Chapter 459: Bloodforge, One Billion Blood Devil Tokens (1)

Chapter 459: Bloodforge, One Billion Blood Devil Tokens (1)

"Punish?" The elderly man with golden skin, draped in black robes, sat upon an ornate throne. His voice boomed through the vast chamber, tinged with a hint of mirth.

"Just as the master chooses their disciple, the disciple also chooses their master," he continued. "If I were to extend an offer for discipleship yet punish them for rejecting, the other Astral Monarchs would mock me once the news spreads. Such pettiness is beneath me."

The elderly man in white robes bowed deeply, his voice filled with reverence. "Indeed, you are right, Astral Monarch. It's the Dragon Star Immortal Sect that lacks discretion. They fail to recognize this blessing from you. How many High Immortals in this vast immortal world yearn to earn even a glance of your favor?"

"It matters not," the golden-skinned elderly man replied, his voice carrying an otherworldly quality. "The Dragon Star Immortal Sect kept this matter private, so it remains unknown to others. I only considered taking Li Xia as a disciple because his talent aligns with my path."

He waved a hand dismissively. "But he refused, so let it be. Do not dwell on this matter further."

"Understood," the white-robed elder nodded, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "In this vast immortal nation, hundreds of talents like Li Xia and Zhuo Haiyue emerge every hundred million years. As for geniuses with slightly inferior talent, their numbers are ten to a hundred times greater. Yet, of these so-called prodigies, ninety-nine percent will never ascend to the ranks of Archimmortals."

His voice took on a tone of undisguised flattery, "But you, Astral Monarch, are an eternal existence. Your radiance illuminates the vast realms." Though it was flattery, his words rang with truth.

Indeed, over countless eras, only thirteen Astral Monarchs had emerged from the entire immortal nation. Each had witnessed the rise and fall of innumerable peerless geniuses throughout their long years.

Thus, while Wu Yuan's display had enticed many Astral Lords to vie for his discipleship, only one of the thirteen Astral Monarchs, Su Qing, had deigned to consider taking him as a disciple—and even then, merely as a nominal one.

A direct disciple? Generally, unless it was the type of monstrous prodigy that appeared once in ten million years within an immortal nation, a direct disciple of an Astral Monarch was often an Archimmortal themselves.

Even Zhuo Haiyue, despite her incredible talent, was only a nominal disciple of another Astral Monarch.

The golden-skinned elder's eyes suddenly focused. "By the way, how many geniuses from my territories will be participating in this Bloodforge Battle?"

The white-robed elder straightened, his voice crisp and precise. "From the various sects and subordinate forces across 189 immortal continents, a total of over seven thousand have registered for the battle. Among them, more than six thousand are Golden Core cultivators, with over a thousand at the Amethyst Cradle phase."

The Bloodforge Battle was organized by the Bloodforge Devil Hall and the majority of participants were cultivators from the Bloodforge Devil Hall.

Meanwhile, most participants from the Eternal Sun Immortal World were geniuses and their numbers were limited, so they made up the minority of participants.

Astral Monarch Su Qing ruled over nearly two hundred immortal continents, yet only a few thousand geniuses had applied to participate. On average, each immortal continent sent merely a few dozen participants.

"Any promising ones?" The Astral Monarch asked, his tone casual. The Bloodforge Battle, occurring once every century, did not particularly concern him. But since it was near, he decided to inquire.

The white-robed elder replied respectfully, "Among the Golden Core cultivators, twenty-six youngsters show potential to claim the title of Golden Core Bloodforge Marquis."

"Golden Core Bloodforge Marquis? Mediocre," the golden-skinned elderly man shook his head, disappointment evident in his voice. "If they cannot claim the title of Golden Core Bloodforge King, their potential is lackluster at best." His piercing gaze settled on the elder. "And the Amethyst Cradle cultivators?"

The elder's voice faltered slightly. "The two most promising youngsters might break into the top ten thousand. With fortune on their side, they could potentially claim the title of Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Marquis."

He lowered his head, avoiding the Astral Monarch's gaze, anticipating the response.

"Too weak!" Monarch Su Qing's voice thundered through the chamber. "Such vast territories cannot even produce a single Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Marquis?"

"I have disappointed you, Astral Monarch," the white-robed elder bowed deeply.

