Chapter 264: Charging into the Blood Lake
Chapter 264: Charging into the Blood Lake
Hu Yuer frowned slightly and murmured, “The great waves sift the sand, blood purges the heroes; who’ll remain as the final survivor?”
Cheng Lingyu felt a pang of longing for Lan Xiaozhu. Had she been present, her Celestial Cataclysm Divination could’ve granted them early clues.
Around the massive hole, cultivators at Blood Martial First Level and Blood Weapon Second Level faced the greatest peril, becoming prime targets for slaughter.
Cheng Lingyu cared little for these deaths—his focus lay on Blood Martial Third Level experts and other formidable figures present.
His gaze shifted to observe the brutal clashes in the two distant battle zones.
“Stay here. Don’t wander.”
Seizing Hu Yuer’s hand, Cheng Lingyu flashed into Yunxiu’s territory.
This area was controlled by the Shanhua Alliance and Heavenly Fire Sect. Smaller forces had become sacrificial lambs, save for a handful of Blood Martial Third and Fourth Level experts.
Activating Skywing Escape, Cheng Lingyu darted through the chaos, hunting opportunities.
Whenever a Blood Martial Third Level expert lay mortally wounded, he’d strike—harvesting their Blood Fetus moments before death claimed them.
This was resource utilization, beyond moral judgment.
Hu Yuer guarded his flank diligently. Though they often bickered, she maintained sharp focus now.
Heavenly Fire Sect and Shanhua Alliance experts noted Cheng Lingyu’s presence but hesitated to act. Memories of how he’d dismantled Divine Martial Sect lingered fresh, his cold elegance inspiring terror.
Though both factions wished to curb his growth, the volatile situation deterred reckless moves. Cheng Lingyu knew this well—his bold appearance served as deliberate provocation, testing their resolve.
After absorbing four Blood Fetuses, crimson bloomed across Cheng Lingyu’s cheeks.
“You’re intoxicated. We should leave.”
Hu Yuer tugged his sleeve, but he resisted.
“Patience. More await elsewhere.”
They vaulted over the blood river into Ye Anlan’s domain.
Here, Jiu Yang Sacred Palace and Tianlei Sacred Church reigned supreme, hunting smaller factions.
Cheng Lingyu’s rapid strikes baffled observers. Stealing Blood Fetuses was considered suicidal folly—yet he defied convention, completing thefts before most realized what occurred.
Corpses piled below, gathered by major factions as sacrificial offerings.
Of smaller forces, only one or two bloodied survivors remained, fleeing the carnage.
Returning to Lou Ri City’s four elder brothers, Cheng Lingyu found the battle concluding. Two allied fronts—fifteen warriors each—confronted Heavenly Palace’s remaining thirty experts.
The ground ran red, strewn with forty-odd corpses. Heavenly Palace claimed most spoils.
Hu Yuer saw this scene and suddenly said, “Why hadn’t anyone thought about entering the blood lake during the day? Why wait until night?”
Han Zhen asked, “Is there any difference?”
Hu Yuer replied, “We didn’t see the Blood River True Monarch appear during the day, which meant they wouldn’t block the entrance. There was no need for blood rites, so we wouldn’t have to fight.”
Xiao Lingfeng exclaimed, “You were right! How had we overlooked that?”
Not far away, those cultivators heard this and couldn’t help but roar in anger.
“Why didn’t you say this earlier? Now that people are dead, you’re just talking nonsense, you’re making us mad!”
Hu Yuer smiled, “I saw you all fighting so hard, thinking you were having a great time. How could I ruin your excitement?”
“You… you… you’re driving me mad!”
Yu Feilong sneered, “Who could surely say there was no danger during the day, that we wouldn’t run into obstacles? The consequences of barging in during the day could be even worse.”
Hu Yuer flirted, “Unless we tried it, who would be willing to back down?”
These words left people speechless; it was human nature to cling to lucky chances, believing that fortune would come, but in reality, luck often favored only a few.
The Heavenly Palace side managed to seize over thirty corpses, allowing them three chances to enter the blood lake, but who was to get those slots?
On the Heavenly Palace side, there were numerous experts, including two holy sons, along with some senior brothers protecting them. Deciding who would enter the blood lake became a question worth pondering.
First of all, everyone knew that the blood river was dangerous.
Yet, the more dangerous a place is, the more opportunities there are, which is why cultivators are willing to charge ahead, risking their lives.
After deliberation, Yu Feilong, Li Moru, and Hua Yuehong became the first batch to attempt entry, a choice filled with both risks and opportunities; no one could say for sure whether they would live or die after entering the blood lake.
Cheng Lingyu closely observed the movements of the Heavenly Palace, hoping to learn more about the secrets of the blood river and blood lake from them.
In the other two major areas, some experts had already started to attempt entry. By sacrificing ten corpses, the Blood River True Monarch would automatically make way, and a golden passage appeared on the river’s surface, allowing entry into the massive hole.
