Chapter 91: Taking Lives

As the two of them reached a quieter street, Heng Jin noticed a towering structure shrouded in black mist, standing isolated on the distant ground.

Centered around this edifice, within a radius of several miles, there were no other buildings visible—a barren expanse with the occasional mysterious black glint flickering and vanishing.

"That is the Blackwater Inferno, the prison for the most heinous criminals in Blackwater City. It's located deep beneath the city, having existed for countless ages. It's incredibly sturdy, imprisoning beings of astonishing strength. It is said that at the deepest depths, immortal beings are kept," explained the Four-Armed Clan Elder.

Heng Jin nodded. He had heard of this grim prison, the very place where Shi Hao was confined after being captured and returned to the other realm.

The conditions within were indeed dreadful, especially the cells at the deepest levels. Should one's body be restrained, even a being as powerful as one in the Tunyi realm would disintegrate into a pool of mush in no time, leaving behind no bones.

After navigating a few more streets, they finally reached their destination.

Led by the Four-Armed Clan Elder, they entered a grandiose hall.

"Heng Jin, this is Senior Tuoba, responsible for managing the identities of slave races. He possesses a quarter of the supreme Luo Clan's bloodline. Quickly, pay your respects to Senior Tuoba."

Heng Jin looked at the humanoid elder seated on a prayer mat ahead, and immediately complied with the elder's instruction, stepping forward to salute.

"Heng Jin pays respects to Senior Tuoba."

"A human?"

The humanoid elder opened his eyes, his gaze flickering with brilliance, like two ancient golden lamps suspended high, surveying Heng Jin.

Soon, his face showed a look of astonishment.

"Such a powerful physical gift, comparable to the offspring of the supreme Luo Clan."

The elder seemed to have discovered a treasure as he appraised Heng Jin's body, scrutinizing him endlessly.

After a long while, he regained his composure, glanced indifferently at the Four-Armed Clan Elder, and spoke: "Duoli, your clan has done well, finding such a promising seedling. If I'm not mistaken, you're here to secure him a legitimate identity so he can participate in the War God Academy selection, correct?"

The Four-Armed Clan Elder rejoiced at these words; indeed, showcasing Heng Jin's extraordinary talent was the right choice.

"Yes, Senior Tuoba, precisely. Although Heng Jin is of the human race, his talent is exceptional, with the potential to achieve immortality. Branding him as a slave would be a blatant waste of his cultivation aptitude."

Tuoba glanced at him, snorted, and said, "Immortality potential? You dare claim such things, though this human boy is indeed intriguing. His physical strength far surpasses his peers, with tremendous potential, akin to a prehistoric monster in slumber.

If he can enter the War God Academy, his talent would be fully developed, and attaining immortality wouldn't be impossible."

He displayed a thoughtful demeanor, his gaze towards Heng Jin shifting from initial indifference to solemnity and kindness.

In a world where the strong reign, an extraordinary cultivation talent makes one's race inconsequential.

"Alright then, since you brought him here, this boy shall temporarily be defined as a slave of the Four-Armed Clan. Take this token and bring him to the War God Academy selection in a few days.

If he succeeds, his status will no longer be that of a slave, and he will gain his freedom.

Failure, I need not elaborate."

Tuoba said, tossing a black token towards the Four-Armed Clan Elder.

Upon catching it, the elder discovered it was a token exclusive to the Blackwater City elite, inscribed with the ancient words "Blackwater." In Blackwater City, the bearer of such a token could bypass many rules.

He promptly pulled Heng Jin for a formal salute to Tuoba.

Once outside the hall, the Four-Armed Clan Elder was quite exhilarated, examining the black token with great affection.

"For now, everything is going smoothly; the rest is up to you.

Secure a place in the top fifty, and you will attain freedom, becoming a student of the War God Academy and enjoying immense resources.

Fail, and you will remain a slave of the Four-Armed Clan."

