Chapter 53 The Devil's Invitation! I set up a machine gun at the gates of hell
On the border of the Star Luo Empire, in an unnamed wasteland.
The rain poured down relentlessly. The sky was like a torn gray cloth, pouring out icy rain without restraint. On the muddy road, the roar of the silver motorcycle was long gone, leaving only deep and shallow, staggering footprints, which were then washed clean by the rain.
That was the third day of the full-time team's escape. Without their high-profile vehicles, and to evade the aerial search, they had no choice but to abandon their cars and walk into this desolate land that even spirit beasts refused to inhabit.
Beneath a sheltered rocky outcrop, Shui Bing'er carefully laid the unconscious Ye Feng down. The boy's face was still as pale as paper, and the diamond-shaped blue mark between his brows was still slightly warm, occasionally flashing with a chaotic stream of data light. That was a sign that the "Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull" was undergoing deep assimilation with his brain. For an ordinary Soul Master, absorbing a 60,000-year-old Soul Bone only required meditation and guidance. But Ye Feng was different; he was forcibly "rewriting" the rules of this Soul Bone with his own consciousness, attempting to turn it into a "secondary brain" belonging to a Mechanic. This pain was no less than having his skull ripped off.
"His temperature has risen again." Shui Bing'er placed her hand on Ye Feng's forehead, channeling her icy soul power into him as if it were free, but she could only barely suppress the fever. "Yan Yan, how's the situation around us?"
Dugu Yan, who was on guard duty, emerged from the rain, her face extremely grim. "The situation is terrible. Although Tang Hao lured away the main force of the Spirit Hall, they released an exorbitant bounty. Now, there are at least a dozen bounty hunter teams searching for us in this wasteland." Dugu Yan gritted her teeth. "Those hyenas have noses sharper than dogs. Several of the poison arrays I set up have been broken, and among those coming are experts, at least Soul Saint level tracking specialists."
Huo Wu slammed her fist on the rock in frustration, sending sparks flying. "What's there to be afraid of! Kill them one by one! I've been itching to vent my anger!" Although she said this, everyone could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Three consecutive days of fleeing, their nerves were on edge, and with a comatose patient in tow, they were at their limit.
"We have to get into that place." Dugu Yan looked north, to the edge of this wasteland, shrouded in a perpetual black haze. "The entrance to the Killing City is in a small town ahead. It's the only way to survive, and also the only way to die."
Just then, Ye Feng's body suddenly convulsed violently. "Warning...high energy detected..." His eyes were tightly shut, his lips cracked, yet he unconsciously murmured a string of illogical words. "Location...southeast...distance...800 meters...sniper lock..."
"What is he saying?" Huo Wu was taken aback.
Before Shui Bing'er could react, a strong sense of crisis instantly pierced her spine. "Get down!!!" Shui Bing'er forcefully pushed the two women beside her to the ground.
Whoosh! A silent black arrow pierced through the torrential rain, grazing Shui Bing'er's scalp before embedding itself deeply into the hard granite. It was an arrow entirely formed from soul power; there was no sound of it cutting through the air, only extreme killing intent. If Shui Bing'er hadn't reacted quickly, that arrow would have already blown Huo Wu's head off.
"Hehehe... Not bad, little brats." Seven figures clad in black cloaks slowly emerged from the rain. The leader held an exaggeratedly shaped bone bow, with seven perfectly matched spirit rings pulsating beneath him. A Spirit Saint! And a Spirit Saint with the strongest weapon spirit! Behind him were six Spirit Emperors.
"It's the Black Wind Stronghold's bounty hunters." Dugu Yan's heart sank to the bottom. "This group specializes in hunting high-level soul beasts and wanted criminals. Their methods are extremely cruel. It is said that they will even kill their own fathers if the money is right."
The leading Bone Bow Soul Saint licked his lips, his greedy gaze sweeping over the three women before finally settling on the unconscious Ye Feng. "That kid's head is worth three soul bones, and these three girls... they'd fetch a good price on the black market too. Brothers, once this deal is done, we'll be set for life." "Go! Don't damage that kid's head!"
