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Chapter 356.

With each step, Wang Feng could leap several meters, barely grazing the sharp blade below with his toe to stay aloft. Even as the trail crumbled behind him, he propelled himself forward, covering tens of meters. However, this improvised floatation method could only go so far without further adaptations.

Wang Feng recalled that Sword Douluo once flew on a blade in the anime, but that feat was sustained by his immense soul energy and martial soul—the Seven Kill Sword. Though Wang Feng's Black Thorns Armor wasn't a martial soul but a soul bone, it had bonded with him after refining, creating a powerful connection. Yet, his mental strength wasn't strong enough for true sword flight, and the blade beneath him struggled to bear his full weight. The slightest miscalculation could send him tumbling down.

This was why he hadn't suggested this method to Tang San and Hu Liena—if something went wrong, he wouldn't be able to save them. However, if he fell, he could quickly reveal his Dark Angel martial soul's black wings and soar back up, though it would compromise his disguise.

Still, there was another reason, the sheer thrill of it, of doing something new and dangerous.

As Wang Feng leapt from blade to blade, the technique worked more smoothly than he'd anticipated.

"If my mental power grows stronger," he mused, "could I conjure Armored Black Thorns with each step I take?"

With every step, a Armored Black Thorns would form beneath his feet, allowing him to cross effortlessly. But perhaps that would be taking it too far—it was, after all, –a dangerous place to be sauntering about.

Shaking off the thought, Wang Feng continued, moving gracefully over the remaining distance in a few swift bounds. Landing softly, he said calmly, "Don't waste time. Let's go."

Both Tang San and Hu Liena stared, momentarily speechless. This approach was as impressive as it was unexpected. They had seen Wang Feng wield blades to kill, but leaping from blade to blade was something else entirely. They noticed, too, that his soul power was unlike any they'd encountered, just enough to let a half-meter-long blade—thin as a cicada's wing—hold his weight momentarily. It was a feat that, while brief, required extraordinary skill.

With Wang Feng now across, the three continued down the narrow, spiraling path. They moved quickly, passing through three successive shockwaves as they descended. The farther down they went, the more the fierce blood aura from the pool below intensified. The murderous intent counteracted some of this aura, and Tang San's Blue Silver Domain added a layer of resistance. However, maintaining the domain was exhausting for both their soul and mental power.

Fortunately, the aura surrounding Wang Feng seemed to ease the effects of the killing intent, allowing them to continue without being overwhelmed. After roughly 500 meters, the fourth wave of attacks arrived.

This attack was fiercer than any before. A flock of Phoenix-Tailed Blood Geese appeared, hovering a hundred meters away, emitting thick clouds of blood mist. These geese, around sixty in number, were each at a 10,000-year cultivation level and had no clear leader. Instead of attacking directly, they released a dense blood mist while shrieking loudly.

These creatures were becoming more cunning as the wave continue on.

The blood mist wasn't toxic, but inhaling it stirred a primal urge to kill, enhancing their already over the edge killing intent. The more one breathed it in, the harder it became to resist. Even within the protection of Tang San's Blue Silver Domain, the mist seeped through, gnawing at their control.

Wang Feng had no reliable way to attack the Phoenix-Tailed Blood Geese from such a distance, and the blood mist affected him little. However, for Hu Liena and Tang San, it was an entirely different story. The mist incited a bloodlust within them, clouded their minds, and weakened their spirits. Thick and wet, it was difficult to evade, drifting from all directions.

"Hold on for a while," Wang Feng instructed firmly. "The blood geese can't keep releasing the mist indefinitely. Once exhausted, they might leave."

Just as he predicted, the geese, weakened by their own blood expenditure, withdrew after only a few minutes. Tang San and Hu Liena took deep breaths as they emerged from the mist, but both were covered in a crimson sheen. Despite using their soul power as a shield, the mist was so pervasive that it easily penetrated, leaving a faint bloodstain in their eyes. Tang San fared better, but Hu Liena's skin had taken on a light pink hue.

Their minds now wrestled not only with murderous intent but also with the residual bloodthirst from the area. They both looked troubled.

Wang Feng placed a hand on each of their shoulders, absorbing some of the killing intent and blood aura clouding their spirits. After a minute, their senses began to clear. If they'd stayed in that state much longer, madness would have overtaken them.

"How much soul power do you have left?" Wang Feng asked.

"Forty percent," Hu Liena replied, her voice soft.

After four consecutive waves of attacks, their reserves were waning from the constant strain on their soul bones and the defensive soul power needed to resist each assault.

