The Arena Matches

"Why do we still need to fight each other?" Kang Dabao found it strange.

It seems that Huo Bing, this old fellow, is not as easy to bully as his martial uncle and Tie Liuyun said. Kang Dabao felt a little regretful.

"Did you offend a Foundation Establishment too badly this time, Daoist?"

"Three rounds: Early Qi Refining Stages. Each side will send one person. Best two out of three rounds will determine the winner, but not the life or death of the participant. The use of Law Artifact, talismans, spirit pets, spirit insects, or puppets of higher levels is prohibited."

Tie Xishan explained the rules of the duel in detail, but they were nothing new and quite simple.

"When will Commander Tie send someone?" Kang Dabao first calmed down the somewhat excited Jiang Qing and asked Tie Xishan.

"My uncle means that I, Tie, will fight this match in the Early Qi Refining Stage of Qi Refining, while the latter two matches will need to be arranged by Sect Leader Kang."

Seeing Kang Dabao hesitate, Tie Xishan promptly presented a piece of cloth bearing a handwritten note from the Daoist Black Shoes. Upon opening the cloth, Kang Dabao was met with a barrage of insults. "Just fight! What are you afraid of?"

Having been scolded by his own martial uncle, Sect Leader Kang Da had no intention of backing down. Let them fight, what's there to be afraid of? He was quite adept at beating the Huo Household, especially Huo Household sons-in-law.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the competition quietly began at the Kuai Household's Dantong Cliff.

The person in charge of the Huo Household's clan territory was an old man with gray hair. After entering the area, he didn't even greet anyone, but instead barged into the Kuai Household with a stern face and a group of people.

Perhaps because the Huo Household had profited handsomely from the confiscation of the Xuanwei Niu Household, the Huo Household became increasingly arrogant shortly after the Earl of Nan'an arrived in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

Although his family had an old Foundation Establishment cultivator like Huo Bing to support them, they hadn't been established for very long and were considered bottom-tier among all the Foundation Establishment forces.

In other words, before Kuang Liuting came to Cloud Horn Prefecture, Huo Bing was just a Foundation Establishment Xie Fu in the eyes of other Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. He could only show off his power in front of Qi Refinement cultivators, and he couldn't say a word in front of his peers.

If even Huo Bing acted this way back then, the other cultivators in the Huo Household would naturally have to be even more careful and discreet.

But now, most of them have learned to act like sycophants, looking down on everyone wherever they go.

"Start, start! Don't delay my family from taking over the mine after you're done." That old bastard, the head of the Huo Household, was just like that. As soon as he came in, he started cursing and gesturing wildly.

"Then let's begin." The person invited by the two families to act as arbitrator was a rare rogue cultivator in Yunjiao Prefecture who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage. He was not annoyed by the Huo family's impatient appearance, but instead urged Tie Xishan to hurry up and get onto the arena.

After all, the sooner he finishes the fight, the sooner he can go home. In his eyes, Qi Refinement between Qi Refining cultivators might not be much more interesting than children playing.

"Huo Yuanyi of the Huo Household, please enlighten me." A handsome young man of about fourteen or fifteen years old bowed and said in a clear voice.

"Tie Xishan." Tie Xishan, whose temples were turning gray, raised the corners of his mouth and said softly.

The two had just finished exchanging greetings when the rogue cultivator, who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, brandished his magic sword. Huo Yuanyi was the first to summon a silver flying sword, aiming straight for Tie Xishan's face.

Despite being outmaneuvered, the latter remained calm. The talisman beneath his feet lit up instantly, allowing him to easily dodge the attack. He then slapped a gold brick with his backhand, smashing it directly onto the flying sword in mid-air. A series of booming sounds rang out, and the impact even caused some of the sword's sharpness to dissipate.

Huo Yuanyi seeing his flying sword damaged, clearly having planned ahead.

But just as he calmly recalled his flying sword, his expression suddenly changed. The solid earth and stone beneath his feet suddenly exploded, revealing a sharp spike emerging from the ground. At the same time, the golden brick Law Artifact from Tie Xishan came crashing down on him.

Then, Huo Yuanyi used some kind of Movement Method, raising a layer of cloud beneath his feet to gently lift the earth spikes, narrowly avoiding them. However, the golden bricks that Tie Xishan was slamming down from the opposite side immediately changed direction, rushing towards him, almost within arm's reach.

At this moment, Huo Yuanyi's eyes narrowed, his hands made several hand gestures, and he gathered his energy in his chest, causing his chest to swell. Then, he instantly spat out a beam of crimson light, which sent the gold brick flying with a single blow.

The Fang Yi the crimson light was exhaled from Huo Yuanyi, the swelling in the jade-faced youth's chest instantly subsided, demonstrating perfect control and balance.

