Chapter 952: Dark Without Sun or Sky
Five masses of blood-red gaseous mist approached from afar, quickly arriving at the edge of the Endless Abyss before stopping.
The blood mist slowly dispersed, revealing five Undying Blood Clan members with fleshy wings. Four of them were Half-Saint level.
The cultivation of the remaining Undying Blood Clan member was unfathomably deep. The blood energy within his body surged like a vast ocean, dyeing even the ink-black clouds above a crimson red.
Standing at the very front was a relatively young man, heroic in stature, exuding an extraordinary bearing.
He was none other than the Second Prince of the Undying Blood Clan.
After the battle at Sikong Zen Courtyard, the Second Prince had been severely wounded by Zhang Ruochen. However, his vitality was extremely powerful. Not only had he escaped, but after his injuries healed, his cultivation had actually advanced further.
"So this is the Endless Abyss? Truly a strange place. My cultivation is severely suppressed here; I can barely unleash a tenth of my power."
The Undying Blood Clan Second Prince raised his palm, channeled a bit of energy, and formed a palm seal. Then he shook his head and withdrew the Saint Qi back into his Qi Sea.
Beside the Undying Blood Clan Second Prince stood a burly figure three meters tall, his body wrapped in chains as thick as a bowl. Clenching his fists, he laughed, "Cultivation is suppressed, but physical strength isn't. That means we Undying Blood Clan will have an advantage over humans."
"Exactly. The Undying Blood Clan's greatest strength is our physical bodies. At the same cultivation level, we can easily slaughter humans," added another Undying Blood Clan Half-Saint.
The Undying Blood Clan Second Prince's gaze shifted to Xianlan King. "Uncle, did we really come to the Endless Abyss just to find the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll'?"
"It's highly likely that Shengshu Cainü obtained the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll' from the Shangguan Clan. That scroll must contain some hidden secrets; otherwise, she wouldn't have come to the Endless Abyss for no reason. Since Shengshu Cainü died here and fell into the Endless Abyss, the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll' must have fallen with her."
Xianlan King clasped his hands behind his back, an invisible aura radiating from him. Even the laws of heaven and earth here seemed unable to suppress his formidable cultivation.
The Undying Blood Clan Second Prince glanced down into the abyss. A chilling, eerie force surged up from the depths, pulling at him as if trying to devour him.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, the Second Prince immediately retreated five steps, distancing himself from the edge. His heart still pounding, he said, "Does the Endless Abyss really have three gradients? Is the information reliable?"
"Whether it's reliable or not, we have to go down and investigate. This is the Crown Prince's order," Xianlan King said.
A fierce glint flashed in the Undying Blood Clan Second Prince's eyes. "I think he's just trying to get me killed."
Xianlan King patted the Second Prince's shoulder and sighed. "After the battle at Zhenyu Ancient Clan, Qingtian Blood Emperor fought alone against the Bright Hall Holy Ancestor and the Buddha Emperor's senior disciple. He sustained serious injuries and has gone into seclusion to recover."
"Now, with his maternal clan backing him, the Crown Prince has temporarily taken control of the Qingtian Tribe. If we fail to bring back the 'Blood Clan Secret Scroll,' the Crown Prince will surely use it as an excuse to target you, Second Prince. For now, we have to endure. Once Qingtian Blood Emperor emerges from seclusion, everything will improve."
The Undying Blood Clan Second Prince clenched his fists. "If not for the Crown Prince's mother being the daughter of Qitian Blood Emperor, how could he compete with me?"
In the end, Xianlan King managed to calm the Second Prince's emotions.
Then, the five Undying Blood Clan members leaped into the Endless Abyss one after another, disappearing into the swirling mist.
"Whoosh—"
Zhang Ruochen's figure materialized at the edge of the Endless Abyss. He glanced down into the depths and muttered to himself, "Xianlan King is a Saint-level existence, yet he jumped without hesitation. He must know some secret. Could it be that the three gradients really exist?"
Seeing Zhang Ruochen about to follow them down, Xiao Hei immediately grabbed the hem of his robe with a claw. "Even if there really are three gradients down there, jumping in is still a one-in-a-million chance of survival. Let's go back to the Netherworld Heavenly Palace first and learn more before making a decision. The Blood God Sect probably knows more about the secrets of the Endless Abyss than the Undying Blood Clan."
Zhang Ruochen's brows furrowed together. In an instant, many thoughts raced through his mind. "I still have many things left undone. I'll take care of them first, then go down."
In the end, Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei left the Endless Abyss together and returned to the Netherworld Heavenly Palace camp.
...
...
About three thousand zhang below the surface, deep within the abyss, lay a world without sun or sky. No sunlight reached here—only cold, oppressive darkness, like a Senluo Hell.
