I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Four days later, in Slaughter City.
"I am the Slaughter King. I am delighted to once again witness the birth of two powerful warriors from the Hell Slaughter Arena. Slaughter City may soon welcome two new Killing Gods!"
Suddenly, a deep, sharp voice echoed across the skies of Slaughter City.
Upon hearing the voice of the Slaughter King, the surviving fallen soul masters within the city opened their doors and looked up toward the source of the sound.
"My subjects, let us gather at the killing grounds to bear witness!"
The Slaughter King floated in mid-air, his arms outstretched as if preaching like the leader of some sinister cult.
Indeed, in some ways, the Slaughter King was far more malevolent than any cult leader.
Instantly, cheers erupted below as numerous fallen soul masters stepped onto the streets, which had become eerily quiet due to the "Soul-Control Demon." They made their way toward the Hell Slaughter Arena.
Firstly, the "Soul-Control Demon," who used "demonic sorcery," would soon leave Slaughter City. They were safe now, and Slaughter City could return to its former "harmony." This was an occasion worth celebrating and witnessing.
Secondly, how could any fallen soul master pass up the chance to witness the Hell Road, which, once conquered, granted the title of Killing God?
Not long after, the previously empty viewing stands of the Hell Slaughter Arena were now filled with over a hundred fallen soul masters.
Slaughter King: "..."
Damn it, are there really so few fallen soul masters left in the inner city? How much fewer kickbacks will I get? That accursed Great Demon!
This was a miscalculation on the part of the Slaughter King. Even after Chu Chengzhou's rampage, there were still quite a few surviving fallen soul masters in the inner city.
However, entering the Hell Slaughter Arena to spectate came with a price—one cup of Bloody Mary. Not every fallen soul master was willing to pay this toll, especially those who weren't particularly strong.
Moreover, the fearsome reputation of the "Soul-Control Demon" kept many in hiding—how could they dare attend a match?
And what if the "Soul-Control Demon" decided to linger longer and wanted to kill a few more for fun? What if he pointed at one of the spectators and added them to the list of participants?
In truth, the many fallen soul masters who didn't attend the Hell Slaughter Arena should have been grateful. Their caution ended up saving their lives.
At this moment, on the bloody battlefield.
Clad in golden armor and radiating overwhelming bloodlust, Hu Liena thrust her razor-sharp phosphor gold short sword into the chest of her final opponent.
Thud—
With a burst of blood, the last opponent collapsed, lifeless. A faint smile appeared on Hu Liena's pale face.
Finally, she had achieved a hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena!
"Congratulations, Hell Witch."
A low voice echoed from all directions. The murderous aura that Hu Liena had released surged back into her body the instant the voice rang out, causing her already pale face to turn even whiter.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the Hell Slaughter Arena reached its peak. In the air above, a towering crimson figure slowly descended from the sky.
Hu Liena felt a chill run down her spine as her gaze involuntarily turned to the scarlet figure in the air.
It was a tall man, completely shrouded in a massive blood-red cloak.
His face was pale, his eyes entirely blood-red, and his body descended from the sky as if unaffected by gravity.
Her teacher, Bibi Dong, was right—the Slaughter King truly was one of the rare powerful beings in the world.
"Slaughter King! Slaughter King! Slaughter King!!!"
As the supreme ruler of Slaughter City descended, the fallen soul masters in the stands shouted wildly.
Even though their voices grew hoarse from shouting, they showed no sign of stopping.
Hovering five meters above the ground, the Slaughter King ceased his descent. Looking down at Hu Liena, his low yet piercing voice rang out again: "Now, let us welcome the Soul-Control Demon!"
From the other side of the arena, another figure emerged—Chu Chengzhou, also radiating bloodlust. Though his complexion was somewhat pale, it wasn't as severe as Hu Liena's.
The Slaughter King glanced toward the spectator stands of the Hell Slaughter Arena.
"The Hell Slaughter Arena has not seen a hundred consecutive victories in many years, but today, two young individuals have achieved this feat. With their immense strength and terrifying bloodlust, they have made you all tremble, haven't they, my subjects?"
"Yes—yes—yes—"
The Slaughter King seemed to possess a unique charisma. All the fallen soul masters in the stands, upon seeing him, developed an almost fanatical devotion.
"Unrivaled on Land, Tang Chen... Heh, just one step away from becoming a God King!"
Looking at the Slaughter King hovering in the air like a cult leader, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
There were many tragic figures in the original story, but in Chu Chengzhou's eyes, none were more tragic than Tang Chen.
