MTLNOVEL Chapter 222: Underworld
"Great... Great Lord..."
The King of Slaughter's mouth moved slightly, but the words seemed caught in its throat.
Just uttering these two words had already drenched it in cold sweat.
It didn't truly care whether the City of Slaughter was destroyed or not; what it desired was nothing more than eternal life.
A being that was not a god, yet dared to covet immortality.
Many would call this delusional, but it indeed possessed the conditions to make this a possibility.
Before one host was destroyed, it would find another, repeating the cycle endlessly, achieving a form of immortality.
The Bloody Mary within the City of Slaughter could quickly replenish the soul power it consumed during the process of body possession.
As long as the City of Slaughter remained intact, it was practically unkillable.
It wasn't a god, yet it enjoyed the privileges only a god could possess.
"What is it?"
Zhongli didn't even glance at the King of Slaughter; his gaze remained fixed on Wang Chen.
The King of Slaughter showed no dissatisfaction at this.
This was the prerogative of the strong. The weak—such as itself—lowering its posture was simply the natural order.
"Great Lord, I… I do have selfish motives, but I still wish to ask one thing…"
"…"
Seeing Zhongli's silence, the King of Slaughter clenched its teeth as though making a significant decision before speaking.
"Great Lord, your younger generation can kill as much as they want within the City of Slaughter—it doesn't matter."
"But, the City of Slaughter itself must not be destroyed!"
"This isn't about the inheritance of that deity but about the City of Slaughter itself."
"Oh? Speak."
Zhongli turned slightly, casting a brief glance at the King of Slaughter.
In truth, he didn't need the King of Slaughter to say this; he had no intention of destroying the City of Slaughter.
Due to the existence of the City of Slaughter and the Spirit Hall, the Douluo Continent had maintained relative stability. This place served as a natural prison.
If both the City of Slaughter and the Spirit Hall disappeared, and no force rose to take on the role previously played by the Spirit Hall, the Douluo Continent would eventually devolve into chaos akin to what would happen millennia later.
Evil soul masters would run rampant, and both civilians and ordinary soul masters would suffer immensely.
Having come to the Douluo Continent, how could Zhongli allow such a catastrophe to happen again?
Hearing these words, the King of Slaughter's eyes gleamed with a flicker of hope, even showing a hint of excitement.
If they could negotiate, then there was hope. If not, all its words would be in vain.
"Great Lord, the City of Slaughter is a place created by the God of Shura to select his inheritor. It is also the land of inheritance for the God of Rakshasa."
Indeed, the City of Slaughter was the birthplace of two deities: one a god-king, the other a first-class god.
That the King of Slaughter even knew what gods had emerged from here was already a stroke of luck. It didn't know their exact levels, though.
Gods had levels?
"The rules here prevent soul masters without the Killing God Domain from using soul skills. For soul masters, it is a natural prison."
"The rules here enforce only killing…"
The King of Slaughter poured out all its accumulated knowledge, trying to reason with Zhongli.
If it had the ability to defeat Zhongli, it wouldn't bother with all this reasoning!
After all, cultivation wasn't about persuading others.
The King of Slaughter had existed for an exceedingly long time. Its species wasn't even a soul beast but an ancient otherworldly entity.
After a long explanation, it finished outlining the benefits the City of Slaughter brought to the outside human world.
Zhongli appeared to fall into "deep thought," and the trembling King of Slaughter saw a glimmer of hope!
"The City of Slaughter can remain, but you must sign a contract with me!"
Hearing this, the King of Slaughter's eyes lit up as though a divine light shone upon it.
The City of Slaughter could remain intact?
This showed that the other party had agreed to its request.
Signing a contract with this godlike figure?
Swallowing hard, it realized—was it really not going to die?
"Yes, yes, I'm willing!"
After a slight pause, the King of Slaughter forced a smile and nodded quickly.
"This matter requires sincerity. Am I coercing you in any way?"
Zhongli's voice was calm, his demeanor unwavering.
And indeed, he hadn't coerced the other party—this was entirely the King of Slaughter's own choice.
The King of Slaughter: "…"
"No, no coercion at all!"
"This is entirely of my own volition!"
The King of Slaughter felt a pang of grievance but dared not show it. If Zhongli hadn't come, none of this would be happening.
It was the King of Slaughter, ruling above thousands!
But now that Zhongli was here…
It clearly understood the stance it should take in front of such a powerful figure.
As for the contract? Just play along for a century or so. Once this god ascended, it would be free to act as it pleased again! A mere hundred years was nothing in its long lifespan.
But the King of Slaughter had miscalculated…
"I want you to reform the City of Slaughter!"
"Those who commit heinous crimes shall face corresponding punishments…"
As Zhongli spoke, the King of Slaughter suddenly had a flash of understanding—it now knew what kind of figure the legendary Yanluo King was.
What kind of villain… no, what kind of god was this?
The City of Slaughter, as it had been, operated without order. The strong did as they pleased, and evildoers were handled by even greater villains.
But if it followed Zhongli's proposed reforms, serious problems would arise!
Boiling oil? Tongue extraction? All sorts of horrifying punishments…
Swallowing again, the King of Slaughter nodded instinctively, cold sweat dripping from its forehead.
This wasn't just terrifying—it was absolutely bat-like!
"Do you understand?"
"I understand!"
The King of Slaughter didn't dare show the slightest hesitation, nodding vigorously like a pecking chicken.
At least it was still alive!
"Then, great lord, after these reforms, the City of Slaughter will no longer live up to its name. Should we change it?"
Hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Let's call it the Underworld."
"The Underworld? Fitting, truly worthy of you, great lord."
"Seeing as you have such a ghastly appearance, surrounded by eerie specters, you shouldn't be called the King of Slaughter anymore. I don't quite like it."
The King of Slaughter's entire being froze. Would it actually die just because of its name?
"Great lord, I'll change it! I'll change it immediately!"
"Whatever name you say, that's what it'll be!"
Fortunately, it was quick-witted enough to respond.
"From now on, you'll be called Yanluo."
(Note: Yanluo meaning King of Hell or Ruler of Underworld. I will be using Yanluo here)
"Yes!"
When Tang San, following Tang Hao's instructions, will come to the City of Slaughter for training, he would be utterly dumbfounded by the new Underworld.
Welcoming him were the figures of Black and White Impermanence.
Escorting him were Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
Judging him was a Pen-Wielding Judge.
Finally, Yanluo himself personally sent him to hell for punishment.
"???"
Wasn't he here for "competition"?
Why had the rules changed?!
And what on earth was this Underworld?
Where was the promised City of Slaughter? Before he even understood, he found himself being metaphorically buried alive.
When Tang San saw the boiling-oil cauldrons and tongue-extracting hells, he was completely dumbfounded.
This was real?
Wait… were these people not ghosts?
"Yanluo, since you've signed a contract with me, don't you dare think about breaking it."
"Those who break their word will face the punishment of eating stone!"
To instill fear in the former King of Slaughter, Zhongli unleashed a sliver of his power.
He revealed his true form to it, demonstrating the terror of the Punishment of Eating Stone!