Chapter Fifty-Four: Blood Spirit Mountain

"Gurgle, gurgle!" The sound of drinking echoed from Luo Hao’s dantian, as the endless crimson surged forward like worshippers prostrating themselves before a monarch. The ancient mirror within his dantian seemed insatiable, welcoming all that came its way.

It was said that officials had two mouths, yet Luo Hao had never served as one—at most, he’d been the Beggar Sect Leader for a short while. Now, he’d been upgraded directly to two mouths.

"The crimson seems to be fading," someone murmured among the crowd outside, and the words immediately drew attention. Though the vast blood-colored mist still obscured all within, everyone sensed it shrinking, growing thinner with each passing moment.

Opportunity—the chance to enter the Blood Spirit Secret Realm—was at hand. Countless fervent eyes fixed upon the diminishing crimson haze, waiting in the agony of anticipation. In just one hour, the mist finally dispersed, revealing not a single figure but only fields of white bones and scraps of flesh, evidence that the blood-colored domain had once existed.

A corner of the continent within the void rift now appeared clearly, and the remaining martial artists, heedless of all else, rushed toward the fissure with the sound of wind splitting in their wake.

While those outside scrambled to enter, Luo Hao—who had devoured the boundless blood mist—had already stepped into the secret realm. The ancient treasure within his dantian seemed finally sated, no longer restless.

The sky overhead was dim and tinged with blood; clouds of crimson pressed against the sun, and within them dark red glimmers flickered sporadically. The air was damp, laced with the stench of blood and decay, and ribbons of crimson fog drifted in every direction.

"Squelch!" The earth was soft and brownish-red; Luo Hao’s foot sank into it, forming a small hollow from which water, thick as blood, oozed under pressure.

Deathly silence reigned—no birds, no insects, as if it were a forbidden land of eternity. Luo Hao, surveying his surroundings, found no trace of others. "Seems those who enter the secret realm appear randomly across its expanse. At least I didn’t land somewhere perilous."

Ancient, noble golden radiance enveloped Luo Hao; the air crackled, and the upright, vigorous dragon-fire swept out, burning away the surrounding blood mist.

Within the secret realm, Luo Hao wandered like a traveler with no destination, pressing forward. As he ventured deeper, the blood mist thickened, and the acrid scent of blood assaulted his senses.

"Cack-cack-cack-cack-cack-cack!" Suddenly, a raspy laughter burst forth from the nearly tangible blood mist, like a broken windmill. As the sound reached Luo Hao’s ears, the mist churned, surging toward him like blood waves with astonishing speed.

"Show yourself, coward!" Luo Hao roared, solemn and upright, golden radiance blooming upon his tall frame. Ancient, noble dragon force erupted from his golden fist. In an instant, a golden tiger paw struck down, scattering the raging blood waves into flying droplets under the golden light.

"Human, blood!" Luo Hao narrowed his eyes at the floating blood drops, as a humanoid creature stepped forth, its skin vivid crimson and exuding a suffocating bloody aura. Its voice was coarse and guttural.

Its hands were skeletal, wrapped in blood-red scales, the purple nails elongated like swords glinting coldly in the air. Its hair, loose and blood-soaked, dripped as if freshly hauled from a pool of gore.

What caught Luo Hao’s attention most was the clear orange demonic mark upon its brow, shaped like a vertical demonic eye.

"Blood Spirit!" Luo Hao muttered, seeing the orange mark. He had just boasted of his luck—now it seemed his words were cursed, good fortune nowhere to be found.

Blood Spirits were strange beings born from blood; their strength could be gauged from the demonic marks on their foreheads. Before entering, Luo Hao had learned from Ji Rou that Blood Spirits were the most troublesome and hardest to kill within the secret realm.

This one was not especially powerful, its brow bearing only a single orange mark, equivalent to an early-stage Blood Gathering martial artist.

Legend spoke of a Blood Spirit from the distant past, whose brow bore a seven-colored demonic mark. That being had nearly transcended its thirst for blood, standing on the verge of supreme power.

"Cack-cack-cack-cack, squelch!" The Blood Spirit before him bared its fangs, eyes burning with bloodlust. Its long, purple nails slashed through the air like swords, cutting through the mist. The Blood Spirit moved with astonishing speed, a point of purple light rapidly expanding in Luo Hao’s pupils.

His gaze was electric, golden light surging in his eyes, unwavering. Luo Hao curled his fingers, forming a fist, and met the oncoming purple sword-nail with a blazing punch, dragon-fire swirling like a brilliant sun.

"Bang!" The golden sun and the Blood Spirit’s purple sword-nails collided fiercely, golden flames roaring, dragon-fire howling, the dark purple nails shining with eerie light.

Terrifying power radiated between Luo Hao and the Blood Spirit, as if an invisible hand shook the blood mist apart.

Both recoiled from the clash, retreating in tandem. As Luo Hao stepped back, killing intent rose in his eyes—he had gauged the Blood Spirit’s strength from that exchange. His toes touched the ground and he vanished, a streak of golden light flashing through the air.

"White Tiger Steps on the Sun!"

His voice thundered like a bell, the sound of slaughter echoing through the ages. An ancient tiger’s roar exploded from the sky, like thunder. A golden fist pierced forward, and a towering apparition of a white tiger, tens of meters tall, descended with the unmatched majesty of a beast king.

"Squelch!"

The tiger’s paw struck down like countless stars falling, carrying the force of thunder. Where it passed, the void twisted and deformed, pale hurricanes shattered, and a deadly killing aura erupted from the Blood Spirit’s body, blazing with blood-red light as it struggled fiercely.

"Die!"

The ancient dragon’s roar echoed like a sacred chant of old, dragon force overwhelming all. The tiger’s paw wiped out the blazing blood light, grinding the Blood Spirit’s body to dust like a millstone, countless blood drops scattering in every direction.

Blood drops filled the air, but Luo Hao’s expression remained unchanged, golden radiance flickering in his eyes, dragon force poised, ready to erupt at any moment.

"Cack-cack-cack-cack!" That broken windmill laugh echoed again from the blood mist. The scattered blood drops gathered rapidly, forming a humanoid outline stronger than before, blood fiendishness radiating from its shape.

"Born from gathered blood—how interesting!" No wonder Ji Rou had warned him that Blood Spirits were the hardest to kill in the secret realm. Luo Hao had anticipated this bizarre rebirth. He spread his fingers, golden radiance blooming from his hand, then slammed down with a golden palm.

"Splat-splat-splat-splat!"

The palm was plain yet carried a profound aura. Where it passed, all was destroyed, nothing left unbroken. The void fissures lingered, unable to heal, a force of destruction swirling between his fingers.

"Bang!"

The golden palm pierced the Blood Spirit’s chest before it could fully form. Blood drops scattered again, but the Blood Spirit’s voice echoed hollowly, "You cannot kill me. I am immortal."

"Is that so? Let’s see." Luo Hao smiled slyly, and from the golden palm an overwhelming suction force erupted. A black hole formed, trapping the Blood Spirit.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!"

The ancient mirror in Luo Hao’s dantian feasted anew. The scattered blood drops were drawn into the black hole before they could touch the ground. For the first time, fear flickered in the Blood Spirit’s eyes; its body erupted in dazzling blood light, its mouth howling as it struggled desperately.

"Now you want to escape? Too late." Luo Hao’s golden palm trembled, and the Blood Spirit exploded, becoming a mass of pure blood energy absorbed into his hand. As blood energy settled within him, Luo Hao’s eyes flashed crimson, then cleared, murmuring, "So all the Blood Spirits in the secret realm originate from Blood Spirit Mountain."