Soon, under Tang Hao's guidance, Tang San arrived at a very peculiar small town.
When the two reached the tavern in the center of the town, the scene was highly unusual. Aside from the servers, there were only a few people who looked extremely fierce.
Tang Hao ordered two Bloody Marys, and the server quickly brought them over.
Tang San, who had never been exposed to much killing or blood throughout his life, immediately gagged upon tasting the Bloody Mary. After all, what normal person would drink human blood? His reaction drew a wave of ridicule from those around him.
However, before Tang San could attack those mocking him, the server spoke up first.
"Esteemed guest, if you wish to enter Slaughter City, I can guarantee that all of you will be able to get in. However, Slaughter City is extremely dangerous—you must consider this carefully."
Upon hearing the server's words, Tang San, though he despised the group of people around him, felt they were courting death, but he restrained himself and followed the server's arrangements.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao was deeply puzzled. In the past, entering Slaughter City wasn't so simple. Why did it now feel somewhat strange?
Originally, Tang Hao had planned to have Tang San enter Slaughter City for training. But now, feeling something amiss about Slaughter City, he decided to secretly follow Tang San and the others into the city.
However, once Tang Hao entered Slaughter City, he was utterly astonished.
The outer city of Slaughter City hadn't changed—it was still filled with people idly waiting for death. For those required to contribute two Bloody Marys each month, their lives were essentially no different from waiting to die.
But entering the inner city felt eerie. Originally, the inner city housed tens of thousands of people, but now it appeared desolate. The entire inner city might not even have a few thousand people left.
Especially when Tang Hao arrived at the Hell Slaughter Arena, the overwhelming stench of blood made him feel strangely familiar. The entire arena reeked of blood, and even the spectator seats seemed drenched in it.
As someone who had once walked the Hell Road and become a Killing God, Tang Hao understood the situation well. This kind of atmosphere only occurred when the Hell Slaughter Arena witnessed a hundred victories.
Without hesitation, Tang Hao directly sought out the King of Slaughter.
The King of Slaughter was slightly surprised: "Killing God, why have you returned to Slaughter City today? Could it be that your pursuit outside has been too brutal, and you've come back to retire in Slaughter City?"
"As long as you return to Slaughter City, no one will be able to catch up with you. You'll be absolutely safe here."
Tang Hao's expression darkened: "King of Slaughter, I didn't come back to exchange pleasantries. What exactly has happened in Slaughter City? Why are there so few people now?"
The King of Slaughter smiled: "Isn't it obvious? You should have some experience with this."
Tang Hao clenched his teeth: "Could it be that Slaughter City has reopened the Hell Road and produced a new Killing God? But given the difficulty of Slaughter City, how could anyone pass through so easily?"
The King of Slaughter nodded: "As you suspected, after all these years, another person has entered the Hell Road in Slaughter City. Unfortunately, you're a bit late—this person has already been on the Hell Road for several days."
Tang Hao said: "So you sacrificed most of the inner city's population to open the Hell Road, and you've also lowered the standards for entering Slaughter City recently. No wonder people can enter without fighting in the tavern, and even without drinking Bloody Marys."
The King of Slaughter's face broke into a faint smile: "Among those who recently entered Slaughter City, one has the martial soul of the Hao Tian Hammer—it must be your son, right? It's a pity you're late. With so few people left in Slaughter City, it seems your son will need more time to complete his trials."
Hearing this, Tang Hao's expression darkened. Normally, to compete in a hundred matches in the Hell Slaughter Arena, one would need to kill at least nine hundred people, let alone the large-scale battles during regular times.
Tang Hao recalled that during his own trial in Slaughter City, he had killed at least ten thousand people. Now, the entire inner city of Slaughter City might not even have a few thousand people left.
With so few people remaining, how could Tang San endure the rigorous training of Slaughter City? Who would be left for Tang San to kill?
If Tang Hao had arrived earlier, his strength might have been enough to prevent the Hell Road from opening. But now, it was too late—Slaughter City was nearly empty.
After a long silence, Tang Hao finally spoke: "King of Slaughter, who exactly obtained the Killing God domain this time?"
The King of Slaughter replied: "This concerns the privacy of Slaughter City, so it's inconvenient to tell an outsider like you. Besides, this person may not have even completed the Hell Road yet—I don't know his current situation either."
Tang Hao frowned: "What do you mean by that? Normally, the Hell Road has a time limit. Are you saying this person can stay in Hell Road indefinitely?"
The King of Slaughter shook his head: "The Hell Road is special—even you and I cannot delve into it freely. Right now, I can only sense that this person is still inside the Hell Road, but the trial hasn't stopped."
Though Tang Hao was deeply puzzled, he didn't know what else to say at the moment.
After pondering for a long time, Tang Hao finally spoke: "I'm taking my son away. Since there's no one left here for training and trials, there's no reason for my son to stay."