If the first gradient truly existed, this place would be it.
"Roar!"
A seven-meter-tall Fire Tiger Beast stood atop a rocky mound, letting out a deafening roar. Its blood-red eyes, each the size of a washbasin, glared fiercely at the fragile woman below.
The Fire Tiger Beast licked its tongue, opened its massive jaws, and revealed sharp fangs, exuding a thick, bloodthirsty aura.
The woman was extremely weak, her body drenched in blood. The layers of dried blood clinging to her made her original appearance unrecognizable.
Yet beneath the bloodstains, her eyes still sparkled with vitality, carrying an unyielding will as she continued to face off against the Fire Tiger Beast.
In her hand, she held a jade scroll, emitting a faint white glow.
The Fire Tiger Beast seemed wary of the scroll in her hand and did not approach recklessly.
She had been here for nearly a month.
Every day, she encountered at least two blood beasts, forcing her to stay constantly alert, unable to close her eyes even for a moment. As a result, her already severely injured body had worsened.
Almost every day, she was draining her life force.
Here, her powerful spiritual power was heavily suppressed, making her little better than an ordinary woman.
If not for the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Scroll, she would have long since died in the belly of some blood beast.
But after holding out for so long, both her body and spiritual power were on the verge of collapse.
"Chi!"
Just then, the light from the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Scroll suddenly vanished, plunging the entire world into darkness.
The Fire Tiger Beast seized the opportunity. With a sudden leap, it soared above the woman and swung a massive, razor-sharp claw at her.
If the claw struck, her delicate, frail body would likely be severed in two.
But just as the Fire Tiger Beast lunged at her, a flicker of a smile flashed in her eyes.
The next moment, the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Scroll glowed with white light again, pressing toward the Fire Tiger Beast.
"Pfft! Pfft..."
Four sacred characters flew out from the scroll, striking the Fire Tiger Beast.
The beast let out a mournful howl, tumbled backward, and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Its massive body convulsed uncontrollably as blood gushed from four gaping wounds, turning the surrounding area crimson.
Seeing the Fire Tiger Beast dead, the woman's taut nerves finally relaxed. At the same time, a wave of weakness washed over her entire body.
She could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground. The light on the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Scroll faded completely.
That last attack had drained every ounce of her spiritual power.
Yet she still bit her lip until it bled, forcing herself to stay conscious. If she fainted now, given her current condition, she would never wake again.
Struggling, she propped up her frail body, crawled over to the Fire Tiger Beast's corpse, and leaned against its fur, finally feeling a trace of warmth.
"Maybe... I really am going to die here," she murmured to herself.
Countless times before, she had told herself to hold on. Perhaps someone would discover the secrets of the Endless Abyss and jump down to save her.
But an entire month had passed, and no one had come. Only groups of blood beasts eager to devour her.
"All the cultivators in Kunlun Realm think the Endless Abyss is a death trap with no return. No one knows that down here, there's actually a vast world."
No one coming to save her was only natural—everyone thought she was already dead. So her heart had gradually grown resigned.
For some reason, at this moment, Zhang Ruochen's figure surfaced in her mind again.
Ever since their first encounter in the Fallen God Tomb Forest, Zhang Ruochen's image had been etched into her heart, impossible to erase.
"Who would have thought that the famous Shengshu Cainü would fall in love at first sight with a man? And who knows that the Shengshu Cainü, pursued by countless talented scholars, would be here, waiting for death in despair, eventually turning into white bones and a handful of dust?"
She let out a self-deprecating laugh, tinged with three parts sweetness, three parts regret, three parts sorrow, and one part remorse.
She had never regretted anything in her life—until now, on the brink of death. She regretted not telling Zhang Ruochen about her feelings for him earlier.
If she had told him, what expression would he have worn?
She didn't think that confessing would lead to any good outcome between them. One was a key fugitive the Empress had ordered captured, the other a female official by the Empress's side. They were from two different worlds—how could there ever be a result?
Besides, she knew Zhang Ruochen.
If any other man learned he had won the favor of Shengshu Cainü, he would be ecstatic and consider himself incredibly lucky.
But Zhang Ruochen would not.
Zhang Ruochen would remain perfectly calm. He might even look down on her, thinking that Shengshu Cainü was just an ordinary woman, far inferior to Huang Yanchen, and not even comparable to that little saintess of the Demon Sect.
In her current state, even without encountering any blood beasts, she probably wouldn't survive past tomorrow.
So, she decided to greedily savor these last moments of peace, letting her mind wander to random thoughts, murmuring a fragmented sentence: "First met in the Fallen God Tomb Forest, a glance at Ruochen sealed my fate." (To be continued.)