Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Blue Sea's lips suddenly moved. To his side, Xi Mo furrowed his eyebrows. The two of them spoke a bit more through sound transmissions before nodding at each other.

It seemed that in this simple exchange, they had come to some sort of agreement.

In the next moment, the two simultaneously took a step forward. Blue Sea spoke up, "Everyone, if Qin Yu doesn't die, the Old King's Lineage will inevitably rise. None of us will be able to escape unscathed. Today, I and Xi Mo vow that as long as anyone kills Qin Yu, no matter who ascends the throne in the end, we will shelter the benefits of your families and will not harm them!"

Xi Mo said, "That's right, this is a pledge that we both make!"

On the edge of the Chosen Platform, the protectors who were forced to stand back by Cloud Boundless all widened their eyes.

Everyone knew their self-worth. Unless they managed to kill Qin Yu, Blue Sea, and Xi Mo, the throne would be unrelated to them.

As for the possibility of achieving this…

Hoho, if the three of them were muddle-headed and engaged in a tangled melee, it might be possible for others to benefit from the sidelines.

But, this possibility was almost negligible.

They could not allow the Old King's Lineage to rise and become a massive faction on par with the Ancient King's Lineage. This was the basis for cooperation.

With this basis, Blue Sea and Xi Mo's pledge seemed especially weighty…after all, once Qin Yu was killed off, one of these two would likely become the new King.

After realizing all of this, it was easy to imagine what decision the others would make.

The protectors all nodded at their chosen competitors, hinting for them to agree.

Qin Yu had a completely awakened royal bloodline and he was bound to be tyrannically strong. But no matter how strong he was, could he block a joint attack from nine people?

He had to die, so when making the decision no one tried to cover it up.

There was no need to fear someone who was doomed to die…as for the Old King's Lineage, they were indeed strong right now, but once the new King took the throne perhaps there would be no need for them to continue existing.

At that time they wouldn't even be able to protect themselves, much less retaliate. It was simply laughable!

Cloud Boundless looked towards the center of the Chosen Platform where Blue Sea, Xi Mo, and the others had encircled Qin Yu. His complexion turned ugly.

But forcing Blackwhite Visage and Seven Wounds Clan Elder to not interfere was the limit of what he could do. It was impossible for him to help further.

"Qin Yin, this is a mess you created so don't blame this old man! It's understandable that young people like to show off, but your limelight is too bright this time. This is all I can do…whether you live or die, that's up to you!"

The 3000 foot blood column came into view. Its overwhelming momentum stirred the skies above the Chosen Platform, causing rumbles to fill the air.

Standing below it, Qin Yu didn't feel any self-satisfaction from showing off. Instead, his eyebrows were furrowed together in helplessness.

The ancestral land's hostility towards him was extremely strong. It actually used this method to try and kill him while he was outside.

He glanced around at the ice-cold gazes looking at him, all of them filled with cruel killing intent.

Qin Yu could understand their emotions. After all, he even crushed their blood columns and severed their paths for becoming the King. This was a truly irreconcilable enmity.

But understanding was one thing. Qin Yu's attitude towards people who wanted to kill him had never changed – if they wished to kill him, he would kill them, no matter who was right and who was wrong.

I'm right, so killing you is a matter of course.

And if I'm mistaken, killing you is also a matter of course!

If he didn't even have this sort of psychological mindset, was he supposed to think that all the people he killed over the years were truly guilty and deserved death?

His mind would have already collapsed from self-torment.

But how to kill these people was a question. Looking at these nine demons around him, the only ones Qin Yu dreaded were Blue Sea and Xi Mo.

It might seem like bragging to describe them as vegetables waiting to be chopped, but the difficulty really wasn't that large.

Fortunately, in this situation, Blue Sea and Xi Mo definitely wouldn't attack first in order to avoid receiving any damage.

