Life-and-Death Arena Battle

Two days later, Jiang Shuyue opened her second Divine Treasury—the Heart Divine Treasury—and her strength soared once more.

The Divine Treasury Realm was profoundly mysterious. Each Divine Treasury opened raised one's cultivation by one Heaven, yet the five Divine Treasuries had no especially direct connection to one another. Some cultivation arts opened the Lung Divine Treasury first, some opened the Kidney Divine Treasury first, and some opened the Heart Divine Treasury first. Opening different Divine Treasuries first granted tremendous improvements and wondrous abilities in different aspects.

Moreover, opening one Divine Treasury did not make it more difficult to open the ones that followed.

Jiang Shuyue had completely comprehended the third layer of the Clear Void Xun Wind Art, so opening all five Divine Treasuries quickly posed no difficulty at all.

When Jiang Wen saw that Jiang Shuyue had truly reached the Divine Treasury Realm Second Heaven in two days, he was utterly shocked. After all, he had cultivated for decades and had entered the Divine Treasury Realm nearly twenty years ago, yet he had only reached the Divine Treasury Realm Third Heaven even now.

"Yue'er, I always believed that among you three siblings, your talent and comprehension were the poorest. Who would have thought that you were actually the greatest!" Jiang Wen exclaimed joyfully. "You have even surpassed me by far!"

Jiang Shuyue gently shook her head. "My talent and comprehension truly are the poorest. The reason I was able to open an Essence Sea and enter the Divine Treasury Realm was all because of the enlightenment Ping'an gave me."

"It has something to do with Ping'an?" Jiang Wen was deeply puzzled. He simply could not believe it.

Jiang Shuyue nodded firmly but did not elaborate, because that sensation was too subtle, as though it came from some unseen force. No one would believe it.

"Dad, you can agree to the Life-and-Death Arena Battle proposed by the Li Family now, right?" she asked.

Jiang Wen nodded. "Since you can reach the Divine Treasury Realm Fifth Heaven within a month, you truly can cut through the Li Family's five Divine Treasury Realm experts by yourself. Besides, your Essence Sea is Ten Thousand Feet wide!"

"The Li Family has gone too far in bullying us. Our Jiang Family must strike back fiercely, catch them off guard, and make their Li Family decline from this day onward!" A vicious expression appeared on his face. "We can also use the Li Family to establish our might and frighten off all the Petty Thieves coveting the soap formula!"

The next day, news that the Li Family and the Jiang Family would hold a Life-and-Death Arena Battle one month later spread through White Emperor City. It swept through every street and alley at astonishing speed, and people discussed it fervently.

"The Jiang Family truly wants money but not their lives! The Li Family has five Divine Treasury Realm experts, while the Jiang Family has only one. Do they expect one person to slaughter all five?"

"Your news is outdated. The Jiang Family has produced a second Divine Treasury Realm expert. But their second Divine Treasury Realm expert has only just advanced, so her strength must be lacking. They are still using an egg to smash against a stone!"

"Does soap really make that much money? The Li Family would rather bear the disgrace of bullying the weak and acting like bandits just to seize it, while the Jiang Family is willing to risk their lives to protect the soap formula!"

"I heard that the soap formula came from Zhao Ping'an. Zhao Ping'an was only one year old then. While other children were still nursing, he was already reading countless books with his Photographic Memory, created the first bar of soap, and then handed the formula to the Jiang Family!"

"I heard that too. This Zhao Ping'an is brilliantly intelligent, and his comprehension is beyond compare. Photographic Memory and remembering everything he heard were mere trifles to him. He became an Alchemist at one year old, and before turning two, he became both a Talisman Master and an Artifact Refiner."

"What a pity. He has a Mortal Body. He is destined to be mediocre all his life and will never amount to anything."

As news spread that the Jiang Family and Li Family had set a life-and-death arena battle over the soap formula, a name people had gradually forgotten—Zhao Ping'an—was mentioned once more, stirring memories from several years ago.

One month later, the Life-and-Death Arena Battle was held as scheduled, personally overseen by White Emperor City's Prefect, Gao Xianzhi.

The Great Qian Kingdom used a county-and-commandery system, and the highest administrative official of a commandery was called a prefect.

The reason the prefect personally presided over life-and-death arena battles between Lineages was that such battles were the most civilized means of conflict between two Lineages and resulted in the fewest deaths. For example, if the Jiang Family and the Li Family fought a no-holds-barred death match, Divine Treasury Realm experts could shamelessly slaughter the other side's Normal Quality clansmen or experts. Both sides would suffer enormous casualties, and other Lineages and powers might even be dragged in, sparking even more serious armed clashes.

As for why the authorities did not step in to uphold justice, aside from the Life-and-Death Arena Battle being an age-old tradition, it was simply because the imperial court lacked the strength to suppress the powerful local elites.

The life-and-death arena had been set up in an open area outside the city. Dense crowds had long packed the area around it, and anyone below the Primordial Sea Realm could not even squeeze close to the arena. White Emperor City was practically emptied of its citizens.

As the duel was about to begin, Prefect Gao Xianzhi stood and announced the arena rules. Then he publicly declared, "No matter the outcome of this duel, I, on behalf of the imperial court, will fully uphold its result. Anyone who goes back on it will be severely punished!"

"The Life-and-Death Arena Battle between the Li Family and the Jiang Family begins!"

As Prefect Wang Xianzhi's voice fell, Jiang Shuyue was the first to fly onto the arena, which stood thirty feet high.

Seeing that the Jiang Family had sent Jiang Shuyue out first, the Li Family head snorted coldly and ordered the first Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert to fight. "This is a battle concerning the rise and fall of our Lineage, and it is also your battle of life and death! Third Uncle, do not hesitate because Jiang Shuyue is the discarded wife of the Young Lord of the Zhennan Marquis Estate. Kill her without restraint!"

"Please rest assured, Family Head!" the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert replied murderously.

This man had white hair and beard, with only about ten years of lifespan remaining. He was at the Divine Treasury Realm Third Heaven and possessed exceptionally rich combat experience.

After saying that, he leaped into the air and quickly swept onto the arena.

"Let the first life-and-death duel begin!" Prefect Wang Xianzhi announced loudly.

Jiang Shuyue immediately swung her sword and attacked the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert, her momentum like thunder.

She had only advanced into the Divine Treasury Realm a month ago and had not had time to learn martial techniques and spells belonging to that realm. Thus, she could only rely on her superior cultivation, using force to break skill and speed to defeat slowness.

The Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert was an old man who trusted in his extensive combat experience and preferred to wait in stillness for movement. On top of that, he underestimated Jiang Shuyue, believing that after only one month in the Divine Treasury Realm, she was weak.

In an instant, Jiang Shuyue pounced before the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert and slashed at him with her sword.

Only then did the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert realize that Jiang Shuyue was far too fast. He hurriedly raised his sword to block.

Clang—

As the two swords collided, the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert felt an irresistible force crash into him. Not only was the sword in his hand knocked away, but the tremendous force also traveled through his body and sent him flying backward against his will.

Seeing that her first strike had succeeded, Jiang Shuyue immediately pursued him and thrust out another sword, swift as a shooting star.

Pfft—

The sword tip pierced straight through the Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert's head, killing him on the spot.

Boom—

Everyone beneath the arena could not help crying out in shock.

It was because someone had died, because the duel had ended too quickly, and because its outcome was so unexpected.

Even the leaders of the various Lineages and powers watching nearly all rose to their feet, their faces filled with astonishment and doubt.

They immediately began whispering among themselves. "Jiang Shuyue must have used some forbidden secret art or forbidden pill that allowed her speed and strength to surpass a Divine Treasury Realm Third Heaven expert of the Li Family."

They simply could not imagine that Jiang Shuyue had already reached the Divine Treasury Realm Fifth Heaven.

Before anyone could make any guesses or analyses, Jiang Shuyue had already pointed her blood-dripping sword at the Li Family and shouted sharply, "Li Family, come up and receive death at once!"

The Li Family members looked incomparably grim. The four Divine Treasury Realm experts exchanged glances, but none of them took the initiative to go up and fight immediately.

The Li Family head ordered in a deep voice, "Yuanshan, go up. She must have used some forbidden secret art or forbidden pill. She cannot keep it up for long. Stall for as much time as possible."

"Yes, Family Head," the middle-aged Divine Treasury Realm expert named Li Yuanshan replied solemnly.

He was at the Divine Treasury Realm Second Heaven, and among the Divine Treasuries he had opened was the Heart Divine Treasury. Besides strengthening his Divine Soul, the Heart Divine Treasury also gave him greater explosive power and faster speed, making him suited to stalling through flight.

He shouted toward the arena, "Do not be so rampant! Let me, Li Yuanshan, test you!"

After shouting, however, he walked over at an unhurried pace. Only when he reached the foot of the arena did he leap into the air and fly onto it.

"The duel begins!" Prefect Gao Xianzhi announced loudly.

The instant his voice fell, Jiang Shuyue immediately charged at Li Yuanshan, while Li Yuanshan immediately fled at full speed, occasionally using long-range martial techniques and spells to interfere with Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue knew Li Yuanshan's purpose, so she was not worried in the slightest. She maintained a speed that forced Li Yuanshan to flee at full strength as she pursued him.

After opening the Lung Divine Treasury, her speed of absorbing Yuan Qi far exceeded that of Divine Treasury Realm experts who had not opened the Lung Divine Treasury. She did not fear exhaustion at all.

On the contrary, Li Yuanshan was the one being worn down.

