Let's put aside the matters of the God Realm for now. Han Li, who had just returned to the residential area, was in a rather good mood.
"Is it resolved?"
As soon as he entered the courtyard, the group came up to him.
"Yeah, no problem. Just continue with the original routine," Han Li replied with a smile.
"But the upcoming matches might require us to take the initiative to capture people. At least, it will take some time before things can return to normal."
Han Li scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled as he thought about it.
"You don't need to worry about that; I'll take care of it," Dugu Bo said, patting his chest and volunteering for the task.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
Seeing Dugu Bo volunteer, Han Li did not refuse.
Given the current situation, Dugu Bo didn't need to worry about accumulating soul power. His subsequent breakthrough would require him to understand his Martial Soul better. Having him handle these complicated matters was naturally the best option.
...
Spring passed, autumn came, and winter arrived. It had been ten months since Han Li's meeting with the Slaughter King.
Today, the City of Slaughter was exceptionally lively, like it was celebrating a festival.
For those living in the City of Slaughter, it might as well have been. The reason was simple: today marked a significant occasion for many people.
Han Li and his group of five had finally reached their one-hundredth battle. Ignoring the forty-five people they had captured who were still lying paralyzed nearby, the rest of the people were moved to tears.
The Demon King was finally leaving. No, he was ascending. Their lives would finally be safe.
Indeed, Han Li saw two people who had fought many times now standing together, peacefully conversing, having set aside their grudges.
"Demon King" was the unified title the people of the City of Slaughter had given Han Li.
Although many evil soul masters had been driven into the City of Slaughter by the Spirit Hall, exposing Han Li and his group's identities as the Holy Son and Poison Douluo of the Spirit Hall, the people here still preferred to call Han Li the Demon King.
At most, they would bitterly curse him as Old Demon Han in private.
The power Han Li displayed in that battle was so overwhelming that no one dared to challenge him afterward. Interestingly, a peculiar situation arose later.
When newcomers were sent in and learned about the situation, they would try to find Han Li, only to be subdued by the others and delivered alive to Han Li's residence.
The old-timers knew very well that this Holy Son was quite disciplined. Apart from being ruthless in the Hell Slaughter Arena, most of the time, as long as you didn't provoke him, he would at most draw some blood from you. He even sold blood-replenishing medicine, making him far less dangerous than other killers.
Of course, this was only if you didn't provoke him after his battles; otherwise, you would become one of the corpses in his next match.
Perhaps due to this situation, after Dugu Bo captured a few people, the remaining strong individuals in the City of Slaughter couldn't sit still. They had survived with great difficulty and didn't want to be captured and turned into battle statistics.
So, they began to serve Han Li actively.
Yes, they implemented a last-place elimination system. The unlucky ones who dragged down the group were directly sent to Han Li, becoming his winning streak.
In this atmosphere, the City of Slaughter began to engage in self-improvement. They couldn't match Han Li and his group's pace of strengthening, so the combat techniques in the City of Slaughter started to evolve.
To avoid becoming part of Han Li's victory tally, they began to think more strategically and stopped fighting recklessly. Everyone was striving to improve themselves to survive.
Consequently, something surprising happened to Han Li and his group.
Although they often faced weaker opponents, under the pressure of life and death, these people's combat techniques improved visibly.
Ultimately, Han Li and his group benefitted the most. These sparring partners were incredibly dedicated, fighting with their lives on the line.
This situation baffled Dugu Bo and the others for a while, but after a moment of silence, Han Li accepted this fact with a smile. Survival, after all, was nothing to be ashamed of.
Although the people here were all evildoers, incomparable to normal people, it was the same in his previous life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have met his end in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, he was the beneficiary now.
The four people beside Han Li looked at the crowd that had voluntarily sent them into the Hell Slaughter Arena with peculiar expressions.
This treatment was something they had never enjoyed in Wuhun City or Heaven Dou City; it was genuinely a bit overwhelming. After all, they had never considered these people as humans.
Han Li glanced at the crowd looking at them from a distance, shook his head, and turned to walk towards the Hell Slaughter Arena.
As for the forty-five people dealt with on the ground, that wasn't his concern. After all, someone had already forcibly registered them, and the people of the Slaughter King would not allow them to skip the match.
...
