Chapter 144: Hu Liena

  After leaving the city, Su Mo faced off against Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo in a challenge.

  The rules were simple—no soul rings or soul skills could be used.

  However, soul bones and soul bone skills were not restricted.

  Naturally, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had no objections, as the battle was meant to simute the combat conditions of Sughter City.

  As they exchanged blows, both Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were shocked to discover Su Mo's sheer combat prowess, even without soul ring abilities.

  Without their soul skills, they were completely overwhelmed by Su Mo.

  They had their own self-created techniques, but most of them were based on their existing soul skills. Without the use of their soul rings, their techniques became unusable.

  Sword Douluo did possess one technique—Condensing Qi into a Sword—which he could use without relying on soul rings.

  However, it was mostly for show.

  Its power was far weaker than his Seven Kill Sword itself.

  This battle served as a valuable lesson for him—it was time to develop more independent self-created techniques.

  While Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had few viable techniques without soul rings…

  Su Mo had an abundance of options.

  With multiple soul bones and their inherent abilities, he had a variety of attack methods.

  His Eight Spider Lances alone gave them immense trouble, making it nearly impossible for them to counter him without soul skills.

  Not to mention, Su Mo could also wield spatial-temporal power.

  In the end, the battle concluded with Su Mo voluntarily stopping.

  Though he hadn't completely defeated Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, he had proven his combat strength even without soul ring abilities.

  "Good kid! When did your Eight Spider Lances evolve to this level?"

  Bone Douluo couldn't help but excim in awe.

  Only now did they realize just how much Su Mo’s Eight Spider Lances had improved—it was far stronger than before.

  During their fight, both he and Sword Douluo had been completely restrained by it.

  "It evolved recently. My Eight Spider Lances are now no weaker than a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!"

  Su Mo smiled as he expined.

  His response left Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo utterly stunned.

  However, they didn't press further.

  Long ago, they had realized that Su Mo possessed many secrets they didn’t understand.

  But they had never pried into them.

  All they cared about was the fact that Su Mo was Ning Rongrong’s partner.

  The stronger Su Mo became, the happier they were.

  "Do you really have to go?"

  Ning Rongrong stepped forward, looking at Su Mo with deep reluctance.

  She had just witnessed even Grandfather Sword and Grandfather Bone together couldn't defeat him.

  That meant Su Mo was truly going to Sughter City.

  She was proud of his strength…

  But that pride was overshadowed by her unwillingness to part with him.

  "Don't worry, I'll return soon."

  Su Mo gently pulled her into an embrace, whispering in her ear.

  "Okay… I'll wait for you."

  Hearing Su Mo’s words, Ning Rongrong understood that he had already made his decision.

  No matter how much she wanted him to stay, she wouldn't stop him.

  All she could do was trust him.

  Her response was met with an even tighter embrace from Su Mo.

  And so, Su Mo left, setting out alone for Sughter City.

  Sughter City.

  Half a month ter, Su Mo finally arrived at the gates of Sughter City.

  The sky above was dark and oppressive, while the nd was a murky brown, carrying the stench of blood and death.

  For any ordinary person, stepping into such a pce would be unbearable—the sheer stench of blood would be enough to drive them away.

  "This is it."

  Beside him, Bibi Dong’s consciousness appeared, gazing at the entrance with a hint of nostalgia.

  She had once walked out of this pce alive.

  "Do you think Nana is here?"

  She suddenly asked, a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

  If things followed the original timeline, Hu Liena should have already entered Sughter City by now.

  But the present wasn’t identical to the past, so Bibi Dong couldn't be sure whether Hu Liena had chosen the same path.

  "We’ll find out once we enter."

  Su Mo didn’t dwell on specution and simply responded.

  "That’s true."

  Bibi Dong chuckled softly, choosing not to dwell on it either.

  "Once you step through this gate, you'll enter Sughter City. However, this is just the outer city…"

  She then began expining the yout of Sughter City to Su Mo.

