After that little interlude, Li Feng did not worry too much. Inside the Ancient Martial Artists Association, no matter who you were, fighting was absolutely forbidden. Zhong Shuhui had already warned him about this before they arrived. Besides, everyone here wore masks, so there was no fear of being recognised.
Of course, these were ordinary masks. Someone with divine sense could see straight through them, but divine sense was not something everyone possessed.
When they first entered the underground city, Li Feng had deliberately probed with his divine sense. Yet the moment he did, countless powerful auras locked onto him from all directions, startling him so much that he immediately withdrew it.
He was certain that innate-realm experts were present in this underground city. He had no intention of risking his life to provoke them.
The two of them reached the main hall, which was already packed with people. Seeing the crowd, Li Feng was secretly astonished.
“Young Master, everyone who can come here is either rich or noble. They are not necessarily martial artists,” Zhong Shuhui explained beside him. “Apart from buying cultivation resources for their families or subordinates, most people come here simply for pleasure.”
“Pleasure?” Li Feng was taken aback. You could enjoy yourself here?
“Young Master, look over there…” Zhong Shuhui pointed ahead. “Those are the ones here for pleasure.”
Li Feng looked up and saw a group of masked, pot-bellied men with their arms around bunny girls heading towards private boxes.
Seeing this, he instantly understood what Zhong Shuhui meant by pleasure. Each bunny girl had a stunning figure. Out in the normal world, any one of them would be a breathtaking beauty that could make any man’s heart race.
“Young Master, fancy having some fun? The auction doesn’t start for another hour,” Zhong Shuhui turned and asked with a smile.
Li Feng shook his head. He had no interest in these women. Instead he asked, “Besides the auction and the Ghost Market that starts later, is there anything else worth doing in this underground city?”
“Of course there are fun places, it just depends whether you can afford them.” Before Zhong Shuhui could answer, a voice came from behind Li Feng.
“You lot again?” Li Feng turned and saw it was the tiger-masked youth and his group. His gaze darkened. These pests really would not leave him alone.
“The most entertaining place in this underground city is the Arena,” the tiger-masked youth said, acting as if he had not noticed Li Feng’s glare. He stepped right up to him. “But a place like the Arena is not something someone like you can afford to play in.”
Li Feng gave a cold laugh, ignored him completely, and walked off with Zhong Shuhui.
At that moment, the tiger-masked youth blocked his path.
“What do you want?” Li Feng’s eyes turned icy. This tiger-masked fellow had provoked him repeatedly. Did he really think Li Feng was easy to bully?
“I simply want to invite you to the Arena for a little entertainment,” the youth said, a sharp glint in his eyes.
“Invite me?” Li Feng sneered. “When someone is suddenly so courteous for no reason, they are either a thief or a crook. Speak plainly. What do you really want?”
“I want to place a death-match wager against you,” the youth said gravely.
“A death-match wager?” Li Feng paused, then turned to Zhong Shuhui.
Through her explanation, he learned that the underground city contained an Arena similar to underground boxing. It was the only place where fighting was permitted. Ancient martial artists who had irreconcilable grudges could settle them there.
The Arena also allowed betting. You could wager money or treasures. It was one of the favourite spots for ancient martial artists.
“What a country bumpkin. You don’t even know about the Arena. This must be your first time here, right?” the tiger-masked youth mocked.
“So what if it is? So what if it isn’t? What business is it of yours?” Li Feng replied with a cold laugh.
“You…” The youth flew into a rage and glared at Li Feng. “Kid, if you’ve got the guts, come wager with me. If you don’t dare, you’re nothing but a coward.”
“You just want my Foundation-Building Pills. Let me tell you, I do have more, but what are you planning to wager against me?” Li Feng stared coldly at the youth. After being provoked again and again, anger had already built up inside him. It was time to teach this fellow a lesson, or he would never learn his place.
“Don’t worry, this young master has plenty of good things. I’m just afraid you won’t dare to play,” the youth said, excitement flashing in his eyes. As expected, Li Feng still had more Foundation-Building Pills. Today he was determined to win them.
“Then let’s go to the Arena.” Li Feng gave a cold laugh. If this guy wanted his pills, he would make him lose everything.
The group headed towards the Arena, located on the third basement level of the auction tower. They arrived in less than five minutes.
When Li Feng and the others entered, the Arena was already packed. People shouted and screamed with wild excitement. These were all elites in the outside world, yet here they jumped around like children.
The Arena was a place of blood and violence. Almost every match ended with only one survivor.
Li Feng swept his gaze across the Arena, a trace of shock in his eyes. He suspected the association had created this place for reasons far beyond simply making money.
“What, scared already?” Seeing the shock in Li Feng’s eyes, the tiger-masked youth sneered.
