Su Cheng, Save Me

Before she could finish speaking, Bibi Dong felt a surge of unease, and a moment of dizziness, as if she were lacking oxygen, washed over her.

If your body goes limp, you'll fall forward.

"What happened?" Su Cheng quickly reached out and put his arm around her, his gentle voice echoing deep within her soul, reviving her reason.

"I... I don't know..."

With a weak and hoarse voice, Bibi Dong leaned close to him, her face flushed slightly.

Su Cheng had no interest in savoring the fleeting pleasure of the soft touch in his arms. He frowned as he looked around at the terrifying malice that seemed to solidify into reality, and his heart grew heavy.

The dark red Divine Slaughter's Domain that had been acting as a barrier around the three of them was beginning to show signs of turning purplish-black.

He understands now.

Regardless of where Bibi Dong's realm began to change when she ventured into Hell Road, the root cause actually lay in the blood pool at the bottom of the Abyss beneath her feet.

That pool of blood must be the vast amount of human blood accumulated in the Slaughter City over the years, the "Bloody Mary" that the Fallen Ones of Slaughter City contribute and drink daily, and the offerings when opening the Hell Road.

That was the energy source of the strange realm of the Slaughter City, but it was also the place that truly contained the Rakshasa Divine Power.

From the moment Bibi Dong first entered the Hell Road, she was already marked by the Rakshasa Divine Power in the Blood Pool. However, it wasn't activated at first; instead, it settled deep within her soul, influencing her.

The question that puzzles Su Cheng the most right now is why this blood pool is reacting so strongly at this moment?

Even though Bibi Dong was the successor of the Rakshasa God, she was undergoing the Rakshasa God Test normally, and nothing unexpected happened during the process.

The Rakshasa God's inheritance space is not here. For the Rakshasa God, the Hell Road is merely something similar to the Seven Sacred Pillars of Sea God Island for the Sea God, or the Angel God Statue of the Douluo Hall for the Angel God —a location used to select successors and administer divine trials.

Even if there were to be any impact on Bibi Dong, or any sense of her arrival, it would have to be in a place like the Sea God Inheritance's Palace, right?

After thinking for a moment, he first lowered his head and whispered to Bibi Dong in his arms, "Put away your Divine Slaughter's Domain first."

After saying that, he looked at the girl in black with a strange expression, who seemed not to understand the situation yet, and said, "Zhu Zhuqing, use your Talent Domain."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately nodded and looked away. Now was not the time to say anything more. The huge phantom of the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul flashed past behind her.

A light red breeze carrying a faint fishy smell swirled and lingered around, replacing the dark red Divine Slaughter's Domain that had previously emanated from Bibi Dong, which was slightly purplish-black.

"Su, Su Cheng ..." Bibi Dong murmured softly, her eyes slightly closed.

Her face was completely bloodless, and very obvious light purple lines had begun to appear around the corners of her eyes.

Despite the immense pressure emanating from the powerful and malevolent aura of the Hell Road, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but glance at the two of them in surprise.

At this moment, the Pope, who was high above everyone else, was visibly trembling slightly. His eyes, which seemed half-open, welled up with tears, and deep-seated pain was hidden in them.

"Don't worry, I'm here," Su Cheng replied softly.

He glanced at the intense malice rising from beneath his feet and rapidly converging around him, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhu Zhuqing, can you hold on?"

In just a short while, a blood-red shadow was cast over the gust of wind that gathered around Zhu Zhuqing.

"Can."

"Don't force yourself; try to understand the killing intent here."

Su Cheng looked at the domain the other party had created and nodded inwardly.

Her Wind God Domain is similar to her Sword Dao Domain, focusing on extreme offense. The power she is displaying now is several times stronger than before she came to the Slaughter City, and its essence has also been greatly enhanced.

Aside from the fact that the unique Soul Power environment in the Slaughter City contained a few impurities, everything else was a positive improvement, and it was extremely compatible with her Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul, bringing about a qualitative change in her combat power.

With this foundation, cultivating the Innate Skill in the future will be much easier.