Bibi Dong, who died shortly after ascending to godhood, and Qian Renxue, whose godhood shattered—though tragic, their fates were largely self-inflicted. If they hadn't repeatedly ignored and spared Tang San, they wouldn't have met such tragic ends.
But Tang Chen was different. His tragedy wasn't due to carelessness or underestimation—it was because the hidden hand behind the scenes was simply too powerful for him to resist.
Had it not been for the interference of the Rakshasa God, perhaps Tang Chen would have become one of the God Kings of the Douluo Universe.
The exalted God King versus a half-crippled "vampire" controlled by a soul beast, reduced to sucking blood and clinging to life—this disparity was beyond comparison.
The Slaughter King didn't possess the ability to read minds, so he was unaware of Chu Chengzhou's thoughts. Lowering his head, he looked at Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena, a menacing grin spreading across his pale face. "Soul-Control Demon, Hell Witch, thank you for allowing me to feel the thrill of passion once again.
One hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena—excellent! To honor your achievements, I have decided to exceptionally bestow upon you both the title of Killing God.
From now on, you may come and go freely from Slaughter City and will be honored as esteemed guest elders beneath me!"
Chu Chengzhou walked to Hu Liena's side, taking her left hand and standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Hu Liena spoke: "No need, great Slaughter King. We cannot allow our presence to disrupt the rules of Slaughter City.
We wish to undergo the trial of the Hell Road before receiving your rewards. Moreover, we hope to rely on our own strength to emerge from here and become true Killing Gods!"
"What a pity," The Slaughter King narrowed his eyes, his smile fading as he feigned regret.
He didn't mention the dangers of the Hell Road because he knew that with the "Soul-Control Demon" present, the Hell Road would pose no challenge to the two.
In fact, ever since the "Soul-Control Demon" appeared in Slaughter City and teamed up with the Hell Witch, it was inevitable that Slaughter City would produce two new Killing Gods with the Killing God Domain.
"Very well, then. You shall attempt the Hell Road. If we meet again in the future, I hope you are not enemies of Slaughter City."
The Slaughter King spoke gravely.
Achieving a hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena meant nothing. Having two more Killing Gods in the world meant nothing—as long as they didn't cause trouble in Slaughter City afterward, everything would be fine.
A thick red mist suddenly erupted from the Slaughter King, its terrifying pressure forcing Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena to step back continuously.
Once again, Chu Chengzhou felt the gap between himself and the top-tier powerhouses of the continent.
Though his combat strength could rival that of a Soul Douluo, and ordinary Soul Douluos stood no chance against him, his foundation was still weak.
Excluding his powerful spiritual power, he relied solely on his Nine Heavens Mystic Bow and Flowing Gold Armor-Piercing Arrows to slay Soul Douluos.
But these were external tools, not indicative of his true strength.
To grow into a true powerhouse, he still had a long way to go.
However, he was still young. As the saying goes, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—don't look down on the poor youth." But Chu Chengzhou believed he wouldn't even need ten years.
At this moment, the red mist emanating from the Slaughter King wasn't just simple bloodlust—it was an extremely evil aura that made one's marrow freeze.
Evil, icy red ripples spread slowly, covering the entire arena in the blink of an eye.
The fallen soul masters seated in the stands were unusually excited, eager to witness the opening of the Hell Road.
Because the opening of the Hell Road represented a glimmer of light in endless darkness.
They say you only appreciate something after losing it. For many fallen soul masters in the inner city, if time could rewind, they would surely choose to live honest lives rather than resort to mischief and end up in the "dog-eat-dog" Killing God Domain.
Uh, perhaps they might double down and cause even bigger trouble, gather high-quality soul bones, and fully embrace the dark path to become Killing Gods in Slaughter City?
But time couldn't rewind—at least not for them—and they didn't realize that their lives were already at their end.
Aside from the Killing Gods who left Slaughter City and the Slaughter King, no one had ever seen the Hell Road open.
Because everyone who had seen it was already dead—either sacrificed to open the Hell Road or perished within it.
Soon, Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena noticed that the red light emanating from the Slaughter King, while exerting tremendous pressure on them, wasn't aimed at them but at the spectators in the stands.
As the red light spread, the previously frenzied cheering of the fallen soul masters gradually quieted. Each fallen soul master's eyes became vacant, then bloodshot.
Before long, as the red light formed a massive barrier in the air above the arena, pained screams began erupting from the first fallen soul masters who came into contact with the red light.
