The elder's interest was piqued at once.
"Oh?"
"What kind of request warrants you spending nearly two hundred million immortal crystals?"
Indeed, Li Guanqi had placed a full two hundred million in that storage ring!
Having a top-tier True Immortal expert step in against the Ye family was worth every bit of that price, regardless of the man's motives or whether his hand had been forced!
Thrifty though Li Guanqi was, he knew how to handle such matters....
Helping because one had no choice was entirely different from helping willingly after being put in good spirits.
It was just like with the Xutian Palace. If Ye Lingyun had moved against him in the Linluan Realm, Su Jinshan would have had to protect him even if he hated him to death. But he had no desire to let his relationship with the elder before him turn sour.
Qiu Yanji's index fingers lightly tapped the backs of his hands inside his sleeves. He drew his hands out and raised them slightly, gently lifting Li Guanqi to his feet.
"Sit and speak."
Li Guanqi smiled faintly and took a seat just below the elder. Turning to face him, he murmured, "Junior's request is simple. If I can clear a hundred matches, may I take someone with me when I leave?"
The elder's brows furrowed as he muttered, "Take someone with you? You know someone in the arena?"
Li Guanqi gave a wry smile. "Not a person, actually, but a great demon. A fellow carrying the bloodline of a fire qilin, in the Mystic Immortal realm. His name is Shi Lin."
The elder considered this for a moment, then called out softly, "Li Lei, come in."
Not long after the words fell, the man Li Guanqi had seen several times walked in.
Seeing Li Guanqi sitting right below the elder, chatting and laughing at ease, Li Lei's eyes contracted almost imperceptibly.
Stepping forward, he bowed and said in a deep voice, "Elder Qiu, you summoned me."
"Is there someone named Shi Lin in the colosseum?" the elder asked softly.
The man blurted out without hesitation, "There is. First-grade, sixth-rank. He has been here for seven months."
Qiu Yanji gave a slight nod and casually inquired, "Did he come on his own, or was he sold by someone?"
The man cast a wary glance at Li Guanqi, but the elder merely waved his hand.
"Sold by someone."
"Who sold him?"
"Zhao Chengyong, formerly of the Tianshu Ascension Hall in Qinzhou."
Li Guanqi's hands gripped the armrests violently, his eyes turning arctic!
"Zhao Chengyong! It really was him!"
The elder cast a calm glance at Li Guanqi, his eyes flickering, before waving his hand. Li Lei bowed and withdrew.
The elder picked up his teacup and took a light sip, then looked toward Li Guanqi. "Very well. As long as you clear a hundred battles, I will let you take him with you. That way... the beast colosseum's rules remain intact."
Here, the elder's voice paused slightly. His eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at Li Guanqi, his tone turning rather grave.
"You had best think this through.
"Once you become a fighter in this arena, I cannot guarantee your survival.
"What is more, you must sign a life-and-death agreement. If you die here... you can blame no one.
"Dead is dead; everything ends.
"If you win, the points from each match can be exchanged for many things, just as with everyone else."
In those few sentences, the elder laid out the pros and cons clearly. Then he paused noticeably, squinting at Li Guanqi as he spoke in a solemn tone.
"Must you have him?
"You could very well walk away right now."
Li Guanqi rose, clasped his fists toward the elder in a salute, and smiled. "Some things in this world aren't done solely for profit. In life, there are times when loyalty and brotherhood come first."
A smile appeared on Qiu Yanji's face.
"Good!
"As an exception, I'll allow you to keep all your belongings."
Li Guanqi's eyes lit up. This was practically opening a back door for him!
The elder waved his hand and stood up. "Go. Xiao Lei will arrange everything for you. I look forward to you clearing a hundred battles!"
Yet the elder had not taken the storage ring on the table. It drifted back in front of Li Guanqi.
"I appreciate the gesture, lad. Take your things back."
*Whoosh!*
The elder's figure vanished from the study in an instant.
Li Guanqi walked out of the study and saw the dark-skinned man right outside. The man was tall and wore black robes, stern-faced with sharp features, a ruthless glint hovering between his brows.
Li Lei looked at Li Guanqi and smiled. "Elder Qiu has already instructed me. Since you've decided to become a fighter, everything concerning you will be my responsibility from now on."
Li Guanqi nodded, speaking with a smile, "Then I'll be troubling Brother Lei."
Li Lei nodded slightly, showing no special warmth toward Li Guanqi's attempt to be friendly. In truth, he was immensely curious about Li Guanqi.
A person who, with merely a fourth-level Heavenly Immortal realm cultivation, had destroyed six cities through pure intellect and cunning...
A fellow who had prompted Elder Qiu to step forward personally against Ye Lingyun of the Ye family.
Who could dare underestimate him?
"The rules of the beast colosseum are simple: combat, victory or defeat, life or death.
"The second underground level is the quarters for all fighters, divided into eastern and western districts for humans and demons.
"Within each district, there are four tiers—Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow—and their living conditions differ substantially.
"After each victory, the points awarded vary based on your opponent's strength and the audience's reaction.
"In the beast colosseum, points can be exchanged for anything you desire!"
Li Lei sounded brimming with confidence as he said this. Li Guanqi merely smiled as he listened.
"Then Brother Lei... how are the four tiers of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow in the human district divided? By realm?"
Li Lei led Li Guanqi deeper inside, descending slowly down a broad flight of stairs.
"Not by realm, but by victories!
"Ten wins, thirty wins, sixty wins, and ninety wins!"
Hearing this, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and asked with great interest, "Ninety wins... How many people are currently in the Heaven tier?"
Li Lei turned his head toward Li Guanqi beside him and smiled. "Three. One of them currently has ninety-seven victories."
Li Guanqi said in surprise, "Then doesn't that mean they only need three more matches to complete a hundred battles?!"
Li Lei nodded slightly, an imperceptible trace of admiration flickering in the depths of his eyes.
Before long, the two reached the second underground level!
An incomparably massive dungeon!
The circular, hollow dungeon plunged down several tens of zhang!
The eastern and western sides were separated by a thick, golden barrier!
From the left, shrill screams would occasionally echo up from the abyss below.
From the right came all manner of agonizing roars!
As far as the eye could see were pitch-black cells. The upper level was gated with doors, ten rooms arranged in a row.
Presently, only three of those doors shimmered with a faint light.
Standing by the stairs and looking down, an overpowering stench of blood rushed to meet them.
Inside some of the iron cages, one could vaguely see the figures of raggedly dressed cultivators. Some stared blankly, some muttered to themselves, but most were cultivating in silence. In short, Li Guanqi could see all sorts of people from every walk of life...
Inscribed on the floor at the very bottom was a teleportation array, which connected to the arena above.
Under years of blood soaking, the white jade floor tiles had turned a dark, dusky red...
"Uh... where is my room?"
A strange smile tugged at the corner of Li Lei's mouth. Suddenly reaching out, he shoved Li Guanqi straight down!
Chapter 1764