Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi's heart was ablaze with anger.

This world was never peaceful; the thirteen families of the mortal world wreaked havoc, ruling over humanity, conspiring with the World Gate, and exploiting the common folk. Countless people died unjustly, unable to enter the Immortal City after death, becoming mere wandering souls.

But even after their wrongful deaths, they were used as fodder by the ghost gods of the underworld, feeding livestock!

He had seen many injustices, but being bullied in this manner—he had never encountered such a thing!

Heavy hoofbeats resonated from the fog, and crimson tongues shot out, curling towards Chen Shi and Peng Ju.

Chen Shi dodged swiftly, raising a hand to grasp one of the crimson tongues. Using the Blood Lake Scripture, the Qi-Blood within the tongue surged into his body through his finger bones!

In an instant, the tongue shriveled up rapidly, becoming dry like a sun-dried stick, brittle and snapping with a crack, dropping to the ground in over a dozen pieces.

Chen Shi felt the Qi-Blood circulate through his body once, his skull body experiencing a strange sensation akin to physical flesh, as if he gained a touch of feeling—his soles could perceive the coarseness of the ground and the sandy texture of the flowing mist.

Moreover, the blood pool behind his head unknowingly expanded, and the speed at which the Blood Lake Scripture functioned increased significantly.

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback.

When he practiced the Blood Lake Scripture, he comprehended its facets thoroughly. This technique was evidently a legitimate cultivation technique, focusing on soul refining, cultivating a Blood Lake Hell behind the head to nourish the Primordial Spirit, without a trace of wickedness in it.

This demon technique, during cultivation, would absorb mysterious forces from heaven and earth, forming a vertical blood pool behind the head.

As the cultivation level increased, the blood pool would gradually transform into a Blood Pool, then evolve into a Blood Lake, cultivating from the Blood Lake to a Blood Sea, thus perfecting the Blood Lake Hell, and the soul becoming immensely powerful.

But for some unknown reason, when he operated the Blood Lake Scripture, it could seize the Qi-Blood of other creatures!

This was a demon technique!

It was unquestionably a demon path skill!

Just as he realized this, a massive creature burst forth from the fog, with a ghostly head and beast-like body, charging at him like a moving mountain of meat. This was the very creature that had lost its tongue just moments ago.

Chen Shi, without a second thought, placed his hands on the creature's forehead, feeling as if all his bones might shatter, unable to stabilize himself, sliding back from the impact.

Peng Ju intended to fly up and dodge the strike, but upon seeing Chen Shi struggle to stand firm, he too reached out his hands to block, without hesitation.

This creature was known as Shen, a denizen of the underworld, all flesh and muscle, immensely strong, cloud-swallowing and mist-spitting, fond of consuming souls and flesh, all tendon and muscle.

Wild Shens in the wilderness were elusive, even ambushing ghost gods. If not careful, even powerful ghost gods could become their prey, dragged into the mist and devoured.

When hunting, they spewed thick mist from their mouths, enveloping tens of acres.

Traveling in the underworld, one would often find clusters of fog in the wilderness, most likely concealing a Shen within.

Tamed Shens could provide ghost gods with physical bodies, their flesh increasing the longevity of the dark life—so-called dark life being the lifespan of the soul, hence their flesh was favored by ghost gods.

Even Chen Shi and Peng Ju could not withstand the Shen's charge, being knocked back.

At the same time, eerie laughter sounded from their sides, as another two Shens charged in from either side, crashing into the central Shen with booming noises, dazing it, preventing further assault on Chen Shi and Peng Ju.

And those two Shens emitted strange laughter, extending sharp claws towards the two!

"Peng Ju, Blood Lake Scripture!"

Chen Shi shouted loudly, activating the Blood Lake Scripture again. A blood-colored Sword Qi slashed to the left, with a swish, severing the scales and claws of the left Shen.

Strangely, after severing the scales and claws, the blood-colored Sword Qi didn't weaken in the slightest; instead, it became even stronger than before!

And the severed scales and claws of the Shen rapidly withered after hitting the ground, without a drop of fresh blood flowing out.

The place where the Shen's forelimbs were severed didn't bleed either, looking like dried branches, initially robust and now much slenderer.

Chen Shi didn't have time to ponder, transforming the Sword Slash into the Cloud Sword Formation, blood light rapidly encircling the Shen's neck.

The Shen let out a thunderous roar, but before the roar completed, its gigantic ghostly head shriveled swiftly, drained of all blood in the brain and muscles, the brain matter like dried raisins, the face skin clinging tightly to the bones.

And within its body, its heart shriveled rapidly, collapsing in an instant, devoid of internal blood, collapsing like a sun-dried Shen!

"Swoosh—"

The blood-colored Sword Qi returned swiftly, entering Chen Shi's body, instantly causing blood light to circulate through his entire body, making his skull-like form akin to being carved from red jade, continuously cycling and refining, while excess blood light flowed to the blood pool behind Chen Shi's head, enlarging it rapidly.

"This technique is truly wicked!"

While Chen Shi marveled, he heard Peng Ju's shriek, seeing Shen recovered from its stupor earlier, joining forces with another Shen to besiege Peng Ju.

Peng Ju activated the Blood Lake Scripture, yet as he had never practiced a cultivation technique, was uncertain how to channel the power, relying on the instinctual strength of the Funiao Clan's bloodline to fight desperately.

He could easily fly away, but stayed to share some burden from Chen Shi, preventing him from being overwhelmed.