Affected by the red light, these fallen soul masters went berserk, clawing at their faces and bodies.
The fallen soul masters who survived in the inner city and could afford the "ticket" to watch the Hell Slaughter Arena were generally strong.
In the outside world, they were considered elites—if location didn't matter, they were all local powerhouses.
For example, someone's city lord father or academy director grandfather—they were merely ordinary Soul Ancestors.
But now, they directed all their strength toward themselves. Amidst their screams of agony, there was even a sense of extreme pleasure, as if they were undergoing a form of transcendence through this intense self-mutilation.
Their flesh peeled back, blood splattered everywhere, and they even pulled out their own organs, descending into complete madness until death finally stopped them.
More and more fallen soul masters underwent this transformation, spreading like a rapidly expanding virus, soon engulfing the entire arena.
Though both Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena had achieved a hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Slaughter Arena and killed countless fallen soul masters, facing such a large-scale, horrifyingly bloody scene, their faces still turned pale, and the immense bloodlust within them showed signs of spiraling out of control.
The blood flowed to the ground, beginning to converge. Streams of blood flowed through inconspicuous small pipes in the stands toward the central arena.
"To become a sacrifice for the opening of the Hell Road is their honor!"
The low voice of the Slaughter King rang out.
By now, the screams had gradually subsided. Aside from Chu Chengzhou, Hu Liena, and the Slaughter King, there seemed to be no living person left.
The crimson blood flowed into the arena but didn't spread randomly. Unbeknownst to them, grooves had appeared on the ground, channeling the blood into a massive blood-colored bat pattern.
Suddenly, the eyes of the blood-formed bat pattern lit up. A towering red light shot into the sky, instantly enveloping the two of them.
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou felt his senses blur. Only the low, sharp voice of the Slaughter King echoed in his ears—"Good luck on the Hell Road!"
Within the devouring crimson light, both Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena felt their feet lose their footing, and everything around them became surreal. All their senses were completely sealed off.
This inability to control their bodies, akin to being in a vegetative state, filled them with an inexplicable fear.
What Chu Chengzhou and Hu Liena couldn't see was that at the moment they were consumed by the crimson light, the killing intent emanating from their bodies converged into a faint white ripple, protecting them from the red light's erosion.
If not for this killing intent, they might have been completely devoured the moment the bloodlight enveloped them.
After an indeterminate amount of time, accompanied by violent shaking, all sensations returned. The surrounding bloodlight gradually faded.
When Chu Chengzhou fully regained consciousness, he found himself and Hu Liena lying on a circular platform.
Standing up and looking around, everything in his field of vision was tinged with a faint blood-red hue. At the edge of the five-meter-diameter circular platform lay a bottomless abyss.
Additionally, a narrow path less than half a foot wide, barely wide enough for both feet to stand on, stretched into the unknown darkness. This narrow path was the only route from their platform to the outside world.
With his exceptional vision and having once consumed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, granting him "fiery golden eyes," Chu Chengzhou could see that at the bottom of the abyss below the narrow path was a river of molten, constantly churning hot blood.
It was foreseeable that without means to defy gravity, falling into the abyss would have unimaginable consequences.
"Nana, wake up," Chu Chengzhou lifted Hu Liena by the waist and gently patted her behind.
Soon, Hu Liena stirred awake. However, Chu Chengzhou could clearly see flickers of red light in her eyes—not a good sign.
Immediately, Chu Chengzhou circulated his soul power. A white glow of light-elemental soul power emerged, and a somewhat ethereal white soul-powered flower suddenly materialized above his head.
As a petal drifted down, a transparent white radiance enveloped the two of them.
Aside from mental illusions, the defensive technique Instant Bloom ensured that as long as the soul-powered flower remained unbroken, they were invulnerable to all external influences. Moreover, it isolated them from the outside, shielding them from all adverse effects. Given Hu Liena's current unstable state, she couldn't afford to be further eroded by the pervasive evil aura of the Hell Road; otherwise, the accumulated killing intent within her might spiral completely out of control.
"What is this?"
Looking at the white radiance enveloping her body and the ethereal white soul-powered flower floating a foot above Chu Chengzhou's head, Hu Liena asked curiously.
"It's a family-secret ultimate technique. If you want, I'll teach it to you once we're out."
Chu Chengzhou winked at her.
Hearing this, Hu Liena rolled her eyes and punched his chest lightly. "Put me down. My teacher said the Hell Road is very dangerous."
