Hu Liena Took the Bait

The entrance to Hell Road.

A massive stone gate stood at the edge of the abyss, its frame covered in blood-red patterns.

Before it stood a giant over ten feet tall. He wore an iron mask, and a suffocating murderous aura rolled off him.

The King of Slaughter.

Hu Liena tightened her grip on her short blade without thinking.

The King of Slaughter looked down at them, his voice rumbling like muffled thunder. "Hundred-victory champions, Hell Road opens. Two enter together; one leaves alive."

Hu Liena's expression changed. "Only one leaves alive?"

Lin Yuan looked at the King of Slaughter. "Who made that rule?"

"The Asura God."

Lin Yuan rested his fishing rod on his shoulder. "Has the Asura God ever fished?"

The King of Slaughter fell silent for two seconds. "...What?"

"I asked if the Asura God has ever fished," Lin Yuan repeated. "If he hasn't, I'll make a few changes to his rules."

The King of Slaughter stared at him for a long time, dark red light glowing in the eyes behind his iron mask.

Then he laughed.

"Interesting. Go in."

The stone gate slowly opened, revealing a narrow stone bridge spanning the abyss.

Below it churned the Yellow Springs River. Its waters were dark yellow, and enormous shadows swam beneath the surface from time to time.

Hu Liena led the way, short blade in hand, her steps cautious. "Be careful. The Yellow Springs River is full of strange Soul Beasts. Last time I was here, I saw a centipede thirty feet long crawl out of it."

Lin Yuan followed behind her, his gaze fixed on the river.

Halfway across the bridge, he suddenly stopped.

Hu Liena turned back. "What is it?"

Lin Yuan pulled out his fishing rod. "Give me a moment."

Hu Liena's eyes widened. "You're going to fish here?"

"Something in the river has been following us the whole way."

"What?"

Lin Yuan cast his line into the water. The hook sank into the Yellow Springs River, carrying a thread of Soul Power.

Three seconds later, the river exploded.

A gigantic serpentine Soul Beast burst from the water. Ten heads rose from its body, each spewing flames of a different color.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet, black, white, and gold—the ten flames wove together, lighting up all of Hell Road.

Hu Liena went deathly pale. "The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent! Hell Road's guardian beast!"

Lin Yuan gripped the rod with all his strength. It bent to its limit.

All ten heads spat fire at him. Lin Yuan's hair began to smoke, and more than a dozen holes burned through his clothes, but he did not let go.

System notification: [Ding! Ancient variant: Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent. Age: one hundred thousand years. Assessment: Host, have you lost your mind? Recommendation: Let go of the rod immediately.]

Lin Yuan gritted his teeth. "Not letting go."

Hu Liena charged forward and slashed at the serpent's body.

Its scales were hard as iron. Her blade shattered, sending fragments flying.

One of the serpent's heads whipped toward her. Hu Liena was knocked away and slammed into the stone wall, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Lin Yuan glanced at her, then at the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent. Suddenly, he spoke. "Brother Serpent, how long have you been trapped here?"

All ten heads of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent froze at once.

"I can see the sealing patterns on your body." Lin Yuan panted, his hands still locked around the rod. "You're not a guardian beast. You're a prisoner. The Asura God locked you in this river and made you guard this road. Don't you hate him?"

The serpent's ten heads slowly drew together. Ten pairs of eyes fixed on Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan said, "I'll set you free. Come with me, and I'll take you to the sea. It's ten thousand times bigger than this river."

All ten heads breathed out flames at once. The fire formed a line of words in the air.

"Why should I believe you?"

Lin Yuan planted his fishing rod on the bridge. "Because I'm a fisherman. A fisherman's word is more reliable than a Soul Master's."

The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent stayed silent for a long time. Its ten heads looked at one another as if conferring.

System notification: [Ding! The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent is willing to enter a wager for its release. Conditions: The host must take it out of Slaughter City and promise never to eat its inner core.]

Lin Yuan said, "Deal."

He released the rod.

The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent sank into the Yellow Springs River. As the water surged, a golden beam shot up from the riverbed and entered Lin Yuan's brow.

System notification: [Wagered release successful. Acquired Divine Slaughter's Domain (nascent). Soul Power +10 levels. Current Soul Power: level 50. Acquired special item: Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent inner core (held in safekeeping).]

Lin Yuan touched his brow. A savage urge to kill churned inside it like a beast locked in a cage. He drew a deep breath and forced the urge back down.

Hu Liena pushed herself up from the stone wall and walked over, clutching her chest. Half her short blade was gone, and dust and blood covered her clothes.

"What... what did you do?"

Lin Yuan looked back at her. "Made friends with a snake."

Hu Liena studied the speck of golden light on his brow, her expression complicated. "Who are you, really?"

Lin Yuan put away his fishing rod. "You've asked me that before."

"You didn't answer last time."

"Last time, you hadn't walked Hell Road with me."

Hu Liena was quiet for a moment, then suddenly smiled. It was the first time Lin Yuan had seen her smile. She looked like an entirely different person from the cold-faced saintess at the Elite Tournament.

