CHAPTER 142: OCEAN OF BLOOD

“How long were you processing energy to make something like this, you mad man,” I muttered as I looked at my most durable metal rod that had melted. The red liquid was infused with a higher amount of energy and was in a constant state of melting. Anything touching the liquid would melt. Not through a chemical reaction, but through a property of the energy itself.

“Demon’s blood, not that this stuff deserves a name,” I muttered as I looked at the motionless ocean of blood that went out in every direction. I had no idea how thick this layer of demon’s blood was. The Gu Container was likely spherical in nature, which meant that an insane amount of demon’s blood was needed to create something like this.

Or it could have started off small and the outer layer was feeding into the next layer as it was broken apart. It would make sense, going through the states of matter, but a solid or plasma would present challenges for construction and stability. Even a liquid was a bold choice for such a large environmental barrier.

The energy needed to maintain something like this would be much greater than a flat environment, but the demonic cultivator wasn’t looking to make the Gu Container sustainable long term. That made a lot of construction options that would never be done otherwise, useful in this situation to create an environmental gauntlet.

I checked the various devices with me again and picked up a faint burst of energy going off in a consistent manner in the distance. I went back up towards the layer of the dark gas and sent off in that direction. I didn’t want to get close to the demon’s blood.

The protective arrays I had around Chicken could push back gas, but it wouldn’t work on liquid. The consistency was quite thin as well, but it stabilized very quickly for a liquid. Sticky, let it wasn’t thick. Something unique in order to make it harder to figure out.

Arrays and formations wouldn’t work on the liquid either. While the force wasn’t much, the power needed to push it back would be much greater than the atmosphere and dark gasses. The power required would be over the limit the arrays could safely handle long term. If I made something to create a bubble, my time would be measured in days, not months or years.

Also, my travel speed would be much slower, due to the increased density of the liquid. I had no doubt that the demonic cultivator planned it out like this on purpose. This entire Gu Container was the work of countless ages. Expecting to find quick or easy solutions to the problems I would face was completely foolish.

I kept checking my devices to confirm that I was on track towards the small and regular bursts of energy. It took around a month to get close to the signal at my fastest speed. I spotted the location as a small pinprick of light in the distance and slowed down.

As I approached, I noticed a small settlement floating over the ocean of blood. It was smaller than the last settlement and there were only seven buildings. I also saw several other vehicles. This was clearly a gathering point of some kind. I kept slowing down on my approach and a cloaked and hooded figure flew up in front of me. They had glowing red eyes under their hood.

“Welcome. This place doesn’t have a name. It is a neutral gathering place. If you want to fight, take it elsewhere. You are responsible for your own trades and items. No one is going to steal, but it is best to be careful. If you leave your transport in that area, no one will touch it, since I watch over the place,” the figure said.

“Anyone in charge?” I asked.

“I was built to be the caretaker, but there is no owner. That building is the eatery and bar, the only public building. It has small rooms if you wish to rest, but your safety isn’t guaranteed, but the no fighting rule is strictly enforced. The rest are built by powerful individuals who have chosen this place to contemplate their next move,” the cloaked caretaker said.

“Any information you can share with me?” I asked.

“I am only here to take care of this place as a caretaker. If you wish to share information, then visit the eatery and bar. All trades take place there,” the caretaker said.

“Any other rules?” I asked.

“Don’t bother the people in the buildings, which is part of the no fighting rule,” the caretaker said. I nodded at this and landed. There was moss and small bioluminescent plants placed at strategic locations to give some light.

Entering the eatery and bar, I counted 17 beings around my strength level, sitting around one large table. There were smaller tables, but no one was sitting at them.

“A newcomer, welcome,” an old man said.

“Greetings. I am Cultivator Yuan Zhou. I was hoping to trade information and figure out a way past that ocean of blood below us,” I said.

“Sit, we have some spare spots,” the old man said while gesturing at a seat next to him. “Ah forgive my manners. I am Long, an old cultivator and the most knowledgeable about our current situation. The rest of the beings present, mostly prefer to listen and observe.”

