Facing an endless stream of enemies, Yang Xiong gripped his longsword and fought fiercely. Around him, people were continuously being slain by his blade.
Not only was his sword drenched in blood, but Yang Xiong's body was also soaked in it, and the ground appeared as though it had been submerged in a layer of blood.
Yang Xiong had lost count of how many he had killed; the ground was already piled high with corpses.
At this moment, Yang Xiong no longer resembled a normal human being. He was more like a desperate beast, relentlessly slaughtering his foes.
Just as Yang Xiong decapitated two people with a single swing of his sword, a shadow flashed. The Iron Claw King lunged toward him with his massive iron claws, intent on tearing Yang Xiong apart.
Yang Xiong countered with a swift slash of his sword, but before the blade reached its mark, the Iron Claw King seized it with his claws. With a forceful grip, he shattered Yang Xiong's longsword.
Simultaneously, a giant hammer swung from the side, smashing into Yang Xiong before he could react. His body was hurled tens of meters through the air, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Both the Hammer King and the Iron Claw King were Soul Douluo-level experts. Their speed, strength, and overall prowess far surpassed Yang Xiong's, even without the use of their soul ring skills.
The Iron Claw King let out a maniacal laugh: "You little brat, these iron claws were specifically crafted to deal with swordsmen like you. Watch as I tear you to shreds!"
Yang Xiong wiped the blood from his lips and sneered: "Such arrogance for a mere pair of claws. It seems that despite being Soul Douluo, neither of you has ever faced a true master swordsman."
With that, Yang Xiong retrieved another longsword from his soul tool, clearly prepared to fight to the death.
The Iron Claw King and the Hammer King exchanged glances, then charged at Yang Xiong together, unwilling to give him any breathing room.
Yang Xiong completely ignored them, pouring all his strength into a single sword strike. A surge of sword qi erupted, slicing through the sky as if it intended to cleave the two men apart.
However, their reaction speed was extraordinary—worthy of Soul Douluo-level experts—and they dodged the attack in the blink of an eye.
Just as they closed in on Yang Xiong, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Instantly, the Xuanming Armor materialized around his body.
The two attackers were startled: "Armor? So you've been hiding such a treasure. Looks like we'll be the ones to profit from it."
As the Iron Claw King's claws and the Hammer King's weapon approached, Yang Xiong swung his sword to block their attacks. Now clad in the Xuanming Armor, he seemed unfazed by their assault.
Whether it was the Iron Claw or the giant hammer striking the armor, Yang Xiong was merely pushed back. The defense of the Xuanming Armor remained unbroken.
Originally only a hundred-year artifact, the Xuanming Armor had surpassed ten thousand years of cultivation after Yang Xiong's ice and fire tempering and years of training. Its defenses were impenetrable against their ordinary attacks.
Seeing Yang Xiong's increasingly ferocious strikes, the Iron Claw King roared: "This brat is merely struggling in his final moments. No matter what, we must kill him today!"
When the Iron Claw King attempted to grab Yang Xiong's sword again, Yang Xiong's swordplay suddenly shifted. His blade was enveloped in a crimson aura, and multiple bursts of sword qi shot forth, eventually forming a massive "kill" character in the air.
What the Iron Claw King thought would be a surefire grab turned into utter disaster. His iron claws were shattered, and his entire arm was obliterated.
The Iron Claw King was filled with terror: "Seven Kill Sword Technique—it's the Seven Kill Sword Technique! How can someone so young wield it?"
Yang Xiong paid no heed. Whether facing Soul Douluos or not, in Slaughter City—where only self-created soul skills could be used—the Seven Kill Sword Technique was akin to having a cheat code.
Before the Iron Claw King could retaliate, Yang Xiong unleashed another burst of sword qi, cleanly severing his neck.
Meanwhile, the Hammer King seized the opportunity, delivering a crushing blow to Yang Xiong's back. The Xuanming Armor groaned under the impact, nearly shattering.
Suppressing the intense pain, Yang Xiong countered with a powerful slash, deflecting the hammer strike.
In terms of raw power, Yang Xiong was far inferior to this Soul Douluo. His earlier success in killing one opponent was due to exploiting chaos with the Seven Kill Sword Technique. Now, in a one-on-one confrontation, there was no opening. After all, they wouldn't fully trust each other either.
After exchanging several blows, the Hammer King suddenly transformed into a massive bear, wielding his hammer as he descended from the sky with overwhelming force.
Yang Xiong's lips curled into a cold smile. From his soul tool, he produced a Zhuge repeating crossbow and unleashed a barrage of arrows. Each arrow moved with incredible speed, their attacks rivaling those of thousand-year soul skills, all aimed directly at the Hammer King's head.
The Hammer King was shocked and hastily used his hammer to block. In Slaughter City, where soul ring skills couldn't be used, the lethality of the Zhuge crossbow was terrifying.
Yang Xiong seized this brief opportunity, rushing to the Hammer King's side and delivering a full-force sword strike.
The Hammer King sneered: "Boy, the gap between us is insurmountable. How dare a mere Soul King think he can harm a Soul Douluo like me?"
