Arena Battle

Outside Li Family Bank, a sea of people had gathered around an arena.

On the arena, two figures were locked in a deadly battle.

The first arena match, a fight between two Flesh Refining martial artists, had already reached a fever pitch.

Suddenly, blood splashed across the arena as Li Yunfei, the Li Family's eldest son, had one arm severed.

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

Li Yunfei staggered, then steadied himself. He swept his gaze around, his eyes wide as he roared:

"Those who want to harm the Li Family, stake your lives on it!"

His roar spread from the arena through the nearby streets and alleys, drawing every eye.

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

"For the next two matches, as long as we win one, we win."

Then he was helped into the bank.

At that moment, someone vaulted onto the arena. Dressed in white and strikingly handsome, he cupped his hands toward all sides and declared in a clear voice:

"I am Guo Yuan of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency. I will fight the second match on everyone's behalf."

Seeing that he had not been cowed by the death of the first fighter and stood calmly on the arena with an air of utter confidence, the crowd snapped out of it and burst into cheers.

Outside Li Family Bank, all the Li Family members were present. Family head Li Mingyuan was privately praising Li Yunfei for being reckless yet valiant.

But when he suddenly saw Guo Yuan take the arena, his expression changed slightly, and he said:

"Your father, Guo Zhengwei of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency, once received a great favor from my late father. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to gain a foothold in Red Cloud County!

"And now, while you are still a disciple of the Military Service Bureau, you are already so eager to repay kindness with enmity and kick a man when he is down?"

Guo Yuan said with a righteous expression:

"Your Li Family Bank has clearly declined, yet you concealed it and disregarded the silver of Red Cloud County's people.

"I have come today for the greater good. How can this be called repaying kindness with enmity or kicking a man when he is down?

"Enough nonsense. Whom will your Li Family send onto the arena? Come directly."

At those words, a flicker of suspicion appeared in Li Mingyuan's eyes.

The Li Family had merely declined. Why would the Wei Yuan Escort Agency risk the infamy of repaying kindness with enmity to step forward? Were they so eager to attach themselves to the Chen Family and the Shen Family?

Anger rose in Li Mingyuan's heart. His gaze swept around, and he noticed that his second son, Li Yunping, was absent.

Li Yunping had just helped Li Yunfei into the bank. By all rights, he should have finished tending to him and come back out, yet he still had not appeared.

Disappointment flickered in his eyes. His second son had always been adept at shirking responsibility. He had not expected him to be so worthless at such a critical moment.

At this moment, Li Youning stood among the crowd, faintly sensing that her family members' gazes were all turning toward her. Several of those looks carried obvious blame.

If she had not squandered those two hundred taels of silver, the Li Family could have recruited a martial artist at Major Completion of Skin Refining, just enough to handle this battle.

Yet she had wasted that money.

Her second brother, like her, was at Major Completion of Skin Refining. Since he was not showing himself, it was obvious that he meant for her to step up. After all, she had failed to treat those two hundred taels of silver with due care.

Feeling Li Mingyuan's gaze turn toward her as well, Li Youning lightly bit her lip. With a clang, she drew the longsword at her waist and rushed onto the arena.

"Youning!" Li Mingyuan cried urgently, but the breeze lifted Li Youning's long hair. Strands of black hair fluttered up, revealing her resolute profile.

Once on the arena, she immediately unleashed the Li Family's inherited sword art, the Frost Moon Sword Art. Her icy sword light nearly joined into a single sheet as it swept toward Guo Yuan.

"Good!" Confidence flashed in Guo Yuan's eyes. He did not even draw his blade, instead using the sheathed blade to receive her sword moves.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The ringing of metal strikes sounded without pause. Li Youning's sword moves came in an endless stream, yet she could do nothing to Guo Yuan.

Though she was clearly the one continuously attacking with her sword, she seemed extremely passive. Guo Yuan needed only to casually swing his scabbard to block her.

Every so often, Guo Yuan would suddenly step forward and launch a slanting strike with his scabbard, making Li Youning miserable and abruptly slowing her offensive.

After several exchanges, Li Youning could no longer hold back. Her sword traced a circle as she unleashed the killing move of the Frost Moon Sword Art.

Shadow Reflection Return to Void!

"I've been waiting for that!" Guo Yuan's eyes lit up when he saw her use her killing move.

Then he actually retreated without taking any countermeasures, allowing Li Youning to fully build up Shadow Reflection Return to Void move by move.

In the end, he had backed into a corner of the arena. Li Youning, having fully built up her killing move, had her momentum rise to its peak. Her final sword strike came down, leaving Guo Yuan with nowhere to evade!

Just as Guo Yuan was about to die beneath her sword, a sharp blade cry rang out. At that moment, Guo Yuan drew his blade.

A vertical slash, pressing forward with unstoppable force—this was the Wei Yuan Escort Agency's Six Harmonies Blade Technique!

Clang!

Blade and sword collided. The air surged, and a faint ripple spread outward.

Li Youning's expression suddenly changed as she hurriedly retreated, but it was already too late.

Guo Yuan withdrew his blade and slashed again. This time, she felt an immense force crash into her. Her tiger's mouth shook, and she could no longer hold her sword. It flew from her hand, leaving her defenses wide open.

Guo Yuan kicked out, viciously striking her lower abdomen.

"Puh!" Li Youning spat blood and flew off the arena.

"Hahaha... I've broken through! I've reached Flesh Refining!" She vaguely heard Guo Yuan's laughter from the arena, and a bitter smile rose at the corner of her lips.

So Guo Yuan had used her as a whetstone, breaking through in the midst of battle!

Having reached Flesh Refining, Guo Yuan could now rank among the top ten disciples of this year's Military Service Bureau. His future was boundless!

Just as Guo Yuan had used her as a stepping stone to break through, the Li Family would also be driven to ruin beneath the various forces in the city kicking them when they were down.

Was all of this because she had squandered two hundred taels of silver? She had lost, and the next person to take the arena would only be an ordinary Skin Refining guard. This arena battle was truly going to be lost.

She had let down the opportunity her eldest brother Li Yunfei had fought for with one arm.

Thud!

Suddenly, she felt someone catch her, and a familiar voice said:

"Senior Sister Li, how are you?"

Li Youning abruptly came to her senses. Opening her eyes, she saw a man dressed in white, exceptionally handsome, handing her over to Li Mingyuan.

"Junior Brother Lu?" Li Youning said incredulously. She could not help rubbing her eyes, only to find that it was real—Lu Ming truly stood before her.

"Youning, who is this?" Li Mingyuan asked doubtfully.

Seeing the vigilance in Li Mingyuan's eyes, Li Youning hurriedly said:

"Father, this is the Military Service Bureau disciple I befriended, Junior Brother Lu Ming.

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

"But, but the Major Completion of Skin Refining match has already ended. I lost."

As Li Youning spoke, she suddenly let out a long sigh. The matter was already settled.

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

"Junior Brother Lu, I appreciate your intentions, but..." Li Youning wanted to say something.

Lu Ming interrupted her. "But I'm not at Major Completion of Skin Refining. I came to take part in the Skin Refining Realm arena battle."

Li Youning froze. "You haven't broken through to Major Completion of Skin Refining? Then how did you leave the Military Service Bureau?"

"We can talk later. I'll go meet him first."

Lu Ming waved a hand and stepped onto a Black Leak Point, ascending to the arena.

There already stood a burly man with an extremely stable stance, who seemed to specialize in leg techniques.