The Tiansheng City Battle Arena.
Lu Changsheng had already familiarized himself with its location and had even stepped inside several times.
Before long, he made his way into the arena complex.
The venue was divided into three types of arenas: the Martial Arena, the Immortal Arena, and the Mixed Arena.
As the names implied, the Martial Arena was strictly for martial cultivators, the Immortal Arena was for immortal cultivators, and the Mixed Arena was an open mix of both.
The Battle Arena was exceedingly cruel.
Once a combatant stepped onto the stage, it was not merely a matter of victory or defeat, but of life and death.
In other words, out of the two people who entered the ring, only one was destined to walk out alive.
Victory was attained solely by slaying one's opponent.
Lu Changsheng headed straight for the arena organizers.
"I want to enter the arena," he said to an administrator in charge.
"Name, cultivation, and faction."
"Lu Changsheng. Peak Dao Foundation, rogue martial cultivator," Lu Changsheng replied truthfully.
His cultivation was actually at the "half-step Divine Ability" level. Of course, that was merely his personal understanding; in reality, no official half-step Divine Ability realm existed. Half-step Divine Ability was still classified under peak Dao Foundation.
The administrator, who was likewise a Dao Foundation martial cultivator, took a long, hard look at Lu Changsheng before speaking in a low voice. "You should already understand the arena's rules. Once you register, you must participate in at least three matches. After three matches, you are free to leave at any time. Naturally, you may choose to continue fighting or decline further matches; the choice is entirely yours. For every match you fight, you will receive a fixed reward of ten spirit stones plus ten percent of that match's betting pool. If you have no objections, sign this contract and leave your mental imprint."
The administrator explained the terms clearly.
A flat ten spirit stones was negligible. However, a ten-percent cut of the match's total bets was astonishing.
Did the people of Tiansheng City come to the arena merely to watch? No—they came to place wagers.
The size of the betting pool naturally depended on a fighter's fame. For an unknown martial cultivator like Lu Changsheng, if matched against an equally unknown opponent, the pool might only reach a few hundred spirit stones, yielding a commission of merely a few dozen stones. But if someone won several matches in a row, or if a prominent figure entered the ring, the total wagers for a single match could be terrifying—ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones. Of course, that was reserved for the most wildly popular, top-tier clashes.
Lu Changsheng had inquired earlier: a single drop of Heavenly Spirit Water cost roughly ten thousand spirit stones. That price was exorbitant. Only in the Battle Arena, with enough good fortune over a handful or a dozen matches, could he accumulate more than ten thousand spirit stones to purchase Heavenly Spirit Water.
"I'll sign," Lu Changsheng said, signing his name and leaving a mental imprint without hesitation.
This mental imprint was only temporary. It would dissolve automatically after three matches. Its purpose was to prevent participants from fleeing before a fight. If someone ran away, the arena would immediately declare them the loser and dispatch enforcers to hunt them down. Nobody wanted to be hunted by the Battle Arena, so pre-match deserters were practically nonexistent. Stepping into the ring and fighting at least offered a chance of survival; being hunted by the arena meant certain death.
"Very well. The contract is signed, and your mental imprint has been recorded. Return to the arena three days from now, and a martial duel will be arranged for you. You will only learn who your opponent is two hours before the match. Any questions?"
Lu Changsheng answered calmly, "No questions. Does the arena provide resting quarters for participants?"
"Naturally. You may rest in the arena quarters until three days from now."
Lu Changsheng nodded and headed straight to the room arranged by the arena.
During those three days, Lu Changsheng stayed within the arena grounds. He also observed the competitors fighting in the Martial Arena. Perhaps his first opponent would be among them; learning more was never a bad thing.
In the blink of an eye, three days slipped by.
The arena arranged a martial duel for Lu Changsheng. Two hours before the match began, he finally learned his opponent's name.
"Zhao Feng?"