"Just rest easy. Leave everything to me."
Leaning down, Chu Chengzhou kissed her forehead.
"Be careful."
After some thought, Hu Liena, having witnessed Chu Chengzhou's strength, nodded but still gave a reminder.
"Mm."
With a response, Chu Chengzhou lightly tapped his foot. Activating his movement technique Divine Light Dash, he stepped onto the narrow half-foot-wide path, holding Hu Liena close as he sped forward.
"Nana, do you have any plans after leaving Slaughter City?"
As they moved quickly, Chu Chengzhou asked Hu Liena in his arms.
"Plans?"
Hu Liena paused, then seemed to understand something. Her face visibly reddened.
"If you want, you can delay returning to the Spirit Hall for a bit. I'll teach you some ultimate techniques."
Chu Chengzhou shamelessly suggested.
Ultimate techniques were just an excuse. His real intention was clear—he was already fifteen years old, nearly sixteen, and Hu Liena was a blossoming young woman. Many things didn't have to remain confined to illusions—they could be experienced in reality.
"If you want... it's not impossible..."
Lowering her head, Hu Liena whispered softly.
Her voice was faint. If not for the silence of the Hell Road and Chu Chengzhou's keen hearing, he might not have caught it.
"Hehe~" Chu Chengzhou chuckled, his speed increasing.
Not long after, a faint rustling sound came from the darkness ahead.
"It seems something is about to appear. Be careful."
Seeing that Chu Chengzhou didn't seem to notice the movement ahead, Hu Liena couldn't help but warn him.
"No worries, just a bunch of small fries."
Chu Chengzhou paid it no mind. In his perception, a large number of unwelcome guests had indeed appeared ahead—most likely the swarm of bats from the Hell Road in the original story.
However, though the number of bats was vast, their quality was poor. Forget about these small bats—even their leader, the pseudo-immortal Dark Golden Three-Headed Bat King, posed no threat to Chu Chengzhou. He simply ignored them.
The protective divine light emanating from the soul-powered flower above his head was more than enough to withstand the bats' attacks.
Moreover, with Divine Light Dash active, his speed was incredibly fast. By the time he could have dealt with the bats, he would already have carried Hu Liena far beyond their reach.
As Chu Chengzhou finished speaking, Hu Liena saw a dense cluster of blood-red figures appear ahead.
The number of blood-red figures was vast, resembling a cloud of blood.
But before Hu Liena could examine them closely, Chu Chengzhou charged forward with her in his arms.
The grotesque faces and sharp fangs rapidly enlarged in her vision. Caught off guard, Hu Liena instinctively closed her eyes and clung tightly to Chu Chengzhou's neck.
A series of dense collisions echoed in their ears, followed by silence. Upon sensing no disturbances, Hu Liena opened her eyes and looked ahead.
Coincidentally, the first thing she saw was a monstrous figure looming in her field of view.
Ahead, hanging upside down beneath the narrow path, was a massive bat. Bathed in the faint red light, it emitted a dark golden glow.
Over four meters long, its enormous claws gripped the narrow path. Each razor-sharp claw was over a meter long, embedded directly into the stone.
Most terrifying of all, this dark golden bat had three heads!
Opening her eyes to this sight, Hu Liena, nestled in Chu Chengzhou's arms, couldn't help but flinch.
But as if everything were an illusion, with a blink of the eye, the massive dark golden three-headed bat vanished. It was as if the earlier swarm of blood-red bats and the giant dark golden bat had all been figments of her imagination.
Dark Golden Three-Headed Bat King: "Did something just... 'whoosh' past me?"
"Was that the trial of the Hell Road just now?"
Blinking, Hu Liena asked Chu Chengzhou.
"Probably," Chu Chengzhou nodded.
Hu Liena: "..."
Among all soul techniques, there is nothing that cannot be broken except for speed.
As they continued forward, Chu Chengzhou could sense that they were getting closer to the river of blood at the bottom of the abyss.
The river of blood in the Hell Road was no ordinary phenomenon. Not only did it emit scorching heat, but the source of the pervasive evil aura in the surroundings was also this river of blood, formed by countless Bloody Marys.
Fortunately, Instant Bloom could isolate them from the outside, blocking the scorching heat and evil aura. Otherwise, given Hu Liena's current state, heavily influenced by killing intent, even if there were no enemies in the Hell Road, she might not have been able to make it through.
After all, the closer they got to the fiery river of blood in the abyss, the exponentially greater the negative effects would become.
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