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Later that evening, the condition of the Hong family's elder patriarch showed significant improvement. As he spat out mouthfuls of thick, black blood, eighty percent of the Blackwater Giant Python's venom had been purged.
The remaining traces could be cured with ordinary antidotes.
Hong Kui didn't rest either—he urgently summoned multiple healing-type soul masters to treat the elder's injuries.
Due to Ning Tianchen's repeated refusals and the elder's improving condition, no banquet was held that night.
Ning Tianchen sat on the bed in his guest room and began cultivating his soul power.
His soul power level had just broken through to Level 60. At this stage, any soul power cultivated wouldn't dissipate—it would instead be stored and later returned to him upon obtaining a soul ring.
Feng Wu City was several days' travel away from the Tian Dou Empire.
Thus, he decided to first acquire a carriage from the Hong family, then enter the Great Star Dou Forest to hunt for souls.
Not long after, a sound came from outside the door.
"Hey, are you asleep?"
From the voice, Ning Tianchen immediately recognized who it was.
"Miss Hong visiting my room late at night—what brings you here?"
Being alone with a young woman in a room late at night would inevitably invite gossip, so Ning Tianchen didn't open the door.
Hong Xinyue seemed to realize the impropriety as well and stood by the doorway, saying, "I want to kill that fake master Pengshun. Can you help me?"
"You can't afford the price," Ning Tianchen replied indifferently.
With Hong Xinyue's strength, she was more than capable of killing Pengshun. There was no need for him to intervene.
Hong Xinyue seemed to have anticipated this response and asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"
"Make it clean and leave no evidence for anyone to find!" Ning Tianchen advised.
After his words, silence fell outside the door, indicating that Hong Xinyue was serious about her intentions.
Hong Kui hadn't stopped her, likely because Pengshun had made some extremely disrespectful demands on the carriage earlier, angering both father and daughter. Moreover, since Pengshun hadn't cured the elder patriarch, there was no reason to keep him alive.
As an outsider, Ning Tianchen didn't pry further into the Hong family's affairs.
He sat on the bed and entered a meditative state.
Unbeknownst to him, after some time, he drifted off into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he returned once again to Slaughter City, reliving the moment when he met the Slaughter King.
However, this time was different from reality. In the dream, a blood-red longsword emerged from the Slaughter King's body, and behind him floated an Asura totem.
"You've come," the Slaughter King said slowly.
But the voice wasn't the one Ning Tianchen remembered—it was a stranger's voice, filled with overwhelming killing intent.
"Lord Asura?" Ning Tianchen ventured cautiously.
The figure didn't directly answer but chuckled coldly, "Hmph, it seems you know quite a bit about me. That saves me the trouble of introducing myself."
Ning Tianchen bowed respectfully, "This doesn't seem to be the real world. May I ask what Lord Asura seeks from me?"
The Asura God lightly pushed forward, sending the crimson Asura Demon Sword floating toward Ning Tianchen. "You've completed the trials of the Slaughter City. I will keep an eye on your future performance. Work hard, young one. Perhaps I'll take pride in you."
As he spoke, the Asura Demon Sword plunged toward Ning Tianchen's forehead.
Instinctively, Ning Tianchen tried to dodge, but the sword caused no harm. Instead, it transformed into a beam of divine energy that etched a mark onto his forehead.
…
Unaware of how much time had passed, Ning Tianchen woke up on the floor of his room.
Outside, the sky had already brightened, and the door creaked loudly as it swung back and forth in the wind.
He rubbed his temples, muttering, "How did I fall asleep? And why did I have such a dream!"
To be honest, the position of the Asura God suited him perfectly. The Asura Demon Sword shared similarities with the Seven Kill Sword—both could absorb killing intent.
If he could inherit the title, even without the Asura God teaching him how to wield the sword, his mastery of swordsmanship alone would be enough to unleash its full potential.
But dreams couldn't become reality.
Sitting up, Ning Tianchen was puzzled about why he had ended up on the floor.
When he went out for breakfast, he noticed the door was left ajar.
"Could Miss Hong have visited me during the night?"
Shaking off the thought, he stepped out of the guest room.
"Guest, you're awake. The master has prepared breakfast for you. Please follow me," a servant said respectfully.
Ning Tianchen asked, "Did anyone come into my room?"
The servant shook his head, "Guest, I've been guarding your door since midnight. I heard the door creak but didn't dare disturb you as per the master's orders. From then until now, I haven't seen anyone enter your room."