An ordinary name. Lu Changsheng had stayed in the arena for three days and had never heard of him. Most likely, Zhao Feng was a first-time competitor just like him. As a rule, first-time combatants were not pitted against established, famous experts.
Lu Changsheng could find no information on Zhao Feng. But it did not matter. Just as he knew nothing about his opponent, his opponent knew nothing about him. The playing field was fair.
And so, Lu Changsheng waited quietly for the two hours to pass.
This two-hour window was, in truth, the betting period for spectators. The patrons who frequented the Battle Arena had all sorts of peculiar tastes. Some liked betting on renowned champions, while others loved wagering on complete strangers—relying purely on luck, like opening mystery boxes, which gave them a tremendous thrill.
Li Guang was one such patron.
He was a top Dao Foundation martial cultivator who had no hope of reaching the Divine Ability realm in this lifetime. However, he had a formidable background and plenty of wealth, and he loved gambling at the arena. Furthermore, he always chose obscure, unknown competitors, wagering purely on luck. He thoroughly enjoyed the feeling.
On that day, Li Guang noticed a martial duel scheduled to start in two hours.
"Lu Changsheng against Zhao Feng?"
"Neither has ever appeared in the arena before; they must both be newcomers."
"Lu Changsheng... that's an interesting name. Let's bet on him. The usual—one hundred spirit stones."
Li Guang was wealthy. A mere hundred spirit stones meant nothing to him, so he placed the bet casually. He wagered on Lu Changsheng to win simply because he found the name amusing.
Lu Changsheng did not know Li Guang, but he was waiting for the final tally. He wanted to see how many spirit stones were riding on this match.
Soon enough, the results came in. Before heading to the ring, the arena staff always informed the contestants of the wager total.
"Lu Changsheng, your match has a total of two hundred and ten spirit stones in wagers."
Upon hearing the figure, Lu Changsheng thought, *Two hundred and ten spirit stones? Quite ordinary.*
Having spent three days in the arena, he knew immediately that this sum was modest, even meager. It made sense: neither he nor Zhao Feng had any reputation to attract attention, so the bets were naturally low. Even so, if he won, he would earn twenty-one spirit stones, which, added to the fixed ten spirit stones, totaled thirty-one spirit stones. That was actually quite decent.
At present, Lu Changsheng was truly penniless in Tiansheng City. He did not even have a place to stay, merely crashing temporarily at Haoxian Workshop. But he could only lodge there for a month. With these spirit stones, his housing problem would at least be resolved.
"Time is up."
Lu Changsheng nodded and stepped onto the arena stage.
The arena was sealed by an isolation array. It was a terrifying formation on the level of the Golden Core realm, impervious even to Divine Ability experts, let alone Dao Foundation martial cultivators. Inside the arena, there was only one way to win: kill your opponent.
Lu Changsheng looked across at Zhao Feng. He was also a Dao Foundation martial cultivator, wearing a cold, detached expression. He appeared to be a top Dao Foundation expert. Anyone who was not a top Dao Foundation expert entering the Battle Arena was essentially courting death. Every Dao Foundation cultivator competing here would be considered a master in the outside world, yet for one reason or another, they were forced into this ring to battle to the death.
Neither man spoke as they stood on the platform.
"Begin!"
The moment the arena referee's voice rang out, Zhao Feng made his move.
His brain domain descended instantly.
Battles between Dao Foundation martial cultivators were fundamentally straightforward: a contest of brain domains, a contest of laws, and a contest of divine techniques. Those were the three factors. In the end, the outcome was almost always decided by divine techniques.
Facing his first match, Lu Changsheng dared not show the slightest carelessness. He released his brain domain almost simultaneously, unleashing the divine technique Flame Stream along with it.
Flame Stream was second only to Lesser Five Elements Annihilation and the three divine techniques Lu Changsheng had deduced after his comprehension underwent its qualitative leap.
