Feast!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Spotlights flicked on one after another, converging on the arena and drawing the crowd's gaze.

The noisy hall fell silent in an instant.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the host, clad in a pink suit, stepped onto the arena with a microphone in hand.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Silver Radiance Arena."

"I'm sure you've all gathered here tonight because you received word of the Peak Competition in advance. But I have to clarify—there is no Peak Competition tonight!"

As his words landed, the entire venue erupted.

"Have you people at Silver Radiance lost your minds? You're messing with us?"

"Hurry up and get Jiang Xuan out here! I want to see him fight Hu You!"

"Does Silver Radiance even want to make money anymore? I brought a million in chips tonight!"

Angry curses rang out one after another, the noise unrelenting.

"Dear guests, please calm down. The fighters you're all waiting for are here today."

On the arena, the host's smile remained unchanged as he lightly clapped his hands.

From the four corners of the arena, a Martial Artist leaped up onto each one, each wielding a different cold weapon.

The noise from the crowd died down a little. Since the fighters had already appeared, a fight was definitely happening—they just didn't know what trick Silver Radiance was pulling.

For a moment, all eyes focused back on the host.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the reason we're not holding the Peak Competition tonight is that we've prepared something even more thrilling—a 'Beast Battle'!"

The host's voice rang with excitement. Before the audience could react, he quickly pressed a hidden button on his microphone.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Around him, four two-meter-square floor panels retracted, revealing dark, gaping holes.

One by one, Alloy Iron Cages rose up, each one nearly bursting at the seams with a ferocious beast inside.

"ROAR!"

The four beasts howled and rammed against their cages.

The hall went dead silent, and the spectators nearest the arena edge scrambled backward.

Among the beasts, the host's legs went weak, his face pale.

But he forced himself to wipe the cold sweat from his brow and spoke:

"Dear guests, these are Star Realm Fierce Beasts that the boss lady acquired through special channels."

"In tonight's Beast Battle, each of the four fighters will face one beast in a one-on-one fight to the death. There are no winners or losers—only life and death!"

"You have one minute to place your bets on your preferred fighter."

"In one minute, all the cages will open at once."

After quickly delivering his explanation, the host scrambled off the arena in a panic.

The crowd below was already in an uproar, their earlier fear gone. Every spectator looked thrilled as they rushed to the nearest betting stations.

In an instant, the crowd surged into chaos.

Li Qingshan reached out, grabbed Cao Shaoyu by the shoulder, and turned toward the exit.

"Coach, the Beast Battle is about to start!"

Cao Shaoyu twisted and struggled, his brows brimming with excitement.

"If you don't want to die, come with me!"

Li Qingshan's voice was icy cold, his grip like iron pincers, unshakable.

Just from the ferocity of their roars, each of those four beasts was no weaker than Wolf Poison!

The four Martial Artists on the arena were all at Body Tempering fourth or fifth level, theoretically capable of going toe-to-toe with beasts of that rank.

But real combat didn't work that way.

Right now, the four of them clearly showed shock and fear on their faces—they'd probably never even seen a beast before.

Not every Martial Arts Teacher was like Wan Keshan, who'd catch a beast to train his students' nerve.

Most low-tier Martial Artists in the Old Continent might never get a chance to see a beast in their entire lives!

Li Qingshan had fought Wolf Poison tens of thousands of times; he knew the nature of beasts inside out.

Fear before battle—those four on the arena couldn't possibly hold off the beasts.

More importantly, the arena had no protective measures at all.

If they failed to hold the line, the beasts would charge off the arena and go on a killing spree.

The security around was just Ordinary People; even if they had Laser Guns, it wouldn't matter.

"Boss, is there danger coming?"

Cheng An was perceptive enough to see Li Qingshan's concern, but he still didn't quite understand.

"Boss, even if there aren't any big shots in this hall, these are all influential figures from the nearby cities."

"If Silver Radiance wants to keep doing business, they definitely wouldn't slack off on security."

"Business?" Li Qingshan shook his head, glancing at Cheng An.

"Even if tonight passes without incident, do you think news of the Fierce Beasts can be kept from the Patrol Bureau? That Silver Radiance can keep operating?"

"This..." Cheng An first realized the point, but an even greater confusion welled up from the depths of his heart.

Silver Radiance went through all the trouble to get Fierce Beasts, only to have the "Beast Battle" end after one round—what was the point?

"If you want to live, follow me."

Li Qingshan didn't say more. He grabbed Cao Shaoyu and pushed against the crowd toward the exit.

It made sense that Cheng An couldn't figure it out, because he had no idea about You Qingya's true background.

