Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Ye Lingling and the others couldn't help but be curious.

Only then did the skeletal figure notice the girl in black veil on Lin Xia's other side. As if it had encountered something terrifying, it dared not say anything more and quickly disappeared back into the shadows.

"of course not."

"Not everyone needs to be baptized in the hellish killing field."

"After all, the mortality rate there is too high."

"Besides experiencing a battle in the hellish killing field every year, there is another way to survive in the killing city."

"That means contributing two Bloody Marys every month."

Before arriving here, everyone already knew what Bloody Mary was.

That's human blood.

Judging from this, that person must have shed countless amounts of blood to end up like this, and he probably won't last much longer.

"If we contribute too much Bloody Mary, won't we be at the mercy of others?"

Ye Lingling frowned.

Her cold voice stood out clearly in the oppressive street, carrying a hint of barely perceptible disgust.

As a Nine-Heart Begonia Soul Master, her perception of life force was far more acute than others. The thick, suffocating stench of decay and blood, along with the despair in the air, made her fingertips feel icy cold.

The girl in the black veil paused slightly, glanced at Ye Lingling, and her eyes behind the veil were unfathomable.

"No, you are currently in the outer city of the Killing City, not the real Killing City."

Her voice remained soft and alluring, but the content was icy.

"Only the inner city is a place where there are truly no rules."

"Those who contribute to Bloody Mary's survival can only operate in the outer city, and killing indiscriminately is not allowed in the outer city."

She raised her finger and pointed to the figures huddled in the dark corner.

"They are simply living blood bags, nothing more. Here, survival is the only rule."

"Only the warriors who survive the hellish killing fields are qualified to live in the inner city. Of course, the comforts there far surpass those outside,"

Her tone carried a hint of seduction, which quickly turned into a cold warning.

"But the price is that you could face death at any moment."

Ning Rongrong's face was still a little pale, but she forced herself to maintain the composure of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's little princess and pressed on with her question:
"So, the Killing City is a completely different world. Then what is the food source here? In a place like this, I doubt anyone would bother to grow anything, right?"

The girl in the black veil's expression really changed this time. Although it was hard to see clearly through the veil, her tone stiffened for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. I can't answer that."

She avoided Ning Rongrong's probing gaze.

Ning Rongrong was clearly dissatisfied with this perfunctory answer, a sharp glint flashing in her glass-like eyes.

"Does the Spirit Hall know of this place's existence?"

She raised her voice slightly, with the characteristic scrutinizing tone of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School towards the Spirit Hall.

"If they knew, why didn't they come and wipe out you... this land of evil?"

"Rongrong".

Before the girl in the black veil could speak, Lin Xia's calm voice rang out, carrying a hint of barely perceptible helplessness.

He raised his hand and gently pressed Ning Rongrong's shoulder, signaling her to calm down.

Ning Rongrong turned to look at Lin Xia, her expression puzzled.

Lin Xia's gaze swept over the desolate streets and the malicious prying eyes hidden in the shadows, a faint, mocking smile curving her lips.

"You can't judge a book by its cover."

He spoke calmly, as if stating a very simple fact.

“Of course the Spirit Hall knows about this place. Not only do they know, they probably know it better than anyone else.” Ning Rongrong was taken aback.

Zhu Zhuqing's cat-like eyes narrowed slightly, while Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also looked at Lin Xia.

Lin Xia continued, her voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"The Spirit Hall would never take any action against this place. Destroying the Slaughter City? What benefit would it bring them?"

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the low-hanging, dark red sky.

"Don't forget, those who enter the Killing City are almost all vicious, desperate, or outlaws who are not tolerated by the rules of the continent. Once they enter, it is almost impossible for them to leave."

Lin Xia pointed to the scorched earth beneath her feet.

"This place is a natural, enormous prison."

"An excellent cage that allows the Spirit Hall to lock up the most troublesome 'trash' on the continent and let them fend for themselves without having to expend a single soldier."

"The Spirit Hall is happy to see this happen, and even hopes that more of these 'trash' will voluntarily crawl in."

"In this way, there will be fewer troubles on the mainland, and the cost for them to maintain 'order' will be lower."

"Tell me, why did they want to destroy this place?"

Lin Xia's words were like a cold awl, piercing Ning Rongrong's idealized perception of the Spirit Hall.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself unable to find a strong reason.

Lin Xia's logic is cold and direct, hitting the nail on the head.

The girl in the black veil listened quietly to the sound, and a very soft, ambiguous laugh seemed to come from beneath the veil.

She neither confirmed nor denied Lin Xia's words, but simply bowed slightly.

"This distinguished guest certainly has a keen eye."

Just then, a suppressed commotion and a beast-like roar came from the front of the street.

A group of ragged, crazed people were surrounding a figure curled up on the ground, fighting over something, accompanied by grating tearing sounds and the splattering of liquid dripping.

A stronger, more pungent smell of blood suddenly spread out.

Meng Yiran gasped in fright and grabbed Ye Lingling's arm tightly.

Ye Lingling's lips, hidden beneath her veil, were pursed white. Her Nine-Heart Begonia perception allowed her to clearly "see" the flame of life rapidly extinguishing.

The girl in the black veil seemed completely unfazed, her tone devoid of any emotion.

“Killing is prohibited in the outer city, but if an accident occurs during the ‘contribution’ process, or if one dies naturally due to weakness, it is not considered a violation of the rules.”

She stepped aside, gesturing for everyone to avoid the chaotic area.

"The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is just another form of 'rule' here."

Lin Xia merely glanced at the bloody scene, her eyes remaining completely unmoved.

"Let's go."

He took a step forward, without any intention of taking a detour, and walked straight towards the direction of the riot.

Bangiras let out a low growl, his scarlet eyes sweeping across the crowd, and an invisible, ferocious aura spread out as if it were a tangible thing.

Those who had been frantically scrambling suddenly froze, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, and looked in horror at Lin Xia and the colossal beast beside him that exuded terrifying pressure.

It was a fear stemming from a life-or-death instinct, far more effective than any prohibition imposed on the outer city.

The crowd parted like a tide, instantly clearing a path, and no one dared to even glance at the mangled corpse on the ground.

Lin Xia led the group through the middle with expressionless faces.

Ning Rongrong suppressed the churning in her stomach and stayed close to Lin Xia.

Zhu Zhuqing stood guard on the other side, her cat-like eyes sharply scanning the fearful and deeper malice in the gazes on both sides.

Dugu Yan licked her slightly dry lips, her emerald green snake eyes flashing with an unusual light, and whispered:
"It truly is... hell for the weak." (End of Chapter)