Yang Xiong's first Hell Slaughter Field match progressed quickly. With Yang Xiong killing two people in succession and Bamboo Leaf Green killing one, three were already dead.
The remaining five were caught in chaos,two ganging up on one opponent, while the other two fought each other one-on-one.
No matter who they were fighting, everyone's attention was on the whole arena,after all, everyone present was an enemy.
Bamboo Leaf Green smiled faintly at Yang Xiong. "Little brother, your strength isn't bad. Why don't we work together to eliminate the others first, and then decide the winner between us?"
Yang Xiong smiled slightly. "Alright. Who should we go for first?"
Bamboo Leaf Green said, "That fat man being ganged up on has the best record among us,he's already won seven Hell Slaughter Field matches. He's also the strongest here. Let's take him out first."
Yang Xiong thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But don't try what you did earlier and attack me in secret."
Bamboo Leaf Green smiled. "Of course not. That middle-aged man earlier had bullied me many times, I only wanted revenge."
The two exchanged a glance and quickly joined the attack on the fat man.
The fat man roared, "Bamboo Leaf Green, you wretched woman! If I hadn't protected you back then, you wouldn't have survived a day in the City of Slaughter."
Bamboo Leaf Green snorted coldly. "Protection? You forced me to submit to you."
Suddenly, the situation changed. Bamboo Leaf Green's short blade, aimed at the fat man, spun in her hand and stabbed toward Yang Xiong's shoulder, her lips curling in a smile.
At the same time, the fat man, wielding a large blade, summoned a giant black bear-like manifestation and slashed at Yang Xiong with full force. Even the two who had been attacking the fat man suddenly turned on Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong snorted coldly. With his right hand, he flicked his longsword against the fat man's blade, redirecting it toward the other two attackers.
His left hand turned into a claw and grabbed at Bamboo Leaf Green's razor-sharp short blade.
She seemed confident, slashing without hesitation. Just before the blade touched Yang Xiong's shoulder, he clamped his fingers around it.
Bamboo Leaf Green snorted. "So you were on guard against me. Too bad you're still finished,my blade is coated in deadly poison. Even skin contact is enough to infect you."
Yang Xiong smiled faintly. "Is that so? Let's see what kind of poison this is. Do you think your poison skills can surpass mine?"
Before she could react, Yang Xiong squeezed, snapping her blade in half.
Then, in a blur, he threw the broken blade like an arrow, driving it straight into her abdomen.
As she had said, black blood immediately poured from her wound,the blade was indeed poisoned, but it was her own body that suffered.
Bamboo Leaf Green's eyes were full of disbelief. "Impossible… how can my poison have no effect on you?"
Yang Xiong ignored her and turned to fight the other three.
Though the fat man was strong, the gap between him and Yang Xiong was too great. Yang Xiong's physique and combat skill far outmatched his.
Soon, Yang Xiong drove his sword through the fat man's heart, snapping his blade as well.
The other two looked terrified, yet still charged. They were quickly dispatched,one with a pierced throat, the other with a stab to the abdomen.
The last two surviving fighters, realizing the danger, stopped fighting each other and attacked Yang Xiong together, but met the same fate.
Out of the ten contestants, Yang Xiong had slain nearly all of them. Only the poisoned Bamboo Leaf Green remained alive, but she was clearly beyond saving.
Yang Xiong stepped forward, sword in hand, to finish her.
Bamboo Leaf Green spoke quickly. "I know I'm dead, but at least tell me why. My blade's poison was made from seven venomous snakes,how did it not work on you?"
Yang Xiong shook his head. "I've been poisoned too many times since I was a child. There's nothing in this world that can affect me anymore. Perhaps I'm the most poisonous person alive."
She gave a resigned smile. "No wonder… any normal person would be poisoned just from skin contact. So you're a poison user yourself."
As Yang Xiong raised his sword, Bamboo Leaf Green suddenly changed,her dying expression gave way to a sly smile. Multiple short blades appeared in her hands.
They were very close, and the sudden strike was clearly a trick she had used many times before.
Yang Xiong, however, smiled as well. His sword spun into a sword flower, deflecting every attack.
Just as he was fending off her blades, Bamboo Leaf Green lunged in a desperate final strike.