Heng Jin nodded expressionlessly.

At this moment, even though he had not yet reached the pinnacle of the Qi Consumption Realm, his strength was such that crushing cultivators of that realm posed no challenge.

Over the next few days, Heng Jin abstained from cultivation. With the selection process approaching, these few days of practice would be of little consequence. The combat methods of the Four-Armed Clan were inherently weak, and without any source stones, it was better for him to stroll around.

During these days, he wandered around Blackwater City, acutely aware of the incredibly low status of humans in this foreign domain. Be it a strong clan or a weak one, a sense of superiority above humans pervaded all.

The humans he encountered, without exception, were slaves to others.

At a young age, Heng Jin, who bore no resemblance to a slave, stood out conspicuously, starkly contrasting with the predominant environment.

However, he paid it no mind, knowing that the arrival of the War God Academy's selection would ultimately alter these circumstances.

Time flew by, and on this particular day, Blackwater City was abuzz, with a large crowd leaving the city, rushing towards the direction of the War God Academy.

The annual selection for internal cultivation spots at the War God Academy was about to begin. Many beings who had been preparing for a long time sharpened their blades with fervor and excitement.

Though their opponents had already been at the War God Academy for a year, experiencing visible enhancement and transformation in strength, they were undeterred, willing to risk everything, even to the point of desperation, for a chance to enter this elite academy.

If one succeeded in gaining entry, they would reap great rewards, at the least, a full year of cultivation inside.

Abundant and rich cultivation resources, the regular sermons of Supremes and Immortals…all these endlessly provoked the nerves of countless cultivators.

For a single spot, even at the cost of grave sacrifices, and potential loss of life, they would stop at nothing.

The Elder of the Four-Armed Clan accompanied Heng Jin on the journey, blending into the vast crowd of cultivators.

Many noticed their odd pairing: an old Four-Armed Clan member with a young human, prompting shrill laughter from onlookers.

"Ha ha, look, a mere human traveling alongside us! Could it be he intends to compete for an internal cultivation slot at the War God Academy?"

"I doubt it. To date, there hasn't been a single human cultivator at the War God Academy; more likely, this human aims to become a warrior." commented a black ferocious Flood Dragon with three heads, laced with malice.

This remark swiftly stirred a ripple among the cultivators of the foreign domain.

Soon, a barrage of taunts and disdain swept across them.

However, a few keen-sensed beings discerned something unfamiliar about Heng Jin.

His profound understanding of the Dao allowed him to conceal the formidable aura radiating from his physical form, which made some beings underestimate him.

But for true powerhouses, such concealment was futile.

"Hmm, remarkable talent indeed. It has been years since a human of such potential has emerged; has another one finally appeared?" Suddenly, a goat-headed humanoid being sighed.

Standing firm at the First Escape Realm, he ventured to the War God Academy precisely to seek that fleeting opportunity in the unseen fate.

If he could join the War God Academy, perhaps he might use it as a springboard to attain Supreme status.

A powerful being from the First Escape Realm spoke, his influence was monumental, causing the once clamorous foreign cultivators to fall silent in an instant.

"What? The predecessor of the Goat-Head Clan says this human youth has exceptional aptitude?"

"I doubt it. He hasn't even perfected the Qi Consumption Realm, and his physical form is exceedingly frail. I could easily tear him to pieces. Where's this supposed talent? Did the predecessor of the Goat-Head Clan make a mistake?"

…

Debate ensued among the foreign cultivators, oscillating between belief and skepticism, until another powerhouse from the First Escape Realm voiced support, highly favoring Heng Jin, asserting he would certainly secure a place among the fifty Qi Consumption Realm slots.

With that, the being who had previously ridiculed him, particularly that three-headed black Flood Dragon, was utterly embarrassed.

To these developments, Heng Jin remained indifferent, ignoring everyone as he silently proceeded toward the War God Academy.

