The veiled young woman walked slightly behind Lin Fan as she began her introduction.
Lin Fan nodded and asked,
"What kind of place is the City of Slaughter, and how did it come to be?"
He only remembered the basic rules of the City of Slaughter. The finer details, though—he had long since forgotten. After all, it had been more than forty years since he had read about them.
The veiled girl replied calmly,
"It's simple. The City of Slaughter is a paradise… a paradise for the fallen, and also a paradise of sin."
Then she answered his second question:
"The City of Slaughter has existed for more than a thousand years. Legend says it was formed from the domain left behind by a soul master who surpassed the hundredth level."
"Here, all soul master techniques are nullified. People can only rely on their instincts and their physical strength to survive. Spirit power still exists, but only as a source of raw strength."
Lin Fan pressed further:
"Then what are the rules of the City of Slaughter?"
The girl's tone remained flat.
"The rule here is—there are no rules."
"As a member of the City of Slaughter, you may do whatever you please. Even if a Titled Douluo from the outside world were to come here, they would be weakened the moment their soul skills vanished."
"Under the rule of the Slaughter King, there is no need to fear them. In this city, as long as you have the strength, you may do anything you desire."
"But I must remind you—precisely because there are no rules, you may face mortal danger at any moment."
"In essence, there are only hunters and prey here. You may see yourself as a hunter… but to others, you might be nothing more than prey."
Lin Fan gave a cold laugh.
"A hunting ground, is it? I like that."
The veiled girl allowed herself a faint smile.
"Confident. Very good. I heard Sir Scott say you possess the soul power of a Titled Douluo. That alone means you'll live longer than most."
"But… the City of Slaughter is a place one can only enter—never leave."
"Within it, there exists a special law-enforcement squad. The knight you met, Scott, is merely one member of it."
"The great Slaughter King rules everything here. The true enforcers are Contras granted the ability to use soul skills by the Slaughter King himself. Their captain is even a Titled Douluo. Many have tried to break out, but without exception, they all failed."
"You may be a Titled Douluo outside, but here you cannot use your soul rings or skills. If Scott had truly used his soul skills against you just now, I'm afraid you would not have been his match."
Lin Fan sneered.
"You said it yourself—I am a Titled Douluo. Outside, I am unrestrained. Do you think I'd waste my time here in the City of Slaughter if not for a purpose?"
The veiled girl blinked.
"Then what is your purpose here?"
Lin Fan replied without hesitation:
"To win the championship of the Hell Arena, to challenge the Hell Road… and perhaps to become the next Slaughter King."
The girl froze, then burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha… Bold words! No one has spoken so arrogantly in more than ten years."
"If you truly became the next Slaughter King, you would rule this city. If you told me to walk east, I would not dare walk west."
Lin Fan said indifferently,
"Enough. Take me to the Hell Arena."
"Very well. Please follow me," the veiled girl said without further persuasion. She stepped forward, keeping her pace steady. She always remained just half a step ahead of Lin Fan, never more.
Lin Fan wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he quietly observed everything around him.
As they walked, a shadowy figure suddenly stood up from a corner of the road. Lin Fan had noticed him earlier in the darkness.
"Heh… A newcomer, eh? Looks like there'll be fresh Bloody Marys soon. Kekeke…"
Lin Fan's gaze swept over him. The speaker's age was indiscernible. His body was grotesquely thin, as though he had no flesh at all—only skin stretched tight over bone.
It was as if a skeleton had been wrapped in a fragile layer of skin. His blood and vitality were depleted, his life hanging by a thread.
Most likely, he was someone who had been cast out of the inner city for being worthless.
Yes—at this moment, both Lin Fan and the veiled girl were still in the outer city. The true City of Slaughter lay within.
"An emissary of the Slaughter King!"
The skeletal man's expression changed drastically when he noticed the veiled girl. As though facing a nightmare, he fled back into the shadows without another word.
Lin Fan already knew what Bloody Mary was before arriving here.
It was human blood.
That man just now must have been bled dry countless times, providing blood for Bloody Mary until he became what he was. He would not last much longer.
This was the cruelty of the City of Slaughter—strength meant survival, weakness meant death.
Following the veiled girl toward the inner city, Lin Fan saw more and more people along the roadside.
Almost all wore an unhealthy pallor on their faces. Many were skeletal, skin clinging to bone.
It needed no explanation—they were people who dared not enter the Hell Arena and instead survived by donating two cups of blood each month, barely clinging to life.
The City of Slaughter was even larger than Lin Fan had imagined. After walking for more than half an hour, the veiled girl finally brought him to a massive wall.
Compared to the outer walls, this one was much shorter—only about ten meters tall. Clearly, beyond this wall lay the true inner city.
The gate stood wide open. There were no guards at all.
The veiled girl explained coldly,
"The inner city requires no guards. Anyone from the outer city may enter, if they dare."
"Of course, once inside, they must endure the dangers within. Though you are a Titled Douluo, I suggest you live in the outer city for a while first. Adapt to everything here, then enter the inner city. When we go inside, please do not stray more than five meters from me—otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety."
Lin Fan chuckled.
"Staying close to you guarantees safety?"
The girl met his gaze. Behind her veil, her eyes shone with pride.
"I am an emissary of the Slaughter King. In the City of Slaughter, no one dares offend his majesty's authority."
"For twelve hours after entering this world, you are under newcomer protection. With me at your side, your life is safe. But once that time passes… your fate rests only in your own hands."
Lin Fan gave a faint smile.
"So there's even newcomer protection? Interesting. But I don't need it."
Without hesitation, Lin Fan stepped into the inner city alongside the veiled girl.
The instant his foot crossed the threshold, he immediately felt the atmosphere change.
The inner city was nothing like the outer city at all.