Slaughter City was also located here, right in the heart of this desolate wasteland.
On the edge of the vast, barren, and uninhabited wasteland, a figure sped by like a flash of lightning. This person was none other than Xu Yang. He was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit that billowed in the wind, giving him the appearance of a phantom in the night. His short, tousled hair danced wildly in the gusts, each strand brimming with vitality and strength.
Xu Yang's bright eyes were as deep and mysterious as the starry sky, as if they could see through the essence and secrets of the world.
After two full years of tempering, he had grown exceptionally tall and upright, now standing at an impressive 1.8 meters. His physique exuded a sleek and powerful aesthetic, with taut muscles and not an ounce of excess flesh—truly perfect. Coupled with his handsome face, sword-like brows, star-like eyes, high-bridged nose, and a slight upward curve of his lips, he radiated an endlessly warm and charming aura like the sun.
Before arriving in the wasteland, Chen Xin had unsealed Xu Yang's martial soul and returned his storage soul guide ring. Upon receiving it, Xu Yang immediately visited a nearby city to take a proper bath, get a haircut, and buy a few stylish outfits.
Thinking back to his earlier, ragged appearance, he realized he hadn't looked much better than a beggar.
Frustrated with Xu Yang's stubbornness, Chen Xin had stormed off, leaving him alone.
Xu Yang's target this time was none other than Slaughter City and the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent residing on the Hell Road. With the growth of his spiritual power, his memory had become frighteningly sharp, and he recalled the greatest benefit of the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's core: it could allow a spirit master to gain a domain in advance.
In the original story, Ma Hongjun had absorbed the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's core as his seventh spirit ring, not only achieving his Spirit Avatar but also obtaining the Phoenix Domain. Typically, spirit masters only had a chance to gain a domain upon reaching Titled Douluo rank, which illustrated just how heaven-defying the core's effect was.
As Xu Yang walked through the desolate land, he noticed the occasional soul master's corpse hanging from the withered trees, with vultures and scavengers feasting on the remains.
Soon, a small town appeared ahead. Though not large, it was eerily quiet. As soon as he entered, Xu Yang felt an oppressive atmosphere, and the surrounding soul masters cast him cold, murderous glances.
After two years of real combat experience, Xu Yang instantly recognized this intent as the killing intent unique to evil soul masters.
Chen Xin had already informed Xu Yang of the entrance to Slaughter City, so he headed straight for a tavern in the town center. The air inside was thick and stagnant, tinged with a faint scent of decay. The decor was entirely black, making the already dim lighting even more oppressive. Beyond a few meters, one could hardly make out the faces of others.
The tavern wasn't noisy like typical establishments. Instead, it was unusually quiet. Everyone inside merely glanced at Xu Yang before returning to their drinks—blood-red Bloody Marys.
"What will you have?"
As soon as Xu Yang sat down, a cold-looking waiter dressed in black approached.
Xu Yang glanced at the waiter and smiled faintly. "A Bloody Mary."
The waiter's expression shifted slightly, and he asked incredulously, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
A moment later, a glass filled with murky, dark-red liquid emitting a strong metallic scent was placed in front of Xu Yang.
Xu Yang frowned but picked it up and downed it in one gulp. The contents were none other than human blood, a required entry ticket into Slaughter City—Chen Xin had informed him of this in the wasteland. No matter how revolting or disgusting it was, he had to swallow it.
The pungent, coppery taste surged into his mouth, rushing up into his nose, nearly making him vomit.
But he forced himself to remain calm and swallowed the blood. After two or three minutes, his stomach finally felt somewhat settled. Once his body adjusted, Xu Yang slowly stood and surveyed the other patrons in the tavern. There were about eighteen people—six soul masters and the rest were ordinary people who lived by the sword.
They all shared one thing with Xu Yang: they wanted to enter Slaughter City but lacked the means.
The second entry ticket to Slaughter City was to eliminate all the competitors in the tavern. Xu Yang rotated his neck, summoned the Sun Sacred Blade, and charged at the nearest soul master.
This soul master, evidently an evil soul master, reacted instantly. He drew a long sword, and four spirit rings (white, yellow, purple, purple) lit up. Unfortunately, his speed paled compared to Xu Yang's.
Just as he stood up, he felt a flash of pain, lost consciousness, and fell.
The others quickly responded, but their strength was too weak. In less than a minute, the entire tavern was silent—except for Xu Yang and the waiter.
Xu Yang stepped up to the waiter, smiling. "Open the entrance to Slaughter City for me, or I'll make you regret it."
The waiter glanced at the heap of corpses, then at Xu Yang, sensing the thick killing intent emanating from him. Finally, he nodded, walked to the counter, reached into a concealed hole, and did something unseen. A section of the floor near the bar slid aside, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
"Kid, I'll give you two years. I hope you come back alive."
Hovering above the town, Chen Xin felt the sinister aura of Slaughter City, his face grim. He knew full well the dangers of that place. When Xu Yang insisted on entering Slaughter City to train, Chen Xin had vehemently objected.
But Xu Yang was stubborn and wouldn't listen, so in the end, Chen Xin taught him everything he knew to increase his survival chances.
"Ah, how am I going to explain this to Feng Zhi and Qing'er?"
With a sigh, Chen Xin turned into a streak of sword light and flew toward Seven Treasure City.
Xu Yang didn't hesitate. He jumped into the opening below. The tunnel was long and narrow, its walls made of unknown material just as pitch-black as the tavern, completely blocking spiritual detection.
About a kilometer in, a chilling voice echoed from all directions:
"Welcome to Slaughter City. This is the capital of hell, a world steeped in killing. Here, you can have everything you desire—the price is your life."
The voice did not faze Xu Yang. He knew exactly what awaited him. Continuing forward, he turned a corner and saw a massive stone gate with light and faint traces of life seeping through the cracks.
As he exited the tunnel, a hundred armored warriors holding heavy swords stood before him. At their head was a man seated on a tall, imposing warhorse clad in black armor, coldly watching Xu Yang.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin