41: Dungeon Shadow Bite

Lin Chen plummeted rapidly in the howling wind, his body feeling as if it were being torn apart by an invisible giant hand. Each impact against the cliff face was like being struck by a heavy hammer; after his Shadow Demon Armor dissipated, intense pain overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. He clenched his teeth tightly, a sweet, metallic taste filling his mouth, and forcefully mobilized the faint wisp of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi within him. Like the most miserly hoarder, he painstakingly drew it out, bit by bit, to carefully envelop his vital points. He curled his body, like a withered branch broken by the wind, allowing gravity to drag him towards the churning, grey abyss below.

Plop!

An icy coldness instantly seized him. His body crashed into a turbulent underground river, the powerful impact nearly rendering him unconscious. The murky, foul-smelling river water carried him, violently smashing him against jagged rocks. Each collision made his vision black out, his broken ribs grinding inside him, and every breath brought the metallic taste of blood. He could only desperately cling to the last shred of clarity in his mind, his Shadow Erosion Dou Qi instinctively circulating, greedily drawing in the dense Death Qi permeating the water—the cold despair left behind by countless lives submerged at the river's bottom. The Death Qi entering his body brought a strange coolness, slightly suppressing the overwhelming pain, but it was like drinking poison to quench thirst. He could clearly feel that his already dwindling vitality was being slowly but steadily devoured by this corrosive power. Vitality and Death Qi wrestled in his Meridians, tearing at his Foundation, a heavy price to pay.

After an unknown duration of being buffeted, the force of the current suddenly weakened. Lin Chen was abruptly pushed onto a slippery stone shallows by an undercurrent. He struggled to crawl out of the water, collapsing onto the cold rocks, coughing violently and spitting out bloody, dirty water. Looking around, he saw the entrance to a massive grotto. Faint, eerie green glimmers, like will-o'-the-wisps, flickered on the cave walls, barely illuminating the path ahead. The air was thick with a nauseating smell of blood and an ancient, despairing aura.

"Go! Hurry! We don't have enough sacrifices! If the Elder Zun gets angry, no one can bear the consequences!" A rough shout, accompanied by the grating scrape of chains dragging on the ground, echoed from deep within the grotto.

Lin Chen's heart tightened, and he immediately reined in all his aura, silently slipping into a recessed shadow in the cave wall like a true shadow. His Shadow Erosion Dou Qi spontaneously circulated, merging him with the darkness, his presence instantly dropping to an undetectable level.

Several Disciples wearing Blood Sect attire and exuding fierce auras escorted a group of emaciated, numb-eyed people. These individuals were dressed in rags, their hands and feet bound by heavy shackles, and most bore horrific, unhealed wounds, like livestock being driven. A dense mist of despair, fear, and unwillingness emanated from them, almost tangible. The Shadow Erosion Dou Qi within Lin Chen trembled slightly, like a shark sensing blood, conveying an instinctive craving—to devour these negative emotions!

Lin Chen forcefully suppressed this agitation, his gaze falling on the end of the line. There, an old man was being roughly dragged, one of his legs twisted unnaturally backward, clearly broken for a long time. He was moving solely on his other leg and sheer willpower. A Blood Sect Disciple, impatient with his slowness, brutally kicked his broken leg. The old man let out an extremely suppressed grunt, his body trembling violently, cold sweat instantly soaking his tattered clothes. But deep within his cloudy eyes, a terrifying, desperate hatred, like that of a dying beast, suddenly erupted, startling Lin Chen!

This hatred was pure and intense, like a red-hot branding iron, instantly igniting the Shadow Erosion Dou Qi within Lin Chen! The Cultivation Technique accelerated on its own, forcefully extracting a trace of power from his heavily injured body, greedily seizing the extreme negative emotions emanating from the old man!

"Ugh..." Lin Chen let out an almost imperceptible groan. This "nourishment" was extraordinarily potent, far exceeding ordinary Death Qi. After it surged into his body, a tingling itch came from his broken ribs, and his injuries were actually healing faster! But in contrast, his heart suddenly constricted, and a strong sense of emptiness abruptly struck him, as if a part of his life had been violently drawn out by an invisible hand. His vitality, already weakened by the fall and Mo Cheng's self-detonation, flickered violently like a candle in the wind, becoming even dimmer. The temporary recovery brought by the devouring and the pain of the vitality backlash intertwined like ice and fire, tormenting his nerves.

The group disappeared into the depths of the grotto. Lin Chen endured the dual pain, internal and external, like the most patient gecko, clinging to the cold, damp shadows of the cave wall, following silently. His Shadow Erosion Dou Qi circulated to its maximum, completely integrating him into the dark background, making even his heartbeat and breathing imperceptible.