Ning Tianchen nodded.
He assumed the door hadn't been closed properly and had been blown open by the wind during the night.
On the way to the main house, Hong Xinyue came running over, panting heavily.
"Er Fu, go ahead. I have something to discuss with him," Hong Xinyue pointed at Ning Tianchen.
The servant dared not disobey and quickly retreated.
"I'm guessing you didn't manage to kill him and ended up making things worse," Ning Tianchen teased with a smile.
Hong Xinyue cursed, "That slippery bastard had a Soul King guarding him. My people and I couldn't get close."
Then, she suddenly noticed something strange, "Hey, why do you look so different today? Where's that gloomy face from yesterday?"
Ning Tianchen also felt it—the killing intent within him seemed to have vanished overnight. His demeanor had returned to how it was before entering the Slaughter City.
Hong Xinyue continued teasing, "Oh, did you put on makeup today? But drawing such a terrifying mark on your forehead—isn't that a bit creepy?"
"Mark?" Ning Tianchen froze and quickly retrieved a bronze mirror from his soul tool.
In the reflection, a blood-red Asura mark was clearly visible between his brows. He tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't budge. It wasn't a prank—it was real.
"Wait here."
With that, he hurried back to his room and tightly shut the door.
The killing intent was gone, but the Killing God Domain remained, along with the Asura mark on his forehead!
Even if he had fallen asleep while meditating, it was unlikely he would roll all the way to the door—a distance of nearly ten meters.
Considering all these factors, last night's dream didn't seem like a coincidence. It was likely real.
Realizing this, Ning Tianchen used his mental power to communicate with the mark on his forehead.
In the next moment, the Asura Demon Sword appeared before him.
The sword emitted no aura or divine power, resembling an exquisitely crafted ordinary treasure.
However, unlike a regular sword, the Asura Demon Sword still radiated immense authority.
After sensing it for a while, Ning Tianchen found no divine trial messages in his mind.
Calmly, he began analyzing the situation.
First, neither the mark on his forehead nor the Asura Demon Sword were illusions.
The ability to transform a weapon into particles and store it in a mark between one's brows was beyond mortal capabilities.
Since the divine mark was real, he reasoned that the lack of reaction might be due to the divine trial not being activated yet. Additionally, since he hadn't completed any divine trials, he lacked Asura divine power, which explained why he couldn't activate the Asura Demon Sword.
This reasoning formed a logical loop.
"Could it mean I need to complete a certain trial or reach a specific place to unlock the Asura divine trial?"
In the dream, the Asura God had already stated that he had completed the trials of the Slaughter City. Therefore, the Slaughter City could be ruled out.
For now, he couldn't think of any answers.
Of course, it was possible that his current strength was too weak to complete any trials. Perhaps once he reached a certain level, the divine trial would activate automatically.
After all, Tang Chen had participated in the Asura divine trial at Level 99, whereas Ning Tianchen had just broken through to Level 60.
…
After a night of treatment, the elder patriarch of the Hong family could now get out of bed normally.
At this moment, both he and Hong Kui expressed their gratitude to Ning Tianchen.
"The elder patriarch's recovery is largely due to his strong constitution. My contribution was minor," Ning Tianchen humbly remarked.
The elder patriarch clasped his hands, "Young friend, you're too modest. My name is Hong Tianxiang. If you don't mind, you can call me Old Hong."
Without arrogance, Ning Tianchen bowed and said, "Elder Hong's complexion has improved significantly, so I am reassured. However, I need a carriage—one capable of traveling in severely cold regions."
The Hong family's business included horse trading. Finding such a carriage would be effortless.
Hong Tianxiang felt that this wasn't enough to repay Ning Tianchen's kindness. Moreover, the toxins in his body hadn't been fully cleared, and he still needed Ning Tianchen to provide medicine regularly.
If Ning Tianchen left and the toxins recurred, it would be disastrous.
"Yesterday, I observed that you broke through to Level 60. How about letting the Hong family assist you in hunting for your sixth soul ring?"
Ning Tianchen's sixth soul ring would undoubtedly require a high cultivation year. Based on his plan, the sixth soul ring should have around 45,000 years, allowing him to attempt absorbing a 100,000-year soul ring for the seventh soul ring.
After some thought, he didn't reject the offer.
"Thank you, Elder Hong. However, the cultivation years of the soul ring I need are quite high. What about your strength?"
Hong Tianxiang smiled, "I'm at Level 78. Is that enough to help you?"
