CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64: DOUBTS_1

"Hasten your pace! We must reach the Imperial Capital by tomorrow morning!" Qin Wudao barked, clutching the imperial decree, his face grim. He had just entered the East Ancient Domain.

When passing through a small border town, he had summoned the county magistrate to inquire about the state of affairs within the empire. However, he was told that everything was normal and there was no news of the Prince of Gaoyang’s rebellion.

This was highly unusual.

"HYAH!" Upon hearing the command, the soldiers whipped their warhorses, their speed increasing dramatically.

The current Great Qin Iron Cavalry was a far cry from its former self. Honed by blood and fire, all its soldiers had reached the Beyond the Shore Realm. Paired with mounts at the Real Human Realm, their speed was extraordinary, capable of covering thousands of miles in a day.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Great Qin Iron Cavalry had become the empire’s most formidable legion, second to none.

That was precisely why the Qin Emperor had entrusted Qin Wudao with the heavy responsibility of recapturing the Imperial Capital.

The thunderous sound of hooves, like rolling thunder, shook the heavens and the earth.

While Qin Wudao raced towards the Imperial Capital, a momentous event was unfolding within its walls: all the city’s inhabitants had fallen unconscious.

"The blood pool is complete. It’s time to fill it with fresh blood!" announced a black-robed figure. Accompanied by several subordinates, he entered an underground passage that had been excavated for days.

The tunnel was pitch-black, devoid of any light. Only after walking for a few minutes did a faint glimmer appear ahead.

Continuing forward for several hundred more paces, the narrow passage suddenly opened up, revealing a vast pool a thousand *zhang* in diameter. Eerie, green ghostly flames flickered around its perimeter, casting a frightening scene.

Around the edge of the pool stood one hundred figures, all uniformly Cave Heaven Stage Martial Artists. Their eyes glowed red, and they exuded a slightly unsettling aura.

They appeared human, yet not entirely so.

But one thing was certain: they were not of an alien race.

"Lord Emissary, we can begin!" Suddenly, an icy voice, its origin indiscernible, echoed within the cavern.

"Begin!" The black-robed figure nodded. From beneath his hood, two beams of white light shot out, piercing the Void.

In the next instant, the temperature within the cavern plummeted. Countless crimson patterns appeared in the pool, emitting a red glow and a peculiar aura.

Coincidentally, these dense patterns gave rise to one hundred blood-red lines that connected to the hundred figures standing at the pool’s edge, all exuding an eerie aura.

This aura was identical to that of the hundred figures.

If an Array Master had been present, they would have recognized this as an immense Formation, one that would unleash tremendous power upon activation.

"A hundred ghosts parade at night, the Underworld connects to the divine! With blood as the source, repair the damaged..." The frigid voice spread from an unknown place as these words were spoken. Simultaneously, the blood patterns in the pool erupted with brilliant light, forming countless, incredibly profound blood-red runes.

"PUH!" Each of the hundred figures by the pool’s edge simultaneously spat out a mouthful of essence blood, which landed on the Formation’s patterns. It coalesced into one hundred souls, hovering within the Formation.

And the figures, now devoid of their essence blood and souls, gradually ceased breathing. They transformed into dessicated corpses, standing guard at the Formation’s edge.

"Lord Emissary, the Formation is active. The rest is up to you!" The unknown voice echoed once more within the cavern, now tinged with a hint of fatigue.

The black-robed figure inclined his head and waved his right hand.

A subordinate standing behind him stepped out. Soon after, the sound of dense footsteps echoed as the Martial Artists who had previously excavated the passage walked into the cavern, eyes closed, and leaped into the pool.

The instant they entered, the Formation in the pool activated. A red light flashed, and their bodies exploded into clouds of blood mist, their flesh, bones, and organs separating from the blood.

The Formation then devoured their flesh, bones, and organs, converting them into stored energy. The blood, however, pooled and accumulated, exuding a thick, sickeningly sweet stench.

"SPLASH!" Gradually, the blood in the pool rose. Each time someone jumped in, a splash echoed, like a body falling into water.

Each splash signified another death.

In about four hours, the more than one hundred thousand people who had dug the passage were all sacrificed to the blood pool, its sanguine contents rising to over half full.

But this was far from enough!

"Continue," the black-robed figure commanded coolly, as if ordering a trivial matter, not the massacre of tens of thousands.

BOOM! Another passage opened on the far side of the pool. Figures in prison garb shuffled dazedly into the blood pool, instantly dissolving into the sanguine liquid, leaving nothing behind.

In total, these death row prisoners numbered over half a million.

In the end, the blood pool was filled!

Illuminated by the ghostly flames, the viscous blood resembled a massive Ruby. It suffused the cavern with wisps of pure energy; a mere whiff was enough for an ordinary person to break through to a new cultivation realm.

Evidently, this blood pool had become a spiritual treasure.

"Seal Spirit Formation, activate!" The icy voice resounded once more.

Two blood-red screens manifested, sealing the passage that led to the outside world. They completely trapped the Spiritual Energy from the blood pool within, preventing any leakage.

"The blood pool is formed. It needs to gestate for two years. Remember, the Seal Spirit Formation must not be opened during these two years, or all our previous efforts will be wasted!" After these words were spoken, a spatial passage appeared above the blood pool, its destination unknown.

A figure in green robes flew into the spatial passage and vanished. A dense Evil Qi emanated from him, as if he were haunted by billions of ghosts and demons.

After he departed, the spatial passage dissipated.

The cavern returned to silence. The black-robed figure and his subordinates sat cross-legged, eyes closed, recuperating their energies.

They did not cultivate. They were not qualified, nor did they dare to absorb the energy produced by the blood pool.

「Three hundred miles east of the Imperial Capital stood a cliff.」

It was a scar left by the battles of ancient powerhouses, perpetually shrouded in mist, its depths unfathomable.

Qin Zhuangze, dressed in imperial dragon robes and seated on a golden palanquin, arrived at the cliff’s edge, his gaze vacant.

"SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!" Suddenly, several streaks of light tore through the sky, striking Qin Zhuangze and his entourage in their vital points. Blood splattered as life swiftly drained from their bodies.

A gentle breeze rustled, momentarily parting the mist at the cliff’s base to reveal the scene within: a layer of blood mist hanging over countless piled corpses.

Among the corpses, some wore the uniforms of the Imperial Forbidden Guards, others donned prison attire, and still others were guards from various princely manors.

「One day later, Qin Wudao finally led his army to the Imperial Capital.」

The Imperial Capital now seemed to have returned to its usual bustling state. The city gates teemed with traffic, people coming and going, presenting a lively scene. The only abnormality was the lack of defending soldiers on the city walls.

Only numerous banners and flags fluttered in the wind.

Qin Wudao, leading his army, halted outside the city. "Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders, enter and scout the situation!" he ordered, his voice grave.

"As you command!" Eighteen figures soared into the air, circling and scrutinizing the Imperial Capital from above. Their eagle-like gazes missed no corner.

A quarter of an hour later, the Yan Yun Eighteen Riders returned, shaking their heads to indicate no ambushes were found.

Qin Wudao’s brows knitted tightly. The news of no ambushes did not bring relief; instead, his confusion deepened. He sensed a strange aura pervading the air above the Imperial Capital.

Isn’t the Prince of Gaoyang in rebellion? So, where is he?

After a moment’s thought, Qin Wudao, still unable to make sense of the situation, issued his command: "Relay my order! Enter the city!" He decided they would proceed into the city first and have the Great Qin Iron Cavalry secure it.