The battles within the Asura Arena were perilous beyond measure. Martial artists perished there on a daily basis, and for the Jade Rakshasa to have carved out such a fearsome reputation—and to now hold the top position on the Earth Ranking—she was clearly no ordinary fighter.
She was not someone who couldn't handle defeat, nor had she never lost before.
Quite the opposite. In the beginning, the Jade Rakshasa had not been a Core Disciple of the Asura Heavens at all, but an utterly ordinary Disciple. When she first entered the Asura Arena, she lost far more than she won, and on several occasions was beaten to within an inch of her life, nearly perishing on the spot.
But this woman had one defining trait: wherever she fell, she would rise again from that very spot!
Anyone who defeated her, she would challenge again. Once wasn't enough, she'd go a second time. Twice wasn't enough, she'd go a third—relentless and tenacious beyond measure.
Over the years she had fought in the Asura Arena, she had defeated one powerful opponent after another. Her own cultivation climbed steadily along with each victory. She had grown from the most unremarkable Disciple in the Asura Heavens all the way to a Core Disciple, and now she had condensed Sixth-Grade power—just one step away from advancing to the Sixth-Grade Open Heaven realm!
Over all those years, she had beaten every opponent who had ever defeated her, grinding those once-invincible enemies beneath her feet. Through one bloody battle after another, she had flourished—climbing from fourth on the Human Ranking to first, then ascending to the Earth Ranking, fighting her way toward the summit.
With only one exception.
Yang Kai!
Back in the Asura Arena, she had fought Yang Kai and suffered a bitter defeat. After a period of bitter cultivation, she had gone looking for him to demand a rematch—only to find that there was no trace of him anywhere in the Star Market.
At that time, Yang Kai had already been swept into the Grand Void Territory.
Since she couldn't find Yang Kai, she could only go to Pei Buwan. But where would Pei Buwan know Yang Kai to be? She had pried the proprietress for information several times, but even the proprietress had no idea where Yang Kai had gone.
She was a woman of iron will by nature, possessed of the sort of spirit that refused to quit until she hit a wall—and she certainly wasn't about to give up so easily.
In the main hall, Pei Buwan looked ready to weep. He wiped at the corners of his eyes and said, "Brother Yang, have some mercy—please save your old brother here! That girl has been driving me insane. She comes looking for me almost every three days, without fail, for over a decade now. Can you imagine what my life has been like?"
It would have been tolerable on normal days, but on several occasions, Pei Buwan had been spending the night at the Spring Blossom Snow Moon Pavilion when the Jade Rakshasa actually kicked his door open… The misery he had endured over these ten-odd years was beyond what words could convey.
"So that's your reason for selling me out?" Yang Kai eyed him coldly.
Pei Buwan put on an ingratiating smile. "How can you call that selling you out? Brother Yang, when you came back to the Star Market, even if I hadn't said a word, that girl would have found out eventually. I merely let her know a bit sooner." His expression turned serious, and he spoke with gravity: "Just go fight one match—one single match—and that will fulfill the girl's wish. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose."
"Not interested." Yang Kai casually crushed the jade slip to powder in his hand.
Though he was currently only an Emperor Realm cultivator who had condensed four types of power—strictly speaking, not even a half-step into the Open Heaven realm, and not even qualified to enter the Earth Ranking of the Asura Arena—the thought of crossing swords with a mere Emperor Realm fighter simply couldn't stir the slightest interest or fighting spirit in him.
Quite a few Open Heaven realm cultivators had already died at his hands. A mere Emperor Realm cultivator, no matter how exceptional their talent, could never be his match.
Pei Buwan panicked. "Brother, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're not going to accept the challenge!"
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Did I ever agree to accept?"
The Jade Rakshasa had simply tossed down a challenge letter and left, acting entirely on her own initiative. Yang Kai had given no consent. Whether he showed up in three days was entirely his own business.
Pei Buwan's face changed. "Don't do this, Brother Yang! If you refuse the challenge, that girl will never let it go. You don't want someone tailing you wherever you go, watching you like a hawk, do you?"
Yang Kai said, "She'd really do that?"
Pei Buwan nodded gravely. "Knowing her the way I do, she absolutely would. The previous number one on the Human Ranking had her tailing him for a full half-year before he finally couldn't take it anymore and agreed to fight her. Only then did she leave him alone."
Yang Kai couldn't help but frown. If the Jade Rakshasa was really that tenacious, it could become a nuisance. Being followed wasn't the end of the world—he had no secrets worth hiding—but it would still be irksome.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai nodded. "Very well then. In three days, I'll go meet her."
Pei Buwan's face lit up with delight. "Brother Yang, you're a true gentleman! In three days, I'll be waiting for your arrival at the Asura Arena!"
After Pei Buwan left, Yue He spoke up: "Young Master, you're truly going to honor the three-day appointment?"
Yang Kai said, "Shopkeeper Pei was right. The Jade Rakshasa is the type who never gives up. If I refuse this time, there'll be a next time, and a time after that. Rather than let it drag on endlessly, better to cut the Gordian knot."
"Then do be careful, Young Master," Yue He said, covering her mouth with a light laugh.
Yang Kai blinked. "Careful about what? You don't seriously think she poses a threat to me?"
Yue He smiled. "I'm afraid you might accidentally beat her to death. The Asura Arena operates on a principle of mutual responsibility for life and death—even if someone dies in combat, no revenge may be sought. But the Jade Rakshasa is a Core Disciple of the Asura Heavens, after all. If you really killed her, I'm afraid there would be considerable trouble."
Yang Kai looked sheepish. "That won't happen. I've always been one to treat ladies with tenderness." He turned to look at Lang Qingshan and the others. "We may be staying here for a while. If any of you have nothing to do, you can head to the Asura Arena to hone yourselves. Life-and-death combat is always the finest nourishment for growth. Having great power but no idea how to fight is worth nothing."