The grand, heavily warded private study within the highest tower of Crimson Zenith City was a sanctuary of absolute silence. Outside the thick, spirit-glass windows, the eternal, howling blizzards of the Extreme North battered the city's protective geothermal domes, painting the sky in a chaotic swirl of white and gray. Inside, however, the air was warm, smelling faintly of expensive sandalwood incense and ancient parchment.
Zhang Tian sat behind his massive desk carved from deep-sea ironwood. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and perfectly measured. To an ordinary observer, he would appear to be merely resting. In truth, his Quasi-God Realm mental power was currently expanded to its absolute limits, surfing across the invisible, continent-spanning ocean of his Blood Silver Grass network.
Every single blade of grass that bore the microscopic crimson tint of his Blood Silver Emperor martial spirit acted as a highly sensitive sensory node. Through them, he could feel the vibrations of the earth, the temperature of the air, and the distinct, lingering auras of Spirit Masters moving across the Douluo Continent.
Currently, his vast consciousness was intensely focused on a specific, desolate region located near the rugged borders of the Star Luo Empire.
'Ah,' Zhang Tian thought, a cold, calculating smirk touching his lips as the sensory data flooded into his spiritual sea. 'The wounded lion and the venomous snake are on the move once again.'
Through the countless blades of grass clinging to the cracks of a ruined, abandoned town, Zhang Tian felt the unmistakable, heavy, and deeply oppressive aura of Tang Hao. The Clear Sky Douluo's presence was a jagged scar against the natural spirit power of the world, reeking of dried blood, cheap alcohol, and suppressed fury. Walking mere paces behind him was a sharper, far more toxic presence. It was Tang San.
The father and son had left the fortified, heavily guarded territories of the Clear Sky Sect and the Star Luo Empire's capital. They had traveled in absolute secrecy, shedding their usual escorts.
Zhang Tian focused his mental projection, watching through the grass as the two figures approached a rundown, filthy tavern situated in the center of the desolate town. He knew exactly what this place was. It was not a simple watering hole for weary travelers; it was the hidden, blood-soaked entrance to one of the most dangerous, lawless domains in the entire world.
'The Slaughter City,' Zhang Tian mused internally, his icy blue eyes snapping open as he withdrew his consciousness back into his physical body. He leaned back in his plush leather chair, interlacing his fingers. 'It seems Tang Hao has finally decided to throw his precious son into the abyss. A desperate, calculated move to forge a weapon capable of matching my own.'
Zhang Tian was not surprised by this development in the slightest. His encyclopedic knowledge of the world's hidden mechanics and destinies made this maneuver entirely predictable. The Slaughter City was an incredibly important, historically significant crucible for Tang San's growth in raw, killing strength.
He mentally reviewed the strict, unforgiving laws of that subterranean hellscape. The Slaughter City was an ancient prison, a domain allegedly left behind by a fallen god, where the worst, most depraved criminals of the Douluo Continent gathered.
To enter, one had to present a tribute of human blood. Once inside, the rules of the outside world completely ceased to exist. In order to simply spectate a match in the infamous Hell Slaughter Arena, a resident had to pay a steep fee of one cup of Bloody Mary—a euphemism for freshly harvested human blood. Furthermore, each resident in the dark city was strictly mandated to participate in at least one brutal deathmatch per year just to maintain their right to remain in the city and avoid being purged by the law enforcement.
The Hell Slaughter Arena was the beating, bloody heart of the city. It was a merciless arena where ten people entered a fight, and only one person was permitted to remain standing at the end. Nine corpses left behind, one victor stepping forward. Each surviving battle counted as one official win. Those who managed the impossible feat of completing exactly one hundred wins would be crowned the Champion of the Hell Slaughter Arena. They would be awarded numerous rare rewards and would even be personally recruited by the enigmatic Slaughter King.
