Chapter 166: Slaughter Egg (3)
Chapter 166: Slaughter Egg (3)
Chapter 166: Slaughter Egg (3)
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The area under Slaughter City consists only of one straight path with deep trenches similar to the abyss to either side and supporting this thin rock pavement are numerous pillars erected in regular but distant intervals. Xie Xan and Ja Sun were in the region where the duo was almost in the center of both the succeeding and preceding pillars. For now, the duo had only observed two spirit beasts on this path.
This path, well-known as Trials of Slaughter City, only seemed to have spirit beasts of mysterious origins as a test for any who is capable enough to reach this location. The small cloud of bats would have been quite a pain for anyone else, and the abilities of the Three-headed Bat alongside the malicious serpent are hidden, too. Not to mention the fact that Xie Xan and Ja Sun are stripped from their most versatile selection of skills and spirit bone abilities.
Ja Sun considered that only spirit masters with overbearing martial souls can actually have a chance at passing the trials. He knew two beings who did pass these trials.
Bibi Dong A spirit master with twin spirits. One capable of expelling the most dangerous poison and the other one more mysterious that seemed to have a direct effect on the metaphysical aspects of a being.
Tang Hao A man with an explosive hammer and the ability to wield it expertly.
Compared to them, Ja Sun's martial soul, the Three-eyed Silver Lion failed to form a connection with either beast, allowing him to realize that the beasts had sufficient intelligence and could choose not to be pacified, and Evil Title... that simply wouldn't work here since its basic ability was a spirit skill itself... well, he did have other aspects that allowed him to keep up.
Meanwhile, Xie Xan was even more shit-poor. According to Bibi Dong's calculation, Xie Xan would have needed a lot of time to amass 100 victories. That experience will allow him to trump over the trials naturally since every participant in the Slaughter Arena is the worst that the Continent had to provide with. However, with constant cold shooting in the Arena and more effort placed on the Asura Sight Technique instead, Xie Xan did not have enough qualifications to pass the trials... not alone, at least.
*Tssssssssss*
A cold hissing sound echoed suddenly. The temperature rose greatly and the duo scrunched their brows. Xie Xan's expression morphed into impatience again but he didn't let his emotions get the better of him. A strangely cold sensation would pulse through the veins around his eyes that assisted him in curbing the effects of the slaughter energy.
Although the blood rushed to their heads, Ja Sun and Xie Xan continued to stay on their fours on the underside of the path with Ja Sun creating makeshift pairs of spiked shoes and gloves. The spikes on their surface, especially, had more effort placed on them and thus allowed them to use their spirit energy to keep themselves attached to the underside of the path.
*Chiii*
*Chiii*
Keeping their breathing low and short, the duo waited as the Three-headed Bat flapped its wings and arrived. It, too, stayed and looked on curiously. It continued to screech loudly and at this time Ja Sun suddenly sighed deeply. He clearly lacked sleep, and other pleasures deprived after arriving here because he forgot one very obvious fact about Bats.
*Screech*
The surroundings trembled and Ja Sun shouted, "Return to the surface!"
Xie Xan's eyes twitched and he instantly brought out his Moon Blades and used its rather soft curve to pierce the stone from the top and pull himself up. Meanwhile, as the Three-headed Bat flew down and screeched again, shooting towards Ja Sun who now dangled after letting go with his foot, the man in question simply exerted his body slightly to pull himself back like a soft swinging wave and then jump out explosively.
Ja Sun's physical qualities would get another round of a boost during his Spirit Transformation. This was more prominent after he absorbed the Beautiful Silk Tulip as in this form, his already burly physique looked even mightier. Leaving a silver shadow behind, Ja Sun instantly latched onto the middle head of the Bat!
*Chiii*
The left and right heads of the bat had only turned when Ja Sun shouted, "Shut up!"
His talons clenched and spread out to shoot four dragon beard needles each that pierced the two heads of the bat. The attack instantly made the Bat fly out of control in pain and range but it also finally opened the bat to Ja Sun's suggestions. Nothing like the pain of having two heads stabbed to finally understand that talking things out is sometimes the better way out.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion is more casually known as the Auspicious Emperor and being the product of its mutation, and an incomplete one, Ja Sun realized, he was hardly auspicious for the Bat underneath him. Instead, he cackled like a devil while sending his intention towards the remaining head of the bat who flew towards the fierce crimson serpent.
