The First Venerable of All Paths

"What?"

Manman's face paled, and her small body took a step back.

Her voice trembled as she said, "No, how could Brother Xuantian possibly be dead?"

"Sister Lu Ling, you're lying to me, aren't you?"

Looking at the distraught Manman, Lu Ling said with a heavy heart, "It's true, Manman, Master Xuantian is really dead."

"Sister Lu Ling, what should we do next?"

Two tears were hanging from Manman's eyes, and they didn't seem to be faking it.

"Without Brother Xuantian, will we be able to find the Blood Pool successfully?"

Lu Ling stepped forward, squatted down, and gently rubbed Manman's head.

"Manman, do you believe your sister?"

Manman nodded subconsciously.

"it is good."

Lu Ling smiled and said, "Since you trust your sister, then no matter the cost, your sister will lead you to the Blood Pool."

"But...but isn't it very dangerous here?"

Manman said nervously, "Sister Lu Ling, I'm scared."

"Manman is not afraid."

Lu Ling said, "Although the Blood Pool Secret Realm is dangerous, I've been here once before and know the route. I'll lead you to avoid all the dangers, and besides..."

After a pause, Lu Ling continued, "We can also go find our older brother."

"Big brother? You mean Lu Ren, big brother?"

Manman innocently tilted her head up and looked at Lu Ling.

"yes."

Lu Ling said, "Lu Ren is also in the Blood Pool Secret Realm. If we just meet up with him, entering the Blood Pool will be a piece of cake, right?"

"But......."

Manman lowered her head and hesitated before saying, "My mother said that Brother Lu Ren doesn't like me."

"How could that be?"

Lu Ling said softly, "Manman is so cute, how could Brother Lu Ren not like you?"

"You must remember, we are family."

Lu Ling continued, "We are family, and we would never harm another family member. This is a family rule of our Lu family."

"I see."

Manman said with a troubled expression, "But we don't know where Brother Lu Ren is either."

"I know."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ling smiled and said, "This is the blood pool secret realm of our Lu family. As long as you have the bloodline of the Lu family, you can sense each other."

"real?"

Manman's eyes lit up, and she said, "That's great! Sister Lu Ling, please take me to find Brother Lu Ren. I can't wait!"

"Okay, I'll take you there."

A strange light flashed in Lu Ling's eyes, and then she took Manman's hand and quickly left the hiding place.

Lu Ling is right.

She is indeed very familiar with the Blood Pool Secret Realm.

Not only did they avoid several monster territories in advance, but they also avoided touching the remaining formations in the secret realm.

After just over an hour, Lu Ling brought Manman to the entrance of a cave.

"arrive."

Manman looked around and said in confusion, "Sister Lu Ling, I don't see Brother Lu Ren."

"They'll be there soon."

Lu Ling smiled and said, "We'll just wait a bit."

"Is the blood pool here too?"

"right."

Lu Ling said, "After Brother Lu Ren arrives, we will enter the Blood Pool together. Then, Manman, you can use the power of the Blood Pool to strengthen your blood and qi and lay a solid foundation for martial arts."

"Very good."

Manman laughed happily and said, "Sister Lu Ling, thank you. If it weren't for you, Manman wouldn't have been able to find this place."

"We're family, and as your older sister, of course I have to protect you."

Lu Ling was right.

A short while later, three figures emerged from the dense forest and appeared in front of the two.

It was Lu Ren, along with his two attendants.

"Brother Lu Ren!"

As soon as Manman saw Lu Ren, she burst into tears.

"Don't cry, Manman."

Lu Ren's eyes flashed, and he quickly smiled and comforted him, "Tell your brother what happened."

"Waaaaah, Brother Xuantian is dead."

Manman's eyes were red from crying; she was incredibly heartbroken.

"If it weren't for Sister Lu Ling, you wouldn't have met Manman at all."

Lu Ren gently patted Manman's back, comforting her softly, while his eyes turned to Lu Ling.

Seeing Lu Ling nod, Lu Ren sighed and said, "Alas, it seems that Daoist Xuantian underestimated the danger of the Blood Pool Secret Realm."

"My dear, don't cry."

Lu Ren said, "You are my sister, I will protect you."

"Uh-huh."

Manman wiped her snot and tears on Lu Ren's clothes and sobbed, "Sister Lu Ling is right, you like Manman."

Lu Ren's smile froze for a moment, then he flashed his signature smile again.

"Of course, my brother likes Manman the most."

Lu Ren said, "Alright, wipe your tears, brother will take you into the blood pool."

"it is good."

Manman wiped away her tears and stood obediently beside Lu Ren.

The two attendants behind him, however, flashed a hint of mockery in their eyes.

Kids will be kids, they're so easy to fool.

"Let's go, into the blood pool."

Lu Ren led Manman towards the cave.

Two attendants followed closely behind.

As he passed by Lu Ling, Lu Ren's lips moved slightly, and he transmitted his voice, "Well done. I will reward you handsomely when we get out."

Lu Ling's face lit up with joy, but she quickly suppressed her excitement.

The group followed the cave passage for a distance.

Soon, a heavy stone gate came into view.

The stone gate is covered with patterns, resembling a special rune.

"Blood Pool Rune?"

Lu Ren stroked the runes on the stone door and murmured softly, "Finally found it."

"Brother Lu Ren, what are Blood Pool Runes?"

Lu Ren explained with a smile, "The Blood Pool Rune is a restriction left by our Lu family ancestors. Its purpose is to protect the Blood Pool from being discovered by the monsters in the secret realm, and also to prevent the power of the Blood Pool from leaking out."

"I see."

