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"Kid, his martial soul is special—it's likely a shadow-type martial soul like Black Shadow," Dugu Bo transmitted telepathically.
Soul masters with such martial souls were extremely difficult to deal with. After all, these types of martial souls didn't fall under the categories of weapon or beast martial souls, making it hard for others to find their weaknesses.
For example, Ghost Douluo from the Spirit Hall was nearly impossible to kill with ordinary means—only absolute attribute suppression could give someone a chance.
In Dugu Bo's view, the fact that the man hadn't attacked them was indeed fortunate.
"That person doesn't seem like a degenerate—he appears more like someone gathering intelligence," Ning Tianchen analyzed, based on the man's behavior.
The identity of the man was irrelevant to them.
There was still business to attend to.
Ning Tianchen approached the counter, a faint smile on his face.
The waitress feigned calmness and scolded, "You've violated the rules—the great Slaughter King won't spare you."
Ning Tianchen glanced at her. "The biggest rule in the Slaughter City is that there are no rules. I think your so-called Slaughter King won't blame me."
The waitress's pupils trembled.
Most degenerates who tried to enter the Slaughter City either didn't know who the Slaughter King was or worshipped him fanatically—but they certainly wouldn't know the inner workings of the Slaughter City.
To understand its secrets, one would have to hear it directly from a god of slaughter who had walked out of the Slaughter City.
Could it be that this person had a god of slaughter backing him?
After all, gods of slaughter could enter the Slaughter City freely, and even the Slaughter King wouldn't dare offend them lightly.
Seeing her frozen in place, Ning Tianchen coldly said, "If you don't step aside, don't blame me for being merciless."
The entrance to the Slaughter City was beneath the waitress's feet.
The waitress stepped aside, her expression complex as she watched Ning Tianchen.
Knowing about the Slaughter City' secrets and the location of the entrance, it was hard to believe that he didn't have a god of slaughter behind him.
He lifted the floorboard beneath the counter, and icy winds poured out. Peering down, the area below was pitch black.
Ning Tianchen knew this was the entrance.
Before leaving, he turned around and said, "Old man, Old Zhang has formed the Shadow Guards in the city. In two months, help them assign a task to investigate the four great single-attribute families—the more detailed, the better."
Dugu Bo countered, "Are you really sure about this? You saw those people earlier—even a normal person, if they spend every day with such degenerates, will eventually be assimilated."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Ning Tianchen replied before jumping in.
In Dugu Bo's perception, after Ning Tianchen's body fell into the spatial membrane below, his presence completely vanished.
With his experience, how could he not know that there was a small pocket dimension beneath?
Thinking of his granddaughter and the Dugu Pharmacy, he abandoned any thought of entering himself.
Turning around, he saw the trembling waitress but chose not to make things difficult for her, leaving the tavern instead.
---
Falling into darkness, Ning Tianchen only dropped a few meters before landing on the ground.
From the sound of his landing, he could tell that this was an extremely spacious environment, with stone bricks beneath his feet.
The surroundings were pitch black—so dark he couldn't see his hands when he stretched it out.
Having absorbed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, his spiritual power far exceeded that of soul masters at the same level.
With the boost of spiritual power, his vision could penetrate the surrounding darkness, allowing him to see even distant areas.
"Not bad for spiritual power—it's practically human night-vision," he thought with a chuckle, then carefully observed his surroundings.
He was standing in an extremely narrow corridor, with no railings on either side. Below the corridor was an endless abyss—falling into it meant certain death.
Looking to the sides, he noticed there were multiple corridors, each corresponding to different entrances.
At the far end of the corridors stood towering walls—the main structure of the Slaughter City.
Ning Tianchen walked forward.
Technically, he had entered Slaughter City by violating the rules, yet no one stopped him.
He walked unimpeded all the way to the city walls. Looking up, the black walls bore the words "Slaughter City" written in large characters.
On either side of the gate stood guards. Before Ning Tianchen could enter, a woman wearing a black veil approached him.
"An envoy of killing," he muttered inwardly.
Ning Tianchen remained composed and greeted her proactively.
"Welcome to the Slaughter City," the envoy said with a faint smile in her voice.
Ning Tianchen didn't speak much, remaining calm and composed.
The envoy's expression changed slightly as she asked, "You don't look like a degenerate—are your elders the ones who sent you?"
The Slaughter City wasn't short of people coming to train, but very few survived to leave.
Ning Tianchen countered, "What makes you say that?"
"Your appearance is quite different from other degenerates—are you here to meet me?"
The envoy didn't get angry, lightly laughing instead. "How amusing, little brother. Yes, I'm your personal guide. For the next twelve hours, I can answer any questions you have. After that, this place will become your home, and you'll officially become a member of the Slaughter City."
Ning Tianchen nodded slightly, then asked, "So, how do I leave the Slaughter City?"
The envoy chuckled, her eyes filled with mockery. Beneath her veil, Ning Tianchen couldn't see her expression, but her tone betrayed her amusement.
"How amusing—you should ask how to survive here first, shouldn't you? If you want to leave, you need to figure out the situation here."
Ning Tianchen shrugged indifferently. "Then please tell me about this place."
With that, he entered the city on his own.
Even though he had some understanding of the Slaughter City beforehand, firsthand experience was different from an observer's perspective.
Along the way, Ning Tianchen memorized almost every word the envoy said.
It was worth noting that his number was 666.
Numbers in the Slaughter City were reused. When the previous holder of the number died or left, it would be passed on to the next person entering the city.
Not long after, the two stopped at an intersection.
"Ahead is the inner city. Compared to the relative peace of the outer city, the inner city is a paradise of sin and slaughter. As a newcomer, I suggest you live in the outer city for a while before entering the inner city," the envoy said, clearly not optimistic about Ning Tianchen's chances.
Most degenerates eked out a miserable existence in the outer city by contributing two cups of Bloody Mary each month.
Only when they could no longer contribute Bloody Mary would they risk their lives in the Hell Arena for survival.
Ning Tianchen looked up at the sky.
Above the Slaughter City, there was no sunlight—only a dim red light source that made the entire city appear gray and gloomy.
Without sunlight, one had to endure both psychological and physical stress.
Once they began contributing Bloody Mary, their physical condition would deteriorate rapidly, creating a vicious cycle. Most people in the outer city were like walking corpses, their eyes devoid of light.
It wouldn't be long before they became fodder for the Slaughter City.
"No need—take me directly to the Hell Arena," Ning Tianchen said decisively.
The envoy didn't object, reminding him, "I can safely escort you into the Hell Arena. But once the match begins, your protection period as a newcomer will end prematurely. Even if eleven hours remain, I won't offer you any protection."
Ning Tianchen nodded, then asked, "If I have questions later, can I ask you?"
The envoy didn't refuse. "If you can see me, naturally you can ask. As an envoy of the Slaughter King, I'll answer anyone's questions."
Ning Tianchen asked what was on his mind. "What do people here eat?"
The envoy replied, "The same as outside, but you'll have to earn it with your strength. Otherwise, even in the outer city, you might starve to death."
Ning Tianchen pointed at the sky. "Can crops grow in such an environment?"
Unusually, the envoy didn't answer.
The food supply was a closely guarded secret of the Slaughter City.
Ning Tianchen understood—the Slaughter City must have a secret passage connecting it to the outside world.
This passage was undoubtedly controlled by the Slaughter King and unknown to anyone else.
In the original timeline, Tang San had thrown the Snow Swan Kiss into the core of the Slaughter City. When the poison gas began to spread, escaping through Hell Road was impossible—but the Slaughter King had managed to leave safely. This confirmed the existence of the secret passage.
"If I remember correctly, the Spirit Hall's mission is to eliminate all evil organizations on the continent. Here, it's essentially a den of evil soul masters—why don't they take action against you?"
The envoy sneered. "Mr. 666, don't forget that almost no one who enters the Slaughter City can leave. Such an environment indirectly helps the Spirit Hall gather criminals. Do you think our influence alone could spread the reputation of the Slaughter City across the continent?"
Ning Tianchen realized.
The Spirit Hall not only tacitly allowed their existence but also promoted the reputation of the Slaughter City behind the scenes.