This attitude left many beings feeling disgruntled, but due to the high regard held by numerous Tun Yi experts for the young human, no one dared to show dissatisfaction. If this young man truly rose and became a formidable force, they would pay for their impulsiveness today.

"Interesting. It seems the selection process won't be so dull this time," mused a powerful figure, their eyes gleaming as they gazed at Heng Jin's departing silhouette.

"Human race, blood food."

A noble youth from the Qi-Eating Realm who favored human flesh spoke coldly, licking his lips to reveal sharp teeth, seemingly quite intrigued by Heng Jin.

This was merely a small interlude, unable to hinder the overwhelming tide of cultivators.

Countless beings from various races emerged from Blackwater City, surging towards War God Academy, while more cultivators arrived from other directions.

Without doubt, this was a grand event; to become one of the thousand selected would be luminous in itself, a splendid part of one's history, hugely beneficial to one's strength.

The much-coveted War God Academy nestled beside the ancestral land of the supreme Luo Mo family, amidst vast mountains.

Viewed from afar, the mountains appeared grand and majestic, like tens of thousands of dormant dragons, exuding immense power. A closer look revealed they were actually ridges, vividly lifelike, forming an awe-inspiring terrain.

Within this terrain lay numerous wondrous places; some wrapped in ominous black fog, others filled with auspicious purple energy, and some ablaze with red mist, as if touched by immortal blood...

So mysterious, only by approaching could one truly feel the extraordinary complexity of the land.

As for the end of the mountains, the ancestral land of the Luo Mo family, it was even more mysterious and extraordinary, home to a vast imperial race and even the legendary Immortal Kings in seclusion—simply unimaginable.

At this moment, before the grand gates of War God Academy was a sea of people, with noise roiling and misty light suffusing the air. The rich essence of heaven and earth prompted many arriving cultivators to take a deep breath, and some simply sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate right there.

The cultivation effect in such an environment was even better than using ordinary source blocks; the essence was just too dense, almost fluid.

And this was merely outside War God Academy's gates—who could imagine the environment inside?

"Silence!"

A stern voice rang out, instantly quelling the noise; not one of the million cultivators dared speak, the scene silent as a needle drop.

An immortal, standing amidst immortal radiance so hazy it concealed them entirely, exuded tremendous power, compelling all to hold their breath and listen intently.

After speaking, they waved a hand, sending a cluster of bubble-like objects flying from their palm, hovering in the void.

Closer inspection revealed these bubbles were small worlds, each housing more than one arena, where the selection competitions would proceed.

Before the crowd below could react, over nine hundred beings emerged from within War God Academy's gates, men and women of all ages, each brimming with energy, exuding extraordinary presence, their eyes filled with piercing light, quite intimidating.

These were the beings cultivated at War God Academy in the previous year, having survived from last year's selection to stand out, all exemplary and formidable.

Some had just risen through challenge this past year, while others had been honing their skills at the academy for many years, maintaining their spots unchallengeable.

The latter were relatively stronger and harder to challenge, thus most cultivators focused on those who had just joined the Academy for a year, two, or three—only a few of the extremely confident aimed to challenge those almost achieving the War God title, the peerless prodigies.

But all this had nothing to do with Heng Jin. He was in the Qi-Eating Realm, competing against young prodigies from within Blackwater City and from various noble and royal clans outside, vying for those fifty spots.

With more than nine hundred academy prodigies entering the bubble worlds, the quota selection officially began.

The Qi-Eating Realm's selection was straightforward: each participant was assigned a number, matched randomly for duels, winners advanced, losers fell back; this continued round after round until fifty of the most powerful beings were chosen.

To prevent potential champions from being prematurely eliminated if two strong contenders met early, leaving room for less capable ones to slip through, after determining the fifty spots, the losers had a chance for a challenge. However, eligibility to challenge would be judged by the arena itself, and ineligible beings would be removed outright.

