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Inside the Spirit Hall
After more than a year of training, the three members of the Golden Generation safely returned to the Pope's Palace to report their results.
Seeing that they had suffered no injuries, Bibi Dong acknowledged the fruits of their training.
She dismissed Xie Yue and Yan, leaving only Hu Liena behind.
"Nana, tell me—what did you experience on your journey?" Bibi Dong asked with great interest.
The Maze Grand Canyon was vast; with even a bit of luck, one could spend two years inside without encountering another person. The greatest danger of training there was the issue of food supplies.
Hu Liena and her companions had relatively good luck—they encountered only one high-level Soul King who had been exiled into the canyon. Using their twin martial soul fusion technique, along with Yan's assistance, they defeated him without much difficulty.
After recounting their experiences, Hu Liena expressed dissatisfaction with the gains from this training. "Teacher, these results are too meager for me. I wish to go to that place. I hope you'll grant my request."
The place she referred to was the Slaughter City.
Recalling Ning Tianchen's dazzling performance in the finals, she still felt a sense of suffocation.
He was younger than her, yet his cultivation would soon surpass hers.
Hu Liena understood that only by gaining greater strength could she close the gap between herself and Ning Tianchen.
The Killing God Domain obtained in the Slaughter City was the best way to enhance her power.
But the dangers of such a place were something Bibi Dong deeply understood. Could her disciple really enter and return alive?
For a moment, she didn't give a definitive answer. "Nana, I will have someone send you the relevant information about that place. Study it carefully over the next period of time. If you still decide to go, I will arrange it for you."
"Thank you, Teacher, for granting my wish," Hu Liena said, bowing deeply.
---
Inside the Slaughter City, Ning Tianchen remained unaware of what was happening outside but continued trying to speed up his victories.
In his ninety-first match, his luck was good—he happened to be the tenth participant to register.
The other nine people in the group could only consider themselves unlucky, but their combined attacks initially posed a challenge for Ning Tianchen.
However, among the degenerates who made it here, trust was nonexistent.
During their assault on Ning Tianchen, they exhausted their soul power. With their strength depleted, how could they deal with others in subsequent battles?
As the first wave of attacks ended, these nine individuals each harbored their own thoughts, none willing to step forward and fight Ning Tianchen.
Seizing the opportunity, Ning Tianchen eliminated them all.
"Sword Asura, ninety-one consecutive victories!"
The degenerates in the audience erupted in cheers.
After all, he was only nine victories away from witnessing the opening of Hell Road.
Unfortunately, these people didn't know that opening Hell Road came at the cost of their lives.
The next nine matches, however, took Ning Tianchen quite some time.
With his reputation, simply arriving at the Hell Arena meant no one would dare register after him. Occasionally, some newcomers with sky-high ambitions would choose to compete.
This significantly slowed Ning Tianchen's progress through the matches.
Time passed, and Hu Liena arrived at the Slaughter City.
The Killing Envoy who greeted her was the same young woman who had greeted Ning Tianchen.
Hu Liena was highly confident. The detailed information about the Slaughter City provided by Bibi Dong left her well-prepared.
Thus, upon arriving, she didn't ask questions but went straight to the point.
"Take me to the Hell Arena—I want to compete!"
The Killing Envoy chuckled lightly. "It seems you're quite familiar with the Slaughter City. However, I don't recommend competing right now. The Sword Asura has already achieved ninety-eight consecutive victories—he's only two matches away from reaching a hundred."
"Lately, his matches have struggled to find opponents. If you want to throw your life away, I won't stop you."
"Ninety-eight victories? That means he's almost reached a hundred?" Hu Liena exclaimed in astonishment.
She hadn't expected to hear of such a formidable individual immediately upon arriving at the Slaughter City.
If this person was an independent cultivator, recruiting them into the Spirit Hall would be a significant achievement.
With this in mind, she began inquiring about the Sword Asura. However, the Killing Envoy avoided direct answers, only sharing trivial details.
These Killing Envoys were well-versed in the temperament of the Slaughter King. Ning Tianchen had rejected the Slaughter King' offer but hadn't faced any repercussions—an intriguing situation indeed.
