Chapter 277 - 202: "Heroic Spirits" in the Tower

Chapter 277: Chapter 202: "Heroic Spirits" in the Tower

Xie Yuan sat quietly cross-legged, meditating to adjust his condition as he waited for the ruins to open and for time and space to return to normal.

’Cultivation really is useful.’

Sensing the growth in his cultivation, Xie Yuan nodded slightly.

However, he sensed the ruins would open soon, so he only performed a light meditation, not daring to enter a state of deep cultivation.

An indeterminate amount of time passed. It might have been a day or two, or it might have been more than ten. In this place, even Xie Yuan’s perception of time was skewed.

Suddenly, the Slaughter Tower began to tremble. The stagnant atmosphere dissipated with the vibrations, and the heavy air seemed to come alive.

Xie Yuan opened his eyes. A glint flashed in his gaze as he watched the constantly shaking walls of the tower.

’It’s starting.’

With a mere thought, his figure blurred, gradually becoming indistinct.

In the grand hall on the first floor of the Slaughter Tower, numerous flashes of light suddenly appeared and vanished. In their wake, human figures materialized.

The young powerhouses of the Great Li and the Western Regions appeared one after another. They had entered the ruins of the Slaughter Tower.

However, unlike the clear lines that had divided them upon entry, their positions within the hall were completely random and chaotic.

Some landed in an empty area near the stone huts with no one around, while others found themselves practically shoulder-to-shoulder with their enemies, staring at each other in dismay.

After a moment’s hesitation, the hall erupted with the sounds of battle.

The Central Plains and the Western Regions were already hostile toward one another; being thrown together in these ruins was bound to result in a fierce struggle.

Those who found themselves close to an enemy immediately clashed. Some were too slow to react and were wounded on the spot, letting out pained grunts.

However, most who entered the ruins were the outstanding talents of their generation, with strengths mostly at the Qi Blood Second Transformation. They reacted swiftly. Even if injured, they didn’t immediately lose their ability to fight, but began to maneuver for a better position.

Only one prodigy from the Great Li was unlucky enough to appear right next to the Ming King’s disciple, Black Vajra Roto. Before he could even react, his skull was crushed by a single punch, making him the first casualty within the ruins.

"The people of the Central Plains are truly feeble."

Roto retracted his fist, flicking off the blood and brain matter with a look of utter disdain.

He spotted a nearby pair of opponents locked in a fierce duel, grinned to reveal a set of stark white teeth, and strode toward them.

Suddenly, an elusive Long Sword thrust out from the side. It was as if it were hidden in mist and clouds, its true form impossible to discern.

But Roto was no amateur. He stopped in his tracks, avoiding the razor-sharp strike by a hair’s breadth. Then, with a flick of his finger, he knocked the Long Sword aside and looked over.

Qin Zhenyang retracted his Long Sword, his expression grave.

"Roto, your opponent is me."

A savage grin spread across Roto’s dark, ugly face.

"Then I’ll just have to send you on your way first!"

His fist glowed with a black light as he threw a ferocious punch toward Qin Zhenyang, accompanied by a heavy, whistling sound!

Qin Zhenyang spun his Long Sword, immediately unleashing his ultimate technique, the Thousand Mountains Mist Concealment Sword. The force of his blade was like a mountain range, its path as elusive as a cloud, and he steadily met Roto’s assault.

As the leaders of both sides began to fight, the other Martial Artists also fell into a chaotic melee of clashing weapons. Some of the shrewder powerhouses, however, used the confusion to slip away and investigate the mysterious little stone huts nearby.

"AHHH—"

"Fuck, what is this???"

"Ah... save me..."

Miserable shrieks and cries of alarm echoed continuously through the hall, but those locked in fierce combat paid them no mind.

However, the shrieks and cries were too piercing to have come from the combatants. They rose and fell throughout the vast space, echoing in a way that gradually distracted the fighters, causing many to slowly stop and listen.

More and more people went to investigate the source of the screams, only to cry out in alarm themselves:

"People! Where did they come from!"

"They look like Lu the Third’s bandits..."

"Fuck, why are they growing out of the stone?"

Qin Zhenyang was in a fierce exchange with Roto. Although Qin Zhenyang’s Swordsmanship was superb, Roto’s savage strength and seemingly invincible body were extremely difficult to handle. For the moment, the two were evenly matched.

However, it was clear that both were still just testing each other. They had both heard the commotion and had slightly slowed their attacks.

Hearing the others’ discussion, a thought struck Qin Zhenyang. He frowned, took the initiative to leap back and withdraw his weapon, then gave Roto a look before slowly backing away.

Roto watched Qin Zhenyang go, making no move to pursue. He dug a finger into his ear with his large hand and raised an eyebrow.

"What’s making such a weird noise? Let me take a look... Huh."

Meanwhile, Qin Zhenyang approached Monk Huie Jue, who was facing a stone pillar and chanting Buddhist mantras in a low voice. The screams were coming from directly in front of him.

"Monk Huie Jue, what is...?"

Qin Zhenyang stared at the bandit whose upper body was protruding from the stone pillar before him, utterly baffled.

"Amitabha. My Buddha is merciful. These benefactors likely entered this place as the ruins were opening but not yet fully accessible. Their bodies fell into the rift between the world of the ruins and the real world, resulting in this state."

Huie Jue had a look of pity on his face. He rotated his Buddhist Beads in front of the bandit and chanted, "Amitabha. Benefactor, you have suffered greatly. I shall recite a scripture for you in the hopes of alleviating your pain."

As his lips moved unceasingly, the bandit, who was still alive, cried out in agony.

"You stinking bald donkey, stop your damn wailing! If you really pity me, then give me a quick death!"

"Benefactor, my Buddha is merciful. How could I break the precept against killing? You must hold on."

As he continued chanting, Huie Jue noticed the bandit’s breathing was growing faint. He took the man’s hand and channeled a powerful stream of Internal Energy through his meridians, causing the bandit to perk up and his wails to grow even louder.

"You bald donkey! I told you to give me a quick death, not to torture me! Fuck! What sins did I commit in my past life to deserve meeting you?! Fuck! Stop giving me your Internal Energy! Just let me die!!!"