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"What? It is actually him? How could he suddenly appear here?" Bibi Dong cried out in surprise.
She had seen this person before. He was the ruler of Slaughter City, the Slaughter King, whom she met during her training.
"Teacher? Who is it?" Hu Liena asked. She sensed from her teacher's reaction that the situation was far worse than she imagined.
Bibi Dong took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in her heart. Her voice remained solemn as she slowly spoke the name that represented pure slaughter.
"The Slaughter King of Slaughter City."
"What?! He isn't staying in Slaughter City? How could he suddenly leave?" Hu Liena felt like lightning struck her. Her pupils shrank in fear.
The Slaughter King was a terrifying existence who ruled the City of Sin. Rumors said he possessed the strength of a super Titled Douluo and was nearly immortal. His fierce reputation was an absolute taboo in the upper echelons of the Spirit Master world. Even Spirit Hall had always maintained great wariness and a strict policy of avoiding contact with him.
Bibi Dong shook her head slightly. The light in her blood-red eyes flickered as her thoughts raced.
"I am not sure. He rarely leaves Slaughter City unless a major change shakes his foundation or threatens his existence. He might also leave if a target appears outside that he must handle personally."
She analyzed the situation calmly. Whichever reason it was, it meant massive variables and extreme danger. The Slaughter King possessed unfathomable strength, and his stance was completely unknown. His sudden appearance near the Spirit Empire army could be a mere coincidence, or it could be intentional. Was he a friend, a foe, or just a dangerous passerby? Regardless, having such a terrifying powerhouse appear on the flank of the battlefield was enough to make any commander lose sleep.
"Pass down my decree! The entire army is to enter the highest state of martial law immediately. Triple all patrol checkpoints and ensure Spirit Master patrol teams are led by those at the Spirit Saint level or higher. They must patrol the perimeter of the camp non-stop, especially to the northwest. No one is to leave the core area of the camp without my command. If an unknown powerhouse approaches or you detect abnormal energy, sound the alarm immediately. Do not engage without authorization."
Bibi Dong no longer hesitated. Her voice turned sharp with unquestionable authority.
The messenger standing outside the tent immediately took the order. Hurried footsteps and shouted commands quickly echoed across the grounds. Soon, the relaxed atmosphere of the camp vanished. It was replaced by intense urgency. Squads of well-equipped soldiers rapidly deployed to strengthen the defense of the walls and watchtowers.
Spirit Master teams frequently took to the air. Their spirit power glowed in the night sky like vigilant eyes. They strictly monitored the surroundings, paying special attention to the northwestern sky that the Empress focused on. The entire camp turned into a startled hedgehog, raising all of its quills to defend itself.
Inside the central command tent of the Spirit Empire, the heavy atmosphere lingered. Hu Liena looked at her teacher with deep concern.
Bibi Dong slowly sat back on her main seat. Her fingers tapped the armrest unconsciously. Her blood-red eyes stared toward the pitch-black northwest outside the tent, as if she could pierce through the vast distance to lock eyes with the uninvited guest. No one in the camp knew that the Slaughter King came here for one specific reason. Tang Chuan had secretly left poison on Hu Liena's return path, casting it into Slaughter City.
Several hours passed in silence. The night grew deeper. Thick dark clouds obscured the moon, hiding all the starlight. It was a perfectly dark night for foul play.
The Spirit Empire camp remained brightly lit. Patrols moved constantly without rest. The perceptions of every Spirit Master spread out like a giant spider web. The atmosphere felt tense to the extreme. Every soldier received the highest-level martial law orders. Most of them did not know the specific nature of the threat, but the unease in the air and the solemn faces of the high-ranking officials were enough. They gripped their weapons tightly and did not dare to relax in the slightest.
However, when the true terror finally descended, all conventional precautions appeared pale and utterly powerless.
At midnight, without any warning, the night sky in the northwest corner of the camp changed. It was suddenly stained by a viscous dark red color that seemed to absorb all the surrounding light. The red spread rapidly, looking like dark ink dropped into clear water. It covered the sky for miles around in an instant.
Immediately after, a terrifying pressure crashed down upon the entire Spirit Empire camp like an invisible meteor. It felt cold, evil, and heavy enough to freeze a person's soul.
"Enemy attack!"
A shrill, distorted alarm tried to pierce the night sky, but an even more terrifying sound quickly drowned it out.
A harsh tearing noise echoed from above. The dark red canopy seemed to rip open by an invisible giant claw. A tall figure appeared out of thin air directly above the camp. He wore a massive crimson cloak. His face was pale as a corpse, and his eyes glowed like burning torches. He looked like a demon god crawling out of a pool of blood in Hell. It was the Slaughter King.