For each match before a participant reached fifty victories, the combatants were chosen such that the total difference between the best and the worst fighters must not exceed ten matches, ensuring a relatively balanced bloodbath. For those terrifying individuals with more than fifty victories, the system deliberately arranged the brackets so they would not fight one another, preserving the strongest killers for the final, gruesome spectacles. If a person miraculously completed one hundred matches and refused to continue onward to the legendary Hell Road, they were granted permanent, untouchable residence in the city, exempt from all types of blood payments and annual fighting quotas.
However, the true prize lay beyond the arena.
The Hell Road was an extremely dangerous, sanity-shattering path with its entrance located deep within the Hell Slaughter Arena. It was the only viable exit that led back to the outside world. The mechanics of the road were fueled by mass death; each day people fought and died in the Hell Slaughter Arena, their spilled blood and shattered souls were passively absorbed by the Hell Road, charging its ancient arrays.
A person could not even attempt to enter the Hell Road without the absolute safeguard of a formidable, materialized killing intent. Otherwise, they would immediately be swallowed by the vicious, ambient energy there, their minds shattered before they took a single step. The very lives of the spectators in the arena were callously used as a mass blood offering for the opening ritual of the Hell Road. The only people to have ever seen the opening of the Hell Road and lived to tell the tale were the Slaughter King himself and the legendary Deathgods.
Successfully traversing the Hell Road, navigating its bottomless chasms, blood-thirsty bat swarms, and ancient serpents, would grant the survivor the ultimate prize: the Deathgod Domain. This was an innate domain that passively absorbed the person's own aura of death and killing intent, forming a tangible, suppressive field that added immeasurably to one's martial spirit. It was known as a spirit's innate domain, a power that could suppress an opponent's attributes by a massive percentage while boosting the user's own lethality.
'It will take him at least two years to fight his way through those hundred matches and survive the Hell Road,' Zhang Tian calculated, his fingers drumming a slow rhythm on the desk. 'Two years of uninterrupted slaughter, where the use of spirit ring abilities is entirely sealed by the city's ancient laws.'
This specific restriction was precisely why Tang San would thrive in that environment. In a place where Spirit Masters were reduced to relying solely on raw physical strength, inherent martial spirit durability, and spirit bones, Tang San possessed an overwhelming, almost unfair advantage. He had the Tang Sect's esoteric martial arts, his deadly hidden weapons, and the physical conditioning of the Clear Sky Sect.
'Tang Hao is banking on the fact that Tang San's hidden weapons and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique will carry him through the arena,' Zhang Tian deduced. 'And he is right. It is the perfect training ground for a boy who relies on tricks and raw hammer strikes.'
As Zhang Tian pondered the unfolding timeline, his thoughts briefly drifted to another individual who was intimately tied to the destiny of the Slaughter City in the original fabric of fate: Hu Liena.
A dark, amused smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
In the original sequence of events, Bibi Dong would have sent her prized disciple, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, into the Slaughter City to temper her resolve and acquire the Deathgod Domain. Hu Liena and Tang San would have met in that bloody crucible, forging a complex, tragic bond born of mutual survival.
However, Zhang Tian had explicitly intervened. Years ago, he had ordered Bibi Dong to absolutely not send Hu Liena to the Slaughter City under any circumstances. His word was absolute law to the infatuated Supreme Pontiff. Thus, Hu Liena had not been sent to the subterranean prison. She remained safely within the opulent, secure walls of Spirit City, diligently cultivating her Fox martial spirit under the guidance of the Elder Hall.
Because of his interference, Hu Liena would have absolutely no interaction with Tang San this time. Their tragic romance had been entirely erased from the tapestry of fate before it could even begin.
'Well... now that I think about it, it has been quite some time since I laid eyes on the little fox,' Zhang Tian mused, a sudden, heavy thrum of lust pooling in his lower abdomen.
He planned to have Bibi Dong call her dear disciple to Crimson Zenith City for a "specialized training retreat" very soon. After all, Hu Liena was widely renowned as one of the most stunningly beautiful, naturally seductive women of her generation. Her inherent charm attribute and her curvy, lithe dancer's body made her an exquisite prize. He was starting to get quite a bit excited at the thought of enjoying her virgin pussy, breaking her haughty pride, and claiming her as another jewel in his private collection.
