Chapter 8: The Bone Sea and Blood River

However, Zhu Jiu suddenly had a brilliant idea, recalling a technique from his past life involving corpse transportation, which included a talisman that could repel water. This talisman, when affixed to the corpse, was intended to prevent decay during the long journey over mountains and rivers. In the previous world, where the Earth's vital energy had been depleted, this talisman had little effect in modern times, but in this world, heh heh

However, the connection between the golden talismans swaying in the sea of consciousness and the otherworldly beasts has become increasingly evident

First, abandon this strange beast and within two days find a more suitable corpse of a demon

When the talisman was finally finalized, Zhu Jiu seemed to hear the cheers of numerous demons and monsters echoing in the sea of consciousness. Gradually, the images of these demons and evil spirits slowly faded away, and tranquility returned to the sea of consciousness

Surprisingly, the river water was a dark red, thick and viscous like blood, with countless white bones and floating corpses on the surface, easily numbering over a hundred at a glance

Turning to look behind, suddenly turning back, stepping boldly into the river of blood, the small figure gradually became covered and disappeared beneath the waters of the blood river

Wishing for the hidden presence of the nine, there is a sense that the origins of the strange beasts are not insignificant; missing this opportunity will surely lead to future regret

Secondly, I wish Zhu Jiu to consider carefully. Although the strange beast possesses extraordinary combat power, it is still merely at the stage of a corpse soldier. Since it can enter the Blood River, even if there are dangers in the river, it may not be beyond my ability to handle them. This is what gave me the courage to decide to enter the river

What is this external object for? Zhu Jiudai looked at the elixir in his hand, which was as bright as fresh blood and even had a unique metallic sweetness reminiscent of blood. The surface of the elixir was marked with numerous strokes of the Sea of Consciousness talisman, giving it an impressive appearance. Unfortunately, its effects were unknown, so he could only carefully put it away.

After a long time, Zhu Jiu finally discovered that the connection with the otherworldly beasts in his soul originated from the Blood River.

Rushing past the low hills that loomed before him, a strong and unpleasant fishy odor assaulted his senses, and the scene behind the hills left Zhu Jiu shocked.

The best course of action in the current situation is to successfully communicate with the otherworldly beast, allowing it to appear on its own. However, the connection through the talisman is unidirectional; I can sense it, but it is unaware of my presence. If I were to slowly ponder the usage of the talisman and study how to make the beast appear voluntarily, time may not permit. Secondly, I consider going down to the river. Here, the surroundings are desolate, with no materials available for use. For an ordinary person, this would indeed pose a challenge. Hehe! I, however, have a method that I can attempt.

The landscape continues to be a vast plain, with unobstructed views. A winding river flows tumultuously across the plain, measuring over 300 zhang in width, extending further at both ends, disappearing into the distance.

Wishing for a heartfelt cheer, the effect turned out to be even better than imagined. The water-repellent talisman, which could only barely prevent moisture in a past life, actually works here just like a book to repel water. Is it due to the materials, or the compatibility with the sea of consciousness talismans, or perhaps the abundant vital energy of this world, or even all three factors combined

As Jiu Zhang opened his eyes, he suddenly felt something unusual. Looking down, he saw that his right hand was holding the red elixir that had ultimately formed from the talisman of the Sea of Consciousness. This was quite remarkable

It is uncertain whether this new talisman can ward off water. Zhu Jiu crouched down, suppressing the overwhelming stench of blood that assaulted his senses, and gently extended the green bronze in his hand forward

As the new talismans changed within the sea of consciousness, numerous anomalies suddenly emerged. Many images of demons and malevolent spirits appeared around the golden talismans, reverently bowing before them, occasionally prostrating on the ground. Additionally, a faint and mysterious voice floated from the horizon, continuously repeating the two syllables "life and death"

On this day, a series of extraordinary events unfolded. Although Zhu Jiu had become exceedingly resilient, upon encountering such a horrifying scene for the first time, he still found it difficult to suppress his fear. After a brief moment of composure, he cautiously lifted his feet and walked towards the location of the blood river

As Zhu Jiu was about to withdraw his consciousness from the sea of knowledge, he suddenly noticed a bright red hue emerging from the center of the talisman, as if a drop of rich, fresh blood had suddenly appeared on the talisman.

The sight of dried bones offering blood to form a river is an incredibly terrifying scene. Zhu Jiu Dai stood on a small hill, a surge of indescribable panic overwhelming his heart

Each stroke is as bright red as fresh blood, the yellow background radiates a dazzling golden light, both sacred and majestic, while the blood-colored talisman strokes are eerie and fierce, exuding a terrifying power that surges to the heavens and floods the earth

This drop of blood slowly rolls, propelled by numerous strokes, ultimately blooming into a delicate red flower at the very bottom of the yellow talisman. The flower, about the size of a thumb, gradually opens, its brilliance almost lifelike. At the peak of its bloom, it quickly withers, eventually transforming into a vibrant red elixir.

