Hidden Hand, Soul Hunting

The Rakshasa God Position might just be a stepping stone, or... a vessel?

Yu Yuanchen, who possessed memories of his past life, had many speculations. "The Unity of Good and Evil? Based on the evil and ferocity of the Rakshasa, bearing the slaughter of the Asura? After all, the Asura represents orderly judgment and slaughter, while the Rakshasa represents chaotic and evil slaughter. The two seem to be opposites, but in fact, they both originate from the two extremes of the law of 'slaughter'. If Yin-Yang can be in harmony, and good and evil can be united, its power is indeed immeasurable."

"No, even if Asura Rakshasa merge, they still haven't escaped the trap of slaughter. Even if they become one, it can only be said that there will be considerable progress, but they shouldn't be able to touch the level of the Supreme God King. Right, the Golden Dragon Bloodline on Tang San..."

Thinking of this, a hint of understanding flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes, but it quickly turned into absolute calm and a sense of control.

"It seems he also has his eye on the Dragon God's legacy. That makes sense. Otherwise, given Tang San's foundation in the original story, how could he have fought against Destruction after only a few years as a god? It turns out Asura might have been fighting on his behalf. What a cunning scheme. What a pity..."

Despite all his calculations, Asura could never have foreseen that Yu Yuanchen possessed an omniscient perspective, and by comparing the two accounts in the original story, he was able to guess some of Shura's schemes.

Yu Yuanchen sneered inwardly, "You are far away in the Divine Realm, and you can't possibly detect the methods that I, an existence of the same level, have subtly cultivated over the years, by observing with only Divine Sense."

Yu Yuanchen's Divine Sense swept across the depths of his own Divine Spark, where there were a few barely perceptible Chaos Light Points that had a subtle connection with Tang San's bloodline and soul origin.

This was a backup plan he quietly laid out, utilizing the inclusiveness and concealment of his own Primordial Star Law, combined with his deep understanding of Tang San's bloodline.

These backup plans usually show no signs of being there, just like Tang San himself. They can only be triggered under specific conditions or by his own initiative, and their effects are self-evident.

"If you only see Tang San as a pawn to charge into battle, then I'll consider myself overthinking it. After all, Tang San's current strength isn't enough to cause any real trouble. At worst, we can just kill him in the name of eliminating the Fallen One. But if Tang San is truly a pawn to help you advance further..." A cold glint flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes, "Then you're in for a big loss."

He closed his eyes again, his mind sinking into a deeper deduction of his own laws, no longer paying much attention to Tang San's transformation.

"The pieces have been placed, and the drama is in full swing. Let Tang San run wild for a while longer. When the time is right," Yu Yuanchen's mind calmed down completely, and a chaotic aura, as if the universe had just begun, slowly circulated around him.

At the end of the Hell Road, the Blood Pool surged, and the evil Rakshasa Divine Power, like a sudden awakening, rushed wildly into Tang San's body.

When he opened his eyes again, the dark red evil light deep in his pupils had solidified into a tangible form, and the murderous intent and corrupt aura emanating from him seemed to make the surrounding air thick and murky.

On the back of his hand, the dark purple Rakshasa Spirit Trial Mark radiated an ominous light, like an eternal curse, or a key to the pinnacle of power.

"Rakshasa Spirit Trial First Trial: Rakshasa Domain obtained, completed. Reward: 5% Rakshasa God Affinity, one God-Bestowed Soul Ring."

A chilling Divine Sense echoed in his mind. A pure, flawless golden sphere, radiating a gentle yet boundless energy, appeared out of thin air and hovered before Tang San. It was the God-Bestowed Soul Ring!

A glint of greed flashed in Tang San's eyes, and he unhesitatingly drew it in and absorbed it. The process was smooth and effortless, with almost no bottlenecks encountered.

When the Soul Ring completely merged into his Man Faced Demon Spider Martial Soul, transforming into Deep Black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, his Soul Power Level also broke through to level sixty-five! The feeling of being full of power slightly diluted the emptiness and violence in his heart, but it also made him have a deeper desire for even greater power.

"The Rakshasa Spirit Trial Second Trial: Blood Pool Body Tempering. Return to the end of the Hell Road in the City of Slaughter, draw upon the power of the Blood Pool to temper your physical body and bloodline, remove impurities gained from devouring, and solidify your foundation. Time limit: one year."

There are basic standards for becoming a god, and Tang San, in his current state, cannot meet them.

New assessment criteria arrived. Tang San's lips curled into a cold smile. Returning to that demonic lair? Perfect for him! The "nourishment" there was far from exhausted, and his current strength was insufficient.

