Fourth Soul Skill

Gui Mei finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness. "Go in with them. We can only escort you this far."

This was the first thing he had said since leaving Spirit Hall.

After speaking, he cast a sidelong glance at the squad in the room. Hesitating slightly, he added, "I look forward to seeing how far you can go in the future, but that is only if you survive. Remember, in Slaughter City, you cannot trust anyone but yourself. You must kill anyone who might pose a threat to you."

Qin Xuan smiled. "I thought Senior Gui Mei was truly as cold-hearted as he looked. Turns out you are a loyal man who cares about his companions."

"Still, compared to being led around by the nose by a group of strangers, I prefer to take the initiative myself."

Under the astonished gazes of the two Chrysanthemum Ghosts, Qin Xuan stepped forward.

A crimson aura surged up, accompanied by the Everbright Sword, which instantly condensed into shape. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—five Soul Rings silently appeared around Qin Xuan.

The fourth Soul Ring suddenly lit up. The next instant, the entire house was flooded with dazzling scarlet light.

Thick crimson sword blades burst violently from the ground, and scarlet flames erupted, soaring into the sky.

His fourth Soul Skill, Everbright Thrust Formation, had activated.

Sharp blades pierced through body after body. The wooden roof offered no obstruction at all and was directly punched through.

Mm!

Our classmate Qin Xuan was a kind person. He could not stand the sight of blood.

The eleven-man squad did not even have time to scream before they, together with the roof, were incinerated into nothingness. Not even a speck of ash fell.

Now he would not have to feel disgusted anymore.

Holding the Everbright Sword, Qin Xuan stomped his right foot against the ground and leaped high into the air. Gripping the sword hilt in reverse with both hands, its point aimed downward, he shot through the hole in the roof like a meteor and landed inside the house.

Crack—half the blade sank into the ground. The earth began to split in a spiderweb pattern before collapsing.

Qin Xuan flashed away, returning to a safe area before the ground gave way.

In its place, a massive hole had appeared, and a sinister, frigid wind howled up from the passage below.

Qin Xuan turned toward the two Chrysanthemum Ghosts. "Senior Yue Guan, Senior Gui Mei, I'll be going on ahead. Until we meet again."

After leaving those words behind, Qin Xuan did not hesitate. He leaped down and jumped straight into the hole. Darkness instantly swallowed his body whole.

Only then did Chrysanthemum Pass react. He took a deep breath. "I thought he still would not be able to adapt. It seems we underestimated him."

"Perhaps he truly can create a miracle, just like that once-in-a-century genius from the Clear Sky Sect."

Although the strongest among those black-armored knights had only been Soul Elders,

what truly surprised him was Qin Xuan's decisiveness in killing and his ruthlessness toward enemies. He was nothing like a greenhouse flower that had never experienced slaughter.

Gui Mei stared blankly at the place where Qin Xuan had vanished, remaining silent.

The words Qin Xuan had said earlier resurfaced in his mind.

He suddenly realized that, after Chrysanthemum Pass, Qin Xuan was the first person who had not felt disgust or fear toward him.

The corner of his mouth beneath the black mist lifted slightly, forming a faint curve.

Perhaps, just as Chrysanthemum Pass had said, this kid really might create a miracle.

"Let's go. We need to return and report to His Holiness the Pope." After saying this, Gui Mei turned and headed back the way they had come.

"Hey, Old Ghost, wait for me!" Chrysanthemum Pass froze for a moment before hurriedly catching up.

"Hey, Old Ghost, I've noticed you've been pretty talkative today. Is it because of Little Qin Xuan?"

"That kid actually said you care about your companions. Tsk, tsk, that really opened my eyes."

"Hey, Old Ghost, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!"

The two figures gradually disappeared into the distance beneath the setting sun. Gui Mei remained as indifferent and silent as ever. Before long, they vanished into the afterglow.

Only Chrysanthemum Pass's faintly effeminate voice remained.

Several meters beneath the house was a pitch-black passage where one could not see their own hand.

Once Qin Xuan's feet touched solid ground, he discovered that his Martial Soul was being suppressed by some force.

The connection between his Martial Soul and Soul Rings had actually been severed.

"So this is Slaughter City's innate anti-magic effect?"

Qin Xuan showed no surprise. He raised a hand and lightly brushed his face, released his Mental Power, ignored the darkness, and continued onward.

As he walked, the disguise effect of [Thousand Faces] silently activated.

A few seconds later, a strange face had appeared beneath his hood.

He now had naturally flowing golden hair and features that bore a thirty to forty percent resemblance to Qian Xunji and Qian Daoliu.

This was one of Qin Xuan's methods of preserving his life.

Unlike the original Tang San and Hu Liena, he did not have two great Slaughter Gods protecting him.

If he wanted to gain the qualification to open Hell Road after clearing the Hell Slaughter Arena, he had to make Slaughter City wary of him.

And the identity of the "youngest son" of Spirit Hall's Grand Worship, one of the three Peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu, was undoubtedly the best choice.

As for why Tang Hao and Bibi Dong had obtained the qualification to enter Hell Road without the protection of a Slaughter God,

Qin Xuan guessed that when Tang Chen was parasitized by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King, he had still retained a trace of consciousness and recognized Tang Hao.

In order to prevent Tang Chen from making a desperate last stand, the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King had not made things difficult for Tang Hao.

Bibi Dong's case was even simpler. She had been Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, the wife of the current Pope, and Qian Daoliu's daughter-in-law.

If it truly broke the rules to forcibly keep Bibi Dong behind, or refused to open Hell Road for her, would Spirit Hall not retaliate like mad?

Slaughter City was the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King's ideal kingdom. It could not afford such a price either.

There was also one more crucial point: Bibi Dong was the inheritor chosen by the Rakshasa God, while the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King was merely the Rakshasa God's pet.

Daring to touch Bibi Dong would be like hanging oneself from a noose despite having a long life ahead—courting death.

The dark passage sloped downward, and cold air continuously blew against Qin Xuan's disguised face beneath his hood.

Yet he continued forward in large strides, while his Mental Power constantly scanned the surroundings to guard against unforeseen dangers.

After traveling roughly seven or eight hundred meters and turning a corner, he faintly saw light ahead. A burst of noisy clamor came with it.

Qin Xuan narrowed his eyes and continued onward. At the source of the light stood a gate.

Creak—the gate opened in response. There were once again black-armored knights, and their leader was once again mounted on a tall warhorse.

The difference was that this time, it was no longer a squad of ten, and the leader was no longer a Soul Elder.

It was a hundred-man squad, and their leader was a Soul King. His warhorse wore the thick armor the previous one had lacked.

"If I defeat you, will I be qualified to enter Slaughter City?" Qin Xuan's words traveled directly through Soul Power, crossing a hundred meters to reach the lead knight's ears.

The lead knight froze. How did he know? I have not even said anything yet!

He then came to his senses and nodded. "You violated the rules. You must defeat me before you can earn the qualification to enter Slaughter City."

His low voice sounded somewhat like Gui Mei's—extremely cold, as though it had not come from a human mouth.

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