At first, these people came to kill him one by one, thinking they could take advantage of the situation.
But they soon realized there was no advantage to be had—only death.
Unless there was a conflict of interest, no one would be foolish enough to throw their lives away.
In Slaughter City, Soul Skills could not be used.
Though Soul Power levels varied and the gap in strength between individuals was significant, it wasn't an insurmountable difference.
Even the strongest could still meet their downfall in unexpected ways.
Without understanding how Dugu Feng killed, these powerful figures were unwilling to risk their lives for him.
No one who had survived in Slaughter City for long was a fool.
This was precisely why Dugu Feng hadn't immediately participated in the Hell Slaughter Arena upon arriving—he needed to maintain an air of mystery.
If he fought even once, his Blue Phosphorous Twelve Fingers and poison would inevitably be exposed.
But now, no one knew how he killed!
All they knew was that anyone who entered Dugu Feng's room never came out—no screams, no resistance, just silence. The unknown always bred fear.
For the first time, Dugu Feng's name caught the attention of the Soul Masters in Slaughter City.
By killing these people, Dugu Feng also learned everything about Slaughter City from their mouths.
Darkness and evil lurked everywhere here.
Behind it all, a greater force pulled the strings—the King of Slaughter.
Aside from the Hell Slaughter Arena, which everyone was forced to participate in, there were all kinds of pleasure dens catering to every vice.
Of course, the currency of trade was Bloody Mary.
Moreover, the slow-acting poison in Slaughter City made all Soul Masters restless, driving them to consume Bloody Mary to soothe their minds.
But the more they drank, the deeper the poison took hold, until they could no longer control their bloodlust. Even if the King of Slaughter didn't act, they would eventually go mad and die.
Truly befitting the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King—it never saw those who entered Slaughter City as people, only as nourishment to enhance its own power.
In that case, there was no need to rush.
A deep glint flashed in Dugu Feng's eyes as he resumed his cultivation.
Time passed like a fleeting white horse.
One night, half a year later.
An unknown large room.
A burly man lay naked on the bed, his eyes bulging wide.
His blood continuously drained into a wooden barrel.
"So you're Mo Li, the one with the Martial Soul Devil Tiger? Quite the bravado—sending your lackeys to kill me the moment I arrived in Slaughter City!"
Dugu Feng chuckled and patted his head mockingly.
"Spare me! Spare me! I didn't know your strength back then! Now that I do, I swear I'll never dare offend you again!"
Mo Li was tall and imposing, used to throwing his weight around and indulging in luxury.
But the more he indulged, the more he feared death—his pleas for mercy came smoothly, without hesitation.
Now, he had none of his usual ferocity, behaving even more pitifully than his two subordinates, Lang Er and Hou San.
"This time, I'll only take half your blood. Remember the poison in your body—if I say you die at midnight, you won't live to see dawn.
And don't breathe a word about me to anyone. Otherwise... heh."
Dugu Feng let out a cold laugh, collected the Bloody Mary, and left the room.
The moment Dugu Feng was gone, Mo Li's expression twisted with malice.
He stood up, swaying slightly before steadying himself.
He quickly sat down cross-legged, circulating his Soul Power throughout his body.
After half an hour, he finally felt some of his strength returning.
With hatred in his heart, he walked out of the room and saw more than a dozen of his subordinates lying dead in disarray—not a single one survived.
Their deaths were gruesome; all had been drained of blood.
Even Mo Li, known for his cruelty, was shocked.
He had initially thought his subordinates were slacking off, allowing Dugu Feng to sneak in.
But in reality, they were all dead.
Moreover, the blood-draining process must have taken considerable time. It seemed they had been poisoned unconscious first, just like him, before being slowly dealt with.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he felt a twinge of relief that Dugu Feng hadn't killed him.
A ruthless figure had arrived in Slaughter City. Damn it, why did I have to provoke him!
Night.
Dugu Feng walked alone along the streets of Slaughter Road, reflecting on his actions over the past six months.
Mo Li was the first one he had targeted.
Charging in head-on would have been foolish.
Poisoning them in secret—now that was undetectable.
If not for his fear of drawing the attention of the King of Slaughter, he would have killed them all.
From the moment he entered Slaughter City, he knew everyone was poisoned—a slow-acting toxin, one that also corroded the minds of Soul Masters, clouding and eroding their spirits.
Was there a way to exploit the toxins already in their bodies?
Could he create a poison that could spread through the air, combining with Slaughter City's existing mental toxin to form a new venom, absorbed by Soul Masters along with the ambient Soul Power?
The primary purpose of this poison would be to establish a connection with the toxins already inside these Soul Masters.
Then, whenever Dugu Feng needed, he could activate it within his enemies at will.
Like a prelude to the Poison Burst Technique—accumulating toxins in the opponent's body over time, then triggering a precise explosion during battle.
After four months of research, combining his Poison Art, Dugu Feng developed this poison.
He named it Dream Phantom Thousand Mechanisms.
It could maximally stimulate the mental toxins already present in a Soul Master's body, erupting under his control whenever he desired.
This was also integrated with the third-stage application method of Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom.
He still couldn't release poison silently from every pore of his body at will.
But after extensive experimentation, he had achieved this level of stealth with his hands.
Once perfected, Dugu Feng spent two months continuously dispersing Dream Phantom Thousand Mechanisms, saturating the air of Slaughter City with it.
Then, he began his experiments. The first target was Mo Li, who had come to kill him—the perfect subject.
The longer a Soul Master had been in Slaughter City, the more toxins they had accumulated, making them more susceptible to influence.
Soul Masters below the Soul Ancestor level, especially those who had stayed in Slaughter City for a long time, couldn't resist Dream Phantom Thousand Mechanisms at all. Their internal toxins would erupt immediately, driving them to complete mental collapse.
Those above Soul Ancestor level, like Mo Li—a Soul King—had stronger mental resistance. It took some time before they succumbed entirely to unconsciousness.
Even so, the results satisfied Dugu Feng.
If he triggered the toxin suddenly during battle, detonating the poison inside his opponent at a critical moment, the effect could mean the difference between life and death!
"No rush. Once Dream Phantom Thousand Mechanisms fully permeates every corner of Slaughter City's air, that's when my real competition begins.
Dream Phantom Thousand Mechanisms is made from Soul Power and toxins—it still needs more time!"
Dugu Feng returned to his room.
To his surprise, the Black Gauze Girl who had escorted him here had come again.
"Seven Six Zero Three, it's been half a year, and you haven't participated in any battles or even observed a match at the Hell Slaughter Arena.
I must remind you that if you don't achieve at least one victory within a year, you'll be forcibly expelled to the outer city and required to compensate for all the Bloody Mary consumed during your time in the inner city!"
Black Gauze Girl said coldly.
(End of Chapter)