Don't Drink That Cup of Yellow Springs Dew

At Li Pu's reminder, Bibi Dong quickly figured out how to shoot spider silk from her wrists over the next few days.

She could swing between the buildings in Slaughter City at astonishing speed, and even use the silk to bind her enemies with ease.

It consumed very little of her Soul Power, and became her greatest weapon in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

After living in Slaughter City for a while, Bibi Dong's expression had grown more sinister than when she first arrived. Even a faint, bloody aura now clung to her.

Cold, bloodthirsty, and cruel had long since become her bywords.

Having greater Soul Power did not guarantee victory. Several opponents with Soul Power exceeding level eighty had already died at Bibi Dong's hands.

A Spirit Master without Soul Skills was like a tiger stripped of its claws and fangs.

And with her new silk-spinning Soul Skill, Bibi Dong was even more terrifying—like a killing machine.

Though Bibi Dong was powerful, her beauty still drew covetous eyes. If they didn't take a chance, how could they know whether they might succeed?

No one had succeeded yet.

During this time, Li Pu and Bibi Dong had kept in touch. After one thing led to another, they could be considered friends.

Bibi Dong could tell that Li Pu wanted to leave Slaughter City. The only person he could befriend was an outsider like herself, and having a friend here wasn't bad for her, either.

Time passed in waiting and cultivation. Bibi Dong sat cross-legged in the small hut where she lived. Waves of icy coldness coursed through her body, while immense killing intent constantly swirled around her, affecting her as well.

At first, the growing killing intent had seemed harmless. But after she had killed more than a hundred people here, she realized it was beginning to affect her mind.

At first, she had only occasionally let her bloodlust show. But as time went on, the aura of slaughter grew increasingly pronounced. It was as if she wanted to kill every living thing she saw; killing someone with a casual gesture seemed as easy as crushing an ant.

Now, she seemed to crave blood more and more, as if only blood could suppress her bloodlust.

From the very beginning, she had scorned this sort of thing and refused to touch it.

As her bloodlust and killing intent grew more agitated, she finally gave in after killing a Fallen who had tried to ambush her. The blood flowing from the Fallen captivated her, and she could no longer hold back.

A voice kept whispering in her heart: It's fine. Just one sip won't hurt. The others sank into depravity and became Fallen because they couldn't control themselves; their willpower was too weak. I'll just drink a little to calm myself down. It's fine...

"Right. It's fine."

Gradually, Bibi Dong could no longer control herself. She immediately used the blood of the Fallen she had killed to brew a cup of Yellow Springs Dew.

Just as she was about to drink it to soothe her agitation, a hand suddenly shot out and knocked the Yellow Springs Dew from her grasp.

The cup flew away. Bibi Dong glared at the newcomer, her eyes glinting with murderous intent. She nearly wanted to kill him. Even after realizing it was Li Pu, she still felt the urge to kill him, though she managed to suppress it. She was still furious.

"What are you doing? Don't think I won't lay a hand on you just because we're friends!"

Li Pu replied calmly, "I thought you already knew."

"Knew what?" Bibi Dong demanded.

"Slaughter City itself is poisonous. The more of this stuff you drink, the deeper the poison sinks. It's a slow-acting poison hidden in the blood. Once you take the first sip, there'll be a second, then a third, without end, until you become a Fallen completely," Li Pu said earnestly.

Bibi Dong's face darkened. She stared at Li Pu in disbelief.

Li Pu continued, "The poison doesn't start in the blood. It comes from the air. The toxins in the air, stirred up by your own killing intent, make you crave blood to calm yourself. Over time, you'll probably become addicted. The poison in the blood makes people exhilarated, even stronger. But once the deadly poison takes effect, I doubt anyone can resist it. Even if you complete a hundred matches, you'll never make it out through Hell Road!"

Bibi Dong took two steps back. She hadn't imagined Slaughter City could be so terrifying. No wonder only seven people had managed to leave in a thousand years.

If she really failed, how could she ever speak of revenge?

"But how am I supposed to suppress this agitation? Every time I kill one of those Fallen, it grows stronger. Won't I lose control eventually?"

Bibi Dong figured that Yellow Springs Dew was both poison and antidote. As long as she took it in moderation, she should still be able to keep things under control.

Li Pu grabbed Bibi Dong's hand. "Come with me. I have a way to deal with it."

Bibi Dong let Li Pu lead her away. Perhaps she didn't mind because he was a child; if any other man had done the same, she would have cut his hand off long ago.

The two soon arrived at a place where Li Pu lived.

A chessboard sat on the table. Li Pu took the seat where one played chess, and Bibi Dong sat beside him.

"What does this mean?"

"This is cultivation of the mind."

Li Pu explained.

"Cultivation of the mind?" Bibi Dong said, puzzled.

Li Pu explained earnestly, "Though I was born in Slaughter City, I know that Spirit Masters on Douluo Continent pursue only pure strength and ways to grow stronger quickly. The so-called geniuses are merely talented at cultivating faster, and they neglect the cultivation of the mind. Even a madman can become stronger through cultivation alone, just as people do here in Slaughter City."

Bibi Dong was suddenly enlightened. Her thoughts cleared considerably.

Thinking about it, she had been far too fixated on power in her quest to get revenge on Qian Xunji. If she became obsessed with power for the sake of revenge, she might really be drawn into the influence of Slaughter City's unique environment and become trapped here.

"No wonder you can hold your ground in Slaughter City and keep a clear head, even though you're so young. So that's how it is."

Bibi Dong had to admit that Li Pu excelled in this regard. Even Yu Xiaogang couldn't compare; he only pursued theories about Spirit Masters.

In the original course of events, Bibi Dong had still drunk Yellow Springs Dew, completed a hundred matches in the Hell Slaughter Arena, and made it through Hell Road. She had still obtained the Divine Slaughter's Domain.

But after leaving, she still couldn't control the killing intent and urge to slaughter that came with the Divine Slaughter's Domain, and she might even have suffered a backlash. To control it, she would have needed to wash away the dust of worldly concerns, cultivate herself, let her mind settle, and purify her heart.

Spirit Hall naturally had methods for washing away the dust of worldly concerns, and Tang Yuehua of the Clear Sky Sect had a way to do this, too.

Tang San's ten-thousand-year Mysterious Heaven Skill and Blue Silver Domain were both inferior to learning noble etiquette as a way to control the Divine Slaughter's Domain. That showed just how powerful the arts and culture could be.

Li Pu didn't want to wait until he left to pursue that path. He would cultivate his appreciation of the arts right here in Slaughter City.