The bloody spring water, under Blood Spring's control, flew back towards the center.
Along the way, the fallen ones who couldn't resist charging forward all screamed in agony.
This was because the blood toxin within the bloody spring water had become even stronger now.
If those hit by the blood arrows earlier were severely wounded by the arrows themselves, then corrupted by the blood toxin, and died as their blood energy was devoured, then those dying now were killed by the blood toxin corroding their entire bodies. Their skin rapidly turned black before they fell to the ground.
Even a mere scratch on the arm was enough for the blood toxin to swiftly spread from the wound and invade their whole bodies. They collapsed within a single breath.
After two consecutive waves of harvesting, Blood Spring had achieved his goal.
At least half of those who had come to surround and kill him were dead.
However, Blood Spring's expression was grim.
The bloody spring water that returned to his body made his whole skin turn black.
The blood toxin even began to corrode him as well.
Blood Spring's Martial Spirit could devour enemy life force to restore him, but it also generated blood toxin—a drawback that constrained him.
But today, he had directly reversed this tactic, generating a massive amount of blood toxin regardless of the backlash he might suffer.
His completely depleted Spirit Power instantly refilled and even increased by three whole levels.
The skin exposed on Blood Spring's body turned black.
But unlike those poisoned to death, Blood Spring wasn't instantly killed by the toxin.
He stared fixedly at those still alive.
"It seems I can kill a few more."
A fierce light shone in his eyes as he pounced towards one person.
He was fast and agile, darting in front of his target in a flash.
Although these fallen ones who only dared to blockade were all on at least a ten-plus win streak, they were still a notch below Blood Spring.
As Blood Spring charged, his target rapidly retreated. Yet, Blood Spring reached out and grabbed him. The blackened hand clawed a wound into his arm, and black blood immediately flowed into his body through the injury.
His face changed drastically. A blade appeared in his hand, and he directly chopped off that arm, screaming as he scrambled back.
Blood Spring was also surprised by his decisiveness.
He looked down at the severed arm in his grasp, the savagery in his heart intensifying.
Today, he was undoubtedly going to die.
The blood toxin had entered his body, corroding him entirely, and the Blood Spring Martial Spirit had completely fused with his blood.
He rushed around left and right.
Those he scratched were directly poisoned.
Those who wounded him, accidentally stained by his blood, were also infected by his blood toxin.
The life-threatening blood toxin he had always suppressed had now become his murderous weapon.
The more Blood Spring killed, the more excited he felt, thinking that even if he died today, killing everyone would be worth it.
Until—
"Why am I not dead yet?"
The enemies around him, their skin turning black, fell to the ground one by one, lifeless.
Blood Spring stood dumbfounded in place.
He felt the pain all over his body, but it was precisely this pain reminding him that he was still alive.
He hurriedly summoned his Martial Spirit.
The next moment, a lake of black blood gathered and manifested.
This was no longer just a Blood Spring, nor did it appear above his head. Instead, it formed with him at the center, spreading out at his feet.
The lake submerged and then devoured all the corpses.
Then, where the corpses were submerged, the black water bubbled and gurgled. One after another, black humanoid figures surfaced, standing there like puppets.
Blood Spring was also shocked by this scene.
He gulped.
He tentatively manipulated the surrounding black puppets, and wild joy surged in his heart.
"My Martial Spirit has mutated!"
Although he could feel his body enduring constant pain due to the Martial Spirit mutation, his strength had undoubtedly increased massively.
Moreover, he seemed to no longer need to worry about the blood toxin!
"These puppets can bear the toxin for me."
The muscles on Blood Spring's face twitched as he tried hard to suppress his excitement.
He truly wanted to throw his head back and laugh maniacally right now.
However, many people were still watching from a distance. He could only leave expresslessly, heading towards the outer city.
Fighting was prohibited in the outer city; it was a safe zone. But one had to pay two cups of Scarlet Mary per month.
Scarlet Mary was blood—one's own or others'—which served as the hard currency within Slaughter City. By Slaughter City's standards, two cups were roughly one jin (approx. 0.5 kg).
One jin of blood per month.
Blood Spring returned to the outer city, found a secluded broken-down house, ducked inside, and began to contemodel his situation.
As he moved, those black puppets moved along with him.
People nearby saw this and whispered among themselves.
"This Blood Spring actually had this trick up his sleeve."
"No, not hidden. It seems his Martial Spirit mutated."
"What a lucky bastard."
Due to the high pressure, drinking too much Scarlet Mary, or being influenced by the killing intent here, Martial Soul mutations were commonplace in Slaughter City.
While most were harmful to the human body, they were all related to killing intent. A small minority even greatly increased one's power.
Within Blood Spring's Sea of Consciousness...
Su Ming observed the surroundings calmly.
"The faith here in Slaughter City is truly dense."
Su Ming was referring to the Rakshasa Faith.
He had just mobilized the Rakshasa Faith to cause Blood Spring's Martial Spirit mutation.
Blood Spring's Martial Spirit was originally an Evil Martial Spirit, but its drawbacks were obvious. Blood Spring himself was cautious, never allowing the blood toxin to grow stronger, always suppressing it. Therefore, its evil nature was only used as a minor advantage.
When Su Ming initially investigated this person, he was quite surprised.
He could sense that the bug in Blood Spring's Martial Spirit was significant, but Blood Spring merely treated it as a minor advantage. Whenever the blood toxin showed signs of increasing, he suppressed it immediately. When devouring enemy life force and blood energy, he prioritized restoring his own condition before increasing his cultivation. But often, after he recovered, the blood toxin would start to breed. So, Blood Spring rarely relied on devouring others via the Blood Spring to cultivate.
Su Ming was speechless.
He felt disdain for this Evil Spirit Master.
And then, he sought him out.
Of course, Su Ming didn't reveal himself to Blood Spring or let him know of his existence.
He merely hid within Blood Spring, pushing his Martial Spirit to mutate.
"Blood Spring evolving into Blood Lake, gaining the ability to control puppets... He should be able to last until a hundred consecutive victories," Su Ming pondered.
Of course, he didn't plan to let Blood Spring leave.
He intended to use Blood Spring to attract the Abyss here.
As for the method of attraction, naturally, it was a sacrifice.
Su Ming had the coordinates, and he had comprehension of the Abyssal Laws.
Coupled with a sufficiently substantial sacrifice, he could always manage to entice the Abyss.
Su Ming gradually fell silent.
Blood Spring himself delved into the changes of his Martial Spirit.
"The Martial Spirit evolved into a Blood Lake. Any living person devoured by the Blood Lake becomes my puppet—blood slaves, essentially. The more blood slaves, the larger the area the Blood Lake can cover. Both the blood slaves and the Blood Lake itself can bear the blood toxin. This way, I basically don't need to worry about the toxin anymore."
A cruel, fierce light flashed in Blood Spring's eyes.
"Hahaha! It seems I, Blood Spring, still have a chance to see the light of day again!"
A hundred consecutive victories!
Whether it was the rapid increase in Spirit Power or the Blood Lake's control over blood slaves, both gave him immense confidence to face the next fifty rounds in the Hell Killing Arena.
Once he achieved a hundred victories, he could leave this damned place.
Leave this place, increase his cultivation, and a wonderful life awaited him!
***
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