your soul problem. However, with Ye Zhi around, it shouldn't be too difficult to get Lord Heart Demon's help."

“Using it in moderation is fine. You just mentioned a problem with my soul. Do you know what that problem is?”

"I cannot sense your soul; the only reason I can alleviate your pain is because my chill has a special effect on the soul."

But from your description, I can guess that your soul must have been severely damaged by that eye, and the Demon Lord possesses a talent for repairing soul damage.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xu's heart stirred. "Repair soul damage! I wonder if it can repair the void in my soul?"

"If I can go back, I will definitely visit Lord Heart Demon," Shen Xu replied earnestly.

"You just said that the True Blood Palace might be inside that creature, and since you discovered it through the meaning of blood, I think what you saw might not be a real creature, but rather a collection of the True Blood Palace's will."

Otherwise, the Blood Central Realm would have long since become a springboard for alien races to invade the True Origin Continent, and there would be no human race left.

"A collection of thoughts? It is indeed entirely composed of blood and qi, and it is constantly absorbing the primordial energy of the Blood Central Realm and then expelling other substances such as blood and qi."

So it seems the True Blood Palace truly is the source of all the anomalies in the Blood Central Realm!

"It's very similar to the methods of the vampires, but the Blood Central Realm is dominated by the demon race. Could it be that the True Blood Palace is a pawn jointly laid out by both races?" Li Xiaoyi wondered.

“You’ll find out if you go and see it.”

"But what about your health?" Li Xiaoyi's eyes were full of worry.

"My body is fine, and resting for a long time probably won't help with problems of the soul," Shen Xu said with a smile.

“It’s too late today. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to go out and find the True Blood Palace. Besides, this place is very dangerous.” Li Xiaoyi’s gaze fell on the blood-red plains below.

"What did you encounter?" Shen Xu's gaze immediately turned serious. Any creature that could make Li Xiaoyi feel threatened must be something extraordinary.

"Blood beasts are everywhere, and there are also people who have turned into monsters."

"A person transformed into a demon? Is it caused by spiritual blood?"

"I don't know, but since they can survive in this harsh environment, they must all have abilities comparable to the Blood Transformation Realm. They are almost completely irrational and unable to communicate, with only killing in their eyes, more like demonic beasts than demonic beasts."

I also learned that in the Blood Transformation Realm, to break through to the True Blood Realm, one needs the royal blood of the seven kingdoms to be bestowed upon them. This is the origin of the name "True Blood Realm."

The true blood of the seven royal families was obtained entirely from the True Blood Palace.

If a Blood Transformation Realm cultivator does not want to be restricted by the royal family when breaking through to the True Blood Realm, they need to enter the True Blood Palace to obtain new True Blood.

"I suspect they were all Spirit Blood Warriors who had previously stormed the True Blood Battlefield, and it was only after being corrupted by the True Blood Palace for so long that they became like that," Li Xiaoyi replied thoughtfully.

"So that's how it is!" Shen Xu's brows furrowed involuntarily.

"If Xiao Yi's guess is true, I have a bad guess."

Will there come a day when, under the influence of the True Blood Palace, all the humans in the Seven Kingdoms with demon blood will turn into demons?

Huo Yan's statement that the Seven Kings were traitors meant that the Seven Kings knew they would all turn into demonic beasts if the spiritual blood was allowed to continue spreading, yet they condoned its expansion.

“There’s another possibility!” Li Xiaoyi’s expression immediately became extremely solemn.

"The royal families of the seven kingdoms may have already pledged allegiance to the demon blood clan, and what they are doing is to help the two clans descend into this world as soon as possible."

Upon hearing Li Xiaoyi's guess, Shen Xu couldn't help but take a deep breath. If Li Xiaoyi's guess was true, then many things could be connected.

They destroyed books from the True Origin Continent, promoted the Spirit Blood System infused with demon blood, and even went so far as to use such methods to intercept them from entering the Hidden Heaven Abyss.

But if that's the case, then the Yunyang royal family's attitude towards him is a bit strange. The Cangli royal family only suspected Li Xiaoyi's identity, yet they still dispatched a True Blood Realm expert.

Despite revealing so much, and with Xiao Si's corroboration, the Yunyang royal family treated him with great courtesy.

"Xiao Yi, how many people in Cangli Kingdom know about ancient methods?"

"The Cangli Kingdom is not friendly towards ancient methods, and ancient method cultivators have almost disappeared. Why are you suddenly asking about this?" Li Xiaoyi couldn't help but feel puzzled.

That was even stranger. Combined with the old man's strange behavior, it made him feel that Yunyang Kingdom seemed to be on his side.

"Yunyang Kingdom doesn't seem to have much prejudice against ancient methods, and there's even an Ancient Methods Research Association. Perhaps the Seven Kings aren't all traitors," Shen Xu pondered.

"The truth of the matter is still unknown, and what Huo Yan said may not be true. There should be something we want to know inside the True Blood Palace."

"I hope so! By the way, where is the Praying White Crane? I haven't seen it since I woke up."

"It's not the type to stay quietly in a cave, and I can't control it. But you don't need to worry too much; it won't go to dangerous places. It's much more cautious than some people."

Hearing Li Xiaoyi's pointed words, Shen Xu couldn't help but smile. It felt good to have someone care about him.