Volume One: The Game of the Master Chapter Seventy-Five: The Duel on the Arena

The opponent is him?

The remaining fifty thousand people all felt a chill in their hearts. This emissary had given them immense pressure without even showing his face just now; to confront him directly was tantamount to seeking death.

"But don't worry," the emissary continued, "I won't use my true strength to fight you in the arena. The one you'll be facing is but an avatar of mine. Each of my avatars is only at the pinnacle of the Ninth-level Immortal Emperor, and if you lose, you'll return to your original place just like the previous challengers!"

These words finally allowed the crowd to breathe a little easier. Facing an opponent whose cultivation was only at the pinnacle of the Ninth-level Immortal Emperor made the remaining fifty thousand swell with confidence. After all, they were each the top figures of their respective realms; dealing with a Ninth-level Immortal Emperor, even at his peak, was well within their grasp.

Only a few hundred among them harbored lingering worries. Cultivation at the Ninth-level Immortal Emperor was not everything—as these few knew better than the others. If one's soul was profound and their understanding of space deep, even an Eighth-level Immortal Emperor could far surpass an ordinary Ninth-level.

Wulong and Lan Gang were two among these few hundred. They did not take their opponent lightly merely because he was only at the Ninth-level Immortal Emperor.

"Prepare yourselves," the emissary Linley announced. "In ten minutes, the duels will begin in earnest. I can also tell you this in advance: none of you will die. However, if you are too weak, I will send you back gravely injured! Ha ha!"

Linley's laughter was especially grating this time. Every Immortal in the crowd felt as if this Linley didn't even take them seriously, as if this so-called contest was nothing more than a game to him.

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Lan Gang and Wulong had just finished cautioning Wenfeng and Ao Wuming to be careful when a powerful force transmitted them directly to a world of blinding white.

As a Ninth-level Demon Emperor, Wulong's understanding of space had been vastly improved thanks to Qin Yu's guidance with a single spear thrust. In the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms, aside from the Azure Emperor Songshi, Wulong's grasp of space was second only to none. Had he not participated in this treasure contest, it would not be long before he could condense a Soul Gold Core and reach the soul realm of a Lesser Deity.

"Your weapon is rather unimpressive—seems to be the worst among them," Linley's avatar remarked, glancing at the spear in Wulong's hand. To someone of his level, even a supreme immortal artifact was somewhat lacking.

Wulong merely smiled. "I think you know better than I whether, at our level, weapons are more important or understanding of space."

He still remembered Qin Yu’s spear—the might of that thrust was not due to the weapon’s power alone.

"Very well, then let me see how profound your understanding of space truly is." Linley didn't take Wulong seriously at all. Though only an avatar, as long as Wulong hadn’t formed a Soul Gold Core, there was no way he could win.

Just as Wulong prepared to make a move, he was shocked to discover that from Linley's body, waves of spatial ripples were radiating out in circles, continuously expanding. At the edges of those rings, black fissures appeared intermittently, as sharp as blades.

Dodge? Wulong certainly had the ability. The surrounding space posed little restriction for him. But would evasion suffice? The destructive power of those spatial shockwaves was such that even at full force, Wulong could not match them. Yet Linley unleashed them without so much as moving a finger.

Wulong leaped upward, narrowly avoiding the spatial ring’s assault, and said with a wry smile, "I admit defeat. At the level of Ninth-level Immortal Emperor, I can’t imagine anyone defeating your avatar."

"At least you know your own limits." Linley’s lips curled into a faint smile, and instantly, Wulong sensed the space around him shift. In the next moment, the white world vanished, replaced by the familiar aura of the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms.

Compared with the others, Wulong was rather fortunate—he conceded before being injured. His prudent nature had saved him; knowing when not to persist was vital. Had he been sent back gravely wounded, not only would his cultivation have regressed, but facing a divine tribulation in the future would be all the more perilous.

Among the fifty thousand participants, many had already formed Soul Gold Cores. Their duels with Linley's avatars were the true contests. Yet even with a Soul Gold Core, without some comprehension of space, none could defeat Linley and would be injured and eliminated sooner or later.

Of course, there are always exceptions. In one of the worlds of white mist, even Linley was taken aback by Lan Gang’s formidable might.

Lan Gang, a super Kuyan, had only the soul realm of an Eighth-level Immortal Emperor, but even facing Linley’s Ninth-level Immortal Emperor avatar, he was not the least bit inferior.

Bang!

Lan Gang shattered Linley’s spatial barrier once more. Without even opening his eyes, he swung a fist straight ahead.

Boom! Boom!

Amid two deafening crashes, Lan Gang, clad in dazzling golden light, was forced backwards, while Linley's avatar was sent flying by Lan Gang’s punch—when it came to strength, Lan Gang was every bit Linley’s equal.

"Interesting," Linley's avatar exclaimed. An Eighth-level Immortal Emperor on par with his own avatar—this was something he had not expected.

"A super Kuyan. Now this is intriguing!" A few golden beams flickered in Linley’s eyes as he smiled, having fully discerned Lan Gang’s origin. Spatial pressure was useless against Lan Gang. Linley put away his weapon and engaged him with fists alone.

Boom! Boom! Bang!

With a succession of thunderous impacts, the two were sent flying once more. By now, Lan Gang’s expression was no longer as arrogant as before; he had developed a genuine respect for Linley’s strength.

Lan Gang was well aware of his own abilities. As an Eighth-level super Kuyan, he was stronger than even a Ninth-level Tyrannosaurus. In raw physical contests, he was unparalleled.

Yet even as a mere avatar, and one restricted in cultivation at that, Linley could completely withstand his attacks. It was clear how terrifying Linley’s true body must be. The Kuyans respected true power above all.

"Ha! What exhilaration! It’s been ages since I’ve had such a satisfying fight. You Kuyans have quite the potential. Again!"

Linley’s avatar laughed heartily, steadied himself, and charged at Lan Gang once more.

Linley’s attitude only fueled Lan Gang’s fighting spirit further. The physical prowess of the Kuyans exceeded even that of the Golden Punishment Sect of the Dark Star Realm. Other than facing the Tyrannosaurus clan, they rarely had the opportunity to unleash themselves so fully.

Even against Tyrannosauruses, super Kuyans held an overwhelming advantage. A single super Kuyan could face ten of the same-level Tyrannosauruses without being at a disadvantage. Their combat strength was always ranked first in the Dinosaur Realm.

The status of humans in the Dinosaur Realm was worlds apart thanks to the Kuyans. With their presence, humans could stand as equals with the mighty dinosaur clans, holding half the territory. But once the super Kuyans vanished, the humans were suppressed to a meager tenth of the land, and even that could be lost at any moment.

Super Kuyans rarely found a worthy opponent. Facing Linley, Lan Gang was genuinely excited.

Boom! Boom! Bang!

Fists collided again and again. The two battled with pure physical might for over three hours. Only when Lan Gang’s internal energy began to show signs of instability did Linley’s blows suddenly grow fiercer.

He’s still holding back! Lan Gang was startled. Regardless of the swirling chaos within, he mustered all his strength and met Linley’s punch head-on.

Boom!

With a thunderous blast, Lan Gang was unable to match the blow. After two crisp cracks, blood spurted from his mouth, and he was sent flying uncontrollably.

A mistake, a mistake—my strength surged unnaturally! This was the last thing Lan Gang heard before he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Not bad at all. Though this was merely an avatar, you managed to withstand the first layer of my Golden Body Technique. That’s good enough!" Linley knew well that in those final moments, he’d raised his strength to the divine level, and even the early phase of the second layer of the Golden Body Technique only rendered Lan Gang unconscious, not gravely wounded.

"Consider yourself lucky; it’s been a long time since I’ve had such an enjoyable fight!" Linley grinned and shook his head, then stuffed a healing pill into Lan Gang’s mouth before putting away the surrounding space and sending the unconscious Lan Gang to where Qin Shuang and Zhang Xingfeng were.

A day later, only thirty-some of the original fifty thousand contestants remained. Besides Lan Gang, another Ninth-level Immortal Emperor from the Celestial Heart Realm had been tossed to Qin Shuang and Zhang Xingfeng by Linley. All those with them had passed the contest.

Among the final thirty or so, there was also the Drunken Immortal who had once met Qin Shuang and had been ensnared by Wulong’s illusion. Now freed of his inner demons, Tianxuan the Drunken Immortal had fully displayed his formidable power. Though he was still a step away from condensing his Soul Gold Core, his perfect mastery of space had earned him a spot among the chosen.

(To be continued)