Sea of Blood Sign-In

Chapter 32: Blood Sea Sign-In

The air in the side chamber had always carried that cloyingly sweet, fishy scent, enough to make one's head feel heavy after too much inhalation.

Taiyi sat cross-legged, his back ramrod straight, like a stone tablet planted in muddy blood. Three items lay before him—the bowl of viscous blood dew, the bone fragment etched with scribbles, and the semi-transparent strange fruit with churning mist inside.

The Blood Slave floated away after delivering the items, and the blood-colored curtain at the entrance closed again, sealing off the deathly silence of the palace outside.

Time flowed slowly here, like congealed blood.

Taiyi didn't touch the items. He first closed his eyes, extending his divine sense like the finest spider silk, "feeling" his way inch by inch around the side chamber. The seams of the bone plates on the walls, the faint patterns on the floor, the flowing halos of blood crystals overhead… even the trajectory of the sweet, fishy molecules drifting in the air.

He found no obvious restrictive enchantments. But this was Styx's lair; not finding any didn't mean there were none. The entire palace, every bone, every wisp of blood light, could be the eyes and ears of that old bat.

He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the three "gifts," his expression as calm as a deep pool.

Don't rush.

Styx had just sent these items, ostensibly as a gesture of goodwill, but in reality, it was also a test—a test of his reaction, his attitude towards the Way of the Blood Sea, the depth of his injuries, and the urgency of his needs.

He had to react, but that reaction had to be useful.

Healing and recovery were the top priorities, but he couldn't let Styx know too much about his condition or his progress. That bowl of blood dew looked potent, but its properties were incompatible. If he truly drank it, it would likely cause a "heaven and hell" battle inside him, making a fool of himself for the old bat to witness for free.

The runes on the bone fragment might hold some value. Styx, an ancient monster who had lived for countless years, surely had his own insights into "harmonizing conflicts." Even if it was just scraps, it would be enough for him to reference. But directly studying it was too risky—who knew if there was a trap? What if his divine sense was tampered with?

As for the fruit… Taiyi reached out and picked it up, bringing it close to his eyes. Beneath the semi-transparent skin, the mass of dark red mist churned more vigorously, with faint lightning patterns crackling within, like a trapped living creature.

This thing reminded him of the several forces clashing within his own Dantian. All so chaotic, so unstable, so… contradictory.

He stared at the fruit, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Then, he made a seemingly casual, yet extremely cautious move—he used his fingertip to gently scratch the skin of the fruit.

He didn't use much force, just enough to create a slit thinner than a strand of hair.

Instantly, an extremely faint wisp of energy, a mixture of conflicting auras like blood fiendishness, vitality, and righteous yang, leaked out from the slit. The aura was so faint it was almost imperceptible, but the moment it appeared, the stagnant air in the side chamber seemed to "come alive" ever so slightly.

Taiyi immediately drew the wisp of energy into his nostrils and guided it into his body—not into his Dantian, but into a relatively "clean" meridian branch that had been reinforced with "cement."

The energy entered his body like a spark falling into dry tinder.

Even though it was just a wisp, the conflict of its various attributes immediately erupted, resonating with the residual earth fiendish energy and Blood Fiend remnants in the meridian, triggering a small-scale disturbance.

Taiyi immediately mobilized the bit of "commanding will" he had gleaned from the Heaven-Opening Axe Imprint. Like the most skilled craftsman, he didn't suppress or extinguish the energy, but rather guided, observed, and analyzed this "micro-conflict" within the chaos.

This time, he "saw" more clearly. How forces of different natures repelled each other, at what critical point they were forced to "coexist," where the conflict erupted, and the subtle signs of energy transformation…

It was like watching a miniature, accelerated battlefield simulation.

A moment later, the wisp of energy was completely depleted, and the chaos within the meridian subsided. Taiyi slowly opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of enlightenment flashing within them.

It's useful.

This fruit was like a natural "conflict model." For him to understand his own condition and refine his crude "internal order maintenance method," its value was greater than the bowl of blood dew and the bone fragment combined.

However… inspiration alone wasn't enough.

He needed something tangible, something that could be quickly converted into power. He needed… to sign in.

Signing in in a place like the Blood Sea would surely carry a high degree of defiance. But what constituted defiance? Smashing this side chamber? Cursing Styx's ancestors? That would be suicidal, not defiant.

Defiance… had to be about touching certain "lines," yet making the other party unable or unwilling to immediately turn hostile for some reason.

His gaze swept over the three items before him again, then over the cold bone chamber, and finally, through the blood-colored curtain, as if seeing the boundless, nauseating Blood Sea outside.

A plan, like a venomous snake, slowly raised its head from the depths of his heart.

He needed to perform.

What kind of person should he play?

A gravely injured, arrogant individual, who had fallen from grace but refused to bow his head, viewing everything with disdain and dissatisfaction… a fallen emperor.

