Chapter 560: Gone Mad, All Gone Mad

"Drip, drip."

Xu Xiaoshou felt something splattering on his head and shoulders.

He looked up.

"Blood?"

The scorching blood was like lava.

In just the instant he tilted his head, it had shifted from sporadic drops to a steady stream pouring down.

From his "perception," he saw that the entire Lì Jiàn Grassland was now completely dyed red with blood.

A vast sea of blood!

"Xīn Gǔgū?"

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted as he instantly thought of something.

He had only seen this kind of blood sea summoning from one person—Xīn Gǔgū.

He turned his head toward where Xīn Gǔgū had been hiding.

Sure enough, that spot was already empty.

"This guy has made his move?"

Xu Xiaoshou raised his hand, and white flames burst around him, immediately blocking out the strange, scorching blood.

He was still in the form of Sāng Lǎo right now.

Xīn Gǔgū didn't recognize him, and if that guy went berserk, he might drag Xu Xiaoshou into it, which would be a disaster.

But clearly,

Xīn Gǔgū's attention wasn't on him at all.

"Ghost beast!"

The Red Clothes members watched as the summoned sea of blood appeared, leaping into the air in shock.

The thick, pungent stench hit them, and anyone wearing red knew what that meant.

"The big fish has taken the bait."

Lán Líng's heart tightened.

It should have been something to celebrate,

But this eerie sea of blood...

What kind of ability was this?

"People!"

"Find the people first!"

Xīn turned his head and shouted toward Lán Líng.

Just as Lán Líng was about to move, the blood sea suddenly surged like a storm.

"Blood pillars erupting!"

"Bang, bang, bang..."

One massive blood pillar after another shot up from the sea like dragons emerging, slamming into the Red Clothes members with lightning speed.

Human figures were tiny compared to these towering pillars.

Even though the Red Clothes were on guard and leaped into the air or dodged aside at the first sign of attack,

The blood pillars soared upward, as if locking onto their targets, and shifted to strike, hurling the Red Clothes high into the sky.

Then,

The tips of the blood pillars exploded, transforming into enormous hands that seized the Red Clothes and dragged them into the blood sea.

"What the hell is this!"

Xīn kicked and shattered the blood pillar under his feet, but he was caught off guard and grabbed by a blood hand.

He shook himself free with force, breaking the hand, and flew away from the danger.

But the others didn't have his strength.

Most were pulled straight into the blood sea.

Ordinary Wángzuò-level fighters couldn't break free from the blood hands' power.

Among the dozens of Red Clothes, only about a dozen could fend off this wave of attacks.

Plus those lucky ones around Lán Líng protected by the grand array.

"What kind of ability is this?"

Xīn was stunned.

He knew the abilities of the ghost beast hosts who had entered the Bǎi Kū, more or less.

But this blood sea assault didn't match the intelligence at all.

How could this be just an ordinary ghost beast?

"Ah—"

At that moment, the figures dragged into the scalding blood sea let out screams.

The Red Clothes fared a bit better.

At Wángzuò level, even in this thick, swamp-like blood sea, where struggling only made them sink deeper, they could barely hold on.

But the onlookers at Zōngshī level were corroded on the spot.

Some died, some were injured.

Those who managed to cling to life were pitifully few.

"I'll handle it."

Lán Líng reacted quickly, seizing control of the grand array from Yú Zhǐwén.

She could let the Bǎi Kū trial participants die, but only if it didn't boost the enemy's power.

Given the blood sea's capabilities, the stronger and more numerous the people who died in it,

The more its properties would enhance.

They couldn't afford to let that happen.

"Seal Heaven Array, refine!"

The grand array enveloping the entire Lì Jiàn Grassland instantly radiated intense heat.

Heavenly Dao chains condensed in the air, piercing through the void and plunging into the blood sea.

In an instant, the blood sea's temperature soared again.

Boiling bubbles burst one after another.

The rising blood water was evaporated significantly.

"Moo—"

A roar of tearing pain echoed from beneath the blood sea.

Clearly, the Heavenly Dao chains had struck the creator of the blood sea.

It was working!

Everyone in the area retreated in alarm at the roar.

The Red Clothes braced themselves.

This was the same kind of roar that came before a ghost beast transformed.

Obviously, that thing was about to emerge.

"The blood sea..."

Xu Xiaoshou watched the blood seeping down from above and shifted back while holding his junior sister.

This blood sea had divided the entire Lì Jiàn Grassland.

The sky was the Red Clothes' domain.

The middle layer was Xīn Gǔgū's chaos.

And underground...

"My world?"

Xu Xiaoshou grinned.

This was perfect!

With this thing around, no one would pay attention to the underground world.

