Chapter 867: Another Challenge

"Thank you for telling me, Fellow Daoist Chen." Han Li said, standing up to take his leave.

"Fellow Daoist Li, don't act rashly. That Scarface himself is not worth worrying about, but unfortunately, he has been working for Poison Dragon all along, so Poison Dragon thinks highly of him. After all, one must consider the master before beating the dog. Moreover, to Poison Dragon, Scarface is a very obedient and handy dog. Don't let impulse make you completely offend Poison Dragon to death." Chen Lin quickly stopped him and advised.

"Didn't you say last time, Fellow Daoist Chen, that Poison Dragon is narrow-minded? Since our last conflict, he wouldn't have let me off anyway. Even if I have concerns, what use would they be?" Han Li shook his head and said noncommittally.

"Even if you don't have to worry about him, you still have to abide by the rules of the Fighting Arena. For the arena, it doesn't matter if we fighters fight privately or even become mortal enemies—they even enjoy seeing it—but all life-and-death matters can only be settled in arena matches. If someone dies in a private fight, the consequences will be very troublesome. That's why I advise you not to act impulsively." Chen Lin continued.

Hearing this, a trace of doubt flickered in Han Li's eyes, and he slowly sat down.

Seeing this, Chen Lin also sat down beside him and smiled, "I was really afraid I couldn't persuade you, Fellow Daoist Li..."

"Thank you." Han Li paused slightly, then smiled.

"Forget it, forget it. I'll be a good person to the end." Chen Lin hesitated briefly, showing a pained expression, and said.

While Han Li was puzzled, he saw Chen Lin turn back and go into the inner room, coming out holding a black stone box.

"Scarface is a petty person. If he fails once, he might not stop. Take this for now; it can at least save you some trouble." Chen Lin handed over the black stone box and said.

"This is..." Han Li didn't take it rashly but asked doubtfully.

"Star Conch. You've seen this at the exchange, right? In this damn place, there's no magic energy to absorb and refine, and no magic tools to use. It's hard to set up restrictions, so you can only set up simple traps, which are often easy to open. The Star Conch is considered a high-end item." Chen Lin said with a smile.

Hearing the name Star Conch, Han Li immediately remembered it. He had indeed seen it in the exchange hall. Although he didn't know its use at the time, its high price had left a deep impression on him.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, we met by chance. I'm already grateful that you've told me so much. This Star Conch is too valuable; I can't accept it." Han Li declined.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you misunderstand. I'd like to be generous and give it to you for free, but unfortunately, my strength doesn't allow it..." Chen Lin said with a bitter smile.

"Then what do you mean, Fellow Daoist?" Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

"This Star Conch is one I used a long time ago. The star power within it has already been consumed quite a bit. Later, I made a mortal enemy, and to be safe, I bought a new one of better quality, leaving this one unused. I know you're new to the Fighting Arena and probably don't have much money. I can sell this Star Conch to you at half price." Chen Lin said.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Chen, I've already exchanged all the points I earned from the previous fight for beast cores. Unless I trade with Tarot beast cores, I have nothing else to buy it with." Han Li was slightly tempted but could only say helplessly.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's rare to meet someone compatible in the Fighting Arena. Take this Star Conch for now. As for the payment, there's no rush. You can pay me back after you win two more matches." Chen Lin said with a smile.

"Then I'll do as you say, Fellow Daoist Chen." Han Li hesitated briefly, then nodded.

With that, he took the black stone box and pushed open the lid with a "snap."

Inside the black stone box lay a palm-sized white shell-like object, covered with many intricate patterns, whether natural or man-made, looking quite magnificent.

"I've used this before, so it has my imprint on it. Fellow Daoist Li, just drop a drop of your essence blood on it, and it will recognize you as its master. Then place it inside the stone door of your room, and the Star Conch will automatically emit a layer of star power, covering the entire door from the inside. That way, unless someone breaks it by brute force, only you can enter your room. Little things like heart-eating worms won't be able to slip in either." Chen Lin explained.

"I'll remember this kindness, Fellow Daoist Chen." Han Li nodded and cupped his fists in thanks again.

Then he took his leave and left.

Returning to his room, Han Li took out the Star Conch again, condensed a drop of blood on his fingertip, and let it fall onto it.

With a soft "pat" sound.

A drop of blood splashed into a red bloom on the Star Conch, then was swallowed by a layer of white light and disappeared.

At the same time, all the patterns on the Star Conch lit up, and a hazy white light spread out, like a patch of pale starlight enveloping the surroundings.

Han Li placed it inside the stone door, and the white light immediately wrapped around the entire stone door, filling even all the gaps around the door, leaving no flaw.

After examining it with his divine sense for a moment, he found that the star power contained in the Star Conch was still quite abundant. It seemed that Chen Lin's earlier words were mostly made up to befriend him.

After thinking for a moment, Han Li sat cross-legged on the stone bed, took out a Tarot beast core from his bosom, swallowed it, and began to cultivate the "Feather Ascension Flight Technique."

...

A month passed quickly.

In Han Li's room, the white roots on the ceiling shone brightly. He sat cross-legged on the stone bed below, his body shrouded in a hazy white light, and the number of acupoints on his body had become forty-one.

