Not long after Chu Chengzhou, who was carrying his sister at high speed, spotted the second trial of Hell Road.
A dark red, noodle-like figure was coiled around the narrow path ahead.
It was a snake, at least ten meters long, with an especially large abdomen. On its head and back were numerous protrusions, each resembling a bright red mushroom with what appeared to be blood flowing inside.
Without a doubt, this was the ancient beast known as the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, hailed by some god king as the supreme ruler among snakes.
Perhaps because of their incredible speed and lack of commotion earlier, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, which served as an obstacle, had not awakened and was still in deep slumber.
Chu Chengzhou, holding Hu Liena in his arms, didn't slow down. He lightly tapped the snake's head and tail, swiftly bypassing the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent with Hu Liena.
After Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena disappeared, the massive body of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, coiled around the narrow path, suddenly opened its lantern-like golden-red snake eyes.
Something just stepped on my head?
"Sssss—"
Raising its enormous head, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent arched its body on the narrow path, flicking its tongue cautiously.
After a while, failing to detect any unfamiliar scents in the surrounding air, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent lowered its guard.
If it were at the starting point of Hell Road, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent could have detected residual scents in the air through its tongue. However, past the starting point, such detection was impossible.
Thanks to the defensive technique, Instant Bloom, that Chu Chengzhou activated, which isolated them from the outside world, shielding them from the scorching and evil aura of Hell Road, their presence went completely undetected by the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent.
Failing to find anything suspicious, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent prepared to settle into a more comfortable position to continue its slumber.
There was no helping it—the world was too boring. Besides itself, the only other movement came from a swarm of bats, and there wasn't even another female snake around. What else could it do but sleep? Staring wide-eyed at bats all day?
But just then, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent seemed to sense something, abruptly turning its head backward.
There, not far behind it, two peculiar-looking little figures suddenly appeared.
Indeed, they were small compared to the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, which was over ten meters long. Both Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena were normal humans, standing less than two meters tall.
Initially, Chu Chengzhou had bypassed the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent. But then he remembered that its core was a valuable treasure. Thus, he decided to backtrack.
He recalled that the core of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent could neutralize any snake venom and suppress all types of snakes, including but not limited to snake-type soul beasts and snake-type martial soul users.
In the original story, the core of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent eventually fell into Ma Hongjun's hands, becoming his seventh soul ring.
And upon obtaining the core, Ma Hongjun awakened a domain—not to mention, his martial soul underwent further evolution.
For fire-elemental soul masters, as long as their foundation was strong enough to withstand it, the core of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent was undoubtedly a precious treasure.
Such a valuable item, Chu Chengzhou naturally wouldn't let it slip away.
A surge of immense spiritual power erupted as he activated his illusion technique Void Realm Illusion. In an instant, Chu Chengzhou temporarily altered the consciousness of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, making himself its only supreme deity.
"My devoted danger noodle~ Your Lord God has taken a liking to your core. Quickly offer it up!"
With that, Chu Chengzhou spoke like a religious charlatan to the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent.
"Ssss—"
The Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, its snake eyes filled with devotion, excitedly called out.
Great God desires the core of this devoted servant—it is truly an honor!
Hadn't the Great God affectionately called me "danger noodle"?
Immediately, energy surged within the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent's body. The nine mushroom-like tumors on its back began glowing with a golden-red light.
The next moment, the nine tumors simultaneously burst open, releasing nine streams of golden-red liquid that converged into one in mid-air.
In the blink of an eye, the liquid in mid-air contracted, forming a fist-sized golden-red sphere, which slowly descended toward Chu Chengzhou.
Moreover, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent thoughtfully severed its connection to the golden-red sphere.
And immediately after severing this connection, the aura of the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent plummeted significantly.
Clearly, losing its core caused the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent's cultivation to drop drastically, requiring a long time to recover.
But even so, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent continued to gaze at Chu Chengzhou with unwavering devotion.
This was its sole supreme deity—what was a mere core compared to that? Even sacrificing its life for the Great God would be without regret!
"Not bad, little danger noodle. Your Lord God is pleased with you and wishes you prosperity in heaven."
Satisfied, Chu Chengzhou nodded, pocketing the core and offering a verbal blessing.
Then, like a heartless rogue, Chu Chengzhou drifted off with his companion.
A long while later, the effect of the temporary consciousness alteration from Void Realm Illusion wore off. The Ten-Headed Yang Serpent, coiled around the narrow path, now looked listless. Its large golden-red eyes widened in shock.
Goodness gracious~ What had it just done?
