February 21, 2025 — 12:17 pm

"Roaring with fury, you monster, take this hit!" Badeluo's massive figure descended from the sky, leaping high, his weapon, shaped like a giant beast's tusk, smashed down towards Manku's trapped position.

Instantly, frost spread all around, and Manku felt his blood freeze solid in an instant. The freezing effect was even more terrifying than Xue Zhiyu's ice magic or Aota's Ice Wind Slash!

Manku's pupils contracted sharply.

This giant club was no ordinary weapon; it was an extraordinary soul artifact.

Winterfrost!

A naturally grown lower-grade soul artifact, it inherently carried a powerful frost domain upon use, far beyond what ordinary ice witches could conjure.

"Hmph!"

Manku snorted coldly, his soul power vibrating, and a drop of blood formed at his fingertip, hovering in the air.

The blood drop spun rapidly on his fingertip, like a spiral blood sphere, expanding to half a centimeter in size in an instant.

Boom!

Badeluo above had already landed in front of him, the giant club Winterfrost smashed down towards his head.

But at that moment, the spinning blood drop burst, and the surrounding potent frost instantly disintegrated. Manku's body, nearly frozen, recovered, and his blood flow resumed.

Bang!

Boom...

The giant club was almost upon him, but Manku dissolved into a mist of blood and vanished. Badeluo's club missed, smashing into the ice spear array conjured by Xue Zhiyu, causing ice shards to fly everywhere, a mist of snow and ice spreading.

Manku escaped into mid-air, but before he could steady himself, the third wave of attacks came.

Kela's reaction was noticeably slower than Xue Zhiyu and Badeluo. Earlier, Aota had mentioned a one-on-one with Manku, and Kela was an honest person... or rather, the orcs from the southern League of Blades were straightforward. A one-on-one meant exactly that, but who would have thought Xue Zhiyu and the others would suddenly attack without even a word.

But it was Kela, after all. She had adapted to the Rose environment even before Old Wang arrived, so adapting to the rhythm of Ice Spirit was only natural.

When Xue Zhiyu and Badeluo attacked, she was momentarily stunned. Without hesitation, she gathered soul power in her hand, the Soul Javelin, crackling with lightning, already in her grasp. Seeing Manku escape from the ice spear array, the lightning javelin was already launched with precision, streaking towards him mid-air.

Again and again.

Aota was not weak; Manku had been giving his all. The first two waves of attacks had been completely unexpected, already straining the distracted Manku's defenses. Now, his blood mist form had just solidified, and the lightning javelin was already upon him.

No escape!

A fierce light flashed in Manku's eyes, his hands clasped together, his palms a deep red.

"Blood Demon Palm!"

Bang bang bang!

A blood-red palm materialized instantly, forcefully grabbing at the lightning javelin.

Vampires, living in perpetual darkness, had some resistance to lightning and strong light, but it was always weak.

Manku, already out of breath from continuous exertion, hurriedly summoned the Blood Demon Palm, which was pierced by the lightning-infused javelin.

In his shock and anger, he raised his hand to strike.

Fortunately, after piercing the Blood Demon Palm, the Soul Javelin's force was nearly spent, and he shattered it with a follow-up strike, averting the crisis.

In the next instant...

The long blade scraped across the ground, sparking a fiery trail!

Aota, still glowing with golden light in his invincible state, had already arrived in front of Manku, who was falling from the air.

"Dragon Soaring Heaven Slash!"

The fierce blade spiraled upward from beneath, white blade energy surged skyward with Aota. The icy, swirling blade light momentarily took the form of a soaring dragon, accompanied by a terrifying blade aura that seemed to scatter and cut through everything!

A flare of shock and fury ignited in Manku's eyes.

Boom!

A cloud of blood mist erupted in the air.

Unlike the earlier deliberate dissipation of blood energy, this explosion of blood mist was accompanied by splashes of blood, splattering all over Aota's face.

Boom!

Aota landed heavily, his feet stomping on the ground. He swiped the blood from his face with one hand and looked triumphantly towards the river, shouting loudly, "Hey! You lost, start calling me dad!"

Whoosh...

A shadowy figure of blood materialized at the river's center.

He stood atop the water as though it were solid ground, like a weightless leaf swaying with the waves.

A trickle of blood escaped the corner of Manku's mouth. He clutched his right chest, the wound severe, blood staining his fingers.

Manku was nearly overcome with rage.

It was supposed to be a fair fight, but they ganged up on him, three at once, damn it...

"Heh heh!" He sneered relentlessly, clutching his wound, "What Ice Spirit, what Holy Sanctuary's elite, just a pack of shameless, deceitful scum!"

The four had already gathered on the shore, facing Manku from afar.

"What's that?" Aota cupped his ear mockingly, "Calling me dad? Get closer! Can't hear you from there!"

"Screw you!" Manku fumed, fed up with this idiot's act, "Wasn't this supposed to be a one-on-one?"

"Exactly!" He said shamelessly, proudly addressing Manku, "We're all taking turns with you, what's the issue?"

