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Slaughter City was a place where nightmares became real. In the Hell Slaughter Arena, the thick scent of blood was so strong it felt like a heavy fog. On the dark red floor, nine more bodies had just been added to the pile. These corpses were shriveling up quickly as their life force was drained away.
Tang San stood in the middle of the dead. The bloody mist around him was thicker than ever before. It smelled sweet and fishy at the same time, a scent that would make anyone else feel sick. He had just defeated all his opponents using very fast and cruel moves.
In his hand, he held his mutated Dark Blue Silver Grass. The grass looked like hungry tentacles that wanted blood. It wrapped around the nine corpses and drank every drop of blood and spirit power they had left.
Because he kept killing and devouring others, Tang San's strength in this evil city grew very fast. His body also healed much quicker than normal people. It had been less than a year since he arrived. In that time, Tang San had won seventy-nine battles in the Hell Slaughter Arena! He only needed twenty-one more wins to reach a hundred. Once he hit that number, he could challenge the Hell Road and finally leave this terrible place.
But this fast growth in power came with a scary price. Recently, Tang San felt a change. The more people he killed and absorbed in Slaughter City, the heavier his slaughter aura became. He also felt that his mind was being poisoned. An evil will from outside was trying to take over his thoughts.
While he was in Slaughter City, he often saw a ghost. It was a phantom of a very beautiful woman who was covered in darkness. She carried a black magic scythe. This weapon was wrapped in a dark energy that felt like death and hatred. The scythe looked like it was made from pure evil. Just looking at it made Tang San's soul shake with fear.
Lately, this spooky woman with the scythe appeared more often. She was becoming clearer to see. She seemed to be everywhere. She was there when Tang San was fighting and when he was sitting down to do his cultivation. Even when he fell asleep for a short time, she would show up in his dreams. She would stand there and smile at him without making a sound. She was trying to trick him into letting out the darkness and anger inside his heart. Sometimes, she would even whisper in his ear.
"Hahaha, you look like you are a perfect fit for my God Position Legacy!" she would say.
These evil thoughts were starting to make Tang San lose his mind. He was becoming very grumpy and easily angered. He could not control how he felt anymore. A red light would often flash in his eyes, but he did not even notice it. The worst part was what happened when his father, Tang Hao, came to visit. Tang Hao wanted to help him and guide him, but Tang San's body would react on its own. The moment his father got close, Tang San would jump out and launch a fierce attack. He almost hit his own father by mistake! Every time it happened, he managed to stop himself at the last second, or Tang Hao would hold him down. This loss of control made Tang Hao very worried and left Tang San feeling terrified of himself.
A few days later, in a different place, the night was dark and stormy. Heaven Dou City was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire. It was the biggest and busiest city around. Usually, there were people everywhere. But tonight, the air felt heavy and tight. It felt like a big storm was about to start.
Inside the meeting hall of Tianxing Academy, the mood was very serious. Ning Fengzhi, the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, sat with the powerful Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong. They were meeting with Dugu Bo, who was also known as the Poison Douluo. They were trying to figure out what to do next.
Ning Fengzhi rubbed his head and spoke first. "Poison Douluo, the Emperor knows that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was destroyed. He is very angry about it. To get ready for an attack, the Emperor has locked down the whole city. He also sent out more guards to walk the streets. I have talked to the army. If Spirit Hall tries to attack Tianxing Academy, the Royal Knights will be here in ten minutes to help us." This was the best help the Heaven Dou Empire could offer right now.
Dugu Bo nodded his head. He looked very worried. "Please thank the Emperor for me," he said in a deep voice. "And thank you, School Master Ning, for all your hard work."
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand. He looked sad because they had all lost so much. "We are all in this together now. We have to help each other to survive. There is no need for such polite words."
Suddenly, Sword Douluo Chen Xin started to cough. His face was very pale. He had lost an arm in a recent fight and was still very hurt. He looked at Dugu Bo and asked with a shaky voice, "Poison Douluo, have you heard anything about the boy, Tang Chuan?"
When he mentioned Tang Chuan, everyone in the room looked up. They all hoped to hear good news. That young man was famous for doing things that seemed impossible. Right now, he was their only hope in this dark time.
"Not yet," Dugu Bo said while shaking his head. He looked very concerned.
But just as he finished talking, a high, thin voice came from the dark sky outside. It sounded like a cold snake. The voice was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. It sounded very mean and arrogant.
"Old Poison! Get out here right now!"
The four men in the room jumped. Their faces changed instantly. They knew that the enemy had finally arrived, and they had come much faster than they expected. Dugu Bo stood up quickly. His eyes were full of anger. "It looks like they are here," he said coldly. "I will go out and meet these cowards who hide in the dark."
