Chapter 304: Blood Abyss
The blood-red sun hung like a massive fireball overhead, emitting stifling heat and blinding light, yet it failed to dispel the gloom that enveloped the entire sky.
Jagged black mountains stretched into the distance, appearing to cradle flocks of birds soaring above them.
The wind howled past, causing millstone-sized rocks to rumble and roll, sending gusts of sand swirling in its wake.
Su Nan stood on a protruding slope, gazing at the wasteland before him.
This was Blood Abyss.
The most chaotic place in the entire Multiverse, where slaughter and battles erupted at all times.
The demons born in Blood Abyss killed each other from the moment of their birth, devouring the souls of their own kind to nourish their evolution and gain greater power.
"The Law here is indeed chaotic."
Su Nan focused his senses on the surrounding Plane Law.
The moment he stepped into Blood Abyss, he felt the extreme chaos that permeated this place.
The same Plane Law here was more disordered, violent, and intertwined than in any other Plane.
It was as if many laws were tangled together in a chaotic mess, making the task of extracting usable Law Power akin to pulling silk from a cocoon.
"Even if a deity or a true spirit wizard came here, their combat power would be reduced by 20 to 30 percent for no apparent reason."
Su Nan sighed.
No wonder no one was willing to venture into Blood Abyss.
Only a few deities of the evil faction—such as the Spider Queen—would recruit demons from Blood Abyss as petitioners.
Regaining his focus, Su Nan casually chose a direction and flew aimlessly across the wasteland.
Blood Abyss was the nexus of all chaos, the place where coincidences and accidents occurred and culminated.
The chaos here was reflected not only in the erratic habits of the demons but also in the climate, time, and even the environmental conditions of the Plane.
The terrain here was constantly changing; there were no fixed reference points, and maps were rendered useless.
Thus, without a demon to guide him, finding a specific location in Blood Abyss would rely purely on luck.
So Su Nan's current goal was to find a 'Guide.'
"Caw caw!"
A piercing screech suddenly echoed from afar.
Su Nan narrowed his gaze and saw several ferocious monsters flying toward him.
They were a type of demon that, at first glance, resembled birds, but upon closer inspection appeared to be a mix of vultures and humans, with well-defined muscles and enormous gray wings.
They had the head of a vulture and thick, long necks.
"Hawk Head Demon," Su Nan said, instantly recognizing this type of creature.
Hawk Head Demons were low-level demons, quite common in the Blood Abyss.
Su Nan shook his head slightly, feeling a bit disappointed. Low-level demons were not good candidates for communication.
Unless they had been tamed by a high-level demon and were used as servants, most low-level demons were fixated solely on killing and eating, behaving even more beast-like than actual beasts.
The combat ability of the Hawk Head Demon was only slightly better than that of a Second Level Wizard Apprentice. Su Nan didn't even need to cast a spell; he simply flicked his finger, unleashing a bolt of lightning that caused the heads of three Hawk Head Demons to explode, their headless bodies wobbling in mid-air before plummeting to the ground.
Without even glancing at the corpses, Su Nan continued to fly forward. At the same time, he expanded his Spirit perception to search for signs of life nearby.
Having grasped Gravity and Law, Su Nan discovered that his Spirit perception was much sharper than before and the range was significantly wider.
Originally, when he released his Spirit perception, it was like dropping a stone into water, with resistance increasing the further it extended.
But now, his released Spirit perception felt like moving through air, allowing it to reach an impressive distance.
Su Nan speculated that this improvement was due to his mastery of the Law and his deeper understanding of Plane Origin, which diminished the 'rejection' he experienced from the Plane.
With his current Spiritual Power, he could cover a radius of four to five hundred kilometers, accurately pinpointing life forms and roughly assessing their strength levels using their Energy aura.
"If that's the case, once I achieve deeper control over the Law, will I be able to sense the life aura of the entire Plane with just a thought?"
Su Nan was suddenly struck by this fanciful idea.
This assumption was not necessarily far-fetched.
Although he wasn’t entirely clear about the specific advancement path after becoming a True Spirit Wizard, he had heard vague whispers that it seemed related to Plane Will.
Plane Will could be considered the core and master of the Plane, controlling everything within it.
Investigating the aura of Life was merely a trivial matter for Plane Will.
If he could harness Plane Will, perhaps with a single thought, he could deprive any living being of their life, even from thousands of miles away!