Besides the acupoint he had opened earlier by taking the Tiger Scale Beast's core, Han Li had subsequently taken seven Tarot beast cores. With the help of the Gourd Vase, he had successfully opened two more acupoints, located on his legs, just like before.

Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly rang in the room, and a black light flickered by his bedside. Han Li slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the edge of the stone bed, frowned slightly, and casually picked up the glowing token.

He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, slowly stood up, opened the stone door, and walked out.

There seemed to be other arena matches going on in the Ninth District, so fewer people were gathered than usual.

Seeing Han Li appear, these people's gazes turned to him. Although some nodded at him, their eyes still carried a hint of strangeness.

Han Li walked straight through the exchange hall and arrived at the preparation hall.

In the hall, the one-horned big man had just arranged a fight for a fighter with spikes on his back when he immediately spotted Han Li.

He had a deep impression of this human's previous match.

"Li Feiyu, you're here!" the one-horned big man called out.

Han Li responded expressionlessly and walked slowly closer.

"According to the rules, you have a match today. You should have fought a fighter of similar strength, but due to the busy arena schedule, we can't spare a suitable opponent for you right now. You can choose to postpone, but delaying the match will deduct some points." the one-horned big man said.

"If I have no points, can I owe them?" Han Li frowned and asked.

"According to the arena's rules, points cannot be owed. Considering you're new and don't know all the rules, you can have one exemption. But if you owe, the deducted points will be doubled. Your next match might be for nothing. Remember not to use up all your points in the future." the one-horned big man said.

"You said earlier that there's no opponent of equal strength for me. What about those who are not equal?" Han Li asked.

"If you don't choose to postpone, there are only a Black Scale Elephant and a Mountain Ape to challenge. Both are Earth-rank scaled beasts, much stronger than the mutated Tiger Scale Beast. Besides that, there's only one fighter with sixty opened acupoints you can challenge. I warn you, whether it's the fighter or the Earth-rank scaled beasts, you have little chance of winning in your current state. So you'd better choose to delay." the one-horned big man reminded.

"I appreciate your kindness, Fellow Daoist. Owing points is really not cost-effective. Forget the fighter; I'll choose one of the two Earth-rank scaled beasts to challenge." Han Li cupped his fists slightly.

"I can't tell you about the two beasts. But I'll remind you: in the arena, it's all about physical strength. For most scaled beasts, the larger the body, the stronger the combat power." the one-horned big man said.

"Thank you. Then I'll choose to fight the Mountain Ape." Han Li said upon hearing this.

"All the arenas in the Ninth District are occupied now. You'll have to wait until one match finishes before you can go down. Take a rest first." the one-horned big man said with a smile, his tone much better than before.

"No problem. I'll wait a moment." Han Li nodded, found an empty spot outside the passage door, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

After about a quarter of an hour, one of the arenas finally finished. The two fighters fought fiercely and both died, allowing the city lord's mansion, as the banker, to take all and make a big profit.

Hearing the commotion, Han Li opened his eyes and saw the bodies of the two fighters being carried out of the arena. One had his head completely pierced, the other had his heart torn open. Both corpses were dripping with blood and looked terrifying.

After waiting a long time for the arena floor to be repaired, the one-horned man entered and began announcing the next match.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after a month apart, I'm sure you all still remember the human who unexpectedly defeated that Tiger Scale Beast. Today, he will return to the arena to challenge another Earth-rank scaled beast, the Mountain Ape. According to records, he has only opened a little over thirty acupoints. Will he have another chance to shock the crowd and turn the tables on the beast?" The one-horned man's simple questions instantly ignited the atmosphere in the arena.

"Li Feiyu! Li Feiyu! Li Feiyu!" Some even began to chant his name.

"You got lucky once, but do you think it'll happen every time?"

"Go die, despicable human! Become meat paste under the Mountain Ape's hammer!"

Of course, there were more jeers, doubts, and vicious curses.

Standing in the passage, Han Li could hear some vague words, but he remained expressionless and unmoved, having no interest in such狂热 shouts.

"The match between Li Feiyu and the Mountain Ape is about to begin. Those interested, please place your bets quickly. Once the match starts, betting stops immediately. The odds this time are still five to one!" The one-horned big man swept his gaze over the crowd and announced loudly.

Hearing that the odds were still five to one, the atmosphere in the stands grew even more heated. Although most people still bet on the Mountain Ape, which had a clearly higher winning rate, quite a few were undecided, wanting to gamble on Han Li.

In a VIP box in the stands, Chen Yang, who had removed his bone armor, leaned back in a black chair. There was no one beside him—neither the attendant beauty nor the man named Hu Ben, who had gambled with him before.

"Li Feiyu, Li Feiyu. I don't know how you managed to win last time, but why are you so reckless as to challenge an Earth-rank scaled beast again, and the Mountain Ape, known for its ferocity? This time, I dare not believe in you. I'll bet on the Mountain Ape." Chen Yang squinted and muttered to himself.

After a moment, a gong sounded.

Time was up. Betting stopped throughout the arena, and the match was about to begin.

The stone door at the passage slowly opened. Han Li walked out slowly, his gaze as calm as water, looking toward the opposite side.