Qin Lu stepped onto the arena platform with a mask of practiced indifference.

Unlike his first match, which had passed with little fanfare, his entrance now drew immediate attention. A ripple of noise moved through the crowd, and to his surprise, he even heard scattered cheers.

It left him completely baffled. He didn’t recognize a single face in the sea of spectators.

Well, except for one.

Cao Mo was jumping up and down in the stands. Qin Lu offered a casual wave and a bright, relaxed smile in return.

But while Qin Lu was the picture of ease, his opponent—Jiang Yao, known in the slums as “Old Ghost Jiang”—was internally screaming.

Why did I have to draw Big Mouth Qin?

Jiang Yao’s impression of Qin Lu had been set in stone for years: a gambling addict, a neighbor with pitiful cultivation, and a complete waste of space.

That perception shattered during the last hunt. Jiang had seen Qin Lu mingling with the infamous Black Ape Duo, discussing a raid on a Second Tier [Black Ape Beast].

That alone had been startling.

But what truly terrified Jiang Yao was the revelation of Qin Lu’s cultivation. The man had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.

It made no sense. Not long ago, Qin Lu was trash at the Second Layer. How could he have matched Jiang’s own cultivation in such a short window?

Before Jiang could wrap his head around that mystery, rumors from the Wuji Market exploded. Qin Lu’s team had returned with eight late-stage carcasses. And they had done it without sustaining a single major injury.

That kind of battle record sent shockwaves through the hunting circles. Even the Black Ape Duo usually only bagged one or two beasts per trip. Eight was a massacre.

Knowing this, Jiang Yao had decided to treat Qin Lu with extreme caution. He wanted to be a friend, not an enemy.

He just never expected to fight him in the second round.

“Old Jiang, long time no see,” Qin Lu greeted him with a chuckle, recognizing the weathered face of his former neighbor.

“Big Mouth Brother…” Jiang Yao rubbed his lower back, his face twisting into a mask of tragic suffering. “I… I overdid it at the Spring Pavilion last night. My back is completely blown out. I’m not in good shape, so please, leave me a little dignity.”

“I understand, I understand,” Qin Lu nodded solemnly, the picture of empathy. “We aren’t young men anymore. A man has needs. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it at seventy percent power.”

“Big Mouth Brother is truly generous!” Jiang Yao gave a shaky thumbs-up, looking sincere on the surface while snickering internally.

“Ahem!”

The Wuji Sect referee cleared his throat, glancing at his scroll. “Loose Cultivator Qin Lu versus Loose Cultivator Jiang Yao!”

“Begin!”

The moment the command left the referee’s lips, Jiang Yao’s “bad back” vanished.

He whipped his arm forward, his movement fluid and sharp. There was no trace of the exhausted lecher he had pretended to be. A sheet of yellow talisman paper shot out with the speed of a viper strike.

“You dirty old cheat! Ambush!” Qin Lu cursed loudly, snapping his wrist to bring his sword up.

Mid-air, the spiritual energy within the paper ignited. The talisman transmuted instantly into a massive boulder, hurling itself toward Qin Lu’s head.

It was a First Grade, Mid-Rank [Stone Block Talisman].

Shh!

Qin Lu didn’t retreat. He slashed downward. The [Blue Rainbow Sword], humming with Qi, sliced through the rock like tofu. The boulder split cleanly in two.

But as the stone halves fell away, a beam of yellow light shot through the gap, aimed straight for Qin Lu’s chest. Jiang Yao had hidden behind his own spell to launch a follow-up attack from his artifact.

“You really went all out for this!”

Qin Lu twisted his torso, activating the [Soft Body Technique]. He sidestepped the beam with a bizarre, flexible sway, letting the energy sear past his ribs.

Old Ghost Jiang was a different breed from the terrified novice in the first round. He was a veteran of East Head Ridge. He had survived years of blood and mud.

Even with the same cultivation level, the gap between a sheltered cultivator and a survivor was an ocean. Combat experience, ruthlessness, and the willingness to fight dirty mattered.

Clang!

Qin Lu raised his sword, blocking a heavy chop from Jiang Yao’s artifact.

“You old fox!” Qin Lu roared, locking blades. “Stop playing the pig to eat the tiger!”

He surged his physical strength, shoving forward. The impact sent Jiang Yao staggering back, his balance broken.

Qin Lu didn’t hesitate. He lunged, intending to end the fight while his opponent was reeling.

But Jiang Yao’s experience shone through again. In the split second of his retreat, he didn’t panic. His fingers blurred as he crushed another talisman and flung it at Qin Lu’s face.

The projectile was too fast.

Before Qin Lu could dodge, the talisman slapped onto his shoulder and dissolved into light.

There was no pain. Instead, the air around him seemed to solidify. His limbs felt like they were encased in lead. His forward momentum died instantly.

“[Heavy Body Talisman]!” Qin Lu’s eyes widened.

He was a talisman maker; he knew this nastiness. A First Grade, High-Rank debuff. On a mortal, it would crush their organs. On a cultivator, it bought precious seconds of paralysis.

It cost twelve Spirit Stones a pop. Jiang Yao was burning his life savings to win this match.

Seizing the opening, Jiang Yao stopped his retreat and lunged back in, his weapon raised high for a skull-splitting blow.

“Damn it!”

Shame burned in Qin Lu’s chest hotter than any fire spell.

He had let his guard down. He had looked at a Level 7 cultivator and seen a bug, forgetting that even a bug could bite. He had been arrogant, and now he looked like a fool.

“Break!”

Qin Lu roared, channeling his hidden reserves. A torrent of spiritual energy surged to his shoulder, shattering the [Heavy Body Talisman]’s binding effect in a violent burst.

“Im—Impossible!” Jiang Yao’s eyes bugged out. The spell should have held him for seconds, not a heartbeat.

“You underestimated me, old man!”

Qin Lu was pissed off now. He stomped the ground, the jade tiles cracking under his heel.

With the [Soft Body Technique] pushed to its limit, he vanished.

He moved so fast he became a blur of afterimages. The [Blue Rainbow Sword] hissed like a dragon, weaving through the air with tyrannical force.

Jiang Yao’s scalp went numb. He couldn’t track it. He couldn’t block it.

He could only watch as the tip of a sword expanded in his vision, aiming straight between his eyes.

Ding!

A crisp chime rang out as the arena’s barrier solidified inches from Jiang Yao’s forehead.

The loose cultivator froze, cold sweat drenching his back. He knew the formation would save him, but having a blade thrust into his face with killing intent triggered every primal fear instinct he possessed.

The Wuji Sect disciple stepped forward, voice booming over the stunned silence.

“Winner: Number Forty-Three, Qin Lu!”