Yang Xiong's first match in the Hell Slaughter Arena concluded quickly. After Yang Xiong consecutively killed two people and Bamboo Leaf Green killed one, a total of three had been eliminated.
The remaining five were locked in a chaotic melee. Two were ganging up on one opponent, while the other two fought each other independently.
Regardless of who they were, everyone kept their attention on the entire arena—after all, everyone present was an enemy.
Bamboo Leaf Green smirked faintly at Yang Xiong: "Little brother, your strength seems impressive. How about we cooperate to eliminate the others first? Then we can decide the victor between us."
A smile appeared on Yang Xiong's face: "Alright. So who should we target first?"
Bamboo Leaf Green replied: "That fat man being ganged up on has the best record among us. He's already won seven Hell Slaughter Arena matches, and his strength is the highest here. Let's take him out first."
Yang Xiong thought for a moment before nodding: "Fine. But don't pull another sneaky move like you did earlier."
Bamboo Leaf Green smiled faintly: "Of course not. That middle-aged man bullied me repeatedly in the past—I only wanted revenge."
Yang Xiong and Bamboo Leaf Green exchanged glances before swiftly joining the attack on the fat man.
The fat man roared furiously: "Bamboo Leaf Green, you wretch! If it weren't for my protection, you wouldn't have been able to take a single step in Slaughter City!"
Bamboo Leaf Green snorted coldly: "Protection? You wanted me to submit to you."
At this moment, the situation suddenly shifted. Bamboo Leaf Green's dagger, aimed at the fat man, spun mid-air and instead stabbed toward Yang Xiong's shoulder. A faint smile appeared on her face.
Meanwhile, the fat man wielding the broadsword summoned his martial soul, transforming into a massive black bear. With full force, he swung his blade toward Yang Xiong. Even the two who had been attacking the fat man turned their focus to Yang Xiong in that instant.
Yang Xiong snorted coldly. With his right hand gripping his longsword, he deflected the fat man's broadsword, redirecting it toward the other two attackers.
His left hand transformed into a sharp claw, grabbing directly at Bamboo Leaf Green's razor-sharp dagger.
Bamboo Leaf Green seemed confident, swinging her dagger recklessly. Just as the dagger neared Yang Xiong's shoulder, his fingers clenched tightly around the blade.
Bamboo Leaf Green sneered: "I didn't expect you to be prepared, but it's too late—you've already fallen for my trap. My dagger is coated with lethal poison; even skin contact will cause poisoning."
Yang Xiong smiled faintly: "Is that so? Let's see what kind of poison this is. Do you really think you can outdo me in using poisons?"
Before Bamboo Leaf Green could react, Yang Xiong tightened his grip, snapping her dagger in half.
Before she could comprehend what happened, Yang Xiong hurled the broken blade like an arrow, piercing her abdomen.
True to Bamboo Leaf Green's words, a pool of black blood flowed from her wound. The dagger was indeed poisoned—but now, she was the one suffering its effects.
Bamboo Leaf Green's face twisted in disbelief: "How is this possible? Why isn't my poison working on you?"
Yang Xiong ignored her, focusing instead on battling the remaining three opponents.
Though the fat man was formidable, the gap between him and Yang Xiong was insurmountable. Yang Xiong excelled in both physical prowess and combat ability.
Soon, the fat man's heart was pierced by Yang Xiong's sword, and even his broadsword was shattered.
The other two fighters now trembled in fear, their eyes filled with despair.
But they gritted their teeth and launched a desperate attack on Yang Xiong. Unfortunately, they were swiftly defeated—one had his neck pierced, the other his abdomen.
The last two survivors, seeing the tide turn against them, ceased fighting each other and turned to attack Yang Xiong. Yet, they too were quickly slain.
Out of the ten participants on the stage, nearly all were killed by Yang Xiong. Only Bamboo Leaf Green, poisoned and barely clinging to life, remained. It seemed even she couldn't counteract the poison on her own dagger.
Yang Xiong gripped his longsword, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Bamboo Leaf Green quickly spoke: "I know I'm dead, but can you let me die understanding one thing? The poison on my dagger was refined from seven venomous snakes outside Slaughter City. Why does it have no effect on you?"
Yang Xiong couldn't help but shake his head: "I've been poisoned countless times since I was young. There's no poison in this world that affects me anymore. Perhaps I'm the most poisonous person alive."
Bamboo Leaf Green wore an expression of acceptance, muttering: "No wonder… Normally, anyone whose skin touches my dagger gets poisoned. But it has no effect on you because you're also a poison user."
As Yang Xiong prepared to strike her down, Bamboo Leaf Green, who had appeared on the verge of death, suddenly changed. A faint smile appeared on her lips, and multiple daggers materialized around her body.
The two were already extremely close. Bamboo Leaf Green's sudden attack was unexpected, clearly a move she had used on many others.
But Yang Xiong's lips curled into a faint smile. His longsword danced, creating a dazzling flower of swordplay that effortlessly blocked all the daggers.