Yet in his mind, calculations raced. The title of Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Marquis was exceptionally prestigious, even surpassing that of the Golden Core Bloodforge King!

While a Golden Core Bloodforge King merely reigned supreme among Golden Core cultivators of a single immortal nation (first-tier division of the Bloodforge Devil Hall), the Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Battle spanned the entire Eternal Sun Immortal World. Those who broke into the top eight hundred were, without exception, the top-tier geniuses of their era in the macrocosm.

Within the mansion's expansive training ground, a tall, square-jawed figure in resplendent purple robes hovered in the void, his keen eyes fixed on the intense battle unfolding below.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Hundreds of metallic puppets, each wielding gleaming sabers, shields, or spears, swarmed from all directions towards a black-robed youth at the center.

The speed of these constructs was terrifying, each one at least at the Shambhala phase (sixth-degree immortal root).

Such formidable base strength, even with shallow Dao comprehension, was enough for them to unleash devastating power. The sight of 120 metallic puppets acting in unison was truly frightening. Even a ninth-stage Amethyst Cradle cultivator could be torn apart by them in an instant.

"Suppress!" The black-robed youth's voice rang out, sharp and clear.

Boom! An overwhelming aura erupted from his form, followed by the emergence of vibrant green qi streams. Each stream resembled a blade imbued with terrifying power.

The qi streams spread out rapidly, instantly repelling the hundred metallic puppets and drastically reducing their speed. In a flash, a shadowy figure, ghostly and swift, darted through the chaos.

The black-robed youth leaped out from the encirclement of metallic puppets, his movements fluid and graceful. Then, he raised his gaze to meet the eyes of the figure in purple robes.

"Haha, well done! You may stop now," the purple-robed figure called out, a smile of satisfaction playing across his lips.

Instantly, the hundred metallic puppets halted their assault.

"Archimmortal," the black-robed youth bowed slightly.

The purple-robed figure's voice filled with pride as he addressed the young cultivator. "Ao Qi, your talent is truly terrifying. You now stand first on the Dark Star Leaderboard in the Silvermist Division, the only one to have conquered level sixteen."

"Having grasped an Intermediate Law under the Wind Dao, you are undoubtedly the cultivator with the highest speed in the entire Bloodforge Battle."

Ao Qi listened calmly, his face an impassive mask. Over the past hundred years, such praises had become commonplace.

The Archimmortal's tone grew more serious. "By rights, you should have broken through to the Amethyst Cradle phase long ago. But for the title of Bloodforge King, you have endured decades of waiting. This battle is your last chance!" His eyes bore into Ao Qi's. "If you fail, you cannot afford to wait another hundred years; you must advance to the Amethyst Cradle phase. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Ao Qi nodded, his eyes filled with a burning drive. "I will do my utmost to claim the title of King."

The Archimmortal continued, "Besides the dozens of peerless geniuses who have cleared level fourteen of the Dark Star Leaderboard, there is another individual you must pay close attention to."

He paused before uttering two words: "Wu Yuan."

"Wu Yuan?" Ao Qi repeated, his brow furrowing slightly as information about this individual surfaced in his mind—a prodigy with mere decades of cultivation, yet already having passed level thirteen of the Dark Star.

The Archimmortal elaborated, "He cannot compare to the two incredible prodigies born in the Silvermist Immortal Nation—Li Xia and Zhuo Haiyue. But among the many second-tier divisions under the Silvermist Division, it is acknowledged by numerous Archimmortals and Astral Lords that Wu Yuan is the most talented individual of this era within the Bloodforge Devil Hall's Silvermist Division!"

His gaze intensified as he locked eyes with Ao Qi. "Compared to you, he only lacks time."

Ao Qi's jaw tightened, his voice resolute as he responded. "Most talented? Archimmortal, I understand your meaning. I will show him that the title of Bloodforge King is acquired through strength."

The purple-robed figure nodded in satisfaction. As the Archimmortal responsible for nurturing the disciples of this second-tier division, the black-robed youth before him was the most monstrous prodigy he had trained in a million years.

He knew well that peerless geniuses were always proud and would not submit to anyone easily. If you wanted their submission? Then you had to defeat them thoroughly.

In life-and-death battles, age and talent mattered not—only raw, unbridled strength.

The victor was king!