The King of Slaughter's breathing became heavy, his scarlet eyes filled with savagery, yet also mixed with a trace of helpless frustration.
His original plan was to use the rules of the Hell Slaughter Arena to continuously arrange powerful opponents for Xuan Ming, and even devise a plan to surround and kill him, so as to eventually leave this threat completely on the field.
As long as it conforms to the "rules," the woman can't say anything.
But what about now?
Nobody fought him!
That Xuan Ming seemed to have never come to challenge the Hell Road or acquire a domain.
He was like a hungry wolf that had broken into a sheepfold, purely for killing and devouring!
In the past two months, although Xuan Ming has not entered the killing field, the number of "abnormal casualties" in the Slaughter City has risen sharply.
Especially those powerful and infamous figures in the inner and outer cities often disappear inexplicably, and when they are occasionally found, all that remains are withered skeletons drained of their Life.
This guy is treating Slaughter City like a buffet!
The King of Slaughter could even sense that the strange Blood Spear, after devouring so much Life and Soul Power, was emitting an increasingly terrifying aura, making even him feel vaguely uneasy.
What made him even more hesitant was that woman— Bibi Dong!
The chilling warning and unfathomable power from a year ago are still vivid in my mind.
He had no doubt that if he personally intervened or used methods outside the rules to target Xuan Ming, that crazy woman would definitely break the agreement and personally break in!
At that point, it won't just be a matter of losing a few Fallen, but whether he, the King of Slaughter, can still hold onto his throne!
"Damn it! Damn it!" the King of Slaughter roared, crushing the armrests of his throne into pieces.
His biggest regret now is why he didn't just reject that woman outright! Now look what he's done—it's easy to invite a god in, but hard to send him away!
That Xuan Ming is a scourge!
A lawless scourge protected by top-tier experts!
He no longer looked forward to Xuan Ming's "performance" on the killing field. He only hoped that this evil star would hurry up and finish his performance, rush to that damned Hell Road, and then get out of his Slaughter City!
He even started considering whether to secretly lower the difficulty of the Hell Road, or... simply find a pretext to automatically register his passage as passed?
The moment this thought popped into his head, even the King of Slaughter himself found it absurd and frustrating.
He, the ruler of the Slaughter City, the fearsome King of Slaughter, was actually being forced by a mere brat who hadn't even obtained the Divine Slaughter's Domain to think of ways to give him special treatment and beg him to leave quickly?
Utter disgrace!
Just then, the scene inside the crystal ball changed.
Xuan Ming, who was walking on the streets of the outer city, suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell in one direction.
There, a man of exceptionally tall and robust stature, wielding a massive blood-red and purple-gold hammer, had just snapped the neck of an attacker. He exuded a domineering killing intent, and judging from the fluctuations in his Soul Power, he was clearly a Soul Saint- level expert. Moreover, he seemed to have only recently entered the Slaughter City and had not yet fully adapted to the rules here, his eyes still retaining the ferocity and arrogance of his outside world.
Xuan Ming's icy blue eyes lit up slightly, as if a hunter had spotted prey worth hunting.
The two Black Dragon behind him seemed to get excited as well, letting out silent hisses.
The King of Slaughter's heart skipped a beat when he saw this.
He vaguely remembered that idiot with the purple-gold hammer; he was a formidable character who had joined in the last few months and had achieved a winning streak of over ten in the Hell Slaughter Arena. He was one of the pieces he originally planned to use to snipe Xuan Ming in the later stages of the game.
But now...
"No... no good!" The King of Slaughter suddenly stood up.
However, before he could react, an intense white light shone from within the crystal ball, and Xuan Ming's figure transformed into a blurry black line within the white light, carrying a chilling aura as he rushed straight towards the Purple Gold Hammer Soul Saint!
The King of Slaughter closed his eyes in anguish.
He knew that the "pawn" he had painstakingly selected was about to be lost again!
"Quickly..." The King of Slaughter practically spat out the command through gritted teeth.
"Investigate! Find out which other capable and fearless idiots have just entered! Find a way... no! Directly 'invite' them to the Hell Slaughter Arena!"
"Tell them that as long as they sign up and compete with Xuan Ming, I guarantee they'll have enough Yellow Springs Dew for three years! No! Five years!"
The King of Slaughter slumped on his throne, feeling more exhausted and frustrated than ever before.
In Slaughter City, this was the first time he had encountered such a "plague god" that he couldn't fight, couldn't stop, and had to hope that the other party would quickly achieve its goal and then be sent away!
He only wanted one thing now: for this guy to quickly reach 100 wins, and then, with his equally formidable female companion, to get out of his Slaughter City immediately!
Chapter 296 Restraint, Release
The killings in the outer city did not last long.
When Xuan Ming's figure reappeared on the twisted, bloody streets of the inner city, the chill emanating from him seemed even more intense than when he left. A trace of lingering blood remained on his fingertips, but it was quickly swallowed up by his own aura.
The eerie Blood Spear did not appear, but the pair of Black Dragon behind him constantly scanned the surroundings, their eyes radiating a chilling aura.
The Fallen around them retreated in terror as if they had seen Gui Mei, making way for each other and not daring to even breathe.
Xuan Ming was already used to this. He walked expressionlessly through the dirty streets and came to a relatively "quiet" area.
The buildings here are equally twisted and bizarre, but at least there's no constant fighting or screaming.
He pushed open a door made of some kind of huge animal bones and entered a narrow but relatively clean stone house.
This is his and Hu Liena's temporary residence in the Slaughter City.
Compared to outside, this place is almost cozy... if you ignore the lingering smell of blood in the air.
Inside the room, Hu Liena was curled up on a simple stone bed in the corner.
Hearing the door open, she abruptly looked up.
More than a year of living in the Slaughter City left obvious marks on her.
Her once charming face had become a little thinner, with more sharp lines, but her peach blossom eyes were no longer clear or alluring as before. Instead, they were filled with weariness, repression, and a restlessness and desire hidden deep in her eyes, almost bursting forth.
Her breathing was a little rapid, and her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red. When she saw Xuan Ming enter, her eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry beast spotting its prey. She subconsciously licked her chapped lips.
"You're back..." Hu Liena's voice was slightly hoarse and trembled almost imperceptibly.
Xuan Ming's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, a barely perceptible ripple flashing deep within his icy blue eyes.
He could clearly sense that Hu Liena's mental state was becoming increasingly unstable.
The Evil aura of the Slaughter City constantly erodes people's minds, and the " Bloody Mary," a local specialty, is a poison that intensifies this erosion.
Although he was already used to killing, and his Divine Power was as solid as a rock under the protection of the Ice and Fire Dragon Origin Head Crown, making him completely immune to the influence of Bloody Mary, Hu Liena was different.
Although her Martial Soul is mental, it leans more towards charm and manipulation. Under the impact of this purely negative energy, her resistance is becoming increasingly difficult.
The most obvious sign is that her desires are getting out of control.
Especially... my desire for him.
"Hmm." Xuan Ming responded faintly, walked to the stone bench on the other side of the room, sat down, closed his eyes, and seemed to be preparing to regulate his breathing.
However, he had only been sitting down for a short while when a fragrant breeze mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted towards him.
Hu Liena had appeared in front of him without him noticing, and leaned down, almost pressing her face against his.
Her warm breath, hot and scorching, sprayed onto his neck. Her eyes were hazy and aggressive, and one hand had even restlessly landed on his shoulder, her fingertips exerting a slight pressure.
" Xuan Ming..." Hu Liena's voice was like a dream, filled with intense longing, "It's... dangerous outside, isn't it? Let me... see if you're hurt?"
These words are less a sign of concern and more a clumsy excuse and a test.
Her fingers tried to slide towards his chest, and her body pressed closer and closer.
Xuan Ming did not open his eyes, but the invisible chill emanating from his body suddenly intensified.
A cold white light quietly spread out from him, not as an attack, but as gentle as a cool spring.
"Uh..." Hu Liena trembled violently as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water. The dazedness and flush in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by a moment of clarity and the ensuing shame and panic.
She jerked her hand back as if burned, staggering several steps backward until her back hit the cold wall.
She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her body trembling slightly, unable to look at Xuan Ming any longer.
This isn't the first time.
Every time her desires spiraled out of control, she would almost instinctively want to get close to Xuan Ming, wanting to draw some kind of cold sense of security from him, yet she was driven by an increasingly strong possessiveness and craving from the depths of her soul, becoming bold and aggressive.
Each time, Xuan Ming would use his unique domain power, like the most effective tranquilizer, to forcibly pull her back from the brink of losing control.
However, Xuan Ming could sense that the effect of this "cooling" was weakening, and the intervals between treatments were getting shorter and shorter.
Hu Liena's obsession with him did not diminish because of his cold response; on the contrary, it became even stronger and more... direct under the influence of the Slaughter City environment.
The way she looked at him often revealed an almost overwhelming possessiveness that seemed to devour him.
On several occasions, shortly after he calmed her down with his domain, she would suddenly "attack" him again due to some resentment or more complex emotions—sometimes with resentful bites, sometimes with desperate embraces, and sometimes with clumsy and frantic attempts to go further with kisses.
Although Xuan Ming would stop or push him away each time, the increasingly frequent and intense "loss of control" made Xuan Ming realize that the root of the problem was becoming deeper and deeper.
He opened his eyes and looked at Hu Liena, who was huddled in the corner, exuding an aura of fragility and struggle. His icy blue eyes remained calm, but there was also an indescribable solemnity in them.
This can't go on.
" Sister Bing, do you have a solution?" Xuan Ming asked.
Hu Liena's desire for him had always been strong, especially after her Martial Soul Evolution into the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox. Her initial probing had taken on a strange "assertiveness."
Coupled with the unique environment of the Slaughter City, Hu Liena's desire for him was completely ignited. He knew she had already been very restrained, and he had originally intended for Hu Liena to train herself to control her desires, but she clearly couldn't.
"Why don't you just satisfy her?" the Ice Dragon King said.
"The desire to kill needs to be released, and so does this other kind of desire. It's better to guide than to suppress; you understand that principle."
Restraint is necessary, but so is release.
Blindly restraining oneself will damage one's brain; blindly releasing oneself is indulgence and self-degradation.
"This isn't a question of satisfaction or dissatisfaction," Xuan Ming responded in his mind.
"Once the floodgates of desire are fully opened, they will only be amplified infinitely by the environment of this Slaughter City, ultimately consuming her completely. What I need is for her to control it, not to indulge it."
"She's already been quite restrained. Can't you let her release some of her tension?" the Ice Dragon King said helplessly.
I know what you're worried about, but...
Just as he was weighing his options, Hu Liena, who was in the corner, seemed to have recovered from her brief moment of shame and confusion.
The burning desire that had been forcibly suppressed did not disappear; instead, after the chill subsided, it was like a suppressed volcano, brewing an even more violent eruption.
She slowly raised her head, her eyes no longer glazed over, but filled with a kind of obsessive, almost desperate madness.
The flush on her cheeks returned, even more vibrant than before, and her breathing became heavy.
"Why..." Hu Liena's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with sobs and an unsettling stubbornness, "Why do you always push me away? Xuan Ming... do you hate me that much?"
She leaned against the wall, slowly stood up, and walked step by step toward Xuan Ming.
This time, she didn't pounce on him directly like before, but her relentless approach carried an even stronger sense of oppression.
"Every day here feels like torture in hell... Only you... Only thinking of you..."
Hu Liena's voice trembled, her eyes fixed on Xuan Ming, "I know I was wrong... I know I lost control... but I couldn't control myself..."
She stopped in front of Xuan Ming, extremely close, her warm breath, carrying a sweet, metallic scent, almost touching his face.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her eyes shone brightly, filled with a resolute determination to burn her bridges.
"If you don't want me... if you'll always be this cold..."
Her voice suddenly turned shrill, "Then what's the point of me leaving here alive?! Maybe... maybe I'll just go completely insane!"
Before she finished speaking, a bright pink light shone in her eyes, and the phantom of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox flashed behind her. An extremely strong spiritual charm mixed with an unbridled possessiveness surged towards Xuan Ming like a tidal wave!
At the same time, she seemed to lose all reason, opening her arms to hug him desperately, her lips trying to haphazardly press against his.
This outburst was far more intense and decisive than any before! It was as if he truly wanted to burn himself out completely!
Faced with Hu Liena's resolute and frenzied outburst, Xuan Ming sighed softly.
Just as Hu Liena rushed towards him, her breath hot and her eyes streaked with tears, Xuan Ming no longer used his icy domain to push her away. Instead, he opened his arms and pulled her into a tight, forceful embrace.
This embrace was not an attempt to appease her fervor, but rather carried a sense of stability and acceptance.