The sudden surge of malice in the blood pool beneath their feet wasn't entirely without benefit; at least it stimulated the previously relatively silent Asura Divine Power nearby, triggering a counterattack from the omnipresent and powerful Killing Intent of this place.

For Zhu Zhuqing, this was both a good thing and a bad thing.

The clearer and more agitated the Killing Intent, the easier it is to feel and comprehend.

However, the power of that fierce aura has also increased considerably.

Fortunately, although Zhu Zhuqing did not achieve a hundred victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena, she did achieve a large number of consecutive victories and accumulated a deep killing intent. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for her to withstand the impact of those repeated Killing Intent and ferocity.

"Be careful not to be influenced by malice. If you feel unsettled, tell me immediately, and I will take action," Su Cheng said in a deep voice.

Now that things have come to this, he'll probably have to take action sooner or later.

Bibi Dong's condition at this moment is worse than imagined, and her Divine Slaughter's Domain is clearly no longer suitable for use.

However, if one wants to leave Hell Road, one cannot escape unless one has an extremely powerful killing intent to absorb the killing intent, or is protected by a pre-completed Divine Slaughter's Domain.

Therefore, when they finally escaped Hell Road, Su Cheng would need to use his Innate Power to protect Zhu Zhuqing, so there was no need to force her to hold on for as long as possible.

Letting her withstand the pressure in her own field first is also a way to help her gain more insights through external pressure.

After all, this was a rare opportunity, and once she got out of there, it would be very difficult for her to return to this Hell Road.

"I understand." Zhu Zhuqing nodded gently, her gaze solemn.

Seeing this, Su Cheng stopped talking to her so as not to distract her.

What worries him most right now is Bibi Dong's condition.

Bibi Dong, who had just said she was "fine," was now somewhat delirious.

Her body was almost completely hanging on Su Cheng. If he hadn't reached out to hold her, Bibi Dong would probably have already fallen to the ground and fainted.

The delicate body in his arms was fluctuating between hot and cold, and her breathing was extremely restless and chaotic.

Murderous intent and malevolent thoughts surged and churned in turn, while a slightly familiar, pure aura appeared intermittently.

Right now, those forces seem to be using her body as a battlefield, constantly entangled and killing each other.

However, as time went on, the endless stream of evil thoughts clearly began to gain the upper hand, and a dark green light would occasionally flash in his eyes.

If Su Cheng could observe her soul state, he would find that the starlight hidden deep within Bibi Dong's soul was flickering and teetering on the verge of collapse.

But at the same time, layers of malice from the outside world continue to squeeze and infiltrate into the depths of one's soul.

In fact, it was precisely because Bibi Dong, as the Rakshasa God Inheritance, had her divine examination progress slowed and suppressed by this bit of starlight that the Rakshasa Divine Power on the Hell Road was stimulated, causing the divine power hidden in the blood pool beneath her feet to react so strongly.

In her mind, various memories and hallucinations of the past flashed by, causing her immense pain.

After spending many years together, he hinted at his feelings, but instead forced the other person to leave alone, and from then on, he dared not get close to them again...

On Sea God Island, the one you love dies before your eyes, and you are powerless to stop it...

Even worse, that person might just be a figment of one's memory, someone from a different generation, with no chance of saving them; or perhaps, that person never existed at all, and one is destined to face all suffering alone...

Even the scenes of him living with Qian Renxue in the Spirit Hall City for many years...

It's hard for her not to hate Qian Renxue.

Although blood is thicker than water between them, the blood of the Qian Family flowing in the other's veins originates from the sacred aura of the Angel Clan, and every time she sees this child, she is reminded of the teacher who personally pushed her into the Abyss, as well as the scene that fills her with resentment and fear for the rest of her life...

The stronger one's desires and the deeper one's obsessions, the heavier the pain will be when experiencing separation and loss.

As the Current Pope of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong is undoubtedly at the pinnacle of power in the world, but her obsession is not with power.

Having entered the Spirit Hall at a young age and held a high position, she had never lacked power and status, so naturally she didn't crave these things.

