"Rustle..."
At some point, the clamor of the Mine Cave had faded into the distance.
The Black Forest was utterly silent.
Only the mournful, chilling wind and the rustle of shoes crushing black fallen leaves broke the silence in the vast, empty woods.
Outside, dawn was nearly breaking.
But here, it was still as dark as night, gloomy and pitch-black, like a forbidden land of darkness abandoned by the entire world.
There was no sky above, and no soil beneath their feet.
Only dense, ink-black branches and leaves, clawing at the air, and black fallen leaves, rotten and damp, piled as thick as the earth itself.
The air was steeped in an ancient, clammy stench.
Luo Qingchen slowed his pace.
One careless step, and the leaves beneath him might collapse.
There could be a pool of water below, or a swamp.
Or perhaps a gaping maw lined with fangs, waiting to swallow him whole.
The smell of blood had not faded from the air. If anything, it had grown stronger.
Like a nimble cat, or a lone wolf with a keen nose, he followed the sharp scent of blood, cautiously weaving through the silent, sinister Black Forest.
The light of dawn could not penetrate the trees.
The bustle outside had nothing to do with this place, either.
It was as though he had entered another world. Step by step, he slowly made his way forward.
It seemed to go on forever.
All around him lay darkness and the same unchanging scenery.
But the Blood Sucking Skill within him had sharpened his sense of smell.
He could tell clearly that the scent of blood was growing stronger and drawing nearer.
She seemed to have stopped.
Soon, he saw her.
She had her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling as she