"How do I know? I know plenty."
"I also know that one of his Martial Souls is Blue Silver Grass, and the other is the Clear Sky Hammer." Under Bibi Dong's indifferent words, Ethan Drake broke into a nervous sweat.
Back then, after Tang Hao killed the former Spirit Hall pope, Severin Cross, he had already taken the opposite side of Spirit Hall. Now Ethan had silently taken Tang Hao's son as his disciple, which indirectly placed him on the opposite side of Spirit Hall as well.
This opposition was even deeper and more complete than the political estrangement between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall. Unless he abandoned Tang San on the spot, there was no way around it. But for Ethan, who already saw Tang San as all of his future hope, that was absolutely impossible.
Because of Bibi Dong's counterattack, Ethan's plan was thrown into disorder. His objective shifted from obtaining the Twin Martial Soul cultivation method to ensuring Tang San's safety.
Although Tang San had Tang Hao's protection and Ethan believed he would survive Spirit Hall's pursuit, Tang Hao could not protect Tang San for the rest of his life. It would also affect Tang San's cultivation. So Ethan began to think of a way to protect Tang San.
"Your Holiness, I have no children. Tang San is like a son to me... I beg you, spare Tang San." As he spoke, Ethan lowered his head on his own initiative. This time, he had thrown his so-called face a thousand miles away.
When Bibi Dong heard Ethan's plea, she burst into laughter. "Hahaha, son! Hahahahaha, your son! What kind of ability is it to steal Tang Hao's son? Why not have one with Liu Erlong? Oh, I forgot. She is your cousin, is she not?"
Faced with Bibi Dong rubbing salt into his wound, Ethan bit his lip. He was angry, but he did not dare speak. Under a Titled Sage's observation, he did not even dare show anger.
"Then tell me. You beg me to spare him, but why do you think I should agree?"
Under Bibi Dong's questioning, Ethan seemed to make a decision. "Your Holiness, I am willing to trade life for life. I will use my life in exchange for Tang San's."
Ethan was gambling. Although Bibi Dong had changed greatly, he still believed that he had a place in her heart. That was why he deliberately said such a thing.
Just as Ethan expected, Bibi Dong's expression gradually darkened.
At a time like this, the Elixir of Affection's flaw showed itself. It only affected matters involving Wu Ling.
For example, with the cultivation method earlier, because Wu Ling had written it, Bibi Dong weighed the matter and chose Wu Ling. She would not give the method to Ethan.
But in the current situation, while Wu Ling had told her about Tang San's existence, he had not stated his attitude toward him. So when Bibi Dong made this decision, her feelings toward Wu Ling were not involved.
"Ethan Drake, do not think I will not kill you!"
A vast killing intent erupted from Bibi Dong. The pressure of a Titled Sage, combined with the stimulation of killing intent, struck Ethan's mind and body at the same time.
Ethan was pressed to the ground by that pressure. He had no doubt that he might truly die in the next second. But the double torment only lasted a few seconds before it withdrew like a tide.
"Ethan Drake, you bastard! After more than twenty years, did you come back just to bully me again?"
"Cough, cough... Your Holiness... Tang San..."
Seeing that Ethan's first action after getting up was to ask about Tang San again, Bibi Dong grew even colder after calming herself.
"Enough. I will not move against him. Get out!"
With that, Bibi Dong waved her hand. A powerful wind pressure slammed into Ethan and sent him flying straight out of the Pope's Palace.
With a bang, the palace doors closed. Ethan lay curled up at the entrance. His body had not fought in years, and after being thrown like that, he almost thought he would die there.
The guards on both sides looked at one another. At last, the guard closest to Ethan walked over.
"Move, move. No lying down here." Seeing that Ethan was still panting and ignoring him, the guard planned to drag him away. But the moment he stretched out his hand, Ethan slapped it aside.
"I can still move."
Ethan looked deeply at the great doors of the Pope's Palace. Although he had failed to obtain either of the two things he planned to get and had even lost an Elder Token, he had confirmed two things: Tang San was safe, and she still had him in her heart.
Forcing his aching body to move, Ethan left step by step.
By the time he reached the street, dusk had already fallen. He had no mood to look at the spirit tools that had attracted him earlier. He immediately hired a carriage, returned the room he had occupied for less than ten minutes, then left this holy city in the hearts of countless Spirit Masters under the cover of night.
As for what he would do after leaving, that was not part of Bibi Dong's thoughts. Based on what she knew of Ethan, he would probably return and increase Tang San's training intensity.
But Bibi Dong did not care, because Spirit Hall still had him. Bibi Dong turned her gaze in a certain direction, as if she could still see Wu Ling training at home, and see the Wu Ling who chatted with her after she visited, helped her make plans, cooked a whole table of food for her, and cared about her.
"Ling'er, when will you come back..."
Time flew. One year passed just like that. By now, Wu Ling's win count had reached an astonishing ninety-five, very close to the hundred-win threshold.
In the year and a half he had spent here, Wu Ling had killed more than eight hundred people inside the Hell Killing Field alone. Outside the arena, he had killed no fewer than three hundred. Added together, he could already be called a slayer of a thousand.
Because of his exquisite swordsmanship, apart from a few true experts, more than ninety percent of his opponents were killed with a single slash. As a result, Wu Ling gained his own title in Slaughter City: One-Blade Asura.
A certain unspoken rule had now formed in Slaughter City. The most dangerous person here was the young man with the lightest killing intent who carried a blade, because you never knew when he was going to kill you. Sometimes, only after he walked behind you and cut you down would you realize he had been there at all.
In the inner city of Slaughter City, inside a dark room, the black-veiled woman who had first received Wu Ling was now kneeling on the ground and reporting to the person in front of her.
"Report to the Slaughter King. One-Blade Asura won again today."
"I know!" An incomparably tall figure sat in the chair ahead. Though his face could not be seen, the boundless tyranny around him was enough to make anyone tremble.
"Great Slaughter King, One-Blade Asura's swordsmanship is truly terrifying. And he continues tempering his sword path through slaughter. Over this year and a half, his sword realm has advanced another step. Under conditions where Spirit Skills cannot be used, even a Spirit Emperor is no match for him. Perhaps even a Titled Sage..."
The black-veiled woman looked deeply worried. It was all because of Slaughter City's prophecy: "When the Deathgod descends, Hell will face disaster."
In truth, this referred to the day a Deathgod would appear, and because of that person's appearance, Slaughter City would be destroyed. Originally, this person was Tang San, who would use the Snow Swan Kiss to destroy Slaughter City. But because of Wu Ling's appearance, the Slaughter King, the black-veiled woman, and the others who knew the prophecy all suspected that the Deathgod in the prophecy was Wu Ling.