The land had changed.
The lush plains surrounding Soto City had long disappeared behind Lin Huang and Tushan Honghong. In their place stretched a harsh landscape of jagged stone hills and cracked earth where even ordinary spirit beasts seemed reluctant to roam.
The wind carried a dry, metallic scent.
Not the smell of decay.
But something older.
Something closer to dried blood.
Lin Huang walked calmly along the narrow dirt path that cut through the desolate terrain. His pace remained steady, unhurried, as though he were merely traveling through another ordinary region of the continent.
Perched comfortably on his shoulder, Honghong wrinkled her nose.
"…This place stinks."
Her golden eyes scanned the distant horizon where a small, decrepit settlement slowly came into view.
Dilapidated wooden buildings leaned at unnatural angles.
Black smoke drifted lazily from a few crooked chimneys.
Several figures moved between the structures like shadows.
Honghong's tails swayed slowly.
"This is the place?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Honghong frowned slightly.
"I expected something worse."
Lin Huang's gaze swept quietly across the surrounding terrain.
"You're looking at the gate."
Honghong tilted her head.
"…Gate?"
Lin Huang continued walking toward the village.
"This is the outer settlement."
"The entrance to the Slaughter City lies below."
Honghong's ears twitched.
"Oh."
That explained the atmosphere.
The closer they approached, the heavier the air seemed to become.
An invisible pressure lingered beneath the surface of the land.
Not spiritual pressure.
Not quite killing intent either.
Something deeper.
Honghong squinted slightly.
"…There's something wrong with the energy here."
Lin Huang stopped briefly near a weathered stone marker at the edge of the settlement.
His eyes closed.
For a moment—
his Divine Sense expanded silently.
Invisible threads of perception spread through the earth, passing through the wooden buildings, the underground tunnels, and the massive hollow space hidden far beneath the surface.
Within seconds, he understood.
His eyes opened again.
Honghong leaned closer.
"Well?"
Lin Huang spoke calmly.
"The entire city is a formation."
Honghong blinked.
"…What?"
Lin Huang looked toward the ground beneath the village.
"The killing intent."
"The blood energy."
"The arena."
"They all feed the same structure."
Honghong's golden eyes widened slightly.
"You're saying the entire Slaughter City…"
Lin Huang finished the thought.
"…is built on a massive formation array."
Honghong slowly looked back toward the broken village.
Several rough-looking men sat near a wooden tavern entrance.
Each one carried weapons.
Each one watched newcomers carefully.
Their auras were unstable.
Violent.
Honghong snorted softly.
"Looks like a kennel full of rabid dogs."
As Lin Huang stepped into the village, the men immediately noticed.
One of them stood.
Scarred face.
Crooked sword.
His eyes narrowed.
"New blood."
The others laughed.
"Fresh meat."
Another man stepped forward.
"You know where you are?"
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"Yes."
The man smirked.
"Then you should also know the rules."
"No soul skills."
"No mercy."
"Only killing."
Honghong rolled her eyes.
"…How dramatic."
Lin Huang did not respond.
He simply walked past them.
The man's smile vanished instantly.
"Hey."
His hand grabbed Lin Huang's shoulder.
That was a mistake.
Before anyone could react—
the air suddenly became heavier.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
Just a subtle shift.
Yet the effect was immediate.
The man's knees buckled.
His grip vanished.
His entire body slammed into the dirt with a dull thud.
The other men froze.
For a moment, none of them understood what had happened.
Then another collapsed.
And another.
Within seconds, every single one of them lay face-down in the dirt.
Honghong sighed lazily.
"…You didn't even try."
Lin Huang stepped forward again as if nothing had happened.
"They attacked first."
Honghong shrugged.
"Fair."
As they walked deeper into the village, the atmosphere grew heavier.
The ground beneath the settlement vibrated faintly with a distant pulse.
Like the slow heartbeat of something buried far below.
Honghong's ears twitched again.
"…Something noticed you."
Lin Huang nodded faintly.
"Yes."
Deep beneath the village—
far below the surface—
inside the crimson-lit arena of the Slaughter City—
a pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened.
A heavy voice echoed through the underground halls.
"…Interesting."
The Slaughter King had awakened.
The entrance to the underground city was hidden beneath the most ordinary building in the village.
A tavern.