"About fifty percent," Tang San added, reactivating his Blue Silver Domain to cover the group, shielding them from the blood mist's lingering effects.

Wang Feng nodded slightly. The bloodlust weighing on them had accumulated beyond their means of resistance. Though he could absorb it with his Dark Angel martial soul, it still drained mental and soul power.

"My guess is…" Wang Feng said quietly, "We'll face at least ten waves of attacks."

Upon hearing this, both Tang San and Hu Liena froze.

"Ten waves? How could there be so many?"

"We're less than 500 meters from the end," Tang San said, trying to calm himself. "But if that's true, I'm not sure we can withstand it."

Hu Liena's face had already turned rosy from breathing the blood mist, but now it drained of color.

"This can't be right… My teacher said she only encountered two or three waves of attacks when she came through here."

Hu Liena recalled Bibi Dong's warnings about Hell Road, but this was far more intense than anything she'd been led to expect.

They moved another hundred meters –when the fifth wave of attacks arrived. This time, only three creatures appeared, but they were no ordinary beasts. Three massive Crimson Flame Serpents, each over ten meters long and with a cultivation of at least 30,000 years, had arrived.

These crimson-scaled monsters flew with their powerful wings, surrounding the three in a triangle formation. One serpent focused on destroying the path ahead, while the other two launched attacks from above.

"You and Tang Yin handle the two that are attacking. I'll take down the one destroying our path," Wang Feng instructed.

The Crimson Flame Serpent was formidable, its massive body and fire-imbued attacks making it as dangerous as the Dark Golden Bat King –they had faced earlier. Wang Feng knew they'd need to eliminate it quickly to stand a chance.

As he advanced, Wang Feng activated his Dark Angel martial soul domain which he called—The Domain of Original Sin. 

He had named it after the seven blood patterns it summoned, each representing a different negative emotion. These emotions, akin to the seven deadly sins, could affect any creature within the domain, controlling them if their will faltered even for just a second. Even a Titled Douluo couldn't fully resist its influence, though the degree of control varied. Only through karmic cleansing like Wang Feng's could someone avoid these effects.

The Crimson Flame Serpent attacking the path twisted its long body around, spewing poisonous flames, its scarlet scales glistening with an impenetrable sheen. Its only weakness was the top of its head. Unfortunately, the serpent could easily dodge attacks from its position high in the air, making it nearly impossible to hit.

Hovering at around eighty meters, the Crimson Flame Serpent hissed down at Wang Feng, almost mocking him, and spat an acidic liquid that seemed to taunt: Come here!

Wang Feng narrowed his eyes.

Behind him, Hu Liena called, "Wang Wu, my fox tail can launch you up about thirty meters, but it's nowhere near high enough." She was catching her breath from using a soul bone ability as she and Tang Yin fought off the two serpents attacking at a lower altitude.

Wang Feng shook his head, smiling slightly at the Crimson Flame Serpent. He leapt upward, activating his second tier of his strength, mindful not to put his full weight on the crumbling path beneath him. His jump took him twenty meters up—far short of the serpent—but he had a plan.

A sharp blade shot up to his feet, and Wang Feng lightly pressed down on it to gain a few extra meters. The blade's leverage was weak, so each step only propelled him a short distance. Yet, with swift and precise control, Wang Feng rose higher, quickly reaching sixty meters.

The Crimson Flame Serpent seemed stunned as Wang Feng ascended, using a tactic that was clearly beyond its understanding.

"Tang Yin!" Wang Feng called out.

Tang San's eyes narrowed as he understood the plan. Gripping the Clear Sky Hammer, he hurled it upwards with all his strength. Wang Feng caught the hammer in mid-air, while a series of overlapping blades created a firm foothold beneath him. With one powerful step, he launched himself even higher, driving the hammer down directly on the serpent's head.

The impact was explosive, crushing the Crimson Flame Serpent's head with a resounding blow. Blood and flesh scattered as a blade darted from Wang Feng's hand, following the splattered remains into the serpent's body, slicing its organs.

Wang Feng then turned his attention to the other two serpents. This method was draining, requiring intense concentration to control his steps, but he quickly adapted, leaping from blade to blade with growing confidence.

Under the influence of the Domain of Original Sin, the two remaining serpents faltered. Wang Feng's movements confused them as he jumped between them, appearing almost to dance on air. With the Clear Sky Hammer, he crushed the second serpent's head before moving on to the third.

However, the third serpent managed to dodge slightly, and the hammer's blow skidded off its scales with a metallic clang, inflicting no real damage.

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