Under that blood-red engulfment, Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan simultaneously felt the ground vanish beneath them. Everything around them became illusory, and all their senses were completely sealed off at that moment. That feeling of losing control over their own bodies caused an inexplicable trace of fear to rise in both of their hearts.
What they could not see was that the killing intent on each of them had converged into a faint white ripple, protecting their bodies within. If not for the existence of this intent, they would have been truly consumed the moment the blood-red color spread.
After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by a violent jolt, all their senses returned, and the surrounding blood-light gradually faded.
When Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan fully regained consciousness, they found themselves standing on a circular platform. This platform was only about five meters in diameter, not very large.
Though both were crouched on the ground, they had woken up almost at the same time. Consequently, their gazes landed on each other simultaneously. After a brief exchange of looks, they rose and began to survey their surroundings.
Upon careful observation, both couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. The situation before them was far more perilous than they had imagined.
Everything in sight possessed a faint blood-red hue. Aside from the five-meter-wide platform beneath their feet, there was nothing but a bottomless abyss. Beyond that, there was only a single narrow path—less than half a foot wide, barely enough for two feet to stand side-by-side—leading into the unknown darkness. This was the only way off the platform.
Dugu Yan looked around and then at the path leading into the darkness, her brow furrowing slightly as she asked, "I wonder what is down there?"
Gu Xuan made a show of peering over the edge of the circular platform, his face clouding with a difficult expression.
"How is it? Can you see what is below?" Dugu Yan asked calmly.
Gu Xuan nodded and said, "It's blood. Or rather, a blood pool. If I'm not mistaken, that pool should be the human blood accumulated by Slaughter City over the years—the Bloody Mary they speak of and the sacrifices for this Hell Road."
Gu Xuan naturally knew what lay below, but to avoid causing unnecessary suspicion, he had to act as if he were discovering it for the first time.
Hearing this, Dugu Yan fell into deep thought. After a long while, she said, "Based on a simple analysis, this Hell Road is not only the path to leave Slaughter City, but it should also be the core of the entire city."
Hearing Dugu Yan's analysis, Gu Xuan nodded with satisfaction. Even though Dugu Yan rarely faced true life-and-death crises while by his side, she had not slacked off at all. Being able to see through this issue without his reminder was proof of her own intelligence.
Gu Xuan said calmly, "Yanzi, have you noticed? In Slaughter City, the most important thing is blood. This so-called Bloody Mary appears almost everywhere; it exists here like currency."
"Just as I told you before, this blood contains a chronic poison, but it also acts as a stimulant. There are many ways to control people, so why does the ruler of Slaughter City always use blood? Is it just to give people a more mysterious feeling?"
He paused, continuing to guide Dugu Yan so she could discover the uniqueness of Slaughter City herself.
"While we don't yet know the true secret of this blood within Slaughter City, one thing is certain: if the source of blood is lost, it will be a massive blow to the entire city, perhaps even a destructive one."
Dugu Yan gradually gained insight after hearing Gu Xuan's words and said, "In that case, if we destroy this place, wouldn't it mean no one could ever obtain the Death God Domain again?"
Gu Xuan nodded and said, "Correct. However, there is no need."
"I told you before that Slaughter City should be the inheritance ground of a certain deity. This is also our opportunity, so there is no need to destroy it now."
Finished speaking, Gu Xuan looked back into the distant darkness and continued, "This narrow path should be the so-called Hell Road. We don't know how long it is, but one thing is certain: the Hell Road is definitely not as simple as just walking across."
"Below us is a vast pool of blood. It is highly likely that some special beasts or other dangers live down there. Going down is certainly not an option; our best way out is still from above."
Dugu Yan did not argue and nodded in agreement.
At this moment, their superior psychological fortitude was on display. For an ordinary person, arriving in a strange and terrifying place would make them desperate to leave immediately. But Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan were in no rush; they first recovered their status and made all necessary preparations before setting out.
Gu Xuan led the way, with Dugu Yan following behind.
They maintained this formation as they stepped onto the narrow path. The path was not wide, barely enough for two feet to stand on, and the end was not yet in sight. For a normal person, walking on such a road for more than ten minutes would be an incredible feat, as a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall.
Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan were different. Their strength might not be the absolute peak, but their experience and insight were beyond what ordinary people could match. Currently, the two were like grasshoppers on the same string; any error could lead to a catastrophic disaster.
Maintaining a harmonious rhythm, the two slowly vanished into the dark red haze, and the circular platform behind them disappeared.
As they advanced, their nerves were stretched to the limit. They had to watch their footing while staying alert for unknown dangers in the darkness.
As they walked, Gu Xuan suddenly said, "We have already traveled five hundred meters. The air has begun to turn hot. Moreover, it seems it is no longer quiet here. There are sounds around us; though they are very faint and still far away, their target should be us. Stay on high alert."
Hearing his words, Dugu Yan released her mental power to probe the surroundings, and her expression changed slightly.
Through her powerful mental detection, Dugu Yan discovered black dots in the distant darkness rapidly approaching them. The faint sound appeared in her mental world; it wasn't strong, but the frequency was very fast. Just as Gu Xuan said, these faint sounds were closing in on their position.
Gu Xuan naturally knew these faint sounds came from blood bats, but he revealed it subtly, taking the lead to warn Dugu Yan and prepare her defenses.
Dugu Yan then scanned the area below with her green eyes and whispered, "Xiao Xuan. I know why it feels hot. It's because the blood pool below is getting closer to us."
Hearing this, Gu Xuan nodded with even more satisfaction, as he hadn't reminded her of this; she had discovered it herself.
Seeing Gu Xuan nod, Dugu Yan continued, "Earlier, the blood pool was about a thousand meters below us, but now that distance has likely closed to about eight hundred meters. That is why we can feel the change in temperature."
"It seems that blood pool might not be just blood; it could also be magma. If the temperature continues to increase as we move forward, then I am almost certain that the final stretch of our path will likely be submerged within that pool. That will be the truly difficult part of the Hell Road."
Hearing her words, Gu Xuan did not show any other reaction, as if this wasn't the greatest threat.
Gu Xuan suddenly said deeply, "Let's not worry about that for now. Regardless of what happens, let's deal with the crisis before our eyes first."
"They're here!"
As Gu Xuan's voice fell, the buzzing sound grew louder. In the gloom, Dugu Yan could vaguely see red shadows approaching rapidly. She soon understood why the frequency of the sound in her mental perception was so fast.
It was because the incoming creatures weren't just a few; it was a swarm, a group of at least a thousand.
As they drew closer, the flying creatures were finally seen clearly. They were blood-red bats. They looked like miniature versions of the blood-colored bat pattern left on the floor of the Hell Slaughter Arena. Each blood bat was about a foot long, but their wingspan exceeded one meter when fully extended.
One or two such blood bats would be nothing, but over a thousand appearing at once looked like a red cloud, flying rapidly toward Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan. It felt like a heavy cloud pressing down on them.
At this moment, Dugu Yan's face had become incredibly solemn as she whispered, "Xiao Xuan?"
(End of Chapter)
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