Facing a 45,000-year soul beast at Level 78 would be extremely challenging. Moreover, the elder patriarch's body hadn't fully recovered. If he were to die in the forest during the hunt, Ning Tianchen would bear a heavy burden of guilt.
During the meal, they exchanged trivial questions.
Afterward, Hong Tianxiang called Ning Tianchen into a private room and asked, "Young friend, are you planning to train in the Extreme North?"
Originally, Ning Tianchen intended to use the frigid environment of the Extreme North to stabilize his emotions. Last night's unexpected encounter with the Asura God in his dream had completely eliminated his negative emotions.
However, he didn't plan to change his itinerary. Training in the Extreme North was still a good choice.
"That's correct. The environment of the Extreme North suits my cultivation needs."
Hong Tianxiang wasn't surprised by Ning Tianchen's response, but instead began speaking about Hong Xinyue. "My granddaughter has an innate soul power of 8.5 levels. With proper cultivation in the future, she has the potential to break through to the rank of a Title Douluo. May I ask which influential faction you hail from? Perhaps we could..."
Ning Tianchen understood immediately—the other party wanted to use marriage as a way to forge ties with the powerful force behind him.
He quickly declined, "I apologize, Elder Hong, but I'm already engaged to someone."
Hong Tianxiang acknowledged this with a simple "Oh" and didn't press the matter further.
The Hong family was well aware of the shifting political landscape. They knew exactly how many horses were used in the army's daily training!
The steady increase in the number of horses in the military undoubtedly signaled preparations for war.
To preserve their wealth and status, the Hong family needed to align themselves with a powerful faction.
Everything had to be done step by step. Hong Tianxiang wasn't in a rush. As long as Ning Tianchen remained at the estate, the topic could be revisited anytime.
---
Over the next five days, Ning Tianchen spent his time either preparing medicine for Hong Tianxiang or cultivating his soul power within the estate.
As time passed, the consequences of Hong Xinyue's failed attempt to deal with Pengshun began to surface.
Pengshun, after all, was a healing-type soul master, and many battle soul masters owed him favors.
Under his call, several people began targeting the Hong family. However, upon seeing that the elder patriarch had recovered and returned, these individuals temporarily backed off.
During these few days, Hong Tianxiang's appetite increased dramatically, and his complexion recovered at an almost visible speed. His previously emaciated body gradually returned to normal.
On this day, seeing that the timing was ripe, Hong Tianxiang once again brought up helping Ning Tianchen hunt for a soul.
This time, Ning Tianchen didn't refuse.
Leaving Hong Kui in charge of the household, Hong Tianxiang gathered ten elite members of the family, and the group set off toward the Great Star Dou Forest.
"Hehe, I'm coming too!" Just as the carriage departed, Hong Xinyue hopped on board.
Hong Tianxiang doted on his talented granddaughter.
"Our family's inherited martial soul is the Long Cloud Staff. However, Xinyue's martial soul is special—it's the Ice Soul Long Cloud Staff. If we can't find a suitable soul ring for her in the Star Dou Great Forest, we'll have to make a trip to the Extreme North."
(T/N: I don't know how clouds can be long but aight)
"That works out perfectly," Ning Tianchen replied.
Most of the spirit beasts in the Extreme North were ice-attribute, so there would be no shortage of suitable options for Hong Xinyue.
Hong Xinyue blinked and asked, "Tianchen, are you really only sixteen? A Soul Emperor at sixteen—this surpasses even the legendary Hao TianDouluo back in the day!"
Since the Hao Tian Sect originally supported the Star Luo Imperial Family, they still enjoyed a good reputation within the Star Luo Empire. Many soul masters looked up to the geniuses of the Hao Tian Sect as role models.
"Just luck," Ning Tianchen waved it off modestly.
Without the help of immortal herbs and the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well, he might not even have broken through to Soul King by now.
"Grandpa's helping you hunt for a soul; you should help me too—it's only fair," Hong Xinyue said with a smile.
Everyone admired strength, especially when Ning Tianchen was the same age as her.
Ning Tianchen didn't refuse. He was planning to train in the Extreme North anyway, and helping others hunt for souls was part of the experience.
An hour later, the carriage arrived at a spirit beast town on the outskirts of the Great Star Dou Forest.
After stocking up on supplies, the group of thirteen entered the forest.
Hong Tianxiang asked, "Young friend Tianchen, what type of spirit beast do you need, and what cultivation years? I've spent a lot of time in the Star Dou Great Forest, so I might know something useful."