Rotten wooden beams supported the crooked roof. The smell of alcohol, sweat, and blood filled the air as rough-looking figures crowded around crude tables. Some laughed loudly. Others whispered over gambling games.
But every single pair of eyes turned when Lin Huang stepped inside.
Silence spread slowly across the room.
Honghong sniffed the air.
"…This place is worse than the outside."
Lin Huang did not respond.
His gaze had already moved toward the far end of the tavern.
Behind the counter stood a large iron door set into the stone floor.
Two men guarded it.
Both were clearly spirit masters, though their auras were twisted and unstable. Their eyes carried the restless look of people who had killed too often.
One of them spat onto the ground.
"Another one."
The other crossed his arms.
"Entrance fee."
Lin Huang stopped a few steps away.
"What fee?"
The guard grinned.
"Blood."
Without warning, several men inside the tavern suddenly moved.
Daggers flashed.
Blades cut through the air toward Lin Huang's back.
Honghong sighed.
"…Here we go again."
The attacks never landed.
Before the blades could even reach him—
the air changed.
A quiet wave of pressure spread outward from Lin Huang like a ripple across still water.
The men attacking him froze mid-step.
Their weapons trembled.
Then their knees buckled.
One after another—
they collapsed.
Some hit the floor with dull thuds.
Others fell against tables, knocking over cups and chairs.
The tavern fell silent.
Honghong looked around lazily.
"…You people really need better instincts."
The two guards near the iron door stared in shock.
One of them swallowed hard.
"What… what did you do?"
Lin Huang answered simply.
"They tried to kill me."
The guards looked at the unconscious bodies scattered across the floor.
Neither of them moved to stop him.
Slowly, the second guard stepped aside.
"…You can enter."
Lin Huang walked forward.
The iron door creaked open.
A narrow staircase spiraled downward into darkness.
The deeper they descended, the heavier the air became.
A faint red glow slowly appeared beneath the darkness.
Then the sound reached them.
Roaring.
Thousands of voices screaming at once.
Honghong's ears twitched.
"Oh."
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"That sounds fun."
The staircase finally opened into a massive underground cavern.
Lin Huang stepped onto a stone balcony overlooking the city below.
The sight was… overwhelming.
An enormous arena stood at the center of the underground world.
Stone walls stretched upward toward the cavern ceiling, forming a gigantic circular city surrounding the battlefield.
Torches burned with crimson flames.
Blood stains darkened the arena floor.
Thousands of spectators filled the surrounding stands.
Their cheers echoed like thunder.
Honghong stared down at the scene.
"…Well."
Her tails swayed slowly.
"That's certainly dramatic."
Lin Huang observed quietly.
The air of the entire city was saturated with killing intent.
It flowed through the arena.
Through the tunnels.
Through the massive stone pillars supporting the cavern roof.
Then his gaze shifted slightly.
At the center of the arena floor—
two fighters were battling.
One man drove a blade through his opponent's chest.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
The loser collapsed.
Dead before he hit the ground.
Honghong tilted her head.
"…They don't even pretend."
Lin Huang shook his head slightly.
"No."
"They embraced it."
Honghong studied the arena carefully.
"You said this whole place is a formation."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
His eyes moved slowly across the massive cavern.
"The arena feeds the killing intent."
"The killing intent feeds the formation."
"The formation feeds the city."
Honghong's grin widened.
"So the more they kill…"
Lin Huang finished the thought.
"…the stronger the system becomes."
Honghong chuckled.
"That's efficient."
At that exact moment—
a deep voice echoed across the arena.
"New challenger."
The crowd turned toward the balcony.
Thousands of eyes locked onto Lin Huang.
A cruel smile spread across the announcer's face.
"Fresh blood."
Honghong leaned forward slightly.
"…Looks like they noticed."
Lin Huang stepped calmly toward the arena stairs.
"I expected they would."
The announcer raised his arm dramatically.
"Enter the arena!"
The crowd roared.
Lin Huang walked down the stone steps without hesitation.
As he stepped onto the bloodstained battlefield—
the air of the entire underground city trembled slightly.
High above the arena—
within the crimson throne chamber of the Slaughter City—
the Slaughter King watched silently.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
The arena gates closed behind Lin Huang with a heavy metallic echo.
CLANG.
The sound reverberated through the massive underground cavern.
Across the stands, thousands of spectators leaned forward eagerly. Their eyes burned with anticipation, their voices merging into a chaotic roar that shook the arena walls.
