"Hum—" Suddenly, Chu Feng's brows furrowed, and a look of displeasure surfaced on his face. He had sensed a stream of Mental Power observing his body.
Feeling this change, Chu Feng immediately spun around, casting a wary gaze behind him, only to discover an elderly man flying toward him from not far away.
The old man turned out to be blind. Though he could not see, his attire was remarkably neat—not particularly luxurious, but impeccably clean.
His snow-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching all the way to his heels. His beard, while not as long as his hair, was still quite lengthy, and just as white as snow, immaculately kept.
"Heh heh, young man, this is your first time at the Boundless Blood Sea, isn't it?" The blind old man arrived before Chu Feng and asked with a smile. He possessed a cultivation at the eighth stage of Heaven Martial, and was clearly a Spirit World Master.
Since his eyes could not see and he used Mental Power to observe the world around him, this was perfectly understandable. Thus, Chu Feng did not hold it against him. Instead, he replied politely, "Senior, it is indeed my first time here. May I ask why this place is so special?"
"This place was formed in a very distant era. Its exact origins cannot be traced—there are multiple theories. Some say it formed naturally, others say it was created by a rare treasure. But the version I like best comes from a legend of the ancient era." The blind old man stroked his snow-white beard and spoke with a hint of pride.
"Oh? What kind of legend is it? Would Senior be willing to share it with me?"
Hearing about a legend from the ancient era, Chu Feng's curiosity was immediately piqued. After all, the ancient era was a time far removed from the present—tens of thousands of years ago.
It was an age when martial cultivation had only just begun to flourish, yet powerhouses emerged one after another, and demonic creatures roamed rampant—a vastly different era from today, shrouded in mystery, brimming with legend and myth.
It was said that during that time, all manner of species populated the world. The heavens had bestowed the methods of martial cultivation upon all living things for them to comprehend. Whether humans, demonic creatures, animals, or even plants, any of them could learn the ways of martial cultivation.
Humans, relying on their superior intelligence, quickly deciphered the methods of cultivation and harnessed the energy of heaven and earth. They gained power that transcended all other species, and before long, they became the rulers of the world.
However, there was another species that had also comprehended the ways of martial cultivation alongside humanity. They were different from demon beasts, different from Fierce Beasts, and certainly different from ordinary wild beasts. They possessed intelligence no lesser than that of humans, bore noble bloodlines, and cherished peace.
After they had mastered the ways of martial cultivation, they did not hoard the power for themselves as humans did. Instead, they began spreading it to all manner of creatures. Without question, they had shaken humanity's position of dominance—but humans dared not act against them, for it was said that their strength far surpassed that of mankind.
Yet this powerful and noble species vanished after the ancient era, never to be seen again. For this reason, later generations came to call them the "Ancient Creatures."
In any case, the events of that era were steeped in mystery, and that only fueled the curiosity of present-day people toward that distant time.
Although the accounts of that age were difficult to verify—most passed down through myth and legend—people remained eager to hear tales of the ancient era. Chu Feng was no exception.
"Heh heh, this is a long story. It might overturn everything you think you know about the ancient era. I'm afraid that even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it and would think I'm just rambling," the old man said with a smile.
"The ancient era is a distant age. What is truth, what is falsehood—who can say for certain?" Chu Feng smiled, then added, "Please, Senior, do go on. I am more than willing to listen."
"Ha ha, well said. You're a young man with some depth of thought. Very well—then I shall tell you."
"It is said that in the ancient era, the world belonged to the Ancient Creatures. They were born with the ability to cultivate and could harness the energy of heaven and earth, wielding unimaginable power. Humans and other creatures, however, did not possess this ability.
"So during that time, the Ancient Creatures stood supreme. They regarded all other species as slaves, as playthings, as pets. And because of the overwhelming power of the Ancient Creatures, humans and the other races had no choice but to submit, living lives beneath the notice of pigs and dogs under the shadow of the Ancient Creatures' dominion.
"Yet many people refused to accept such an existence forever. Among them was one man of exceptional cunning. He deliberately allowed himself to be captured by the Ancient Creatures and became their servant. But through his wits, he quickly earned their trust and eventually became a retainer of one of the Ancient Kings.
"For a human in that era to attain status and even stand above many of the Ancient Creatures—it was an unimaginable feat. And it was accomplished entirely through his intelligence.
"But his intelligence ran deeper still, and his ambitions went far beyond what he had already achieved. Day and night, he stayed by the Ancient King's side, observing the King's cultivation. And finally, one day, he deciphered the Ancient Creatures' method of cultivation and created a new method—one suited for humans.
"He began cultivating in secret and rapidly gained the power that the Ancient Creatures possessed. Moreover, he discovered another power entirely—a power that even the Ancient Creatures had never obtained.
"That power was the ability to open a gateway to another world and summon the creatures of that realm.
"However, not everyone could acquire this power. It required a special method of communication, and later generations came to call this communication technique Mental Power, and this power—the Art of Sealing." The old man spoke with a solemn expression.
"Heavens—if what you're saying is true, then doesn't that make this man the first person to create both the methods of martial cultivation and the Art of Sealing?" Hearing this, Chu Feng was utterly stunned. What the old man described was completely different from everything he had heard before—it truly overturned his understanding of the world.
"Shh, don't interrupt. Let me finish." The old man held a finger to his lips, signaling for Chu Feng to stay quiet, and Chu Feng immediately fell silent, listening attentively.
"His power grew ever stronger. Finally, there came a day when his strength surpassed that of countless Ancient Creatures, with only the Ancient King able to stand against him.
"He wished for humans and the Ancient Creatures to exist as equals, but the Ancient King naturally refused. And so, an inevitable war erupted.
"It is said that the battle raged for days on end—the sky was dark and the earth plunged into gloom. But in the end, it was the Ancient King who fell.
"After the Ancient King's death, his blood poured into the sea. But it refused to dissipate, instead merging with the seawater, turning an entire stretch of ocean into an eternal crimson—the Boundless Blood Sea.
"But the man who had defeated the Ancient King had also paid a price. One of his eyes was taken by the Ancient King, lost forever and irrecoverable."