After the Slaughter Envoy left, Xu Yang leaned against the wall and murmured as he looked up at the ceiling,
"The battles ahead are going to get tricky."
He wasn't Tang San, nor was he Hu Liena. He had no Slaughter God as a father or teacher. So he knew full well—the Slaughter King would definitely try everything to keep him in Slaughter City, though it had to be within the rules.
On the surface, Slaughter City appeared to be controlled by the Slaughter King. But in truth, this place was a sacred ground tied to the inheritance of the Asura God, and even the Slaughter King had to abide by its rules. Otherwise, Tang Hao and Bibi Dong could never have become Slaughter Gods.
After all, the Slaughter King was none other than Tang Chen, an Ultimate Douluo who had been parasitized by the Scarlet Nine-Headed Bat King. Even though he couldn't use his full strength, if not for the city's restrictions, eliminating Title Douluo like Tang Hao or Bibi Dong would've been effortless for him.
It was precisely because Xu Yang knew the Slaughter King had to obey the city's rules that he dared to enter and train here.
And just as he had predicted, his recent opponents in the Hell Slaughter Arena were mostly Soul Saints, and even some Soul Douluo. If he hadn't been sure that Title Douluo couldn't appear in the arena, he might've considered backing out.
Over the next few matches, the fighting became brutal. The number of Soul Douluo-level opponents had increased significantly. But after defeating several of them, the challenge level suddenly dropped. Even Soul Saints became rare opponents—after all, even among evil soul masters, those with such cultivation rarely came to Slaughter City.
Eventually, ten months passed.
Finally, Xu Yang stepped onto the stage for his 100th match. His expression was cold. At this point, his killing intent had grown so thick it was impossible to suppress. Even with the great sun floating within his spiritual sea dispersing his inner demons, the murderous aura had begun to affect him deeply.
Having killed so many people, he now regarded murder as something completely mundane—so much so that it no longer triggered any emotion in him. His sense of humanity was fading.
Xu Yang was fully aware of this. That was why he wanted to leave Slaughter City immediately and return to the Douluo Continent, to purge this mindset from his heart. He was still human, and he intended to live with the dignity, morality, and bottom line of a human being.
Due to nearly two years of relentless slaughter, Slaughter City now had no real experts left. Even some Soul Kings were winning in the arena, and skilled Soul Emperors could rack up dozens of wins.
So Xu Yang didn't care at all about this final match. He knew—he would win.
A few minutes later…
Squelch!
The last Soul Emperor was cleaved in two beneath Xu Yang's Sun Sacred Blade. After delivering that final blow, even Xu Yang couldn't help the stir of emotion in his chest. He was finally going to leave Slaughter City.
Nearly two years' worth of pent-up killing intent began to spiral out uncontrollably.
A near-physical murderous aura surged and engulfed half of the Hell Slaughter Arena. Evil soul masters trapped beneath it felt like they had fallen into a glacial abyss. None dared to make a sound.
To them, "Purgatory" wasn't just a title—it was a death sentence. Xu Yang hadn't just killed many, he killed ruthlessly. In nearly a hundred matches, few of his opponents had been left with an intact corpse.
This near-tangible killing intent was proof enough.
"Congratulations, young 'Purgatory.'"
A deep, frigid voice echoed from all directions. Xu Yang's mind trembled, and his released killing aura suddenly vanished—as if encountering a natural predator.
"Such powerful spiritual pressure… It's like a bottomless abyss. Is this the mental domain only an Ultimate Douluo can possess? I still have a long way to go…"
Around the arena, the evil soul masters began to chant the name of the Slaughter King. But Xu Yang was still reeling—not from fear, but awe. Even after absorbing Delicate Immortal Water and tempering his will through two years of slaughter, elevating his spiritual power to the level of a Title Douluo, compared to Tang Chen, it was like a stream facing an ocean.
The Slaughter King descended from the sky, floating effortlessly in midair, completely unaffected by gravity. His towering frame was clad in crimson armor, his blood-red eyes glowing with power. Spines and bone spikes jutted from his shoulders and arms. Without activating his Sunlight Golden Eyes, Xu Yang couldn't even glimpse the face hidden beneath that blood-colored cloak.
"I am pleased to witness the birth of a new champion of the Hell Slaughter Arena today," the Slaughter King said coldly. "Such thick and pure killing intent... intoxicating, isn't it?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!…"
The surrounding evil soul masters roared in unison, gazing at the figure in the air with blind admiration. It wasn't just the Slaughter King's presence—it was also the toxin he carried.
From the moment the Slaughter King appeared, the entire arena had been flooded with a sweet, coppery scent that made the evil soul masters feel euphoric.
This was the venom of the Scarlet Nine-Headed Bat King.
Unfortunately for them, it had no effect on Xu Yang. His body and soul had long been tempered by his Sun Martial Soul to be immune to all poisons—physical or spiritual.
He remained calm and unshaken, eyes locked firmly onto the Slaughter King.
The Slaughter King noticed this as well, his eyes narrowing. "Purgatory, I can now bestow upon you the title of Slaughter God. From this moment forward, you may come and go freely from Slaughter City. I will also appoint you as a special envoy of Slaughter City—second only to me. What do you say?"
"No thanks."
Xu Yang answered without the slightest hesitation. He looked up at the Slaughter King with disdain.
"I've already made myself clear. I came here to temper myself. I've never liked Slaughter City, and I fully intend to take the Path of Hell!"
BOOM!
A terrifying crimson aura exploded from the Slaughter King's body—his Asura Domain.
In an instant, Xu Yang felt as though he had plummeted into an abyss. Countless vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts clawed at his body, dragging him toward an endless hell.
He had no way to resist. He couldn't even summon his martial soul. He could only watch as the phantoms tore at his limbs. But his expression remained calm—utterly unshaken.
He knew the Slaughter King wouldn't kill him. Not here. This was merely a test—one final chance to persuade him.
And sure enough, just as the spirits were about to consume his head, the domain suddenly reversed. The Asura Domain retracted entirely into the Slaughter King's body.
His face was now dark as thunder. Were it not for the rules of Slaughter City, he would've killed this defiant youth in an instant.
"Since that's your choice," the Slaughter King's voice turned frigid, "then go. Step onto the Path of Hell. I sincerely hope you enjoy your journey."