Crack—
The neck of the last person was twisted. Han Li released his right hand, watching the person collapse to the ground as the last trace of energy entered his body. He then retracted the killing intent swirling above his head like a tangible vortex.
"Demon King! Demon King! Demon King!"
After a moment of silence, the entire Hell Slaughter Arena started chanting the same title, making Han Li feel a bit dazed. The last time this happened was when he became the Holy Son.
"Congratulations, Demon King and the followers of the Demon King."
A low, sharp voice suddenly echoed in the air, silencing the entire Hell Slaughter Arena once more.
"Slaughter King!"
Despite the suffocating killing intent, the fallen ones shouted hoarsely, even more fervently than they had when chanting for the Demon King.
If the Demon King was the reaper of lives, then the Slaughter King was the foundation upon which they survived.
Han Li showed a faint smile, looking at the scarlet figure in the air. He noticed that the black clothes had been replaced with blood-red ones, showing a concern for appearance.
"Followers of the Demon King, it's time for you to enter the arena."
The Slaughter King's gaze fell on Dugu Bo and the others, giving a cold command.
Dugu Bo and the rest looked at Han Li. Only after he nodded did they walk towards him in the arena.
"I am pleased to witness your hundred victories. My people, celebrate for them once more!"
With that, he opened his arms in the air, and the people below, seeing his gesture, started shouting again.
After a while, he motioned for silence again, directing his gaze at Han Li and his companions: "Now, tell me your choice. Will you walk the Hell Road? If you decline, I can grant you the status of guest officials, giving you the freedom to enter and leave the City of Slaughter."
His words were not directed at Han Li but at those beside him, though he knew the chances were slim. He had to try.
"Slaughter King, thank you for your kindness, but we choose to walk the Hell Road."
The group exchanged glances and made their choice without hesitation.
"Very well, I respect your decision."
The Slaughter King didn't mind; he hadn't had much hope to begin with.
"Then, let the Hell Road open!"
The sinister, sharp voice echoed again, and the spectators excitedly looked up. Opening the Hell Road was a significant event in the City of Slaughter, and they were lucky to witness it.
However, they didn't notice the mocking expression on Han Li's face as he looked at them.
The reason it was legendary was because those who had seen the Hell Road open, apart from the Slaughter King and the successive generations of Slaughter Gods, had all become sacrifices.
If they liked to send people off, then let it be their last journey. This was like a dungeon instance, but entering the same instance as Han Li without being an ally would result in their complete annihilation. They deserved it for stirring up trouble, justifying Han Li's moniker of Demon King.
Blinding red light and a strong smell of blood emanated from the Slaughter King, quickly engulfing the entire Hell Slaughter Arena.
By then, some people finally realized something was wrong and tried to flee, but it was too late.
The red light formed a massive barrier around the Hell Slaughter Arena. The people in the stands began to scream.
Their eyes quickly lost focus, and although they were screaming, there was a hint of pleasure in their voices. Under Han Li and his companions' gaze, they began to self-mutilate in a scene more disgusting than the carnage itself.
Blood splattered on the ground, starting to gather. The blood flowed like small streams through inconspicuous channels in the stands, heading toward the center of the arena.
Countless winding red liquids, like small snakes, flowed into the arena, forming a bat shape on the ground beneath Han Li and his companions.
"Remember your promise, Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. I wish you luck on the Hell Road."
As the blood-red light flickered, a sense of engulfment came over them. The killing intent of Han Li and his companions emerged, protecting them as they were pulled downward.
Nothing could save them now; they were doomed. Han Li's last thought upon hearing the Slaughter King's voice was that he hoped they could meet again.
The mark for opening the Hell Road not being the Asura Demon Sword was one thing, but look at its killing methods: emotions, evil thoughts, and killing intent were just surface-level. If this bat could navigate the Asura's path, Han Li would eat his name backward.
Especially now, with Han Li still under the watch of the Divine Realm, its actions were like slapping Asura in the face with a Rakshasa hand.
Asura God's expression must be interesting now, Han Li thought.
After an unknown period, following a violent tremor, Han Li and his companions regained their senses, feeling the solid ground beneath their feet.
They looked around simultaneously, finding themselves on a circular platform, killing intent uncontrollably surging from their bodies.
"Activate the Blood Fiend Technique to stabilize your state first," Han Li reminded them as he began to survey their surroundings.