Su Chen couldn’t help but nod.
"The reason I’m called the Demon Lord of Chaos is because I’ve killed countless people in my lifetime, from righteous sects, evil sects, the elderly, the young; anyone I find displeasing, I kill them. But who would know that originally, I was just an ordinary hunter?"
"Then why did you become ?"
"Because of my son. When he was ten years old, I watched helplessly as several members of the Blood Sect killed him right in front of me. I had no power to avenge him. I remember kneeling on the ground at that time, but in the end, they cruelly killed my son and left. From that moment on, I vowed to kill all members of the Blood Sect!"
"But how did you become the Gatekeeper of the second level of Bloody Heaven?"
Zhao Tianjing sighed sorrowfully and slowly said, "I’ve killed too many people and was wanted by the Blood Sect. I thought with my strength, I could escape their pursuit, but in the end, I still fell into their hands. As for becoming the Gatekeeper of Bloody Heaven, that was not my wish. After arriving here, I found out that the second level is a prison for Blood Sect death-row inmates. But every once in a while, newcomers from the Blood Sect come to challenge us. If they are lucky and kill us, they receive considerable rewards; if not, they are killed by us, allowing us to live a little longer."
Su Chen finally understood. The second level of Bloody Heaven is guarded by death-row inmates. When one dies, another replaces them. It seems, the designer of Bloody Heaven is quite clever.
"But haven’t you thought about escaping this cage? Are you willing to remain trapped in this place without light, forever a prisoner without freedom?"
"Hehe, escaping is easier said than done."
Zhao Tianjing shook his head bitterly, then stood up from the ground, "Bloody Heaven is divided into seven levels, each secretly guarded by Blood Sect experts. There were attempts to escape, but they were silently eliminated. Even if one escapes this place, outside is the Faceless Saint Monarch’s Seven Fiends Barrier. With our strength, we cannot break through its defense..."
"Who is the Faceless Saint Monarch, and is that Seven Fiends Barrier really that formidable?"
Su Chen’s curiosity was piqued, and he asked consecutively.
Zhao Tianjing seemed to look at him strangely, then shook his head again with a trace of helplessness, "Not just formidable; it’s practically an invincible death defense. It is a super barrier personally set by one of the three great elders of the Blood Sect, the Faceless Saint Monarch. Without him personally showing up, not even a group of beast demons acting together can break it."
Su Chen couldn’t help but be shocked. Even a group of beast demons can’t break it? What kind of barrier is this? Could it be that the Faceless Saint Monarch’s strength has reached the level of a Beast Demon or even a Beast God?
"Do you know what level of Beast Cultivator the Faceless Saint Monarch is?"
Zhao Tianjing shook his head and said, "Not even I know, nor does the Blood Sect Leader necessarily know his strength. All that can be said is that he is an unfathomable super strong individual. It’s said that no one who has seen his true face remains, as they’ve all gone to Asura Hell."
Su Chen couldn’t help but nod, "No wonder he’s called the Faceless Saint Monarch, but what’s this barrier? Is he the only one who can do it?"
"A barrier is a defensive system similar to an array. Like leading troops in battle, a good array can break enemy lines in an instant or firmly guard a camp, while a barrier is a defensive skill that can be cast once strength reaches a certain realm. Of course, raw strength alone is far from enough; the caster also needs specialized knowledge in barriers and enchantments."
Zhao Tianjing spoke eloquently, with a trace less of sadness on his face.
Su Chen nodded, "I see, I understand now. Thank you for explaining these things to me."
"I should be the one thanking you."
Zhao Tianjing smiled helplessly, "You’re the one who let me voice my inner sorrow; otherwise, I don’t know how long I could endure this."
Su Chen also stood up, looking at the tall figure of Zhao Tianjing. Suddenly, a warmth surged through his heart. It turns out that in this world, even those who are exceedingly vicious have their sad and painful past. Compared to him, the neglect I suffered in my childhood might be nothing.
"Well, I should go. Ghost Howl has been waiting outside for me for a long time."
Su Chen smiled slightly.
Zhao Tianjing was taken aback, then raised his eyebrows, "You mean Ghost Howl, one of the three Deputy Sect Leaders of the Blood Sect?"
Su Chen suddenly realized that Ghost Howl, like Bai Ya, was indeed one of the three Deputy Sect Leaders of the Blood Sect, "Yes, these days, he’s the one who’s been accompanying me to Bloody Heaven."
"No wonder, I saw his shadow in your swordsmanship."
Zhao Tianjing realized with enlightenment.
Su Chen chuckled in his heart; actually, it was just a move he had unconsciously memorized, not something Ghost Howl taught him. But thinking this way, he didn’t say it out loud.
"I really have to go. If fate allows, perhaps we shall meet again..."
"Did you forget? You won’t be allowed to leave unless you kill me."
Zhao Tianjing couldn’t help but sigh again, but Su Chen confidently laughed, "Don’t worry, you said someone is secretly guarding here. They’ve surely gone to inform Ghost Howl by now."
Zhao Tianjing inquired strangely.
"Because I’m different from the usual challengers. I’m not someone from the Blood Sect..."
Zhao Tianjing paused for a moment, then gave an ’oh’, yet still remained utterly puzzled and said, "Does that have anything to do with whether you can leave?"