The scar-faced man's expression darkened in an instant, the murderous intent in his eyes utterly undisguised.
"Kid, you're asking to die!"
At his furious shout, more than a dozen burly men in the tavern sprang to their feet.
They drew the weapons at their sides and surrounded Gu Sheng, their faces savage.
"You dare stir up trouble on my turf? Today I'll chop you into mincemeat and make you into a fresh Bloody Mary!"
A burly man swung the giant axe in his hands and brought it crashing down toward Gu Sheng's head.
The axe shrieked through the air, about to split Gu Sheng in two.
Gu Sheng didn't even turn his head.
He merely raised his right hand, slightly curled his index finger, and flicked it lightly.
"Clang!"
A sharp, deafening crash rang out.
Beneath Gu Sheng's fingertip, the enormous iron axe shattered instantly into countless pieces, as fragile as porcelain.
That wasn't all. A violent gust of force swept down the axe handle.
Before the axeman could even scream, his entire right arm was blasted into a cloud of blood.
His body flew backward like a kite with its strings cut and slammed into the wall behind him, collapsing the entire section. He fell lifeless.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
The tavern, which had been bustling moments before, became so quiet that a pin could have dropped.
Everyone stared, eyes wide with horror.
With one flick of his finger, he had shattered a giant axe and killed a Soul Ancestor-level expert outright.
What kind of terrifying strength did that take?
The remaining thugs turned deathly pale. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and they could no longer hold on to their weapons. One by one, they clattered to the ground.
The scar-faced man was dumbstruck, too.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling so badly he could barely speak.
"Y-you... who are you?"
Gu Sheng slowly turned to face him.
"Open the gate."
Those two simple words pressed down on the scar-faced man like a mountain, leaving him struggling to breathe.
He scrambled behind the counter and forcefully pressed a hidden mechanism in a concealed corner.
"Click, click, click..."
A heavy grinding sound came from the mechanism.
The floor behind the counter slowly split apart, revealing a pitch-black passageway.
It sloped downward into the depths, from within wafting an even stronger stench of blood and a chill that seeped into the bones.
"M-my lord, the passage is open. Please, go ahead."
The scar-faced man knelt on the ground, trembling violently, not daring to raise his head and look at Gu Sheng.
Gu Sheng couldn't be bothered to even glance at him. He stepped toward the passageway.
But when he reached the entrance, he suddenly stopped.
The fallen ones who had thought they'd escaped with their lives felt their hearts leap back into their throats.
Gu Sheng turned and swept his gaze over the tavern.
"The air in here is too foul."
Before the words had even faded, he swept his sleeve.
A formless yet terrifying energy storm erupted inside the cramped tavern.
Boom!
The entire tavern was torn to pieces in an instant, reduced to countless fragments.
As for the fallen ones inside, they didn't even have time to scream before the terrifying energy reduced them to nothingness.
Only after all this was done did Gu Sheng step into the dark passageway.
The passageway was extremely damp.
Slippery green moss covered the walls, and the steady drip, drip of water rang out with particular clarity in the silent passage.
Gu Sheng walked at an unhurried pace.
Before long, a faint light appeared ahead.
As he drew closer, the glow gradually grew brighter, until it became a vast opening.
Gu Sheng emerged from the passageway.
The scene before him opened up dramatically.
It was a vast, empty underground world.
There was no sun overhead, only a dark-red sky radiating an eerie glow.
Not far ahead stood an enormous black castle.
Its walls soared a hundred meters high, built entirely of black boulders and exuding an oppressive aura.
The city gates stood open.
A squad of knights in black armor stood before them.
They rode tall warhorses, gripped sharp lances, and gave off a bone-chilling aura.
The knight at their head was unmistakable, his armor embroidered with intricate dark-gold patterns.
When he saw Gu Sheng emerge, the leading knight slowly rode toward him.
His voice was hoarse and cold.
"I am Terror Knight Scott."
"To enter Slaughter City, you must defeat me or accept my test."
Gu Sheng looked at Scott and couldn't help but sneer.
"A test?"
"You think you're worthy of testing me?"
