Slaughter City

Time passed like a fleeting arrow, and the years slipped away.

In the blink of an eye, five years had quietly passed since the turmoil that shook Spirit Hall.

Qian Qizhou had grown from a slightly callow youth into a young man with a tall, upright posture and a composed, steady aura.

His spirit power level had also reached rank 61.

Over these five years, he had exhausted every possible method, yet he remained unable to enter the Plane of Euthymia again.

Ei had never responded to him, as if she had never existed at all.

If not for the Engulfing Lightning still in his hand, Qian Qizhou would have truly believed that he had merely dreamt it all.

Deep within the Sunset Forest, beside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

The exotic flowers and rare herbs remained lush, and the dense spiritual energy permeated the air.

However, the atmosphere between the two people sitting on the edge was somewhat heavy.

Qian Qizhou wore a simple purple robe, his posture tall and his aura steady; he made no effort to conceal his cultivation as a rank 61 Spirit Emperor.

Yet, at this moment, he tilted his head slightly to gaze at the sky, his eyes filled with an irrepressible melancholy.

Dugu Bo looked at the young man beside him, his eyes lacking their usual arrogance and filled instead with a touch of helplessness.

After a long silence, Dugu Bo finally couldn't help but sigh: "You've traveled north and south these past five years, causing quite a stir, yet you still haven't found a trace of that person?"

The "she" he referred to was, naturally, the missing Ei.

Hearing this, Qian Qizhou kept his gaze on the sky, the rays of the setting sun falling upon his sharp-featured profile, outlining a faint sense of loneliness.

After a long while, he slowly lowered his head: "No, not a single trace."

In five years, he had traveled across most of the continent, experienced countless battles, steadily improved his strength, and stirred up quite a bit of trouble.

Three years ago, Qian Qizhou had encountered a terrifying spirit beast, and in his near-death state, Dugu Bo had saved him.

To repay the favor, he had managed to resolve the flaws in Dugu Bo's spirit.

Since then, the two had frequently visited one another, sworn brotherhood, and become friends despite their age gap.

However, no matter what life-and-death crises Qian Qizhou had faced over the years, Ei had never appeared again.

It was as if this person had completely evaporated from the world.

Dugu Bo looked at his state and shook his head: "Don't think too much about it. According to what you've said, she is a god; she will not fall."

"She must have her own matters to attend to. Once she is finished, she will show herself."

Hearing this, Qian Qizhou gave a faint hum: "I will find her eventually, no matter where she is, and no matter how long it takes."

He stood up, brushed the grass clippings from his clothes, and looked at Dugu Bo: "I'm leaving."

Dugu Bo waved his hand: "Get lost, get lost. Stop coming here to sponge off this old man's herbs."

"Next time you come, remember to bring some good wine."

Qian Qizhou waved back: "Understood. I'll bring you some realgar wine next time."

With that, ignoring Dugu Bo's exasperation, he turned and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the twilight of the Sunset Forest.

Soon, Qian Qizhou experienced another thrilling battle involving murder and treasure-snatching.

The only difference was that they wanted to kill him, and the treasure they sought was the Engulfing Lightning in his hand.

After finishing off his enemies, Qian Qizhou unexpectedly caught the name of a place from the delirious muttering of a dying Spirit Saint: Slaughter City.

He had a vague impression of this place; it seemed to be a land of exile and depravity, tacitly sealed off and forgotten by the major powers.

It seemed that Spirit Hall would throw the captured evil spirit masters in there; it was the continent's prison.

Driven by a hint of curiosity, Qian Qizhou erased his tracks and changed his direction.

After several days of trekking, he finally arrived at a desolate, deathly silent gray plain that seemed abandoned by the world.

Qian Qizhou looked with confusion at the dilapidated, crude tavern in the distance that looked as if it could collapse at any moment.

Is this Slaughter City? He had asked several people, so it should be here, right?

His gaze swept around before finally landing on the creaking, filthy wooden door.

"Only one tavern?" A flash of doubt crossed Qian Qizhou's eyes.

Could this really be the entrance to Slaughter City?

Adhering to the principle that the skilled are bold, Qian Qizhou pondered for a moment, then stopped hesitating. He reached out, pushed open the wooden door, and stepped inside.

"Creak—"

The door hinges emitted a harsh, grating sound.

The light inside the tavern was dim and murky, and the air was filled with a foul stench—a mixture of cheap ale, body odor, and a thick scent of blood.

A few figures sat scattered around several worn-out wooden tables.

They were dressed in rags with fierce, malevolent gazes, most of them bearing scars and bloodstains. Sensing someone had entered, they merely cast a disdainful glance before lowering their heads again, as if indifferent to everything.

Behind the bar, a woman with an hourglass figure was slowly wiping a filthy glass.

Qian Qizhou walked up to the bar. Without even looking up, the woman continued to wipe the glass at a sluggish pace: "New here? Want to go in?"

"Do you know the rules?"

Qian Qizhou asked calmly: "What rules?"

Hearing this, the woman glanced at him, revealing a cruel, mocking smirk: "A glass of Bloody Mary, and, a human life."

As soon as the words fell, the previously dead atmosphere in the tavern instantly turned dangerous.

Those patrons, who had been numb or malevolent, fixed their gazes on Qian Qizhou like hungry wolves.

"Heh heh, a tender-skinned kid, looks like he'll taste good..." A burly man with a face full of fat and a jagged scar stood up, grinning hideously as he walked toward Qian Qizhou.

"I just happen to be thirsty; your blood belongs to me!" Clearly, he was a regular here.

The other patrons also let out low jeers and strange cries, preparing to watch a good show.

In their eyes, a fresh face as young and tender-skinned as Qian Qizhou was simply a fat sheep delivered to their door.

The woman also stopped wiping the glass, watching with great interest, waiting for a bloody performance.

Facing the malice filling the room, Qian Qizhou's eyes did not flicker in the slightest; he simply asked indifferently: "So, the rule of Slaughter City is survival of the fittest, is that it?"

"No shit!" The burly man roared with laughter. Having reached him, he swung his machete, hacking viciously toward Qian Qizhou's neck!

"Die!"

The wind of the blade struck, carrying a thick, bloody stench.

However, at the very instant the machete was about to land—

"Sshhh—!"

A streak of purple lightning flashed and vanished in an instant.

No one had seen what happened, but the burly man's laughing expression had already frozen on his face, and his swinging motion hung stiff in mid-air.

Between his brows, a tiny, charred hole had appeared from nowhere. No blood flowed out; only a wisp of blue smoke curled upward.

"Thud."

The burly man's massive frame fell straight backward, slamming heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

His eyes were wide open; even in death, he did not understand how he had died.

The entire tavern instantly fell into a deathly silence.

All the jeers and strange cries came to an abrupt halt.

The expressions on the faces of the patrons who had been watching the show instantly shifted from mockery to terror and shock, and one by one, they instinctively backed away.