Chapter 241: Unusual Supply Request (Part 1)
Slaughter City
In the underground world of Slaughter City, its labyrinthine streets and blood red buildings fostered an atmosphere of stifling gloom. Here was the end of the line for fallen soul masters a city where soul skills were useless, and only raw soul power determined survival. Combat could only take place in the hellish Slaughter Arena; otherwise, the transgressor would face the wrath of the 99th ranked King of Slaughter and his enforcers. And the punishment for violating this law was death.
To some, it was a haven for the wicked. For others, it was hell itself.
Over the past three years, Tang San had ascended to an astounding 90 consecutive victories in the Slaughter Arena. With just ten more wins, he would qualify for the final trial his father Tang Hao had spoken of the Hell Road. Remembering the Killing God Domain he had seen Tang Hao unleash, Tang San's eyes burned with ambition. Now at level 52, he knew the domain would be critical in closing the gap between him and Tian Shui. He steeled himself for the last leg of his trial.
Casting a glance at the soul masters strewn drunkenly along the streets, half dead and drowning in their vices, Tang San's eyes flashed with disgust. "Fools digging their own graves. Just wait," he muttered.
Tang Hao had taught him well. The inhabitants of Slaughter City were, in his father's words, the refuse of society no better than dead men. For Tang San, a young man who saw himself as a pure and righteous hero, these despicable soul masters were an affront, and he yearned to purge them all, thereby affirming his noble reputation. Yet, mindful of the enforcers' presence, he kept his urges in check. His experiences here had tempered him, and he was no longer as reckless as he had once been at the gates of Nuoding Academy.
Learning that the supplies in Slaughter City came from the two empires and the Spirit Hall had sickened him even more. "Traitors, all of them! Once I reach the peak, I'll cleanse this world of filth," he vowed silently.
Returning to his quarters, Tang San removed his gear and relaxed in the secluded room he had claimed as his own. The rules didn't forbid harassment, so he preferred to live far from the city center, away from prying eyes. In Slaughter City, there was no currency; food and drink were provided freely, though trust in their purity was another matter.
Yet this "cashless" system was misleading; there was indeed a currency of sorts corpses. The victor in the Slaughter Arena had the right to claim their fallen opponent's head, body, and blood as assets to trade for goods. In his early days, Tang San had exchanged the bodies he collected for cultivation resources, enabling him to ascend four levels in a year and twelve in three. As his strength grew, he used his "earnings" to procure a variety of materials.
Tang San's run ins with the top fighters of Douluo had left him hungry to fortify his strength. He remained unfazed, knowing his skills as an artisan. In his former life, he had single handedly crafted the most destructive hidden weapon in the Tang Sect's Three Great Mechanisms the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus. Here, with his Haotian Hammer and Tang Hao's elite hammer techniques, his skill had reached unprecedented heights.
A steady clang echoed from his forge, each strike precisely timed, halting only after a long session. Tang San then turned his attention to the table before him, where he began assembling intricate components with meticulous care, his eyes blazing with anticipation.
Finally, with a sigh of satisfaction, he looked upon his creation the gleaming golden lotus. Smiling proudly, he lifted it with three fingers, cradling it like a lover. "The Tang Sect's greatest mechanism weapon the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus. I've resurrected it in this world. I truly am a once in a century genius, ha ha ha!"
He laughed in exhilaration, his mind racing with visions of grandeur. Inwardly, he cursed the Tang Sect elders of his past life, calling them blind fools for failing to see his worth. It was their short sightedness that had led him to use his Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus as proof of his genius before angrily self detonating and ending his own life.
Reflecting on the scene, he remembered how the elders had failed to recognize the weapon's brilliance, leaving him to explode it on the cliffside a device as destructive as any bomb. In all likelihood, he had annihilated those stubborn elders along with several core members of the sect. Even now, he knew the Tang Sect's decline might very well have been his doing, and that any possibility of future generations rectifying his legacy was a farfetched fantasy. He'd never left them his blueprints, and any teachings he passed on in this world would be a hollowed out version of his full knowledge.
Meanwhile, in the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong scrutinized an odd supply request form.
"Another request for rare metals from Slaughter City? Isn't this the third time now? Normally, they just ask for weapons," she murmured, frowning as she reviewed the documents.
A sudden touch startled her, and she turned to see Ye Wen's hand resting on her shoulder, his teasing grin making her cheeks flush as she rolled her eyes. "Stop that. I'm working!" Her scolding tone was laced with a faint, coquettish charm, which only seemed to embolden Ye Wen further as he took a seat beside her.
The past few weeks of their dual cultivation hadn't advanced his level, but his spiritual power had sharpened immensely. As he looked over Bibi Dong's shoulder, he saw the supply list and chuckled knowingly.
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