It actually gave its most precious core to a "two-legged snake"?
"Ssss— sssss—!"
After the initial shock, the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent angrily called out in the direction where Chu Chengzhou had disappeared.
Unfortunately, the despicable "two-legged snake" had already fled far away. Moreover, its unfathomable strength had rendered the snake utterly obedient—it couldn't possibly retrieve its core.
While the Ten-Headed Yang Serpent was seething with indignation, Chu Chengzhou had already arrived at the end of Hell Road with Hu Liena.
The exit of Hell Road was very conspicuous—an elliptical curtain of white light formed by condensed white radiance.
However, at a distance of a thousand meters from the exit, the narrow path beneath their feet had already come to an end.
As far as the eye could see, everything was bathed in crimson. The river of blood that had flowed beneath the narrow path had now converged into a small lake.
The eerie blood plasma churned like molten lava, emitting scorching heat and an extremely malevolent aura.
For soul masters without the ability to defy gravity, this thousand-meter gap might as well have been an insurmountable chasm.
"See that?"
Pointing at the blood lake before them, Chu Chengzhou addressed Hu Liena in his arms.
"I see it."
The path had ended, but the exit was still a thousand meters away. Hu Liena instinctively shrank her neck.
"Do you even know your own strength? How dare you come to train in Slaughter City?"
Chu Chengzhou scolded her sternly.
This girl lacked self-awareness. A mere Soul King daring to train in Slaughter City—Chu Chengzhou felt it was necessary to make her realize her limitations.
Though he was also a Soul King, the difference in strength between two individuals at the same level could be vast. Moreover, he knew exactly what the trials entailed and had made thorough preparations beforehand—something Hu Liena couldn't compare to.
"You bad boy, don't underestimate me. My strength isn't weak either." Wriggling her waist, Hu Liena said somewhat indignantly.
"Alright, I won't mention your hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena or the previous two trials of Hell Road. Let's just talk about this place—if I weren't here, how would you cross this gap?"
Chu Chengzhou pointed at the exit a thousand meters away, his expression emotionless.
"Well, I've got it. It's just a lake of blood. Channel soul power to my feet and step across it, right?"
After hesitating for a moment, Hu Liena suddenly had an epiphany and confidently replied.
"Are you sure? Is that what your teacher taught you?"
Frowning, Chu Chengzhou asked skeptically.
Hu Liena didn't understand the true danger of the eerie blood plasma, but Bibi Dong, who had personally experienced Hell Road, should have known better.
If Chu Chengzhou hadn't known that Bibi Dong genuinely cared for Hu Liena, he might have thought she was deliberately setting her up for failure.
"That's not what she said. The trials we encountered on Hell Road were different from what my teacher described."
Sticking out her tongue, Hu Liena admitted sheepishly.
"Alright, extend your hand forward. Let me show you the difficulty of crossing Hell Road."
Shaking his head, Chu Chengzhou instructed.
"Extend my hand?"
Hu Liena was momentarily confused but complied, extending her right arm forward.
Chu Chengzhou then controlled the soul-powered flower above his head, slightly retracting the protective divine light, exposing Hu Liena's extended arm to the environment of Hell Road.
Instantly, Hu Liena felt as if her right arm had been thrust into a furnace. Her entire body became unbearably hot.
Accompanying the intense heat was an overwhelmingly malevolent aura.
Hu Liena could clearly feel her right arm as if it had entered an extremely sinister space. The malevolent aura around it surged into her body uncontrollably.
As the malevolent aura invaded her mind, her vision turned crimson, and the accumulated killing intent within her threatened to spiral out of control. An endless desire for slaughter filled her heart.
But just as Hu Liena was about to lose herself, a white petal drifted down. The protective divine light generated by the soul-powered flower above Chu Chengzhou's head re-enveloped her right arm.
The next second, the previous abnormal heat dissipated like smoke, and the extremely malevolent aura was completely blocked by the seemingly delicate divine light.
After a long while, drenched in sweat, panting heavily, and trembling with lingering fear, Hu Liena finally recovered.
"Are you scared now?"
A hand composed of soul power materialized, flicking Hu Liena's forehead, and Chu Chengzhou asked.
Hu Liena didn't respond. Instead, she buried her head in Chu Chengzhou's chest, hugging him tighter.
"Nana, I'm not stopping you from training. I just want you to know your limits.
"If not for the significant benefits of the Killing God Domain and the breakthrough of a certain ultimate technique, I might not have come to Slaughter City.
"If I hadn't arrived in time, wouldn't I regret it for the rest of my life?"