He did not give the ant-like army below any time to react or question his arrival.
"You profaned the blood source and destroyed my foundation. You shall pay with blood!"
The Slaughter King let out a voice filled with endless rage and killing intent. His words tolled in everyone's hearts like a dreadful death knell. He ignored the arrows and Spirit Ability lights flying toward him. Instead, he simply raised his pale palm slowly.
The next moment, a terrifying scene occurred that all Spirit Empire soldiers would never forget.
The viscous dark red canopy above the camp suddenly boiled. It turned into countless thick streaks of dark red blood-light. The ends of these streaks were as sharp as deadly spears. Like a violent crimson rainstorm, the attacks poured down indiscriminately upon the dense tents, army formations, and Spirit Master teams below.
There were no deafening explosions. There were only the dense, scalp-numbing sounds of flesh and bone being pierced. Wherever the blood-light fell, it easily destroyed everything. Heavy infantry in thick armor, Spirit Masters with spirit power shields, and temporary defensive fortifications were all pierced in an instant.
The blood-light seemed to completely ignore physical defenses and spirit power resistance. It contained an evil power that caused extreme corrosion, tearing, and life-force extraction.
Soldiers directly hit by the blood-light withered instantly. They turned into mummies encased inside their armor. Their blood and life force were drained and absorbed by the light, then fed back to the Slaughter King floating in the sky. The spirit power shields of the Spirit Masters shattered like fragile paper. This was followed by desperate screams as their physical bodies were pierced. Their spirit power was forcibly stripped away and drained dry.
With just the first wave of the blood rain, more than one-fifth of the northwestern corner of the camp turned into a living Hell. Thousands of soldiers and low-level Spirit Masters collapsed silently and turned into mummies. The ground below became completely soaked with thick, viscous dark red plasma.
"Don't panic! Form a defensive formation. Spirit Master legion, gather around me and consolidate your Spirit abilities. Launch long-range attacks on that monster!"
Under the Slaughter King's indiscriminate attack, the army was in chaos. The casualty count climbed at a staggering speed. However, the Sect Masters of the new Upper Three Sects were ambitious leaders. After the initial shock faded, their strong survival instincts and their need to maintain their Sect's dignity forced them to stand up.
Hu Yan Zhen, the Sect Master of the Elephant Armored Academy, roared his commands. His mountain-like, sturdy body erupted with a heavy yellow light. The Diamond Mammoth Spirit appeared behind him as he tried to stabilize the ranks with his powerful defense and organize a counterattack. He was a defense-type Spirit Master. He believed that even if he could not win, he could at least hold out for a long while.
"Disciples of the Wind Sword Sect, hear my command! Condense your Wind Astral Sword Qi, target the blood shadow in the air, and volley!"
White Dragon of the Wind, the Wind Sword Sect Master, transformed into a breeze and appeared in mid-air on the other side. The longsword in his hand let out a clear chime as sharp, peerless Sword Qi began to gather rapidly.
"Members of the Sacred Dragon Sect, take to the air! Prepare Dragon Breath for an area bombardment!"
Tuoba Xi, the Sacred Dragon Sect Master, also revealed his Martial Soul True Body. A shimmering dragon phantom coiled in the air. Its dragon might felt vast as scorching energy began to condense inside its mouth.
The three Titled Douluo level Sect Masters stood up to lead. They condensed their strongest Spirit abilities, which gave the panicked army a renewed sense of hope. Some Spirit Masters began to respond, and the glowing light of spirit rings shone once more across the battlefield.
However, they severely underestimated the true terror of the Slaughter King. They also overestimated their own ability to resist such a supreme existence.
At the exact moment the three Sect Masters almost completed their Spirit abilities, everything changed. Hu Yan Zhen's Diamond Mammoth True Body shone at its brightest. White Dragon of the Wind prepared to release his Sword Qi. Tuoba Xi readied his Dragon Breath to fire.
High in the sky, the Slaughter King did not even look back at them. The viscous dark red aura surrounding his body suddenly contracted inward and then exploded outward with massive force.
"Slaughter Domain, open!"
Instantly, a circle of dark red light expanded from the Slaughter King. It was as solid as a blood-colored crystal. It covered the sky and the earth for a thousand meters around him. This was the Slaughter Domain. Within this unique domain, no one could use Spirit abilities unless they possessed the Slaughter God Domain. It functioned like a mobile, miniature version of Slaughter City.
The moment the domain descended over the camp, the faces of Hu Yan Zhen, White Dragon of the Wind, and Tuoba Xi changed dramatically. They discovered to their absolute horror that their Spirit abilities were forcibly suppressed. Normally, using these abilities felt as natural as moving their own limbs. Now, the moment they touched that dark red light, a higher-level rule blocked their power completely.
