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Thud…
A nearly inaudible detonation echoed.
But in the next instant, a terrifying explosion roared across the sky!
BOOOOM—!
A colossal mushroom cloud erupted from the Hell's Slaughter Arena, obliterating every surrounding structure in its blast radius.
Scorching shockwaves surged outward, whipping the robes of Chen Junting and Gu Tianchen even from the outer city.
"Is this what a ninth-rank fixed-charge soul-engineered artillery shell can do!?"
Gu Tianchen stared at the inner city—now reduced to rubble—and felt awe stir in his chest, mixed with deep wariness.
"That power is insane. If the Sun-Moon Empire ever deploys these shells en masse in war… even if we don't all die, our chances of victory would be nearly nonexistent."
"Don't worry—it won't come to that."
Chen Junting's voice was calm, meant to reassure.
He recalled intelligence received before their journey: the Mingde Hall had suffered severe losses—not only in critical soul-engineering technologies, but also in vast stockpiles of fixed-charge artillery shells. It was strongly suspected that the Body Sect had seized them all.
"Come on. Let's go take a look."
When they re-entered the inner city, searing heat still lingered stubbornly in the air. Everything within sight was charred black; buildings had vanished almost entirely. They made their way to the center of the Hell's Slaughter Arena.
The dueling platform was gone—replaced by a massive crater, from which heat still rose in visible waves.
"Old Gu, activate your soul bone skill for defense. We're going down."
As Chen Junting spoke, his soul power surged—his Seven Kill Domain instantly flaring to life, enveloping them both.
Gu Tianchen didn't hesitate. Golden light flared from his torso as the Invincible Barrier, the signature ability of his 100,000-year Golden Tortoise Shell, wrapped around them, shielding them from the intense heat.
Fully prepared, the two plunged downward!
They descended through the crater for the duration of a cup of tea before landing on a stone platform. Before them stretched an abyss of unfathomable depth—and far below, churning beneath rolling heat, lay not lava… but a sea of toxic blood, bubbling with deadly venom.
One touch, and flesh and bone would be devoured.
"Do we follow the tunnel ahead… or keep flying deeper into this abyss?" Gu Tianchen pointed—one hand toward a corridor, the other down into the chasm—leaving the decision to Chen Junting.
"We go forward first."
They deactivated their flight-type soul tools to conserve energy.
"Master."
Chen Junting called out to Electrolux within his mind.
"If the god palace in Slaughter City exists—and if nothing's gone wrong—it should lie beneath this abyss. Please keep watch."
"Understood."
A single word—yet an invisible ripple of divine awareness spread outward. Though the palace was concealed, it couldn't hide from a god-tier consciousness.
Not long after, as they advanced, Electrolux spoke again:
"There's divine energy below—a fusion of evil and slaughter. That must be the palace you seek."
"Good."
Chen Junting's eyes sharpened with resolve.
He now knew whose divine seat this was.
"Old Gu, get your Invincible Barrier ready."
In an instant, both activated their flight soul tools. Just like entering the Hell Road, Chen Junting expanded his Seven Kill Domain while Gu Tianchen reinforced the Invincible Barrier. Behind the scenes, Electrolux stood ready to manifest the Undead Demiplane at a moment's notice.
As they descended, they soon hovered just one meter above the blood sea. A toxic bubble burst with a hiss—"Sss—!"—corroding the barrier. The golden light flickered, dimming slightly in that spot.
"How poisonous!" Gu Tianchen's pupils shrank, shock flooding his eyes.
"If there were soul beasts spawned from this toxic sea," Chen Junting mused with a grin, "we could catch one for Xin's soul ring. Perfect match."
He spoke lightly—unfazed by the blood sea.
And indeed, the anti-toxin pouch at his waist suddenly blazed with violet light. The protective aura expanded outward, enveloping even the Invincible Barrier—and the toxic sea below receded, as if repelled.
"You really know how to joke," Gu Tianchen sighed, now thoroughly speechless. In a place like this, how could any life possibly survive?
"But…" He suddenly remembered something, lifting his pouch. "If these anti-toxin array-pattern soul tools ever become widespread, wouldn't poison-type soul masters like Dugu become completely useless?"
"That's actually a very valid point."
Gu Tianchen's remark struck a chord in Chen Junting.
While such a scenario was unlikely in the mortal realm, ever since Chen Junting clarified his path to godhood, his ambitions had grown vast. He didn't just plan to ascend alone—he wanted to bring his friends and loved ones with him to the God Realm, just like the Shrek Seven Devils. Of course, part of that was also to build a loyal faction to counter Tang San.
But if Tang San possessed something like the Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb—a universal anti-toxin—then Xin's poison-based attacks would be nullified.
So… a solution is needed.
For example… what if one of Xin's soul rings came from the Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb? What kind of soul skill would that produce?
The thought flashed through Chen Junting's mind—and vanished.
At that moment, they reached the Rakshasa God Palace.
Before them lay a desolate expanse of black stone and jagged boulders. The instant they stepped onto it, Chen Junting—his Seven Kill Domain active—felt a sharp chill. An invisible killing intent pounded relentlessly against his domain, while a bone-deep chill seeped into his bones.
"If you hadn't told me this was a divine inheritance site," Gu Tianchen muttered, "I'd swear this was the den of some evil soul masters—or the main base of the Holy Spirit Cult."
Chen Junting responded without missing a beat:
"Frankly, they're not worthy to set foot here."
Remembering the Rakshasa God's domain—supreme evil, resentment, and slaughter—and recalling theories from his past life online, Chen Junting found himself increasingly convinced by the idea: "The rise of evil soul masters in the world is due to the Rakshasa God's fall—causing imbalance in the mortal realm." Even if the notion sounded hollow, it now felt unsettlingly plausible.
"Let's go—but stay on high alert."
They pressed forward, finally stopping at a specific spot.
According to Electrolux, the palace was hidden right here.
But how to reveal it…?
"Old Gu, step back."
"Got it."
Chen Junting took a bold step forward. Gu Tianchen retreated instantly, ready to support.
In the next second, Chen Junting's sclera turned ashen gray—his pupils blazing with terrifying crimson light!
Soul Bone Skill: Soul-Stealing Deathblow.
Seven Kill Domain—condense!
Slaughter Sword Intent—manifest!
An invisible longsword coalesced from emptiness into form.
In an instant, all surrounding killing intent surged toward the blade.
"Kill!"
The word rang out—and the sword struck!
A torrent of murderous will, fused with piercing sword intent and infused with Rakshasa divinity from his soul bone, lashed toward the void—
—only to vanish without a sound, as if nothing had happened.
"A dud?" Gu Tianchen scratched his head, puzzled.
"No. Not a dud."
The moment Chen Junting spoke, the space ahead darkened with violet-black energy. Amid rippling distortions, countless sickly green motes of light floated into existence—revealing themselves as eyes, staring from the air.
As if verifying their identity—
VVVV—BOOOOM!
The green light erupted. The ground trembled inch by inch—and the scattered boulders ahead shattered into dust.
Then, rising from the chaos, stood a god palace, dominated by hues of violet and black—majestic yet undeniably sinister.
The great doors bore a relief carving: the Rakshasa God standing atop mountains of corpses and oceans of blood, gripping the Rakshasa Demon Sickle, her feet crushing countless wicked spirits and waves of hatred.
Yet Chen Junting didn't hesitate. Cautious but resolute, he stepped forward first.
"We go in."
As they set foot on the palace stairs—creak…
—the massive doors swung open on their own, as if welcoming them inside.
And as the two entered, the gates slowly closed behind them.
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