Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 521: Bloodstained Domain

At this moment, Big Cat's mind had already become confused within the Bloodstained Domain. Countless piercing screams reminded him of every single opponent who had died under his sword. He could see them—they had all turned into vengeful spirits and were pouncing toward him, trying to exact revenge.

Big Cat swung his heavy sword forcefully, sending out waves of strong sword energy, trying to disperse these vengeful spirits. But the more he did this, the more he felt that wraiths were pouncing on him. The bloody aura around him grew even denser.

Big Cat suddenly turned around, his heavy sword fiercely slashing into a pair of blood-red claws. Then he staggered back from the force of the clash, and the immense power, accompanied by an overwhelmingly bloody aura, began to erode his body.

Five claw marks appeared on his back; the opponent's claws had brutally torn through the defense of his Lion-Tiger Golden Force.

The corrosive aura that gave off an intense bloody scent drilled into his body, wreaking mad havoc and causing Big Cat to groan. The Lion-Tiger Golden Force protecting him became chaotic.

The most formidable aspect of the Bloodstained Domain was its weakening effect on both mind and body. Within this domain, the Blood Moon Monarch, whose entire body had now turned blood-red, grew increasingly powerful, while the opponent grew weaker by the minute.

The monarch licked the tip of its claws. "Haha, this scorching blood is the sweetest I’ve had! Merge into my domain and become a part of it! This will make my domain even stronger. It's your honor!"

Its voice was filled with evil!

A brilliant sword aura flashed in an instant, but what greeted it was a blood-colored wave. The sword aura unfolded in a blood-red light, but the Blood Moon Monarch had already disappeared without a trace.

Big Cat's gaze grew even fiercer, and the wailing of the vengeful spirits in his ears became increasingly piercing.

His chest heaved violently, and his brows were filled with a look of struggle. His spirit seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

But at this moment, he grasped his sword hilt with both hands, reversed the heavy sword, and thrust it into the ground, holding the hilt tightly. The Lion-Tiger Golden Force burst outward, forming a layer of protective force that enveloped him.

Sharp claws struck fiercely on the Lion-Tiger Golden Force barrier behind him, causing the barrier to sway violently. Yet it did not give out; even in the face of such incredible force, Big Cat’s all-out Lion-Tiger Golden Force was able to prevail.

Meanwhile, the Blood Moon Monarch clearly felt a powerful threat from the heavy sword embedded into the ground, as if the opponent could counterattack any instant. So, after the attack, its figure quickly disappeared into the domain.

But this time, Big Cat did not swing his heavy sword; he just stood there, forcibly calming himself down.

At this moment, he kept asking himself a question

Why? Why do I have to kill? Why do I have to kill?

Repeating the same question over and over again, he used his inner voice to repel the wails of vengeful spirits from the Bloodstained Domain. These wails appeared directly in his sea of consciousness, and during his constant self-questioning, he focused all his mind on the question he asked himself, ignoring the wretched howls of the vengeful spirits.

This was the manifestation of battle will. Having endured countless hardships and battles, Big Cat's will could not be any firmer. Had it been someone with less experience, even if they were stronger than him, they would likely have lost themselves in the Bloodstained Domain by now. The terrifying aspect of this domain was that no matter how strong one was, if one's will was not firm, one would still fall into its trap.

Why do I have to kill? Why do I have to kill? Big Cat kept questioning himself, as if on behalf of the vengeful spirits.

Due to this, the Bloodstained Domain's influence on his mind weakened. This allowed Big Cat's Lion-Tiger Golden Force to flow more smoothly.

Bang, bang, bang!

Attacks came one after another, the fierce onslaught causing the Lion-Tiger Golden Force to emit incandescent halos here and there, but Big Cat remained immovable. He simply let the opponent attack him and allowed his Lion-Tiger Golden Force to deplete.

The Blood Moon Monarch was somewhat surprised. It was the first time facing such an opponent.

Although its Bloodstained Domain was active at all times and it kept attacking without pause, its energy consumption was minimal. Prolonging this battle would surely lead to the opponent's death. Yet the opponent stood there like a stone pillar, seemingly unaffected by the domain, a situation it had never encountered before.

Demons generally had fierce personalities, and which one of them didn't have some hidden mental issues? And the Bloodstained Domain was pervasive, and it wasn’t really an illusion; it was truly formed by countless vengeful spirits. Every drop of blood the Dark Devil Monarch absorbed contained the powerful resentment of the dead.

That was the exact point of acquiring such a domain, in fact. For that reason, a Dark Devil Monarch always made its targets fall into absolute terror before brutally slaughtering them. The stronger the fear at the time of death, the greater the resentment after death.

Under such circumstances, the power of a Dark Devil Monarch's Bloodstained Domain could grow almost without limit. Although this sometimes caused Dark Devil Monarchs to succumb to madness, it was considered true tempering. Only through such constant tempering could one truly become a fabled divine devil.

Although Big Cat was trapped by the domain and completely passive, he remained calm and posed a threat, making it afraid to continue attacking. This was the first time it had encountered such an opponent.

However, the Blood Moon Monarch had carried out countless killings and was not in a hurry. It had complete confidence in its Bloodstained Domain. This domain had obliterated many strong beings, some even stronger than the Blood Moon Monarch itself. The more time passed, the greater the effect of the domain. No matter how firm one's will was, they would all be affected under the roars of countless vengeful spirits.

However, Big Cat even made it feel some admiration and greed in this state—admiration for his firm will and greed because as the Bloodstained Domain absorbed the blood of strong beings, it would become stronger. According to the teachings of the clan, it would reach the next level when the domain contained the blood of over ten thousand beings. This required the presence of a powerful vengeful spirit as the main soul, making the domain more stable and preventing it from collapsing unto itself.

Once it reached the level of sacrificing over ten thousand beings, the power of this domain would soar. This would be the foundation for its transformation into a true divine devil. In its eyes, this Lion-Tiger was the perfect candidate to serve as the main soul of its Bloodstained Domain.

Why do I have to kill? Why do I have to kill? Big Cat neither knew nor cared to find out the Blood Moon Monarch's thoughts; in his mind, he just kept repeating this question.

Bang!

Another attack landed, finally breaking a hole in the Lion-Tiger Golden Force. Five claw marks appeared once more on Big Cat's back, tearing his flesh. Blood-red light crazily invaded his body.

The intense pain made Big Cat feel as if he had returned to the first kill of his life.

His spirit seemed to return to that time.

It was a fierce battle. His opponent was also very strong, and he was still very young. Yet the tip of his heavy sword did not drop a single millimeter, and neither did his will to fight. Even though he was already covered in wounds, his gaze remained firm.

He had to win, defeat his opponent, kill him, and get the prize money. If he didn't earn the money, his clan wouldn't be able to buy the treasures needed to supplement their life force, and his clan members would die.

For his kin, he had to kill his opponent. He had to achieve victory!

Yes... That’s why I’m doing it. I’m doing it for my kin.

For Little Cat, for Sky Cat.... For the entire Lion-Tiger clan. To protect my own, I will kill everyone that stands in my way. If I have to become a killer, for those I love, then so be it!