Behind the counter, a black-clad waiter with an indifferent expression looked up.
With just one glance, his expression changed.
This was a youth of about fifteen or sixteen years old—young, but with an overwhelming aura of killing intent.
Killing intent wasn't something that could be accumulated simply by killing many people. If that were the case, couldn't any Soul Master slaughter ordinary civilians to amass enough killing intent?
True killing intent was born from brutal slaughter and life-or-death battles, especially against Soul Masters of similar or greater strength.
The killing intent radiating from this youth was far too dense, far exceeding the standard.
He could almost enter Slaughter City directly.
The black-clad waiter's expression warmed slightly.
Dugu Feng smiled faintly, confident that his killing intent had met the requirements. Though he had only lingered outside Slaughter Town for a few months, the number of people he had killed was at least in the thousands.
And they weren't weaklings—most were Soul Masters with Soul Power similar to his, if not higher.
At first, killing had weighed on his conscience, but gradually, his heart had hardened like iron, no longer affected by slaughter.
Killing intent had become part of his very presence.
The black-clad waiter pulled out a cup of murky liquid from beneath the counter. The dark red fluid emitted a thick, pungent stench.
This was the source of Slaughter City's power—blood.
But it was far from pure blood.
At first whiff, the overpowering stench resembled the metallic tang of fresh blood, but Dugu Feng, well-versed in poisons, immediately detected the presence of toxins.
From the moment one entered Slaughter City, they would be poisoned—slowly, insidiously. This poison would stimulate the urge to kill, driving Soul Masters into madness.
Until, at last, the poison fully took hold, turning them into nourishment for Slaughter City, part of its blood pool.
Dugu Feng smirked faintly, raised the cup, and drank it all in one go.
The taste was revolting, assaulting both his taste buds and his sense of smell.
It even sent a slight shock through his mind.
The poison of Slaughter City primarily targeted the spirit—Dugu Feng understood now.
The black-clad waiter's eyes gleamed with approval. Excellent—this was the finest kind of citizen for Slaughter City!
He glanced at the others in the tavern and said, "You've arrived at just the right time. There are already nine qualified individuals waiting, but only one of you can enter!"
"Oh?"
"Finally, the last one is here! Time for all of you to die!"
"Haha, since you're just here to make up the numbers, I'll let you live one extra second!"
"Kill!"
As soon as the black-clad waiter finished speaking, chaos erupted in the tavern.
These people, having drunk the Bloody Mary, were already mentally agitated—prone to violence. Now that they had been given the criteria for the trial, they could no longer restrain themselves.
Dugu Feng turned his head, his icy gaze sweeping over them one by one.
In the blink of an eye, only five of the nine were still standing.
"If you're going to die, then die sooner."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dugu Feng extended his hands, and several streaks of violet light shot out, striking vital points with precision.
At the same time, two of the streaks collided midair and exploded, releasing a fine mist of poison that enveloped the entire area.
After unleashing his toxins, Dugu Feng turned back to the counter and fixed his gaze on the black-clad waiter.
And at the moment he turned around.
Several thuds sounded behind him as all five men collapsed.
The black-clad attendant was dumbfounded. Having guided countless Soul Masters to Slaughter City, this was the first time he had witnessed such cold and efficient killing methods.
"You've passed. Go ahead!"
The attendant lightly tapped beneath the counter, revealing a square black hole from which a chilling aura emanated.
Dugu Feng's heart skipped a beat, but he jumped down without hesitation.
Inside the black hole was pitch darkness where not even a hand could be seen, the air thick with a cold, frenzied aura of slaughter.
Dugu Feng moved forward along the passage until light appeared ahead. With another leap, he emerged.
Before him stood a black city, its walls vast and imposing. A purple moon hung in the sky above, illuminating the entire space of the city.
This was Slaughter City.
The sound of hooves approached.
A black-armored knight astride a towering warhorse galloped toward him.
"This is your proof of entry into Slaughter City. The city ahead is where all its inhabitants live. Someone will guide you at the gates!"
The knight, expressionless, tossed over a black token.
Since Dugu Feng had entered through the normal rules, he wasn't subjected to the Enforcement Team's test.
He casually caught the token, which bore the image of a hollow-eyed skull with his number beneath it.
No. 7603.
By the time Dugu Feng looked up again, the black-armored knight had already vanished on his steed.
He then checked the Soul Power within his body. When he tried to summon his Spirit Rings, he found their abilities completely suppressed.
This meant Soul Skills couldn't be used.
It seemed Slaughter City's suppression of Soul Masters targeted Spirit Rings.
Next, Dugu Feng extended his right hand, sensing the fluctuations of Soul Power in his fingers. A streak of purple light shot out, vanishing into the darkness.
He smiled. Without using his Martial Soul, his Blue Phosphorous Twelve Fingers technique, which relied solely on Soul Power, was completely unrestricted.
Just as he had guessed.
This was also why he dared to enter Slaughter City with only two Spirit Rings.
While others couldn't use Soul Skills, he could employ his family's Self-Created Soul Skills—a significant advantage.
He then glanced at his shoulders. With a slight movement, he confirmed his External Soul Bones were also unaffected.
Dugu Feng gave a faint smile, retrieving the Serpent's Belly Sword from his Storage Soul Tool. Holding the short sword, he walked toward the distant city.
"Welcome to Slaughter City. I am your guide and can answer any questions. In twelve hours, you will officially become a citizen of Slaughter City!"
Moments later, a black-veiled maiden led Dugu Feng through the city gates.
He didn't seek special treatment, quietly following the maiden as she showed him the depravity within Slaughter City.
Killing was forbidden in the outer city. Contributing two cups of Bloody Mary each month allowed survival. What Dugu Feng saw were emaciated figures barely clinging to life.
They could no longer be called human—mere fuel for the blood pool at Slaughter City's core, drained until their last ounce of vitality was spent before dying here.
The inner city was the true Slaughter Hell Arena.
Even after months outside Slaughter Town, where he had witnessed countless evils, the brazen, unrestrained wickedness of Slaughter City still shocked him.
As the prompt upon entering Slaughter City had indicated, this was indeed the capital of hell, a world of slaughter where one could gain everything but also lose everything.
Dugu Feng licked his lips. In this brutal world where strength reigned supreme, climbing step by step to the top was truly exhilarating.
The ferocity within him was gradually increasing.
A murderous aura swirled around his body.
He could hardly wait to enter the Slaughter Hell Arena.