Chapter 149: The Transformation of the Body Martial Soul

It was only the first day of arriving in Killing City that Yang Xiong already sensed its extraordinary nature.

Even though Yang Xiong found an empty and remote house, within just the first night as many as seven people slipped in secretly, each obviously with malicious intent.

It seems that basically everyone assumes they are a newcomer Xiao Bai in Killing City, with no precautions, so they immediately set their sights on him.

In Killing City, Yang Xiong has absolutely no time for Meditation; there is no day or night here, and at all times it is filled with killing, his nerves are constantly on edge, and there is never a moment to relax.

Moreover, the methods of attack are numerous; some exploit certain traits of their martial soul for offense, such as using the martial soul to release poison, or to create confusion, and there are even martial souls of a dark nature that can ensnare the unwary.

In short, the people here have no order, no morality, and drawing a gun from behind is considered perfectly normal.

Furthermore, those who live in the Nei Cheng of Killing City have extremely rich combat experience, each highly vigilant; even the most inconspicuous, destitute individuals constantly harbor murderous intent and cannot relax until the enemy is fully silenced.

Yang Xiong is well aware of this, so in Killing City he primarily fights with a sword—both to hone his swordsmanship and to conceal his formidable physical combat ability; if he were to reveal everything, he would likely be slain at any moment.

The next day, when Yang Xiong re-entered the Hell Killing Ground, the gazes of those around him turned noticeably strange, as if a hint of vigilance had been added.

Clearly, many people were watching him last night, but only those few actually made a move; the others were probably just probing for opportunities.

In Killing City, everyone is extremely valuable, especially corpses.

The corpses contain not only blood—human blood being the main component of Bloody Mary—but also various other materials.

The next day, Yang Xiong entered another Hell Killing Ground match, again emerging unscathed with a complete victory; of the nine opponents, seven were easily beheaded by him, and the remaining two were slain by others.

After the second match, the killing aura within his body seemed to have intensified considerably, a feeling entirely different from killing Soul Beasts or ordinary people outside, as if the unique conditions of the Hell Killing Ground caused it.

The entire Hell Killing Ground resembles a massive formation, and participating in a ten-person killing match feels like a ritual; after each kill, the killing aura appears to merge into one's body, marrow, even spirit.

In Killing City, participants in different numbers of bouts not only differ markedly on the surface, but the layers of killing aura seem to gradually strengthen.

Especially, Yang Xiong has encountered several individuals in the city who have taken part in more than fifty Arena contests; they no longer seem ordinary, resembling beasts that know only killing, their eyes blood‑red, even their spirits tainted by killing aura.

Unable to meditate peacefully, Yang Xiong pays even more attention to the state of Killing City, monitors his own bodily changes, and devotes additional effort to his Self-Created Spirit Skill.

Time flies; Yang Xiong has already spent a full year in Killing City.

In that year, Yang Xiong fought a total of seventy‑one Hell Killing Ground matches—a truly insane tally.

At first, Yang Xiong entered a match every two days, but as time passed the intervals grew, eventually reaching roughly one match every ten days.

This is not because Yang Xiong's body cannot endure high‑intensity bouts; rather, as the number of matches increased, the killing aura within him grew heavier, making him feel increasingly out of control.

Unlike Hu Liena and Tang San, who both possess prime Head Soul Bones, Yang Xiong lacks a Head Soul Bone, and his Purple Extreme Demon Eye has not broken through, remaining at the pinnacle of the second realm: Micro‑Entry Realm.

The killing aura of Killing City does not only affect the whole body; it also influences each person's martial soul, and a martial soul that dwells long in Killing City seems to gradually undergo change.

Yang Xiong's martial soul is entirely different from others; his martial soul is his own body, so the killing aura impacts him more than it does others.

Originally, cultivating the Purple Extreme Demon Eye would turn one's eyes violet, but after a year's change, Yang Xiong's eyes have become blood‑red, appearing even more terrifying and grim, as if filled with killing aura.

Each day Yang Xiong strives to synchronize his martial soul with his body, so that even without a Head Soul Bone, the martial soul, stimulated by his physique, begins to change subtly.

When Yang Xiong originally used his body martial soul, his body would turn Silver.

Yet after a year of nourishment from the killing aura, faint blood‑colored patterns began to appear on his martial soul; to a careful outsider, these markings resemble the demonic sigils on the Killing King's face.

It is precisely because of his martial soul's effect that Yang Xiong has not fallen into madness; there are even subtle signs of breakthroughs in his mental power and physique.

Yang Xiong even begins to wonder: if he truly passes the Killing City trial, will his body martial soul undergo a qualitative change, perhaps achieving a different Second Awakening.

