Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

The lingering stench of blood and sulfur in the air grew even stronger.

It was also mixed with the smell of sweat, rotting food, and some indescribable madness, making it nauseating.

An invisible, viscous, and insane will pressed down on everyone's soul as if it were a tangible force, making Ning Rongrong and Meng Yiran's faces even paler.

Dugu Yan also frowned slightly, and subconsciously tightened her grip on the brass.

There were many pedestrians on the street, but it was eerily quiet.

Most of them were in a hurry or huddled in a corner, each shrouded in extreme indifference and vigilance.

Their eyes were numb, fierce, or flashing with a morbid excitement.

They wore tattered or bloodstained clothes and cast cold, scrutinizing glances, as if looking at prey or inanimate objects, at Lin Xia and her group of obviously newcomers who were dressed in fine clothes.

But perhaps because of the identity token in Lin Xia's hand, or because of the giant beast Bankiras behind him that exuded terrifying pressure, no one stepped forward to provoke him, though the malice in their eyes was undisguised.

"This... is the City of Slaughter?"

Ning Rongrong's voice trembled slightly as she gripped Meng Yiran's arm tightly.

"Ah."

Lin Xia simply responded, her gaze calmly sweeping over the taverns and casinos with strange signs hanging on both sides of the street, as well as the faintly visible dark red stains in the corners.

His senses, like invisible tentacles, quietly probed deeper underground, where a more massive, darker, and more frenzied core of soul power resided.

"Hehe, welcome to our distinguished guests."

The veiled woman chuckled softly, her voice still gentle and charming, yet it seemed particularly out of place in this environment.

"I am your guide. Over the next twelve hours, I will answer all your questions."

"Twelve hours from now, this will be where you live, and you will officially become members of the Killing City."

As she led the way, she spoke in a soft, seductive voice, yet the content was cold and cruel:

"The Killing City is a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak."

"There are no rules here, or rather, the only rule is killing."

"To obtain everything necessary for survival—food, water, shelter, and even air—it all requires bloodshed."

"The identity tags you hold are your proof of everything here."

She pointed to the tallest, darkest building at the end of the street, exuding the deepest aura of darkness.

"That place is the inner city. It is a true paradise, and a true hell."

"Only the truly strong are qualified to enter. There are richer resources, greater power... and more complete madness and destruction."

Her tone carried a hint of seduction, yet also a hint of warning.

How to replenish blood?

Dugu Yan asked directly, her voice interrupting the atmosphere the woman had deliberately created.

"It's very simple."

A strange light flashed in the woman's eyes.

"Killing. Killing others, and of course, engaging in life-or-death battles in the killing field, where the victor can also receive a generous reward."

"Remember, in the Killing City, never trust anyone."

The veiled woman concluded, her tone carrying a hint of profound meaning.

"Including myself. Twelve hours from now, I wish you all... good luck."

She stopped in front of a stone house that looked relatively intact.

"This is your temporary shelter. You are safe for only twelve hours."

"But if you break the rules on your own initiative, then the rules will not protect you, and you will face hell."

She bowed slightly, her gaze, hidden behind the black veil, lingering for a moment once more on Lin Xia and the Bangiras behind him.

"Looking forward to seeing you all in the inner city."

After saying that, she disappeared silently into the shadows of the street, just as she had appeared.

The stone house door was ajar, emanating a musty smell and a faint stench of blood. Lin Xia pushed the door open and entered, as an even more murky stench hit her.

The interior was extremely sparsely furnished, with only a few stone beds and a stone table, on which were placed a few pieces of hard, black bread and a few jugs of murky water.

"This...this place..."

Ning Rongrong looked at the bread and water and almost burst into tears.

The little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda had never seen such a harsh environment.

Zhu Zhuqing silently walked to the window and cautiously observed the desolate street outside through the narrow crack in the stone.

Dugu Yan picked up a piece of black bread and squeezed it; it was as hard as a rock. She pursed her lips.

Ye Lingling stood quietly in the corner. Her Nine-Heart Begonia perception made her more sensitive to the negative emotions permeating the air. Her cold face was expressionless, but her fingertips curled slightly.

Meng Yiran held the snake staff, her body still trembling slightly.

Bangalore, however, didn't care at all. It found a corner and continued to gnaw on its precious ore with a "crunch crunch" sound that was particularly clear in the deathly silent stone house.

Lin Xia walked to the stone table but did not touch the food or water.

Lin Xia's gaze pierced through the simple walls of the stone house, as if it were directed towards the inner city that exuded the deepest darkness.

"Let's head straight to the inner city; this isn't the place for us!"

After saying this, Lin Xia led the group to catch up with the receptionist.

The girl in the black veil was also taken aback, not understanding why Lin Xia had come after her.

"what happened?"

Lin Xia smiled and then said directly:

"Take us to the inner city!"

After a moment of silence, the girl in the black veil spoke directly:

"Going to the inner city requires participating in the Hell Slaughter Arena, are you sure?"

"That's a deathmatch arena where it's a fight to the death!"

"Less than one-tenth of the people who made it out alive."

"That's also the place in our Killing City where the population is most likely to decrease."

"Each person is only required to enter the Hell Killing Fields once a year."

"As long as you can survive one battle, you can live in the Killing City for another year."

After hearing this, Lin Xia emphasized again:
"go with!"

Through the black veil covering the girl's face, Lin Xia and the others could vaguely see the delicately furrowed brows on her pretty face.

"In that case, please come with me."

After saying that, the girl in the black veil walked into the city.

She maintained a steady pace, always following beside Lin Xia and the others, only slightly faster than Lin Xia by half a step.

Lin Xia wasn't in a hurry to do anything; she simply observed everything around her quietly.

As they were walking, a figure suddenly stood up from the roadside. He had been in a dark corner, and even Lin Xia hadn't noticed him.

"Oh, a few newcomers have arrived. Looks like there's going to be a new Bloody Mary. Hehe."

Ning Rongrong frowned as she looked at the man. She couldn't tell his age because of his unusual physique.

He didn't seem to have much flesh on his body.

If it weren't for the skin covering it, it would be easy to mistake it for a skeleton.

Moreover, through simple observation, everyone could clearly sense that this person's condition was not due to practicing any special techniques.

Deficiency of both qi and blood can lead to death at any time.

"Someone like him can actually pass the Hell's Killing Arena battle once a year?" (End of Chapter)