Chapter 304: The Blood Abyss

Chapter 304: The Blood Abyss

December 7th, 2024

A blood-red sun hung in the sky like a massive fireball, radiating scorching heat and blinding light, yet it failed to dispel the pervasive shadow that enveloped the entire sky.

In the distance, jagged black mountain ranges undulated, seemingly filled with flocks of birds in flight.

Howling winds swept by, causing millstone-sized rocks to roll and clatter, while sandstorms swirled everywhere.

Su Nan stood on a sloping outcrop, gazing at the desolate land before him.

This was the Blood Abyss, the most chaotic place in the entire Multiverse, where slaughter and combat erupted incessantly.

Demons born in the Blood Abyss began their existence by killing each other, consuming the souls of their kin as nourishment for evolution, thereby gaining greater power.

"The laws here are indeed chaotic," Su Nan muttered as he concentrated on sensing the planar laws around him.

After mastering the Gravity Law, he had gained the ability to perceive the power of the planar origin, the laws themselves.

The moment he set foot in the Blood Abyss, he felt the chaotic and wild force of the laws.

The same planar laws, but more disordered, violent, and convoluted than in other planes.

It was as if numerous laws were intertwined, forming an entangled mess, and finding usable law power within this chaos was no easier than drawing silk from a cocoon.

"Even a divine being or a True Spirit Sorcerer would have their combat strength reduced by two or three-fold here," Su Nan sighed.

No wonder no one dared to venture into the Blood Abyss.

Only a few evil-aligned divine beings, like the Spider Queen, would recruit demons from the Blood Abyss as Prayer Unifiers.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Su Nan chose a random direction and aimlessly flew across the wasteland.

The Blood Abyss was a collection of all chaos, where coincidences and accidents occurred and ended.

The chaos here was not limited to the demons' unruly nature but also extended to the plane's climate, time, and environment.

The terrain here was ever-changing, without any fixed reference points, making maps irrelevant.

Without a demon guide, finding a specific location in the Blood Abyss relied solely on luck.

Su Nan's current goal was to find a 'guide'.

"Quack!"

Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed from the distance.

Su Nan focused his gaze and saw several ferocious monsters flying towards him.

They were creatures that, at first glance, resembled birds, but upon closer inspection, seemed like a hybrid of vultures and humans, with muscular bodies and large gray wings.

They had vulture-like heads and long, thick necks.

"Eagle-Headed Devils," Su Nan immediately recognized this type of demon.

Eagle-Headed Devils were low-tier demons, commonly found in the Blood Abyss.

Su Nan shook his head slightly, feeling disappointed.

Low-tier demons were not ideal communication partners, unless they were tamed by high-tier demons to serve as servants. Most low-tier demons had minds focused solely on slaughter and feeding, more beastly than beasts.

The combat power of Eagle-Headed Devils was only slightly better than that of a second-tier Sorcerer apprentice. Su Nan didn't even need to use spells; with a simple flick of his finger, he released a bolt of lightning that caused the heads of three Eagle-Headed Devils to explode. The headless corpses wobbled in mid-air before plummeting to the ground.

Without a glance at the corpses, Su Nan continued flying forward while extending his spiritual perception to search for signs of life in the vicinity.

After mastering the Gravity Law, Su Nan discovered that his spiritual perception had become much sharper and covered a broader range.

Previously, when he projected his spiritual perception, it felt like it was falling into water, encountering greater resistance the further it went.

But now, his spiritual perception seemed to travel through the air, extending to great distances.

Su Nan guessed that his mastery of the laws and deeper understanding of the planar origin had reduced the plane's 'rejection' of his presence.

With his current mental strength, he could cover an area of four to five hundred kilometers, precisely locating life forms and roughly assessing their power levels based on their energy signatures.

"If this is the case, when I achieve a deeper understanding of the laws, will I be able to sense the life force of the entire plane with a mere thought?" Su Nan wondered.

This speculation wasn't entirely baseless.

Although he wasn't clear about the specific advancement path after becoming a True Spirit Sorcerer, he had vaguely heard that it might be related to the plane's will.

The plane's will could be considered the core and master of the plane, controlling everything within it.

Scanning for life forces was a trivial task for the plane's will.