A pathetic creature, anxious and uneasy due to being in a foul and dangerous place, needing to maintain his self-esteem by demeaning his surroundings… a pitiful worm.

This persona could explain his words and actions, and it could also lower Styx's guard—who would truly consider someone who could only rage impotently and vent verbally a major threat?

And it could perfectly trigger "defiance."

Having made up his mind, the calm and placid expression on Taiyi's face slowly began to change. His brows furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down, and a hint of annoyance, impatience, and a forced, blustering arrogance crept into his eyes.

He took a deep breath, then, in a deliberately raised tone, filled with clear displeasure and pickiness, he spoke.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to carry through the curtain.

"Tsk." He first clicked his tongue at the air, as if smelling something unbearable.

Then, he looked at the bowl of blood dew on the floor, his face showing undisguised disgust: "Fellow Daoist Styx… is this a bit too perfunctory?" He shook his head, his tone carrying a condescending judgment, "Such foul, fishy-smelling stuff, you dare offer it to this Emperor for healing? Do you think this Emperor is at his wit's end, willing to swallow any rubbish?"

He extended his toe and lightly kicked the edge of the stone bowl, the clanging sound particularly jarring in the silent side chamber.

"True Sun Fire is supreme yang and supreme purity. This kind of blood fiendishness and yin filth is no different from arsenic poison to this Emperor. Does Daoist friend not know?" The doubt and dissatisfaction in his tone grew stronger.

After speaking of the blood dew, his gaze shifted to the bone fragment. He picked it up, casually flipped through it a couple of times, then let out a scoff and tossed it back onto the floor.

"And this thing… etching some obscure runes, and you expect this Emperor to comprehend them? To regulate internal conflicts?" The mockery at the corner of his mouth became more obvious, "My Way has its own path. Minor internal ailments, why bother with external methods? It's just a matter of taking the long way around. If Daoist friend truly has sincerity, why not send something more substantial?"

He no longer looked at the bone fragment, as if it were worthless trash.

He finally stood up, hands behind his back, pacing the narrow side chamber. His steps were heavy and sluggish due to his "injuries," but his back was straight, his chin held high, surveying his surroundings with the discerning gaze of a ruler inspecting his territory.

Looking at the cold bone walls, the dim light of the blood crystals, and the surging crimson curtain at the entrance, his disgust and impatience finally reached their peak.

"This place..." he stopped, his voice laced with an undeniable, genuine irritation (this time, not an act), "is truly unfit for habitation."

He paused, as if suppressing something, but ultimately failed. His voice suddenly rose, sharp and vindictive:

"It's cold! It stinks! It's dead! There's not even decent spiritual energy, only filth and miasma! Fellow Daoist Styx put this Emperor in such a hellhole? Is this how the Sea of Blood treats its guests?"

He spoke faster and faster, his tone carrying Eastern Emperor Taiyi's inherent, unquestionable arrogance and pickiness:

"They say the Sea of Blood is a wondrous place in the Great Wilderness. This Emperor thought it was some kind of blessed land! To see it today... it's not as good as they say! No, seeing it is worse than 'smelling it'!"

"Besides endless foul blood, withered bones everywhere, and a bunch of half-human, half-ghost Asura who only know how to wail, what else is there? Huh? What else?!"

He suddenly flicked his sleeve (though it was tattered), his voice decisive, utterly dismissive:

"Compared to my Sun Star's Sun Palace, this place... doesn't even qualify to carry my shoes! No, it's not even as good as the dust swept before the gates of the Sun Palace! To be here is to defile my eyes, to corrupt my Dao heart!"

"If not for... Hmph!"

He finally snorted coldly, forcibly cutting himself off, but his utter contempt and humiliation towards the entire environment of the Sea of Blood had been thoroughly unleashed.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

In the side chamber, only his slightly heavy breaths, caused by his "excitement," could be heard.

Amidst this silence--

[Detected host in special forbidden location: Sea of Blood Core (Styx's Palace)]

[Detected host engaging in highly rebellious behavior: In the Daoist master's domain of the Sea of Blood, immediately after forging an alliance and receiving gifts, publicly and with extreme arrogance, completely negating and humiliating the Sea of Blood's environment, produce, and derivative races, severely provoking the foundation and dignity of Styx's Great Dao]

[Danger Rating: High Risk (Host is currently severely injured and weakened, in opponent's absolute home ground, behavior is extremely suicidal)]

[Rebellion Level: Extreme (The act itself has crossed the line, but due to the host's injured "weakling" image and the alliance framework, the rebellion judgment has gained a special dramatic bonus)]

[Reward Calculation Formula activated... Calculation complete]

[Current Sign-in Reward: Sea of Blood Origin Imprint (Fragment) x1, Taboo Points +85]

It worked!