However, that was a distant prospect. His primary goal at present was to first advance to True Spirit Wizard.
Shaking his head, Su Nan gathered his thoughts and continued on his journey.
Before long, he spotted his target.
On the barren wasteland, two groups of demons were engaged in a fierce battle.
One side consisted of more than thirty half-human, half-horse monsters, known as Iron Knight Demons.
These creatures boasted sturdy equine bodies paired with sickly human arms and faces.
Their upper bodies were pale and fleshy, oozing pus, with thick horns protruding from their foreheads. They donned complex suits of full-body armor, with tufts of short, stiff hair visible in the gaps. They radiated a violent and ferocious aura, making it clear they were not to be trifled with.
Su Nan raised an eyebrow. Iron Knight Demons were born for battle and, even among the combative demons, were notorious as berserkers.
Typically, Iron Knight Demons possessed combat power at the Legendary Knight level, making them a preferred heavy cavalry force for many Demon Lords.
Their opponents at this moment were a diverse group of over one hundred demons.
Su Nan quickly assessed them and recognized several types, including Ape Demons, Giant Bull Demons, Evil Spirit Demons, and Giant Skull Demons.
What surprised him most was that the leader of this group was actually a Succubus.
She stood at the rear of the battlefield, her large black bat wings folded tightly around her upper body, almost as if shielding herself from the sun, revealing only her alluring and beautiful face.
The graceful curves of her waist and back were particularly eye-catching, and her exposed thighs were full and rounded, featuring smooth, flawless skin.
A fiery red tail tip, shaped like the end of a whip, peeked out from beneath her wings, nestled against her inner thigh, further highlighting the milky white jade of her skin.
In her hand, she wielded a long, crimson whip. With a flick of her wrist, a streak of black flames erupted from the whip, and with a sharp crack, it soared hundreds of meters in an instant, striking an Ironclad Demon and causing it to howl in agony.
Although the succubus side had greater numbers, their individual strength was significantly inferior to that of the Ironclad Demons. As time passed, they inevitably began to lose ground.
Su Nan observed from the sidelines for a while, until the succubus side's demons were suffering heavy casualties and on the verge of being completely slaughtered. At last, he dispelled his Invisibility Technique and revealed himself.
The sudden appearance of a figure startled both sides of demons.
Before they could react, a brilliant silver light flashed through the air, instantly piercing the heads of all the Ironclad Demons.
In the blink of an eye, more than twenty Ironclad Demons fell silently to the ground, their bodies lifeless.
This scene left the demons who had barely escaped with their lives utterly stunned.
After a moment, the surviving demons seemed to finally come to their senses and began chattering loudly.
One Ape Demon even glared at Su Nan with hostility, itching to attack.
Noticing this, Su Nan smiled wryly, unfazed.
It was common knowledge that demons were naturally chaotic. They understood how terrifying it was to effortlessly kill more than twenty Ironclad Demons, and attacking such a being would be suicidal.
Yet, even with this knowledge, they could not suppress their murderous instincts.
Fortunately, among the surviving demons, there was still one rational being.
Snap!
The succubus raised her hand and cracked her whip in the air.
"Quiet," she commanded loudly.
The restless demons immediately quieted down, looking at the succubus with fearful eyes.
Su Nan nodded inwardly, appreciating her authority.
This was why he had chosen to help the succubus side.
Although the succubi were not high-ranking demons in the Blood Abyss, they were excellent at communication.
Their combat abilities were not strong, so they could only survive in the Blood Abyss by flattering and pleasing the higher-ranking demons.
Because of this, the Succubus disliked meaningless slaughter. They preferred to use their exquisite beauty and charm to bewitch their opponents, luring their targets to ruin.
Compared to other Demons who were solely focused on killing, the Succubus was undoubtedly a more suitable guide.
Su Nan guessed that these Demons likely came from some Demon Lord's domain.
The life aura of the Succubus before him wasn't strong. The fact that she could suppress these Demons and instill such fear in them was likely due to the authority she held from the Demon Lord.
After calming her Demonic subordinates, the Succubus immediately put on a charming smile. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Su Nan and said with a sweet laugh, "Thank you, esteemed Wizard, for your assistance. Is there anything we can do to repay your kindness?"
Succubi are experts in manipulating Spirit and Illusion, and their perception is far more acute than that of low-level Demons.
From the very first moment she saw Su Nan, she sensed the unique aura of a Wizard emanating from him.
