After a tense standoff, the King of Slaughter managed to regain control over his own body, at least partially, as he suppressed Tang Chen's rebellious spirit. But the warning was clear—if he dared to harm Tang San, Tang Chen's soul would self-destruct, dragging them both into oblivion. The threat was enough to leave the King of Slaughter hesitant and conflicted, unwilling to take any reckless actions.
In truth, killing Tang San wouldn't change the fate of the City of Slaughter. After all, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Tang San's most significant asset in the live-streamed future, had already been seized by Lin Yu. Eliminating Tang San now might bring the King of Slaughter some petty satisfaction, but at the potential cost of his demise—or the very least, severe damage to his prized host body.
Disgusted by the bitter irony of his situation, the King of Slaughter inwardly cursed. What bad luck!
"Your Majesty, what should we do with these two?" asked the Terror Knight Scott, casting an uneasy glance at the motionless King of Slaughter, who was hovering with a dark and shifting expression.
"Let them in. Let them both enter!" The King of Slaughter's sudden cold laughter cut through the tension.
What was he even worried about? This boy, Tang San, had been a twenty-year-old Soul King in the future seen through the broadcasts, with a perfect soul ring configuration, domains, and spirit bones. Even then, survival in the City of Slaughter had demanded every ounce of his strength.
And now, this young Tang San was just a child, barely a Soul Elder with a mediocre soul ring configuration and no domain powers or spirit bones. He was a shadow of the threat he would become.
How could a child like him possibly survive here? The city's hordes of fallen spirit masters would tear him apart without needing the King of Slaughter to lift a finger.
With a smirk, the King of Slaughter turned and flew back toward his castle, wings of blood-red bat-like leather flaring behind him. There was no need to concern himself further.
"You two are lucky. Go on, get inside!" Terror Knight Scott's voice echoed coldly as he motioned for his men to lower their weapons and let Tang San and Yu Xiaogang pass through.
Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, still dazed, exchanged looks of disbelief. Were they... spared?
Moments ago, they had resigned themselves to death at the hands of Scott, only for Bibi Dong herself to arrive, adding a new layer of hopelessness. Then, when things couldn't seem worse, the King of Slaughter appeared, another terrifying figure who had every reason to kill them.
Tang San knew that while the King of Slaughter held no direct grudge against him and his teacher, the live broadcasts had revealed too much. He wouldn't hesitate to destroy them if it served his interests. But against all odds, the King had suddenly seemed to lose control, ranting about "Spirit Hall, you dare kill my grandson!" before launching a desperate assault on Bibi Dong.
"Spirit Hall, you dare kill my grandson?" Tang San repeated the words under his breath, trying to make sense of them.
Was this King of Slaughter his great-grandfather? It seemed impossible. His grandfather was long dead—how could there be another elder still alive? Yet, seeing the King wield a Clear Sky Hammer martial soul had stirred a flicker of doubt in Tang San's heart.
Could it be that the King of Slaughter was related to the Clear Sky Clan, or even directly connected to his family?
But the King hadn't sought to acknowledge him, even after driving Bibi Dong away. Tang San shook his head, dismissing the thought. Regardless of the truth, they had gained entry into the City of Slaughter. For the moment, that was all that mattered.
What Tang San and Yu Xiaogang couldn't know was that their hardships were only beginning. The City of Slaughter was no refuge, no sanctuary. It was a den of savagery, a haven for the darkest souls—a place where survival was anything but certain.
With the King of Slaughter's command, Scott handed Tang San and Yu Xiaogang their identity badges and withdrew with his troops. Tang San and Yu Xiaogang clutched the badges, stepping forward into the eerie glow of the City of Slaughter, nerves frayed and minds racing with uncertainty.
Despite the knowledge they had gained from the live-streamed visions of the City of Slaughter's horrors, they moved with cautious apprehension into the unknown.
As in the broadcast, a figure shrouded in black veils approached them at the city's gates. She introduced herself as their guide, tasked with showing newcomers the way. She led them through the darkened streets and foreboding alleyways, giving terse explanations of the city's brutal realities.
They asked many questions—what was the difference between the outer and inner city? How strong did one need to be to survive the trials of the Hell Arena? The guide's answers offered no comfort. Tang San knew he wasn't strong enough to replicate his future self's accomplishments.
There was no chance he could take on the Hell Arena and survive. He needed to bide his time, and focus on mastering the Clear Sky Clan's secret techniques that his father had taught him.
As he planned, he knew his path to survival would hinge on mastering the devastating Sumeru Hammer technique, especially its ultimate move: Ring Detonation. Combined with his knowledge of Tang Sect martial arts and the potential rewards that the mysterious broadcasts might still provide, he might just have a chance to navigate the deadly path ahead.
After a day spent exploring the city and noting its most dangerous areas, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang finally found a place to rest in the outer city, planning to train quietly until they were ready to face the dangers of the inner city.
The next morning, Tang San awoke from a cold and restless sleep in a shadowy alley. He stretched, stiff from the chill, and reflexively looked to the rooftops, hoping to absorb the morning sun and train his Purple Demon Eye technique.
Instead, he found himself staring up at the eternal violet moon that hung over the City of Slaughter. There was no sun, only that unchanging, ominous glow. With a wry smile, he realized that his cultivation technique was useless in this forsaken place.
With his routine interrupted, Tang San turned his thoughts to survival, urging Yu Xiaogang to accompany him to the food distribution point in the outer city. They would need to adapt quickly if they hoped to last even a few days here in the City of Slaughter.
Little did they know, their new 'life' here would be anything but a reprieve.