Chapter 145: The Hell Slaughter Arena

Chapter 145: The Hell Slaughter Arena

"So, you really came here for training!"

Although Hu Liena had already guessed that Su Mo came to the City of Slaughter for the same reason she did, hearing his confirmation still surprised her.

But what shocked her more was that Su Mo actually dared to come to such a place.

After all, he was only a Soul Ancestor.

However, recalling his combat prowess, Hu Liena had no words to refute his decision.

"You just arrived. Do you need me to give you an introduction?"

She smiled as she spoke.

It wasn't that Hu Liena no longer disliked Su Mo, but compared to the others in this city, he was at least someone familiar—someone she could talk to.

Especially since Su Mo hadn't mistaken her for an evil soul master. Instead, he immediately recognized that she was here for training.

She had been in the City of Slaughter for nearly a year. In all that time, she had no one to truly converse with. Living in an environment filled with darkness and bloodshed was suffocating.

For once, she desperately needed someone to talk to—otherwise, the oppressive nature of this place would be unbearable.

"Thank you, but no need."

Su Mo gave Hu Liena a surprised glance. He hadn't expected her to show goodwill, but he simply responded with indifference.

Then, he continued watching the battles in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

Hu Liena's expression stiffened slightly at his rejection.

If it were anywhere else or anyone else, she would have turned away without hesitation.

But perhaps it was because she had spent too long alone in the City of Slaughter, or perhaps because Su Mo was the one who had once defeated her—she found herself unable to maintain her usual arrogance in front of him.

So instead of leaving, Hu Liena simply sat down beside him and joined him in watching the fights.

Su Mo glanced at her but said nothing. Where she chose to sit was her own choice.

"Who is that kid?"

"The Hell Messenger seems to know him!"

"He dares to ignore the Hell Messenger? That's crazy!"

"Could he be another terrifying figure?"

The spectators were completely stunned.

Over the past year, Hu Liena had risen like a dark horse, earning the fear and respect of all.

Her merciless strength earned her the title of Hell Messenger—a name that signified death for anyone foolish enough to provoke her.

But her reputation wasn't just because of her overwhelming strength.

Unlike most newcomers who avoided the Hell Slaughter Arena for as long as possible, Hu Liena actively sought out battles, treating them as training.

In less than a year, she had already achieved over twenty consecutive victories.

A warrior both powerful and ruthless—how could the others not fear her?

And now, someone dared to ignore Hu Liena, yet she hadn't retaliated. Naturally, everyone grew curious about Su Mo's identity.

Their first instinct was not to provoke him lightly.

Su Mo ignored their reactions and continued watching the fight.

In the arena, the competitors were fighting with their lives on the line. Each one displayed a level of brutality unseen in normal tournaments.

This was nothing like the Soul Master Tournament, where killing was forbidden.

Nor was it like the Spirit Arenas, where most fights were friendly duels with few life-or-death battles.

The Hell Slaughter Arena was different.

Here, ten entered, but only one left alive.

Hesitation meant death.

Living in the City of Slaughter was just as brutal. Anyone without the will to kill would not survive long.

"What's going on?"

Su Mo suddenly felt something off.

A faint energy was circulating in the air, subtly seeping into his body.

His body should have long been immune to poisons—so what was this?

Closing his eyes, he focused his senses and clearly perceived the presence of this mysterious energy.

It was continuously entering his body from the surroundings.

However, as soon as this energy reached his dantian, something unexpected happened.

Inside his martial soul space, his Rakshasa Scythe reacted.

The dark energy was instantly pulled toward it and devoured without hesitation.

"These are the corrupting energies generated by the fallen souls of this city. The longer you stay, the more it will influence you. Those who are deeply affected eventually lose their minds."

"The only way to suppress it is by drinking the Yellow Springs Dew."

"But that's just drinking poison to quench thirst. Over time, the evil energy accumulates in the body, making the corruption irreversible."

"Only those with an unshakable will can resist its effects."

"Not that you need to worry, Su Mo."

"I wasn't concerned about you to begin with, and now that you have the Rakshasa Scythe absorbing the corruption for you, it's even less of a problem."

Bibi Dong's voice echoed in Su Mo's mind.

"I see."

Su Mo nodded inwardly, now fully understanding the nature of this place.

The evil energy in the City of Slaughter was everywhere, born from the sins of its inhabitants.

To suppress its effects, one had to drink Yellow Springs Dew—which explained why the outer city dwellers were required to provide it.

But the Yellow Springs Dew distributed by the City of Slaughter was secretly laced with a slow-acting poison.

While it temporarily suppressed the corruption, it also ensured dependency, making those who drank it slowly succumb to its effects.

In the original story, Tang San had discovered this poison upon drinking Yellow Springs Dew for the first time.

Su Mo didn't remember exactly how Tang San resolved it—but it didn't matter.

For him, the problem was completely irrelevant.

No matter what kind of corruption entered his body, his Rakshasa Scythe would simply devour it all.

When Su Mo opened his eyes, the battle in the Hell Slaughter Arena had already concluded.

One of the contestants stood victorious in the center of the ring, basking in their triumph.

"Su Mo, do you know what he's doing?"

"He's absorbing the soul power of his fallen opponents, replenishing his own and even increasing his cultivation."

"This is one of the benefits of the Hell Slaughter Arena. Killing allows you to level up faster."

"This method works anywhere in the City of Slaughter."

