Invitation from the Sea of Blood

Chapter 29: Invitation from the Sea of Blood

"Dong!"

The last basin-sized rock blocking his path was smashed to pieces by Taiyi's mutated left arm, which he then cleared away.

A slightly cool, faint airflow, entirely different from the scorching sulfurous gas deep within the earth's veins, mixed with a hint of stale, earthy scent, brushed against his face from the opening.

Taiyi stopped, leaned over the edge of the opening, and cautiously poked half his head out.

Inside was a small natural stone cave, about three to four zhang square, with the highest point of the ceiling less than two zhang. The stone walls were a dull, grayish-blue, very dry, with no Earth Fire crystals or obvious signs of water. In one corner of the cave, some weathered rubble and unidentified gray sediment were piled up. The light was dim, with only a faint glow filtering in from the passage he had just dug, and an unknown, dim luminescence seeping from several extremely fine rock crevices on the other side of the cave, leading to who knew where.

Most importantly, the energy environment here was indeed relatively "neutral," as the System had said.

There was no violent heat from the Earth Fire branches, nor the murky heaviness from the Earth Fiend core. The air was filled with an inert, almost "dead" earthy and stony scent that had settled for who knew how many tens of thousands of years, occasionally mixed with a barely perceptible, faint ripple of energy from distant earth vein flows.

For Taiyi, who desperately needed concealment and to stabilize his injuries, this was practically a "deluxe private room."

He struggled to squeeze through the narrow opening. As his body landed, he stumbled, nearly falling. His left arm had become abnormally heavy after its mutation, and he needed to readjust his sense of balance.

Without bothering to examine the environmental details, he slid down to sit with his back against the cool rock wall, exhaling a long, trembling breath of stale air.

Escaping from Pangu Hall, being pursued by Xuan Ming in the earth veins, struggling on the brink of death, regaining consciousness, and then forcibly calming the internal conflict, digging all the way here with this crippled hand… how much time had passed? Two days? Three days? Or longer?

The Great Wilderness does not count years, and the depths of the earth are even more chaotic and devoid of sun and moon. Taiyi felt that every breath was as long as an eon, and he was utterly exhausted, body and soul.

But he was alive, after all, and had found a temporary place of refuge.

After resting for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and once his wildly beating heart and chaotic breathing had somewhat calmed, Taiyi began to carefully examine the stone cave.

It was indeed sealed. Besides the hole he dug (which he had casually concealed with some rubble), there were only those hair-thin cracks in the rock walls, leading to unknown depths. Although the air in the cave was stale, there seemed to be extremely slow circulation, preventing suffocation.

He tried to circulate the meager, newly recovered magic power within his body. The feeling of stagnation was still intense, like pushing a rusty millstone. The small flame of the True Sun Fire Origin was still weak, but it was brighter and more stable than before. The rough "three-zone division" in his Dantian barely maintained balance, with several forces stirring within their designated areas, but showing no signs of breaching the boundaries for now.

The "cement patches" in his meridians were holding up temporarily, with no signs of re-rupturing, though operating his magic power brought a dull, stinging, and blocked sensation.

His injuries had not worsened. In fact, due to the relatively stable environment, his body's innate recovery mechanism seemed to have begun to operate extremely slowly. Although this recovery speed was like a drop in the bucket compared to the severity of his injuries.

"Finally… temporarily safe," Taiyi muttered to himself, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing.

He needed time, a lot of time, to slowly recuperate, digest the insights from the Heaven-Opening Axe Imprint, further sort out the mixed forces within his body, and consider his next move.

The Witch Race would never give up. The desecration of Pangu Hall was a blood feud that struck at their very roots. Xuan Ming might be temporarily hindered by the chaos in the earth veins, making it difficult for her to pinpoint him, but the Witch Race was vast, and especially concerning matters related to the earth veins, they might have special methods. He couldn't stay here long, but it could at least serve as a temporary base for respite, recovery, and planning.

