Chapter 22: Departure to the City of Slaughter
The Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Snake's Inner Elixir. In the original novel, Ma Hongjun was only able to successfully absorb it at level 70, with the guidance of Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill and the amplification from Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Although Ma Hongjun tended to neglect his cultivation, it was clear that absorbing this elixir required a physique equivalent to a Soul Sage.
Currently, without the enhancement of Soul bones, using the Ghost Valley Breathing Technique to open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians was the best approach. Thinking of this, Qin Xuan couldn't help but sigh. It seemed he still had a long way to go, but he wasn't discouraged.
After all, he had recovered his memories late and his beginning had been a living hell. Now, with the superior Ghost Valley Breathing Technique and the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Technique, he could dominate the City of Slaughter with ease. He firmly believed that even if the system were to vanish, he could achieve feats that would surpass Tang San in the original novel.
[Warning! Warning! The host is requesting to unbind the system. The system will automatically unbind in 3 seconds. Do you want to cancel?]
"Damn it! I was just thinking out loud. Do you have to take it so seriously?" Qin Xuan quickly clicked cancel.
He then opened the System Store, spent 30,000 emotional points, and bought a large number of detoxification pills, blood coagulation powder, healing pills, and other medicines for internal and external use, storing them in the Soul guide attached to his waist.
He walked to the mirror and put on a set of black clothing with a hood that could disguise his appearance and aura. The disguise, called [Thousand Faces], could suppress his Soul power fluctuation to around level 56. He also put on [Phoenix Fire], which could prevent miasma, but it was too conspicuous.
"I never thought I'd need a disguise. This is quite embarrassing," Qin Xuan muttered, checking himself in the mirror. After ensuring everything was in place, he breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and left the room.
Two days had passed since Qin Xuan obtained the Soul bone. On the day he acquired it, Qianjun Douluo had dragged him along to attempt Martial Soul fusion several times without success.
Afterward, Qin Xuan requested an unused room on the top floor of the Elder's Hall. The room was a top-tier training area and a mimicry field. It could completely isolate Soul power fluctuations, and the Angel statue in the hall provided a calming effect and increased Soul power absorption. Being Qianjun's disciple and his hope for a breakthrough, Qin Xuan was naturally granted the room.
It had taken him two days to refine the immortal herbs and Soul bones. When he finally emerged from the Elder's Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who had been ordered by Qian Xunji to escort him to the City of Slaughter, had been waiting for quite some time.
"Little Qin Xuan!" a sharp voice called out to him. It was the familiar figure clad in golden armor, with high heels and clawed hands, his face still hidden.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost stood a short distance away from the entrance of the Elder's Hall, waving at Qin Xuan.
"Senior Chrysanthemum, Senior Ghost." It seemed the Pope was truly concerned about him. Qin Xuan suspected the two had arrived the previous day. Although he knew their purpose, he feigned surprise and quickly walked over.
"You really kept us waiting," Chrysanthemum playfully scolded. Despite the words, there was no complaint in his tone, only relief. With Qin Xuan's exceptional talent and background, it was easy to imagine the terrifying achievements he would accomplish once he emerged from the City of Slaughter.
"Yes," Ghost responded softly, nodding slowly. As Qin Xuan had guessed, they had arrived early on the Pope's orders. Who would have thought Qin Xuan wouldn't emerge for two days? The Elder's Hall was a restricted area for anyone below Titled Douluo rank, and without a summons, they had no right to enter. They had no choice but to wait.
"Sorry, sorry," Qin Xuan said, offering a prepared excuse. "My Soul power was on the verge of breaking through to level 55, and after the breakthrough, I had to absorb the Soul bone, which took some time. My apologies for keeping you waiting so long."
"Does that mean you leveled up twice in two days?" Absorbing a Soul bone could indeed increase one's Soul power. Although a Soul bone from a 50,000 or 60,000-year-old Soul Beast was not as potent as one from a 100,000-year-old, it was still more than enough to boost a Soul King to the next level.
Chrysanthemum released his spiritual power to sense Qin Xuan's Soul power and found it had reached level 56. Surprise, envy, and a hint of jealousy crossed his face. Soul bones—what marvelous treasures. How was it that he was on the verge of becoming a Titled Douluo, yet still hadn't obtained one?
Ghost, sensing the same, commented, "Indeed, his Soul power fluctuation is around level 56, and his mental strength isn't far behind ours."
"It seems the Soul bone has given you a significant boost," Chrysanthemum remarked. "It's truly enviable," he added with a hint of jealousy, envying both Qin Xuan's talent and his possession of a Soul bone.
Ghost, tired of the conversation, urged, "Enough chit-chat. We've wasted enough time already. Let's get Qin Xuan to the City of Slaughter so we can report back to His Holiness."
The three set off with Ghost leading the way in silence, while Chrysanthemum engaged Qin Xuan in random conversation. Qin Xuan, sensing that Chrysanthemum was one of the few knowledgeable people on the Douluo Continent about magical herbs, steered the conversation toward that topic, using his Martial Spirit, the Strange Velvet Chrysanthemum, as an entry point.
As expected, Chrysanthemum was thrilled to have found a kindred spirit and enthusiastically shared his knowledge, even providing Qin Xuan with a catalog he had compiled over the years. This was an unexpected bonus.
After leaving Spirit City, the trio headed north along a mountain path. The air grew colder as they traveled. Being Soul Masters, they were unaffected by the chill. They traveled by day and camped by night. After nearly 10 days, they arrived at a small town. Though the town was not large, it was peculiar. The passersby all emitted a strange chill. Qin Xuan knew what this meant. They were nearing the City of Slaughter. He quickly donned his hood to conceal his true identity.
It was autumn, and as the sun set, casting a golden glow over the dilapidated town, the scene became one of desolation. Guided by Ghost, the three entered the town. To Qin Xuan's surprise, the cliché scene of a bar brawl didn't happen, nor did Chrysanthemum and Ghost force him to drink Bloody Mary.
Instead, Ghost simply stood in front of a rundown house and took out a special token from the Spirit Hall. After a moment, the sound of gears turning and noisy voices echoed from within. The wall of the house parted, and a squad of 11 men marched out in formation. Clad in black armor, their faces obscured by helmets and masks, 10 of them held iron ghost-faced shields in their left hands and spears in their right. The leader, mounted on a warhorse, gestured for Qin Xuan to proceed.