Fresh blood had entered the battlefield.
And in the Slaughter City—
fresh blood always meant entertainment.
The announcer's voice rang across the arena.
"New challenger!"
The crowd cheered wildly.
Lin Huang stood calmly at the center of the bloodstained stone floor.
Honghong remained perched on his shoulder, her tails swaying lazily as she examined the surrounding fighters.
"…They really are animals."
Around the arena, several men and women had already begun approaching.
Ten of them.
Each carried the unmistakable aura of someone who had survived many battles in this place.
Scarred faces.
Bloodshot eyes.
Unstable killing intent.
One of them—a tall man wielding twin axes—laughed loudly.
"Looks like we got lucky."
Another spat onto the ground.
"Fresh meat."
A third fighter cracked his neck slowly.
"No soul skills here."
"Let's see how strong you really are."
Honghong yawned.
"…How boring."
Lin Huang said nothing.
The referee raised his arm.
"Fight!"
The moment the signal fell—
the fighters charged.
Axes.
Daggers.
Claws.
A chaotic wave of killing intent crashed toward Lin Huang from every direction.
For a brief moment—
the crowd held its breath.
Then something strange happened.
Lin Huang moved.
But not in the way the spectators expected.
He stepped forward calmly.
One step.
The nearest attacker swung his axe downward.
Before the weapon could reach its target—
Lin Huang's hand moved.
A simple motion.
The axe stopped mid-air.
The attacker froze.
Not because his arm had been caught.
Because something heavier had suddenly descended upon him.
The air.
The ground.
The entire arena.
Pressure.
His knees buckled.
CRACK.
He collapsed.
The axe slipped from his hands and clattered uselessly across the stone floor.
Honghong glanced sideways.
"…One."
Behind them, another attacker lunged with a dagger.
Lin Huang turned slightly.
The dagger never reached him.
The attacker's body suddenly slammed into the ground.
THUD.
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"…Two."
The remaining fighters hesitated.
The crowd murmured uneasily.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Lin Huang continued walking forward.
Each step carried quiet authority.
Another attacker rushed him.
This time Lin Huang simply raised one finger.
The man's body froze mid-motion.
Then his legs collapsed beneath him.
THUD.
Honghong sighed.
"…Three."
Within seconds—
the arena floor was filled with fallen fighters.
Some struggled weakly.
Others lay completely unconscious.
Not one of them had managed to land a single hit.
The crowd fell silent.
Thousands of spectators stared in disbelief.
Lin Huang had not even broken a sweat.
Honghong stretched lazily across his shoulder.
"…You're embarrassing them."
Lin Huang glanced around the arena calmly.
"They attacked."
Honghong shrugged.
"Fair."
But the silence in the arena did not last.
Because suddenly—
the atmosphere of the entire underground city changed.
The killing intent saturating the cavern trembled.
Then surged.
A dark pressure spread outward like a storm rising from the depths of the earth.
The spectators fell quiet.
Even the hardened killers in the stands instinctively lowered their heads.
Honghong's ears twitched.
"Oh."
Her golden eyes gleamed slightly.
"Now that's interesting."
High above the arena—
a massive crimson gate slowly opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone balcony.
The pressure intensified.
Every spectator felt it.
The presence of the ruler of this place.
A tall figure stepped forward from the shadows.
Long dark hair.
Cold blood-red eyes.
A terrifying aura of killing intent surrounded him like a storm.
The entire arena bowed instinctively.
Some knelt.
Others pressed their foreheads to the stone floor.
The announcer's voice trembled slightly.
"…The Slaughter King."
Honghong studied the figure carefully.
Her tails swayed slowly.
"…That's him?"
Lin Huang nodded faintly.
"Yes."
The Slaughter King's gaze locked onto him immediately.
For several seconds—
neither moved.
Then the Slaughter King spoke.
His voice echoed through the entire underground city.
"…You are not one of them."
Lin Huang looked up calmly.
"No."
The Slaughter King's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Who are you?"
Lin Huang answered simply.
"A traveler."
The crowd murmured nervously.
No one spoke to the Slaughter King that way.
But Lin Huang remained completely calm.
The Slaughter King stepped forward slowly.
The killing intent surrounding him intensified.
The arena floor cracked slightly beneath his footsteps.
"…Interesting."
His gaze sharpened.
"You carry no fear."