  Even though she had already briefed him before, now that they were here in person, she went over the details again.

  Su Mo listened as he approached the main gate.

  "Stop right there! What business do you have here?"

  At the entrance, several fierce-looking guards blocked his path.

  "I’m here to enter Sughter City."

  Su Mo stated his purpose directly.

  "You?"

  The guard leader stared at Su Mo in surprise.

  He didn’t look anything like a typical Sughter City entrant.

  His clothes were clean and well-fitted—he didn’t resemble a desperate fugitive at all.

  Normally, those who entered Sughter City were either criminals captured by Spirit Hall, Dark Soul Masters, or evil men with nowhere left to run.

  But Su Mo?

  They had never seen someone so young and well-dressed voluntarily come here before.

  "That’s right. There aren’t any entry requirements, are there?"

  Su Mo asked calmly.

  "There aren’t. Anyone can enter."

  "But, kid… do you even know what kind of pce this is?"

  The guard leader couldn't help but try to dissuade him.

  "In that case, open the gate."

  Su Mo replied without hesitation.

  "…"

  "Fine. If you insist, I won’t stop you."

  "But remember—Sughter City is easy to enter, but leaving it… that’s another story entirely."

  Seeing Su Mo’s unwavering determination, the guard leader knew there was no point in trying further.

  He signaled to the others, and the gate was opened.

  The moment the doors parted, an even denser wave of bloodstained air gushed out from within.

  The guards were completely unfazed, as they had long since become accustomed to it.

  Su Mo, however, frowned slightly.

  Not out of fear, but simply because the scent was unpleasant.

  Without another word, he stepped forward.

  "This is your identification token. Once inside, this number represents your identity."

  The guard leader tossed a metal token toward Su Mo.

  Catching it, Su Mo saw the number 6018 engraved on its surface before putting it away.

  Then, without looking back, he strode into Sughter City.

  "This kid… does he even understand what kind of pce this is?"

  "Yeah… he doesn’t seem scared at all."

  "He doesn’t look like a Dark Soul Master either…"

  The guards muttered among themselves, watching Su Mo’s figure disappear into the city.

  Behind Su Mo, the guards at the gate watched his departing figure, unable to resist gossiping among themselves.

  It was their first time seeing someone like Su Mo voluntarily enter Sughter City, so their curiosity was piqued.

  At the same time, they felt a bit of pity—why would anyone willingly throw their life away in such a pce? His future was as good as ruined.

  "Enough. Whatever his reasons, it's his choice. Close the gate."

  The guard captain gave a command, and the massive doors slowly shut behind Su Mo.

  Though he was curious about Su Mo’s decision, he ultimately didn’t care.

  Once someone entered, they were no longer his concern.

  "Little brother, you must be the new arrival!"

  "I’m your guide. I’ll expin everything you need to know about this pce so you can survive your first day here!"

  "Of course, during this period, you can’t stray too far from me—otherwise, I won’t be able to protect you."

  Not long after stepping inside, Su Mo was approached by a Sughter City attendant.

  He gnced at her—she wasn't the same one who had guided Tang San in the original story, but her attire was identical.

  Dressed in bck silk and sheer veils, she was alluring and seductive.

  In the original timeline, the guide assigned to Tang San was not only one of the Sughter King's most trusted subordinates but also a Sughter Envoy—someone who often represented the Sughter King’s will.

  Tang San had received special treatment because the Sughter King already knew who he was and had intentionally assigned a high-ranking escort to him.

  In fact, if Tang San had wanted, he could have done whatever he pleased with the Sughter Envoy.

  Su Mo, however, clearly did not receive the same VIP treatment.

  His guide was just a regur attendant.

  Still, as an official member of Sughter City, she served as a temporary deterrent—no Dark Soul Masters would dare touch Su Mo while she was present.

  Despite Sughter City's wlessness, there were still unwritten rules dictated by the Sughter King himself.

  Ultimately, power was the only rule.

  Wherever there were people, there would always be rules.

