Hu Liena felt as though her body were riding on clouds and mist. Looking down, she couldn't see the narrow path at all—all that filled her vision was an abyss of pitch-black darkness.
Is he insane? That was Hu Liena's only thought. But at that very moment, her body jolted as Tang San's feet touched solid ground once more. The swarm of Blood Bats had been reduced by more than a tenth. Tang San expressionlessly retracted his blue domain. This time, he didn't leave even a wisp of it outside his body, continuing to press forward at a rapid pace.
The Blood Bats had clearly been thrown into disarray by Tang San's earlier move. Though they still refused to give up, when they caught up again, they kept as much distance as they could from the pair, not daring to get too close. With that, the two of them were noticeably safer.
"Tang Yin, stop for a moment. Let me carry you on my back instead. That way you'll be better positioned to deal with the bats. If we take turns cooperating, we can minimize our expenditure as much as possible." Though being carried on Tang San's back was comfortable, Hu Liena knew that with Blood Bats chasing them from behind, both of them had to maintain peak concentration. If Tang San spent too much energy, the road ahead would only grow harder.
"Fine." Tang San didn't stand on ceremony with Hu Liena. Though the expenditure wasn't particularly heavy for him yet, since the two of them were cooperating, they should complement each other. The current enemies were better suited for Tang San to handle, while Hu Liena was the obvious choice for carrying them forward.
A leap, then a landing—Hu Liena's heart went through its own cycle of rising and falling.
The two swapped positions. Hu Liena mimicked Tang San's earlier movements, arching her back and supporting his body as she surged forward.
With the Blood Bats not daring to get too close, the wind force from their wings naturally diminished as well. Tang San took the opportunity to put away his Clear Sky Hammer. Otherwise, with Hu Liena carrying the added weight of both him and the hammer, she would have collapsed from exhaustion in no time.
Just as Tang San had estimated, the surrounding air was gradually warming, the temperature continuing its steady climb. While the Blood Bats behind them remained a threat, the waves of heat rising ceaselessly from the abyss on either side put Tang San and Hu Liena even more on guard.
"Squeak!" One of the larger Blood Bats suddenly let out a cry, and immediately after, every remaining Blood Bat began to shriek in piercing unison. The sound was excruciatingly shrill, making Tang San frown deeply.
And at that very moment, he suddenly felt Hu Liena's steps behind him slow, gradually coming to a halt.
"I'm afraid we're in trouble." Hu Liena's voice came low and grave. She straightened her back at the same time, letting Tang San's feet touch the ground.
Tang San quickly untied the rope fastened around Hu Liena's waist, turned, and looked ahead. He couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Directly in front of them on the narrow path, hanging upside down beneath it, was a creature of enormous size. Bathed in the pale red glow of the surroundings, it radiated a dark gold light of its own.
The creature's body measured over four meters in length. Two massive claws were clamped onto the narrow path, each with a diameter exceeding a meter, their sharp tips driven deep into the stone.
Amid the screeching of countless Blood Bats, a pair of enormous wings slowly unfurled from that dark gold body. The terrifying wingspan stretched a full ten meters wide. Its claws released their grip, and with a few powerful beats of those colossal wings, its massive body lifted into the air. It was, in fact, a bat of staggering size.
Its entire body was dark gold, and most terrifying of all, it had three heads. Every last Blood Bat swept through the air and gathered behind the colossal Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat.
Tang San murmured, "Beat up the little ones, and it looks like the big brother's come out."
The Clear Sky Hammer reappeared in Tang San's hand. Hu Liena drew her twin daggers. Both stood there in silence, steadily regulating their Soul Power through deep, measured breaths.
The central head of the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat let out a piercing cry, spread its terrifying wings, and lunged straight toward Tang San and Hu Liena.
Before its massive body even arrived, an incomparably violent wave of pressure slammed into them face-on. The savage gust of wind was more terrifying than every Blood Bat combined.
Tang San immediately assessed that this Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat's strength far surpassed that of an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast.
If they were able to use their Soul Skills, the two of them together should have been able to handle it without much difficulty. But right now, neither of them could deploy any abilities.
Facing a creature this massive and capable of flight, on terrain like this—they were at an enormous disadvantage.