Blood Puppet

After Li Weixuan's sharp sword energy blasted the skull centipede into bone dust, everyone's eyes lit up as they realized they had reached the center of the ruins.

The crowded buildings gave way to a gap here, dipping downwards to form a deep pit.

The pit was currently filled with a viscous, dark red liquid, like spoiled blood.

Even more exaggerated, the blood pool was actually moving.

As if alive, the entire blood pool contracted and expanded at a unique frequency, resembling a giant slime.

And with its movements, large and small bubbles continuously emerged from within, releasing a rotten stench that assaulted the senses, making one feel like their brain would rot with a single breath.

Finally, I know where all the blood went!

It seems my imagination still needs more training. This thing is far more bizarre than blood tofu.

Even more unexpectedly, there was actually a person in the middle of the blood pool.

This person was extremely tall, but their hair and beard were all white, making them appear old.

At this moment, their eyes were tightly shut, and they remained motionless.

Surprisingly, not only was their body intact, but their upper body was also spotless, a stark contrast to the stench below.

Furthermore, in the old man's right hand, he held a dramatically styled halberd.

Just by looking at the luster flowing on it, one could tell it was definitely a divine weapon.

However, upon closer inspection, one could see that starting from the old man's calves submerged in the bloody water, corrosion had already begun to appear, with dark rust spreading up to his waist.

"You all wait here."

Li Weixuan coldly dropped a sentence and prepared to go down and investigate.

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

The dark red fluid in the blood pool twitched strangely, and then a vortex formed around the old man.

The stench instantly intensified tenfold.

The vortex's speed accelerated from slow to fast, spinning wildly, and in the blink of an eye, it snaked up the old man's legs, rapidly engulfing his entire lower body.

The next moment, the top of the fluid contracted into a round column, then shook like a snake, lifting the old man high into the air.

The halberd in the old man's hand was raised high, descending like an executioner about to strike.

Clang!

Accompanied by a flash of fire that tore through the sky, the old man crossed dozens of meters, his halberd smashing fiercely onto the ground before them.

And opposite him, Li Weixuan, who had been unharmed until now, finally showed traces of blood.

Failing to land a decisive blow, the old man, supported by the blood pillar, rose into the air again.

"Get further away."

Li Weixuan signaled everyone to retreat.

The next moment, sword intent surged, exuding a murderous aura.

This is the power of a peak fourth-tier cultivator.

Fu Qian clicked his tongue in admiration, but his eyes were fixed on the old man opposite him.

The power of that strike just now was terrifying. If Li Weixuan hadn't blocked it, the exploration team would likely have been killed or severely injured.

Unfortunately, the latter, who launched this attack, still hadn't opened his eyes, his movements sluggish, like a dead man.

Is that thing below truly the main body?

Fu Qian looked at the mass supporting the old man.

Now, that mass had completely taken on the appearance of a slug. Most of the dark red fluid had been absorbed into its body, revealing a circular dome at the bottom of the pool.

The old man should have been standing on that just now.

While everyone's attention was drawn to the battle, Fu Qian quietly walked to the edge of the lake.

There was something he had wanted to do for a long time.

Looking back, he was certain his deductions were correct.

People who entered the Furnace had their flesh and blood refined according to special rules, forming various distorted monsters.

This blood pool was clearly one of the products.

So the question is, why wasn't this old man affected?

It seemed he had been here for quite some time.

Where there's abnormality, there's a demon. Only those not bound by the rules could possibly walk out.

Looking at the dark red pool water, Fu Qian made a cut on his arm, then inverted his palm, letting his blood flow into it in streams.

Logically, blood, once separated from the body, is dead matter and should be quickly absorbed.

However, unexpectedly, the blood Fu Qian poured into the pool not only failed to merge but actually floated on the surface, like oil and water refusing to mix.

Does this mean I'm also unaffected? Fu Qian's eyes lit up.

What do I have in common with this elder? Besides both being men.

Fu Qian was frowning and pondering when he suddenly noticed that his blood in the blood pool had changed.

As if pulled by some force, the blood floating on the surface of the blood pool began to move.

Soon, the mass of blood was stretched into a bloodline, flowing towards the elder who was being held up in mid-air.

It can be done like this too?

Fu Qian watched, wide-eyed, as the bloodline traveled up the blood pillar of the elder's lower body, finally disappearing at the elder's waist.

Because the color contrast wasn't obvious, no one else noticed this detail besides him.

By this time, the battle between the two was also nearing its end. Although the elder possessed immense strength and a divine weapon, he appeared to be just a puppet, his movements far from agile.

Under Li Weixuan's stormy assault, he quickly fell into a disadvantage, struggling to hold on.

Li Weixuan also seemed to realize that the blood pillar beneath the elder was his true form, so every sword strike was aimed at the elder's lower body. Blood splattered everywhere, and ichor flowed freely.

With one final tear through the blood pillar of the elder's lower body, the elder's whole body trembled, and he let out a groan, opening his eyes.

He began to struggle with all his might, finally breaking free before the blood pillar could close. He leaped onto the shore.

"Thank you for helping me break free from that nightmare."

Kneeling on the ground, gasping for air, the elder's eyes finally showed a spark of human consciousness.

"I never thought a day like this would come."

The elder spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, as if he hadn't spoken in a very long time.

Seeing this, Li Weixuan stopped his attack but still watched him warily, asking the soul-stirring three questions.

"Who exactly are you? Why are you here? What exactly is this place?"

"I am..."

The elder slowly stood up, grasping his halberd, his brow furrowed in thought, a pained expression on his face.

"I can't remember. I only remember being trapped in a place, unable to leave no matter what...

There were deformed monsters everywhere, my thoughts became increasingly chaotic, my waking hours grew shorter, and sometimes I even felt like I was dead..."

"Wait a moment!"

Suddenly, the elder seemed to discover something. He pointed at the chests of the students, his face trembling.

"You are from the Academy?"

"You know the Academy?"

Many of the students bore the Academy's emblem on their chests, and now it was the students' turn to be startled.

"Know it? I know it clearly. I am the fourth dean of the Academy!"

"I remember now..."

Before the people from the Academy could express their shock, the elder's expression suddenly became solemn and reverent. He planted his halberd on the ground.

"My name is Feng Yunhong!"