Xiao Chen sheathed his gun and stood still, watching Qin Yue stagger backward, his eyes calm. He had held back with that shot; otherwise, it wouldn't have pierced his shoulder, but his heart. He didn't want trouble, especially in the heart of the Central Region; it was better to avoid trouble.
But Qin Yue clearly didn't think so.
He clutched his bleeding shoulder, his eyes filled with no gratitude, only humiliation and madness. To be defeated by a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, especially one from the Southern Region whom he despised, was worse than death.
"What kind of skill is it to dodge and weave!" Qin Yue roared, his voice distorted with rage. "If you have the guts... come with me to the arena of life and death!"
"What?!"
The surrounding cultivators erupted in chaos, like cats whose tails had been stepped on.
To prevent large-scale conflicts arising from private duels among cultivators, several dueling arenas were jointly established by various forces in the early years of Zangdao Mountain, divided into "sparring arenas" and "life-or-death arenas." Sparring arenas are for casualties only, while life-or-death arenas are completely different—once you step onto the arena, you can injure or kill, life or death is irrelevant, and they are specifically designed to resolve irreconcilable hatred.
In recent years, the situation in the Central Region has been relatively stable, and the Life and Death Arena is so dangerous that few people have dared to participate. Unexpectedly, today, Qin Yue is going to settle things with Xiao Chen on the Life and Death Arena!
"Are you crazy? Qin Yue is a half-step Mahayana cultivator. Even if he lost a move just now, he might not have lost his life. Why go to the life-or-death arena?"
"This Xiao Chen is ruthless enough, he actually pushed Qin Yue to this point..."
"Let's go! Quickly to the arena of life and death! We haven't seen such a spectacle in years!"
The crowd surged toward the life-and-death arena in the center of Zangdao Mountain like a tidal wave. The news spread throughout Zangdao Mountain even faster, alarming even those cultivators who were in seclusion to cultivate their spiritual realm. They all came out of seclusion, wanting to witness this life-and-death duel that transcended realms.
Xiao Chen frowned slightly as he looked at the seemingly deranged Qin Yue. He truly didn't want to cause trouble, but that didn't mean he was afraid of it. The other party had already submitted a challenge to the life-or-death arena; to back down now would not only be a loss of face for himself but also a disgrace to the Qingyun Sect's reputation.
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Xiao Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly resonated throughout the entire venue, carrying an undeniable determination.
"Good! Good! Good!" Qin Yue said "good" three times in a row, a triumphant glint flashing in his eyes, and turned to walk towards the life-or-death arena.
The Life and Death Arena was forged from millennia-old black iron, standing approximately ten zhang tall and fifty zhang in length and width. Its surface was covered with densely packed runes—formations used to suppress auras and prevent the aftershocks of battle from harming those below. At this moment, the runes, due to the impending life-or-death battle, had begun to glow faintly.
The two stepped onto the life-or-death arena one after the other, the black iron surface emitting a dull thud.
The audience below was already packed with people, so crowded that there was no room to move. Even the distant mountain peaks were filled with cultivators. Everyone held their breath and watched the two people on the stage.
Just then, an old-looking cultivator slowly walked out. He was wearing a simple gray robe and had a token with the character "公" (gong, meaning public/public) hanging at his waist. This was the notary elder of Cangdao Mountain, jointly elected by various forces, responsible for presiding over the order of the life-and-death arena and ensuring the fairness of the duel.
"Are you two sure you want to settle this with a fight to the death?" The old cultivator's voice was calm, yet carried an air of authority.
Qin Yue answered without hesitation: "Confirmed!"
Xiao Chen nodded: "Confirmed."
"Very well." The old cultivator stepped back to the edge of the platform and announced loudly, "The rules of the Life and Death Arena are that once it begins, it's a fight to the death, and no one is allowed to interfere! Now, begin!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the runes on the edge of the platform lit up instantly, forming an invisible barrier that completely isolated the arena from the outside world.
"Xiao Chen, today I will show you the difference between cultivators from the Central Region and those from the desolate Southern Region!" Qin Yue roared, not taking out any weapon, but simply stretching his muscles, his muscles bulging, and a faint purple-gold luster appearing on his skin.
What he was most proud of was not his cultivation level, but his physical body, which had been soaked in "Purple Gold Tempering Liquid" and cultivated with the Purple Extreme Pavilion's "Golden Body Technique," making it comparable to a top-grade defensive magic weapon! Just now, Xiao Chen hadn't been able to seriously injure him even with that rusty iron spear (he didn't know it was a treasure spear), so he didn't take Xiao Chen seriously at all now.
Xiao Chen looked at him and slowly took out a long spear—but it wasn't the rusty iron spear that had accompanied him in battle. Instead, it was an ordinary magic weapon spear that he took out of his storage bag. The spear was dark and had no spiritual light. It was obviously a common item that he had bought temporarily.
"Huh? Why isn't he using his own gun?"
"That spear looks very ordinary. Is it a magical weapon? Is it used to attack Qin Yue's golden body with such an ordinary spear?"
"Are you crazy? Qin Yue's physical body can withstand magic weapons!"
The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar; no one had expected Xiao Chen to make such a choice.
Xiao Chen, however, had his own ideas. While the rusty iron spear was powerful, it was also easy to become dependent on it. He came to the Central Region to hone his spear skills, not simply to win with his precious spear.
Qin Yue's physical body is strong, which is perfect for honing his spear skills and spear intent, and seeing just how deep his Dao is without using the treasured spear.
"You're courting death!" Qin Yue was even more enraged when he saw that Xiao Chen was using a mortal spear against him. His figure blurred, and like a humanoid chariot, he rushed straight at Xiao Chen with the sound of wind breaking! He didn't use any fancy moves, but relied on the strength of his physical body to punch Xiao Chen in the face!
Before the fist even arrived, its overwhelming power had already slightly distorted the air!
Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced, flicking his spear. The tip of the spear drew an arc and accurately struck Qin Yue's fist.
"clang!"
The clash of spear and fist produced a metallic clang!
Qin Yue felt a clever force coming from him, and his fist was deflected by the tip of the spear, failing to hit his vital point. He was shocked. This ordinary spear in Xiao Chen's hands was more flexible than a magic weapon.
Xiao Chen nodded secretly. Qin Yue's physical body was indeed powerful. He had used 30% of his spear intent in that last shot, yet it only left a shallow white mark on his fist, without even breaking the skin.
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