The fading light of dusk slowly disappeared behind the towering cliff walls, replaced by the dense darkness of night.The cold mist that had initially clung only to the ground began to rise, enveloping the entrance to Blood Bat Valley.Unlike ordinary mountain fog, the mist here carried a faint reddish hue, accompanied by a pungent, fishy odor.Xiao Chen led the way, advancing through the mist with unwavering composure. Each step on the damp, rocky ground produced barely a sound.Behind him, Sima Ruoxi maintained a distance of several paces, her eyes constantly sweeping across the darkness along the cliff walls.“Senior Brother Xiao Chen, the aura here feels extremely oppressive,” Sima Ruoxi whispered. Her voice was almost drowned out by the night wind blowing through the gaps between the rocks. “This mist is also obstructing our vision. I can barely estimate how far the path ahead extends.”Xiao Chen slowed his pace. He observed the reddish mist drifting around his feet, then took a

Xiao Chen and Sima Ruoxi’s footsteps cut through the increasingly dense reddish mist.The farther they went, the colder and heavier the air became, as though an invisible force were pressing down on their bodies. The faint smell of blood had grown much stronger, stinging their nostrils and leaving an unpleasant sensation in their throats.The faint humming that spread along the stone walls also became increasingly distinct.The low-frequency sound repeated in regular intervals, producing vibrations that made their chests feel constricted and their temples throb.Sima Ruoxi clenched her teeth and circulated her True Qi to suppress the nausea beginning to rise within her. “Senior Brother Xiao Chen, the humming is getting closer. It seems the source is behind that cliff.”Xiao Chen nodded slightly, his gaze fixed straight ahead. The meteor-iron sword on his back felt increasingly warm. Faint vibrations from within its scabbard occasionally brushed against his back, as though the sword’s

The powerful blow struck the cultivator’s forearm, weakening his grip. The flexible sword in his hand lost its direction and swept through empty air.The man immediately tried to retreat. However, Xiao Chen had already moved to follow his shifting position. He rotated his wrist and aimed the tip of his sheathed sword at his opponent’s chest.This time, the slender cultivator managed to raise his arm to block the attack. The heavy impact sent him staggering, while pain spread from his arm to his shoulder.He gritted his teeth and leaped backward several steps. His face, which had previously been filled with arrogance, had now turned grim.“What the hell is that strength of yours?”Xiao Chen did not answer. Nor did he pursue his opponent recklessly. His breathing remained steady, but he realized that every attack reinforced with Pseudo-Qi still consumed energy. He had to use it carefully, especially with two other opponents still near the altar.The slender cultivator glanced at his arm

The pressure exerted by an Early Grandmaster was not something that could be taken lightly.Black and reddish Qi fluctuations erupted from the squad leader’s body, causing the mist inside the crater to churn violently.The surrounding pebbles trembled before rising into the air and crumbling into dust.Xiao Chen suddenly felt the air in his lungs grow heavier. This pressure far surpassed anything emitted by the two previous cultivators. However, that did not mean he was incapable of enduring it.“The girl has less than the time it takes for one incense stick to burn before the dagger’s poison damages her main meridians,” the squad leader said as he stepped forward. Each footstep left a blackened mark on the ground, accompanied by a pungent smell of burning. “And you will die here before you can give her the antidote.”The man extended one hand. Dark Qi gathered in his palm, forming a gigantic energy claw that radiated a dense aura of decay.Whoosh!Without warning, the squad leader sh

That evening, as the sunlight began to fade behind the mountains, two exhausted figures entered the main gates of Sky Sword Academy.Their robes were torn and covered in dried bloodstains. Neither could walk steadily anymore, as though every movement drained what little strength they had left.The arrival of Xiao Chen and Sima Ruoxi immediately caught the attention of the disciples on guard duty. Several who had been chatting fell silent the moment they saw the condition the two were in.“Quick! Call someone from the Medicine Pavilion!”One of the guards immediately ran off, while another helped Sima Ruoxi stand more steadily. The girl's face was still pale, her breathing weak, and the wound on her side had yet to heal completely.Although she had taken the antidote pill obtained from the Ghost Eye Sect cultivator, traces of the dagger's poison still weighed heavily on her body.Sima Ruoxi briefly turned toward Xiao Chen before being led away.“Senior Brother, what about your injuries