Blood Warlock: Succubus Partner In The Apocalypse Chapter 1354 The bamboo forest beyond the door: LN & LLY ... (Part 2)

In truth, Bai Zemin hadn't truly departed; instead, he employed a clever ruse to fool the trio of girls.

Considering the vast disparity in strength between the groups, outsmarting Cai Jingyi and Nangong Lingxin proved straightforward for Bai Zemin. Yet, tricking Kali presented an entirely different challenge.

Contrary to the vast majority of soul evolvers, Kali didn't depend on her vision as her primary way to sense the environment around her. Moreover, she stood as the sole being in Bai Zemin's awareness capable of perceiving the souls of other creatures.

Even ignoring that Bai Zemin couldn't access his Invisibility skill along with most of his other active abilities, and even supposing he could activate it, such a skill would prove useless against an individual who didn't rely on the standard five senses—unless perhaps it reached its maximum upgrade level.

Bai Zemin crouched low and reached out to touch the crimson blood droplets with his fingers.

Moments afterward, he let out a heavy sigh and lifted his gaze, staring at the magic circle ahead with a mix of tangled feelings.

Regarding runes, arrays, and formations, Kali far surpassed him by countless measures. Still, she remained merely a young girl just stepping into her teenage years.

Owing to the regained recollections from his ordeal in the illusion forged by the Collector's Pocket Watch, Bai Zemin possessed extensive knowledge across numerous subjects.

Kali had concentrated so intensely on the magic circle that she overlooked the surrounding area, and beside the teleportation portal designed for accessing and leaving the concealed chamber stood a lone rune that Bai Zemin instantly identified.

This was a rune tied to time delay mechanics.

Its function aimed to safeguard whatever lay behind the entrance, ensuring that after a specific duration elapsed, anyone attempting to disable the protective magic circle would face a mandatory waiting period.

Bai Zemin remained motionless, standing quietly for roughly thirty minutes until shifts finally began.

The radiant golden-hued magic circle started to pulse with irregular flashes. With every pulse, its illumination dimmed progressively.

Shortly after, the circle's glow had faded by half.

Bai Zemin's brow furrowed faintly at this unexpected development. But the crease vanished swiftly. Without yesterday's conversation with the Flame of Burning Wrath, he probably would have retreated in defeat.

But now...

Bai Zemin flicked his left hand, swiftly slashing a deep gash across his right palm with blinding speed. Droplets of his blood sprayed out like a barrage of projectiles, striking the magic circle repeatedly.

"Two types of blood detected."

Bai Zemin leaped backward instinctively and summoned multiple layers of protective barriers around himself. His gaze turned frigid as he fixed it on the wavering magic circle.

The announcement echoed from that spot.

"Oblivion God Clan's Ancestral Blood successfully absorbed.... One of the detected blood types does not belong to the Moon God Clan but its mysterious origin is higher than that of the gods... Seal lifted."

Rumble...

Bai Zemin stumbled as the whole hidden room shook violently.

The golden magic circle erupted in a fierce crimson glow before shifting entirely to pitch black, devoid of any radiance or energy. As the runes' power deactivated, the quaking chamber steadied once more.

Bai Zemin exhaled softly in relief upon seeing the cessation. Only then did he notice his clothes soaked through with perspiration.

This encounter had been perilously close... Should Bai Zemin's gamble have failed, a ninety-five percent likelihood of perishing due to the magic circle loomed large.

"But I pulled it off."

Bai Zemin moved forward resolutely and, applying some force, shoved the stone door aside.

Initially, only shadows met his eyes, but upon closer inspection, he spotted a sheer curtain cascading from overhead, blocking any view past it. This form of enchantment lay beyond Bai Zemin's understanding, yet oddly, he grasped its purpose.

Advancing, his form passed effortlessly through the dark shroud, revealing what hid beyond the enigmatic portal.

Bai Zemin halted abruptly, stunned by the scene unfolding before him.

A vast bamboo grove, spanning several kilometers wide, rustled gently in view. Breezes carrying the purest, most pristine air he'd ever encountered swept among the bamboo stalks, causing their slender, elongated forms to sway gracefully to and fro.

Far overhead, a star-studded sky without a moon gleamed with brilliance. The vibrant hues from countless stars flickered lively, seemingly welcoming the newcomer after eons of isolation.

It resembled a tiny concealed realm nestled within the planet.

Most astonishingly, though this marked his initial visit, Bai Zemin strode forth with a puzzled yet purposeful stride. He proceeded without doubt, his defenses fully relaxed in this enigmatic locale that oddly evoked a profound sense of comforting familiarity.

The bamboo woods weren't especially vast. Bai Zemin could traverse them completely in mere instants if he chose. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he preferred to amble leisurely, akin to a regular human.

Due to his unhurried pace, Bai Zemin arrived at his subconscious destination nearly an hour following his entry.

This spot formed an open area roughly half a kilometer across. At its heart lay a serene lake, no more than 100 meters around, its waters sparkling with purity, while a modest bamboo cottage stood mere paces from the water's edge.

Bai Zemin's eyes misted over as his stare locked onto the humble bamboo dwelling.

This modest structure, evidently crafted by an amateur and riddled with imperfections... Lacking any rare resources, relying solely on commonplace bamboo... So why did it...

A weight like lead settled in Bai Zemin's chest, and he couldn't fathom the cause.

Such an emotion had never gripped him throughout his existence. Not once.

Only a comparable sensation from his youth came close, when Feng Tian Wu and his former closest companion had pranked him cruelly. Even that incident, which once reduced him to tears, paled against the crushing sorrow engulfing him presently.

Soaked in sweat with his pupils wide, Bai Zemin approached the tranquil lake and froze beside a verdant jade stone. The gemstone, sized just right for seating one person, bore faint lingering traces of an individual's presence.

Clearly, someone had occupied that spot for extended periods. In fact, that presence had lingered there only hours prior.

Bai Zemin moved like an automaton, pivoting mechanically toward the hut. He failed to register a solitary tear tracing down his cheek and dripping onto the jade as he shifted.

With a quivering hand, Bai Zemin finally pushed open the wooden entrance after prolonged reluctance. Moreover, as though fearing the escape of the hut's inner essence, he slammed the door shut behind him without a preliminary glance.

The hut's interior, unsurprisingly, mirrored its compact exterior in size.

What appeared to serve as the main area featured a purple rug adjacent to a crimson one. Alongside the rugs stood a compact wooden table, atop which rested a diminutive, ancient tome bound in the hide of some unidentified beast.

Bai Zemin paused briefly before lifting the little volume, then perused its scant pages with utmost gentleness.

This turned out to be a picture book aimed at young children. Indeed, it was plain that a child had sketched it personally.

Within its pages appeared a valiant fighter boasting lengthy crimson locks, brandishing a lance, alongside a royal in violet attire whose tresses shaded to deep purple, nearly black. A figure clad in golden robes with fiery red hair, resembling the youth, seemed to berate the lance-bearer, who retorted with an upraised middle finger before whisking away the violet-clad princess.

"Hahaha..." For reasons unknown, Bai Zemin's spirits lifted as he examined the far-from-comely illustrations with sparkling eyes.

Upon returning the sketchbook to its position, Bai Zemin scanned the pair of doors within the bamboo hut, immediately noting the tiny wooden plaques dangling from each.

One door's plaque bore words scripted in a regal purple hue with graceful, refined lettering: "Luo Ningshuang's room."

The other...

It was plainly the work of a male hand, and one belonging to a reckless brute at that, for the script was messy and abbreviated the name carelessly.

"LLY's room." Bai Zemin whispered to himself.