Sign-In in Douluo Dalu.

Chapter 352.

"Then things will get tricky." Hu Liena cast a quick glance at Wang Feng, her eyes shining with a hint of admiration. "It's going to get even more dangerous up ahead."

With the formidable strength of White Death, Wang Wu, following behind, Hu Liena felt an unexpected sense of security. Perhaps it was due to his remarkable strength.

After discussing their strategy, the trio stepped onto the narrow path. It was cramped, resembling the edge of a cliff, yet wide enough for each of them to move with ease while maintaining a steady pace.

Though Tang San kept a wary eye on his companions, he led the way confidently, using his Purple Demon Eye to scout the distance ahead. As long as the others played by the rules, he would uphold their temporary alliance, for even he sensed the grave danger of Hell Road.

Following at the rear, Wang Feng's gaze lingered momentarily on Hu Liena as she walked ahead. From this vantage point, he couldn't help but notice her flawless figure, every curve accentuated as she moved. Such a sight might easily distract someone—anyone, but not him.

With his heightened spiritual perception, Wang Feng remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings.

The path grew increasingly ominous. Hu Liena suddenly turned her head toward him, her voice curious. 

"Wang Wu, your mask covers your entire face. How do you manage to attack so precisely, almost as if you can see everything clearly?"

Hu Liena, too, could perceive her surroundings through her mental powers, but her ability was limited compared to what she'd witnessed from him.

"Why should I tell you?"

Hu Liena, slightly taken aback, didn't know how to respond. He wasn't wrong; he had no reason to explain.

"Then, is there a particular reason you wear that mask?" she asked, probing further.

"To avoid trouble from the opposite gender because I'm too handsome."

"..."

Hu Liena fell silent, somewhat stunned by his casual reply. Even Tang San, up ahead, faltered slightly, caught off guard by the remark.

Wang Wu, the fearsome White Death, was notorious for his cold, deadly precision and his sparse, piercing words. And yet, every word he spoke carried a certain weight, often leaving people with an unexpected sense of contrast.

Tang San couldn't shake the feeling that Wang Wu's demeanor reminded him of someone. It's… somewhat like Brother Feng, he thought, momentarily startled by the resemblance.

Hu Liena found herself intrigued by this enigma. She was closer to Wang Feng than ever before, feeling an unusual calm emanating from him. His presence exuded strength, an aura so intense she almost wanted to move closer. Yet, she maintained her pace, unwilling to break the rhythm. 

Wang Feng, aware of this dynamic, knew that after tempering his body through Red Lotus Karmic Flames, he exuded a purified energy that naturally drew others to him. His body, mind, and soul were clear of impurities, a lure to those attuned to power. In the Slaughter City, he had noticed how creatures were instinctively drawn to his presence.

Despite his confident reply, Hu Liena was skeptical. After all, the young man leading them, Tang Yin, was one of the most handsome men she had ever encountered. Yet, she valued strength and character far more than looks.

They walked on in silence until Wang Feng spoke again. "Do you feel it?"

The other two stopped, exchanging glances before shaking their heads.

Seeing their confusion, Wang Feng remained quiet and resumed walking.

Moments later, Tang San muttered, "I can sense it now…"

Hu Liena, startled, frowned thoughtfully. "I feel it, too. Our path is descending, and the blood pool below is getting hotter. With every step down, the temperature rises. And soon enough, danger will find us."

She glanced from Tang San to Wang Feng, noting the order of their realizations. Wang Feng had detected the change first, even though he was at the rear with his vision obscured by a mask. His spiritual power was indeed formidable.

Tang San wasn't surprised. He'd suspected that Wang Wu's blade techniques required exceptional mental acuity, so it wasn't strange for him to be the first to notice.

Suddenly—

Swish!

A series of sharp blades shot from Wang Wu's body!

Hu Liena watched in astonishment as twenty dark, razor-–sharp blades fanned out from the White Death, hovering tens of meters around them.

Only one explanation came to mind: imminent danger.

A high-pitched screech echoed through the air. In the distance, a red spot appeared, growing rapidly as it shot toward them.

"A bat? Just one?" Hu Liena squinted, trying to identify the creature. It looked similar to the bloody bat emblem that marked the Killing Field before it erupted in crimson light.

"No," Tang San said, his voice tense. "There are many more."

The moment he spoke, the sharp cry grew louder, echoing like a storm as waves of bats materialized in a dense cloud, blocking their path forward.

Thousands of scarlet bats emerged from the blood fog, each with wingspans over a meter wide. Though one or two might be manageable, such a vast swarm posed a serious threat.

"What should we do?" Hu Liena whispered.

"For now, defend ourselves!" Tang San responded firmly.

But before they could react further, Wang Wu's calm voice cut through. "These are merely cannon fodder, not a serious attack. Keep moving and save your strength."

As his words hung in the air, Wang Wu's twenty blades whirled around them, each slicing through the air at high speed. The rapid, circular motion of his blades created a dark, protective sphere, enveloping the three of them.

The next instant—

Whirr!

Countless bats lunged toward the dark sphere, attempting to breach their defense. But the blades spun so fast, any creature daring to enter was shredded instantly, as if fed into a meat grinder.

It was a chilling sight.