Honghong smirked.
"That's because he's not prey."
The Slaughter King ignored her.
His attention remained fixed on Lin Huang.
"…Then show me."
The killing intent surrounding the arena suddenly exploded outward.
A terrifying pressure crashed toward Lin Huang like a tidal wave.
The legendary power of the Killing Domain descended upon the battlefield.
And for the first time—
the true ruler of the Slaughter City moved.
The Killing Domain descended like a crimson storm.
The air thickened.
The temperature dropped.
An invisible pressure flooded the arena, heavy with the weight of countless deaths that had occurred within the Slaughter City over the years.
Some spectators in the stands gasped.
Others trembled.
Even the hardened killers who had survived dozens of arena battles instinctively lowered their heads.
Because this was the authority of the Slaughter King.
The will that ruled the city of death.
But Lin Huang did not move.
The crimson aura crashed against him—
…and stopped.
Like waves striking an immovable mountain.
Honghong tilted her head slightly.
"…That's it?"
Her tails flicked lazily behind her.
"I expected something more impressive."
Across the arena, the Slaughter King narrowed his eyes.
For the first time since his arrival, his expression changed.
Because the Killing Domain—
which had crushed countless opponents—
was failing.
Lin Huang stood calmly within the sea of killing intent.
His clothes did not move.
His breathing did not change.
The crimson aura bent around him like mist drifting around a pillar of stone.
Then he spoke.
His voice carried no hostility.
Only quiet observation.
"…Your soul is still resisting."
The Slaughter King froze.
For a brief moment—
something flickered behind his blood-red eyes.
Honghong blinked.
"Oh?"
She leaned closer to Lin Huang's ear.
"You hit something."
The Slaughter King's aura surged violently.
The Killing Domain intensified.
The pressure in the arena doubled.
Cracks spread across the stone floor.
But Lin Huang remained unmoved.
He continued calmly.
"You were not always like this."
The Slaughter King's gaze sharpened.
"…Silence."
The killing intent surrounding him erupted like wildfire.
But Lin Huang spoke again.
"…Tang Chen."
The name echoed through the arena.
The Slaughter King's body suddenly stiffened.
For a brief moment—
the killing aura around him faltered.
Honghong's ears perked up.
"…Ah."
"So that's his name."
The Slaughter King's expression twisted.
"Do not… call me that."
His voice had changed.
The cold authority of the Slaughter King was still there—
But something else lurked beneath it.
Pain.
Confusion.
Rage.
Lin Huang watched quietly.
"You once carried the Clear Sky Hammer."
The Slaughter King's aura exploded again.
"Enough!"
His body moved.
For the first time, the Slaughter King attacked.
His speed was terrifying.
The distance between them vanished instantly.
His fist crashed toward Lin Huang with enough force to shatter the arena floor.
BOOM.
The impact shook the cavern.
Stone fragments exploded outward.
The crowd screamed.
When the dust settled—
Lin Huang stood exactly where he had been before.
His hand had stopped the attack.
The Slaughter King's fist rested calmly within his palm.
Honghong looked down at the scene.
"…That looked painful."
Lin Huang's voice remained calm.
"You are fighting yourself."
The Slaughter King's eyes widened slightly.
For a split second—
the blood-red madness in his gaze faded.
Something else surfaced.
Recognition.
"…Who… are you?"
Lin Huang answered quietly.
"Just one traveler."
Silence lingered between them.
Then the Slaughter King's body trembled.
Dark energy surged through his veins.
The corruption buried deep within the Slaughter City reacted violently.
The brief moment of clarity shattered.
His expression twisted again.
The killing intent exploded outward like a broken dam.
"Then die with the rest!"
His aura erupted into madness.
The Killing Domain expanded across the arena.
Honghong sighed.
"…There it goes."
Lin Huang released the Slaughter King's fist and stepped back slightly.
For the first time—
his eyes sharpened.
The air around him shifted.
Invisible authority spread outward from his body.
Not killing intent.
Not domination.
Something far older.
Something sovereign.
Honghong's grin widened slowly.
"…Now it begins."
The Killing Domain exploded.
Crimson killing intent flooded the entire arena like a rising ocean of blood. The pressure alone forced many spectators to collapse to their knees.
The stone walls trembled.
The formation beneath the Slaughter City awakened violently as the accumulated killing intent of countless battles surged toward its ruler.
