The Hell Demon God wore a vicious grin.
As he spoke, blood-red power burst from his entire body.
A suffocating pressure spread rapidly in the form of a domain, instantly blanketing the entire area.
Even the Black Knight Title Holder, who had spent so long in the City of Slaughter that he fancied himself half its master, was stunned by this aura.
Only when Marbas teleported close and his subconscious sensed the threat of death did he snap back to his senses. His hair stood on end as he raised his hand to resist.
Clang! The knight's sword collided with his arm.
Fortunately, this fellow had already activated his Martial Soul.
As an enforcer in the City of Slaughter, he had been granted the right to use Soul Skills. A ghostly figure enveloped his body.
It formed a special defense that barely withstood the casual blow. He spat blood and flew backward, crashing to the ground in a miserable heap.
"Oh? Not bad. You actually survived one of my strikes." Marbas raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
"You've been slacking lately... Want me to handle it instead?" Samigina joked from beside him.
At those words, the former's killing intent surged sky-high.
He snorted without replying, then lunged forward to attack again.
The domain called Slaughter Hell blazed with roiling crimson blood energy, gathering in the palm of his right fist.
Not far away, the Black Knight Title Holder had just managed to survive. He was about to get up when he noticed the scene.
An emotion called fear instantly curled around his heart. He could hardly believe that such a powerful being existed in this world!
Without hesitation, he unleashed his Soul Power, even drawing on the power granted to him by the King of Slaughter in a desperate bid to survive. Thick blood energy enveloped his entire body.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a Black Knight into a "Blood Knight."
But it was useless. A single punch still blasted through his chest.
The blood energy that should have taken effect seemed to have encountered its natural enemy. The domain's power tore it apart at once.
The Black Knight Title Holder stared in horror as Marbas lifted him by the arm. His life force rapidly faded.
He died with his eyes wide open, unable to understand who these Slaughter Gods were—or why, in the City of Slaughter, they could unleash an intent to kill even stronger than the King of Slaughter's.
"Run! Run!"
The Black Knights were gripped by terror.
Even a titled powerhouse had been slain in an instant like an ant.
The strongest among the rest was only a Soul Douluo. How could they possibly stand against these "devils"?
Someone shouted, and everyone scattered in every direction. The Demon Gods, however, weren't in a hurry to pursue them.
"One last confirmation of the mission."
"His Majesty ordered that every living creature here be killed!"
"Don't waste time. Finish off these ants and let the army behind us descend as soon as possible!"
Necromancy Demon God Samigina grinned excitedly. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.
Ever since the great unification, missions that allowed them to slaughter without restraint had disappeared from the Holy Demon Continent.
Only because the City of Slaughter was a special place had Lin Feng given this order. The Demon Gods had been looking forward to it for so long that they threw themselves into the task with all their might.
Whether they were Black Knights or ordinary Fallen, screams and howls rose without end. It was as if a human purgatory had transformed into a real hell...
Meanwhile, deep within the City of Slaughter.
Long Xingyu stood on Hell Road, calmly facing his opponent.
When the tremors outside began, he had already realized that half his mission was complete.
The Demon God Vanguard Army had arrived. The weak defenses here could never hold them back; the place would be destroyed in an instant.
All that remained was to follow Lin Feng's will and make it as far along Hell Road as possible, obtaining the domain known as God of Slaughter.
For now, however, there was one more problem to deal with. The King of Slaughter hovered in midair, anxiously sensing the changes outside.
"Damn it! What's going on?"
"I can feel my subjects being slaughtered!"
"You did this, didn't you? What exactly have you done? What's happening outside?"
Aside from Long Xingyu, who had been prepared in advance, the King of Slaughter controlled every living being in the City of Slaughter.
Naturally, he could sense so many lives disappearing at once. Furious, he quickly realized who the culprit was.
In truth, the King of Slaughter had noticed that Long Xingyu had tampered with something.
But he couldn't understand the teleportation array, so he had merely kept an eye on it instead of destroying it at once.
He had thought that if he killed Long Xingyu himself and seized the thing inside him that drew him in, all the schemes would become meaningless.
He had never imagined that the plan would be entirely different: Long Xingyu had only inscribed the array patterns and wouldn't take part in what came afterward.
"If you want to know what happened, why not go take a look?"
Long Xingyu remained composed, showing no sign of impatience.
The worst-case scenario, of course, was to kill the King of Slaughter and then finish traversing Hell Road.
But if he had a choice, he preferred to draw his opponent away. That would give him a better chance of succeeding.
At his words, the other man gritted his teeth, veins bulging across his pale face. He knew something was off about Long Xingyu's suggestion, but he had no choice but to give in.
Hell Road wasn't easy to traverse. Even without his interference, it couldn't be completed in a short time. If he kept wasting time, everyone outside would be dead!
"Hmph. You think you'll succeed just because I don't interfere?"
"Once I've dealt with things outside, I'll come back and settle the score with you."
The King of Slaughter's thoughts raced. After weighing his options, he made his choice, brimming with killing intent.
After making a few threats, he spread his wings. His batlike wings beat the air.
In an instant, he retreated into the darkness and vanished. The surroundings fell silent once more, leaving Long Xingyu standing alone.
He kept his senses fully alert. Only after confirming that the other man had left did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
"Heh, come back and settle the score with me?"
"Then I'm afraid you'll have to wait until your next life."
Long Xingyu murmured to himself, made a brief adjustment, and continued forward.
The challenge of Hell Road certainly wasn't limited to the King of Slaughter, but it wasn't complicated for him.
With the protection of the Divine Throne of Apocalypse and Slaughter, success was only a matter of time. There was no suspense.
Unlike Long Xingyu, the King of Slaughter—whose true form was the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King—was far from at ease.
He had just returned from Hell Road to the City of Slaughter when he saw several "strange-looking" beings who looked neither human nor Soul Beast slaughtering his Fallen subjects. Furious, he charged toward them.
"Bastards! You'll pay for this!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs and attacked the nearest target first.
The Thirty-Second Pillar, Dragon Rider Demon God Asmodeus, was at the ninth rank, third level.
Caught off guard, Asmodeus was struck by the corrosive blood-red light and plunged toward the ruins below.
"Tch, you're not even that strong, yet you dare come destroy the City of Slaughter? I'll turn every last one of you into nourishment!"
Having landed a successful blow, the King of Slaughter grew even more arrogant. He assumed that all the invaders were at Asmodeus's level.
He didn't know that this Dragon Rider Demon God was almost at the bottom of the Demon God Vanguard Army's ranks.
As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed several powerful soul fluctuations rushing in from every direction, locking onto his position.
Wait! Something seemed wrong!
For all his fury, the King of Slaughter wasn't a fool.
As he felt the approaching auras around him, his sense of danger exploded.
Before he could react, a monster radiating blood energy, its killing intent even stronger than his own, charged toward him.
"King of Slaughter?"
"So you're the King of Slaughter?"
"You're here, so get ready to die!"
Before you continue