Curse of the Supreme Blood

Lei Chen gasped as he struggled beneath the icy grip of the enchanted vines, their cold energy biting into his skin. Summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, he twisted his wrist, releasing a pulse of spiritual energy that shattered the dark bindings.

Gao Fen cursed, lunging toward him with his blade, but Lei Chen dove backward into the churning waterfall, disappearing beneath its frothy surface.

Gao Fen is ruthless, cunning, and power-hungry, driven by an insatiable desire for strength and dominance. He is fiercely ambitious, willing to betray, manipulate, and kill to achieve his goals. His commanding presence and sharp intellect make him a natural leader, though his leadership style is built on intimidation and fear rather than loyalty or respect. It was the fear of the red flash he saw in Li's eyes earlier that had made him caution his subordinate.

Calculating and cold-blooded, Gao Fen has little regard for others' lives, viewing them as pawns in his pursuit of power. He is quick to exploit weaknesses and thrives on creating schemes that put him at an advantage. Despite his harsh nature, he possesses a dangerous charisma, able to charm or deceive when it suits his agenda.

He is also intensely competitive, hating anyone he perceives as a threat or rival. Failure is intolerable to him, and he responds to setbacks with merciless vengeance. His belief that the strong should dominate the weak defines his brutal worldview, making him a formidable and dangerous adversary. The sight of the content of Lei Chen's bag earlier had arisen the competitive nature. He thought his possession of the bag would make his group win the sect mission and thereby earn many sect points, majority of which he intends to keep for himself.

"After him!" H barked, leaping into the water with Wu Han close behind.

The frigid water stung Lei Chen's wounds as he swam deeper, his mind racing for a plan. His lungs burned, demanding air, but he forced himself to stay submerged. He needed to escape or fight.

A sudden movement to his left drew his attention. Gao surged through the water like a predator, his blade gleaming ominously. Lei Chen barely twisted in time, the blade grazing his side and releasing a swirl of red into the clear water.

Ignoring the searing pain, he struck back with a swift kick to Gao's ribs. Bubbles exploded from Gao's mouth as he grunted, momentarily stunned.

Wu Han appeared from the right, hurling a spear-like blast of dark energy. Lei Chen twisted desperately, narrowly avoiding the attack, but Gao was already upon him again.

With a vicious thrust, Gao's blade found its mark, stabbing deep into Lei Chen's thigh. A strangled cry escaped his lips, swallowed instantly by the water.

Pain flared like wildfire, weakening his kicks. Seizing the advantage, Gao slammed his hand on Lei Chen's head, forcing him under the water.

Lei Chen thrashed, his strength draining fast. His chest heaved, fighting the instinct to breathe. His vision blurred, darkening at the edges.

Desperation sharpened into clarity. With one final surge of will, Lei Chen stilled, letting his limbs fall limp as though life had fled his body. His eyes fluttered closed.

Gao smirked, releasing his grip. "Pathetic," he muttered as he swam out of the frigid waters, snatching Lei Chen's spatial bag from the rocks at the water's edge.

"Let's go," he ordered Wu Han, who nodded with grim satisfaction.

They vanished into the forest, leaving behind the eerily quiet waterfall. Beneath its cascading veil, Lei Chen floated motionless for long seconds...until his eyes snapped open.

Back at the Camp

The rest of the group lounged near the fire, tending to their packs and sharpening their weapons. Time passed slowly, marked only by the occasional crackling of the flames.

Zhang Wei paced near the clearing's edge, scanning the forest with mounting concern. "Where's Lei Chen? He should have been back by now."

Mei frowned. "Maybe he's still by the waterfall. He wouldn't just vanish."

Li narrowed his eyes, the same uneasy feeling from before returning in full force. "Something's wrong."

Before Zhang Wei could respond, Gao and Wu Han emerged from the shadows, appearing casually dishevelled.

"Where've you been?" Zhang Wei demanded, his voice sharp.

"Scouting ahead," Gao lied smoothly. "Didn't see anything useful. You?"

"No sign of Lei Chen," Zhang Wei replied, tension lacing his words. "We were about to check the waterfall."

