One Year Later

"Then come at me." Qin Xuan's expression remained blank. His left hand clenched into a fist behind his back, while red light surged in his right. There was no phoenix cry, only the crimson Everbright Sword.

After nearly half a month of adjustment and cultivation of the Ghost Valley Breathing Technique, Qin Xuan had already gained complete control over the Vermilion Bird sealed within the Everbright Sword.

The lead knight said nothing more. He glanced sideways at the narrow passage around Qin Xuan and, after confirming that Qin Xuan had no room to evade, slowly raised his knight's lance. With a squeeze of his legs, his warhorse suddenly accelerated.

"Remember the man who kills you: Evil Knight Che Guevara."

Carrying a savage aura, he charged straight at Qin Xuan. An icy presence spread through the passage as a solemn killing intent crashed head-on toward him.

Just as the spear tip was about to strike Qin Xuan in the chest, Qin Xuan moved. He lightly tapped the ground with his right foot and leaped onto the spear tip with his left.

Though the passage was narrow enough that even turning a horse around was difficult, it was three to four meters high due to its proximity to the gate, and the ceiling grew higher the farther inward one went.

Qin Xuan flew over Che Guevara's head, performed a forward flip, and swung his sword.

"How is this possible?" Che Guevara had never expected Qin Xuan to evade his lance in such a manner. He wanted to regret it, but it was already too late.

He instinctively raised his lance to block.

Clang—

Crack—

The sword's cry and the sound of metal breaking rang out almost simultaneously. The knight's lance, along with Che Guevara's helmet, was split in two, revealing a savage face filled with terror and utterly devoid of color.

A line of blood silently appeared atop Che Guevara's head and extended all the way to his chin.

Che Guevara gripped the two halves of his broken lance. His body convulsed violently a few times before he rolled from his horse, which let out a shrill neigh.

Qin Xuan withdrew his Everbright Sword Martial Soul and landed on his heels. The enormous gate opened once more, and a young woman with black gauze covering her face stepped out from within.

"You killed him?" The young woman's voice was pleasant. As she approached Qin Xuan, she looked as though she had witnessed something extraordinarily terrifying, her eyes full of disbelief.

It was not that she feared this young man, who was about her age, possessed the strength to defeat Evil Knight Che Guevara. Nor was it that she feared Che Guevara's death.

What she feared was the Slaughter King's wrath.

Even when beating a dog, one had to consider its master.

It was hard to imagine what kind of fury the Slaughter King would unleash if someone killed one of his men on his own territory.

Yet Qin Xuan's answer made her see this young man in a new light.

"He wanted to kill me, so naturally I could kill him. But I also understand this place's rules. The town is the town, and Slaughter City is Slaughter City. If I killed an enforcer within Slaughter City, I'm afraid I would have to bear that man's wrath."

The woman in black gauze gave Qin Xuan a somewhat surprised look and stepped forward to inspect Che Guevara.

After confirming that Che Guevara had merely been severely injured and had lost consciousness, she tossed Qin Xuan a token. "It seems you are not a fool. On the contrary, you are quite clever."

"Then does that mean I've passed the test?" Qin Xuan casually caught the token and glanced at the number on it: '9527.' He quickly lost interest.

His gaze turned toward the inside of the gate. He saw the full expanse of Slaughter City.

It was a black city. The city walls were black, and the buildings were black. Aside from a purple crescent moon hanging five hundred meters above the city, everything was black, as though night itself had taken form.

"Of course." The woman in black gauze moved aside in front of him and made a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to Slaughter City."

Clutching the token, Qin Xuan strode inside without sparing the woman in black gauze another glance.

As she watched Qin Xuan's retreating figure, the woman in black gauze was about to follow when a black-armored soldier beside her spoke in a trembling voice. "Slaughter Messenger, Lord Che Guevara seems to be dying. Should we send him—"

"He is already crippled. Find somewhere to bury him. I will report this to the great King myself later."

The woman in black gauze cast the man an impatient glance, then quickly followed Qin Xuan.

Killing and severely injuring someone might differ by only a single thought, but they were entirely different matters. Killing in the town was nothing, since that was a test in itself.

Even if Slaughter City's guide were killed, so be it. Tang San had killed one in the original story.

But killing someone within Slaughter City was a serious matter. It was practically a slap in the Slaughter King's face.

If this continued, would Slaughter City not be turned upside down? Who would still take the Slaughter King seriously?

Che Guevara had only been severely injured, though his injuries were somewhat grave. His skull had cracked open. Even if he survived, he would be of little use.

In a place like Slaughter City, where people devoured one another, no one would go to great lengths to heal a mere captain of a hundred men.

Instead, Qin Xuan had piqued her interest.

This young man, who was not much older than she was, reminded her of the Clear Sky Sect disciple who had passed through Hell Road several years ago.

Qin Xuan did not seem to be a Fallen One. He had apparently come here specifically to train and obtain Divine Slaughter's Domain.

One belonged to the Clear Sky Sect, and the other to Spirit Hall. This was truly interesting. Beneath her veil, the woman in black gauze wore a seductive smile tinged with amusement and anticipation as she quickened her pace.

After only a few steps, she caught up to Qin Xuan and walked beside him, patiently explaining Slaughter City's rules.

From the moment she had been taken in as a maid by the Slaughter King, she had known that she would never escape this sunless life, unchanged for decades, for the rest of her days.

Compared to its unchanging deathly silence, she hoped even more that someone could stir up trouble in this sinful world.

She, the Slaughter Messenger—the woman in black gauze who would receive Tang San in the future—held expectations for Qin Xuan.

One year later.

Hell Slaughter Arena.

Bang! Bang!

The heads of the final two opponents flew into the air. Blood gushed from their necks as they were beheaded by Qin Xuan's Everbright Sword and slowly fell.

With his left hand, he casually tossed aside yet another refined iron sword that had been damaged beyond count. In his right hand, he held the Everbright Sword high overhead.

Killing intent, nearly condensed into substance, swirled around him. Qin Xuan released his terrifyingly bloody aura of slaughter without restraint, forming an enormous blood-red vortex in the air.

Ninety-nine battles, ninety-nine consecutive victories—this was Qin Xuan's current record in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

Because he possessed high-grade healing pills purchased from the shop, injuries and poison were almost meaningless to Qin Xuan. Moreover, almost no one could harm him.

And because Phoenix Fire could isolate miasma, the killing intent he had accumulated over the past year was barely affected by outside interference. He did not need to spend most of his time calming it.

Therefore, whenever he could reserve a match in the Hell Slaughter Arena, he participated.

Furthermore, after every Hell Slaughter Arena match, he would cut off the heads of any living thing that tried to come within ten meters of him.

Over time, Qin Xuan earned a fearsome name in the Hell Slaughter Arena: Black Dragon.

Rumor had it that he wore a black robe and that no one had ever seen his true face. He also frequently unleashed dragon-shaped sword qi in the Hell Slaughter Arena, cutting down all enemies. That was how his fearsome name arose.

P.S.: Second update