Hell Road Opens

City of Slaughter, within a dim, unknown room.

A burly, blood-haired man sat upon the throne. He was the supreme ruler who commanded the entire City of Slaughter—the King of Slaughter!

The King of Slaughter propped his head up with one hand while the index finger of his other hand tapped rhythmically against the throne's armrest. His gaze was dark and unreadable.

A black shadow suddenly appeared behind the throne and dropped to one knee.

"Great King, Confucian Yama King and Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix will finish their hundredth match by tomorrow at the latest. They should enter Hell Road together then. Should we—"

"I have my own plans." The King of Slaughter interrupted his subordinate in an indifferent tone.

"Confucian Yama King and Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix were implicated by some Fallen when they were six and unfortunately fell into the City of Slaughter. Afterward, relying on their heaven-defying talent and monstrous gifts, they made enormous names for themselves in the City of Slaughter at such young ages. And now, they are about to challenge Hell Road."

The King of Slaughter spoke unhurriedly.

He had secretly observed the pair for a long time, ever since Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun had first risen to prominence. It could be said that aside from their mysterious Second Martial Soul, he had grasped all other information about them.

Yet he guessed that they must be hiding some enormous secret. After all, the fact that neither of them had ever been corroded by the Killing Qi permeating the City of Slaughter over all these years already said a great deal.

One had to know that even Titled Douluo would be unable to suppress their urges to kill if they inhaled too much of this pervasive Killing Qi. Yet Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun, two mere level-thirty Soul Masters, had remained unaffected. That was highly unusual.

It was not as though the King of Slaughter had never considered capturing them for a thorough examination. Yet whenever he wanted to make a move, an ominous premonition would arise, leaving him too wary to act.

"You need not concern yourself with them. When they fight their hundredth match tomorrow, I will personally attend and recruit them. Dismissed."

"Yes." The shadow obeyed and withdrew, excitement rising in his heart.

After all, no true powerhouse had joined the City of Slaughter in many years. If they could successfully recruit the two young geniuses, Confucian Yama King and Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix, the City of Slaughter would surely become even stronger.

He had never doubted the potential of Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun. After all, these two peerless monsters had cleared the Hell Slaughter Arena at the age of twelve!

Before them, there had only been a scant dozen or so people like that. Even the youngest among those people had been twenty when they took the challenge. Who had ever cleared it at twelve like these two?

The next day, the usually noisy Hell Slaughter Arena was utterly silent.

The reason for all this was the two absurdly young figures standing in the hall.

On the left stood Ming Lunyu, dressed in white.

The handsome youth had a tall, well-proportioned figure and wore a spotless white robe. His long black hair was tied behind his head with a cyan ribbon, and a faint smile rested on his lips. He lightly waved a black-boned, white-faced folding fan in his hand, presenting the image of an elegant young gentleman of jade.

On the right was Ma Hongjun, dressed rather scantily.

She wore a fitted yellow short-sleeved top that exposed her delicate collarbones and navel, along with black hot pants that revealed two crystalline white legs. Her thighs were round and firm, while her calves were long and slender. Her small, exquisite feet wore black strappy high-heeled sandals, whose open-toed design openly displayed a row of cute toenails painted crimson.

She radiated the lively, spirited charm unique to a young girl.

Standing together, the two chatted intimately, like childhood sweethearts out on an excursion.

The scene was so beautiful, yet once one considered the setting, it became chilling.

This was no sunny picnic spot. It was a city of sin filled with slaughter and death!

Violence bowed only to greater violence.

Since this was clearly no kind place, it was easy to infer just what sort of ruthless figures this young man and woman—who had rendered countless villains mute with fear—were.

And indeed, that was the case.

Even though everyone present was filled with fear toward them, the moment the pair stepped into the Hell Slaughter Arena, the entire place erupted.

"Confucian Yama King!"

"Confucian Yama King!"

"Confucian Yama King!"

"Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix!"

"Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix!"

"Rakshasa Ghost Phoenix!"

Frenzied cries filled every corner of the Hell Slaughter Arena.

All the spectators shouted with crazed expressions.

They knew that today, they would witness the birth of two legends!

Killing Gods of a Hundred Victories!

They were about to be born beneath the gaze of the masses!

Not only would they witness the birth of two Killing Gods, but they would also see the true face of the supreme King of Slaughter, as well as the legendary Hell Road.

"Bro, you really are showing off in that outfit~" Ma Hongjun bumped Ming Lunyu with her shoulder and teased softly.

Ming Lunyu smiled arrogantly. "I'm only twelve, yet I cleared the Hell Slaughter Arena, where survival is a one-in-ten-thousand chance. What's wrong with showing off a little?"

