Before she could finish her sentence, Bibi Dong felt a sudden wave of unease. Her mind spun as if deprived of oxygen, and she experienced a momentary dizziness.
Her body went limp, and she began to fall forward.
"What's happening?" Su Cheng quickly reached out to catch her, his gentle voice resonating deep within her soul, bringing her back to consciousness.
"I... I don't know..."
Bibi Dong leaned weakly against his chest, her face flushing slightly.
Su Cheng, however, was too concerned to appreciate the momentary softness of the touch. He frowned as he looked at the concentrated malice around them, which seemed almost tangible, feeling a sense of gravity.
The dark red God of Slaughter domain that surrounded the three of them began to show signs of turning purple-black.
He now understood.
Regardless of when Bibi Dong's domain began to change during her journey through the Hell Road, the root cause lay in the blood pool deep in the abyss beneath their feet.
That blood pool must be the accumulation of human blood collected over many years in the City of Slaughter. It was also the "Bloody Mary" consumed by the fallen ones of the city and the sacrifices made when opening the Hell Road.
It was the energy source of the City of Slaughter's peculiar domain, but it was also where the true power of the Rakshasa God resided.
Back when Bibi Dong first entered the Hell Road, she had already been marked by the Rakshasa God's power in the blood pool. It had merely been lying dormant, affecting her from deep within her soul.
What puzzled Su Cheng now was why the blood pool was reacting so intensely at this moment.
Even though Bibi Dong was the heir to the Rakshasa God and was undergoing the Rakshasa God's trials, nothing unusual had happened during the process.
The Rakshasa God's inheritance space wasn't even here. For the Rakshasa God, the Hell Road was merely a place to select and test candidates, similar to the Seven Sacred Pillars on Seagod Island for the Seagod or the Angel Statue in the Douluo Hall for the Angel God.
If anything were to affect Bibi Dong or respond to her presence, it should be in a place akin to the Seagod's inheritance palace.
After thinking for a moment, he looked down at Bibi Dong in his arms and softly said, "First, put away your God of Slaughter domain."
Then he turned to the other side, where a black-clad girl with a perplexed expression was standing. "Zhuqing, use your innate domain."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded immediately, knowing this was not the time for questions. The massive phantom of the Hell White Tiger appeared behind her.
A faintly fishy, light red breeze swirled around, replacing the previously dark red, slightly purple-black God of Slaughter domain emanating from Bibi Dong.
"Su... Su Cheng..." Bibi Dong whispered weakly, her eyes half-closed.
Her face was pale, and light purple patterns had begun to appear around her eyes.
Despite the immense pressure from the fierce and violent energy of the Hell Road, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but glance at the two of them in surprise.
The high and mighty Pope was now trembling visibly. Her half-open eyes were watery, and deep pain was evident within them.
"Don't worry, I'm here," Su Cheng responded softly.
He surveyed the intense malice rising from beneath their feet, gathering rapidly around them, and looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, can you hold on?"
In just a brief moment, a blood-colored shadow had enveloped the whirlwind around Zhu Zhuqing.
"I can."
"Don't overexert yourself. Try to comprehend the killing intent here."
Su Cheng nodded to himself, observing the domain Zhu Zhuqing had created.
Her Wind God domain was similar to his Eternal Sword domain, focusing on extreme offense. The current power she displayed was several times stronger than when they first arrived at the City of Slaughter, and its essence had been significantly enhanced.
Although it contained some impurities due to the unique spirit power environment of the City of Slaughter, every other aspect had been positively improved, greatly complementing her Hell White Tiger spirit and enhancing her combat capabilities.
With this foundation, her future cultivation of innate skills would also become much easier.
The fierce malice erupting from the blood pool beneath their feet wasn't entirely without benefits. It had at least stimulated the otherwise dormant power of the Asura God, provoking the powerful killing intent present here.
For Zhu Zhuqing, this was both good and bad.
The clearer and more intense the killing intent, the easier it was to perceive and comprehend.
However, the power of the violent energy also increased significantly.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhuqing had accumulated deep killing intent through numerous consecutive victories, even though she hadn't achieved a hundred wins in the Hell Slaughter Arena. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to withstand the repeated onslaughts of killing intent.
"Be careful not to be tainted by the malice. If you feel your mind becoming unstable, tell me immediately, and I will intervene," Su Cheng said solemnly.
At this point, he knew he would inevitably have to step in.
Bibi Dong's condition was worse than he had imagined, and her God of Slaughter domain was clearly unsuitable for continued use.
However, to leave the Hell Road, they needed an overwhelming killing intent to shield them, absorbing the will of slaughter, or the protection of a fully formed God of Slaughter domain.
Thus, when they finally escaped the Hell Road, Su Cheng would need to use his innate power to protect Zhu Zhuqing. There was no need to force her to hold on for too long.
For now, he had her use her own domain to resist the pressure, hoping to help her gain more insights.
After all, this was a rare opportunity. Once they left, it would be difficult for her to return to the Hell Road.
"I understand," Zhu Zhuqing nodded seriously, her eyes focused.
Seeing this, Su Cheng didn't say more, not wanting to distract her.
His primary concern was Bibi Dong's condition.
The previously composed Bibi Dong was now nearly delirious.
Her body almost entirely rested against Su Cheng, and without his support, she might have collapsed and lost consciousness.
Her delicate body alternated between cold and hot, her breath chaotic and extremely turbulent.
Killing intent and malice surged in waves, and amidst it all, there was a familiar, pure aura that flickered intermittently.
It seemed that these forces were battling within her, using her body as a battleground.
However, as time passed, the unending malice began to gain the upper hand, occasionally causing her eyes to flash with a greenish glow.
If Su Cheng could observe her soul, he would see that the tiny starlight deep within Bibi Dong's soul was flickering and on the verge of extinguishing.
Simultaneously, the layers of malice outside were pressing in, seeping deeper into her soul.
In reality, Bibi Dong, as the heir of the Rakshasa God, was undergoing the god's trials, which were mitigated by the starlight. This had provoked the Rakshasa God's power on the Hell Road, causing the intense reaction in the blood pool beneath their feet.
In her mind, scenes of past memories and illusions alternated, causing her intense pain.
After years of companionship, hinting at her feelings only to drive the other away, never daring to approach again...
On Seagod Island, watching her beloved die helplessly...
Worse still, that person was just a memory, and in reality, they were separated by generations, leaving no chance for rescue; or maybe, that person never existed, and she had always faced all her suffering alone...
And the years spent with Qian Renxue in Spirit City...
It was hard not to hate Qian Renxue.
Despite the blood ties, the bloodline of the Qian family and the sacred aura of the Angel Clan reminded her of the teacher who had pushed her into the abyss and the scenes of terror and resentment she could never forget...
The stronger the desire and the deeper the obsession, the greater the pain of separation and loss.
As the current Pope of Wuhun Hall, standing at the pinnacle of power, Bibi Dong's obsession wasn't with power.
Since she had never lacked power and status since childhood, she didn't crave these things.
She lacked emotional bonds, which made her cherish them more.
The saddest part was this.
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