“There just isn’t anything to talk about or do. The best option is to wait patiently,” a younger man said with a frown. “I am Josh, a space wizard.”

“Not a cultivator? How interesting,” I replied while taking a seat.

“This place is both a literal and figurative melting pot of beings across the Firmament,” Long said.

“Ah, so you know that this is a Gu Container, created by a demonic cultivator?” I asked and Long nodded.

“Impressive or concerning you know of such things, but your background doesn’t matter here as long as you don’t try fighting. Our seniors are temperamental and in hibernation to preserve their strength, while waiting for something to change,” Long said and added in a sigh.

“I am guessing nothing has changed?” I asked.

“People try and transverse the ocean of blood to get to the other side, but we have no way of knowing the depth or other threats present, since none have returned. Even those who have communication devices have not replied. None were willing to give up their own blood to track if they survived either, so there is no way to know,” Long explained.

“Once this space collapses enough, we are hoping that the spatial disruptions will open up a path,” Josh added on. I wasn’t going to accept that. That was just asking to die. Such a mad dash at the end along with everyone else was bound to lead to chaos and doom. I was not about to be slowly cooked in a pot waiting to be served up in the Gu.

“The problem is the corruptive energy?” I asked.

“Indeed. Once it becomes too strong you are done for. You know about arrays?” Long asked.

“Enough to know that once the energy build up in them is great enough, they will melt,” I said.

“You could chain them, but how many, and how deep? It is risky, very risky,” Long shook his head as he replied.

“A capsule is also a possibility,” a robotic voice said.

“That is NX, our resident cyber specialist. He believes an enclosed capsule with the right material is the best option. The trouble is finding something,” Long said.

“Well you could transverse the ocean of blood, but it would be slow and safe, very slow,” I said.

“It isn’t just the ocean that is the problem. We have detected things moving in that liquid. I suspect some kind of worm. Demonic cultivators love worms. Probably a breed of super-sized blood worms. I would also guess they can sense through vibrations. You go in, they will know where you are. They also stay away from the surface here, so we can’t confirm them for sure. But there is something there,” Long said.

That made the situation even worse. Why couldn’t this be a game, where the enemies and environments were level appropriate? Instead it went to super hell nightmare ultra mode inside the Gu Container. I thought the Great World was bad, but that was a picnic compared to this place. You could actually have a picnic there. Here you were screwed, completely and utterly screwed.

“What about more powerful individuals? Could they punch their way through?” I asked.

“I know of one who tried, but no idea if they made it. Used an aura technique. But if you don’t have the strength, would you risk depending on another? Then what about after that. If you can’t continue, it is pointless,” Long said.

“Some of us have some tricks old man. Liquid is the absolute worst and this energy. Disrupts everything,” Josh complained. A silence settled over the table. The other 14 beings sitting at the table didn’t say anything or make any movements, except for some very shallow breathing, if they breathed. Even when I looked around, none of them reacted.

This place was like a tomb. Everyone was just waiting around. They had some motivation, but had given up, waiting for something to change about the situation before acting. They were all being cooked in this massive Gu Container, slowly like frogs in a well that was below an active volcano. The well was heating up and they knew about the volcano, but they thought they could somehow figure something out when the volcano exploded, instead of trying to escape the well.

But when you are a frog in a well, it is very hard to escape. But I didn’t need metaphors and more pointless speculation, I needed a solution. “Anyone try to consume the liquid?” I asked and Long smiled at me.

“That is the only thing on tap. The red liquid,” Long answered.

“Call it demon blood?” I suggested.

“We don’t like naming things. Translations can cause misunderstandings, and some individuals here dislike them. For us, it is just red liquid. Normally drinking the stuff is used to settle disputes and for cultivators, the results is….unpleasant,” Long hesitated at the last word, almost like it was embarrassing.

