Chapter 703: Heart of the Blood Demon

　　This was his true self. Whenever he appeared outside the sect, he used clones. Be it that year in the Reliance Sect, or earlier in the Black Sieve Sect, everything were clone incarnations.

　　His true self slumbered here eternally. From the beginning until now, he had never stepped even half a foot out of the cave, nor moved out from the pond.

　　As Meng Hao laid eyes on him, his head slowly raised up and he looked back.

　　His gaze was archaic, seemingly filled with countless years of time. Anyone who saw him would think that they were watching time move in reverse. It was as if they were looking far into the past, into ancient times, and the stars.

　　“I’m already aware of your choice,” he said, his hoarse voice echoing about in the cave.

　　A withered, emaciated hand lifted up and waved through the air gently. Blood rose up from within the pond, moving in accord with the gesture of his finger to congeal into a magical symbol.

　　As soon as the magical symbol finished forming, its color changed. It was no longer blood-colored, but rather, glowed with a golden light.

　　An incredibly powerful life force emanated out from it, as if the symbol itself were alive. As soon as the life force appeared, Patriarch Blood Demon visibly became even more ancient and withered. He didn’t offer an explanation to Meng Hao, but this gold magical symbol was created from some of the essence of his life force. The power of such life force was developed through ages of cultivation, and was something that could not be restored.

　　The golden symbol flickered a few times and then flew toward Meng Hao.

　　“Place this magical symbol on her old fleshly body,” he said, his voice hoarse and his tone casual. “After nine nine-day-cycles of nourishment, a total of eighty-one days, your beloved’s soul can re-enter her body, and she can once again walk about in the lands of South Heaven. If she does not enter the cycle of reincarnation within a hundred years, then her longevity of a thousand years will be cut short.

　　“Once she enters the cycle of reincarnation, this magical symbol will guide her through the void. When she is in the underworld, it will protect her. It will also help her when she reaches Immortal Ascension.”

　　Meng Hao looked at the symbol. Considering the level of his cultivation base, how could he not see the terrifying life force that existed inside of it, and how Patriarch Blood Demon had grown weaker after it appeared?

　　Complex emotions suddenly rose up inside of him. It didn’t matter that Patriarch Blood Demon had coerced him into accepting the title of Blood Prince, he still felt incredible gratitude in his heart.

　　Meng Hao carefully accepted the magical symbol and put it away, then clasped hands and bowed deeply to Blood Demon.

　　“My respects, Patriarch!”

　　Blood Demon’s eyes shone with a strange light, and his hoarse laughter echoed out throughout the Blood Demon Sect.

　　Meng Hao didn’t say anything more. He knew that originally, there was little reason for his life to have much of anything to do with the Blood Demon Sect. And yet, Patriarch Blood Demon had already showed him incredible kindness.

　　It wasn’t limited to the events which occured outside the Reliance Sect that year. If you traced matters back further, Patriarch Blood Demon had actually made an appearance INSIDE the Reliance Sect as well. Obviously, Meng Hao had long standing connections to the Blood Demon Sect.

　　Of course, Meng Hao was aware that his hand was forced back in the Black Sieve Sect. Despite that, he still chose to walk down this path in front of him.

　　“I make no requirements of you,” said Patriarch Blood Demon. “Even if you want to lead the Blood Demon Sect out into the Southern Domain to wage war on the Black Sieve Sect, to destroy them… I won’t stop you.

　　“You can do anything you want here. My only wish is that you cultivate the Blood Demon Grand Magic. Cultivate it all the way to the sixth level, and then you can leave without any hindrance from me.”

　　Meng Hao’s head jerked up to look at Patriarch Blood Demon, a shocked expression on his face. He would never have been able to guess that there would only be one requirement laid on him, and that it would be something like this.

　　“When you cultivate it to the third level,” said Patriarch Blood Demon, his gaze fixed upon Meng Hao, “I will bestow upon you some good fortune. After that, each additional level will come with further good fortune!

　　“I didn’t kill Six-Daos of the Black Sieve Sect, I only crippled his foundation. His cultivation base will quickly fall to the early Dao Seeking stage. When your Blood Demon Grand Magic reaches the fourth level, you will easily be able to slaughter that very stage. At that time, you can personally wipe out the entire Black Sieve Sect.”

　　Meng Hao didn’t say anything in response, but his eyes gleamed with a strange light.

　　“All I am giving to you is a title in the sect. As to whether or not you can stand on your own, can convince everyone to follow you… and to acknowledge your position, well…

　　“That depends on your capabilities.” Blood Demon gave Meng Hao a profound look, then waved his right hand. A drop of blood flew out to hover in front of Meng Hao. He took hold of it, and when it touched his palm, it turned into a blood-red crystal, within which flickered magical symbols that seemed to contain a mysterious, great Dao.

　　After delivering the drop of blood, Patriarch Blood Demon once again grew visibly weaker. The drop was obviously made of lifeblood, which contained some of his will, and was indestructible. It also contained good fortune.

　　This was a legacy! The legacy of Patriarch Blood Demon!

　　After watching Meng Hao accept the blood drop, Patriarch Blood Demon looked at him with warmth.

　　“I’ve lived far too many years,” he murmured in his heart, “and my condition worsens on a daily basis. Eventually, my soul will disperse, and I will die. When that happens, I will finally be able to accompany my long-dead friends in the underworld…. They died, and I live on alone…. Wait for me, my sister. Wait for me, friends. We can reunite soon….

　　“When I die, my death will have the greatest value of them all. My death will change the League of Demon Sealers!

　　“In fact, that is the reason I chose to descend here into the lands of the Southern Domain…. This is the homeland of the Demon Sealers. Wait for me, all of you. The day is coming soon….”

