The Phoenix Heaven Shall Rise

The Imperial City was Jiang Yu's answer to the fourth realm in the Tianhuang Domain.

In previous trials of the Celestial Path, this answer might have sufficed, but it was clearly inadequate against the Blood God.

Crack—

The imperial majesty emanating from it could not suppress the crimson might—in fact, it seemed almost laughable in comparison.

"I have witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties with my own eyes—more than you've ever read about in history books."

"Now, they have all vanished like the wind, yet I remain."

The voice from within the coffin echoed in layers, distant yet unnervingly close, impossible to identify as any known creature.

Any one of the Nine Immortals could disregard imperial authority of this level, let alone the Blood God, who had been suppressed by the Rivers and Mountains Scroll for countless years.

The radiance of the Imperial City dimmed instantly, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The next moment, the golden dragon coiled upon it soared back into the heavens, merging with the Celestial Divine Sword and awakening its imperial might.

Clang—

The divine sword descended, striking the blackish-green arm and leaving behind a shallow scar.

Jiang Yu reclaimed the Imperial City, freeing it from its restraints and letting it hover behind him once more. His dual-pupiled eyes shimmered with unshakable gravity.

He had just exerted seventy percent of his strength, yet all he achieved was a minor wound.

Blood gushed endlessly from the injury, and as it flowed, it gradually dyed the entire temple crimson. Soon, the blood rose like a tide, flooding the sacred halls...

Witnessing this eerie spectacle, Jiang Yu knew—only the Sword Bone remained as his last resort.

Threads of sword energy seeped from his chest, coiling around the Celestial Divine Sword.

"Ah..."

At last, a sigh emerged from the coffin.

Within its light-devouring abyss, a face materialized—indistinct, as though veiled by the forces of life and death. Only a faint red mole between its brows was discernible.

This was the source of the living dead outside.

The Blood God existed between life and death—neither truly alive nor fully deceased.

Only its two arms and torso manifested in physical form.

"You wield that girl's sword and carry her sword intent within you. A pity—though you possess this power, it does not truly belong to you."

"Hah... A royal heir like you will never grasp its essence. Your father glimpsed a fraction of it, but alas, he was dragged back to ascend the throne."

The Blood God's tone was casual, as though it felt no urgency to deal with the intruder before it.

Jiang Yu's heart clenched. With a darkened expression, he replied,

"You'll soon see for yourself whether that's true or not."

With the Imperial City in tow, he took a step forward.

Yet, though he should have advanced dozens of feet, the sea of blood surged violently. In an instant, the world darkened, and an invisible force seemed to push him back to his original position.

Jiang Yu attempted to unleash his sword energy where he stood.

But everything before him was now shrouded in an eerie, bloody hue.

Like overlapping shadows, the Blood God's form split into dozens of figures, all gazing at him from every direction with cold amusement.

"Under the gaze of dual pupils, nothing remains hidden."

Veins bulged on Jiang Yu's forehead as his dual pupils blazed with light.

He identified the figure whose aura felt most real and, without hesitation, unleashed a sword strike.

The Sword of the Sovereign—like a golden dragon soaring through the heavens, commanding all under the sky, yet tempered with the sharpness of the Sword Bone.

Thud—

The blade pierced the Blood God's body, yet its smile only grew more mocking.

"Greed for everything... and in the end, you lose even what was originally yours."

This was not the true Blood God.

The dual pupils had been deceived.

A gust of wind roared behind him—a blackish-green fist tore through the air, sending Jiang Yu flying.

He skipped across the blood sea like a stone, tumbling over a dozen times before coming to a stop.

"You—"

"Hah, do I seem like the type who only dabbles in schemes?"

All the Blood God's blood shadows spoke in unison:

"Let me enlighten you—half the credit for humanity's martial arts today belongs to me. The first body-refining technique was my creation. And the Sixth Realm's Divine Body—care to guess who defined it?"

"When it comes to the mysteries of the human body, none in this world surpass me."

Jiang Yu had no time to discern the truth in its words.

He could only ignite the blood of his True Dragon Body, pushing his spirit, energy, and vitality to their limits.

It was during this fleeting moment of vulnerability that an unexpected voice rang out:

"Ancestral God, I come to aid you!"

A bull-headed demon barged into the sea of blood.

Jiang Yu: "?"

Blood God: "?"

Their battle had shaken heaven and earth, even stirring the abyssal currents.

The devastation was not world-ending, but it was certainly beyond the reach of ordinary beings.

Where did this thing come from?

Yet neither paid it any mind. Jiang Yu, consumed by fury, saw only the Blood God—and the Blood God, in turn, had no attention to spare for this insignificant demon.

The Celestial Divine Sword transformed into a towering mountain that split the earth, a blade capable of parting clouds and dividing all creation.

With this strike, Jiang Yu surpassed his former self, reaching new heights.

Yet as the divine sword descended toward the Blood God's brow, the deity remained nonchalant, leisurely throwing a punch.

The motion seemed effortless, yet the surging life force it carried billowed like towering smoke, forming a vortex of energy.

Vast as an eternal ocean, it eroded all in its path.

The sword light was swallowed, and the vortex's backlash sent the Celestial Divine Sword flying.

The fist then became a hand, seizing Jiang Yu by the throat.

"Hahaha... A True Dragon Body—this is my first time seeing one. Thank you for delivering yourself to me. I'll gladly accept it."

Jiang Yu was not dead, but neither could he resist.

The blazing vigor within him snuffed out instantly as divine patterns flowed from the Blood God's palm, draining into its body.

Jiang Yu had a premonition.

The Blood God was deciphering the essence of the True Dragon Body. Once it succeeded, it could forge a body of its own with the same power.

But just as Jiang Yu teetered on the brink of annihilation—

The next instant, the Blood God froze.

A sword tip protruded from its chest.

The Celestial Divine Sword.

Jiang Yu was released, too weak to move, and could only stare blankly at the one who had delivered the strike.

Dong Changtian.

A mere mortal, yet in this moment, he had lifted the celestial weapon and unleashed an unprecedented brilliance.

This strike had truly wounded the Blood God, eliciting a pained roar that sent hundred-foot waves surging across the blood sea.

Every blood shadow of the Blood God was false—yet any could be real.

Dong Changtian's sword was the "Sword of the Self"—perceiving the world through his own lens, thus imprinting his essence upon all things. To him, everything in Tianren City was real, for he had lived a true life there.

Naturally, the Blood God before him was no exception.

In simpler terms—Erniu had made the Blood God real.