Chapter 162: The Death Row Sacrificial Rite

"Hehehe, you're in such a rush. Is this kid really that important to you?" Zhi looked at the screaming Dongwan and asked teasingly.

"What on earth are you trying to do?" Dongwan’s entire body was suffused with cherry-blossom-colored phoenix tail patterns, her pupils flushed pink in that instant.

"Can't you tell? I'm helping him break through. This SSS-grade Corpse Fragrance Snow Lotus, combined with the nourishment of my SSS-grade blood essence—even if he doesn't reach the SSS-grade, it will still be immensely beneficial to him."

Zhi looked at the blood pool, which was gradually drying up as Mu You continuously refined its contents, revealing countless skeletal remains and residues. A hint of emotional sigh crept into his smile.

"How many people have died since the establishment of the Death Row Paradise? Countless. I suppose most of them ended up dumped in this blood pool. No wonder it could nurture an SSS-grade medicinal herb. Besides my father, I suppose only Miss Dongwan, who has carefully cultivated it day after day, knows how difficult it was. Don't worry, I'm not going to steal it. It's all his. Only when a toy grows up to be truly fun will playing with it be interesting. Right now, he is far too weak."

Zhi laughed as he watched Mu You's aura grow increasingly stronger.

High-stage SS-grade peak, high-stage SS-grade great completion, peak SS-grade, great completion of peak SS-grade. Yet, even after reaching the great completion of peak SS-grade, though Mu You's aura continued to surge relentlessly, there was not the slightest sign of breaking through to the SSS-grade.

"How boring. I actually thought he might make it to the SSS-grade so I could upgrade my puppet to an SSS-grade one as well. Sigh..."

Zhi patted Mu You's head with a sigh, and his figure dissolved into the void.

Mu You remained completely motionless, lingering in a state of lingering fear while frantically absorbing the overwhelming tide of soul energy.

This place was simply an ocean of souls. Although their individual power levels varied, they had accumulated to an utterly terrifying degree.

This was precisely what Mouyou and Mu You found most exhilarating.

"Big Brother, that person just now was terrifyingly strong. The level of his Meridian-Severing Soul Worms is definitely not lower than Big Brother's, and might even be stronger!" Mouyou said, having absorbed enough soul essence and expressing her lingering worries while feeling full.

"How are you holding up?" Mu You asked with concern as his own cultivation session drew to a close.

"Previously, I couldn't sense that fellow called Original Sin at all, but with this breakthrough, I've evolved to my final stage—you could say I'm an SSS-grade innate spiritual body. I can now sense his exact location. That Original Sin who framed Big Brother back then turns out to be an SSS-grade innate soul body."

Mu You felt a chill in his heart. No wonder it looked so terrifying; it wasn't even human.

Having finished his cultivation, Mu You opened his eyes and asked Dongwan, "That person just now... he must be our final obstacle, right?!"

Dongwan nodded silently, then asked with cautious hesitation, "Do you have what it takes to win?"

"No. Not a single bit," Mu You answered truthfully. "Unless I break through to the SSS-grade, I won't be able to survive three moves against him."

Hearing this, everyone turned pale with fright. He was truly that terrifying.

"Zhi, huh..." Mu You clenched his fists, murmuring to himself.

...

Five days later.

The Death Row Arena was situated within the zero-gravity space beneath the twelve major dials. The weight of every death row inmate was only one-tenth of normal, making their movements during combat even more agile and thrilling.

At this moment, the venue was packed to capacity, the surging sea of humanity mingling with noise to boil across the entire space. On the death row sacrificial stage, eleven SS-grade death row inmates stood in a neat row.

"Due to the death of the Tianmu SS death row inmate, there will be a bye contestant in this round. The drawing of lots will now commence."

Amidst the roaring crowd, as the host's voice fell, eleven giant light-screen images appeared above the heads of Mu You and the others. They then lit up, spun, and finally stopped squarely on Mu You.

A surge of joy washed over Mu You's heart. Over the past few days of communication, he had figured out the abilities of the Lotus Extermination Syndicate's SS death row inmates, but the rest of the contestants remained an unknown variable to him.

This would be a perfect opportunity to witness their methods firsthand.

"Oh my, Mu You, codename: Woodpecker. Congratulations on securing the bye qualification!"

As soon as the host finished speaking, jeers instantly erupted from all directions. There was no help for it—the audience was completely unfamiliar with this death row inmate who had replaced the most talented princess. Many socialites who had come to watch didn't even recognize him, and naturally did not hold high hopes for him.

"Luck is also a form of strength. Being able to stand here is, in itself, a symbol of strength..." The host smoothly covered for him with a polished remark. "And now comes the most important betting segment! To the wealthy tycoons standing at the pinnacle of every industry, have you made your choice of wagers?!"

Swish—

The moment the host's voice trailed off, eleven beams of light began to organize and rank themselves according to the wager amounts, followed respectively by names, codenames, profiles, abilities, and levels.

Mu You took a look. He was ranked the lowest, eleventh, yet the wagers placed on him had actually reached 1.5 billion. It seemed some people still believed he could be a dark horse.

As for the highest-ranked contestant—who was merely a low-stage SS-grade death row inmate—the wagers on him had soared into the trillions.

Mu You turned solemn, looking carefully at everyone's rankings and strengths.

First place: Liuli Er
Codename: Masked Mandarin Ducks

Profile: Severe multiple personality disorder. During the day, timid and meek, unable to make eye contact with anyone, terrified even when her name was called, and fond of knitting sweaters. At night, she transforms into a murderous demon, frequently referring to herself with arrogant masculine pronouns, possessing a twisted, violent, and bloodthirsty personality.
In her childhood, she was frequently locked in a basement and abused while being photographed under glaring lights, which left her with a phobia of all bright lights. By day, she retreats into a self-protective shell to suppress her primary personality. Later, after killing her 'master', she discovered an unparalleled sense of pleasure.
Ability: Oracle · Monologue · Eternal Day
Level: Low-stage SS-grade.

Second place: Cang Tong
Codename: Blood Woman
Profile: Big sister type, dommy, uniform fetishist, carefree, somewhat unreliable, loves to trap people, a carnivore, occasionally given to cold violence, and nobody could ever change her mind once she made a statement.
After arriving at Half Moon Island, she was sold to a brothel madam, drugged, and brutally violated. Upon waking up, she flew into a rage, awakening her ability, and slaughtered the madam and her cohorts down to the last person.
Ability: Oracle · Blood Ice Wilderness
Level: High-stage SS-grade.

Third place: Youruo
Codename: Violet
Profile: Airheaded, highly nearsighted, always wearing glasses, scatterbrained in her actions, with extremely thick nerves, partial emotional detachment. She had no friends, no family, and no one recognized her; even when mocked, she never grew angry. Before entering the Death Row Paradise, she had only one friend whose boyfriend was a drug dealer. Once, when his addiction flared up, he tried to borrow money from her friend, and in a fit of rage upon refusal, killed her. Afterward, he attempted to silence Youruo as well, only to be killed by her in counter-attack. She was exceptionally calm during the killing, as if born purely for slaughter.
Usually exhibiting very few facial expressions, her brainstem was severed during the losers' pity show, resulting in an unsteady gait and frequent falls. In reality, however, she cared deeply for her companions and possessed a tremendous appetite, especially adoring meat.
Ability: Sin · Dream Origin. Illusion arts, an illusory world constructed from blood.
Level: Mid-stage SS-grade.