"For example, winning the first match earns you fifty Open Heaven Pills. Win the second, and you get a hundred. The third, two hundred — and so on, doubling each time, up to a maximum cap. But lose a single match in between, and your streak resets to zero."
Yang Kai nodded. "That's actually interesting." The first match only granted fifty Open Heaven Pills, which didn't sound like much, but string together seven or eight consecutive victories and the rewards became substantial. Nine or ten in a row, and the total could exceed ten thousand.
"The Shura Arena is divided into three tiers — Heaven, Earth, and Human — with corresponding ranking lists for each. The Human List is for those below Half-step Open Heaven, the Earth List for Half-step Open Heaven cultivators, and the Heaven List for those who have already broken through to Open Heaven. But no matter which list you're looking at, anyone who's made their way onto it is not to be trifled with."
This arrangement made perfect sense. For cultivators, Half-step Open Heaven was a watershed. Once five types of power coalesced within the body, one's strength underwent a tremendous leap. And after breaking through to Open Heaven, a qualitative transformation followed. That was why the Shura Arena drew the line at Half-step Open Heaven to separate the three tiers.
Pei Buwan had said his opponent was below Half-step Open Heaven, which meant Yang Kai would be fighting someone on the Human List.
"I've also heard," the Proprietress continued, "that the Shura Arena was originally established by the Shura Heaven as a training ground for their own Disciples. The people of the Shura Heaven build themselves through battle — fighting is their foundation. The more intense the combat they experience, the faster they grow. But even though the Shura Heaven is one of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, they can't very well go picking fights all the time. The Shura Arena fills that need."
Pei Buwan turned his head with a grin. "The little lady knows quite a lot. That's right — the Shura Arena exists for the Shura Heaven's Disciples to hone themselves through Cultivation. Everyone who steps inside is nothing more than a stepping stone for their trials. But when the rewards are this generous, who can resist? Even on the Human List, a single victory earns you fifty Open Heaven Pills. The Earth and Heaven Lists offer even more, naturally drawing crowds aplenty. Since ancient times, wealth has moved men's hearts!"
As they spoke, the group arrived at the entrance of a shop. From the outside, it looked unremarkable — the storefront was simply wider than the neighboring establishments, nothing more. But before they even got close, Yang Kai was hit by the unmistakable stench of blood. Looking up, he saw a plaque hanging above the entrance bearing three large characters — "Shura Arena" — rendered in a deep, glistening crimson that looked as though it had been forged from blood itself. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual, but after staring a moment longer, he noticed that the characters were weeping. Trails of blood-red liquid ran down from the plaque, dripping onto the ground below.
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, his eyes flickering, and the plaque returned to normal — the bloody spectacle vanishing as if it had never been.
"Shopkeeper Pei has arrived! Please, come in, come in!" A young attendant greeted them enthusiastically at the door. Pei Buwan was clearly a regular here.
Pei Buwan gave a casual hum of acknowledgment, clasped his hands behind his back, and led the group inside.
Once through the door, Yang Kai realized the interior was a world apart. A vast hall stretched out before them, packed with people — some milling about in small groups, others wandering alone. In the center of the hall stood three massive pillars, each one covered in rows of luminous characters.
Pei Buwan turned back and said, "Wait here for a bit. I'll go find someone to make the arrangements."
With that, he left with two of the shop's attendants. Once he was gone, Luo Haiyi stepped closer and said softly, "My lord, do you really have to fight? The Shura Arena is a perilous place. If there's any way to avoid it, it's best not to enter."
Yang Kai smiled. "It's already been decided."
Luo Haiyi's expression dimmed. She cautioned, "Then please be careful, my lord. Fighting within the Shura Arena means anything goes. You can't rely on ordinary experience to guide you."
"I understand." Yang Kai nodded, his gaze drifting toward the three pillars. "Are those the three ranking lists?"
He had noticed them the moment he walked in — it was impossible not to. The three pillars were far too conspicuous to miss, and each was topped with a single large character: Heaven, Earth, and Human. The meaning was immediately clear.
Luo Haiyi nodded. "That's right. Those are the Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists."
Yang Kai raised his head to examine them, and after a brief sweep, he noticed something amusing about the names on the lists. Most didn't look like real names at all — they resembled codenames or aliases. "Black Fox," "Slay-a-Thousand," and the like. A few looked like actual names, presumably the holders' real identities.
He also noticed that the color of the names varied depending on rank.
The top three names were rendered in a dark gold hue. Fourth through tenth were bright gold. Eleventh through thirtieth were silver. Below thirtieth, they were white.
Each list held exactly one hundred names — no more, no no less.
The names weren't carved into the pillars. They were projected through some peculiar technique, shimmering on the stone surface.
As Yang Kai studied the lists, a name on the Earth List suddenly dimmed, catching his attention. "Why did that name just turn grey?" he asked, puzzled.
Luo Haiyi's face went slightly pale. "He's dead!"
Yang Kai was taken aback. The name that had turned grey had been silver — fifteenth on the list — clearly belonging to someone of considerable strength. And now they were dead. That spoke volumes about how dangerous the Shura Arena truly was. The rewards were lavish, yes, but they had to be earned with one's life. Most cultivators simply didn't have the nerve.
Before he could fully process this, the greyed-out name shattered, dissolving into nothingness and vanishing from the Earth List entirely. In its wake, every name below it shifted up by one rank, and a fresh name appeared at the bottom to restore the count to a hundred.
At that moment, from a passage in one corner of the hall, someone emerged carrying a body slung over their shoulders. The figure was drenched in blood, life already extinguished. Drops of crimson fell with each step, splattering against the floor and striking deep into the hearts of onlookers, sending a chill through the hall.