The spectator stands of the Blood Arena.
Countless people were discussing among themselves, and almost every topic revolved around "Lin Lei," who was currently on the Blood Battle Platform. Just moments ago, Lin Lei had successfully completed his hundredth battle. But in that very success, the spectators also understood—they would likely never see Lin Lei fight again.
"Hey, you were the one shouting the loudest just now—'Boss, Boss' and all that. Do you know Lord Lei?" A silver-haired young woman glanced over at Bei Bei.
"Of course I know him. He's my boss," Bei Bei said with a confident grin, giving his nose a rub.
"Please. He's my big brother, actually," the silver-haired girl huffed, then looked toward Lin Lei with a hint of admiration in her eyes. She too had grown up in the Nine Abyss Domain, and like everyone else there, the environment had shaped her. Her reverence for the powerful was even more intense than among people from other parts of the Underworld.
"You don't believe me," Bei Bei said, at a complete loss with the silver-haired girl.
Just then—
A deep, resonant voice echoed throughout the Blood Arena: "Everyone!" The voice was still reverberating when a figure flew over and hovered above the Blood Battle Platform, right beside Lin Lei. The man wore a golden robe and sported a head of dazzling golden hair. He smiled and announced in a clear, carrying voice: "Today, our Blood Arena has produced yet another Hundred-Victory champion. He is—Lei!"
Lin Lei smiled and nodded in acknowledgment to the golden-haired man.
Lin Lei was waiting for the proof of a Hundred-Victory champion—the Blood Battle Seal. Only with this seal would he truly earn the right to challenge the Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord.
"Quiet, everyone!" the golden-haired man called out.
Instantly, the murmur of conversation across the spectator stands died down, and all eyes turned to him.
"Now I shall present this Blood Battle Seal—a symbol of glory—to the Hundred-Victory champion, Lei!" As he spoke, the golden-haired man produced a red seal in the shape of a six-pointed star and handed it to Lin Lei with a smile. "Lin Lei, from this day forward, your name and the story of these hundred battles will be displayed here in our Blood Arena."
Lin Lei accepted it with a smile.
"Just this thing." He looked down at it. These hundred battles had all been for the sake of gaining the right to challenge the Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord.
"Of course, this Blood Battle Seal also means you now have the right to challenge the great Domain Lord of my Red Rock Domain!" the golden-haired man declared with a laugh. "Master Lei, let me ask you—do you wish to challenge the Domain Lord of my Red Rock Domain?" The moment those words left his lips, the entire Blood Arena erupted with excitement once more.
"Challenge the Domain Lord!"
"Challenge him!"
"Lei, challenge the Domain Lord!"
The stands were filled with roaring voices, though everyone really understood that this question was asked every time the Blood Battle Seal was bestowed. The crowd was just feeding off the excitement. Of course, everyone hoped to see a battle involving a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord. But they all knew—
This was merely a formality.
Challenging a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord was an exceedingly rare occurrence in the Nine Abyss Domain, happening perhaps only a handful of times in a hundred million years. Every person who dared to challenge a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord had to possess a certain degree of confidence and some kind of backing. Lin Lei had performed well, yes, but in the spectators' eyes, he was still a very long way from being able to stand against a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord.
After all, whether it was Pam or Theobald, when compared to a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord, they were like infants standing before an adult.
"You say Lei is your boss. So tell me—will Lei actually challenge the Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord?" the silver-haired girl asked, smiling at Bei Bei. Bei Bei nodded with absolute certainty: "Without a doubt. My boss will definitely challenge the Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord!"
"Ha ha ha..." The silver-haired girl immediately burst into laughter. "You can't even lie properly."
"Just watch," Bei Bei said simply.
"In fact, I came to fight in the Blood Arena for one reason!" Lin Lei's voice suddenly rang out across the arena.
The murmur of the crowd dropped sharply.
A smile on his face, Lin Lei continued: "The purpose was to earn the right to challenge the Red Rock Domain Lord!"
Instantly, dead silence.
Every single person stared at Lin Lei. The golden-haired man beside him looked at Lin Lei in disbelief: "No way—Master Lei, is he really going to challenge the Red Rock Domain Lord today? This is insane, completely insane!" A Hundred-Victory champion was certainly powerful, and one appeared every few years.
But a challenge to a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord—that happened only a handful of times in a hundred million years.
"No way..." The silver-haired girl's face had gone tense, and she couldn't help glancing at Bei Bei beside her. Bei Bei simply gave her a confident smile.
Everyone listened with bated breath, hearts full of anticipation.
"Now I have finally earned this right." Lin Lei swept his gaze across the crowd. "Today, I stand here, before all of you, to make a public declaration! I, Lin Lei, formally issue a challenge to the Red Rock Domain Lord!!!"
"Challenge!!!"
That single word echoed over and over throughout the Blood Arena, and silence held sway for a long, long time.
This was the first time in tens of millions of years that someone within the Red Rock Domain had issued a challenge to the mighty Red Rock Domain Lord!
The Red Rock Domain Lord—noble! Powerful!
Those who challenged him fell, one after another.
But the hearts of these powerful warriors would not bend. For the dreams and goals burning within them, even if it meant death, they would continue to challenge, continue to press forward... Until one day, someone would finally defeat this Red Rock Domain Lord and become the new Domain Lord. Yet in that process... so many, so many had perished!
Over a million people in the stands looked at Lin Lei standing at the center.
In their eyes, Lin Lei was a fearless warrior who dared to challenge the authority of a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord!
"Lei!" A silver-haired elder was the first to cry out solemnly.
"Lei!" Immediately, a massive crowd around him joined in.
"Lei!" The entire Blood Arena rang with a single, unified voice.
It thundered across heaven and earth like a storm of lightning. In their own way, these people were cheering Lin Lei on, encouraging him, lending him their strength. In their eyes, anyone who dared challenge a Nine Abyss Sovereign Lord was a hero—a fearless hero!