'Swords?'
'Prepared.'
'Clothes?'
'Prepared.'
'Food?'
'Prepared.'
In Wu Ling's courtyard, Rose listed the supplies while Wu Ling checked them again against the catalog he had planned long ago.
Among them were three long blades that Wu Ling and Rose had worked together to forge. They were so sturdy that even a Spirit Emperor would be unable to destroy them.
For a swordsman, a broken sword was a disgrace. If the sword broke, the swordsman should die with it. But Wu Ling was not a swordsman. He was merely a Spirit Master who used a sword.
And no matter how good a sword was, if it went too long without maintenance, wear and nicks would still appear. So Wu Ling prepared three. One to use, one backup, and one backup for when the backup broke.
Of course, just in case, Wu Ling had also used Magecraft to stabilize Arondight. Even if he canceled his fourth Spirit Ring, it could still remain in reality. The only difference was that it could not use Spirit Skills. But for Arondight, which had become a demonic sword, losing Spirit Skill access was not a serious problem. What Wu Ling wanted was its indestructibility.
As for clothing, he wore his usual black outfit, plus a mask that covered his mouth and nose.
Do not underestimate that mask. It had powerful filtration functions. Even under the sea, it could filter out clean air. This was also a product Rose had developed through Magecraft research.
Finally, there was food. Water needed no explanation, and he had plenty of ordinary food as well. The key was the collection of black, dull-looking pills, each about the size of a thumb.
These were the portable rations Wu Ling had asked Rose to research. They could not work like Senzu Beans, instantly restoring all injuries and stamina while keeping him full for ten days, but the energy in one pill was enough to let Wu Ling go a full day without eating. They also contained the trace nutrients the human body needed, ensuring that he would not lack important elements while he was still growing.
All these preparations were for one place: Slaughter City.
Slaughter City was a remnant left behind by the Asura God. Its purpose was to search for an inheritor. Passing Hell Road and obtaining the Deathgod Domain served as the entry ticket to the Asura God's Nine Trials.
In the eyes of Spirit Masters who did not know the truth, it was a prison one could enter but never leave. In reality, that was also correct. It was the place Spirit Hall used to imprison countless Evil Spirit Masters.
In Wu Ling's eyes, however, it was only that much.
After all, it was like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Every transmigrator had to visit it at least once. And because so many predecessors had already entered and exited countless times, Wu Ling had a certain feeling about it. How should he put it? It was like walking through a maze with the map already in hand, without even needing a ball of thread.
Of course, as the predecessors said, one should despise the enemy strategically but respect the enemy tactically.
So Wu Ling had spent half a year preparing these things according to Slaughter City's rules and environmental factors.
'Everything is ready. What about your circuits?' Wu Ling put all the supplies into his storage ring, then asked.
Rose made a victory sign, looking as excited as a child whose parents were about to go out. 'Of course. I have carved an improved auto-absorption array onto every clone. Each of us is equivalent to a small Spirit Power Circuit. Even without your Spirit Power supply, main body, the arrays plus two hours of cultivation per day are enough to sustain our actions.'
Inside Slaughter City, without special permission, one could use Spirit Power but not Spirit Skills. Only self-created Spirit Skills, domain abilities, and Spirit Bone skills could be used.
Separated by such a long distance, Wu Ling was not sure whether Slaughter City's influence would sever his connection to Ember and the others. So he directly equipped them with auto-absorption arrays.
For this, Wu Ling had only one thought: Auto-absorption arrays are damn useful.
'In the original story, Tang San took two years to clear it. I should not be worse than him. My current Spirit Power level is forty-five. Even if all of you need to spend two hours cultivating each day to maintain your existence, the remaining time should still be enough to raise me to level fifty.'
'So if I come out and discover that my Spirit Power has not reached the required level, you should understand what I mean.' After Wu Ling finished packing and was about to leave, he kindly reminded the four clones, who were standing there waving handkerchiefs. His calm tone and gaze made everyone except Shade, who had been dragged over by force, shiver.
After Wu Ling left, Ember, Rose, and Azure exchanged glances.
'I suddenly remembered that I have not finished today's training yet. I will go first, haha.' Ember laughed awkwardly twice, then pulled Shade toward the rear room to train.
'Same, same. I will go too.'
'Although I am office staff, training together with you from time to time is not bad either.'
Wu Ling sensed that all four clones had begun cultivating. He smiled and paid them no further attention, then slowly walked along the street. No one noticed him.
That was not because Wu Ling's fame was low. It was exactly the opposite. In the past half year, after it was revealed that the owner of the Soulcraft Shop was the current Pope's disciple and that all its products had been invented by him, Wu Ling's fame had risen another stage.
If one had to describe it, it was something like, I am not in the martial world, but the martial world is full of my legends.
To avoid attracting attention, all of Wu Ling's clothes had been engraved with Magecraft arrays that weakened his presence. Combined with another Magecraft effect that made people instinctively avoid him when they drew near, anyone below the level of a mental-system Spirit King would be unable to notice his existence.
Wu Ling walked along the roadside. The cicadas in the trees had gradually grown sparse, no longer forming the rising waves of sound from before. In a few days, the cries that represented midsummer would probably disappear completely. That also meant autumn was approaching.
Wu Ling could still faintly remember the orange-soda-flavored insect-catching boy from a few months ago, working hard to find the sound of cicadas.
Just then, several Spirit Masters rode past him quickly on two-wheeled spirit-drive bikes.
Wu Ling felt the air current blowing from the side and roughly estimated their speed. He muttered, 'Should speed limits be put on the agenda? I will mention it to Teacher later.'
When he reached the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong, who had been busy with work, softened the instant she saw Wu Ling. But the expression vanished like an illusion, and she returned to her usual cold dignity.
'Ling'er, are you ready?'
'I am ready, Teacher. But before that, something occurred to me on the way here.'
Wu Ling then explained his idea about speed limits within cities. Bibi Dong agreed with it as well.
'Indeed. It is fine in Spirit City, where most people are Spirit Masters. But in ordinary cities, common people do not have the ability to dodge in time. Very well. I will discuss this with the Elders.'
'But before that, I want to confirm one more time. Ling'er, Slaughter City is no playground. Even if you may die, do you still insist on going?'
End of Volume 2.