But just as the sword strike was blocked, Yang Xiong's left hand extended, revealing a sharp claw. The claw shimmered with icy-blue energy, exuding a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the very air.
The Hammer King was astonished. He hadn't expected Yang Xiong to possess another means of attack.
Yang Xiong's Ice-Fire Dragon Claw had long since reached the ten-thousand-year level. Not only was its attack power devastating, but it also carried potent ice and fire attributes.
Before the Hammer King could react, Yang Xiong's claw struck his chest, freezing it instantly.
Seizing the moment, Yang Xiong's right-hand sword plunged directly into the Hammer King's head, piercing through his eye.
The Hammer King let out a blood-curdling scream, descending into madness. He wildly swung his hammer in all directions.
"You little bastard! I didn't expect you to be so cunning. You've been relying on your sword, but you've been hiding all these tricks. Your swordsmanship isn't even your strongest skill!"
Yang Xiong sneered: "A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well. You've never seen my martial soul, yet you dare to judge my abilities based on assumptions? It seems you old-timers are truly outdated."
Amid the Hammer King's chaotic swings, Yang Xiong seized a fleeting opportunity and unleashed a Rasengan, smashing it directly into the Hammer King's head. His skull was crushed, and he was dead beyond doubt.
Among the surrounding crowd, someone shouted: "Overlord is exhausted! If we don't kill him now, we're all doomed!"
The remaining attackers once again surged toward Yang Xiong, but he fought like a caged tiger set free, growing fiercer with every exchange. Each strike became more ruthless and deadly.
By the time the battle ended, over a thousand corpses lay piled around Yang Xiong, forming a mountain of flesh and a sea of blood. Most of these were soul masters, indicating an organized assault.
Yang Xiong sat atop the pile of corpses, his hands trembling and his body drenched in blood. He looked like a demon freshly crawled from hell. This was not only the most perilous battle of his life but also the one in which he had killed the most people.
When Yang Xiong returned to his residence, he sensed unseen eyes watching him. However, his gaze was filled with ferocity, devoid of any mercy, sending chills down anyone's spine.
After this battle, Yang Xiong had become the person with the most victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena. Almost no one dared to provoke him lightly.
The downside was clear. After over a year of relentless slaughter, Yang Xiong had killed thousands within Slaughter City. The population began to dwindle, with some preferring to live in the outer city rather than risk staying in the inner city. In the outer city, one only needed to contribute Bloody Marys, while living in the inner city required participation in annual battles. And facing Yang Xiong in the arena almost always meant certain death.
This led to a slowdown in the frequency of Yang Xiong's Hell Slaughter Arena matches. After signing up, it became increasingly difficult to find opponents, and the intervals between matches lengthened significantly.
Yang Xiong felt that after this large-scale slaughter, his killing intent had grown stronger. His Body Martial Soul seemed to have been stimulated once again, as if on the verge of breaking through some barrier.
Every time he summoned his martial soul, the demonic patterns on his body grew denser, as though the spirit itself might be consumed by them.
His body also underwent other changes. At all times, the killing intent seemed to seep into his bones and blood, keeping his bloodstream in a constant state of agitation. His entire body's vitality surged uncontrollably, as if on the brink of losing control.
Several times, when faced with blood, Yang Xiong felt an overwhelming urge to consume it. However, his last vestige of clarity stopped him. He knew that if he started drinking blood, he would rapidly descend into madness.
Under the influence of Slaughter City's killing aura, Yang Xiong felt his combat strength and physical condition improve dramatically. Although his soul power had only increased by two levels over the past year, he was confident he could easily defeat his former self before entering Slaughter City. He even believed he could hold his own against a Soul Sage.
Yang Xiong grew increasingly enamored with Slaughter City. It was not only a place for cultivating killing intent but also a haven for honing one's blood vitality. Particularly for those with Body Martial Souls, it accelerated their growth significantly.
However, whenever Yang Xiong's killing intent threatened to spiral out of control, his martial soul and body seemed to restrain each other. Especially his mind, under the stimulation of the killing aura, experienced a boost in mental strength. Yet, his demeanor grew colder and more bloodthirsty.
After this massacre, Yang Xiong spent over ten days motionless in his room, as if unaffected by the outside world.
When he finally opened his eyes again, they glowed a deep crimson, emitting an intimidating light that made him view all enemies as mere insects.
This was the Purple Extreme Demon Eye. His Body martial soul had undergone a transformation in that instant, now brimming with killing intent.
Though he couldn't absorb the morning sun's purple qi in Slaughter City, the unique killing aura here seemed to promote the growth of the Purple Extreme Demon Eye even further.
The technique had entered the third stage: the "Mustard Seed" realm. Not only could Yang Xiong see everything around him with unparalleled clarity, but he could also discern the finest details of the world and pierce through illusions.
When using the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, Yang Xiong could emit a blood-red light capable of attacking enemies. He called it the Asura Divine Light. According to his estimation, it rivaled ten-thousand-year-level spiritual attacks, far surpassing the original Purple Extreme Divine Light.
While Yang Xiong fought and struggled in Slaughter City, significant changes unfolded in the outside world over the course of this year.
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