It made sense since this was a rare oasis of peace. Everyone was afraid of being dragged down or being third partied in a fight. “What kind of unpleasantness?” I asked.

“Bodily issues,” Long answered succinctly.

“It is bad, trust me. What goes in, must come out,” Josh said.

“It is particularly hard to process,” NX added.

The other beings listening in all remained quiet, choosing not to contribute to the conversation. “Just make sure to clean up after yourself if you choose to drink red liquid,” Long said.

“I am interested in seeing how bad all of this is,” I said and Josh got up. He went over to a far wall where there was a single faucet and several glass mugs next to the faucet.

“Nothing is altered, you can check the formations and pump. But the material is heavily resistant against the red liquid. Resistant and it is purged of the red liquid each time after use. So don’t think the material will be useful to travel through the stuff,” Josh explained and I nodded at this. I picked up a mug and put it under the tap. He slowly turned it.

“Turn it slowly, we don’t like when it spills,” he said, and I looked down. Small bits of the floor had melted.

“What about this glass mug?” I asked as a small trickle of red liquid entered the mug. Josh only filled it up a quarter before turning off the tap.

“A single crystal. Don’t break, steal, or take the mugs. We don’t have any more. If you lose one, you don’t get to use another,” he explained. I carefully lifted up the crystal mug and took a sip of the red liquid.

The taste was that of blood. Calling it demon’s blood would have been appropriate, but I wasn’t about to piss off the other beings for no reason. It was quite watery, almost thin, but the color was thick. Going into the liquid meant it would be impossible to see anything.

The effect was far worse than the effects of the contaminated energy in the past. My body felt like it would fall apart at any moment. Even as I focused my cultivation and energy to fight back against the red liquid, it quickly progressed through my digestive track.

“There is a space for private business out back,” Josh said and I nodded at this. I left the bar and made my way to a walled off courtyard next to the building.

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I had to remove my martial robes as I expelled a combination of red liquid, blood, and other small bits of waste. My energy felt drained as well. I had grown slightly weaker. I did notice that the red liquid scattered on the ground below me had energy and it had shifted a bit.

After cleaning myself off, I put my martial robe back on and went to the edge of the floating island. I poured the red liquid over the side to empty the mug. I then returned to the bar and put the mug back from where I had taken it.

“What do you think? An experience,” Long said.

“That was horrible,” I replied.

“Well at least you didn’t die,” Josh said.

“He is strong enough,” NX said.

A silence settled over the table. There was nothing more to talk about. Well, I could talk, and I am sure Josh and Long would share their insights with me. But everyone here knew the situation and no one wanted to talk about themselves or where they had come from.

It wasn’t a bad environment, but it was uncomfortable. If we had met outside the Gu Container, we would probably be trying to kill each other and take advantage of each other in order to get benefits. That was the nature of powerful beings in the Firmament. Every advantage, every opportunity, needed to be seized.

Here on this island floating over the ocean of blood, there were too many competing interests and no one truly trusted each other. I suspected that Long and Josh were only so chatty due to boredom and in the hope to get some benefits going forward. It also made sense why the other beings were quiet. They weren’t skilled in speaking and wanted to reveal as little as possible about themselves while picking up benefits, like information, for free.

This entire place was depressing, since there was no hope and no plan to move forward except to wait. It wouldn’t have been worthwhile to lie about something like that. Even sipping the red liquid wasn’t a huge risk compared to entering this place. Nothing about this place seemed to differ from what I had been told.

There could be hidden agendas, but the real thing that sealed it for me was the name Josh and the presence of NX. It was different from the usual cultivator names and languages. NX was clearly from a different super organization along with a couple of the beings seated at the table that weren’t robed up to hide themselves.

Now the question was what to do? There was no place to go back to and I couldn’t go forward. Since the ocean of blood was a massive sphere, it wasn’t like there was any spot to go around either. There might be another place or two like this out there, but it was doubtful. That meant my best chance of getting through the ocean of blood would be here.

