Chapter 41 Ghost God, Rakshasa

At the time, both Tang San and Tang Hao found this puzzling because Slaughter City had no currency—all food and drink were provided free of charge. Here, the dead were the most valuable commodity. Each person used the number of skulls they possessed as a symbol of strength. The blood and skulls of opponents they personally killed could be exchanged for other items.

Back then, Tang Hao had assumed these were the leftover assets of deceased Soul Masters in Slaughter City, which the Slaughter Envoys took outside to sell in exchange for food. After all, Slaughter City had its own taverns, so it made sense they might have external businesses too.

But now, seeing this, it appeared all supplies within Slaughter City were provided from here. No wonder the high tower was filled with fruits, vegetables, grains, and precious medicinal springs—this explained everything!

The women served as Slaughter Envoys, responsible for reception and guidance within Slaughter City, while the men farmed and gathered herbs to supply it. Moreover, his mother and these envoys were bound forever, unable to leave. It truly was no different from slavery.

Tang San, sharp as ever, picked up on some key phrases and asked, "Mother, you mentioned earlier—the mission of the Slaughter God? What does that mean?"

The existence of gods was no secret. Rumors said Slaughter City was left behind by a hundredth-level god-tier expert. But the term "mission" was particularly intriguing.

Moreover, the phrase "divine mission" was something Tang San had heard more than once—or rather, something many across the entire Douluo Continent, even ordinary people, had heard.

Because of Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall had always claimed to be the spokesperson of the gods, their envoys, tasked with fulfilling the divine mission and spreading the light of the gods across the land.

These proclamations from Spirit Hall were known throughout the continent. Of course, most people didn't take them seriously—it was just the usual religious rhetoric, ultimately serving their own interests.

But now, hearing it from his mother's lips, it felt different.

Pope, you weren't joking! You really do have a divine mission!

Hearing this, Hongyan's expression turned grave. She asked solemnly, "Son, can you show me your Martial Soul?"

Tang San could tell that what came next was of utmost importance, with no room for error. Without wasting words, he revealed his second Martial Soul.

The moment she saw the mark, Hongyan grew visibly emotional, her eyes glistening with tears. "It's the mark of a god. Yes, it worked. It really worked."

Tang San thought to himself, "A god? This time, Mother didn't refer to the Slaughter God specifically but simply called it a god?"

"Son, come with me." Without giving him time to ponder, Hongyan took Tang San's hand and led him deeper into the palace.

Passing through the grand halls, under his mother's guidance, Tang San arrived at the rear of the exquisite palace. He had expected gardens or landscaped courtyards behind the palace, but what lay before him now far exceeded his expectations—it was even enough to send chills down one's spine.

Looking ahead, there was only darkness, silence, and desolation. Here, apart from darkness, there was nothing else—no trace of light. The place where the two stood seemed like the boundary between light and darkness. Gazing into the distance, it felt as if the world ended here. Crossing this point would mean stepping into a world of eternal darkness, into the underworld.

Without hesitation, Hongyan summoned her Martial Soul. A mark between her eyebrows glowed, and in the next moment, a crimson demonic Martial Soul appeared behind her. The scarlet demon's skin was covered in molten cracks, sharp bone spikes protruded from its joints, and its eyes burned with eerie green ghost flames. Nine chains coiled around its body, piercing through vital points like the collarbone, heart, and knees.

Eight Soul Rings emerged, revealing that Tang San's mother was a Soul Douluo. However, unlike his own, her Soul Rings weren't grayish-white—instead, they were bound by chains from her Martial Soul.

In Slaughter City, Soul Rings were sealed, which was why Tang San's appeared grayish-white, signifying suppression. Yet, strangely, his mother's Soul Rings retained their colors but were shackled by chains.

It wasn't just her Martial Soul—Tang San also noticed that the mark on his mother's forehead had developed lines extending outward, forming chain-like patterns that obscured the mark.

Suddenly, Tang San understood why his mother had called the mark on her face a Slave Mark. Even her Martial Soul and Soul Rings were being suppressed!

He had seen inherited Martial Souls before, but this kind of generational suppression and sealing was something he had never encountered.

This suppression was likely the true reason she couldn't leave Slaughter City—not even Tang Hao, who had traversed the Road to Hell and possessed the God of Slaughter Domain, could take her away from here!

"Is this the power of a god? Even in its absence, its suppression can imprison someone for eternity." This power was terrifying, far surpassing that of a Titled Douluo.

Only after summoning her Martial Soul did the darkness ahead gradually disperse. As they ventured deeper, Tang San finally saw what lay within.

The earth was shattered, riddled with countless fissures that formed massive abysses like deep canyons. The entire world was devoid of life, as if everything had been devoured long ago. There was no trace of vitality—not even light—as if existence itself had reverted to nothingness.

Seeing this, Tang San was no fool. He had already guessed that the battlefield he witnessed during his Martial Soul awakening—the one drenched in rivers of blood and piled with mountains of corpses—was this very place.

Finally, the mother and son stopped before a ruined structure. The surroundings bore no resemblance to their former state, save for a severely damaged black stone statue, only a fraction of which remained standing.

Tang San studied the heavily fractured black statue and asked, "Mother, like Spirit Hall, did your people worship a god?"

"No, not the same. Because our god has already fallen. This place… was once the site of a divine war."

Tang San wasn't surprised. He had already guessed as much. The vision he saw during his Martial Soul awakening had depicted two mighty beings locked in battle. And judging by the state of Slaughter City now, the victor was likely the Slaughter God.

Thus, the losing side had been punished by the divine—their descendants and followers forever trapped here, unable to leave, forced to fulfill some so-called mission.

Looking at the shattered statue, Hongyan continued, "The Slaughter God achieved final victory, and in the end, he established Slaughter City here. His purpose was to select his successor through the trials he set up, to inherit his power. The God of Slaughter Domain is one of the powers he left behind. Maintaining the God of Slaughter's power requires slaughter, and we are bound here for eternity, unable to leave until his successor appears."

"That god who revered slaughter called himself the God of Slaughter, Asura. Our deity is the Ghost God, Rakshasa."

(End of Chapter)