Sword Wine's Name Resounded Throughout the Great Soul Arena, Battle Against Yu Tianheng

"Ghh... ghhgh..."

Li Lang's eyes bulged wide as he clutched his throat with both hands. Blood seeped through his fingers, disbelief frozen upon his twisted face.

A few breaths later.

He fell straight backward with a bang, kicking up dust.

The spectator stands, still noisy moments ago,

had now fallen deathly silent.

Many people still had their hands raised, hysteria lingering on their faces.

Even the host had yet to step down from the arena.

Too fast!

A single sword strike, an instant kill!

Not even ten breaths had passed from beginning to end!

Li Zhixian did not spare Li Lang, who had died with his eyes open, a single glance. He turned and headed for the backstage passage.

Only after he left the arena

did curses and cries erupt one after another from the stands.

A rookie in his first Soul Fighting match had instantly killed a near-Bronze Badge fighter with four consecutive victories. Who knew how many people had gambled themselves into ruin over this battle.

But none of it had anything to do with Li Zhixian.

When he reached the backstage area, the other contestants looked at him differently.

Behind the Faceless Mask, Li Zhixian's gaze swept across the faces of the contestants one by one.

Yet not a single one dared meet his eyes.

That was the change in status brought about by strength.

Time passed until nine o'clock.

Li Zhixian's second match had arrived.

His opponent had just achieved three consecutive victories and was an exceptionally formidable fighter among Iron Badge contestants.

Yet still, one sword strike.

Two Soul Fighting matches.

Li Zhixian had made two sword strikes.

In just one night, the name "Sword Wine" had already gained some renown.

Over the following period of time,

Li Zhixian's routine of three points and one line finally changed somewhat.

As usual, he ate and fished with Xue Qinghe during the day, then went home to practice swordsmanship at night.

But in between,

he would also go to the Great Soul Arena for Soul Fighting matches.

Two matches a day.

Two matches, only two sword strikes.

At the very least, up to now, across twenty matches in ten days, he had risen from an Iron Badge to a Silver Badge. Not one opponent had forced him to make a second strike.

The name "Sword Wine" resounded throughout the Imperial City Grand Fighting Arena. Even Soul Fighting Arenas in other cities had heard of it.

Sizzle—

Upon the clean bluestone slabs,

a plump fish sizzled, its fat frying out.

Its fresh, savory fragrance drifted through the air with the breeze off the lotus pond.

"Li Zhixian..."

Xue Qinghe watched Li Zhixian grilling fish with his head lowered, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes.

"Why do I feel like you seem different somehow?"

Li Zhixian turned the fish over without even raising his head.

"How am I different?"

Xue Qinghe frowned and looked Li Zhixian up and down.

"Hard to say..."

He could not put his finger on it. He simply felt that the carefree white-robed youth from before had become much sharper.

At times, whenever his gaze shifted, the indifference that slipped out made even her heart tremble faintly in surprise.

After thinking for a moment, Xue Qinghe said again:

"Li Zhixian, are you sure you don't want to attend the Royal Academy?"

Li Zhixian said helplessly:

"Why are you so insistent on making me go to the Royal Academy?"

Without even thinking, Xue Qinghe replied:

"Because once you graduate, you can become an official of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family."

Li Zhixian took a bite of fish and looked up at Xue Qinghe.

"Thanks so much."

"You've already arranged my future for me."

Xue Qinghe's eyes lit up.

"So you agree?"

"I refuse."

Li Zhixian said lazily:

"To be honest, there aren't many students at the Royal Academy who can beat me. What would I go there for?"

"Besides, I still need to travel the continent and keep searching for fine wine I haven't tasted."

Xue Qinghe curled his lips.

He simply took it as Li Zhixian making excuses because he did not want to attend the Royal Academy.

"Mm, your guards are here."

Xue Qinghe still wanted to speak.

Li Zhixian raised a brow and gestured with his chin behind him.

Xue Qinghe turned around and discovered that Pufferfish and Snake Lance had arrived.

"You two are here. Want to sit down and have a bite?"

Li Zhixian smiled at Pufferfish and Snake Lance.

After spending these past days together,

he had at least become familiar with Pufferfish and Snake Lance.

As for the two Titled Douluo, he acted as though he knew nothing, treating them only as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's guards and never displaying anything unusual.

"No."

Pufferfish and Snake Lance answered stiffly, their gazes shifting to Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe's brows furrowed slightly.

Since the two had not spoken openly, it meant what they were about to say was unsuitable for Li Zhixian to hear.

"Li Zhixian, I'll be leaving first."

"Mm."

Li Zhixian nodded, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly added:

"Hey, bring me a Three Immortal Chicken tomorrow, stuffed with lotus seeds!"

Without looking back, Xue Qinghe waved a hand to show that he understood.

After they had walked some distance away,

Pufferfish and Snake Lance were still looking at Xue Qinghe with complicated expressions.

Tomorrow, there would be one less chicken on old Emperor Xue Ye's dining table.

They had no idea what kind of bewitching potion Li Zhixian had fed the Young Master. The Young Master treated him far too well.

"What is it? Speak."

Turning to business, Snake Lance said seriously:

"Young Master, a remarkably powerful sword spirit master has appeared at the Great Soul Arena recently."

"Though this man wears a mask, judging from his bearing, he should be very young. Yet he has won twenty matches in a row, breaking the record for the fastest promotion to Silver Badge."

"Most importantly, Sword Wine has only ever made one sword strike so far."

Xue Qinghe stopped walking.

"Only one sword strike?"

Pufferfish nodded.

"Yes, Young Master."

"Of his twenty opponents, eighteen died and two were injured. His swordsmanship is exceedingly sharp and ruthless."

"Moreover, Sword Wine broke Yu Tianheng's record. Yu Tianheng has already registered for tonight's Soul Fighting match, so the two are bound to fight."

Xue Qinghe pondered for a long while before saying:

"I'll go take a look tonight."

"Sword Wine..."

"When did the Imperial City gain such a formidable sword-wielding genius?"

Night.

In the courtyard.

A chilling flash of sword light swept past, and the air seemed to gain a faint scent of blood.

"These days of tempering have been greatly beneficial."

"I found the truest form of swordsmanship."

"My Soul Power has also risen to level twenty-three under the combined effects of cultivation and the Wine Spirit."

"Today's opponent, Yu Tianheng... Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit, captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team..."

"Interesting..."

Li Zhixian put on the Faceless Mask.

Under the night sky, a white-robed figure flashed past like a ghost.

Imperial City Grand Fighting Arena.

Eight o'clock at night.

Li Zhixian stepped onto the arena.

Unlike ten days ago, the moment the spectators saw that white-robed figure, the entire stands became like a powder keg set alight, nearly exploding the Great Soul Arena apart.

Cheers, shrieks, and roars mingled together, practically forming tangible sound waves that rolled and echoed throughout the venue.

"Sword Wine! Sword Wine! Sword Wine!"

"Ahhh! Will he kill his opponent in one strike again today?!"

"Idol! I want to become a swordsman as formidable as Sword Wine someday!"

"My family has been ruined, and I sold a kidney just to bet on Sword Wine winning!"

Second floor.

Inside the VIP box,

seven young men and women stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the arena below...