What she lacks is emotion, so she cherishes emotion even more.

However, the saddest part is also here.

The kinds of opportunities that others would treasure and yearn for are readily available to her.

It has been like this since childhood.

She possessed extraordinary Saintess as Soul Master, a status that others could only envy, and after the death of the Former Pope, she became the youngest and only female Pope in the history of the Spirit Hall.

But for Bibi Dong, these things are precisely the things that are dispensable.

And who has ever truly cared about what she desperately craves?

Qian Xunji didn't care, Yu Xiaogang didn't care, and even Su Cheng, who brought her hope and warmth in another world, didn't really care.

Everyone has different standards for measuring different things.

What she cherishes and desires most is often the most ordinary thing in the eyes of others.

What one desires is unattainable, and all the scenes in one's memory are but illusions; the one one loves is hard to get close to, and even one's feelings can only be buried deep in the heart; despite being blood relatives, one harbors hatred and loathing for each other, and painful memories follow like a shadow, never leaving...

Logically speaking, as Evil Thought God, Rakshasa God usually stirs up the Evil Thought thoughts and desires in people's hearts, which are the most easily exploited and manipulated negative emotions in human nature.

In the past, the Rakshasa God's Will hidden in the Slaughter City was indeed chosen because of the evil nature of Bibi Dong's Second Martial Soul, the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, as well as the seeds of greed and obsession deep in her heart, coupled with her extremely powerful talent. It was because of this that Bibi Dong marked her, selected her as the Godhood Inheritance, and initiated the Rakshasa God Test for her.

At this point, however, the Rakshasa Divine Power stirred up another extremely strong negative emotion from the deepest and most immense part of Bibi Dong's heart—pain.

This emotion can also be transformed as the source of the Rakshasa Divine Power.

However, it is difficult for ordinary people to draw upon its power.

Because when a person Bibi Dong is extremely repressed and in pain, and is plagued by countless nightmares and fears, there are only two choices for the future.

Or they could choose to devour and destroy the world, which would mean returning to the path that the Rakshasa God was meant to take.

But this path is difficult to achieve.

A more likely scenario is that they will choose self-destruction.

The pain was so deep that it would be difficult for anyone to keep going step by step.

We need to leave this place first.

Su Cheng looked around at the layers of blood mist gathering around him, and his hesitation vanished.

Bibi Dong's current condition is clearly not something she can recover from anytime soon. Moreover, as time goes on, the problem will likely become even more serious.

Although he had activated his Five Elements Domain, which incorporated Innate Power, to block the surging Rakshasa Divine Power from the outside world for Bibi Dong, he was unable to completely suppress it.

As the inheritor of the Rakshasa Godhood, Bibi Dong has a deep connection with the Rakshasa Divine Power.

Moreover, the Rakshasa God is Evil Thought God, and the most terrifying aspect of its divine power is its ability to corrupt people's minds and stir up negative emotions in their hearts. This cannot be solved simply by blocking the divine power.

Unless Su Cheng uses the second stage of the Longevity True Body to completely dispel and annihilate the Rakshasa Divine Power here with an absolute power advantage, it is impossible to completely cure the opponent.

But he obviously wouldn't do something that foolish.

Although the rule against using Soul Skill here doesn't restrict him, the Tool Soul Avatar can't be maintained for too long. Once it's used, it means he's exhausted all his trump cards. If any further danger arises, the situation will become very troublesome.

It wasn't that Su Cheng was arrogant. He genuinely didn't believe that Bibi Dong, once she returned to her normal state, would be more effective in dangerous situations than he was in his full state.

"Zhu Zhuqing, you go first." Su Cheng pointed to the dark direction the narrow path led to, then turned to Zhu Zhuqing and said in a deep voice.

If the two are of equal strength, the one who goes first will obviously face greater danger.

However, his Soul Power is much stronger, and his perception far surpasses that of Zhu Zhuqing, allowing him to anticipate risks in advance.

Moreover, his speed of action is faster, and being behind him makes it easier for him to keep an eye on the surroundings and give appropriate instructions.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, glanced at Bibi Dong leaning against Su Cheng's chest, opened her mouth as if to say something but didn't say anything more.

He then continued to maintain the operation of his Talent Domain, turned around, and walked towards the narrow path that was only half a foot wide.

Of course, she didn't just blindly pave the way. Instead, as Su Cheng had instructed, she constantly adjusted her Wind God Domain while simultaneously sensing the deep and chilling domineering killing intent on the Hell Road, allowing it to further integrate with her own Talent Domain, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Only then did Su Cheng stretch out his arms and lift up Bibi Dong, who was already delirious, in a princess carry.

As he moved, Bibi Dong instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Then she opened her slightly hazy eyes, staring at him with a dazed expression, and exhaled a rich fragrance, like orchids and musk, from her lips.

"Su Cheng, save me..."

Su Cheng sighed inwardly.

He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing walking ahead and whispered, "Don't worry, with me here, nothing will go wrong."

After saying that, he reached out and gently brushed his finger across the corner of her eye, wiping away the tears that were streaming down her face.

At the same time, a sense containing powerful Soul Power reached into his arms.

At this moment, Bibi Dong's soul was unusually restless, and he was finally able to sense a trace of the other party's soul state.

However, Su Cheng's expression changed slightly upon contact.

Bitter.

It was just a vague feeling coming from his soul, yet it felt as real as if it were tangible, melting into his heart.

In that instant, it was as if tens of thousands of Coptis chinensis plants had been condensed into a single drop of extremely bitter liquid, which then blossomed on the taste buds of my tongue.

An extremely bitter feeling emanated from the other person's soul.

It even made Su Cheng's heart tingle slightly.

This is completely different from what I imagined.

He originally thought that under the influence of the Rakshasa God's evil thoughts, Bibi Dong's heart was either filled with the fear of being betrayed by her closest relatives, or filled with hatred and resentment towards the injustice of fate. At the very least, she would regret or even feel sorry for her past mistakes, or even have some kind of crazy impulse to destroy and kill.

But I never expected it to be such a pure and extreme bitterness.

Loneliness, helplessness, fear, darkness...

Apart from that, only a faint glimmer of light could be seen in the far distance, barely perceptible.

Indeed, there was a faint will to destroy within it.

But it's not about destroying the world, it's about destroying oneself.

Of course, that thought wasn't strong enough to prompt her to do anything yet.

Su Cheng stared blankly at Bibi Dong's pale face in his arms.

You wouldn't notice it on a normal day; in fact, in the past year, her words and actions have become much more rational, and she's not as obsessive as before.

More than anything, there was a strange sense of peace and tranquility.

Moreover, Bibi Dong's desire for power and her sense of purpose in doing things seem to have become less intense. At least in terms of ruling the continent and improving her own power, her actions are not particularly radical, and her methods are much more moderate than in the past.

"I see..."

Su Cheng's expression was somewhat complicated.

All that I desire and love is hopeless. Looking back, all I see is suffering.

For her, the world was like a prison, and the tiny sparks of hope became the deepest obsession in her heart.

Or perhaps, that was the driving force that kept her going and prevented her from being completely swallowed by the darkness.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you."

Although this journey to Hell Road deviated slightly from expectations, it wasn't entirely without reward.

At least at this moment, Su Cheng had roughly figured out the main reason why the Rakshasa Divine Power could take such deep root in Bibi Dong's soul.

The root cause lies not in the Rakshasa Divine Power, but in Bibi Dong herself, in her dim and gloomy memories of the past.

In this way, we will have a direction for addressing the problem effectively.

However, the old wounds had long since rotted and become infested with maggots, spreading all over the body.

If the rotten flesh is cut off, in Bibi Dong's heart, in the depths of her heart that is like mud, can she be reborn like a lotus growing from the mud?

Or have they already rotted completely into mud, with not a single real lotus seed remaining?

Dear readers, I've been quite busy at the end of the year with many social engagements, so I'll stop here for today.