Chapter 29: The Son of the High Priest
Qin Xuan stood in the shadows of his small, stone room, his mind far from the reeking, bloody city around him. He was calculating, analyzing the future, and dissecting the past. His primary target, Tang San, was a nexus of plot armor, but the events surrounding his parents, Tang Hao and Ah Yin, were riddled with inconsistencies.
Even if "Xiao Bie San," as Qin Xuan privately called him, used cheats, his power was somewhat understandable. He had at least two 100,000-year spirit rings—Ah Yin and Xiao Wu—to sacrifice for him, propelling his strength forward at critical moments.
[Inorin's Note: "Xiao Bie San" is a derogatory pun on Tang San's name, replacing "San" (three) with "Bie" (turtle), implying he's a "little turtle" or "bastard." It reflects the protagonist's contempt.]
That was somewhat understandable, however infuriating.
But what about Tang Xiao? He had nothing.
How, Qin Xuan mused, did Tang Xiao, the elder brother, the one who lived in Tang Hao's shadow, manage to jump from Level 78 to Level 90 in just a few years? As a Level 60 Spirit Emperor who had fought for his life for a solid year, Qin Xuan knew what a monumental, impossible leap that was.
Therefore, Qin Xuan speculated there were only two possibilities.
The first one:
Tang Hao (age 30) and Tang Xiao went out for training. Two years later (age 32), they met Ah Yin. At this time, Tang Xiao had not yet broken through to Spirit Douluo and, being weaker, did not recognize Ah Yin's 100,000-year soul beast identity.
Then the three of them traveled together. During this time, the two brothers, along with Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, inevitably encountered some rare immortal flowers and herbs, and their strength rapidly increased.
Three years later, Tang Xiao, heartbroken, left dejectedly.
When Tang Hao was 35, his spirit power reached Level 84. He fell in love with Ah Yin, and on their way back to the Clear Sky Sect, they were discovered by a Spirit Hall Titled Douluo. Tang Hao, in his rage, broke one of the opponent's legs. This act caused his father to die of anger. Tang Xiao, having returned earlier, advanced to Titled Douluo and took over as Sect Master.
This timeline was messy. It had too many bugs and relied on too much luck. It was probably unlikely.
The second one:
Tang Hao (age 30) and Tang Xiao went out for training. Five years later (age 35), Tang Hao met Ah Yin. Tang Xiao, who was still with him, also fell in love at first sight (captivated by her beauty). Because of his own feelings, he did recognize her identity but did not expose her.
Three years later, Tang Xiao, seeing that Ah Yin did not like him, left dejectedly. Soon after returning to the Sect, he had an epiphany from his heartbreak and advanced to Titled Douluo. That year, Tang Hao was 38.
Eight years. From Level 78 to Level 90. Given Tang Xiao's own S-class talent, if he encountered a major opportunity during their travels and had a profound emotional catalyst like unrequited love, his advancement to Titled Douluo would also be understandable.
This made more sense. It would also be more reasonable for the 38-year-old Tang Hao, now a high-level Spirit Douluo, to hide with Ah Yin for six more years, advancing from Level 84 to Level 90 before his fated battle with Qian Xunji.
The Slaughter King had said that Tang Hao escaped from the City of Slaughter five years ago.
That means Tang Hao, right now, is currently 33 years old. He is nine years older than Bibi Dong and 13 years older than Qin Xuan.
This meant the first timeline, which implied the Tang Hao brothers had already met Ah Yin, was impossible.
If it's the second one... then it gets very, very interesting.
This means Ah Yin hasn't met Tang Hao yet.
She's original. She's wholehearted. A fresh, 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor, not yet tied to any man or child. The thought of finding her, of intercepting that fate... it made one's heart flutter just thinking about it.
Ah Yin in one hand, the world in the other. It was a pleasant thought.
As Qin Xuan was musing over these pleasant thoughts, the Slaughter King's voice, amplified by spirit power, suddenly rang out, shattering the silence of his room and echoing across the entire city:
"It has been a long, long time since I have seen such an outstanding young man."
Qin Xuan's eyes snapped open, his speculations vanishing, replaced by a cold, sharp focus. He stood up and unbarred his door.
The sound of the Hell Slaughtering Field was deafening. He had just won his final match.
The Slaughter King floated five meters above the blood-soaked ground, his massive bat-like wings spread wide. He looked down at Qin Xuan, the sole figure standing in the center of the arena, surrounded by the mangled corpses of his last nine opponents.
"Black Dragon!" the King boomed, his voice filled with a strange, guttural passion. "Thank you for making me feel passion again! One hundred consecutive victories in just one short year! This has broken the thousand-year record of the City of Slaughter since its establishment!"
"Very good!" On his deathly pale face, a cold smile, uglier than crying, spread. "To commend your feat, I have decided to exceptionally bestow upon you the title of God of Slaughter! From now on, you can freely enter and exit the City of Slaughter and are hired as an Elder of the City of Slaughter, beneath myself!"
The King's smile, however, would soon freeze.
"Thank you, great Slaughter King." Qin Xuan's voice was calm, muffled by his hood. "I am willing to accept the title of God of Slaughter and the position of Elder of the City of Slaughter."
He then slowly, deliberately, reached up and took off the tattered, blood-soaked hood that he had not removed in front of outsiders for an entire year.
The cloth fell away.
A head of freely flowing, brilliant golden hair, the color of the sun, cascaded down his back. It was a color that had no place in this dark, crimson world.
