378: Chapter 378 Leaving a Mark

Just as the blood-colored runes on the ground glowed brightly again and the spatial fluctuations intensified, right at the moment the newly born Blood Fiend Beast were about to be teleported away—

Lu Chen, who had been lying in wait, suddenly struck!

He did not reveal his figure, nor did he use spiritual power to trigger any significant fluctuations.

He merely relied on the Secret Art of You for ultimate control over his own aura and energy, as well as the natural concealment provided by the glare of the blood runes and the spatial fluctuations in the surrounding environment.

With his fingers joined like a sword, he pointed several times toward the seven or eight Blood Fiend Beast that were about to vanish, acting with extreme stealth and incredible speed!

Several invisible marks, as thin as hair and nearly transparent in color, yet containing a unique sliver of Lu Chen's Thunder Essence and a faint Divine Soul fluctuation, shot out.

Like the most inconspicuous specks of dust, they precisely embedded themselves into the roots of the thick blood-colored fur on three of the Blood Fiend Beast, and into the crevice of another's claw tip.

The marks vanished upon contact, perfectly merging into the Blood Fiend Beast' own violent blood evil qi without leaving a trace.

The entire process was as fast as a flash of lightning, and the timing was handled to perfection, occurring exactly at the moment when the teleportation light was brightest and the spatial disturbance was strongest.

Even if there were surveillance in the shadows, it would be extremely difficult to detect such a minute anomaly.

With a flash of light, the runes and the Blood Fiend Beast vanished once more.

The clearing returned to silence, leaving only the scent of blood.

Only then did Qing Yi, who had been fully focused and on guard but confused, understand his intention through Lu Chen's final, extremely hidden move.

And through those nearly imperceptible fluctuations of the marks, she instantly grasped his plan!

He wasn't just observing; he had planted tracking marks on these Blood Fiend Beast that were about to be sent to an unknown location!

This way, regardless of which battlefield, stronghold, or other secret location within the Blood Gate these Blood Fiend Beast were teleported to—

As long as the distance wasn't too great or there wasn't a special power completely isolating them—

Lu Chen would be able to capture their general position through that subtle connection with the marks.

He might even follow the trail to glimpse more of the Blood Gate's secrets and movements!

"Young Master, brilliant!"

Qing Yi couldn't help but praise him via sound transmission, her tone filled with admiration.

This move carried minimal risk but could bring unexpected gains in the future.

It was the most stable and effective investigative method given the current situation where the enemy was in the dark and information was scarce.

Lu Chen shook his head slightly, signaling there was no need for words, his gaze turning even deeper as he looked into the all-consuming darkness at the back of the cave.

They waited in silence for several more hours.

No new Blood Gate Cultivators came from the depths of the cave, and the clearing used for "Fiend Transformation" remained silent.

Only the lingering scent of blood and Evil Qi in the air served as proof of the aberrations that had occurred here.

Lu Chen no longer intended to continue waiting for a chance encounter.

The marks had been set; the core secrets of this place might not be on the surface, but in the underground areas he hadn't explored.

However, forcing his way deeper would drastically increase the risk and was not his current primary goal.

He signaled to Qing Yi, and the two of them left their hiding spot behind the giant rock as silently as they had arrived.

They began to move cautiously through this terrifyingly large blood-colored cave, searching for other possible exits or clues.

The scale of this cave was horrifying; its existence clearly wasn't just for the "Fiend Transformation" ritual.

The dark red rock walls, the pulsating vein-like patterns, and the ancient, ferocious aura permeating the entire space all suggested that deeper secrets might be hidden here.

Perhaps it was the source of some Blood Gate power, or a place where something was being worshipped or suppressed.

However, although the cave was large, its structure didn't seem complex.

Aside from the direction of the wooden door they came from and the seemingly endless darkness further in, most areas were naturally formed jagged rock and vast spaces, with few signs of artificial excavation.

Lu Chen and Qing Yi searched for several hours, avoiding a few areas where the blood evil qi was exceptionally thick and heart-palpitating.

Finally, in a corner of the cave near the rock wall, they discovered a stone door that almost blended in with its surroundings.

