Get Lost

Upon hearing that teasing remark, Zhu Zhuqing, who was standing next to Shui Bing'er, did not show any shyness.

She wasn't the kind of pretentious little girl, at least not in front of others.

So he readily nodded and admitted, "Yes."

As she spoke, her eyelids lowered, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.

"I thought no one would go to that lengths for me."

There was a hint of self-deprecation, a touch of lingering fear, and a touch of emotion in his voice, but more than anything, there was some other strange emotion that no one else could tell about.

"My background is different from yours. I was born to be a stepping stone for others. I'm already very lucky to have gotten to where I am today. I should be content. To be honest, I'm not that afraid of death. I just can't bear to leave it."

"You think you're going to die?" Shui Bing'er asked in surprise. "Don't you believe in Elder Su's strength?"

"You don't understand, Qian Renxue was forcing him at the time. If Su Cheng had chosen to take direct action, Qian Renxue's life would have been in danger." Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her eyes somewhat empty. "I knew he wouldn't hurt Qian Renxue for my sake, so I thought I was going to die."

"... That sword strike was truly terrifying."

Shui Bing'er sighed softly.

Even today, recalling that time still leaves her with lingering fear.

That was true Divine Might, a strength beyond the comprehension of Soul Master, with the power to destroy the heavens and the earth.

Unbeknownst to her, this was because Qian Renxue at the time was unable to fully control the powerful force within her body, which caused some energy fluctuations to escape from the sword light.

Even that slight aftershock was enough to make the onlookers breathless and tremble with fear.

"In any case, that person has already left Spirit City, and it seems that he has completely severed ties with Elder Su. In that case, wouldn't you be the ultimate winner? I think you can't wait any longer, shouldn't you be getting ready to drink your wedding wine?" Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing was a little stunned, Shui Bing'er quickly changed the subject and jokingly laughed.

"Well, if he's willing, I'll naturally... naturally..."

As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing's voice suddenly became somewhat halting, and her fair and pretty face instantly turned bright red.

Shui Bing'er was completely baffled, not understanding why her friend, who had been chatting and laughing just moments before, had suddenly changed her attitude.

Moreover, this wasn't the first time the two had discussed Su Cheng, and they hadn't previously shown much shyness towards each other.

I followed her gaze.

They then realized that Su Cheng himself had arrived nearby at some point and was standing not far away, silently watching the two of them.

I wonder how much of our conversation he overheard.

"... I won't bother you any longer."

Shui Bing'er smiled awkwardly, nodded to Su Cheng in farewell, and then left.

"How are you naturally? Keep talking."

When only the two of them remained, Su Cheng put his arm around Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder and lowered his head to press his cheek close to the beauty's.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air, and in the warm spring sunshine, the delicate earlobe, white with a hint of pink, radiated a lustrous, agate-like sheen.

He wasn't deliberately eavesdropping; it's just that with his current level of cultivation, his every move has become more natural, making it extremely difficult for anyone to notice unless someone is deliberately probing.

As their conversation deepened, they naturally paid less attention to their surroundings.

Zhu Zhuqing did not respond.

The sound around her, accompanied by gusts of hot air, seemed to penetrate her earlobes and ear canals, seeping into her eardrums and drilling into her heart, causing a tingling sensation in her heart and making her earlobes even redder.

His expression remained calm, and he asked in an extremely composed voice, "Have your injuries completely healed?"

"Um."

Su Cheng nodded, stopped joking, and pointed his finger in a daze in front of the two of them.

There was no energy fluctuation between his fingers, nor was there the faint sword energy formed by Innate Power that swirled around them as in the past. He simply made a normal sword finger gesture in mid-air.

But this seemingly ordinary feint brought an extremely strong sense of threat to the perceptive Zhu Zhuqing, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"You've gained a new insight?"

"I wouldn't call it enlightenment, but rather a complete integration of all powers. From now on, there's no need to distinguish between so-called Soul Power, blood qi, or Innate Power. My body is no longer separate from any other energy; at most, I'll use my Martial Soul as a weapon. But after some time, perhaps I won't even need Martial Soul anymore."

"So," she looked at Su Cheng's fingers, her eyes thoughtful, "You also possess God-level strength in your normal state?"

She knew that Su Cheng had been able to rise to the level of Second-Level God in a short period of time by relying on his Martial Soul Avatar.

"That's right. However, my peak strength is still not as good as before; I've only just steadily crossed the threshold of Third-Level God."

"I see..."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slowly; she understood the difference. Maintaining a stable Third-Level God strength was definitely more meaningful than the explosive power she had experienced in the past.