To avoid being beaten to the punch, the major forces including the Heavenly Palace, Shanhua Alliance, Heavenly Fire Sect, Tianlei Sacred Church, and Jiu Yang Sacred Palace hurriedly sent their experts into the blood lake.
Since ten corpses could exchange for a single entry slot, the number of cultivators able to enter the blood lake was limited, totaling only a bit over ten people.
Many cultivators were unwilling and waited for the opportunity, hoping to rush into the blood lake after the night passed and daylight arrived.
Shui Yingyue, Ye Anlan, and Yunxiu didn’t act rashly, as if they were waiting for the right moment.
The five major forces each selected three experts to enter the blood lake.
As the blood mist rolled and obscured visibility, the deafening noise drowned out everything. The onlookers surrounding the massive hole had no idea if the fifteen from the five major forces would live or die after entering the blood lake.
Three gigantic beasts and three Blood River True Monarchs guarded the entrance to the river, like three deities of protection, neither attacking nor leaving. It wasn’t until dawn that the blood moon sank into the lake, and the beasts slowly sank into the blood river.
“Opportunity is here, everyone charge!”
A cultivator incited others from behind to venture forth and test the waters.
However, the people present were not foolish; they watched attentively without making any rash moves.
The blood river was dangerous, and the blood lake was mysterious. No one felt confident about surviving, and no one dared to act recklessly.
From the terrain, there were two ways to enter the blood lake: first, drifting down the blood river; second, jumping directly from the edge of the massive hole.
Regardless of which way, both were fraught with unpredictability and peril.
Last night’s battle had resulted in over a hundred deaths, nearly half the number. Now, over a hundred powerful individuals remained around the massive hole, all with impressive strength or noteworthy backgrounds.
Cheng Lingyu kept a close watch on Shui Yingyue’s movements. She, along with Ye Anlan and Yunxiu, became a guiding indicator, their magical artifacts shimmering brilliantly, maintaining their strong momentum while exploring the depths of the massive hole.
At noon, a strong light suddenly emanated from Shui Yingyue, Ye Anlan, and Yunxiu, as if three spheres of light enveloped their bodies, and they jumped directly from the edge of the massive hole.
“Everyone, hurry and follow! This is an opportunity!”
Many cultivators rushed toward the massive hole, but the strong blood energy was too overwhelming for them to bear.
Some cultivators played tricks, heading directly toward the blood river, attempting to drift down into the depths of the blood lake.
However, the blood river was not easy to enter; without extraordinary cultivation levels, one couldn’t even get close, let alone withstand the invasion of the blood energy.
Cheng Lingyu remained calm, closely observing everyone’s actions. He noticed that most of the cultivators couldn’t approach the massive hole or blood river; only a few with profound cultivation or special treasures could force their way in.
The massive hole resembled a mouth, a one-way entrance that swallowed everything; once inside, leaving alive was very difficult.
At this moment, several individuals had entered through the blood river, barely resisting the onslaught of blood energy with the power of their spirit artifacts, quickly rushing into the massive hole.
Most were still struggling, unleashing various magical artifacts and weapons; some were repelled by the blood energy, some were consumed by it, while a few succeeded in breaking through.
Xiao Lingfeng saw this and asked, “Cheng junior apprentice, what were your plans?”
Cheng Lingyu hesitated and said, “I was thinking that the four elder brothers should stay here while I go try it out. This place is perilous and strange; if we all enter, some may never return.”
Chen Song replied, “We couldn’t be at ease with you going alone.”
Cheng Lingyu stated, “I would take Hu Yuer with me. In some situations, two working together could be stronger than six.”
Han Zhen added, “Cheng junior apprentice possessed a secret treasure; your overall strength was on par with ours. As long as you didn’t encounter others deliberately making things difficult, I believed you could make it.”
Xiao Lingfeng said, “We would wait here for Cheng junior apprentice while sending someone to contact our sect for support.”
This was the Blood Moon Wasteland, no longer within the range of ancient ruins, and the Spirit Master could easily enter.
After a brief discussion, Xiao Lingfeng, Han Zhen, and Chen Song stayed behind, Zuo Yi went out to communicate, while Cheng Lingyu took Hu Yuer toward the massive hole.
Cheng Lingyu chose the massive hole instead of the blood river because Shui Yingyue and the other three jumped down directly from there.
The waters of the blood river eroded souls and bones, far more terrifying than the blood energy; that was another reason Cheng Lingyu deliberately avoided it.
The blood energy near the massive hole was very dense, making it impossible for Cheng Lingyu, with his Soul Martial Sixth Realm cultivation level, to forcibly charge in.
Cheng Lingyu unfurled a scroll and released a special defense to fend off the encroaching blood energy, but advancing proved to be exceptionally strenuous.