That chance was currently at zero, since I had no idea, and none of these other beings had an idea either. The more I thought about this place, the more I came to understand why everyone was just sitting around. It still felt like a tomb.

The first step was to find a way to survive the red liquid. Compared to everything else, that was the most important and critical step. The worms swimming through the ocean of blood were another problem, or maybe not. Then I realized that the demonic cultivator had thought of easy solutions.

Since the worms could survive in the red liquid it would make sense to kill and repurpose one. But they avoided the surface entirely. This was clearly by design so people couldn’t take advantage of this work around. The demonic cultivator could think of obvious things as well, since this Gu Container was a long term plan.

The biggest weakness was pulling everything inside, but he didn’t have to make the inside of the Gu Container fair. That was the difference between reality and a game, reality didn’t have to be fair. No easy path to the center. The demonic cultivator could put up all the barriers he wanted.

I wanted to shout and rage in frustration, but that would only make the other beings here dislike me. They had probably also guessed this. It also made sense why they were waiting. The hope was that as the space collapsed, the ocean of blood would be disrupted. It was far more likely everything would be pushed towards the center.

The first warning sign would be when it started precipitating in any way as the dark gas was pushed towards the ocean of blood. With the gravity at the edge, everything would be pushed towards the center. But the hope was that the spatial turbulence would be pushed ahead first, opening a path. Frogs boiling in the bottom of their well.

They knew all of this as well. But just like before, there was no good solution to move forward. I considered fighting these beings, but that would invite even greater retaliation. It was clear why they had decided to make the only rule of not fighting. While they might not attack, showing weakness would not be good. Anyone who could make it this far and sit at this table was strong enough that I had to take seriously.

Even hesitant teamwork wasn’t enough to overcome the current obstacle. That was why individual power was the most important thing. Depending on others for a solution meant your fate and life was no longer in your own hands.

While it was tempting to think there might be a shortcut or other way past this obstacle, there wouldn’t be anything. There were too many esoteric techniques out there to leave an obvious weak point that could be exploited. Why even have a gate on your fortress if you didn’t need to have one?

“Anyone have any materials that can withstand the red liquid?” I asked.

Long shook his head and Josh let out a sigh before speaking. “No. Well there might be some things, but the person who made the crystal mugs left long ago. The same with others and everything has broken down when tested for a long time. So, while the crystal mugs are good, they aren’t perfect.”

“I can see you getting stressed out. We were all there at one time,” Long said.

“I am going to wait outside a bit,” I replied and Long nodded. No one else said anything or even gave me a warning. At this level everyone was an adult. If I started trouble, then I was clearly asking for a fight. I made my way to the edge of the small island, looking out into the darkness and the ocean of blood below.

This place was a well, and I was looking up towards the sky I couldn’t reach. Well in this case it was the ocean of blood below me, but I felt more and more like a small frog getting cooked inside of this Gu Container.

The solution to the next barrier wasn’t going to be simple or easy. Anything of value on this island and with these other beings had already been checked or consumed. There would be nothing of value here. I could already sense various beings’ energy being emitted in miniscule amounts to observe everything on this island.

There was nothing here expect a place to wait and hope something happened. I didn’t think I was smarter or more knowledgeable than all the other beings that were already stuck here. I was just more determined to not become stuck and stop moving forward. If I wasn’t progressing then I was getting closer to my eventual death.

What I needed to do was find something I could use to change my circumstances. Standing there, looking out over the ocean of blood my mind was coming up blank like this place. There was nothing. No hidden arrays or formations. Everything was being done at a distance.

I heard someone approaching from behind. I looked over my shoulder, it was Josh who walked up next to me. “Came out to see how you are doing, you have been here for a while. It is a shame when people jump,” he said.

“I am not jumping, I am thinking about how to move forward,” I said with a sigh.

“You and the rest of us. If we could all get through, well, there is a lot of combat power here. We would have a shot at taking out the demonic cultivator that created this Gu Container,” Josh said.

