I Might Be A Fake Cultivator

At the heart of the Dark Marshlands, there existed a region that was completely different from the surrounding black terrain which was filled with danger and violence.

This place was a far cry from what many people imagined it to be. This place, which had been described as horrendous and vile by outsiders, was actually an idyllic place that could fill one with delight and pleasure.

White cranes crowed joyously as they soared in the blue sky above the idyllic land. Numerous divine mountains towered tens of thousands of feet into the sky, and their poetic auras formed into ripples that continuously flowed into the surroundings. All kinds of rare and exotic Spirit Beasts roamed around the divine mountains, and various genera of spirit flowers and spirit herbs bloomed on the vast land. Under the warm glow of the sunshine, this land became a dazzling mixture of colors. Countless waterfalls snaked down from the divine mountains like silver dragons, and the booming crash of water shook the heavens.

The vital energy here appeared like strands of hovering white silk, brilliant and graceful as they flowed through the air. Rays of sunshine filtered down from the sky and lit up the stunning beauty of this land.

Anyone who set foot upon this land would be stunned by the dreamy scenes that lay before them. They would be struck by disbelief that such a pure and beautiful place could exist within a realm of violence and depravity.

Atop the tallest and most impressive divine mountain.

There wasn’t any jagged and steep mountaintop here. Rather, the mountaintop was a stretch of flat ground that looked as though it had been cleaved out by a divine sword. A red-glazed statue that stood thousands of feet tall rested at the center of the mountaintop.

The statue was a graceful and scholarly-looking male.

He held a book in his right hand and gripped a skull in his left. His appearance was especially odd.

However, the identity of this male with a slightly odd appearance was extremely frightening.

For he was the Blood Patriarch, the ancestor and most supreme being of the Blood Tribe.

Right now, thirty-six individuals who were all exuding formidable auras stood before the Blood Patriarch statue.

They were golden-haired and crimson-eyed, and all of them were dressed in red robes. A solemn expression was etched upon their faces.

Only they, supreme beings who had reached the Return to Void Stage, had the right to stand atop this divine mountain.

Countless boulders hovered around the mountaintop, and large numbers of black-robed Blood Tribe cultivators stood atop them. Tens of thousands of these black-robed cultivators dotted the sky.

If this army of Blood Tribe cultivators was mobilized, they could perhaps annihilate any first-rate sect that existed on the continent.

A large portion of the most powerful Blood Tribe cultivators was currently gathered around the mountaintop, and they were present because a holy ceremony was about to be held here—Holy Disciple Nomination Ceremony of the Blood Tribe!

The Holy Disciples held a lofty position in the Blood Tribe, and their standing was on equal grounds with supreme Blood Tribe cultivators of the Dao Integration Stage. In fact, the authority and resources they possessed even surpassed that of Dao Integration Stage cultivators!

There was one simple reason for this—the Holy Disciple was the heir to the power and handpicked by the Blood Patriarch!

Emperor Yi Deng stood beside the statue of the Blood Patriarch, and he swept his profound gaze across the thirty-six candidates before him. It felt as if there were a boundless sea of blood churning behind him.

Individuals who weren’t strong enough would descend into madness if they were to meet his gaze for even the most fleeting of moments.

Thus, apart from the thirty-six Return to Void Stage cultivators, the rest of the Blood Tribe cultivators all averted their gazes from Emperor Yi Deng’s eyes instinctively.

“Oi, which supreme being do you guys think is going become the Holy Disciple?” a black-robed cultivator asked quietly.

“Who else can it be? Of course it’s going to be Emperor Yi Deng’s son, Laden,” a black-robed Blood Tribe female immediately replied. She gazed at some handsome male on the mountaintop with a fanatical expression. “He’s a supremely powerful being of the Return to Void Pinnacle Stage. It’s rumored that the higher one’s rank is, the more likely that the Blood Patriarch will recognize their bloodline. So, I reckon that Laden is definitely going to be chosen as the Holy Disciple.”

