When You Gaze into the Abyss

"Because she suits my taste."

Zhou Chen's lips curled into a smile as he said, "In this Douluo Plane, which is still in a backward feudal era, it's quite interesting that Dragon Slayer dedicated to Zhang Zhengyi and eliminating evil have appeared so early!"

"Dragon Slayer? Her?"

Xiao Bai pointed at the limp Zi Zhenzhu on the ground, looking completely bewildered, and said, "Even the weakest adult True Dragon is comparable to a Title Douluo. With her meager Soul Power, a True Dragon could probably kill her with a single spit!"

Zhou Chen: "..."

"Besides, it seems that the Dragon Clan was wiped out a long, long time ago due to a sudden disaster."

Xiao Bai said very seriously, "From this point of view, even if Zi Zhenzhu really has the strength to slay dragons, there aren't any dragons for her to slay!"

"A metaphor, do you understand? The Dragon Slayer is just a metaphor!!"

Zhou Chen put his hand to his forehead and said in a Youyou voice, "Dragon Slayer are people who are not afraid of evil and have high moral character. They do not care about personal honor or disgrace, but only want to protect the righteous path of the world."

"Can't understand."

Xiao Bai shook his head and said in a simple and honest way.

What does the so-called "Light of Humanity" and "Honor and Shame of the Right Path" have to do with the Demon Spirit Great White Shark?

On the contrary Zi Zhenzhu, who had recovered some strength, was now beaming with excitement as she exclaimed, "After all these years, finally someone understands our Purple Pearl Pirate Group! Yes, although we slaughtered nobles, it was all so that the fishermen on the coast could live a decent life and not be oppressed by the despicable nobles of the Tiandou Empire and Star Luo Empires! We are righteous!"

Catching her breath, Zi Zhenzhu looked up at Zhou Chen and said excitedly, "Who exactly are you, sir? How could you understand the plight of our Purple Pearl Pirate Group so well!"

"Hehe, I am Zhou Chen."

Zhou Chen chuckled and said calmly.

"Zhou Chen?"

Zi Zhenzhu froze for a moment, then her face changed drastically in shock. She stared wide-eyed and said, "You are Zhou Chen, the descendant of the reclusive Xuanyuan Family, the Nation Protecting Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the husband of Empress Xue Ke?"

"Hehe."

Zhou Chen chuckled noncommittally.

Seeing Zhou Chen's ambiguous smile, Zi Zhenzhu's face turned ashen.

She's so stupid, really.

She actually spoke at length about the righteousness of her Purple Pearl Pirate Group's massacre of the Heaven Dou Empire nobles in front of the Your Majesty the Queen's husband, a top noble of the Heaven Dou Empire.

This is like lighting a lantern in a latrine—it's suicidal!

It's important to understand that the noble faction has always been in cahoots, so it's no wonder that this Nation Protecting Prince would tolerate her!

Feeling utterly hopeless, Zi Zhenzhu simply closed her eyes, straightened her back, and said defiantly, "Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you."

"Haha, no need to rush to die."

Zhou Chen smiled, then his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Purple Pearl Pirate Group has been running rampant in this sea, even daring to kill nobles. You should all be executed. However, I have always been merciful and intend to give you a chance to live. I just don't know if Zi Zhenzhu, you are willing to cherish this opportunity?"

"What opportunity?"

Zi Zhenzhu's despair was suddenly tinged with a glimmer of hope. She was not afraid of death, but she did not want to see her subordinates, who had followed her for many years, all be killed.

She was willing to try if it could give her subordinates a chance to survive.

Upon hearing Zi Zhenzhu's question, Zhou Chen's lips curled into a smile, and he said, "It's simple. My Heaven Dou Empire is currently in dire need of manpower. If you are willing to lead the entire Purple Pearl Pirate Group to submit to my Heaven Dou Empire and become Empire Fleet loyal to the royal family, you can live!"

However, upon hearing this condition, Zi Zhenzhu suddenly became agitated and shouted coldly, "Impossible! The principle of our Purple Pearl Pirate Group is to never compromise with the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire! The Heaven Dou Imperial Family is the most elite of the noble families! Want us to pledge allegiance to that Empress Xue Ke? Dream on!"

"Heh, you're pretty stubborn."

Zhou Chen smiled, not angry, but said calmly, "Zi Zhenzhu, do you really think you're righteous? Have you ever heard the saying, ' Dragon Slayer too long will become a dragon himself; and if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you'?"

"Never heard of it."

Zi Zhenzhu opened her eyes and said confidently.

