The pitch-black gates of Slaughter City exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression. Above the massive city gate hung a crimson plaque with the words "Slaughter City" written in a style that radiated sheer killing intent.
Upon passing through the gate, two rows of black-armored warriors stood silently in formation.
Li Xun paid them no mind and instead walked straight toward a veiled woman.
"Welcome to Slaughter City. I am your guide," the woman said with a light chuckle through her black veil, gesturing politely. "Feel free to ask me any questions you may have."
Li Xun nodded, casually surveying the city and its inhabitants, who appeared as withered and fallen as deadwood. "Thank you. Please take me directly to the Slaughter Arena."
The woman was taken aback, looking at Li Xun with disbelief. "Aren't you in a bit of a hurry? Wouldn't you like to acclimate to the environment here first?"
"There's no need for acclimation. Let's go."
Recalling the orders of the Slaughter King, the woman reluctantly nodded.
As the two walked forward, many people noticed Li Xun. However, due to the presence of the Slaughter King's envoy by his side, they suppressed their greed and murderous intentions.
Slaughter City was divided into the inner and outer city. While killing was prohibited in the outer city, there were no rules in the inner city.
Deceit, slaughter, and betrayal unfolded right before Li Xun's eyes, yet he felt no aversion to it.
They were nothing more than beasts, worse than pigs and dogs. If Slaughter City could gather such people here, it could be considered somewhat of a contribution.
Under the guidance of the veiled woman, their journey was relatively smooth, though not entirely without incident. After Li Xun killed a few people, they arrived at a place resembling an ancient Roman arena.
However, it was not a towering structure but rather a funnel-shaped pit descending downward. Its area was slightly smaller than the Great Spirit Arena in Heavenly Dou City.
The veiled woman looked at Li Xun, who showed no fear, and hesitated for a moment before deciding to offer a reminder. "If you wish to participate in the upcoming matches, you'll need to register with your identity token. However, note that no fighting is allowed during the waiting period. Additionally, each group must consist of ten people before the match can begin. No matter what methods you use, as long as you emerge alive, you will be the victor."
Li Xun nodded in understanding and then headed toward the registration area of the arena.
He didn't want to spend a single extra day in this place. Not only was it filled with foul odors, but the air itself was tainted with toxins. Fortunately, he was immune to all poisons, and his Wood Release continuously repaired his body, ensuring he remained unaffected. Otherwise, he would have needed to prepare some Poison Pills.
Li Xun's early matches went smoothly. The veterans of Slaughter City were eager to help newcomers, and as soon as they saw him at the registration area, they rushed to sign up.
However, over time, fewer and fewer people dared to register. Many secretly cursed the Slaughter King. How were they supposed to fight someone whose Soul Skill wasn't sealed? Why wasn't he doing anything about it?
But their curses did not earn the Slaughter King's mercy.
Three days, five days, a week, three months, a year.
Time passed bit by bit, and Li Xun's demeanor gradually transformed through the relentless slaughter.
His demeanor was not as ferocious and bloodthirsty as others, but rather a cold indifference that viewed people as mere grass and life as insignificant ants.
Li Xun was unaware of the changes within himself, and even if he had known, he likely wouldn't have cared. At this moment, he stood on the killing field, watching the nine people gathered together, his face showing no trace of emotion.
With just a slight movement of his foot, rows of sharp wooden spears instantly emerged from the ground, piercing through those who couldn't dodge in time. Even if someone managed to evade, they would be ensnared by the subsequent vines and forcibly impaled on the spears.
What Soul Emperors or Soul Saints? Their mere physical strength was nothing but moving lumps of fat in the face of the vines and spears.
Watching the nine people's life force dissipate, Li Xun felt nothing. He simply turned and walked out of the arena.
In this past year, he had already achieved over seventy victories. It wasn't that he wasn't killing fast enough, but rather that it was difficult to gather enough people.
His reputation in Slaughter City was now well-known. While it was true that those who came to Slaughter City were desperate outlaws, no one wanted to step onto the arena and die.
From then on, whenever Li Xun stood on the arena, it was uncertain whether the remaining nine people could be gathered within the next twenty-four hours. Moreover, those who had already stepped onto the arena might even flee.
After all, no one said that once you signed up, you had to finish the match, right?
Later, Li Xun adapted by specifically seeking out events that were nearly full. However, this also stirred up a wave of intrigue and scheming within Slaughter City.
Except for those who truly had no qualifications to stay in the inner city and wanted to take a chance on the killing fields without Li Xun's participation, almost everyone else had quieted down.
Two years.
Li Xun's daily life in Slaughter City remained unknown, but the outside world had undergone earth-shaking changes.
The Heaven Dou Empire had achieved true unification within two years, reclaiming ownership of the three major kingdoms within its territory and establishing a truly unified government.
On this day, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe completed his ascension to the throne. After all, this was a world where might made right, and his actions were widely praised by the outside world.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was also at its peak. As the current guardian sect of the Heaven Dou Empire, it controlled many important positions throughout the empire. It frequently implemented welfare policies for the people, such as medical subsidies and food subsidies. Joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had become the primary choice for the citizens of Heaven Dou.
This led to the empire not restricting the development of the Spirit Hall within its borders, but in the hearts of the Heaven Dou people, it was not as esteemed as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Qian Renxue, residing in the palace, was unaware of all this, but even if she had known, she might not have shown any reaction, as she once again felt disappointed in Bibidong.
Just a year and a half ago, the Clear Sky Sect suddenly reappeared. However, after their emergence, they did not display any earth-shattering might, such as reclaiming the title of the continent's top sect. Instead, they relocated their sect.
This move attracted widespread attention from all corners of the continent, and for the first time, people learned that the Clear Sky Sect had been hiding near the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Upon learning this, Qian Renxue was extremely angry. Although she knew that the Clear Sky Sect might have nothing to do with her father's death, she still sent troops to block them, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School also responded accordingly.
But the strength of the Clear Sky Sect was too formidable. With Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, the twin stars, along with five Title Douluo elders, even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School did not want to incur unnecessary casualties.
Qian Renxue naturally understood this principle and thus sent the message back to Spirit Hall, but the message she sent out seemed to sink into the ocean, creating not even a ripple.
Once again, she threw the letter from Bibidong into the brazier. The idea of changing the national title and transforming Heavenly Dou into Spirit Hall—she knew that if she did this now, she would once again lose her power.
By consolidating power through the elimination of the five kingdoms within Heavenly Dou, Qian Renxue had already understood her next mission: "The glory of the angel does not necessarily have to be spread through Spirit Hall."
Qian Renxue gazed at the exquisite angel statue on her desk. This would become the faith of the people of Heavenly Dou, and she would wield divine authority on behalf of the gods in the mortal world.
Over the past two years, Bibidong had been entering the secret chamber with increasing frequency, and the actions of Spirit Hall had grown more and more significant.
Everyone on the continent could feel the calm before the storm.
(End of Chapter)