Just as Yang Xiong seemed momentarily overwhelmed, Bamboo Leaf Green lunged at him with a desperate final strike.
But before she could get close, Yang Xiong's left hand conjured a Rasengan, smashing it directly into Bamboo Leaf Green's body. Unable to use soul skills, she was powerless to resist. Her body was sent flying, her bones likely shattered by the impact.
Bamboo Leaf Green's eyes widened in disbelief: "I didn't expect you to be so prepared. Your self-created soul skill is even more powerful than your swordsmanship. From the start, you were waiting for my final attack, knowing it would expose my weakness and allow you to kill me."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "This is Slaughter City. No one trusts anyone else. Your tricks are simply too low-level."
Hearing this, Bamboo Leaf Green finally succumbed, her face filled with unwillingness.
Seeing that all nine competitors were dead, the host announced: "Congratulations to 'Overlord' for winning the Hell Slaughter Arena match. This is Overlord's first Hell Slaughter Arena battle. We hope you continue to excel."
Yang Xiong paid no further attention, collecting items from several bodies before leaving the arena.
Participants in the Hell Slaughter Arena were required to adopt a nickname. Yang Xiong chose "Overlord," as he always did.
After finding an empty house in the inner city to stay in, Yang Xiong's previously calm demeanor suddenly turned serious.
"What's going on? Why didn't I feel this way when I first entered Slaughter City? After my first Hell Slaughter Arena match, my killing intent seems to have grown stronger."
Yang Xiong clearly felt that after the Hell Slaughter Arena match, especially after eliminating everyone, a new kind of power surged within him. His mastery of killing intent had significantly improved, and this intent even began influencing his body and martial soul.
Yang Xiong understood that ordinary people wouldn't sense such changes, but his body and martial soul were unique. After a year of relentless battles, he had gradually begun mastering killing intent.
Now, Yang Xiong felt that this murderous energy was immensely beneficial to him, subtly beginning to influence his martial soul.
"This is interesting. Is it the toxins in the Hell Slaughter Arena or some special aspect of the arena itself? It seems Slaughter City is even better than I imagined—it's more useful to me than I anticipated."
Before coming to Slaughter City, Yang Xiong had prepared large quantities of food and water, determined not to consume anything from Slaughter City, especially avoiding the Bloody Mary.
In the following days, Yang Xiong secluded himself in his room, reflecting on and adapting to the combat style of Slaughter City. During battles, Yang Xiong preferred using a sword. One reason was that sword techniques were effective for killing enemies, especially without defensive soul skills.
Another reason was that Yang Xiong wanted others to perceive him as a sword expert, thereby overlooking his true strength. In reality, his greatest asset was his physical combat ability—or rather, his combat instincts.
…
Deep within Slaughter City, there was a massive room containing a throne. Seated on the throne was a highly eerie man.
His presence exuded ferocity, making it impossible for anyone to approach him. His face was covered in demonic patterns, rendering him unrecognizable as human.
This was the Slaughter King, the true ruler of Slaughter City.
Suddenly, the black-clad maiden entered the room: "Your Majesty, our informants outside have discovered that the competitor 'Overlord' likely hails from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
The Slaughter King revealed a strange smile: "This is intriguing. This must be the first time a disciple from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has come to Slaughter City. Could they have other plans?"
The black-clad maiden quickly added: "Your Majesty, though Overlord has only secured one victory, he managed to kill eight people on the stage. Such strength is unimaginable. Should we arrange someone to deal with him?"
The Slaughter King pondered for a moment before replying: "Not yet. I want to see what makes this disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect special enough to dare enter Slaughter City."
The black-clad maiden responded: "Your Majesty, Overlord is clearly extraordinary. If we don't act soon, it may become difficult to deal with him later."
The Slaughter King sneered: "He's just a kid. I said to leave him alone for now. Besides, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is the wealthiest sect in the world, and their strength is not to be underestimated. Unless necessary, I don't wish to make them an enemy."
…
Within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi and others stared at Lin Gong in astonishment.
"Elder Lin, what do you mean? Xiao Xiong went to Slaughter City?"
Lin Gong nodded: "I personally watched him disappear—he definitely entered Slaughter City."
Ning Fengzhi quickly asked: "Elder Lin, if you saw Xiao Xiong's situation, why didn't you stop him?"
Lin Gong revealed a bitter smile: "Sect Leader, you know Xiao Xiong's personality. Once he decides something, it's hard for anyone to stop him."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi sat in stunned silence. He couldn't believe that his genius disciple, who had only left the sect to hunt for his fifth soul ring, had ventured alone into Slaughter City—a place where almost no one returned. In the past hundred years, only two people had walked out alive.
Sword Douluo suddenly spoke: "Fengzhi, I knew Xiao Xiong was planning to go to Slaughter City, and I supported his decision. With his current combat ability, physical condition, and various means, he should be able to return safely from Slaughter City."
"Of course, if any issues arise, I'll personally visit Slaughter City. I refuse to believe there's anyone in this world who can stop me. If Tang Hao could do it, so can I."
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