The Opening of Hell Road
Soon, under Tang Hao's guidance, Tang San went to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a spirit ring.
However, they only ventured into the mixed area. After some searching there, they finally found a 15,000-year-old Jade Phosphor Serpent King, a top-tier snake-type soul beast.
According to the plan laid out by Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass would primarily focus on control and poison attributes. The Jade Phosphor Serpent King, being an exceptional snake-type soul beast with an especially powerful poison attribute, could greatly enhance both the poisonous and controlling abilities of the Blue Silver Grass.
Originally, Tang San had wanted to visit Xiao Wu, but at his current level of only Soul King, he was still far from Tang Hao's requirements. In the end, under Tang Hao's arrangement, he returned to the waterfall to continue training.
His next phase of training was to use the Clear Sky Hammer under the waterfall, resisting the force of the falling water from reaching the pool below.
After Tang Hao's guidance, Tang San was full of confidence and resumed his cultivation.
Time flew by, and another year quickly passed.
During this year, Yang Xiong participated in a Hell Slaughter Arena match roughly every ten days, spending the rest of his time comprehending the aura of slaughter, especially focusing on controlling changes in his body and martial soul.
As his number of victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena increased, the killing aura around Yang Xiong became increasingly intense. When his victories reached ninety, his temper grew extremely irritable, and he began to view human lives as insignificant as ants.
This was already with the benefit of his greatly enhanced spiritual power and the special nature of his martial soul,otherwise, he might have completely lost control long ago.
Even though Yang Xiong didn't cultivate much this year, under the terrifying influence of the Slaughter City's killing aura, his spirit power still rose by two levels.
Now, Yang Xiong was at level fifty-seven,only four levels higher than when he entered the Slaughter City,but his overall strength had increased dramatically. His killing aura, sword aura, and martial soul were gradually fusing, making him seem like a wild beast or an extremely violent peerless sword.
By the time he participated in his ninety-ninth match, his killing aura had reached its peak, and it began to influence his mind, making it seem like he could be overtaken by slaughter intent at any moment.
At these moments, the Taiji Meditation Technique was invaluable. Taiji, based on the yin and yang of heaven and earth, followed the principle of the great Dao's simplicity.
His spiritual sea also underwent earth-shattering changes. The once silver giant now appeared extremely eerie, its eyes blood-red, and the entire spiritual sea was like a vast ocean of blood.
In a certain room in the Slaughter City, the Slaughter King looked unusually serious, with the black-clothed young woman from before standing beside him.
The young woman seemed somewhat nervous. "Slaughter King, should we deal with this contestant, Xiongba Tianxia? He already has ninety-nine victories,just one more and the Hell Road will open."
"Once Hell Road opens, it will be the Slaughter City's greatest loss in years."
The Slaughter King countered, "Do you think Xiongba Tianxia can survive Hell Road?"
The young woman thought carefully before speaking. "It's hard to say. His strength is extremely formidable, and he is cold and ruthless. But after ninety-nine matches, he hasn't lost control like most people. That means he has some form of reliance or an extraordinary trait. Normally, after fifty matches, most people start losing control."
The Slaughter King said, "Forget it. If he isn't someone we can recruit, let him open the Hell Road."
The young woman was puzzled. "Are we just going to ignore the loss to the Slaughter City? Every appearance of a God of Slaughter is like a disaster,we can't afford that kind of loss."
The Slaughter King snorted. "Don't forget our position. In the Slaughter City, no one is allowed to attack fallen ones with more than fifty victories, or both you and I will be punished. This world is not ruled by me,we are merely the overseers appointed by that person."
It took Yang Xiong an entire month to fully control his killing aura again. The killing intent now showed signs of evolving, his entire body covered in strange markings, as if on the verge of a metamorphosis.
In the Hell Slaughter Arena, the crowd was roaring with excitement.
