Though that was what she was thinking, her hands did not slow. She swiftly tore her clothing into strips and braided them together. In a short while, a woven rope roughly seven meters long was complete.
The reason Tang San had not resorted to stripping off his clothes was not because his mind was slower than Hu Liena's. He simply had Blue Silver Grass, and the idea of using this method had been subconsciously dismissed. But of course, he would not carelessly reveal Blue Silver Grass in front of Hu Liena. If he were known to possess both the Clear Sky Hammer and Blue Silver Grass, someone as clever as Hu Liena would inevitably grow suspicious.
"Here. Are you taking the front or the back?" Hu Liena held out one end of the rope to Tang San. On such a narrow path, having a rope connecting two people would obviously increase their safety dramatically. That was precisely why Hu Liena had stripped off her clothes.
"I'll take the front," Tang San said without hesitation. The words left his mouth almost before he had thought about it. In terms of safety, the rear position was clearly superior. But Tang San had no choice — having to constantly watch Hu Liena's dangerously alluring figure from behind would likely finish him off before the Hell Road ever could. He had no intention of letting any entanglement develop between himself and Hu Liena.
Hu Liena smiled as if she understood exactly what he was thinking. She had absolute confidence in her own charm. Due to the nature of her Martial Soul, she had begun receiving specialized seduction training from a very young age. Hu Liena asked herself — perhaps another girl might be prettier than her, but no girl could possibly be more captivating.
Each of them tied one end of the rope around their waist. Tang San glanced back at Hu Liena, only to catch her thrusting her chest forward slightly. Born with an innate sensuality, even such a small gesture sent heat surging through Tang San's chest. He quickly turned back around, drawing in his spiritual power and clearing his thoughts of distraction. "Let's go."
Watching Tang San whip his head back so quickly, Hu Liena couldn't help but laugh inwardly. So you're not entirely made of stone after all! But she quickly set aside any notion of toying with him. Her gaze turned cold, her spirit fully focused, and she followed Tang San toward the narrow path that was barely half a foot wide.
"Don't look down," Tang San cautioned Hu Liena. His pace was not fast, and each step covered an even distance. Both of them were outstanding young Soul Masters with no shortage of personal cultivation — walking this kind of path should not have been difficult under normal circumstances. Moreover, their mental fortitude was solid. So after stepping onto the narrow path, they were able to maintain a steady rhythm.
Hu Liena followed behind Tang San, the two of them separated by roughly three to four meters. She couldn't help but feel a few more degrees of admiration for this man. His even pace and stride made it far easier for Hu Liena to match his rhythm and maintain the optimal distance.
And in Tang San's heart, he too silently praised Hu Liena's intelligence. As he walked forward, whenever he stepped with his left foot, Hu Liena would invariably step with her right. This way, when Tang San's center of gravity leaned toward the left side of his body, Hu Liena's would shift to the right. If either of them lost their balance, the other could provide support based on where the center of gravity lay. Furthermore, Hu Liena kept one hand firmly gripping her end of the rope at all times, ready to exert force at a moment's notice.
Though this was their first time working together, the unspoken rapport that had formed between them allowed both to breathe a slight sigh of relief. Their spiritual power began to extend outward — neither dared release too much, maintaining their awareness within a fifty-meter radius centered on themselves. Not even the faintest rustle of wind would escape their notice.
Tang San walked at the front, his eyes slightly narrowed, the Purple Extreme Demon Eye fixed on the path ahead. The darkness in the distance posed no great problem for him, but even with the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, under this kind of lighting he could only barely make out objects about a thousand meters away. And beyond that, his vision grew blurry. His hands hung naturally at his waist, lightly resting on Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night. At this moment, he and Hu Liena were two grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If trouble arose, neither could make any large movements, or they would only hamper each other and bring about catastrophic disaster.
Maintaining this harmonious rhythm, the two slowly vanished into the dark red surroundings. The circular platform behind them had long since disappeared.
Tang San did not walk quickly, for as the one in front, he had far more to watch for than Hu Liena. At the same time, he had to maintain a certain wariness toward her. In a situation like this, he understood perfectly well that it was not only himself who held hidden cards — Hu Liena certainly did too. He simply did not know what her trump card might be. The further they progressed along this Hell Road, the greater the psychological pressure on Tang San, because he had no way of knowing whether Hu Liena might turn on him as they neared the exit. After all, one more person possessing the Slaughter God Domain would inevitably become one more threat in the future. Even if Hu Liena did not know his true identity as Tang San, the suspicions raised by the Clear Sky Hammer alone were enough for her to conclude that their relationship was far from friendly.