*Boom!*
Brain domains collided, and laws raged violently. Wherever Flame Stream passed, everything burned to cinders. Even as a lesser technique in his arsenal, its destructive power was terrifying enough that most top Dao Foundation cultivators were powerless against it.
"Ah!"
A shrill scream pierced the air above the ring.
Zhao Feng's brain domain was pierced through by Flame Stream, and the raging blaze engulfed him in the next instant. In mere moments, Zhao Feng's screams cut off. His very body was incinerated into ash.
Dead!
Unable to withstand even a single strike, Zhao Feng was slain.
"Lu Changsheng wins!" the arena staff immediately declared.
The spectators watching the match found the spectacle hard to believe.
"It's over already?"
"That Lu Changsheng seems genuinely strong."
"Couldn't even take one hit—Zhao Feng was useless."
"This Lu Changsheng is interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on his matches. He might be an unexpected surprise..."
All at once, many people began taking notice of Lu Changsheng. While it could not be called shooting to instant fame, he had certainly caught some people's attention.
Lu Changsheng shook his head slightly. Zhao Feng had been too weak. Perhaps his divine technique possessed some unique trait, but compared to Flame Stream, it fell far short—to say nothing of Lesser Five Elements Annihilation and the three supreme divine techniques.
*Winning a few more matches shouldn't be an issue,* Lu Changsheng murmured to himself.
Once he racked up several consecutive victories and established his reputation, that would be the time to rake in spirit stones by the bucketful.
Lu Changsheng stepped down from the platform and collected his earnings. Exactly as he had calculated, he received thirty-one spirit stones in total.
The arena attendant informed him, "Your second martial duel will be in three days."
Lu Changsheng nodded. Returning to his quarters, he took out the thirty-one spirit stones.
In truth, martial cultivation placed few demands on spirit stones, whereas immortal cultivators consumed them in massive quantities. Yet there was a reason spirit stones served as the universal currency of the Holy Land: their production was limited, while immortal cultivators had a voracious, indispensable demand for them. Furthermore, many goods in the Holy Land were refined or produced by immortal cultivators, and even teleportation arrays required spirit stones to run. Because of their wide utility, they had naturally become the universal currency here—even Heavenly Spirit Water could be purchased with them.
Still, thirty-one spirit stones amounted to very little. One hundred spirit stones could be exchanged for a single spirit crystal. A spirit crystal was still a spirit stone, just of exceptional quality. Lu Changsheng now knew that when the ancient ultra-long-distance teleportation array had been activated back at the Haoxian Immortal Sect, the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect had produced over a hundred spirit stones; those had actually been spirit crystals, equivalent to more than ten thousand ordinary spirit stones. That vast sum was enough to purchase a drop of Heavenly Spirit Water. No wonder activating that teleportation array came at such a steep price—every single activation consumed the equivalent of a drop of Heavenly Spirit Water!
If Lu Changsheng could not obtain over ten thousand ordinary spirit stones in the Holy Land, he would not even be able to activate the ultra-long-distance teleportation array to return to the Ancient Region.
Lu Changsheng rested for three days.
When three days were up, the arena notified him that his second match had been scheduled.
*If I want to gather a large sum of spirit stones quickly, besides winning matches, I can also place bets!* Lu Changsheng thought.
Bet on himself to win!
That way, so long as he kept winning, his spirit stones would snowball rapidly.
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng wagered all thirty-one of his spirit stones. The odds were one-to-one. If he won, his thirty-one spirit stones would double to sixty-two. For obscure fighters, the odds were generally set at one-to-one.
For his second match, Lu Changsheng learned that the betting pool totaled five hundred and sixty spirit stones—more than double the first match. After all, his first performance had drawn some attention, naturally attracting more bets.
Soon, Lu Changsheng stepped onto the arena platform.
His opponent for this second match was named Wu Yuekong.
Wu Yuekong was a young Dao Foundation martial cultivator with a cold, sinister gaze. The moment he stepped onto the platform, he stared at Lu Changsheng without a word.
