The Beast King is Here!

Despite their motives being power-driven, the little emperor pondered the potential alliance. “Do you believe that if the dragon clan helps him, he’d stand a chance in the future?”

After a thoughtful pause, he admitted, “I’m not sure.”

“And your imperial uncle?”

“He relies heavily on schemes but lacks divine strength. He’s pinned all his hopes on my exceptionally gifted royal sister. It’s quite cunning.”

“Alas…” The elderly voice sighed deeply, then lapsed into silence.

…

Near the periphery of Pingwang county’s secret realm, the Beast King listened intently to the update from his subordinate.

“One person managed to push back six clans, and there’s an invincible puppet… Given the glowing blood sea as evidence, the identity of the one challenging the Beast King’s power becomes clear.”

“It must be the white-robed king,” he concluded. “Could he be considering a rebellion?”

Deep wrinkles formed on the Beast King’s brow as he pondered this development.

“Your Majesty,” the dog-headed advisor began, “I’ve mentioned before that this is the white-robed king flexing his strength. He’s using his achievements in battle to earn the lord’s respect.”

The Beast King exhaled heavily. “That could be the only reason behind the white-robed king’s actions.”

“If he dares to set foot in the secret realm, then I have every reason to confront him,” declared the Beast King, his voice echoing with determination. “Let’s proceed! We’re entering the secret realm!”

With a commanding wave, the ground trembled with the combined roars of the beasts behind him. He felt compelled to lead. If he didn’t and dispersed his best warriors instead, the valuable resources required to cultivate the blood beasts would be claimed by the white-robed king. Once the secret realm’s gates shut, a renewed war would erupt in the Great You, stalling his progression. Comparatively, this would likely displease the Supreme One, jeopardizing his faction’s position.

The mere thought of facing that man sent chills down even the powerful Beast King’s spine.

Without hesitation, the Beast King and his mighty forces stormed into the already tumultuous secret realm battlefield.

…

Time flew, and in what felt like a moment, half a year had gone by.

Qin Huai’s secluded training on the mountaintop was mostly undisturbed.

Shortly after the defeat of the six royal clans, a now-forgotten sect tried to assassinate Qin Huai. They believed him to be gravely injured from his previous battle and thought they could catch him off guard. But their assumptions were misplaced. Qin Huai single-handedly wiped out the entire sect.

Despite this, other powerful fighters periodically tried their luck against him, attacking him at various power levels. Each met the same fate – defeated by Qin Huai.

As time passed, such confrontations became rare. Some misguided thieves ventured to the mountain for loot, but they were swiftly dispatched by the formidable king corpse beside Qin Huai. Gradually, the mountaintop took on an eerie aura, turning into a forbidden zone, where piles of white bones formed walls around a gruesome moat of blood and ground flesh.

Inside this grisly fortress, Qin Huai made impressive progress. He was undisturbed and focused. He continuously gathered the spiritual palace fragments from the visceral prefecture realm experts of the three sects, six clans, and other minor factions.

“Ding! You have collected some [Spiritual Palace Fragments]. Your spiritual palace fusion rate has improved!”

“Ding! [Current spiritual palace fusion rate: 40%]”

Days turned into months, and soon it was the eighth month of Qin Huai’s time in the secret realm. As he reflected on his journey, he noted a discrepancy in his cultivation rate. He had expected his spiritual place fusion rate to be at 48%, but it was currently 8% short.

Gazing into the distance, Qin Huai took in the vast landscape of Pingwang county’s secret realm.

The three leading factions were holding their ground. However, the number of martial artists on the mountaintop had significantly dwindled. Most had turned to mining and set up safe channels to transport spirit stones. But these channels were paved with bloodshed, littered with corpses. The aftermath of battle was evident.

Turning his attention to the smaller factions, the sight was even bleaker. Half of what was once a bustling area was now desolate, with bones carpeting the ground like a layer of snow.

In the middle of this devastation, blood beasts thrived. These fierce creatures resembled the original eight royal clans, consuming the warriors to enhance themselves. Enormous blood eggs were nestled within the rivers of gore, guarded by warriors drawing blood from the blood sea.

Sacred Heart Sect…

“They disrupted the blood sea’s equilibrium, stealing resources meant for it,” Qin Huai observed to himself.

Across the realm, small sect warriors were relentlessly pursued by the Sacred Heart Sect, treated merely as sustenance. Even the three sects and six clans weren’t spared. Their martial artists, rich in blood and qi, were prime targets for the Sacred Heart Sect.

As Qin Huai surveyed the scene, his eyes settled on a group of particularly strong martial artists reminiscent of the Qiongqi clan. Atop the mountain, they stood dominant, with fresh conquests at their feet.

Qin Huai’s gaze settled on the towering figure leading them. “This person stands out,” he mused quietly.

Suddenly, the leader’s head snapped up, meeting Qin Huai’s eyes. A smile tugged at the leader’s lips as he mouthed words that Qin Huai couldn’t hear.

“Could he be one of the last three protectors of the Sacred Heart Sect?” Qin Huai wondered. After all, not even the famed white-robed king had detected Qin Huai’s silent observation so quickly.

Scanning the blood sea’s secret realm, Qin Huai noted, “Over two thousand blood beasts…”

In just six months, the Sacred Heart Sect had expanded immensely, even with the restraining presence of the blood sea. Without this restraint, the entire realm would’ve been overrun by these fiends.

The Sacred Heart Sect was proving a formidable adversary, reproducing quickly and taking over whenever given a chance. Qin Huai could already predict the challenges other factions would face against them.

A formidable Xuanwu blood beast emerged, towering at ten meters tall. Its prowess matched peak bone pattern realm experts. Most importantly, it did not feel any pain. It could even harness the blood heart technique for self-repair. These beasts were undoubtedly potent weapons. Could Qin Huai harness their power for himself?

His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that these creatures were creations of the Sacred Heart Sect, tied intricately to the blood heart technique. Observing them further, Qin Huai delved deep into the mysteries of the blood heart technique.

“The blood beasts owe their existence to the blood guillotine, and are nurtured by blood food. The core of this guillotine is the enhanced blood of a martial artist familiar with the blood heart technique…” he murmured, “…perhaps, it’s a trace of Wang Kun’s essence.”

Days passed. Qin Huai’s frustration grew. He knew there was a link between the blood heart technique and these beasts, but the solution eluded him.

His attention shifted to the Beast King and his formidable followers in the blood mirror. They stood apart from the usual disciples of the Sacred Heart Sect. An idea struck him, “Why don’t I just take a look at their cultivation techniques?”

Sinking into a meditative trance, Qin Huai explored the Beast King’s group’s essence and the knowledge they possessed. Moments later, clarity dawned on him.

Opening his eyes, he murmured with a triumphant smile, “So that’s the case. I’ve finally understood…”