When Feng Lingtian finished his ninety-ninth match, the guard made a mark in the scorebook, looked up at him, and said, "One more match to go."
He nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk back to his corner of the stands. The last match was surprisingly calmer than any of the previous ones.
He mentally reviewed the strategies he had previously summarized, confirmed that he was in good condition today, and then signed up.
The last match was surprisingly quieter than any of the previous ones.
Nine people stood in the arena, none of them making a move. Feng Lingtian stood at the edge and glanced around—all eyes were on him.
Feng Lingtian has played so many matches that everyone already knows his playing style, and no one wants to be the first to die.
Feng Lingtian waited a few moments to make sure no one would make the first move, and then he moved.
He chose the nearest opponent, crouched low, and quickly closed the distance. A blade of wind slashed across the opponent's neck, and the man fell before he could even react.
But the moment he finished his move, the remaining eight people moved simultaneously—not at each other, but all of them charged at him.
Feng Lingtian sidestepped the first person's attack, then used his wind blade to slash at the second person's wrist, while simultaneously moving quickly to create distance.
Feng Lingtian's heart suddenly tightened. Although he knew they might deal with him first, Feng Lingtian hadn't expected all eight of them to be there.
Feng Lingtian calmed himself down and quickly shifted positions within the crowd, avoiding prolonged battles and retreating immediately after each strike, eliminating only one enemy. The arena was in chaos for a few moments, but Feng Lingtian's rhythm remained intact.
As Feng Lingtian delivered his final strike, the guard's voice rang out from the edge of the arena. "7364, victory! 100 wins achieved!"
There was a moment of silence in the stands, then scattered shouts erupted, " Wind Blade Asura!" " Wind Blade Asura!" Some were banging on the railings, some were whistling, and some were screaming.
Feng Lingtian did not leave the arena; he stood still and waited.
A few breaths later, under the dark red sky, a deep voice spread out, pressing directly into everyone's consciousness—not through amplification, but directly imprinted in their minds.
A figure appeared on the high platform in the center of the arena, clad in black robes, his face blurred, his age indiscernible. The King of Slaughter.
"Congratulations, young Wind Blade Asura." The King of Slaughter's voice was unhurried, carrying a deliberate elegance.
"I am delighted to witness the birth of a true warrior in the killing field today. You made them tremble with your immense strength and terrifying killing intent, didn't you, my people?"
"Yes--Yes--Yes--" A burst of frenzied shouts erupted from the stands.
The King of Slaughter lowered his head and looked at Feng Lingtian: "To recognize your achievements, I have decided to exceptionally bestow upon you the title of Slaughter God."
From this day forward, you may freely enter and leave the Slaughter City, and you will be honorably appointed as a guest elder of the Slaughter City under my command.
Feng Lingtian stood still, not in a hurry to answer. He knew this was the procedure in the Slaughter City—
Offering honors, status, and privileges was intended to keep him there. But his purpose in coming here was never to be a guest advisor.
"I'm going to brave the Hell Road," Feng Lingtian said.
The King of Slaughter looked at him and remained silent for a few moments. "Once the Hell Road is opened, there is no turning back."
"I know."
The King of Slaughter did not try to persuade him further. He slowly raised his hand and made a sweeping motion in the air. The ground in the center of the arena began to tremble, and a dark red crack split open from the center to both sides.
At the same time, the noise from the stands vanished instantly. Not just quiet, but utter silence.
Feng Lingtian glanced at the enthusiastic spectators in the stands and saw them freeze, then collapse one after another as if something had been drained from them.
Their life force transformed into dark red specks of light, flowing into the depths of the crack and igniting the passage leading to the underground like fuel.
Feng Lingtian didn't look again. He withdrew his gaze and walked to the edge of the crack.
The King of Slaughter's voice came from behind. "I received the message you sent earlier. Hell Road did indeed almost lead to disaster. Consider this reminder a personal favor I owe you."
Feng Lingtian didn't turn around. "No need."
Then he stepped into the crevice. A dark red light engulfed him.
The fall was shorter than expected. As his feet touched the ground, he bent his knees to absorb the impact and regain his balance, while simultaneously taking an Antidote Pill pill from his Mustard Seed Storage and swallowing it.
The air in Hell Road was filled with an indescribable toxicity. The toxic gas at the entrance wasn't too strong yet, but he didn't want to wait until the poison took effect before dealing with it.
Then came the second pill— the Clear Heart Pill. It was slightly cool upon entering the mouth, and its medicinal power dissolved in the meridians, instantly clearing the mind that had been somewhat heavy due to the surrounding environment.
Then came the third pill for restoring Soul Power. It melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and the speed of Soul Power recovery noticeably increased.
Only after confirming that his condition had stabilized did he begin to observe his surroundings.
A narrow passage stretched out in all directions, flanked by bottomless cliffs with faint traces of red lava flowing slowly at their base. There was no light source overhead, but a dark red glow emanated from the cliff walls themselves, illuminating the path ahead.
The air was dry and scorching, carrying the smell of sulfur. Feng Lingtian took a few steps forward, channeling his Soul Power to sense the effects of the recovery pill.
As expected, the Soul Power was not completely unblocked, and the recovery speed was still slower than normal, but it was at least better than when I first entered.
Fortunately, I brought some medicine, but unfortunately, the medicine only provided temporary relief and could not completely counteract the suppression of the Hell Road.
Feng Lingtian didn't linger and continued forward. The passage became narrower and narrower ahead, the cliffs on both sides began to narrow, and the path under his feet gradually changed from smooth stone slabs to broken rocks.
Feng Lingtian walked for a while, and there were several desiccated corpses scattered on the ground ahead. Some had completely turned to bones, while others still had shriveled skin remaining. He passed by the corpses without stopping to look.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a broken stone bridge appeared ahead. The bridge was less than half its original width, with a section collapsed in the middle, revealing the abyss below.
Feng Lingtian stood at the bridgehead and glanced down—dark red magma was slowly churning at the bottom, and waves of heat were hitting him. He assessed the distance; the collapsed section was about two zhang wide, and with his jumping ability and the physical attributes of Agility Attack System Soul Master, he could leap across it directly.
He took a deep breath, took two steps back, accelerated forward, and leaped into the air at the edge of the broken bridge. His body drew an arc in the air, and when he landed on the opposite side of the bridge, he bent his knees to absorb the force and stabilize his center of gravity.
He glanced back at the fracture behind him; the heat of the lava surged at the collapsed area for a moment, then returned to its previous calm.
Feng Lingtian turned around and continued walking forward.
After walking less than a hundred steps, the passage ahead suddenly narrowed, and fine cracks began to appear on the cliff walls on both sides. Dark red light seeped out from the cracks, as if something was wriggling deep within the rock.
Feng Lingtian slowed his pace and scanned the area ahead—a huge stone wall stretched out before him, seemingly a dead end, but a long, thin crack ran down the middle of the wall, its edges smooth as if it had been repeatedly rubbed by something.
He took a few steps closer, and suddenly a series of rapid flapping sounds came from the depths of the crevice, as if something had been awakened. Without hesitation, Feng Lingtian turned sideways and pressed himself against the stone wall, lowering his body as much as possible.
The next second, a group of dark red creatures poured out of the crack, densely crowding the upper part of the passage.
They resemble bats, but are much larger, with a wingspan of nearly half a meter. Their mouthparts reveal fine, sharp teeth, and their cries are shrill and piercing, like the sound of metal scraping against rock.
Feng Lingtian didn't move. He pressed himself against the stone wall, held his breath, and waited for them to fly by. He could feel several of them swoop down over his head, their wingtips almost brushing against his hair, but none of them touched him.
The group of dark red creatures hovered in the passage for a while, then quickly disappeared into the depths of the crevice, leaving only a faint smell of blood in the air.
Feng Lingtian waited a few moments to make sure no one else appeared before standing up from the stone wall.
He glanced up at the crack, then looked away and continued walking.
After he had taken a dozen or so steps, he heard a very faint flapping sound behind him—just once, as if something had landed at the edge of the crack and was quietly watching the direction he had left in.
Feng Lingtian did not turn around.