"Hmph!"
Liu Chuanshen let out a cold snort, his hands behind his back as he walked forward. In a stern voice, he commanded, "You disgrace! You've tarnished the reputation of the Martial Market Bank. Apologize to Miss Dan immediately!"
Hearing his father's voice, Liu Chengfeng's arrogance vanished instantly. His expression changed drastically as he turned to face Liu Chuanshen. The bravado he had moments ago disappeared completely, leaving him trembling.
"Fa...Father... I was just joking with Miss Xiangling... I'll apologize now..." Liu Chengfeng, visibly frightened, stammered as he hurriedly stepped forward, bowing his head in apology.
Liu Chuanshen sighed deeply, a look of disappointment crossing his face. He shook his head and said, "This disgraceful son of mine has embarrassed me before the Ninth Prince. Let's head to the Martial Market Arena now."
Under Liu Chuanshen's guidance, Zhang Ruochen, Ninth Princess, and Dan Xiangling arrived at the Martial Market Arena shortly thereafter.
The arena was packed with people, filled with martial artists of all levels. There were numerous experts present, but also many lower-level martial artists who watched from the sidelines, hoping to learn from the masters in action.
Upon arrival, Liu Chuanshen excused himself, explaining that he had important business to attend to in the arena's central palace.
Zhang Ruochen, the Ninth Princess, and Dan Xiangling entered the Yellow Stage Martial Palace.
The palace was a circular, ancient structure with six levels. Each level had 360 viewing platforms, all offering a clear view of the central Yellow Stage where the fights took place.
For an entrance fee of ten silver coins, one could enter the Yellow Stage Martial Palace.
"Ninth Brother, are you sure you want to participate? Your current level is still too low, and there's a significant gap between you and the Yellow List fighters," the Ninth Princess advised, her tone filled with concern rather than disdain.
Dan Xiangling added, "I've heard that before stepping onto the stage, martial artists must sign a life-and-death agreement. The fighters here are all desperate for fame and glory. They fight ruthlessly, and one wrong move can lead to severe injury or even death."
"Exactly! Ninth Brother, wait until you reach the peak of the Yellow Realm before you fight. If you need funds for the refining furnace, you could ask Father. With your talent, he would certainly give you a million silver coins if needed," the Ninth Princess suggested, trying to dissuade him.
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly, "Let's watch a few matches first."
At that moment, a middle-aged warrior in his thirties stepped onto the stage, wielding a fiery red spear. He radiated a powerful aura and declared, "I am Nie Heng, the senior disciple of the Heavenly Crane Sect. It's my first time at the Yellow Stage Martial Palace. Who dares to face me?"
Dan Xiangling commented, "Nie Heng... I've heard of him. He reached the peak of the Yellow Realm at the age of twenty-two and has remained there for fifteen years. He's very strong and could likely win seven or eight matches."
In Kunlun Realm, sects and clans were numerous. Some small sects had only a few dozen disciples, while larger ones boasted millions of disciples, controlling martial arts affairs across dozens of commanderies with immense power.
These sects and clans were categorized into the Three Paths and Nine Streams. For instance, Dan Xiangling's Chi Cloud Sect and Nie Heng's Heavenly Crane Sect both belonged to the seventh stream.
Yunwu Commandery housed one sixth-stream sect, five seventh-stream sects, seventeen eighth-stream sects, and countless ninth-stream sects. All of these sects were under official supervision. Any sect that refused to comply was labeled heretical and subject to eradication.
The Ninth Princess observed, "Nie Heng's cultivation is indeed impressive, but the palace has many strong fighters. I think he'll win six matches at most."
Dan Xiangling suggested, "If that's the case, let's place a bet!"
"Sure!"
The Ninth Princess and Dan Xiangling went to the top platform of the Yellow Stage Martial Palace to place their bets.
"I bet one thousand silver coins that Nie Heng will win six matches," the Ninth Princess declared, placing a spirit crystal on the slot marked "6."
"I'll bet five hundred silver coins that Nie Heng will win eight matches," Dan Xiangling said, placing a bag of silver coins on the slot marked "8."
"In that case, I'll go for a middle number," Zhang Ruochen said with a grin. He placed a spirit crystal on the slot marked "7."
Many people participated in the betting. Consistent wins could yield substantial profits.
Nie Heng's reputation was strong enough that some even bet he would win ten matches and become a Yellow List warrior. Although the odds were low, if he succeeded, the one who bet on him would walk away with a fortune.
The first challenger to face Nie Heng appeared to be a man in his forties who had reached the mid-Yellow Realm.
"Boom!"
Standing in the center of the stage, Nie Heng defeated the mid-Yellow Realm martial artist with a single blow, sending him flying off the stage.
