"Damn you, Doombringer!"
"If you have the guts, come at me directly!"
"Only know how to bully my subordinates—what kind of power is that?!"
Inside the Slaughter Castle, under the rampant growth of Ye Yu's Blue Silver Jade Tree Martial Soul, the ceiling of the room had already been pierced through. The floor and walls were riddled with cracks and gaping holes, caused by roots burrowing through and the whipping and battering from the Blue Silver Jade Tree's branches and the Blue Silver Wood Dragons.
The Slaughter King furiously wielded the Asura Demonic Sword, slashing apart the oncoming branches and wood dragons while casting a bloodshot glare in Ye Yu's direction.
When he saw Ye Yu slaughtering his subordinates mercilessly, the Slaughter King was on the verge of madness, his heart bleeding with grief and rage.
Even though Slaughter City was filled with degenerate Spirit Masters, the Slaughter King didn't recruit just anyone. He demanded strength and discipline—those who lost their sanity and became mindless beasts were useless to him.
But now, Ye Yu was wiping out the forces he had spent years building!
If he lost all his followers, wouldn't he be just a lone ruler with no subjects?!
No matter how enraged he was, the Slaughter King couldn't push through the waves of attacks. The Asura Demonic Sword flashed like a blur, but it couldn't cut through the onslaught of increasingly dense and reinforced Blue Silver Jade Tree branches and Wood Dragons.
As time passed, the branches and dragons multiplied—and they weren't just more in number, they were also getting harder to destroy.
Even without activating Martial Soul True Body, the Blue Silver Jade Tree Martial Soul was constantly growing. Its trunk expanded from a mere four meters in diameter to over ten meters, and its branches swelled to over four meters across.
The Blue Silver Wood Dragons, formed from twisting, merging vines, now exceeded ten meters in diameter!
Even with the Asura Demonic Sword's legendary sharpness, it was no longer easy to sever them.
Meanwhile, the roots of the Blue Silver Jade Tree were extending rapidly, breaking through floor after floor, tearing through walls—collapsing rooms one after another.
From the outside, Slaughter Castle, already covered in cracks, finally gave out.
BOOM!
With a deafening crash, the Blue Silver Jade Tree finished growing, completely smashing apart the Slaughter Castle.
Walls crumbled. Floors collapsed. In just moments, the once-mighty structure turned into a mountain of ruins.
Amid the falling debris, the Slaughter King was struck in the back by a large chunk of ceiling. Distracted for a split second, he failed to defend.
One Blue Silver Wood Dragon seized the opportunity, biting down on the Asura Demonic Sword and yanking it away. Another dragon coiled around the Slaughter King, binding him tightly.
Standing atop the ruins under a crimson full moon, the massive Blue Silver Jade Tree towered over everything. Its thick, intricate root system was firmly embedded into the shattered ground. The expansive canopy stretched high into the air, star-like glows from within the crystal-blue leaves forming a night sky illusion tinged red by the eerie moonlight.
Dozens of writhing, vine-like branches and wood dragons slithered through the air like living creatures.
Ye Yu stood atop the ruins, holding his Thunderous Hell Prison Spear, a cold smile playing across his handsome features as he raised the captured Slaughter King aloft with a single flick of his will.
After being thoroughly defeated—his Asura Demonic Sword taken and his body bound—the Slaughter King finally recognized reality.
As a Spirit Beast, the Slaughter King lacked human pride and shame. He understood the law of the jungle all too well.
Power ruled all.
Realizing he had no way to resist, the Slaughter King endured the pain and forced a flattering, ingratiating smile.
"Lord Doombringer, it was this lowly one who failed to recognize your greatness. I humbly beg for your mercy!"
"From now on, you are the new ruler of Slaughter City!"
"Of course, you may not be fully familiar with the inner workings of the city yet…"
"Please, allow me to live—I will serve you loyally and guide you with all I have!"
His submission was utterly groveling—pathetic, even.
Ye Yu sneered in contempt.
"You really are adaptable, Slaughter King."
"But don't worry, I won't kill you. Not yet."
After all, he still needed the Slaughter King to open the teleportation array to the Path of Hell.
That alone gave him some temporary value.
But letting him off easily? Absolutely not.
Ye Yu knew full well that the Slaughter King's true body was Tang Chen, and his spirit was that of the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King.
Both were far too valuable.
And so, Ye Yu commanded the Blue Silver Wood Dragon coiled around the Slaughter King to loosen just enough to expose his heart.
Then, without hesitation, he thrust his Thunderous Hell Prison Spear forward. Embedded at the spear's tip was an external Spirit Bone, Demon Willow Fluff.
As the spear pierced flesh, the Demon Willow Fluff embedded itself into the Slaughter King's heart. From there, it extended countless thread-like roots, latching onto the veins and surrounding meridians.
"Consider this a light punishment. You're lucky I'm sparing your life," Ye Yu said coldly.
"I've planted a parasite seed in your heart. If you obey, these roots will serve as an auxiliary meridian network, letting you store more Spirit Power and boosting your combat capabilities."
"But if you defy me…" His smile turned icy. "I can detonate your heart with a thought."
"Don't even think of removing it. The moment you try, boom. Instant death."
The Slaughter King's regret couldn't have been greater. He had only wanted to assess a potential rising Slaughter God candidate—who would've thought he'd end up enslaved, his life now hanging by a thread?
But there was no turning back.
He gritted his teeth and forced a servile grin, dropping to his knees before Ye Yu.
"From now on, this humble king is your loyal servant!"
"Wherever your sword points, I will follow—even to the depths of hell!"
"Good. I hope you remember those words."
Ye Yu's eyes gleamed with a deeper meaning. He casually tossed the Asura Demonic Sword back in front of the Slaughter King.
He turned and walked away.
He didn't want to keep the Asura Demonic Sword on him. It was a divine artifact tied to the inheritance of the Asura God. Carrying it might attract the god's attention—and that was not something Ye Yu wanted.
Having used Demon Willow Fluff to firmly plant a parasite in the Slaughter King's body, Ye Yu left without another word. At the same time, he withdrew his Blue Silver Jade Tree Martial Soul.
The towering blood-red tree, which had stood imposingly over the ruins beneath the blood moon, disappeared without a trace.
Though Ye Yu hadn't had time to use Demon Willow Fluff to absorb the corpses of the fallen degenerate Spirit Masters during the battle, he had already prepared.
Anticipating the collapse of the Slaughter Castle, he had stored all the bodies in his Blue Silver Space.
He would let his external Spirit Bone, Demon Willow Fluff, devour them slowly later.