Xie Xan, meanwhile, hurriedly rushed through the road. He had appeared to the serpent's tail and had no intention of actually fighting. Even with sheer aggressiveness in the air, the thought of surviving the disaster to remain beside Hu Lana during the birth of his firstborn kept him straight. So, he ran.
*Tsssss*
The serpent instantly coiled around the path before turning to look at Xie Xan and hissed fiercely. There were nine large lumps on its back. Like large red pimples that pulsated with a fiery glow. Its crimson vertical pupils instantly locked onto Xie Xan when the Three-headed Bat's screech made it divert its attention.
Seeing the large body of the bat diving in its direction, the snake spat a cloud of red mist.
Poison, Ja Sun narrowed his eyes.
However, baptized with pure yin and yang of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Ja Sun could even endure the fire and ice poison of the blessed land, much less this one. But the same couldn't be said about the bat underneath him.
It screeched loudly. Fearful. However, Ja Sun bared his teeth and let out a bestial growl. The sound was extremely soft but once the bat felt Ja Sun aiming his arm towards his regenerating heads, it couldn't help but reveal a human-like emotion of regret. The bat still attacked the serpent despite the poison and Ja Sun jumped at this moment.
Without looking back, he followed Xie Xan in escaping.
He had no missions to defeat the two beasts and there was no direct benefit in taking them out since he still couldn't bring out his Spirit Souls. Not to mention that the beasts in here didn't leave any spirit ring. Aside from the basic materials from their corpse, the two beasts had no value, and the effort needed to be spent to defeat the two beasts wasn't worthwhile.
Ja Sun didn't have delusions that Xie Xan could help him if he did decide to fight and alone, things would be more than simply annoying. All these factors made Ja Sun give up the notion of having himself get occupied by the two beasts.
The two continued to rush forward without stopping. The previous roars and screeches turned softer and distant but it was clear that because of the Serpent's attack, the two beasts were now more than eager to face each other.
Ja Sun and Xie Xan, on the other hand, found their bodies drenched as the lava-like slaughter-filled streams of blood were alleviated slowly as they moved forward until it surrounded them.
Unlike the beginning with the platform surrounded by nothing but an abyss, the end of the path was in the form of a circular platform yet again while surrounded by a pool of lava. It was blood, from the scent of it, but in the display, it looked nothing but flowing lava.
"This place," Xie Xan suddenly collapsed, his breathing stifled and his expression twisted in resistance. Not minding him in any attention, Ja Sun curiously reached the edge of the platform and observed the liquid carefully.
Within the Slaughter City, every individual who doesn't participate in the Slaughter Arena needs to donate a cup of Bloody Mary. A bloody mary, in the beginning, is nothing more than a cup of blood but if left alone for a while, the Slaughter energy would fill it and turn it into some strange concoction. The entire pool seemed to be filled with the same result. The sheer volume of Slaughter energy that pervaded the surrounding was incredible. For the first time after entering the city, even Ja Sun was left momentarily breathless.
After all, he saw within the pool that others couldn't.
It was thumb-sized and pure white. It was also the source and the supply.
The egg inside the pool continued to let out pure Slaughter energy that attracted Ja Sun. This egg was too similar. After all, even he had two of these eggs but couldn't rouse any reaction from them no matter what, and even now, the White-Colored Slaughter Egg wasn't activated using any formation. It was just... 'awake.'
"Uhh, there's the light, we have to move," Xie Xan grunted and slowly stood up. As he had stated, a few dozen meters away, on a higher end of the cave was a source of light that resembled the exit. Ordinarily, it would have been hard to reach the end without a martial soul that could fly or jump far. Although Ja Sun could make the jump now in his spirit transformation, he couldn't make it with Xie Xan and Ja Sun wasn't planning on letting the guy be a dead weight, too.
"Come on, enough of your whining," Ja Sun scowled and caught Xie Xan's wrist before flinging him into the boiling pool of blood. Xie Xan wasn't completely in control of his mental faculties and he screeched in fear the moment he saw the pool of Bloody Mary 'zoom in'.
*Splash*
Xie Xan instantly fell into the pool, his eyes instantly turning red as mighty Slaughter energy began to completely take over him. It filled his veins and activated his Asura Sight. It nurtured his eyes wildly but Xie Xan was simply no longer present to enjoy the novel sensation of the pupils' technique breaking into the final realm of ability.
