The Sword Lacks Killing Intent, Registering at the Great Soul Arena, One Strike Instantly Defeats the Opponent

Pufferfish and Snake Lance withdrew their gazes.

They began discussing the real matter with Xue Qinghe.

"Young Master, this year's new students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are formidable."

"Yu Tianheng, who possesses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul and enrolled two years ago, has become captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team."

"Leading six teammates, he has already achieved twenty consecutive victories at the Imperial City Great Soul Arena."

"If you wish to control the Heaven Dou Empire in the future, it would be best to build good relations with these geniuses."

Xue Qinghe nodded coldly. After a long silence, he said,

"Inform the Academy's Education Committee."

"I have someone who wants to attend the Royal Academy."

Pufferfish and Snake Lance exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.

Was the Young Master really this concerned about that boy named Li Zhexian?

The boy had rejected him time and again, yet he still kept pursuing him.

Of course.

Those words could not be spoken aloud.

The two replied,

"Yes."

Moonlight spread across the ground like salt.

Li Zhexian stood in the middle of the courtyard, the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand tracing streaks of fierce sword light.

His sword was too fast!

And too sharp!

The three-finger-wide, three-foot-six-inch sword moved in Li Zhexian's hands so densely that not even water could pass through.

The Old Locust Tree in the courtyard was buffeted by the sword aura, its leaves rustling down.

Swish—!

Swish—!

Chilling sword lights flickered through the courtyard.

Every strike pierced a falling leaf with perfect precision.

When Li Zhexian finally came to a stop,

the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand was already covered in fallen leaves.

Not a single one of the countless leaves that had been dancing through the air had touched the ground.

If outsiders saw such a scene, they would surely be terrified out of their wits.

Yet Li Zhexian was not satisfied.

He stared at the Azure Lotus Sword. Starlight flowed along its blade, reflecting his faintly furrowed brow.

"Not right, not right..."

"Though my sword is becoming sharper and sharper, it seems to be missing something..."

Just as Li Zhexian frowned in thought,

"Meow—!"

A miserable howl suddenly rang out beyond the courtyard.

Li Zhexian instinctively looked over. Then he saw two tanuki cats leap onto the wall, one pursuing and one fleeing.

The fleeing tanuki cat suddenly turned around, bared its teeth, arched its back, and sprang forward, its front claws slashing out.

"Meow—!"

Blood immediately blossomed at the neck of the tanuki cat that had held the upper hand.

Seeing this,

Li Zhexian's gaze froze.

A flash of insight streaked through his mind.

He knew what his sword lacked.

With what he knew now,

he understood the first three realms of the sword: Lower Sword Slashes People, Middle Sword Slashes Self, Upper Sword Slashes Night.

By creating the "Yaoguang Sword," he had stolen a wisp of starlight and touched upon the sword of the third realm.

But he had forgotten the foundation.

—A sword is a weapon of violence!

Li Zhexian murmured,

"Perhaps..."

"I need more real battles where blood is shed."

The next morning,

Li Zhexian arrived before a magnificent structure in the southeastern corner of the Imperial City.

The structure resembled the Roman Colosseum from Li Zhexian's previous life. Its oval outer walls were built from massive yellow stones, their surfaces covered in cracks worn by wind and rain, as well as bloodstained impact marks.

More than a dozen towering archways, like the ribs of a gigantic beast, stood in orderly rows across the four-story outer walls.

"So this is the Imperial City's Great Soul Arena..."

Li Zhexian stepped inside the Great Soul Arena.

In an instant,

a tide of clamor crashed over him.

Sand and dust churned through the murky air, mixed with the stench of blood and sweat.

Deafening roars came from every direction—the contestants' bellows, the spectators' cheers, the explosions of Spirit Skills colliding—all tangled together.

Li Zhexian looked out, and all he saw was chaos.

A bloodstained arena stood at the center, where Spirit Masters fought until they were drenched in blood.

