Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Meng Yiran carefully put on the brass knuckles, feeling the cool touch of the metal against her skin. The fear in her heart seemed to be dispelled a little by this real "weapon".

Ye Lingling silently put the sachet and poison gas bomb close to her body. In the depths of her cold eyes, the heavy despair was finally stirred by a faint but real "way out".

"All right."

Seeing this, Lin Xia smiled and then took out several sets of soul armor from her storage soul tool and gave them to the women.

"This is what will protect you. With this, you're practically invincible unless you want to die!"

"This is a soul-guided armor that I developed; it's not something that can be compared to ordinary things!"

The women's eyes lit up immediately when they saw the armor and battle suits in their hands.

Zhu Zhuqing knew about this thing, after all, she had been by Lin Xia's side for many years.

Zhu Zhuqing had no idea that Lin Xia would bring out something so important.

Lin Xia smiled after seeing Zhu Zhuqing's expression.

"Alright, these are all material possessions, don't worry about them too much!"

Seeing that Lin Xia had already said that, Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything more.

Half a month later, Lin Xia and her group successfully arrived at a small town.

The town didn't look very big, but as soon as Ye Lingling and the others stepped in, they felt that the atmosphere around them was a bit strange.

She couldn't explain why, but she always felt a special chill emanating from the people around her.

Lin Xia led the group of women into a tavern in the town.

The air inside the tavern was very stuffy, and the women noticed that all the decorations were black.

Although it was daytime outside, stepping inside gave one a feeling of coldness and darkness.

At this time, the tavern was about 30% full. Although the air was stuffy, very few people were talking, so it was very quiet.

The arrival of Lin Xia and the others attracted a lot of attention, but most people only glanced at them briefly before moving on.

Lin Xia found a spot in a corner and sat down with the other women. A waiter dressed in black with an indifferent expression walked over.

What would you like to order?

Lin Xia said coldly:

"Give me six Bloody Marys."

Upon hearing this, the waiter in black's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and when he looked at Lin Xia again, his gaze became more serious.

He didn't ask any more questions, only managing a muffled "Wait a moment" from his throat.

Ning Rongrong leaned closer to Lin Xia, lowered her voice, and her glassy eyes were full of doubt and a hint of unease.

"Brother Lin Xia, Bloody Mary... what kind of wine is that? It sounds kind of scary."

Dugu Yan frowned, her emerald eyes sweeping over the silent men in black around her.

Having been a disciple of the Poison Douluo, she was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. At this moment, the air was not only filled with turbidity, but also with a faint, rusty, sweet smell that made her very uncomfortable.

"It's not alcohol."

Lin Xia's voice was calm, yet it sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet tavern.

"It's blood. Human blood."

"what?!"

Meng Yiran's face turned pale instantly, and she almost cried out in surprise, but Zhu Zhuqing next to her grabbed her hand.

Zhu Zhuqing's hands were steady and cool.

Ye Lingling's veil trembled slightly. The life perception granted by the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul allowed her to "hear" more clearly than others—the nauseatingly subtle sound of viscous liquid slowly flowing in the half-person-high wooden barrel behind the bar.

It was not the clear, refreshing taste of ordinary wine, but rather thick and sluggish, carrying a strong sense of deathly stillness and resentment after the passing of life.

Her fingertips were slightly cold. The waiter returned quickly, carrying six rough earthenware cups on a tray.

The contents of the cup were dark red, almost black, and viscous like undissolved stagnant blood. The surface had no luster whatsoever, but instead emitted a tooth-grinding aroma mixed with rust and a faint sweet and fishy smell.

The cups were placed on the table one by one with a dull thud.

Lin Xia picked up a glass first, her fingertips tracing the rough glass surface as she glanced at everyone.

"Here, this is the 'ticket'. Drink, or..."

He didn't say the second half of the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Zhu Zhuqing was the first to extend her hand, her cool face showing no hesitation.

She picked up the cup and brought it to her lips. The strong smell of blood hit her nostrils, and her stomach churned.

But she didn't even flinch; she tilted her head back and drank the dark red liquid in the glass in one gulp.

The warm liquid, with its strangely sweet and rusty taste, slid down her throat, bringing a burning sensation and nausea. She put down the cup, pursed her lips, her face slightly pale, but her eyes remained sharp as knives.

Ning Rongrong looked at the glass of "wine," then at Zhu Zhuqing, gritted her teeth, and picked up her glass as well.

Having come from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and seen many storms, she closed her eyes and forced herself to drink it down. Then she covered her mouth and forced herself not to vomit.

Dugu Yan sneered, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her emerald eyes.

"It's just human blood. When I was playing with drugs, I saw much more disgusting things than this."

After saying that, he downed the whole thing in one gulp, but his throat bobbed a few times and his face didn't look too good.

Meng Yiran's hands were trembling violently as she looked at Lin Xia for help.

Lin Xia didn't look at her; her gaze remained calmly fixed on the liquid in her own glass.

Ye Lingling took a soft breath, her lips pursed into a straight line beneath her veil, picked up the cup, and drank it all.

His movements were fluid, as if he were merely drinking a glass of water, but deep within his glassy eyes, a profound sadness and unease flickered.

Seeing that everyone had drunk, Meng Yiran's eyes reddened slightly. Finally, she trembled as she picked up the cup, closed her eyes, and gulped it down. As soon as she finished drinking, she couldn't help but gag, and Dugu Yan grabbed her shoulder.

Lin Xia then slowly drank her cup.

The taste was indeed nauseating, not just because of the blood itself, but also because it was mixed with some kind of chaotic and violent spiritual impurities.

He put down his cup, lightly tapped his fingertip on the table, and a wisp of extremely pure soul power silently seeped into the ground, spreading out like ripples, sensing the vast, dark soul power network beneath the building, filled with bloodlust and a murderous intent.

Just then, behind the bar in the tavern, the seemingly ordinary black brick wall suddenly slid inward silently, revealing a deep opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A cold, damp wind, carrying the smell of sulfur and blood, blew out of the cave, instantly dispelling the murky air in the tavern and making everyone's spirits lift.

The waiter in black stepped aside and gestured for Lin Xia to leave, his face remaining expressionless.

Lin Xia stood up and dusted off non-existent dust from the corner of her clothes.

"Let's go, the entrance is open."

Zhu Zhuqing immediately followed, and Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling also got up one after another.

Meng Yiran's legs were still a little weak, but Dugu Yan pulled her along, and she staggered to catch up.

Passing through that hidden door, there is a narrow, downward-sloping stone staircase that seems to lead to an unfathomable bottom.

Stones emitting a ghastly green light are embedded at intervals on the stone walls on both sides, barely illuminating the ground beneath our feet.

The air grew colder and colder, and the stench of blood and sulfur grew stronger, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible roar and wail that seemed to come from the depths of hell.

The stone steps seemed endless, with only the monotonous sound of footsteps echoing in the narrow space.

"Brother Lin Xia".

Ning Rongrong's voice broke the silence, filled with barely suppressed tension.

"Where...are we going?" (End of Chapter)