He did not wait. He moved so fast he looked like a green streak of light. He flew out of the room, crashing right through the roof of the building. He stopped in the air, hovering above Tianxing Academy. The wind was blowing hard, making his green robes flap around.
Two powerful people were waiting for him. Under the light of the moon, he saw Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei. They were floating in the sky. Both sides stared at each other. The power coming from these Titled Douluo was so strong that the air felt like it was turning into solid rock. It was clear that a huge fight was about to begin.
At the same time, as soon as the two elders from Spirit Hall showed their power, a loud horn sounded across Heaven Dou City! This was the signal for the highest level of danger. The Royal Knights, who were waiting for orders, started to move. They sounded like a river of steel. The sound of horse hooves and metal armor filled the air. They carried torches and rushed toward Tianxing Academy.
Ning Fengzhi's plan was working. The knights were moving very fast. But Spirit Hall had a better plan. Just as the knights reached the main streets near the Academy, something happened.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Arrows and bright lights from spirit abilities shot out from everywhere! People were hiding in small alleys, on top of roofs, and even inside houses. Many men dressed in black jumped out from the shadows like ghosts. They held sharp swords and their spirit rings were glowing. They attacked the Royal Knights from all sides.
"It is an ambush! Get into formation! Fight back!" the knight captains screamed. The night was no longer quiet. It was filled with the sounds of screaming men, loud explosions, and the clashing of swords. There was a huge battle happening in the streets.
Even though the Royal Knights were good at fighting, they were stuck. The spirit masters from Spirit Hall were too strong and had the advantage of surprise. The knights could not move forward to help the Academy. Tianxing Academy was now all alone.
Up in the air, the moonlight shone on Dugu Bo's face. He looked at the two men in front of him. They were his old enemies. He let out a mean laugh. "Yue Guan, Gui Mei. I did not think it would be you two again. Are you here to die?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo acted like he was sorry. He shook his head. "Old Poison, things change. The Supreme Pontiff is tired of waiting. She has no more patience for your Academy. Do not be mad at us. We are just doing what we were told to do." Then, his voice became a bit softer, as if he were trying to be helpful. "However, since we have known each other for a long time, I will give you a chance. If you surrender now and stop fighting, I might ask the Supreme Pontiff to let you live. What do you think?"
"Shut up!" Dugu Bo yelled. He was very angry. His long hair started to fly around even though there was no wind. "If you want to fight, then let's fight! Stop talking! I will never surrender to you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dugu Bo let out a huge roar. Nine spirit rings appeared around him. There were two yellow, two purple, and five black rings. They glowed very brightly. The pressure of a Titled Douluo pushed out in every direction. He did not waste any time. His seventh black spirit ring started to shine.
"Seventh Spirit Ability! Emerald Phosphorus Divine Dragon True Body!"
A loud dragon roar filled the air. Suddenly, a giant green dragon appeared. It was over thirty meters long and covered in shiny scales. It breathed out a thick, green poison. The dragon was so big it covered the moon. Dugu Bo jumped onto the dragon's head. He and the dragon moved together like they were one person. They flew toward the two elders like a green star.
But Ghost Douluo Gui Mei just laughed quietly. His body looked like a wobbly shadow. "Old Poison, you are not fighting us today."
As he said that, two more huge bursts of power appeared from the sides! They were as fast as lightning. Two more people jumped out to block Dugu Bo's path. On the left was a man who looked like a mountain. His skin was dark gold and his eyes looked like a bear's eyes. This was Devil Bear Douluo. On the right was a man who was lean and fast like a cat. His eyes glowed green. This was Ghost Leopard Douluo.
There were now four Titled Douluo! Spirit Hall had sent four of their strongest fighters just to deal with Dugu Bo. The power from these four men felt like four big mountains pushing down on him. Dugu Bo and his giant dragon were now surrounded. He could no longer move forward easily.
"Seventh Spirit Ability! Devil Bear True Body!" "Seventh Spirit Ability! Ghost Shadow True Body!"
The two new fighters yelled at the same time. Suddenly, a giant golden bear and a blurry shadow leopard appeared in the sky. They both attacked Dugu Bo at once. The bear used its huge claws and the leopard sent out sharp winds that cut through the air. Dugu Bo was strong, but he was fighting two Titled Douluo who were using their strongest forms. He had to use all his poison to make shields and dragons just to stay alive. He was trapped in the air and could not help anyone else.
While Dugu Bo was busy, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo looked at each other and nodded. They flew past the fight and led a group of men in black into the Academy grounds. When they landed, Chrysanthemum Douluo pointed his finger toward the buildings.
"Kill everyone! Leave no one alive!" he ordered.
The men in black started to scream and run toward the buildings with their spirits ready. They began to attack everyone they saw. People started to scream in fear. But right at that moment, something changed.