By now, Li Qingshan was almost certain that You Qingya was the one who slipped through the net two months ago.

Evil God Cultists—crazy and beyond reason.

Tonight's "Beast Battle" wasn't about making money at all; it was a grand "sacrifice"!

That was why, even with the Fierce Beasts he'd dreamed of right in front of him, Li Qingshan chose without hesitation to retreat.

The noise around them suddenly grew louder.

"What's going on! The cage opened before even a minute was up?"

"Hey, don't block the way up front, move aside, I want to place my bet."

Curses rang out around them, and the crowd surged even more violently.

Li Qingshan didn't look back. With Cao Shaoyu in his left hand, he raised the hilt of his blade with his right, pressing it forward like an icebreaker charging ahead.

Finally, the space ahead cleared, and the three of them pushed out of the crowd.

Li Qingshan stopped and looked toward the exit ahead.

The iron door was already shut. Five big men in black stood blocking it.

In front of them was a chair.

The blonde woman sat with her legs crossed, holding a glass of red wine, gently swirling it.

"Handsome, weren't you here to watch the Beast Battle? Why the rush to leave?"

"Can't help it. This kid's too timid—started crying to leave the moment he saw the Fierce Beasts."

Li Qingshan replied with a smile, setting Cao Shaoyu down and lightly pinching the back of his neck.

The Little Fatty shuddered, tears springing to his eyes from the pain.

"Scared to tears just from that?"

Li Qingshan shook his head in disappointment and smacked the Little Fatty on the back of the head.

"First you're the one making a fuss about seeing the Fierce Beasts, now you're the one crying to leave..."

Cheng An stepped forward and said to You Qingya with a flattering smile:

"Boss You, I really can't do anything about this client of mine. Could you cut us some slack?"

Li Qingshan said nothing, quietly watching Cheng An work his charm.

Once Wan Keshan got the news, he'd definitely dispatch the Patrol Bureau immediately.

Maybe the Patrol Bureau was already on the way—best if they could just slip out peacefully.

"What do you mean, 'cut some slack'? I'm running a business here—since when do I stop customers from leaving?"

You Qingya let out a charming laugh and took a sip from her glass.

"Thank you, Boss You!"

Cheng An was overjoyed and looked past You Qingya.

But the five big men in black didn't open the door. Instead, they reached for their waists and each pulled out a gun.

"Boss You, this... this..." Cheng An's voice trembled as he stumbled back two steps.

"Don't rush."

You Qingya shook her head gently, her gaze landing on Li Qingshan as she pointed toward the distant arena.

"Handsome, the real show's just starting. Wouldn't it be a shame to miss it?"

Li Qingshan turned to look at the arena.

Under the spotlight, four Martial Artists were struggling to hold their ground.

One of them was clearly weaker, barely managing to lift a long spear with both hands in a desperate defense.

The Fierce Beast pounced again. The spear slipped from his grasp, and claws raked across his chest, ripping him open from belly to throat.

The sight of blood drove the audience into a frenzy. Every face flushed red as they screamed with all their might.

Just then, the Fierce Beast that had just killed twisted its head, leaped, and charged off the stage.

The edge of the platform had no barriers, and none of the surrounding security guards drew their guns to fire.

The Fierce Beast crashed unimpeded into the crowd, claws flying, blood splattering everywhere.

The roaring chaos fell silent for an instant, then screams erupted on all sides.

Aside from a few frozen in terror, the rest scattered in panic.

On the stage, the remaining three Martial Artists exchanged glances, then jumped down together, melting into the crowd.

With no opponents left, the three Fierce Beasts also leaped off the stage and charged into the sea of people.

The spotlights went out without warning.

In the dark space, flesh flew wildly, the roars of Fierce Beasts mingling with the weeping of the crowd.

Not far away, a dozen or so spectators fled toward the exit.

"Open the door! Let me out!"

"Hurry, the Fierce Beasts are killing people, let us out!"

Bang bang bang!

A dense volley of gunfire rang out, and the dozen people collapsed before the exit.

Blood spread across the floor, flowing all the way to Li Qingshan's feet.

"Coach..."

Cao Shaoyu tugged lightly at Li Qingshan's sleeve, his chubby face pale.

Cheng An trembled all over, his legs shaking.

"Handsome, don't be scared. I couldn't bear to lose that face of yours."

You Qingya giggled softly, swirling her glass.

"How about a drink with me? Let's wait for this feast to end together, shall we?"

The glass tilted, red liquid sliding down its rim.

Li Qingshan glanced at the blood at his feet, then slowly raised his head, revealing a brilliant smile.

"Sure!"