Chapter 266: If You Don't Come Soon, I Can No Longer Continue Acting

After seeing Lin Ziyue and Wang Zhaozhao off, Zhao Xing immediately received two notifications:

You have eliminated the Fourth-Rank Beastmaster 'Wang Zhaozhao' and her battle beasts, earning 20,000 base points and an additional 450,000 points (half of her total points).You have eliminated the Fourth-Rank Beastmaster 'Lin Ziyue' and her battle beasts, earning 20,000 base points and an additional 540,000 points (half of her total points).

“Oh, not bad at all, that's a lot of points,” Zhao Xing mused. “Fei She, you worked hard,” he thought. “And to those two elites, you also put in a great effort.” Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile. As expected of the elite beastmasters under that old hag, they certainly yielded a lot of points.

“Woof?” The Azure Mastiff looked at him quizzically, unsure why its master had eliminated those two.

“If I didn't take their points, they wouldn't have survived anyway,” Zhao Xing explained. “Instead of their points being distributed among everyone in the East District, it's better if they help me. Besides, I'm on the Princess's side. Plus, I prevented their battle beasts from being completely destroyed. Pets with divine beast bloodlines aren't easy to train. Once they're out, they'll immediately receive the best treatment. Wouldn't you say I'm doing a good deed?”

“Woof!” The Sky-Howling Hound, Illusionary Sky Goat, and Arrogant Sky Cat all nodded obediently.

Seeing that his explanation was sufficient, Zhao Xing nodded with satisfaction. He checked his points.

Name: Zhao XingStage: Grand Arena (Day 58)Points: 4.25 millionRanking: 578

“I’ve made it into the top six hundred,” he observed.

In this Grand Arena stage, the further you advance, the more points the opponents possess. In the early stages, there was hardly any fighting; you might not encounter anyone for months. Now, battles are happening everywhere.

“I estimate about eighty percent of participants will be eliminated in this stage.”

Zhao Xing pressed on the ground mirror, noting that participants outside the top ten thousand no longer had fluctuating points. In such a fierce battlefield, stagnant points most likely indicated elimination. Within the top ten thousand, the most frequent changes occurred among the top one thousand. This group, possessing formidable strength, was rapidly accumulating points from weaker participants in the final days.

“In just a moment, I dropped to six hundred and twenty-fifth place. It’s truly intense.”

“However, I can't launch any more offensive attacks,” Zhao Xing thought to himself. “I just need to maintain a position within the top one thousand.” While he was strong, he also feared unexpected setbacks. If he were to run around actively attacking now, encountering a master like Fei She could cause him trouble. He was confident he could win, but a single battle would deplete a lot of his vital energy and potentially leave him injured. If there were a few more opportunists nearby, each as strong as Fei She, he would risk elimination.

Now, staying near the dilapidated palace with numerous preparations would maximize his defense against sneak attacks. “With Yaderro’s magic arrays, the Cloud-Swallowing Domain, the Boundless Underground Palace, Mist Concealment, Straw Man Ambushes, and the vigilance of my three battle beasts... my combat strength is far greater staying within the dilapidated palace than by actively attacking. With only two and a half days left, I'll just wait here for opportunities.”

Zhao Xing was determined to lay low until the very end. Any master who surveyed his setup would realize Zhao Xing was a difficult opponent. It would be more efficient to eliminate someone else rather than spend time probing and engaging him in a protracted battle. And if they couldn't discern the danger, all the better!

***

Outside the Azure Sea Grotto-Heaven, within a luxurious mansion on White Cloud Island.

“Quick, quick, Ling’er, help me check! What's my brother Zhao Xing's rank?” Long Xiao burst into Bai Feng’s chamber in a flurry.

Bai Feng was Bai Mingchuan’s daughter and Bai Yunwu’s legitimate granddaughter; Ling’er was her nickname. Bai Feng, her belly slightly rounded, sat at her vanity table. Seeing Long Xiao barge in, she pouted, “Check what? You just finished your duty and the first thing you ask about is your brother?”

Long Xiao paused, then placed his helmet aside and held up the food box in his hand. “Didn't I buy you something delicious and bring it back?”

“Hmph,” Bai Ling’er replied, still facing away from Long Xiao.

“You...”

“What about me?” Bai Ling’er raised an eyebrow.

‘This woman is truly unreasonable; she’s even jealous about this? I’ve spoiled her too much!’ Long Xiao thought to himself. But what came out of his mouth was, “You’re right, I was wrong.” Long Xiao hurried to her side, crouching down. He put one arm around her waist and gently touched her belly with the other. “Don't be angry, it was my fault.”

“What did you do wrong?”

