Blood-Soaked Showdown: The Rakshasa Pact
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The Bat King's corpse cooled behind him, dark golden blood seeping from his shattered skull, pooling on the ground.
Nan Feng leaned against the rock wall, his Primordial World Power calming down. Several of his meridians had been damaged by the Rakshasa Power, but the Power of Creation was repairing them.
Within the Tower Spirit Space, the resonance of the fourth fragment stabilized. The crack in the third layer widened slightly, and the Power of Creation began to flow. The rate of time flowed fixed at 1.2 to 1.
Old Huai's half-face appeared more solid on the tower wall.
"You've mastered the first chapter of the Mountain Suppression Art," Old Huai said. "Your body is being transformed by the Primordial Origin. The resilience of your meridians, the capacity of your dantian, and the density of your bones are all increasing. Your Soul Power is level thirty, but your combat ability far exceeds that number."
Nan Feng did not respond, her gaze fixed on the golden figure opposite her.
Hu Liena leaned against the rock wall, a piece of her fox tail broken off and bandaged. An old wound on her left shoulder was aggravated, and dark red blood seeped through the bandage.
Her face was even paler than before, and her fox-like eyes were still very bright.
The two were separated by the corpse of the Bat King. Blood spread across the ground, soaking the soles of his boots.
After a long silence, the dark green lights on the rock face burst into crackling sounds.
"That power within your soul," Hu Liena spoke first, her voice lower than usual, "Can devour the Rakshasa Curse."
Nan Feng did not deny it.
Hu Liena tilted her head, her long golden hair cascading over her shoulders, a few strands of blood stained her cheek. She was scrutinizing him.
"Your tower possesses the aura of a god. Your soul contains something ancient than any god. Your power can devour the Rakshasa Curse."
Nan Feng straightened up, took two steps, and stopped three steps away from her.
He glanced down at the pool of blood, then looked up again.
What do you want to say?
Hu Liena was silent for two seconds, then smiled.
"Me too."
Nan Feng looked at her.
Hu Liena raised her right hand and pressed it against her heart. Dark gold patterns peeked through her fingers, and the cursed mark reactivated.
"A direct disciple of Bibi Dong, from the Rakshasa God lineage. The curse in my soul is what you've sensed time and again." Her voice was steady. "When my master planted the curse, she gave me a task: find you, get close to you, and figure out that ancient power within you."
"That's why I approached you in the first place."
Nan Feng's expression remained unchanged, his gaze fixed on her face.
"You saw through it all along." Hu Liena's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "You saw through the curse in my soul during the Soul Master Tournament. You've always known who I am. Yet you still saved me, gave me medicine, and helped me suppress the curse."
She paused for a moment.
"When you used the Tower Realm Shield just now, you could ignore me and let my master find out. You didn't."
The turquoise light cast shadows on her golden hair. Her face was unmasked.
So you've come clean."
"Yes." Hu Liena looked him straight in the eye. "You saw through my curse, and you know why I approached you. I am Bibi Dong's person. You can cooperate, or you can kill me."
Her hand fell from her heart, her golden fox tail hanging behind her, dried blood clinging to its tip.
The Nan Feng remained silent for a few moments.
"You just said that I am your master's target."
"It's even crazier than I thought." Hu Liena smiled bitterly. "After you won against Wang Chong in the Great Soul Arena, my master saw Chrysanthemum Douluo's report and stayed alone in the Pope Hall all night. The next day, her order to me was to get close to you at any cost and capture you alive."
"Now that you're telling me this," Nan Feng said, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"I told you, you can choose. I bet you won't."
"Why."
Hu Liena tilted her head and looked at him, not answering immediately. She looked down at the brand on her heart and rubbed her fingers against it.
"Because you're a strange person," she said. "You're clearly using me, yet you seem quite sincere to me."
Nan Feng did not respond.
"When you helped me suppress the curse, there was a momentary pause when the Primordial World Power encountered the Rakshasa Curse, as if you were confirming it wouldn't harm me," Hu Liena said. "When you had me release the Rakshasa Power to draw out the wound, you used the Tower Realm to prepare a way out beforehand."
Leaving a way out is an instinctive reaction, not a calculated one.
Hu Liena looked at him and laughed, "I've decided to take a gamble. I'll reveal all my cards: my master's mission, my curse, my identity."
"Now you know, I was sent by Bibi Dong. We'll most likely remain enemies after we leave. But within this Slaughter City— "
"Still friends," Nan Feng replied.
Hu Liena paused for a moment, then laughed. This laugh was more genuine than before.