“Scared? Do you think that’s possible?” Li Feng laughed coldly and walked with Zhong Shuhui towards the registration counter.
“We wish to place a death-match wager,” Li Feng told the old man behind the counter.
“Certainly. What are you wagering?” The old man glanced at Li Feng, a sharp glint in his eyes.
“Three Foundation-Building Pills.” Li Feng produced a jade vial. He had obtained these pills from Hu Yuanyuan before coming to the auction.
During his last trip to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he had learned from Ge Feng and the others just how valuable Foundation-Building Pills were. Since he lacked sufficient funds for this auction, he had asked Hu Yuanyuan for these pills.
Foundation-Building Pills could increase cultivation speed and breakthrough probability, but both he and Hu Yuanyuan possessed dragon jade, which greatly reduced the pills’ effectiveness for them. It was better to auction them and buy other cultivation resources instead.
The old man’s pupils contracted. He looked at Li Feng in surprise. With his experience, he naturally knew what Foundation-Building Pills were. He had not expected someone to wager them.
“Surely you can’t match their value?” Li Feng looked at the tiger-masked youth, cold mockery in his eyes.
“Hmph, this young master has plenty of treasures.” Excitement flashed in the youth’s eyes. He had not expected Li Feng to produce another three pills. He had assumed one or two at most, yet there were so many.
Did this fellow have even more besides these three? the youth wondered as he stared at Li Feng.
“Really? Then show them. I want to see what treasures you have,” Li Feng said, a sharp glint in his own eyes.
“This is a Tianyuan Spirit Fruit. That should be enough.” The youth placed a jade box on the counter and opened it.
“A Tianyuan Spirit Fruit?” Joy appeared in Li Feng’s eyes. This was indeed a Tianyuan Spirit Fruit, an extremely precious resource. Originally he had found the youth’s provocations annoying, but now that he saw the fruit, he thought it was wonderful that the fellow had come looking for trouble. The more trouble the better.
Yet after one glance, Li Feng withdrew his gaze and fixed it on the youth. “You think one Tianyuan Spirit Fruit is worth three Foundation-Building Pills? Do you take me for a fool?”
“What did you say?” The youth froze, his expression turning icy.
“Did I not make myself clear? One Tianyuan Spirit Fruit is nowhere near the value of three Foundation-Building Pills. Do you have anything else?” Li Feng said coldly. He did not know the exact market value of Foundation-Building Pills, but alchemists were exceedingly rare nowadays, making pills far more valuable. Moreover, these pills increased breakthrough chances. He felt it necessary to make the youth put up more.
“You…” The youth’s expression shifted. Li Feng might be unaware of the pills’ true value, but he knew perfectly well. Foundation-Building Pills were priceless. One Tianyuan Spirit Fruit was indeed worth far less than three of them.
“If you have nothing good, then don’t waste my time,” Li Feng said, noticing the look in the youth’s eyes. A cold smile curved his lips. As expected, the pills were worth even more than he had imagined.
“Who says I have nothing?” the youth snapped, somewhat humiliated and enraged.
“Then produce it. If you have nothing, stop wasting time. My time is precious,” Li Feng said coldly.
“I wager this.” The youth snorted and produced a compass.
“Just this piece of junk?” Li Feng glanced at it and curled his lip in disdain. “You think this rubbish is worth my Foundation-Building Pills? Do you take me for an idiot?”
“You are an idiot if you don’t even recognise an array talisman,” the youth sneered. He turned to the old man. “Please enlighten this fool about what this is.”
“This is a second-grade array talisman containing a sealed Wind-Thunder Array. It can kill any ancient martial artist below the innate realm,” the old man said.
Li Feng’s pupils contracted. He had not expected the compass to be a Wind-Thunder Array capable of killing anyone below the innate realm.
“Country bumpkin, now you know what it is, right?” the youth said smugly.
“Very well. Three Foundation-Building Pills against one Tianyuan Spirit Fruit and one second-grade Wind-Thunder Array talisman,” Li Feng said, a sharp glint in his eyes. Both the fruit and the array talisman were things he desperately needed, especially the talisman. With it, he would no longer fear any ancient martial artist below the innate realm.
After registering the wager, the old man looked up and asked, “Will you fight personally or send a substitute?”
“I only trust myself,” Li Feng replied, confidence flashing in his eyes. With his current strength, even an eighth-layer Acquired Realm expert was no match for him. Fighting personally gave him the highest chance of victory.
“I have my own subordinate.” A cold light flickered in the tiger-masked youth’s eyes. He had not expected Li Feng to fight himself, which suited him perfectly. He turned to a man beside him wearing a leopard mask. “When the time comes, use full force. I want him dead.”