If he could control the plane's will, perhaps with a mere thought, he could take the life of any being from thousands of kilometers away!

But that was a distant possibility; for now, his primary goal was to advance to become a True Spirit Sorcerer.

Shaking his head, Su Nan cleared his thoughts and continued on his journey.

Before long, he found his target.

In the vast wasteland, two groups of demons were engaged in a fierce battle.

One side consisted of over thirty half-human, half-horse monsters.

These creatures had robust horse bodies, along with sickly human arms and faces. Their upper bodies were pale and oozing pus, with thick horns protruding from their foreheads. They wore intricate full-body armor, and tufts of short, stiff hair protruded from the gaps in their armor. They exuded a fierce and aggressive aura, making them appear formidable.

"Ironclad Devils," Su Nan raised his eyebrows.

Ironclad Devils were born for combat, and even among the warlike demons, they were renowned for their berserker tendencies.

Ironclad Devils typically possessed the combat prowess of legendary knights, making them a favored heavy cavalry force for many demon lords.

Their opponents, on the other hand, were a group of over a hundred demons of various types.

With a glance, Su Nan recognized several kinds of demons, including Ape Devils, Bull Devils, Wraith Devils, and Skull Devils.

What surprised him was that the leader of this group was a Succubus.

She stood at the very back of the battlefield, her enormous black bat wings folded, concealing her upper body as if shielding herself from the sun, leaving only her alluring and beautiful face exposed.

Her graceful waist and back curves were particularly eye-catching, and her exposed thighs were plump and smooth, her skin flawless without a single blemish.

A whip-like, fire-red tail tip protruded from beneath her wings, clinging to her inner thigh, further accentuating her porcelain-like skin.

In her hand, she held a red whip, and with a flick of her wrist, black flames erupted from the whip, accompanied by an ear-piercing sound as it sliced through the air, instantly striking a nearby Ironclad Devil, causing it to howl in agony.

Despite the Succubus's side having more numbers, their individual strength was far inferior to the Ironclad Devils. As time passed, they couldn't help but fall into a disadvantage.

Su Nan observed for a while, until the demons on the Succubus's side suffered heavy casualties and were almost completely slaughtered. Only then did he drop his invisibility and reveal himself.

The sudden appearance of a person startled both sides.

Before they could react, a dazzling silver light flashed and pierced through the heads of all the Ironclad Devils in an instant.

In just a moment, over twenty Ironclad Devils fell to the ground without a sound, turning into corpses.

This scene left the surviving demons stunned and frozen in place.

After a while, the surviving demons snapped out of their daze and began to screech and howl.

One Ape Devil even glared at Su Nan, its eyes filled with malice, as if eager to take action.

Su Nan noticed this but merely smiled in amusement, not surprised.

It was no secret that demons were inherently chaotic, and they should know how terrifying it was for someone to effortlessly slay over twenty Ironclad Devils. To challenge such a being was akin to seeking self-destruction.

However, even with this knowledge, they couldn't suppress their innate bloodlust and desire to fight.

Fortunately, among the surviving demons, there was still one with a shred of rationality.

Snap! The Succubus snapped her whip in the air.

"Silence!" she commanded in a loud voice.

The restless demons immediately quieted down and looked at the Succubus with fearful eyes.

Su Nan nodded in approval.

This was the reason he chose to help the Succubus.

While she wasn't a high-ranking demon in the Blood Abyss, she was an excellent communicator.

Succubi weren't known for their combat prowess; instead, they relied on pleasing and seducing higher-ranking demons to survive in the Blood Abyss.

Consequently, Succubi didn't favor meaningless slaughter; they preferred to use their exquisite beauty and charm to allure and tempt their targets to fall.

Compared to other demons whose minds were solely focused on killing, the Succubus was undoubtedly a more suitable guide.

Su Nan guessed that these demons likely belonged to a powerful demon lord's faction.

The life force of the Succubus before him wasn't particularly strong, and the only reason she could suppress these demons and instill fear in them was due to the authority granted by a demon lord.

After calming her subordinates, the Succubus quickly replaced her stern expression with a coquettish smile, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Su Nan. "Thank you for your assistance, Wizard. Is there anything we can do to repay you?"

Succubi were masters of mental manipulation and illusion, and their perception was far sharper than that of lower-ranking demons.

