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In a dark and silent underground space, the sky glows with a dull, blood-red hue. The air is thick with the smell of rotting blood, and a massive iron structure, resembling an inferno, stands tall at the center of this lava-filled world.
The slaughterhouse is divided into nine levels, each filled with the stench of blood and violence. As you approach, you can faintly hear the sounds of screams, cries, and roars echoing from within.
"Curse the Shui family, let me out!"
"Shui Yuanchen, you old bastard! Are you dead or not?"
"Shui Yuanchen, you mongrel! When I get out, I'll wipe out your entire family!"
Unlike the eerie silence outside, inside the slaughterhouse , the heat is intense. The nine levels are separated like rings in a towering structure, where, in addition to the smell of blood and decay, there's a scent of something burning.
The prisoners, shackled within the slaughterhouse , slam their heavy chains against the cell doors, shouting all sorts of obscenities.
But no matter how loud they scream or beg for mercy, nobody in the vast slaughterhouse pays them any heed.
"A bunch of fools, don't even bother. There's no way out of here."
In a corner, a group of prisoners, perhaps realizing there's no hope of escape, sit motionless on the ground with their heads bowed. When they hear the others' shouting, they merely smirk with scorn.
"This slaughterhouse of hell was built for soul masters like us. In the past thousand years, only one person, Zhongli the Old Ghost, escaped during chaos three hundred years ago. Nobody else has lived to see the outside world!"
Some prisoners, resigned to their fate, mockingly or self-deprecatingly talk among themselves.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Mingdu, the capital of the Sun and Moon Empire.
"This time, refining the Level 7 Illusion Crystal was much smoother than before."
On the second floor of a shop, Shui Wuya looked at the nearly completed Level 7 Illusion Crystal with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Usually, when he tried to create soul devices above his level, he would fail several times, sometimes dozens of times. But this time, with the Level 7 Illusion Crystal, there were no signs of failure.
The Level 7 Illusion Crystal was just one step away from completion, signaling that he was about to ascend to the rank of a Level 7 Soul Master!
"Boom!"
Just as Shui Wuya was admiring his work, a violent explosion shook the inn above him. The shockwave not only interrupted his thoughts but also caused the nearly completed Level 7 Illusion Crystal to shatter!
"Who did this?"
Shui Wuya was furious. Instinctively, he released his spiritual power to assess the situation.
It was the middle of the night, and the dark sky was suddenly filled with roaring winds, whipping up clouds of sand and dust. Roofs were ripped off buildings, flying through the air. Amid the chaos, two figures—one in red and one in black—were encircled by a group of heavily armored Mingdu enforcers, engaged in a fierce battle. Meanwhile, reinforcements from the city's guard were rushing to the scene from all directions.
"Ma Xiaotao and Tang Yin?!"
A moment ago, Shui Wuyah was seething with rage, but now his eyes narrowed with a hint of malice as he recognized the red and black figures.
The red figure in the sky was a Fire Phoenix martial soul, with every move igniting the surrounding buildings in flames. The black-robed figure emanated a dark aura, with black thorny vines emerging from his palms, lashing out at the approaching Mingdu guards.
"Today, you're surrounded by Mingdu's elite guard. There's no escape!"
Among the enforcers, an eight-ring Soul Douluo was clearly the leader, and as he spoke, he conjured a nine-level soul device resembling a tower.
"Everyone, quickly help me subdue these two evil soul masters!"
With a roar, the eight-ring Soul Douluo released the nine-level soul device, sending it hovering above Ma Xiaotao and Tang Yin. The surrounding Mingdu enforcers infused the tower with their soul power, causing it to resonate with a deep hum.
The tower emitted a powerful suppressive force, bearing down on Ma Xiaotao and Tang Yin.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The force of the tower crushed down, causing Ma Xiaotao and Tang Yin to struggle frantically, spewing blood from their mouths.
Within seconds, the two of them began to show signs of collapse under the overwhelming power of the nine-level soul device. But in a desperate move, Ma Xiaotao released a burst of intense flames from her mouth, containing unimaginable heat.
"Boom!"
The clash between the searing flames and the suppression force triggered a massive explosion, reverberating across the city.
After a few moments, the blast and heatwave dissipated, and when the smoke cleared, Ma Xiaotao and Tang Yin were nowhere to be found.
"Even if they've turned to ashes, find them!" The eight-ring Soul Douluo shouted in a fit of rage as he stood amid the empty battlefield.
Inside the inn below, Shui Wuya, who had been observing the battle, still had a dark expression.
If it hadn't been for the sudden explosion caused by those two, he would've completed his Level 7 Illusion Crystal. Now, his efforts were in vain.
As the Mingdu enforcers began to disperse, Shui Wuya glanced upward, toward the higher sky.
There, high above, a phoenix with extinguished flames silently circled.
Others might not be able to track Ma Xiaotao's movements, but Shui Wuya could sense the extreme cold energy within her. He noticed her actions from the moment the explosion occurred.
She took advantage of the confusion among the Mingdu enforcers to ascend into the sky, concealing herself from view. However, Shui Wuya had no idea where Tang Yin had gone.
"Ugh!"
Ma Xiaotao, in her transformed soul form, coughed up a large amount of blood, her energy rapidly depleting. The intense battle had inflicted severe internal injuries on her.
But perhaps due to her weakened state, a rare moment of clarity appeared in her eyes.
She was reaching her limit.
Her consciousness began to waver, and she wasn't sure if her attackers had left. All she knew was that her strength was nearly gone.
It was late at night, and after several seconds, the clarity in Ma Xiaotao's eyes faded, and she fell into unconsciousness.
However, just before passing out, she vaguely sensed a calming aura below her, as if it were drawing her toward it. Unintentionally, her body began to fall in that direction.
"Crash!"
A loud thud rang out as Ma Xiaotao fell straight through the roof into Shui Wuya's room, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao "falling from the sky," Shui Wuya furrowed his brow once more.
(End of Chapter)