Reaper of the Martial World

Chapter Book 8: 218: Pride (5)

Book 8: Chapter 218: Pride (5)

There was only one word apt to describe what Dyon saw the moment he entered: blood.

A sea of crimson and red was painted everywhere. Dyon would have called it a house of horrors, but even that didn’t seem appropriate. If one used the insides of a person to paint a picture… This would be the result.

If it was just blood, maybe it would have been fine, but what followed was a swath of corpses stained in black.

They came in various shapes and sizes. Some were the stature of normal men and women, but others were enormous beasts. Dyon even saw one in the shape of a horse standing at over 5 meters tall, but what caught his attention was the spiraling bone of black the shot from its forehead.

All of these corpses had been shed of their flesh, all that remained were their skeletal structures, and all of them soaked in a sea of crimson that spanned several hundred meters.  

The blood emitted an oppressive pressure. Dyon’s footsteps, which hadn’t taken a pause even under a sea of Energy Surges, couldn’t help but halt.

‘So this is Orcus’ corpse army… No, skeleton army…?’

These were corpses that had been slowly refined over several trillion years. Orcus had hoped that in his absence, at least one of his corpses would finally break into the Higher Existence Realm, so he left them in 5 locations he believed might be able to do so.

It was obvious why he left this portion here, maybe this was actually the place he had the most hope in.

This crimson sea wasn’t just any red liquid, it was the blood of Pride Clan Ancestors.

The largest difference between regular cultivation realms and the Half-Step Transcendent Realm was precisely the concept of Martial Intent. Higher Existences could manifest their will into reality.

One could see how a corpse would be unable to do such a thing. They had no will of their own, they were dead.

Orcus hoped that the latent Martial Intent of this Pride Clan blood would break down the final barrier, bringing these several dozen Peak Dao Formation corpses to the Higher Existence realm.

And after trillions of years … He actually succeeded.

Dyon could feel the pressure from here. It wasn’t a fluke that that corpse of what he could only assume was a unicorn caught his attention within this sea of corpses… Among the near 40 skeleton corpses here, it alone had succeeded.

Dyon couldn’t help but hold his breath.

It stood majestically, a slight red wafting from its blackened bones. Its horn glistened above its head, weighing down a pressure that pushed the other corpses from it. It made Dyon feel as though it was breathing, that it had a mind of its own despite its stillness.

Dyon’s foot shakily stepped forward. Even he was shocked by the impact this place was having on him, being hesitant, scared even, wasn’t something he was used to.

Dyon had met a Higher Existence before, during his second trial. But he hadn’t made Dyon feel this way. What Dyon didn’t know was whether that was because he was weaker than this unicorn, or if it was because he was purposely holding back so as not to immediately destroy Planet Moon.

‘Get a hold of yourself.’ Dyon’s mind growled at him.

Much of the treasures of this place had already been taken away by Orcus. However, the best treasure still remained with this pool of blood. If Dyon was too ‘scared’ to take it, wouldn’t that be too pathetic? What was he doing?

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Dyon stopped, gripping his fists.

{What a weak Path of Pride}

The voice was so sudden that it shook Dyon awake from his thoughts.

His head whipped around, but he couldn’t find where it came from.

{You’re the second individual to come here. The first didn’t even have any Pride to speak of, he was a pathetic fool that hid behind his little toy corpses… Well, at least you’re better than he was. I can smell it on you.}

Dyon could almost imagine a jagged, toothy smile appearing before him despite the fact there was nothing there.

{I can smell it. That selfishness. That unwillingness to lower your head. That Martial Intent of our Pride Clan.}

{Do tell me, child. Are you a descendant of our Clan?}

Dyon’s body shook more and more violently the more words were whispered into his ear. It was a physiological suppression and reaction. This wasn’t his mind bowing down like it had when he first saw The Entity hand, nor was it his mind giving up like it had when he first truly used his Chaos Flames… This was a bodily suppression … This was…

‘Presence!’ Dyon’s mind shook.

{Hoho, you figured it out more quickly than that other fellow did. It isn’t as though we can do anything to you physically considering we’ve long been dead. But, that won’t stop us from whittling you down in other ways…}

{Who do you think it was that created Presence, little boy. The perfect embodiment of bodily strength fused with martial intent. This was the treasure, the Magnus Opus of our Pride Clan. It’s too bad, with such a weak Pride Martial Intent, your Presence will always be lacking.}

{Do you think a real Son of Pride cares for cultivation?!}