Yang Xiong was cold and calm, like a God of Slaughter, dispatching opponent after opponent. When all nine enemies lay defeated, the arena erupted like a boiling sea.
The fallen ones all shouted as if witnessing a historic moment.
"Hundred victories! Hundred victories!"
Just then, a strange voice came. "Congratulations, young Xiongba Tianxia."
Hearing this, Yang Xiong's expression changed. His killing aura suddenly went out of control, even showing signs of backlash.
He quickly used the Taiji Meditation Technique, pushing his spiritual power to the limit to suppress the killing aura.
A tall, eerie figure appeared in the sky, cloaked in crimson with massive bat wings.
His face was pale, eyes blood-red, and his skin was covered in demonic patterns.
Yang Xiong knew immediately,this was the Slaughter King, once the former Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Chen, who had been lost in the Slaughter City.
The fallen ones all cheered, "Slaughter King! Slaughter King!"
The Slaughter King looked at Yang Xiong. "My people, I am pleased today. We have all witnessed the hundredth victory in the Hell Slaughter Arena. Xiongba Tianxia's strength and killing intent have made all tremble."
"Xiongba Tianxia, you have rekindled my excitement. As a reward, I will break precedent and grant you the title of God of Slaughter. From now on, you may freely enter and leave the Slaughter City, and be honored as my guest official."
Yang Xiong's expression remained calm. "Thank you, Slaughter King, but I wish to earn the title of God of Slaughter through my own strength. Please open the Hell Road for me without breaking the Slaughter City's rules."
The Slaughter King hesitated. "Do you know the dangers of Hell Road? Its horrors far exceed your imagination."
Yang Xiong replied, "Thank you for your concern, but my mind is made up."
The Slaughter King's voice turned cold. "Very well. Since you insist on walking Hell Road, I will grant your wish."
Red mist radiated from his body, filled with an evil aura that made even Yang Xiong shiver.
Yang Xiong quickly dodged, but the mist wasn't aimed at him,it spread across the entire arena in moments.
The fallen spectators became strangely excited as the mist enveloped them, their bodies growing sluggish as if under a strange influence.
As the red fog thickened, the crowd descended into madness, losing all reason, attacking those around them without feeling pain or injury.
The Hell Slaughter Arena became a literal hell, blood covering the floor, especially pooling around the central stage, where strange patterns formed from the flowing blood.
A massive, eerie, blood-red bat appeared in the pattern, radiating menace.
Yang Xiong sensed that the arena was like a giant beast, devouring not just blood but also souls.
When the bat's eyes lit with a terrifying glow, Yang Xiong's head throbbed violently, his spiritual power nearly crushed.
The surrounding space collapsed, and he felt weightless. Without his strong killing aura, he might have been destroyed instantly,but even so, the pressure made him lose consciousness.
When he awoke, everything had changed. He was no longer in the Hell Slaughter Arena.
Everything around him was blood-red. Beneath his feet was a platform about five meters across, like an altar. Beyond it was a bottomless abyss, with only a narrow half-foot-wide path leading forward,just enough for two feet to stand side-by-side. The rest was darkness.
Using his Purple Demon Eye, Yang Xiong looked below,the abyss was filled with a blood-red liquid, resembling the Bloody Mary of the Slaughter City.
He quickly realized this place, like the Slaughter City, prohibited the use of spirit rings and spirit bone abilities. He ignored the blood river below and began walking along the path.
This was the only way out of Hell Road. Yang Xiong also felt the blood river calling to him, even to his martial soul.
The path was narrow,just as the legends described Hell Road.
But with his mastery of the Eight Trigrams Steps, Yang Xiong's footing was unshakable, his movements precise with no wasted motion.
As he walked, the surrounding temperature rose, and the blood river drew closer.
The river exuded a strange aura, easy to lose oneself in.
But neither the rising heat nor the toxins in the air posed a threat to Yang Xiong, who had undergone ice-fire body tempering.
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