Giratina kept its main attack range within two meters. Its enormous roar seemed to carry the force of a thousand jun, crashing hard into the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King.
The opponent's massive body was instantly sent crashing down by the blow.
It slammed heavily into Hell Road, and a thunderous rumble echoed through the space.
The terrifying roar also stunned the bats the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King had summoned nearby. One after another, they fell into the Magma Sea, were swallowed up in an instant, and turned to charcoal as flames engulfed them.
Lin Chuan let out a long breath.
Only when he saw a grand palace ahead did he slow his steps.
Several statues stood around the palace. They resembled the King of Slaughter, but carried an even more imposing air. Flames burned in the stone cages held in their right hands, lighting up the surroundings.
He was already nearing the end.
Lin Chuan didn't waste any more words. With a thought, he recalled the leisurely Giratina into his body.
Behind him, the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King struggled back to its feet. Its deep-set eyes held resentment and unwillingness, but all it could do was glare furiously.
For some reason,
whenever it pursued the intruders who had entered its territory to this place, it felt a force resisting it.
No matter how strong it became, that force never weakened.
It could never get close to the palace.
At most, it could stop three meters away and watch from a distance.
Having come here again, it already knew what the outcome would be.
After taking one more look at Lin Chuan's shadow as he entered the palace, it turned and flew away.
Inside the palace, Lin Chuan didn't see anything particularly novel. The thick pillars on either side were already covered in cracks, and dust coated the marble floor, which was etched with ornate patterns.
As he walked, his feet occasionally crushed brittle stones with a crisp crack.
Lin Chuan walked to the center of the palace. Some sort of inscription seemed to be carved there.
The moment he stepped onto it, the runes beneath his feet blazed with dazzling red light.
The glare made Lin Chuan close his eyes instinctively. The persistent crimson glow swallowed his figure.
Energy poured out of the formation, washing over his utterly exhausted body.
There was none of the painful torment he had expected. A warm, soothing sensation spread over him.
It was like his weary body was bathing in a hot spring, comfort flowing from every pore.
Lin Chuan didn't know when he had been transported out.
Only when the night wind brushed past him did its cool touch rouse him.
The fresh scent of grass and trees filled his nostrils. Dew from the Blue Silver Grass had dampened the clothes clinging to his skin. As a chill swept through him, he finally opened his eyes in a daze.
Through the dense, interlaced branches, he gazed into the deep darkness of the night sky. His rapidly beating heart gradually calmed.
"Lin Chuan, you're back!"
In the quiet darkness, the girl's delighted, aggrieved cry at their long-awaited reunion stirred the still night.
Lin Chuan had just risen to his feet. It was only by the moonlight that he could make out who had come.
She was a girl with short, pale golden hair, its ends cut in soft layers, and delicate, striking features that paired with elf-like ears.
Her skin was fair as snow. She wore a fitted blue-and-white, qipao-style dress that traced her graceful figure. Her charming face and playful expression lent a girlish touch to her alluring air.
Before Lin Chuan could greet her, she threw herself into his arms.
She rubbed her pretty cheek against the front of his shirt, not the least bit reserved.
All he could do was smile helplessly.
The next moment, several more figures appeared in succession.
They were all familiar faces: Xie Yue and Yan, known as the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.
While he was still wondering why his teacher hadn't appeared, a hoarse, aged voice came from beside him at just the right moment:
"You brat. I don't know what you've been practicing all this time, but I was right beside you and you still didn't notice."
Lin Chuan hurriedly turned to look. A gaunt, haggard middle-aged man had appeared behind him.
Beside him stood a man with finely kept skin and a feminine air. His figure was as upright as any man's, yet every movement was soft and graceful as a woman's.
If not for his unmistakably masculine features and Adam's apple, anyone watching his every movement would have mistaken him for a woman.
The blond man didn't put on any airs.
At the sight of Lin Chuan, his face broke into a delighted smile. He walked up and looked him over with concern.
Then a tender, feminine voice, tinged with heartache, rang out:
"Xiao Chuanchuan, you've gotten so thin. Did you suffer a lot in there? What good could there be in a wretched place like that? One careless move, and you could lose your life."
