The Hell Slaughter Arena, the Next Day.
When Tang Lan arrived, the Hell Slaughter Arena was packed.
The place was overflowing with people—standing room only.
"Where's the hundred-thousand-year soul bone?!"
"Why hasn't it been brought out yet?!"
"My blade is itching for action!"
"If I find out which bastard spread fake news, I'll make them beg for death!"
"Are we just going to wait around? I paid for a ticket—I came to see blood, not chit-chat!"
The crowd was rowdy and restless.
Tang Lan, ever the showman, didn't keep them waiting.
He leaped into the arena, drawing nearly every pair of eyes to him.
Raising one hand—
A hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone appeared,
perfectly simulated through Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
The rich life energy radiating from it was so intense,
no one doubted it was real.
The crowd exploded—the main event had arrived!
One by one, people started jumping into the arena,
filling the Hell Slaughter Arena to capacity.
The referee finally appeared after his long break.
"47 participants in total. Matches will proceed in order."
"The 37 who arrived later, step aside and wait your turn."
As a Hell Slaughter Arena official, his words carried weight.
Though unwilling, the latecomers stepped back,
knowing full well—
Even if someone absorbs the soul bone, they can always be killed for it later.
…Perhaps they should've tried their luck with an immortal herb instead.
Once only ten people remained, the referee declared—
"Let the slaughter begin!"
The nine fighters grinned savagely, immediately charging toward Tang Lan.
All of them were Soul Douluo.
—Clearly, they had done their research and knew about Tang Lan's previous battles.
So Tang Lan didn't bother holding back either.
He summoned his Emperor Sword—
Nine of them at once!
This burned through a decent chunk of his soul power,
but it was worth it.
With nine-minds-in-one, he controlled all nine swords,
launching them at his opponents simultaneously.
The nine Soul Douluo were caught completely off guard.
By the time they realized what was happening,
the Emperor Swords were already inches from their faces.
They were forced into pure defense.
But—
Whether it was beast martial souls enhancing their bodies
or weapon martial souls manifesting shields,
the result was the same—
They were frozen into ice, then shattered into pieces.
Except for three 89th-level Soul Douluo.
They managed to break free from the Extreme Ice with sheer power,
dodging the Emperor Swords by rolling away in desperation.
The other six were instantly impaled, dead on the spot.
"Defensive formation!"
"Go all out!"
"This brat is dangerous!"
The three survivors roared, preparing to fight with everything they had.
But then—
They realized it was hopeless.
Because—
They were now facing nine Emperor Swords alone!
No tricks. No special tactics.
Just nine swords striking all at once.
Without soul skills, the three Soul Douluo could only watch helplessly as they were frozen solid.
Tang Lan stored them in his spatial ring,
keeping them as food for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
The battle ended.
But with all nine Soul Douluo stored away,
there was no killing aura left for the arena's Blood Pool.
Yet—
The referee pretended not to notice,
calmly announcing—
"Contestant 9527, victory!"
"Next group, enter the arena!"
The remaining 37 fighters exchanged uneasy glances.
No one moved.
This wasn't a competition for the hundred-thousand-year soul bone…
This was a straight-up death sentence!
Nine Soul Douluo.
Instantly annihilated.
What rank is this kid, exactly?!
As they hesitated—
The referee's voice turned ice cold.
"If no one enters the arena in ten seconds, you will all be considered forfeiting.
I will carry out the slaughter myself."
Then—
He released his aura.
A Title Douluo!
Everyone knew—
Hell Slaughter Arena officials could use soul skills.
The 37 fighters turned pale.
Between certain death and a small chance of survival,
only one choice made sense.
"That brat must've burned a lot of energy just now!"
"Yeah! His aura is weaker!"
"If we drain him, he'll eventually fall!"
"Let's go!"
Their voices were full of determination—
…Yet none of them actually moved.
The ten-second countdown was almost up.
Suddenly—
Someone shoved the nine closest fighters into the arena.
"Shit!"
"You bastards have no honor!"
"When I get back up there, I'm gonna make you pay!"
"I'll remember this, you cowards!"
But once the referee announced the start of the match,
they had no choice but to fight.
All nine immediately went all-out,
unleashing powerful soul power waves—
Another nine Soul Douluo.
And then—
They saw Tang Lan summon nine Emperor Swords again.
Their minds nearly collapsed.
"Does this brat have unlimited soul power?!"
"How can he keep using such a powerful technique?!"
Tang Lan simply shrugged.
—He had absorbed soul power while collecting bodies earlier.
Combined with the delay caused by their hesitation,
he had recovered enough to sustain his attacks.
With a wave of his hand,
the nine swords shot forward,
expecting to finish the battle in two exchanges at most.
But this time, he encountered a tough opponent.
One Soul Douluo, realizing he was doomed,
suddenly grinned with madness.
"If I'm dying, I'm taking you with me!"
"Make sure to avenge me!"
As his words fell,
his entire body began to swell abnormally.
A purple shadow materialized behind him.
Tang Lan's danger senseinstantly flared!
He hurriedly accelerated his Emperor Swords,
but—
He was still a step too late.
"BOOOOM—"
The Soul Douluo self-destructed.
His blood and flesh turned into a purple mist,
spreading across half of the Hell Slaughter Arena.
Tang Lan, caught within the blast,
immediately noticed that his soul power flow had become sluggish.
His Soul Spirit Domain stopped functioning.
The simulated hundred-thousand-year soul bone vanished.
His Snow Emperor's Absolute Ice Sky Left Arm dimmed,
momentarily losing its connection.
The same went for his other soul bones.
—This Soul Douluo's self-destruction had created a temporary "Magic Sealing Domain," preventing the use of soul bones and most soul power!
Now, Tang Lan had to fight the remaining eight Soul Douluo in close combat.
"Damn, Old Wang had that kind of move?"
"No wonder he was always so arrogant."
"He was actually capable."
"Don't waste time—kill the brat!"
"Yeah! Don't waste Old Wang's sacrifice!"
But—
None of them attacked Tang Lan.
Instead, they stared at each other warily.
After all—
Only one out of ten would survive the Hell Slaughter Arena.
And now that the mysterious kid's soul bone abilities were sealed,
he was just another weakling.
The real threats were the other Soul Douluo.
"What? You guys afraid of disappointing Old Wang?"
"Ha! If you feel bad, go join him underground!"
"Less talking, more killing—let's settle this!"
"Kill!"
The eight Soul Douluo split into pairs,
beginning a chaotic melee.
Tang Lan was completely ignored.
"Oh?"
Tang Lan was amused.
These people never learned, did they?
Did they really think he was helpless now?
Well, fine then.
Tang Lan let them have their fun.
He casually pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds from Lan Wang,
then started snacking as he watched the fight.
"Crunch—"
"Ptoo—"
He spat a shell into the Blood River below.
Above, the Title Douluo referee twitched.
That river… belonged to "that person."
And this kid just spat trash into it?!
But—
The "person" in question didn't react.
The referee merely continued watching in silence.
This made Tang Lan relax.
He had figured something out.
Satisfied, he sat back and enjoyed the VIP experience,
watching the Soul Douluo brawl unfold.
Every punch and kick landed with force—
Brutal. Bloody. Entertaining.
In the stands,
some of the previous day's spectators had strange expressions.
This scene…
Why did it feel so… familiar?
(End of Chapter.)