For a moment, I was happy for Su Cheng, but I also felt a little disappointed.

She had already tried her best, and those so-called family missions that had troubled her in the past were no longer a concern to her.

Moreover, since resolving the accumulated medicinal power of the Immortal Herb in his body, he has successfully entered the Innate Skill Third Scroll and cultivated Innate Power. Now his strength has long surpassed that of ordinary Titled Douluo.

When he advances to Soul Saint and achieves Martial Soul Avatar, he will undergo a qualitative change, at which point he will be able to rival even the Peak Douluo.

Even so, she could realize that the gap between herself and Su Cheng was only widening.

Not only Su Cheng, but the strength that Qian Renxue displayed that day was also terrifying.

Even if the opponent's current state cannot be maintained for long, as long as they have had a similar peak experience, it may only be a matter of time before they make their strength a regular occurrence.

"What's wrong? Losing confidence?"

Su Cheng noticed the unusual emotion she displayed for a moment and asked with a soft laugh.

"Yes, a little."

To his surprise, Zhu Zhuqing did not refute him this time, but instead nodded and admitted her inner thoughts, which startled him.

In Su Cheng's mind, Zhu Zhuqing's greatest strength was her character and willpower. She neither believed in fate nor in the limitations of natural talent, and was always tenacious and hardworking.

"Haha, I've never been that confident before. Where did you get the idea that I'm very confident?"

Seeing him in a daze, Zhu Zhuqing looked up. Her beautiful, striking features were radiant with a bright smile, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkled.

She turned around and extended her slender, delicate fingers, as white as scallions, to gently stroke Su Cheng's cheek, feeling a slight coolness.

Whether I have confidence or not, it won't stop me from working hard. I will do my best to do my best, so you don't need to worry about me. Thank you for showing me the real future.

The act of Su Cheng risking his life to shield her from the sword that day brought her far more than just feelings of being moved and shocked, nor was it simply a sense of relief at having survived.

Most importantly, it gave her enough confidence and hope for the future.

However, Zhu Zhuqing did not intend to discuss these matters with Su Cheng in detail. She simply asked softly, "Now that your injuries have fully recovered, what are your plans for the next step? When shall we set off for the Star Luo Empire?"

"Let's wait a while, I need to take care of some other things first."

"What's wrong? I can come with you."

"Um, I'm planning to head to the Blue Silver Grass Forest in the next few days."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's smile gradually faded and disappeared.

Finally, he reverted to his icy demeanor.

"Get lost."

She said it calmly.

Just as Su Cheng was heading to the Blue Silver Grass Forest to meet Ah Yin.

On the other side, Tang San, who had refused the Slaughter King's offer, was walking alone on the Hell Road, a place filled with a terrifying atmosphere and endless Killing Intent and malice.

Although he had never consumed Immortal Herb, his strength was still quite remarkable because he had cultivated the Clear Sky Hammer beforehand.

However, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul did not awaken into the Blue Silver Emperor, so he naturally could not possess the Talent Domain rich in vitality and purification abilities that the Blue Silver Emperor possessed.

During the nearly two years I spent training in the Slaughter City, my mind was severely eroded.

His already stiff and lifeless face now appeared somewhat distorted, and his eyes shone with a blood-red light, making him look extremely terrifying.

But he eventually reached the end of the Hell Road.

Tang San revealed a smile that was devoid of any genuine joy, making him appear even more ferocious.

Compared to two years ago, although his cultivation level has not improved much, his strength has undergone a tremendous transformation.

He is now confident that he can easily defeat three versions of himself from a year ago.

He finally understood why, despite possessing the Tang Sect's unique skills, he was powerless against Su Cheng that day.

Ultimately, it's nothing more than the application of power; there's nothing particularly profound about it.

"Heh, the Spirit Hall..."

Tang San licked his lips, which were chapped from the heat, and murmured softly.

"To continue to preserve such a filthy place is truly hypocritical. They even arrange for juniors to come here for training, using this corrupt power derived from darkness. How can the Spirit Hall still have the face to call itself righteous and just?"

In the Abyss on both sides of the narrow road, dark red blood churned and flowed, radiating a magma-like heat.

During his two years in the Slaughter City, he had carefully studied the filthy drink called "Bloody Mary." Its nature was not fundamentally different from the blood plasma here. It should be a mixture of the evil blood of countless Fallen Ones mixed with deadly poison over thousands of years, and it was the root of the Slaughter City.

And what kind of place is this Slaughter City is based on this?

