Slaughter City, Inner City Core.
Led by the black-veiled girl, Dugu Feng stood before a peculiar black structure.
The circular building featured a domed roof, standing approximately fifty meters tall, somewhat resembling the Great Soul Arena. However, splashes of blood-red amidst the black gave it an oppressive atmosphere.
"This building is the Hell Slaughter Arena. Once inside, register with your identity token. Each match consists of ten participants, but only one will leave alive. If you just want to spectate, you must offer a cup of Bloody Mary. No. 7603, do you wish to participate or observe?"
The black-veiled girl swiftly explained the rules of the Hell Slaughter Arena before glancing at Dugu Feng inquisitively.
Dugu Feng smiled faintly. "Not for now. Help me find a place close to the Hell Slaughter Arena—somewhere relatively safe."
A trace of disdain flashed in the black-veiled girl's eyes. Given the heavy killing intent emanating from Dugu Feng, she had expected him to dive straight into the slaughter.
Turns out he's a coward. Who knows where all that bloodlust came from?
"Follow me."
Leading Dugu Feng, the black-veiled girl walked several hundred meters along the street outside the Hell Slaughter Arena before turning into a narrow alley.
Dugu Feng glanced around and noticed only two rooms in the alley, facing each other. The houses here were unusual—no courtyards, just a single entrance door, with pitch-black interiors.
The black-veiled girl pointed to the left. "The previous owner of this place was killed not long ago. The size suits you well. Anything better would be beyond your control."
Dugu Feng stepped inside. The space was roughly forty square meters, with a bathroom and bedroom—almost like a studio apartment in the outside world.
He glanced at the door—a thin sheet of iron.
"Good. This will do."
"One last reminder, No. 7603. Newcomers have a twelve-hour protection period. After that, you'll officially be a citizen of Slaughter Road. This is the Inner City—anything can happen here. Take care."
Though she looked down on Dugu Feng's cowardice, the black-veiled girl still fulfilled her duty to warn him. She had seen many like him—people who secured a room first, hoping to set up defenses for protection.
But in the end, none survived. Without aggression or ruthlessness, survival here was impossible.
After her warning, the black-veiled girl left without another word.
Dugu Feng paid no mind.
If there was one thing he knew well, it was Slaughter City. The real danger wasn't the ten-man slaughter inside the Hell Slaughter Arena—it was the lawless killing outside.
Tang San had once been ambushed by over a hundred people after leaving the arena.
How could others remain indifferent to strong fighters on long winning streaks?
In the Inner City, everyone was an enemy—someone you might face in the arena at any moment. Eliminating potential threats beforehand was common practice.
And in such a dark place, Dugu Feng had no doubt that local power brokers lurked in the shadows.
The match inside the arena would determine whether he could achieve a hundred victories, while outside, it would decide whether he could survive.
Before participating in the competition, he had to be fully prepared.
Dugu Feng surveyed his surroundings and sat down cross-legged.
His current Soul Power was at level 23, and the energy of his Core Pearl had reached 39 points.
He couldn't afford to waste a single moment of cultivation.
Though he couldn't use Soul Skills, the circulation of Soul Power was completely unrestricted.
Tang San's Soul Power hadn't progressed as quickly in Slaughter City mainly because the air here was saturated with toxins—how could he continuously absorb the Soul Power here?
But Dugu Feng was a poison master—he truly had no fear of the toxins here.
When he drank his first cup of Bloody Mary, he knew the poison here was a mental toxin, with effects that included numbing, stimulating confusion, and eroding spiritual power.
It bore similarities to the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom.
Could cultivating here allow the toxins of his Azure Phosphorus Serpent Spirit to evolve further?
As the young master of the Dugu Family, his first five Spirit Rings were destined to be absorbed from five different types of poison-attribute Spirit Beasts to condense Mixed Poison.
But for Little Snake, his first three Spirit Rings had all been chosen from Jade Scale Serpents, aiming to stimulate the evolution of his Martial Soul's toxins.
Little Snake's second Soul Skill was the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom, an advanced toxin derived from Jade Scale Serpent venom, targeting spiritual power as its attack vector. It was colorless and odorless, even more concealed than the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom, with effects that controlled, confused, and eroded the enemy's spiritual power.
Dugu Feng had once asked his father how to advance the Azure Phosphorus toxins to produce the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom without continuing to absorb Jade Phosphorous Serpent Spirit Rings.
Dugu Shuo's answer was stimulation.
From the second to the fifth Spirit Ring, absorbing other toxins and mixing them with the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom would make the toxins increasingly potent, stimulating their evolution.
Dugu Shuo had naturally advanced to the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom during his Soul Ancestor stage, as his Soul Power evolved on its own.
But now, in Slaughter City, where the air was filled with mental toxins, the conditions were uniquely favorable.
If Dugu Feng could evolve the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom ahead of time here, it would absolutely stun Dugu Shuo.
As his Soul Power continued to circulate, the energy in the air gradually absorbed into his body and Core Pearl.
Dugu Feng's eyes lit up—there was no difference from cultivating in the outside world, except for the higher concentration of toxins.
Excellent, excellent!
This place was truly a treasure trove for him.
Dugu Feng immersed himself in cultivation.
Outside, in a narrow alley not far from the room, two slender figures lurked in the darkness, their eyes occasionally flickering toward Dugu Feng's room.
"Heh heh, another newcomer—a boy around fifteen or sixteen. Just look at him, a total greenhorn.
And quite handsome too. The boss loves newcomers like this!"
One of them, a man with a scarred face, had blood-red eyes, a tuft of gray wolf fur in his hair, and slightly pointed ears—his appearance clearly indicated a wolf-type Spirit Beast as his Martial Soul.
At the mention of Dugu Feng, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
"What a shame. Once he falls into the boss's hands, we won't even get a chance to play."
The other man, with a rat-like face and a lecherous expression, exchanged a knowing glance.
Recalling the boss's bloodthirsty cruelty, the two shuddered—but they also felt a hint of anticipation.
The boss had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and at the very least, they could enjoy the show. The brothers always loved watching the boss torment newcomers.
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye. The two exchanged a glance and slowly approached Dugu Feng's room.
The newcomer's protection period had ended—it was time to act.
The two of them crept quietly up to the door.
The iron door was tightly shut!
The scar-faced wolf Martial Soul man's eyes flashed with disdain. Did they think hiding would work?
Did they think this flimsy sheet of iron could protect them?
He extended his claw-like hands and viciously stabbed into the door.
Then he tore it apart with both hands.
The door was instantly destroyed.
(End of Chapter)