“If we aren’t strong enough to cross the barrier, then we don’t have the strength to beat the person who created this place,” I replied. Compromising would lead to my death. I had no proof, but I could feel it with every fiber of my being. If I stopped here like these other people and beings, then I would be doomed.

No matter what, I had to find a way. But unfortunately, determination didn’t matter, only results. I could think and say I wanted to keep advancing, but none of that mattered unless I was capable enough. Ambition without ability was just wasted time and energy.

“You said you are a spatial mage, can you make a portal?” I asked.

“Not the distance needed with the energy disrupting everything,” Josh answered. I figured as much. If he could have left, he already would have. I was hoping he would need an item or something that I had on me.

He didn’t say anything for a while before turning away and going back to the dark bar to sit with everyone else. I continued to stand here and think, wracking my brain for any kind of solution. Looking upwards the dark gases were still swirling around and impossible to see.

Pulling out various devices, there were no unexpected changes either. Perhaps I should leave and find a location to trap people to become stronger. But that felt like I was moving backwards and there was no guarantee I would find a good location to trap people. If an immortal showed up, I would be dead with no chance.

I continued to stand there and think, occasionally I would look around when I checked my devices. The caretaker looked over the various vehicles, but no one else came out to speak with me. They probably thought I needed space, and no one was that talkative in this depressing place.

The best option seemed to be the worms, but getting to them required me to harvest a worm, a catch twenty-two. I needed the object to get the object, defeating the purpose of getting the object in the first place. Perhaps using some kind of array to move energy about, to lure up a worm.

That could have been the original purpose of this place, a fishing spot to catch a worm. But if they weren’t coming up to target the beings here already, then the lure would need to be unique and mess with their senses. I didn’t have a good enough understanding of such creatures to create an effective lure. If others knew how, they would have already done so.

Looking off in the distance, I felt another surge of energy. They would occasionally happen. Probably something crashing into the ocean of blood to be melted down into fuel for the Gu. I went back to the bar. I had an idea. There was only one way forward. I should have realized it with how this place was set up.

There was only one thing of value and there were clues I had missed. I had spent way too long thinking, but it wasn’t easy to realize what needed to be done. Entering the bar, Josh and Long looked at me as I made my way over to the crystal mugs.

Why set up a bar? Everyone here didn’t need to eat or drink. Perhaps it was an easy way to get the red liquid, but then why the crystal mugs? Cheng’s master was from the Crystal Conclave and he had gotten beyond this barrier. Probably with his crystal abilities, but I thought there might be something deeper, something darker.

Strong people got the other buildings, but they never came out and no one entered. They were probably doing what I was about to do while hiding themselves, so they wouldn’t be easily targeted. The beings at the table weren’t about to go out of their way to explain everything.

They might chat and share basic information, but they wouldn’t go into depth. They might not have even been around before. Or they wanted to see the outcome of what was going on here to better evaluate their chances.

The mug I had picked up was soon filled up all the way. If this was going to work, I couldn’t do half measures. I needed to go all the way, otherwise my mentality wouldn’t be strong enough for what was to come. I drank all the red liquid. The mugs weren’t that large, about the size of my hand. But the liquid was strong.

I set the mug back down while several of the beings sitting at the table glanced at me as I made my way outside. No one said anything or followed me. I went to the back courtyard and did a handstand as the red liquid cut through my body.

At first I had the crazy idea to redrink the stuff, since the red liquid would be consumed if it remained in my body long enough. But that would be disgusting. There was a reason I turned people into meatballs after Cheng. It was too much consuming everything.

Once the red liquid hit my lower digestive, causing me great pain, I did a hand stand. It was simple and stupid, but if it worked that was all that mattered. The liquid began to move back through my digestive track. When the red liquid reached my stomach, I flipped back over.

My insides felt like they were being ripped apart. It was horrible. I continued to flip myself over to force the liquid to move in one direction or the other. If it stayed still for too long I would take too much damage. My body was pushed to the very limit of what it could withstand. The pain was immense, like someone was burning out my insides.