He knew with absolute certainty that Bibi Dong wouldn't mind sharing him with her disciple. That mature, incredibly powerful woman had accepted his love just as completely as she had accepted his darkness. Her moral compass had been entirely rewritten by his dominance. She was so hopelessly, desperately addicted to his touch and his authority that she would gladly hold her own disciple down for him if he ordered it. She would even be enthusiastically willing to have a wild, debauched threesome with him and her own daughter, Qian Renxue, as long as Qian Renxue was willing to participate.
'Poor Renxue,' Zhang Tian chuckled softly, shaking his head.
The angelic heir of the Spirit Hall had absolutely no idea about the true depths of her mother's depravity. Recently, Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong's relationship had improved miraculously. They had finally moved past their decades of bitter resentment, officially acknowledging each other and comfortably calling each other mother and daughter. Qian Renxue believed this healing was a natural miracle.
She had no idea that her mother, Bibi Dong, was far more deeply infatuated with Zhang Tian than she was with her own flesh and blood. It was only because Zhang Tian had explicitly ordered Bibi Dong to mend the familial rift that the Supreme Pontiff was even willing to accept Qian Renxue back into her heart. As long as Zhang Tian continued to love Bibi Dong and bless her with his physical presence, she was willing to do anything and everything he commanded, no matter how evil, scandalous, or socially taboo it was.
Returning his thoughts to the immediate threat, Zhang Tian analyzed Tang San's current combat parameters. He was not surprised by the rapid, monstrous growth the protagonist had achieved in the past three years.
According to the intelligence gathered by the Blood Silver Grass network rooted deep in the Star Luo Empire, Tang San had reached the astonishing level of Spirit Power 74. He was officially a Spirit Sage, a true powerhouse capable of utilizing the devastating Martial Spirit Avatar.
But Tang San's true terror lay in his physical enhancements. He currently possessed a staggering total of five spirit bones, an arsenal that rivaled the absolute oldest, wealthiest Titled Douluos on the continent.
He had the Left Arm Spirit Bone of the Titan Giant Ape (Er Ming), a hundred-thousand-year artifact that granted him 'Titan's Resilience', the ability to manifest a 'Phantom Ape' for devastating physical strikes, and a terrifying 'Gravitational Pressure' domain.
He possessed the Right Arm Spirit Bone of the Sky Azure Bull Python (Da Ming), another hundred-thousand-year treasure that bestowed the inescapable 'Sky Azure Slowing Divine Claw' and the annihilating 'Sky Azure Fading Thunderclap'.
His Torso Spirit Bone, harvested from a sixty-thousand-year-old Venomous Earthquake Bear, granted him the 'Toxic Tremor' ability, allowing him to unleash massive, venom-infused shockwaves through the earth.
His Left Leg Spirit Bone, taken from a fifty-two-thousand-year-old Ironback Poison Beetle, provided 'Toxic Endurance', surrounding him in a passive, highly corrosive poison defense cloud that melted physical projectiles.
And finally, there was his most unique, horrifying asset: his External Spirit Bone, the Dual Poison Fangs. Originally harvested from a relatively weak, sixteen-hundred-year-old Purple Veined Viper, the bone had undergone a terrifying, unnatural evolution.
Over the past three years, driven by a manic desire for power and vengeance, Tang San had ruthlessly hunted highly toxic spirit beasts. He had utilized his External Spirit Bone to physically bite into their flesh, drinking their toxic blood and actively absorbing their potent poisons into his own system. This gruesome, vampiric method of cultivation had forced the External Spirit Bone to mutate and evolve, artificially increasing its age from sixteen hundred years to more than twenty thousand years of age.