It should be noted that a body martial soul can have a White Silver awakening and a Gold Level awakening, yet even among the Body Sect, no one has ever achieved a Second Awakening in an environment like Killing City; this is arguably the world's sole miracle, with no such place even in later eras.

Strangely for Yang Xiong, after a full year in Killing City, he has not seen Hu Liena arrive in Killing City as in the original work, nor any trace of Tang San.

He wonders whether those two will ever come to Killing City, or if the timing of their arrival might change.

In Killing City, Yang Xiong's greatest change is his mastery of sword aura; originally, he prepared various weapons for his arrival, especially forging many swords, solely as long‑term livelihood preparations.

Initially, Yang Xiong could only barely wield sword aura; ordinary long swords could not withstand it, producing at most a single blade of aura, and the swords would shatter each time.

Yet after continuous killing in Killing City, the killing aura within him grew stronger; his body began to emit a blood‑red aura, allowing him to unleash multiple sword auras, and even long swords no longer shattered—clearly his command of the Seven Kill Sword Technique has become more proficient.

After another ten days of recuperation, Yang Xiong prepared to enter his seventy‑second Hell Killing Ground match.

As Yang Xiong's matches multiplied, he earned a notorious reputation throughout Killing City; countless have perished by his hand, and ordinary folk dare not provoke him.

Conversely, each time he steps into the Hell Killing Ground, he is essentially targeted by everyone; nine opponents launch reckless attacks on Yang Xiong.

It should be noted that defeating a single opponent was once trivial, but facing nine simultaneously is an entirely different matter; the difficulty rises far beyond ninefold, perhaps dozens of times.

When Yang Xiong once again stepped onto the killing field, the other nine exchanged glances, each charging at him with their utmost, reckless techniques, and, remarkably, they managed to coordinate.

Poison gas, throwing knives, iron hammers, steel cables—virtually endless varieties of assault.

Yet Yang Xiong's long sword was razor‑sharp, his swordsmanship exceedingly refined, each strike of astonishing power and speed, effortlessly parrying the onslaught.

After a full half‑hour, Yang Xiong finally slew all nine, having fought them desperately; his body bore numerous wounds and his stamina was largely depleted.

As soon as Yang Xiong stepped out of the Hell Killing Ground, he was instantly besieged by hundreds, apparently pre‑planned, led by two individuals, resulting in a rare coordinated effort within Killing City.

Yang Xiong's face turned unusually cold: "Great Strength King, Iron Claw King, I recall I never provoked you; yet you organized such a massive siege against me—clearly it was pre‑planned."

A middle‑aged man with a huge iron claw replied: "Dominate the world, you keep joining battles so often—do you ever let others live? The reason we gathered so many today to surround and kill you is simply to save our own lives."

Yang Xiong snorted coldly: "Don't dress it up so grandly; aren't you just after the treasures on my body? If I recall correctly, you haven't entered a killing match in Nei Cheng for about a year; are you afraid to face me in the Hell Killing Ground?"

The man beside them, gripping a massive hammer, said: "Stop the pointless chatter; once we kill you, all your wealth becomes ours, and we won't have to worry about meeting you again in the Hell Killing Ground."

Before Yang Xiong could speak, a hidden arrow shot straight at his face, indicating they had long intended to strike him.

Yang Xiong swung his sword, cleaving the hidden arrow in two.

Yet the surrounding crowd, weapons in hand, surged forward desperately; it truly seemed they wanted to give their all.

Yang Xiong, gripping his long sword, unleashed a burst of sword aura that instantly sliced the foremost several people in half.

The people behind, however, were spurred on, each becoming extraordinarily brave, displaying a completely fearless, reckless demeanor.

Great Strength King and Iron Claw King stood still, like predators poised to seize prey.

Great Strength King and Iron Claw King are also renowned figures in Killing City; their exact ages are unknown, but one is famed for his strength, wielding a massive hammer in battle.

Iron Claw King possesses a gigantic iron claw, said to easily tear enemies into fragments.

Both are Soul Douluo‑level strongmen; though they cannot employ soul skills, their physical constitutions far surpass ordinary people, making them among the fiercest in Killing City.

Yang Xiong had already taken part in a Hell Killing Ground match, exhausting his stamina; now, suddenly confronting a multitude of attackers, he too began to feel a touch of madness.

Yang Xiong, unlike before, wielded a heavier, sharper long sword, gripping it with both hands and fighting desperately against the enemies besieging him.

At such a moment, Yang Xiong dared not show the slightest weakness, or he would be torn to pieces at once.

(End of chapter)