Dreamscape

Zhu Zhuqing walked ahead, constantly adjusting her Talent Domain to counteract the powerful killing intent within the Hell Road.

Gazing into the boundless darkness in the distance and the thick red mist rolling in from all sides, she quickly realized that the appearance of the red mist was actually traceable.

Like waves, they surge and sweep across the land in waves, but they are not endless, and their intensity is constantly changing.

Moreover, the chilling killing intent within the red mist and the chaotic, filthy evil energy are not on the same side, and are also wearing each other down.

However, compared to the unpredictable layers of malice, the Killing Intent was clearly much more domineering, suppressing all the alien energies simultaneously in a suppressive manner.

The malicious attack had a clear and singular target: Bibi Dong, who was curled up in Su Cheng's arms.

Zhu Zhuqing has extensive combat experience and a profound understanding of the field, so she quickly responded to the situation.

The nature of wind is inherently unpredictable, capable of being both strong and gentle.

In the past, in pursuit of maximizing her attack power, attack speed, and movement speed, she never devoted much thought to variations. Instead, she focused all her energy on how to improve its power and sharpness.

But at this moment, she began to change her mind.

As time passed, the air currents surrounding the area also changed.

No longer as sharp as before, but gentle and meandering, it often weaves through the red mist, trying its best to guide the different auras in the red mist, causing them to consume each other.

"Zhu Zhuqing, use your whole body to feel. Don't just use your eyes to see or rely solely on your Soul Power. Try your best to feel the instincts that originate from your bloodline, then trust your instincts, obey them, and integrate with them."

Just then, Su Cheng's voice suddenly came from behind.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression shifted slightly, and she quickly understood what the other party meant.

Without asking any further questions, he immediately focused his mind on his Martial Soul.

She understood that what Su Cheng meant by "instinct in the bloodline" was actually the fighting instinct of the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul.

This powerful Martial Soul Bloodline, surpassing even the super Martial Soul, has always been the source of her true confidence.

As she calmed down and gradually relinquished control to her body, she instantly discovered that the difficulty of controlling her domain had drastically decreased.

The movement of wind is inherently difficult to control. Or rather, it is difficult to predict its subsequent evolution.

She can make constant adjustments during this process, even condensing it into a powerful weapon or a sturdy shield, but it is difficult to completely control it from beginning to end.

However, once she began to act on instinct, aided by her Soul Power and Spiritual Power, she quickly realized the difference.

Those air currents were no longer weapons in her hands, but rather an extension of her body.

Even the subsequent changes can be known in advance from the moment the move is made.

Compared to guiding others myself before, it now requires significantly less effort, and the results are better and more efficient.

A sense of joy welled up in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

It wasn't just about mastering the domain and wind attributes. Her killing instinct and fighting instinct were also gradually integrated into her during this process.

Su Cheng was right; this place is indeed very suitable for him.

The trials she had undergone in the Slaughter City had indeed greatly improved her skills.

But besides the killing intent Soul Power, there is more filth and malice there, which requires a lot of energy to resist in order to maintain the purity of one's spiritual level.

On this Hell Road, she was able to completely let go and fully experience it.

Because the killing intent here is stronger and purer, and has not merged with the endless filth and malice, it has now become a whetstone for her to improve her will and combat skills.

However, as the group continued forward, Zhu Zhuqing not only remained vigilant about the potential dangers lurking in the darkness ahead and the malevolent aura constantly encroaching from all around, but also began to spare a small portion of her attention to the situation of the two people behind her.

She had some doubts.

Bibi Dong was far too indulgent and trusting of Su Cheng.

Although she hadn't had much contact with this current female Pope who was above all others before, she could sense from her brief observations over a year ago that she was ambitious and narrow-minded.

His mind is definitely not as virtuous and noble as it appears on the surface, and the occasional sinister glint in his eyes is chilling.

Let alone Su Cheng, a Soul Master who joined the Spirit Hall halfway through his journey, even towards the elders who were also born and raised in the Spirit Hall, he was probably mostly using them and had no real feelings for them.

Of course, Zhu Zhuqing only felt strange and pondered how she should establish herself in Spirit City after entering it. She did not have any doubts in her heart.

No matter how you look at it, given their identities, positions, and allegiances, they shouldn't be so close to each other.

It was assumed that Su Cheng was very strong, and Bibi Dong seemed to be affected by the environment, resulting in her being in a very poor condition and behaving extremely abnormally.

After all, the other party was perfectly normal before entering this Hell Road.

Seeing the changes in Zhu Zhuqing's domain, Su Cheng, who was walking behind, nodded to himself.

Without a doubt, she already possessed extremely rich combat experience.

After all, in that memory, the other party had truly cultivated to the Peak Douluo level.

However, he wasn't very familiar with the Hell White Tiger Martial Soul.

Even with the cultivation level of Titled Douluo, the number of actual battles he has fought is also very limited.

The Talent Domain derived from the Hell White Tiger, as well as the Martial Soul itself, are undoubtedly extremely powerful.

At least on a deeper level, it far exceeded Zhu Zhuqing's understanding.

Therefore, at this stage, what she needs to do is not to rush to forge her own path, but to integrate, to learn, and to continuously explore the potential of her bloodline.

Su Cheng also knew about the Hell White Tiger.

In fact, this was the first Martial Soul whose bloodline essence he had ever explored in depth.

He was all too aware of the potential of this Martial Soul.

This is Ferocious Beast born for battle and slaughter, destined to conquer and transcend everything until it breaks through all constraints and gains true freedom.

At least until Zhu Zhuqing reaches the level of Peerless Douluo, there is no need to abandon the essential for the trivial.

Only after she truly masters the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul will she need to try to transcend her instincts and reach a higher level.

The Wind God Domain derived from the Hell White Tiger is also different from ordinary Talent Domain.

For the average Soul Master, what is the most valuable aspect of Domain Skills?

It provides users with the best environment to suit their own fighting style.

The Wind God Domain, however, is not like that.

It does not create a combat environment, or rather, that environment is merely a byproduct.

Its essence is to enhance the user's strength and speed.

It is a realm of extreme offensive combat, similar to Su Cheng's Sword Dao Domain.

Including the pair of Wind God Wings that Zhu Zhuqing used before, they were not Soul Skill, but domain characteristics, which helped her to kill and fight more flexibly.

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing had already grasped the concept, Su Cheng felt relieved and followed behind in silence.

In his arms, Bibi Dong's soft, delicate body was still trembling slightly, her brows were furrowed, and she was occasionally muttering incoherently. A purplish-black light flashed across her face.

Su Cheng circulated his cultivation technique, continuously channeling diluted Innate Power into her body to try and diminish the constantly activated Rakshasa Divine Power.

At the same time, her lips moved slightly, and words imbued with the Soul Power echoed in her mind.

As he continued to comfort her with his voice, Bibi Dong in his arms seemed to be in slightly better condition.

But Su Cheng didn't dare to be careless.

We've only just entered the Hell Road. We don't know if the other side will change anything as we approach the exit.

Since the Rakshasa Divine Power resides in the underground blood pool and can continuously track it as the blood pool flows, it will probably be difficult to escape its constant harassment before leaving this place.

Before the group had gone far, a red cloud suddenly drifted closer from afar.

The red cloud moved very fast; at first glance, it was no bigger than the palm of my hand, but in the blink of an eye, it covered everything and came right in front of me.

They were blood-red bats, miniature versions of the blood-red bat patterns left on the surface of the Hell Slaughter Arena.

Each Blood Bat is about a foot long, but its enormous wingspan exceeds one meter.

Thousands of bats gathered together and swooped down towards the group.

The Blood Bat's eyes flashed red, revealing sharp fangs, and it emitted a strange "cawing" sound.

As they approached, they flapped their wings simultaneously, bringing a foul stench that blew towards them.

Su Cheng did not make a move, nor was it necessary for him to do so.

Wind is a power belonging to the Hell White Tiger.

A gigantic White Tiger phantom flickered, its gaping maw suddenly opening wide, its fangs crisscrossing like swords.

In front of the illusory figure, Zhu Zhuqing also slightly opened her mouth, then took a deep breath and blew forward.

"Call out--"

An extremely concentrated stream of air shot out from her red lips like a sharp arrow.

At first it was no thicker than a little finger, but in an instant it turned into a fierce hurricane, rushing into the stench that swept in.

As the gale swept through, the formation of thousands of bats was instantly and completely disrupted.

The next moment, the chaotic air currents transformed into sharp wind blades that raged and savaged, turning into a large cloud of blood mist that fell into the cliff below amidst the squeaking and screeching of the bats.

Under Zhu Zhuqing's powerful domain offensive, the group of bats quickly suffered heavy losses.

However, the number of thousands is still too many, and it is obviously not something that can be cleared out in a short time.

"Ignore them, let's speed things up," Su Cheng said casually, glancing at the bats.

The first half of Hell Road poses little threat to Zhu Zhuqing, so there's no need to waste time here.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Then, the area shifted, instantly disrupting the surrounding airflow and further scattering the swarm of bats. Without hesitation, the two rushed forward.

However, before they could go very far, another enormous Soul Beast appeared and blocked their way.

It was a huge, dark gold bat that was over four meters long.

Two enormous claws gripped the narrow path, each over a meter in diameter, piercing directly into the stone.

Amidst the screams of a swarm of Blood Bat behind them, the dark golden bat king slowly spread its enormous wings, spanning over ten meters. Its entire body shimmered with a dark golden light, and its three heads looked exceptionally ferocious.

Su Cheng immediately judged that the cultivation level of this Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat was about 20,000 years.

"Let's finish this quickly and blow all three of its heads off."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her left arm glowed red, and then her figure vanished instantly, appearing in front of the dark gold bat the next moment.

100,000 Year Spirit Bone Skill - Teleportation!

Zhu Zhuqing possesses a 100,000-year-old Left Arm Bone obtained from Xiao Wu, one of whose abilities is Teleportation.

It allows the owner to move freely within a 100-meter range without any buffer time and can be used continuously.

However, each use consumes one percent of her total Soul Power.

The three-headed bat seemed stunned when it saw Zhu Zhuqing suddenly appear before it, completely unprepared for her to suddenly appear from more than ten meters away.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was indifferent, and she slashed forward with her fingers like a knife.

An extremely concentrated and powerful wind blade swept past in an instant.

The three bat heads, which looked extremely ferocious, were instantly sliced in half.

Golden blood scattered everywhere, and Zhu Zhuqing flashed back to her original position.

With the giant bat instantly dead, the hundreds of Blood Bat in the air lost their leader and scattered in all directions, squawking wildly.

"Let's go."

Su Cheng glanced up, but didn't pay much attention. He exchanged a nod with Zhu Zhuqing, signaling them to continue.

After passing the dark golden three-headed bat king, their journey was almost entirely smooth.

Apart from the ever-spreading and intensifying red fog, there were no other obstacles.

After walking for a long time, their position had clearly dropped significantly compared to when they first arrived, and it seemed that they had already covered more than half the distance.

"Strangeness..."

Su Cheng had some doubts.

If I remember correctly, there should be another Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent on the way.

Is it because that guy just happens to not be here right now, or is that beast specifically reserved for a particular candidate?

Or perhaps, because of the intense malice encountered at the beginning, it has already been presumed to be considered a hurdle?

This speculation is entirely reasonable.

The trials of Hell Road consist of three stages, and these places, created by the gods specifically to select those qualified to accept divine trials as successors, usually have some mechanical judgment rules.

Just like the Seven Sacred Pillars, the initial test was extremely mechanical.

Unless a truly qualified successor to the divine throne is identified, everything is done according to the rules.

Therefore, it is entirely possible that Hell Road regarded the initial perilous situation targeting Bibi Dong as a hurdle.

In this way, killing the Bat King counts as passing two levels.

Add to that the intense killing intent and malice at the final exit, and you've passed the Hell Road test.

Of course, another possibility is that because Bibi Dong, who had once passed through the Hell Road, was in the group, this place simply ignored them.

Su Cheng simply changed his mind and put the question aside.

Whether he touches the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent or not doesn't really matter much, and he doesn't need that inner core anyway.

The purpose of coming to this place is twofold: firstly, to observe the state of Rakshasa Divine Power and find a way to resolve Bibi Dong's hidden soul problems; and secondly, to hone Zhu Zhuqing's skills and enhance her understanding.

One less obstacle can save a lot of trouble, which is not a bad thing.

As the group got closer to the bottom of the Abyss, the surrounding temperature began to rise.

The Killing Intent and ferocity surrounding them were constantly increasing, becoming more and more domineering and manic.

"Su Cheng ..."

At this moment, Bibi Dong, who was curled up in Su Cheng's arms, suddenly started breathing rapidly.

Su Cheng glanced down at her.

By now, Bibi Dong was covered in sweat, her hair was sticking to her fair neck and looked somewhat disheveled, and even her clothes were stuck to her fair skin.

Her Pope Robe were already exceptionally delicate and luxurious, and with the perspiration soaking through them, they appeared almost transparent, revealing the snowy skin beneath.

Holding it in your arms and touching it feels almost the same as direct skin contact.

"Is she... is she alright?"

At this point, Zhu Zhuqing finally couldn't hold back any longer.

She glanced at Bibi Dong with a strange expression, then looked at Su Cheng, who was embracing her.

His expression was hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Hmm?" Su Cheng snapped out of his reverie and said calmly, "Oh, it's nothing. Let's keep going and get out of here first. There's something wrong with her; I'll explain later."

At this point, he looked into Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, which were glowing red, and said in a deep voice, "And you, can you still hold on?"

"No problem." Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

Although her eyes began to glow with a deep red light, it was due to the Killing Intent that her mind was not disturbed, and the flow of her Soul Power was perfectly normal.

Su Cheng could see her state and knew she wasn't showing off, but he still reminded her, "Keep a good sense of proportion and don't be impatient for quick success. The power you can control is the power that truly belongs to you. Forcing external things is meaningless."

"I see."

After walking for nearly an hour, they were finally close to the exit.

In the Abyss on both sides of the narrow road, dark red liquid churned and flowed; it was clearly blood, yet it possessed a temperature like magma.

At this moment, the dark red liquid emanating a strong stench of blood was only a few dozen meters above the narrow path where they were, and the scorching heat in the air had already caused Zhu Zhuqing's clothes to begin to emit a faint smell of burning.

However, this temperature did not have much of an impact on the group.

Su Cheng and Bibi Dong's physical fitness goes without saying. The sweat on Bibi Dong's body had nothing to do with temperature; it was because she was too mentally confused, which caused her to sweat profusely.

Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had consumed the Immortal Herb and was immune to both heat and cold, was not afraid of this temperature.

The exit, about a kilometer away, appears very obvious.

The white light condensed into an oval-shaped light curtain, which marked the end of their journey.

However, before that exit, a blood-red lake blocked the way.

The lake, which is a kilometer in diameter, is filled with blood plasma, and bubbles are churning inside.

A palpable aura of malevolence and malice swirled within, while an even more powerful killing intent soared into the sky.

Cold, gloomy, filthy, evil...

The various malicious Killing Intent were dozens of times stronger than the red mist when they first entered the Hell Road.

At this moment, let alone Bibi Dong, who was delirious and covered in bruises.

Even Zhu Zhuqing's blood energy surged around her, and an uncontrollable Killing Intent and ferocity emanated from her body. Her eyes shone with a fierce blood light, and the surrounding Wind God Domain almost completely turned into a dark red.

Now that we've arrived at this point, Su Cheng has to take action.

Even if Zhu Zhuqing possesses the Wind God Wings and can fly across this lake, we absolutely cannot allow her to continue.

Leaving aside whether she can successfully overcome the impact of her previous accumulated killing intent, even if she can withstand the impact of the Killing Intent and violence, she will be attached to the Divine Slaughter's Domain after leaving, which is an outcome that Su Cheng does not want to see.

He only hoped to fully unleash the combat potential of the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul through the battle in the Slaughter City and the killing intent in Hell Road, but he did not want Zhu Zhuqing's Talent Domain nature to change.

To be honest, if he didn't inherit the Asura Godhood, he felt that the Divine Slaughter's Domain was far inferior to the Wind God Domain that Zhu Zhuqing possessed herself.

"Zhu Zhuqing, follow behind me."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything upon hearing this, but silently walked over.

It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but rather that she needed to do everything in her power to resist the overwhelming Killing Intent emanating from this place.

Hold me tight.

As he finished speaking, a pair of arms silently wrapped around his waist.

The next moment, an extremely firm and soft touch appeared on my back.

Su Cheng let out a soft sigh of enjoyment and praised, "Zhu Zhuqing, your figure has improved a lot."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the aura behind him surge instantly, his clothes were torn at the waist, and five sharp claws pressed against his skin, with a chilling Killing Intent faintly visible.

Upon seeing this, Su Cheng quickly shut his mouth.

Then his expression turned serious, and the Five Elements Domain and the Sword Dao Domain overlapped and surrounded his body at the same time.

A rich aura of innate energy rose and emerged, colliding with the divine power of the place and producing a hissing sound.

Having unleashed his Innate Power, Su Cheng knew that delays could lead to unforeseen complications, so he dared not linger in the slightest.

Enveloped in transparent sword energy, he transformed into a streak of sword light and hurtled through the air.

Amidst the sharp sound of sword energy piercing the air, the crimson amber below instantly surged with enormous waves, stirring up an extremely intense killing intent that boiled over.

However, as he left, the dark red Asura Divine Power seemed to have lost its target. Unlike before, when it targeted those who had passed the trials of the Hell Road, it did not cling to him and condense into the Divine Slaughter's Domain.

Instead, it gradually calmed down and returned to its former tranquility.

But at the same time, another large, solidified, purplish-black malevolent energy followed, as if unwilling to give up.

The next moment, the sword light and the purple mist rushed into the white light curtain at the exit.

Bibi Dong stood alone in a muddy swamp, surrounded by countless withered flowers, willow branches, and rotten leaves.

No matter how beautiful and colorful those flowers were, they have long since turned into decaying corpses, and their original appearance is no longer visible.

The dark, boundless clouds above obscured the clear sky, preventing any sunlight from reaching the heavens.

A thick, dark fog enveloped the surroundings, and the pungent, putrid stench was enough to make one want to vomit.

Bibi Dong looked around somewhat blankly.

The venomous snake hissed merrily, its red tongue flicking, and its dark eyes gleamed with a sinister and cunning light.

Spiders slithered about, their vibrant, colorful patterns the only splash of color in this desolate place.

In this swamp filled with putrid fumes and withered flowers, it seems that only by becoming one of them can one continue to eke out a living.

The more polluted the environment, the more beautifully they grow; the more life withers, the happier they are.

Bibi Dong raised her arm and looked at her own body.

The once magnificent and precious Pope Robe were now tattered and torn.

On his fair arms, patches of bluish-purple and blackish spots gradually appeared, making him look exceptionally ugly.

Then, seemingly unaware of what was happening, she lowered her hand, took a step forward, and her mind slowly calmed down.

This place was probably originally a vast and boundless sea of flowers.

From the occasional withered branches that stand upright, one can vaguely guess at the prosperous scene of the past.

Spring and summer are short, while autumn and winter are long. Once the flowers and leaves wither and die, they will never bloom again.

As time passed, it gradually turned into a lifeless, putrid swamp, eventually becoming a paradise for poisonous insects, snakes, and ants.

Gradually, that deathly stillness seemed to permeate her entire being.

Even the deep-seated suffering of the past has gradually become numb.

Not just those painful memories.

Even jealousy and hatred, desire and obsession, seemed to have subsided.

Occasionally, a slight stinging sensation would arise, causing Qidian ripples in the sea of my heart.

She stood blankly in the middle of the swamp, the hissing of snakes and insects gradually fading away.

And she herself, it seems, will wither and fade away little by little, just like those once-splendid flowers.

Then it sank into the mire, becoming foul and rotten...

"Hey, is this your stuff?"

At that moment, a gentle male voice, filled with warmth, entered her ears.

That voice sounds so familiar...

Memories of the past come flooding back.

In the despairing darkness of the underground chamber, someone once stepped forward and drew their sword for her...

In a beautiful valley filled with rare and exotic plants, I once joyfully picked a flower imbued with my own blood and sweat...

Who is that person?

Why was I in despair at that time, and why was I joyful?

What happened between him and me?

But why have you forgotten everything?

Bibi Dong looked up blankly and saw a young man standing in front of her, extending a hand to her.

On the palm of his hand, a shimmering circular spot of starlight shone like a lotus seed.

The lotus seeds are clear and pure, standing out starkly against the desolate and dilapidated landscape.

"..."

Bibi Dong's eyes held a mixture of confusion and longing.

She hesitantly extended her palm.

But when she saw the mud and grime on her arms, she felt ashamed and shrank back, not daring to look up.

The man standing in front of her didn't speak, but looked at her with a smile and encouragement.

The instinct of all life is to escape suffering and sorrow and to pursue happiness and joy.

Even in darkness, we always yearn for hope and light.

Biting her lip, Bibi Dong mustered her courage and, with trembling hands, reached out to touch the lotus seed.

The instant they touched, she suddenly trembled violently, and her pupils dilated abruptly.

At the same moment, those tiny, lotus-seed-like starlight shone brightly, illuminating the entire swamp.

The next moment, flower stems emerged from the mud, then quickly stretched and grew, blooming into lotus flowers.

The filth and mud gradually receded, turning into a large lake.

The fragrance of flowers filled the air, permeating her very being.

Soon, the lotus flowers withered again, turning into lotus pods that fell into the clear, deep lake water.

Then the starlight twinkled, and new lotus flowers grew and bloomed on the water.

Lotus flowers and seeds alternated and multiplied, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, layer upon layer covering the entire clear water surface, completely submerging Su Cheng and Bibi Dong.

Amidst the sea of flowers, faint, hoarse sobs could be heard, which gradually escalated into hysterical weeping.