The winner lives, the loser dies!
That’s the rule of the Beast Arena!
It’s brutal, but precisely because of this, it’s the ultimate crucible for honing one’s skills!
All ten of the Sword King Sect’s core disciples had endured the savage life-and-death battles of the Beast Arena and survived.
Thus, not only was their cultivation formidable, but their combat prowess was equally terrifying!
Ling Xiao’s heart stirred with excitement.
While the Four Sects Martial Assembly was important, it was merely a sparring event. How could it compare to the life-and-death battles here for sharpening one’s combat skills?
He desperately wanted to step into the arena and test himself. Since the assembly was tomorrow, arriving a bit late wouldn’t matter.
“Liu Cang, how does one participate in the Beast Arena’s battles?”
Ling Xiao asked.
“It’s simple. If you’re willing, you can just sign up. There’s a dedicated office over there handling it,” Liu Cang said, pointing to a small building among the tiered seats of the arena.
“And the rules?”
Ling Xiao asked again.
“The rules are straightforward, just two:
First, your cultivation must be equal to or lower than the beast, slave, or death-row prisoner you’re fighting. It’s not about going up there to toy with weaklings, you understand?
Second, each challenge requires a minimum bet of ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. If you win, you get ten times the reward or more, but if you lose, you die, and nothing’s refunded.”
“At least ten thousand? So you can bet more?”
“Of course, minimum ten thousand, maximum one hundred thousand,” Liu Cang replied.
The rules were indeed clear and simple.
Like a duel in the martial world, greater rewards came with greater risks, which suited Ling Xiao perfectly.
“You lot, sit here. Any closer and it gets dangerous. The seats nearest the arena are blocked by powerful forces; without sufficient strength, you can’t get through,” Liu Cang said as they reached the middle rows. “Plus, those front seats require a fee of over ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. It’s not worth it.”
Though he seemed to be looking out for Ling Xiao and the others, his tone carried an involuntary hint of disdain.
In the Beast Arena, the first three rows were typically reserved for the Sword King Sect’s top inner disciples. Though Ling Xiao and his group were core disciples of the Moonflower Sect, Liu Cang thought they were likely inferior to even their ordinary inner disciples.
“Hmph, looking down on us, are you? Stay here then,” Leng Hao snorted, stepping forward. Though the seats further ahead were mostly packed, the first three rows were relatively empty and more comfortable.
“Liu Cang, thanks for guiding us here. Here’s a little something for you. We won’t need your company from now on,” Ling Xiao said, tossing a hundred low-grade spirit stones as payment before heading forward with the other three.
“Let’s sit in the third row. It’s got the best view, better than the first two,” he said as they walked.
“Alright!”
The other three had no objections. Dai Yuling and Leng Hao had long followed Ling Xiao’s lead, and Lan Yuer was increasingly seeing him as the group’s backbone. Naturally, they heeded his words.
“Hmph, bunch of self-important fools!” Liu Cang snorted, standing there, waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.
To his astonishment, however, Ling Xiao and the others faced the invisible air wall without the slightest hindrance, strolling to the third row as if it were a leisurely walk and sitting down.
“These guys aren’t simple! Looks like the Moonflower Sect’s core disciples aren’t as useless as they say,” Liu Cang thought. He’d always heard his senior brothers mock the Moonflower Sect disciples as weak and useless, but today’s display suggested otherwise.
He began to question the rumours he’d heard.
As Ling Xiao and the others took their seats, a battle in the arena had just ended. To the crowd’s dismay, the challenger had his head sliced off by a death-row prisoner with a single sword stroke.
Each victory earned the death-row prisoner some monetary reward. After a hundred wins, they’d gain freedom.
The same applied to slaves.
Beasts and ferocious creatures, however, were less fortunate. Unless they died in battle, they’d always face ferocious challengers.
Watching the bloody scene, as martial artists, they felt no discomfort.
A martial artist who couldn’t handle blood and death was nothing but a failure.
The stands erupted with cheers and curses interwoven.
No one cared about the challenger’s life or death.
Cheers were for the thrill, the excitement!
Curses were for lost bets, not for the loss of life!
That was the Beast Arena. Winning brought not only spirit stone rewards but also the chance to break through one’s limits!
Thus, many martial artists chose opponents they weren’t certain to defeat, as easy wins offered no growth. But this also meant a higher risk of death.
“Senior Brother Ling, you were asking Liu Cang about the arena. Are you planning to fight?” Leng Hao asked curiously after they sat.
“Yes!” Ling Xiao’s answer was firm.
“Are you challenging a beast, a death-row prisoner, or a slave?” Leng Hao asked further.
“Death-row prisoner!”
Ling Xiao’s response was clear and decisive.
“Why?” Leng Hao asked, puzzled.
“First, I’d never choose a slave. Their lives are already tragic. I’m no saint, but I won’t harm such pitiful people.
Second, I won’t pick a beast. Though beasts of the same realm are often stronger than martial artists, in life-and-death battles, humans can unleash far greater power than usual. Fighting a human hones combat skills better. Beasts, despite some intelligence, are too dull.
Lastly, unlike slaves, death-row prisoners are here for heinous crimes. They may be pitiable, but they deserve death. Killing them won’t leave me with any guilt.”
Though Ling Xiao wasn’t one to weep for the world or play the saint, within his power, he avoided harming innocent, unfortunate people. That was his baseline as a human.
He was a martial artist, but first and foremost, a person!
“Hahaha, what a joke! Someone actually sees slaves as people? They’re no different from livestock or beasts. Kill them, and it’s nothing!” a mocking laugh came from nearby as soon as Ling Xiao finished speaking. Those beside the speaker nodded in agreement.
Ling Xiao and the others turned to see a group wearing Sword King Sect uniforms.
From their attire, among the six, three were inner disciples, and the other three were core disciples.
