The Bloodforge Devil Hall loomed as an unfathomable, vast power, rivaling the entire Eternal Sun Immortal World in its might.
Its influence stretched across the Greenridge Macrocosm, with branches established in countless immortal nations and continents.
Within the spacetime territory commanded by the Redmoon Immortal Continent, the Bloodforge Devil Hall's Redmoon division stood as a formidable force. Though merely a secondary branch, it stood shoulder to shoulder with the Redmoon Immortal Hall, recognized as one of the continent's top three factions.
The Redmoon division's reach extended beyond the landmasses in the immortal continent, encompassing several vast, special worldlets. The majority of disciples from the devil hall were picked from the millions of worldlets under their control.
While the Redmoon Immortal Hall held sway over the mainland of the Redmoon Immortal Continent, the Bloodforge Devil Hall commanded nearly eighty percent of its numerous satellite worldlets. The complex task of managing these millions of worldlets fell to numerous immortals, each overseeing their own domain.
Among these worldlets, the Origin Blood World stood out as a colossal sphere, boasting a maximum diameter of about two hundred million li. This wasn't a natural formation by heaven and earth, but a world crafted by an Archimmortal of the Bloodforge Devil Hall.
It served as a specialized training ground for disciples from various worldlets, housing millions of Golden Core cultivators and a substantial number of Amethyst Cradle cultivators.
In the lead-up to the Bloodforge Battle, the number of Golden Core cultivators within the Origin Blood World swelled to truly staggering proportions. Ten massive teleportation arrays operated ceaselessly across its expanse.
Teleportation Array Six towered a thousand li high, suspended in the air like a monolithic sentinel.
Stern voices echoed through its vast chambers: "Take your positions. Ready your identity tokens and claim ownership with your souls. Those who disobey will face death."
"In the Bloodforge Battle, your token represents your life. Losing it means losing your life."
"Remain in place. Await the command to proceed to the Bloodforge waiting area."
The immense teleportation array hall was divided into sectors, over half of which stood barren.
The occupied sectors brimmed with a sea of immortal cultivators, their attire as varied as their origins. Humans dominated the crowd, interspersed with demonic cultivators and even a handful of beings in demonic beast form.
Each sector housed hundreds, even thousands of immortal cultivators. The majority were at the Qi Sea phase, with a smaller group at the Golden Core phase. Amethyst Cradle cultivators were conspicuously absent.
One sector stood out, packed to bursting with over ten thousand cultivators. Among them, several hundred Golden Core practitioners could be seen. This single sector's population rivaled dozens of others combined.
Amidst the throng, a blue-robed woman stood among hundreds of Golden Core cultivators. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she surveyed her surroundings. "Senior Brother, is this the legendary Bloodforge World?"
Around her were a dozen figures in matching attire. These figures occupied the heart of the group. The surrounding cultivators regarded them with reverence, tacitly acknowledging their superior status.
A bald youth in blue robes, seated in lotus position, replied softly, "No, according to our master, this is the Origin Blood World. We'll wait here for three years until geniuses from countless worlds gather. Then, we'll enter the Bloodforge World together."
His status seemed to be the highest, and he appeared to have a deep understanding of the Bloodforge Devil Hall.
"Wait for three years?" A purple-robed elderly man spoke in a low voice. "Isn't that excessive, Senior Brother? Why did our sect rush to send us here? We could have continued our training at the sect for a few more years."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group of Golden Core cultivators.
The bald youth's gaze swept over them. "Didn't you hear what our ancestor said? We are all ninth-stage Golden Core cultivators. By arriving early, we secure ample time to undertake the Dark Star challenge once we enter the sector base. Each level cleared brings rewards. Conquer the fourth level, and we'll reap substantial benefits."
He continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "Some of these treasures can be brought into the Bloodforge World, greatly improving our chances of survival."
The blue-robed woman who had spoken first gritted her teeth. "But surely a year's advance would suffice?"
"Foolish!" The bald youth shook his head. "By then, countless Golden Core cultivators from millions of worlds will have arrived. Tens of millions will be applying for the Dark Star challenge. How long would we have to wait for our turn? The Bloodforge Battle might commence before we even get a chance."
The ten or so cultivators clad in blue robes nodded. As carefully nurtured disciples of their sect, they had been privy to a wealth of information in advance.
Another Golden Core cultivator spoke up, confusion evident in his voice. "Senior Brother, how much longer must we wait? We've been here for over a day already."
"Patience," the bald youth replied coolly. "Our goal is to seize a hundred Blood Devil Tokens. We aim not just to become disciples of the devil hall, but to join the elite ranks. Only then will our chances of ascending to Amethyst Cradle cultivators substantially increase."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Golden Core cultivators gleamed with excitement.
Of the countless worldlets under the Bloodforge Devil Hall's rule, most Golden Core cultivators were unwilling participants in the Bloodforge Battle, conscripted by force.
Yet many elite cultivators chose to join willingly, seeking to carve a bloody path to power and claim the devil hall's resources for themselves. The Bloodforge Battle was both a trial and an opportunity.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Suddenly, the distant fog that hung over the space dissipated, revealing more than a dozen figures emanating powerful auras.
At their forefront stood a figure in blood-red robes. He exuded an aura of absolute dominance, as if the very axis of heaven and earth pivoted on his existence. It was a sight that made hearts tremble.
"Great Senior Brother, who are they?" The blue-robed cultivators couldn't help but look up in awe.
"I sense they're far more powerful than our ancestor," one whispered, fear evident in his voice.
It wasn't just them. Throughout the hundreds of sectors surrounding Teleportation Array Six, hundreds of thousands of immortal cultivators gazed upward, their eyes wide with fear and wonder.
The gap was too huge. It was a fundamental difference in the order of life.
In that moment, another shocking scene unfolded. The dozens of Amethyst Cradle Reverends stationed throughout the teleportation array – the very ones overseeing these cultivators – simultaneously bowed in respect. "Greetings, Immortal."
Countless Qi Sea and Golden Core cultivators looked up, eyes bulging in shock, fixed upon the figure in blood-red robes. The word echoed in their minds, leaving them speechless.
Legends of immortals ran rampant throughout the multitude of worldlets, yet they remained mere tales for most.
Throughout the endless flow of time, the vast majority of worlds had failed to produce a single immortal. At least, not one of the hundreds of thousands of immortal cultivators who had arrived via the teleportation array in the Origin Blood World had ever seen an immortal in the flesh.
Even the dozen ninth-stage Golden Core cultivators from the large sect looked on in utter amazement. They had never seen an immortal either.
Their sect's ancestor, the strongest being ever born in the history of their vast world, had barely stepped into the Void Refiner phase. A Void Refiner cultivator and an immortal, though seemingly separated by just one phase, were as fundamentally different as heaven and earth.
"What is an immortal doing here?"
"This is my first time seeing an immortal."
Questions raced through the minds of the countless immortal cultivators preparing for the trial. Even the dozens of Amethyst Cradle cultivators from the Bloodforge Devil Hall were equally puzzled.
Immortals, typically aloof and distant, rarely graced these teleportation arrays with their presence.
Just then, a dazzling beam of light shot up from the center of the colossal teleportation array, catching everyone's attention.
"Has another world sent someone over?"
"I wonder which world it is, and how many immortal cultivators they've sent."
"Wait! It's just one, wearing a white robe."
"Just one person?" The eyes of many immortal cultivators widened in disbelief.
One immortal cultivator? How feeble must such a world be, to send only a single Golden Core cultivator to the Bloodforge Battle?