Tang San was pleasantly surprised that it could remove impurities from his body. He had been cultivating with evil methods, which brought him power quickly, but also had many hidden dangers. Although he didn't care about the process as long as he could gain power, it would be good to reduce some of the hidden dangers.

He stepped onto the Hell Road once more, arriving at the Blood Pool at its end with practiced ease. This time, he deliberately leaped into the viscous, foul-smelling Blood Pool. Instantly, excruciating pain, as if thousands of red-hot steel needles were piercing his bone marrow, swept over his entire body.

The Blood Pool contained not only immense energy, but also the resentment and curses of countless Fallen One before their deaths, as well as fragments of the purest Slaughter Law. These relentlessly washed over and tore apart Tang San's meridians, flesh, and even his soul!

"Ugh--!" Even with Tang San's willpower, he couldn't help but let out a painful roar. But he gritted his teeth, activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and used his Soul Power to protect his heart meridian. He frantically absorbed the energy of the Blood Pool and forcibly refined and expelled those mixed resentments and curses from his body using the method taught by the Rakshasa Spirit Trial.

This was an extremely painful and lengthy process. For most of the year, Tang San was immersed in the Blood Pool, enduring inhuman torture. His body was torn apart time and time again, only to be reassembled and strengthened again under the influence of the Blood Pool's energy and the Rakshasa Divine Power.

His skin turned pale with a strange dark red tinge, his muscle lines became more ferocious, his bone density increased significantly, his meridians widened several times over, and his Soul Power, which had been somewhat weak due to devouring, was tempered into a much more solid form.

More importantly, under the combined influence of the berserk factor originating from the Golden Dragon King Bloodline deep within the Blood Pool and the Rakshasa Divine Power, his Second Martial Soul underwent a fundamental evolution, transforming from Crimson Gold Dragon into a true Golden Dragon.

Although the dragon scales still lean towards a reddish-gold color due to the long-term influence of the killing aura, its bloodline essence has been sublimated, and its strength, defense, and control over the elements have all undergone a qualitative leap!

At the end of the year, Tang San leaped out of the Blood Pool, feeling the surging, condensed, and pure power within his body. He looked up to the sky and let out a long, exhilarating roar! The sound waves rolled, causing the Hell Road to tremble slightly. At this moment, although his Cultivation Level was still level 65, his true combat strength was enough to rival that of an ordinary Soul Douluo!

However, the price of increased power was a further distortion of his mind. Years of killing, devouring, and the endless resentment in the Blood Pool had made his eyes more sinister and cold, as if he were examining an inanimate object when looking at people.

A faint, malicious sneer often lingered at the corners of his mouth. His originally handsome features had been marred by years of immersion in killing and evil, giving him an air of malevolence and ferocity that made him appear extremely dangerous.

With the ability of the Blood Pool to remove impurities, Tang San became even more reckless in devouring the Fallen One. Over the next ten years, Tang San became the nightmare of the City of Slaughter.

Under the guidance and rewards of the Rakshasa Spirit Trial (mainly the God-Bestowed Soul Ring), his Cultivation Level improved at an astonishing speed.

At level 70, he absorbed a God-Bestowed Soul Ring. Relying on his unwavering will and the powerful foundation of his Golden Dragon Martial Soul, he barely managed to elevate it to the 100,000-year level! He obtained another red Soul Ring! His Demon Spider True Body descended, and his strength skyrocketed! His Martial Soul also evolved into the Man Faced Spider Emperor.

At Level 80, he fought a fierce battle in the Hell Slaughter Arena and killed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast — the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King —that had been "dropped" in by the King of Slaughter. He obtained a precious Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a top-grade Right Arm Bone, and his Soul Power reached level 81.

The greatest opportunity came when he reached level 85. A Ferocious Beast with Cultivation Level 400,000 years, which had been sleeping in the lower levels of the City of Slaughter for many years, the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King, actually approached him and asked for a sacrifice! The condition was to resurrect Tang San after he became a god and grant him eternal life.

This old bat was cunning and treacherous. It coveted Tang San's identity as the inheritor of the Rakshasa God and attempted to seize his body at the most vulnerable moment when Tang San was inheriting the God Position and his soul and Divine Spark were merging. It was confident that with its 400,000 years of spiritual Cultivation Level, it had a chance to succeed.

Tang San was incredibly astute; he sensed the old bat's malicious intent from the flickering mental fluctuations within it. But he didn't care! Why would he refuse a 400,000-year Soul Ring and Head Soul Bone offered to him? As for scheming? Hmph, I wasn't planning on keeping my promise anyway; I'll just deal with it when I'm strong enough.

