The Secrets of the Ancient Continent

"You're too slow!"

An Yi said indifferently.

Squelch!

Blue blood splattered through the air!

Gourd Immortal's arm was severed by a single sword stroke!

"Ahhh!"

A shrill, agonized scream tore from Gourd Immortal's throat as his plump arm thudded to the ground.

Thick blue blood gushed out, pooling across the floor.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

After his piercing shriek, Gourd Immortal gasped through the pain, "I... I truly came from the Ancient Continent!"

"So it is the Ancient Continent."

An Yi's lips curled in a cold smirk. How ironic—in some twisted way, this old creature was practically his fellow countryman.

His gaze sharpened like frost as he asked coolly, "Did you come to this world through the Skyreach Tower?"

At the mention of that name, Gourd Immortal's face drained of color. Stuttering, he replied, "Th-that's the prison for the Ancient Continent's most vicious criminals! I—I've never been there! That place isn't fit for living beings. Someone as insignificant as me would never qualify to enter."

"Not from the Skyreach Tower?"

An Yi frowned slightly. Could there be another passage connecting to this world?

Suddenly, Gourd Immortal's eyes widened in delayed realization, his voice trembling with shock. "Y-you... How do you know about the Skyreach Tower?!"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."

With a flash of steel, An Yi lopped off Gourd Immortal's other arm. Another spray of blue blood erupted.

Gourd Immortal clenched his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, not daring to make another sound despite the agony.

An Yi pressed his black sword against one of Gourd Immortal's legs. "Second question—how did you come to this world?"

Gourd Immortal's voice quivered as he stammered, "If... If I answer truthfully, will you spare me?"

"Fine."

An Yi's reply was chillingly casual.

Overjoyed, Gourd Immortal blurted out, terrified of losing another limb, "I—I'm from the Ten Thousand Demons Kingdom in the Ancient Continent! I accidentally stumbled into a secret realm there and got transported here over a hundred years ago!"

"You're not human?"

An Yi's brow furrowed.

Gourd Immortal hurriedly explained, "I—I am a three-hundred-year-old spirit creature, a Blood Gourd! I sustain myself by feeding on the blood of beasts and birds."

"The Ten Thousand Demons Kingdom..."

An Yi's expression darkened.

He had heard of that place—a realm of spiritual beasts, inaccessible to ordinary humans.

But he never expected this wretch to be one of its demonic denizens.

If that were the case, did it mean others from the Ancient Continent had also found their way to this blue planet?

An Yi narrowed his eyes. "Who else came with you?"

"Y-you said only two questions!" Gourd Immortal protested weakly.

Crack!

His leg was severed at the root.

"I—I don’t know! I really don’t! A century ago, I was hunting a fledgling eagle for blood near a cliff when I slipped and fell. I thought I’d die, but instead, I ended up here..."

Gourd Immortal’s face twisted in misery as he recounted his tale.

This world, he soon realized, was far easier to survive in.

Humans here had no spiritual power!

Though strange metal carriages roamed the streets, they posed no threat to him.

The only slight concern was their firearms—but even those couldn’t kill him. His body could regenerate.

And this place? It was paradise!

The humans were weak, their flesh as fragile as paper. Drinking their blood was simpler than slaughtering chickens.

Everything here surpassed the Ancient Continent in comfort.

The only downside was the scarcity of spiritual energy, making cultivation impossible.

But after gorging on human blood, Gourd Immortal grew bored.

So he turned his appetite toward those with stronger vitality—those whose blood carried traces of spiritual energy.

By consuming them, he could still grow stronger even in this barren world.

As his kills piled up, he gained followers.

Where there was light, shadows thrived.

Beneath their docile facades, some humans hid hearts blacker than demons.

Oppressed by reality, they sought release through darker means—and Gourd Immortal became their idol.

He slaughtered like a farmer reaping wheat, draining victims until they shriveled into husks.

Though his name spread terror, chilling even infants into silence, it also drew the worship of the depraved.

His infamy grew.

Criminal organizations sought him out, offering riches to hire his services.

For a century, he reveled in sin, his crimes too numerous to count.

As Gourd Immortal rambled on, An Yi’s frown deepened.

No wonder this creature lived so lavishly. In this world, evil thrived.

Power, wealth, pleasure—all within reach for those ruthless enough.

Meanwhile, those who lived honestly scraped by in poverty.

The irony wasn’t lost on him.

"Last question," An Yi cut in coldly. "Do you know how to return to the Ancient Continent?"

Gourd Immortal’s eyes lit up. "If I answer this... you’ll really let me go?"

An Yi nodded.

"Ha! Why would I go back? This place is full of weaklings! Endless blood to drink, women to enjoy, lackeys groveling at my feet—I wouldn’t trade this for godhood!"

Gourd Immortal grinned, eyeing An Yi. "You’re no saint either. Why not team up? I’ll be your lackey."

Ding!

"Blood Gourd requests submission! Accept?"

The system’s voice echoed in An Yi’s mind.

"Accept my ass!"

With a swing, An Yi severed Gourd Immortal’s remaining leg.

"Aaaah! You—you promised!" Gourd Immortal howled.

"I have OCD. That leg looked uneven—consider it a freebie."

An Yi’s tone was ice.

Gourd Immortal shut his mouth, drenched in cold sweat.

This bastard would chop off limbs at a whim—utterly merciless!

An Yi’s expression turned grave.

If Gourd Immortal wasn’t the only one who came... where were the others?

Did any of them know the way back?

His grip tightened on the sword.

The Ancient Continent—he had to return.

"All these people... you killed them?" An Yi glanced at the corpses littering the ground.

"Trivial. Just worthless mortals," Gourd Immortal muttered, then pleaded, "Now can I leave?"

Armless and legless, a human would’ve despaired.

But Gourd Immortal was no human.

If he escaped, he could regenerate by slaughtering more victims—though his severed lifeforce meant he’d never regain his peak strength or longevity.

"Leave?"

An Yi’s lips curled into a devilish grin. "With no legs? Stay and rot with them."

"But you swore—!"

"Yeah. I lied."