The mountain wind continued to howl, as if venting its dissatisfaction. At the peak, all was silent; Doro was dead, just like that, dead without a body, all his bones shattered into countless pieces, and his internal organs crushed to powder. From a distance, Doro was nothing but a lump of rotten meat paste, and if not for witnessing the entire process, no one would believe that the pile of disgusting flesh on the ground was once the powerful Superpower User, Doro.

A sense of fear rose in everyone's heart; they had never seen anyone kill in such a manner. How deep must the hatred be to drive someone to such a frenzied, appalling act?

The Superpower Users brought by Doro had completely lost the will to resist. They stood motionless, staring at the puddle of flesh that was once Doro and at Mr. Rui, still stark naked. No one dared to laugh at Mr. Rui now, because no one wanted to die, much less die in such a painful and ugly way.

Mr. Rui's subordinates felt deep fear rising in their hearts. They had always thought Mr. Rui lacked strength, but now they knew—and perhaps they knew a bit too much. No one wanted to retain such unpleasant memories, yet they had to, for such matters reminded them to be exceptionally cautious in their actions.

Yiyin, hiding in the shadows, watched the settled scene and sighed softly, knowing that even if he stepped out, he would be of no use. Moreover, he wasn't Mr. Rui's match. After glancing at the pile of flesh that was once Doro, Yiyin left the valley without looking back.

With that, the battle in the valley was completely over. Mr. Rui signaled his men to annihilate Doro's remnants. After witnessing Mr. Rui's inhuman methods, Doro's remaining forces lost all will to fight, standing in a daze, easily wiped out. The red blood nearly dyed the entire mountain top, with the only bloodless spot being the large pit that had been dug out.

Mr. Rui walked slowly into the pit. Before he could speak, Sorres presented a new set of clothes for Mr. Rui to wear. Sorres' face was filled with excitement; anyone who had walked the edge of life and death would feel the same. He had thought he was doomed, but unexpectedly, Mr. Rui managed to turn the tide at the last moment.

Dressed properly, Mr. Rui stood again before the stone carving. The excitement was gone from his face, replaced by cold indifference; he hadn't fully detached himself from the recent slaughter.

Jue, who had long come out from the forest, flickered to Mr. Rui's side, and Sorres just happened to stand beside Jue. The three stood quietly in front of the stone carving, the bright light illuminating it clearly. The key was securely set in the groove, its pattern blending seamlessly with the surrounding etchings; without careful inspection, it was indiscernible.

With his right hand gripping the dagger, he gently pressed the blade tip to the palm of his left hand, extending both hands forward until they hovered over the key. Mr. Rui applied a little pressure, and the sharp dagger immediately sliced open his left palm. Bright red blood gushed from the wound, then dripped down onto the patterns on the key.

The moment the red blood touched the engravings, it began to flow along the designs as if it were alive. It took nearly half a bowl of blood to fully dye the few patterns on the top of the stone carving an eye-catching, intensely bright crimson.

Retracting his hand, he simply sealed the wound in his palm to stop the bleeding. Mr. Rui's gaze fixated unblinkingly on the stone carving, waiting for a change in the door-opening procedure. The information from the Ancient Book dictated that the patterns above must be stained with the opener's blood. However, the book didn't specify what would happen next.

The three stood quietly in place. The once howling wind outside the pit abruptly quieted, with not a sound to be heard. An eerie silence enveloped the mountaintop, and a faint sense of foreboding flickered in everyone's heart, yet none could articulate its origin. Instinctively, they felt danger looming.

However, Mr. Rui and the others felt nothing. They stood quietly before the stone carving, their gaze unwavering from the key's patterns. The patterns had been entirely soaked in Mr. Rui's blood, twisting and writhing like a living creature for an instant before settling again. That brief moment made them think they'd imagined it, their eyes not adjusted to the peculiar occurrence. Just then, a dull "thud" echoed through the silent pit, like a drumbeat, but distinctly different upon close inspection. As they believed they had misheard, the sound reappeared.

Thud, thud. It remained a dull sound, like someone striking a leather drum with a mallet, yet it seemed to resonate with one's heartbeat, causing Mr. Rui and the others to inexplicably feel their hearts jump a few beats. A look of horror crossed Mr. Rui's once indifferent face; he couldn't comprehend the sound's origin, but its impact on his heartbeat was troubling. Hastily, he urged his internal Fire Power to shield his body, attempting to block out the oppressive sound. Jue did likewise with his Wind Force, also shielding Sorres beside him. Although he disliked Sorres, on Mr. Rui's account, Jue protected him.

Thud, thud, thud. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud...

The dull sound intensified, gradually shifting from low to high pitch, and Mr. Rui and the others realized that the Protective Energy around them was collapsing under the concentrated sound. His heartbeat started to synchronize with the sound instead of following its own rhythm. With the heartbeat altered, blood circulation speed within his body changed, leading to chaos in their internal energy flow.

The first to succumb was Sorres, who lacked any supernatural power. He spat a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale. He looked almost hopelessly at the stone carving before him. He hadn't thought he would narrowly escape death only to face another mortal threat, and this time even Mr. Rui couldn't save him.

Next was Jue; the blue light surrounding him flickered chaotically as the Wind Force dispersed with a grunt, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face paling akin to a sheet of paper. Yet, he continued to propel the Wind Force within, attempting to control the heartbeat to avoid influence. But the concentrated sound affected not only the heart rhythm but also his ability to control energy—essentially a fatal sound.

Mr. Rui fared no better; despite having fought a battle earlier, he hadn't exerted much energy. However, the sound now pressed heavily upon him, leaving him defenseless against its intrusion; his internal Fire Power was thrown into disarray. Even if he wanted to channel strength now, it was impossible. A stream of blood trickled from his mouth as Mr. Rui also failed to withstand the damage caused by the sound.

What is happening? Mr. Rui's mind was filled with fright. The Ancient Book had not mentioned such a scenario. Could this be a trap hidden after opening the door? Mr. Rui couldn't decipher the key to the situation, feeling a bit lost; the usually resourceful he was now utterly helpless, resigned to standing there passively.

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