Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 110: The Path of Hell

At that moment, a strange sound echoed from the sky.

"Congratulations, young God of Slaughter."

A low, sharp voice reverberated from all directions. Instantly, Yang Potian's killing aura, which had been released in waves, was forced back into his body, causing his face to pale. Yet, amid this intensity, he felt his murderous aura nearly solidify—so potent that he could wield it as a weapon.

High above the Hell Slaughter Arena, the King of Slaughter appeared, a spectral blood-red figure.

"King of Slaughter! King of Slaughter!" the crowd chanted fervently, filling the arena with deafening roars.

The King of Slaughter turned his gaze to the grandstands, his eyes locking onto the crowd.

"I am delighted to witness the birth of such a powerful champion today," he announced. "It has been decades since a warrior achieved the hundredth victory. This young man has proven himself, dominating the arena with sheer strength and terrifying killing intent."

"Young God of Slaughter, you have rekindled my thrill for the fight! A hundred victories, remarkable indeed. In recognition of your achievements, I hereby bestow upon you the title of God of Slaughter. From now on, you may freely enter and leave Slaughter City and shall be granted the rank of Guest Elder, second only to myself."

Yang Potian sneered, "Thank you, mighty King of Slaughter. Please open the Path of Hell for me. I wish to face its trials and earn my own escape, to become a true God of Slaughter."

The King of Slaughter's gaze hardened. "The Path of Hell is more terrifying than you can imagine, young God. Remember, a human life comes only once."

With determination in his eyes, Yang Potian replied, "Thank you, King of Slaughter. But I am resolved to face this final challenge on my own strength."

The King of Slaughter surveyed the crowd, then returned his gaze to Yang Potian. After a pause, he spoke, "Very well. I shall open the Path of Hell for you. But do not regret your decision."

Suddenly, dense red fog poured from the King of Slaughter, spreading out in dark, malevolent waves, chilling to the bone. Yang Potian felt the air grow icy and evil, filled with a force far beyond killing intent—something far colder and more ominous. According to legend, this was not just killing aura; it was likely the Slaughter Domain itself or an even higher-level manifestation.

The blood-red energy radiated from the King of Slaughter, saturating the arena. Oddly, though Yang Potian felt its immense pressure, the light wasn't directed at him but rather at the spectators around the stands.

Within seconds, the red glow enveloped the entire audience. People began to scream and writhe as though something vital was being extracted from them.

The energy grew stronger, and the entire crowd collapsed, seemingly drained. The arena itself seemed to come alive, like a massive beast, greedily swallowing the life force of everyone present. Blood flowed from each body, drawn not only from their veins but also their bones and souls.

The screams faded as the crowd was reduced to silence, every last spectator consumed by the arena. The blood pooled into channels carved into the ground, forming a massive crimson symbol. From above, Yang Potian recognized the shape as a monstrous bat-like creature—the true face of the King of Slaughter, the legendary Scarlet Nine-Headed Bat King.

As the blood reached the center of the arena, the ground began to collapse beneath Yang Potian's feet. He felt weightless, falling rapidly into a dark void.

Yang Potian regained consciousness sometime later, finding himself standing on what appeared to be an altar.

Looking around, he couldn't help but inhale sharply at the ominous sight. Everything was tinted in faint red hues. He stood on a five-meter-wide circular platform surrounded by a deep abyss. A narrow bridge, just wide enough for his feet, extended from the platform into the shadows, offering the only route forward.

"This must be the fabled Path of Hell," Yang Potian thought.

Below, a vast blood-red sea seemed to pulse, a chilling reminder of the souls sacrificed to sustain Slaughter City's dreadful energy. As Yang Potian gazed at it, he felt a strange pull, an intense craving emanating from his Soul-Breaking Spear, as though it was drawn to the blood sea.

Steeling himself, Yang Potian pushed the sensation aside and stepped onto the narrow path.

