Underground.

As Xu Guang sat down cross-legged, a violent blood-colored Divine Dragon emerged on the bronze blood gate.

The old man suppressed in the Earth Gate spoke.

"You truly have good fortune. This is pure Martial Dao true intent, and it seems to complement your sinister divine techniques perfectly."

Comprehending someone else's Martial Dao true intent is quite a dangerous thing.

Martial Dao true intent is like no other; it contains the will of others. Even if the attributes are compatible, they are not one person, and any slight carelessness may lead to being influenced by the other's true intent, falling into madness.

Just like the jade book in Xu Guang's hand that contains the Martial Dao true intent of the Heavenly Martial True King, he had never tried to integrate his own Divine Soul and divine techniques with it to comprehend the Martial Dao true intent of the Heavenly Martial True King.

But the situation now is different. This is the Martial Dao true intent left by a mighty figure, whose owner had long since passed away. Due to the special environment, the Martial Dao true intent did not dissipate but continually condensed. The will belonging to the original owner is almost completely gone, leaving only a pure Martial Dao true intent related to the sea of blood.

Xu Guang closed his eyes and concentrated, the fierce blood dragon rushing into his body like a moth flying into a flame.

Xu Guang's body trembled immediately as he felt a tremendous impact suddenly rush into his body. Although this impact seemed ferocious, it actually landed within him like a breeze, without any aggression, causing him no discomfort.

But within this gentle breeze was an imperceptible sense of ruthlessness that suddenly amplified, even affecting the five Celestial Gates within.

Xu Guang understood in his heart that this ruthless intent was the true essence of this Martial Dao true intent. He didn't know what allowed this Martial Dao true intent to be preserved for so many years, but he knew the Residual Rain Divine Power represented by the Earth Gate was stirring restlessly.

A vague insight appeared in his mind.

In the depths of his consciousness, Xu Guang felt a blood river appear beside him.

Legend has it that the first Ancient God appeared and was slain by an emperor beyond the Reverse Dao, eventually turning into a blood river that flowed through the ten thousand states of Hongze.

It's just a myth.

But strangely enough, there seems to be a hidden blood river in every Great State. Some say these blood rivers are tributaries of the blood river after the Ancient God's death. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Like blood vessels of the Ancient God.

Xu Guang thought of the Ghostly Land in Wangdang Mountain, why the Array Breaking Martial Saint once guarded Lanshan, and then thought of the endless, intricate tunnels underground leading to the depths of Lanshan.

The blood river flowed turbulently with countless lost souls wailing upon it.

The boundary between life and death was blurred by the rushing blood river.

Xu Guang couldn't help but wonder in his mind, what is life, what is death?

He suddenly noticed that many of his divine techniques seemed to be vigorously seeking to unravel the mystery of life and death.

Silence suppresses life and death with time.

Residual Rain wipes away life and death with cold rain and bloodstains.

Red Lotus Karmic Fire burns away evil, judges everything, and decides life and death.

Refining Soldiers refines its vitality with the Divine Weapon in pursuit of survival.

And the Returning Storehouse Divine Power completely crushes the duality of life and death.

What exactly is the concept of life and death?

Xu Guang felt his current realm couldn't fully comprehend it. So, he took a secondary approach by using the faint blood river as a foundation and the Residual Rain Divine Power as an entry point to understand his own Martial Dao true intent.

The true strength of Residual Rain lies in its transformation, in erasing one's presence, in its elusive and unpredictable nature.

What does its disturbance represent?

This Martial Dao true intent transmitted from the bronze blood gate contains a sense of despair.

True intent is the most crucial realization for a Martial Artist above the Second Grade.

It's also critical for entering Nirvana Transformation. Some begin to understand true intent at the Second Grade, and their cultivation quickly perfects, allowing Nirvana Transformation with ease, while others only begin to grasp true intent at the First Grade, delaying them for decades.

True intent marks the transformation of a Martial Artist from focusing on physicality in the Ninth Grade realm to focusing on mindset and understanding.

Xu Guang, feeling the despairing true intent in the blood river, had a sense that he could grasp this intent at any time, becoming one who could master true intent at the Second Grade realm.

But...

This true intent's origin is unknown, and it is not something he had comprehended on his own. He had not experienced such depth of despair, and forcefully adopting such a despairing true intent would be just like imitating the steps of others without understanding.

Thus, he abandoned the idea of directly inheriting it.

Xu Guang calmed his mind, forgetting everything. While the despairing true intent had not completely dissipated, he began to comprehend his own unique true intent.

...

In Jizhou, there are three thousand major cities, but outside of Jizhou's coastal areas, many islands also exist. These islands vary in size and, belonging to the Thirty-Three Eastern States, cannot be entirely incorporated into Jizhou by the Northern Pole Six Courtyards.

In the coastal waters, six hundred miles east of East Cliff City, there's a well-known island named Innocence.

This is a unique city filled with formidable criminals and demons from the Thirty-Three Eastern States.

If East Cliff City is a legitimate trade market, then Innocence City is a lawless zone.

Innocence City's brothers, there was a figure appearing as if walking on sunlight.

His beauty was sharp, eyes bright, and even every strand of his black hair moved with a carefree wildness in the wind.

The entire person was like an unsheathed long sword.

He sat at the east gate of Innocence City, seemingly unaware of others, quietly watching the direction of the gate.