As Qin Yu's thoughts raced, the blood column above his head finally stopped growing. Then it began to collapse inward…no, this description wasn't appropriate. It was actually shrinking at a collapse-like speed to form a mark.

What looked like a miniaturized version of the blood column flashed and then fell between Qin Yu's eyebrows.

Faint haloes of light circulated on the surface of the mark. Looking at it, one could feel a sense of oppression.

Dignified, solemn, awe…this mark represented that Qin Yu had passed the selection and obtained the approval of the ancestral land.

Rumble rumble –

Above the Chosen Platform, the skies began to heave and rage. An incomparably massive black vortex rapidly condensed.

This vortex was the channel leading to the ancestral land. And before it fully condensed…this was the aforementioned period of dripping blood.

In normal circumstances, three people would appear and obtain the approval of the ancestral land. They would enter the final struggle for the throne.

And the victor would be the new Nightmare King!

What would the people excluded do? Unless the difference in strength was too great, there would definitely be those that were unwilling. Or to be more accurate, as long as the disparity in strength wasn't too great, there would always be people willing to take the risk and fight.

The way was simple and brutal. By eliminating any of the chosen three, an open spot would appear and they would have an opportunity.

The Chosen Platform was the selection of the ancestral land. It was also a way for the competitors of the throne to struggle against their destiny.

If they weren't resigned to defeat?

Then it was time to fight, to have their opponent's blood dye the crown atop their heads red!

And now, there was only one chosen…killing Qin Yu was the only thought in the minds of these nine competitors.

"Kill him!"

The 110 foot blood column competitor was the first to attack. In truth, even if Qin Yu was killed, there was no chance for him to gain approval.

But Blue Sea and Xi Mo's pledge had moved his heart. As long as he could kill Qin Yu, he would have done a great merit for his family.

In the future, the position of Patriarch would be his!

He no longer dared to ask for the throne. Then, becoming the Patriarch of his family as well as a powerful tyrant of his own domain was his life's highest goal.

A 3000 foot blood column…Qin Yu had to be shockingly strong, but the height of a blood column and one's true strength couldn't be considered the same.

That's right, the strength of the abyssal demon race was established on the foundation of their bloodline. But the Chosen Platform was stimulating their bloodline potential only.

Even if Qin Yu awakened the royal bloodline, there was still a great distance between him and the peak level of strength he could possess.

Otherwise, he would have already obtained the approval of the abyss and become the Nightmare King.

Everyone was a Demon Commander. He might be strong, but who among those who came to the Chosen Platform weren't chosen prides of heaven in their own right?

When it came to strength, no one would back down!

So what if it was Qin Yu? He wouldn't necessarily be unable to kill him!

Whoosh –

Air split apart, forming a grating, ear-piercing sound. The competitor who attacked emitted a red demonic energy. It lengthened and narrowed into a sharp arc around him…like a saber that was slashing down!

Wild and overbearing…as if nobody could defeat him!

Air split apart and space violently trembled. Before it landed, Qin Yu could feel that destructive aura.

He sighed with emotion. It seemed he had somewhat underestimated the strength of the Nightmare Clan's younger generation powerhouses…but this wasn't enough to change the result.

Qin Yu stepped forward and wild demonic energy erupted around him, turning into a massive cloud of black fog that submerged him.

Within the blood-colored saber, the attacking competitor's eyes flashed with swift and fierce killing intent. "Tricks and illusion. Break for me!"

Bang –

As the blood red energy submerged into the billowing demonic energy, it tore open a long opening in the fog. But then, this opening closed in an instant. Following that…silence!

The competitor who entered was like a pebble falling into a lake. After creating a few small ripples, it returned to tranquility.

The entire Chosen Platform fell deathly silent!

Countless eyes stared at the black fog, their pupils shrinking with endless shock and disbelief.

It was over like that?

The performance of 110 Foot Blood Column was indeed the worst amongst the group, but that didn't mean he was weak to the point where he would collapse upon first strike.