After the jaw bone was boosted past the ten-thousand-year threshold, its core ability had changed slightly. He could now efficiently absorb spirit beast blood not just for toxicity, but to directly, heavily boost his own spirit power cultivation. This vampiric absorption was the primary, bloody reason he had managed to surge from Level 57 to Level 74 in a mere three years, bypassing the natural, agonizing bottlenecks of human cultivation.
Furthermore, Tang San had successfully secured his Seventh Spirit Ring for his Purple Spirit Grass. He had hunted a terrifying, sixty-thousand-year-old insect-type poisonous spirit beast known as the 'Abyssal Ghost-Weaver Mantis'. The beast was renowned for its lethal, invisible silk and its highly corrosive, decaying venom.
The Seventh Spirit Ring naturally gave him his most crucial spirit ability, as is the case with all Spirit Masters crossing the Level 70 threshold: the Martial Spirit Avatar of his Purple Spirit Grass. Upon activation, his body would merge entirely with his toxic vines, transforming him into a massive, heavily armored botanical monstrosity capable of flooding entire battlefields with lethal neurotoxins. However, unfortunately for Tang San, despite the high age of the ring and his vampiric cultivation, he didn't manage to unlock any innate domain or even any special, hidden innate abilities from his mutated Purple Spirit Grass. His foundation was strong, but it lacked the divine, heaven-defying sparks that Zhang Tian possessed.
But still, Tang San's current, overwhelming cultivation gave him an absolute, unshakeable confidence in defeating any peer among his age group. After all, he had spent the last three years in the Star Luo Empire diligently mastering the 'Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer' technique taught to him by his father, Tang Hao. He had also perfected the 'Clear Sky Nine Absolutes', a series of devastating, specialized hammer strikes taught to him by his uncle, Sect Master Tang Xiao. Finally, the two legendary Titled Douluos had regularly sparred with him, pushing his combat instincts to the absolute limit and greatly enriching his tactical fighting style. He was more than confident in going over to the Slaughter City and emerging as a champion.
While Tang San soared into the ranks of the continent's elite, a tragic, inevitable rift had formed between him and his former comrades.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun had indeed become stronger over the past three years within the Star Luo Empire, benefiting from the rich resources of the royal family. But unfortunately, since they hadn't eaten any of the miraculous Immortal Herbs—which Zhang Tian had long ago stolen from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—their inherent talents remained relatively ordinary compared to the true monsters of the era.
Thus, despite their grueling training, the trio had barely reached the level of Spirit King (Level 51 to 53) in the last three years. The massive, insurmountable gap in spirit power and combat capability developing between them and Tang San had taken a severe toll on their brotherhood. Tang San, consumed by his desire for vengeance and his rapid, vampiric ascent to power, increasingly viewed his old friends as fragile liabilities. His relationship with Dai Mubai, Oscar, and even the loyal Ma Hongjun wasn't that strong anymore; they were growing apart, separated by the harsh reality of their differing destinies.
Meanwhile, the older generation of the southern alliance was highly active. Tang Xiao, the leader of the Clear Sky Sect, Yu Yuanzhen, the leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Emperor Dai Tianxiong of the Star Luo Empire had formed a terrifying hunting coalition.
In order to rapidly increase the number of Titled Douluo in their respective factions, they would regularly assemble elite hunting parties focused entirely on targeting the incredibly powerful Sea Spirit Beasts lurking off the deep western and southern coasts. They slaughtered pods of Terrorclaw Octopuses and Deep Sea Demon Sharks, harvesting their high-year spirit rings and, more importantly, their priceless spirit bones.
Interestingly, Yu Xiaogang and Flender were frequently accompanying them on these dangerous maritime hunts for Sea Spirit Beasts. Yu Xiaogang acted as the supreme tactical mind, utilizing his encyclopedic knowledge of beast habits to track and isolate the Leviathans, while Flender provided high-altitude aerial reconnaissance. The Shrek teachers had tied their fates entirely to the success of the Star Luo alliance.