He checked his System space. The Witch Blood Powder was used up. The Breath Concealment Art jade slip was still there, but he had already forcibly memorized the rudimentary techniques recorded within; the jade slip itself was merely a carrier. The Sun Crystal Shard had exhausted its last bit of Origin, turning into a dull, ordinary crimson-gold pebble. The Taboo points remained at 234, untouched – in the previous life-or-death moments, he either had no opportunity to use them or endured through his own comprehension.

"I need to find a way to get some healing items, or something that can quickly restore magic power…" Taiyi frowned, pondering. Natural recovery was too slow, and deep underground, spiritual energy was scarce, while turbid energy was plentiful, which would be harmful rather than beneficial to his current body.

Just as his thoughts were racing—

Within the stone cave, the previously dead and heavy air suddenly fluctuated extremely faintly.

It wasn't an airflow fluctuation, but a deeper, more profound disturbance of some presence.

Taiyi's senses sharpened instantly, his spine stiffening. His remaining right arm instinctively assumed a defensive posture, and his mutated left fist also clenched slightly. His divine sense, like startled antennae, swept across every corner of the stone cave.

He detected no intruders, nor any abnormal concentration of energy.

But the feeling of being "watched" grew clearer and clearer!

It wasn't Xuan Ming's cold, vast gaze, carrying the pressure of laws. It was a… viscous, chilling "gaze" filled with an overwhelming stench of blood and ancient resentment!

This feeling did not originate from within the stone cave, but rather seemed to be projected directly onto his mind through some unseen connection, transcending space!

Immediately after, the air not far in front of Taiyi began to distort without warning.

Strands of dark red, almost black light, as if condensed from countless foul blood, seeped out from the void, writhing and intertwining slowly like living things.

There was no powerful energy burst, no soul-stirring aura of oppression.

But as these dark red lights appeared, the temperature of the entire stone cave seemed to drop by a few degrees, and a nauseatingly sweet, bloody smell permeated the air, as if one were standing at the edge of a decaying blood pool piled with billions of corpses!

[System prompt sounds, detecting Sea of Blood aura, triggering Sea of Blood check-in…]

Taiyi's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat.

This aura… although he had never personally encountered it, the memory fragments of Eastern Emperor Taiyi contained records of it!

The Sea of Blood! Old Ancestor Styx!

The dark red light quickly condensed, forming a blurry humanoid phantom, about a foot high. The phantom's features were indistinct, with only a pair of eyes, scarlet like blood diamonds, quietly "looking" at Taiyi.

The phantom spoke, its voice not transmitted through the air but resonating directly within Taiyi's mind, hoarse, chilling, with an inhuman, hollow echo:

"Eastern Emperor… Your Majesty?"

Although it was a respectful address, there was no trace of respect in the tone, only a cold inquiry and… a faint hint of playfulness.

Taiyi's mind raced through countless thoughts, surprise, vigilance, and speculation flooding in. Old Ancestor Styx, the master of the Sea of Blood, one of the ancient powerful beings who had listened to the Dao in Zixiao Palace, the one who mastered the path of killing, founded the Asura race, a notorious old monster in the Great Wilderness, neither good nor evil.

How did he find this place? How did he find him?

Was it because of the commotion at Pangu Hall earlier? Or the mournful cry of the Chaos Bell that echoed throughout the Great Wilderness? Or did the large-scale movements of the Witch Race attract his attention?

Regardless of the reason, being targeted by such an existence was by no means a good thing.

In a flash, Taiyi suppressed all his surprise. His face showed no emotional fluctuation, only his eyes, bloodshot from injury and fatigue, coldly met the gaze of the blood-colored phantom.

The arrogance and majesty of Eastern Emperor Taiyi, etched into his bones, were forcefully awakened and amplified at this moment.

He slightly raised his chin. Despite his disheveled state, leaning against the rock face, covered in bloodstains, his left arm grotesquely mutated, the disdain and indifference in his eyes were undeniable.

"Styx?" Taiyi spoke, his voice still hoarse, but he deliberately slowed his speech, adding a touch of condescending coldness. "You old bat, your nose is quite sharp. Smelling me even through Buzhou Mountain and the endless earth veins?"

