Chapter 1283: Ring Tournament (Part 1)

“It’s Qian Xu’s Three Killing Strikes!”

“Every year, at least eighty, if not a hundred, people die from this move of his!”

“It’s terrifying! So fast and ruthless, utterly irresistible. He’s practically invincible at his level!”

“This newcomer is dead for sure!”

Seeing the two daggers thrusting out swiftly, everyone’s expression grew solemn.

Although Qian Xu’s strength was far inferior to the Hundred-Battle King Hong Yang, he was still very well-known throughout the underground black market. Especially with his seemingly endless supply of daggers and his most formidable Three Killing Strikes, countless people had been killed by him. This newcomer, unaware of his own limitations, provoked him directly, leading him to unleash his deadly move, effectively sealing the newcomer’s fate.

Everyone looked towards the young man who was walking straight ahead. He didn’t even turn his head, as if unaware of the daggers behind him. The scar-faced young man, feeling a bit anxious, was about to offer a warning when suddenly his vision blurred. It seemed as though the opponent’s shoe moved, striking one of the daggers. Before he could confirm if he had seen correctly or if the movement was real, the dagger whistled “whoosh!” and flew backward, several times faster than it had come.

“What?!”

Qian Xu’s face turned ashen. Before he could react, he heard two “thwack!” sounds as the daggers pierced both his wrists. The immense force sent him flying backward, pinning him directly to the wall behind, like a crucifix. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

“This…”

“A casual touch with a shoe not only broke Qian Xu’s Three Killing Strikes but also pinned him to the wall… What kind of strength is that?”

“This newcomer is not simple. Is a new Ten-Crown King about to emerge?”

“I don’t know, but with this kind of strength, seven or eight consecutive wins should be no problem!”

Seeing Qian Xu, disfigured and hanging on the wall, screaming in agony, everyone secretly became wary. Although they couldn’t gauge the full extent of Zhang Xuan’s strength, being able to pin someone like Qian Xu to the wall with such ease indicated a power that could not be underestimated. There was a strong possibility he could become the new Ten-Crown King.

“Interesting!”

Hong Yang, from the side, glanced over, then closed his eyes again. That move just now, while impressive, was nothing special to him. If one punch wasn’t enough to kill, he’d just throw another. The arena wasn’t large, and special formations surrounded it, like a cage. Once inside, escape was impossible.

“Sign a death match agreement!”

Before he even reached the front, a middle-aged man in charge of the matches at the arena handed him a contract. He glanced down, a drop of blood flew onto it, and immediately, thunderous roars erupted from all around. Looking up, he saw five or six hundred people — men and women, old and young — in the stands surrounding the arena, each with bloodshot eyes, unable to contain their excitement.

“Watching life-and-death battles allows one to experience that thrill, and more importantly, gain a lot of experience from fights where life hangs in the balance…” Soon, he understood their reasoning. Life-and-death matches weren’t something one could just casually witness. They were incredibly stimulating for cultivators and offered many lessons. Perhaps this was also the biggest reason for the underground black market’s prosperity.

He stepped onto the arena, where a young man was already standing, arms crossed, with an arrogant and indifferent expression, as if the match was merely a formality. This must be Meng Fuxing, the one mentioned in the announcement, who would be his opponent. “Alright, let’s finish this quickly and earn some spirit stones. Can’t waste time!” He calculated the time; the auction was starting soon. Too lazy to dally, Zhang Xuan stretched, wasted no words, bowed deeply, and said, “Pardon my offense!”

In a flash, he appeared before the young man, his palm shooting forward to grab him. This move wasn’t particularly powerful, but it instantly enveloped the surroundings like a massive fishing net, making escape impossible.

“You… I’m not…”

Meng Fuxing, the young man, was startled that Zhang Xuan attacked immediately after bowing. He swayed, trying to dodge, but found himself stuck as if in a swamp. Zhang Xuan’s palm landed on his face with a crisp smack. Before the young man could speak, he was knocked to the ground, his vision went black, and he fainted. Before going on stage, he had decided that since he couldn’t go easy, he would just knock them out. If they were unconscious and couldn’t resist, they would naturally be deemed to have surrendered.

“So, I guess the first match is a win!”

He waited for a long time, and seeing no one announce the results, Zhang Xuan put his hands behind his back and lifted his head. Still, no one spoke. He looked up and around, only to see the spectators, far from exclaiming in surprise, all wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost. Zhang Jiuxiao was among the crowd, clutching his forehead and shouting something, but due to the array’s obstruction, not a single word could be heard.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing that the crowd’s reaction was different from what he expected, Zhang Xuan felt a bit strange. Just as he was about to speak, the arena’s formation opened, and another young man walked in, his eyes wide at the sight of Meng Fuxing lying on the ground.

“Are you the second person to fight me?” To become a Ten-Crown King, one needed to defeat ten opponents consecutively. He had just knocked out one, and another had arrived, meaning this was the second person for his assessment.

