Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

If the outer city is a desolate and indifferent world, then the inner city is a world of luxury and extravagance.

Colorful lights were everywhere, the inner city had a much larger population than the outer city, and the atmosphere here was completely different from the quietness of the outer city.

Slaughter, gluttony, greed... all sorts of unimaginable evils are commonplace here. If Yan didn't know clearly that most of these guys who hid in the Slaughter City were there voluntarily and that there were basically no good people among them, he might have actually thought of intervening.

The Spirit Hall was naturally aware of the absurd hell on earth that was the Slaughter City. The reason it was left standing was partly to give face to the God of Asura, and partly to use it as a special prison to send over any inconvenient individuals.

The inner city of the Killing Capital could be described as a decadent city. However, with the girl in black veil by their side, although many unfriendly gazes fell on Yan and Bibi Dong, no one came forward to harass them.

Yan and Bibi Dong followed the girl all the way to the true center of the Slaughter City, the Hell Slaughter Arena. It was a special building, shaped like an irregular cone, with the largest area at the bottom and narrowing towards the top.

The entire hellish killing arena was black, giving people a very oppressive feeling. Just as Bibi Dong, Yan, and the girl in black veils arrived, the area in front of the hellish killing arena was extremely noisy, with countless people cheering.

"King of Slaughter, King of Slaughter..." Accompanied by cheers, a figure appeared above the Hell Slaughter Arena. Yan subconsciously looked up at the scarlet figure in mid-air. It was a tall man whose entire body was wrapped in a huge scarlet cloak.

His face was very pale, with a pair of completely blood-red eyes. His body slowly descended from the air, seemingly unaffected by gravity.

This King of Slaughter seems to possess a unique charisma that inspires a near-mad worship in all the fallen ones who come into contact with him.

A faint, sweet, and slightly intoxicating scent emanated from him. This scent seemed to blend with a certain aroma that permeated the entire Killing City, influencing everyone within it.

Unfortunately, this had almost no effect on Yan and Bibi Dong. Bibi Dong whispered behind Yan, "I can't see his cultivation level. I feel like I can deal with him, but I also have a strange sense of crisis. It's very odd."

"It's best not to make a move. This guy's situation is a bit special. If we really fight him, it might cause one of the guys to regain his senses." Yan didn't turn around, but just lowered his voice and whispered to Bibi Dong. Even the King of Slaughter, who was not far away, couldn't hear the conversation between him and Bibi Dong in such a low voice.

The King of Slaughter stopped descending five meters above the ground, looking down at Yan and Bibi Dong, his gaze particularly fixed on Bibi Dong. His deep yet sharp voice rang out again.

"Please come with me, you two." He said, and then took to the air again. Bibi Dong reached out to help Yan, but Yan waved her hand and took to the air with her, chasing after the King of Slaughter.

Inside the hellish killing arena, in a dark room, the King of Slaughter slowly descended from his crystal throne. Yan, seeing the pool of blood before the throne, couldn't help but cover his nose. To be honest, only non-human beings would like this kind of environment.

"Please sit down, both of you. Greetings, Your Majesty the God of Slaughter. May I ask what brings you here today?" The King of Slaughter invited the two to sit down. Noticing Yan's expression, he glanced cautiously at Bibi Dong and wisely refrained from having any local specialties served.

“Two things.” Bibi Dong didn’t reply, but Yan took the initiative to speak: “His Holiness the Pope’s other disciple has already entered the City of Slaughter. We all know the rules of the City of Slaughter and will not ask you to treat him specially, but please don’t let us find out that you have any ulterior motives. The other thing is that, as the next Pope, I feel it is very necessary to get to know you, the King of Slaughter, that’s all.”

"I see. I understand." The King of Slaughter glanced at Bibi Dong, and seeing that she didn't express much, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, God of Slaughter, I must congratulate you on having a worthy successor." Bibi Dong glanced at the King of Slaughter indifferently and said coldly, "You can congratulate him after Nana emerges from the City of Slaughter." The King of Slaughter's eyes narrowed, but he did not reply. In fact, as the manager of the City of Slaughter, he did not like the appearance of the God of Slaughter.