Even in the blood-soaked Blood Abyss, Wizards are among those who should not be provoked easily.
One could only wonder which power backed a Wizard who ventured into the Blood Abyss. Not to mention, Wizards themselves possess formidable power.
Even a powerful entity like a Demon Lord would think twice before casually provoking a Wizard, unless their interests were unaffected.
"I need to reach Blood River. I happen to be short a guide," Su Nan stated directly.
With his strength, there was no need for him to engage in idle pleasantries with the Succubus.
"That’s simple," the Succubus replied, giving him a flirtatious wink. "The path we’re taking passes right by Blood River, so esteemed Wizard, you can travel with us."
Su Nan remained indifferent to the Succubus's seduction. With a flip of his wrist, a Small Soul Crystal instantly appeared in his palm.
The brilliant, radiant light and dense Soul aura immediately captured the attention of all the Demons.
These low-level Demons displayed undisguised greed in their eyes, itching to move. If not for the Succubus's suppression, they would have rushed forward to snatch it long ago.
"This is your reward for guiding me," Su Nan said.
Although it was just a Small Soul Crystal, it was still considered quite precious to mid- and low-level Demons.
However, the Succubus did not show the slightest hint of joy. Instead, her gaze flickered slightly.
Wizards are renowned for adhering to the principle of equivalent exchange.
The wizard before him definitely wouldn't offer a Soul Crystal as a reward without stringent conditions attached.
Sure enough, Su Nan then calmly said, "Let's sign a Soul Contract."
He was not foolish enough to trust the words of a demon. Even though this one was a Succubus and appeared quite sensible, he still remained on guard. Who could say if she would lead him into the territory of a Demon Lord or a Greater Demon, using him as an easy meal?
To be safe, signing a Soul Contract was the better option.
Under Su Nan's gaze, the Succubus quickly regained her composure and giggled charmingly, "Okay, I'll listen to the wizard, my lord."
The two swiftly signed the Soul Contract, which stipulated that the Succubus would assist Su Nan in locating the Blood River and would not cause him any harm. In return, she would receive a Soul Crystal as her reward.
Once the contract was completed, the atmosphere relaxed immediately.
Without delay, the group of demons set off.
The Succubus approached Su Nan, her soft body leaning close, and a rich, seductive fragrance enveloped him instantly.
"What are you going to do at the Blood River, my lord?" she purred.
Su Nan's expression remained unchanged. "Sightseeing."
The Succubus's expression froze, and the corners of her mouth twitched. The Blood River was far from a pleasant place. Not only did it gather a large number of Evil Souls, but its waters also had the power to corrode the physical body and consume the soul. Even a demon would not dare to approach.
How strange would someone have to be to visit there for sightseeing? Clearly, this was just a way to deceive her.
Observing that Su Nan had no intention of elaborating, the Succubus wisely shifted the topic and chatted with him about other matters with a smile.
Su Nan was pleased with this and subtly inquired about the recent happenings in the Blood Abyss, using it as an opportunity to expand his knowledge.
Time passed quickly in conversation.
During this time, the direction of travel for the group of demons shifted suddenly left, then right, weaving back and forth. At one point, they even made a sharp ninety-degree turn.
Logically speaking, this was the Great Plain. Although there were some mountains and deep pits, they shouldn’t have posed any obstacles. They shouldn’t have had to walk like this.
However, this was the unique way the local creatures of the Blood Abyss navigated.
The chaos of the Blood Abyss granted the local creatures, including demons, the ability to sense direction—something outsiders lacked.
Every year, many outsiders rashly entered the Blood Abyss, but without a local creature to guide them, they eventually got lost in the Wilderness and perished from starvation or thirst.
Even if they brought enough food and water, they would succumb to exhaustion under the relentless attacks of demons.
Among them were not a few experts at the Wizard level.
After traversing the scorching and desolate wasteland for about ten hours, constantly changing directions, Su Nan finally reached their destination.
Under the gloomy sky, the winding and endless River of Blood stretched across the Wilderness like a knife slashing through the vast expanse, its blood flowing out to the edge of the horizon.
The blood-red river moved slowly, its pace unchanged over thousands of years. Thousands upon thousands of ghosts floated in the waves, opening their mouths in silent, shrill cries, only to be swallowed by the next wave.
"That is the Blood River," the Succubus said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the blood-colored river, filled with apprehension and a trace of fear.
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