“I… I was wrong about everything,” Long Xiao stammered, recalling Chen Shijie's teachings. “What brother? I shouldn’t have asked. Who cares what his rank is? No one is as important as you! If I make my Ling’er angry, I’ll sever ties with him tomorrow!”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Bai Ling chuckled, amused by him. “I’m clearly angry with you, what does that have to do with Marquis Yuanrang? Are you saying I’m an unreasonable, jealous woman who even gets jealous of your brother? Is that how you see me?”

“My mouth got ahead of me, I said the wrong thing,” Long Xiao said, patting his own mouth. “Ling’er is the most understanding person, there’s no one better in the world!”

“That’s more like it,” Bai Ling’er finally said, appeased by Long Xiao. She swiped her hand across the mirror on her vanity table, and scenes from the Azure Sea Grotto-Heaven immediately appeared on its surface.

The internal surveillance footage of the Grand Arena was not accessible to ordinary people. However, Bai Ling’er naturally had the authorization. As for Long Xiao? He currently served under Bai Mingchuan as a minor Frontline Dragon Guard; when not on duty, even his ground mirror would be confiscated.

“Here, look,” she said.

“Look at what?” Long Xiao was a bit bewildered. “Where is he?” The screen only showed a quiet expanse of ruins.

“He's hiding,” Bai Ling’er chuckled. “Your brother is quite interesting. I’ve been watching him for over ten days; he’s either burrowing underground or hiding in the mist. He finishes battles in extremely short periods whenever he makes a move, then he retracts again once it's done.”

Bai Ling’er had indeed been paying attention to Zhao Xing. As Long Xiao’s constantly mentioned good brother, she had heard enough to form calluses in her ears; how could she not pay attention? It was just a bit boring to watch, as Zhao Xing rarely revealed himself. During fights, he mostly remained hidden within mist-shrouding spells. If she had to pinpoint anything significant, it would be just two words: extreme caution!

“Oh? Is he alright? And he has a cat, is it injured? Can you ask the warship guards to zoom in on the footage?”

“Why are you so anxious?” Bai Ling’er asked. “You weren't even this anxious when my father threatened to chop you to bits. It’s the last day, and the circle is shrinking. He’ll have to show himself eventually.”

“You and I can see each other anytime,” Long Xiao said, “but I haven't seen him in years. And there’s Aotian, I gave that cat its name! I raised it for many years.”

Seeing her beloved grumble so earnestly, Bai Ling’er, truly touched, took out her ground mirror and transmitted a command to the Azure Sea Grotto-Heaven. Soon after, the footage on the ground mirror became clearer, with ten separate feeds all focused on Zhao Xing, essentially becoming his exclusive live broadcast.

“There, it’s set up. You’ll definitely see him whenever he appears. I’m tired; I’m going to get some rest.”

“Oh, oh, you go… I’ll help you over,” Long Xiao realized, immediately standing up.

After finally attending to Bai Ling’er, Long Xiao wiped sweat from his brow and sat cross-legged in front of the ground mirror. “Oh, little brother, you really should get married later,” Long Xiao murmured, staring at the screen and taking a drink from a flask of wine. “Attending to a wife is much harder than fighting battles…”

He glanced at the ranking board:Rank 612: Zhao Xing.

“That’s so fast,” Long Xiao exclaimed in surprise. “Yesterday he was still in the top thousand, and today he’s almost in the top five hundred.” He had already greatly overestimated Zhao Xing’s performance in the Myriad Beasts Arena, but unexpectedly, he had still underestimated him.

After waiting for about half an hour, Long Xiao suddenly tensed up.

“Hmm? He’s out!”

Long Xiao quickly put down his wine flask. He had taken the whole day off today and wanted to watch closely.

“Boom!”

Golden light suddenly erupted around Gabri’s body. A fierce golden current swiftly enveloped him, and he himself seemed to be plated with gold, like a bronze statue, instantly extinguishing the burning fiery currents on his body.

Gabri, a Fourth-Rank Late-Stage Beastmaster ranked within the top two hundred, was also known for his ‘Martial Arts Melee Style’ among beastmasters. The battle beasts he raised similarly provided enhancements primarily focused on strength, speed, and defense.

“Get out here!” Gabri roared furiously, glaring at the surrounding mist and brandishing the beast-headed broadsword in his hand. Gabri was currently in his fused state, his entire body covered in fur, with highly developed muscles, resembling a massive gorilla. He had fused with a Fourth-Rank battle beast, the Golden-Backed Demonic Ape.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

Streaks of golden light shot into the mist as Gabri attempted to force Zhao Xing out. “Boom, boom, boom!” The dilapidated palace ruins around him were blasted into rubble by his Geng Metal Blade Aura. His body blazed with light, like a scorching sun, trying to dispel the mist.

