As Xu Zimo stepped out onto the arena stage, a muscular man wearing a black vest appeared opposite him.
Even from a distance, the explosive force of his muscles was obvious.
Seeing this, the spectators began to chatter.
“Madman’s recovered from his injuries, huh? Looks like he’s back again.”
“Even though he lost to Dark Blade in their duel, it was still a respectable fight. But this young man looks unfamiliar.”
…
Ignoring the noise around him, Madman lifted his head arrogantly and looked at Xu Zimo.
He raised his chin and said, “Will you surrender now or wait until I knock you flat?”
“Noisy,” Xu Zimo shook his head.
With a step forward, spiritforce surged around him, and in the next instant, he appeared behind Madman.
“So fast!” Madman exclaimed in shock.
“Heavy Drop!” he shouted, his muscles bulging as his whole body slammed down onto the ground like a thousand-pound weight.
Xu Zimo chuckled. With ease, he grabbed Madman by the waist and effortlessly lifted him, throwing him into the air.
Madman crashed heavily to the ground, and the sound of cracking echoed as the arena floor fractured.
“I surrender, I surrender!” Madman quickly slapped the ground and shouted.
He gave up extremely fast, knowing the arena rules, if you didn’t surrender, even if your opponent killed you, they wouldn’t be held responsible.
In truth, Madman still had stronger moves, but seeing how easily he was defeated, he knew he stood no chance.
Continuing the fight would only mean death.
“Hundred-tier match: Lin Qiu wins. Continue?” the referee asked, looking at Xu Zimo.
“Continue. No need to ask me again, just send the next one up,” Xu Zimo said calmly.
With Madman easily defeated, the waiting area matched the next opponent.
“I’ll go,” a loud voice shouted from the floor. An elderly man holding a staff stepped out.
He looked energetic, with short black hair. His long robe was flashy, mottled blue and black with streaks of red.
“It’s Thunder Ancestor!” Those who frequented the arena instantly recognized him. “They say his staff was made from the heart of a thunder beast, and his specialty is soul attacks.”
“This’ll be good. Even Madman can’t handle him, Thunder Ancestor’s style is mysterious and tricky.”
As Thunder Ancestor stepped onto the stage, arcs of lightning began to emit from his staff.
Thunder circled his body, light blue lightning mixed with deep purple bolts.
“Boy, my soul attacks are even uncontrollable for me. At best, you’ll be a vegetable, at worst, you’ll die. Take my advice. Step down,” Thunder Ancestor said proudly, standing still. “You look like a rare talent. I’d hate to destroy such a promising seedling.”
“Sounds like you’re scared,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.
“Foolish,” Thunder Ancestor snorted. He spun his staff, and a bolt of lightning shot straight at Xu Zimo.
Boom!
The thunder exploded on Xu Zimo’s chest, and the crowd saw a flash of light.
But when they looked closely, Xu Zimo remained standing on the stage, completely unharmed.
“That’s it?” Xu Zimo brushed his chest and calmly walked toward Thunder Ancestor.
“You're looking for death,” Thunder Ancestor shouted. His staff flared with intense light, followed by thunderous roars all around.
Countless lightning bolts surged from the staff, forming dragon-like arcs that howled toward Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t even stop walking.
The lightning bombarded him, but he didn’t react at all.
He twisted his neck and kept moving forward, slow and steady.
“Impressive,” Thunder Ancestor muttered. He channeled more lightning through his staff, but this time, hidden among the lightning was a soul serpent, slithering silently toward Xu Zimo.
Crackling sounds rang out again.
Watching the lightning storm, Thunder Ancestor smiled proudly.
“Boy, you’re paying for your arrogance. Hidden in that thunder is my soul attack.”
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed.
Despite the loud crowd and thunder on stage, those footsteps were crystal clear, like they weren’t hitting the ground but his very heart.
From the crackling lightning, a calm figure emerged.
“You...” Thunder Ancestor was stunned. He opened his mouth, but the pounding pressure of the footsteps made it hard to breathe.
Xu Zimo appeared before him, step by step.
Thunder Ancestor swallowed hard.
With a loud crack, Xu Zimo crushed his staff in one hand.
He turned around and walked away, not sparing the man another glance.
“You’re not killing me?” Thunder Ancestor sighed in relief.
But a moment later, his eyes widened. There was a soft thump.
His heart seemed to stop, then exploded. He collapsed to the ground without warning.
“If I keep fighting like this, how long will it take?” Xu Zimo shook his head.
Looking at the crowd, he shouted, “Anyone got a blade I can borrow?”
The crowd was silent for a moment. Then, a young noble in fine robes smiled.
At his signal, a nearby guard tossed a blade up onto the stage.
“You can borrow it,” the noble said.
“Nice blade,” Xu Zimo said as he caught it, examining it with a smile.
Though it was still inferior to his own weapon, Shadow Tyrant, unfortunately left back on the Primordial Heartlands, this one was forged from Nether-God Iron.
Its materials and craftsmanship were top-notch.
…
Though Thunder Ancestor had been defeated, the arena was full of hidden talents.
Most fighters there didn’t accept defeat easily. Besides placing Fusion Stone bets on the matches, there was also gambling around the fights.
Each match allowed people to bet on their favored fighters.
Many contestants had others place bets on them, then went in and fought, winning both the prize and the gambling payout.
Of course, this was only for those supremely confident in their strength.
Initially, Xu Zimo’s odds weren’t high. But after defeating two well-known cultivators, Madman and Thunder Ancestor, his odds had multiplied.
As the underground gate opened again, a new contestant stepped onto the stage.