Manman asked curiously, "Then how do we open it?"

"It's simple, all you need is the blood of our Lu family."

"But Manman is afraid of pain."

Upon hearing this, Manman's face changed, filled with fear.

"Haha, with me here, I don't need your blood."

Lu Ren laughed loudly, then bit his finger and gently pressed it onto the runes on the stone gate.

"Buzz!"

The blood flowed out, instantly filling all the lines.

In an instant, a crimson light burst forth.

The stone gate slowly opened amidst a deafening rumble.

Inside the cave, a foul stench that had accumulated over many years rushed towards them, but Lu Ren waved it away.

"You've already been into the blood pool once, so don't go in again this time."

Lu Ren said to Lu Ling, "You stay here and guard the place. Don't let anything get close."

"Yes, brother."

Lu Ling didn't dare to refuse and readily agreed.

It was clear that she was terrified of this nominal cousin.

Lu Ren nodded in satisfaction, took Manman's hand, and led two attendants across the stone gate into the depths of the cave.

"Brother Lu Ren, this place feels so eerie, it's quite scary."

Manman nervously gripped Lu Ren's hand and moved a little closer to him.

Sensing Manman's tension, Lu Ren's smile turned sinister and cold in the dim light, but his voice remained as gentle as ever.

"Don't be afraid, your brother is here."

Lu Ren said, "Your aunt should have already told you how to absorb the energy from the blood pool to strengthen your blood and qi, and enhance your foundation, right?"

"Yes, I already said that."

Manman said proudly, "Manman has memorized it all."

"That's good."

Lu Ren said, "Once we get to the Blood Pool, you should absorb its power using the method your aunt taught you. Your brother will protect you."

"Brother Lu Ren, you're so kind, thank you."

"We're family, no need for thanks."

Looking at the two figures, one large and one small, in front of them, the two attendants following behind felt a chill run down their spines.

Although they are all members of the Lu family, they are not considered direct descendants.

Because they had pledged allegiance to Lu Ren early on, Lu Ren was willing to give them a chance to enter the Blood Pool.

Although I don't know exactly what Lu Ren is going to do, I can guess that it's definitely not something good.

The route began to slope downwards, and after walking for a good half hour, the view suddenly opened up.

What appeared before us was an extremely large underground cavern.

The stalactites hanging down were a striking blood red.

Drops of blood fell from the stalactite tip, and after landing, they gathered in a pool of blood in the center.

The blood pool is actually not very big.

It can only accommodate a maximum of three or four people standing inside.

However, the pool of blood emitted a scent that was not at all bloody, but rather refreshing.

Just one whiff of it, and the blood and energy in your body feel purified and strengthened.

"Wow, this feels so good."

Manman's eyes lit up as she said, "Brother Lu Ren, is this the Blood Pool? The energy is so pure."

"nature."

Lu Ren said, "The Lu family's blood pool is located right beneath a blood spirit vein, so its energy is naturally extremely pure."

"Brother, can we go in now?"

Manman said, "I can't wait to absorb all this energy."

"Wait a little longer, the time isn't right yet."

Lu Ren smirked and said, "When the time comes, I'll let you suckle to your heart's content."

Okay.

Manman's little eyes darted around, a sly glint flashing in them almost imperceptibly.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

Blood dripped continuously, creating ripples in the blood pool.

Crimson energy permeated the entire underground cavern.

At a certain moment, a glint flashed in Lu Ren's eyes, and he said, "Manman, that's enough."

"Brother, aren't you going?"

Manman looked up at Lu Ren, her face full of confusion.

"You go first, I'll protect you."

Manman responded and then slowly walked towards the blood pool.

Seeing that Manman had already stepped into the blood pool, Lu Ren looked at the two people behind him and his lips moved.

"Get ready to act!"

The two nodded sharply, and then each formed a hand seal, creating a barrier that enveloped the entire blood pool.

"Brother Lu Ren, what's wrong...?"

"Little sister Manman, your brother is protecting you."

Lu Ren smiled and said, "Just focus on absorbing the power of the blood pool, and leave everything else to me."

As he spoke, Lu Ren flipped his hand, and the Xuan Turtle Scales appeared in his palm.

The essence and blood gushed out and poured into the scales of the black tortoise.

"Buzzing!"

The space above Lu Ren's head was squeezed open, revealing the phantom of a black tortoise.

The black tortoise raised its head and emitted a beam of light towards the top of the cave.

"Snap!"

A huge stalactite was shattered, and then a stone platform slowly emerged.

The stone platform is covered with various mysterious patterns, and there are still traces of dried blood.

Unlike the runes in the blood pool, the patterns on this stone platform give off an ancient and vicissitude-like feeling, containing the vast aura of the ultimate Dao.

"The Enlightenment Platform has appeared!"

Upon seeing this stone platform, even someone as composed as Lu Ren couldn't help but show a burning desire.

"By sacrificing the bloodline of the Lu clan and activating my Enlightenment Platform, I can elevate that secret technique to the True Intent Realm of Martial Dao!"

Lu Ren stomped his foot on the ground, leaping onto the Enlightenment Platform, and said, "Lu Tian and Lu Ming, you two, maintain the barrier and help me drain that little girl's essence!"

"yes!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Tian and the other person immediately shouted coldly and made a hand seal.

Below, in the blood pool, a large amount of crimson energy surged up like a dragon sucking water, pouring into the Enlightenment Platform.

On the Enlightenment Platform, profound runes lit up one after another, continuously surrounding Lu Ren.

Lu Ren sat cross-legged, his expression ghostly.

"Beginning the path to enlightenment!"