But before she could reach him, Yang Xiong's left hand formed a spiraling sphere of energy, smashing it into her body. Unable to use soul skills, she had no way to defend against it,the attack sent her flying, her bones likely shattered.
Her eyes were full of shock. "You were prepared all along… your self-created soul skill is even stronger than your swordsmanship. You waited for my last strike, so I'd reveal an opening."
Yang Xiong smiled faintly. "This is the City of Slaughter,no one trusts anyone. Your tricks are just too low-level."
With those words, she died unwillingly.
The host, seeing that nine were dead, announced, "Congratulations to contestant Xiongba Tianxia for winning in the Hell Slaughter Field. This was his first match,may you continue your success."
Yang Xiong ignored the cheers, collecting items from the bodies before leaving.
According to custom, all contestants had to use a nickname. Yang Xiong had kept the same one,Xiongba Tianxia.
After finding an empty house in the inner city and moving in, his calm expression grew serious.
"What's going on? When I first entered the City of Slaughter, I didn't feel this way. But after my first Hell Slaughter Field match, it's like my killing intent has grown stronger."
He could clearly feel that after killing everyone in the match, some kind of new power had settled into him. His killing intent had strengthened, even affecting his body and martial soul.
Yang Xiong knew that ordinary people couldn't sense this change, but his body and martial soul were special. After a year of fighting, he had begun to master killing intent.
Now, he felt that this aura of slaughter was helping him greatly, even subtly changing his martial soul.
"This is interesting. I wonder if it's from the poison in the Hell Slaughter Field or if the arena itself has something special. Looks like the City of Slaughter is even more beneficial to me than I thought."
Before coming, he had prepared plenty of food and water, planning to avoid all local substances,especially the Bloody Mary, which he intended to refuse entirely.
Over the next few days, he stayed in his room, thinking and adapting to the City of Slaughter's combat style. His preference for the sword was partly because swordsmanship was highly effective against unarmored opponents, especially when no defensive soul skills were allowed.
It was also because he wanted others to see him as a sword specialist, distracting them from his true strength,his physical combat ability, or rather, his fighting instinct.
In the depths of the City of Slaughter was a vast chamber. On a throne sat a strange man, radiating a murderous aura that was almost impossible to approach. His face was covered in demonic markings,he no longer looked human.
This man was the Slaughter King, the true ruler of the City of Slaughter.
The black-clothed young woman entered. "Reporting to Your Majesty, our people outside have confirmed that contestant Xiongba Tianxia should be from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
The Slaughter King smirked. "Interesting. This is the first time a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has come here. Could it be that the clan has its own plans?"
The young woman said, "My lord, although Xiongba Tianxia has only won one match, he killed eight people in the arena. His strength is beyond expectations. Should we send people to target him?"
The Slaughter King thought for a moment before speaking. "Not for now. I want to see what's special about this Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciple who dares to come here."
She said, "My lord, this contestant is clearly unusual. If we don't deal with him soon, he may become difficult to handle in the future."
The Slaughter King snorted. "He's just a kid. I said not to interfere for now. Besides, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is the wealthiest sect in the world and quite powerful. Unless necessary, I have no wish to make an enemy of them."
Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Fengzhi and the others looked at Lin Gong in shock.
"Elder Lin, what did you say? Xiao Xiong went to the City of Slaughter?"
Lin Gong nodded. "I saw him vanish with my own eyes. He must have entered the City of Slaughter."
Ning Fengzhi quickly asked, "Elder Lin, since you saw him, why didn't you stop him?"
Lin Gong gave a bitter smile. "Sect master, you know Xiao Xiong's personality. Once he decides something, few can stop him."
Ning Fengzhi sat frozen. He hadn't expected their prodigy, who had only left to hunt for a fifth spirit ring, to go alone to the City of Slaughter,a place from which almost no one returned. In the past hundred years, only two had made it out alive.
Sword Douluo suddenly spoke. "Fengzhi, I knew Yang Xiong planned to go to the City of Slaughter, and I approved. With his current combat strength, physique, and various means, he should be able to return safely.
"Of course, if anything truly happens, I'll go there myself. I don't believe there's anyone who can stop me. If Tang Hao could do it, then so can I."
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel