Demon Cultivator Enters the Stage!

"How is this turtle shell so tough? Is this really a second-grade armor?"

Wang Lie below the arena frowned deeply. He had assumed Li Mang, a power-type fighter, could overwhelm skill with brute force and cleave the Zhang clan member in two with a few axe swings.

He never expected the first match to hit a stalemate.

On the arena, Li Mang grew more alarmed with every strike.

He felt like he wasn't hacking at a man, but at a chunk of refined iron that refused to shatter.

Each time the great axe rebounded, the force numbed his tiger's-mouth grip.

His internal spiritual energy drained rapidly under this high-intensity burst.

Meanwhile, that Zhang Tieshan, though constantly dodging and defending, still had a long, steady aura.

Those Mother-Child Blades were like venomous snakes, striking coldly at him whenever an opening appeared.

If this dragged on, he'd exhaust himself to death!

"No! I have to end this fast!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Mang's eyes. Seizing a gap during a clash as he retreated, he quickly pulled a blood-red pill from his bosom, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.

Blood Burning Demonic Pill!

Boom—!

The moment the pill entered his gut, Li Mang's already burly frame swelled another size.

His skin turned crimson like blood, veins bulging like earthworms.

His eyes went bloodshot, and a beastly roar tore from his throat.

"DIE!!"

This time, his speed and power instantly more than doubled.

Even the great axe was wreathed in a layer of blood-colored flames.

He took one step, and the arena trembled. In an instant, he appeared before Zhang Tieshan.

The great axe swept out horizontally, trailing a shrill shriek through the air.

Too fast!

Zhang Tieshan had no time to dodge. He could only raise the shield in front of his chest.

At the same time, he activated every defensive array on his battle armor.

Bang!!

A thunderous crash, like a sudden clap of thunder on flat ground.

Zhang Tieshan, shield and all, was sent flying by that single axe blow.

He slammed heavily into the defensive barrier at the arena's edge, then tumbled to the ground.

"Pfft!"

Zhang Tieshan spat a mouthful of blood. A crack had appeared on the shield in his hand.

If not for the top-grade battle armor protecting him, that strike would have shattered his internal organs.

"Hahaha! Come on! Why aren't you running now?!"

Li Mang laughed wildly, dragging his great axe as he pressed forward step by step.

The Zhang clan members below erupted in uproar. Zhang Yunshan's hand gripped the armrest tightly.

"Taking pills?"

Zhang Chen narrowed his eyes, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "That kind of life-burning evil drug has strong burst, but it's just a flash in the pan."

On the arena, Zhang Tieshan struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from his lips.

He looked at Li Mang, who was closing in with overwhelming momentum, but there was no fear in his eyes.

Just as Li Mang raised his great axe again, ready to strike once more, Zhang Tieshan moved.

But he didn't choose to defend. He didn't choose to flee.

Instead, he charged straight at the descending axe!

"Looking for death!"

Li Mang rejoiced, adding even more force to his swing.

The moment the axe blade was about to touch Zhang Tieshan's crown, Zhang Tieshan's figure suddenly blurred.

It wasn't teleportation—he had detonated the "Thunder Shadow Array" on his armor in that instant.

His speed peaked in a flash.

Whoosh!

He turned into a purple afterimage, skimming the ground.

Almost scraping against the axe blade, he slid into Li Mang's embrace.

"What?!"

Li Mang's face changed drastically in shock. He wanted to pull back in defense, but his massive frame and heavy weapon had now become a burden.

"Puchi!"

A dull sound of a blade piercing flesh.

Zhang Tieshan's Mother Blade plunged fiercely into Li Mang's lower abdomen.

Immediately after, he didn't pull the blade out. Instead, he channeled his spiritual power.

And detonated the Thunder Fire Array inscribed within the blade.

"Explode!"

Boom—!

A ball of purple-red fire erupted on Li Mang's abdomen.

The sheer agony was unbearable, even for Li Mang in his berserk state.

He let out a miserable scream, and the giant axe slipped from his hands.

But it wasn't over yet.

Zhang Tieshan released the Mother Blade, spun around, and circled behind Li Mang. The Child Blade, which had long since been thrown and was spinning through the air, now seemed to answer a summons. It pierced into the back of Li Mang's neck.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

Li Mang's massive body stiffened for a moment. A gurgling sound came from his throat.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with unwillingness and disbelief.

Then, as if all strength had been drained from him, he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

The entire arena fell into deathly stillness.

Only the sea breeze continued to howl.

Everyone's eyes were wide, staring at the man from the Zhang family, drenched in blood.

Yet still standing tall and straight on the arena.

He won?

That Zhang family cultivator, who had seemed to be at an absolute disadvantage, had actually turned the tables in a desperate situation and killed the drug-fueled, rampaging Li Mang?!

"We won! We won!"

After a brief silence, the Zhang family side erupted into earth-shaking cheers.

Zhang Tieshan pulled out the Mother-Child Blades, picked up his shield from the ground, and grinned toward the direction where Zhang Chen stood.

Though the smile was somewhat bloody, it was filled with pride.

"Waste! Damn it!"

On the Wang family viewing platform, Wang Lie saw this.

And smashed the teacup in his hand to pieces in fury.