"Refining evil within the abdomen, this young man is impressive." Someone standing beside him praised him, and Kang Dabao subconsciously nodded in agreement. After all, such a technique was difficult for even ordinary Middle Qi Refinement Refining cultivators to learn.

Sect Leader Kang Da immediately flew into a rage. Damn it, were they standing in the wrong place? Which side were they on?! Looking back, his anger vanished instantly, and Kang Dabao's face immediately switched to a smile. It turned out that standing beside him were Daoist Black Shoes and Tie Liuyun.

"Didn't you two say you weren't coming?" After exchanging greetings with his fellow disciples, Kang Dabao asked in confusion.

"There's something interesting in that Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County. Those Foundation Establishment from the surrounding counties who have some free time will probably all flock here once they hear the news. But it's not the right time yet, so everyone's come over to see what's going on here since they have nothing else to do."

The Daoist Black Shoes explained leisurely.

"Another incident at the Spirit Stone mine?" Kang Dabao exclaimed in surprise. Just how many more problems would arise at this Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County? Couldn't they just shut it down?

"Nothing serious," Tie Liuyun replied casually. Seeing that Kang Dabao was about to ask again, he stretched out two fingers and pinched them together. An invisible spiritual force gently clamped Kang Dabao's upper and lower lips, causing the latter to widen his eyes in panic and become unable to speak.

"Don't say too much, watch carefully, Xishan is about to make a move."

The gold brick from Tie Xishan was struck by Huo Yuanyi's murderous Sha Qi, leaving a gaping hole on its surface and greatly weakening its spiritual power. Huo Yuan simply decided to discard it for the time being.

Having narrowly avoided Huo Yuanyi's flying sword Sword-Ray, Tie Xishan then scattered a handful of talismans, causing golden spears, water arrows, and fireballs to shoot wildly across the arena, creating quite a lively scene.

The jade-faced youth opposite him only had a thin Spiritual Qi shield protruding from his robes to protect himself. Even though this Spiritual Qi shield was trembling incessantly from the talismanic Technique Method of Tie Xishan, it remained unmoved, completely isolating him from the Technique Method.

Tie Xishan never imagined that the exquisite talismans he brought from home would have little effect.

However, he was experienced in combat, so he took the opportunity to catch his breath, picked up the gold brick and threw it forward. Huo Yuanyi's Spiritual Qi energy shield shattered, and the gold brick lost its spiritual light and fell to the ground.

Before Huo Yuanyi could recover from the fatal blow from the gold brick, several more spikes emerged from beneath his feet. The young man, mimicking the attack, easily dodged them by rising clouds of energy.

But just as he was about to leap over the last spike, a multicolored spirit seed emerged from the soil at the tip of the spike. In an instant, it grew into a thick, sharp thorn, wrapped in blue flames, and quickly wrapped around the boy's ankle, binding him tightly and pulling him to the ground.

Before long, Huo Yuanyi's robe was charred, and the skin beneath it was torn open by the immense force of the thorns.

The sharp wooden thorns pierced through the robe and embedded themselves in the flesh beneath the skin, causing large amounts of blood to gush out, making the blue flames on the thorns sizzle.

"Not bad, your nephew's Technique Method combining the five elements is quite ingenious." The Daoist Black Shoes's eyes lit up as he praised from below the stage.

"The Spirit Roots of Xishan are too inferior, and the Dao Path the Five Spirit Roots is blocked, so we have found another way." Tie Liuyun's face was filled with pride, and he made no attempt to hide his admiration for his nephew.

Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat surprised. He knew how discerning his senior uncle was; even He Dezong only received the assessment of being "worth cultivating."

How could this unknown Tie Xishan actually earn a "not bad" return? The Tie Household has produced quite a few talented people this generation! Kang Dabao immediately began to consider whether he should deepen his relationship with his "good brother".

"Hey!" At this moment, a change occurred on the arena, causing everyone below to exclaim in surprise. Huo Yuanyi was suddenly trapped, and the flying sword that was attacking the enemy turned back and slashed directly at the thorns set up by Tie Xishan. Its sharpness was overflowing, and it cut through most of them in just a moment.

As soon as Huo Yuanyi broke free of his restraints, his flying sword flashed with a sharp light, and he quickly turned around to take Tie Xishan's head.

Tie Xishan had no choice but to take out a low-grade shield for protection, but with a "thump," Huo Yuanyi -kneeling on the ground, had not yet been able to get up when he felt a tingling sensation travel from his feet to his head, and after only a moment, everything went black.

With a clang, the flying sword fell to the ground before it could even touch Tie Xishan's shield, landing diagonally in the middle of the arena.

Huo Yuanyi's face showed resentment. He tried to hold on for a moment but failed to stop the spread of the poison in his body. He could only groan and fall to the ground.