"Want to mess with him? First, test my poison!" Dugu Yan's eyes blazed with green light, and the phantom of the Azure Phosphorous Serpent King appeared, spewing forth a cloud of purple poisonous mist. However, her opponent was prepared. A Wind-attribute Soul Emperor stepped forward, unleashing a fierce gust of wind that forcefully blew the poisonous mist back. "Little girl, your poison is good, but it's too weak against absolute level suppression!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! The battle erupted instantly. But this was by no means an evenly matched battle. Although Shui Bing'er and her two companions were geniuses, they were ultimately only Soul Masters. Facing a Soul Saint and six Soul Emperors who were well-coordinated and ruthless, they were instantly at a complete disadvantage. In just three rounds, Huo Wu was shot through the shoulder by an arrow and pinned to a tree. Dugu Yan was in grave danger when two agility-type Soul Emperors got close to her. To protect Ye Feng, Shui Bing'er withstood a Soul Saint's shockwave arrow, her martial soul almost shattered, and she collapsed to her knees beside Ye Feng, spitting out blood.
"It's over." The Bone Bow Soul Saint drew back the bowstring taut, the arrow aimed at Shui Bing'er's stunning face. "What a waste of such a beautiful face. In your next life, remember not to go against the Spirit Hall."
Shui Bing'er closed her eyes in despair. But her hands still gripped Ye Feng's clothes tightly, refusing to let go.
In that life-or-death moment, a cold hand suddenly grasped Shui Bing'er's wrist. Although the hand was trembling, it was unusually strong.
"Who gave you permission... to touch my team members?" A hoarse, weak voice, yet carrying a chilling coldness, rang out in the rainy night.
Shui Bing'er suddenly opened her eyes. She saw that Ye Feng, who had been unconscious, had somehow sat up. He wasn't fully awake. His eyes were unfocused, his pupils filled with countless streams of blue data, like a sophisticated machine undergoing a cold start. That was the "Absolute Rationality - Managed Mode" of the intelligent skull.
"A zombie?" The Bone Bow Soul Saint sneered. "Good thing you're awake; it saves me the trouble of carrying a corpse. Die!" Thud! The bowstring snapped, and a deadly arrow shot forth!
Ye Feng didn't dodge. He didn't even look at the arrow. He simply raised his left hand and lightly tapped his finger in the air. "Defense Protocol - G-2 Thunderer - Automatic Interception".
Zzzzt—Crack! No flashy shield appeared. But a meter in front of Ye Feng, three metal floating spheres, no bigger than walnuts, materialized out of thin air (fragments of the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella reassembling). They spun at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, precisely releasing a high-voltage arc of electricity the instant the arrow flew, striking the arrowhead. Boom! The soul power arrow, powerful enough to pierce a boulder, detonated prematurely in mid-air!
"What?!" Bone Bow Soul Saint exclaimed in shock.
Ye Feng slowly stood up. His body was still swaying, as if he might collapse at any moment, but the three metal floating spheres, like loyal guardians, hummed softly around him. Ye Feng tilted his head, his blue eyes, filled with data, looking at the seven people opposite him. In his vision, these seven people were no longer people, but seven moving red dots, with weakness analysis, distance parameters, and... lethality marked above their heads.
"Target locked: 7." "Threat level: Medium." "Ammunition stockpile: Low." "Recommended course of action: Precision-guided strikes to exploit weaknesses."
Ye Feng raised his right hand, but the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella did not appear, because his physical condition could not support the materialization of large machinery. Instead, he pulled out a... seemingly ordinary, silver-white pistol from his pocket. It was his most familiar companion from his previous life as a "wandering gunslinger"—a Revolver Colt (Soul Guidance Modified). It wasn't loaded with soul power bullets, but rather armor-piercing explosive rounds that he had handcrafted using the micro-manipulation abilities of the "Intelligent Skull" during his escape.
"Seven people." "I have six bullets." "Then…" Ye Feng's lips curled into a stiff smile. "That will require a little… geometry."