The King of Slaughter sneered: "This goes against the rules of Slaughter City. Aside from walking the Hell Road, no one is allowed to leave—not even your son."
Tang Hao roared: "Are you really trying to stop me?"
The King of Slaughter laughed maniacally: "Killing God, don't think your reputation outside means anything. Don't assume you can ignore the rules of Slaughter City just because you're from the Hao Tian Sect. Within this City of Slaughter, I am the true ruler."
Tang Hao's face darkened: "Then let's settle this with strength. Let's see if you can stop me."
As soon as Tang Hao finished speaking, he prepared to swiftly depart and rush toward Tang San.
But how could the King of Slaughter tolerate Tang Hao acting so recklessly? If word got out that someone had left Slaughter City so easily, it would damage his authority.
The King of Slaughter moved with incredible speed, producing a blood-red longsword over two meters in length, exuding an overwhelmingly terrifying aura of blood.
Tang Hao was startled. Though he was confident in his strength, he could sense the terrifying power of the longsword—it even seemed capable of suppressing his Killing God Domain.
However, Tang Hao's expression turned fiercely arrogant. He revealed his black Hao Tian Hammer, surrounded by a blood-red aura, accompanied by two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red soul ring.
There were no soul rings on the King of Slaughter's blood-red longsword—it seemed entirely unrelated to martial souls.
When Tang Hao's Hao Tian Hammer clashed with the King of Slaughter's blood-red longsword, both figures were instantly forced back countless meters.
The power of Tang Hao's Hao Tian Hammer was even more formidable and domineering than the King of Slaughter had imagined.
But Tang Hao himself wasn't unscathed. The Hao Tian Hammer seemed to have suffered a heavy blow, and even Tang Hao's body felt as if it had been struck hard.
Neither side gave ground as they charged at each other again, their weapons colliding rapidly. The entire City of Slaughter seemed to tremble from the impact.
After exchanging countless blows, Tang Hao unleashed his seventh soul skill, Hao Tian True Body, and with all his might, swung his hammer down. Not only the King of Slaughter but even the Hell Slaughter Arena seemed on the verge of collapsing.
Before the King of Slaughter could react, Tang Hao swiftly retreated.
Tang San, who had been preparing for his trial, suddenly felt a wave of darkness and lost consciousness.
Tang Hao grabbed Tang San and fled Slaughter City. Though the King of Slaughter was reluctant, he ultimately gave up pursuing them.
Given their respective strengths, it would be difficult to determine a victor in a short time. Tang Hao was also a Killing God and could use soul skills within Slaughter City, whereas the King of Slaughter himself couldn't use soul skills, putting him at a slight disadvantage.
However, the King of Slaughter wore an exceptionally sinister expression: "Tang Hao, remember this—Slaughter City will no longer welcome anyone from the Hao Tian Sect. If anyone dares to intrude, I will ensure you die without a trace."
After Tang Hao and Tang San left Slaughter City, they finally found an open space. When Tang Hao set Tang San down, he immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Tang Hao had already been injured, and this battle with the King of Slaughter had taken a toll on his body.
Especially considering the King of Slaughter's immense strength and the razor-sharp blood-red longsword, even the Hao Tian Hammer struggled to withstand it. After clashing repeatedly with the King of Slaughter, Tang Hao was severely wounded.
But Tang Hao had no other choice. If he hadn't brought Tang San to Slaughter City, given the sparse population, it would have taken Tang San at least five to seven years to obtain the Killing God domain, wasting Tang San's prime cultivation time.
After a while, Tang San slowly regained consciousness. Upon seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, he was astonished.
"Father, wasn't I inside Slaughter City? How did I end up outside?"
Tang Hao shook his head: "Xiao San, a major event recently occurred in Slaughter City—a new Killing God was born. At least seventy percent of the fallen ones in Slaughter City have died or been injured. The remaining few people wouldn't be enough to meet your training needs. Rather than wasting time in Slaughter City, it's better to pursue other forms of cultivation."
Tang San trusted Tang Hao completely and quickly responded: "Thank you for your arrangements, Father. I will work hard in my cultivation."
However, after carefully observing Tang Hao, Tang San noticed that his condition seemed much worse than before. Tang Hao was a Title Douluo—there shouldn't be anyone in this world capable of harming him.
Tang San hurriedly grasped Tang Hao's hand and instantly sensed the severity of his injuries. His expression immediately changed: "Father, how did you get so badly injured? Who hurt you?"
Tang Hao shook his head: "You don't need to worry about this. These wounds are old—they've long since become habitual."
Tang San's eyes reddened, and he knelt down: "Father, you must take care of your health. Don't overexert yourself, and don't fight others recklessly. You're the only family I have left. If something happens to you, what will I do?"
Tang Hao sighed: "Xiao San, I'm truly fine. Slaughter City can no longer provide you with training. Next, I plan to rearrange and plan your training regimen. Its level of danger will certainly not be lower than Slaughter City—you must mentally prepare yourself."
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