Hiding here meant staying in the shadows, unnoticed.

"Junior sister..."

He glanced down at Mù Zǐxī.

She was burning up with a fever, as if she had swallowed a Jīnzhào fire seed—it was inexplicable.

Xu Xiaoshou considered tossing her into his Yuánfǔ space,

But he feared the storyteller hiding in the dark would see, so he just kept her close for protection.

"Let it get more chaotic, even more!"

Xu Xiaoshou relished the turmoil.

"Be careful."

Xīn had no time for Léi Shuāngxīng anymore and zipped over to Lán Líng's side.

Just as he was about to say something, Lán Líng turned to him with shock and anger.

"Wasn't I supposed to protect him? Why are you here?"

"I..."

Xīn was momentarily stunned.

Protect that blind man?

Who had time for that now?

It was obvious who was more important.

One was the Red Clothes leader controlling the grand array, the other a blind man clearly hostile to the Red Clothes...

If the ghost beast harmed Lán Líng, the whole Red Clothes effort would be wasted.

But Lán Líng was nearly furious with this bald man.

"The important one isn't me—it's 'Yǒu Sī Jiàn'!"

"If the ghost beast showed up now, it's not for anything else—it's for 'Yǒu Sī Jiàn'!"

Xīn paused, still confused.

That guy had been attacking the Red Clothes right from the start, hadn't he?

Then it hit him.

A diversion?

He whipped his head around.

And saw that the blood sea, which had been assaulting the Red Clothes, had now formed a massive vortex.

Following the roar, a enormous black-red bull horn floated up from the vortex.

"Boom!"

Before anyone could make out what was below, the vortex shattered with a blast, even tearing the void slightly.

"This?"

Léi Shuāngxīng stood in the air, his back suddenly drenched in cold sweat.

He too wanted to see what was under that slowly rising bull horn.

But...

Why had the sky suddenly darkened?

He jerked his head back.

A black-red, blood-soaked minotaur, over thirty feet tall, hovered in the air.

Blood mist billowed around it, like a demon erupting from hell. It had a bull head and body, massive like a sky-supporting giant.

But its lower body was human-like legs.

Unlike human legs, these muscular, streamlined ones—like totem carvings—one was planted firmly in the air, the other raised high, coiled with power...

Its intent was clear!

"Damn..."

Even Léi Shuāngxīng, usually calm as a still pond, was startled and almost swore.

What speed was this?

Teleportation?!

So the slow rise earlier was a feint?

No time to think.

Léi Shuāngxīng didn't even have a chance to draw his sword.

His mind only reached the point of wanting to cross Yǒu Sī Jiàn to block the kick.

But before he could act...

The next second...

The minotaur struck!

"Boom!"

The void shattered like a burst balloon.

Space fragments exploded like fireworks from the kick.

And Léi Shuāngxīng...

Deep underground, Xu Xiaoshou watched with eyes nearly popping out.

Léi Shuāngxīng was kicked straight into the space fragments?

What the hell!

"You're Xīn Gǔgū?"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly shocked.

If he hadn't once teamed up with Xīn Gǔgū to face Zhāng Tàiyíng's illusion and seen that ancient minotaur split open on his back,

He wouldn't believe the blood-soaked minotaur in the void was Xīn Gǔgū!

"A complete form?"

Xu Xiaoshou realized something.

Back then, Xīn Gǔgū had transformed into a ghost beast form,

But it was only half a bull head on his back, with the body made of ghost energy.

Now...

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the blood-soaked minotaur in the void, showing no trace of human consciousness.

Without a doubt,

This was the complete form.

Fully unleashed!

"But the gap is too huge, right? Is he throwing his life away?"

Xu Xiaoshou had never seen Xīn Gǔgū like this.

He didn't know if this was an innate ghost beast ability or a secret technique from Xū Yuè Huī Gōng.

But clearly, in this state, Xīn Gǔgū was beyond what ordinary Red Clothes could handle.

"Shuāngxīng brother..."

A soft, worried call from Luò Lěilěi reached his ears.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately thought of the storyteller.

Even now, he still wasn't making a move?

What were these big shots waiting for?

Were lives so worthless?

"Boom!"

While he pondered, space exploded several li away from Lì Jiàn Grassland.

Xu Xiaoshou focused and felt his heart sink.

Léi Shuāngxīng!

He had been hurled through the space fragments and only now was blasted back into the Bǎi Kū?

"You son of a... Xīn Gǔgū..."

Sensing Léi Shuāngxīng's completely unconscious, mangled state,

Xu Xiaoshou's gaze toward the blood-soaked minotaur turned to sheer horror.

This was insane!

Where was the fair competition?

This level of output left no room for anyone else!