"The first match, Kuai Household wins." The Foundation Establishment cultivator who was arbitrating raised his Squad Commander, his gaze towards Tie Xishan showing a hint of appreciation.

"What a pity, how come he only has Five Spirit Roots?" Tie Liuyun sighed inwardly, then chuckled as he walked off the stage towards Tie Xishan, tossing a bottle of antidote to the ashen-faced Huo Household head.

Although Tie Liuyun and Huo Bing were at odds, he did not want to openly harm Huo Bing's descendants.

Having served as the Commander of the Demon Correction Office Division for so many years, Tie Liuyun has countless underhanded methods of killing people behind the scenes; there's no need for him to make it sound so dignified.

The Kuai Household went up to clear the arena and Huo Yuanyi to the Huo Household's formation. The Huo Household's head was heartbroken to see the injured Huo Yuanyi. He glared at the servants from the Kuai Household who were carrying him, but did not make any move.

The Foundation Establishment, who had announced that the second match would begin in 15 minutes, then stepped down from the stage for a short rest.

The two young maids that the Kuai Household sent to serve him were really quite good. Just one glance was enough to tell that they were still virgins, yet they had already learned a good set of seductive techniques.

Before you leave, see if the Kuai Household knows what's good for them.

During the break, Kuai En looked around. "Hey, why are there more and more people standing below the arena? Wait, why can't I see through any of them? Wait, this aura... damn it, all these uninvited guests are Foundation Establishment!"

"Haha, Commander Tie, congratulations on your resounding success!"

"Well done! That old bastard Huo Bing must be furious!"

"Fellow Daoist Shen, it's been a long time, thirty years ago."

"Fellow Daoist in Black Shoes, I have long admired your name; it is an honor to have the pleasure of meeting you today."

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged from the small courtyard and began exchanging pleasantries.

Kuai En, a country bumpkin, had never seen so many Foundation Establishment in his entire life, and was immediately terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Kang Dabao, however, was perceptive. Despite his anxiety, he hurriedly asked the Kuai Household to bring out some tables and chairs, and set out tea and fruit platters. After doing all this, he moved back behind the Daoist Black Shoes. He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

"Don't worry, these people are all here for the Spirit Stone mine. They're just here to watch the excitement; no one will do anything against the rules," the Daoist Black Shoes said, silencing Kang Dabao's concerns.

"Second, once you go up there, prioritize your own safety. Don't be reckless; if you lose, you lose." Sect Leader Kang Da's words left Yuan Jin, who had just received encouragement from Jiang Qing, both amused and exasperated.

"Senior brother, what kind of sect leader's disciple would start a match by saying something discouraging like you?" Yuan Jin joked, only to be slapped on the back of the head by Kang Dabao.

The Daoist Black Shoes glared at them, stopping their playful fight. He then addressed Yuan Jin directly, saying, "Brother, we studied the 'White Ape Scripture' together back then. At that time, my cultivation was shallow, and I couldn't see its depths. Now, looking back, I realize that the 'White Ape Scripture' passed down by the Chongming Sect was an incomplete version, lacking the fundamental mental techniques, which is why it had flaws that affected one's character."

While this scripture has its drawbacks, in my opinion, you've studied the * White Ape Scripture * for nearly thirty years, and your attainments are considerable. Your * Ape Demon Cannon Hammer * technique is likely nearing completion. Let alone those at the Middle Qi Refinement, even among the late-stage cultivators of the Huo Household, few can confidently claim victory against you. Don't listen to your good-for-nothing senior brother; focus on the battle and win decisively."

Yuan Jin chuckled foolishly, while Sect Leader Kang Da grumbled, "That old man was quite generous back then, even giving away the sect's core Cultivation Method, the 'White Ape Scripture,' for Uncle Black Shoes to study. No wonder he treats me like a doting father now."

Two quarters of an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Yuan Jin walked up to the high platform, and Huo Household's opponents also came up.

The person sent by the Huo Household this time was not a member of the Huo Household, but a tall, thin, ugly son-in-law whose name was a bit hard to pronounce, and Kang Dabao didn't hear it clearly.

However, the fact that they could only send their son-in-law to the arena, a contest of pride and honor, clearly shows that the Huo Household is facing a severe shortage of capable successors.

Yuan Jin gave his tall, thin son-in-law a simple, honest smile, while the latter looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Years ago, Yuan Jin had a fearsome reputation among the low-level cultivators in the vicinity thanks to his Ape Demon Cannon Hammer. The tall, thin son-in-law had the good fortune to witness it and was deeply impressed.

Unlike his mediocre senior brother, who, after all these years, only had the reputation of "being good at bullying women" to rely on.

The tall, thin son-in-law dared not be negligent. He took up a bronze Law Artifact and struck it four times. The gong's sound was piercing, and it transformed into four weapons—a knife, a spear, a sword, and a halberd—that stabbed directly at Yuan Jin.