　　Meng Hao clasped hands and bowed deeply, then turned to leave the cave.

　　Just as he was about to step out of the cave mouth, he suddenly stopped in place.

　　“Patriarch,” he said, “as the Blood Prince, I have a license to kill, right? How many disciples’ lives are covered by it?”

　　As soon as Patriarch Blood Demon heard the words, his eyes flickered, and he lifted his head up once again from within the Blood Pond.

　　“One hundred per year.”

　　“Regardless of status?”

　　“Regardless of status,” was the calm reply. To him, none of the other disciples in the Blood Demon Sect were as important as Meng Hao.

　　Meng Hao didn’t say anything further. He left the Immortal’s cave, and as he did, Patriarch Blood Demon’s voice echoed out to fill the entire sect.

　　“From this day forward, Meng Hao… is the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!”

　　The words rumbled like thunder throughout the five mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect. Instantly, streams of divine sense appeared from within the four outer mountain peaks, all of which focused on Meng Hao as he stood there on Mount Blood Demon.

　　His expression was the same as ever as he strode down the steps. His calm face seemed reticent and taciturn; after dying, his personality had changed dramatically. That was especially so after the massacre at the Black Sieve Sect. After that, he was more ruthless and vicious, and it showed.

　　Even more influential was everything that had occurred with Xu Qing. As far as Meng Hao was concerned, his entire life was different now.

　　He walked silently, doing nothing to stop the countless streams of divine sense that began focusing on him. Each and every stream was filled with hostility. After all, to the Blood Demon Sect, Meng Hao… was a stranger!

　　For a stranger to suddenly come to the Blood Demon Sect and then immediately be promoted to Blood Prince was something that affected the interests of more than a few people. Clearly, many people were resentful.

　　Their resentment could not be displayed in Patriarch Blood Demon’s presence, but when it came to Meng Hao, they didn’t care about him one bit. Even if he had been appointed the Blood Prince, in the Blood Demon Sect… words need to be backed up by strength.

　　As for what had occurred in the Black Sieve Sect, only Meng Hao knew about it. The other experts in the Blood Demon Sect only knew that their Patriarch had set up a spell formation and then returned from the Black Sieve Sect with Meng Hao.

　　Regarding the particulars of what had occurred, the Black Sieve Sect obviously wouldn’t be spreading the news. For the rest of the Blood Demon Sect to learn the details wouldn’t likely happen in a short period of time.

　　There were powerful experts who occupied all four of the outer mountain peaks of the Blood Demon Sect. They built their own organizations within the sect that eventually caused the Blood Demon Sect to be divided into four major powers or sections.

　　Generally speaking, the four sections did not get along, and it was difficult to determine who was in the superior position. On the surface, things were harmonious, but in reality, there were ceaseless secret struggles that occurred.

　　Whether it be outside of the sect or inside, it had always been that way.

　　As for the position of Blood Prince, that was something that each of the powers wished for their own. If they could acquire the position of Blood Prince, it would change everything and would give them the qualifications to take control of all of the mountain peaks.

　　The first mountain peak was referred to as Mount Ironblood. 50,000 cultivators called it home, and all of them were Demonic cultivators and cold-blooded killers. Currently, all of their cold gazes were fixed on Mount Blood Demon.

　　They didn’t care a whit about the new Blood Prince nor his extraordinary cultivation base. Even were it more extraordinary, he was still nothing more than a stranger. How could he possibly stand up to all of Mount Ironblood?!

　　In an Immortal’s cave at the highest point on the mountain were the two Ironblood Patriarchs. They were not cultivators, but rather, Demonic Incarnations; as for their true selves, few people knew what they looked like.

　　Normally, they didn’t venture out very often, and currently, they sat there cross-legged, eyes open as they looked at Meng Hao.

　　“Nothing more than some member of the junior generation,” said one of them.

　　There was also a middle-aged man who stood outside of the two Patriarchs’ Immortal’s cave. His eyes flashed with killing intent as he stared toward Mount Blood Demon.

　　“The title of Blood Prince was intended for me, Chang Yi! This Meng Hao dares to snatch food out of the tiger’s mouth? He’s looking to die!” His body began to glow with a bloody light, and seas of blood surged inside his eyes. The man was clearly in a rage, and countless bloody souls appeared around him, all of them emitting miserable shrieks.

　　Gritting his teeth, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed toward the Immortal’s cave. “Masters, please allow disciple to take action!”

　　“He might be the Blood Prince,” said one of the two Ironblood Patriarchs, “but the only difference between his position and yours is that he has unique access to the Blood Demon Grand Magic. If you’re skilled enough to make him bow his head, then he can become your puppet!”

　　“That’s right,” said the other, his voice cold. “If you’re skilled enough to make him capitulate, then as the operators of the torture chamber, your Masters will be within their rights to crush him. Of course, he was appointed by the Patriarch, so you can’t be the first one to make a move!”

　　The middle-aged man looked up, and his eyes flickered with viciousness. Without hesitation, he left the peak of the mountain.

　　At the same time, on the second mountain peak of the Blood Demon Sect, which was known as Mount Darkheaven, a cultivator rose up from meditation to look at Mount Blood Demon. This was respected Patriarch Darkheaven, who was referred to as a Demon, but was in fact a cultivator.

　　Behind him were his seven apprentices, none of whom seemed to be people of goodwill. Their eyes flickered with red light and killing intent.

　　The tens of thousands of disciples on Mount Darkheaven, all of whom were commanded by Patriarch Darkheaven, silently stared with cold eyes toward Mount Blood Demon.

　　—–

　　This chapter was sponsored by Anonymous, Nat Kraikruan, Y J Low, and Zaid Soboh