From the moment she first laid eyes on Su Nan, she had sensed the unique aura that belonged to wizards.

Even in the blood-soaked Blood Abyss, where slaughter is rampant, wizards are one of the groups that cannot be easily provoked.

Who knows what forces back the wizards who venture into the Blood Abyss, let alone the fact that wizards themselves possess formidable power.

Even a powerful Demon Overlord would not dare to provoke a wizard without good reason, especially when their interests are at stake.

"I need to reach the Blood River, and I'm in need of a guide."

Su Nan opened the door, revealing his intentions.

With his strength, he had no need to bargain with the succubus.

"That's easy," the succubus batted her eyelashes at him, "We're heading in the direction of the Blood River, and the wizard can travel with us."

Su Nan was unmoved by the succubus's allure, and with a flick of his wrist, a small soul crystal appeared in his palm.

The dazzling beauty of the crystal and the rich aura of souls instantly captured the attention of all the demons.

The lower-tier demons' eyes gleamed with unconcealed greed, their bodies twitched with anticipation. If not for the succubus's suppression, they would have rushed forward to snatch it away.

"This is your payment for guiding me," Su Nan stated.

Although it was just a small soul crystal, it was still a valuable reward for mid to low-tier demons.

However, the succubus showed no sign of surprise, her eyes instead flickered with a subtle glint.

Wizards are known for their strict adherence to the principle of equivalent exchange.

The wizard before her would not offer a soul crystal as payment without expecting something in return, and it was likely to be a harsh condition.

As expected, Su Nan spoke in a calm tone, "Let's sign a soul contract."

Su Nan was not foolish enough to trust the words of a demon, even if it was a succubus who seemed to understand the situation.

He remained vigilant, unsure if this succubus might lead him into the territory of a Demon Overlord or a powerful demon, where he would be easy prey.

To be safe, signing a soul contract was the best option.

Under Su Nan's intense gaze, the succubus quickly regained her composure, giggling coquettishly, "Sure, we'll do as the wizard wishes."

The two quickly signed a soul contract, with the succubus agreeing to guide Su Nan to the Blood River without any actions detrimental to him.

In return, the succubus would receive a soul crystal as payment.

After the contract was signed, the atmosphere relaxed.

Without delay, the group of demons set off on their journey.

The succubus sidled up to Su Nan, her soft body leaning against him, and a strong, alluring scent enveloped him.

"What brings the wizard to the Blood River?" she asked.

Su Nan's expression remained unchanged, "To sightsee."

The succubus's face froze, her lips twitched.

The Blood River was no ordinary place; it was a gathering of countless malevolent spirits, and its waters had a corrosive effect on flesh and a soul-devouring nature.

Even demons dared not venture too close to the Blood River.

Only someone eccentric would go there to sightsee.

It was clear that the wizard was not being entirely truthful.

Realizing that Su Nan wasn't going to elaborate, the succubus wisely refrained from further questioning. Instead, she engaged him in light-hearted conversation, allowing Su Nan to indirectly inquire about the recent situation in the Blood Abyss and expand his knowledge.

Time flew by as they chatted.

The group's path meandered left and right, sometimes making sharp ninety-degree turns.

Logically, this was a vast plain, with some mountains and pits, but these obstacles should not have required such a winding route.

However, this was the unique way that the native creatures of the Blood Abyss navigated.

The chaos of the Blood Abyss granted its native creatures, including demons, the ability to sense direction.

This was a skill that outsiders lacked.

Every year, numerous outsiders ventured into the Blood Abyss without local guidance, only to get lost in the wilderness, eventually dying of hunger and thirst.

Even with ample supplies and water, they would succumb to exhaustion from the relentless attacks of the demons.

Among these outsiders were even powerful wizards.

After traveling for about ten hours through the scorching and desolate wasteland, constantly changing directions, Su Nan finally reached his destination.

Under the gloomy sky, the Blood River snaked across the wilderness, like a gash in the vast expanse, its crimson waters flowing steadily, unchanged for centuries.

Countless ghosts floated and sank in the waves, their mouths open in silent, piercing screams, only to be swallowed by the next wave.

"That's the Blood River," the succubus whispered, her eyes reflecting both apprehension and fear as she gazed at the blood-red waters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end