In any case, the one walking in front, Gong Feng, was still a stage three World Deity. Even without looking at him, she still knew what kind of expression Xue Ying was making. His simple gesture of shaking his head with a smile on his face served to anger her.
"I've given you some words of guidance, yet you're sitting there, shaking your head?" Gong Feng turned to face Xue Ying. "Disciple Brother Xue Ying, are you trying to provoke me?"
Xue Ying coldly replied, "Teacher is waiting for me at the moment. If there's something about me that dissatisfies you, Disciple Sister, wait until we return from teacher's place to settle it."
"Fine." Gong Feng suppressed her anger. She didn't dare delay their teacher's summon.
Deep inside, however, she was still angry. She had always acted obedient before her teacher, so he entrusted all of the more trifling matters pertaining to Crimson Stone Courtyard to her. Because of this, the honorary and inner disciples all had no choice but to give her face. The way she saw it, there was no way that Dong Bo, a mere Deity, would be qualified to disrespect her! She decided to take this matter to heart. So you dare bare your fangs in front of me? Hmph!
Gong Feng lead the way with Xue Ying following behind. Before long, they arrived at a tranquil, beautiful garden. There, the Bloodshed God Emperor, wearing his deep scarlet robes, was silently watching the lake next to him.
"Teacher," Gong Feng greeted with utmost obeisance. "Disciple Brother Dong Bo has arrived."
"Teacher," Xue Ying also gave a polite greeting.
The Bloodshed God Emperor turned his head to face the two when a black bird suddenly appeared from nothingness to land on his shoulder. "Dong Bo brat, not bad. Heh, you've been hiding it pretty well, haven't you?"
Standing to the side, Gong Feng was starting to get suspicious. Hiding it well? What did he hide?'
"Teacher's eyes are truly discerning," Xue Ying respectfully replied. "I've only concealed it because of the looming danger of a great enemy."
Bloodshed nodded slightly and said with a laugh, "Not bad."
It was only two words, but they were enough to startle Gong Feng. What? Did teacher just laugh? This…how could this possible? She had been serving the Bloodshed God Emperor for many years and was well aware of his usual temperament. With how cold and detached his usual demeanour was, she had never before seen him display any kind of expression in front of his disciples. Not to mention laughing, it was very rare to see him even become angry at them.
For instance, back in the Myriad Flower Feast, an event attended by many powerful existences, the Bloodshed Emperor only ever interacted with the greater existences who had more or less equivalent power to him, and even then he only let out the occasional smile. As for everyone else? They were given the cold shoulder.
Another case was back when Xue Ying had just become his disciple. His Majesty might have given him two command tokens, but his demeanour was still indifferent, having just told Xue Ying to withdraw without any pleasantries. But now? The Bloodshed God Emperor even showed a faint smile the very moment Xue Ying said anything?
What is going on? Just what the hell is going on? Dong Bo hid it quite deep? Hid what? Gong Feng came up with some speculations, but as soon as she remembered that Xue Ying had only cultivated for around five thousand years, she quickly discarded them.
"You've condensed a grade one Deity Heart within nine hundred years." The Bloodshed God Emperor gave a slight nod. "Not only do you have innate talent, but you're also able to endure silently when needed. You've kept it all hidden all the way until your breakthrough as a stage two World Deity. You might still be young, but you have good patience; a good trait. For the moment, you're still advancing every time by leaps and bounds, but it doesn't mean that, when your realm and power deepen in the future, you won't face any difficulty and setbacks in your cultivation. In the face of such trouble, that patience will prove vital."
"Disciple understands," Xue Ying respectfully replied.
"Your caution is also a welcome trait. On the path of cultivation, teachers can only ever provide you limited help. In the end, it's still yourself that you must rely on." The Bloodshed God Emperor was clearly quite satisfied with this disciple of his.
After all, these two traits of patience and caution he was also well-known for possessing.
He had always been talented in assassination. Back when he still young and weak, he relied the most on his caution and patience. Step by step, he followed his own road of cultivation with firm footing, all the way until he reached his current unfathomable realm. It could even be said that he was the most influential being throughout the whole Deity world and Dark Abyss. That could also be inferred from how how well-spread his Bloodshed Tavern was throughout the Deity world, the Dark Abyss, and even the material world.
Even tyrannical beings such as the Abyss Rulers were willing to become his friends!
This was precisely why seeing Xue Ying's cautious and patient self left the Bloodshed God Emperor feeling satisfied.
"Have you heard about what happened to Monarch Extermination?" the Bloodshed God Emperor asked.
"I have," Xue Ying replied.
"He became a grade two World Deity within twenty-nine hundred years of cultivation. He was even faster than you are. In the end, however, his character proved too mad. His lack of caution and patience eventually ruined his life. You have take note of his story."
"I understand," Xue Ying replied.
Gong Feng could only listen, dumbstruck. She couldn't comprehend the meaning behind this conversation between Xue Ying and the Bloodshed God Emperor.
