Volume Two: Travels in the Qi Kingdom Chapter 119: Changing Locations

This was a vast, open arena capable of holding tens of thousands of people. A high platform had been erected in the center, where two cultivators were presently locked in fierce combat. The fight was brutally bloody; judging by the way they battled, both were truly fighting for their lives. No doubt, quite a few people had died in this martial arena over the years.

Below, a crowd of spectators had gathered, cultivators of every kind watching with keen interest and cheering themselves hoarse.

The second floor was lined with countless private booths, from which cheers occasionally rang out.

At that moment, Zhang Heng and Qi Sisi were inside one of those rooms.

The furnishings were simple: a single table and several chairs. Once the window was opened, the scene on the platform below could be seen clearly.

Money really did make people extravagant. A room this small cost fifty mid-grade spirit stones per day, yet Qi Sisi had rented it for an entire year, despite barely using it most of the time.

Suddenly, a series of thunderous explosions erupted from the platform. After a violent collision of spiritual energy, one of the combatants was sent flying and crashed onto the floor of the viewing area, barely clinging to life. He would probably not survive for long.

The spectators were already accustomed to such a sight and showed little reaction. The martial arena had made its rules perfectly clear: once one stepped onto the platform, life and death were left to fate, and the arena assumed no responsibility for either.

A short while later, guards from the martial arena hurried over and dragged the fallen man away.

The other fighter staggered back several steps, blood covering the corners of his mouth. Yet he grinned viciously, reveling in the cheers reserved for the victor.

A manager of the martial arena flew onto the platform and announced, “Gou Tuizi, you have won three matches in a row. If you withdraw now, you may claim one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. If you continue, you may win even more. Will you keep fighting?”

The burly man wiped the blood from his lips. His gaze was savage, but hesitation flickered across his face.

He truly wanted to continue. However, after three consecutive battles, his spiritual energy was already running low. If he lost, not only would he forfeit the one hundred spirit stones, he might even lose his life. Even a hardened fighter accustomed to walking the line between life and death had to consider the matter carefully.

“Keep fighting! Keep fighting! Keep fighting!”

“Gou Tuizi, go all the way! Keep fighting!”

“Keep fighting! Keep fighting! Keep fighting!”

The spectators shouted with mounting fervor. They loved watching these ruthless men fight to the death. Only battles in which the combatants risked everything could truly excite them.

“I’ll continue.”

Amid the crowd’s shouts, the ferocious man known as Gou Tuizi inexplicably chose to carry on.

“Excellent!” After receiving his answer, the manager shouted from the platform, “Gou Tuizi has chosen to continue. His cultivation is at the eighth level of the Clear Spirit Realm. Any cultivator registered with our martial arena who is at the eighth or ninth level of the Clear Spirit Realm may step forward and challenge him.”

“If you win, these one hundred mid-grade spirit stones will be yours. Our martial arena will add another hundred, bringing the total to two hundred mid-grade spirit stones.”

“However, the new victor must then accept another round of challenges.”

“Those who wish to challenge him may take the platform now.”

At once, everyone began discussing the matter excitedly.

Two hundred spirit stones was no small sum, and every one of them was tempted. But whether they could win was another question entirely. Even if they managed to claim victory by sheer luck, the winner would still have to accept another round of challenges. At that point, the permitted gap in cultivation would increase to two minor stages.

In other words, if a cultivator at the eighth level of the Clear Spirit Realm won, then in the next round, a cultivator at the first level of the Sea of Qi Realm could step forward to challenge him. If a cultivator at the ninth level of the Clear Spirit Realm won, then a cultivator at the second level of the Sea of Qi Realm could issue the next challenge.

With that in mind, everyone began silently calculating whether they were capable of challenging cultivators of the Sea of Qi Realm across an entire realm.

The martial arena had never lacked desperate men who lived for danger. They enjoyed battling on the brink of life and death, hoping to stimulate their potential and rapidly increase their strength.

Thus, before long, a challenger stepped onto the platform.

This man possessed an imposing aura and carried himself with arrogant confidence. He was a cultivator at the ninth level of the Clear Spirit Realm. Although he wore a mask, many people below recognized him.