The circulation of their spirit power became incredibly difficult and sluggish. The Spirit abilities they were about to complete suddenly collapsed at their spirit power cores. It became completely impossible to release them.
"What? I can't use my Spirit abilities?!"
Hu Yan Zhen yelled in pure terror. The absolute defense he was famous for could not even manifest itself.
The bright light on White Dragon of the Wind's longsword dimmed rapidly. The powerful Sword Qi dissipated into nothingness. The dangerous Dragon Breath condensing in Tuoba Xi's Sacred Dragon True Body also scattered into tiny points of useless light.
The three Sect Masters lost their composure because their attacks were forcibly interrupted, causing their internal spirit power to backfire. In that brief flash of a second, the Slaughter King's figure vanished from the sky.
His speed simply moved far beyond the limits of human vision. Most people present could not perceive his movements at all.
In the very next instant, a crimson afterimage appeared directly in front of the struggling Hu Yan Zhen. It carried endless bloodlust and the chilling aura of death. It looked exactly like teleportation.
Hu Yan Zhen did not have any time to make an effective block or try to dodge. He only saw a bone-pale claw rapidly enlarging before his eyes. The fingertips of the claw swirled with viscous blood-light.
A sickening, tooth-gritting thud echoed through the air. The sharp blade of the claw pierced through heavy armor and tough flesh.
The Slaughter King extended his right hand seemingly at random, but it acted like a red-hot iron plunging into soft butter. It effortlessly broke through Hu Yan Zhen's Diamond Mammoth defense. People always said his defense could easily withstand a Titled Douluo attack, but it failed completely. The claw shattered his protective spirit power and plunged directly into his chest.
Hu Yan Zhen let out a short, extremely shrill scream. His eyes bulged outward, completely filled with unbelievable terror and intense, agonizing pain.
But the attack was not over yet.
The Slaughter King's claw remained embedded in Hu Yan Zhen's chest. Suddenly, it clenched tightly.
A hair-raising sucking sound rang out across the quiet battlefield.
Hu Yan Zhen's incredibly sturdy body withered at a clearly visible rate. His full, powerful muscles collapsed inward. His ruddy complexion turned to a sickly ash-gray color. The bright light in his eyes dimmed rapidly. The massive amount of spirit power he cultivated his entire life surged outward like a wild flood. Even the origin of his very soul rushed through the blood-claw in his chest. The Slaughter King forcibly drained and devoured everything.
In just two or three short breaths, the battle ended. Hu Yan Zhen was the Sect Master of the Elephant Armored Academy. He was famous for his unmatched defense. He possessed a spirit power level as high as rank eighty-nine, making him a powerful Spirit Douluo. He led one of the new Upper Three Sects. Yet, he was reduced to nothing more than a shriveled husk inside his bulky armor.
The Slaughter King tossed him aside like a piece of useless trash, and the dried body crashed heavily to the cold ground.
Silence.
A total, deathly silence covered the area.
The Spirit Empire soldiers and the Spirit Masters below witnessed this horrific event. White Dragon of the Wind and Tuoba Xi stood nearby. They had just steadied themselves after struggling with their own broken Spirit abilities due to the Slaughter Domain. Now, everyone froze perfectly still. Their expressions changed drastically as shock settled in.
A Spirit Master with defensive power comparable to a Titled Douluo died instantly. He did not even manage to put up a decent fight. His chest was pierced by a single claw, and he was completely drained of everything he had.
Pure fear washed over the crowd. It felt like the coldest seawater, instantly submerging the hearts of everyone present.
"Slaughter King! You go too far!"
Just as the Slaughter King used his cruel methods to instantly kill Hu Yan Zhen and successfully intimidate the entire army, a furious roar exploded through the air like a crash of thunder. The voice was completely filled with endless fury and cold killing intent.
A blast of purple-black evil light violently tore through a section of the dark red canopy. Bibi Dong's figure descended boldly. She carried the overwhelming, divine force of the Rakshasa God. She landed not far in front of the Slaughter King to block his path.
In her blood-red eyes, bright purple-black and dark blood-red colors intertwined. Evil energy surged around her body in waves. The terrifying pressure belonging to the true inheritor of the Rakshasa God actually managed to stand its ground against the heavy aura of the Slaughter King.
Behind her, a golden figure followed closely. It was Hu Liena, stepping forward to support her teacher.
"So you have finally come. I have been waiting for you for a long time."
After seeing Hu Liena's figure, the Slaughter King let out a low roar. His voice completely lacked any normal human feeling. It contained only endless coldness and pure eeriness.