After all, the Spirit Hall's prisons and manpower were limited—they couldn't capture all the evil soul masters. By turning the Slaughter City into a sanctuary for evil soul masters, they didn't need to lift a finger. The evil soul masters would kill each other until they were wiped out.
As for food…
Ning Tianchen suddenly smiled, as if he understood.
The existence of the Slaughter City was the Spirit Hall's ideal prison—they would surely maintain its existence.
Think about it: ten thousand years later, without the Slaughter City and the Spirit Hall's suppression, evil soul masters grew increasingly rampant, even producing Title Douluo-level evil soul masters among them.
And all of this was part of Tang San's deliberate plan.
Putting his thoughts aside, Ning Tianchen followed the envoy to a massive building at the center of the inner city.
The environment of the inner city was noticeably different from the outer city.
In the outer city, fights rarely broke out. In the inner city, however, conflict seemed omnipresent.
Nevertheless, these people seemed to fear the envoy greatly. Upon seeing her, they avoided her at all costs.
With the envoy's help, Ning Tianchen quickly registered for his first match.
During this time, he picked up a corpse from the roadside, using it to submit the Bloody Mary required for registration.
The envoy sat in the audience seats with interest, ready to watch the match.
Matches in the Hell Arena automatically started when ten participants were gathered, and once registered, withdrawal wasn't allowed.
Unfortunately, Ning Tianchen was the ninth to register, but after waiting for a long time, no tenth person signed up. Moreover, many people kept pouring into the Hell Arena, crowding around the registration area without making a move.
This situation didn't require much thought—there must be a strong participant in this group with a high winning streak.
Ning Tianchen cracked his neck. "I didn't expect to face a strong opponent in the first match—how interesting."
Being famous has its advantages, while being unknown has its own strategies.
On the battlefield, who would pay attention to a newcomer just starting out? Once the match began, the others would naturally team up to take down the strongest opponent first, giving him a chance to take advantage of the chaos.
The wait was long, and no one wanted to become a casualty under the blade of a strong opponent.
Ning Tianchen sat in the rest area with his eyes closed, not knowing how long he waited until the tenth participant registered. Then, the staff came to call him to the stage.
---
On the arena, ten people eyed each other warily, maintaining a cautious distance.
The Killing Envoy sat in the audience, casually remarking, "On your very first day, you've encountered someone like Wolf Fang King. Your luck is truly terrible."
In the Hell Arena, every day saw the rise of new powerful fighters as well as the fall of old ones.
This match—would it herald the birth of a new king, or would Wolf Fang King continue his winning streak? It was highly anticipated.
After observing for a moment, Ning Tianchen couldn't help but furrow his brows.
Aside from himself and another burly man, the remaining eight participants appeared to be here because they couldn't afford to contribute Bloody Mary. They were emaciated, looking as if a strong gust of wind could knock them over.
Moreover, there was no trace of fighting spirit in their eyes—they seemed resigned to their fate.
In such a situation, there was almost no room for taking advantage of the chaos.
That burly man would likely end the battle quickly.
Even so, Ning Tianchen showed no sign of retreat.
"Look, isn't that Wolf Fang King?"
"Another nine unlucky souls. Wolf Fang King has already won 49 consecutive matches—just one more to reach 50!"
"Good heavens, fifty years of residency in the inner city… Is he even human?"
The audience buzzed with chatter.
Before the match began, Ning Tianchen listened carefully to the murmurs.
From these discussions, he formed a rough understanding of the burly man's strength.
The match began!
Ning Tianchen quickly retreated to the edge of the arena, letting the eight weaker participants block Wolf Fang King's initial attacks.
However, he seemed to have underestimated the burly man's strength.
The moment the Wolf Fang Club martial soul appeared, the eight participants froze in fear, standing paralyzed as the club reaped their lives one by one.
After finishing off the eight, Wolf Fang King didn't immediately attack Ning Tianchen. Instead, he stood still, savoring the soul power he had stolen from the others.
Inside the Slaughter City, soul skills couldn't be used, nor could soul power be cultivated. The only way to gain soul power was to kill opponents on the Hell Arena and absorb their strength.
