The spectator stands.
Many people stood up abruptly, exclaiming in shock.
After the explosion at the King of Slaughter's residence, that hoarse, piercing voice had spread throughout the entire inner city.
Most importantly—it sounded too similar. Too much like the voice of the King of Slaughter from two and a half years ago.
That guttural, beast-like tone was completely different from the later iterations of the King of Slaughter.
But what exactly was that crimson light streaking toward them at breakneck speed?
It was utterly baffling.
On the battlefield.
Ning Rongrong also heard the voice echoing across the city, and she expanded her senses outward.
"Huh?"
The auras of the Crimson Nine-Headed Bat King and Tang Chen had completely separated.
During the incident not long ago—when Tang San nearly killed Xue Ke—Ning Rongrong had observed this King of Slaughter, Tang Chen, up close. His aura had been chaotic to the extreme, carrying a strong sense of corrosion and bloodlust.
But now, Tang Chen's aura was not only unstable, it had also lost its previous bloodthirsty disorder.
Tang Chen was chasing the Crimson Nine-Headed Bat King.
Had the Bat King been forcibly expelled from Tang Chen's body? Had it fled after failing to resist Tang Chen's assault?
"I want it... give it to me."
A voice suddenly reverberated in Ning Rongrong's mind, making her eyebrows twitch.
Kurumi, what the hell?!
The voice sounded almost desperate, like someone starved and craving.
"Hurry, give it to me, Rongrong." The voice came again, even more urgent than before, sending a shiver down Ning Rongrong's spine.
Ning Rongrong: "..."
Kurumi, stop it. You're creeping me out.
I'm scared!
"I'm talking about that bat! Lure it over—it's extremely useful to me! Stop filling your head with weird thoughts!"
As the spirit of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Tokisaki Kurumi had no idea whether Ning Rongrong truly understood or not. Inside the pagoda, she stomped her foot in frustration.
"Are you... sure?" Ning Rongrong's eyelid spasmed.
That thing had controlled Tang Chen. It wasn't some ordinary spirit beast. What if they both ended up defeated, triggering a bad ending?
"No one starts out standing at the top. Nothing is ever 100% certain! That bat contains the power of the Rakshasa God and the Asura God—it's a feast for me!"
"If you're too scared, forget I said anything!"
The bat's silhouette grew closer, and Ning Rongrong fell into brief contemplation.
"What are the odds?"
"Uncertain!" Kurumi replied. "But if we succeed, even after fusing with you, we won't need as long a recovery period as last time."
"In fact, our strength might even advance further."
"Even if we can't absorb it immediately, I'm confident I can suppress it inside the pagoda."
"I see..." Ning Rongrong weighed the risks, then gritted her teeth.
"Let's do it!"
While Ning Rongrong deliberated, the Nine-Headed Bat King had already reached the bustling districts of the inner city.
"HAHAHAHA—! Tang Chen, this time I'll show you what it truly means to be the King of Slaughter!"
A massive bat phantom appeared in the sky—nine heads, each with ferocious fangs and ghastly faces. Under the crimson aura, it looked even more fitting as the ruler of Slaughter City.
Chaotic... disordered...
"RAAAAAAAAH—!"
All nine heads opened their mouths at once, releasing a bizarre ripple that spread through the air.
The sound waves were terrifyingly penetrating, quickly spreading from the inner city to the outskirts.
"What the hell is this thing doing?"
Ning Rongrong frowned, using her abilities to isolate the surrounding space and block the sound waves.
While she could protect herself, her clones—formed from the bloodlust energy of Slaughter City—had no such defense.
One by one, the clones dissolved under the Nine-Headed Bat King's influence, turning into pure slaughter energy before merging into crimson streams that flowed toward the Bat King in the sky.
"ARGH—!"
"No! Spare me—!"
"Damn monster, STOP!"
Countless Soul Masters exploded into clouds of blood mist, their screams rising and falling in a horrifying chorus.
"This is..."
Ning Rongrong scanned her surroundings.
"I see. It's using their blood to trigger explosive reactions in their soul power."
Whether spectators or the challengers she'd been fighting moments ago—
They all swelled up like popcorn before bursting apart, their blood surging toward the Nine-Headed Bat King.
"Some people aren't affected?"
On the opposite side of the arena, two Soul Masters remained—though pale, they had clearly resisted the sonic assault.
The rooster-haired youth and the scar-faced middle-aged man—both Soul Douluo.
So, resisting the Bat King's sound waves required Soul Douluo-level strength?
"Something still feels off..."
Judging by the sheer volume of blood, this wasn't just the inner city—even the outer city's population was rapidly dwindling.
The Nine-Headed Bat King shouldn't have the power to kill so many at once.
Soon, Ning Rongrong found the key.
"The Bloody Mary."
Not all Soul Masters below Soul Douluo died and turned into blood mist.
"So the Bat King tampered with the Bloody Mary, making it susceptible to its control."
Even so, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but inhale sharply.
As a peak Grandmaster-level expert—unlike the clumsy Soul Masters of this world—
Her perception was incredibly sharp, capable of covering the entirety of Slaughter City.
Under the Bat King's power, 99% of the city's inhabitants had perished.
This included weaker Soul Masters in the outer city, as well as those in the inner city who had consumed large amounts of Bloody Mary.
"Is it related to immunity?" Ning Rongrong mused internally.
Those with weak immunity—breathing in the slaughter energy made them controllable.
But the strong, who had stayed here long-term, had likely consumed Bloody Mary and could also be manipulated.
Only Soul Douluo could resist this bloodborne control.
"Going all out, huh?" Ning Rongrong muttered, gazing at the sky.
The scene above was staggering.
Countless streams of blood converged from all directions.
Bathed in this ocean of blood and stolen life force, the Bat King's weakened soul power grew denser—stronger.
But Ning Rongrong sensed that this strength was fleeting—like a desperate, last-ditch effort!
Yet there was no denying it—the Crimson Nine-Headed Bat King was now terrifyingly powerful.
"Tang Chen, if you want me to become your grandson's Soul Ring, then let's see if you can bring yourself to harm him! Even you might not be able to defeat me now!"
The Bat King's voice echoed across the sky.
"Planning to possess Tang Hao?" Ning Rongrong, currently unnoticed, pieced together the King of Slaughter's words.
Damn, using the Bat King as Tang Hao's ninth Soul Ring? Did Tang Chen find a way to regenerate Soul Ring slots?
As expected—divine power was broken. Even lost slots could be restored.
Several Title Douluo-level auras were racing toward them, clearly targeting the Bat King.
Below them, a Soul Master was running at breakneck speed—his legs a blur.
Without the ability to fly via hammer, he could only sprint like a madman.
That had to be Tang Hao—still at level 89, no longer a Title Douluo, and thus unable to fly.
How pitiful, the Clear Sky Douluo.
"Right, Groudon?"