Chapter 860: Mystic Fighters and the Mystic Arena

The gray-robed youth respectfully saw Morning Sun out of the room, then turned back with a sinister grin on his face.

He grabbed Han Li's shackles, yanked him up, then raised his other arm and struck Han Li's abdomen with a blur of motion.

A dull thud echoed!

The gray-robed youth's punch was extremely powerful, and the force was sharp, like a spinning steel blade stabbing into his belly.

Han Li felt as if his internal organs had been twisted upside down; his face flushed crimson, then turned deathly pale, sweat pouring down his forehead as he couldn't help but grunt.

"Heh, kid, how does that punch feel?" the gray-robed youth said with a cold laugh.

Han Li coughed softly and kept his head down without speaking.

"You're smart to behave. Once you're here, no matter how capable you are, you have to obey. Otherwise, I don't mind showing you something even more enjoyable." Seeing this, the gray-robed youth looked satisfied, then took out a key and unlocked Han Li's shackles.

Han Li looked surprised, propped himself up with one hand, and slowly stood.

"Don't think about escaping. Look at your chest." The gray-robed youth sneered.

Han Li looked down and noticed a slight bulge over his heart. He quickly scanned it with his spiritual sense and his expression changed.

A black centipede coiled around his heart, its sharp legs glinting with black light, pressed tightly against the organ.

"That's the Black Calamity Insect, a unique secret insect of Qingyang City. If you try to escape or remove it, it will immediately bite through your heart, killing you horribly." The gray-robed youth said smugly, seeing Han Li's expression.

Han Li's face flickered between emotions but soon calmed.

The gray-robed youth had intended to enjoy Han Li's panic, but was disappointed to see him recover so quickly.

"Hmph! Take this, your token. Follow me, and I'll brief you on the situation here." The youth snorted, tossed a black token over, and walked out.

Han Li caught the token. One side bore his name, "Li Feiyu," and the other a large "Nine" character, with three smaller characters below: three, three, two.

His eyes flickered, but he didn't ask questions and obediently followed.

Watching the gray-robed youth's unguarded back, Han Li had no thoughts of resistance or ambush. From that punch, the youth's strength was considerable, at least on par with him in terms of opened physical apertures.

They soon left the stone room and entered a long corridor, at the end of which lay a large hall.

The hall was vast, a thousand zhang in size, with walls built from black stone and inscribed with black patterns.

The black walls emitted a faint black glow, making them seem indestructible.

The front of the hall opened to the outside, where bright light streamed in along with cheers, indicating a lively scene.

At the far end of the hall stood a white stone table several zhang long, behind which sat seven or eight crimson-clad demons, apparently staff.

A crowd had gathered before the table, all dressed alike: bare-chested, wearing only a loose cape and knee-length shorts, waiting in line.

Doors lined the left and right walls, each leading to a passageway to unknown destinations.

"Kid, remember this place. This is the main hall of the Mystic Arena, the most important place for you. The competition platforms are outside, and these people are all Mystic Fighters like you." The gray-robed youth glanced at Han Li casually.

"There seem to be quite a few Mystic Fighters here." Han Li looked outside briefly, then turned his gaze to the crowd in the hall, his eyes flickering.

"Naturally. Our arena has many Mystic Fighters—some are slaves like you, others are city residents honing their skills. For easy distinction, they're divided into ten districts. You're a Mystic Fighter of District Nine, number three hundred thirty-two." The gray-robed youth smiled.

"I see. So what are these people gathered here for?" Han Li now understood the token's meaning and asked further.

"Look at your token. Is there anything under your name?" The gray-robed youth countered.

Han Li took out the token and saw a small silver number "ten" beneath his name.

"Ten... what is this?"

"That's Mystic Points. You Mystic Fighters get compensation for participating in battles. Each time you step onto the platform, win or lose, you earn some Mystic Points. Naturally, winning gives you far more. As a newcomer, you get ten points for free. Mystic Points are valuable here—you can exchange them for various items: weapons, beast cores, healing pills, and so on. For exchange rates, there's a list on the wall; you can check it later." The gray-robed youth pointed to a chart on the wall beside the white stone table.

Han Li looked at the list on the wall, his eyes lighting up.

He didn't care much about weapons or healing pills, but beast cores were something he urgently needed.