Understanding the rules, Heng Jin stepped into the throng of contenders for the Qi-Eating Realm selection.

His arrival caused many youths from other domains to frown, just as he previously experienced first-hand; when faced with humans, beings from other realms naturally felt a sense of superiority.

Perhaps this stemmed from how, in an ancient realm's conquest by other domains, numerous humans had been enslaved and brought over.

With his eyes closed, Heng Jin remained calm and indifferent to the surrounding commotion. It wasn't until a young noble attempted to drape an arm over his shoulder that Heng Jin opened his eyes. Instantly, an eerie, chilling aura enveloped the young noble, causing his arm to freeze in mid-air.

Though laughter rippled around them, the noble was too shocked to react. Cold sweat ran down his face as he felt like he had just brushed past death itself.

This human boy was far more formidable than he appeared—his gaze was infused with a murderous intent that pierced one's very soul, leaving them utterly terrified.

Only around the young princes of the royal family had he ever felt something similar, and even then, none felt as terrifying as this human boy.

"Buzz!"

A low hum echoed, and numbers appeared in the palms of every young cultivator at the Food Qi Realm, signifying their assigned numbers.

Following that, a pull emanating from the bubble worlds beckoned beings to enter according to their numbers.

Heng Jin glanced toward a bubble world on the edge of the area. Drawn by an inexplicable call, he charged toward it without hesitation.

"Haha, what luck, I'm in the same group as this human," many beings shouted loudly, ensuring Heng Jin heard them, hoping to instill fear and unease in him.

Unperturbed, Heng Jin merely smirked coldly and asked the elder sitting cross-legged beneath the bubbles, "Senior, is killing allowed?"

Slight surprise flitted across the elder's face at such a question from a human boy.

However, upon sensing Heng Jin's prowess, it became clear—this human boy possessed an extraordinary talent, his physical prowess even surpassing that of the royal princes. No wonder he dared to ask.

The elder nodded subtly at Heng Jin.

"The selection does not forbid lethal actions, but if your opponent admits defeat verbally, you must stop. Otherwise, regardless of how prodigious your talent, breaking the rules will result in one consequence—annihilation."

Heng Jin understood the elder's warning, bowing slightly to express gratitude.

"As long as they don't surrender verbally, I can be lethal. Understood, senior."

With that, Heng Jin transformed into a streak of light and dashed into the bubble world.

As he entered, thousands of other streaks of light followed, eager to see if they would match against the human boy.

Only a few young prodigies, forewarned by their clan elders, sought to keep their distance, knowing the danger he posed.

The elder watching from below the bubbles shook his head, bemused.

"The ignorant know no fear; these youngsters are in for a rude awakening. What an amusing human boy."

Upon entering the bubble world, Heng Jin's eyes immediately fixed on an arena, his number guiding him to his first battlefield.

"Tap!"

His feet touched the ground, and his gaze turned cold and detached as he clasped his hands behind his back, waiting quietly for his opponent.

Before long, a young noble with the head of a lion and the body of a human descended from above, landing opposite him. Seeing his opponent was a human boy, his eyes gleamed with excitement, believing his fortune had turned.

"Heh heh, what luck. I'm tired of eating human slaves from my tribe; today I'll try something fresh. Don't worry; it won't hurt a bit."

The lion-headed noble grinned wickedly, his jaws opening wide to swallow Heng Jin whole. Worried that Aj might concede immediately, he moved with lightning speed like a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky.

However, his grin abruptly vanished, never to return, for his great maw met a fist that shattered it into a gruesome mess, distorting his entire face.

"Ah!"

Shock and fear painted the lion-headed noble's face as he realized he'd underestimated Heng Jin, having bitten off more than he could chew.

At this very moment, only one thought dominated his mind: surrender.

If he didn't concede, he would die here today. He had no illusions that this human would spare him.

"I..."