“Golden Right Hand! Golden Right Hand!”

“Go on! Crush Gou Tuizi!”

The crowd’s enthusiasm soared as they shouted at the top of their lungs.

The masked man known by the code name Golden Right Hand was a veteran cultivator at the ninth level of the Origin Core Realm, already on the verge of breaking through to the Sea of Qi Realm. His right hand possessed tremendous offensive power, and he had once established a record of five consecutive victories. That was why most of the regular spectators recognized him.

If Golden Right Hand took the field, Gou Tuizi would undoubtedly lose. But could Golden Right Hand withstand an expert at the second level of the Sea of Qi Realm?

The question arose in everyone’s minds. Still, that had nothing to do with them. All they needed to do was watch.

Once Golden Right Hand stepped onto the platform, a representative of the martial arena immediately announced, “The next match will be Gou Tuizi, eighth level of the Clear Spirit Realm, against Golden Right Hand, ninth level of the Clear Spirit Realm. The match will begin in fifteen minutes.”

“Bets may now be placed.”

At those words, everyone rushed to place their wagers. In addition to the thrill of watching a fierce duel, gambling was another way to seek excitement.

This was a match whose outcome seemed beyond doubt. Golden Right Hand was a veteran cultivator at the ninth level of the Origin Core Realm, while Gou Tuizi was only at the eighth level—and had already fought three consecutive battles. The moment he saw Golden Right Hand take the stage, despair appeared in his eyes.

The martial arena knew this perfectly well. However, as the host, it still had to open the betting pool.

The odds were set at ten to one for a victory by Gou Tuizi, and one-tenth to one for a victory by Golden Right Hand.

Everyone scrambled to bet on Golden Right Hand. A mosquito might be tiny, but its flesh was still flesh. Since the martial arena was practically giving away spirit stones, why would anyone refuse to take them?

And so, one after another, they placed their wagers on Golden Right Hand.

Qi Sisi wanted to place a bet on Golden Right Hand as well, but Zhang Heng stopped her.

“What are you doing? If you don’t go now, it’ll be too late.”

“Miss Qi, let’s find somewhere else to have fun.”

Zhang Heng stopped Qi Sisi not because he suspected anything wrong with the match, but because he found the place utterly dull.

At last, Zhang Heng understood the rules of the martial arena. The arena they were currently in was the Yellow Arena, which was presumably the lowest-ranked one. Most of the combatants here were in the Clear Spirit Realm, and there were hardly any cultivators from the Sea of Qi Realm.

Zhang Heng could only change arenas.

“Where do you want to go?” Qi Sisi asked. She had brought Zhang Heng directly to the Yellow Arena and had forgotten that he was a genuine cultivator of the Return to Emptiness Realm.

“Let’s go to the Earth Arena,” Zhang Heng replied after some thought.

He was familiar with the order of Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. From what he could deduce, the arenas were ranked accordingly. Since the Yellow Arena was the main venue for cultivators of the Clear Spirit Realm, the Earth Arena should be the domain of cultivators of the Origin Core Realm.

He had been worrying about finding somewhere to practice the two martial techniques he had recently learned, the Give Me Back My Pretty Face Fist and the Crippled Heaven Kick. Unexpectedly, Qi Sisi had found him an ideal place.

Here, he could practice those two techniques without restraint.

They had to change arenas. Everyone here was a cultivator of the Clear Spirit Realm. Although Zhang Heng was also technically in the Clear Spirit Realm, his combat strength was equivalent to that of the Origin Core Realm. If he fought here, he might accidentally kill someone. He had no enmity with these people, so it was better to find another arena.

“Let’s go,” Qi Sisi replied.

“Zhang Heng, tell me honestly. Have you been here before?” Qi Sisi was still fixated on that question.

“I haven’t.”

Why would he have come here before? The answer was obvious enough to guess.

They walked outside and soon arrived at another arena.

Zhang Heng’s guess was correct. Most of the cultivators here were in the Origin Core Realm. Everyone was quietly watching the battles.

This was where Zhang Heng belonged.