"Nothing." Ma Hongjun grinned. "You look really handsome!"

The two chatted and laughed without the slightest tension of those about to enter an arena of life and death.

By now, the Hell Slaughter Arena no longer posed any threat to them at all. Even the people they would soon be fighting had been personally captured and brought in by the pair.

The City of Slaughter's officials had surely noticed this long ago, so the previous night, they sent someone to find Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun and told them that they could enter together today. Killing everyone else would count as victory.

It was merely a formality.

Ming Lunyu naturally had no objection to saving himself trouble.

The match began, and the remaining eight unfortunate souls entered one after another.

A match? No, this could not even be considered a match. It was nothing more than a one-sided massacre.

In less than two minutes, only Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun remained in the arena.

"It's about time you showed yourself, isn't it, Lord King of Slaughter?"

Ming Lunyu's gaze locked onto the black platform directly ahead.

After several seconds of silence, a hoarse yet majestic voice sounded as a man in black robes appeared.

"As expected of Confucian Yama King. You actually sensed my presence."

Ming Lunyu's eyes were clear as he answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I would not dare claim that. I merely guessed that you would appear there."

The moment the King of Slaughter revealed himself, everyone in the stands showed fervent expressions and loudly called out his title.

The King of Slaughter smiled faintly, raised a hand, and pressed it downward.

It was a simple gesture, yet it instantly suppressed the noise of the entire arena.

The spectators stopped shouting and merely stared with fanatical eyes at the burly figure. "Then, two young challengers, congratulations on achieving one hundred victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena."

"Thank you. In that case, may we attempt Hell Road now?" Ming Lunyu said calmly.

The King of Slaughter's expression turned strange. "Have you truly decided to challenge that Hell Road from which none survive?"

"None survive?" Ming Lunyu frowned. "Why are you so certain we cannot make it through? As far as I know, there should have been at least two precedents of people passing Hell Road."

"Hahahaha!" The King of Slaughter laughed as if he had heard something amusing. "It seems you do not understand at all. Indeed, two Killing Gods passed the trial of Hell Road before, but that does not mean you can pass it as well."

Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances, each seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.

No longer bothering with suspense, the King of Slaughter swept out a hand. A red formation lit up throughout the entire Hell Slaughter Arena.

Blood-red light filled the arena.

The Fallen touched by the red light began to rot and crumble continuously until they vanished.

This was the price of opening Hell Road: it required the sacrifice of countless evil souls!

Endless blood flowed toward the ground, illuminating a blood-red bat pattern.

Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun watched the bewitching yet cruel scene in shock.

The King of Slaughter released an overwhelming pressure that turned their faces pale. Their bodies were like a lone boat sailing amid raging waves, liable to capsize at any moment.

Ming Lunyu immediately supported Ma Hongjun.

The intense wind pressure kept the two from opening their eyes.

After about a minute, the disturbance settled. A blood-red gate carved with intricate patterns appeared, like the gaping maw of an evil ghost. The stench of blood was incredibly thick.

Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Ming Lunyu stood tall and stared directly at the King of Slaughter, waiting for his explanation.

Appreciation flickered in the King of Slaughter's eyes. With rare patience, he said, "The entrance to Hell Road is here. But I must tell you that there is a strange beast inside comparable to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, as well as countless treacherous environmental hazards. With your current strength, it is absolutely impossible for you to pass."

Ming Lunyu's heart jolted.

If it truly was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, then the two of them really could not deal with it.

Over the years, countless Soul Masters of every rank had died by his hand. The highest-ranked among them had even been a Soul Douluo.

After that Soul Douluo died, Ming Lunyu had studied the man's body and discovered that even without a trace of life left in him, his body still retained Soul Power as vast and majestic as mountains and seas.

And this was after most of that Soul Power had already dissipated due to its owner's death.

A Soul Douluo was already like this. One could only imagine how terrifying a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, comparable to a Titled Douluo, would be.

Damn it, is there really no way? Ming Lunyu's eyes flickered.

The hope of seeing daylight again was clearly right before him, only for him to be told that an insurmountable obstacle lay ahead. How despairing was that? Someone with a weaker mind might already have panicked.

But Ming Lunyu was Ming Lunyu, after all. The unyielding will tempered through years of blood and fire allowed him to remain calm and think.

Ma Hongjun quietly took Ming Lunyu's hand, showing that she was with him.

Ma Hongjun was not as clever as Ming Lunyu, but she trusted him unconditionally. Therefore, whatever decision Ming Lunyu made, Ma Hongjun would follow him without hesitation.