This... Manku was speechless. He'd never encountered such shamelessness!

"Second brother, stop wasting words!" Badeluo rolled up his sleeves, eager to jump in, but he couldn't swim or float like Manku... quite the predicament, "Let's go! Take him down! End this!"

"Yeah, kick him while he's down!" Aota yelled.

Snap!

The Soul Javelin materialized once more in Kela's grasp, while the soul crystal on Xue Zhiyu's Frost Queen gleamed with azure light.

"Fine! Just fine!" Manku laughed in extreme anger, vowing to remember this day. "We'll see!"

Whoosh!

The blood mist on the water surface dispersed, and Manku vanished in an instant.

Badeluo was stunned. "Crap, he bolted? Let’s go after him!"

"Chase him? Yeah, right!" Aota slapped the back of Badeluo's head, but the movement aggravated the wound on his back, causing him to wince in pain. "Chase him and lose two lives?"

Badeluo shrank back, grumbling under his breath, "But we did injure him..."

"We only got the upper hand because we ambushed him. If it came to a fight to the death, he could at least take one of us down. It's not worth it to end up in a lose-lose situation for some merit," Xue Zhiyu's eyes showed a hint of fear. "Even with the four of us combined, we only managed to force him back. Blood Demon Manku lives up to his fearsome reputation."

"That guy is too fast, and he can transform... How did Hei Wukai manage to take on that freak alone?" Aota winced while Xue Zhiyu tended to his wounds, slathering on some ointment, but the intense pain still hadn't subsided.

Manku's claws had a so-called 'bleeding' effect, a trait of the bloodline that caused continuous bleeding and made wounds difficult to heal.

Kela chuckled softly, her eyes filled with admiration. "Because Hei Wukai is stronger!"

"My hero!" Badeluo gave a thumbs up.

Just then, a familiar figure emerged from the forest across the river, carrying a giant shield on his back. He had clearly seen Xue Zhiyu and the others and was waving frantically from the opposite bank.

"It's Tatashi!" Badeluo shouted excitedly.

Tatashi rode the giant shield like a boat, skimming across the water, crossing the dozens of meters of river in an instant.

"Your Highness Zhiyu! Aota, Badeluo, Kela!" Tatashi's face was filled with delight. He had been roaming solo in the forest for several days and unexpectedly ran into several teammates. "Talk about luck! I heard fighting over here and picked up on the frosty energy, so I came to check, and it turned out to be you!"

Ice Spirit had a frost mark, and even Kela knew that it could be sensed from a distance.

Everyone was happy. After driving away a blood demon, they welcomed a teammate. Tatashi noticed the bloodstains on Aota's back and asked in surprise, "Aota, you're injured? Who did it?"

Several against one and still injured...

"Uh, let’s change the subject..." Aota coughed twice, masking his embarrassment and quickly changing the topic. "You just came from that forest? How's the situation there?"

"Central battlefield, epic battles, I could only watch from afar," Tatashi didn’t press the issue, just shook his head. "The spiritual energy at the center of the forest is incredibly thick. Last night, a ghost-level wraith appeared and killed many people... It seems all the experts are gathering there."

Their faces lit up with excitement.

Kela asked, "Any news of Wang Feng and Hei Wukai?"

"I didn't see Wang Feng, but I heard about Hei Wukai," Tatashi finally smiled. "He's an absolute beast, even the Nine Gods are afraid of him..."

...

Night fell once again...

It was already the fifth day since everyone entered the Soul Illusion Realm, and each day was becoming more difficult.

The overall level of the War Academy was considered superior to the League of Blades, but in reality, the casualties on both sides were almost equal, each ranging from one hundred fifty to two hundred.

This was the cruelest first round of elimination, and the bottom tier had already been completely wiped out. Those who could still survive at this point had no luck to speak of.

A few names, drenched in blood, became taboos, mentioned with fear.

The first was the so-called 'Grim Reaper' that everyone talked about.

It wasn’t from the War Academy or the League of Blades, nor was it even human, but rather the ghost-level specter that appeared in the central jungle.

This specter appeared on the second night the mist descended and remains the only known ghost-level specter. Although the number of Tiger Peak specters appearing on other nights has increased, no second ghost-level specter has emerged.

This specter is nearly invincible, having already claimed the lives of over twenty disciples from both sides—and that’s just the ones witnessed. The unseen casualties are undoubtedly far greater, earning it the nickname "Grim Reaper."

Fortunately, it has been lingering only around the central jungle, not venturing far, as if waiting for something or protecting some treasure.

Undoubtedly, this area is connected to the key to the next layer and the secret treasure of this first layer of the Soul Illusionary Realm.

Experts have been converging in the central area. The central jungle is vast, covering nearly half of the entire Soul Illusionary Realm, spanning hundreds of square kilometers.

So far, few have actively challenged the "Grim Reaper," as most are observing from the shadows. A ghost-level specter isn’t something anyone can easily take on alone, and no one wants to be taken advantage of while battling the Grim Reaper. More importantly, the timing isn’t right. Those attuned to soul power can feel that something is brewing here. The Grim Reaper specter might be one of the keys to the next layer, but it’s certainly not the only one.