"Begin!"
The instant the duel commenced, Wu Yuekong struck without delay, unleashing his divine technique all at once without giving Lu Changsheng any opening. Clearly, he had investigated Lu Changsheng, knew his opponent possessed powerful divine techniques, and chose to stake everything on an aggressive preemptive strike.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng hesitated not in the least, unleashing the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation divine technique in an instant.
This was a supreme compound divine technique second only to his three greatest divine techniques, and it had reached the perfection stage. Relying on this very technique, Lu Changsheng had swept through the Tianluo Mountains back in the Ancient Region, utterly invincible, slaying countless peak Foundation Establishment Dao Lords. Dealing with Wu Yuekong was naturally child's play.
"What?!"
Wu Yuekong's heart jolted, disbelief flashing through his eyes.
His prior inquiries indicated that Lu Changsheng used a divine technique called Flame Stream. While potent, Wu Yuekong believed that if he struck first, he would have a chance to kill Lu Changsheng. Yet here Lu Changsheng was, unleashing an even more terrifying divine technique—one with an immense area of effect that engulfed him almost instantly.
"Block it!"
Wu Yuekong unleashed a divine technique of his own—a purely defensive one. Such techniques were exceedingly rare, but against Lu Changsheng's Lesser Five Elements Annihilation, it was utterly fragile.
*Pfft!*
In a split second, Wu Yuekong's defensive technique was annihilated by Lesser Five Elements Annihilation, reduced to nothingness. Immediately afterward, a black deluge swallowed Wu Yuekong whole.
"Lu Changsheng wins!"
Lu Changsheng smoothly claimed victory in his second martial duel. Once again, it had been a clean, decisive one-shot kill.
Such a display naturally caught the attention of many more onlookers.
"This Lu Changsheng is something else! Two matches, two effortless kills—he makes it look like a walk in the park. His strength must be formidable."
"Not bad at all. Dispatching two opponents so easily... I'm definitely betting on him for his third match."
"We might have stumbled upon a genuine powerhouse."
Many spectators' eyes lit up.
Li Guang was especially pleased. He had bet on Lu Changsheng in both matches and won both times. Winning a handful of spirit stones was trivial to him, but he felt an inexplicable fondness toward Lu Changsheng.
"The next match is the third. That third match won't be simple. The arena has a three-match agreement with newcomers; once you win the third, you are free to leave. The arena won't let Lu Changsheng win that third match easily..."
Li Guang narrowed his eyes slightly. He was privy to some of the arena's inner workings. The difficulty of the third match was on an entirely different level compared to the first two. Many formidable Dao Foundation cultivators won their first two matches, only to die in the third. Whether Lu Changsheng could survive it remained to be seen.
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng was counting his spoils. For the second match, he earned fifty-six spirit stones from the cut. Adding the thirty-one spirit stones won from his wager, his total savings reached one hundred and eighteen spirit stones.
Though he was still far from ten thousand spirit stones, Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. He also understood that the crucial test would be the third match.
Having observed the arena for so many days, he had deduced a pattern.
*Many people win their first two matches. But by the third, most who won two straight end up dead—over eighty percent fail to win three in a row. The arena's three-match contract naturally won't let combatants walk away with an easy victory in the third match. And there's another reason: betting. The arena waits for the third match to harvest all the bettors...*
Lu Changsheng could guess the arena's motives. The arena did not care about the fighters; it cared about the spirit stones wagered! After one or two matches, people believed they had spotted a top Dao Foundation expert and would place heavy wagers on the third. That was precisely when the arena reaped its harvest. Once that fighter lost, the arena would make a fortune.
However, this was also Lu Changsheng's opportunity. The wagers on the third match were bound to be enormous. If he won, his spirit stone hoard would skyrocket!
Soon, three days elapsed.
Lu Changsheng's third martial duel arrived.
