Chapter 1356: The emerging Blood Realm
Chapter 1356: The emerging Blood Realm
The old man returned his attention to the surrounding conversations.
"...I heard they have people who can fight against Fourth Shackle Realm experts!"
"Fourth Shackle Realm? Are you serious? That’s not something an ordinary force can afford to send around!"
"That’s why I’m telling you they’re dangerous! If they can send so many powerful people into this region, who knows what kind of backing they have?"
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly.
A force capable of deploying numerous experts across several territories was certainly not something that could be dismissed as an ordinary group of invaders.
More importantly, the rumors surrounding them were suspicious.
He had lived long enough to understand that whenever a new force appeared and began expanding its influence, those who stood to lose their territory would naturally try to discredit it.
But whether these rumors were entirely fabricated was another matter.
"Grandpa, are those people bad?" the girl asked innocently.
The old man looked down at her and smiled.
"Who knows? We shouldn’t judge someone based on what other people say."
He gently stroked her head before taking another sip of his drink.
"Let’s listen a little longer. I want to know more about this Blood Realm."
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Black Dream River, the water suddenly began to churn.
A massive whirlpool formed in the middle of the river, dragging everything nearby toward its center. Bubbles rose rapidly to the surface as an immense presence emerged from the depths.
Splash!!
A figure slowly rose from the water.
It was a humanoid creature standing roughly two meters tall. Its skin was blue, and a pair of sharp, pointed ears protruded from the sides of its head. A Monster Orb rested prominently on its forehead, glowing with a faint crimson light. Its fingers were connected by thin layers of webbed flesh, an adaptation that allowed it to move swiftly through the water.
In its right hand was a trident.
The weapon was entirely red, its three prongs gleaming with a sinister radiance. It was a Red-grade weapon, and the energy radiating from it was enough to make the surrounding water tremble.
This creature was Goktobas, a Dark Oracle of the Blood Realm. A Sea Goblin called Aqua Revenant Hob.
He stood above the surface of the Black Dream River, his expression calm as he looked toward the distant shore.
However, he wasn’t alone.
Behind him, the water erupted as countless monsters emerged from the depths. Some had enormous shells, others possessed multiple heads and rows of razor-sharp teeth, while a few resembled massive serpents with bodies stretching dozens of meters. There were thousands of them, and every single one followed Goktobas without question.
They were the monsters he had subdued during his time in the Black Dream River.
Goktobas glanced at the enormous army behind him before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"Monsters are generally simple creatures..."
He raised his trident slightly, causing the red glow along its prongs to intensify.
"Show them your strength, and they’ll either submit or die. There’s no need for complicated negotiations or endless discussions. The moment they realize you’re stronger, most will gladly acknowledge you as their king."
He remembered the countless monsters he had encountered beneath the river. Some had initially challenged him, refusing to accept an outsider as their ruler. Others had attempted to flee or gather their forces to resist him.
But the results had always been the same.
Those who submitted were allowed to live. Those who refused were slaughtered.
Even the Fifth Stage monsters lurking in the depths had been no exception. Several of them had refused to acknowledge his authority, believing themselves powerful enough to challenge him. Goktobas had personally hunted them down and killed them, leaving their territories without a single creature capable of opposing him.
It had been a straightforward process.
After all, strength was the only language most monsters understood.
"Well, my role here is done."
Goktobas looked at the vast army behind him. The monsters had gathered under his command, and the Black Dream River was now firmly under his control.
He had fulfilled the task assigned to him.
As for what happened afterward, it no longer concerned him.
"I won’t participate in the schemes of those demis. Let them fight among themselves over their little territories. I have no interest in wasting my time on their petty ambitions. I only follow the Emperor."
He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.
The water beneath his feet began to ripple, and the thousands of monsters behind him followed as he moved toward the shore.
The Black Dream River had a new ruler.
...
A few days had passed.