At the center of the arena—
the Slaughter King stood like the embodiment of slaughter itself.
His aura expanded outward.
The Killing Domain compressed toward Lin Huang like a collapsing star.
"DIE!"
The Slaughter King vanished.
His speed shattered the air.
A fist descended toward Lin Huang with the weight of an avalanche.
The crowd screamed.
But Lin Huang did not move.
Instead—
the space between them distorted.
The Slaughter King's fist stopped.
Not because it had been blocked.
Because it never reached him.
A thin layer of invisible space separated them.
Infinity.
The Slaughter King's fist trembled in mid-air, unable to cross the final distance.
Honghong tilted her head.
"…Oh."
Her golden eyes gleamed.
"He finally noticed."
Across the battlefield, the Slaughter King's expression twisted.
He pushed forward harder.
The Killing Domain intensified.
But the distance between them remained absolute.
An unreachable boundary.
Lin Huang spoke calmly.
"You cannot cross what you cannot reach."
The Slaughter King roared.
The Killing Domain erupted again.
Crimson killing intent condensed around his body, forming a monstrous wave of power.
He struck again.
And again.
And again.
Each attack stopped at the same invisible barrier.
The air itself seemed to reject him.
Honghong chuckled softly.
"…That must be frustrating."
Then Lin Huang moved.
Black energy flashed across his arm.
A dark sovereign aura condensed around his fist like living armor.
Sovereign Armament.
The space around him trembled as his aura condensed into a single point.
The Killing Domain pressed down harder.
Lin Huang stepped forward.
For the first time—
the distance vanished.
The Slaughter King's eyes widened.
Lin Huang's fist struck.
BOOM.
The impact shattered the stone floor beneath them.
A shockwave blasted across the arena, throwing several spectators from their seats.
The Slaughter King was sent sliding backward across the battlefield.
For the first time—
he had been forced back.
Honghong's tails swayed slowly.
"Good hit."
But the Slaughter King did not fall.
His killing intent surged even harder.
Madness filled his eyes.
"You… cannot defeat slaughter!"
His aura exploded again.
The Killing Domain reached its absolute peak.
The entire underground city trembled.
Lin Huang looked at him quietly.
"…You misunderstand something."
His spiritual energy condensed.
The air around him bent.
Then—
a pulse of power erupted from his body.
Kokusen.
Black lightning flashed across the battlefield as his fist struck again.
The impact detonated like thunder.
The Slaughter King staggered.
Cracks spread across his armor of killing intent.
Honghong's grin widened.
"…Now he's breaking."
But Lin Huang was not finished.
He raised his hand slowly.
The space around his arm warped violently.
The Sovereign Armament intensified.
The power condensed into a single point of overwhelming destructive force.
Honghong leaned forward.
"Oh."
Her voice carried real interest now.
"That one hurts."
Lin Huang stepped forward.
His voice remained calm.
"This ends here."
His fist moved.
The moment it struck—
the space around the Slaughter King collapsed.
CRASH.
The arena exploded.
The attack did not simply strike.
It shattered.
The Killing Domain fractured like broken glass.
The crimson aura disintegrated instantly.
The Slaughter King's body froze.
For a brief moment—
the madness in his eyes faded.
Tang Chen surfaced again.
His breathing was heavy.
"…So long…"
His gaze lifted toward Lin Huang.
"…have I been lost?"
The corruption surged again.
His body trembled violently.
Tang Chen understood immediately.
There would be no escape.
"…End it."
Lin Huang nodded once.
His final strike was quiet.
Clean.
The sovereign energy passed through Tang Chen's chest like a ripple through water.
The Slaughter King collapsed.
The ruler of the Slaughter City had fallen.
For a moment—
the entire underground city was silent.
Then the crimson killing intent of the Slaughter City surged violently toward Lin Huang.
Honghong's ears twitched.
"…Looks like the city wants a new king."
The energy rushed toward him.
But Lin Huang remained calm.
"I have no interest…"
The Divine Seed awakened.
The violent killing intent was drawn inward and purified.
Not as a domain.
Not as authority.
But as fuel.
"…in ruling slaughter."
Honghong blinked.
"…You just ate the city's power."
Lin Huang looked toward the fallen body of Tang Chen.
"I only removed the poison."
Then he turned toward the dark tunnel beyond the arena.
The entrance to the Hell Road waited there.