All these tiny, fragmented bits of crucial information, coming steadily from the whispers of his Blood Silver Grass across the last three years, made Zhang Tian completely, perfectly aware of all that was happening among his enemies. He watched their desperate scramble for power with the amused, detached patience of a god watching ants build a sandcastle before the tide comes in.
For the last three years, Zhang Tian had been intensely studying in his underground laboratories, entirely lost in enhancing his profound knowledge of Spirit Tools and artificial spirit ring condensation. He had built a modern, technological empire in the north. But now, as he digested the news of Tang San entering the Slaughter City, he felt the political winds shifting. It was time to temporarily step away from the workbench. It was time to deal with one of the greatest, most unpredictable hidden threats lingering on the board.
He could not afford to let the gods dictate the rules of his game. He was somewhat worried that, unlike in the original story, the Asura God might directly interfere and send down his Nine Trials for Tang San much earlier, sensing the massive anomaly that Zhang Tian represented. But Zhang Tian knew he couldn't do anything about the whims of a deity looking down from the divine realm. After all, the only real, permanent thing they could do to secure their survival was becoming a God more quickly than their enemies.
This thought brought his mind to Qian Renxue. She was currently at Level 76, possessing the full, terrifying power of the Seraphim Spirit Avatar. She was nearly ready to return to the Elder Hall and officially start attempting her Angel God's Trials.
However, Zhang Tian was deeply worried. He feared her trials being subtly hijacked or maliciously controlled by external divine forces. He knew the shameless Sea God, the violently aggressive Asura God, or even the deeply corrupted Rakshasa God—who just wanted to destroy everything pure in the world—might try to interfere with her ascension to spite the Angel God. Because of this looming, unseen threat, he didn't dare to tell her to go and start the Angel God's Nine Trials just yet. He needed to test the waters of the divine realm first. He needed to look a god in the eye.
Thus, Zhang Tian made his decision. He reached out with his spirit power, sending a brief, commanding telepathic pulse across the mansion.
He called for Bibi Dong to join him immediately in his private, heavily warded master chamber.
Within minutes, the heavy oak door to his bedroom clicked open. Bibi Dong naturally arrived, assuming the summons was for their usual afternoon activities. She had dressed for the occasion. The Supreme Pontiff, the most powerful woman on the continent, was wearing a stunning, entirely transparent black lace lingerie set that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. The sheer fabric clung desperately to her massive, heavy breasts, the dark lace framing her stiff, pink nipples perfectly. The matching thong barely covered her womanhood, the thin straps resting high on her wide, curvy hips. Her long, beautiful legs were clad in sheer black thigh-high stockings. She looked devastatingly sexy, a true masterpiece of mature, forbidden lust, fully believing that Zhang Tian summoned her for some rough, passionate fun.
Zhang Tian smiled, a genuine expression of deep appreciation for her incredible beauty crossing his face. He sat on the edge of his massive, plush bed. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Come here, Dong'er," Zhang Tian commanded softly.
Bibi Dong's pink eyes sparkled with submissive adoration. She practically glided across the room, her hips swaying seductively. She stepped between his spread legs and gracefully lowered herself, straddling his thighs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in close.
Zhang Tian pulled her tightly into his arms and made her sit firmly on his lap. He leaned forward, capturing her luscious, soft lips in a deep, passionate kiss. She moaned softly against his mouth, her tongue eagerly meeting his. While he kissed her, his large hands immediately went to work. He began aggressively fondling her large, heavy breasts through the transparent lace, squeezing the soft flesh and rolling her nipples between his thumbs. His hands then trailed down her smooth back, gripping her thin waist before moving lower to knead her curvy, plush hips.
As they kissed, Bibi Dong naturally began to move. Her curvy hips were grinding slowly, rhythmically against his hard dick through the fabric of his trousers. The friction generated a rush of heat between them, the room quickly filling with the heavy, intoxicating scent of their mutual arousal.
However, Zhang Tian knew he had to pause the physical indulgence for a moment. He broke the kiss, pulling back slightly while keeping his hands firmly gripping her voluptuous backside.
