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Chapter 676: Brothers, Calm Down

Inside the VIP box.

Xiao Lian looked at Young Master Xu's entrance with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. She tilted her head and asked, "Is this appropriate? Just letting him cause such a ruckus?"

Yao Yue had a smile on her face.

"It's fine. He's a bit flashy, but he is, after all, a Half-Saint successor. Even if his requests are eccentric, we must fulfill them."

"After today's match, even if we lose on the bets, our Tianluo Arena can recover the losses in the coming days through other means, leveraging 'Young Master Xu' as an exaggerated publicity stunt."

Betting... Xiao Wanfeng felt a stir of interest as he listened to their conversation.

He hadn't known Young Master Xu's strength before, but after learning he was from the Sword Sect, who wouldn't want to place a bet on him?

"Brother Xin."

Xiao Wanfeng nudged Xin Gugu with his elbow and asked timidly, "Aren't you going to place a bet? I still have two hundred spirit crystals, and I think we should bet on Young Master Xu to win."

"Bet on Young Master Xu?"

Xin Gugu was momentarily stunned, then clearly amused.

He pointed through the window at the resentful twin-tailed girl in the arena, whose spotlight had been forcefully stolen by someone else, and asked, "Do you know that girl?"

"Mu Xiaogong?"

Xiao Wanfeng looked at the contestant information Miss Yao Yue had just sent over to the table.

He remembered that girl; Young Master Xu had made a strange face when he read her name earlier.

She was a strong contender for the championship.

In her previous match, she had displayed an ability similar to a Throne Realm, despite only being at the Innate stage, which drew a lot of attention.

But with Young Master Xu, a Sword Sect member, in the arena, any other championship candidate could only be for the next match... Xiao Wanfeng was absolutely certain.

"No."

Xin Gugu, however, shook his head very seriously. "Her name isn't Mu Xiaogong. She's Mu Xiaogunainai. If you're going to bet, bet on her to win!"

"Why?" Xiao Wanfeng was puzzled.

Even Yao Yue and Xiao Lian turned their heads to look, both curious.

"Mu... Xiaogunainai?"

That title... it has some weight to it!

"She knows Young Master Xu?" Yao Yue's delicate eyebrows twitched.

More than just knowing... Xin Gugu muttered to himself. She was the only one who could truly influence Young Master Xu.

He glanced at Mu Zixi in the arena and could already imagine all the emotions hidden behind that little grandaunt's dark expression.

It was undoubtedly because someone had stolen all the glory she earned in her previous match. At this very moment, she was definitely pouring her heart into unleashing furious curses.

The thought of curses sent a shiver down Xin Gugu's spine.

Having traveled with her for half a month, he'd had the chance to hear her muttering to herself a few times. Each time, he was astounded by the non-repeating curses that came from her mouth.

He believed Xu Xiaoshou could hear them too; after all, that guy's ears seemed even more sensitive than his own, despite him being a Throne.

But clearly, Xu Xiaoshou had learned to be immune to curses and remained unperturbed.

While he could usually ignore them, now they were in the same arena, on a dueling platform.

If no sparks flew between them now, Xin Gugu would write his name backward—without his surname!

"Bet on her, on Mu Xiaogong."

Xin Gugu patted Xiao Wanfeng's shoulder, not offering further explanation. "You'll know why when the match ends."

Xiao Wanfeng hesitated. "What about you, Brother Xin? Who are you betting on?"

"Me?"

Xin Gugu was momentarily lost in thought.

He thought of the gold card for the rented building; there was still a lot of money in it, and Xu Xiaoshou hadn't taken it back.

Xin Gugu had never owned so much money in his life!

He felt that if Xu Xiaoshou didn't want the gold card back, it was best to keep it sewn into his chest, never taking it out.

—Why take it out?

What a joke!

Who dares touch my money, Xin Gugu's money!

Xin Gugu clutched his chest and shook his head firmly. "Gambling is bad. I don't like gambling."

"Why?"

Xiao Wanfeng was puzzled. It was an obvious win; betting on Young Master Xu would surely make a profit.

"I said I'm not betting, so I'm not betting!" Xin Gugu seemed annoyed.

Who was this person, trying to get his money out into the open?

Even if betting on Mu Zixi was 99.99% guaranteed to make a profit, what if?

That was money for buying a house in the next place!

Did Xiao Wanfeng understand the importance of a house?

That was freedom!

Without this gold card, where would "The First Heavenly Building" be, which protected Xiao Wanfeng?

"By the way, why are you still here?"

With his thoughts settled, Xin Gugu frowned and began to scrutinize Xiao Wanfeng from head to toe again.

"Uh..." Xiao Wanfeng was bewildered. "Then where should I be? Should I go place a bet? So, Brother Xin, who are you betting on?"

Then Xin Gugu's gaze swept over and settled on the teacup tray in Xiao Wanfeng's hand. Tea fragrance wafted from it, and steam rose, indicating the water had just been added.