The young noble shouted, holding his bloody, mangled mouth, attempting to utter "I surrender," but a cold hand had already seized his throat before he could.

"What do you want? Weren't you going to eat me?"

Heng Jin smiled, tightened his grip, and instantly crushed the young noble's throat in a brutal eruption of flesh and blood.

"Augh…"

The lion-headed youth was utterly terrified, a feeling of helplessness unlike any he had ever experienced took over him.

Finally, Heng Jin ruthlessly finished him off, smashing his lion head into a pulp with a palm strike, leaving him irretrievably dead, his soul dissipated.

The headless body fell helplessly to the coliseum floor, blood pooling around it.

Heng Jin clapped his hands, shaking off the blood, then stepped aside and waited patiently.

After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the headless carcass at Heng Jin's feet vanished without a trace. In its place, a white tiger with bright eyes appeared opposite him, fierce eyes gleaming and fresh blood dripping from its mouth as if it had just devoured a great feast.

"Ha ha, it's you? Lucky me, my favorite…"

Before the white tiger could finish, Heng Jin shot off like lightning, transforming into a human-shaped blur.

He was too fast for the naked eye to follow.

The white tiger didn't have time to react before an immense force slammed it into the ground, its spine audibly snapping, reduced to jelly in an instant.

"You…"

The white tiger was too shocked to speak, yet it wouldn't have had the chance anyway.

"You talk too much. Remember that next time." Heng Jin coldly murmured, smashing a fist onto its skull, shattering it into fragments. The white tiger ceased all movement immediately.

Heng Jin faced several more rounds of battles after that, each time dispatching his opponents with overwhelming speed, leaving onlookers slack-jawed with amazement.

It wasn't until he encountered a slightly more formidable adversary that the situation took a turn.

This was a young man whose features closely resembled that of the human race, with aura and strength far surpassing those of the so-called elites.

Upon appearing and realizing his opponent was Heng Jin, the youth smiled wryly against expectation and said those three words.

"I surrender."

Heng Jin was somewhat surprised; previous creatures were all too eager to display their superiority after appearing, only to be instantly killed before they could even say surrender.

Yet this youth went the other way, surrendering immediately, catching everyone off guard.

"Are you from the royal clan? Why surrender without a fight?"

"When many predecessors praised fellow Daoist, my clan elders and I were present. At that time, my elders advised if I were unfortunate enough to face you, I should surrender instantly without hesitation, or it would be courting death.

I am confident but not arrogant about my strength.

Listening to the elders is always wise, and besides, even if I surrender, I still have a chance for a challenge later. As long as I don't face you, I'm confident of securing a spot among the top." The youth spoke candidly.

Hearing this, Heng Jin was left at a loss for words. He could only admit that this youth's elders were wise, having saved their clan's prodigy from demise.

With a single slash of the sword, the Four-Armed Clan Elder was reduced to ashes.

His power, once considered formidable, was no match for the insurmountable force of the Boundless Immortal King, who stood unyielding in the battlefield.

This moment of grim resolve marked the Boundless Immortal King's continuing path of dominance.

As the smoke cleared, the Black King looked on, his eyes devoid of emotion, contemplating the next move in this unforgiving contest of strength.

Elsewhere, hidden shadows gathered, whispers of dissent echoing against the stone walls.

Schemes unfurled, conspiracies woven anew even as the arena still thrummed with the lifeblood spilled in recent skirmishes.

Among the conspirators, the presence of Gu Zhou and Tuoba hinted at a brewing storm, one that threatened to tip the scales of power.

In the depths of uncertainty, the stakes only grew higher.

Meanwhile, Shi Hao and Hunhong, steeled with newfound determination, revisited their strategy.

Each step, each breath, was calculated in this game of survival where failure was not an option.

They hardened their resolve, for they knew that crossing paths with figures like Luo Mo and the Goat-Headed Humanoid would require every ounce of cunning and bravery they could muster.