"That's why this city is so violent—everyone is trying to grow stronger through endless bloodshed."

Hu Liena's voice once again reached Su Mo's ears.

"Nana, being so generous?"

Bibi Dong's spiritual consciousness appeared beside Su Mo, casting a curious glance at Hu Liena.

She had hoped Hu Liena wouldn't remain hostile toward Su Mo over the Soul Master Tournament, but she hadn't expected her to actively offer him guidance.

"Su Mo, remind Nana—after you register, she shouldn't sign up immediately after you. Otherwise, the two of you might end up in the same Hell Slaughter Arena."

Bibi Dong's tone carried a hint of warning.

Su Mo didn't refuse her request.

He had no intention of killing Hu Liena in front of Bibi Dong.

If they ended up in the same arena, he would have no choice but to eliminate her.

"Thanks for telling me all this."

"As a token of appreciation, I'll give you a warning too."

Taking the opportunity, Su Mo relayed Bibi Dong's advice to Hu Liena.

After finishing his words, Su Mo stood up and left.

He had conveyed Bibi Dong's message, and that was enough.

He believed Hu Liena would be smart enough to avoid registering for the same Hell Slaughter Arena match as him.

Unlike those who had no choice but to participate after surviving for a year, Hu Liena had plenty of time and could easily avoid it.

"This guy..."

Watching Su Mo's departing figure, Hu Liena stomped her foot in frustration, feeling both speechless and annoyed.

She had kindly given Su Mo some useful information, but his response had been so indifferent.

Not only was he dismissive, but he even told her to avoid signing up for the same match as him. Did he think she wasn't good enough?

Well…

Recalling Su Mo's strength, Hu Liena had to admit that if they ended up in the same Hell Slaughter Arena, it would indeed be dangerous for her.

Once inside, there would be no mercy—only one could survive.

"This infuriating guy!"

Even though she knew Su Mo was looking out for her, Hu Liena still felt aggrieved watching him leave.

She had already lowered herself to extend goodwill and even took the initiative to speak with him, yet he was so indifferent.

She couldn't remember the last time someone had treated her this way.

Meanwhile, the other spectators, witnessing Su Mo's attitude toward Hu Liena, were even more shocked.

At the same time, their curiosity and wariness toward him grew.

They silently warned themselves not to provoke Su Mo without first understanding his true strength.

And definitely not to end up in the same Hell Slaughter Arena as him.

But their curiosity would soon be answered.

Because Su Mo immediately registered for the Hell Slaughter Arena.

"The Hell Slaughter Arena begins!"

As the host's voice echoed, the nine other competitors who had entered the arena with Su Mo all summoned their martial souls.

Those with tool martial souls immediately gripped their weapons tightly.

Beast martial soul users activated their martial souls, their hands gripping additional weapons like swords, spears, or clubs.

Weapons, which soul masters often disregarded in the outside world, were indispensable in the City of Slaughter.

Many battles erupted simply to seize better weapons.

Without hesitation, Su Mo reached out, summoning his Meteorite Spear, gripping it firmly in his hands as he stood calmly in place.

For now, he had no plans to summon his martial soul.

A top-tier weapon was already enough to handle his opponents.

"What kind of weapon is that?"

"That looks like it was forged from meteorite iron..."

"Gasp..."

"A top-tier weapon?"

The moment Su Mo revealed his spear, the spectators' expressions changed, their eyes gleaming with desire.

A top-tier weapon was an incredibly rare commodity in the City of Slaughter.

A powerful weapon meant a significant boost in strength.

Seeing Su Mo's spear, every soul master in the arena felt a flicker of greed.

"Let's see how strong this guy really is."

Despite their desires, they didn't act rashly.

They wanted to gauge Su Mo's strength first.

"A top-tier weapon?!"

"Everyone, attack him first!"

"Kill him!"

Su Mo's opponents, already wary of him due to Hu Liena's reaction, instantly reached a consensus.

They would eliminate him first.

Beyond fearing his strength, they also wanted his weapon.

"Bringing such a fine weapon here... This guy clearly came prepared."

Hu Liena, watching from the stands, was also taken aback upon seeing Su Mo's spear.

Her golden eyes flickered slightly—

She was now certain that, like her, Su Mo had entered the City of Slaughter on his own accord for training.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have prepared such a weapon in advance.

A good weapon in the City of Slaughter was as precious as a soul bone.

Seeing Su Mo being targeted by the other contestants, Hu Liena felt a tinge of concern.

She wasn't sure if he could handle so many enemies at once.

Unlike her, Su Mo didn't have an innate charm ability.

Even without using soul skills, Hu Liena's charm could manipulate enemies, making her nearly untouchable in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

But Su Mo was different.

She wasn't sure if he could withstand a coordinated assault.

She didn't want to see him die.

Otherwise, she would once again have no one to talk to.

As for why he hadn't summoned his martial soul, Hu Liena wasn't surprised.

In her mind, Su Mo's spear was likely stronger than his martial soul, so he was simply conserving soul power.

What she didn't know was that Su Mo had soul-weapon integration, meaning his strength would rise even further once he summoned his martial soul.

The other spectators also weren't surprised by his decision.

Many soul masters in the City of Slaughter preferred relying on weapons rather than summoning tool martial souls.

"Hmph."

Facing his opponents' alliance, Su Mo merely let out a faint snort.

Without hesitation, he raised his spear—

And charged forward.

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