The further he walked, the closer the blood sea seemed to loom, and the hotter the air grew. Alone and unprotected, Yang Potian could only press forward, knowing that the only way out was through.

Strange noises began to fill the air, an unsettling hum that soon grew louder and closer. Soon enough, he could make out the creatures producing it—a swarm of blood-red bats, each resembling the bat-shaped symbol he had seen in the arena, only smaller. The bats, each about a foot long with wingspans over a meter, swarmed toward him like a cloud of red mist.

Yang Potian summoned his Soul-Breaking Spear, noticing that the bats' eyes gleamed with a greedy hunger as they zeroed in on him. Unfazed, he swung his spear, encircling himself in a protective whirlwind of strikes that kept the bats at bay, felling them one by one.

Yet they were relentless, an endless wave of bloodthirsty creatures. Realizing the futility of taking them on individually, Yang Potian clenched his jaw and activated his third spear technique: The Union of a Thousand Blades. His spear erupted with numerous blade-like projections that converged into one massive spear projection, tearing a gaping hole through the swarm.

Without looking back, he pressed onward along the narrow path, moving as quickly as he dared.

But just as he thought he'd gained ground, a massive shadow loomed ahead on the path. Something far larger and more dangerous was waiting.

Bathed in a dim red glow, the creature emitted an ominous dark-golden light. Measuring around four meters in length, its massive claws gripped the narrow path, each claw more than a meter in diameter and piercing deeply into the stone.

Amidst the shrill cries of countless blood bats, this dark-golden beast slowly unfurled a pair of immense wings, spanning an impressive ten meters. With a mighty release of its claws, it took flight on its massive wings—a colossal, terrifying three-headed bat, entirely dark gold in color. As it rose, swarms of blood bats gathered behind it, rallying around their formidable leader.

This, without a doubt, was the first major obstacle on the Path of Hell: the Dark-Golden Three-Headed Bat King.

Under the command of this formidable leader, the blood bats regrouped, attacking with renewed coordination. Some of the bats even targeted the path itself, clearly intent on blocking Yang Potian's advance.

Yang Potian wasted no time. In an instant, he flashed forward, appearing directly in front of the three-headed bat, his Soul-Breaking Spear aimed directly at its body in a piercing strike.

Yet the Dark-Golden Bat King was quick to respond, crossing its massive claws to block the attack. Sparks flew as the spear clashed against its claws, but Yang Potian's relentless force pressed on, carving a deep wound into the creature's body despite the resistance.

The surrounding bats, seeing their leader injured, swarmed him in a frenzy, attacking without regard for their lives.

In one swift movement, Yang Potian infused his spear with all his killing intent, his hands tightening around the weapon. He struck again with a tremendous thrust, his spear carrying the spectral image of a dragon.

This was the second form of his Soul-Breaking Nine Techniques: Dragon Strike.

Even with countless bats charging directly into its path, this attack, carrying an unstoppable force, pierced through the Dark-Golden Three-Headed Bat King like a dragon. The spear tore through its body, creating a gaping wound.

The beast let out a piercing shriek, its eyes shifting toward the wound. Responding to some unheard command, the blood bats swarmed toward their leader, who opened its gaping maw and began devouring them, its wound visibly shrinking as it fed.

Yang Potian, unwilling to let the creature recover, immediately unleashed Flash Strike to reappear before the bat. This time, he unleashed a rapid barrage of strikes, his spear piercing through the creature's heads repeatedly.

With each lethal strike, the Dark-Golden Bat King's heads were impaled one after another until, finally, it fell lifeless to the ground. The remaining blood bats, now leaderless, scattered in chaos—some attacking Yang Potian, others fleeing in all directions.

Yang Potian dispatched a few of the bats with casual swipes of his spear, then continued forward along the Path of Hell at a swift pace.

These bats were merely minor obstacles. His priority was to reach the end of the path as quickly as possible; who knew what other dangers lay ahead?

A greater, more fearsome monster awaited him further down the road—a trial that would test him even further.

(End of Chapter)

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