“I am… Meng Fuxing!”

“You are? Then this one…” Zhang Xuan was stunned. This guy was supposed to be his first opponent, so… who was the one he just knocked out?

“…The referee!”

Meng Fuxing’s mouth twitched.

Zhang Xuan’s eyelids twitched: “This match… has a referee?”

“What’s so surprising? What match doesn’t have a referee?” Meng Fuxing said.

“…” Zhang Xuan’s body swayed. What kind of situation was this? Referees in matches usually stood below the stage. This guy was young and standing *on* the stage; how was he supposed to know? He hadn’t even seen his opponent yet, and he’d already knocked out the referee with a slap… This arena fight was…

“I won’t be… disqualified, will I?” He finally understood what Zhang Jiuxiao had been shouting. Zhang Xuan was speechless. He had just thought about striking first to gain the advantage, and now this. He had beaten the referee like this… Surely he wouldn’t be disqualified and unable to continue the match because of it!

“Probably not. There are no rules here…” Nodding, Meng Fuxing recovered from his shock: “Let’s begin!” The underground black market itself had no rules. Knocking out a referee might be unconventional elsewhere, but here, it probably wouldn’t matter much.

Whoosh!

As the words ended, Meng Fuxing let out a long cry and charged straight forward. In mid-air, his hands moved continuously, blooming like a lotus in the blink of an eye. A Saint-tier mid-grade martial art: Lotus Leaf Thousand Buddha Hands! It must be said that Meng Fuxing was not weak. Even if he wasn’t as strong as Qian Xu, he wasn’t far off. With a single move, he sealed off all the surrounding air, causing currents to churn and threaten to explode at any moment.

“Excellent!” Seeing that his first actual opponent was so formidable, seemingly even stronger than the referee, Zhang Xuan spread his fingers and grabbed forward again. Whoosh! It was the exact same move as before, striking directly at the face, like the sky falling, threatening to smash out the opponent’s brains. This move of his was neither a martial art nor some peerless cultivation technique; it was the simplest grab. However, for some unknown reason, when his palm descended, it created an illusion of inevitability, making it seem impossible to dodge. As palm met palm, Meng Fuxing’s face paled. He staggered back a few steps, his body swayed, then he collapsed to the ground, his vision went black, and he fainted.

“So strong!”

“What kind of move is that?”

“It’s probably some kind of palm technique, but being able to knock out Meng Fuxing with one palm means he can defeat at least five people!”

“Not necessarily. The more powerful a technique, the greater the true qi consumption. This move is formidable, but if too much true qi is consumed, it’s hard to say if he can last!”

The audience erupted in an uproar. Although Zhang Xuan was somewhat reckless, knocking out the referee as soon as he stepped on stage, it also demonstrated his strength! However, strength alone wasn’t enough; endurance was also necessary. Every year, countless people came to compete for the title of Ten-Crown King, but not many actually succeeded.

“I am Tan Shiyou, please enlighten me!” Not long after Meng Fuxing was knocked out, another young man arrived. This guy’s strength was slightly greater than the previous one, but he was still no match. After one move, he was slapped in the face and also fell to the ground. Five consecutive people, all defeated with a single slap. Zhang Xuan showed signs of fatigue, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his arms trembled continuously.

“Five matches have been completed. Do you wish to continue the challenge?” a voice spoke after the fifth person was defeated. Under normal circumstances, five matches was a limit. After this point, wagers were involved, and the participants, both in cultivation and strength, would be significantly stronger than the previous ones.

“Continue!” Zhang Xuan nodded. His purpose in coming here was to earn money. Since no wagers had even been placed yet, it was naturally impossible for him to leave.

“Alright, your opponent for the sixth match is Kui Qing. He has previously competed in five duels and won them all!” the voice announced upon his agreement. The first five matches involved no wagers and were mostly between newcomers. From the sixth match onward, seasoned fighters would enter the arena. Normally, a person with six wins would face another with six wins, a person with seven wins would face another with seven wins, and so on. Therefore, Kui Qing, his opponent, had actually participated in previous matches and secured five consecutive victories.

After reviewing the rules in his mind, Zhang Xuan looked up and saw a young man approaching. He was clearly different from the previous few; he carried a strong aura of slaughter, indicating he had taken lives before, and his combat strength was not to be underestimated. “I watched your matches. You defeated everyone with just one move; your strength is impressive!” Kui Qing smiled faintly, narrowing his eyes: “However, that move you used just now must consume a lot of true qi, right? I want to see how many more times you can sustain it!”

Whoosh! With a flick of his wrist, a long spear appeared in his palm and thrust straight forward. He truly was a seasoned veteran; he actually launched a sneak attack while speaking… Before Zhang Xuan could react, the spear tip was already before his eyes.

“Playing with spears against me?” Seeing his move, Zhang Xuan shook his head, full of helplessness: “I’m the progenitor…”