Leijia tossed a Highgod Artifact of Material Defense to the long-bearded elder. "Thanks for your effort. This is your payment."
"Thank you, my lord!" The long-bearded elder caught the Highgod Artifact Leijia tossed him and bound it with blood without hesitation.
He then handed the lotus wonder to Leijia, bid him farewell, and turned to fly in the direction opposite Black Kun Island.
The long-bearded elder knew that Leijia was powerful. Staying with him might bring greater rewards, but following such a powerful figure also carried a greater risk of death.
Leijia turned to look at the outline of the enormous island ahead, then released his divine power and flew toward Black Kun Island at full speed.
Black Kun Island, Hundred Battles Arena.
The battle platform was covered in rust, and no one knew what metal it had been forged from. Fine cracks from countless battles covered its surface, while weapon marks from swords and axes scarred the entire platform. A layer of dried, dark-red blood coated it, leaving its original appearance impossible to discern.
Around the platform was a curved ring of tiered spectator stands, lowest nearest the platform and rising one level at a time.
Leijia stood on the platform and accidentally touched a smear of still-wet blood on the ground with his toe. He lifted his foot and rubbed it against a relatively clean patch.
Directly in front of Leijia, a long-haired man with the strength of a Highgod lay facedown. A horrifying sword wound ran from his chest through to his lower back, and bright-red blood had stained his white robes.
"I declare that the new champion of a hundred battles is Leijia!"
As the referee made the announcement, waves of cheers rang out from the surrounding stands, celebrating the birth of a new hundred-battle champion.
The countless God Level experts in the stands were naturally not so excited because of Leijia's charm, but because...
Clack!
The God Level bookmaker's face darkened as he flung a bag of Divine Sparks onto the table.
With a Midgod challenging Highgods, the odds on Leijia had been set extremely high. The God Level bookmakers had lost the shirts off their backs.
The heavy beast-hide bag struck the tabletop with a dull thud, shaking two crimson-glowing crystals out through its loosely tied opening.
Leijia picked up the two Divine Sparks, put them back in the beast-hide bag, and tied it shut. Then he weighed the heavy bag in his hand.
A Midgod beside him smiled and asked, "Leijia, how much did you win this time?"
"Not much." As he answered, Leijia deftly put the beast-hide bag full of Divine Sparks into his spatial ring.
The God Level expert beside him shook the beast-hide bag in his hand, which was barely smaller than the one Leijia had put away, and said with a smile, "Thanks to you. Can I buy you a drink?"
"No, thanks."
Leijia politely declined, and the Midgod said no more.
Back at his residence on Black Kun Island, Leijia sat down cross-legged and recalled what the referee had said: "You've completed the hundred victories. Get ready. The island master will see you in three days..."
As soon as he arrived on Black Kun Island, Leijia had inquired about the planar teleportation array.
Sure enough, the Chaotic Sea's planar teleportation array was in the hands of the island master, Uhtred.
The only way to meet Uhtred was to compete in the island's arena battles and win a hundred consecutive matches.
Now that Leijia had completed the hundred victories, only three days remained before he would meet Uhtred.
Three days later, a Highgod led Leijia to meet Uhtred, the master of Black Kun Island.
"Sit."
Seated at a low table, Uhtred raised a hand toward Leijia, motioning for him to sit.
Leijia sat cross-legged opposite Uhtred. Using divine power to pour Leijia a cup of wine, Uhtred asked, "It's been 3,172 years since the hundred-battle arena began. You're the third person to meet me, and the only one to do so as a Midgod."
Uhtred's words were supremely arrogant, but Leijia knew he had the right to say them.
From Uhtred, Leijia sensed an abyss-like aura for the first time. It was also the first time he had sensed danger from a God Level expert.
Redding's Water Element Divine Clone had already fused four profound mysteries, yet Leijia still sensed a trace of danger from Uhtred. That meant Uhtred was at least as powerful as Redding, and possibly even stronger.
As expected of the first life born in the Infernal Realm, Leijia said to himself.
Only then did Leijia take a careful look at the master of Black Kun Island, the future Sovereign of Destruction.
A gray-black robe covered his entire body, and his long, dark-purple hair was tied behind his head. His cheeks were gaunt, and his gaze was sharp enough to pierce a person.
As Leijia sized up Uhtred, Uhtred was studying Leijia in turn.
The two remained silent, looking at each other.
After a long while, Uhtred was the first to break the silence. "Midgod Leijia, in your hundred victories, you defeated your opponents in one move forty-three times, and in ten moves or fewer thirty times. You won the remaining twenty-seven battles within a hundred moves as well."
As he spoke, Uhtred straightened his back and interlaced his fingers, looking at Leijia with some seriousness. "To tell the truth, I'm very curious. Are you really just a Midgod, and not a Highgod in disguise?"
Hearing Uhtred's question, Leijia smiled and said, "Island Master, I believe you know perfectly well whether I'm in disguise."
"Of course I trust my own judgment, but your strength is unlike that of a Midgod. You're even stronger than most of the Highgods I've met."
Under Uhtred's questioning gaze, Leijia smiled and said, "If you want to know, Island Master, I can tell you. But I want to travel to another Overgod Plane, and I'd like to use the Chaotic Sea's planar teleportation array."
Hearing Leijia's words, Uhtred chuckled. "Naturally. Any God Level expert who completes the hundred victories is entitled to make one request of me. But wouldn't you consider staying in the Infernal Realm? With your strength, whether you stay on Black Kun Island or take an island for yourself, neither would be difficult."
Leijia shook his head. "The Infernal Realm isn't suited to me. I'd still like to visit the other Overgod Planes."
Leijia's words made Uhtred laugh.
As they talked, the two gradually grew more familiar with each other.
Leijia brought the conversation around to cultivation. "Uhtred, the reason I have such great strength is that I've fused profound mysteries of the laws."
"Fused profound mysteries of the laws?"
"Yes."
Uhtred looked somewhat puzzled, so Leijia continued, "Each of the Seven Elemental Laws has multiple profound mysteries. Comprehending every profound mystery of a single element allows one to reach the Highgod level, and the different profound mysteries of each element can be fused with one another. Once they're fused, one's strength can also increase tremendously."
Leijia continued, "But the profound mysteries of each of the Four Edicts form a complete whole, so one can't increase one's strength at the Midgod level by fusing profound mysteries."
"I see." Uhtred nodded emphatically.
This was all basic cultivation knowledge in the era of the Sovereigns, but for Uhtred at the present time, it was undoubtedly a considerable shock.