Zhou Chen: "..."

It's really hard to communicate with these uncultured brutes.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Chen looked at Zi Zhenzhu, who was stiff-necked and had a blank expression, and slowly said, "Let me tell you a fable, and you'll understand."

"Legend has it that there is a village in this world, and near the village, there is the lair of an evil dragon."

"This evil dragon is greedy, cruel, and tyrannical. It demands that the villagers offer it a large number of precious items and a young and beautiful girl every year, or it will slaughter the entire village."

"Most villagers had no choice but to obey the dragon's demands in order to survive. However, in secret, there were always brave men trying to slay the dragon."

"Unfortunately, the dragon was too powerful; every hero who went to its lair never returned."

Zhou Chen continued in a pleasant, magnetic voice, with measured intonation. "Until one day, a brave warrior from the village, clad in heavy armor and wielding a sharp sword, braved thorns and brambles, enduring countless hardships to reach the dragon's lair. After a fierce battle with the powerful dragon, he finally succeeded in slaying it!"

At this point, Zhou Chen's voice suddenly stopped.

"Then what?"

Zi Zhenzhu listened intently and couldn't help but ask a question.

"Then, seeing the gold and silver treasures scattered throughout the lair, and the beautiful maidens, the hero was overcome with greed. Slowly, he grew wings and a tail, transforming into a new evil dragon!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Zhenzhu fell silent.

She was illiterate, but not stupid. She had already understood the hidden meaning in this fable.

Zi Zhenzhu licked her dry lips with her pink tongue, looked up at Zhou Chen, and said in a hoarse voice, "Those warriors who went to those villages and never returned, did they all really die under the dragon's attack, or did they kill the dragon but become new dragons themselves?"

"The fact that you asked that question means you understand."

Zhou Chen looked at the Zi Zhenzhu and smiled.

Upon hearing this, Zi Zhenzhu gave a bitter smile, her heart heavy with sorrow.

Although she didn't receive a clear answer on the surface, she actually did.

She proclaimed herself righteous and led her pirate crew to slaughter those nobles who were as greedy and cruel as dragons, seemingly protecting the righteous path in the world.

But in reality, how is her behavior any different from that of the dragon-slaying heroes in the fables?

In the end, the pirate crew members will probably just turn into new evil dragons.

At this moment, Zi Zhenzhu's inner resolve crumbled.

Tears streamed down her smooth cheeks, slowly dripping onto the ground.

Wiping away her tears, Zi Zhenzhu, her eyes red-rimmed, said, "Your Highness, if we are willing to submit to the Empire, could you properly settle the pirate crew and their families?"

"Can."

Zhou Chen nodded and said, "Since Xue Ke, the soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire have received much better treatment, and it is only natural to settle their families in such circumstances."

"Very well, from this day forward, the Purple Pearl Pirate Group will pledge allegiance to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"

Zi Zhenzhu spoke with a resounding tone.

Before she finished speaking, she knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen.

Seeing this, the pirates present, like wheat fields blown down by the wind, all knelt on one knee and responded in unison.

In reality, most pirates were secretly delighted to be recruited into the Empire Fleet.

After all, in every respect, the treatment of Imperial soldiers is far better than that of pirates!

That's just how human nature is...

Heaven Dou Empire.

The City of Slaughter.

Since the great battle between the Slaughter King and the Spirit Hall, this land of the Asura God's inheritance has fallen under the control of the Spirit Hall.

The Evil Soul Master within the city had no choice but to submit to the will of the Spirit Hall and become the beasts kept by the Spirit Hall.

At this moment, beneath the City of Slaughter, inside a hollow underground cave, two figures were standing on a circular platform.

The two figures, one of whom was dressed in a black robe, made it impossible to see his face or figure.

The other person was short, stout and sturdy, with mohawk-style hair and a face so fleshy that it made his eyes look small.

The fat man also had two small mustaches on his lips, which made him look slightly comical.

"Teacher, is this the Hell Road in the City of Slaughter?"

The fat man looked around and noticed that the underground space had a faint blood-red color. Beyond the prototype platform beneath his feet was a bottomless abyss.

"Exactly. Once you pass through this Hell Road, you will be bestowed with the title of God of Slaughter and will gain access to the Slaughter God Domain."

The Black-Robed Man spoke slowly and hoarsely.

Besides the circular platform beneath their feet, a narrow, elongated path, barely wide enough for one person to stand on, led into the unknown darkness.

And this is the only road leading to the outside world.

"Slaughter God Domain..."