"But you came!"
"Yes, I came. By fate's arrangement, I came to rescue you, little fox, in Slaughter City.
"But fate won't always favor the same person. Nana, promise me that if I'm not by your side, you'll remember to protect yourself."
"Mm~"
Subsequently, Chu Chengzhou activated his movement technique Divine Light Dash, appearing to float in mid-air as he carried Hu Liena into the white light curtain a thousand meters away.
Everything around them seemed to change. The moment Chu Chengzhou's figure submerged into the white light curtain, he immediately felt as if his body had entered a special world.
All he could see was a vast expanse of pure white nothingness. The soul-powered flower above his head was suppressed by a mysterious force, dissipating into nothingness. Hu Liena, who had been in his arms, was now separated from him.
In this white, boundless world, he couldn't muster any strength. The only sensation was an icy coldness that penetrated to the bone.
It felt as though countless cold forces were converging on his body, while countless others were being released from within him. In this white void, Chu Chengzhou bore the terrifying pain alone.
The emergence of cold in this void wasn't due to actual temperature changes but rather the chill brought by killing intent. A natural response to life-threatening danger.
The purest killing intent was invading Chu Chengzhou's body. Each intrusion made him tremble involuntarily.
As the cold gradually froze his heart, his senses began to fade along with his consciousness.
At the moment he lost consciousness, Chu Chengzhou understood—this was the Killing God Domain.
The pain he experienced was merely the divine power purifying and refining the immense killing intent accumulated within him.
Whether this was the direct intervention of the Asura God in the divine realm or a mechanism left behind by the Asura God in Hell Road, Chu Chengzhou didn't know.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Chu Chengzhou slowly regained consciousness amidst a faint aroma of grass.
Looking around, he found himself lying on a field of blue silver grass, with Hu Liena not far away.
However, perhaps due to her strength, Hu Liena had yet to awaken.
Realizing that Hu Liena was safe, Chu Chengzhou turned his attention inward.
Closing his eyes to feel his body, he noticed that all the pain was gone, replaced by a refreshing sensation throughout his body. Familiar fluctuations of soul power and the unrestricted use of soul techniques once again coursed through him.
Next, Chu Chengzhou focused on his right hand, where his True Spirit Flag martial soul had automatically manifested at some point.
A martial soul was something every soul master was intimately familiar with. Chu Chengzhou clearly saw that, apart from the patterns of tree, lion, phoenix, bear, and turtle on the flag, the previously dull gray flagpole now bore many white patterns.
Walking a short distance away, when Chu Chengzhou attempted to examine those white patterns, a surge of radiant white light quietly emanated from the True Spirit Flag martial soul. However, it quickly turned transparent.
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou's perception of the surrounding environment changed dramatically. He could sense a noticeable increase in his strength. The blue silver grass growing around him, the unknown flowers, and even the insects in the soil—all trembled under this invisible current.
'Killing God Domain… Was it worth it?'
Chu Chengzhou, whose pale face revealed an unmistakable aura of ferocity, couldn't help but muse to himself.
Of course, it was worth it.
After all, this was a domain power that most Title Douluos couldn't even grasp. And he had achieved a hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena and crossed Hell Road in less than a month.
As for the more than a thousand fallen soul masters who had died under his hands, accumulating the killing intent within him?
Since they were fallen soul masters, their lives held no value.
Whether he himself deserved to die wasn't the question. What was certain was that every single fallen soul master who had perished under his hands deserved to face execution—or even worse punishments.
Compared to the less-than-a-month timeframe and the lives of numerous fallen soul masters in Slaughter City, perhaps the greatest price he paid to obtain the Killing God Domain was his demeanor?
The originally handsome youth had transformed into someone who, despite still being handsome, exuded an aura of malevolence—a clear sign of excessive killing.
Shaking his head, Chu Chengzhou didn't dwell on it. Five black soul rings emerged around him, and his second soul ring lit up. With a surge of soul power, the summoned spirit Xiao Bai materialized.
"Xiao Bai, give me a Purification."
Chu Chengzhou patted Xiao Bai's head.
The giant lion affectionately rubbed against its master, and a streak of white light shot out from Xiao Bai's body, entering Chu Chengzhou's.
Innate soul skill: Purification, capable of removing abnormal states, including but not limited to poisoning and curses.
After closing his eyes and sensing it, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but show a look of regret.
Xiao Bai's innate Purification soul skill had no effect on him. The icy aura, the malevolence in his heart, and the occasional leakage of murderous intent remained unchanged.
