The dark crimson earth had swallowed the blood of untold numbers of lives. Pockmarked with craters and scars of battle everywhere — this was the Death Arena.
Demon Race members who had caught wind of the inside news had long since taken their seats on the stands. After watching a few death matches that weren't particularly thrilling, a masked human slowly emerged from an underground passage.
In an instant, the cheering surged like a tide.
Over the past several months, Yang Kai had given these demons a string of thrilling, suspenseful battles, and his name had long since spread throughout Sand City.
But today's match between Yang Kai and another expert would be the grand finale.
Because rumors said that his opponent this time would be different from before — a Transcendent Realm, Third Stage powerhouse!
Since the Death Arena's founding, there had never been a battle with such a vast disparity in cultivation — a full two minor stages apart. To those ignorant of the truth, the outcome of such a fight was a foregone conclusion.
Yet for those who had watched over a dozen of Yang Kai's battles, there was a sliver of hope that he might once again pull off a miracle!
It had nothing to do with enmity between races. It was simply that Yang Kai's performances could set their eyes ablaze, send their emotions soaring and plunging, and leave them buzzing with excitement.
"So that's the human kid who's won over a dozen consecutive matches in the Death Arena, surviving by the skin of his teeth each time?" On the stands, a Saint Realm expert narrowed his hawk-like eyes and asked the person beside him in a low voice.
"That's right, Lord Feng Biao. His performance has truly been remarkable — not even a hundredth of our Demon Race's elite juniors could measure up to him!" the person replied promptly.
"Hmph. After today, he'll be nothing but a corpse!" Feng Biao snorted coldly, his expression making it abundantly clear that he had no desire for Yang Kai to continue drawing breath.
"My lord speaks truly… After all, his opponent is nothing like the previous ones." The man nodded repeatedly, then seemed to recall something with a measure of caution, lowering his voice. "But my lord, he was cultivated by Lady Xue Li after all. If we just kill him like this and Lady Xue Li takes offense…"
"She won't." Feng Biao shook his head slowly. "This matter was ordered by Lord Gou Qiong. Yesterday I visited Xue Li's palace and discussed it with her. She personally agreed to it — why would she take offense?"
Hearing this, the man's face filled with astonishment, wondering why Lord Gou Qiong had taken such an interest in this human.
That Gou Qiong's son had been saved by Yang Kai was known to only a handful of people. Feng Biao being dispatched to handle this matter was also extremely confidential. So the man simply couldn't puzzle out the reasoning behind it all.
Though Xue Li and Gou Qiong were at odds, she wasn't the type to stoop to spreading such rumors to undermine him — she would confront Gou Qiong head-on with steel and fire.
"My lord, Yu Mo is coming!" the man suddenly said in a low voice.
Feng Biao's eyelids narrowed as he looked to the side, catching sight of Yu Mo drifting over from nearby with a smile plastered on his face. After touching down, the latter sat down beside him without the slightest courtesy.
Both were Saint Realm, First Stage powerhouses, serving under two Demon Generals who despised each other. The feelings between them naturally weren't warm.
The moment Yu Mo sat down, their eyes locked, and a spark of mutual defiance crackled between them.
"Yu Mo, it's been a while!" Feng Biao greeted with a cold face.
Yu Mo beamed. "Feng Biao! After all this time apart, I find that seeing you still puts me in a foul mood — makes me want to kill you on the spot!"
"Likewise." Feng Biao gave a faint nod, his true essence flowing sluggishly beneath his skin as his serpent-like gaze settled on Yu Mo.
Yu Mo curled his lip and spoke. "But I didn't come here to pick a fight. I just have a few questions for you."
"What questions?"
"You all seem utterly confident about today's match!"
"Hmph. Why ask what you already know?"
"Our Sand City's Death Arena has a tradition of gambling. Since you're so confident, have you placed any bets? After that fight is over, you could stand to make a pretty profit!"
"Did I need you to remind me?" Feng Biao's face soured. "I already placed a bet of two hundred thousand crystal stones!"
Yu Mo let out a whistle, his eyebrows rising. "Impressive, as expected of Feng Biao! What a massive stake. You're looking to walk away from my Sand City with a fortune, aren't you?"
"Can't handle it?" Feng Biao sneered contemptuously. "If you can't handle it, I can always withdraw the bet — so long as you, Yu Mo, bow your head and apologize to me in front of all these people!"
"You're joking. Since Sand City runs this business, we take all bets regardless of size. I'm just saying — opportunities like this don't come often. Why not raise the stakes a little?" With that, he fixed Feng Biao with a pressing stare.
Feng Biao's expression turned serious. "Raise the stakes?"
"That's right. You could put up everything you own — I recall you have quite a few Artifacts, don't you?"
Feng Biao furrowed his brow, eyeing Yu Mo with suspicion as he said coldly, "By the look of you, you seem to have quite a lot of confidence in that human."
"Hard to say. He might win, he might lose — it's a coin flip. That's what makes it a gamble. The question is whether you've got the nerve!"