Chapter 74: The Hell Road

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Li Luochen stood up, looking left and right. The surrounding environment was dominated by blood-red hues—fitting for the Hell Road. Truly hellish. 

However, the moment Li Luochen entered, he felt his emotions being stirred, evoking anger, bloodlust, and a sense of madness. 

Li Luochen guessed this was one of the Hell Road's defining features—a uniquely hellish environment. A narrow path, less than half a foot wide, barely wide enough to stand on with both feet, stretched into the unknown darkness. It was the only route leading out from their platform. 

Li Luochen glanced down below the platform. Beneath them lay a sea of deep crimson liquid. Hmm, Bloody Mary—it fit the City of Slaughter perfectly. Aside from that first sip when he arrived, Li Luochen hadn't touched it since. The drink was essentially a slow-acting poison, and he had no interest in consuming it. 

Moreover, the air in the City of Slaughter contained toxins. Li Luochen regularly took antidotes and stabilizing medicines prepared by Dugu Bo. These stabilizing medicines were concocted using herbs from the Ice-Fire Dual Extreme Eye, and their effects were exceptional.

Thanks to this, Li Luochen had time to stabilize his killing intent and prevent it from spiraling out of control. To fully internalize it, however, he would need to leave the City of Slaughter. This environment was utterly unsuitable for cultivating one's mind—it truly made staying here unbearable.

Li Luochen decided to meditate for a while, restoring himself to peak condition before proceeding. Though the path ahead was narrow, fortunately, Li Luochen possessed the Dragon Wing soul bone—he could fly.

After half an hour of meditation, Li Luochen's condition returned to its peak. He decided to press forward, spreading his Dragon Wing soul bone and taking flight. Why walk when you can fly? As for concerns about insufficient soul power? No problem—the Limitless Universe Skill's fifth stage ensured an endless supply!

As Li Luochen navigated the Hell Road, every move he made was closely observed by someone. 

This person was different from the fallen warriors. She was petite, dressed in a black gown, with fair skin and an almost flawless appearance that set her apart. The intangible aura of nobility and sanctity she exuded inspired reverence and worship. 

"Hmph, so this is the person you humbled yourself to write me about, asking me to keep an eye on? Impressive talent—Li Luochen, only fifteen and a half years old, with a dragon-patterned staff evolving into a Coiling Dragon Staff. He completed a hundred victories in the slaughter arena in just a year and a half? 

Faster than I was back then—and even faster than Tang Hao. Hmph, did you really think blocking his information would keep me in the dark? Since you wanted him, fine—I'll let you have him. After all, he belongs to the Spirit Hall." 

This person was none other than Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall. In truth, she had observed Li Luochen several times already. From the moment he entered the City of Slaughter, Qian Renxue had written to Bibi Dong, asking her to keep an eye on him. Despite her sharp words, Bibi Dong acted swiftly. (Tsk, such a doting mother, stubborn as ever.) 

Li Luochen's information had been on her desk for some time now, meticulously detailed. She even knew about his fondness for jewels. As a leader, offering corresponding benefits often won loyalty. 

(A/N: To clarify, Bibi Dong knows about Li Luochen's cultivation level, soul ring configuration, and hobbies. As for his Spirit Fusion Technique, Ghost Douluo wasn't present that night, and Li Luochen's nightly cultivation sessions with Dugu Yan weren't monitored. During hunts, surveillance was occasional and periodic—not constant like paparazzi. So she only had a general understanding.) 

However, just as she prepared to act, she received a Holy Maiden Order rejecting her intervention. Bibi Dong was initially furious but eventually let it go. If the other party wanted him, fine—she'd let them have him.

Though she yielded, Bibi Dong still had full knowledge of Li Luochen's information. Did she think the intelligence network of the Pope's Hall was for show? Ghost Douluo excelled in stealth, personally conducting periodic surveillance without even Dugu Bo noticing. 