Xiao Wanfeng's words caught in his throat. He seemed to grasp something, and his entire face visibly started turning green.

Then Xin Gugu's gaze moved to the windowsill, and he subtly nodded towards Xu Xiaoshou in the arena, saying nothing.

And Xiao Wanfeng's face turned from green to purple...

Xiao Lian and Yao Yue exchanged glances. Watching this silent pressure, they were both a little shocked: He just asked you to gamble, and you told him to risk his life?

"B-b-b-Brother Xin, n-no way! I-I-I... I take back what I just said. No betting then, gambling is bad, I won't bet anymore!" Xiao Wanfeng was dumbfounded. He swore he would never ask Brother Xin to gamble again.

"Miss Yao Yue, please handle his procedures... The job of serving tea and water isn't easy, it's worth ten thousand spirit crystals a month!"

Xin Gugu paused, silently cursing someone in his heart.

Ten thousand spirit crystals!

I don't even have that...

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several thick iron fences crashed down from above, heavily striking the deep trenches in the center of the arena, dividing the entire space into five large sections.

The feeling was completely different from being in the VIP box.

Only after truly entering the arena could the contestants fully feel the stage's allure.

There were no barriers, no concealments.

The roars from the audience, loud enough to tear open the sky, swept like a tidal wave through their ears, heavily pounding inside their minds.

In an instant, Xu Xiaoshou felt his blood boil.

In such a venue, he too felt deeply infected, his soul seemingly assimilated. The suppressed violent desire deep within his spiritual core also seemed on the verge of igniting instantly.

"Rage... I suppress it!"

With a blink, Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the impulse.

He was somewhat horrified.

In this venue, even before the battle began, he felt he could, with a single thought, directly activate "Berserk Giant" mode!

"Terrifying..."

In a trance, he couldn't help but glance at his information panel.

The roars that "Perception" couldn't filter out, he could only choose to mentally block them himself.

But clearly, the information panel didn't care about such things; as long as something could be "perceived," whether it was noise or not, it would be registered.

"Received attention, Passive Points, 9999.""Received cheers, Passive Points, 9999.""Received encouragement, Passive Points, 9999.""Received calls, Passive Points, 9999.""Received anticipation, Passive Points, 9999."

"Crazy!"

Xu Xiaoshou stared in awe.

That string of prominent "9999s" directly made his eyes sparkle with shock.

Just from this entrance alone, nearly 100,000 Passive Points had been earned?

"Is this damn system cheating? So this is how the Passive System is truly meant to be used?" Xu Xiaoshou's teeth chattered. He hadn't taken any drugs, yet every cell in his body felt like it was trembling in ecstasy.

"Passive Points: 826161."

Xu Xiaoshou silently memorized this lucky number. He had counted it very clearly.

This was a six-digit number!

"Ladies and gentlemen—"

The host's voice, more morbid and manic than any of the contestants, rang out again.

"Although I know many of you already know the rules of the match, I must reiterate them!"

"The Tianluo Battle is divided into five zones, with up to ten thousand participants in total for each match! Two thousand participants are assigned to each zone, such as the Northeast, Northwest, and Central areas!"

"When each zone has been whittled down to only five hundred participants, the dividing fences will be raised, removing the zonal restrictions."

"At that point, the remaining twenty-five hundred participants will all enter the final round to compete for the single championship spot."

"Yes, our Tianluo Battle does not acknowledge a second place, because only the champion receives the incredibly rare qualification for the Royal City Trial."

"Each champion's pass can only be obtained once by a single person, and those who obtain it will subsequently be barred from future matches."

"The remaining eliminated participants can join the next Tianluo Battle at any time if they wish!"

"Now, I announce the ninth Tianluo Battle of today..."

The host's hoarse shout extended, and tens of thousands of spectators across the arena held their breath in anticipation.

Under the gaze of countless frenzied and burning eyes, the entire venue seemed to ignite with a blazing fire.

After stretching his voice to its limit, the host's extended roar finally bounced back with full force. He roared as if his lungs and liver would explode, and his thunderous voice reverberated throughout the entire Tianluo Battle arena.

"Let the battle begin!"

"ROAR—"

In response, an primal roar of a beast king rose, surging from the ground of the Tianluo Arena and instantly pushing everyone's emotions to their peak.

At this moment, the bloodshot gazes of the predatory audience and contestants finally broke free from all restraints, revealing their most primal, savage desires to the world.

"Kill!!!"

"Xu Deye, show them your Half-Saint successor's prowess, and slaughter them all for me!"

"King of Beasts, let that roar be your declaration of war, charge for us—!"

"Father Xu! Father Xu! Father Xu!"

"...Damn!"

"Xu Deye! Xu Deye! Father Xu! Father Xu!"

"...Damn it, I can't even shout! Mu Zigong, little loli, charge for me! Kill that son of a Xu, and I'll let you tie another ponytail!"

"Luo Yin, you muscle-bound brute, kill them all and you'll be the champion! What Half-Saint successor? He's just a pretty boy! One punch! Smash them all (cracking voice)... Smash them all to bits!"