This stone door was different from any door they had seen before.

It wasn't the kind of stone door that slid open easily in a passage, nor was it a wooden door.

It was deeply embedded into the thick, blood-colored rock wall, and the door leaf was made of a deeper, almost pitch-black metal material.

Its surface was smooth as a mirror but covered in fine, dark red rust-like patterns that felt naturally formed, and it was ice-cold to the touch.

There were no handles or indentations on the door, only an extremely fine crack that almost merged with the door frame.

Lu Chen tried to push it.

It felt incredibly heavy, far exceeding his expectations!

It felt as if he wasn't pushing a door, but a small mountain!

His eyes narrowed as he circulated the Star Extermination Thunder Emperor Canon. Pure dark-gold Thunder Essence flooded his limbs and bones. His Physical Body strength, already formidable from Body Refining and lightning tempering, erupted with a boom, his muscles bulging and his bones creaking in unison!

"Creeeeak—Screeeech—"

The ear-piercing sound of metal and rock grinding violently rang out abruptly in the silent cave!

Under Lu Chen's full-strength effort, that heavy metal stone door—

Finally moved inward with extreme slowness and difficulty, revealing a narrow gap just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways!

Behind the door was not the expected passage or room, but a dim, hazy yellow light and... an even hotter, drier atmosphere.

Lu Chen took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Qing Yi, and was the first to squeeze through the gap.

Qing Yi's soul body was light, and she floated in after him.

The moment they both passed through, the heavy metal stone door behind them seemed to lose its support.

Or perhaps it triggered some mechanism, as it let out a dull thud and slammed shut again.

It sealed perfectly, leaving no trace behind.

And the place they were in now was no longer that oppressive blood-colored cave.

Before them were endless, rolling sand dunes that appeared grayish-yellow under the dim sky.

The wind was still blowing, but it was no longer the violent sandstorm capable of tearing everything apart; it only kicked up fine sand, forming moving ripples.

Although the sky was still murky, the outlines of clouds and the dim solar disk could be faintly seen.

They had actually returned to the desert directly from underground!

Lu Chen and Qing Yi immediately turned around. Behind them was not empty sand, but a massive, jagged rock half-buried in the sand, its color dark and dull like iron.

The metal stone door they had just passed through was perfectly embedded into the base of this giant rock, blending seamlessly with its texture and color.

Had they not just experienced it personally, it would be impossible to believe a door existed here.

Even less could they imagine that the door connected to such a terrifying blood-colored space.

Looking at this silent giant rock and the disappeared door, a look of gravity involuntarily appeared on both Lu Chen and Qing Yi's faces.

The Blood Gate's capabilities and secrets were far more terrifying and unfathomable than they had previously imagined.

They had actually managed to build—or rather, occupy—such a massive and bizarre blood-colored space deep within the Ancient Burial Corridor, beneath this eerie desert, without anyone knowing.

And they were using it to conduct taboo rituals for the mass production of Blood Fiend Beast.

The scale of their schemes and the depth of their foundations were bone-chilling.

That underground blood-colored cave likely still hid many more secrets and dangers that they hadn't touched, nor had the strength to touch.

However, Lu Chen no longer intended to continue investigating.

At least, now was not the time.

He had entered the Ancient Burial Corridor with his own goals and path.

That was his primary concern.

To get too deeply entangled with a colossus like the Blood Gate when one's strength was insufficient was no different from seeking death.

The tracking marks he had just planted were a hidden move placed within his capabilities, perhaps useful in the future.

"Let's go."

Lu Chen took one last look at the silent giant rock, as if to etch its position and characteristics into his memory.

Then he turned, identified a direction slightly different from the one they came from but generally pointing deeper into the Ancient Burial Corridor, and set off.

Qing Yi followed silently, her soul body swaying slightly in the hot desert wind.

One man and one soul once again became two tiny black dots in this vast, deathly silent sea of sand, moving further and further toward the unknown path ahead.

The secrets and threats behind them were temporarily left behind, like the shifting dunes of this desert.

But no one knew if they would once again block the path in an unexpected way at some point in the future.