The true form of this King of Slaughter is the Nine-Headed Blood Bat King. Somehow, he was appointed as the manager of this City of Slaughter and is also part of the Nine Trials of Asura. Within the City of Slaughter, he is almost invincible, but only almost.

Within the City of Slaughter, no Soul Master can use Soul Rings or Soul Skills. However, the God of Slaughter, who possesses the God of Slaughter Domain, is different. Not only can he use the God of Slaughter Domain, but he also has a powerful amplification, allowing him to kill indiscriminately within the City of Slaughter.

The King of Slaughter also possesses the God of Slaughter Domain, or rather, the body he currently controls is the strongest among the three Gods of Slaughter in this world. However, he dares not provoke the other two Gods of Slaughter.

He barely managed to control the body of that peerless killing god through powerful hypnosis and the machinations of another god. This being he controlled is still very likely to awaken.

He wouldn't be a problem fighting other people; he was practically invincible within the City of Slaughter. But fighting the other two Gods of Slaughter would bring him immense trouble, given their God of Slaughter Domains and the strength of that nine-ring Title Douluo, and he hated that kind of trouble.

"The City of Slaughter has its own rules, and I think Your Majesty the God of Slaughter is well aware of this. As long as your disciple is strong enough, he can leave on his own." The King of Slaughter finally uttered an ambiguous statement, which seemed to be a compromise, yet also seemed to say nothing at all, indirectly reflecting his inner turmoil.

The King of Slaughter was unwilling to see the emergence of a new God of Slaughter, but she was wary of Bibi Dong, the previous God of Slaughter, and had no choice but to compromise and yield, ultimately only making a promise that she would not resort to underhanded tactics.

Yan didn't care about the King of Slaughter's attitude. After Bibi Dong emphasized it a second time, he slowly got up.

"Please remember what I said today. Also, the City of Slaughter needs a thorough cleaning; it's too untidy." The King of Slaughter's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes grew even colder. Neither Bibi Dong nor Yan paid any attention to this, nor did they bother to say goodbye to the King of Slaughter. They simply stood up and left the room, heading back the way they came.

In the pitch-black room, blood-red eyes drifted in the air as the King of Slaughter murmured to himself, "I only hope that, under normal circumstances, the person sent by the God of Slaughter won't last a hundred matches, let alone pass through the Hell Road. There are already enough Gods of Slaughter in this world."

Chapter 372 Another Elite Competition

"What kind of temper does this Asura God have? His own divine realm has been turned into this mess and he doesn't even care." Outside the City of Slaughter, Yan covered his mouth and nose, looking extremely annoyed. Although he already had some understanding of the scene inside the City of Slaughter, actually seeing that scene still made him want to vomit.

It wasn't that he lacked mental fortitude or anything; he was simply disgusted. That place was simply not fit for human beings. There were group sex activities, cannibalism, indiscriminate killing... It's said that the original Killing City wasn't like that. Shura was a god of slaughter, in charge of killing rather than evil.

"You came here specifically to see the King of Slaughter? Why? Is there anything special about him?" Bibi Dong, who was beside Yan, was not surprised by anything in the City of Slaughter. She herself had emerged from this hell on earth and become the God of Slaughter with the God of Slaughter Domain. She also received a legacy from a god.

"I was just checking on that old guy's condition. Actually, it doesn't matter if I don't. I've already figured out what to do with him." Yan stopped gagging, feeling a little weak in front of a woman.

"However, after he was warned, the people in the Killing City will be less suspicious of Nana, and at least they will make her safer."

"So you do care about Nana after all." Bibi Dong glanced at Yan and said coldly. She was still sulking. Yan simply walked over and hugged her from behind, instantly grabbing her vital parts.

"What are you doing?" Bibi Dong was hugged from behind, and her body went limp. However, she still subconsciously looked around and struggled.

Yan gently nibbled on the Pope's jade-like earlobe.

"Good teacher, I was feeling a bit unwell in the city just now, please help me out."

"I... I don't have a student like you." The Pope's words were quite ruthless, but he still cooperated and got into the carriage with someone.

...The capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City. Heaven Dou City has been exceptionally lively lately. It's another five-year period, another continent-wide elite tournament for advanced soul master academies. As the most important tournament area in the entire empire, the Heaven Dou City division has naturally attracted much attention from the very beginning.

