Reverend insanity: Heaven devouring demon venerable

A man stumbled forward, his body battered and bruised, every step a struggle. His weathered face, covered in a thick grey beard, reflected years of hardship and battle. His skin, rough and deeply scarred, bore countless cuts, many of them still oozing blood. His clothes, once recognizable, were torn and stained, now mere remnants of their former selves, hanging loosely off his weakened frame. 

Yet, despite his grave condition, there was something unnerving about his expression, a faint, unsettling smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

This was no ordinary man; this was the Gu master who had fought Ning Zu on the surface and lost. And yet, here he was, walking steadily through a tunnel, his limbs that were once twisted, were now okay, not counting all the injuries of course. 

His body, though barely holding itself together, moved with eerie determination. His movements were stiff, unnatural, and his face, covered in grime and blood, remained untroubled by the pain that would have crippled any other man.

As he walked, one of his closed eyes opened, revealing something grotesque. A long, black centipede crawled out of the socket, slipping down his cheek and disappearing into the folds of his ragged clothing. The man did not flinch or react, as if the sensation of the insect writhing through his eye caused no discomfort. It was as if pain itself had long since abandoned him.

He continued his slow march until he reached the spirit spring of the Gu Yu clan, a river that the clan relied on every year. 

In it, lay the incomplete legendary rank 3 Gu: the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus. Its beauty was undeniable, even in its unfinished state. The lotus sat there, radiating an aura of purity. 

It was said to be like a portable mini spirit spring, capable of producing fifty primeval stones per day. For any Gu master, it was a treasure beyond measure, capable of accelerating primeval essence recovery at an astounding rate. The lotus was more than just a Gu; it was a piece of history, created by none other than Genesis Lotus Immortal Venerable himself.

The man, despite his broken body and blood-soaked clothes, stared at the Gu with a strange, quiet reverence. His lips, cracked and bleeding, moved as he began to mutter something under his breath. His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

With great effort, the man forced his ravaged mouth to speak the names of precious Gu worms and materials, names that only a handful of people in the world would recognize. His voice echoed in the cavern, but then, just as suddenly as he had started, he stopped. Silence fell over the spirit spring once more. The man stood there, unmoving, his eyes fixed on the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus as if waiting for some unseen force to respond.

And respond it did.

Without warning, a blinding red light shot from the spirit spring, illuminating the entire chamber in a flash of blood-soaked brilliance. The water of the spirit spring, once clear and pure, began to churn violently, turning a deep, menacing shade of red. It was as if the very essence of the place had been tainted. The spring bubbled and frothed, and from it, something monstrous began to form.

A massive hand, forged entirely from the blood that now filled the place, moved with an unstoppable force, grasping the man and pulling him into the bloodied water. The man did not resist. He allowed himself to be dragged beneath the surface, his body disappearing into the blood-red current. The water swallowed him whole, and for a moment, all was still.

Then, the current began to move again, dragging him deeper into a tunnel that ran beneath the spirit spring. The man floated along the crimson waters, his body limp, his expression serene as though this was all part of some grand design. The tunnel twisted and turned, the blood carrying him through the darkness until, at last, he was deposited in a vast, eerie river—one that flowed with blood instead of water.

The air was thick with the metallic scent of iron. The man lay there, drenched in the river's dark crimson flow, unable to move as the viscous liquid held him in place. The blood seemed to cling to him, dragging him down, wrapping around his limbs and tightening its grip with every passing second. Despite this, his face remained impassive, as though he were beyond the point of caring.

Suddenly, something leaped from the depths of the blood river, its presence menacing and unnatural. The figure that emerged was terrifying—a scarlet-faced zombie with long, fanged teeth and a mane of red hair that looked as though it had been soaked in blood. Its deep black eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence, and its enormous bat-like wings spread wide, casting an imposing shadow across the blood river. 

This was no ordinary creature; this was Gu Yu Xue Xing, the first ancestor of the Gu Yu clan.

First Gen Gu Yu stood tall, his scarlet face twisted in fury, his long, fanged teeth bared in frustration. His ancient eyes burned with an intensity that could only come from centuries of waiting.

Before him knelt the Gu master, a broken, blood-soaked man, his face eerily calm despite the pain etched in every line of his scarred skin. The air between them crackled, as though the very atmosphere could sense the violence lingering just beneath the surface.

Without hesitation, First Gen Gu Yu's clawed hand gripped the man's head, fingers digging into his skull. The power of his Gu worms surged through him as he attempted to soul search the man. His eyes darkened, focusing, pushing, but he hit an impenetrable wall. His brow furrowed in frustration as he realized he couldn't break through.

