Chapter 277: Sword Douluo Breaks Through to Ninety-Eighth Level

Yang Xiong and the other two spent a full month in the Killing City.

During that month, Sword Douluo Ku sat before the Asura Demon Sword, eyes tightly shut, as if sensing the terrifying sword qi of the Asura Demon Sword.

Around the Asura Demon Sword there was a massive Seven Killing Sword, faintly contending with it.

Yang Wudi lately either joins the Hell Killing Arena competitions or seriously studies poisons; with his strength, he thrives in the Killing City, and the Broken Soul Gun becomes even sharper and more murderous.

Yang Xiong has dealt with the Killing City in various ways, on one hand courting all the Enforcers and applying both kindness and force to them; now the whole world has only Yang Xiong mastering the killing Domain, especially with the Asura Demon Sword, making him seem like a ruler in the Killing City.

As for the Fallen, Yang Xiong deliberately divided the Killing City into different zones, especially within Nei Cheng, which originally had no rules at all.

Now Yang Xiong has partitioned Nei Cheng into various sub‑zones, each with a completely different system: Area A remains rule‑free as before, Area B imposes some limits on killing, and Area C even appears like heaven…

To reside in any of these zones, one needs strength and contribution, plus absolute loyalty.

In short, after Yang Xiong's arrangements, the people of the Killing City seem to glimpse a sliver of hope, no longer blindly or crazily as before.

However, during the personnel organization, Yang Xiong discovered that among the so‑called Fallen there are talents from all trades, some even worthy of being called geniuses.

Although the Douluo Continent suffers great external damage, within this Killing City, besides the usual killing, one can also obtain Bloody Mary through their other contributions.

For example, the Killing City has many blacksmiths; Yang Xiong had them forge a sheath for the Asura Demon Sword using Heavenly Outer Meteor Copper, and the result is indeed excellent.

This Heavenly Outer Meteor Copper was originally looted from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and is one of the world's most precious and rare metals.

Crafting a sheath from this copper can effectively block killing aura, even soul power and mental force.

Yang Xiong was delighted and waived the three‑year contribution value for these blacksmiths; for the next three years they need neither contribute Bloody Mary nor join the Hell Killing Arena to operate in designated zones.

……

Under Yang Xiong's arrangement, the Killing City is no longer as chaotic as before and has gained a certain order.

Yang Xiong's motive also includes the assessment content of the Asura God's Second Trial.

"Asura Nine Examinations Second Trial: govern the Killing City and eliminate the evil thoughts within it. Time limit one year; failure results in eradication."

Recently, after careful investigation, Yang Xiong found that the evil thoughts in the Killing City stem from two main causes.

On one hand, under the influence of the Luosha Shen, the Blood River in the Killing City seems to contain a trace of Luosha Shen's divine thought.

The other reason is that the Killing City itself can absorb ordinary people's evil thoughts, just as when Hell Road was opened: the Hell Killing Arena not only absorbed everyone's flesh, blood and soul power, but also all souls, each containing abundant evil thoughts; those thoughts, which would normally be hidden within the Asura God's killing aura, have been tainted by the Luosha Shen.

This also leads the people of the Killing City to gradually slip into madness; even the Bloody Mary aid has been polluted by the Luosha Shen, and beyond the original killing, it also drives people crazy.

To solve these two problems, one must on one hand eliminate the Luosha Shen's thought, and on the other hand find a way to make the Killing City operate with order.

……

Sword Douluo Ku sat before the Asura Demon Sword for a full month.

During that month, Sword Douluo himself ate and drank nothing, did not even move, appearing like a withered tree.

Especially, the Seven Killing Sword and the Asura Demon Sword continuously contended; under the Asura Demon Sword's suppression, the Seven Killing Sword seemed infinitely tiny, as if a mortal facing a deity.

Yet Sword Douluo seemed to carefully sense every strand of sword qi emitted by the Asura Demon Sword, and countless sword scars even appeared on his body.

This arose during Sword Douluo's clash with the Asura Demon Sword; the Asura Demon Sword is many times stronger than Sword Douluo imagined, and its terrifying sword qi cannot be matched even by Sword Douluo's strength.

Yet at this moment Sword Douluo is utterly engrossed; he has spent his life pursuing the highest realm of sword Dao, and the Asura Demon Sword is a God Realm sword, far surpassing the Soul Grandmasters of the Douluo Continent.

Sword Douluo's Seven Killing Sword remains unbent, and after countless confrontations with the Asura Demon Sword, its deep‑blue blade seems to gradually acquire a hint of blood‑red.

That day, Sword Douluo's aura seemed to have reached its peak; after each setback he again swung his sword and rose.

When Sword Douluo opened his eyes, a sword‑like beam seemed to shoot from them, as if a mortal gazing upon a deity.