Chuckling as he saw Xie Xan wildly moving his arms, submerged, Ja Sun couldn't help but dip his talons into the pool and let out a groan in comfort. While he was planning on sending Xie Xan out, it wasn't going to be at expense of his own desires. He wanted to see the man flustered, for his own joy. And he also wanted to try and interact with Slaughter Egg.
Diving into the pool, Ja Sun finally felt the slaughter energy filling his veins, too. However, with a physical core already formed the Yin-Yang War Physique, Ja Sun's body instantly began to refine this source of energy into the most basic vitality and enhance his own body. Of course, after reaching the realm of Titled Douluo in just plain body, any and every advancement came with a large cost. The Slaughter Energy was surely an overbearing form of energy but without any sentient being actually controlling it, the multiple streams of energy could only turn into Ja Sun's nourishment.
He swam towards Xie Xan and again caught his arms. Xie Xan was unconscious but the slaughter energy had taken control over his wild instincts. The moment Ja Sun caught one of his arms, Xie Xan bit on the Vajra Gauntlet which only caused Ja Sun to narrow his eyes in amusement.
He knew fully well that already walking on the edge, Xie Xan wouldn't be able to control the churning killing intent but Ja Sun had kept one thing from him. To actually control such a wild intent, one must not only let it pass, but one must also fully submerge in it. Understand it instinctively.
Ja Sun had some unfortunate events in the past that pushed him over the edge before his Teacher pulled him out of that state. That's why he could have such a calm and silent killing intent. He simply had returned from the other side of it.
With a grunt, Ja Sun began swimming towards the edge of the pool when his expression changed. He felt the waters turning warmed while Xie Xan's skin had already begun to scald. Hurriedly looking back, Ja Sun's expression turned sour as he found the Three-headed Bat and the Fire Serpent rush towards his direction.
Ja Sun looked at the white egg deep within the pool and groaned internally as he tightly clenched Xie Xan's wrist before utilizing his spirit energy to exert even more pressure. Under the coat of silver fur, Ja Sun's pure silver left arm bulged. Brownish veins began to throb as he gritted his jaws and flung Xie Xan out. Seeing Xie Xan passing through the exit, the two beasts let out mournful wails instantly and their gazes locked onto Ja Sun. By now, the two other heads of the bat had been healed, too.
Meanwhile, the serpent's speed increased as it shot into the stream of bloody mary!
Not paying the two beasts any attention, Ja Sun observed the white egg suddenly letting out a thick and clear stream of white Slaughter energy that shot towards the exit. Doing that, its own size turned even smaller.
Seeing this, Ja Sun couldn't help but fall in a daze.
Slaughter City... Trials, and a Domain.
Trials... success...
Egg and a domain...
Ja Sun blinked and then began swimming towards the egg without another thought. His speed was quick. And the distance between him and the serpent was large. Before the serpent could reach Ja Sun, its indignant gaze saw Ja Sun's talons reaching for the floating egg that supplied the two guardians with constant energy.
Much to Ja Sun's surprise, he couldn't move the egg. It was stuck. There was even a form of resistance from his Martial Soul, the Three-eyed Silver Lion when he reached for the egg in his spirit transformation.
With a frown, Ja Sun released his spirit transformation and again tried to move the egg.
Still, all his efforts were to no avail.
Seeing the serpent almost thirty meters away and closing in quickly, Ja Sun thought for a moment and took out a pitch-black egg.
This was one of his earliest S-ranked rewards that he couldn't find the use of. The Evil Egg.
Ja Sun had tried everything with this egg, too. So, he could only try to get a reaction from two similar objects instead. The moment he took out the Pitch-black egg, the bodies of the two beasts stiffened. Instead of approaching, they silently stared at Ja Sun from their positions. Meanwhile, the Pitch-black egg in Ja Sun's hand vibrated momentarily. Seeing this, Ja Sun's expression couldn't help but brighten.
When he had gotten the Blood Egg after duping Redstar, Ja Sun didn't think of trying to get a reaction from the two eggs since he didn't know their purpose. But after seeing the Slaughter Egg that only seemed to be a source of energy, Ja Sun couldn't help but grow a bit more courageous. After all, he didn't have any method of activating this particular treasure.
As the evil egg continued to vibrate, it began to let out a strange form of energy. Unlike the overbearing and pure Slaughter Energy, this time, it was more elusive and changing. This was the same energy signature that Bibi Dong had let out but it was also 'more' than hers. In quality and intensity. As if Bibi Dong only managed to obtain one part of a wider spectrum.
