The woman in black gauze led Qian Renxue through the city gates, explaining as they walked.
"Slaughter City has existed for a thousand years. Legend says it is a domain left behind by a powerful Soul Master after surpassing level one hundred.
Here, no Soul Master skills can be used. People can survive only through instinct and their own strength.
Soul power can serve as a source of strength, martial souls can be used in their most basic forms, and abilities granted by soul bones are unrestricted."
Qian Renxue nodded slightly. This matched what the Evil God had said.
"Slaughter City is divided into the outer city and the inner city."
The woman in black gauze pointed ahead.
The outer city was a world of blue and purple.
The lamps hanging along the streets emitted only those two colors. Simple black stone houses lined both sides, with designated eating areas only at intervals, where many people queued for food distributions.
Almost everyone on the streets had an unhealthy pallor, and even more were little more than skin and bones.
"Indiscriminate killing is forbidden in the outer city," the woman in black gauze said. "Contribute two cups of Bloody Mary each month, and you can survive here. Of course, if you win in the Hell Slaughter Arena, you no longer need to contribute blood."
Cheng Ran added, "These people have been drained of almost all their blood. They're depleted in both vitality and blood and could die at any moment.
Drink too much Bloody Mary, and you become addicted. The more you drink, the more bloodthirsty you become, until your mind is worn away and you become a complete slave to Slaughter City.
There's no need to pity these people. Not one person who made it here has clean hands."
There was actually one question that had remained on Cheng Ran's mind, though he did not know whether he should ask: could monthly menstrual blood be offered as Bloody Mary...?
The woman in black gauze continued, "Only those who survive the Hell Slaughter Arena qualify to enter the inner city.
The Hell Slaughter Arena is a circular building at the very center of Slaughter City. Ten people enter in each group, and the last one alive wins.
Each victory allows you to live in Slaughter City for another year. Reach one hundred victories, and you become a champion, entitled to permanent residency in Slaughter City."
Cheng Ran yawned. "Skip, skip. I know all this. What veteran gamer doesn't skip NPC dialogue? Who watches the opening plot in porn? Everyone skips ahead."
Qian Renxue only half understood. "O-kay."
Qian Renxue suddenly spoke. "Sis, can you tell me something I don't know?"
The woman in black gauze faltered in her steps.
Through her black gauze, she reassessed the blonde girl in white before her, her thoughts racing.
Either this girl was arrogant to the extreme and thought nothing of Slaughter City.
Or she was so familiar with Slaughter City that she did not need its rules explained.
If it was the latter, there was only one possibility: she knew someone who had left Slaughter City.
Someone who had passed through Hell Road and earned the title of Slayer-in other words, she had close ties to a Slayer.
The woman in black gauze revealed none of this, continuing in an even tone. "What would you like to know?"
Qian Renxue said, "You can go. I'll look around on my own."
The woman in black gauze fell silent for a moment, bowed slightly, then turned and vanished into the blue and purple light.
Cheng Ran said, "Look around first and familiarize yourself with the layout. Then sign up at the Hell Slaughter Arena and start grinding."
Cheng Ran paused. "There's only one way to leave Slaughter City: become a hundred-win champion of the Hell Slaughter Arena, earn the right to challenge Hell Road, and fight your way out of it. Only then can you leave.
Those who pass through Hell Road are granted the title of Slayer. That's the goal of our trip."
Qian Renxue asked, "Bibi Dong is a Slayer?"
Cheng Ran said, "That's right. In the thousand-plus years since Slaughter City was founded, there have been eight Slayers in total. The ones still alive are Tang Hao and Bibi Dong."
Qian Renxue asked, "Is Divine Slaughter's Domain powerful?"
Cheng Ran said, "Very. Divine Slaughter's Domain is rooted in killing intent. Within its range, it weakens opponents and strengthens the user."
Qian Renxue silently committed this information to memory.
Qian Renxue crossed the outer city and headed toward the inner city.
A wall separated the outer and inner cities, reaching only about ten meters at its highest point. The gates stood wide open, with no guards.
Cheng Ran said, "The inner city doesn't need guards. Anyone from the outer city can enter whenever they want, if they have the nerve. But only warriors who survive the Hell Slaughter Arena qualify to live in the inner city."
Upon entering the inner city, the scene changed abruptly.
If the outer city was a world of deathly silence and indifference, the inner city was a world of extravagance and madness.
There were far more people than in the outer city, and it was utter chaos. Excited laughter, anguished cries, and many spine-chilling sounds filled every corner.
Qian Renxue walked calmly through the inner city's streets, ignoring everything around her.
At the center of the inner city stood an enormous, circular black building: the Hell Slaughter Arena. It formed an irregular cone, widest at the bottom and narrowing toward the top. About fifty meters tall, it exuded a heavy sense of oppression.
Qian Renxue reached the entrance, where a registrar in black robes sat behind a desk.
"Newcomer?"
"Yes."
"Know the rules?"
"Ten per match. Last one alive wins."
The registrar tossed an Identity Card onto the desk. "The next match starts in an hour. In each new match, none of your opponents will have participated in the Hell Slaughter Arena more than five fewer times than you. Barring special circumstances, people with over fifty victories won't face each other in the same match."
Qian Renxue picked up the Identity Card and entered the waiting area.
Seven or eight people were already standing inside. When they saw her enter, their gazes varied: some greedy, some contemptuous, some indifferent.
Qian Renxue found a corner and stood there, closing her eyes to rest.
Two contestants nearby were chatting quietly, though they made little effort to lower their voices. Qian Renxue heard every word.
"There's a nasty piece of work in today's match. Bone-Crushing Hand Yin Tu. Heard he signed up."
"Yin Tu? The one behind that family massacre in the Star Luo Empire?"
"That's him. Seventy-two people in the Liu Family on the Star Luo Empire's border, and the only one that escaped him alive was their watchdog. Afterward, the Star Luo Empire sent three Soul Emperors to hunt him down, but he chased them back and slaughtered them all instead."
"He's been here three years. Twenty-two wins. He's killed at least several hundred contestants alone."
"Wait, that blonde chick's a newcomer?"
"Coming here to die so young. What a waste of that face."
Qian Renxue listened to every word without expression.
About seven minutes later, the iron gates opened.
"Match ten. Enter."
Ten people walked into the arena.
Tier upon tier of spectator seats surrounded the circular grounds, packed with Slaughter City residents there to watch the show.
Dark red bloodstains remained on the ground, and some patches still glistened with an unnatural wetness.
The ten contestants spread out across the grounds.
Qian Renxue stood closest to the exit, narrowing her eyes slightly.
She extended her spiritual power, taking in the soul power fluctuations and strength of the auras of all nine others.
Among them were one Soul Emperor above level sixty, one Soul Ancestor above level fifty, four Soul Elders around level forty, and three Soul Masters in their thirties.
Without soul skills, the impact of differences in level was greatly reduced.
One of them was Yin Tu.
He was short and stocky, his body knotted with muscle and bulging veins. His hands were a size larger than an ordinary person's, his knuckles as thick as walnuts.
Yin Tu was looking at her too.
His gaze held none of the lechery of those small fry, only the indifference of a predator sizing up its prey.
Cheng Ran said, "Oh, an elite monster spawned on the map."
Before you continue