"Yes. Slaughter City. Let's talk about it after we leave."
She stepped over the Bat King's corpse and stopped a step in front of him. The bloodstains made a sticky sound on the soles of her boots.
"But I won't tell anyone the secret of your soul. This is a deal." She paused for a moment, "If you can truly break my curse—I'll owe you a life."
You said that last time.
"Last time was just a temporary measure," Hu Liena tilted her head. "This time I'm serious. If you can help me break free from the Rakshasa God's curse, my life, Hu Liena's life, is yours."
She spoke very softly, pronouncing each word clearly.
A turquoise light flickered between the two. The smell of blood faded.
"The curse your master planted in your soul," Nan Feng said, "I need to reach the Soul Saint level to completely remove it."
"I know."
"Before that, the backlash will become more and more frequent. Once the Ice Marrow Residue is used up, you might not be able to survive the next one."
"I know," Hu Liena said again.
You still want to gamble.
Hu Liena looked at him, but didn't answer immediately. Her fingers clenched and then relaxed.
"Bet."
Nan Feng turned and walked towards the passage. After a few steps, he stopped without looking back.
"Once we're out, show me the cursed mark. I need to confirm its structure."
Hu Liena watched his retreating figure. The red ribbon on her left wrist fluttered in the emerald light.
She followed after him.
"Good."
The two entered the passage. The dark green light receded behind them, and the golden light faded away as well. Only the sounds of footsteps and breathing remained in the darkness.
The passage ascended several dozen feet, and the mucus became increasingly sparse. Hu Liena followed half a step behind.
"That red ribbon on your left wrist," Hu Liena's voice came from behind, "Who braided it?"
"A friend."
"The same answer as last time," Hu Liena snorted. "How many women do you have outside?"
Nan Feng did not answer. A dim green light appeared ahead in the passage, and the lights on the second basement level could be seen at the end of the crack. He quickened his pace.
"I could guess even if you didn't say it," Hu Liena said with a smile, "Xiao Wu who cried while holding you during the Soul Master Tournament, Ye Lingling from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Dugu Yan."
She paused for a moment.
"Huo Wu from the Blazing Fire Academy, Shui Bing'er from the Skywater Academy, and others I haven't met before."
Nan Feng blew through the crack, and dim green lights filled the field of vision. He reached out and pulled Hu Liena out. Her hands were icy cold, and thin calluses brushed against his palm.
"You've investigated very thoroughly." Nan Feng released her grip.
Hu Liena tilted her head to look at him, her golden fox eyes curving into two crescent moons. Blood was still seeping from her left shoulder, and her aura was more relaxed than before.
"I'm from the Spirit Hall, investigating these things is basic skill for me." She turned and walked towards the stone house, pausing after a few steps.
"If you need to confirm the structure of the cursed brand, come find me anytime. I live in the third alley behind the Hell Slaughter Arena; there's a red lantern hanging at my door."
She walked deeper into the alley, her golden fox tail flashed, and she disappeared.
Nan Feng stood still, the red ribbon on her left wrist fluttering in the night wind.
Inside the Tower Spirit Space, the crack in the third layer of the door widened slightly. The incantation of the first chapter of the Mountain Suppression Art resonated within the soul.
"Hu Liena's showdown came sooner than expected," Old Huai said. "That girl has guts. She laid all her cards on the table, betting that someone she'd known for less than a month wouldn't kill her."
"She made the right bet."
You really believe her?
Nan Feng walked towards the stone house, the stone slabs under his feet glistening with damp light.
"I don't believe it. But I need her. The resonance between the Rakshasa Curse and the Tower Spirit Fragment —the amount of information in her soul is more than I thought."
He pushed open the iron gate, and the sound of it closing echoed through the alley.
"She's had enough of being a pawn. That's true."
Old Huai snorted. Half of Old Huai face sank back against the tower wall.
Nan Feng sat cross-legged on the stone bed, closing his eyes. His Soul Power was at level 30, and his internal injuries had mostly healed.
He needs time to settle down. His Fourth Soul Ring is still undecided, his hundred challenges are not yet complete, and the Tower Master still hasn't shown up. Today, he obtained his fourth Tower Spirit Fragment and gained another ally.
A dim green light seeped in through the window cracks, casting a sliver of light on the floor. In the distance came screams and the clanging of metal.
Nan Feng rolled over, burying his face in the darkness. The red ribbon brushed against his cheek. He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the Tower Spirit Space to comprehend the first chapter of the Mountain Suppression Art.
A dark green light flickered outside the stone house.