Darkness, evil, terror, filth...

Such a world should never have existed. Regardless of who left it behind, it's best to let it disappear.

"But..."

Tang San glanced at the hot, thick, poisonous blood at his feet and secretly felt a sense of unease.

With his current strength, he clearly has no way of destroying it.

Moreover, he didn't have much time left to leave; his body had long since reached its limit.

"Xie Yue, Hu Liena, Yan..."

Thinking of the people he had met by chance in the Slaughter City, Tang San couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Given their performance and number of wins in the Hell Slaughter Arena, it's almost inevitable that they'll enter the Hell Road in a while.

Furthermore, since they are both members of the younger generation of the Spirit Hall, they definitely trust each other and can cooperate effectively. With their combined efforts, passing the test wouldn't be as difficult as it was for him.

It's obvious that several new "Gods Slaughter City" will emerge in the future, and most of them will belong to the Spirit Hall.

"... If we keep this place here, who knows how many cunning and evil people will benefit from it, which will truly cause great harm!"

With a cold snort, Tang San turned back and continued forward, temporarily putting aside his fantasy of destroying this place.

The situation ahead was exactly as he had predicted. With the increase in temperature and the rise of blood plasma on both sides, the exit could be seen in less than half an hour.

The black cave ceiling was about two hundred meters high, which wasn't too much of a problem for Tang San.

He first used the powerful force of the Eight Spider Lances to leap into the air, and then, with the help of his Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass and the Hidden Weapon Flying Divine Claw, he successfully arrived at the cave entrance.

At this moment, Tang San suddenly realized that the killing intent around his body seemed to be constantly drawn by a special force.

He glanced back at the Hell Road he had just traversed one last time and made a silent resolution in his heart.

"What the Spirit Hall is unwilling to do, I, Tang San, will do. In the future, I will definitely destroy this place completely!"

The trials he endured in the Slaughter City the past two years were an experience he would never forget.

But he doesn't want anyone else to experience this terrifying world in the future.

"Righteous Soul Master should stick to the righteous path; this place is far too dangerous. As for evil Soul Master, they shouldn't even dream of gaining any more benefits from this place..."

The next moment, his entire body plunged into the white light curtain.

Everything around him seemed to be changing, and he felt as if he had entered another, extremely special world.

All he could see was a pure white void, and his Martial Soul was also restricted by a special force, forced back into his body.

In this white, desolate world, I couldn't muster any strength; the only feeling I had was cold.

That was the chilling aura of killing intent, attacking from the outside and being released from within, repeating endlessly, causing Tang San to tremble involuntarily.

As his senses began to fade away along with his consciousness, he felt the domain gradually taking shape—a powerful domain formed from condensed killing intent...

After an unknown amount of time, when Tang San regained consciousness from the pain and was about to sit up, he suddenly found that his left hand felt heavy.

Turning my head, I saw the Clear Sky Hammer in my hand.

At the top of the hammerhead, there is an additional pattern that looks like the Blood-Patterned Bat on the Hell Slaughter Arena when Hell Road is activated. However, it is much smaller and white.

He tried to sense the white patterns, and in an instant, a surge of white light was released from the Clear Sky Hammer, but it quickly turned colorless. Tang San's perception of the surrounding world also immediately changed.

Even the surrounding plants and trees seemed to tremble slightly in this invisible airflow.

"So this is the Divine Slaughter's Domain..."

"The mistress."

Suddenly, a deep voice rang in Tang San's ear.

Tang Hao had been standing quietly not far in front of him without him noticing.

Two years had passed, and the other person seemed to have aged considerably. However, Tang San keenly sensed a similar aura emanating from his father.

Tang San's body trembled, and he quickly flipped over and jumped up.

"Dad." He walked quickly to Tang Hao, his stiff face still cold, a result of past painful experiences and the aftereffects of his two years in the Slaughter City.

"I have successfully passed the trials of the Slaughter City and obtained the Divine Slaughter's Domain."

Tang Hao nodded upon hearing this, his aged face displaying a complex expression.

Compared to the immense pressure exerted on him by Bibi Dong and Su Cheng, Tang San is far inferior now.

"... You've done a great job. You've worked hard enough these past two years. Let's go."

After saying that, he took the lead and walked forward.

Tang San was taken aback for a moment upon seeing this, but he didn't receive any more praise. However, he still quickly followed in silence.

His father's appearance brought him a sense of warmth.

After Xiao Wu's death and Zhu Zhuqing's betrayal, Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang became the only remaining pillars in his heart.