So he accepted the sacrifice without hesitation. The Golden Dragon Martial Soul obtained its Third Soul Ring (400,000 years) and an incomparably precious 40-year Head Soul Bone. Its Soul Power was directly increased to level 88, and the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King should still have retained most of its power.

After ten years of bloodshed, when Tang San reached the Eighth Trial of the Rakshasa Spirit Trial (to fill the gaps in his Spirit Bone), his Cultivation Level had already reached level ninety! He was only one Ninth Soul Ring away from becoming a true Titled Douluo!

Over the past decade, he has also killed countless Fallen One, obtaining several Spirit Bone from them, but the quality was generally low. He only chose to absorb a 60,000-year-old Blood Demon Dragon Lizard's Right Leg Bone. Currently, his Spirit Bone configuration is: Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit's Left Leg Bone (sacrificed by Xiao Wu), a 400,000-year-old Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's Head Soul Bone, a 100,000-year-old Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King's Right Arm Bone, and a 60,000-year-old Blood Demon Dragon Lizard's Right Leg Bone. He is still missing the Torso Bone and Left Arm Bone, as well as the Ninth Soul Ring of the Man Faced Spider Emperor and the fourth to Ninth Soul Ring of the Golden Dragon Martial Soul.

"It's time to leave." Tang San stood before the heavy gate of the Outer City the City of City of Slaughter, glancing back at this hell that had buried fifteen years of his youth and conscience. The flames of revenge had never been extinguished; on the contrary, nourished by power, they burned even more fiercely and twistedly.

"Mother... Xiao Wu... wait for me. Soon, I will make those enemies pay the price!"

The heavy stone door slowly opened, and the long-awaited sunlight shone in, stinging Tang San's eyes, which were accustomed to darkness. He stepped out and saw the light of day again.

However, the fresh air, warm sunshine, and faint birdsong from afar made him feel intensely uncomfortable and irritable.

He had grown accustomed to the filthy, bloody, and despairing atmosphere of the City of Slaughter, and this normal, Life Force world seemed hypocritical and jarring to him.

He subconsciously circulated his Soul Power, and the bloodthirsty killing intent and corrupt evil aura that almost solidified around him spread out, causing the grass under his feet to wither instantly and the surrounding insects to flee in panic.

He immediately realized something was wrong. The Federation was also paying attention to the City of Slaughter City of Slaughter, and his behavior Federation was enough to warrant their attention. Once they discovered he was out of the "prison," they would definitely send people to hunt him down. To parade around like this was tantamount to courting death. The Federation's powerful figures would never tolerate the existence of such a "heretical" person.

"Hmph, the meddlesome Federation..." A hint of resentment flashed in Tang San's eyes, but he forced himself to calm down. Revenge requires a plan and strength; it cannot be reckless.

As the successor of the Rakshasa God, he knew how to suppress his killing intent, but he simply didn't want to. He took a deep breath and, following the method of aura concealment he had learned during the Rakshasa Spirit Trial, forcibly suppressed the unsettling aura emanating from his body.

Although the inherent coldness and evil aura could not be completely eliminated, at least on the surface, he was just a pale-faced, sinister-eyed man in black robes, no longer so conspicuous.

He donned a large black cloak to conceal his face, and after determining his direction, sped towards the Star Dou Great Forest. His immediate priority was to acquire his Ninth Soul Ring, complete the Golden Dragon Martial Soul's Soul Ring, and increase his strength. After that, it would be time to seek revenge.

Entering the vast and boundless Star Dou Great Forest, Tang San felt like a fish in the ocean. He didn't rush to find powerful Soul Beast, but instead focused on the numerous Demon Spider- type Soul Beast. His External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances and the Man Faced Spider Emperor Martial Soul, both needed to devour power of the same origin to evolve.

In the following months, the Demon Spider Clan in the outer and Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest suffered annihilation. Tang San transformed into the most terrifying hunter, using his powerful Spiritual Power and uncanny assassination techniques to specifically target Demon Spider that were over a thousand years old.

The Eight Spider Lances are like the scythe of death; with each pierce, they frantically devour the Life Essence and Soul Power of their prey.

Nourished by a large amount of homogeneous energy, his Martial Soul was undergoing a subtle transformation. It no longer exuded the simple ferocious aura of the Man Faced Spider Emperor, but a more terrifying aura mixed with depravity, curses, and evil. Perhaps it could be called the "Fallen Spider Emperor".

The Eight Spider Lances became even more ferocious, their color turning dark gold, with ominous purple light shimmering at their edges.