That wasn't enough. After four more sounds, four types of Law Artifacts— shields, plaques, flags, and banners—appeared in front of him to protect him.

The tall, thin son-in-law summoned eight other magical Law Artifacts with just one Law Artifact —a truly impressive display—using only a copper gong suspended in mid-air.

The head of the Huo Household stroked his beard in admiration, a look of satisfaction on his face. He thought to himself that this tall, thin cultivator was indeed a first-class son-in-law of the Huo Household, no less than Luo Heng.

Such methods are unparalleled among the Huo Household disciples, and it seems that today they will surely bring great honor to the Huo Household.

Yuan Jin found it amusing to watch his tall, thin son-in-law perform magic. This method was quite lively, much like the Bai Household he had captured years ago who worked for Dai Yuanjiang, and both of them had the same flaws.

"Showy but impractical."

Yuan Jin used his White Ape Steps to move with incredible speed, making his originally robust body resemble that of a nimble and agile ape. Yuan Jin dodged and weaved through the menacing swords, spears, and halberds one by one.

Without slowing down, he raised the Tiger Sha Staff, a fierce wind howled, and a Sha Qi emanated from it. The Sha Qi gathered at the head of the staff almost solidified, and it struck the tall, thin cultivator mercilessly.

This single action startled the tall, thin son-in-law, who frantically activated his four magical Law Artifacts —shield, shield, flag, and banner—to protect himself.

"Hey!" The Foundation Establishment referee, who was watching the two closely, was getting anxious and sighed inwardly for the tall, thin son-in-law. Was this the kind of son-in-law the Huo Household was? The difference between the two was like heaven and earth; what was the point of even comparing them?

But then Yuan Jin stopped in his tracks, put away his Tiger Sha Staff, and before the tall, thin son-in-law could even be surprised, he heard an extremely sharp sound of wind breaking, as Yuan Jin prepared to strike with his Ape Demon Cannon Hammer.

Although the four Law Artifacts that originally protected against the Tiger Sha Staff were still there, the tall, thin son-in-law was too late to dodge Yuan Jin's signature move.

The tall, thin son-in-law watched in horror as the four types of defensive magical Law Artifacts summoned by the gong were shattered by this powerful punch.

He didn't even have time to retrieve the bronze gong magic Law Artifact floating in mid-air before he was about to flee in panic. But as soon as he took a step, he saw the icy cold eyes of the Huo Household's headman below the stage. His heart trembled, and he could only retreat half a step.

This delay slowed things down. Yuan Jin intermittently stopped his fist stance and then summoned the Tiger Sha Staff again. The bronze gong and other magical Law Artifacts in mid-air were dimmed by the Sha Qi energy.

The tall, thin son-in-law had no time to feel sorry for himself, because he was watching Yuan Jin's Tiger Sha Staff come hurtling towards him, about to strike him on the head. If it hit his skull, he wouldn't survive even if he had nine lives.

In the face of crisis, they had no choice but to raise a steel whip to defend themselves.

The Tiger Sha Staff was a fine magical Law Artifact that Zhao Gu, the bandit leader, had painstakingly crafted. After Yuan Jin obtained it, he nurtured it over the years, making it even more powerful than before. It was certainly not something that the tall, thin son-in-law could withstand with his casually pulled-out mid-grade magical Law Artifact.

The two collided, and the difference in power was immediately apparent. The steel whip snapped in two and fell to the ground.

At this critical moment, the tall, thin son-in-law tilted his head to the side, dodging the fatal blow of the Tiger Sha Staff. However, he was struck on the right shoulder by the staff, causing him to scream in pain and half of his body to collapse.

Only when Yuan Jinhu's staff veered off course, threatening to kill, did the referee intervene. "Second match, Kuai family wins!"

Kang Dabao happily accepted the congratulations from his fellow cultivators, while the Huo Household was shrouded in gloom.

The Huo Household head's face turned extremely cold. He didn't even glance at the defeated, thin son-in-law, and all the favor he had once shown him vanished!

"The rations allocated by the tribe have been wasted!"

Unexpectedly, they didn't even have a chance to turn the tide in the third round. The mine was one issue, but what about the tarnished prestige of the Huo Household? How could they explain this to their patriarch?!

After a long silence with his eyes closed, the head of the Huo Household said, "Commander Tie, may we have another match?"

Thanks to Alpaca Qidian for the eight Extended Net Moon!

Thanks to Brother Nankanle for the Extended Net Moon.

Thank you to Heiyunke, Daokeming, and Xingyaosifang for their Extended Net Moon.

Thank you for the eavesdropping story, God's filial son France 002, The monster pretending to be a fairy, My biggest and distant 1874 in all worlds, Book Friends 20230421210235399, The layman outside the door and the monthly votes of several brothers

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