The people in the stands waved their arms, their faces twisted in hysterical frenzy.

Li Zhexian slowly exhaled.

Excitement gradually welled up in his dark eyes.

After squeezing his way to the registration desk,

"I want to register for Soul Fighting."

The registration process went smoothly.

Li Zhexian chose "Jian Jiu" as his alias.

An iron Soul Fighting badge was pinned to his chest, representing his rank.

Within the Great Soul Arena, victories and defeats determined one's points, and points could raise the badge's rank.

From lowest to highest, the badge ranks were: Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold.

The higher the rank, the stronger the opponents and the greater the rewards.

Li Zhexian picked out a Faceless Man mask with no features and put it on before heading straight for the betting house.

He lined up all his possessions—three Gold Soul Coins—on the betting table.

"Bet on Jian Jiu to win the eight o'clock and nine o'clock matches."

After doing all that,

Li Zhexian left the Great Soul Arena.

It was still early.

He had arranged to eat grilled meat with Xue Qinghe, so there was no need to return until evening.

In the blink of an eye, night arrived.

In the contestant backstage area of the Great Soul Arena,

Li Zhexian stood with his arms folded, leaning against the wall as he coldly watched contestants with bruised faces or wounded bodies walk back and forth.

He also saw several figures curled up in the corner, wrapped like rice dumplings, black-red blood seeping through their coarse cloth bandages.

People said Spirit Masters held lofty status.

But in the Great Soul Arena, Spirit Masters were hardly better off than beasts.

Blood and cruelty were the dominant colors here.

Soon,

it was eight o'clock.

Li Zhexian had no reputation. As the host announced him, he slowly walked onto the stage and received little applause.

But his opponent was another matter.

The host strained his voice and shouted excitedly,

"Now, let us welcome with the warmest applause possible... Fierce Wolf!"

Overwhelming cheers instantly erupted from below the stage.

"Fierce Wolf has already won four consecutive one-on-one Soul Fighting matches!"

"If he can defeat today's opponent—Jian Jiu—he will achieve five consecutive victories and have his badge promoted to Copper rank!"

Li Zhexian calmly watched his opponent take the stage.

He was a burly man with a bare upper body. A Blood Wolf design was tattooed across his face, which was covered in thick horizontal scars, making his demeanor even more vicious.

Noticing the Faceless Man across from him studying him,

he grinned, revealing his crimson gums, then made a throat-slitting gesture.

Fierce Wolf's provocative gesture

stirred up the crowd's emotions.

They screamed hysterically at the stage.

"Fierce Wolf! Smash that opponent to pieces!"

"I bet one Gold coin on Fierce Wolf! Damn it, Fierce Wolf has to win for me!"

"This Jian Jiu is obviously a rookie! I bet all my possessions and even borrowed three Gold coins! Fierce Wolf is guaranteed to win!"

"Fierce Wolf, tear Jian Jiu apart for me!"

With the atmosphere so intense,

the host immediately announced loudly,

"Let the Soul Fight begin!"

The host quickly left the arena.

Amid the crowd's increasingly thunderous roars,

Soul Power surged through Fierce Wolf's entire body. His already massive frame swelled another three sizes, blue-gray fur sprouting over his arms. His fangs protruded from his savage face, and a crimson gleam flickered in his eyes.

One white and one yellow Spirit Ring appeared beneath his feet as he charged toward Li Zhexian with a roar.

Li Zhexian remained where he stood, not moving for a long while.

He looked as though fear had frozen him stupid.

The audience seemed to have already envisioned the sight of blood and entrails scattered across the ground, and their screams became even more frenzied.

Yet just as Fierce Wolf lunged to within one meter of Li Zhexian,

a streak of sword light suddenly flashed.

In that instant, even the dim yellow oil lamps in the Great Soul Arena seemed to darken by a fraction.

Fierce Wolf stopped in his tracks, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

At his throat,

a bloodline as thin as a hair quietly bloomed...

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