Selling Ning Tianchen out carelessly might result in punishment from the Slaughter King.
Realizing she wouldn't get the information she wanted, Hu Liena sighed bitterly. "Can you at least take me to watch the Hell Arena matches?"
The Killing Envoy replied indifferently, "Since you seem so knowledgeable about the Slaughter City, I assume you already know the conditions for watching Hell Arena matches."
To spectate, one had to provide a cup of Bloody Mary.
With Hu Liena's pride, she absolutely refused to use her own blood. Once she killed someone, her newcomer protection period would end prematurely.
Hu Liena inwardly rejoiced.
Before entering the Slaughter City, Bibi Dong had massacred everyone in the Killing Village. Thus, Hu Liena had an ample supply of Bloody Mary stored.
---
After a long wait, Ning Tianchen's match finally began.
With the tacit approval of the Slaughter King, some unfortunate newcomers to the Slaughter City were sent to the Hell Arena to serve as stepping stones for Ning Tianchen.
Of course, someone like Hu Liena, who had the backing of a Killing God, was not someone the Slaughter King dared to target. Not to mention, the Spirit Hall was their silent supporter.
The match began, and nine unlucky souls stepped onto the arena, completely unaware of what awaited them.
Ning Tianchen followed them onto the stage, and the match commenced.
Having just taken her seat in the audience, Hu Liena found Ning Tianchen, who was dominating the battlefield, somewhat familiar.
Staring at him for a moment, she finally confirmed his identity.
"Ning Tianchen is the Sword Asura—he arrived here before me!" Hu Liena covered her mouth in disbelief.
She had just arrived, yet Ning Tianchen had already achieved an astonishing ninety-eight consecutive victories. His rate of progression far surpassed hers.
Hu Liena clenched her fists, feeling a surge of frustration.
Why was Ning Tianchen, at such a young age, not only matching her cultivation level but also completing the trials of the Slaughter City ahead of her?
As she became consumed by inner turmoil, Ning Tianchen swiftly ended the battle, achieving his ninety-ninth consecutive victory.
The degenerate spectators cheered wildly, eager to witness the birth of a hundred victories.
"Number 963, do you know the Sword Asura?" Seeing that her expression wasn't feigned, the Killing Envoy asked.
Hu Liena nodded and then said, "His match is over—can you take me to see him?"
The Killing Envoy had no intention of angering the Sword Asura. After a moment of thought, she replied, "If you provoke the Sword Asura, I won't protect you—you'll be on your own. Understand?"
Hu Liena paid little heed to this warning.
In this unfamiliar place, seeing a familiar face naturally brought a sense of comfort.
---
Ning Tianchen strode confidently out of the Hell Arena.
At this point, no fool would dare provoke him.
But today, he was stopped by the Hell Envoy and Hu Liena.
"Hu Liena, Hell Envoy—it seems you're new here," Ning Tianchen said, his tone laced with irritation.
Hu Liena protested, "Hey, we've met through conflict before. Is this how you treat me?"
Ignoring her nonsense, Ning Tianchen simply walked past them.
Hu Liena tried to follow, but the Killing Envoy stopped her. "The killing intent within him is extremely potent. Don't provoke him unless you want to risk your life."
Back at his residence
Ning Tianchen sat on his bed in meditation.
As his number of consecutive victories increased, the killing intent within him had become utterly uncontrollable.
If it spiraled out of control, he could easily become a mindless killing machine.
"The Seven Kill Sword martial soul has no upper limit for holding killing intent, but my spiritual power is nearing its breaking point. Damn it—how can I release this excess killing intent?"
Killing intent only accumulated within his body, and Ning Tianchen had never heard of a method to release it.
Tang Yuehua's Noble Circle Domain from Yuexuan Pavilion could calm emotions, but she would never come to the Slaughter City.
Ning Tianchen decided to practice his sword techniques, consciously channeling his emotions into his movements.
Over the past year, though his Seven Kill Sword techniques hadn't entered the fourth stage, he had at least touched upon its threshold.