"Kill!!!"

The deafening roars nearly shattered Xu Xiaoshou's mental clarity once more.

By the time he reacted, the entire Northern Zone had transformed; blood was flying everywhere!

Decapitated heads and severed limbs, red bones and flesh...

Clashing weapons, rampant spiritual energy...

Water, Metal, Wood, Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightning...

Those fighting bare-handed against sword or knife wielders were skewered into three-ball human kebabs by spear-wielders from behind...

Lone contestants, brutally beaten by acquaintances, were blasted into piles of charred flesh by the Lightning Mage King soaring in the distance...

Shadows lurking in the dark, whose daggers drew blood, were dragged out by two or three burly men and torn apart limb by limb...

"Holy hell, this is real?"

These incredibly gruesome scenes truly shocked Xu Xiaoshou to his core, leaving him feeling burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

When he had previously entered this place, what he saw in the resting area was the mid-to-late stage of the Tianluo Battle, after mass eliminations.

At that time, everyone's energy wasn't as high, and they had largely regained some composure after seeing blood.

But now, this "truly gut-wrenching" and stimulating scene at the beginning of the match was like a splash of ice water to the face, thoroughly jolting Xu Xiaoshou's original intention of simply gaining Passive Points wide awake!

"This... is reality?"

"This is the essence of this world?"

From being a small novice in the Spirit Palace, to the great escape in White Cave, from nothing to what he was now.

Each time Xu Xiaoshou felt he had grown and matured,

reality would always tell him he was still a little green!

In the Spirit Palace, protected by elders and bound by rules, he thought being forcibly implanted with seeds or ambushed by fellow disciples was already an utterly heinous act.

It wasn't until the incidents at the City Lord's Mansion and White Cave that he realized everything in the Spirit Palace was child's play.

The ghost beasts, Thrones, Dao Slayers, and even the Void existed were the real nightmares; the schemes of the Saints were the terrifying vortexes that swayed the fate of mortals.

Yet now, reality told him again.

What Xu Xiaoshou had known so far were still 'decent' people—individuals of respectable status who lived very honorably and maturely.

In this world, there was also a true bottom layer.

They were still tearing off all their usual disguises for a mere Royal City Trial qualification, entering the arena bare-bodied, dedicating their blood to Xuan-Yuan.

"A dream..."

Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was dreaming.

The flying severed fingers and limbs seemed too unreal; the blood raining down even radiated heat and warmth in the air.

Yet, lives were vanishing, one after another, right before him.

"A dream?"

Xu Xiaoshou then felt he wasn't dreaming after all.

Instead, from this impulsive and bloody scene, he saw the most fundamental and sober truth: if it wasn't for each other's dreams, why would they be doing what they were doing at this very moment?

"KILL—"

The frenzied, bloodthirsty participants didn't care that there was someone in the arena who could suddenly fall into a state of existential contemplation because of the blood.

In their eyes, Xu Deye's dazed state simply meant he was a newcomer, overwhelmed by the gore.

This was a common occurrence.

And similarly, it also meant that they would soon have one less competitor.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of spiritual light slowly magnified before his eyes.

It was a hand shaped into an eagle's claw, with black grime and bloodstains under the fingernails. It was wrapped in spiritual energy, clearly aimed at the carotid artery in his neck.

Xu Xiaoshou could even glimpse the owner of the eagle claw through the gaps between the fingers in its turtle-slow advance—a blood-stained face, snarling, ferocious, and yet confidently deranged!

He didn't recognize him.

But, he wants to kill me?

"Die—"

The attacker was incredibly fast, at least by his own and everyone else's standards.

That technique, "Heavenly Profound Golden Eagle Claw," was a peak Innate-level spiritual skill!

The Metal element, moreover, was an Innate elemental power, universally recognized as having the strongest attack power, bar none.

Such a spiritual skill, used against a novice dazed by the excessively bloody scene, was purely because the opponent's name was displayed on eight giant screens, purely because...

This person's surname was Xu—the Xu of Xu Deye, the Half-Saint successor!

"Smack!"

A crisp, loud slap perfectly shattered the illusion of a broken head and gushing blood.

Xu Xiaoshou blinked at the guy who had been slapped to the ground in front of him, then squatted down to maintain eye level. "Brother, calm down."

The man opposite was dazed from the slap, his head tilted.

He saw many of his companions, who had also suddenly gone quiet. They had been halfway through their charge but had all stopped. Why?

"Brother?" Xu Xiaoshou patted his face, which was already a bit swollen.

"Argh—"

The Eagle Claw man finally reacted, roaring, turning his head, and seeing the face right in front of him.

An opportunity!

"Let me s—"

"Smack!"

Another crisp, loud slap.

The Eagle Claw man's head tilted again.

He again saw his companions' frozen expressions and their strange, static poses, much like when playing "Red Light, Green Light" as a child and freezing when he turned his head.

"What just happened?"

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