In that instant, the Seven Killing Sword emitted endless killing aura, as if reborn.

Sword Douluo's soul power rose step by step, eventually breaking through some shackles; even Yang Xiong felt the Sword Intent on his own body being drawn.

Sword Douluo's soul power finally broke through to Ninety-Eighth Level, reaching the highest ever attained by the Seven Killing Sword.

Yang Wudi and Yang Xiong were exceptionally delighted, both celebrating Sword Douluo's breakthrough beyond his limits.

"Teacher, congratulations on finally reaching Ninety-Eighth Level."

It should be noted that, given Sword Douluo's talent and opportunities, he lacks both a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, so theoretically he could not reach Ninety-Eighth Level.

Yet at this moment he seemed to have broken his bodily limits, all because of Sword Douluo's insight into and devotion to the sword.

Sword Douluo showed a faint smile: "Xiao Xiong, thank you for letting me observe the Asura Demon Sword. My whole life pursuing sword Dao, only after truly seeing this Asura Demon Sword do I understand that sword Dao is endless and recognize my own shortcomings."

Yang Xiong quickly replied: "Teacher, you have spent your life pursuing sword Dao; even without this Asura Demon Sword, reaching Ninety-Eighth Level would have been inevitable."

Sword Douluo shook his head: "I have spent my life pursuing sword Dao, yet I am not as good as Old Bone; my cultivation on the bodily path is lacking. My body and the Seven Killing Sword martial soul can only support me up to Ninety-Seven Level; reaching Ninety-Eighth Level now exceeds my purpose."

"It's a bit of a pity; even though I see a broad road ahead, I probably can't advance further in this life, nor break through to the legendary Level Ninety‑Nine."

Yang Xiong, hearing this, didn't know how to comfort him.

Meanwhile, Yang Wudi, enviously, said: "Sword Douluo, stop making such cold remarks. Since becoming a Title Douluo, my soul power has hardly improved; I fear I'll only cultivate up to Ninety‑Five Level in this life."

"You are already among the continent's top strongest; aside from Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen, no one on the continent can surpass you."

Sword Douluo was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly: "Old Goat, you've actually outshone me; I didn't expect that regarding a Soul Grandmaster's cultivation, my insight is not as thorough as yours."

After a brief discussion, Sword Douluo finally spoke: "Xiao Xiong, Old Goat, we've stayed in the Killing City for a while; I'm about to return to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, are you planning to go back with me?"

Yang Wudi nodded: "I also kind of want to go back. The Killing City is fine, but I'm still a commoner; the matters of the Po Yi Zu still await me, and with the Spirit Empire eyeing us, I have no desire to stay in the Killing City forever."

Yang Xiong thought for a moment then said: "Teacher, Old Goat, you leave first; I still have some matters to settle in the Killing City, so I may return later than you."

Sword Douluo nodded: "Very well. Though you can now wield the Asura Demon Sword, your grasp of sword Dao and the path of attack‑kill is still lacking; perhaps you should study the Asura Demon Sword earnestly."

……

After their discussion, Yang Xiong escorted Sword Douluo and Yang Wudi out of the Killing City.

Yang Xiong himself sheathed the Asura Demon Sword and went to the Hell Killing Arena.

In the Hell Killing Arena, Yang Xiong used the Asura Demon Sword and the killing Domain to carefully sense the arena's environment.

The Hell Killing Arena is a massive formation, and only the Asura Demon Sword is the true key to activate it.

After Yang Xiong expelled everyone from the Hell Killing Arena, the killing Domain rapidly coalesced there, ultimately forming a huge blood‑red bat silhouette, while the arena itself split open like an abyss.

Yang Xiong, looking at the abyss, ignored everything else and leapt straight into it.

Yang Xiong only felt a sudden weightlessness; when he woke up again, he was already on Hell Road.

This was Yang Xiong's second time on Hell Road; the surroundings were still that simple little Sacrificial Altar, but because no one had offered a sacrifice at the Hell slaughter ground, the whole Hell Road seemed a bit bland, lacking the killing aura and strangeness of his previous visit.

Yang Xiong directly thrust the Asura Demon Sword into the gap at the center of the altar, and the entire altar began to slowly descend, eventually sinking gradually into the Blood River.

Even Yang Xiong's body was gradually covered by the Blood River, as if he had returned to the situation of his previous plunge into the Blood River.

But as the altar kept descending, the visibility within the Blood River paradoxically increased, and finally it seemed to land on a huge platform somewhere.

Yang Xiong, sword in hand, stared intently at the silhouette of a woman that appeared at the center of the Sacrificial Altar.

The woman looked extremely tall, dressed entirely in black clothing, and exuded a strange black aura.

"Luosha Shen, I didn't expect you to indeed be in this Blood River."

(End of chapter)