The perfect-level movement Martial Skill Swallow Shadow Drift can create twelve illusions. If the major-completion level Swallow Shadow Drift is twenty meters per second, then the perfect-level Swallow Shadow Drift is thirty meters per second. It's incredibly fast.
With Swallow Shadow Drift, going to the Blood River this time will be guaranteed.
"Let's go to the Blood River! Quite a few people should have gone there by now," Zhang Hao said.
After Ye Qingrou gave instructions to the people of the Zhang Family Team, Zhang Hao and Ye Qingrou hurried towards the Blood River. At this moment, the area in front of the Blood River was already filled with people. They were all from various small families. However, people from the Wang Family and Li Family were nowhere to be seen. Zhang Hao and Ye Qingrou hid themselves in the crowd. No one noticed them for the time being, and Zhang Hao and Ye Qingrou were happy to relax.
The Blood River truly lives up to its name.
The entire Blood River is filled with blood, which is corrosive. Due to unknown dangers, no Martial Warriors have crossed it yet.
Zhang Hao observed for a moment. There was only one iron chain crossing the Blood River. Every ten meters, it connected to a stone pier. Next to each stone pier was a ball of light. This river had ten stone piers, meaning to reach the other side of the river, one had to cross ten stone piers.
"What's inside this ball of light?" Zhang Hao asked, feeling a bit curious.
Ye Qingrou glanced at Zhang Hao and said, "This ball of light is the reward for those who cross. As long as you cross a stone pier and then break that ball of light, you can get the treasure inside."
Zhang Hao nodded slightly and said, "That's quite fair then."
"I wonder. What kind of reward will there be upon reaching the other side of the river?" Zhang Hao murmured.
"Hehe, reaching the other side of the river is easier said than done. However, two hundred years ago, an ancestor of our Zhang Family reached the other side of the river and is said to have obtained a divine artifact for refining."
"A divine artifact for refining?" Zhang Hao became curious.
"Yes, that divine artifact for refining is called a star origin stone. That ancestor of our Zhang Family used this star origin stone to refine a Heaven-Grade treasured artifact and achieved unparalleled accomplishments. At that time, he relied on this treasured artifact to be invincible among those of the same rank. Finally, he entered the Emperor Domain." Ye Qingrou had a look of longing on her face.
When Zhang Hao heard that the ancestor of the Zhang Family had entered the Emperor Domain, he also became curious about the Emperor Domain and asked Ye Qingrou, "What happened to that ancestor of our Zhang Family later?"
Ye Qingrou shook her head and said, "I'm not sure about that either. That ancestor of the Zhang Family never returned after going to the Emperor Domain, and no one knows how he is now. I also heard it from my Father. I don't know too much about it."
"Alright!"
However, when Zhang Hao heard about the star origin stone, he couldn't remain calm. A star origin stone! That was essential for upgrading his 2.0 System.
He must get it. He must get it.
But Zhang Hao didn't attack immediately. There were so many Martial Warriors here, and most of them were hostile towards him. He wouldn't feel bad if they died.
"Since no one is making a move, I, Ye Kaiyuan, will be the first to try."
An eighth-level Martial Master, a Martial Warrior, was the first to fly towards the black chain. Perhaps influenced by the aura of living people, the entire Blood River began to boil violently.
Ye Kaiyuan's face changed drastically as he looked at the boiling Blood River. He seemed completely unaware that this change would happen.
Suddenly, countless streams of blood sprayed towards him. Although Ye Kaiyuan was very fast, a few drops of the Blood River's water still splashed onto his body.
Ye Kaiyuan immediately let out a miserable cry.
The Blood River's water, carrying strong corrosive properties, splashed onto Ye Kaiyuan's body. The skin that was touched by the Blood River began to rapidly rot.
"Ah! Ah!"
The rot began to spread rapidly. Finally, Ye Kaiyuan fell into the Blood River. Countless blood fish surged within the Blood River, instantly devouring Ye Kaiyuan until he was just a skeleton.
"How terrifying!"
Although Ye Qingrou and Zhang Hao were prepared, they still felt unbearable seeing the man's tragic state.
Zhang Hao sighed and said, "Now I know why one needs to be strong in movement techniques to cross this Blood River."
Ye Qingrou nodded slightly. She said, "Although this Secret Realm has opened dozens of times over the past few hundred years, those who can truly cross this Blood River are extremely rare!"
"Hmph, I will definitely cross this Blood River." A look of determination appeared on Zhang Hao's face.
"Zhang Hao, you should reconsider! This Blood River is so dangerous, we just need to get enough rewards when the time comes," Ye Qingrou advised Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao shook his head at Ye Qingrou and said solemnly, "Qingrou, you don't need to persuade me. I must cross this Blood River; I have my reasons."
Ye Qingrou, however, didn't have such great ambition as Zhang Hao. She only hoped to obtain some treasures from within the balls of light. After all, crossing the Blood River was too perilous. Not only was the Blood River's water strongly corrosive, but the blood fish within the Blood River alone were not something ordinary people could handle. One might even end up becoming a delicious meal for the blood fish.
However, Ye Qingrou also knew that since Zhang Hao dared to try, he must have confidence. After these few experiences, Ye Qingrou developed an inexplicable confidence in Zhang Hao.
"Perhaps, he can do it!" Ye Qingrou thought to herself.
Just at this moment, someone else made a move. They flew towards the iron chain bridge. Although this person's strength was quite a bit stronger than the previous one, the churning blood of the Blood River instantly submerged him, and he once again became the latest skeleton in the Blood River. This sent shivers down the spines of the Martial Warriors on the Blood River's bank. A living person instantly turning into a skeleton—what could be more shocking than that?
But people die for wealth, and birds die for food. The valuable treasures rewarded by crossing the Blood River were simply too numerous. Naturally, they wouldn't give up easily. They still darted towards the Blood River's iron chain one by one, making attempts.
However, the Blood River was truly too terrifying; nine out of ten would die.
"Hahahaha!"
I finally reached the stone pier, the reward is mine."
After more than twenty Martial Warriors died, the strongest Martial Warrior finally reached the first stone pier. He looked at the ball of light suspended above the stone pier, and a look of greed appeared in his eyes.
On this stone pier, it was the safest. The Blood River's water and blood fish would not attack people on this stone pier. That Martial Warrior grabbed the ball of light.
"Hahahaha, a Core Breaking Pill! With this Core Breaking Pill, I can smoothly advance to Great Martial Master!" That Martial Warrior laughed madly.
"So the first reward is a Core Breaking Pill, I wonder what the many rewards after this are, they'll definitely be better."
"Yeah, what a pity, so many people before us failed, how could we possibly get through?"
Thinking of the previous tragic scenes, many of the Martial Warriors behind did not dare to act rashly, fearing they would become the next skeleton in the Blood River.
The Martial Warrior who first reached the stone pier, after pondering for a while, decided to attempt the second stone pier again. However, his strength reached its limit after getting past the first stone pier. When he tried to reach the second stone pier, he was submerged by the Blood River's water and instantly became a skeleton in the Blood River.
