Arena Battle

At the entrance of the Li Family Bank, a sea of people had gathered around a fighting platform.

On the platform, two figures were locked in a deadly struggle.

The first match of the challenge, a battle between two Body Tempering martial artists, had already reached its white-hot climax.

Suddenly, blood splattered across the platform as Li Yunfei, the eldest son of the Li family, had an arm severed.

Yet the sword in his hand also pierced his enemy's chest.

Li Yunfei staggered, then steadied himself, swept his gaze around, bulged his eyes, and roared:

"Anyone who wants to harm my Li family, come stake your life!"

The roar carried from the platform through the nearby streets and alleys, drawing everyone's attention.

As he stepped down, he said to the family head Li Mingyuan and the others:

"In the next two matches, if we win just one, we win it all."

Then, supported by others, he was helped into the bank.

At that moment, a man leaped onto the platform. Dressed in white, with handsome features, he cupped his hands toward the crowd and announced:

"This Humble One is Guo Yuan of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency. I'll take the second match on behalf of all present."

Seeing that this man was not shaken by the death of the first combatant, standing calmly on the platform with an air of confidence, the crowd snapped out of their daze and burst into cheers.

At the entrance of the Li Family Bank, the Li family members were all present. The family head Li Mingyuan was inwardly praising Li Yunfei for his reckless courage.

But when he suddenly saw Guo Yuan step onto the platform, his expression shifted, and he said:

"Your father, Guo Zhengwei of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency, once received a great kindness from my late father—without it, he could never have established himself in Red Cloud County!

"Now, while you are still a disciple of the Military Service Bureau, you can't wait to repay kindness with enmity and kick a man when he's down?"

Guo Yuan, with a sanctimonious air, replied:

"Your Li Family Bank has already declined, yet you concealed this and failed to report it, disregarding the silver and livelihoods of Red Cloud County's people.

"I come today for the greater good. Why speak of repaying kindness with enmity or kicking a man when he's down?

"Enough idle talk. Who will your Li family send up? Just come straight on."

Hearing this, a flicker of doubt appeared in Li Mingyuan's eyes.

Just to deal with a declining Li family, why would the Wei Yuan Escort Agency risk the infamy of repaying kindness with enmity? Were they so eager to pledge allegiance to the Chen and Shen families?

Anger simmered in Li Mingyuan's heart as his gaze swept over the crowd, only to find that his second son, Li Yunping, was not there.

Li Yunping had just helped Li Yunfei into the bank. By all rights, he should have finished handling things and come out by now, yet he still hadn't appeared.

Disappointment flickered in his eyes. His second son was always one to shirk responsibility; he hadn't expected him to be so unreliable at a critical moment.

At this time, Li Youning stood among the crowd, faintly sensing that her family's gazes were all turning toward her, some clearly carrying a hint of reproach.

If she hadn't wasted those two hundred taels of silver, the Li family could have recruited a Skin Tempering Grandmaster martial artist, just the one needed for this battle.

But that money had been squandered by her.

Her second brother was also at the Skin Tempering Grandmaster level, just like her. His failure to appear clearly meant he expected her to step up—after all, who told her to be so careless with those two hundred taels?

Sensing Li Mingyuan's gaze also fall on her, Li Youning bit her lip slightly, and with a clang, she drew the long sword at her waist and dashed onto the platform.

"Ningning!" Li Mingyuan called out urgently, but a breeze lifted Li Youning's long hair, a few strands of jet-black floating up, revealing her resolute profile.

Once on the platform, she directly unleashed the Li family's heirloom sword art, the Frost Moon Sword Art. A cold, sharp sword light nearly merged into a continuous sheet as she attacked Guo Yuan.

"Well met!" A hint of confidence appeared in Guo Yuan's eyes. He didn't even draw his blade, meeting her sword strikes with the scabbard still on.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out repeatedly. Li Youning's sword strikes came in an unbroken stream, yet she could not overcome Guo Yuan at all.