"Ah, thank goodness you came out safely."
The man before him was the renowned Titled Douluo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, also known as Chrysanthemum Pass. His real name was Yue Guan.
Most people, however, were used to calling him Elder Chrysanthemum, which was how the name Chrysanthemum Pass had come to be translated.
Yan was swept up in the emotion too. His eyes reddened as he stepped forward and embraced Lin Chuan.
He asked how things had been for him, just like the others.
Surrounded by everyone, Lin Chuan could only answer their questions one by one and tell them what it had been like in there.
They had merely been catching up. Only when he asked how they had known he was here, and even the exact time he'd be back, did the conversation turn.
After hearing Gui Mei's explanation, the joy of their reunion vanished at once.
He thought to himself:
Damn, I forgot about Bibi Dong. Good thing I didn't reveal anything in the Capital of Slaughter. I'll have to be careful from now on.
Still, it seemed that half the secret of his Martial Soul leaving his body had been exposed.
But fortunately, he had once said that his Martial Soul was unusual.
Surely Bibi Dong wouldn't be so madly nostalgic as to send him away for study.
Otherwise, he'd really have to find a way to escape.
As they reminisced, Hu Liena remained at the center of it all.
With both arms wrapped around Lin Chuan's slender, strong waist, she lifted her head from his embrace and cut in:
"What was it like in there? Teacher said it was dangerous and wouldn't let me go in with you back then."
As she spoke, she pouted, looking quite aggrieved.
When Hu Liena had first said she wanted to go in with him, Lin Chuan had refused.
At the time, Hu Liena had only just reached level thirty-four, a Soul Elder.
She had little real combat experience, no trump cards, and was far too weak.
Entering the Hell Slaughter Arena would have been tantamount to sending herself to her death.
So he sternly warned Hu Liena again, telling her to forget about entering the Capital of Slaughter until she had reached Spirit Emperor.
After listening to Lin Chuan's scolding, Hu Liena turned her head aside, cheeks puffed up.
But she still agreed.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo watched the lovestruck girl, exchanged a glance, and sighed silently.
Ever since Lin Chuan entered the Capital of Slaughter, Hu Liena had been so worried she could neither eat nor sleep.
Her thoughts followed him constantly; wherever she went, she longed for him.
Just as this joyful reunion threatened to change into something else, Gui Mei spoke up at the right moment:
"Xiao Chuan, you've been a Spirit Emperor for quite some time now, haven't you?"
Chrysanthemum Pass knew that too.
He was surprised, of course, but this was a reunion, and bringing it up at the start would have ruined the mood.
Besides, Gui Mei and he had watched Lin Chuan grow up from the age of six. They knew how monstrously gifted he was.
When Lin Chuan entered the Capital of Slaughter, he had already been a fifty-eighth-level Soul King.
His First Soul Ring had been over five hundred years old, the second over eight hundred, the third five thousand, the fourth over eight thousand, and the fifth more than thirty thousand years old.
On the surface, his Soul Ring Configuration looked ordinary: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black.
But the rings' years far exceeded the usual standard.
He had Lin Chuan's monthly allowance of one hundred Gold Soul Coins from joining Spirit Hall to thank for that.
Lin Chuan had secretly been buying and taking Whale Rubber for a long time.
High-year Whale Rubber was somewhat rare on the continent, so the highest-year batch Lin Chuan had managed to take back then was only a little over twenty thousand years old.
It had greatly strengthened his physique, bringing about a qualitative improvement by the time he obtained his third Spirit Ring.
Xie Yue was deeply surprised, but kept a calm expression and didn't make a fool of himself.
Only Yan gaped in disbelief, staring at Lin Chuan like he was some kind of monster.
A Spirit Emperor at fifteen, not even sixteen—there was probably no one else like him on the entire continent!
Hu Liena gazed at Lin Chuan, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
Hearing that he had become a Spirit Emperor at such a young age made her even prouder.
"Ahem!"
Gui Mei cleared his throat, breaking the awkward mood once more, and said:
"Yue Guan, take Xie Yue and the others back first. I'll take Xiao Chuan to obtain a suitable Spirit Ring."