'Is it coming from the blood…?'
That one thought lingered in Que Lin's mind, her eyes calmly scanning the blood-stained floor.
Despite the tense atmosphere, while the three cloaked women behind her glared at the city lord and receptionist like wolves ready to pounce, Que Lin simply knelt down in silence.
The three women noticed her sudden movement and turned their heads in confusion.
'What is the young lady doing?'
Their expressions shifted from sharp vigilance to visible bewilderment.
Que Lin's slender fingers reached out to the blood. Though it was a single drop, when her delicate skin touched it—it stuck, staining her finger with ease. The three behind her twitched subtly.
To them, their lady was untouchable. Unstainable. Divine. How dare some blood cling to her?
But Que Lin didn't seem to mind.
The city lord and the receptionist, who were still trembling from the leftover killing intent in the air, dared not say a word either. They only watched with wide eyes as the renowned Divine Healer inspected a bloody floor like it was some kind of sacred ritual.
'It doesn't look special at all…' she murmured in her heart.
Still, the scent that tickled her nose—warm and strangely soothing—refused to leave her mind.
'Maybe I should just—'
Before the thought even finished forming, Que Lin's lips parted slightly.
her soft, pink tongue peeked out slightly, gently flicked against the blood.
"…"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Five distinct sounds echoed—three knees hitting the floor behind her, two feet stumbling backward and collapsing.
The cloaked guards had frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. The city lord and receptionist nearly passed out.
'D-Did she just lick it?!'
None of them could believe it. Licking blood, casually, like it was a taste test?
She wasn't some crazed beast or vampire.
She was Que Lin—known throughout the Western Region as the purest, most untouchable Celestial Fairy.
Yet Que Lin seemed entirely unaffected and deeply in thought. 'It doesn't taste any different… but why does it smell so nice?'
She tilted her head slightly, still lost in her thoughts. That scent… it kept tugging at something inside her.
Finally, her gaze slowly turned back toward the five behind her. Three had wry smiles, unsure of what to say.
Two were still frozen in place.
And then—her eyes locked onto one man in particular.
The trembling, sweat-soaked man at the back.
Her calm yet firm voice cut through the silence.
"Tell me... What happened here…"
Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the hollow pit, three guards approached a dimly lit cage, faint waves of breakthrough aura still lingering in the air—Spirit Elementary, seventh level. Nothing impressive.
One of the guards kicked the iron bars with a grunt.
"Hey! Get your ass up, you're fighting today!"
Then, turning around, they made their way to another cage several meters away. This one held a far more intimidating aura. The guards glanced at each other briefly, unable to hide a trace of pity for the young man about to face him.
With a heavy creak, they unlocked the second cage. A middle-aged man emerged, his eyes glowing with impatience.
"Brat! I'll ask one more time—TELL ME YOUR SECRET!" he barked, his voice filled with fury and greed.
The guards didn't bother intervening. They simply gestured for both of them to follow. There were no chains, no restraints—if either tried to run or act stupid, they'd be dead before they took three steps. After all, these guards were at the peak of Spirit Intermediate; they didn't need to worry about anyone from down here.
Xiao Yang opened his eyes calmly. He glanced at the middle-aged man, who now looked more eager than ever, and sighed inwardly.
'So desperate… too bad I don't even know how I became a body cultivator myself just like that.'
As the guards turned expectantly toward him, Xiao Yang quietly stood up and began walking alongside them.
The five figures made their way toward the arena, the middle-aged man still muttering curses under his breath—threats of torture, promises of pain, all while trying to extract a secret Xiao Yang had.
Despite his loud curses, a trace of unease flickered deep in the man's eyes.
"Fuck! I can't torture this brat in the arena if those nobles are watching! They wouldn't want to see something disgusting or boring; they'd just want me to finish quickly," the middle-aged man cursed under his breath.
Even though this was technically a deathmatch, it was also entertainment for the nobles and the city lord who occasionally attended to watch. They wouldn't sit around to watch him slowly torture a weaker opponent, and they certainly wouldn't tolerate a dull fight—they would want quick, exciting finishes so they could move to the next match.
But despite knowing that he'd easily win and finally escape this hollow pit, he felt deeply unwilling to miss such an opportunity. The cultivation technique Xiao Yang had used was something extraordinary—possibly even a heavenly-ranked technique! The temptation was too great; he had to extract that secret, no matter the cost.
Just as they reached the entrance to the battle arena, the middle-aged man suddenly froze. His eyes widened, and a twisted, ecstatic grin formed on his lips.
"Hahahahahaha!" he burst out laughing uncontrollably, drawing confused looks from Xiao Yang and subtle head shakes from the guards. "Just how lucky I am?!"
Xiao Yang frowned, not understanding the sudden outburst. "What's he laughing about?"
One of the guards standing beside Xiao Yang sighed slightly and quietly explained, "For the last two days, there haven't been any nobles or guests watching the matches. Today is the same, which means no one will stop your fight. You can't surrender, and no one will interfere."
Hearing this, Xiao Yang frowned.
Even though he didn't fully grasp all the implications, he clearly understood. Still, deep inside, despite knowing the middle-aged man was stronger, Xiao Yang couldn't find fear within himself. He had already experienced endless torture from that blurry figure in the endless void; whatever this middle-aged man could do felt insignificant by comparison. But he was uncertain about death itself. He didn't fear pain, but something inside screamed that he couldn't die yet, no matter what.
Lost in his thoughts, Xiao Yang barely noticed as they reached the arena's center. The silence hanging over the arena felt strangely heavy, amplifying the anticipation in the air. Both fighters took their positions, facing each other with drastically different expressions, middle-aged man, smiling greedily, and Xiao Yang, quiet and calm.
Then, suddenly, a loud voice shattered the tense silence:
"Ladies and gentlemen..."