Chapter 58 – The Shadow of the Slaughter King
The Slaughter City.
Deep beneath the earth, where the air is thick with the scent of copper and despair, lies the Slaughter City. It is a place beyond the reach of the empires, a domain of lawlessness fueled by the "Bloody Mary." At its center stands the Palace of the Slaughter King—a gothic monstrosity carved from black stone that seems to pulse with a faint, malevolent heartbeat.
Inside the Great Hall, the Slaughter King sat upon his throne. He was a figure of pure nightmare, his eyes glowing with a frenzied, bloody light, and his aura radiating a killing intent so dense it distorted the shadows around him.
His mind was currently far away from the gladiatorial pits. He was trapped in a memory—a moment where the God of Asura himself had whispered into his soul. The command was simple yet terrifying: "Find the Phoenix. Find the source of the Flame that shook the Heavens."
The Divine Realm was in chaos. The brief manifestation of the Future Phoenix God (Lakan) had left the gods of the 4th Dimension, including Asura, in a state of high alert. They didn't know the name "Ibong Adarna," nor did they understand the concept of a sovereign bird that could sing the stars into silence. In their ignorance, they assumed the heat that had incinerated the Future Rakshasa belonged to a Fire Phoenix—a Martial Soul of such potential that it could disrupt the very laws of time.
"My King," a shadow knelt before the throne. It was the Blood-Enforcer, a man whose soul power had been twisted into a Rank 91 Titled Douluo state through the forbidden rituals of the city. "We have intel. The Preliminary Competition is moving toward Wuhun City. Among them is a boy with a Phoenix Martial Soul—Ma Hongjun of Shrek. And there are rumors of a 'Holy Son' in the Hall whose power defies logic."
The Slaughter King bared his fangs. "If the Gods want the Phoenix, the Slaughter City will provide. Send the Enforcers. Intercept the convoy at the Jialing Canyon. If the boy is the one, bring him. If not... feed the canyon with their souls."
•••••••••••••
Meanwhile, the journey to Wuhun City had begun. The long line of carriages from the qualifying academies stretched across the empire's roads, escorted by the Imperial Knights and a contingent of the Martial Soul Hall led by Yue Guan.
Yue Guan sat in a lavish carriage, his eyes closed as he felt the resonance of the immortal herbs he had harvested from the Yin Yang Well. He is returning to the Martial Soul Hall with a treasure trove that would finalize the Holy Son's foundation.
In the Shrek carriage, the atmosphere is a funereal. Tang San sat in the corner, his fingers flying with mechanical precision. He was no longer training his soul power; he was obsessed with metal. After the humiliation at the hands of Shui Yue'er, his mind had retreated into the "Safety" of his past life's weaponry.
On his lap lay the components of the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle.
"If I cannot touch them with my hammer," Tang San whispered, his eyes bloodshot, "I will touch them with the death of a thousand needles. Lakan, Yue'er... you think your Flow can dodge something that moves faster than sound?"
Yu Scumgang watched him, his own face gaunt after his humiliation in Wuhun City. He didn't stop Tang San. In fact, he encouraged the "Hero" to embrace his darker side.
"Justice requires a sharp edge, San-er. If the Martial Soul Hall is the shield of the world, we must be the needle that pierces it."
Tang San nodded, his hypocrisy once again acting as a shield. He viewed these hidden weapons not as "underhanded," but as "necessary tools to cleanse the world." He had already integrated the Distraction Heart Control he stole from Rongrong into his firing mechanism, allowing him to aim at seven targets simultaneously.
As the caravan entered the narrow, jagged passages of the Jialing Canyon, a sudden silence fell over the mountain range. The birds stopped singing. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Yue Guan suddenly opened his eyes, his flamboyant persona vanishing. He stepped out of his carriage, his Rank 95 soul power surging. "Halt! Defend the carriages!"
From the cliffs above, five figures descended like falling shadows. They weren't wearing the uniforms of any empire or the Martial Soul Hall. They were draped in robes of tattered crimson and black, their faces hidden behind masks made of human bone.
"Evil Soul Masters!" Ning Fengzhi cried out, his Sword Douluo (Chen Xin) immediately stepping forward.
"We don't want the merchants or the nobles," the lead Enforcer of the Slaughter City hissed, his voice echoing with Rank 92 soul power. "We want the Phoenix. And we want the secrets of the Hall."
Yue Guan let out a cold, melodic laugh. "The Slaughter City... venturing out of your hole? You've picked the wrong day to see the sun."
The Evil Soul Masters didn't waste time. Three of them, all at the level of Titled Douluos (nurtured by the Slaughter King's forbidden arts), unleashed their domains. The air in the canyon turned red, a mist of blood rising from the ground that began to sap the strength of the young soul masters.
Tang San looked out from the Shrek carriage, his hand tightening on the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle. He saw the Evil Soul Masters and felt a surge of "Heroic" excitement. This is it, he thought. If I save the caravan while the Martial Soul Hall struggles, the world will see who the true Savior is.
But as he looked at the lead Evil Soul Master, he felt a chill. These weren't the common bandits he was used to. These were monsters who lived for the kill.
"Yue Guan! Chen Xin!" The Imperial Commander shouted. "Protect the students!"
Yue Guan's Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed in the dark canyon, its golden light clashing against the crimson mist. "Stay back, children," Yue Guan commanded, his eyes fixed on the Slaughter City Enforcers. "You are about to see the difference between a 'Master' and a 'God's Servant.'"
The battle that would decide the fate of the "Phoenix" was about to begin.