Thick, almost tangible, crimson mist erupted from the King of Slaughter. It wasn't just pure killing intent, but something more ancient and Evil. As the mist surged, a bone-chilling cold seeped into the marrow of everyone present, freezing even their breath.
Crimson ripples slowly spread outwards from the King of Slaughter, distorting the air wherever they passed as if by some indescribable force. In just a few breaths, the entire Hell Slaughter Arena was enveloped by this eerie red light.
"Heh... heh heh..."
In the stands, a fallen man suddenly let out a sinister laugh. His scarred fingers plunged deep into his eye sockets, thick blood gushing out from between his fingers. Then, as if triggering some kind of chain reaction, all the fallen men in the stands descended into a frenzy of self-mutilation.
"Ah--!"
The piercing screams were mixed with a morbid pleasure. Some people tore open their own chests and held their still-beating hearts in their palms; some bit off their own fingers, chewing with an expression of ecstasy; and some did things so insane that they were hard to watch, deriving extreme pleasure from suffocation.
These villains, struggling to survive in the inner city, were now sacrificing themselves in the most brutal way, like devout believers. Amidst the flying blood and flesh, the entire killing field transformed into a living hell.
Thick, sticky blood meandered down the gutters of the stands like countless crimson snakes, converging towards the center of the arena. The King of Slaughter spread his arms, bathing in this rain of blood, his voice filled with religious fervor:
"Behold, Underworld King! These humble souls are bidding you farewell in the most sublime way!"
The bloodstains on the ground were not random, but spread along some ancient patterns. When the last drop of blood was injected, a huge crimson magic circle with a diameter of over a hundred meters was formed. Intricate runes floated in the bloody light, exuding a chilling and Evil aura.
The pattern formed by countless drops of blood gradually became clear in Huo Yuhao's sharp Golden Pupils —it was a giant blood bat about to take flight! Every line precisely outlined the bat's ferocious bony wings, even the thin wing membranes were lifelike, as if it would take off at any moment.
(" The King of Slaughter... is it Soul Beast? Or is it possessed? I can't quite remember what was written in the history.") Huo Yuhao's mind raced. He keenly noticed that the pupils of the blood bat pattern were flashing with the same scarlet light as the King of Slaughter. This discovery made him tense up, and the killing intent accumulated within him almost burst out.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet turned into a viscous pool of blood. Before Hu Liena could even cry out, the two of them were plunged into an abyss. Crimson waves of blood surged up, instantly engulfing their figures. Before plunging into complete darkness, the last thing Huo Yuhao saw was the meaningful, sinister smile on the lips of the King of Slaughter.
The world around them was shrouded in a hazy crimson hue, as if soaked in diluted blood. Huo Yuhao and Hu Liena stood on a circular platform only five meters in diameter, their feet resting on a smooth, mirror-like black stone surface, while beyond the platform lay an endless abyss.
In the unfathomable darkness, the faint sound of bubbling viscous liquid could be heard, and the pungent smell of blood was overwhelming and nauseating.
"Below is the Blood Pool," Huo Yuhao whispered, his Golden Pupils gleaming faintly in the dim light. "The ' Bloody Mary ' that the Slaughter City has accumulated over countless years is probably all gathered here."
Hu Liena frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping towards the edge of the platform—there, a narrow stone bridge, less than half a foot wide, stretched into the darkness. The bridge surface was barely wide enough for two feet to stand side by side; a slight misstep would send one tumbling into the boiling Blood Sea below.
"This is the only way," she said softly, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around Huo Yuhao's sleeve.
Huo Yuhao didn't say much, his Soul Power quietly surging, a layer of pale golden light enveloping the two of them, forming an invisible barrier. He turned his head and glanced at Hu Liena: "Stay close to me."
The two stepped onto the stone bridge and walked slowly forward.
The further they walked, the hotter the air became, as if they were walking towards the Earth's core. The stone bridge beneath their feet trembled slightly, seemingly on the verge of collapsing. Huo Yuhao's divine sense quietly expanded, and everything within a hundred meters was within his perception—
"They're here." He suddenly stopped, his sharp gaze fixed on the depths of darkness.
Hu Liena followed his gaze, and her pupils suddenly contracted.
In the darkness of the distance, a crimson "cloud" was rapidly approaching, accompanied by a piercing shriek.
--That was a swarm of thousands of Blood Bat!
Each Blood Bat was like a living embodiment of the crimson patterns on the Hell Slaughter Arena, with a wingspan exceeding one meter, gleaming white fangs, and scarlet eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light. The sound of their flapping wings converged into a chilling buzz, like a death storm sweeping in!
Hu Liena instinctively moved closer to Huo Yuhao, her back almost completely pressed against his chest. She could clearly feel his body temperature and that reassuring aura.
"Don't be afraid." Huo Yuhao's voice was calm, even carrying a hint of indifference.
He slightly raised his eyes, the crimson in his Golden Pupils suddenly deepening, and an ancient and majestic aura erupted from his body—
The might of the Fire Dragon King! This is the primal power of the Fire Dragon King. Any Soul Beast would be intimidated by such a powerful Soul Beast. The might of the Dragon King is beyond the comprehension of mere Soul Beast. The power of the Dragon Clan is something that ordinary Soul Beast cannot directly confront.
In an instant, the scorching dragon's might swept out like a raging torrent, the air seemed to be distorted by the high temperature, and even the blood mist was burned away! The Blood Bat that had been frantically rushing forward suddenly stopped, and the first few even lost control and fell into the blood pool below.
"Squeak--!"
The swarm of bats let out terrified screams and instinctively tried to retreat, but more of their kind continued to push forward from behind, causing the entire swarm to fall into brief chaos.
Huo Yuhao sneered, raised his right hand, and a ball of blazing dragon breath fire condensed in his palm.
"Since you're not afraid of death, then burn me to ashes."
"Boom--!"
The Black Dragon Breath, and crimson flames swept across the sky like an enraged dragon, instantly engulfing dozens of Blood Bat. The stench of burning flesh filled the air, and the bats touched by the flames didn't even have time to scream before turning into ashes and scattering away.
However, the smell of blood seemed to provoke the remaining bats, making them even more frenzied and swarming forward one after another.
Huo Yuhao's eyes turned cold, and his dragon might erupted once more! This time, he directly unleashed the might of the Ice Dragon King, the extreme cold aura intertwining with the blazing dragon might, creating a terrifying shockwave of Soul Power!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In mid-air, the Blood Bat exploded one after another; under the dual suppression of ice and fire, they were utterly powerless to resist.
Hu Liena pressed herself against Huo Yuhao, feeling the warmth emanating from his body, and her heartbeat gradually calmed down.
(With him around... there's really nothing to be afraid of.)
She tilted her head slightly, looking at Huo Yuhao's cold profile, and a reassuring smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
However, just as the bat swarm was about to be completely defeated—
"Boom!"