Each blade spun dozens of times per second, carving through the air like an impenetrable shield. No bat could approach closer than eighty meters, their bodies torn apart mid-flight, leaving only blood and gore splattered in the air.

Tang San and Hu Liena watched in stunned silence.

An unfamiliar feeling rose in Hu Liena's heart—a feeling of being protected, as though she was truly safe.

The scene unfolding in midair was almost unreal.

Each time the scarlet bats approached the range of the black light sphere, they were instantly shredded. The sheer intensity left Tang San and Hu Liena with tingling scalps, astonished by the sharp blades formed by Wang Feng's Armored Black Thorns. Against these young, blood-colored bats, the effect was utterly brutal.

Eventually, the bats seemed to realize that charging forward was a death sentence, so they hovered about eighty meters away, shrieking at the three companions.

"Watch out for their calls!" Wang Feng warned. "Their cries produce a low-frequency wave that can disrupt your mind. Stay vigilant."

Although Wang Feng voiced his concern, Tang San and Hu Liena had already sensed it. These scarlet bats weren't ordinary creatures. They didn't resemble typical soul beasts, rather, they were strange dark bloodthirsty beings, formed in this blood-colored purgatory. They seemed to possess a cunning intelligence.

A glint appeared in Hu Liena's eyes, her pupils turning a faint pink as she focused her mental energy to resist the bats' influence. The shrill, sharp call began to shift to a deep, penetrating tone that grew stronger, intensifying the killing intent buried within their hearts, threatening to cloud their minds.

But Tang San's body was enveloped in a faint blue light, shielding him completely from the bats' influence. Soon, the blue aura expanded to –cover all three, radiating a sense of vitality that softened the bats' cries, muffling them significantly.

It's a domain!!! 

Hu Liena realized, astonished at Tang Yin's unexpected abilities. 

An innate domain? She knew of no such ability tied to the Clear Sky Hammer, which led her to suspect that Tang Yin possessed another martial soul. However, there was no time to dwell on it now.

"Stay alert. They may try to attack again," Wang Feng said, his expression tensing. "And this time, they might charge straight in."

Tang San and Hu Liena exchanged surprised glances. Charge in? How?

In the next moment, they understood.

The bats grouped tightly together, spiraling into a single massive formation, spinning as they launched themselves at the black sphere of light. Though their rotation didn't match the speed of Wang Feng's blades, their circular motion allowed them to advance. Using the bodies of their fallen companions as shields, many of the bats broke through.

The instant they breached the sphere, Tang San's gaze turned icy, and several cold flashes shot from his hands—it was his hidden weapon. Entering his Blue Silver Domain, the bats were disoriented and unable to detect the weapons, making them easy targets.

But the bats that managed to penetrate weren't to be underestimated. They clumped together, merging into a larger form that withstood the effects of Tang San's domain. His hidden weapons only struck a few at a time, and the fallen were quickly replaced by new bats, pushing the formation forward toward the trio.

Tang San's supply of hidden weapons was limited after years spent in the Slaughter City, and now, his resources were running low. Worse, he could only kill a few bats at a time, not enough to inflict lasting damage on the giant combined bat.

At that moment, Wang Feng said, "Hu Liena, use your charm to disrupt the bats' formation and keep them from merging tightly."

"Then I'll use the Clear Sky Hammer to break them apart," Tang San added. "Once scattered, they'll be unable to combine effectively!"

Hu Liena nodded. Her –charm wasn't solely a tool against men, it was a –powerful mental attack that could influence various creatures. These soundwave-reliant bats would be particularly susceptible to its effects. She needed only to disrupt their formation, allowing Tang San to break them apart with the Clear Sky Hammer. Once separated, they'd fall under the Blue Silver Domain's influence, unable to mount a coordinated assault.

A faint pink mist surrounded Hu Liena, her pupils glowing as her charm enveloped the massive bat formation. Under the influence of her mental power, the bats wavered, their tight formation loosening.

With their spirits disrupted, they could no longer maintain a unified shape.

Simultaneously, Tang San raised a massive iron hammer and hurled it forward. The loosened bats scattered instantly upon impact.

Wang Feng's gaze sharpened as he drew one of his sharp blades from the rotating black barrier, quickly slicing through the bats that fell from the formation. The remaining nineteen blades continued spinning at high speed, holding off the bats still hovering outside.

Even with just one blade in hand, Wang Feng efficiently dispatched the scattered bats, while Tang San's hidden weapons picked off any stragglers. Hundreds of bats had breached the sphere, but the three coordinated seamlessly to resist the wave of attacks.

After that fierce wave, the bats ceased their advance. They hovered in midair like a blood-red cloud, their shrill cries filling the air.

Tang San and Hu Liena let out a sigh of relief as the three of them quickly pressed forward.

But soon, Tang San came to an abrupt stop. "Their cries are growing louder!"

Hu Liena's expression darkened. Although her perception wasn't as sharp, she, too, felt something amiss.

"It's likely their leader…" Tang San said grimly.

These scarlet bats weren't weak, each –had the power of at least a few hundred years of cultivation, some even reaching thousands. The leader would surely be an ancient creature with tens of thousands of years of experience.

"These bats probably communicate in some way," Wang Feng mused. "After observing the last assault, their leader must have a better understanding of our abilities. Using the same approach might not work if we face it directly."

...…

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