Scott flew into a rage.
As the gatekeeper of Slaughter City, he held absolute authority here.
Except for the King of Slaughter, no one had ever dared show him such contempt.
"You insolent fool!"
"Prepare to die!"
Scott roared and dug in his heels.
His warhorse neighed, becoming a black whirlwind as it charged at Gu Sheng.
The lance in his hand flashed like lightning, thrusting straight at Gu Sheng's throat.
The thrust carried tremendous force, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Gu Sheng stood perfectly still.
He looked as if he had been scared stiff.
A cruel gleam flickered in Scott's eyes.
In his view, this luxuriously dressed young man was about to die on his lance.
However.
When the lance was only an inch from Gu Sheng's throat,
Gu Sheng suddenly moved.
He simply raised his left hand and lightly pinched the lance between two fingers.
Ding!
The lance, forged from refined steel, was held fast between Gu Sheng's two fingers.
No matter how hard Scott pushed, it wouldn't move another inch.
"H-how is this possible?"
Scott's expression changed drastically.
He could feel a force like an avalanche pouring from Gu Sheng's fingers, leaving him powerless to resist.
"I told you, you weren't worthy."
Gu Sheng spoke indifferently.
Then he exerted a little pressure with his fingers and snapped the lance.
Crack!
The lance broke cleanly in two.
Gu Sheng caught the severed tip and casually swept it forward.
Whoosh!
A streak of white light flashed.
Scott froze in place.
A thin red line appeared across his neck.
Then a torrent of blood gushed out.
His head slid from his neck and rolled across the ground.
His headless body tumbled from his warhorse with a heavy thud.
The black-armored knights who had been preparing to watch the show were dumbfounded.
Terror Knight Scott had been killed in a single move by this young man?
They stared at Gu Sheng in terror, backing away uncontrollably. Not one of them dared step forward to stop him.
Gu Sheng ignored the nobodies, stepped over Scott's corpse, and walked through the city gate.
The instant he crossed the threshold,
a sultry voice suddenly came from the shadows nearby.
"What a powerful guest."
"To think even Terror Knight Scott couldn't withstand a single move from you."
Gu Sheng stopped and turned to look.
A woman in a long black veil dress slowly emerged from the shadows.
A black veil covered her face, hiding her features, but her exposed eyes were alluring.
She had a gorgeous figure, full curves and a mature charm.
"I'm your guide."
The Black Veil Maiden walked up to Gu Sheng and gave a slight bow.
"For the next twenty-four hours, I'll answer any questions you have about Slaughter City and keep you safe."
Gu Sheng gave her an appraising look, a playful smile curling his lips.
"Keep me safe?"
"Do you think I need your protection?"
The Black Veil Maiden glanced at Scott's body on the ground and gave an awkward laugh.
"Your strength is naturally unfathomable, my lord."
"But this is the rule of Slaughter City."
"Here, all Soul Skills are sealed. You can use only the purest physical strength and Soul Power."
"Besides, there are no rules here. Murder is everywhere."
"With me at your side, you can avoid a lot of trouble."
Gu Sheng withdrew his gaze without comment.
"Enough talk. Lead the way."
"To the inner city."
The Black Veil Maiden paused, staring at Gu Sheng in surprise.
"My lord, you want to go straight to the inner city?"
"The outer city is chaotic, but it's relatively safe."
"The inner city is a true hell, full of madmen and murderers."
Gu Sheng let out an impatient snort.
"My time is precious. I won't waste it on trash."
"Lead the way."
Feeling the invisible pressure emanating from Gu Sheng, the Black Veil Maiden's heart shuddered. She didn't dare say another word.
"Yes, my lord. Please follow me."
The two walked into the city, one following the other.
Along the way, Gu Sheng saw all kinds of fallen ones.
They reeked, their eyes wild and greedy.
They lurked in dark corners, watching Gu Sheng and the Black Veil Maiden with ill intent.
But when they saw what she was wearing, the greed in their eyes gave way to deep wariness.
In Slaughter City, guides were messengers of the King of Slaughter. No one dared provoke them lightly.