Ning Tianchen climbed onto the roof, concentrating his killing intent on the Seven Kill Sword, attempting to inscribe the "kill" character sword technique.
This time, his progress was evident—the "kill" character now reached its fourth stroke.
In two years, he had advanced from one-and-a-half strokes to four strokes—a pace that even Sword Chen Xin would envy.
The four-stroke "kill" character floated toward the skies of the Slaughter City. From afar, there was no visible reaction.
With his emotions released, Ning Tianchen regained some calm.
Not long after returning to his room, someone knocked on his door.
Since achieving fifty consecutive victories, the degenerates living nearby had already moved away, and no one dared to enter his territory.
Who else could it be but Hu Liena, the reckless newcomer?
With a casual wave of his hand, the solidified killing intent flung the door open. As expected, Hu Liena stood outside.
The dense killing intent hit her like a wave, sending chills down her spine and causing her legs to tremble.
Calmly, Hu Liena stamped her foot and said angrily, "Ning Tianchen, is this how you treat your guests?"
"In the Slaughter City, there are no guests—only enemies." Ning Tianchen felt indifferent toward her, but since she was the only familiar face he'd seen in over a year, he didn't drive her away.
Hu Liena entered the room and started chattering incessantly. "How can you be like this? Under the same roof, as someone who came before me, shouldn't you help a newcomer like me?"
"Sniff, sniff~"
Ning Tianchen sniffed the air and detected a faint scent on Hu Liena. "You drank Bloody Mary?"
Bloody Mary was a beverage made from human blood. Before entering, Bibi Dong had forced her to drink a cup.
However, she found the taste tolerable—it was only slightly metallic. Most importantly, it put her into a peculiar state of mind.
Unaware of the implication behind Ning Tianchen's words, she mistook his comment for praise and openly admitted, "That's right. I'm also a member of the Slaughter City now. How could I not drink Bloody Mary?"
Ning Tianchen sneered and pointed at the cup on the desk.
Inside the cup was Bloody Mary.
Ning Tianchen hadn't touched it; instead, he used several silver needles to test it for poison.
Hu Liena took out her own silver needles, and without exception, every needle indicated traces of toxins in the drink.
"Drinking Bloody Mary makes it impossible to control the killing intent within your body. With your current strength, there's no way you'll survive Hell Road."
Tang Hao and Bibi Dong had both consumed Bloody Mary, but their situations were different.
When Tang Hao came here for training, he was already at the Soul Douluo level. With the physical resilience of a Soul Douluo and his strong willpower, he could indeed resist the effects of killing intent.
As for Bibi Dong, she had received the inheritance of the Rakshasa God in the Slaughter City. With divine assistance, Bloody Mary naturally had no effect on her.
But neither Ning Tianchen nor Hu Liena possessed Tang Hao's strength or divine aid—how could they withstand the toxins in Bloody Mary?
Hu Liena trembled with fear, and the silver needles fell to the ground.
The room was eerily silent, save for her heavy breathing.
"Bloody Mary is addictive. If you don't want to die here, stop drinking it as soon as possible," Ning Tianchen calmly advised.
With that, he leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"I..." Hu Liena bit her lip lightly. "I've already drunk it. What should I do now? Also, when will you complete your hundredth victory? I want to see it with my own eyes."
Ning Tianchen replied indifferently, "You talk too much. If you don't want to die during my hundredth match, don't go watch it. Now, you can leave."
"If you're not going to compete, head to the Hell Arena and win one match. Then find a house near my room to stay in!"
Having been dismissed, Hu Liena left reluctantly, closing the door behind her with a frown.
---
In the following days, Hu Liena kept coming to him to ask about the Slaughter City.
Though Ning Tianchen wasn't fond of her persistence, he had to admit that Hu Liena had done him a great favor.
By having Hu Liena keep an eye on the Hell Arena, she would gather nine people for a match and then inform him.
With Hu Liena's help, Ning Tianchen successfully initiated his hundredth battle.
The opponents in this match weren't weak—two had achieved over ten consecutive victories, and another had completed forty-five consecutive wins. The others also had several victories under their belts.