He neither admitted nor denied his identity, instead using a slightly provocative tone to expose the other's identity and unclear intentions. This was a test, and a way to buy himself time to think and react.

The blood-red phantom's scarlet eyes seemed to flicker slightly. It showed no reaction to the clearly derogatory term "old bat," its voice remaining hollow and chilling:

"The bell's mournful cry echoed through the Great Wilderness. The Witch Race is restless, their malevolent energy soaring. The direction of Pangu Hall... most interesting." The phantom paused, seemingly observing Taiyi's reaction. "Even more interesting is that His Majesty the Eastern Emperor, who should be presiding in the Sun Star's Sun Palace, is now at death's door, hiding in this godforsaken crevice of the earth veins... and carrying the 'scent' of the Father God's遗殿 and the icy aura of that girl Xuan Ming."

In just a few sentences, the information was immense. Styx not only knew that Pangu Hall was in trouble and guessed he might be involved, but he could also faintly sense the lingering aura of Pangu Hall and Xuan Ming's traces of law on him! This perception and grasp of the situation were chilling.

Taiyi felt a jolt of alarm in his heart, but showed no outward reaction. Instead, he scoffed, "Why should I explain my actions to you? Styx, speak plainly. If you have something to say, spit it out. You didn't just project yourself here sneakily to watch me make a fool of myself, did you?"

He had to maintain control of the conversation, not follow the other's rhythm.

The blood-red phantom fell silent for a moment. Those scarlet eyes seemed to "examine" Taiyi from head to toe, lingering for a moment on his mutated left arm and the chaotic yet forcibly stabilized aura surrounding him.

"Your Majesty certainly has courage and skill," Styx's voice betrayed no emotion. "To leave a message in Pangu Hall, escape from Xuan Ming, and find another way in desperation to stabilize such injuries... tsk tsk, it reminds this old ancestor of some old acquaintances and past events."

These words were full of meaning. "Old acquaintances and past events"? Who was he referring to? The Chaos Demon Gods? Or other beings who dared to defy the predetermined course of the Heavenly Dao?

Taiyi didn't take the bait, merely watching him coldly.

Styx seemed unbothered, continuing in his hollow voice, "The Witch Race is enraged, and Your Majesty is hiding here. While you may find temporary peace, it is not a long-term solution. The earth veins are vast, but they have an end. That girl Xuan Ming is relentless, and Di Jiang is furious. It's only a matter of time before the Witch Race turns the world upside down searching for you."

"So?" Taiyi raised an eyebrow.

"So, this old ancestor is willing to show Your Majesty a way out," the blood-red phantom said slowly. "The Sea of Blood is boundless, its waves surging. It is the gathering place of the Great Wilderness's utmost yin and filth, and also the place where heavenly secrets are most chaotic and karma is hardest to fathom. If Your Majesty is willing to relocate to the Sea of Blood, this old ancestor can guarantee your temporary safety. The Witch Race's reach will not extend into the depths of my Sea of Blood."

What's the condition? Taiyi didn't believe this old monster Styx would be so kind.

"Conditions?" he asked directly.

"Heh heh," the blood-red phantom let out a few dry chuckles, like the grinding of bones. "Your Majesty is straightforward. The conditions are, admittedly, simple. A Calamity is approaching, the world will be overturned, and it will be time for us to struggle for survival. This old ancestor observes that Your Majesty is no ordinary person, and your methods are beyond conventional understanding. If there is an opportunity in the future, perhaps we can... mutually support each other."

Mutually support each other? It sounded nice, but it was nothing more than wanting to find an "ally" or a "pawn" who could be used and relied upon during the future Calamity, sharing risks. Moreover, Styx specifically pointed out that he was "no ordinary person" and his "methods were beyond conventional understanding," clearly sensing the "abnormality" about him, whether it was his comprehension of the Heaven-Opening Axe Imprint or his actions that defied the Heavenly Dao's script.