"Come on. The exit's ahead."

They continued forward. At the end of the stone bridge stood a gate, light shining through its seams.

Hu Liena walked ahead. "When you spoke to that snake just now, did it really understand you?"

"It did."

"It's a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Why would it make a deal with you?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment. "Because it wanted to get out, and I gave it a reason to."

"What reason?"

"The sea."

Hu Liena faltered.

"You meant it when you said you'd take it to sea?"

"I did."

"It's enormous. How will you take it?"

Lin Yuan smiled. "You'll know when we reach Sea God Island."

They emerged from Hell Road. The stone gate slowly closed behind them, and Hu Liena raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sharp sunlight.

The exit opened onto a wasteland. In the distance, they could make out the silhouette of Heaven Dou City.

Hu Liena stood in the sunlight and looked back at the stone gate.

The underground city had vanished from sight. Only a solitary stone gate remained, set into the mountainside.

Hu Liena said, "I spent three years here."

Lin Yuan asked, "Where will you go now that you're out?"

Hu Liena hesitated. "Spirit Hall."

Lin Yuan looked at her without speaking.

Hu Liena asked, "And you?"

"Out to sea." Lin Yuan hoisted his fishing rod onto his shoulder. "To Sea God Island."

Hu Liena stared. "Sea God Island? That legendary place?"

"Mm."

Hu Liena was silent for a long time before she asked, "Lin Yuan, if one day we meet on a battlefield..."

Lin Yuan interrupted her. "Nana."

Hu Liena looked up.

Lin Yuan met her eyes. "If we meet on a battlefield, first check whether there are any fish in the water. If there are, we can finish fishing before we fight."

Hu Liena stared for two seconds, then burst out laughing.

She turned and walked away. After a few steps, she looked back. "Lin Yuan."

"Mm?"

"You're the strangest Soul Master I've ever met."

"And you're the saintess who's worst at fishing I've ever met."

Hu Liena glared at him, then turned and walked into the sunlight.

After a dozen or so steps, she stopped again. She took a token from her robes and gripped it in her hand.

It was the saintess's token of Spirit Hall.

She glanced back at Lin Yuan, then put the token away and continued on.

System notification: [Ding! Hu Liena's affection +40. Current relationship: more than friends; allegiance undecided.]

[Assessment: She didn't throw away the token. That means she's still wavering. Host, keep at it.]

Lin Yuan watched her figure disappear into the distance and rested his fishing rod on his shoulder.

"No rush."

"When she figures it out for herself, she'll come find me."

He turned and walked the other way.

System notification: [Ding! Hell Road cleared. Current Soul Power: level 50. Unlocked: Divine Slaughter's Domain (nascent), Flood Serpent's Breath, Turtle-Breathing Technique, Lightning Fishing Line, Water Surface Reflection, Brute-Force Tail Swing.]

[Divine Slaughter's Domain (nascent): Weakens enemies' willpower within its range and strengthens the user's murderous aura. Current strength: low tier. Can evolve as Soul Power increases.]

Lin Yuan felt the suppressed murderous urge at his brow and suddenly remembered something.

"System."

"Mm?"

"The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's inner core—is it inside me?"

[Answer: Stored in the host's brow. The host may summon the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent to assist in battle once at any time. However, each summoning consumes a large amount of Soul Power. Use with caution.]

Lin Yuan touched his brow.

"Getting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to help in a fight... does that count as cheating?"

The system was silent for two seconds.

[Answer: No. It means the fisherman has a big one in his keepnet.]

Lin Yuan laughed.

He headed toward Heaven Dou City with his fishing rod over his shoulder. Sunlight fell on him. His hair, scorched by the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, stuck out in every direction, and his clothes hung in tatters, but his steps were light.

Half a mile later, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

Hu Liena ran back and stopped three paces away, catching her breath.

Lin Yuan turned. "What is it?"

Hu Liena hesitated for two seconds. "You said a fisherman keeps his word."

"Mm."

"Then you'll keep your word about taking that snake to sea?"

"I will."

Hu Liena stared at him for three seconds, then blurted out, "Then if someday I don't want to stay at Spirit Hall anymore, will you take me to sea too?"

Lin Yuan looked at her.

"Are you a fish?"

Hu Liena froze. "What?"

"You're not a fish. I don't need to catch you." Lin Yuan turned and kept walking. "When you want to go to sea, come find me on Sea God Island. No token, no conditions."

Hu Liena stood where she was, watching his figure recede.

She looked down at the saintess's token in her hand, then back at Lin Yuan.

Then she tucked the token into her robes.

"Sea God Island..." she murmured. "I'll remember."

She turned and left. This time, she did not look back.

System notification: [Ding! Harem route updated: Hu Liena (saintess of Spirit Hall · wavering allegiance). Current relationship: more than friends, not yet lovers; faction undecided.]

[Assessment: Host, that's three fish. Be careful.]

Lin Yuan walked along the main road beneath the warm sunlight. He touched his brow, where the speck of golden light still pulsed faintly.

"Three fish..."

"No rush."

"I'll reel them in slowly."