On the contrary, those that had the qualifications to be pushed forth to compete in the struggle for the Nightmare Throne were all outstanding figures of the tribe.

Perhaps they had seen each other or perhaps they hadn't, but everyone had heard of each other and had an approximate understanding of them.

But such a 'fairly well known' powerhouse of the younger generation had rushed into the black fog and then vanished without a sound.

To accomplish this, it had to be an overwhelming difference in strength…how could Qin Yu be this strong? There was a problem, there was definitely a problem!

They stared at the black fog. While no one knew the fate of 110 Foot Blood Column competitor for sure, it wasn't hard to predict it.

They all wanted to kill Qin Yu, so they couldn't expect him to show mercy, right? Hum hum, everyone understood this truth!

They originally thought to join forces to eliminate Qin Yu and then discuss things afterwards. They never expected for things to change in an instant.

Now, let alone killing Qin Yu, their first thought was whether or not they could survive…110 Foot Blood Column couldn't even summon a splash before he was finished.

If it were them, were they much stronger? Okay, they might be able to cause a splash, but the final outcome would be the same.

The remaining competitors felt the pressure on them suddenly increase drastically. But time waited for no one. Once the channel was completed, the Chosen Platform would bring Qin Yu into the ancestral land.

As they said, fortune and dangers came hand in hand…

"I'll go!" Almost 200 Foot Blood Column was a man with a gruesome scarred face. It was unknown what he had experienced in the past, but just looking at the scar made one feel that it must have hurt.

He looked at Blue Sea and Xi Mo. "But in this situation, if the two of you want to sit back and enjoy the spoils, you will have to add in more chips."

Blue Sea nodded, "Speak."

Almost 200 Foot Blood Column smiled, the scar eerily creeping on his face as he did. "Simple. If I kill Qin Yu, the third spot of the Chosen Platform will be mine!"

The complexions of the other competitors changed. They all revealed angry glares.

"Impossible!"

"The final spot depends on everyone's own skills!"

"I don't agree with this!"

Almost 200 Foot Blood Column fiendishly grinned. "Do you oppose? Good, then I won't do anything. If anyone wants to risk it, then step forward!"

"If you kill Qin Yu, the spot is yours. I will be the first to agree to this…you two, you agree with me as well, right?"

Blue Sea nodded. "Alright." He glanced around. "I guarantee that whoever kills Qin Yu will join me and Xi Mo and obtain the third spot."

Xi Mo remained expressionless. His silence indicated his opinion.

Everyone hesitated.

Everyone wanted the last spot, but that black fog…it really was death's door. Going in was easy, but it was unknown whether they would survive to come out.

Seeing everyone waver, Almost 200 Foot Blood Column laughed out loud, mockery in his eyes. "If you have the intent but not the courage, are you still worthy of being chosen?"

He stepped forward and rushed ahead like a rainbow, tearing into the black fog as he entered. Then, thunderous rings rang out. Even the Chosen Platform started to shiver.

Massive swathes of black fog were torn apart and countless cracks appeared. Within the distorted fog, one could vaguely make out the form of Almost 200 Foot Blood Column.

He laughed recklessly, potent strength surging through his body. Everyone's complexions changed, and even Blue Sea and Xi Mo were stunned.

This person was hiding his strength. Or perhaps he used some card that allowed his strength to erupt. Strictly speaking, this degree of strength already surpassed the Demon Commander boundary and nearly touched upon the path of the Nameless True King.

"Qin Yu, I'll kill you today…" The wild cackles suddenly stopped and the riotous impacts of strength also immediately dissipated.

The fiercely tumbling black fog fell silent, as if it was a crazed giant beast that suddenly turned docile.

This sudden change was too sudden, without any forewarning at all…

The result was that Almost 200 Foot Blood Column was just like 110 Foot Blood Column. They both vanished without leaving any sounds behind.

He was also done for…