While hunting the Demon Spider, Tang San was also searching for Soul Beast suitable for the Golden Dragon Martial Soul.

Relying on the powerful perception skill granted to him by his Head Soul Bone, he avoided the true core Forbidden Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest (the Rakshasa Spirit Trial Mark sent a strong danger warning). He only dared to search in the Mixed Zone and the outer perimeter of the Core Zone. More than a month later, he finally managed to hunt down a 70,000-year-old Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, an 80,000-year-old Diamond Baboon, and three 90,000-year-old Thousand Jun Ant Emperor (the three Qian Jun Ant brothers in the original work, but because Tang San defeated them one by one this time, he did not absorb all three Soul Ring at once, and therefore did not become Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring).

These Soul Beast are all top-tier power-type Soul Beast, and their Soul Ring are quite compatible with the power characteristics of the Golden Dragon Martial Soul.

For his Ninth Soul Ring, the Fallen Spider Emperor Martial Soul chose an 180,000-year-old Death Spider Emperor! This Soul Beast was extremely cunning and treacherous, but because of its evil nature, it was disliked by other Soul Beast. Furthermore, because it had suddenly and indiscriminately slaughtered Soul Beast for some time, it was driven out of the Core Zone and settled in a poisonous swamp deep within the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang San chose it for this reason as well. It was not only because of its advanced age, but also because the Death Spider Emperor's venom and death attribute were extremely compatible with his Man Faced Spider Emperor Martial Soul, which was mutating in the direction of "corruption". It might bring unexpectedly powerful Soul Skill.

The hunt was fraught with danger.

The Death Spider Emperor was extremely intelligent. Instead of engaging Tang San, who was in his prime, it used the advantage of the poisonous swamp to launch surprise attacks and harass him. Its various strange poison-type Soul Skill and clone illusions kept Tang San busy.

In the most dangerous instance, the Death Spider Emperor used its unique concealment Soul Skill to lurk beneath the mud. Taking advantage of Tang San's entanglement with a clone, it suddenly launched an attack, spewing out a mouthful of spider web venom containing terrifying death laws, instantly enveloping Tang San! The venom was not only extremely corrosive, but it could also erode the soul!

At the critical moment, a fierce glint flashed in Tang San's eyes, and he finally unleashed his hidden trump card! He made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a giant scythe, dark purple in color, with a ferocious shape and Entanglement with countless phantoms of vengeful spirits, appeared out of thin air—the divine weapon, the Rakshasa Demon Scythe!

With a swing of the Demon Scythe, a dark purple blade of light that tore through space flashed, forcefully cleaving through the venomous spiderweb imbued with the laws of death! The terrifying backlash of evil divine Divine Power caused the Death Spider Emperor to let out a shrill scream, its spirit damaged.

Strike while the iron is hot! Tang San, with his Golden Dragon Martial Soul, unleashed his Fourth Soul Skill, the Golden Tear Claw, combined with the Devouring Thrust of the Eight Spider Lances, instantly piercing through the Death Spider Emperor's head! A fierce battle finally came to an end.

Absorbing the 180,000-year-old Death Spider Emperor Soul Ring, along with the resulting piece of Left Leg Bone, was a perilous process.

The Death Spider Emperor's resentment before its death was extremely terrifying, constantly impacting Tang San's Spiritual Sea. However, Tang San's Spiritual Power was quite strong because he had absorbed a 400,000-year- Head Soul Bone, and he was also protected by the Rakshasa Divine Power. In the end, he successfully absorbed it without any major danger.

When he opened his eyes again, a surge of powerful Soul Power rushed through his body like a tidal wave, breaking through the bottleneck of level 90 and soaring all the way up to the peak of level 93 before slowly stopping!

The continuous absorption of multiple high-level Soul Ring, especially the Soul Ring from the Death Spider Emperor, resulted in a tremendous increase in Soul Power.

A piece of the Death Spider Emperor Left Leg Bone also fused successfully, granting him a powerful life-saving Soul Bone Skill — Death Spider Shadow, which can differentiate into several afterimages containing death toxins to confuse enemies and instantly switch positions with the main body. It also included the Concealing Breath Soul Skill that almost caused Tang San to suffer a hidden loss.

Feeling the immense power within him, Tang San was filled with pride and couldn't help but want to roar to the sky. Titled Douluo! He, Tang San, had finally stepped into this level!

Moreover, he is Titled Douluo who is not yet thirty years old, possesses Twin Martial Souls, multiple Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone, and bears the Divine Examination! He is confident that he is now strong enough to sweep away strong people of the same level, and can even go toe-to-toe with Titled Douluo (Titled Douluo like the King of Slaughter)!