"…Let's continue."
The arena fell silent behind them.
The death of the Slaughter King had shaken the entire underground city, yet the structure of the Slaughter City itself did not collapse. The ancient formation buried beneath the city continued to function, stabilizing the violent killing intent that had accumulated for decades.
Lin Huang did not linger.
At the far end of the arena, a dark passage sloped downward into the depths of the cavern.
The entrance to the Hell Road.
A path feared even by the killers of the Slaughter City.
Lin Huang stepped toward it without hesitation.
Honghong stretched lazily on his shoulder, her tails swaying behind her.
"…You're really going sightseeing in hell."
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"I want to see the core of the formation."
Honghong snorted.
"You say that like you're inspecting someone's garden."
They descended.
The red glow of the arena faded behind them, replaced by a deeper crimson light emanating from the abyss below.
The tunnel gradually opened into a massive underground chasm.
A narrow stone pathway stretched forward across the void like a bridge suspended in darkness.
And far beneath it—
something moved.
A river.
But it was not water.
The liquid flowing through the canyon was thick, dark, and heavy.
Blood.
An endless river of blood flowed beneath the Hell Road, its surface swirling slowly like a living sea. Countless fragments of killing intent drifted through the crimson current, forming a dense spiritual mist above the river.
Honghong wrinkled her nose.
"…That's disgusting."
Lin Huang's gaze remained calm.
"This is the core energy source."
Honghong tilted her head.
"For the formation?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"The arena feeds killing intent."
"The killing intent condenses into blood energy."
"And that energy flows through this river."
Honghong's golden eyes flicked across the canyon.
"…Efficient."
Lin Huang extended his senses.
His Divine Sense spread across the chasm.
He could feel it clearly now.
The blood river carried more than physical substance.
It contained:
resentment
killing intent
life essence
corrupted spiritual power
Decades.
Perhaps centuries.
All of it condensed into the flowing crimson river.
Honghong glanced at him.
"You're thinking about something."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He raised one hand.
Dark energy gathered quietly around his palm.
Honghong blinked.
"…You're not serious."
Lin Huang spoke calmly.
"This much energy should not be wasted."
A faint gravitational pull spread outward from his hand.
The crimson river below responded.
The blood surface trembled slightly.
Then—
a portion of the river rose.
A spiral of dark crimson liquid lifted into the air as if drawn upward by an invisible force.
Honghong leaned forward.
"Oh."
Her ears perked up.
"That's new."
Lin Huang's Devouring Power activated.
But he did not absorb the energy directly.
Instead, the rising spiral of blood condensed into a floating sphere above his palm.
The violent killing intent within it struggled wildly.
Lin Huang's other hand moved.
A small crystalline container appeared in his grasp.
The blood sphere compressed further.
Layer by layer, the chaotic energy stabilized under his control.
Then the sphere descended into the container.
The lid sealed.
The violent crimson energy inside immediately began thrashing against the barrier.
Honghong watched with interest.
"…You're keeping it."
Lin Huang nodded.
"It must be purified first."
Honghong crossed her arms.
"That's a lot of work."
Lin Huang stored the container away.
"It will be useful later."
They continued walking along the narrow stone path.
The canyon deepened.
The crimson light grew stronger.
And the killing intent in the air slowly intensified.
Honghong's ears twitched.
"…Something's coming."
Lin Huang had already noticed.
The blood river below suddenly surged violently.
The surface exploded upward.
A massive shadow burst from the crimson depths.
The creature was enormous.
A colossal serpent body coiled upward from the river like a rising mountain of scales. Its body glowed faintly with a scorching golden aura that clashed violently with the crimson energy surrounding it.
Ten enormous heads rose from the creature's body.
Each one opened its jaws, revealing rows of burning fangs.
The creature's presence alone caused the entire canyon to tremble.
Honghong stared at it.
"…That thing is ugly."
The Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent had awakened.
Its twenty blazing eyes locked onto Lin Huang instantly.
The creature sensed something dangerous.
Its ten heads hissed simultaneously.
The canyon shook.
The serpent lunged upward toward the narrow bridge of the Hell Road.
Honghong sighed.
"…And here I thought this walk would be peaceful."
Lin Huang stepped forward.
The air around him shifted.
Sovereign authority condensed quietly around his body.
His voice remained calm.
"…Good."
His gaze met the monstrous serpent directly.