But I could feel the slow trickle of energy being absorbed. It wasn’t as good as a meatball, but it was still progress. After several days, the least of the red liquid was neutralized and the energy taken into my body. I felt wrung out and exhausted, but I had done it.

I would consume the entire ocean of blood and drink my way through it! Well, that was highly unlikely even if the liquid constantly rushed into my mouth like a waterfall with how much there was. What I could do was get my body and energy used to the stuff so I could survive in such an environment. It wouldn’t be easy or comfortable, but it was a way forward.

I went back into the bar and no one said anything or got up as I filled up another mug with red liquid and drank it. I then went back outside. The second time didn’t feel any better than the first, but that didn’t matter. One time or a hundred, eventually progress would occur or I would die. I was confident that the outcome of what I was doing would be progress after the first mug.

There was clearly going to be some kind of trap involving the red liquid and the demonic cultivator running this place. But even so, I wouldn’t hesitate to embrace the trap in order to progress. It wasn’t so much about taking in energy but altering my personal energy enough that the red liquid wouldn’t melt my body once I entered the ocean of blood.

I was tempering myself against the horrors of the Gu Container. One just had to embrace the horror of this place in order to survive. The demonic cultivator might be incredibly powerful, but he couldn’t escape his base nature and thoughts, which were focused on consumption. This created a crack in his defenses that I was going to exploit to the fullest.

After dealing with the second mug of red liquid, I went back inside to have a third. Still, none of the beings here bothered to get up or say anything. I didn’t know if I should be thankful or annoyed by their behavior. They didn’t want to risk what I was doing. They didn’t want to be subjected to whatever trap the demonic cultivator had set up.

I was probably headed towards my doom, but at least it was forward momentum. Sticking around this tomb would be horrible. Just sitting around and staring at each other. It was the height of foolishness. But the people who thought like me had left, while those who were cautious or had some other thoughts waited like frogs in a well that was heating up.

I was never one to follow the crowd, not with my cultivation, not with joining factions or organizations, and not my journey. Conformity would only take one so far. A path well tread might be safe, but opportunities were much rarer.

By the sixth mug I felt like I was able to handle the red liquid better. At least I had to flip myself around one time less than previously. It was a very small improvement, but still an improvement compared to before. At this rate, I would need to consume thousands of mugs of red liquid. Thinking about a waterfall previously might not have been that far from the truth.

My earlier demonic consumption had helped me. If I hadn’t done that, I probably would have struggled much more with the red liquid. It had prepared my body, allowing it to adapt to the contaminated energy that was everywhere and concentrated in the red liquid. My previous decisions and actions were necessary.

There could have been a better path, but there was no time or space in my heart for regrets. I could only look forward with the mindset that I would find a way out of this Gu Container.

As I continued to drink mug after mug of the red liquid and rotated my body, I felt increasingly ill. Everything seemed to be slightly off. Even if my body was getting slightly stronger, I felt like it was barely holding togeather.

After the tenth mug of red liquid I decided to take a break to recover. There was only one place to safely rest. I made my way back into the bar.

“Still alive, impressive, that was ten mugs,” Long said.

“Foolishness. The only place drinking the red liquid leads is a bad end,” Josh said.

I didn’t respond and took a seat at the table. They were clearly teasing me slightly in order to get more information about my current state. These beings weren’t my friends, but competitors and possibly enemies. If I showed weakness or forgot this fact they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me and take everything I had.

But it was safer sitting at the table with the full group. I closed my eyes and meditated to rest. No one made a move against me or said anything more. This entire place had a lot of tension under the surface, but I planned to leave as quickly as possible. Assessing my body and mentally stabilizing myself was important for my long term health.

If I started hallucinating, that would be the beginning of the end and I would soon die if that happened. That was why paying attention to my mental health was so important. Consumption had impacted me mentally before and I had no doubt that the red liquid would try some insidious way of impacting my thoughts.