Though she was the one constantly attacking fiercely, she seemed utterly passive. Guo Yuan only needed to swing his scabbard simply to block.

Occasionally, Guo Yuan would suddenly step forward and strike diagonally with the scabbard, throwing Li Youning off balance and forcing her to slow her assault.

After several such exchanges, Li Youning could no longer hold back. She traced a circle with her sword and unleashed the killing move of the Frost Moon Sword Art.

Shadow Reflection Return to Void!

"I've been waiting for that!" Seeing her use her finishing move, Guo Yuan's eyes lit up.

Then he actually stepped back, making no move to counter, letting Li Youning execute the full sequence of Shadow Reflection Return to Void.

By the end, he had retreated to the corner of the platform. Li Youning, having completed her killing move, had her momentum at its peak. She brought down the final sword strike—Guo Yuan had no room to dodge!

Just as it seemed Guo Yuan would die under her blade, a zheng sound of a blade being drawn rang out. At that moment, Guo Yuan finally drew his saber.

A single vertical slash, charging forward without hesitation—this was the Wei Yuan Escort Agency's Six Harmonies Blade Technique!

Clang!

Saber and sword collided, the air rippling with a faint shockwave.

Suddenly, Li Youning's expression changed. She tried to retreat hastily, but it was too late.

Guo Yuan withdrew his saber and slashed out again. This time, she felt a tremendous force transmitted through her grip. Her hand shook, she lost hold of her sword, and it flew from her grasp, leaving her center wide open.

Guo Yuan kicked out, landing a vicious blow to her abdomen.

"Pfft!" Li Youning spat blood as she flew off the arena platform.

"Hahaha... I broke through! I've reached Flesh Refining!" She vaguely heard Guo Yuan's loud laughter from the stage, and a trace of bitterness curled at the corners of her mouth.

So that was it—Guo Yuan had used her as a whetstone to break through mid-battle!

Having reached Flesh Refining cultivation, Guo Yuan could now rank among the top ten disciples of this year's Military Service Bureau, with a bright future ahead!

Just as Guo Yuan had stepped on her to break through, the Li family would be crushed by the city's various factions piling on while they were down, their house ruined and family destroyed.

Was it all because she had wasted two hundred taels of silver? She had lost. The next to step up were only ordinary Skin Tempering guards. This arena battle was truly lost.

She had squandered the opportunity her eldest brother Li Yunfei had fought for with one of his arms.

Bang!

Suddenly, she felt someone catch her. A familiar voice said:

"Sister Li, are you alright?"

Li Youning snapped awake. Opening her eyes, she saw a man in white robes, strikingly handsome, handing her over to Li Mingyuan.

"Junior Brother Lu?" Li Youning said in disbelief, unable to resist rubbing her eyes. But it was real—Lu Ming truly stood before her.

"Ningning, who is this?" Li Mingyuan asked, puzzled.

Seeing the wariness in Li Mingyuan's eyes, Li Youning quickly said:

"Father, this is the Military Service Bureau disciple I've been on good terms with, Junior Brother Lu Ming.

"I did write to Junior Brother Lu before, but I never expected you to come.

"But... but the Skin Tempering Grand Completion battle is already over. I lost."

As Li Youning finished, she let out a faint sigh. The matter was already settled.

Moreover, even if Lu Ming had broken through to Skin Tempering Grand Completion, he would still find it hard to defeat Guo Yuan. He might even throw away his life for nothing.

"Junior Brother Lu, I appreciate your kindness, but..." Li Youning tried to say something.

Lu Ming cut her off: "But I'm not at Skin Tempering Grand Completion. I'm here to participate in the Skin Tempering realm arena battle."

Li Youning was stunned for a moment: "You haven't broken through to Skin Tempering Grand Completion? Then how did you leave the Military Service Bureau?"

"I'll explain later. Let me go have a word with him first."

Lu Ming waved his hand, stepped onto a black acupoint, and ascended the arena platform.

There, a burly man with an extremely stable lower body, seemingly skilled in leg techniques, was already standing.