It was no wonder the Slaughter King and the others thought that way. Every Deathgod who walked out of Hell Road had achieved one hundred victories in Slaughter City. At the most basic level, one hundred victories required killing nine hundred opponents. That number only counted the Hell Killing Field and did not include people they might have killed outside the arena.
Calculated that way, the birth of every Deathgod required, at minimum, the slaughter of nearly a thousand opponents. But Slaughter City was not exactly overflowing with people. If too many Deathgods appeared, the number of people inside Slaughter City would naturally shrink. When the population withered completely, Slaughter City would be finished.
Second, if there was one thing about Deathgods that inspired the greatest fear, it was absolutely not their powerful techniques. It was the amplification granted by the Deathgod Domain.
Everyone knew that once someone walked out of Hell Road, the killing intent attached to that Spirit Master would transform into the Deathgod Domain.
On Soul Land, domain abilities were basically unsolvable among opponents of the same level. The Deathgod Domain possessed by Deathgods was even more dangerous. Having that domain was the same as holding a key to Slaughter City. Its rules and restrictions could no longer bind a Deathgod. If a Deathgod wanted to return, even the Slaughter King could not stop them.
For Slaughter City, this was the most terrifying part of the Deathgod Domain.
Therefore, if a Deathgod wanted to destroy Slaughter City, then under the Deathgod Domain, all Spirit Masters could recover the use of their Spirit Skills. That situation would be the greatest possible blow to Slaughter City.
Wu Ling's identity made it even worse. If Wu Ling obtained the Deathgod Domain, then Spirit Hall would have two possessors of the Deathgod Domain at once. For Slaughter City, that was not good news.
"Recently, besides One-Blade Asura, have any other powerful figures appeared?"
The black-veiled woman thought for a moment, then shook her head. "My lord, the warriors of all Slaughter City are currently being pressed so hard by One-Blade Asura that they cannot raise their heads. Even the few at Titled Sage level avoid his edge."
"...Has that One-Blade Asura still not drunk any Bloody Mary? If he has gone this long without drinking Bloody Mary, the poison in the air should have been enough to kill him."
"No, my lord. Over this year and a half, he has always eaten some kind of pill. He has not drunk even one cup of Bloody Mary."
Listening to the black-veiled woman describe One-Blade Asura, this untouchable, unbribable person he had no way to act against, the Slaughter King gloomily downed a cup of Bloody Mary.
"Forget it. A prophecy is only a prophecy. After all these years, nothing has happened, has it? And he is only a slightly stronger Deathgod. Let him keep killing." Although the Slaughter King said that, if he had not been wary of Bibi Dong behind Wu Ling, he would have already toyed with him to death.
After all, one faction having two Deathgods was indeed very bad, but Slaughter City and Spirit Hall could be considered half partners. They should not move against Slaughter City...
In the end, Wu Ling was not necessarily the person in the prophecy. But if he killed Wu Ling, Bibi Dong would absolutely come make trouble in Slaughter City.
"Fine. Adjust One-Blade Asura's opponents slightly for the last few matches. Since no one can defeat him, give him a few weaker opponents. Stop letting him kill the strong ones."
"Understood."
After that, the black-veiled woman left to carry out the order.
A few more days passed. In the Hell Killing Field, a voice rang out for the hundredth time: "One-Blade Asura wins!"
Today, Wu Ling had finally completed one hundred consecutive victories in the Hell Killing Field. The final match had been extremely easy, because all nine of his opponents were people who had only fought a handful of battles.
Wu Ling guessed that this was the Slaughter King's work, but he did not care. It had no effect on him now.
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, when this scene truly happened, the Slaughter King's expression still turned ugly. He could basically confirm that if One-Blade Asura challenged Hell Road alone, his chance of clearing it was one hundred percent.
Becoming a Deathgod in only a year and a half was a miracle Slaughter City had not seen in a hundred years. No, it was the first in recorded history since Slaughter City had been established. Wu Ling had rewritten Slaughter City's history, and because of that, the atmosphere in the Hell Killing Field reached its peak in that instant.
Everyone roared madly.
"Deathgod! Deathgod! Deathgod!"
"Congratulations!" At that moment, a voice came from above the Hell Killing Field. It was not loud, but it drowned out everyone.
"So this is the Slaughter King, Tang Chen?" Wu Ling thought.
The Slaughter King's gaze fell on the spectator stands of the Hell Killing Field.
"I am delighted. Today, I have witnessed the birth of a mighty warrior of the killing field. It has been many years since a hundred-win streak appeared. Relying on his powerful strength and terrifying killing intent, he has made all of you tremble. Is that not so, my people?"
"Yes!" The Slaughter King seemed to possess a strange magic. Every fallen person who saw him produced an almost fanatical worship.
The Slaughter King lowered his head and looked at Wu Ling. "One-Blade Asura, thank you for letting me feel passion again. To commend your achievement, I have decided to make an exception and grant you the title of Deathgod. From this day onward, you may freely enter and leave Slaughter City, and you will be honored as Slaughter City's guest minister, second only to myself."
When it came to Wu Ling, the safest choice was indeed to stop him from challenging Hell Road. That would cut off the possibility of a Deathgod appearing at the root.
But how could Wu Ling possibly agree? Although he did not care much about the Asura God's trial, the Deathgod Domain was still useful. So he immediately refused.
"No need, great Slaughter King. Slaughter City's rules should not be broken because of me. I am willing to pass Hell Road's trial first, then receive your reward. I wish to rely on my own strength to walk out of this place and become a true Deathgod."
Wu Ling was a person with a firm mind. The Slaughter King knew that no matter how he tried to persuade him, it would be useless. With an ugly expression, he said, "Since that is so, step onto Hell Road. Open, gate of Hell!"
An evil, icy red ripple slowly spread from the Slaughter King. In only a few blinks, it had covered the entire arena.
The fallen people in the spectator seats were all strangely excited. They all wanted to witness the opening of Hell Road. However, they did not know that their lives had already reached their end.
Other than Deathgods and the Slaughter King, no one had ever seen the opening of Hell Road. Because everyone who had seen it was dead. They had all become sacrifices for Hell Road's opening.
The fallen ones who had been cheering madly gradually quieted as the red light descended onto the stands. Each fallen person's eyes slowly became vacant, then changed from vacant to bloodshot red. Before long, as the red light formed a vast barrier over the entire Hell Killing Field, agonized screams began from the first people touched by the red light.
Under the red light's influence, those fallen ones seemed to go insane, desperately scratching at their own faces and bodies.
"To become sacrifices for the opening of Hell Road is your glory." The Slaughter King's low voice rang out. By now, the screams had gradually faded. Other than Wu Ling and the Slaughter King, there seemed to be no living person left here.
Blood flowed into the arena, but it did not spread in straight lines. At some point, grooves had appeared in the ground. Blood poured into them and gradually gathered into an enormous blood-red pattern.
The pattern erupted with dazzling red light. Then the ground beneath Wu Ling suddenly vanished. A terrifying suction force came from beneath the Hell Killing Field, like a gaping maw, swallowing Wu Ling in one bite.
"Hmph. I wish you luck inside Hell Road!" The Slaughter King's low, sharp voice echoed beside Wu Ling's ears.
No one knew how long passed. Only after a violent tremor did Wu Ling's body regain freedom. When he came back to his senses, he was standing on a circular platform only five or six meters across.
This was the starting point of Hell Road.