Chapter 904: Killing Intent

"What? Does Fellow Daoist Yi have a grudge against him?" Xu Shun asked with a hint of amusement, a fake smile on his face.

"Brother Xu, please don't ask further. In short, after the matter is accomplished, there will be a generous reward," Yi Liya said with a smile.

"That's not impossible, but I wonder what Li Feiyu's cultivation level is?" Xu Shun nodded slightly and asked.

"When he participated in the Mystic Arena battles at Qingyang City, I happened to be in seclusion and didn't see it firsthand. I only heard from others that he has opened no more than forty-odd Mystic Apertures, but his combat prowess is quite remarkable," Yi Liya said.

"Forty-odd? How could someone with only forty-odd qualify for the Five-City Tournament? Fellow Daoist Yi, you must not be fooling me?" Xu Shun said with a skeptical look.

"His Mystic Apertures might be more than forty-odd, but probably not by much. The reason he can participate in the Five-City Tournament is, I think, mostly due to his personal relationship with the new city lord. It seems he was brought back from outside by the new city lord back then," Yi Liya explained.

"You mean Chen Yang, the one who usurped the throne? I see. If that's the case... then I'll help with this favor," Xu Shun nodded and said.

"By the way, his cultivation technique seems to focus on opening apertures in his legs, so he might have an advantage in speed. You should be careful," Yi Liya reminded.

"Even if he had forty-odd Mystic Apertures, or even ten more, he wouldn't be a match for me. Fellow Daoist Yi can rest assured. Now, let's discuss the compensation afterward..." Xu Shun said with a chuckle.

...

A quarter of an hour passed quickly, and the first round of Mystic Arena battles finally began.

Han Li and Gu Qianxun did not look elsewhere. Along with Dulong and Xuan Yuanxing, they also came to a window near the 'Kun' character platform and looked up.

On the Kun character Mystic Arena platform, Tu Gang and Duan Tong had already appeared, standing opposite each other at a distance, sizing each other up.

Tu Gang's expression was somewhat solemn, with a hint of fear in his demeanor, mixed with some hesitation and reluctance.

Duan Tong opposite him showed no expression on his face, nor any contempt in his eyes, but for some reason, Tu Gang felt that he didn't seem to be looking at him, which stirred a trace of anger within him.

An old man in a black robe, serving as the referee for this Mystic Arena platform, stood between them and said:

"There are no rules in Mystic Arena combat. If you cannot hold your own, you may concede at any time. If you persist, you bear the consequences of life and death."

Tu Gang and Duan Tong both nodded to him, and the old man leaped back, exiting the Mystic Arena platform.

The two on the platform clasped their fists at each other, and the Mystic Arena battle officially began.

On the high platform at the center of the eight Mystic Arena platforms, the five city lords and Madame Liuhua were casually chatting, showing little interest in the battles unfolding on several platforms below, occasionally glancing down.

On the 'Kun' character platform.

With a series of bangs from his whole body, light flowed on Tu Gang's arms, and his Mystic Apertures shone brightly as he took the initiative to attack Duan Tong.

With every step he took, the Mystic Arena platform rumbled and shook, the force immense.

Fortunately, the ground had been reinforced with Star Bones, so it wasn't cracked by the continuous heavy stomping.

"Boom," "boom," "boom"...

After more than a dozen consecutive steps, his aura swelled several times over. Under the sunlight, a golden light seemed to flicker on his right arm, an invisible protective qi swirling around it, making the arm appear thicker as he punched toward Duan Tong.

Duan Tong merely watched quietly as Tu Gang approached step by step, making no move until Tu Gang's fist came crashing down. Then he slowly stepped back.

A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as he threw a punch, swift as lightning.

As his fist shot out, the acupoints on his arm lit up simultaneously, and a sound like wind and thunder exploded.

A thunderous roar!

Their fists collided with a deafening boom.

A violent blast of air erupted from the point of impact, sweeping in opposite directions.

Duan Tong stood firm as a mountain, unmoving, while Tu Gang let out a miserable cry. Several acupoints on his arm burst open, and amid the cracking of bones, his body flew backward and crashed to the ground.

He tumbled off the Xuan Dou platform, rolling several times before his vision went black and he fell completely unconscious.

On the stands beside the "Kun" character Xuan Dou platform, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.

The group on the high platform also stopped their idle chatter and turned to look.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, Duan Tong of your Tongyu City seems to have improved again. He finished the fight so quickly?" E Kuai asked with a smile.

"It's just a minor improvement, still far behind your subordinate, Fellow Daoist Ziyuan," Fu Jian replied.

"Defeating the enemy in one blow—though the opponent wasn't strong, it was still impressive..." Qin Yuan said with a smile.

Everyone praised Duan Tong one after another, except Chen Yang, who remained silent. Though his face stayed calm, his hand hidden in his sleeve was clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white.

In the passage, the cultivators from Qingyang City looked grim. Though the loser wasn't one of them, the first battle ended in defeat—and such a thorough defeat—inevitably dampened morale. They shook their heads and sighed as they walked away, leaving only Han Li and Gu Qianxun standing there.

Watching Tu Gang being carried away from the Xuan Dou platform, Han Li said, "Fellow Daoist Gu, what do you think?"

"He has become much stronger than when he lost to me back then. Against Tu Gang's Vajra Art, he didn't even use his own Mysterious Arm, only his ordinary left arm, and defeated Tu Gang with a single punch. Clearly, in his eyes, Tu Gang wasn't even worthy of being his opponent," Gu Qianxun said with a frown.

"Not entirely. When he threw that punch, he still borrowed power from his right arm. Otherwise, even though Tu Gang had used all his strength, he wouldn't have lost so badly. But overall, the gap between them is still too great," Han Li said after a moment's thought.

"Yes, if only Tu Gang had been a bit stronger, forcing Duan Tong to reveal more of his techniques," Gu Qianxun said regretfully.

"Haha, don't think too much. We should prepare too; the second round is about to start," Han Li said with a laugh.

"Let's go," Gu Qianxun nodded.

...

About a quarter of an hour later.