Chapter 1165: Old Acquaintance Appears

Chapter 1116: An Old Acquaintance Appears

The man on the poster had jet-black hair, thick as a waterfall, cascading over his chest and back. His eyes held the endless rise and fall of stars, deep and intimidating, like a demon god.

Even from a side profile, one could sense his sharp demeanor. His face was chiseled, like an ancient deity reincarnated. Behind him, vast purple energy surged, inspiring awe.

Qi Qi, the Southern Demon!

Ye Fan was quite surprised. He hadn't expected one of the gladiators to be him. It was truly unexpected; this was an old acquaintance from Beidou.

The Central Emperor, the Southern Demon, the Western Bodhisattva... Back then, they were the most astonishing and outstanding figures among the younger generation. Years later, he heard news of the Southern Demon here.

“This man is incredibly powerful,” many people gathered around the massive stone gate in front of the arena, discussing quietly and sharing information about the Southern Demon. They said, “He has remained undefeated for ninety-nine consecutive matches, earning him the title ‘Demon God.’ He’s practically a legend!”

“He is about to face his most crucial battle. If he can complete a hundred undefeated matches, he will qualify to contend for the title of 'Strongest Physique' and become a member of that elite tier.”

“You must come to watch the battle three days from now. Don’t miss it! It’s sure to be a struggle between dragons and tigers, an earth-shattering fight. Most likely, a peerless expert will try to stop him!”

When the Southern Demon was in the Beidou Star Domain, he undoubtedly possessed extraordinary talent. During his Dao-severing, a phenomenon occurred that rivaled those of ancient demon emperors, causing ten thousand demons to worship him.

Now, on the Eternal Main Star, he was still stirring up trouble, clearly an exceptionally formidable figure, drawing the attention of the world.

“It's unknown whether he serves a family or fights for himself; his origins have always been mysterious, and no one can uncover his background.”

“It seems he’s the strongest warrior nurtured by a powerful family, with someone secretly protecting his surprising capabilities.”

“Or perhaps he's a slave captured from beyond the domain; otherwise, who would fight so desperately? He's about to face his hundredth life-or-death battle.”

One hundred life-or-death battles—this was an impressive record. His consecutive victories were truly sensational, but no one had ever been able to uncover the secret of the Demon God.

Ye Fan learned a lot in front of the arena. It was an amusement for rulers and a favorite pastime for the children of various kings and marquises, who often sent their combat pets to compete. Every event drew a large crowd, as it was accompanied by various betting pools on who would win or lose, with colossal stakes each time.

This was a death match. Entering the arena meant deciding life or death; the slightest mistake could lead to complete annihilation of body and spirit. No one willingly entered.

Ordinary people wouldn't participate because it was too cruel. This was an arena for the confrontations of major powers, who used their powerful servants to fight, and many disputes were resolved in this manner.

Of course, there were exceptions. Some individuals entered to temper themselves or for the high dueling fees.

High risk naturally came with high rewards. Underground bookmakers hoped for skilled cultivators to enter, and even more so for celebrity duels, thus they were willing to offer exorbitant prices.

Things that could attract powerful individuals used to be nothing more than peerless beauties, saint artifacts, and the like. But later, even the strongest evolution fluid became a reward, drawing the hearts of even more experts.

Therefore, the arena became increasingly popular. Every significant battle inevitably caused a stir across all directions, with many kings and marquises personally attending to watch.

The winner of this duel would receive the third-stage evolution fluid!

The Demon God was set to challenge the myth of one hundred undefeated matches, drawing global attention. The rewards were naturally very generous, attracting many ancient families to participate, and many were certain to place bets.

Three days passed in a flash. Many cultivators wanted to watch the battle live, but tickets were impossible to come by; even spending a fortune wouldn't secure one. The arena seats were already full, divided among various kings and marquises.

Ye Fan was helpless, staring blankly. Even with his various treasures, it was useless; it was impossible to buy a ticket, and he had no way to get in.

A large crowd of people, all eager for a ticket but unable to enter, gathered at the arena entrance. Suddenly, Ye Fan's eyes lit up as he spotted Qi Meng. She had also come to watch, which showed the significance of today's battle.

He immediately approached and secretly transmitted a message, surprising Qi Meng. Next to her, Qi Yaoguang appeared, blocking him as if fending off a wolf.

“Young man, I warn you, don't even think about my descendant!”

“Senior, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Could you help me get a ticket?” Ye Fan said with a smile.

Six or seven members of the Qi family were present. Eventually, one unlucky person, with a sullen expression, reluctantly handed over their ticket to Ye Fan. Full of resentment but daring not to express it due to their ancestor's presence, they walked glumly towards the street.

“Here, you must behave yourself and not cause any trouble!” Qi Yaoguang instructed.

The arena was grand and immense. In its center was a stone platform, like half a broken mountain, with a flat, mirror-smooth surface. It was said that an ancient Great Sage had carved it, making it sufficiently sturdy and imbuing it with indestructible divine patterns.

As for the spectators, they were seated around the stone platform. A peerless grand formation protected the front, so they didn't have to worry about any attacks or spells bursting out and could watch the battle in peace.

The place was primarily made of stone. All the seats, railings, and platforms were constructed from stone, retaining a primal aura and exuding a sense of might.

“In ancient times, sages often dueled here. The ground is stained with sacred blood; it's definitely a holy place,” someone whispered.

Even before the battle began, kings and marquises from all sides were already seated. The immense arena was packed, with every seat occupied. Every person present had status and background.

Ye Fan entered separately from the Qi clan. His seat was directly behind theirs, and though adjacent, no one perceived any connection.

