Chapter 038: Mysterious Blood Shadow

  In the desolate mountains, where human presence was scarce, encountering a massive stone temple felt somewhat eerie.

  To Yang Tian, the temple exuded an endless sense of majesty, as if any ill-intentioned thought would result in immediate execution.

  Following Xiao Bai towards the statue, Yang Tian's gaze continuously swept around the temple. Who could have imagined finding such a structure here?

  At the end of the temple, Yang Tian looked at the statue with astonishment. The aura that made his heart palpitate emanated from this statue, which stood ten thousand feet tall, resembling Xiao Bai closely but with two additional wings.

  "This statue must have been created by a great power. Just its oppressive aura is enough to make one lose the will to resist," Yang Tian marveled inwardly, clicking his tongue.

  "Xiao Bai, is this statue one of your ancestors?" After observing for a while, Yang Tian noticed that the usually lively Xiao Bai had fallen silent and quickly asked.

  "Owwoo," Xiao Bai suddenly let out a mournful howl, rubbing his snow-white belly against the statue, alternately shaking and nodding his head, his eyes filled with endless longing.

  "Even if not, the connection must be extraordinary," Yang Tian thought, scratching his head, as Xiao Bai's origins became even more mysterious to him.

  "Wuwu," Xiao Bai suddenly jumped onto Yang Tian's shoulder, growling softly while staring at his finger.

  "Bleed?" Seeing Xiao Bai's anxious demeanor, Yang Tian hesitated for a moment before biting his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the statue.

  "Sizzle." As soon as the blood touched the statue, it was absorbed eerily. In that instant, the statue emitted a strange red glow, distorting the surrounding space.

  "What's happening?" Yang Tian was dumbfounded as the oppressive force continued to rise, causing his body to ache under the pressure.

  "Owwoo," Xiao Bai let out a long howl, his eyes sparkling with excitement, his fur rubbing against Yang Tian.

  Suddenly, a blood-colored shadow appeared, enveloping Yang Tian's body and whisking him away in an instant.

  This was an ocean of blood, each drop possessing immense power. The blood sea seemed endless, as if it stretched across the heavens.

  In this space, there was a "battle" intent that made the heavens and earth tremble. Above the endless blood sea stood a figure entirely wrapped in blood light, exuding a presence countless times stronger than the statue.

  "Where is this place?" Yang Tian's pupils contracted sharply as he scanned the blood sea, a sense of awe creeping into his heart.

  "The battle intent here is almost comparable to that suppressed by the Ancestral Dragon Ring," Yang Tian thought, his eyes wide with astonishment. The Ancestral Dragon Ring had always been his secret, and he had wanted to uncover its mysteries. Never did he expect to find a similar battle intent here.

  "Is he Xiao Bai's ancestor?" Yang Tian's gaze swept across the mysterious space, and when he saw the blood shadow standing in the void, he couldn't help but exclaim.

  To preserve one's soul after death was something only the most powerful could achieve. However, the soul's energy wasn't eternal; it would eventually dissipate as its source energy depleted.

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  "Who are you?" Suddenly, an incredibly ancient voice resonated, causing the blood sea below to tremble. The voice belonged to a woman.

  "Junior Yang Tian pays respects to the senior," Yang Tian quickly clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, not daring to harbor any other thoughts.

  Hearing this, the blood shadow remained silent for a few moments before a blood light flashed past Yang Tian.

  "So strong!" Yang Tian's heart skipped a beat. In that instant, the blood shadow had complete control over his life and death, and he felt as if all his secrets had been laid bare. Just as Yang Tian was at his most tense, the blood shadow's voice rang out again.

  "Go, take care of my child, and fulfill your mission." Another blood light flashed, and Yang Tian's figure disappeared from the blood sea.

  "Ah, God of War..." The blood shadow murmured softly, a mix of sorrow, longing, and nostalgia filling the air.

  Back in the stone temple, as Yang Tian reappeared, Xiao Bai affectionately jumped onto his shoulder, nuzzling against him with his furry body.

  "What exactly is this place?" Stroking Xiao Bai's fur, Yang Tian stared at the statue, a look of awe on his face. He vaguely sensed that the statue's master knew about his family's affairs.

  "My mission? What mission could I have? I'm just an ordinary person, wanting only to save my parents and protect them," Yang Tian muttered in confusion. His deepest desire was yet to be fulfilled; how could he talk about completing a mission?

  "She is Xiao Bai's mother. What kind of mythical beast is Xiao Bai to have such a powerful ancestor?" Yang Tian whispered to himself, his heart filled with more questions than answers.

  "We'll talk about it later. Come on, Xiao Bai, from now on, you'll accompany me as I roam the continent, drinking and feasting," Yang Tian laughed, holding Xiao Bai in his arms before swiftly heading out.

  "Owwoo, owwoo," Xiao Bai let out a few low whines as the mountains grew distant, the last scenes disappearing from view. His endless longing was hidden deep within his heart.

  Yang Tian hadn't gone far when his steps suddenly halted. His gaze focused ahead, sensing faint energy fluctuations.

  "Why would there be people here?" Frowning slightly, Yang Tian had only encountered countless beasts in the past month; this was the first time he had seen other humans. Of course, he had chosen the most remote path.

  After pausing for a moment, curiosity got the better of him, and he headed towards the source of the energy fluctuations. A few moments later, he hid behind an ancient tree, concealing his presence as he observed two figures ahead.

  "Is that... a second-rank, triple-layered beast, the Demon Wolf?" Yang Tian's eyes widened in shock. A second-rank beast was comparable to a martial artist in strength; encountering one would mean certain death for him.

  Ahead, a beast covered in black bone spikes, its body pitch black, stood three zhang tall. Its mouth had four hooked teeth that gleamed with a chilling light. It was currently engaged in battle with a young man dressed in black.

  "This person, if not a disciple of a great family, must have astonishing talent," Yang Tian thought, taking a deep breath. The young man battling the Demon Wolf appeared to be around Yang Tian's age. He had a broad face, bulging muscles, and piercing tiger-like eyes that emitted a bone-chilling coldness.

  The young man's cultivation had reached the half-step martial artist level, but his vitality was incredibly strong, even surpassing Yang Tian's. However, the Demon Wolf seemed to fear the gleaming sword in his hand. Many of its bone spikes had been severed by the sword, and its body was covered in blood.

  But the young man didn't look much better. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his clothes were tattered, and his internal energy was extremely weak. His arms were covered in blood, with several wounds deep enough to reach the bone.

  After observing the young man for a while, Yang Tian's gaze shifted to a girl lying on the ground nearby. She wore a green dress, her face as flawless as jade, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her delicate features were impeccable.

  She appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, but her face was pale, with traces of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her lively eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful, like a sorrowful lotus.

  "Impressive. Two half-step martial artists daring to challenge a second-rank, triple-layered beast," Yang Tian couldn't help but click his tongue. Although the two were wearing protective clothing, being able to inflict such damage on the Demon Wolf meant their strength likely surpassed his.

  A second-rank beast was equivalent to a martial artist. For two half-step martial artists to inflict such damage on the Demon Wolf was a feat worthy of pride among their peers.

  "Little sister, you need to leave. Leave this to me, get out of here," the young man in black said, another wound appearing on his palm. He quickly retreated a few steps, turning to shout at the girl, his face filled with anxiety.

  The girl blinked her large eyes, shaking her head as she cried, "Second brother, Yun'er can't leave."

  As she spoke, the girl tried to get up, but her unsteady body only managed a few movements before she fell to the ground again. She bit her silver teeth, stubbornly refusing to make a sound.