Gao waved dismissively. "Waste of time. He's probably dead by now, taken by some beast or drowned."

Mei's eyes widened in horror. "You don't know that!"

Wu Han shrugged. "The forest isn't kind. Searching won't change what's already happened."

'You seem pretty sure' snapped Lei Yun 'Did you do something to my brother?

'Hey, I did nothing to your brother. I've not even seen him since we made camp here. Why accuse me? asked Gao Fen with an innocent expression as Wu Han smirked humourlessly beside him

Li clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to lash out. He could feel something was not right. The casual coldness in Gao's voice, the lack of any concern.

Zhang Wei, his face a mask of restrained fury, grabbed his pack. "I'm not leaving him behind."

"I'm coming too," Li declared.

Mei nodded determinedly. "Me too."

Gao's expression twisted into irritation. "Suit yourselves. We're moving on. Don't expect us to wait around for corpses."

'You can't leave until we find Lei Chen' snapped Li, as he made to block the other group's path.

'What has this got to do with us? Murmured Gao's group seeing the murderous expression of Li.

Even Zhang Wei was surprised by Li's action and didn't know how to react. He watched from one to the other and felt that Li must know something that he wasn't aware of. But in the end he decided to let the other group go as each minute delay could be fatal for Lei Chen.

'let them go Li. We shouldn't waste time. Finding Lei Chen is out top priority not' Zhang Wei commanded.

Li hesitated but then sighed and left the path, allowing Gao and his group members to pass without hindrance.

The groups parted with hostility crackling in the air like an impending storm. As Zhang Wei led the search party toward the waterfall, Li couldn't shake the feeling that something bad had happened to Lei Chen. The look in Wu Han's eyes smacked of satisfaction and something hidden.

The dense forest loomed like a silent judge as Zhang Wei, Li, Mei Ming, and Lei Yun combed through the area near the waterfall. Tension hung thick in the air, each passing moment deepening the gnawing fear in their hearts.

The search for Lei Chen began with urgency and determination. Zhang Wei, Li, Lei Yun and Mei fanned out through the dense forest near the waterfall, their eyes scanning every shadow and their ears straining for any hint of movement. The forest was eerily quiet, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the occasional call of distant beasts.

Zhang Wei, taking the lead, maintained a focused expression. His keen eyes darted from tree trunks to the uneven ground, searching for signs of struggle or footprints. He held his sword ready, prepared for any hostile encounter.

Li trailed slightly behind, his heart pounding with worry. Despite his suspicions of Gao Fen, he still hoped Lei Chen was alright and that his suspicion was unfounded. His senses were heightened, and his blood stirred urgently, urging him forward.

Mei, though clearly anxious, tried to maintain her composure. She searched near the riverbank, knowing Lei Chen might have been swept downstream. Her delicate fingers brushed through the reeds, her mind filled with silent prayers. Lei Yun just followed listlessly behind her, obviously lost at the thought of losing his brother.

After hours of searching, exhaustion and despair began to creep in. The group reconvened near the waterfall's edge, their faces shadowed with disappointment. Zhang Wei clenched his fists in frustration. "We've covered every path he could've taken... unless—"

"We've checked everywhere!" Mei Ming cried, her voice trembling. "Where could he be?"

Zhang Wei clenched his fists. "Lei Chen wouldn't just vanish." His eyes burned with determination, though doubt crept into his voice.

Li surveyed the turbulent waters of the waterfall. The idea of Lei Chen being swept away seemed too cruel, yet plausible. "Maybe...he's downstream?" he suggested.

Wei Ming and Lei Yun exchanged uneasy glances. Lei Yun spoke up, "If he's hurt...he wouldn't make it far."

Despite the grim possibility, they pressed on, calling out Lei Chen's name as they trudged along the rocky banks.

After what felt like hours, weariness weighed heavily on their limbs. The forest remained eerily quiet, as if mocking their desperate search. Hope started to wane.

Lei Yun stopped abruptly, breathing heavily. "He...he can't be...gone." His voice cracked, betraying his despair.

Mei Ming placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "We...we did our best."

Li's fists clenched at his sides. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, but there was nothing left to search.

"Maybe we should—" Zhang Wei started but froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening.