As we walked through the dark, damp passageway, the waiter's footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Dark red liquid seeped from the surrounding walls, whether it was rust or dried blood, it was hard to tell. The air was filled with a nauseating, rusty, and slightly acrid smell.
Welcome to the Slaughter City.
A cold voice suddenly came from all directions, as if countless people were whispering at the same time. The voice echoed in the narrow passageway, carrying an eerie resonance.
"This is the entrance to hell, a paradise for killers. Here, you can get anything you want—power, wealth, desire... as long as you pay the price with your life."
Hu Liena unconsciously took a step closer to Huo Yuhao. She could sense that the man beside her had changed since they stepped into this passageway. His Golden Pupils burned even more intensely, like two flames that would never be extinguished.
At the end of the passageway, a rusty iron gate slowly opened. Behind the gate came a cacophony of roars, as if welcoming new prey.
"Looks like someone's eager to entertain us." Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a cruel smile.
Stepping out the door, the scene before me was breathtaking:
Nearly a hundred thugs surrounded the exit, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust. The lead black-armored knight sat astride a skeletal warhorse, his blood-red lance gleaming coldly. Behind him stood twelve fully armed followers, each exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.
"You have broken the rules." The knight's voice was like the scraping of a rusty sword.
Huo Yuhao's Golden Pupils swept across the crowd, the flames within them flickering even more intensely. "Rules? Talking about rules in a place like this?" His voice carried an barely suppressed ferocity. "What rules are there in this godforsaken place? The only rule here is probably that the strong are supreme, and killing is everything."
The knight pointed his lance at Huo Yuhao: "Boy, what you said is quite interesting. That's right, your current situation is one of being slaughtered by us strongmen."
"Heh..." Huo Yuhao suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with madness. "Then let me see who hunts whom. Rules are made for the weak." A blood-red mist began to rise from his body. "At worst, I'll turn this Slaughter City upside down!"
"Arrogance!" the knight roared. "If you can defeat me, you'll have the right to enter the Slaughter City; otherwise..." A streak of blood flashed from his spear, "Otherwise, you'll become my victims. It's that simple."
Huo Yuhao's pupils had turned completely crimson gold. He slowly drew his Demon-Slaying Sword: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Hu Liena was surprised to find that Huo Yuhao had become a different person from the moment he stepped into the Slaughter City. His aura became increasingly violent, like a Ferocious Beast breaking free of its shackles. She didn't know if it was due to the environment here or if he had always had this kind of nature dormant within him.
But at this moment, this change has become an advantage. Faced with the impending bloody battle, violence may be the most suitable weapon.
Hu Liena lowered her voice and reminded him, " Huo Lai, the rules here are extremely restrictive. We can't use our Martial Soul or Soul Skill; we can only fight using the most basic Soul Power. We must be careful."
A hint of disdain flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Basic strength? For Huo Yuhao, who cultivated the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, it was too simple. Samadhi True Fire was not Soul Skill, nor was the Soul Skill he created. True Fire Ascending Dragon Break was still not Soul Skill, and even the Demon-Slaying Sword was just his magic weapon, not his Martial Soul.
This is absolutely the best place for Huo Yuhao, and you're saying he can't use his Soul Skill???
But most of my Soul Skill don't require Martial Soul, so I can use them freely. Isn't that the same as having no restrictions?
This Asura God has a twisted sense of humor. I bet all the Evil Soul Master of later generations will have come from this wretched place. Damn, if Tang San were released, wouldn't he be a sinner for all eternity???
What??? He caused this mess, and now I have to clean it up for him? The worst part is, I can't just leave it untouched???
There's another skill that Huo Yuhao hasn't used yet, but it can come in handy now. However, using that move against him would be overkill.
"Don't worry," Huo Yuhao replied calmly, his Golden Pupils suddenly flashing with intense crimson lightning.
"Whoosh--!"
The Demon-Slaying Sword transformed into a streak of crimson light. Before anyone present could even see what had happened, the Terror Knight's mount was already decapitated, while the knight himself knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding right shoulder.
Huo Yuhao could have killed him with a single blow, but he also knew that this guy seemed to be in charge and might have the credentials to let them into the city.
Huo Yuhao stepped forward slowly, the Demon-Slaying Sword hovering above the knight's head. "So you're in charge here?" The sword's edge pressed down slightly. "I'll spare your life; you'd better obediently let us in, or else..."
Terror Knight Scott trembled. He had never seen such a terrifying being—able to unleash such unpredictable and supernatural abilities even under the oppressive rules of the Slaughter City. The killing intent burning in those Golden Pupils was even deeper than that of the Slaughter City.
"You... you've passed the test!" Scott hurriedly produced two black tokens and presented them with both hands. "These are your identification documents, numbers 9511 and 9512. There will be a guide at the city gate..."
Huo Yuhao casually put away the token, Demon-Slaying Sword back into its sheath. Half-jokingly, he said to Hu Liena, "Come on, I'll take you to kill someone."
Hu Liena quickly followed, her beautiful eyes sparkling. She suddenly realized that the man beside her was perhaps more dangerous, and more... fascinating, than the Slaughter City.
The pitch-black city gate stood majestically, cast entirely from some unknown dark metal, its surface covered with dried bloodstains and scratches from sharp weapons. Above the gate, the four large, blood-red characters " Slaughter City " seemed to be written with congealed blood, gleaming with an eerie dark red light in the dim light.
Two squads of black-armored warriors stood motionless on either side of the city gate like statues, their empty eyes coldly watching each new prey through their menacing visors. Suddenly, the heavy city gate creaked open, and a woman veiled in black stepped out.
"Welcome to the Slaughter City." Her voice was like ice water dripping onto metal, carrying a mechanical politeness. Pale skin was vaguely visible beneath the black veil, but her true face remained obscured.
Stepping through the city gates, the scene before them was surreal—the entire city was shrouded in a bluish-purple halo, and the Soul Guidance Lamp lining the streets emitted an eerie glow. Pedestrians moved about as usual, but all wore numb expressions, seemingly oblivious to the newlyweds.
At first glance, this place is no different from an ordinary city, except that the air is always filled with the lingering smell of blood, and dark red stains can be seen everywhere on the ground.
"I am your guide," the woman in black veil spoke softly, her voice as ethereal as the night breeze. "For the next twelve hours, you may ask me any questions. After twelve hours, you will officially become members of the Slaughter City —whether you like it or not."
Huo Yuhao and the others remained silent, but the woman in black veils seemed accustomed to the newcomers' silence and continued, " The Slaughter City has a history of a thousand years. Legend has it that it was the domain left behind by a peerless powerhouse who broke through to level 100."
"Here, all Soul Skill are rendered useless. Soul Master are no different from ordinary people; only the most primal power and the instinct to kill can sustain them. Soul Power is the source of their strength."
Hu Liena narrowed her eyes and asked coldly, "What are the rules here?"
The woman in black veil chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Rules? The only rule in the Slaughter City is that there are no rules." She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the air, as if tracing some invisible boundary.
"Here, you can do anything—slaughter, plunder, betray, and even more insane things. Even Titled Douluo from the outside world who step into this place will become mortals due to the loss of their Soul Skill. And under the rule of the King of Slaughter, no one can defy the order here."
Her tone suddenly turned somber, carrying a warning. "But remember, precisely because there are no rules, danger can strike at any moment. This is a paradise for outlaws, a last refuge for those with nowhere else to turn. Many people come here because they have nowhere else to go outside."
However, while it's protected, it means you can only come in, not leave.
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly as he keenly caught the key information. "If you can get in, you must have a way out, right?"
The woman in black glancing at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, then she smiled and said, "Clever. There's only one way to leave the Slaughter City —win a hundred consecutive matches in the Hell Slaughter Arena to become the champion, gain the qualification to challenge Hell, and then break out of Hell to leave the Slaughter City. Such a powerful person will receive the title of ' Slaughter God.' In the past thousand years, only eight people have succeeded."
She paused, then added, "Here, everything is free, or rather, skulls are the only currency. You can exchange enemy heads for food, weapons, or even... a brief moment of peace."
A cold glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and he said without hesitation, "Then our target is clear— the Hell Slaughter Arena."
The woman in black veil paused slightly, then shook her head and chuckled, "Are you sure? The survival rate in the Hell Slaughter Arena is less than one in ten. Most people only hope to complete the bare minimum of one battle each year in exchange for a chance to prolong their lives."
Huo Yuhao didn't say much, only replying with a single word:
"Um."