  "Take me straight to the Inner City."

  Su Mo stated calmly.

  "You’re sure?"

  The guide looked at him in shock.

  The Inner City was far more dangerous than the Outer City.

  At least in the Outer City, newcomers were somewhat protected because the Sughter King needed them to produce Yellow Spring Dew.

  Newcomers weren’t forced to enter the Hell Sughter Arena right away; they could take their time familiarizing themselves with the city.

  Yet Su Mo wanted to go straight in on his first day.

  This was a first for her.

  "Yes. Then take me directly to the Hell Sughter Arena."

  Su Mo confirmed without hesitation.

  The guide stared at him in disbelief.

  "You… seem to know a lot about this pce."

  "Fine, follow me."

  Realizing that Su Mo was already familiar with Sughter City, she stopped wasting words and led him toward the Inner City.

  The moment they entered, Su Mo could immediately tell—the Inner City was vastly more dangerous.

  Every single person moved with vigince, as if a fight could break out at any moment.

  Several individuals eyed Su Mo hungrily, tempted to attack.

  However, the moment they saw his guide, they immediately backed off.

  "Tsk, another newcomer…"

  "And such a young one, too."

  "I bet he won’t st a few days."

  "I give him one day. Running into the Inner City like an idiot—why not just stay in the Outer City and produce Yellow Spring Dew for us?"

  "…"

  The hostile gazes around him carried nothing but bloodlust.

  Only a few women looked at him differently—licking their lips in interest at his appearance and aura.

  There was no doubt about it—this was a city of monsters.

  Under the guide’s lead, Su Mo soon arrived at the Hell Sughter Arena.

  A battle was already underway.

  However, the gathered spectators barely spared Su Mo a gnce, too engrossed in the life-or-death match in front of them.

  Calling it a "battle" was generous—this was a blood-soaked colosseum.

  Ten people entered the Hell Sughter Arena.

  Only one could leave alive.

  "It's Nana!"

  "Nana really is here!"

  Bibi Dong's excited voice suddenly echoed in Su Mo’s mind.

  Following her gaze, Su Mo spotted a familiar figure seated in the far corner of the spectator stands.

  It was Hu Liena.

  Unlike the others, no one sat near her.

  The other spectators had deliberately avoided her, making it easy for Su Mo to find her at a gnce.

  At first gnce, Hu Liena’s beauty remained striking.

  However, the seductive charm that once defined her features had faded.

  Instead, she now radiated coldness.

  "Hmm?"

  As if sensing Su Mo’s gaze, Hu Liena—who had been watching the match—suddenly turned toward him.

  "Su Mo…"

  Seeing him, she stood up in shock, staring at him in disbelief.

  She never expected to see him here.

  "What is he doing here?"

  "Could he be here to train… just like me?"

  She quickly dismissed other possibilities.

  Su Mo was not a Dark Soul Master.

  As the Seven Treasure Gzed Tile Sect's son-in-w, he had no reason to be here.

  Unless… he had come of his own will, just like she had.

  Realizing this, Hu Liena walked toward him.

  She wasn’t particurly fond of Su Mo.

  After all, he was the main reason her Spirit Hall Team had lost.

  Seeing him annoyed her.

  But compared to the monsters in Sughter City, Su Mo was far easier on the eyes.

  At the very least, she knew that he wasn’t one of the fallen.

  Still, she needed to confirm that for herself.

  "Why are you here?"

  Hu Liena stopped before him and asked directly.

  "You two know each other?"

  Su Mo’s guide was surprised by their interaction.

  "Yes. You can leave now—I don’t need a ‘newcomer protection period.’"

  Su Mo dismissed the guide without hesitation.

  "Alright, if that’s what you want. Farewell."

  The guide, understanding her pce, left immediately.

  "Same reason as you—I came here for training."

  Out of consideration for Bibi Dong, Su Mo gave her a straightforward answer before sitting down in the stands, watching the ongoing fight in the Hell Sughter Arena.

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