After breakfast, Lin Yuan took out the Zhuge Divine Crossbow and introduced it to Daji and the others.
"This weapon is called the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. Its bolts are eight inches long, the rear four inches cylindrical, the front four inches conical, and the first three inches have twelve fine blood grooves. The arrowhead is extremely sharp. It's a mechanical concealed weapon, with high lethality and long range."
The crossbow was about one foot long, fully made of iron, with uniform texture and great toughness. The loading port for the bolts was on the side. To load, simply press the bolt into the arrow box. The box held 48 bolts and could fire three times. Each firing required the user to be at the Extreme Emperor City. One end of the black rectangular box had sixteen holes, allowing sixteen tail-less bolts to be fired simultaneously at very high speed. Within fifty meters, they could pierce both metal and stone. Perfect for ambushes, it could kill in one strike, exuding an imposing aura. Beyond fifty meters, the attack power would drop sharply.
Daji said, "This weapon's lethality is amazing!"
"This Zhuge Divine Crossbow is enough to protect support soul masters while giving them sufficient attack power. Wen Ya, I'll entrust it to you."
Wen Ya took the crossbow and said, "Thank you, Master."
"Little Daji, help me summon the Guardian Beast!"
"Host, the Guardian Beast is being summoned."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've obtained the 23-year-old Guardian Beast, Xuanwu!"
"Damn! It's Xuanwu."
"Please choose the Guardian position for Xuanwu. Once chosen, it cannot be changed."
"Choose the Ice-Fire Eye."
As soon as he spoke, a sphere of light surged from the system, gradually growing, and above the Ice-Fire Eye, a phantom of Xuanwu appeared.
Xuanwu raised its head high, pointing to the sky. Its massive shell was covered with countless serrations, and a purple aura surrounded it. A snake's head extended from Xuanwu's tail, overlooking the crowd. Its four sharp claws, like mountains, slammed fiercely toward the people nearby.
Fortunately, this Xuanwu was only a phantom; otherwise, the surrounding mountains would have collapsed. Under Lin Yuan's influence, the shadow of Xuanwu could only be seen by those at the Ice-Fire Eye, and the constant sounds were isolated by Lin Yuan using the Ice-Fire Eye.
As Xuanwu's master, Lin Yuan could command it at will. He had deliberately made Xuanwu appear as a phantom rather than its true body.
"What… what is this?" Dugu Xin's legs trembled as he asked.
Not only were his legs shaking, but the pressure from Xuanwu made everyone else sweat and shiver.
"This is the Guardian Beast Xuanwu, a ferocious giant beast, 23 years old. From now on, with it guarding the Ice-Fire Eye, there's no need to worry about safety."
Lin Yuan's action was meant to prevent people like Tang San in the original story from swarming here to harvest immortal herbs.
"Understood," Xuanwu said.
"Xuanwu, hide!"
As soon as the command was given, the entire Xuanwu phantom disappeared, and the oppressive pressure receded like a tide.
Dugu Xin patted his chest, gasping: "My heavens, the soul beast's aura is too strong. If I stayed any longer, I would've wet my pants."
Wen Ya rolled her eyes at Dugu Xin angrily. "You only know how to say disgusting things."
"I'm transferring control of Xuanwu to your spiritual realm. In the future, if I'm gone and you face enemies you cannot handle, you can summon Xuanwu."
A surge of spiritual power flowed from Lin Yuan's Detection Eye, granting them the right to command Xuanwu. This was another ability of the Xuanwu Master.
After half a month of repairs, the Ice-Fire Eye was finally restored, and Lin Yuan and Daji set out on their journey again.
Taiyi Zhenren and Dugu Bo stayed at the Ice-Fire Eye to guard it and refine herbs, while Shangguan Wan'er went to the Dugu family pharmacy to assist Dugu Xin and Wen Ya in managing it.
Before leaving, Lin Yuan had Dugu Bo strengthen the poison barrier outside the Ice-Fire Eye, enough to prevent soul beasts from entering.
Lin Yuan and Daji's destination this time was the City of Slaughter, as per the system's mission.
