"How do you want to cooperate?"
The veiled woman spoke in place of the Slaughter King.
Dugu Feng's lips curved into a mysterious smile.
"With my Dugu Clan at your side, no matter which power dares to target the City of Slaughter, I will ensure you know the moment it happens.
And when the time comes for you, Senior, to turn their schemes back on them and strike at those two Slaughter Gods… my Dugu Clan will stand with you."
The words instantly stirred the Slaughter King's heart.
The Spirit Hall had a pact with the City of Slaughter, and disciples often came here to obtain the Slaughter God Domain. It was unlikely they would break the agreement and yet still, he had to guard against it.
As for the Clear Sky Clan… they too had a Slaughter God. Worse, he himself had taken over Tang Chen's body. That enmity was destined never to end.
If he could destroy the Clear Sky Clan and slay that Slaughter God, would that not be perfect?
But on the surface, his expression remained calm.
"Poison Demon King, are you not just saying this to gain the Slaughter God Domain? Why should I trust you?"
Dugu Feng laughed aloud, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"Hahaha! Senior, I have said already—we share common interests. My Dugu Clan's goal is to become one of the Upper Three Sects, to become the strongest family in all the continent.
And the Clear Sky Clan, the Spirit Hall—those are hurdles we cannot avoid."
Threat and temptation.
First, he had used the Snow Swan Kiss to intimidate, then dangled the destruction of the Clear Sky Clan and the death of Tang Hao to entice.
Dugu Feng did not believe the Slaughter King could resist.
He knew the truth—that the Slaughter King had taken Tang Chen's body. But the Slaughter King did not know that he knew.
The Slaughter King's expression flickered darkly, then steadied as he made his decision. The hidden danger of Tang Chen's clan had to be eradicated.
"Very well! Once you achieve one hundred victories, I will open the Hell Road for you. But the terror of that road… you may not comprehend. With your current strength, your chances of dying within are far greater than surviving."
Dugu Feng's gaze was steady.
"To be strong, one must face trials. No matter how dangerous, I will walk it."
At last, the Slaughter King's lips curved into a sinister grin.
"Truly the fearlessness of a newborn calf. If you pass the Hell Road, you will stand as the sole guest official of the City of Slaughter beneath me."
In his eyes, Dugu Feng's odds of survival were no more than thirty percent.
The Slaughter God Domain was never something gained easily.
"Thank you, Senior. I will pass it."
Dugu Feng turned and strode away.
His heart surged with exhilaration.
Though he had prepared exhaustively before coming here, even planned out his countermeasures, when life and death were at stake, he could not remain entirely unshaken.
Only now, having truly persuaded the Slaughter King, could he finally breathe.
That Snow Swan Kiss—he had to obtain it. A true killing weapon.
Inside the hall, the veiled woman frowned slightly. The great Slaughter King had so easily agreed to Dugu Feng's terms?
"Great King, if the Hell Road is opened, the City of Slaughter will pay dearly. At least half of your people will need to be sacrificed for enough blood to flow—"
"I know!"
"Then why—"
"Ke-ke… what should not be asked, should not be asked."
The Slaughter King's snort silenced her.
Tang Chen's soul, protected by the Asura Demon Sword, had not truly perished.
If what Dugu Feng said was true—if the Clear Sky Clan was still searching for Tang Chen, if they had already marked the City of Slaughter as their target—
Then sooner or later, he would clash with Tang Hao, that Slaughter God.
The domineering Clear Sky Hammer techniques of Tang Hao still left the Slaughter King uneasy even now.
He had only succeeded in taking Tang Chen's body when the man's mind was in chaos.
In a fair fight, he would never have won.
"Poison Demon King… do not disappoint me. You killed Tang Cheng.
If, in the future, your Dugu Clan does not oppose the Clear Sky Clan, then I will spread word far and wide that you were the one who killed him!"
The Slaughter King's voice turned into a cold laugh.
He believed this to be Dugu Feng's weakness.
The Dugu Clan had but a single Titled Douluo, while the Clear Sky Clan had once been the number one sect under Heaven, its strength unquestionable.
Yes… let them fight each other!
The Slaughter King now even looked forward to Dugu Feng stepping onto the Hell Road.
Such a ruthless, cunning, poison-wielding soul master—he was bound to bring endless trouble to the Clear Sky Clan.
No matter the Slaughter King's thoughts, Dugu Feng returned to the killing fields.
With Tang Cheng dead and Xiong Ba gone, he could finally unleash himself.
Now, everyone knew his goal—one hundred victories!
Those soul masters who could still be matched against him, all refused to participate.
None dared risk facing the Poison Demon King.
The scene outside the Slaughter Arena, when he orchestrated the siege and slaughter of Tang Cheng—that was etched forever into their memories.
They all knew with crystal clarity: they were not his match.
Whether inside the arena or outside, Dugu Feng had too many methods.
Even the veiled woman, in charge of the Hell Arena, could only accept it helplessly. The usual rule of "not fighting those with five fewer victories" was abandoned.
Sometimes Dugu Feng even faced brand new arrivals to the city.
He realized with some amusement that the inner city's population had thinned greatly.
Some strong ones fled outright to the outer city, willing to bleed and pay their tribute in Bloody Mary just to avoid him.
But thanks to the constant influx of newcomers, his battles continued smoothly.
Months passed.
And at last—the one hundredth victory arrived without hindrance.
When Dugu Feng stood upon the killing field, he noticed something strange—
Every single seat of the spectator stands was filled.
"Tch, these people's news spreads too quickly."
When they were clever, they hid in the outer city, preferring to bleed themselves dry rather than fight.
But now that he was about to depart, they all came faithfully, as if to see him off.
After all, to fight Dugu Feng was to die.
But none of them thought further that opening the Hell Road required their lives as the price.
They had dodged the first day of the month, but the fifteenth had come.
Dugu Feng's gaze swept over the crowd with a touch of pity.
Run all you like—you cannot escape.
"Poison Demon King! Poison Demon King!"
The roars thundered through the Hell Arena.
Killing intent surged, the bloodlust of countless souls gathering into a storm.
On the field, nine unlucky opponents.
Four had already lost the will to fight, waiting for death.
The rest exchanged desperate glances, intent on one last struggle.
"Don't worry," Dugu Feng sneered, "you'll only die a little earlier than they will."
He closed his eyes, stretched out his hands.
Nine streaks of violet light burst forth, each seeking, locking, striking.
No matter where the nine stood, none escaped.
Bodies burst apart, exploding in showers of blood.
One hundred victories!
One hundred victories!
A tidal wave of bloodlust erupted from Dugu Feng's body, surging skyward, drowning the entire Hell Arena in a crimson sea.
The Poison Demon King had ascended to the peak.