Chapter Forty: Boundless Sea of Blood

If someone were to watch them running on the cliff from afar, they would surely be astonished, for it would appear as though they were running through the air. The pale blue light beneath their feet was so faint that unless one drew close, it would be impossible to see. As they ran at full speed, the glowing circles beneath them flickered rapidly, one appearing before the previous had faded, so that eighty or ninety meters were covered in the blink of an eye.

Ahead, Hao Yun stretched out his palm, and a crystal panel materialized in thin air. In the darkness clinging to the edge of the cliff, the panel shone brightly, its touchpoints clearly visible. At the same time, the light on both sides of the cliff contracted, and the surroundings grew a shade darker.

“Magnetic lamp!” Hao Po said gravely.

For some reason, the darkness around them deepened on this side of the cliff, making the tension all the more acute—a natural reaction heightened by the strange and uncanny atmosphere.

“Don’t panic! Step by step... we’ll get through,” Hao Yun said, reaching into his pocket. As he was about to pull something out, a heavy blow struck his back, cutting off his words. At that same instant, his grip loosened, and the sphere he held flew upward of its own accord. His body pitched forward, but Hao Tian, moving swiftly, caught him by the arm, and Hao Yun exhaled in relief.

Steadying himself, he instinctively reached out, only to grasp at empty air. Something felt off above him, and he looked up. The sphere had already risen to a certain height, its facets unfolding and emitting a radiant light. No sooner had it opened than the darkness was pierced, and the world around them was thrown into sharp relief.

The stone wall that once stood firm had shifted, and now stones were everywhere, moving, drawing closer to them. Danger! The thought echoed in their minds—it was the very same stones that had just struck Hao Yun.

The swarm of stones pressed in, granting them only a fleeting moment before launching their assault.

The sound of air splitting rang out—the sound of attack.

One by one, stones shot past Xiao Shan and Ruo Xi, seeming to ignore them; but Hao Yun and his companions were not so fortunate. Stone after stone struck Hao Yun, sending a jolt through him. He twisted and writhed desperately, trying to dodge, but the stones came thick and fast—dodge one, and another followed. His expression grew increasingly grim.

“Ah!” Hao Tian fared even worse, quickly buried beneath a mound of stones, so that only the writhing of the “stones” could be seen—his body hidden from view.

“This won’t do!” Hao Yun cried out in anguish.

“Xiao Shan! Lend me your sword!” No sooner had Hao Po heard Hao Yun’s cry than his own sword, which had thus far protected him, ceased its movement, and stones struck him several times.

Before Xiao Shan could respond, Hao Po felt the sword in his hand begin to tremble, the vibration traveling from blade to hilt. His right hand clutched the hilt tightly, but did nothing to stop the tremor.

In that instant, he seemed to understand. In his daze, the bladeless sword slipped from his grasp. In the blink of an eye, it was caught by Hao Po, who sheathed the subsidiary sword.

With the main sword in his right hand, he brought his left to his right wrist, clenched his fist, and extended his index and ring fingers, sliding them from the hilt down to the blade.

Hao Po’s face was grave, whether from the pummeling stones or the peculiar gesture.

As his fingers reached the center of the blade, a spray of blood erupted. Light and shadow flickered, and the stones all around suddenly ceased their motion.

“Boundless Sea of Blood!” An ancient voice issued from Hao Po’s lips.

His sword pointed to the sky, an inexplicable aura radiating from his body. The surrounding stones dropped to the ground, and the air was filled with a crimson mist, wave upon wave pulsing outward as though the very environment had been dyed blood-red.

“Go! Move forward!” Hao Po cried, thrusting his sword into the ground and spitting a mouthful of blood, voice weak.

Hao Tian and Hao Yun, at first confused as to why the stones had fallen from the air, were suddenly blasted by a wave of force, staggering under its impact and left dazed and unfocused.

Seeing Hao Po spit blood, they knew he had unleashed a mighty martial art, one that had taken a terrible toll.

“What kind of skill is that? How can it be so powerful?” Ruo Xi stared in stunned disbelief, her face blank.

“Let’s go! Why are you still standing there?” As soon as Xiao Shan saw Hao Yun dragging Hao Po forward, he realized—they would have to start running again.