After listening to Ling'er finish explaining the surrounding districts, Xiao Yun asked no further questions. He finished the water in his cup, stood up, and carried the dishes to the kitchen sink.
Ling'er rose as well, covered the remaining dough, and went to wait by the living room.
Xiao Yun came out of the kitchen and said to her, "After breakfast, take me around the Outer City. I want to see what this place is really like."
Without asking any questions, Ling'er straightened the cuffs of her coat and went to the entrance to wait for him to open the door.
Xiao Yun pushed the door open and took Ling'er back into the Outer City of the City of Slaughter. Their first stop was the same plaza as before.
The light over the plaza had returned to daytime levels. People moved through the distant Arena District, and the wind swept between the rocks, carrying the dry scent of dust.
By the time Xiao Yun followed Ling'er to the edge of the plaza, fights had already begun in several arenas.
He stood at the edge of the crowd and watched for a while. The fighting in the arenas was far cruder than it was outside—there were no supernatural powers such as soul skills, no suppression through released soul power. Everyone fought at close quarters in the most primitive way possible.
Punches, elbows, knees, palm strikes, grabs, and locks—the moves were direct and powerful, but overall, they lacked structure or any developed system of tactics. The fighters were exceptionally vicious, however. Every move was intended to kill.
When someone fell after taking a blow to a vital spot, another heavy strike followed immediately, killing them on the spot.
The referee merely glanced over, confirmed that the fallen fighter was no longer breathing,