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Hu Liena felt a terrifying fear like never before. The pressure coming from the man in front of her was overwhelming. In the past, she always believed that her older brother was the most amazing and talented man she had ever met.
Then, after the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament ended, Tang Chen naturally joined that high rank in her mind. But the mysterious man standing before her right now was the third one, and she honestly considered him to be the most outstanding of them all.
Her heart beat violently against her ribs as if it wanted to break free from her chest. The man wore a ghost god mask, and when his gaze swept across the room, it carried no emotion at all. There was no visible anger, no intense killing intent, just a completely flat and cold look. Yet, that single glance made Hu Liena feel as if her soul had been pierced by the freezing ice of the Extreme North Land. It felt like the blood in her veins had completely frozen solid.
She did not dare to look into his eyes behind the mask. She was terrified that if she stayed for even one more second, Tang Chen might think she was there to attack him. If he misunderstood her presence, he would rush over and kill her instantly. Hu Liena knew that every single second she stayed in this place, the danger to her life grew much worse.
She did not hesitate. Forgetting her usual calm manners and proud dignity, she moved as fast as she could. Her movements were frantic and wild. Her short golden hair whipped through the air in a messy arc. She did not even dare to turn her back completely toward him because she felt too vulnerable. Instead, she moved sideways like a terrified fox, pressing her body against the dark shadows of the wall. She ran away in the opposite direction at her maximum speed, wanting only to escape his presence.
Meanwhile, far away from her escape, there was a massive stone chamber located in the deepest, darkest part of Slaughter City. The light inside this room was incredibly dim. The only illumination came from a few wall lamps that flickered with strange, dark red flames.
The air felt damp and freezing cold. It was filled with a heavy, sickeningly sweet smell of blood. This awful scent was created because a huge amount of fresh blood had been mixed together and left to ferment over a long time.
In the very center of this secret chamber, there was a large blood pool. The viscous, dark red liquid inside the pool constantly bubbled and churned. White bones and pieces of tattered clothing occasionally floated up to the surface before sinking back down into the dark depths. This pool was the actual source of the bloody mary drink in Slaughter City. It was also one of the main power cores that maintained the twisted, magical rules of this City of Sin.
Behind the bubbling blood pool, a massive throne stood tall and imposing. It was built from countless pale white human bones and dark red rocks. A heavy figure sat on the throne. This man was extremely tall and muscular.
Even though he was just sitting down, he gave off a mountain-like pressure that could make it hard to breathe. His skin had an unhealthy, dark red color, looking as if it had been soaked in blood light for many years.
Long, blood-red hair fell over his shoulders, and his face was hidden deep in the shadows. The only parts of his face visible were his eyes, which flashed with a violent red light like a vicious beast waiting to eat its prey. He wore heavy armor made of dark red and pitch-black metal.
The armor was covered in sharp spikes and ancient, blood-colored runes. His right hand rested casually on the armrest of the throne, which was shockingly made from a complete, giant human skull. This powerful and terrifying man was the Slaughter King, the absolute ruler of this domain of sin.
Suddenly, a woman entered the secret chamber. She wore revealing dark purple leather armor. She had a beautiful, bewitching face, but her eyes were completely cold. She slid silently across the floor and knelt respectfully at the edge of the blood pool.
Great King, another potential Slaughter God has arrived in our kingdom. He just arrived today, but he has already achieved thirty-five consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena. Outside the arena, he also single-handedly killed over a hundred Fallen Ones who tried to ambush him. Judging by his incredible momentum, getting a hundred victories and passing the Hell Road is only a matter of time for him.
When the Slaughter King heard this, the red light in his eyes flickered slightly. He spoke in a deep, booming voice.
Oh, another one. Over a year ago, that young kid from the Clear Sky Sect passed the trial and got the Slaughter God Domain. That domain gives even me a bad headache. Before that, Spirit Hall specifically sent that golden-haired woman here for training. Now, in just two or three years, three different people have actually managed to touch this high realm.
The Slaughter King paused and thought about the situation. The red light in his eyes became much brighter and more intense.
Has something major changed in the outside world? Why are so many young geniuses suddenly rushing into this forsaken land to find this extreme power?
