City of Slaughter (I)

After half a month of rough travel, Qian Xunji slowly entered a small town beneath the sunlight. The town did not appear large, but the moment he stepped inside, he sensed something strange about the atmosphere. He could not explain why, yet he always felt a peculiar chill emanating from the people around him.

Qian Xunji wandered aimlessly while releasing his Mental Power to secretly observe his surroundings. He sensed an Evil Aura, a warning conveyed to him by his Angel Martial Soul. The feeling made him intensely uncomfortable, almost sick to the point of vomiting. Before long, Qian Xunji found a tavern. Above it hung a dilapidated wooden sign bearing four crooked characters: "Slaughter Tavern."

Qian Xunji strode inside on his long legs. The air in the tavern was murky, and he noticed that every decoration within was black. Though it was daytime outside, the moment he entered, he felt an icy, gloomy darkness. About thirty percent of the tavern was occupied. Although the air was foul, few people spoke, making the place exceptionally quiet.

Qian Xunji's arrival drew many gazes. After all, his aura was uniquely extraordinary, like an immortal cast down into the mortal world. The people in the tavern widened their eyes and stared at him fixedly. Some looks were filled with amazement, some with admiration, others with lust or jealousy—every kind of gaze was present.

Qian Xunji cast them a disgusted glance and released a powerful aura, intimidating those who had been acting without restraint. Sure enough, their eyes flickered as they all retreated. Qian Xunji found a seat in the corner. A black-clad waiter with an indifferent expression approached and said coldly,

"What would you like?"

"I want to enter the City of Slaughter," Qian Xunji said indifferently.

The waiter's expression changed slightly. He then steadied himself and said, "Fine. Kill them, then provide two cups of Bloody Mary, and I'll let you enter."

The moment the waiter finished speaking, the surrounding patrons overturned their tables. One burly man grinned and said, "Kid, you want to enter the City of Slaughter? What a coincidence. I just committed a murder and came here because people were hunting me down. I want to enter the City of Slaughter too. You look so delicate... Heh heh, should I go easy on you later?"

Qian Xunji answered with a Cold Glint. His gaze was like ancient, unyielding ice, making the towering man shudder. This one's dangerous. I've run into a real hard case this time.

The towering man kicked away a table and did not forget to shout, "This is a test—the test given to us by the City of Slaughter. Kill him, and we can enter the City of Slaughter."

As soon as his words fell, everyone's eyes turned bloodshot. Like madmen, they charged at Qian Xunji.

Qian Xunji frowned as an aura burst forth, his deathly gaze locking onto everyone present. No one saw how he moved, but an Ancient Black Sword appeared in his hand as he thrust directly at the towering man. Seeing this, the man hastily summoned his Martial Soul. It was also a weapon: a two-foot broadsword, with four Soul Rings—one white, two yellow, and one purple.

Clang! With a faint, crisp sound, the towering man's Martial Soul broadsword was pierced through, completely ruined. His pupils contracted as an irresistible force crashed toward him, leaving him unable to summon even the thought of resistance. In that instant, he experienced the feeling of death.

The towering man quickly opened his mouth and shouted, "Spare—"

"You have no chance. Die," Qian Xunji said coldly.

A streak of sword light flashed past, severing his head from his body. His head fell to the floor, his mouth still hanging open, frozen in the terror he had felt before death. He died with his eyes wide open.

The people around them trembled at the sight. The strength of this young man was terrifying; even without using his Martial Soul, he could unleash such overwhelming might. They understood that their lives would be left here today. Someone shouted, "Kill him!" They all knew that if they did not kill him, none of them would survive the day. Thus, they exerted all their strength, pouring out even more Soul Power, determined to kill him.

Qian Xunji smiled disdainfully. The Ancient Black Sword in his hand slowly unleashed a long ribbon of Sword Qi, which swiftly swept across their bodies. Thud, thud, thud. Corpses collapsed one after another, and blood stained the tavern floor red.

The wind ceased. Other than Qian Xunji and the tavern waiter, not a single person remained in the tavern. This was a feast of slaughter, Qian Xunji's baptism before entering the City of Slaughter. He was about to begin his training in the City of Slaughter.

Watching Qian Xunji's slaughter feast, the tavern waiter could not help but shudder. This young man had disposed of the group cleanly and efficiently, smiling throughout without the slightest change in expression. His practiced methods filled the waiter with fear. It seems the City of Slaughter, silent for so long, is about to become much livelier.

"May I enter now?" Qian Xunji looked at him expressionlessly.

"Y-yes, you may enter. Y-you, please, please go in," the tavern waiter said hurriedly. As he spoke, he lightly pressed a button on the bar counter. This was the entrance to the City of Slaughter.

With a thunderous boom, a massive hole appeared in the ground. An icy wind blew upward from below. Looking at the opening, Qian Xunji felt as though a demon from hell were beckoning to him. Without hesitation, he leaped down and plunged straight into the darkness beneath the floor. His body was instantly swallowed by the blackness, vanishing into it.

Deep in the darkness, after falling only a few meters, Qian Xunji's feet touched solid ground. He did not need light; with his Mental Power, he could see everything clearly in the dark. This was a long passageway sloping downward, its icy aura continuously brushing against his body. Yet he continued forward in great strides.

When Qian Xunji had taken one thousand four hundred and sixty-two steps, an icy voice suddenly echoed from all directions. "Welcome to the City of Slaughter. This is the city of hell, a world filled with slaughter. Here, you may obtain anything you desire. The price is your life."

Qian Xunji released his Mental Power, but immediately discovered that the material of the passageway was extremely unusual. Even his Mental Power could not penetrate it. His expression changed slightly, growing more solemn. Yet his footsteps did not stop. The sound of tap, tap, tap echoed across the ground, heralding unrest.

After turning a corner, a faint light appeared ahead. Qian Xunji narrowed his eyes, and the light before him instantly enlarged in his vision. It was an open gate. Beyond it, he could sense the aura of life.

Striding forward, Qian Xunji clearly heard a cacophony of noise. When he emerged from the passageway, one hundred and one people appeared before him.

All of them wore black armor, their faces completely concealed beneath helmets. One hundred of them held heavy swords. Only one sat atop a tall warhorse, which was likewise covered in thick black armor.

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