Wintram City Colosseum had nothing to do with gladiators. It was a circular, stadium-like venue with many seats for the audience. At the center, several raised platforms stood, where cultivators could spar or settle disputes without disrupting the city's public order.
By this point, the seats of the Colosseum were nearly full, and people chatted excitedly with their friends as they waited for the action to begin.
"Do you think buying the ticket to come here was really a good idea?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Isn't it fun to watch these spoiled brats from the powerful families make fools of themselves?"
"I mean... the fights can be interesting if they're at least even. I'm just worried this will end way too quickly, and we won't get our money's worth of entertainment."
"Maybe. But who cares!? Today, I've decided to splurge!"
Conversations like these echoed throughout the seating area. The excitement in the air was palpable.
All the raised platforms were currently empty. The fighters who had been using them earlier had been cleared off to prepare for the upcoming show.
Astarion and his group of five other youngsters stood near the center stage.
'Since when did my family's ability to spread rumors become this efficient?' Astarion thought to himself.
The number of spectators who had gathered was far greater than he had anticipated.
Astarion's group consisted of young teens, barely sixteen years old. The charged atmosphere, thick with the crowd's anticipation, clearly made them uneasy.
"Tch. He's looking down on us by making us wait like this," one of them muttered, attempting to distract himself from the pressure.
It was awkward, just standing there and waiting. They silently vowed to teach Caelum a lesson once the fights began.
Several minutes later...
Lyra, accompanied by Saya and Zayla, entered a VIP booth. The booth was a luxurious room with an excellent view of the platforms below.
Her arrival drew the attention of many spectators.
"Look, look! Isn't that the young miss of the Goldheart family? If she's here, it means Young Master Caelum should also be arriving soon."
"You're right. The wait's almost over," the speaker's friend replied.
Finally, the much-anticipated moment arrived. From one of the tunnels leading to the central area of the Colosseum, Caelum stepped out.
His jet-black hair, mesmerizing blue eyes, and strikingly handsome face immediately captured the crowd's attention.
Cheers erupted for various reasons. Some women cheered for his looks, while some men cheered simply because the wait was over. Others joined in, swept up by the crowd's energy.
Caelum took his time to savor the atmosphere, waving to the audience. This only amplified their enthusiasm, and he couldn't help but be reminded of his past life as an actor.
Then the voice of a man echoed throughout the Colosseum. He was the official announcer of the venue.
"Now that Young Master Caelum Goldheart has arrived, the scheduled fights can begin. However, before that, I would like to make a small announcement on behalf of the Goldheart family."
The crowd's curiosity was piqued. The announcer continued.
"Young Master Caelum's miraculous recovery from his coma is worthy of a celebration—a clear sign of favor from the Heavens themselves. Unfortunately, due to the formation of the new, massive Rift, which I'm sure you all know about, a proper celebration cannot be held at this time."
Then, the announcer's voice brightened with enthusiasm.
"Instead! All products sold on Golden Street will be available at half their normal price, courtesy of subsidies from the Goldheart family. Rejoice! Celebrate! Be happy!"
For a powerful cultivation family like the Goldhearts, subsidizing mortal shops for a week was a minor gesture. Yet, it left a significant impression.
This announcement, like most of what was happening today, had already been discussed by Caelum and Elara two days prior. It was through this careful planning that Caelum secured the cooperation of the family.
This was also why no one tried to stop the bet from taking place. Even though some people working at the betting office had their doubts regarding the situation, they dared not question orders that came directly from the top.
When the crowd heard the announcement, almost all mortals and many low-level cultivators cheered loudly. The sheer volume of the cheers seemed to shake the Colosseum.
This display further rattled Astarion and his group. They couldn't help but feel sidelined, as though they were mere background characters in someone else's story.
To counter the growing unease, Astarion shouted toward Caelum.
"Are you done, or do you have any more meaningless announcements to make? Hurry up and get onto the stage so we can begin the duels. Unlike you, we don't have all day!"
The crowd's mood shifted when they heard these words. Booing erupted as the audience voiced their disapproval of Astarion's behavior.
On any other day, most of them wouldn't have dared to make eye contact with someone of his status. But right now, they were emboldened by their sheer numbers and didn't hold back.
Astarion's irritation grew. He turned to glare fiercely at the spectators, as if to intimidate them into silence.
Unfortunately for him, his actions only fueled the crowd's defiance. The booing intensified.
Finally, Caelum spoke, addressing the audience.
"Calm down, everyone. Although he is a bit foolish, you shouldn't insult Brother Astarion by booing him. After all, you've come here to watch the fights, haven't you? In that case, you're about to get what you came for."
With those words, Caelum leaped onto the central platform in the arena. His remark brought a wave of cheers from the crowd once again...
Astarion gritted his teeth, unable to comprehend why the crowd was so favorable to Caelum.
'These poor sods! They care so much about discounts on cheap stuff!?' he thought angrily.
By this point, the crowd had already painted Caelum as the good guy and Astarion as the villain. Several small psychological factors had influenced this perception.
For instance, Caelum had waved at the crowd instead of acting high and mighty. The Goldheart family's incentives had endeared him to the masses. The difference in numbers between Caelum and Astarion's group also added to the bias.
As for why Caelum bothered with such theatrics, it was purely for self-gratification. Both in his previous life and this one, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the attention of others, especially large crowds like this. Being a 'star' felt natural to him.
His high [Madness deterioration rate] was proof of his good mood.
[Madness deterioration rate]: 2.0% / day.
Now that Caelum was already standing on the raised platform, the nature of the discussions among the crowd shifted. Many people were worried for him, silently praying he would win at least one fight to avoid embarrassing himself.
On the other hand, some of the more powerful cultivators in the audience scoffed at his tactics. To them, cheap mental warfare was pointless—only raw strength mattered.
In the VIP room, Lyra clutched the handle of her seat in nervous anticipation. Her thoughts swirled with curiosity and anxiety. Where was her big brother's confidence coming from? She couldn't figure it out. Meanwhile, Saya stood calmly behind her, showing no signs of concern.
Saya, of course, knew far more about Caelum's strength. She was simply waiting for the drama to unfold.
High above the Colosseum, a mysterious man observed the scene intently. His presence went entirely unnoticed by those below, his aura so well-concealed that not even the strongest cultivators in the Colosseum could detect him.
On the central raised platform, Caelum addressed Astarion and his group.
"Since there are six of you and only one of me, I'll choose the order in which I fight you. If I lose to any one of you, the rest of you who haven't fought yet will automatically be considered victorious," he said.
Astarion nodded. There was no reason for him to refuse. "Alright, I accept. I hope for your sake that you can win at least a single fight," he snickered.
'He's probably going to try to beat the weaker ones first and preserve what little honor he has left,' Astarion thought smugly.
Among the six, both Astarion and Chinov had reached the Qi Gathering realm, while the remaining four were at various stages of the Body Tempering realm.
"Good. Then…" Caelum pointed at one of Astarion's cronies. "Crony Number One, I choose you!"
Crony Number One's already pinkish face turned a deeper shade of red. He shouted indignantly, "My name is Yehuda!"
Caelum's mind barely registered the name. After all, what was the point of remembering the name of a nobody who would be dead within the next few seconds?