Almost the instant the System notification sounded--

"Boom...!!!"

It wasn't a sound, but a dull roar that directly impacted the soul!

The entire side chamber, no, the entire bone palace, vibrated violently! Not a side-to-side sway, but a dizzying tremor like an up-and-down heave!

The dim red light of the blood crystals on the walls instantly became blindingly dazzling, the light distorting like blood tongues eager to devour! From the cracks in the icy bone floor, thick, dark red liquid seeped out, hissing and emitting a sweet, rotten stench hundreds of times more potent than before!

The crimson curtain at the entrance suddenly swelled and twisted, transforming into an enormous, monstrous face formed from countless screaming faces, opening a silent, gaping maw and emitting a soul-chilling killing intent towards the interior of the side chamber!

An indescribable, heavy pressure, like billions of tons of foul blood crashing down from the heavens, squeezed in from all directions, every corner! The air turned into iron plates, and space groaned under the unbearable strain!

Taiyi felt his bones creak and groan, his internal organs feeling as if they were about to be ground into paste! The residual images of the Chaos Bell and the imprint of the Heaven-Opening Axe in his sea of consciousness reacted, erupting with faint light to fiercely protect his true spirit. Yet, the pervasive, icy will pressure filled with extreme resentment still made his vision blacken, his throat taste of blood, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood!

Styx... was furious!

A true, fundamental rage!

This wasn't the probing pressure from before; this was the wrath of the Sea of Blood's master, capable of crushing the souls of ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals!

Taiyi gritted his teeth fiercely, his gums bleeding. He forced himself to stand, not to kneel, not to collapse, though his body trembled violently under the immense pressure and his injuries, like a candle in the wind. The deliberately put-on look of picky arrogance on his face was almost impossible to maintain under such terrifying pressure, yet he still forced himself to lift his chin, his eyes a mixture of terror and pain, but still holding a flicker of unyielding, weak stubbornness!

He was gambling with his life!

Gambling that Styx wouldn't tear up the alliance that might be crucial to the fate of the Calamity, just because of a few mad words from a "severely injured, out-of-his-mind, babbling ally"!

Gambling that this old monster would weigh the pros and cons and decide that keeping him alive was more valuable than killing him!

Every breath felt like a century.

The monstrous curtain seemed about to pounce, the blood crystal light felt like knives scraping his skin, and the heavy pressure made him feel as if his primordial spirit was about to be crushed.

Just as Taiyi felt he couldn't hold on any longer, ready to detonate some Taboo Points in a desperate final struggle--

Everything, abruptly stopped.

The monstrous curtain suddenly retracted, returning to its original form.

The blood crystal light dimmed.

The blood flowing from the bone plate cracks receded and disappeared.

The overwhelming pressure, like a receding tide, quickly dissipated, leaving only the desolate coldness of the side chamber and the lingering, soul-chilling aftermath in the air.

Taiyi's legs went weak, and he almost fell. He quickly used his hand to brace against the bone wall beside him (the cold touch jolted him), managing to stand steadily. He gasped for air, each breath carrying the taste of blood and the burning pain in his lungs. His face was as pale as paper, and cold sweat had already soaked his tattered clothes.

But, he was alive.

He tremblingly raised his right hand, looking at his palm.

A tiny, rice-grain-sized, dark red point of light, crystal clear like the purest blood diamond, had appeared unnoticed and silently merged into the flesh and blood of his palm. Only in the depths of his consciousness did it leave an extremely faint "imprint," which, however, resonated with the boundless Sea of Blood outside in a mysterious way.

Sea of Blood Origin Imprint (Fragment).

On the System panel, Taboo Points jumped to 319.

He had won the gamble.

Though it was incredibly dangerous, though he was almost crushed to dust by the old bat's fury, but... the sign-in was complete. The reward was in hand.

Leaning against the cold bone wall, he slowly slid to the ground, closed his eyes, and calmed his wildly beating heart and churning Blood Essence.

The arrogant and picky facade he had forced onto his face completely faded, leaving only bottomless exhaustion and a sliver of cold sharpness.

He knew that after this incident, Styx's "evaluation" and "positioning" of him would definitely change. There might be disdain, but vigilance would certainly be raised to the highest level. That old bat was probably in some dark corner right now, staring at him with his blood-red eyes, trying to figure out how much of his performance just now was real and how much was fake.

Alliance? Heh.

It was nothing more than two old foxes with their own agendas, dancing on the steel wire of the Calamity, a dance on the tip of a knife.

After resting for a moment, Taiyi reopened his eyes, his gaze falling back to the Strange Fruit on the ground.

Now, he could properly "enjoy" this "gift" from the Sea of Blood.

He reached out and picked up the fruit. This time, he exerted force with his fingertips, completely crushing the semi-transparent membrane.