Silently rising, Zhu Jiu looked at the blood-red river before him. He gathered his courage and tightly gripped the green bronze of the water-repelling talisman, attempting to take a step toward the blood river. Indeed, the river retreated again, maintaining a distance of about ten feet from Zhu Jiu.

With the experience from last time, although Zhu Jiu was filled with excitement, he was still able to maintain his composure and focus. After a slight perception, he indeed noticed that the symbols in his sea of consciousness had absorbed new strokes of the water-avoidance talisman, resulting in the creation of a more intricate new talisman.

Zhu Jiu, following the connection within his soul, continued to race deeper into the plains for nearly two hours, yet still did not see the extraordinary beast he was searching for

The newly generated talisman, composed of countless strokes, forms a whole that is somewhat irregular in shape. Its exact nature remains uncertain, yet it is distinctly perceivable that the new talisman has become increasingly powerful and imbued with spirituality

As the approach drew nearer, the sense of panic intensified. When the sound of the rushing waters of the blood river reached his ears, Zhu Jiu was less than 100 meters from the riverbank

As he drew closer, Zhu Jiu stood by the bank of the Blood River, his brows furrowed. He sensed that the aura of the strange beast was emanating from the depths of the Blood River. Could it be that this creature resides within the Blood River?

The strokes on the talisman intertwined silently, filling each other, changing for a long time, until they solidified amidst the worship of numerous demons, becoming a complex crimson talisman

Zhu Jiu carefully considered and ultimately decided to take the risk of entering the river. The formidable and terrifying presence of the strange beast had a significant impact on him, making it difficult for him to give up. He stubbornly wanted to subdue the strange beast as his first demon corpse

Zhu Jiu wishes to try whether the talisman in the sea of consciousness, which can autonomously absorb and evolve, can absorb the Water Avoidance Talisman again, thereby producing certain changes that would allow him to enter the Blood River and search for extraordinary beasts

The elixir dropped and vanished, startling Zhu Jiu, who could no longer maintain focus as thoughts surged like a tide, retreating from the sea of consciousness.

A miraculous scene unfolded before Zhu Jiuyan, as the waters of the Blood River suddenly parted with a "whoosh," creating a space of about ten feet. After retracting his hand, the thick river water quickly returned to its original state and continued to flow.

As for waiting to observe before making a decision, it is very likely to waste precious time. If the extraordinary beast does not appear in the end, one may find themselves unprepared when they finally wish to enter the river, potentially leading to failure in the assessment, which is not advisable for the wise

This is somewhat difficult to handle. Under normal circumstances, one could patiently wait for the otherworldly beast to emerge, but now time is of the essence, and danger lurks all around. The only two choices left before Zhu Jiu are as follows

The round, red elixir rolled back and forth on the talisman, suddenly falling from the yellow surface that bore the talisman, and astonishingly disappearing into the endless darkness of the sea of consciousness

Raise your left hand to observe the soul-repelling green bronze engraved with a water-repelling talisman in the palm. The green bronze emits a faint, flowing light, deep and mysterious. The blood-red water-repelling runes combine with the sea of consciousness talismans, having seamlessly transformed into a new form of sea of consciousness talisman.

At the same time, within the realm of the demon corpses where Jiu Li resides, the demon corpses within a radius of several hundred meters all trembled with their soul flames, faintly sensing a sudden descent of celestial might, which vanished in an instant

The newly generated consciousness sea talisman is still characterized by a yellow background and red characters, taking on a rectangular shape, undulating and drifting like waves within the sea of consciousness

Another factor that ultimately compelled him to enter the river was the realization that others might be utterly helpless in the current situation, as there was no diving equipment available, and merely being a good swimmer did not justify recklessly jumping in.

The second idea is to go down to the river to search for extraordinary beasts

Zhu Jiu stood by the riverbank, gazing at the corpses that floated continuously on the surface of the blood river, listening to the thunderous sound of the water rushing away. Turning his head, he noticed that not far from him, many demon corpses were lying by the riverbank, greedily absorbing the water of the blood river. He thought to himself:

Taking out the last piece of the Soul-Settling Green Copper, Zhu Jiu's heart held not a trace of hesitation. With his right hand firmly gripping the Evil Spirit Pen, he steadily engraved the Water-Repelling Talisman from his memories onto the Soul-Settling Green Copper. As the final stroke was completed, the magical talisman in his sea of consciousness indeed began to transform.