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is a top-level competition involving the entire Soul Master Academy world, proposed and implemented by the former Pope Qian Xunji, who was still in power twenty years ago. It is also the grandest Soul Master competition in the Soul Master world at present.

Five years ago, in the third Elite Tournament, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall became famous throughout the Douluo Continent, bringing great changes to the Douluo Continent, further enhancing the influence of the Spirit Hall, and indirectly making more people aware of the Elite Tournament.

This brand-new Elite Tournament naturally attracted more attention. From royalty and nobles to commoners, every citizen of Tiandou City regarded this tournament as the grandest festival.

The Heaven Dou Grand Arena has remained the venue for the Heaven Dou City division, and all Soul Battles have been suspended for a month.

With the start of the third Elite Tournament, the Spirit Hall changed some of the tournament rules, mainly affecting the finals.

The qualifying rounds and similar events will still follow the original competition rules, mainly focusing on ring combat.

After the tournament began, the entire city of Tiandou, including almost a third of the Tiandou City, was deserted, with the Tiandou Grand Soul Arena as the center.

Starting a few days ago, all hotels of all levels in Tiandou City were fully booked. The surge in the city's population poses a significant challenge to public security.

The Heaven Dou royal family mobilized a full 5,000 city defense troops to maintain order, and the Spirit Hall also dispatched spirit masters to patrol, which prevented riots from occurring as much as possible.

On the VIP stage of the Great Soul Arena, Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, together with Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Salas, the platinum bishop of the Heaven Dou City Martial Soul Temple, presided over the opening ceremony.

Just as the group sat down to exchange pleasantries, Salas suddenly received a message. After apologizing to the two men, he hurriedly left the VIP area.

"Sect Master Ning, has anything happened at the Spirit Hall recently?" Emperor Xueye watched Salas's departing figure, then suddenly turned to give Xue Qinghe behind him a wink, before smiling and asking Ning Fengzhi.

"Your Majesty, you've asked the wrong person. It's probably something internal to the Spirit Hall; my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School isn't very clear on that." Ning Fengzhi smiled respectfully at Emperor Xue Ye, then shook his head, saying, "As you know, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is currently only barely maintaining a semblance of dignity." Emperor Xue Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sect Master Ning, the Spirit Hall has now shown its fangs. I think they will only want more in the future. Why do you have to go down the dark path with them? I had previously intended to have Qinghe become your disciple. I wonder what your decision is?"

"Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness, but things are not what they used to be. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School no longer harbors such grand ambitions." Ning Fengzhi's expression remained unchanged. After glancing indifferently at Emperor Xue Ye, he continued, "When the two great empires and seven major sects were dominating the Spirit Hall, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was merely following in the footsteps of the Clear Sky Sect. Now, it's just that the power above us has changed from the Clear Sky Sect to the Spirit Hall. I know this myself. Support-type Soul Masters are ultimately just support; they can never become the true number one in the world, so naturally, I don't have many other ambitions." A hint of helplessness was hidden in Ning Fengzhi's words, perhaps genuine helplessness.

He was once a spirited young man who wanted to become the darling of the continent and bring glory to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

However, the reality is that no matter how strong his cultivation is, even if he becomes a Title Douluo, he is still just a support-type Soul Master. His innate Martial Soul strength and attributes determine that he will never become the kind of strong person who dominates the world. Naturally, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will never become the next number one sect in the world.

Since he could only be someone else's underling, his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School naturally chose the strongest one. With the Clear Sky Sect finished and the two great empires unreliable, he could only rely on the Spirit Hall. Moreover, the Spirit Hall was currently in power and quite generous, so why would he have any other thoughts?

"What are you two talking about!" Emperor Xueye was about to test Ning Fengzhi when a young voice suddenly came from behind them. It sounded slightly familiar. Ning Fengzhi and Xueye's expressions changed drastically in the next moment. They subconsciously glanced at each other and found that they were both very surprised. They obviously did not expect this person to appear.

"Long time no see, Your Majesty, Uncle Ning." A young figure approached the two and finally sat down in the spot where Nasalas had been sitting. He looked very young, probably in his early twenties, and was none other than Yan, who had returned from the City of Slaughter.

