Xie Wuwei wore an indignant expression, his wild words leaving his subordinates trembling with fear. They secretly thought: The Master really hasn't changed that short temper of his. Thank goodness there were no outsiders around — if those few Sacred Venerables overheard something like that, the Master would be in serious trouble.
"What exactly is this Blood Gate?" Yang Kai had been listening off to the side for a good while before finally succumbing to his curiosity and asking.
He had heard Yang Youwei mention the Blood Gate before and knew it was one of the two great forbidden zones of the Ancient Lands, on par with the Tomb of Ten Thousand Spirits. But he had never bothered to inquire into the details. Now, seeing the way Xie Wuwei's expression and words conveyed such gravity, this Blood Gate clearly involved something of tremendous importance — so much so that the four Sacred Spirits of the Ancient Lands had all stepped in to intervene.
This was no small matter.
Yang Kai needed to find Xiao Xiao somewhere within the Ancient Lands, and he also needed to find Old Third. Gaining a deeper understanding of the situation here could only be a good thing — after all, know your enemy, know yourself, and you need not fear a hundred battles.
When Xie Wuwei heard Yang Kai's question, he froze for a moment, suddenly realizing that there were still two outsiders present. The corner of his mouth twitched. He had been so worked up just now that he had completely forgotten about them.
"If it's inconvenient to discuss, then forget it," Yang Kai said lightly, picking up the crimson-colored tea that the maidservant had previously offered. He sniffed it but still didn't dare take a sip, fearing the stuff might have been brewed with actual blood.
He made it sound casual, but Xie Wuwei didn't dare brush it off. Yang Kai had already taken an interest — who knew what was going through his mind? He could only go along with it. "It's not that it's inconvenient. The matter of the Blood Gate has nothing to do with humans. It is a forbidden zone for us creatures of the Ancient Lands."
Yang Kai said, "I heard someone mention before that the Blood Gate and the Tomb of Ten Thousand Spirits are the two great forbidden zones of the Ancient Lands. I wonder if that's true?"
Xie Wuwei nodded. "That's correct. The Tomb of Ten Thousand Spirits is the place where creatures of the Ancient Lands die of old age, but the Blood Gate is where we are reborn! One governs death, the other governs life — two extremes, each commanding its own domain!"
"Where one is reborn?" Yang Kai was taken aback.
Xie Wuwei said gravely, "There is an ancient saying: Enter the Blood Gate, gain new life, return to the ancestral bloodline, become a Sacred Spirit!"
"Become a Sacred Spirit!" Yang Kai was visibly startled. "Does that mean anyone who enters the Blood Gate can become a Sacred Spirit?"
Xie Wuwei nodded. "That's what the words literally say. But who actually knows how it works? Since the Ancient Lands came into being, the Blood Gate has existed as a forbidden zone. No one can get close, and no one can enter. Yet that ancient saying has been passed down from generation to generation — even newly awakened little demons in the Ancient Lands know it. I won't hide it from you, Young Master Yang: we creatures of the Ancient Lands all carry the Wild Blood within us. More or less, in varying amounts. Our strength, our aptitude — all of it is tied to the richness or thinness of that blood. If one could fully activate the blood within one's body and restore the brilliance of the ancestral bloodline, then naturally one would possess power comparable to that of a Sacred Spirit!"
Yang Kai was astonished. "A place like this actually exists? The Blood Gate truly has such an miraculous effect?"
Xie Wuwei said, "Whether it really has that miraculous effect, no one can say for certain. However, the legends do claim that a few Sacred Spirits emerged from the Blood Gate — though the times are so ancient that it's impossible to verify. But regardless, for us creatures of the Ancient Lands, the Blood Gate is nothing short of a heaven-sent opportunity. Just as the mortal world speaks of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate and transforming into a dragon, the Blood Gate is like that very Dragon Gate. Who wouldn't want to try?"
"The Demon King wants to go too?" Yang Kai's eyes flickered with a peculiar light.
Xie Wuwei scoffed, "That would require those few lords to allow it. Right now they've dispatched the Eight Sacred Envoys to seal off the surroundings — who can get close? But this whole affair is rather suspicious. If anyone understands the secrets of the Blood Gate, it would undoubtedly be the four Sacred Venerables."
Yang Kai nodded slightly. Hearing Xie Wuwei lay it out like this, he immediately grasped the significance of the Blood Gate. If it truly could activate the ancestral bloodline within these creatures of the Ancient Lands, it would undoubtedly cause their strength to skyrocket. The Blood Gate really was a place of rebirth — the exact opposite of the Tomb of Ten Thousand Spirits, which was a place of death and decline.
The world truly was vast and full of wonders. Yang Kai sighed to himself. If he hadn't entered the Ancient Lands to search for Xiao Xiao, he could never have imagined that such a miraculous place existed.
"The Sacred Venerables have held sway for too long, and with the Eight Envoys deployed, no one dares make a move for now. But who can suppress the power of the ancestral bloodline? In the end, they'll likely achieve the opposite of what they intend." Xie Wuwei swept his hand and ordered, "Pass down my command — monitor the Blood Gate closely. Report immediately if there's any unusual activity. I don't believe those thirty-odd old fogeys will sit quietly!"
The old fogeys he referred to were undoubtedly the other thirty-one Demon Kings. Hearing this, Yang Kai vaguely sensed that the Ancient Lands was not as united as it appeared.
"Yes, sir!" The gaunt demon race subordinate accepted the order and immediately departed to carry it out.
Xie Wuwei stood atop the high platform, his expression shifting between dark and light as he pondered for a while longer. Then he suddenly raised his head and looked at Yang Kai. "Young Master Yang, you mentioned earlier that you wanted my help with something?"
"I need to find someone," Yang Kai said with a slight smile.
"Who are you looking for?" Xie Wuwei asked, puzzled.
"That woman you saw before — the one who was acting deranged." As Yang Kai spoke, he tapped a finger in the air before him. Ripples spread outward, and an image of Old Third appeared. Xie Wuwei's face darkened the moment he saw it.
He still remembered the scene in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Spirits where Old Third had smashed him in the face with her inner core.
"I have some history with this woman. She's lost her mind and is wandering the Ancient Lands, which puts her in considerable danger. I need to find her and bring her away!"
This wasn't exactly a difficult task. Xie Wuwei relaxed upon hearing this — he had been worried that Yang Kai, having claimed his soul seal, would demand something troublesome. But it turned out to be just finding a person. Truly a minor matter.
His gaze fell upon a rat-faced man below. "Shu Yu, pass down my orders. Have the brothers keep a close watch for any signs of this woman. Report back the moment she's spotted. And make sure no one harms her."
The rat-faced demon named Shu Yu immediately cupped his fists. "Yes, sir!"