However, his joy turned to sorrow. His rampant hunting in the Star Dou Great Forest during this period, especially the killing of top-tier Soul Beast such as the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and the Death Spider Emperor, had already attracted the attention of those terrifying beings in the Core Zone of the forest.

Just as Tang San finished absorbing the Soul Ring and Spirit Bone, and his aura had not yet fully subsided, a terrifying pressure, wild, violent, and full of extreme power, descended from the sky like Mount Tai pressing down! The air in the entire forest seemed to freeze!

"Roar--! Human! How dare you kill my people! Prepare to die!"

A colossal golden figure tore through the sky and crashed to the ground! It was none other than Xiong Jun, one of the kings of the Star Dou Great Forest and the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear King! Its ten-zhang-tall body was like a mountain, its dark gold fur shimmering with a metallic luster, and its pair of sharp claws seemed capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart! It had just sensed the death aura of a 70,000-year-old member of its clan and followed the trail, only to run right into Tang San, who had just completed his breakthrough!

The terrifying pressure from the 500,000-year-old Ferocious Beast caused Tang San's expression to change drastically! He instantly judged that the strength of this Xiong Jun far exceeded that of an ordinary Super Douluo! Especially its pair of indestructible dark gold claws, which exuded a sharpness that made even him tremble!

"Perfect timing! Your Soul Ring are mine!" A hint of greed and madness flashed in Tang San's eyes as he became somewhat arrogant. The Rakshasa Demon Scythe reappeared in his hand, the Golden Dragon Golden Dragon Martial Soul was attached to him, and the nine Soul Ring (yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, red, red, red) shone brightly as he took the initiative to meet the attack!

An earth-shattering battle erupted instantly between a Titled Douluo and a 500,000-year-old Ferocious Beast!

Tang San unleashed all his skills, his Rakshasa Demon Scythe wielding blades that tore through space, his Golden Dragon Martial Soul's powerful offensive Soul Skill coming one after another, his Eight Spider Lances appearing and disappearing unpredictably, and the Death Spider Emperor Left Leg Bone bone splitting into afterimages... Although he was at a disadvantage, he was still able to fight Xiong Jun to a standstill with his diverse abilities. Dark purple evil divine Divine Power and dark gold terrifying power collided wildly, causing towering ancient trees to fall in swathes and the earth to crack!

"Dark Gold Dreadclaw, Tear the Sky!" Xiong Jun was enraged and unleashed his strongest Ultimate Skill. His two claws grew to become hundred-meter-long giant claws, carrying a terrifying will to tear the sky apart, and fiercely slashed down!

Tang San's pupils contracted as he held the Rakshasa Demon Scythe horizontally in front of him, unleashing his full Soul Power and Rakshasa Divine Power! "Rakshasa Slash!"

Boom--!!!

A cataclysmic collision! Tang San was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into several small hills before barely regaining his footing. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. A small gash also appeared on Xiong Jun's dark gold claws.

The difference in skill is obvious! Although Tang San is strong, he is still at a disadvantage against Xiong Jun, who has a profound foundation and Cultivation Level of 500,000 years!

"We can't get entangled any longer!" Tang San instantly snapped to his senses. This was the edge of the Core Zone Star Dou Great Forest; if the battle's disturbances attracted other Ferocious Beast, he would surely die!

"Death Spider Shadow!" Tang San activated his Left Leg Bone skill, instantly creating several lifelike afterimages to interfere with Xiong Jun's vision. His true body, without hesitation, activated the Soft Bone Rabbit Left Leg Bone Soul Bone Skill - Instantaneous Movement! With a flash, he was already a thousand meters away, and with another flash, he disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

"Roar! You cunning human! You can't escape!" The Xiong Jun's furious roar echoed through the forest, but its massive body made it difficult to move through the jungle, and it was ultimately a step too slow, losing track of Tang San.

Deep in the dense forest, Tang San clutched his chest, his face grim as he sped away. Although he had escaped with his life, Xiong Jun's appearance was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the fervor that had arisen from his sudden surge in strength. Titled Douluo was still not among the top tier on this continent! There were still those beings in the Core Zone Star Dou Great Forest who had triggered the Divine Examination Mark, those reclusive old monsters, and... the Federation!

"Power... I need even greater power! But before that," Tang San wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes flashing with an even more crazed and obsessive light, "Some grudges need to be settled."

Although his Golden Dragon Martial Soul was still missing a Ninth Soul Ring, he believed that his current strength was sufficient to avenge himself against the Huyan Family.