Over these five days, many experts from both sides have carved out reputations in this jungle.

On the League of Blades’ side, Hei Wukai, Ye Dun, the Dark Demon Island duo, and Maxwell are the most renowned. The former were already ranked among the top three in the Holy Sanctuary.

Hei Wukai has been wreaking havoc unchecked. With so many experts gathered in the central jungle, he has already killed seven in just two or three days, including top-ranked experts in the thirteenth and nineteenth positions. All were killed with a single sword strike, leaving onlookers both awestruck and terrified.

Ye Dun is mysterious and unpredictable. Often, his opponents lose their heads before even seeing him. Some initially attributed this to his background in the Celestial Sanctuary, but now they are beginning to understand the true meaning of "top."

The Dark Demon Island duo has become a byword for terror. Those who fell to them met inexplicable ends. Some were directly exploded by the Thunder Ghost, while others died suddenly with no visible injuries, their eyes wide and bulging, as if their souls had been extracted.

The most fearsome, however, is Maxwell. Wherever he goes, it’s no exaggeration to say that nothing survives. His terrifying toxins have corroded nearly half of the jungle. Moreover, he fears neither specters nor zombies. While others hunt disciples from the opposing academy, he hunts everything, including zombies! He was also the first Holy Sanctuary disciple to take on the Grim Reaper, though he clearly gained no advantage.

The Grim Reaper, a ghost-level specter, isn’t fazed by Maxwell’s strange odor like ordinary specters. Maxwell was pursued for over ten miles, but fortunately, the Grim Reaper never leaves the central jungle, so it was a close call.

The War Academy side is no different.

Long Feixue, the top-ranked, lives up to his reputation. Almost no one can withstand a single move from him. Fortunately, he has no interest in hunting the weak, or the League of Blades would have dozens more corpses.

Shadowblade Fazang, the second-ranked disciple of the War Academy and heir to the Nine Gods, specializes in killing experts. He has already taken the lives of seven Holy Sanctuary disciples, all ranked within the top fifty, yet no one has seen his techniques clearly.

Additionally, Steel Demon Kaiser, the Spirit Medium Fu Yu, and the one-eyed Obololo are likely the most bloodstained, their infamy widespread.

Beyond these, there is an even more terrifying presence...

A Holy Sanctuary disciple’s body trembled slightly, his mouth agape and eyes bulging, yet he couldn’t move.

A tail-like needle pierced through his back, connecting to his heart.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

The fleshy tail needle visibly pulsed, drawing something from the disciple’s body and channeling it into another. The disciple’s body rapidly withered, soon becoming nothing more than skin draped over bones.

The Blood Demon Art, Soul Devouring Technique!

The tail needle formed from his fingers wasn’t just a conduit but also injected blood poison into the victim’s body, dissolving their flesh and blood into pure blood essence.

Behind him, a pale-faced man opened his eyes with satisfaction, a flash of blood-red light fading as he replenished his energy.

Blood Demon Manku!

*Thud.*

He casually tossed the now-empty, skin-and-bones corpse to the ground, where it crumpled into a heap. Only the skull-supported head retained a semblance of humanity, its deeply sunken eyes forever frozen in an expression of utter terror.

The fingers of his left hand were unusually long, the needle-like tube being his index finger, which slowly retracted to its normal form.

Like the Spirit Medium Fu Yu, this place is also his hunting ground, but while Fu Yu devours the souls of Holy Sanctuary disciples, he drains the essence of their bloodline...

The injuries he sustained from Hei Wukai's blade had mostly healed, but the wound from Aota's strike worsened his injuries. Absorbing these bloodline essences rich in soul power enables him to heal quickly.

He wants revenge!

"Hei Wukai! Frost Spirits!"

A glint of malice and cruelty flashes in his eyes.

This place is full of high-quality nourishment. The bloodline essences imbued with soul power are far beyond what ordinary civilians possess. Not only can they heal his current injuries, but they can also take his Blood Demon Art to the next level and maximize its power!

He feels waves of energy surging through his body again, and his injuries are mostly healed.

"Not enough, I need more..." He licks the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneers, "Just wait, your turn is coming!"

...

Old Wang’s had a tough few days, mainly due to Mo Tong, who’s been a huge pain.

This guy is full of energy, dragging Old Wang all over the place, insisting on barging into the central jungle to get in on the action.

Old Wang is reluctant, but there's no way around it. His junior brother’s raw strength is overwhelming, and Old Wang can't pull away. What's even more bizarre is that this guy keeps saying he wants to protect him, insisting they stick together...

Damn it, saving him has backfired.

Just stay far away from me, that would be the greatest protection, okay?

Fortunately, the central jungle is vast, and Old Wang deliberately ignores the ghosts and zombies at night, draining Mo Tong's energy and strength. Thus, even after two or three days in the jungle, they are still staying on the outskirts and avoiding any real heavy hitters.