Chapter 571: Blood Abyss Demon Sect (Part 2)
“Yes,” another girl said enviously, “After my brother became a handyman apprentice last year, he came back looking much better, and even his back was straight.”
Stepping out of the Blood Nest gate, one is greeted by a vast expanse of gray-brown land.
The blood fields stretched as far as the eye could see, but the soil was dry and hard, making it extremely difficult to cultivate.
The wind, carrying the smell of dust and excrement, blew in my face, with the raw, unpleasant feeling unique to the early morning.
In the distance, one could hear the deep roars of monsters, while nearby, there were sporadic sounds of farm tools clashing and people coughing in silence.
The boy walked faster, crossing several dirt roads, and arrived at an open space on the outskirts of the Blood Nest.
A number of people around his age had already gathered there; some were carrying hoes, some were ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) carrying sacks, and some were muttering something to themselves.
A thin young man leaned against a tree, gnawing on a blackened potato pancake, and mumbled, "Have you heard? Last month, another group of handymen disciples died at that Blood Nest to the east. They said they messed up their training."
A girl with a headscarf next to her chimed in, her voice low: "I heard he was caught slacking off, so they drained him and threw him out."
The other young man's voice was even lower, filled with barely concealed fear: "If I don't pass the menial labor assessment this year, I'll have to start bleeding myself dry next year."
The people around were silent for a moment. The girl with the headscarf gritted her teeth and said, "Then you should practice more, sleep less, and swing the stick more."
As she spoke, she gripped the hoe tightly herself.
As Ashi passed by them, he didn't stop. He just wanted to get to the fields as soon as possible, finish his work quickly, and come back soon.
After walking for another half hour, I arrived at the blood field I was responsible for.
In the neighboring field, a young girl named Xiaohe was working with her father.
Xiaohe's father's back was bent like a bow, and he had to pant several times every time he swung the hoe.
He had been drawing blood from people for years and was already on his deathbed. He was only able to keep going because Ah Shi would come to help him from time to time.
"Xiao He, let your dad rest for a while, I'll do it." A Shi walked over and took the hoe from Xiao He's father.
“Stone...” Xiaohe’s father raised his head, his cloudy eyes filled with gratitude, his lips trembling, but he could not speak.
The three worked in silence. The weeds in the blood field grew rapidly and had to be cleared almost every day, otherwise they would steal the nutrients from the blood wheat.
Ah Shi wielded his hoe with swift, deft movements, digging out the weeds by the roots.
Xiaohe piled the weeds she had dug up onto the edge of the field, while her father sat by the field, sorting through the dug potatoes with trembling hands.
As the sun rose higher, the temperature in the blood field also increased.
Ashi's clothes were soaked with sweat, but he did not stop. He looked at this land that had devoured the blood and sweat of countless people, and the hatred in his heart grew wildly like weeds.
Around noon, the girl took out two ceramic bowls and something wrapped in gray cloth from her basket.
She lifted the cloth, revealing two roasted sweet potatoes, golden brown and still steaming.
"Here you go, Brother Stone." She handed him a piece. "I secretly baked an extra one this morning. There are still some at home."
Ashi didn't refuse, took it and took a bite. The potato had a rough texture, but it carried a comforting warmth.
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said softly, "Delicious."
The girl lowered her head and continued eating, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
After finishing their work, the three of them packed up their tools and walked back along the dirt road between the blood fields.
The setting sun cast long shadows of them, and people walked back one after another along the roadside. Some carried empty baskets, some carried hoes, and some dragged bundles of grass, their steps heavy.
No one spoke, as if they had exhausted all their strength in the field.
The outline of the Blood Nest gradually became clear in the twilight, and the gray-black earthen walls were indistinguishable in the twilight light.
Just as they reached the vicinity of the Blood Nest's gate, a rapid sound of animal hooves suddenly came from behind them.
"Da da da!"
A dark red monster rushed through the gate, carrying a man in dark red leather armor on its back. The man held a black command flag with a ferocious blood-red eye embroidered on it.
The man's face was contorted with fanaticism as he reined in the beast and roared with all his might.
"The Sect Master has decreed! The Holy War begins immediately! We will wage war against the evil Nightmare Plane! All Blood Claw Camp and outer sect disciples must assemble at the front lines within one month! Those who are late, desert, or slack off will have their life essence drained and fed to the Blood Abyss Demon Eye!"
The sound was like a thunderclap, exploding above the heads of every mortal.
"Clang!"
The hoe in Ashi's hand fell heavily to the ground.
...
Hangu Pass, the portal.
As the dark purple light curtain rippled out like water, Lin Feng's figure stepped out from the light.
He had barely settled in when he discovered that Jiang Zhaoyue, Jiang Yelan, Zhou Guosheng, Isabella, and others were still guarding the place.
Clearly, no one left during the time he was inside the portal.
Seeing that Lin Feng was safe and sound, everyone immediately came to greet him.
Jiang Zhaoyue breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her expression remained grave: "Lord, what's the situation on the other side?"
Jiang Yelan asked softly, "Are you alright?"
Zhou Guosheng and Isabella gathered around, their eyes full of concern and inquiry.
Lin Feng felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at the concerned expressions on everyone's faces.
He waved his hand to reassure everyone: "I'm fine, but the situation is rather complicated. Let's go to the council hall first, gather all the core members, and I'll announce something."
After saying that, he leaped up and flew towards the second floor of the council hall.
Back on the second floor, he first used the territory's core to formally bring the teleportation portal into the Great Wall's defensive range.
After doing all this, he turned and went downstairs, entered the council hall on the first floor, sat down in the main seat, and waited for everyone to arrive.
Ten minutes later, the core members arrived one after another.
The hall was completely silent, and all eyes were on Lin Feng, who sat in the main seat.
Lin Feng's gaze swept over everyone: "I have some bad news for you all. We're most likely going to war again, and this time, the losses may be unprecedented."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the hall instantly changed.
Zhou Guosheng frowned, Jiang Yelan's eyes sharpened, and Jiang Zhaoyue sat up straight, her fingers unconsciously pressing on the shaft of the Silver Moon Heavenly Spear.
The group exchanged glances, all seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.
Lin Feng didn't keep anyone in suspense and summarized the key information in "Tongxin Huiyin" in just a few words.
"Our enemies are the Eastern race, with black hair and black eyes, and the same yellow race as us. Their cultivation system is different from ours. Those above level 50 are called 'Broken Void', and their strength is extremely powerful."
As the Nightmare Baron, I have a duty to resist their invasion under the leadership of the Eternal Night Viscount.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "According to the information I have received, the enemy we are facing in this star field is called the 'Blood Demon Sect.' This sect has many branch sects, and the one we are about to face is most likely one of them."