Chapter 106: Blood Pool

The earth was a sanguine red and the sky was extremely dark with white dots scattered across it.

Four moons the colour of blood stood at the four cardinal points, casting a gentle red light to the realm.

Other than Lu Zheng, Adara and Dapo, the secret realm was miserably empty.

"This is the secret realm?" Adara asked as she picked up a fistful of red sand from the ground.

Blood oozed from the sand and the patch where she had picked it from. When Adara felt the sand, it was as if she was holding a chunk of animal meat.

A wave of disgust overwhelmed her as she dropped the sand and dusted her hands.

"Hmm. It is like I said, Flaming Stone Palace discovered this secret realm and constructed a spatial gateway that could lead into it. We three are the first group to explore it" Dapo replied. He stared coldly at Lu Zheng as he said the word three.

He had meant for this exploration to be just only him and Adara so he could spend quality time with her.

Among all of Adara's suitors, it was Dapo that had the greatest chance of becoming her dao partner.

However, Adara had brought along a third party and he could not reject Lu Zheng. That would mean embarrassing Adara.

Lu Zheng ignored Dapo's stare as he picked a fistful of the red earth. His mind spun as he recalled a certain memory: "This is bleeding animal sand, a rank four blood path and earth path cultivation material"

Adara stared at Lu Zheng in awe. Since she had known him, he just seemed to know everything.

"What's blood path?" Dapo was confused. He had never heard of it before.

Lu Zheng played with the bleeding animal sand like it was play dough: "Blood path is a Dao that focuses on using blood to do anything. Blood path martial practitioners can control other people's blood to kill them, control them and even refine them into slaves or deities"

Dapo was surprised by Lu Zheng's explanation. After a short while, all he could think to say was: "Evil"

"Hmm" Lu Zheng nodded. "Blood path martial practitioners are generally recognised as of the demonic path"

Lu Zheng was Xue Ritian's incarnation in another life, he shared the same thoughts, motives and memories as the latter.

"Well. Let's see what this secret realm has to offer" Adara said as she began walking in a random direction.

Lu Zheng and Dapo nodded and followed after her.

As they walked on, they only saw an unending stretch of red earth. Once in a while, they would see blood pools that blood path martial practitioners once used to aid their cultivation.

When Lu Zheng saw the blood pools, he recalled a certain memory.

…..

"You have finally aged thirteen years and have received natural inspiration. Come with me, father will teach you the Dao to cultivate" A tall man with red hair said as he patted the shoulder of the boy before him.

The man wore a simple black cloak and had a cross-shaped scar on his forehead.

"Okay father" The boy said as he followed the man into the woods. Like his father, he also had red hair.

After walking for a while, his father stopped and activated a certain formation.

At once, the surroundings changed drastically. The trees disappeared and in their place was red earth. A blood pool was ten metres away from the man's feet and from it, an intense stench of blood diffused.

The man turned to face his son who was currently clutching his nose: "Ritian'er, do you know that the Xue [1] in our name means blood and not snow?"

The boy whose name was Xue Ritian shook his head in response as he stared fixedly at his father.

"This is because our first generation patriarch, Xue Fang [2] once discovered this very blood pool and began to cultivate blood path secretly, changing his own name.

Although blood path is ostracised by the world, it is still being researched and cultivated secretly by the major forces of this world because of its immense strength.

Now son, enter this blood pool and stay in it for a while. No matter how painful it becomes, persevere until I tell you to get out. After this, you will go to Demonic Cloud Valley and cultivate in seclusion. When you breakthrough to the Refinement realm, father will teach you lightning path. Remember not to let anyone know you cultivate blood path unless necessary. Perhaps one day, you will make our Xue Clan flourish"

[1] Xue means 'snow' or 'blood'

[2] This Xue means 'blood'