The woman kneeling below raised her head. A cold, calculating look flashed in her eyes as she spoke to her ruler.
Great King, since both of these young people are so outstanding, maybe we should not make things easy for them. We could find a way to stop them from reaching their goals, or we could even make sure they stay here forever.
The Slaughter King seemed interested in her words. He leaned his massive body forward, casting a huge shadow over the room.
What is your plan? The rules of the Hell Slaughter Arena are the very foundation of Slaughter City. Even we cannot openly interfere when someone is trying to collect a hundred victories.
The woman smiled coldly and replied quickly.
We cannot change the rules openly, but unexpected accidents always happen. King, have you forgotten about the special bloody mary we control, or those blood slaves whose minds have been destroyed by evil energy? Outside this place, those blood slaves were powerful Titled Douluo level masters. We can easily arrange a few special matches in the Hell Slaughter Arena in secret. We do not have to kill the targets directly.
Instead, we can use the highly toxic and hallucinogenic traits of the bloody mary. We can pair that with the blood slaves who are incredibly strong but have no reason left. They will continuously attack, exhaust, and wound the targets. This will leave them with hidden injuries that never heal, or it will slowly destroy their minds.
She paused for a moment to see the King's reaction before continuing her explanation.
We should focus on the new blue-haired kid first because his momentum is simply too fierce. We need to break his spirit. We can arrange for the most dangerous blood slaves to attack him together during his final matches as he gets close to a hundred victories. We can also fill the arena with a thick mist of highly concentrated bloody mary ahead of time.
Even if he is remarkably strong, he cannot survive that kind of endless exhaustion. His condition will drop terribly. When that happens, his chances of failing or dying will increase greatly, whether he is fighting in the arena or facing the true test of the Hell Road.
As for the golden-haired woman, she has Spirit Hall backing her up, so we cannot be too obvious. But we can still arrange some accidents during her important matches to slow her down and drain her energy. If they cannot enter the Hell Road in their best shape, or if they enter with broken minds, they will surely fail.
The Slaughter King listened to her entire plan, but then he waved his massive hand. He spoke slowly, and his voice carried a strange weight.
No, that is not a good idea.
The cruel smile on the woman's face froze instantly. She looked up at him, feeling completely confused by his rejection.
The Slaughter King did not look at her. His gaze seemed to pierce right through the thick stone walls of the secret chamber, focusing on the blue-haired young man who had caused such a bloody storm today.
We do not know anything about that new kid's true background. Over a year ago, that kid from the Clear Sky Sect passed through our trials without making any loud noise. Who can promise that this newcomer does not have another powerful Slaughter God standing behind him? He might even have someone backing him who is much more dangerous than a regular Slaughter God.
The Slaughter King stopped talking for a moment. His eyebrows furrowed slightly beneath his long, blood-red hair.
Besides, I feel a strange, faint sense of familiarity when I look at him. It is very slight, but it makes me feel quite uneasy.
The secret chamber became completely quiet for a short time. The only sound in the room was the bubbling and gurgling of the dark blood pool. The Slaughter King seemed to be thinking deeply and trying to remember something from his past. Finally, the red light in his eyes became steady again. The worry he felt was replaced by his usual arrogance and absolute pride.
Forget it. As long as he does not openly fight against me or break the ancient rules of Slaughter City, we will leave him alone. Even if he manages to get the Slaughter God Domain, what can he actually do with it? In this Slaughter City, I am the only true King.
I am the physical form of the rules here. Even if there are a couple more people who have the Slaughter God Domain, they cannot do anything to me. In this land that was abandoned by the gods and is bound by strict rules, nobody can truly threaten my life.
After saying those words, he slowly turned his body. He reached out his giant hand toward the side of his throne.
Leaning against the throne was a massive magic sword. The weapon was entirely a dark, ominous red color, looking as if it had been forged from solidified blood and the hot lava of hell. The body of the sword was incredibly wide and thick, and it was completely covered in twisted magical runes. Just by sitting there in the corner, the sword gave off a terrifyingly evil energy and pressure. It was so strong that it could make anyone's soul shake with fear.