Seeing the positive reaction, Ja Sun smiled and also took out the blood egg.
This time, the two beasts didn't dare linger on. For some reason, they retreated as quickly as they approached back then.
From Ja Sun's left hand, the blood egg, too, began to vibrate intensely and let out a wave of bloody energy. Evil, blood, and slaughter. Ja Sun only needed a form of sexual energy and he would have the whole evil spirit master's package in the form of eggs.
But aside from the strange vibrations, nothing else happened.
This placed Ja Sun in a strangely disappointed mood. He tried to move around, hoping for some magnetic resonance so that the white Slaughter Egg would follow him, however, it didn't. Instead, the vibration of the two eggs in his hand would lower and they would enter an unresponsive state once again.
"You need divine energy if you hope to absorb the domains, little Slaughterer."
A cold voice suddenly filled the waters as the boundless coldness behind the tone gripped Ja Sun's heart, making him frown as he looked towards the source of the voice.
The Slaughter Egg.
At this moment, the white misty energy that created Bloody Mary formed a strange entity. It was an adult but the size of the individual didn't surpass thirty centimeters in length and aside from the loosely shaped mist that failed to provide the proper contours of the man, the pure blood-red pupils were extremely clear as they stared at Ja Sun.
Without waiting another moment, Ja Sun stored the two eggs into his spatial ring and silently activated his spirit transformation. While he did that, the figure opposite to him, too, observed Ja Sun silently. His eyes were focused on the two eggs but once Ja Sun stored them away, he was a little surprised to see the third eye on Ja Sun's forehead opening, and finally, his gaze settled on the Vajra Gauntlets.
"The War God's... blood artifact," the figure mumbled and then looked at Ja Sun.
"Name?"
Ja Sun blinked and then fell thoughtful for a moment.
"Qian Xunji," he replied.
"Is it not Ja Sun?" The figure cocked his head sideways and his blood eyes revealed curiosity but without any shame or even freezing up, Ja Sun calmly shook his head, "Ja Sun is a monicker. My real name is Qian Xunji."
The figure frowned for a moment and then continued, "You're... a traveler?"
Ja Sun nodded, "Yes, I traveled here from Spirit Hall."
"No, you're not of this world. One of the many reincarnators... are you not?" The figure inquired.
Ja Sun fell silent before he suddenly shot up with full strength. However, the moment he emerged from the water, the exit where he had thrown Xie Xan out of was covered by a thick layer of slaughter energy.
"Almost 23-years-old... somehow obtained the knowledge of Spirit Souls and also have two arrays in the Spiritual Sea... Life and death mental attribute, the Unrivaled Sage under Heaven's Inheritance Pupils, and two Domain Eggs. War God's physique turned into a core, too... and twin martial souls... both incomplete.
The sheer treasures needed to be refined to cultivate incomplete martial souls... no, only the Auspicious Emperor is trained in. Not the totem-type Body Martial Soul."
The figure's voice mysteriously spread out of the water. The exit was sealed so Ja Sun had no choice but to return.
"Ja Sun"
"It's Qian Xunji," Ja Sun interrupted.
"No, it's not. Qian Xunji is the youngest descendant of the Angel," the figure replied impassively but didn't linger on this topic.
"You aren't the first traveler... and you certainly won't be the last one. Like me, and the Evil one, there are many more travelers all around the Douluo plane.
As I said, the domain is the first step to divinity and as such, the treasures pertaining to domains can only be activated using Divine Quality sources of energy.
Ja Sun silently looked at the figure. Out of everything he had been exposed of, his trait remained hidden. Was it out of purpose or the figure couldn't find the Trait at all? And if he couldn't find it, then where was his trait even located?
"Do you understand what's happening?" The figure inquired but Ja Sun kept his quiet.
"I'm offering you a job. A successful completion of the task will allow you the chance to step into the path of Divinity without the most basic restrictions," The figure smiled but a strange pressure suddenly descended on Ja Sun as the figure's voice turned colder, "If you understand then reply."
"What job?"
Ja Sun frowned.
"The job is to kill my current successor The Slaughter King, and retrieve my artifact from him."
Ja Sun revealed a hesitant expression, "I can't kill him now..."
"The job has no time limit."
"And what do I get as remuneration?" Ja Sun questioned. The figure already spoke some cryptic words about stepping on the path of Divinity but it didn't matter to Ja Sun.