"As much as I want to strip this lace from your body and bend you over this bed, Dong'er," Zhang Tian whispered, his voice a low, serious rumble that contrasted sharply with his roaming hands. "I called you here for a very different, highly dangerous reason today."
Bibi Dong blinked, her long lashes fluttering in mild confusion. She stopped grinding her hips, looking at him with absolute, unwavering attention. "Zhang Tian? What is it? Has something happened in the south?"
"The south is proceeding exactly as I predicted," Zhang Tian reassured her, trailing a finger gently down her jawline. "No, this matter concerns something far closer to home. It concerns the darkness you carry."
He looked directly into her pink eyes, his expression turning incredibly solemn.
"I want to meet with the Rakshasa God's Divine Sense that you have sealed deep within your mind," Zhang Tian whispered, the words carrying a heavy, chilling weight in the quiet room.
Bibi Dong froze. The blood drained slightly from her flushed cheeks. The name of her dark patron was rarely spoken aloud in their private sanctuary.
"Zhang Tian... why?" Bibi Dong asked, her voice trembling slightly. The thought of exposing her beloved to the pure, unadulterated malice of the Rakshasa God terrified her more than facing an army of Limit Douluos. "That entity is pure hatred. It seeks only to corrupt and destroy. It is dangerous."
"It is naturally to talk to that Rakshasa God about something incredibly important regarding the future of our empire and the safety of Renxue's ascension," Zhang Tian explained smoothly, his thumbs stroking her hips to keep her grounded. "I need to gauge the limitations of their divine interference in the mortal realm. I cannot protect our family from the heavens if I do not understand the rules the gods are forced to play by."
Bibi Dong was visibly, deeply worried about him. Her hands tightened around his neck, her nails digging slightly into his skin. She was terrified that the Rakshasa God might play some horrific, mind-shattering tricks on him, attempting to rot his spiritual sea or curse his soul.
"Zhang Tian, please, reconsider," Bibi Dong pleaded softly, leaning her forehead against his. "If the Divine Sense lashes out, it could permanently damage your mind. I could not bear it if you were hurt because of the darkness I carry."
Zhang Tian smiled warmly, touched by her genuine, desperate concern for his safety. It was a stark reminder of just how completely he had conquered the heart of the Supreme Pontiff.
"Do not worry, my beautiful Empress," Zhang Tian reassured her, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "I am not foolish enough to walk into a viper's nest completely unprotected. I will not use my true body or my core consciousness."
He raised his right hand, a swirl of silver and red light gathering in his palm.
"I will create a highly specialized Blood Silver Mirage Clone," Zhang Tian explained, detailing his safeguard. "I will infuse it with a substantial, but entirely isolated, portion of my Quasi-God mental power. Only that clone's mental sense would enter your spiritual sea to meet that divine sense of the Rakshasa God. If the entity turns hostile and attempts to strike, the connection will be instantly severed, and only the clone will be destroyed. My true mind will remain entirely safe, sitting right here holding you."
Bibi Dong listened intently, the logic of his plan slowly easing the frantic beating of her heart. She knew the flawless, absolute realism of his Mirage Clones; they were indistinguishable from his true self but structurally expendable.
Bibi Dong nodded slowly after hearing about this precaution, her pink eyes filling with a mixture of immense relief and profound admiration for his brilliant foresight.
"I understand, Zhang Tian," Bibi Dong agreed softly, leaning up to kiss his lips gently. "Because it would be vastly safer if it was a clone, I will allow it. I will open the gates to my spiritual sea for you. I will suppress my own defenses so your clone can enter freely and find that sealed Divine Sense of the Rakshasa God."
"Good girl," Zhang Tian praised her, squeezing her waist affectionately. "Now, clear your mind. Let us prepare the stage to invite a god to the negotiating table."
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Villain: Manipulating The Heroines Into Hating The Protagonist] and [Harem Master: Seduction System].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon.
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