"My lord, this is the outer city,"
the Black Veil Maiden explained in a low voice as she walked.
"Those who live here are cowards who lack the courage to enter the inner city, scraping out a wretched existence."
"They only have to pay one cup of Bloody Mary each day to earn the right to stay here."
"Whereas the inner city is paradise for the strong and hell for the weak."
Gu Sheng listened quietly, his expression cold.
The conditions here were worse than he had imagined.
Filthy water and garbage were everywhere, and the air was thick with the stench of rot and blood.
It made him sick.
The two of them crossed a long street and arrived before a huge stone bridge.
On the other side of the bridge stood an even taller iron gate.
Countless grotesque demons were carved into it, and it emanated a murderous aura that made the heart tremble.
"My lord, beyond this gate lies the inner city."
The Black Veil Maiden stopped and pointed to the iron gate ahead.
"Once you enter the inner city, I can't guarantee your safety."
"Are you sure you want to go in?"
Gu Sheng looked at the iron gate, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
He could sense a vast, chaotic presence behind it.
The people he was looking for were in there.
"Tang San. Tang Hao."
"I hope you're ready to die."
Gu Sheng murmured.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, he stepped across the stone bridge and headed for the iron gate that symbolized hell.
The iron gate slowly swung open with a dull grinding sound, and a blood-soaked wave of heat, almost suffocating in its intensity, surged toward him.
Gu Sheng stepped over the threshold. Beneath his feet lay a dark-red stone road, sticky underfoot with layers of blood and grime that had accumulated for who knew how many years.
The Black Veil Maiden followed close behind. Her alluring eyes were now filled with tension.
A scene of utter madness greeted them.
From the dilapidated buildings lining the street came the occasional beastlike scream.
Several ragged, plague-ridden fallen ones were huddled around a corpse, tearing into it like wild animals. Their hollow eye sockets gleamed with greed.
When Gu Sheng appeared in this blood-red world, his immaculate black robe embroidered with gold drew countless sticky, malicious stares.
"Well, well. Look at that—fresh meat."
A burly man with a pair of blades in his hands and boils covering his face stepped out of the shadows. He licked the blood from his blade, his eyes full of cruelty.
"Nice clothes. They're mine!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, the boil-covered brute sprang forward. His twin blades carved two dark-red arcs through the air, aimed straight at Gu Sheng's neck.
Gu Sheng couldn't even be bothered to raise an eyelid. He simply took a calm step forward.
The Black Veil Maiden had been about to warn him, but in the next instant, she froze in place.
Gu Sheng hadn't made a single move, yet the charging brute's body had stopped strangely in midair, three feet away from him.
"Bang!"
A dull, explosive sound rang out.
Without warning, the brute's body instantly burst into a cloud of blood mist, and the twin blades in his hands were reduced to dust as well.
The blood mist scattered through the air, but the moment it neared Gu Sheng, an invisible barrier held it back. Not a speck touched his splendid robe.
The fallen ones who had been itching to make a move froze like ducks with their necks caught in a vise. Every sound around them died at once.
Gu Sheng dusted off his sleeve, though there wasn't a speck of dust on it, and turned to the Black Veil Maiden.
"This inner city's welcoming ceremony is rather crude."
The Black Veil Maiden swallowed, her face pale. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
She had spent many years in Slaughter City and seen countless vicious and brutal Soul Masters, but never such a strange and terrifying method.
She couldn't sense even a trace of Soul Power. A Soul King-level powerhouse had simply turned into blood mist out of nowhere.
"Lead me to the Hell Slaughter Arena."
Gu Sheng's voice remained calm, yet carried an authority that brooked no refusal.
The Black Veil Maiden didn't dare delay. She hurriedly bowed and led the way.
"My lord, please follow me."
Along the way, the fallen ones all shrank back as though fleeing a plague god. No one dared step forward to provoke him again.
As he walked, Gu Sheng released his vast divine sense, instantly blanketing all of Slaughter City.
His divine sense spread like a fine web, piercing layer after layer of mist as it searched every corner.
Yet after searching for a while, his brows furrowed slightly.
Before you continue