Bang! The first shot rang out. No one saw how Ye Feng drew his gun. They only saw the Soul Emperor on the far left, who had attempted a sneak attack, suddenly have a bloody flower bloom between his eyebrows and fall backward. Instant kill!
"Damn it! Attack together!" Bone Bow Soul Saint roared.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Ye Feng stood still, his feet not moving, only his wrist making extremely subtle adjustments. Each gunshot was accompanied by the loss of a life. He didn't need to aim. The intelligent skull had already calculated the wind speed, humidity, the enemy's movement trajectory, and even predicted their dodging movements for him. This was the "auto-aiming cheat."
The fourth shot hit a rock. Just when the Soul Saint thought he had missed, the bullet ricocheted in a bizarre way! Clang! The bullet bounced at an unbelievable angle and pierced the head of a defensive Soul Emperor who was casting a spell.
In the blink of an eye, all six Soul Emperors fell. Only the Bone Bow Soul Saint remained. And Ye Feng's gun had only one bullet left.
The Soul Saint was terrified. Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, at the cold, mechanical-like youth, his legs began to tremble. "You... what kind of monster are you?" "Soul Skill! Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body!" The Soul Saint dared not hold back any longer, immediately activating his strongest state, wanting to fight to the death.
Ye Feng looked at the enormous bone bow and said calmly, "Too slow. In my calculations, you've already died a hundred times."
Ye Feng didn't fire that final shot. He simply snapped his fingers. "Mechanical detonation."
Beep beep beep—The Soul Saint suddenly heard a strange sound coming from beneath his feet. He looked down and realized that, in his panicked movement, he had stepped on a small, toy-like metal robot, no bigger than a fist. It was the *RX-78 Chaser* that Ye Feng had secretly thrown out while firing his gun, using the "G-2 Thunderer" as cover.
The little robot looked up at the Soul Saint, its red electronic eyes flashing as if revealing a mocking smile. Boom!!!
The explosion didn't kill the Soul Saint, since he was in his Martial Soul True Form state. However, the shockwave severed his leg, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward. Just as his mouth and throat became the fatal opening,...
Bang! The sixth shot rang out. The final bullet pierced his mouth precisely, penetrating the back of his head. Even the soul power barrier has weaknesses. The interior is always the most vulnerable.
The rain was still falling. Seven corpses lay scattered in the muddy water. A wisp of smoke rose from the revolver in Ye Feng's hand. The blue data stream in his eyes slowly faded, his body swayed, and he fell backward. Shui Bing'er reacted quickly, catching him in her arms.
"Captain..." "I'm alright." Ye Feng's voice was weak, but it had regained its clarity. The battle just now had allowed him to completely fuse with the Skull of Wisdom. Although the price was the complete depletion of his soul power.
"Let's go." Ye Feng looked at the even darker sky to the north. "The welcoming ceremony is over. Next, we're going to a place even dirtier than this."
...
Two hours later. At the entrance to the City of Slaughter, in an unnamed town.
The sky here is black, and the air is thick with a nauseating stench of blood. Along the streets lie naked corpses and men and women engaging in illicit acts in the open. There is no law, no morality, only the most primal desires.
As Shui Bing'er and her group helped Ye Feng into the town, they immediately attracted countless greedy and lewd gazes. Three stunning beauties, plus a sickly man who looked like he was about to die. In these people's eyes, they were like a plate of freshly cooked meat.
"Hey, a newbie?" A group of ugly thugs surrounded them, wielding rusty machetes and spiked clubs. "Chop that guy up and feed him to the dogs, leave the woman here, we're having a good time tonight!"
Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan immediately became alert, circulating their soul power. But Ye Feng held their hands down. "This is my home turf." Ye Feng pushed aside the crowd's support, took out a black cigar (actually some kind of stimulating herbal roll) from his storage ring, put it in his mouth, and lit it. He took a deep drag and exhaled a smoke ring. His eyes became playful and cruel.
"Who's in charge here?" Ye Feng asked.
"In charge? Hahaha! I'm the rule here!" A burly man with a face full of scars laughed wildly as he rushed forward and swung his knife at Ye Feng's head.
Ye Feng didn't move. But the Thousand Chance Umbrella behind him (currently folded and stored) suddenly popped open a small hole. Clang! Clang! Clang! Three crisp metallic clangs rang out. The burly man's head exploded like a rotten watermelon. It wasn't a soul skill; it was a pure gunpowder kinetic weapon.
The entire arena fell silent instantly. Ye Feng, standing on the burly man's corpse, surveyed his surroundings. "Anyone else who thinks this is the right thing to do? Step forward, I don't mind wasting a few more bullets."
No one dared to move. In this place, no one was afraid of Soul Masters, because Soul Masters had to chant and consume mana. But this invisible, intangible, and instantaneous headshot technique instilled in them an unknown fear.
"Very good." Ye Feng walked straight towards the dilapidated tavern in the center of the town. It was the only way to the Killing City.
Inside the tavern, dimly lit, sat a throng of grotesque, fallen men. Behind the bar, a waiter named Scott was wiping glasses. Seeing Ye Feng and his group enter, he gave a sinister smile. "Gentlemen, what would you like to order? Our specialty is—"
"A Bloody Mary," Ye Feng interrupted him, sitting at the bar. "But I want it specially made."
Scott narrowed his eyes: "Oh? How exactly is it specially made?"
Ye Feng pulled out several small bottles from his pocket (poison extracts from Dugu Yan and some chemical reagents), and began to fiddle with them like mixing cocktails in front of everyone. "Bloody Mary, the main ingredient is human blood, plus a small amount of hallucinogenic herbs and corpse poison." "Drinking this kind of low-level stuff will only damage your brain."
Ye Feng dropped a drop of emerald green liquid into the cup. Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! The crimson liquid instantly boiled, emitting black smoke, and finally transformed into a clear, transparent liquid that exuded a chilling aura. "This is my concoction of 'Hellfire.' Only those who drink it and survive will be qualified to speak to me."
Ye Feng pushed the glass towards Scott. "Do you dare drink it?"
A provocation. A blatant provocation. Scott's expression changed. He had guarded this gate for decades, seen countless madmen, but never anyone dared to offer him poisoned wine. "Kid, you're courting death. This is the gate of the City of Slaughter, even a Title Douluo..."
"Stop talking nonsense." Ye Feng slammed the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella on the bar. Click—that was the sound of a machine cocking a gun. This time, the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella transformed into a massive weapon with six thick barrels. "An M-137 Gatling gun." The dark muzzle was pressed directly against Scott's forehead.
Ye Feng revealed his signature devilish smile. "I'm in a hurry." "Either drink it and open the door." "Or, I'll smash your head in and you'll have to find the switch yourself." "Three." "Two."
The gun barrel began to slowly rotate, emitting a deathly hum. All the thugs present were stunned. Who was the real villain here? This kid's murderous aura was heavier than all of them combined!
Scott stared at the spinning gun barrel and swallowed hard. He had no doubt that he'd be riddled with holes in the next second. "I...I'll open the door!" he slammed his hand on the mechanism under the bar.
A rumble—the bar counter cracked open, revealing a dark, deep hole. A chilling wind blew out, carrying a maddening murderous intent.
Ye Feng put away his machine gun, picked up the "Hellfire" drink he had made himself, and downed it in one gulp. "Not bad." He wiped his mouth and turned to look at the three girls behind him. "Ready?" "Below is a world where soul skills cannot be used." "But there... is a mechanic's paradise."
Ye Feng was the first to jump. His figure was instantly swallowed by the darkness.
"What a... madman." Shui Bing'er smiled helplessly and followed closely behind. Dugu Yan and Huo Wu exchanged a glance and jumped down without hesitation.
After they disappeared, Scott looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and the lingering smell of gunpowder in the air, muttering to himself, "The Killing City... is about to change." "A monster has arrived... capable of killing without needing soul skills."
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