“Brother, could you please change seats? My master wishes to speak with Miss Qi Meng,” a young man said, gesturing with his eyes for Ye Fan to stand up. As luck would have it, Ye Fan was seated right behind Qi Meng. Despite his efforts to avoid being recognized, someone had approached him.

He glanced at the person. Although a servant, he had reached the Dao-severing realm. Following the direction from which he came, Ye Fan saw a gentle and refined young man in another row of seats nearby, nodding at him and Qi Meng.

“I'm sorry, I don't want to switch.”

“You...” Beams of light shot from the young man’s eyes, surprisingly intense. He was a super expert, and he hadn't expected Ye Fan to refuse without hesitation.

“It's fine, Zhao An, come back,” said the refined man in white from a short distance away, seemingly unwilling to cause trouble. His eyes were bright, indicating exceptional cultivation.

“That’s Zhao Qingchuan, a renowned expert who holds great prestige among the younger generation. The Zhao family, like the Cao family, is one of the ruling marquis families on the Eternal Main Star, a top-tier major power.” Qi Meng frowned. She had no previous interaction with Zhao Qingchuan and wondered why he was acting this way today.

“Given his status, few would dare defy him. As one of the leading figures of the younger generation, for him to act like this now... he must be testing my identity!” Ye Fan's heart stirred.

“Indeed!” Qi Meng nodded.

Ye Fan was a new face. To those who frequented the arena, he was completely unknown. His daring refusal of Zhao Qingchuan now revealed a lot of information.

“The duel has begun!”

On the high platform, a shimmering curtain arose, enveloping the enormous stone platform to prevent the battle from affecting spectators. The light curtain was crystal clear, inscribed with ancient Great Sage's divine patterns, making it absolutely safe and reliable.

On the vast stone platform, like half a broken mountain, a young man appeared. He had shoulder-length black hair, a bronze physique that was exceptionally robust and powerful, and sharp eyes. He possessed a unique aura, truly like a demon god.

This body was identical to the Southern Demon's. Unfortunately, Ye Fan's divine sense couldn't penetrate the Great Sage's light curtain, so he couldn't sense his aura and thus couldn't make a final judgment.

“The battle has begun!”

A cacophony erupted in the arena. Another gladiator entered, his body covered in demonic patterns, with silver hair cascading over his shoulders and even silver pupils. He was very aggressive. The moment he appeared, he left several afterimages as he lunged towards the Demon God.

“Silver Eye! It's Silver Eye!”

“No wonder! I knew the Demon God's hundredth battle would face an obstacle. To think this person has emerged from reclusion! What a huge price must have been paid to persuade him.”

This was a Great Accomplishment King, who had only suffered one defeat in over a hundred years of dominating the eastern region. He only conceded to Saints, feared no Dao-severing cultivators, and had even killed several Half-Saints.

It was said that a hundred years ago, during the selection for the strongest physique, he had unfortunately lost to an opponent due to an unexpected turn of events.

“Gentlemen, you may place your bets,” the various underground bookmakers announced.

After a single strike, Silver Eye quickly retreated, confronting the Demon God but not attacking further. Clearly, both were familiar with the arena's rules and were giving the numerous kings and noble guests time to place their bets.

After a burst of noise, the arena returned to quiet. Many people had placed their bets, and the grand battle was about to officially begin.

This was a primal duel, without the aid of mechs or war instruments. It was a battle fought using the methods of ascetic cultivators, which the people of the Eternal Main Star found especially thrilling.

Because, from ancient times until now, they had always relied on external artifacts, and ascetic cultivators were nearly extinct; the profession was almost gone.

They had heard tales that in the ancestral era, ascetic cultivators could tear apart mechs with their bare hands and dominate the world. Unfortunately, that era was gone, and various powerful war instruments had become their preferred choice.

Inside the arena, various light beams flew about, and a fierce battle erupted. The Demon God, true to his name, was like an ancient demon lord reincarnated, incredibly brave and unstoppable.

Ye Fan secretly estimated that the Southern Demon must have consumed evolution fluid, and more than once, otherwise, he couldn't have become this powerful.

Silver Eye was also incredibly fierce. After all, he was a peak Dao-severing cultivator, holding an absolute advantage in cultivation realm and being more imposing than the Southern Demon.

The two battled fiercely, employing various secret techniques one after another. All were methods of ascetic cultivators. This was a contest of physical treasures, leaving the spectators dazzled.

“So powerful! If they continue to develop like this, they'll be able to tear apart ancient Saint mechs with their bare hands one day!”

“The Southern Demon is too strong! His cultivation realm isn't as high as Silver Eye's, yet he can contend with him. It's truly incredible. You must know, Silver Eye is practically an invincible existence among Dao-severing cultivators!”

People whispered, watching intently.

“Pfft!”

No one had expected that after only two hundred rounds, the Demon God would unleash a peerless strike, nearly cleaving Silver Eye in half. Silver blood splattered as his opponent was sent flying, utterly incapable of fighting any further.

“Ah... he won! So fast! A hundred consecutive victories!”

“Oh heavens, my divine mineral! I bet it on Silver Eye!”

Just then, another young man appeared in the arena, smiling and waving to the crowd. He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, quiet please! Do you want to know the Demon God's origin? Only today, after his hundredth consecutive victory, do I feel I have the right to speak about it. He... comes from a mysterious ancient star! I have awaited this day for a long time, waiting for him to achieve glory. To be frank, he is merely one of the powerful bloodlines from that ancient star; there are many more there! I believe you understand what I'm saying, what I mean. Through him, I have shown you the terrifying value of that mysterious star. I think all my compatriots present can no longer hold back, can they? Does anyone wish to launch an expedition?”