"A spirit beast above the sub-dragon level, around forty thousand years."
"Sub-dragon types aren't hard to find, but... forty thousand years? Wait, you're only a Soul Emperor. Why do you need a forty-thousand-year soul ring?" Hong Tianxiang was dumbfounded.
For a typical Soul Emperor, the sixth soul ring usually didn't exceed twenty thousand years. Even for a seventh soul ring, forty thousand years would be considered excessive.
Ning Tianchen didn't elaborate and instead revealed his soul rings.
Five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, black, black—glowed beneath his feet.
"You're Ning Tianchen!" Hong Xinyue exclaimed.
Aside from Ning Tianchen, who else on the continent had such a configuration of soul rings?
Hong Tianxiang sighed bitterly, "I never expected you to be the grandson of Sword Dao Chen Xin. Please convey my greetings to Senior Sword Douluo on my behalf."
"Thirty years ago, I was just an ordinary soul master. Thanks to Senior Sword Douluo's guidance, I achieved my current strength. In a way, I consider myself half a disciple of his."
This connection was quite something.
However, the truth could easily be verified through inquiries, so there was no reason for Hong Tianxiang to lie.
Encountering someone close to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect made things much easier going forward.
"Grandpa once mentioned someone guiding him many years ago. I never imagined it would be such a coincidence."
"So you're Ning Tianchen." Hong Xinyue transformed into a fangirl, trailing behind Ning Tianchen and constantly pestering him to share his experiences from the Soul Master Tournament.
As the saying goes, it's easier to get things done with connections.
Under Hong Tianxiang's leadership, the group quickly ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Three days later, he pointed to a valley ahead and said, "Young friend, there's a forty-thousand-year Earth Spike Dragon in that valley. Facing it alone might be a bit difficult for me. Do you think you could assist me with your domain?"
Ning Tianchen replied, "I'll fight alongside you, Elder. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Hong Tianxiang didn't object.
He had heard of Ning Tianchen's performance in the Soul Master Tournament. Such a genius needed opportunities to spar with strong opponents. This soul hunt was a great chance.
With a single command, eight Soul Kings spread out nearby to prevent other spirit beasts from interfering. The remaining two Soul Kings protected Hong Xinyue.
The battle was about to begin.
Wielding the Long Cloud Staff, Hong Tianxiang charged forward.
Ning Tianchen followed closely behind, holding the Dragon Patterned Seven Kill Sword.
Sensing the threat, the Earth Spike Dragon extended sharp spikes from its back and glared fiercely at the attackers.
The Earth Spike Dragon was a mutated hedgehog-type spirit beast, its spikes incredibly sharp.
The sixth soul skill of the Seven Kill Sword referenced Sword Dao Chen Xin's sixth soul skill—"Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Source." The Earth Spike Dragon was perfect as his sixth soul ring.
(T/N: Wiki name 'Myriad Sword Returning Tribe', goofy.)
"Killing God Domain, activate!"
A bone-chilling killing intent spread, and thick frost covered the area within the domain.
Feeling the killing intent, the Earth Spike Dragon instinctively curled into a ball.
Hong Tianxiang's Long Cloud Staff struck its back but had no effect.
"What a powerful domain! My strength has increased by ten percent," Hong Tianxiang thought in astonishment. But at the moment, he couldn't ask Ning Tianchen about the details of the domain.
The Long Cloud Staff danced in his hands, repeatedly smashing against the Earth Spike Dragon.
Meanwhile, Ning Tianchen felt a slight tremor in his mind.
It originated from the Asura mark between his eyebrows.
"Could it be that I can use the Asura Demon Sword within the Killing God Domain?"
The Earth Spike Dragon's defenses might resist the Dragon Patterned Seven Kill Sword, but the transcendent divine weapon, the Asura Demon Sword, would surely break through.
Ning Tianchen didn't rush into action.
A forty-thousand-year spirit beast could end his life in a single encounter. He had to wait until Hong Tianxiang wore down the beast before stepping in.
---
From afar, Hong Xinyue, observing the battle, murmured softly, "Is this a domain? Our academy teachers once said that soul masters with domains are one in ten thousand geniuses."
Even most Title Douluos didn't possess domains, highlighting their rarity.
Compared to Ning Tianchen, a peerless genius, her own talent barely allowed her to glimpse his shadow.
Hong Xinyue silently resolved that after the soul hunt, she would dedicate herself to training and strive to narrow the gap between them.
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