"Girls, you have performed very well. Teacher is very pleased that you could fight to the last moment even against such a strong opponent. You have become more resolute and courageous."
His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight that seemed to settle directly into the hearts of those who heard it. The oppressive atmosphere of Slaughter City, which had nearly crushed their spirits moments ago, suddenly felt as if it had been cut open by a blade of light.
"If your spirit power had been above eighty ranks today, then even by relying on your own strength, the Slaughter King would not have been able to do anything to you. Now, let Teacher handle it."
When that figure in the large black robe appeared before them, and that familiar and steady voice echoed through the chaos, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Ye Lingling all felt as if the heavy stone pressing on their chests had finally been lifted.
It was not just relief—it was survival itself returning to them.
The four female students looked at Xin's back. That straight, unmoving figure stood between them and the abyss like an unshakable mountain. Slowly, their eyes turned misty, tears gathering before they even realized it, slipping down silently.
In Slaughter City, they had fought like demons, killing and surviving in a place where mercy did not exist.
But it was also the first time they had truly felt how fragile sanity was here. Every step forward required them to crush their own hesitation, to suppress fear, and to repeatedly drag themselves back from the edge of madness.
At moments when their consciousness had nearly collapsed, it had always been Xin's voice that echoed in their minds—calm, distant, yet impossibly clear—pulling them back from the darkness.
Now, standing before the most terrifying existence in Slaughter City, the Slaughter King himself, they finally understood how thin that line between life and death had been.
That suffocating pressure of absolute power made even breathing feel like a struggle. Yet just as despair threatened to swallow everything, Xin had arrived.
No one could describe how overwhelming that moment of hope felt.
"Ah… he's out."
"Teacher is finally here…"
Hu Liena, who had already exhausted her last bit of strength, clutched her chest and slowly steadied her breathing. The lingering fear in her eyes had not yet faded, but it was now mixed with disbelief and awe.
Among the five, she had always known she was the weakest in this situation. Yet even she could not deny the warmth that surged through her when she saw Xin's silhouette.
"Teacher Xin…"
"He actually came."
"Has he really been watching over all of them from the shadows this whole time?"
Her voice softened into something almost reverent.
"Such a Teacher… is really unfairly cool…"
Unlike admiration alone, what filled her heart now was a deeper understanding. She had once been drawn to Xin's appearance, his effortless dominance in the Soul Master Tournament, even his fearless confrontation with the Supreme Pontiff.
But now, seeing him stand here—between them and death—she finally understood what true protection meant.
It was not just strength.
It was responsibility.
A sense of security so complete that even fear seemed unnecessary in his presence.
Meanwhile, the Slaughter King's voice echoed coldly through the arena.
"It's you. A year ago, I vaguely sensed something unusual about you. You never participated in the Hell Slaughter Arena, yet you could instantly kill even a Spirit Douluo from the inner city. I should have expelled you long ago."
The air twisted violently as his killing intent surged.
"Since you dare interfere with the Hell Road trial, then leave your life behind."
A wave of terrifying pressure exploded outward. Even some spectators in the Hell Slaughter Arena began to lose their minds, their bodies trembling as their life force was forcibly extracted. Blood patterns like twisted bats formed across the ground, feeding into the Slaughter King's wounds, slowly restoring his severed arm under the influence of that grotesque energy.
But Xin remained unmoved, his black robe fluttering slightly as if the entire killing domain had nothing to do with him at all.
—