The battlefield between the Blood Realm, Dreambone Kingdom, and Sleepless Kingdom had become a place of constant slaughter.
The once-peaceful landscape had been reduced to a wasteland. The ground was riddled with enormous craters, deep trenches, and countless fissures. Mountains in the distance had been partially flattened, while several rivers had been diverted by the sheer destructive force of the battles. Thick clouds of dust and smoke lingered over the battlefield, occasionally illuminated by flashes of brilliant light.
Compared to the previous few days, the fighting had become somewhat less intense. The major forces had suffered considerable losses, and neither side seemed willing to recklessly throw away more of their experts.
However, that didn’t mean the battlefield was quiet.
Hundreds of figures were still flying through the air, their auras colliding violently as they exchanged attacks. Most of them belonged to the Solidifying Realm and First Shackle Realm. Their movements were so fast that ordinary creatures could barely follow them.
Boom!!
A massive fireball descended from the sky and exploded in the middle of the battlefield. The resulting flames spread across several hundred meters, swallowing everything in their path.
Before the smoke could settle, a streak of lightning tore through the air.
Crackle!!
A figure covered in blue lightning shot forward, leaving a trail of sparks behind him. He raised his arm and unleashed a lightning spear toward an enemy flying in the distance.
The opposing expert reacted quickly, summoning a thick earthen wall to block the attack. However, the lightning spear pierced straight through it and struck his chest.
Boom!!
The man’s body was sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating a deep crater.
Elsewhere, several experts were fighting in midair. One summoned dozens of enormous wind blades, while another manipulated water into countless sharp spears. The two attacks collided, producing a deafening explosion that sent turbulent currents sweeping across the battlefield.
Fire, lightning, wind, earth, and other elements constantly clashed against one another.
Every few seconds, another explosion illuminated the sky.
The soldiers and experts of the Blood Realm fought against the combined forces of the Dreambone Kingdom and Sleepless Kingdom. Despite being outnumbered in certain areas, they managed to hold their ground through coordinated attacks and the strength of their individual experts.
Some fought in groups, surrounding powerful enemies and overwhelming them with successive attacks. Others engaged their opponents alone, relying on their superior cultivation and combat experience.
The battlefield was chaotic, but it wasn’t without order.
Behind the frontlines, reinforcements were constantly arriving. Injured fighters were carried away, while new squads moved forward to replace those who had fallen. Healers and support personnel worked tirelessly to keep the forces from collapsing.
Even though the fighting had slowed compared to the previous days, nobody could afford to relax.
A moment of carelessness could mean death.
And above the ruined landscape, hundreds of experts continued to collide, turning the sky into a storm of flames, lightning, and countless other destructive elements.
At the defensive line of the Blood Realm, located along the border between the Valley of Ohrn and Ironwood Ridge, the atmosphere was considerably different from the battlefield.
Several fortresses and temporary military camps had been established across the region. Tall defensive walls surrounded the most important positions, while watchtowers stood at regular intervals. Soldiers patrolled the perimeter, keeping a close eye on the distant horizon in case the enemy launched another assault.
Inside one of the military camps, dozens of injured fighters were lying on the ground.
Some had their entire bodies wrapped in bandages, while others were missing limbs or had deep wounds that exposed their flesh and bones. A few were unconscious, their breathing weak and irregular. The smell of blood and medicinal herbs lingered heavily in the air.
"Hold still! The wound hasn’t closed yet!"
"Bring me another bottle of healing potion!"
"He’s losing too much blood! Someone help me stabilize his condition!"
The healers were moving frantically between the injured fighters. Some channeled their energy into the patients’ bodies, using their abilities to accelerate the healing process. Others relied on medicinal potions and special equipment to treat wounds that couldn’t be easily healed.
There were simply too many injured people.
Even with the support of the Blood Realm’s healers, treating everyone was a difficult task. Those with minor injuries were given basic treatment before being sent to the rear. Meanwhile, the more seriously injured fighters were kept under constant observation.