"That's it?" Taiyi's tone remained cold, with a hint of obvious suspicion. "The Sea of Blood is perilous, I've heard. Once I enter your territory, my life or death will be at your whim? Mutual support? I fear it's like a dog taking a bite of a meat bun."

"Your Majesty worries too much," Styx's voice remained steady. "If this old ancestor wanted to harm you, why go to all this trouble? I could have used magic from afar while you were heavily injured. It would have taken some effort, but it might have been possible. This invitation is indeed sincere. Though the Sea of Blood is dangerous, it might also be beneficial for Your Majesty's current condition. As for safety... Your Majesty bears the Chaos Bell. Even if heavily injured, if this old ancestor wanted to keep you, I would have to weigh the cost. It's better to forge a good relationship and take what each needs."

These words were half true, half false, a mix of soft and hard tactics. He highlighted Taiyi's current predicament (heavily injured, being pursued), offered a seemingly attractive solution (refuge in the Sea of Blood, potential benefits for his injuries), and subtly reminded Taiyi of his trump card (Chaos Bell) and the potential for mutual restraint.

Taiyi fell silent, rapidly weighing his options in his mind.

Going to the Sea of Blood was extremely risky. It was Styx's home turf, and the old demon's mind was unfathomable. The so-called "mutual support" could turn into a trap at any moment. He was in a terrible state right now; venturing into a tiger's den meant his fate was uncertain.

Not going, staying here? As Styx said, it wasn't a long-term solution. The Witch Race's search net would only tighten, and his recovery speed was too slow. Once found, in his current state, facing the enraged Ancestral Witches would be almost certain death.

Furthermore... Styx mentioned that the Sea of Blood might be "beneficial" for his injuries? The Sea of Blood was extremely yin and filthy, while his body was currently a mess of yin and yang, pure and impure intertwined, chaotic. Perhaps... it could truly be a case of fighting poison with poison? Or finding a chance for balance?

There was another point: Styx was one of the top powers in the Great Wilderness, privy to countless secrets, and wielded the twin ultimate killing treasures, Yuan Tu and Abi. He created the Asura race and possessed profound understanding of "creation," "life," "slaughter," and "karma." Interacting with him, though dangerous, might also provide access to higher-level information and power, which could be helpful in understanding the Heaven-Opening Axe Imprint and finding a path to transcendence.

Gamble, or not gamble?

Taiyi lowered his gaze, looking at his mutated left arm, covered in dark red cracks, feeling the rough balance maintained within his body and the faint power slowly regenerating.

A few breaths later, he raised his head, looking at the blood-red phantom. The hesitation and struggle in his eyes vanished, replaced by sharpness and depth.

"Time, location." He spoke concisely, neither agreeing nor refusing, merely inquiring about the details.

This itself was a form of tacit consent.

The blood-red phantom's scarlet eyes seemed to brighten for a moment.

"Three days later, at midnight. Ninety thousand li west of Buzhou Mountain, there is a forbidden area called 'Weeping Blood Valley.' At the bottom of the valley, there are remnants of an ancient blood sacrifice formation that can resonate faintly with the Sea of Blood. Upon your arrival, you will be guided."

After speaking, the phantom began to slowly fade, the dark red lines that formed it dissipating into the air like melting blood wax. Finally, only those scarlet eyes remained, giving Taiyi a deep "look."

"I await Your Majesty's... arrival."

As the voice faded, the phantom completely disappeared.

In the stone cave, the nauseatingly sweet, bloody smell also slowly dissipated, and the temperature gradually returned to normal.

Taiyi remained leaning against the rock face, motionless, only the slight rise and fall of his chest indicating his turbulent inner state.

Three days later, Weeping Blood Valley, Sea of Blood...

The path ahead was unknown, its fortune and misfortune unpredictable.

But he had no choice.

At least, it was a direction.

He closed his eyes, beginning to seize the last three days, to fully regulate his breathing, and to recover as much strength as possible, preparing for the upcoming, even more uncertain journey to the Sea of Blood.

The stone cave returned to silence, with only the eternal, low rumble from the depths of the earth veins faintly audible.