I stood before the portal of blood, frustration building in my chest. The force pushing me back was not a spell that I recognized; it did not feel like a barrier, just sheer weight.
It was impossible to burn this weight or cut it to pieces; it almost felt like a Law that prevented anything from passing through this portal.
I looked around the hall, at the golden statues still holding their seals, and the barrier covering them still flickering with the last of the Jade Oracle's vitality.
Despite killing everyone here, the blood was still flowing, and I looked at the constructs that were waiting to harvest the Celestial Essence; their rings were spinning, and their inward-pointing arms were aimed at the seals, as if they were patiently waiting for the barrier to fall and the harvest to begin.
I sneered as I walked toward the nearest construct. If I could not go through the portal, then could I not break these machines?
