Because this place had rejected her before, Xu Zhi had not been very fast. Though the rejection had now dissipated, she was still in a Spirit Vessel rather than her original body, so she could not increase her speed too much. Catching up would take some effort.
The small island was not large. Rather than an "island," it was more like a patch of land floating on the sea. Aside from the beach, there was only the Blood-Colored Staircase at its center.
Reaching the staircase took little effort, but the moment Xu Zhi stepped onto it, things changed.
An overwhelming stench of blood flooded her nostrils. Her steps faltered, and she nearly retched on instinct. Then, perhaps it was an illusion, but when she reached up to touch her nose, blood was seeping from her nostrils.
Was she smelling such an intense stench of blood because her nose was bleeding, or had the smell been there all along?
Xu Zhi wiped away the blood flowing from her nose, then stepped onto another stair. But at that instant, her ears buzzed, and a stabbing pain struck, making her raise a hand to cover them involuntarily.
When she lowered her hand, there was blood on her palm as well.
Frowning in confusion, she touched her ear with a finger and found blood staining it.
First her nose, then her ears. Refusing to believe it, Xu Zhi stepped up another stair. The next moment, she could not stop herself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The fury burning within Xu Zhi briefly receded, and a trace of reason returned. She looked up at the middle-aged man, who was not much faster than her. Blood was now seeping from every part of his body, making him look like a blood-soaked figure walking up