"What are they talking about? It can't be related to me, can it?"

"You flatter us, Holy Son. We never expected you to come to Heaven Dou City. You are truly a rare guest." Emperor Xueye's smile was very forced, and his gaze towards Yan carried a hint of fear and apprehension.

Back then, Yan and Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen fought fiercely in Tiandou City. That battle almost destroyed half of Tiandou City and made Emperor Xueye so worried that he couldn't sleep.

The main reason was that the battle armor mecha that Yan displayed was too terrifying. It had a powerful move that could destroy a city and was also capable of teleportation. Even staying in the palace was not safe. This made Emperor Xueye particularly uneasy. He even reluctantly gave away the Vast Ocean Universe Cover, just to get this plague god away from Tiandou City as soon as possible.

It's only been less than two years since he left, and this plague god has actually reappeared. Considering that every time this guy appears in Tiandou City, something bad always happens, Emperor Xueye's heart is in his throat.

Ning Fengzhi seemed to sense Emperor Xueye's concerns and fears, and took the initiative to ask, "Holy Son, are you here in Tiandou City on business?"

"No." Yan shook his head.

"I'm just passing through on my way back. I happened to be in Tiandou City during the Elite Tournament, so I'll stay for a couple more days and return to Wuhun City with the rest of the team during the finals." He then glanced at Emperor Xueye and smiled, "Your Majesty, there's no need to be so afraid. I have no ill intentions towards the royal family and I won't cause any trouble in the city."

"I don't believe you for a second." That's what Emperor Xueye thought to himself, but he didn't dare say it aloud. He had to force a smile and say, "Your Highness, you flatter me. I didn't mean that. I just wanted to know if the royal family could help you. Please feel free to ask." Yan slapped his forehead and continued, "Oh, I do have something to say. If you hadn't asked, I would have forgotten." Emperor Xueye wanted to slap himself twice for saying that. Why was he being so polite with this little fox? But since things had come to this, he could only bite the bullet and ask, "What is it that requires Your Highness's personal attention?" Yan continued, "It's nothing important. I just remembered it. I mainly want Your Majesty to pay more attention to two academies in this competition: Lanba Academy in the city and Canghui Academy outside the city."

“Blue Tyrant! Azure Radiance?” Ning Fengzhi muttered the names of the two academies. He knew Blue Tyrant Academy. It was one of the triggers for the conflict between Yu Yuanzhen and Yan. The current dean was Liu Erlong, the illegitimate daughter of Yu Yuanzhen, an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect. Tang San, who was said to be the only son of Haotian Douluo, was also at Blue Tyrant Academy.

The Blue Tyrant team was somewhat well-known, and Ning Fengzhi had heard of them. But he really didn't know much about the other academy Yan mentioned; he had only vaguely heard of it.

"There are a few guys on Lan Ba's side that the Spirit Hall is watching, but as long as they behave themselves, I can't be bothered with their trivial matters," Yan explained briefly to the crowd.

"As for Canghui Academy, it's because this academy seems a bit strange. I'm a little worried that they might use some underhanded tactics, which is not allowed by the Spirit Hall. Since we've taken on the responsibility of hosting the Elite Tournament, we'll naturally do our job well."

Chapter 373 The Rise of Blue Overlord

"In the first match of the second round of the preliminary competition, Blue Tyrant Academy defeated Elephant Academy."

In the Heaven Dou City Great Soul Arena, as the referee announced the results of this round of arena matches, Blue Tyrant Academy entered the spotlight with its outstanding performance.

Elephant Armor Academy, one of the five elemental academies of the Heaven Dou Empire, ranks among the top academies in the Heaven Dou Empire region. It is supported by Elephant Armor Sect, one of the seven major sects. Such a competitive team was defeated by the little-known Blue Tyrant Academy, which naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Although Blue Tyrant Academy has the background of Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, its reputation was not good before this Elite Tournament. Its teams in previous tournaments had never made it to the finals, and it only had a little fame in Tiandou City, not as much attention as it does now.

"Oh!"