After more than half an incense stick's time, Li Yuanshan's True Essence was exhausted. Jiang Shuyue suddenly accelerated, caught up to him, and severed his head with one slash!

"Th-this, what is going on?" All the cultivators were filled with disbelief. "Why has Jiang Shuyue's True Essence not run dry? Why has the backlash from the forbidden art or forbidden pill not arrived even now? Why was Li Yuanshan the first to exhaust his True Essence?"

Jiang Shuyue once again pointed her blood-dripping longsword at the Li Family and shouted sharply, "Li Family, come up and receive death at once!"

"Sixth Brother, you go up," the Li Family head ordered with a dark face.

This time, he gave no instructions to the third Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert, because even he could not see through Jiang Shuyue.

The third Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert flew onto the arena. He no longer placed any hope on Jiang Shuyue suffering a backlash from a forbidden pill or secret art.

Unfortunately, he too was only at the Divine Treasury Realm Second Heaven. Jiang Shuyue killed him after spending only a little effort.

"Li Family, come up and receive death at once!" Jiang Shuyue pointed her blood-dripping sword at the Li Family for the third time.

Every member of the Li Family trembled in fear. Even the Li Family head and the remaining Divine Treasury Realm expert could not help feeling afraid.

Below the arena, nearly everyone looked up at Jiang Shuyue with shock and reverence.

The Jiang Family, meanwhile, was both excited and tense. After all, Jiang Shuyue had already killed three in a row.

"Yuanwang, you go up," the Li Family head ordered.

The fourth Li Family Divine Treasury Realm expert's face was pale as he said in a trembling voice, "Dad, if I die, our Li Family will have no successor."

He was only at the Divine Treasury Realm First Heaven, weaker than the three clansmen who had died before him.

Seeing that his usually favored son had no fighting spirit at all, the Li Family head let out a long sigh. He turned back and shouted to Jiang Wen, who sat on the other side of the arena, "My Li Family admits defeat. State whatever terms the Jiang Family wants."

Unexpectedly, before Jiang Wen could respond, Jiang Shuyue on the life-and-death arena was already radiating killing intent. "I do not accept surrender! Li Family, you started this Life-and-Death Arena Battle. Now you want to surrender? No chance!"

"Niece Jiang, this old man is at the Divine Treasury Realm Fourth Heaven and has fought more battles than can be counted. You have fought three consecutive matches. Though your edge may be sharp, you may not necessarily gain the upper hand. Life and death remain uncertain!" the Li Family head said deeply.

Jiang Shuyue shouted without wavering, "Then come up and receive death!"

The Li Family head ignored Jiang Shuyue's provocation and continued calling out to Jiang Wen. "Brother Jiang, stop while you are ahead. Name any conditions you wish."

A hesitant expression appeared on Jiang Wen's face, but after only two breaths, he made his decision, his face full of viciousness.

"Li Dongtian, it is too late for you to beg for mercy now! The Jiang Family will not accept your Li Family's surrender!" He rose to his feet and shouted sharply. Then his gaze swept over the various powers and Lineages around him as he declared, "Whoever dares provoke the Jiang Family, we will fight them to the death!"

With matters having reached this point, Prefect Gao Xianzhi urged sternly, "The Life-and-Death Arena Battle will continue. The Li Family must send someone up immediately!"

"Dad, I do not want to die," Li Yuanwang pleaded with the Li Family head.

The Li Family head looked at his son and sighed. He then leaped into the air himself and landed on the arena.

As Prefect Gao Xianzhi announced the start of the duel, the Li Family head launched a fierce attack on Jiang Shuyue first.

He no longer thought about how much True Essence Jiang Shuyue had left or why she had yet to suffer backlash from the forbidden secret art or forbidden pill. He only believed that Jiang Shuyue had entered the Divine Treasury Realm merely one month ago and had not yet learned the powerful martial techniques and spells that only Divine Treasury Realm cultivators could use. He intended to rely on martial techniques and spells to kill Jiang Shuyue.

For a time, Jiang Shuyue's weakness was exposed. She clumsily dodged and blocked the Li Family head's attacks from left to right.

Seeing Jiang Shuyue fall into a disadvantage for the first time on the arena—and such a severe one at that—the entire Jiang Family was so nervous that their hearts rose into their throats.

Jiang Wen clenched his fists, faintly regretting the decision he had made earlier.

The Li Family, on the other hand, became excited. Once their Family Head killed Jiang Shuyue, the outcome of the Life-and-Death Arena Battle would be completely reversed.

As time passed, Jiang Shuyue was injured again and again.

"You little bitch, did you not say you would fight to the death?" Having completely seized the upper hand, the Li Family head continually hurled insults to provoke Jiang Shuyue. "Today, this old man will make you die here!"

"Do not worry, this old man will not let you die with any dignity. I will tear apart every stitch of clothing on your body and let all of White Emperor City behold your body..."