Help—someone save us!

The whole scene fell silent.

Even Xīn was stunned by the sudden appearance of the minotaur and its mid-air kick.

This power...

"Form the array!"

Lán Líng was the first to react.

No matter what, with the ghost beast out, the Red Clothes had to fight to the death.

And to be honest, though this thing had an imposing presence, she...

"I've been waiting for this!"

Lán Líng's eyes went wild, her tongue flicking over her red lips as she waved her hand.

"Heavenly Dao decree, deprive!"

A massive rainbow divine light descended from the sky, instantly enveloping an area dozens of zhàng around the blood-soaked minotaur.

"Shh!"

After a faint sound,

Xu Xiaoshou was horrified to see that everything within the divine light had turned to nothingness.

Air, elements, space...

Blood sea, earth, dust...

Yes,

Pure nothingness!

When the divine light faded, it was as if everything in that range had been stripped from the Heavenly Dao.

Blackness.

Only a black void pillar remained, nothing else!

"Splash, splash..."

After a full second of stillness,

The blood sea was pulled by the black hole's suction and surged into the space fragments.

"Xīn Gǔgū, is he dead?"

Xu Xiaoshou stared in a daze.

But the next second, the blood-soaked minotaur's aura suddenly appeared where the Red Clothes were.

He missed!

Even at light speed, it dodged?

"Moo!"

A furious roar made everyone's souls feel like they were about to shatter.

The moment Xīn reacted, he saw the minotaur's powerful kick already drawn back in front of Lán Líng.

"You beast, how dare you!"

Xīn's eyes turned blood-red in an instant.

The Red Clothes were guardians.

As long as he was there, Lán Líng wouldn't die first!

He thrust his hands back against the space for leverage.

In that split second, Xīn propelled himself forward.

With a whip kick of his own, he slammed it down hard on the minotaur's massive foot.

Human body against ghost beast form!

Xīn was so short compared to the blood-soaked minotaur that he didn't even reach its ankle.

But his kick showed no hesitation.

A peak clash!

Xu Xiaoshou widened his eyes, eager to see the outcome.

At the moment their legs met...

"Boom!"

The heavens shook.

Waves of energy exploded from the impact point, layer upon layer, directly shattering and dispersing the entire blood sea!

The floating sea of blood...

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned, feeling as if his heart was floating too.

Before he could process it,

The next second brought something even more insane.

With a "boom," the space over the entire Lì Jiàn Grassland shattered like a mirror slammed to the ground.

It cracked apart!

The Bǎi Kū space couldn't withstand this peak battle's force.

Even if it was just two kicks!

It completely collapsed!

The ground was upheaved and shaken like a rug, riddled with fissures that couldn't seal.

Xu Xiaoshou was split open on the spot.

"They're all mad, completely mad."

"This is a fight? More like a nuclear war between you two!"

No time for complaints—if the Bǎi Kū was collapsing, anyone below Wángzuò level would likely die.

And for Wángzuò...

Glancing at the blood-soaked minotaur, Xu Xiaoshou sighed inwardly.

Just as he was about to dive into his Yuánfǔ regardless,

A figure suddenly appeared on the shattered horizon.

Red robes fluttering, radiating killing intent.

"Shǒu Yè?"

Xu Xiaoshou could hardly believe this supposedly dead person had shown up.

But Shǒu Yè, with his fierce expression, didn't charge at the ghost beast.

Instead, after taking a deep breath, he thrust his hands into the fractured space.

"Seal!"

With a pull of his hands,

The shattered ground mended, and the broken space was bound tight.

Darkness engulfed everything.

A Wángzuò domain replaced this space, covering it all.

"Lán Líng, protect the space!"

Shǒu Yè roared.

Lán Líng's flung body finally halted in mid-air.

Xīn was too strong!

His kick had yanked the minotaur's massive foot downward, deflecting its attack.

But even with the grand array's protection, such a physical peak clash wasn't something an ordinary Wángzuò could endure.

Lán Líng was just a grandmaster of spirit arrays.

Being up close meant death.

Surviving now was sheer luck.

"Huff."

She exhaled, ignoring her racing heart.

Lán Líng realized she had underestimated this ghost beast.

This wasn't an ordinary one.

"From Xū Yuè Huī Gōng, huh..."

Lán Líng formed seals, and outside the dark domain, the Seal Heaven Array tightly locked down this space.

"Yǒu Sī Jiàn!"

After finishing, she called out loudly: "Shǒu Yè, Hēi Míng, find 'Yǒu Sī Jiàn' first, then..."

She stopped abruptly.

Lán Líng stared in shock at the blood-soaked minotaur, which had separated from Xīn after the strike, her expression turning to terror.