His opponent was named Yue Yin.
This Yue Yin seemed unusual. He had likewise won two matches in a row, but his victories had appeared strained. Each time, he had fought bitterly and scraped through with a hard-won victory just in the nick of time.
After a brief analysis, Lu Changsheng grasped Yue Yin's true nature.
*This is an expert playing the pig to eat the tiger! Every battle looks grueling, yet he always manages to win—that actually demonstrates flawless control over the flow of combat. Only someone far stronger than his opponent can dictate the pace like that. Yue Yin's true strength must be terrifying! No wonder the arena pitted him against me. I showed tremendous dominance in my first two matches, so most people will bet on me to win. If I lose, the arena cleans up, harvesting everyone in one fell swoop!*
Lu Changsheng saw through the arena's scheme, and even deduced that Yue Yin was concealing his true strength beneath an unassuming facade. Yet this was his chance all the same.
"One hundred and eighteen spirit stones—all in!"
Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng wagered all of his spirit stones. If he won, his stake would yield two hundred and thirty-six spirit stones.
Two hours before the fight, Lu Changsheng finally learned the exact betting total.
Two thousand three hundred and eighty spirit stones!
It was a staggering figure. Lu Changsheng's two previous matches had built up considerable popularity; after all, fighters who dispatched opponents cleanly were rare, as most preferred to hide their strength and play the pig to eat the tiger.
*Two thousand three hundred and eighty spirit stones! That's a massive sum, higher than most third matches. If I win, adding my wager payout, I'll take home four hundred and seventy-four spirit stones in total.*
Lu Changsheng calculated the sum. Nearly five hundred spirit stones was already a fantastic haul.
And so, he waited quietly.
Two hours later, Lu Changsheng stepped onto the platform for his third match.
His opponent, Yue Yin, was a calm-looking, middle-aged man clad in black. Neither spoke a word, but a faint, fierce glint flickered in Yue Yin's eyes.
"Begin!"
The moment the referee gave the word, Yue Yin moved with a deafening boom.
His brain domain descended, and the instant it manifested, a five-colored radiance shimmered into view.
Five colors signified five laws!
In the Ancient Region, a Dao Foundation cultivator possessing five laws was exceedingly rare. But in the Holy Land, while cultivators with five, six, or even seven or eight laws were uncommon, they could still be encountered occasionally. In particular, Dao Foundation cultivators hailing from sects or factions that inherited sacred ground legacies commanded numerous laws, not lagging behind Lu Changsheng in the slightest.
Now, with all five laws brought to bear, Yue Yin unleashed terrifying divine techniques in an instant.
"Divine technique: Ten Thousand Paths Returning to One!"
"Divine technique: Thousand Snows Ice Seal!"
"Divine technique: Hundred Streams Contending!"
Yue Yin barked low commands, unleashing one divine technique after another. In a single breath, he unleashed three divine techniques consecutively, and each one was a top compound divine technique deduced from five separate laws.
Frenzied! Terrifying! Overbearing!
Who could have imagined that an unknown Dao Foundation cultivator, who had seemingly scraped through every prior match with bitter difficulty, could suddenly unleash such horrifying power? It was as if an ant had suddenly opened its maw to swallow an elephant!
The arena erupted into an uproar. Those watching the fight nearly cried out in shock.
"What?! Three divine techniques? And all three are top compound divine techniques cultivated from five laws!"
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Where did such a powerhouse emerge from? With strength like this, let alone clearing three matches, he could easily win seven or eight!"
"It's over... I lost my bet..."
"He even mastered Ten Thousand Paths Returning to One! Even if it isn't at perfection, it must be at the great achievement stage. With three divine techniques blasting out with unstoppable force, what does Lu Changsheng have to withstand them?"
"Lu Changsheng is doomed... And to think I believed he was strong, only for him to run into this Yue Yin. What rotten luck!"