Ning Tianchen stood still, holding his sword.
Through his earlier observations, he had formed a basic judgment about the Wolf Fang Club martial soul.
It was a powerful blunt weapon-type martial soul, and the opponent's towering physique gave him an absolute advantage in strength.
After pondering for a moment, a plan quickly formed in his mind.
---
After basking in the fruits of his victory, Wolf Fang King burst into laughter. "Boy, you should thank me for letting you live this long."
Ning Tianchen responded with a faint smile, "Ah~ What a pity."
"What's a pity?!" Wolf Fang King roared in anger, swinging his club as if ready to take Ning Tianchen's life.
However, his curiosity made him pause, wanting to hear what the other had to say.
Ning Tianchen's gaze sharpened. "What a pity that killing you won't let me inherit your winning streak!"
"Arrogant!"
The Wolf Fang Club suddenly lunged forward, the lingering stench of blood from its earlier kills assaulting Ning Tianchen's nose.
The Seven Kill Sword wasn't a strength-based martial soul, so there was no need to clash head-on with the opponent.
As Ning Tianchen dodged, the tip of his sword slashed across Wolf Fang King's abdomen, leaving a deep wound.
"Hahaha!" Wolf Fang King rubbed his stomach, the intense pain exciting him.
He didn't waste the blood flowing out, scooping it up with his hands and pouring it into his mouth.
"What a madman. The poison of Bloody Mary must have seeped deep into his bones," Ning Tianchen silently assessed.
Against someone like this, the only option was to kill him outright; otherwise, he would launch endless attacks.
Wolf Fang King swung his club, aiming a crushing blow at Ning Tianchen's head.
"Seven Kill Sword Ultimate Technique—Breakthrough Slash."
Ning Tianchen held his sword with both hands, assuming a defensive stance.
Clang!
The collision of the two martial souls emitted a metallic sound.
Ning Tianchen's arms went numb—the force of the blow was immense. If the opponent had used soul skills, Ning Tianchen would have surely died.
Based on this, he deduced that the opponent's soul power level was at least that of an early-stage Soul Sage.
But unfortunately, in the Slaughter City, his true martial soul form couldn't be activated.
The Seven Kill Sword abruptly thrust forward, swift and sharp, its sword qi piercing through one of Wolf Fang King's arms like a meteor.
The excruciating pain seemed to excite him further, as if he had inexhaustible energy.
Ning Tianchen quickly dodged, muttering, "Has this guy taken some kind of drug?!"
The Hell Arena had only one rule: survive until you're the last one standing. Any means necessary were allowed during the fight.
"Die! Die!"
Wolf Fang King seemed to transform into a beast on the hunt, relentlessly pursuing Ning Tianchen.
The power of the Wolf Fang Club was formidable, causing noticeable tremors whenever it struck the ground.
But the common weakness of strength-based soul masters was their lack of speed.
With just slight movements, Ning Tianchen could easily evade the opponent's attacks while leaving deep wounds on Wolf Fang King's body.
Blood continuously flowed from Wolf Fang King's wounds, yet his blood seemed inexhaustible.
---
"At this rate, Wolf Fang King will eventually collapse from exhaustion."
"Wolf Fang King has lost his mind—it seems that kid is going to win."
The spectators whispered among themselves.
Wolf Fang King, now in a berserk state, fought without any strategy, relying purely on brute force.
Once the berserk state ended, he would collapse instantly.
---
On the arena
Ning Tianchen gradually noticed something peculiar—there were fluctuations of soul power emanating from Wolf Fang King.
This soul power wasn't coming from his body but rather from his right arm.
The only explanation for this was a soul bone.
Soul bone abilities weren't suppressed in the Slaughter City and could be used freely.
Wolf Fang King's berserk state was most likely caused by a soul skill from his soul bone.
A faint smile appeared on Ning Tianchen's lips.
Aside from Oscar's sausages, any berserk-type soul skill on the continent came with significant side effects.
After circling the arena with Wolf Fang King for about fifteen minutes, the latter's aura began to wane.
Clearly, the duration of the soul skill had expired!
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