Muttering to himself, the fat man suddenly had a flash of inspiration and whispered, "I wonder what's down at the bottom of the abyss."

Before he finished speaking, the fat man poked his head out of the round platform and looked down into the abyss.

"It's... all blood!"

The fat man's face turned deathly pale, and his entire body trembled as he spoke.

At the bottom of the abyss was a huge pool of blood.

"That's the blood that's accumulated in this City of Slaughter over the years."

The Black-Robed Man stood beside the fat man and said calmly.

"I never expected it to turn out like this."

The fat man raised his head with lingering fear, exchanged a glance with the Black-Robed Man, and then the two of them walked one after the other into the narrow passage!

Along the way, the temperature continued to rise, and the dark red liquid flowing in the abyss on both sides gradually became clearer from being faintly visible.

In other words, they have been going downhill.

Along the way, the two encountered some bat attacks, including a Dark Gold Bat King among the bat swarms, but this was no match for them.

With a casual wave of his hand, the Black-Robed Man blasted a large group of bats to pieces, and even the Dark Gold Bat King was blown apart in one move!

After walking along a Hell Road, they saw a pair of fiery red eyes.

Just ahead, a giant, dark red snake had Entanglement its entire body around the narrow path.

With a rustling sound, the dark red snake began to slowly swim forward.

This giant snake has a very peculiar shape. It has nine protrusions on its head and back, each of which looks like a bright red mushroom, as if blood is flowing inside.

The giant snake slowly raised its upper body, revealing its enormous abdomen, and its pair of golden-red eyes became as bright as lanterns.

"According to the information provided by Bi Bi Dong, this giant serpent is some kind of ancient beast called the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent. This type of serpent has extremely potent venom, possessing what is known as the strongest fire poison among serpents. It also has an Inner Core hidden within its nine heads on its back."

The Black-Robed Man said calmly, "Hongjun, these Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent are the supreme serpents. Although they are neither birds nor Soul Beast, they are of the supreme yang fire attribute, which is very similar to your Phoenix Flame."

"According to Bi Bi Dong's strategy, the Inner Core of the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent contains most of the serpent's abilities. As long as we kill it and consume its Inner Core, it will have an effect similar to Soul Ring."

"Once you consume the Inner Core of this snake and digest it with the Phoenix Flame, it will naturally transform into your Seventh Soul Ring."

After a pause, the Black-Robed Man slowly said, "This snake is your responsibility to deal with."

"Yes, teacher."

The fat man, known as Hongjun, nodded, and suddenly a domineering orange-red flame erupted from his entire body.

Immediately afterwards, a huge phantom of a fire phoenix appeared behind the fat man, and a loud phoenix cry resounded. The air in Hell Road became even hotter, and even carried a hint of gunpowder smoke.

Under the cover of this enormous Phoenix Spirit, the fat man slowly walked out, his steps steady and powerful, and an aura of dominance that surpassed most living beings spread out!

Yes, this fat guy is Ma Hongjun, the Evil Fire Phoenix from the Shrek Seven Devils.

Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, Ma Hongjun was abducted by the Evil Soul Master of the Holy Spirit Church. Although they searched extensively afterward, they never found any trace of this fat man.

Now that he has reappeared, Ma Hongjun's Soul Power Level has reached level 70. He only needs a Seventh Soul Ring to become a true Soul Saint!

Faced with the oppressive Phoenix Spirit, the king of birds, even the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent, known as the supreme serpent, couldn't help but feel its body go weak and tremble incessantly.

After all, birds of prey are the nemesis of snakes!

At this moment, Ma Hongjun's eyes were completely filled with fiery red light, and orange-red flames rose from his entire body, as if the Fire God had descended to earth!

Bathed in the flames, Ma Hongjun appeared robust and powerful, and his entire demeanor had undergone a significant transformation, revealing the noble aura of a phoenix in every gesture.

"Quack quack!"

Faced with the intense threat, the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent emitted a sound like a baby crying, and the nine fleshy tumors on its back emitted a golden-red glow.

The man and the snake faced off for a long time. Finally, the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent could not hold back any longer and launched the first attack. A fiery red light suddenly spewed out from its mouth, carrying a strong fishy smell, and quickly spread towards Ma Hongjun!

The fiery red light fluctuated violently along the narrow path, even crackling like burning rocks. Even more terrifying, this fiery red light was accompanied by a thin layer of red mist, clearly containing a potent toxin!

Faced with this attack, Ma Hongjun's First Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and he opened his mouth, immediately spewing out a thin flame!

"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fire Line!"

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