Only shadows were seen, no soul rings—such was the Ghost Douluo. Bibi Dong had always been well-informed about Li Luochen's strength. But he belonged to the Spirit Hall, and such talent couldn't be wasted. Besides, he had already "joined" the Spirit Hall—no need to eliminate him.

As for her enmity with the Angel Clan? It didn't conflict with her goal of unifying the continent of Douluo. The more talent, the better. The Angel Clan would fall eventually—though Qian Renxue was an exception.

The scene returned to Li Luochen. Flying over the abyss showcased the advantage of having flight abilities. However, the further he flew, the hotter it became—evidence of increasing difficulty.

It was natural to feel the heat as they approached the blood pool below—the core of the City of Slaughter. However, Li Luochen's mental strength detected a swarm of creatures rapidly approaching. 

These weren't solitary creatures—they came in a massive group numbering at least a thousand. 

The flying creatures finally came into view. They were blood-red bats, miniature versions of the bloody patterns left on the ground during the Hell Slaughter Arena battles. Each bat was about a foot long, but their wingspan exceeded a meter when fully spread. 

"The bats are here—it seems this is the first trial. Avoiding engagement and escaping quickly is the best strategy." 

Li Luochen accelerated directly. Fighting the bats would be too taxing—they were numerous and not suited for his one-on-one combat style. 

As Li Luochen sped toward the narrow path ahead, a massive figure hung upside-down beneath the narrow road. Bathed in the faint red glow around it, the figure emitted a dim golden light. 

The creature was over four meters long, with two enormous claws gripping the narrow path. Each claw had a diameter of over a meter, digging sharply into the stone. 

A pair of massive wings slowly unfurled from its dark golden body. The terrifying wingspan stretched ten meters wide. With a sudden release of its claws and a powerful flap of its wings, its massive body soared into the air—it was an enormous bat. 

"The Dark Golden Three-Headed Bat King? Its three heads must be thirty-thousand-year soul beasts, huh? Blocking my path? Can it really stop me?" 

Li Luochen summoned his Coiling Dragon Staff, activating the Tyrant Dragon Spine Bone to amplify his strength. Simultaneously, he unleashed the power of the Golden Radiance Left Leg Bone. The Coiling Dragon Staff turned golden, radiating intense light energy. 

The Dark Golden Three-Headed Bat King? Bats feared light, and light was its natural weakness. Li Luochen intended to crush it with overwhelming force. 

"Battle Staff Art, First Form: Earth-Shaking Mountain Tremor!" 

This was the Battle Staff Art Li Luochen had created himself, inspired by his ultimate superhero and great sage—the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. To battle heaven, earth, gods, ghosts, and men—this was the essence of his self-created Battle Path. 

{T/N: The Great Sage Equaling Heaven is Sun Wukong's title, similar to how Titled Douluo have their own.}

For this, Li Luochen devised six forms of staff techniques: Earth-Shaking Mountain Tremor; River Dividing Into Land; Ocean Churning and Sea Stirring; Mountain Whipping and Stone Shifting; Sand Flying and Stone Walking; Mountain Moving and Sea Filling. 

Among them, Earth-Shaking Mountain Tremor, Ocean Churning and Sea Stirring, Mountain Whipping and Stone Shifting, and Mountain Moving and Sea Filling were all aggressive techniques. 

River Dividing Into Land was used to divide the battlefield, while Sand Flying and Stone Walking served to confuse opponents. 

Li Luochen's six staff techniques were highly practical, combining elements from four existing styles: Coiling Dragon Staff, Qian Jun Staff, Jiang Mo Staff, and Dragon Pattern Staff. 

These techniques were tailor-made for him alone. Only he could wield them to their fullest potential. Even if others learned them later, they could only achieve eighty percent of their power. Those who imitated him might survive, but those who blindly copied him would perish. 

This was a truth summarized by the ancients. Surely no one would foolishly mimic without understanding, right? Right?! 

*Boom!* Li Luochen's overwhelming strike landed squarely on the head of the Dark Golden Three-Headed Bat King.

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