The end of the grotto suddenly opened up, revealing a chilling sight. In the center of a huge natural cavern, a massive, complex, and hair-raising altar stood! The altar was constructed from some kind of dark-red, unknown rock, its surface covered with dense, eerie runes that constantly flowed with faint blood-red light. The thick Death Qi and resentment in the air had almost materialized, forming suffocating, chilling winds that swirled and wailed within the cavern.

Dozens of other prisoners, also wearing shackles, were driven to a large circular groove at the base of the altar. Dark-red, almost black, blood plasma slowly flowed within the groove. The Blood Sect Disciples brutally forced these "sacrifices" to kneel at the edge of the groove.

At the top of the altar, a figure completely enveloped in a wide black robe and wearing a pale bone mask stood with his hands behind his back. A cold, viscous aura emanated from him—it was none other than the Hall of Souls's Iron Protector! Beside him stood a tall, thin old man with deep-set eyes and lips as thin as knife blades. His aura was sinister and powerful; he was the Blood Sect's Sect Master Fan Lao.

"...That good-for-nothing Mo Cheng actually let that little rat Lin Chen escape with important intelligence!" Iron Protector's hoarse voice, like sandpaper rubbing, echoed with suppressed fury in the empty cavern, stirring up waves of cold echoes. "If he weren't still somewhat useful, and his self-detonation did obliterate some traces, this Protector would surely extract his Soul and light a Soul Lamp!"

Fan Lao bowed slightly, a fawning and cautious smile on his face: "Protector-daren, please calm your anger. Mo Cheng is dead, and that little bastard Lin Chen fell from Blood Mountain into the Black Hell Abyss. Below, poisonous miasma permeates, undercurrents are treacherous, and there are countless ferocious Demonic Beasts. Severely injured, he has absolutely no chance of survival. The immediate priority is to ensure the 'Spirit Awakening' in three days is flawless."

Iron Protector snorted coldly, his gaze from beneath the bone mask sweeping over the prisoners below, who resembled lambs awaiting slaughter. He said chillingly, "Are there enough living sacrifice essence blood and resentful Souls required for the 'Yellow Springs Spirit Guiding Array'?"

"Replying to Protector, with this batch, the number is just right," Fan Lao quickly answered. "We just await 'Night Owl' from Demon Flame Valley to deliver the 'yellow springs stele jade' dug from the ancient ruins, and then it can be embedded into the altar's core. At that time, with the essence blood and resentful Souls of the sacrifices as the guide, and the yellow springs stele jade as the key, we will surely be able to forcefully activate the phantom of the yellow springs stele buried deep underground, temporarily opening a rift to the Fiery Flame Space! The Elder Zun can then..."

"Silence!" Iron Protector suddenly raised his hand, cutting him off. His vigilant gaze, like a tangible probe, swept across the entire cavern, and an invisible, cold Soul pressure permeated the air.

Lin Chen's heart in the shadows suddenly stopped beating; he almost suffocated! His Shadow Erosion Dou Qi circulated frantically, locking down all his life aura. He became as if completely fused with the cave wall, even his thoughts falling into a state of suspended animation. That cold Soul power, like a cold snake, slowly glided past the edge of the shadow where he hid, bringing an bone-chilling coldness. Fortunately, this probe seemed to be merely Iron Protector's habitual vigilance and did not delve into every inch of shadow. The pressure receded like a tide.

"...Hmph, after the matter is accomplished, the Sect Breaking Pill that the Elder Zun promised you will naturally not be forgotten," Iron Protector seemed to have noticed nothing unusual, his voice softening slightly, but still cold. "Guard the sacrifices well. At midnight three days from now, the altar will open on time! If there is any slightest mishap..." He did not finish, but the unspoken threat was more terrifying than any words.

"Yes! Your subordinate understands!" Cold sweat seeped from Fan Lao's forehead as he quickly bowed in assent.

Iron Protector's figure flickered, transforming into a blurry black smoke, and disappeared into the deep passage behind the altar. Only then did Fan Lao straighten up, wipe his sweat, and sternly scold his subordinates: "Lock these sacrifices back in the deepest level of the dungeon! Guard them strictly! If even one is missing, I'll take your lives!"

The prisoners were roughly driven away from the altar. Lin Chen's gaze remained fixed on the old man with the broken leg. He was being dragged, his broken leg leaving a winding trail of blood on the rough ground. Lin Chen endured the weakness from the continuous backlash of his vitality being consumed by Shadow Erosion Dou Qi and the occasional sharp pains in his heart. Like a true ghost, he trailed far behind.

The dungeon delved deep into the mountain, cold, damp, and reeking. The prisoners were crammed into narrow, cage-like iron cells. The old man with the broken leg was casually thrown into a solitary cage in the furthest corner, falling to the ground like a broken sack with a dull thud.

