Douro Continent

Chapter 452 The City of Slaughter (Part 2)

"Stop, stop!" Scott shouted, sounding somewhat threatening but actually cowardly.

Tang San coldly stared at him. At this moment, Scott's helmet had fallen off, revealing a狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) middle-aged face. His eyes, looking at Tang San, now held a hint of terror. Clearly, he couldn't understand why this young man's power was so terrifying. Wasn't he a Soul Master?

"If you obstruct me again, I won't hesitate to kill you all," Tang San said coldly.

"No, I'm not stopping you. You've already passed my test. You're qualified to enter the City of Slaughter," the Terror Knight said with some difficulty. What he couldn't understand was that usually, Soul Masters would be shocked to find their Soul Skills unusable when they arrived here, but this young man seemed completely unaffected.

A black plaque was handed to Tang San, who casually took it. The plaque was engraved with a skull and a number: 9528.

"This is your proof of presence in the Killing City. Please enter the city; someone will guide you at the city gate."

Holding the sign, Tang San strode forward, not glancing at the terrifying knight again.

Watching Tang San's retreating figure, Scott drew his sword from his waist and swung it down, severing his completely shattered right arm. Crimson blood splattered onto the black earth, and the stench of blood filled the air.

The pitch-black city gate gave people an extremely oppressive feeling, and the four large characters "Slaughter City" were hung high on the huge city gate.

Two rows of black-armored warriors stood silently in front of the door. Before Tang San could show his identity token, a woman wearing a black veil walked out from inside.

"Welcome to the City of Slaughter." The woman's voice was very pleasant. She stepped in front of Tang San and gestured for him to enter.

Although this underground city greatly surprised Tang San, especially the restrictions on his soul skills, he adopted a "what's done is done" attitude and followed the woman through the city gate. Perhaps because of the identity token in his hand, no one stopped him.

Upon entering the city, Tang San was greeted by a world of blue and purple. The streetlights lining the streets emitted only these two colors. To his surprise, there were quite a few people here, and no one seemed to notice him, an outsider. Aside from the overall gloom, at first glance, it appeared no different from any other ordinary city.

"I am your guide. You can ask me anything you don't understand. I will answer all your questions within twelve hours. After twelve hours, this will be where you live. You will officially become a member of the Killing City."

Tang San nodded and asked, "What kind of place is the City of Slaughter?"

The girl in black veil said, "A paradise. A decadent paradise."

Tang San frowned. "It's that simple?"

The girl in the black veil nodded in agreement.

Tang San asked, "Then how did the City of Slaughter come to be?"

The answer given by the girl in black veil satisfied Tang San this time: "The City of Slaughter has existed for a thousand years. Legend has it that it was the domain left behind by a powerful Soul Master after breaking through to level 100. Here, all Soul Master skills cannot be used, and people can only survive by relying on their instincts and their own strength. Soul power can serve as the source of power."

Tang San looked at the girl in black veil, "So what are the rules here?"

The girl in black veil calmly said, "The rule here is that there are no rules. As a member of the City of Slaughter, you can do anything here. Even a Title Douluo from the outside world would be weakened here because their soul skills would disappear. And under the rule of the King of Slaughter, we have nothing to fear. In the City of Slaughter, as long as you have enough ability, you can do anything you want. But I must remind you. Precisely because there are no rules here, you may face deadly danger at any time. In a sense, this is a paradise of sin."

"A paradise of sin?"

"Yes. Many people come here because they can't survive in the outside world and have no choice but to enter. Once they come here, they no longer need to worry about being hunted down. Every member of the Killing City will be protected by the Killing City."

Tang San was unconcerned about the idea of ​​protection. Since he had managed to get here through brute force, it meant any strong person could do it. Even without soul skills, he still possessed soul power; a Title Douluo was still among the strongest here. But were the villains truly safe here?

"Mr. 9528, I understand what you're thinking," the girl in black veil suddenly said.

Tang San was taken aback. "You know what I'm thinking?"

"You must be wondering how the City of Slaughter can protect its people, right?"

Tang San's heart skipped a beat. "How did you know?"

