There is no true day or night in the Slaughter City.
Only when the blood mist surges to its faintest point, and the distant crimson glow falls through the cracks in the dome, can it be considered the "dawn" of this underground city.
Tang San sat cross-legged on the stone steps of the central square, surrounded by blood mist, but no longer in his previous wild and turbulent state.
They flowed slowly with his breath, as if drawn by invisible threads, entering and exiting with each breath.
The dark red killing power passed through the meridians, and was then filtered by the soul, removing the evil and malevolent energy contaminated by the Rakshasa, leaving only the purest Asura essence, which slowly sank into the depths of the Soul Power.
He has been refining it for two whole years.
It was difficult at first.
His violent killing power was like a wild horse that could easily overwhelm his reason if he wasn't careful. The Rakshasa thorn in his soul would also take the opportunity to stir up his murderous intent.
But whenever he was about to lose control, the word "hold on" from his great-grandfather's lingering thoughts would surface, like a stone to suppress all his surging delusions.
After a few moments of reflection, the murderous aura emanating from him actually subsided.
He used to carry a chilling aura wherever he went, but now he's completely cleaned up and looks no different from an ordinary Soul Master.
Only when the fingertips gripping the hammer occasionally show dark red lines do they reveal a trace of unfathomable killing intent.
On this day, the blood mist suddenly began to stir.
The ground of the entire Slaughter City trembled slightly, and a deep hum came from the depths. Thick, dark red primal power surged up from the ground and rushed towards the square like a tide.
This is the primordial tide of the City of Slaughter City, which only appears once every hundred years, and it is also a test for the inheritors of the legacy.
In the past, Tang San would have passively endured the impact, letting the force crash into his meridians and relying on his powerful physique to withstand it. But this time, he did not panic.
He slowly closed his eyes, Divine Slaughter's Domain quietly unfolded, no longer a defensive shield or an offensive blade, but a fine net.
A tidal wave of murderous intent crashed in, only to be dismantled and diverted by this net, flowing along his already well-organized meridians, gradually being refined and integrated into his own Soul Power.
There was no danger of exploding, no frantic roaring, only orderly absorption and condensation.
The Soul Power circulated and thickened within the meridians, and the divine soul became increasingly clear under the cleansing of the source.
As the last wisp of primordial power sank into his dantian, Tang San's body trembled violently, and his seventh Soul Ring slowly rose beneath his feet.
The crimson aura was gentle and restrained, without any dazzling light or violent pressure, yet the killing intent contained within it was purer and more profound than the previous six Soul Ring combined.
Soul Saint.
He slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting dark red glint in them before they returned to their deep black.
Strength has increased, but more importantly, control has improved.
In the past, when he activated the Divine Slaughter's Domain, he would unconsciously be led astray into fanaticism.
Now he can summon his domain with a wave of his hand, controlling it at will. Power is his tool, no longer the reins that lead him.
Tang San stood up and looked up at the black throne high above.
Tang Chen remained seated, his blood mist around him much calmer, no longer fluctuating wildly as before.
Clearly, after the primordial tide was absorbed in an orderly manner, his corrupted soul also became more stable.
"Great-grandfather," Tang San said in a low voice.
"I will continue to practice. Once I have fully mastered this power, I will definitely break the curse on Rakshasa and take you out of here."
The blood mist churned gently, like a very soft response.
At the same moment, in the mountains northwest of Spirit City, dawn was just breaking.
Chen Jieqi stood on a mountain ridge, his palms pressed against the cool rock wall. Platinum-gold holy light seeped into the earth's veins through the cracks in the rocks and slowly traveled.
Last night, following the shadowy aura, he found three hidden strongholds of Evil Soul Master.
This group gathered along the dark nodes of the earth's veins, capturing civilians from surrounding villages for blood sacrifices, attempting to artificially tear open a larger rift and improve their cultivation by absorbing the power of darkness.
He has cleared two locations and rescued more than twenty kidnapped villagers.
"There's one last spot."
He withdrew his hand, and the Heart of the Naaru between his brows felt slightly hot.
In their senses, black mist surged in the valley ahead, and the stench of blood mixed with malevolent Soul Power wafted out, stronger than the previous two places, clearly indicating that this was the main stronghold of this Evil Soul Master.
Chen Jieqi did not rush in rashly.
With a flick of his fingertips, several extremely thin strands of holy light silently spread out, first blocking the valley's retreat route.
Then, a purification barrier was set up along the ley line nodes to prevent the spread of dark power within and to prevent the Evil Soul Master from resorting to desperate measures and taking hostages as hostages.
After doing all this, he slowly walked into the valley.
In the middle of the valley stood a makeshift altar, where a dozen villagers were tied to pillars, their faces pale and on the verge of death.
Seven Evil Soul Master surrounded the altar, chanting incantations. Dark purple Soul Power converged towards the center of the altar, and fine black cracks appeared in the ground, with sinister energy emanating from it.
"Who?!"
The leader of the Evil Soul Master was the first to notice, turning around abruptly. Upon seeing Chen Jieqi, he was initially startled, then a greedy look appeared on his face.
"A Holy Light Soul Master? Perfect! I'll use you as a sacrifice to make this rift open even faster!"
Seven dark figures rushed in simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of malevolent Soul Skill: corrosive venom, shrieking ghosts, and binding black mist—each move insidious and deadly.
Chen Jieqi remained calm, and the holy light barrier around him slightly expanded.
The Evil Soul Master who rushed forward crashed into the barrier like embers hitting snowmelt, sizzling and emitting black smoke, their evil power rapidly dissipating.
As soon as the screams began, several Cross Light Blade precisely pierced through their Jianjing acupoints, destroying their Soul Power while holy light surged into their meridians, purifying the evil impurities within their bodies.
In just a few breaths, all seven Evil Soul Master collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless to resist.
Chen Jieqi didn't look at them much. He turned around and walked to the altar. Holy light flashed from his fingertips, and the ropes binding the villagers all snapped.
"Everything's alright now," he said softly.
"Go east; there's a temporary shelter at the foot of the mountain with food and water."
The villagers, still shaken, looked at the white-clad, silver-haired boy with initial fear, which quickly turned into deep gratitude.
Some people knelt down and kowtowed, while others expressed their gratitude with red eyes. In each sincere expression of thanks, countless tiny, warm rays of faith floated out and gathered in the air towards Chen Jieqi's brow.
The Heart of the Naaru suddenly began to beat stronger.
The accumulated faith of tens of thousands of Ashen Territory ' inhabitants, polished by the holy light that has been sealing the ley lines these past few days.
Coupled with the purest gratitude of these survivors, all the pent-up emotions converged at this moment.
Within the Qi Sea, the Holy Light Origin suddenly expanded and then rapidly contracted, repeating this process three times before settling steadily at a completely new level.
The seventh scarlet Soul Ring slowly emerged beneath his feet, its glow warm and pure, without the slightest ostentation, yet carrying a reassuring sense of weight; it was also Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Soul Saint.
Chen Jieqi glanced down at the Soul Ring at his feet, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
Instead of experiencing the increase in power first, he raised his hand and pressed it against the crack in the center of the altar.
The holy light after the breakthrough was several times larger. The platinum light seeped into the earth's veins along the black cracks, gradually mending and reinforcing the torn joints.
The malevolent energy that had been emanating from the ground quickly subsided, and the cracks in the ground slowly healed.
Only after doing all this did he take a moment to assess his own condition.
His Soul Power nearly doubled, his perception range expanded by several miles, and the purification and sealing strength of the holy light were significantly improved.
More importantly, the transformation of faith power is smoother; as long as there are people who believe in him, his power has a source.
As Chen Jieqi emerged from the valley, the rising sun was just rising above the mountain ridge.
He glanced up in the direction of Spirit City. The golden light in the inheritance space remained steady, Qian Renxue was temporarily unharmed.
Looking again toward the Slaughter City, the dark red aura there had become much more condensed and substantial, indicating a breakthrough.
One was in the open, the other in the shadows; one guarded, the other cultivated; both were moving forward on their own paths.
No one followed the script set by the gods; everyone was striving to become stronger.
Chen Jieqi withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the temporary resettlement point.
Upgrading is not the end, but the confidence to protect more people. The fissures in the earth's veins are still there, the Evil Soul Master will come again, and the people of Ashen Territory are still waiting for his return.
The road ahead is long; we'll take it one step at a time.