Lin Chen patiently lurked in the shadowed corner of the entrance passage, like a lifeless rock. Time passed little by little. The guarding Disciples completed their handover, their footsteps faded, and deep within the dungeon, only the suppressed gasps of the despairing prisoners and the occasional clinking of chains remained.

Confirming safety, Lin Chen moved. Shadow Erosion Dou Qi enveloped his entire body, and he drifted silently towards the cage in that corner like a weightless wisp of green smoke.

The gaps in the iron bars were like nothing to him; he slipped through like water, not disturbing a single speck of dust.

The Elder Zun sensed the movement, struggled to lift his head, and his cloudy eyes looked towards where the shadow condensed. He couldn't see Lin Chen's specific form, only vaguely perceived a deeper mass of darkness abruptly appearing before him.

"Who...?" His voice was hoarse, like a worn-out bellows.

"Do you want revenge?" Lin Chen's voice came as if from the depths of the nine netherworlds, cold, hoarse, with a strange penetrative power, directly resounding in the Elder Zun's heart, "Against the Hall of Souls, against Fan Lao."

The Elder Zun's cloudy pupils suddenly constricted, and that dying beast-like hatred surged again, even more fervent and frantic than before! This intense negative emotion, like the sweetest poison, instantly stimulated the Shadow Erosion Dou Qi within Lin Chen's body to circulate wildly! He could barely control the strong devouring instinct, and his body trembled slightly.

"Re...venge?" The Elder Zun let out a hoarse, strange sound from his throat, and his cracked lips pulled into a tragic smile, "Do I...still have a chance?" He struggled to lift the only hand he could still move, trembling as he reached deep into his tattered clothes, fumbling for a long time before pulling out a small piece of unknown beast hide, stained with dirt and dark red blood scabs. On it, some distorted patterns seemed to be outlined with extremely faint lines. "This...is from back then...a few of us old brothers...exploring an ancient ruin...brought out with our lives...a map...pointing to...the true...yellow springs stele...burial ground...it's in...the depths of the Black-Corner Region..." He had to gasp for a long time after every few words, yet his eyes burned with a final light, "No...cannot...let the Hall of Souls...succeed! Destroy...destroy it...! Avenge me!"

He used his last strength to thrust the blood-stained piece of beast hide towards the shadow where Lin Chen was. The moment the piece of beast hide touched the edge of the shadow, the last spark of light in the Elder's eyes suddenly extinguished, his head slumped to one side, and he completely stopped breathing. The ultimate Death Qi, mixed with overwhelming unwillingness and resentment, erupted like a bursting dam!

The Shadow Erosion Dou Qi within Lin Chen's body completely lost control! Like a hungry wolf sniffing blood, it frantically devoured this pure and powerful 'nourishment' that was so close at hand! Vast death energy and negative emotions surged into his body, and his broken bones made faint crackling sounds, healing at an astonishing speed. The wounds on his body, scraped by undercurrents and rocks, also rapidly closed and scabbed over. The sense of power was returning!

But the price was equally terrifying! A feeling of weakness and emptiness, a hundred times stronger than before, instantly gripped Lin Chen's heart. His vision suddenly darkened, and his heart felt as if it had been tightly clenched by a cold hand, almost stopping its beat! Something seemed to be draining away beneath his skin, making him feel light and airy, as if he would dissipate into a wisp of green smoke. He let out a muffled groan, desperately covering his mouth, only to swallow back the sweet, metallic taste that had risen to his throat. The recovery of power brought by devouring and the intense pain of life force backlash formed the most cruel torment of ice and fire.

He trembled, looking down at the blood-stained piece of beast hide in his hand. The distorted lines on it, under the faint sensation of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, seemed to subtly point in a certain direction, and at the end of those lines, a blurry, stele-shaped mark was outlined.

Just then!

"Who's there?!" A sharp shout, like a thunderclap, exploded at the entrance of the dungeon! A Blood Sect Disciple seemed to have returned to patrol and coincidentally saw Lin Chen's figure, which had subtly distorted for a moment at the edge of the shadow due to the power fluctuations from devouring!

The piercing sound of the alarm gong instantly reverberated throughout the entire dungeon!

"Enemy attack! Intruder in the sacrificial area!" Chaotic footsteps and shouts surged from all directions, and several Dou Spirit, and even one newly advanced Dou King level aura, quickly locked onto this area!

Lin Chen's pupils constricted. Without the slightest hesitation, he stuffed the piece of beast hide into his embrace, and Shadow Erosion Dou Qi erupted recklessly! "Limitless Steps!"

His body transformed into a distorted dark shadow that was almost invisible to the naked eye, and like a ghost, he instantly passed through the iron bars of the cage, shooting towards a narrow ventilation shaft in another direction of the dungeon! His speed was so fast that he left a faint afterimage in his original spot.

