They collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath in great heaving gulps, without even the strength to raise a hand.
Seeing that the two had lost the ability to resist, those blood-red iron chains ceased their attacks and instead wrapped them tightly, forming two enormous blood-red cocoons.
“Hahaha, have you finally run out of steam?”
The voice of Blood Shadow rang out once more, laced with a hint of triumph and cruelty.
Immediately after, a blood-red figure slowly materialised within the formation.
It was Blood Shadow himself!
He gazed at Chen Ping and Hu Mazi, who were encased in the blood-red cocoons, a cruel smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
“Chen Ping, weren’t you so formidable? How come you’re helpless now?” Blood Shadow’s face was full of mockery.
Chen Ping struggled to rise, but with his internal energy utterly depleted, he could not move a muscle.
Blood Shadow slowly approached Chen Ping and extended his right hand, pressing it against the blood-red cocoon enveloping him.
“Your talent is indeed impressive, but alas, you have offended someone you should not have.”
“Rest assured, though, I will not let you die so easily. I shall absorb your soul bit by bit, making you endure agonies beyond imagination!”
With that, Blood Shadow closed his eyes and began rapidly forming hand seals with both hands.
One blood-red rune after another flew from his palms, merging into the blood-red cocoon around Chen Ping.
“Blood God Soul Devouring Technique!” Blood Shadow bellowed.
In an instant, the blood-red cocoon encasing Chen Ping began to contract, while emitting an eerie crimson glow.
Chen Ping could feel his soul being tugged by a tremendous force, as if it were about to be ripped from his body.
“Ah!”
Chen Ping let out a agonised scream. This sensation of his soul being torn was a thousand, nay, a million times more excruciating than any physical torment.
“Chen Ping…”
Hu Mazi, witnessing the scene, tried to struggle free to aid him, but trapped in his own blood-red cocoon, he was utterly immobile.
Blood Shadow opened his eyes and looked upon the writhing Chen Ping in agony, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
“How does it feel? Is not this sensation utterly exquisite?”
“Do not worry, this is merely the prelude. What comes next will be even more thrilling!”
With those words, Blood Shadow closed his eyes again and intensified the spell’s power.
Chen Ping sensed his consciousness gradually fading, the pull on his soul growing ever stronger.
Just as his soul was on the verge of complete separation from his body, a burst of golden light suddenly erupted from his sea of consciousness.
“Hmm?” Blood Shadow furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss.
At once, a powerful suction emanated from Chen Ping’s sea of consciousness, drawing in Blood Shadow’s divine sense as well.
“What?”
Blood Shadow’s face drained of colour as he tried to retract his divine sense, but it was too late. His consciousness plunged like into an endless abyss, instantly sucked into Chen Ping’s sea of consciousness.
When Blood Shadow’s awareness regained clarity, he found himself in an unfamiliar space.
It was a realm of utter chaos, surrounded by a pervasive golden radiance, the air thick with potent and pure energy.
“This is… the sea of consciousness?”
Blood Shadow uttered in astonishment.
He had never imagined he would be drawn into Chen Ping’s sea of consciousness.
At that moment, a majestic voice boomed from the chaos.
“You insolent fool, how dare you trespass upon this lord’s domain!”
Blood Shadow turned towards the sound and saw a figure clad in a scarlet red robe emerging slowly from the murk.
The figure was tall and imposing, with a stern visage, exuding an overwhelming aura. It was none other than the Crimson Cloud Demon Lord residing in Chen Ping’s sea of consciousness!
Blood Shadow’s expression shifted dramatically; he could sense that the power of this scarlet-robed figure far surpassed his own.
“Who are you?” Blood Shadow asked in shock.