“Gabri,” Zhao Xing’s voice echoed from all directions. “Your rank is in the one nineties, why must you antagonize me?”

“You stole my prey and then ask me why?” Gabri growled. “I went through so much trouble to gravely wound Riel, only for you to snatch the kill at the last moment.”

“I snatched the kill? That’s because you were too weak; otherwise, how could you have let him escape to me? Hmph, you brainless brute, don’t you even understand that? I’m right here; if you dare, come and kill me!” Zhao Xing’s figure appeared in the mist ahead.

Gabri knew Zhao Xing was trying to provoke him, but confident in his unparalleled skill, he still charged into the mist ahead.

“Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!”

As soon as he rushed in, Gabri felt his body sink, and his muscles actually began to crack open, revealing fine, intricate wounds. “Hmm? What kind of spell is this? My Pure Yang Golden Body can’t withstand it?” Gabri was startled. He felt his physical body disintegrating, almost every inch seeming to be pulled and torn apart by a force of heaven and earth. This greatly surprised Gabri. The five elemental energies, like threads, seemed to form countless vortices within his flesh and blood, causing destructive tearing at a microscopic level. He had originally thought his Pure Yang Golden Body was perfect enough, and with his fusion with the Golden-Backed Demonic Ape, no Fourth-Rank individual could breach his defenses. Unexpectedly, it had still been breached.

“Come out, coward!” Gabri roared furiously, wildly sweeping his beast-headed shapeshifting blade. However, he had no idea where Zhao Xing was. Or rather, in his perception, Zhao Xing's aura was everywhere—from all directions, above and below!

The real Zhao Xing was actually standing a thousand meters away from Gabri. A shadow lay beneath his feet, and the soil rotated like flowing water. At this moment, he had activated the twelfth transformation of the Underground Palace technique, 'Boundless Vortex'.

“Gabri’s physique is indeed formidable,” Zhao Xing observed with his Heavenly Eye. “As a melee beastmaster who also found a suitable battle beast for possession, he is much stronger than a normal Fourth-Rank martial artist. If it were just the advanced 'Boundless Underground Palace' at full mastery, it truly wouldn't be able to break his defense.”

The Pure Yang Golden Body was an advanced body-tempering secret technique. Potent metallic energy emanated from every inch of his skin and flesh. Gabri had mastered this secret technique to perfection. Previously, there was no doubt his defense would have been impenetrable. Combined with the Way of Geng Metal, the Pure Yang Golden Body not only boasted strong defense but also powerful offense.

However, perfection was relative. At this moment, Gabri’s Golden Body, in Zhao Xing’s eyes, was full of flaws. It was like a sheet of paper: smooth and flat up close, but under a magnifying glass, it transformed into an uneven, rugged terrain. The twelfth transformation of the Boundless Underground Palace technique, 'Boundless Vortex', precisely aimed to dismantle Gabri's Golden Body at a microscopic level.

“Aaaahhhh!”

Gabri went berserk. He realized his attacks were ineffective, hitting no one, and the mist couldn’t be dispersed. “Gabri, stop!” Zhao Xing’s voice echoed all around. “There are strong cultivators everywhere outside. If you continue to get injured, you’ll be in trouble even if you manage to break through.” Zhao Xing waved his hand, opening a path through the Mist Concealment spell, signaling Gabri to leave. As the East District became increasingly crowded, many powerful auras noticed Gabri entering their territory and turned their attention this way. Dealing with Gabri would be very troublesome for Zhao Xing. Just getting Riel’s points was good enough. After all, he hadn’t expended much effort.

“You can’t defeat me, and it would take effort for me to eliminate you. Now, get out!” Zhao Xing barked.

“Bastard!!” Gabri unleashed another flurry of wild slashes, seemingly venting his frustration. Riel was a Fourth-Rank Beastmaster ranked three hundred. Gabri had expended great effort to gravely wound him and was about to claim Riel’s points, only for Zhao Xing to snatch the kill.

“You just wait!”

Gabri roared in anger, then charged through the opening and left the Mist Concealment range. Not long after, Gabri clashed with another strong cultivator, Yang Zhen, while four attacks simultaneously ambushed Gabri from different directions.

Zhao Xing stood on the palace ruins, watching from a distance, having slightly reduced the size of his cloud spell. On the final day, almost every hour, powerful Fourth-Rank cultivators with impressive strength passed by his location. In such circumstances, even a one-on-one battle was a luxury. Even those ranked in the top ten couldn't confidently say they wouldn't be eliminated.

Zhao Xing checked the rankings. Yao Sifang, a Fourth-Rank Beastmaster who was originally tenth on the leaderboard, suddenly lost half his points. This person was the fourth-ranked beastmaster in the Princess's Mansion.

“Even Yao Sifang was eliminated.”

Zhao Xing then looked at his own points ranking. “I’m now five hundred and fifteenth. Three more hours until the first stage ends.” Zhao Xing became even more cautious. Even underground, things were not peaceful. Many had burrowed underground attempting to preserve their lives, but with too many people thinking the same way, it became a disaster. Four of Zhao Xing’s Myriad Dharma clones, hidden underground, were inexplicably destroyed. They were entirely collateral damage.

Time passed, minute by minute. In the remaining three hours, Zhao Xing made nine more moves. However, only one resulted in a victory, eliminating a Fourth-Rank Mid-Stage participant. The other eight attempts yielded no results, and one Myriad Dharma clone was even damaged.

Fighting raged from day into night, and the Dragon City ruins continuously shook. Battle beasts died, and beastmasters were eliminated non-stop!

Until the time reached midnight on the sixty-first day.

“Cease combat!”

A magnificent voice descended from the sky. A Second-Rank Etiquette Cultivator; their voice carried for hundreds of miles, and their words became law. Upon hearing this voice, everyone, including Zhao Xing, involuntarily stopped their actions and withdrew all their spells. All battle beasts also quieted down completely.

“Stage One, the Grand Arena, has concluded! All participants are to immediately fly to the Second Heaven. You have only one hour of rest time.”

After that was said, the world underwent a dramatic change. The Essence-Drawing Underground Palace, at this moment, completely ceased its effects. The shrinking poisonous mist and miasma also instantly vanished. The gale force layer above the sky disappeared, replaced by a new landmass with faint blue vortex passages beneath it. Those were the entrances to Stage Two.

“My final rank in Stage One is 503,” Zhao Xing noted, looking at his panel. “Just three ranks short of the top five hundred.” In reality, the difference between him and the five hundredth ranked person was very small, only a few tens of thousands of points.

Fighting was now prohibited. He, along with his Mountain Cat, Azure Mastiff, and Spirit Illusion Goat, chose an entrance and flew upwards.

“The first-ranked person is Lei Ling, a Fourth-Rank Perfected Beastmaster,” Zhao Xing read from the ground mirror’s rankings. “Second, Leng Yue, Fourth-Rank Perfected. Third, Xuan Feng, Fourth-Rank Perfected. Fourth… Twelfth, Liu Zhenwu, Fourth-Rank Perfected. He is also the fourteenth son of Liu Wanliang, the Princess's Mansion's Minister. He has two particularly famous battle beasts: the Amethyst Fox and the Ice-Plumed Divine Eagle.”

“Even he is only twelfth.” Zhao Xing shook his head. “I wonder how many people were eliminated in Stage One.”

***

Outside the Azure Sea Grotto-Heaven, on the Genchuan Fubo Ship.

Meng Kun and Gu Changqing looked at the ground mirror's rankings. “Stage One is over. Only 8,345 people remain; nearly ninety percent have been eliminated.”

“Zhao Xing is actually almost in the top five hundred,” Gu Changqing said, surprised as he focused on Zhao Xing’s rank. “Among the top five hundred and two, only fourteen are Fifth-Rank cultivators. The other thirteen all have Fourth-Rank battle beasts, while he only has Fifth-Rank battle beasts.”

“Although his battle beasts are only Fifth-Rank, each possesses Fourth-Rank combat power,” Meng Kun stated.

“Hmm, I don't know how he trained them,” Gu Changqing said. “They’re incredibly strong, especially that Mountain Cat; it’s simply too formidable.” In one previous battle, the Mountain Cat even defeated a Fourth-Rank Perfected Twin-Winged Fire Dragon; it was unbelievably fierce.

“This young man also mastered the nurturing type of Evolution method,” Meng Kun said. “I heard that Qin Hongying from the Azure Water Daoist Academy has been sending students, and even teachers, to him over the years. Many aspects of battle beast 'bloodline evolution' have been entrusted to Zhao Xing.”

“He masters whatever he learns?” Gu Changqing exclaimed in astonishment. “He’s even mastered such an obscure Heavenly Time Evolution method?”

“Indeed,” Meng Kun said with a sigh. “I’m afraid we won’t be the only ones vying for him.”

“Geng Shouchang and Heng Yuan probably won't give up on recruiting Zhao Xing either,” Gu Changqing added.

“It’s not just them,” Meng Kun shook his head. “The East Sea Army and the Tusi Water Tribe have already taken notice. Just now, I received news that Bai Mingchuan also intends to recruit him.”

“Heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and self—this Zhao Chen’an is actually proficient in all of them?” Inside the Bai family mansion, Bai Mingchuan, clad in military attire, gazed at his daughter, Bai Feng.