"Besides those benefits, Mystic Points can also be used to enter the Star Pool for cultivation." The gray-robed youth, pleased with Han Li's reaction, continued.

"Star Pool? What is that place?" Han Li withdrew his gaze and asked.

"It's a pool specially constructed by the Lord of Qingyang City, capable of absorbing and condensing the power of the stars. The star power inside is extremely rich; cultivating there is far more effective than devouring beast cores, greatly aiding in opening apertures." The gray-robed youth's eyes also flashed with eagerness.

Han Li's heart stirred.

"To enter the Star Pool for cultivation costs a hundred Mystic Points each time. Don't even think about it for now." The gray-robed youth sneered.

Han Li ignored the mockery, his mind racing.

From what the gray-robed youth had said, his current situation wasn't too bad. As long as he could obtain beast cores, he could continue to grow stronger.

As for the Black Calamity Insect in his body, Violet Spirit, Shi Kongkong, and the Crab Immortal, he would have to find solutions gradually.

If what Morning Sun said was true, as long as he proved his worth, these problems could be resolved.

Everything depended on whether he could survive in this Mystic Arena!

"The weapons and beast cores here are of better quality than those outside, and there's the Star Pool. If you have the skill, life in the Mystic Arena can be better than outside." The gray-robed youth seemed to read Han Li's thoughts and said meaningfully.

"I hope so." Han Li said flatly.

"That's about it for the Mystic Arena. You can learn the rest on your own. That passage leads to the rest area of District Nine, where your room is. Head there later. When it's your turn to fight, the token will alert you." The gray-robed youth pointed to a passage on the left side of the hall.

Han Li looked over; the passage was marked with a large "Nine" character. He nodded.

Other passages bore different markings—numbers for other districts and some unique symbols, one of which was the Star Pool.

But that door was tightly shut, preventing entry.

"I brought you in. Stay put, fight well, and don't get any ideas. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!" The gray-robed youth suddenly leaned close to Han Li, his eyes cold as he warned.

"Yes." Han Li lowered his eyes.

The gray-robed youth's expression softened slightly, and he turned to leave.

After he left, Han Li stood still for a moment, then walked outside, soon reaching the area beyond the hall.

The hall was suspended in midair. Below was a vast square, with three oval arenas arranged in a triangle at the center.

Around the three arenas was a wide moat, beyond which stood vertical, smooth walls dozens of zhang high. Atop the walls were rows of black railings made of the same material as the hall's walls, glinting with black light, giving an indestructible feel.

Behind the railings rose tiered seating, packed with countless seats.

In the center of the spectator area was a broad platform for betting, with a large board displaying the names of the Mystic Fighters on stage and their odds.

"I bet on Cai Zheng, fifty mystic coins!"

"I bet on the Scale Wolf Beast, seventy mystic coins!"

A crowd surrounded the betting platform, eagerly placing bets.

At that moment, all three arenas were hosting fights: two had Mystic Fighters battling scale beasts, and the third had two Mystic Fighters fighting each other.

Because the fighters wore little clothing, blood splattered with every exchange, making the battles bloody and intense.

Soon, a fight in one arena ended. A Mystic Fighter was torn apart by a giant wolf scale beast, leaving the arena covered in blood and flesh, a gruesome sight.

The spectators in the stands showed extreme excitement, even madness, cheering, screaming in joy over winning bets, and roaring in frustration over losses, like a storm of noise.

It seemed the gray-robed youth had said that win or lose, one earned Mystic Points, but he hadn't mentioned that losing could cost one's life, making the points irrelevant.

Han Li watched quietly for a while, then turned and walked back into the hall, heading to the exchange list on the wall.

As the gray-robed youth had said, many items could be exchanged with Mystic Points: various beast cores, pills, weapons, and so on.

"Zhengshou Beast Core, five hundred years old, five Mystic Points."

"Taixiong Scale Beast Core, eight hundred years old, ten Mystic Points."

"Pig-faced Beast Core..."

"Jiaolin Pill, refined from a thousand-year-old Jiaolin Beast core as the main ingredient, eighteen Mystic Points."

"Golden Edge Tiger Bone Blade, forged from the bones of a two-thousand-year-old Golden Edge Scale Tiger, thirty-eight Mystic Points."

"Bone Rhino Shield..."