Monarch Extermination? He should take note of him? Did teacher put Xue Ying on the same standing as Monarch Extermination, just like that? Nine hundred years to become a stage one World Deity? He only revealed himself after breaking through to become a stage two World Deity? Caution? Patience?
This…this is just… Gong Feng couldn't organize her thoughts. When did the Bloodshed God Emperor ever teach his disciples with such attentiveness. He would usually give them some simple pointers before summarily asking them to leave.
Did Dong Bo really become a stage two World Deity? She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't deny it after hearing them say it so clearly. There was no way that His Majesty would be lying. He's only been cultivating for such a short period of time, though… Even a grade one True Meaning Transcendent usually needs about three thousand years to become a World Deity, and they'd only reach stage two within ten thousand years. No, this Dong Bo Xue Ying really is a grade one True Meaning Transcendent, and a very formidable one at that!
This was the first time she heart about Xue Ying having condensed his grade one Deity Heart within just nine hundred years of cultivation.
"From today, you are my personal disciple," the Bloodshed God Emperor said, out of the blue.
"Yes, teacher." Xue Ying had already guessed this might happen, but he was still excited to hear it. He was, after all, the master of Crimson Rock Mountain, so he understood how good his his cultivation speed really was; it was still quite rare, however, for the Bloodshed God Emperor to take a personal disciple. In fact, it was so rate that, in the current era, his only personal disciples were the long-lived Monarch Gu Zang and Monarch Green! He was now the only World Deity under the personal tutelage of the Bloodshed God Emperor.
"My greetings to Elder Brother," a voice sounded from the side.
Xue Ying glanced toward Gong Feng who was now showing utmost respect.
The rules set in place by the Bloodshed God Emperor were very strict.
There was a difference of night and day between his personal disciples, his inner disciples, and his honorary disciples. All of these groups held vastly differing statuses.
"Gong Feng, you can go back now," the Bloodshed God Emperor ordered.
"Yes, teacher," Gong Feng obediently retreated.
Gong Feng was starting to feel uneasy as soon as she left the garden. How can this be true? Xue Ying was actually this powerful? This… how could such a thing happen? Now that he became a personal disciple, Xue Ying held a much loftier position, perhaps only lower than his majesty himself, and while personal disciples had no direct authority over the inner and honorary disciples, Xue Ying still had plenty of ways to deal with her. Such punishments like directly kicking her out of Crimson Stone Courtyard were not impossible.
The Bloodshed God Emperor had been delegating tasks to Gong Feng to finish, even putting her in charge of Crimson Stone Courtyard itself—which gave her a somewhat decent position. She was, in fact, even higher in position than the stage Three World Deity guards, while her clan had used that position to flourish. However, if she were to offend one of His Majesty's personal disciples and end up being chased from Crimson Stone Courtyard, everyone she or her clansmen offended in the past would definitely come back to get revenge.
What should I do? I have to find some way…there must be some way to salvage this situation! Gong Fengwas filled with anxiety.
Xue Ying was standing respectfully before his teacher.
It was only after Gong Feng left that the Bloodshed God Emperor said, "As my personal disciple, I will not treat you any different than the others. Just as the rest of my personal disciples, you will receive the same opportunity to learn an absolute art."
Xue Ying's eyes sparkled.
Absolute art?
"The absolute art you will receive has yang and firm characteristics. Its potential is matchless, its might comparable with Monarch Green's "Mountain World"absolute art," the Bloodshed God Emperor explained. Xue Ying excitement reached a peak when he heard that it was as powerful as the "Mountain World".
"Don't be too happy just yet. I am imparting this absolute art to you, but what level you can reach in it is ultimately up to you. Over my long lifespan, I have received several personal disciples, but out of all of them, only Monarch Green and Gu Zang succeeded in becoming powerful existences. The absolute art I imparted to Gu Zang was not the slightest bit inferior to the one Monarch Green received, but even though he diligently practiced it, he still couldn't reach a level comparable to Monarch Green," the Bloodshed God Emperor explained.
"Your disciple understands," Xue Ying assented.
"Other than the absolute art which I imparted to him, Green got his hands on another absolute art from the Library House. Although he has two absolute arts, he still proved more proficient in the"Mountain World". All absolute arts are powerful, but that doesn't mean they're all suitable for you, and neither is it the case that your power will necessarily increase as the number of absolute arts you own increases.
"Of course, I'm giving you an absolute art that's most suitable for you. You've already received two secret arts from the two worlds within the Sealed World Pagoda. Those two are both parts of the absolute art I'm imparting to you—small, scattered parts from it. Absolute arts are sought after by all World Deities, and they will even influence their Deity Heart.
"In any case, I can't so easily hand the absolute art over to you. In order to receive it, you must first pass a test," the Bloodshed God Emperor stated.
Xue Ying understood this to be an incredible opportunity. Just by passing a test, he would receive an absolute art. "Teacher, what kind of test is it?"
"It's very simple. In the mountain beside Crimson Stone Courtyard, you will find a prison. The only thing you must do is kill the prisoner locked inside that prison. Do that, and you will receive the absolute art," the Bloodshed God Emperor said with faint smile.