In the days that followed, Chen Chu immersed himself in the Ye Family's collection of ancient herbal texts every day.
Although the Ye Family did not possess an Immortal Herb record that detailed every type of Immortal Herb, they had an abundance of books. After more than a month, he had read through nearly all of them.
In the library, Chen Chu closed the final book. After finishing the last page of notes in his notebook regarding the appearance and medicinal effects of the Dragon Ganoderma Herb, he stood up, patted his aching old waist, and walked out of the room.
Outside, Ye Lingling, dressed in training clothes, was exercising around the small courtyard. When she saw the door open, her eyes lit up. "Teacher, are you done learning?"
"Yes." Chen Chu nodded faintly. "Continue training. I have something to do, so I'm heading back to my room first. Tell your father not to wait for me for lunch."
After giving a few simple instructions, Chen Chu hurried back to his quarters without stopping.
Leaving the little girl standing there with a bewildered expression.
Meanwhile, Chen Chu had already set up a restrictive barrier and sat cross-legged on his bed after rushing back to his room. The reason he had returned in such haste was that the bead in his sea of consciousness had reacted once more.
"Could it be that old fellow, the Asura God, can't wait any longer? Has he decided not to make me comprehend that so-called Asura True Intent?"
With a thought, he entered Slaughter City again after several months.
The slaughter arena remained the same. These people fought and killed every day as if they never tired, while the King of Slaughter sat upon his throne, boredly watching this performance repeat day after day, year after year.
Chen Chu stood to one side, stroking his chin as he looked at the fallen ones within Slaughter City, deep in thought.
"It's too wasteful to leave these people in here every day. Even if I haven't activated the Asura God Trial yet, I still hold authority over Slaughter City. Wouldn't it be a waste of resources not to use such quality talent?"
At that thought, a bold idea suddenly arose in his heart. Looks like I need to find something for the King of Slaughter to do.
Chen Chu sneered, and his figure faded away once more before he turned and arrived outside the Nine-Layered Purgatory Tower.
It was this tower again. The statue atop it showed no response, so it seemed the Asura God King's spiritual sense had not descended. He took the bead from his sea of consciousness and placed it into the indentation from before.
This time, however, the Nine-Layered Purgatory Tower reacted. Its door slowly opened.
A terrifying surge of Blood Fiend Energy, as though it had accumulated for years without release, formed a powerful current that continuously battered Chen Chu's body.
"Divine Slaughter's Domain, activate!" Chen Chu watched the abundant Blood Fiend Energy dissipate and felt only regret. He immediately deployed his domain to gather it.
Sagros possessed him in an instant, continuously devouring the rich Blood Fiend Energy. The barrier at level sixty-five was broken through in the process.
"This Asura God really does have a fat fortune. Just the Blood Fiend Energy that rushed out when the door opened helped me break through the level sixty-five barrier. If I finish exploring this tower, won't I become a Titled Douluo on the spot?"
Thinking of this, Chen Chu suddenly felt that his future was full of hope again, and he impatiently walked into the tower.
The moment Chen Chu stepped inside, the tower door behind him closed with a boom. The surroundings instantly fell into darkness. Only the dark-red crystals embedded in the walls gave off a faint glow, barely illuminating the space several meters ahead.
He remained alert, with Divine Slaughter's Domain constantly spread open. Sagros flickered in and out of sight behind him. The Blood Fiend Energy within the tower was several times denser than outside, making every breath extremely uncomfortable.
"So this is the first level?" Chen Chu looked at the Asura Bead in his palm. It was slightly hot now, guiding him in a certain direction.
He followed the glow of the crystals on the wall. The stone steps beneath his feet were covered in cracks, and every step produced a faint creak that was especially clear within the silent tower.
After walking for roughly the time it took to burn half an incense stick, he suddenly heard the sound of something heavy dragging along the ground, accompanied by rough breathing.
He slowed his pace and quietly moved behind a broken stone pillar. In the open area ahead, a giant nearly three zhang tall dragged half a broken iron chain. The other end of the chain was locked around the corpse of a long-dried spirit beast. The giant's body was covered in dark brown scales, his face was filled with vicious scars, and bloodthirsty red light glowed in his bell-sized eyes.
The creature seemed to sense the aura of a living person and abruptly turned around, baring its fangs. "Another one here to die? In the past hundred years, you're the second person to enter the tower." Its voice was grating, making Chen Chu's eardrums ache.
Chen Chu stepped out from behind the stone pillar, and his aura suddenly surged. Dark-red currents swirled around him. "I'm not here to die. I am the master of this Nine-Layered Purgatory Tower."
He deliberately emphasized the word "master." The Asura Bead in his palm shone brighter, and the Blood Fiend Energy within the tower actually began gathering toward him.
"Whose successor are you?" The giant was horrified upon seeing the bead and demanded in disbelief.
"What do you think?" Chen Chu stared at the "man" bound by chains. He could not sense this person's cultivation or aura and could only judge by sight.
"Hahahaha! That person actually accepted a brat like you as his successor? He even let you enter the tower this early? Either he has great confidence in you, or... heh heh, he wants you dead too!"
The man's expression abruptly changed as he glared viciously at the young man holding the Asura Bead.
"Wants me dead? What do you mean by that? Could it be..." Chen Chu sharply caught the key point in his words. Could the Asura God...
"Who are you, and why have you been imprisoned here by Lord Asura? You suffer the torment of Blood Fiend Energy, Yin Fiend Energy, and Death Fiend Energy—the Three Fiends—every day. I am rather curious what grave crime you committed."
Upon hearing the words "torment of the Three Fiends," the giant's hands clenched the iron chain tightly. Endless fury and unwillingness surged in his eyes. "Grave crime? What crime have I committed?"
Ignoring his injuries, he yanked the chains. The shriveled spirit beast corpse dragged a long trail across the ground. "My name is Ao Tian, the last bloodline of the ancient merfolk clan.
Back then, that man wanted to seize my clan's supreme treasure, the Deep Sea Soul Suppressing Pearl. That pearl could suppress the fiendish evils of the sea and protect the lives within an entire region. Naturally, my clan refused."
"So he fabricated charges, claiming that my clan had colluded with evil demons. Together with that human powerhouse, Poseidon, he used the God Realm's enforcers to slaughter my entire clan.
I fought desperately, but he gravely wounded me with a divine skill and sealed me within this Nine-Layered Purgatory Tower, where the Three Fiend Energies eroded me day after day. What crime have I committed?" Ao Tian roared without pause. The Blood Fiend Energy within the tower churned violently with his emotional fluctuations, but before long, it suppressed him again.
Seizing treasure? Working with the human powerhouse Poseidon? Could that have been the Sea God? He had actually known the Asura God so early. No wonder Tang San could become a dual god, allowing a God King and a first-class god to share the same successor.
The Asura Bead at Chen Chu's fingertips trembled slightly, as though responding to Ao Tian's fury. Chen Chu frowned and withdrew the bead into his body. Looking at him, he said gravely, "How could Lord Asura act like this? The God of Judgment values fairness above all else. Don't try to slander him and sow discord! And where is that Soul Suppressing Pearl now?"
Before you continue