However, there was good news—the Killing God Domain could also affect summoned spirits.
Chu Chengzhou's Killing God Domain was the basic version, currently boosting his own strength by 10% while suppressing opponents within the domain by 10%.
Since martial souls and soul masters were one, and summoned spirits were products derived from his True Spirit Flag martial soul through soul skills, the effects of the Killing God Domain applied fully to the summoned spirits without any reduction.
"Gaa— Gaa—"
Suddenly, a goose-like cry echoed from high above.
Looking up, Chu Chengzhou saw two geese flying in the sky.
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou summoned his bow and arrow, glowing with soul power. Drawing the bowstring, he aimed and fired. With a streak of light, one of the likely mated geese was struck down, landing far away.
Goose: Do you have any manners?
"Go, Xiao Bai, guard your fourth mistress."
Pointing to the unconscious Hu Liena in the distance, Chu Chengzhou patted Xiao Bai and went to collect his prey.
Xiao Wu was the first wife, Ning Rongrong the second, Zhu Zhuqing the third, so Hu Liena naturally became the fourth.
"Roar?"
Xiao Bai growled softly, blinking in confusion at the term "fourth mistress."
However, since it was its master's command, as a summoned spirit, it obediently followed.
Hu Liena had a dream.
She dreamed that she had crossed Hell Road, obtained the Killing God Domain, and returned to the Spirit Hall City with Chu Chengzhou, who agreed to join the Spirit Hall.
Back in Spirit Hall City, her teacher Bibi Dong was overjoyed and immediately gathered the elder council to announce Hu Liena's appointment as the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall. She also accepted Chu Chengzhou as her second disciple, appointing him as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, and scheduled a grand wedding ceremony for the Holy Son and Holy Maiden.
On the day of the wedding, after a series of elaborate rituals, night fell, and it was finally time for the intimate consummation.
Inside the room adorned with the character "囍," after drinking the ceremonial wine, just as Hu Liena, wearing her wedding gown, eagerly pulled Chu Chengzhou to the bridal chamber, she saw her newlywed husband suddenly transform into a fragrant roasted chicken.
"No—!"
This bizarre scene immediately woke Hu Liena from her dream.
"No to what?"
Seeing Hu Liena suddenly awake, Chu Chengzhou, who was sprinkling spices on the roasted goose over the campfire, asked curiously.
"Roasted chicken?"
Smelling the delicious aroma wafting into her nose and seeing the roasted goose on the fire, Hu Liena hesitantly said.
"Uh, not roasted chicken. Do you want roasted chicken, Nana?"
Hu Liena: "..."
I want to eat you, you jerk!
Half an hour later, the poor, yet equally fragrant roasted goose ended up in their stomachs.
"Nana, try out your newly acquired Domain?"
After a hearty meal, Chu Chengzhou said to Hu Liena.
Nodding slightly, Hu Liena activated her Charming Fox martial soul, triggering the white patterns on her Charming Fox martial soul. As white light spread, the Killing God Domain unfolded.
Instantly, Chu Chengzhou, within Hu Liena's domain, felt a certain restriction. His strength was partially suppressed.
After testing it, Chu Chengzhou realized that without activating his own Killing God Domain, he couldn't dispel this suppression.
"So this is the Killing God Domain? What a wondrous feeling!"
Feeling a significant boost in her strength and perceiving everything within the domain clearly, Hu Liena couldn't help but exclaim.
Chu Chengzhou nodded and said, "Naturally. Domains are powers that most Title Douluos can't possess. In fact, the number of soul masters with domain powers on the continent is far fewer than Title Douluos."
After carefully sensing the intricacies of the domain, Hu Liena retracted her Killing God Domain. "Where are we now?"
"I'm not sure either. It's getting late. Let's find a city to stay in for the night. There's no rush to return. I happen to have a few techniques to teach you and improve your strength."
As he spoke, Chu Chengzhou licked his lips, anticipation rising within him.
Fifteen years—it was time to truly taste some meat.
Instantly, a blush appeared on Hu Liena's pale face.
Chu Chengzhou was right; there was no rush to return.
She had trained in Slaughter City for four months, achieving only twelve consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena. But within less than a month of Chu Chengzhou's arrival, she completed a hundred consecutive victories, crossed Hell Road, and obtained the Killing God Domain.
Her training journey in Slaughter City ended much earlier than she had anticipated—and certainly far exceeded her teacher Bibi Dong's expectations.
Thus, there was no need for her to return to Spirit Hall City so soon.
Besides, in her dream, she hadn't even gotten to eat the roasted chicken!
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