Beneath the long hair was the disguised, unfamiliar face he had worn for a year—a face that was cold, arrogant, and bore a three-to-four-tenths resemblance to Qian Daoliu and his son, Qian Xunji.
"This... this face... damn it!" The Slaughter King's head throbbed violently.
The Nine-Headed Blood-Red Bat King, which had resided within Tang Chen's body for many years, instinctively felt a strange, terrifying familiarity from this golden-haired youth. It was an aura he recognized.
Although not as strong as the Clear Sky Sect disciple five years ago, it was an aura of the same level.
Qin Xuan, standing amidst the carnage, reached into his robe. He pulled out a unique, dark-gold Elder token—the one gifted to him by Qian Jun Douluo during his apprenticeship—and threw it at the Slaughter King.
He then began to speak nonsense with a serious, arrogant face:
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Qian Xuntian. My father is the Spirit Hall High Priest, the Level 99 Limit Douluo, Qian Daoliu. My elder brother is the current Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji."
The Slaughter King caught the token, his blood-red eyes narrowing. He glanced at it, saw the Coiling Dragon Rod insignia—it was genuine. He also saw that Qin Xuan's appearance indeed bore a striking resemblance to the Qian family.
Although he didn't fully believe it, he didn't disbelieve it either.
"So, young friend is the son of the Spirit Hall High Priest, and the younger brother of the current Pope. This is... quite unexpected for this King," he said, his voice losing its passion and becoming a cold, calculating hiss. "However, this King remembers that the Qian family's inherited Spirit seems to be... the Seraphim. And you, young friend..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Qin Xuan acted.
Now.
Qin Xuan simultaneously activated the disguise function of [Thousand Faces] for his aura and [Phoenix Fire] for his Spirit.
A brilliant, holy, golden light suddenly illuminated from his body. It was not the red light of slaughter, but the golden light of divinity. It instantly spread over his entire body, starting from his forehead.
Under the intense golden light, Qin Xuan's eyes also turned completely golden. A huge, six-winged golden phantom, whose face could not be seen clearly, appeared behind him, its wings unfurling to shield the entire arena in a holy, oppressive light.
It was precisely the Seraphim, simultaneously and perfectly disguised by [Thousand Faces] and [Phoenix Fire].
Both the aura and the appearance were identical to Qian Xunji's Seraphim in Qin Xuan's memory. But, essentially, it was still just the Changming Sword, with no attack bonuses. It was a perfect, terrifying bluff.
The effect was instantaneous.
Most of the fallen degenerates present, who had long since become evil Spirit Masters, screamed.
Feeling the pure, holy aura of light emanating from Qin Xuan, they felt an immense, agonizing aversion. It was like acid on their souls.
They couldn't help but fear Qin Xuan even more, instinctively backing away, clawing at their own faces, trampling each other to get away. If not for the Slaughter King being present, they would have probably already fled in a panic.
And the Slaughter King himself was not much better.
"It's actually a Seraphim Spirit!" he exclaimed in shock, his body recoiling in the air.
This aura! This instinctive, burning feeling of revulsion! It was exactly the same as what it had felt from the Angel God when it followed its master, the Rakshasa God, in the Divine Realm ages ago!
There was no mistake. This was the Seraphim.
Coupled with Qin Xuan's previous use of a sword Spirit in the arena...
Twin Spirits!
With the legendary Twin Spirits talent, and one of them being the Seraphim, if he grew smoothly... he would undoubtedly become another Angel God in the future.
However... the Angel God was the eternal, hated enemy of its master, the Rakshasa God.
It would never allow such a thing to happen.
Thinking of this, the Slaughter King's shock vanished, replaced by a pure, unadulterated killing intent towards Qin Xuan.
"Great Slaughter King... are you trying to kill me?" Qin Xuan sneered, his voice echoing with the new, holy power. His fist, hidden in his sleeve, was tightly clutching the [Mo Ya] Character Recruitment Card he had obtained a year ago.
He was never one to joke with his own life.
Everything had to have a backup plan.
If the Slaughter King didn't play by the rules, he could temporarily escape to another World using the [Character Recruitment Card].
Then, when he returned, he could disguise himself as a City of Slaughter guard and seize an opportunity to escape.
However, if he did that, his mission to get Jingni would fail, and all his efforts over the past year would be wasted.
"Give me a reason not to kill you." The Slaughter King slowly descended to the ground, his blood-red eyes narrowed to slits, staring at Qin Xuan. "You should know that your very existence has seriously threatened the City of Slaughter."
If it could, it really wanted to kill Qin Xuan right now, to eliminate this excellent, budding descendant of the "Angel God" for its master.
But...
Doing so would undoubtedly lead to an endless, all-out war with Spirit Hall. Not to mention Qin Xuan's terrifying talent, just his identity as the "son of the High Priest and younger brother of the Pope" alone...
It was enough to thoroughly enrage Qian Daoliu, the Level 99 Limit Douluo who was as famous as his old master, Tang Chen. It would enrage the entire Spirit Hall.
At that time, the City of Slaughter would not only lose Spirit Hall as an ally and a dumping ground for their "trash," but it would also face a full-scale war. Destruction would be inevitable.
Although the Nine-Headed Blood-Red Bat King was unwilling to see the birth of a new generation of the Angel God, and it was still loyal to the Rakshasa God... the Rakshasa God had neglected it for who knows how many thousands of years.
It had long developed its own intentions. Its own ambitions.
If possible, it truly did not want to give up this "kingdom" that it had so painstakingly established.
[Inorin Note:
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