Gasps of awe and cries of fury echoed through the crowd. Yue Yin's sudden explosion of power meant their bets were gone, as the vast majority had put their money on Lu Changsheng. Who could have anticipated Yue Yin harboring such overwhelming strength?
Yet on the platform, Lu Changsheng remained as calm as ever. His expression did not change in the slightest.
Three divine techniques! And three top ones at that. All of this fell within his expectations. Perhaps Yue Yin was slightly stronger than anticipated, but so what? To Lu Changsheng, it made no difference. Being a little stronger or twice as strong changed nothing.
*Buzz.*
With a thought, Lu Changsheng's brain domain descended, accompanied by four shimmering radiances.
There were only four glows, yet as they intertwined, a terrifying aura faintly began to stir.
Great Earth Law!
Flame Law!
Water Law!
Wind Law!
Earth, fire, water, and wind—the four cardinal laws gathered together, producing a subtle, wondrous transformation.
"Divine technique: Four Symbols Prison!"
In an instant, a cage composed of the four laws manifested, sweeping out to envelop Yue Yin's brain domain and his three divine techniques all at once.
*Rumble!*
The three top compound divine techniques collided violently with Lu Changsheng's Four Symbols Prison.
Then, an astonishing scene unfolded.
Though the clash produced an earth-shattering commotion, Lu Changsheng's Four Symbols Prison stood completely unyielding. No matter how ferociously the three divine techniques battered it, the Four Symbols Prison remained unbreakable.
As the dust cleared, Yue Yin realized he was trapped—firmly imprisoned within the Four Symbols Prison.
"How is this possible?!"
"He... he trapped him?"
"What kind of divine technique is that? I've never seen or heard of it before!"
"Binding divine techniques are rare, but even among the top ones, there's nothing like this!"
"A technique formed from four laws directly imprisoned three top compound divine techniques made of five laws? This is unfathomable!"
"I... I think I'm going to win!"
"We hit the jackpot! Who could have known Lu Changsheng could truly suppress everything?!"
Watching this unfold, the crowd was dumbstruck, unable to believe their own eyes. The terrifying might Yue Yin had displayed was clearly enough to win seven or eight matches—ten, even, with a bit of luck. Yet such a mighty Dao Foundation cultivator had been effortlessly trapped by Lu Changsheng with utter nonchalance.
"Divine technique: Lesser Five Elements Annihilation!"
Lu Changsheng waved his hand. Inside the Four Symbols Prison, a black deluge instantly surged forth, engulfing Yue Yin's body.
Yue Yin let out a bloodcurdling scream. Bound by the Four Symbols Prison, the divine techniques he had unleashed were suppressed entirely; how could he possibly withstand the Lesser Five Elements Annihilation? After that single agonized shriek, his body was swallowed by the black torrent, reduced to fine dust in the blink of an eye.
"In the third martial duel, Lu Changsheng wins!"
As the arena official announced the result, Lu Changsheng stepped down from the platform at a steady pace. From start to finish, his demeanor remained calm and detached, as though the third match had been of no consequence at all.
*Boom!*
The betting crowd erupted into wild celebration.
"Hahaha! Struck gold! We struck gold this time!"
"I knew betting on Lu Changsheng would pay off big!"
"Lu Changsheng really delivered! To win even that? Truly unbelievable!"
The winning bettors were wild with excitement. The arena staff, however, wore grim expressions. The arena had taken a massive loss on this match!
Even so, everything had to proceed according to the rules. Payouts had to be honored, and Lu Changsheng's earnings had to be delivered.
A total of four hundred and seventy-four spirit stones!
"Impressive," an arena administrator said, approaching Lu Changsheng. "It seems I misjudged you. Who would have thought you were also a deeply hidden, top-tier Dao Foundation expert? You have won all three matches. You may now choose to continue fighting in the arena, or leave immediately."
Such were the arena's rules, and the Battle Arena adhered strictly to them.
Chapter 207