Yang Kai broke into a cold sweat. The wind blew over him, chilling his entire body, and he turned his head to glare at Qu Huashang. "Are you insane? You couldn't even give me a heads-up?"
Qu Huashang gazed at Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes full of wonder. "Junior Brother Yang, your blood... is golden?"
Under normal circumstances, no one would be able to tell — not unless Yang Kai was injured. But now, with the Blood Illumination Scripture activated and a haze of blood mist shrouding his body, the difference between him and everyone else was immediately revealed.
Qu Huashang tilted her head and sniffed like a dog, her delicate brows furrowing. "The aura of a Sacred Spirit?" She stared at Yang Kai in shock. "Junior Brother, do you have Sacred Spirit bloodline? Are you from the Demon Race?"
Yang Kai said irritably, "Demon Race my foot!"
Qu Huashang put on an innocent look. "Junior Brother, are you angry?" Her eyes blinked at him, wide and sparkling.
Yang Kai was about to be driven to the brink. He kept his face stern and said, "No." He pulled his arm free from her embrace and carefully examined the blood lake, sensing the flow of the crimson water beneath his feet.
Before long, he discovered the secret of it. The blood water in this lake appeared calm, without the slightest ripple, but in truth it was shifting ceaselessly. The changes were simply too subtle for anyone to detect — only by standing on the surface of the lake could one feel them.
These shifts produced a peculiar tugging force from the lake, drawing one involuntarily downward. Only by circulating the Great Extension Indestructible Blood Illumination Scripture could one resist this pull and walk across the lake's surface as though it were solid ground.
Having realized this, Yang Kai understood immediately. The Blood Illumination Scripture inscribed on that stone stele was indeed the key to passing this trial. As long as one could steady one's mind and keep the Blood Illumination Scripture circulating at all times, there would be no danger to one's life. Reaching the first island would be effortless.
Those martial artists who had fallen into the lake and perished midway had either failed to grasp the mysteries of the Blood Illumination Scripture, or had panicked and faltered under pressure, which was why they had lost their lives here.
This first trial was not difficult at all!
With renewed confidence, Yang Kai stepped forward. Sure enough, as long as he maintained the circulation of the Blood Illumination Scripture, he could walk safely across the blood lake.
After only a few steps, he turned his head and looked back at Qu Huashang, who was still standing rooted in place like an idiot. "Why are you just standing there?"
Qu Huashang looked at him with a pitiful expression. "I was wrong. Junior Brother, don't be angry, okay?"
Yang Kai said, exasperated, "I'm not angry."
Qu Huashang said in a melancholy voice, "That look on your face says otherwise. Sigh, it seems Junior Brother doesn't want to forgive me. In that case, there's no point in Senior Sister living any longer — might as well just die."
As she spoke, the blood mist around her body actually began to dissipate of its own accord.
Yang Kai's face went pale with alarm. "Senior Sister Qu, stop joking around!"
He reached out to grab her, but Qu Huashang giggled, flicked her sleeve, and a silk ribbon顺势 wound itself around Yang Kai's arm. In the next instant, her graceful figure pirouetted like a butterfly in flight, spinning around and crashing into Yang Kai's chest. She looked up at him, her luminous eyes brimming with emotion, and breathed out a fragrant whisper: "I knew Junior Brother couldn't bear to stay angry."
"Crazy woman!" Yang Kai cursed through gritted teeth. "Is this really the place to be messing around?"
"I said I was wrong..." Qu Huashang wriggled her body against him.
Yang Kai immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. With this soft, fragrant beauty pressed into his arms, squirming about — a gorgeous woman so close he could barely think straight, his mouth went dry and his thoughts scattered.
He quickly gripped her shoulders and pushed her back a bit, putting on a serious expression. "Senior Sister Qu, be serious!"
Last time he had encountered her in the Taixu Realm, she hadn't been nearly this brazen. He had no idea what had gotten into her today — it was more than he could handle.
Qu Huashang's face turned cold, and she glared at him. "So Junior Brother doesn't think I'm a proper woman?"
Was there even any reasoning with her? Yang Kai was about to explain when Qu Huashang stamped her foot. "Since Junior Brother feels that way, then Senior Sister won't bother you anymore. Hmph!"
She spun around, her flowing hair sweeping across Yang Kai's cheek, and strode forward.
Yang Kai stood there, stunned. This woman's heart was as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea. He simply couldn't figure her out.
The two of them, putting on quite the spectacle on the blood lake — acting like a pair of illicit lovers engaged in flirtatious banter — drew sidelong glances from numerous martial artists. Now that they saw Qu Huashang abandoning Yang Kai and marching off, every last one of them was secretly cheering.
Qu Huashang moved with extraordinary speed. In less than a moment, she had already set foot on the first island. Yang Kai stood frozen for a moment, then followed close behind.
This first trial held no great difficulty. As long as one could maintain the circulation of the Blood Illumination Scripture, one could withstand the pulling force emanating from the blood lake.
A short while later, Yang Kai also reached the first island. The instant his feet touched solid ground, three circular platforms materialized before him. Each platform was enveloped in a curtain of light, and upon each sat a single demon beast inner core.
Yang Kai tried to probe them with his Divine Sense, only to discover that he could not perceive what lay within at all. He couldn't even discern the elemental attributes of these inner cores.
It seemed that the Blood Demon Divine Lord had never intended for anyone to have a basis for judgment. What reward one received upon reaching this place was entirely a matter of luck.
Yang Kai casually reached toward one of the platforms. The barrier of light offered no resistance whatsoever. When he withdrew his hand, an earth-attribute inner core now rested in his palm. The moment he obtained it, all three circular platforms sank back into the ground and vanished without a trace.