As they moved forward, Tang San's footsteps suddenly halted, and Hu Liena behind him stopped at almost the same instant, not overstepping by even a single step — a testament to just how focused her mind had become.
"What is it?" Hu Liena asked in a lowered voice.
Tang San spoke in a deep tone, "We've taken three hundred and sixty-four steps. Have you noticed? The air is growing warmer. And it seems this place is no longer quiet — there are sounds around us. Very faint, and still in the distance, but their target should be us. Stay on guard."
Hearing Tang San's words, Hu Liena couldn't help but feel a chill of surprise. She knew Tang San possessed considerable strength, but she had not expected his spiritual power to be this formidable. Right now, she had not sensed the sounds Tang San described, though she had noticed the change in temperature. This only proved that Tang San's spiritual power exceeded her own.
Looking at the young man in front of her who clearly could not be older than she was, Hu Liena silently nodded. She flipped both wrists, and a short sword appeared in each hand.
Tang San did not summon the Clear Sky Hammer. Hu Liena caught a faint glimpse of something in his hands — something that had appeared almost imperceptibly, catching a dim glint of light in the surrounding darkness.
Gradually, those faint sounds began to surface in Hu Liena's spiritual awareness as well. The sounds were not loud, but their frequency was remarkably fast, just as Tang San had described — those tiny noises were closing in on their position.
Suddenly, Tang San spoke with a note of urgency, "I know why it feels hotter. The blood pool below has drawn closer to us."
"What? How is that possible? We've been walking on level ground." Hu Liena glanced in surprise toward the abyss at their side. She still could not see anything — one look, and a wave of vertigo crashed over her. She quickly steadied herself and dared not look again.
Tang San said gravely, "Earlier, the blood pool below us was roughly a thousand meters away. Now that distance has shrunk to about nine hundred meters. That is why I felt the temperature change. It seems that what fills the blood pool may not be blood at all — it could be molten rock. If the temperature continues to rise as we advance, then I can almost certainly say that our final stretch of road may very well be submerged beneath that blood pool. That would be the true trial of the Hell Road."
Hearing Tang San's words, Hu Liena felt a cold dread settle in her heart. A simple analysis led her to the same conclusion.
Tang San said in a low voice, "Never mind that for now. Regardless, let's deal with the crisis in front of us first. They're here."
The humming sound grew louder and louder. In the haze, Tang San's Purple Extreme Demon Eye could make out red shadows hurtling toward them at great speed. He quickly understood why the frequency of the sound had been so high in his spiritual perception — the creatures flying toward them were not one or two, but an entire flock. A flock of at least a thousand.
As they drew near, the flying creatures finally became visible. They were blood-red bats — miniature versions of the bloody patterns that had been etched into the floor of the Hell Killing Arena. Each blood bat was roughly a foot long in body, but their massive wingspans exceeded a meter when spread wide.
A bat or two would have posed little concern. But suddenly appearing in a swarm of over a thousand, they looked like a red cloud bearing down on Tang San and Hu Liena at breakneck speed.
By now, Hu Liena's face had turned grim. She pulled her short swords up to her chest and asked in a tense voice, "What do we do?"
Tang San replied calmly, "We face whatever comes. We stand back to back."
"Fine." In a situation like this, there was no possibility of retreat for anyone. Hu Liena's body spun quickly, and she was at Tang San's back in an instant, pressing directly against him. Her prominently rounded rear happened to rest just below his own, and the sudden softness nearly cracked the iron discipline of Tang San's mind.
Sensing Tang San's subtle attempt to dodge, Hu Liena flushed slightly and eased the distance between them so they were no longer pressed as closely together. No matter how exceptional she was, she was still a woman. In this terrifying environment filled with unknown horrors, a natural sense of reliance on Tang San had quietly taken root in her heart.
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Three chapters released. Requesting monthly votes. A new month has begun — let us start a fresh battle. Little San will work hard to write this arc well, so I'm counting on you all for your monthly votes. Thank you.
(End of chapter)