Just as the referee announced the result of the match, a loud bang rang out from the VIP seats. It was Tianxiang Huyanzhen, the sect leader of the Elephant Armor Sect who had come to watch the ceremony, who crushed the armrest of his chair. His large, bell-like eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

He had high hopes for this year's Elephant Armor team because the team leader was his grandson, Hu Yanli. In order to increase the chances of winning, he even bestowed a piece of inherited soul bone upon his grandson. However, he did not expect to suffer a setback so quickly and even lose to Blue Tyrant Academy. He was truly unwilling to accept it.

He watched the entire match from the sidelines. As a Soul Douluo, his eyesight was naturally excellent. However, he clearly felt that Blue Tyrant Academy could not possibly break through the defensive formation of Elephant Armor Academy, which was led by his eldest grandson. Yet, the opponent did just that.

The Blue Tyrant Academy team this time is indeed quite strong. Titan with the Great Ape spirit, Dai Mubai with the White Tiger spirit, and a young man with the Blue Silver Grass spirit. In his opinion, the strength and talent of these three are no less than that of his grandson.

However, they were facing the defensive formation of his Elephant Armor Sect, not just his grandson alone. Led by his eldest grandson Huyan Li, three Elephant Armor Sect disciples above level 40 should have been able to withstand it.

Yet, in a match he believed was invincible, the Elephant Armor Sect still lost. Why? Why did they lose? Hu Yanzhen, the Soul Douluo, couldn't understand it, and neither could many of the powerful figures and nobles on the VIP platform.

In the battle just now, although Blue Tyrant Academy dispatched three Soul Masters—Titan, Dai Mubai, and Tang San—Elephant Armor Sect also had three Soul Masters, all of whom were skilled in defensive formations.

The seven members of the Elephant Armor Sect all possessed the top-tier Martial Soul, the Diamond Mammoth, making their overall strength significantly superior to their opponents. Furthermore, Hu Yanli had also used a Soul Bone. Logically, the Elephant Armor team should have had a greater chance of winning. So why did they still lose?

"It's not just a tactic of attacking from one point to the whole area, but also poison. The main problem lies with Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, where the poison within has been upgraded."

On the VIP stage, Yan, who had been watching the battle closely, witnessed the entire event. In terms of teamwork, Elephant Armor Team was naturally stronger than Blue Tyrant Team. However, Blue Tyrant Team's members were all quite strong, and with proper coordination, they managed to win by sheer luck.

According to intelligence from the Spirit Hall, since his battle with Yu Yuanzhen, the entire Blue Tyrant Academy has been greatly stimulated, and their strength has improved rapidly over the past few years.

First, there's Tang San. His early talent was comparable to Xiao Wu's. In the original story, Xiao Wu was able to break through to the Soul Master level during the Elite Tournament without consuming any immortal herbs. There's no reason why Tang San, who was working so hard to cultivate, couldn't do the same. Before the Elite Tournament, this guy successfully advanced to the Soul Master level.

However, because of Yan's butterfly wings, Tang San missed out on many opportunities. The most important Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was gone, so he naturally couldn't temper himself. His fourth spirit ring wasn't qualified to pursue a ten-thousand-year spirit ring, but rather a spirit ring that was over five thousand years old.

However, perhaps influenced by Yan's words, this guy did not choose the Cave Demon Spider as his fourth soul ring, but instead chose a plant-type soul beast. However, it was not a proper plant, but a soul beast that was extremely rare in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Demon Eye Demon Tree.

The Demon Eye Tree is a unique plant in the Star Dou Great Forest. It is a relatively rare high-level plant-type soul beast, but it is not a top-level plant-type soul beast. However, there is a ferocious beast in this race, namely the Ten Thousand Demon King in the core circle of the Star Dou Great Forest, who is also the most powerful plant-type soul beast in the Douluo Continent.

The clan leader, the Demon King, possessed extraordinary strength, but this was due to his past consumption of a celestial-grade spiritual herb, rather than the clan's inherent power. However, for Tang San, who was only at the fourth ring level, the benefits of a demonic tree with eyes over five thousand years old were undoubtedly immense.

After acquiring his fourth spirit ring, the wood element of his Blue Silver Grass spirit was greatly enhanced, and he also obtained the thousand-year spirit skill "Myriad Branches". At the same time, the toxicity of his spirit was also enhanced, which enabled him to defeat the Elephant Armor Team. This deadly poison played a crucial role in his victory.