"I needed a specimen."
The serpent roared.
And the battle on the Hell Road began.
The Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent descended like a burning meteor.
Its massive body twisted through the air as ten enormous heads lunged toward Lin Huang simultaneously. Each mouth spewed scorching golden flames that clashed violently with the crimson mist rising from the blood river below.
The Hell Road trembled.
The narrow stone path cracked under the pressure of the creature's aura.
Honghong tilted her head lazily.
"…Ten heads."
Her tails swayed slowly.
"Do you want me to count them for you?"
Lin Huang stepped forward calmly.
"No need."
The first serpent head struck.
A blazing wave of Yang flame exploded across the stone bridge.
But before it could reach him—
space distorted.
The fire halted mid-air.
Infinity.
The flames twisted uselessly against the invisible boundary surrounding Lin Huang.
The serpent roared.
Nine more heads lunged forward.
Venom.
Flames.
Crushing jaws.
The entire canyon erupted into chaos.
Lin Huang raised his hand.
Black energy condensed along his arm once more.
Sovereign Armament.
The moment the serpent's closest head crossed the invisible boundary—
Lin Huang's fist moved.
BOOM.
The impact detonated like thunder.
One of the serpent's massive heads snapped sideways, its scales cracking under the force.
Honghong watched with mild interest.
"…Nine."
The serpent shrieked.
Its massive body twisted violently, coils crashing against the canyon walls. The blood river below surged upward as the creature's Yang aura clashed with the dark killing intent saturating the Hell Road.
The remaining heads attacked again.
But Lin Huang had already moved.
Black lightning flashed across the bridge.
Kokusen.
His fist struck the serpent's second head.
CRACK.
Bone shattered.
Golden blood sprayed across the canyon.
Honghong flicked her tail.
"…Eight."
The serpent roared in fury.
Its enormous body rose fully from the blood river now, revealing its terrifying scale.
A monster born from the deepest layers of the Hell Road's killing intent and Yang energy.
But Lin Huang's gaze remained calm.
"This ends here."
His aura condensed again.
The space around his arm twisted violently.
The serpent sensed the danger.
All remaining heads attacked at once.
Flames flooded the canyon.
The Hell Road trembled.
Lin Huang stepped forward.
His fist struck.
CRASH.
The impact tore through the serpent's body like a collapsing mountain.
The creature's enormous frame froze.
Then—
its ten heads fell silent.
The massive body collapsed toward the blood river below.
The canyon echoed with the sound of its fall.
Honghong stretched lazily.
"…Well."
Her golden eyes flicked toward the drifting corpse.
"That was quick."
Lin Huang stepped toward the fallen body.
At the center of the serpent's shattered skull—
a burning golden core remained.
The Yang Serpent Core.
A condensed crystallization of the creature's ancient power.
Lin Huang lifted it calmly.
The core pulsed faintly with violent Yang energy.
Honghong leaned closer.
"That one will hurt if you eat it."
Lin Huang stored the core away.
"It will be refined later."
With the serpent defeated, the oppressive aura of the Hell Road slowly weakened.
The narrow stone path continued forward toward a distant exit where pale light filtered through a crack in the cavern ceiling.
The end of the Hell Road.
Lin Huang walked toward it calmly.
Honghong looked back briefly at the blood river far below.
"…You didn't destroy the place."
Lin Huang shook his head.
"The city serves a purpose."
Honghong raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Lin Huang explained quietly.
"If this system collapses…"
"…thousands of killers will return to the continent."
Honghong nodded slowly.
"…Fair."
They reached the end of the stone path.
Bright daylight spilled through the opening ahead.
Lin Huang stepped out of the cavern.
For the first time since entering the Slaughter City, fresh wind touched his face.
The world outside was quiet.
Far beyond the barren hills, the distant horizon shimmered faintly.
Honghong perched comfortably on his shoulder again.
"So."
Her golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Where to next?"
Lin Huang looked toward the distant horizon.
His voice remained calm.
"…The sea."
Honghong smiled slowly.
"Ah."
"The Sea God's territory."
Lin Huang began walking.
"Yes."
His gaze settled on the far horizon where the ocean lay beyond the land.
"If the land has been explored…"
"…then it is time to test the ocean."
And somewhere far beyond that horizon—
on an island surrounded by endless waves—
a woman known as the High Priest of the Sea God waited.
Bo Saixi.