"Five hundred primeval stones. After registering as a member of the arena, you must fight at least once every ten days, or your win streak will be reset. You may fight at most once per day. If you lose five consecutive matches, you will be disqualified and must register again. In addition, each person has one mandatory challenge per month, which the challenged party cannot refuse. These are the arena's rules."
The Gu Master in charge of registration spoke tonelessly, extending his hand toward Liu Chen.
Liu Chen remained expressionless, but secretly felt that these rules were a piece of cake for him. Without hesitation, he produced five hundred Primeval Stones from his aperture and handed them over. "Understood. Here are the five hundred stones. Please arrange an opponent for me as soon as possible."
To ensure he secured a match as quickly as possible, Liu Chen discreetly produced another fifty stones, placing them in front of the registrar with a slight smile. "This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you can help me find a battle without delay."
When the registrar saw the extra fifty stones, the boredom in his eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of surprise. He quickly swept the stones away, his gaze becoming much friendlier. "This is your Identity Token," he said, handing a jade plaque to Liu Chen. "At five o'clock in the morning, your match will be held at Venue No. 8. It is a Stream environment."
Liu Chen took the token and breathed a sigh of relief. Five o'clock in the morning was only a few hours away; he still had plenty of time. As for the venue and his opponent, he had no specific requirements. On the contrary, he knew that in the Fifth Inner City's arena, there was likely no one who could truly match him. Most duelists here were Rank 2 Gu Masters; even experts were only at the Rank 2 Upper Stage. A Rank 2 Peak Stage Master was a rare sight in this lower tier arena.
Time passed in the blink of an eye. At five o'clock, Liu Chen arrived at Martial Arts Field No. 8.
The layout was unique, featuring several gurgling streams interspersed through lush grass. The water was crystal clear, reaching roughly calf height. This design was a natural home advantage for a Water Path Gu Master. However, Liu Chen didn't care; his foundation was the Sword Path, and he had no specialized requirements for the terrain.
His gaze fell upon the ring, where his opponent was already waiting. It was a burly man with thick arms and a broad waist. His skin carried a deep bronze hue, revealing an aura of long term physical tempering. It was obvious that this was a powerful Strength Path practitioner.
In the early ranks, many Gu Masters chose to practice the Strength Path because of its overwhelming advantages in close quarters combat. Even in this arena, most of the famous strongmen were Strength Path Gu Masters.
His opponent, Qian Duo, felt a surge of joy when he saw a mere boy walking toward him. Liu Chen looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. Qian Duo assumed such a young opponent would be weak in cultivation and lacked real combat experience undoubtedly good news for his own record.
"What a blessing!" Qian Duo muttered. "Once I win this game, I'll have enough stones to break through to the Rank 2 Middle Stage!" He became increasingly excited, as if victory were already within his grasp.
"Both sides prepare! Life or death is allowed in the ring , let the battle begins!"
The official guarding the No. 8 field was a Rank 3 Gu Master. He looked at the two combatants expressionlessly, glanced at the time, and made the announcement. He then retreated outside the ring, leaving enough space for the duelists to perform their arts to their hearts' content.
The spectators' area was largely deserted. Watching matches in Shang Clan City was not free, and since neither Liu Chen nor Qian Duo were famous, no one was willing to waste Primeval Stones to watch two unknown little characters fight.
"Boy, remember that the person who defeated you is me, Qian Duo!" The man's eyes widened as he glared at Liu Chen, his voice deafening.
Faced with the provocation, Liu Chen remained unusually calm. He glanced at Qian Duo with a look of indifference.
Seeing this, Qian Duo became annoyed. He had expected the boy to be intimidated by his momentum, but Liu Chen was far too composed. Enraged, he decided to show the brat the meaning of true power.
"Try it. Throw everything you have at me, I'm curious if you can even last three breaths," Liu Chen said, his mouth curling into an imperceptible smile. He knew perfectly well that Qian Duo was only at the Rank 2 Initial Stage and posed zero threat to him.
Without further delay, Liu Chen urged his Rank 2 Sword Qi Gu. A blade of white sword energy rushed out like lightning, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle toward Qian Duo.
With the blessing of the Sword Path Dao Marks Liu Chen had obtained from his inheritance, the power of this Sword Qi was terrifying. Although he was only using a Rank 2 Gu, its lethality was no less than that of an ordinary Rank 3 offensive Gu.
"What?!"
As the battle truly began, Liu Chen stopped suppressing his aura. The powerful pressure of a Rank 3 Gu Master gushed out like a surging torrent, instantly enveloping the entire ring. Qian Duo felt an unstoppable weight hit him, as if the entire world had frozen.
His eyes widened in sheer horror. Every rank in Gu cultivation meant a massive leap in strength, and a Rank 3 expert was a being he could not possibly compete with. In the face of this terrifying aura, only one thought remained in his mind: Surrender!
However, the Sword Qi was too swift to allow him a chance to speak. In desperation, Qian Duo gritted his teeth and mobilized all his essence to activate his defensive Gu.
In an instant, Qian Duo's body was covered in a hazy layer of golden light. This was a defensive barrier that looked like a solid shield. Against the light, his bronze skin appeared even deeper.
Unfortunately, Liu Chen's Sword Qi was too sharp. It pierced through the golden defense as if it were paper. Qian Duo felt a blinding pain in his chest, as if his very soul were being torn apart. He let out a violent scream as his body was sent flying backward, slamming heavily onto the stone floor.
"Ah!"
Qian Duo groaned in agony, his hands clutching his chest. Blood seeped through his fingers, forming a shocking pool on the ground. His face turned as pale as paper, his forehead drenched in cold sweat. He was clearly out of the fight.