"Stop him!" The Blood Sect Elder of Dou King level roared, striking out with a palm from a distance. The vast bloody Dou Qi transformed into a huge bloody handprint, carrying a pungent stench as it fiercely clawed at Lin Chen's back!

Terrifying pressure descended! Lin Chen felt the hairs on his back stand on end, and his internal organs churned from the Dou King's might! He bit the tip of his tongue hard, and under the stimulation of the sharp pain, he forcibly squeezed out the last bit of potential, pouring Shadow Erosion Dou Qi into his legs, increasing his speed by another notch!

Boom!

The bloody palm print grazed his back and slammed into the stone wall. The hard rock exploded like tofu, leaving a huge, deep pit, and shattered stones flew. The violent wind fiercely struck Lin Chen's back.

"Pfft!" Lin Chen could no longer hold it in, and a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out, forming a tragic blood mist in front of him. But using this impact, his figure became even faster, like a black arrow shot from a powerful crossbow, he plunged into the narrow ventilation shaft that only one person could pass through!

Behind him came the furious roars of the Blood Sect Elder and the panicked shouts of the Disciples, as well as the sound of Dou Qi exploding against the rock wall of the ventilation shaft. Lin Chen couldn't care about anything else; his lungs burned with pain, each breath pulling at his newly healed ribs after they had broken. The emptiness in his heart, caused by the devoured life force, grew stronger and stronger, like an ever-expanding cold black hole.

He desperately climbed up the narrow, steep, and sharply angled ventilation pipe, with the sound of his pursuers getting closer and closer. After an unknown amount of time, a faint glimmer of light finally appeared ahead—the exit!

He used his last strength to push open the rusted iron bars and tumbled into a cold, muddy puddle. The cold rain instantly soaked his hair and clothes. He greedily breathed the outside air, which carried the smell of rain but was far fresher than in the dungeon. The cold rain hitting his face brought a faint sense of clarity.

He struggled to lift his head. Before his eyes was the Black-Corner Region's characteristic rainy night, always shrouded in lead-grey clouds. Cold raindrops pricked his face like needles, and in the distance, the massive, grotesque outline of Blood Mountain loomed in and out of the rain curtain, like a lurking beast. Streaks of aura belonging to Blood Sect powerhouses were spreading out like an open net, centered on Blood Mountain, rapidly diffusing and scanning in all directions. Cold Soul Power, like invisible searchlights, swept through every corner of the rainy night again and again.

Lin Chen curled up in the cold mud of the drainage ditch, completely soaked, his wounds throbbing faintly under the washing of the rain. He trembled, taking out the precious "Illusion Breath Pill" from his storage ring. The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, and a cool sensation quickly flowed through his entire body, completely covering and distorting his original aura, simulating the aura of a mediocre mercenary. At the same time, he frantically circulated Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, desperately compressing his sense of existence again and again.

He was like a lifeless stone, completely merging into this dirty, shadowy corner. The Soul Power of the Blood Sect powerhouses swept over the ditch where he was hiding like a cold tide, but failed to stir up even a ripple.

The rain grew heavier, dense raindrops beating against the filthy ground, splashing cold water. Lin Chen curled his body tighter, the cold mud enveloping him like a shroud. He tilted his head slightly, looking towards Blood Mountain, the location of the altar, with a frozen cold pool deep in his eyes. Mo Cheng's dying revelation of the "yellow springs stele jade," Iron Protector and Fan Lao's conspiracy, the blood-stained map fragment the Elder in the dungeon exchanged his life for...fragmented clues collided in his mind.

"Three days..." He silently moved his lips, the sweet, metallic taste of blood foam rolling in his throat. Shadow Erosion Dou Qi slowly circulated in his Meridians, greedily absorbing the extremely sparse Death Qi and negative emotions remaining in the air after the rain, bringing a subtle tingling sensation, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at his flesh and blood. Each circulation was accompanied by the hidden pain of life force being quietly drained. He opened his left hand, and by the occasional pale lightning in the distance, he saw that the texture of the skin on the back of his hand seemed to have become a little drier and duller than before.

The cost was accumulating. But the path ahead was only a solitary journey in the darkness.

Cold rainwater ran down his forehead into his eyes, bringing a sour sting. Lin Chen slowly closed his eyes, pressing all his aura, all his emotions, all his sense of existence, firmly into the shadowy abyss that belonged solely to him.

He once again turned into a stubborn rock by the roadside, the mud in a deep ditch, completely disappearing into the boundless rainy night of the Black-Corner Region. Only a silent vow burned in his heart—that yellow springs stele jade, which could open the yellow springs stele, must be obtained.