The man, still kneeling, smirked despite the pain. His voice was raspy, strained, but calm. "There's no need for soul searching me, I'm just a messenger."

First Gen Gu Yu's lips curled into a snarl, his patience wearing thin. "You think I care about your games?!" His voice boomed, echoing through the cavern like a roar of thunder. "Tell me the recipe!"

The recipe, the one that had haunted his thoughts for decades. The rank 4 version of the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus, the Heavenly Essence Treasure Monarch Lotus. 

A treasure that could propel him beyond the limits of any mortal Gu master, a power so great it was worth any price, especially for a zombie like him who was incapable of producing primeval essence. And here, before him, was someone who claimed to know it.

The messenger, his smirk widening, looked up at him. "You knew exactly what I was  saying in front of the spirit spring, good, that will save me some time."

First Gen Gu Yu's eyes flashed dangerously. "I don't have time for any of this shit. Tell me the recipe now!"

The man's smile remained, unbothered by the rage of the terrifying figure looming over him. "I will tell you," he said, his voice calm. "In fact, I'll tell you more than that. I'll even give you the recipe for the rank 5 version." His eyes gleamed with something darker, more sinister. "But only if you agree to a deal."

For a moment, the chamber was silent. The only sound was the gentle ripple of the blood river, its sacred waters reflecting the tension between them. First Gen Gu Yu's grip tightened on the man's skull, the stone beneath them groaning under the pressure of his anger. His eyes narrowed, staring down into the messenger's face, as if searching for a lie. His mind raced 'Who is this man? Who had sent him? Why can't I soul search him? As if I soul searching the air?'

His voice was low, menacing. "Who are you? Who do you work for?"

The messenger's eyes glinted in the dim light. "I'm merely a tool. A vessel used to deliver a message from the Blue Lotus Sect. As per orders from my master"

At the mention of the Blue Lotus Sect, something dark flickered in First Gen Gu Yu's eyes. His grip faltered for a moment, his wings twitching slightly. "Your master?" His voice was cold, almost deadly. "And who is this master?"

The man's smirk returned, his eyes cold and amused. "A mortal like you has no business knowing who my master is."

First Gen Gu Yu's blood boiled at the insult. His fingers dug deeper into the man's skull, his grip tightening so hard he could feel the bones begin to give under the pressure. He wanted to crush the man's head, to turn him into paste right then and there, to silence his insolence forever. But something held him back—a gnawing suspicion.

'An immortal,' he thought. His eyes flickered with doubt. Whoever this man's master was, they had power. To know of the Heavenly Essence Treasure Monarch Lotus recipes from rank 4 to 5, to send someone with such boldness, it had to be an immortal's doing.

The man, sensing the tension, didn't flinch. His voice was smooth, almost taunting. "My master has sent me to offer you a deal. We can trade. I will give you the rank 4 recipe you crave, but in return…" He paused, letting the words linger in the air. "You will give us some Gu, and lend us the Blood Skull Gu."

At that, First Gen Gu Yu froze. The Blood Skull Gu, the Gu that he had kept hidden for so long, a secret known to only a handful of people. His mind raced, the shadows in his eyes deepening. How did this man know?

Fear, cold and sharp, pierced his mind for the first time in a long time. 'The Immortal Crane Sect', he thought. 'Could they have sent this man? Could they have found me after all this time? If they knew where I am, I wouldn't be standing here, I would either be fighting or already dead'.

He forced the fear down, his mind quickly dismissing the thought. No, this wasn't their doing. This had to be an immortal, someone far more dangerous and elusive.

He released his grip on the man's skull, stepping back, his wings folding slowly behind him. His voice, though still filled with venom, had a hint of caution now. "Speak."

The man didn't waste a moment. Powered by the Careful Puppetry killer move, he spoke quickly, his words sharp and precise. He laid out the terms of the deal, explaining what his master wanted in exchange for the coveted recipe. His voice was calm, business-like, as though this were merely a routine transaction. But behind his eyes was something darker, something more dangerous than the deal he proposed.

First Gen Gu Yu listened, his face unreadable, his mind spinning with possibilities. Each word the man spoke carried weight, each detail of the deal shaping his thoughts. But even as he listened, the doubts gnawed at him. The idea of trading the Blood Skull Gu, of revealing something so precious, so dangerous… could he trust this man? Could he trust the master who had sent him?

The chamber seemed to darken around them as the tension between them mounted. First Gen Gu Yu's eyes, cold and calculating, remained locked on the messenger. He had lived long enough to know that no deal came without a price—especially a deal with an immortal. But the lure of the Heavenly Essence Treasure Monarch Lotus, the power it promised, was almost too much to resist.

For now, he would listen. For now, he would let the man speak. But one thing was certain—this deal would change everything.