[Ding! Current Task 6: City of Slaughter]
Introduction: Follow Daji to the City of Slaughter.Reward: Diamonds +120, Mental Clarity ×3, Points +3000
[Ding! Current Task 7: Brave the Road to Hell]
Description: Use Daji to achieve 100 consecutive victories on the Slaughter Battlefield, enter the Road to Hell, and obtain the Killing God Domain.Reward: Soul Power +1 level, all Soul Rings +1 year lifespan, Points +2000
According to the system map, Lin Yuan and Daji headed north, the air gradually growing colder.
The two continued along the rugged mountain path; the cold outside meant nothing to them.
After half a month of camping, they decided to have a proper meal.
Ahead was a small town. It looked unassuming, but the moment Lin Yuan entered, he sensed a strange, eerie atmosphere; everyone there felt a mysterious chill.
Lin Yuan and Daji entered an inn in the town.
The air inside the tavern was thick and heavy. Lin Yuan noticed that all the decorations were black. Though it was daytime outside, stepping in gave a sense of dark, oppressive cold.
About a few percent of the patrons were seated. Although the air was murky, very few spoke, making the place unusually quiet.
Their arrival drew attention. Most glanced at Lin Yuan and went on, but everyone stared at Daji with burning eyes, as if they wanted to devour her alive.
Lin Yuan found a seat in the corner and sat with Daji. A black-clad waiter with an expressionless face approached.
"What would you like?"
"Two Bloody Marys."
The waiter's expression changed. "Are you sure?" Under Lin Yuan's cold gaze, he dared not speak further and turned away.
After a while, two cups of murky liquid were served. Dark red in color, they emitted a strong fishy stench, reminiscent of fresh blood.
Lin Yuan picked up his Bloody Mary. The pungent smell hit his nose, and he frowned.
He had intended to act like the protagonists in the original novels and fan works: coolly ordering a Bloody Mary and drinking it calmly, even knowing it was human blood. But the taste…
He felt nauseous and vomited violently. The violent retching broke the tavern's silence, drawing everyone's attention. Laughter erupted.
"Where did this newbie come from? Go home, this isn't for you."
No matter the fan fiction, in the story of City of Slaughter, someone would always say that.
Lin Yuan wanted to shout: I'm not a newbie! Really not!
The tavern was suddenly filled with unpleasant voices; the patrons seemed to have found a release, mercilessly targeting Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan lifted his head; his previously uneasy expression turned icy. "Daji, kill them with me."
"Yes, Master."
Before Daji could act, a burly man closest to Lin Yuan jumped up. "I'll kill you first."
A long blade thrust at a sharp angle toward Lin Yuan's heart. The man clearly had experience; the blade fit precisely between his ribs.
Lin Yuan's left hand shot out like lightning. Using the Left Arm Bone of the Fire Dragon King and the Claw of Destruction, he pierced the man's chest with a resounding clang, blood gushing out.
He moved decisively, every motion precise and forceful.
At that moment, he clearly saw that aside from Daji and the waiter, there were 23 other patrons. One had already been killed by him; the remaining 22 were next.
Of these 22, five immediately released soul power; the other 17 drew their weapons without hesitation. None survived.
"This is a test, a challenge from the City of Slaughter. Kill them, and we can enter the city!" someone shouted, eyes reddened with frenzy. They rushed toward Lin Yuan and Daji.
Lin Yuan drew the Gold Dragon Spear, stepped forward with his left leg, sweeping the spear horizontally. The powerful Golden Dragon instantly decapitated three people ahead. Spinning the spear back, it pierced three more.
He withdrew the spear, turning. His left hand became a palm, condensing soul power instantly. The palm blocked two sneak attacks. The Northern Darkness technique awakened, absorbing the attackers' soul power and converting it into Northern Darkness true energy for Lin Yuan to use.
If you want, I can continue translating the battle sequence inside the City of Slaughter, where Lin Yuan and Daji fight through all the enemies.
go to "patreon.com/Hussain678" for more chapter