Time flew by, and by midnight, Li Xiaotian had found nothing. Every night, a fierce wind swept through the area, quickly erasing any tracks left during the day.
Li Xiaotian frowned. This aimless search was proving futile. If Li Wenbo wasn't here, he was simply wasting his time.
Just then, a strong gust of wind blew past, carrying a faint scent of blood.
Li Xiaotian's expression changed dramatically. He looked in the direction the wind had come from and instantly charged forward. Finally, a lead!
The scent of blood carried by the wind was so faint that one might easily miss it if not paying close attention. However, as Li Xiaotian continuously changed direction, the smell of blood grew stronger.
Half an hour later, Li Xiaotian stood at the entrance of a massive mine shaft, his eyes glinting.
The gale howled through the mine, producing a terrifying sound and carrying the scent from within.
The smell of blood here was incredibly strong, even more potent than the scent on Li Wenbo.
This was it. Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered. If this was Li Wenbo's cultivation place, then at least tens of thousands of people must have died here. The conditions inside could only be imagined.
With this thought, a murderous intent flared in Li Xiaotian's eyes. Li Wenbo had to die, not just because of their enmity, but because his cultivation technique was too terrifying. If left unchecked, who knew how many more people would perish!
The mine was deep and had been abandoned for a long time. The wooden supports inside had long since rotted, and occasional pieces of rusted metal could be found.
After walking for about half an hour, Li Xiaotian noticed an increase in traces within the mine, all of which appeared to be recent.
It seemed only the outer perimeter had been cleared. Most people wouldn't venture this deep, Li Xiaotian mused.
The cave was pitch-black, devoid of any light. However, with Li Xiaotian's current strength, even without sight, his senses were unimpaired.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint light emanated from deeper within the mine. Li Xiaotian suppressed his presence and advanced rapidly.
He had always been curious about Li Wenbo's past. Who had saved him back then? Was it as he had speculated, a shadowy organization?
Otherwise, Li Wenbo, in his state back then, wouldn't have been able to discover this mine.
Upon reaching the source of the light, the end of the cave was still not visible, but he discovered numerous signs of human habitation.
After walking only a short distance, Li Xiaotian stopped abruptly. Less than ten meters in front of him lay two desiccated corpses.
It seemed Li Wenbo had killed everyone here, Li Xiaotian thought. The two deceased wore identical clothing, suggesting they weren't people captured from the chaotic zones.
So, Li Wenbo had even killed his own people in the end? Truly insane.
Li Xiaotian continued to advance. Along the way, he encountered more and more dried corpses. Their heads all faced outward from the mine, indicating that in their final moments, they were trying to escape, only to fail.
Li Xiaotian shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with coldness. While Li Wenbo's act of killing his own people was detestable, these individuals, knowing they were nurturing a monster, had supported him, essentially digging their own graves.
Faintly, Li Xiaotian heard a sound like waves crashing against a beach. His heart tightened, and a sense of confusion washed over him.
He had been walking for over three hours. By all accounts, he should be extremely deep underground. How could he hear the sound of waves?
Li Xiaotian frowned. There shouldn't be water in the mine; any water would have caused a collapse long ago.
Without dwelling on it, Li Xiaotian pressed on. Once he reached the bottom, everything would become clear.
Even if he couldn't capture Li Wenbo, finding his lair and discovering a way to counter his technique would be beneficial.
After another half hour of walking, Li Xiaotian's vision suddenly widened. Ahead lay a vast cavern, surrounded by metal structures.
Li Xiaotian's eyes glinted. He had arrived. But then, his pupils contracted sharply as he fixed his gaze on the center of the cavern.
There, a blood pool, approximately tens of meters wide, churned violently, emitting a constant roar.
Around the blood pool lay densely packed desiccated corpses, carpeting the entire cave floor. An extremely chilling and bizarre aura of blood filled the entire cavern.
Li Xiaotian's scalp tingled. The missing people—their blood was all here. The strange sounds he had heard earlier were also coming from the blood pool.
"Beast!" Li Xiaotian couldn't help but curse inwardly. Li Wenbo's actions could no longer be described as human; he was less than an animal.
Li Xiaotian silently concealed himself behind a room and carefully observed the blood pool.
In the center of the blood pool stood a massive stone tablet, inscribed with numerous characters. The blood in the pool churned violently, but the stone tablet remained unmoving.
Furthermore, Li Xiaotian noticed an anomaly. He sensed that the blood in the pool seemed to possess consciousness. It constantly surged, and with each surge, blood would splash against the stone tablet.
This scene was incredibly bizarre. Even with Li Xiaotian's extensive knowledge and his review of countless ancient texts, he had never witnessed anything like it.
This place must not remain! Li Xiaotian silently vowed. Regardless of whether Li Wenbo was present, he had to destroy this place.
Especially the blood pool, which gave him an intense sense of danger, as if allowing the blood pool to continue churning would lead to something terrifying.
Li Wenbo, what terrifying thing have you discovered? Li Xiaotian sighed inwardly. Everything he was witnessing defied conventional understanding.
It was utterly inconceivable! A blood pool that seemed to possess a consciousness, frantically striking a stone tablet that suppressed it!
Li Xiaotian shook his head. He recalled various imaginative online novels he had read in the past.
To explain the scene before him in terms of online fiction, the stone tablet was the entity suppressing the blood pool, and the blood pool must be an extremely evil and terrifying existence.
Originally, this balance could have continued indefinitely. However, Li Wenbo's arrival had restored some power to the blood pool, which was now autonomously eroding the stone tablet's power of suppression.
At this moment, Li Xiaotian's heart was tense. Regardless of the truth or his own deductions, he could not let the blood pool continue to exist. He had to destroy this place and ensure everything here remained buried deep within the earth forever.
"Splash!" Suddenly, the blood pool churned, and Li Wenbo, his entire body crimson, emerged from the pool. His expression was eerie, his eyes fixed directly on Li Xiaotian's hiding spot. He spoke.
"Li Xiaotian, since you're here, come out. I've been waiting for you for a long time. You're a day later than I expected."
Li Xiaotian's gaze turned cold. He emerged from his hiding place, looking at Li Wenbo, who resembled a monster, and said.
"Do you know what you're doing? You're using a power you can't possibly control to seek revenge!"