"Hu Liena, you really know how to pick my opponents," Ning Tianchen muttered sarcastically, though he wasn't surprised.
Anyone aiming for a hundred victories would inevitably face strong opponents in their hundredth match. It seemed to be an unwritten rule of the Slaughter City.
At this moment, Hu Liena stood at the entrance of the Hell Arena, occasionally listening to the sounds coming from inside.
Because of Ning Tianchen's warning, she didn't dare enter.
However, her strength wasn't negligible either. In just a few days, she had already achieved three consecutive victories.
On the arena, Ning Tianchen didn't need to think much to guess that these people were targeting him.
"Kill him first, then we'll settle things among ourselves."
"Sword Asura, your winning streak ends here. After I kill you, my name, Giant Snake King, will shake the entire Slaughter City."
Enough talk—the match began!
These people weren't fools. Ning Tianchen posed a significant threat to them, and anyone who slacked off during the fight would surely die.
Thus, as soon as the match started, all nine participants focused their efforts and unleashed their full strength.
A control-type soul master wielding Ghost Vine released her martial soul's ability, entangling Ning Tianchen's legs, then charged forward with a blade.
Ning Tianchen's eyes turned crimson with rage at the sight. He stomped his foot fiercely, and a surge of killing intent radiated outward from his body.
The killing intent carried a chilling frost, causing those affected to suffer mental trauma while thick layers of ice formed on their bodies, immobilizing them.
"Materialized killing intent—is this a domain?" The watching degenerates exclaimed in shock.
---
Amidst the flashing blades, Ning Tianchen broke free from the restraint and slashed off the head of the female Ghost Vine soul master with a single sword strike.
Control-type soul masters always found opportunities to restrict his movements—he had to eliminate her first.
The remaining eight broke free of their icy bonds and simultaneously charged at Ning Tianchen.
Before acquiring the Killing God Domain, spreading out his killing intent like this was still too taxing. Moreover, these opponents were now prepared, so catching them off guard again wouldn't be easy.
Realizing this, wings of light formed on Ning Tianchen's back, and he soared into the air.
To hone his swordsmanship, he hadn't used his external soul bone during his time in the Slaughter City.
Now that he deployed it, it undoubtedly disrupted the plans of the eight opponents.
They had watched Ning Tianchen's matches countless times and tailored their strategies specifically for him. But now, with him flying into the air, their tactics became useless.
With the advantage of height, Ning Tianchen could freely attack them with sword qi, while their attacks struggled to effectively reach him in the air.
The outcome was clear—Ning Tianchen easily won the match.
"Sword Asura, a hundred consecutive victories!" The degenerates cheered and celebrated as if they themselves were standing on the arena.
Meanwhile, a dark red figure suddenly appeared in the air above the Hell Arena.
He had a pair of large bat-like wings and hovered above the arena.
"Slaughter King, Slaughter King..."
The degenerates' excitement reached its peak as they loudly cheered for the arrival of the Slaughter King.
The Slaughter King basked in the adoration, slowly descending until he was close to the ground.
Regaining his composure, he looked down at Ning Tianchen below. "Young Sword Asura, my previous offer still stands. If you're willing to become an Honored Guest Elder of the Slaughter City, you may leave now without having to traverse Hell Road."
"I think you need to understand the dangers of Hell Road. Over the centuries, many have completed a hundred victories in the Hell Arena, but very few have survived Hell Road. So, make your decision."
Ning Tianchen's gaze hardened as he firmly replied, "Respected Slaughter King, I appreciate your kindness, but I believe that if I don't attempt Hell Road, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
"Life is precious, and I hope you have good luck." The Slaughter King ceased his persuasion.
A thick red mist erupted from his body, forcing Ning Tianchen to retreat rapidly. Only after retreating several dozen meters could he barely withstand the overwhelming force.
What the Slaughter King emitted wasn't killing intent but an extremely evil aura that chilled people to the bone.
The evil red spatial ripples spread rapidly, engulfing the entire arena in the blink of an eye.
Ning Tianchen's heart tightened.
Hell Road was about to open!
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