First match, victory!
Second match, victory!
…
Fifth match, victory!
Sixth match, victory!
Nie Heng's six consecutive wins caused a stir in the palace. The audience roared and cheered.
In the Yellow Stage Martial Palace, having someone win six consecutive matches in one day was already an impressive feat.
It was common knowledge that as one advanced through the matches, the opponents grew increasingly formidable. For the seventh match, only those who had won seven consecutive matches before were qualified to challenge Nie Heng.
Martial artists with a record of seven consecutive victories were no pushovers.
In the seventh match, Nie Heng finally encountered a formidable opponent.
His challenger was Huang Zhenlong, a peak Yellow Realm martial artist who had previously achieved seven consecutive victories three times, only to be defeated each time in the eighth match. His strength was formidable.
After half an hour of intense combat, Nie Heng used his mid-tier human-level martial skill, Snowflake Spear Technique, to pierce Huang Zhenlong's chest, severely injuring him and throwing him off the stage. However, Nie Heng also took a heavy blow from Huang Zhenlong, sustaining internal injuries and coughing up blood.
At this point, a young man in his twenties stepped onto the stage, holding a white folding fan. "You're already injured. You won't win the eighth match. Surrender now."
The battles in the martial arena were ruthless, allowing no time for rest or recovery. Fighters had to continue fighting without pause. Winning ten matches in a row was nearly impossible.
Despite his strength, Nie Heng had exhausted much of his energy by the seventh match and was now seriously wounded. Winning the eighth seemed almost impossible.
Gritting his teeth, Nie Heng glared at the man with the fan. "Who says I can't fight the eighth match? Who are you?"
"Heh! I'm Xue Bingsheng from the National Preceptor's mansion. I've twice achieved eight consecutive victories in the Yellow Stage Martial Palace," Xue Bingsheng said with a smug smile, waving his fan lightly.
"Let's fight!"
Nie Heng channeled all his remaining Qi into his spear, which burst into flames as he thrust it toward Xue Bingsheng.
"Swish!"
Nie Heng's vision blurred as Xue Bingsheng vanished from sight. Utilizing a top-tier human-level movement technique, Xue Bingsheng instantly appeared in front of Nie Heng. With a swift flick of his fan, a flash of blood appeared, and Nie Heng's head was severed from his body.
Glancing down at the corpse, Xue Bingsheng sneered, "I told you to surrender, but you wouldn't listen. Foolish!"
A powerful peak Yellow Realm martial artist had died on the stage just like that.
Nie Heng's junior brothers and sisters rushed onto the stage, weeping as they carried his body away. But there was nothing they could do—Nie Heng had signed a life-and-death agreement before entering the stage.
Every day, several people died in the Yellow Stage Martial Palace. It was no longer shocking to anyone.
In truth, the main reason Nie Heng lost was that Xue Bingsheng was significantly stronger. Nie Heng didn't even have the chance to surrender before being killed.
"Sigh, he should've known he was outmatched. Life is more important than fame," the Ninth Princess sighed.
Dan Xiangling shook her head gently. "With his talent, Nie Heng could have reached the Black Realm in another ten years. So many talented martial artists fall like this."
"Wow! Ninth Brother, you won the bet! Go see how much you've won!" the Ninth Princess exclaimed.
"It was just luck," Zhang Ruochen said casually, not expecting to actually win.
Despite Nie Heng's death, he did secure seven consecutive wins.
Zhang Ruochen's single bet of one spirit crystal earned him eight.
"That's enough! I'll go test myself on the stage," Zhang Ruochen declared.
After signing the life-and-death agreement and paying a spirit crystal fee, he walked toward the stage.
"Ninth Brother, I know I can't stop you, but promise me—if you encounter an unbeatable opponent, surrender immediately," the Ninth Princess urged, full of concern.
She assumed Zhang Ruochen was merely going to experience the atmosphere of the stage and didn't intend to seriously compete. Given his cultivation level, which was only at the mid-Yellow Realm, he was far from matching Nie Heng's strength. Winning three matches would already be impressive.
"Don't worry, I know my limits!"
Zhang Ruochen smiled lightly and ascended the stage, looking entirely relaxed.
As he stepped onto the platform, a wave of murmurs rippled through the Yellow Stage Martial Palace.
"Who is that kid? So young, and he dares fight in the Yellow Stage?"
"Probably another hot-blooded youth looking for fame. These types show up all the time, and dozens of them die each month. It's nothing new."
…
Meanwhile, Liu Chengfeng stood on one of the upper platforms, his eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen. A sinister grin spread across his face. "Ha! There's a road to heaven, but you don't take it. Instead, you charge into hell. If you die on this stage, even the Yunwu Commandery Prince will have no grounds for complaint!"