The girl in black veil said, "Everyone who comes to the City of Slaughter has this thought when they first arrive. But they quickly dismiss it. Entering the City of Slaughter requires undergoing trials and the test of killing. Although you entered through special methods, your overall killing intent is sufficient, and you defeated Lord Terror Knight. That's why you were allowed to join. However, there's one thing I must remind you. Entering the City of Slaughter is easy, but getting out is almost impossible."

"You can only go in, but not out?" Tang San looked at the girl in black veil with some surprise. He didn't think he couldn't get out.

The girl in black veil nodded and said, "Within the City of Slaughter, there is a dedicated enforcement team. The terrifying knight Scott you saw is just one member of this team. The great King of Slaughter controls everything here, and the true powerhouses in the enforcement team are all Soul Douluos who have been granted the ability to use soul skills by the King of Slaughter. The captain is even a Title Douluo. Many people have tried to break out, but without exception, they all failed."

Tang San was taken aback. If a Title Douluo could still be powerful even without using soul skills, then a Title Douluo who couldn't use soul skills was almost certainly no match for a Soul Douluo who could. Moreover, according to the girl in black veils, the captain of the Slaughter City's enforcement team was actually a Title Douluo who could use soul skills. No wonder she said this place was a one-way street.

"Is there really no way to get out?"

The girl in black veil said calmly, "That's not entirely true. There's only one way to leave the City of Slaughter. That is to win the championship of the Hell Slaughter Arena, gain the qualification to challenge the Hell Road, and then break through the Hell Road to leave the City of Slaughter. All those who achieve that level of strength will be given the title of God of Slaughter. The City of Slaughter has a history of over a thousand years, and a total of eight Gods of Slaughter have appeared there."

Eight people in a millennium—what an unbalanced number!

"What if the challenge fails?" Tang San pressed.

The girl in black veil smiled and said, "In the City of Slaughter, there is no failure. Only success and death. That's true of everything."

Tang San smiled slightly, "It seems this place truly lives up to its name as the City of Slaughter."

The girl in black veil said, "In the City of Slaughter, there is no currency, and all food and drink are provided free of charge. Of course, there's a possibility that it might be poisonous. Here, the dead are the most valuable. Everyone uses the number of skulls they possess as a symbol of power. You can exchange the blood and skulls of your opponents, which you have personally killed, for other items."

A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes. It seemed that, just as his father had said, here, anyone could find a way to die.

"Alright, take me to the Hell Slaughter Arena," Tang San said calmly.

The girl in black veil paused for a moment. "Are you sure? Less than one-tenth of those who go in come out alive. It's also the place in our Slaughter City where the population is most likely to decrease. Each person is only required to enter the Hell Slaughter Arena once a year. As long as you can pass one battle, you can live in Slaughter City for another year."

Tang San said calmly, "I'm sure, I'll go now."

Through the black veil covering the girl's face, Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes could vaguely see the delicately furrowed brows on her beautiful face.

"In that case, please follow me." With that, the girl in black veil walked into the city. She maintained a steady pace, always keeping pace with Tang San, only slightly faster than him.

Tang San wasn't in a hurry to do anything; he simply observed everything around him quietly.

As they were walking, a figure suddenly stood up from the roadside. He had been in a dark corner, and even Tang San hadn't noticed him.

"Oh, a new one's here. Looks like there's going to be a new Bloody Mary. Hehe."

Tang San frowned as his gaze swept over the man. The speaker's age was indiscernible due to his unusual physique. He seemed to have barely any flesh on his body. If it weren't for the skin covering him, one might easily mistake him for a skeleton. Moreover, Tang San could clearly sense through simple observation that this man's condition wasn't due to any special cultivation technique. He was deficient in both qi and blood, and could die at any moment.

"Can someone like him really pass the Hell Slaughter Arena battle once a year?" Tang San asked the girl in black veil.

Only then did the skeletal figure notice the girl in black veil on Tang San's other side. As if he had encountered something terrifying, he dared not say anything more and quickly disappeared back into the shadows.

"Of course not. Not everyone needs to go through the Hell Slaughter Field. After all, the mortality rate there is too high. Besides experiencing a battle in the Hell Slaughter Field every year, there is another way to survive in the Killing City. That is to contribute two Bloody Marys every month."

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(End of this chapter)