As the sun broke the dawn, the Disaster Bull could no longer bear the growing pressure in its stomach and bellowed, "Moo! Moo moo!!"
Chen Xiang reluctantly stopped, looking at the bull collapsed on the ground, its eyes rolled back and tongue hanging out. He grinned widely, "How many went in?"
"Twenty-one thousand," it replied. "My light may only illuminate this place, but it attracted nearly half of the nearby lost souls within five hundred meters."
Chen Xiang nodded, his expression turning serious. "Half… so over four hundred thousand people have died here in the last fifteen hundred years?"
"Indeed."
That figure was staggering—averaging at least two hundred seventy deaths a year! Nearly one person dying each day? And that was just within five hundred meters!
"This number seems off..." Chen Xiang stared at the bulging Disaster Bull, his brow furrowing. Not only here, but the Wu Manor had summoned tens of thousands of ghosts without exhausting their numbers.
It seemed that Great City must have experienced some cataclysmic war resulting in countless deaths; otherwise, the death toll over fifteen hundred years wouldn't be so high! Yet, historical records didn't mention any such events... What happened over a thousand years ago in the Divine Calendar?
Shaking off the heavy thoughts, Chen Xiang crouched down and gently stroked the Disaster Bull, grinning from ear to ear.
With twenty-one thousand ghosts and a daily production rate of around three-tenths of a percent, that meant an average daily yield of over six hundred portions of soul essence! In fact, the Disaster Bull likely had accumulated dozens of complete portions of soul essence by now... and he felt that it still hadn't reached its limit.
Even when it did hit a limit, that limit could expand as its strength grew!
Gazing out at the morning glow, Chen Xiang placed his hand on the bull's head, subtly tapping into their connection to extract ten portions of soul essence.
Holding his breath, he wrapped the essence in his mental will and slowly drew it into the depths of his spiritual sea...
A sense of ‘fulfillment' and an indescribable ‘euphoria' washed over him. It felt a thousand, even ten thousand times more intense than any earthly pleasure!
The sensation of his soul being filled and revitalized...
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated, allowing dark flames to emerge from his eyes, quickly spreading over his body, engulfing him in a blazing inferno!
While the black flames could barely cover his body before, now they enveloped him completely, and the accompanying whispers from the abyss grew richer and more layered!
Previously, it took seconds for the black flames to incinerate Mandong, and minutes for the charming woman in the valley. But now...
Chen Xiang sensed that if he targeted that woman again, he could turn her to ash in less than thirty seconds!
As for the ability to virtualize...
Entering a virtual state, he felt like a ghost drifting in reality, silently perceiving. Before absorbing the soul essence, he could barely virtualize a floating vehicle for a moment, but now he believed he could envelop the entire forty-seventh floor of the Tian Ding Hotel in a virtual state, even if just for a breath.
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And this was only from ten portions of soul essence.
What if he amassed one hundred, one thousand, or even ten thousand portions?
If his own soul essence piled up to an unfathomable amount, could another self in the dream realm or subspace... emerge?
For the first time in over a month, Chen Xiang felt hopeful about his ‘future.'
"It's time to change my approach. I've shown enough brilliance; now it's time to bide my time."
"Don't provoke those above the saints."
"Avoid getting caught up in major conflicts."
"Get as close to ‘authority' as possible, and try to reclaim ‘authority.'"
"Right now, I need to quietly accumulate foundational capital—build high walls, stockpile grain, and wait to claim my throne!"
"Just give me time; I need time…"
Taking a deep breath, Chen Xiang conversed with the mirror. After confirming his plan, he stored the swollen Disaster Bull back into the mirror.
For the next few days, he wandered the hotel during the day, conversing with the matron to gain knowledge about the mysterious aspects, and occasionally relaxed with others in the entertainment room.
At night, he silently absorbed the divine factors and soul essence.
He didn't take all the soul essence produced by the Disaster Bull for himself; instead, he reserved a third of it for the bull, understanding that long-term sustainability was key.
During this time, he learned from the matron about the ‘madman' who had caused trouble in the Eighth Ring, troubling Li Dongyun and competing with the Fire Gate for territory.
That guy was called ‘Madman' and had incited a major rebellion in the Ninth Ring; the recent chaos was closely related to him. However, he had ultimately been suppressed by three top figures in the Ninth Ring and escaped to the Eighth Ring alone.
"That guy isn't very strong, but he has a lot of charisma... and he's quite mad," the matron commented.
"Little Chen, if you encounter him in the Eighth Ring, be careful. He's suspected to be a devotee of a deity, a [Outer God devotee], as strange as that infinitely flickering madwoman... they used to be a pair."
Outer God Devotee?
Chen Xiang's expression tightened slightly as he probed, "Which path does the devotee belong to?"
"Suspected to be linked to the Lord of the Spirit Realm and the Master of Dimensions, also known as the [Traveler]. He seems to possess an omnipresence ability... though I can't be sure," the matron replied. After a pause, she warned, "That madman may be insane, but he seems to value relationships. Your actions against the Owl Tiger and the boss of Valley Road have spread; people are calling you the ‘Terror Giant'... so be cautious."
Chen Xiang nodded, feeling the situation becoming a bit tricky. He just wanted stability... but an Outer God devotee? That thought left him feeling insecure, as if a predator was lurking nearby. "I just want peace... why must they push me?" he sighed.
Two days passed.
Over eight hundred portions of soul essence had been absorbed by Chen Xiang, and under the complete release of black flames, their diameter had exceeded ten meters. He found it easier to virtualize, and the sense of danger the matron had warned him about had diminished significantly... but it was still dangerous, just no longer as heart-stopping.
On the morning of June 18th, he made a call. "Sister, I'll be back today, around noon... I won't be home for lunch because I have a lecture in the afternoon."
"Yī and Èr have been taking good care of me. The Ninth Ring is chaotic, but it's not that dangerous."
"Don't worry, I know... Is there anything strange going on recently?"
"Nothing's wrong. What about that madman against the Fire Gate?"
"You don't know either... Okay, I understand, sister. Alright, see you later."
After hanging up, Chen Xiang let out a sigh of relief, stretching his body as explosive power surged within him.
He packed his suitcase and opened the door, only to see Li Xiaotong standing outside, seemingly about to knock. She froze, her gaze dropping in panic, a deep fear flickering in her eyes.
The flames within him burned brighter.
She swallowed hard, whispering, "Mom asked me to come get you; we're preparing to return to the Eighth Ring..."
"Got it; my luggage is all packed," Chen Xiang replied with a smile. Then, he suddenly stepped aside. "Perfect timing; let's talk inside?"
Li Xiaotong hesitated, then timidly nodded and entered, head down. Chen Xiang closed the door behind her and plopped down onto the soft bed, looking intently at the pretty girl before him.
After a moment, he spoke softly, "I want to know about your eyes, specifically your left eye... what's going on with it?"
In the past few days, he finally recalled the familiarity of her left eye. It resembled the eye with tentacles that [Dai] had shown him in his dreams! According to [Dai], that tentacled eye came from the...
**Master of Knowledge.**
Or rather, **The Thinker.**
The legendary Outer God revered by the White Star Kingdom, a descendant of the Pillar of Truth, and... one of the rebellious ministers.