He Feared All His Enemies Would Learn Blood Shadow Escape!

This time, he was not the only one here. Several others had come too, but with one backed by the military and another by the Holy Spirit Cult, they simply had not come out to greet him.

Xu Jingyao's servants followed behind him, while Shangguan Wei'er welcomed him at the side with a smile.

The entire hotel was like a corner hidden from sunlight, dim and damp, yet its surroundings and architecture were exceedingly lavish.

It looked a little like a vampire's lair.

Mingdu's three underground giants each occupied one of the elevated stands on the four sides.

However, the place where he stood was clearly five percent higher than the other three platforms.

From above, he could clearly see the others.

Looking at the seating arrangement, it seemed somewhat like an auction house, except that there were only four rooms.

Clearly, this venue was still quite new, having been built only three years ago.

As Xu Jingyao took his seat, Shangguan Wei'er had already personally brought him a cup of tea, her smile holding a measure of probing curiosity and a measure of warmth. "Your Highness, Carefree King, your willingness to grace us with your presence today is a blessing for the Ordinary Alliance."

Xu Jingyao accepted the cup, gently folded his fan, and set it on the table. "You're too kind, Shangguan Family Head. I only came today to watch the excitement."

His gaze swept over the stands on either side.

On the left, a burly middle-aged man leaned against his chair, toying with a black-and-gold token. His aura was steady and restrained, like a blade hidden in its sheath.

The president of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, An Litong!

On the right, a man in dark purple robes sat quietly. His face was so ordinary that he would have been almost unrecognizable in a crowd, but his eyes held a sinister chill that sent shivers down one's spine.

The chief steward of the Xishui Alliance, Nangong Wan.

He was clearly an Evil Soul Master!

Neither man stood up.

Xu Jingyao did not mind. He merely raised his teacup, gently blew aside the foam, and leisurely took a sip.

"Good tea."

Shangguan Wei'er smiled and sat beside him. "If you like it, Your Highness, I'll have someone send a few jin to your residence later."

"No need for that. I'm very particular about my tea. I'll send someone to buy it myself later."

He set down his teacup and looked toward the arena below.

Beneath the stands was a circular stone platform enclosed by a Soul Guidance Barrier. Dark brown bloodstains still lingered on its surface; clearly, this was not its first use.

Three Soul Masters were fighting for their lives on it.

One was a middle-aged man wielding twin sabers, his Soul Power around rank forty-five. He already bore two wounds deep enough to expose bone, and blood dripped from the hem of his clothes.

The other two, a man and a woman, worked in perfect coordination, pressing him back step by step.

Tang Wulin stood behind Xu Jingyao, watching the three blood-soaked figures below, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. Finally, unable to hold back, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Your Highness, those people down there..."

Without even turning his head, Xu Jingyao merely cast an indifferent glance at the arena. "Soul Masters who signed a life-and-death agreement. There's nothing to pity."

He paused, his gaze falling on the middle-aged man with twin sabers. Though badly wounded, the man struck from tricky, ruthless angles, clearly using a style learned in the military. The other two were younger, and their circulation of Soul Power bore traces of academy training, but their moves lacked finesse.

"Those three are probably Soul Masters from the Original Three Kingdoms, trained by the three alliances and sent up to compete."

"But isn't it bad for it to be this bloody?" Tang Wulin's voice grew even quieter, his hand unconsciously gripping his cuff.

Shangguan Wei'er was refilling Xu Jingyao's tea. At his words, her wrist paused, and the tea nearly overflowed.

She looked up at Tang Wulin, then at Xu Jingyao. Her smile remained appropriate, but her tone grew a little more serious.

"Young guard, in our matches, either side can leave the arena whenever they concede. The rules are written perfectly clearly. No one forces them to fight to the death." Shangguan Wei'er gently set down the teapot, her voice neither loud nor soft. "They made their own choice: win or die. We only provide the venue."

Tang Wulin opened his mouth but said nothing more.

Xu Jingyao set down his teacup and picked up his fan again, lightly tapping it against his palm twice, an inscrutable smile playing at his lips.

"Shangguan Family Head is right. You choose your own road. You can't blame anyone else."

It seems I've protected Tang Wulin too well.

But there's no need for Tang Wulin to handle things on the dark side.

Forget it. It's not time to use Tang Wulin yet. Otherwise, once this firecracker is lit, tsk, what a headache.

He feared all his enemies would learn Blood Shadow Escape!

He glanced toward Nangong Wan, who was quietly watching the arena, his face expressionless. Yet that sinister chill continued to linger around him.

Xu Jingyao knew that under the Xishui Alliance, human lives were worth less than grass.

Perhaps Nangong Wan had casually arranged today's match to test his reaction.

It seems the Holy Spirit Cult wants to test my reaction to all this bloodshed!

Who knows what they're planning.

Hmm, they're probably here to sound out my stance. After all, my position is growing more prominent by the day. With Xu Tianran, a single word from me can even make him change his mind.

But now isn't the time to deal with the Holy Spirit Cult either.

The abilities of the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Masters were clearly inferior to those of the Original Three Kingdoms. When it came to Soul Masters, they truly could not do without Evil Soul Masters.

He glanced at An Litong again.

The man from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce was watching quite intently, even leaning forward slightly, but Xu Jingyao could sense that his spiritual power had remained in his vicinity all along.

In the arena, the middle-aged man with twin sabers finally gave out. The young man's Soul Skill blasted him in the chest, sending him flying backward into the barrier before he crashed heavily to the ground, both sabers slipping from his grasp.

He struggled to rise, but just as his fingers touched a saber's hilt, the young woman's short sword was already at his throat.

"I concede," the middle-aged man cried hoarsely.

The short sword stopped.

The Soul Guidance Barrier flashed, and two uniformed staff members hurried onto the platform and carried the middle-aged man away. The remaining man and woman stood on the platform, panting heavily, their faces showing the relief of having survived a brush with death.

Shangguan Wei'er spoke at just the right moment. "What did you think of that match, Your Highness?"

Xu Jingyao waved his fan, his smile casual. "Not bad. At least I didn't come for nothing."

He turned toward Shangguan Wei'er and folded his fan, his tone becoming a little more serious.

"Shangguan Family Head, I didn't come here today to watch this. I'd like to borrow the trade routes of the Ordinary Alliance, the Xishui Alliance, and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce. You provide the connections, and I'll provide the goods. Give it some thought."

The smile on Shangguan Wei'er's face did not change, but the look in her eyes already had.

"Are you referring to the Carefree Pavilion's goods, Your Highness?"

"What else?" Xu Jingyao set his fan on the table and leaned back slightly. "Moving my goods solely through legitimate channels is too slow. Of the three of you handling Mingdu's underground business, I think you're the best fit. Haven't you wanted a hand in this for a long time?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the other two sides.