Days later, within a secluded complex hidden deep in the heart of a dense, ancient forest of the Delan Continent
" NO! PLEASE!! AGH!! " A man clad in crimson robes screamed in raw terror as a towering humanoid Tiger lunged forward. Its jaws clamped around the man's neck with brutal force. Long, jagged mandibles pierced flesh effortlessly, and with a sickening *CRACK* The Tiger tore its head free. Blood sprayed across the stone floor, warm steam rising as the body collapsed lifelessly
" Haha… so lame " The humanoid Tiger laughed in a deep, monstrous tone, his body drenched in blood from head to toe, crimson rivulets dripping from his claws and fangs
" That's the last one? " Nearby, Callion spoke coldly as he glanced toward the old man beside him. Elder Qiu casually tossed another corpse aside as if discarding trash. The man's eyes were rolled white, blood leaking from his ears and nose, his internal organs shattered by an unseen force
" It should be all of them " Elder Qiu replied. He, too, was stained with blood, though his expression remained calm " Now we must hurry. It's only a matter of time before stronger foes arrive "
The humanoid Tiger's massive form suddenly trembled and shrank, bones cracking softly as fur receded. In a blink, it transformed into a savage-looking young man. This was Shao Yimu. He stretched his neck lazily, smiling as if he had just finished a pleasant exercise
" We could just wait and kill them all " Yimu said with a grin, looking at Elder Qiu " Those people were barely a warm-up "
Elder Qiu raised an eyebrow " Perhaps. But that doesn't mean the next wave will be the same. This complex was only lightly guarded because no one would be foolish enough to attack a stronghold belonging to the Zhejiang Imperial family "
Shao Yimu laughed loudly " Then I guess we're a bunch of fools, haha! "
" Hmph. I suppose we are " Elder Qiu replied, amusement flickering in his eyes
" Yun Hai, did you collect every resource of this place? " Callion asked as Yun Hai, behind him nods as says " Yes my Lord, do you want them right now "
Callion shook his head and said " No, they are yours, use them once we use the gate " Yun Hai opened his eyes wide in surprise, and with a big smile, he says " Thank you, my Lord! "
At that moment, two figures descended behind them. Elder Qiu turned calmly " Is everything done? "
" It is done, haha " A savage-looking young woman stepped forward with a smirk. Her name was Guo Mei, a member of the Bait Sect, just like Shao Yimu. Blood stained her sleeves, and her eyes gleamed with feral satisfaction
Beside her, a young man sighed and shook his head in exasperation " The signal was sent. We need to hurry "
He had short, messy dark-blue hair, sharp azure eyes, and wore a black hanfu. A long spear rested on his left shoulder, still dripping blood from the tip. His name was Yin Su, brought by Elder Qiu to assist their cause, and the strongest among the three youths, second only to Callion and Elder Qiu
Elder Qiu nodded " Let's move "
The group rushed through the bloodstained complex, weaving past shattered halls and broken formations until they reached an open courtyard. There, two massive stone pillars towered above an ancient altar. Time had eroded their surfaces, yet countless runes and symbols remained carved deeply into the stone, exuding a faint, unsettling presence
" This is it… " Elder Qiu said, his voice low but excited " The Gate of the Seventh Hell, one of the three "
Yin Su stared at the altar, his expression grave. " So it was true. The Zhejiang Imperial family really possessed one of the gates. No wonder they recovered so many powerful cultivators after the incident at the Fallens Valley " He paused, then looked at Elder Qiu " Does it truly connect to the Seventh Hell? "
Elder Qiu nodded slowly " The gate can only be opened or sealed by one of Imperial blood. The demons within are mindless… but extremely dangerous. Even merely standing in that realm puts one's life at risk "
Callion frowned, his gaze fixed on the altar " Are you sure this will help me? It may be useful for all of you… But for me, it could be completely meaningless "
Elder Qiu looked at him and smiled faintly " You'll understand once we enter. You already know how to open the gate "
After a moment of hesitation, Callion stepped forward. He stood at the base of the altar and bit down on his right index finger. Blood flowed freely
Extending his arm, he let the crimson drops fall upon the ancient carvings
*SHINE* The symbols ignited one by one, glowing with an intense blue radiance. The ground trembled softly as the air grew heavy and suffocating
*ZOOM* Between the two pillars, space twisted violently. A colossal gate formed from pure, seething red energy burst into existence, pulsing like a living heart. Waves of oppressive heat and malice flooded the courtyard
' So he really is part of the Imperial family… ' Yin Su thought in shock as he stared at Callion's back
" Move " Elder Qiu said as he rushed forward
Shao Yimu and Guo Mei followed immediately, grinning with anticipation as they passed through the crimson threshold
*ZOOM* *ZOOM* One by one, they phased through the energy gate
" It better be worth it " Callion muttered coldly before stepping in, Yin Su and Yun Hai entering right behind him
A few seconds later, the red gate collapsed in on itself and vanished. The altar's light dimmed, the runes fading into lifeless stone once more
Then—
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* Multiple armored figures descended into the courtyard, landing heavily around the altar
" Find them! They must still be nearby! " A man with a scarred face roared in fury as his subordinates scattered throughout the complex
Several minutes passed, and neither of them found any trace of it, as if they had vanished. Then a soldier approached the scarred-faced man
" General… " The man whispered " There is no trace of them, it's like they vanished into the air, it shouldn't be possible, the men scattered around the complex, and yet we didn't find anything "
The General's pupils shrank violently, and he clenched his fists " How is this possible? We didn't take too much time to arrive here "
The General walked to the altar as his men looked at him with serious expressions, then he knelt near the altar and touched the stone carefully, like studying each rune on it. Then his eyes widened with disbelief, and he couldn't help but say " The altar has been activated, and it wasn't forcefully activated " His voice cracked " It responded to blood… Imperial blood "
A low murmur of disbelief spread through the soldiers. The General stood and said sharply " That's impossible, it wasn't someone of the Imperial lineage that I know "
A younger officer stepped forward, fists clenched " General! If it wasn't someone of the Imperial family, I guess it was the one who claimed to be the deceased prince Duan Ren in the Xuixin Empire "
The General turned to see him with doubt and said coldly " Explain yourself "
The young officer bows his head slightly and continues " There was a rumor that had spread in the Imperial City, General. The winner of the Xuixin Empire tournament claimed that he was Duan Ren; maybe he was the one who activated the Gate, General "
The General clenches his teeth in frustration as he looks at the altar ' It is possible, but why did he appear now? With what purpose did he enter the Gate and not return to the Imperial Family...? There are many things I don't know... but I have given this report to his Imperial majesty, there is no way either of us could open the Gate now '
The General raised his voice and yelled " We need to report this to his majesty immediately!! " he turned to see the young officer and said " Zhan An, you will stay with your squad and report immediately if you see the gate activating again "
" Yes, General! " Zhan An yelled, and the General and multiple soldiers flew away from the complex
Zhan An looks at the altar with a tense expression ' The prince is still alive, the rumor was true, but why is he acting so brutally against his own people? ' Zhan An and multiple soldiers so the massacre in the complex, most of them were shocked by the brutality that many soldiers died, something that will bring them nightmares for years, even now, the same person who did that was the son of the Emperor himself, the one everyone thought dead