A male standing close to the female voiced his disagreement, “If you want to compare ranks, Laden isn’t necessarily ranked first. Adah reached the Return to Void Pinnacle Stage long before him, and I’ve heard that she’s also reached a crystal clear understanding of her dao. She’s just a step away from reaching the Dao Integration Stage. She’s got a greater chance than Laden of becoming the Holy Disciple!”

“Humph! What do you know? Laden’s bloodline is clearly purer!”

“Who claimed that the higher one’s rank is, the more likely that the Blood Patriarch will recognize their bloodline just then? Why are you focusing on bloodline purity now?”

“Exactly! Have you tasted his blood before?”

“Heh, by the looks of it, I’m afraid that that may be the case.”

“Hahahaha…”

“You guys…!” The female was infuriated by the jeering crowd.

The surrounding area was instantly filled with a lively atmosphere.

In fact, similar conversations had taken place in other sections of the crowd as well. The main topics of discussions almost all revolved around Laden and Adah.

Regardless of whether it was their cultivation base or bloodlines, they were clearly the strongest of the thirty-six candidates. Thus, they became the center of attention for the bustling audience.

Emperor Yi Deng also shot a quick glance at his son.

This glance appeared casual, yet his mind was full of anticipation. If Laden received the acknowledgment of the Blood Patriarch, then it was only a matter of time before they would be on equal footing. In fact, there was a chance that his son could even surpass him.

At that time, father and son could combine their powers and dominate the continent; they would definitely be able to lead the Blood Tribe into a new golden age. Their exploits would become legends that would be passed down for all eternity.

Emperor Yi Deng was excited just thinking about this. He had awaited this day for a long time.

Laden was even more excited. Right now, his only rival was Adah. Although Adah had a higher cultivation base than him, he had a good father!

His father had an extremely pure bloodline, and he even possessed a trace of the Blood Patriarch’s bloodline. As a result, his bloodline was no doubt extremely pure as well. At the very least, it had an inkling of relation with the Blood Patriarch. He should receive at least some bonus points for this relation, right? As such, he had an innate advantage over Adah! So, it was he who had the greatest chance of succeeding!

As for the other Return to Void Stage Blood Tribe cultivators? Heh… they were merely there to make up the numbers.

The purpose of their attendance was to highlight his strength and emphasize his lofty standing among the upper echelons of the Blood Tribe.

Among these thirty-six Blood Tribe cultivators, there were three individuals who An Lin was very familiar with.

They were Cassidy, Merlin, and Tobias.

Cassidy had a look of boredom. Her bright, crimson eyes were gazing at the sky as she daydreamed.

If it were the old her, perhaps she would gaze upon Laden in reverence. After all, Laden was a shining star of the Blood Tribe.

Now, however, Laden was less attractive to her than a drop of Master’s blood.

Right now, her mind was filled with images of her Master… her Master’s holy blood…

Sigh… When can I meet Master again…

Cassidy’s stunningly beautiful face was full of melancholy, and bright ripples of light flashed across her eyes. Those unfamiliar with her thought that she was experiencing lovesickness. In reality, she was craving blood.

If it weren’t for the fact that attendance of this Holy Disciple Nomination Ceremony was compulsory for all upper echelon members of the Blood Tribe, she wouldn’t even have bothered coming.

Merlin and Tobias were also annoyed about having to come here. They were both aware that Master was coming to the Dark Marshlands soon. They were full of combative spirit already, and they wanted to battle for Master in exchange for his holy blood. They certainly didn’t want to waste time here.

Some nomological chain that existed in the sky suddenly snapped.

Boom!

A gigantic, blood-colored swirl started to envelop the entire sky. It was endlessly profound, and it invited one to sink into it.

All members of the Blood Tribe—regardless of whether they were black-robed powerful beings or reb-robed supreme beings—faltered slightly. It was as if their minds were about to be tugged away by the bloody swirl in the sky.

A supreme being of the Dao Integration Stage emerged from the bloody swirl. He was bathed in the divine light of dao, and he nodded toward Emperor Yi Deng.

Emperor Yi Deng smiled and nodded. He waved his arms and pronounced, “Let the Holy Disciple Nomination Ceremony begin!”