The man on the poster had hair as black as ink, thick and cascading like a waterfall, falling across his chest and trailing down his back. Within his eyes, countless stars seemed to be born and extinguished — profound and commanding, as though a demon god had taken form.
Though it was only a profile, one could still sense that sharpness radiating from him. His face was chiseled, as though cut from stone, like an ancient deity reborn. Behind him, violet energy surged and billowed, inspiring awe.
The Southern Demon, Qi Lin!
Ye Fan was thoroughly shocked. He had not expected that one of the combatants would be him — it was completely beyond his expectations. This was an old acquaintance from the Northern Dipper.
The Central Emperor, the Southern Demon, the Western Bodhisattva… In those days they had stood unrivaled among the young generation, the most dazzling of figures. Years had passed, and now here in this place, he had received news of the Southern Demon.
“This person is extraordinary — ninety-nine consecutive bouts without a single defeat. He has been called the Demon God. He has become nothing short of a legend!”
Before the colosseum’s massive stone gates, a large crowd gathered around the poster, speaking in lowered voices, offering what they knew of the Southern Demon’s situation.
“He is about to face the most critical battle of all. If he can complete one hundred consecutive victories without defeat, he will be eligible to challenge for the title of Supreme Physique — to claim a place in that ranking.”
“We must come and watch in three days’ time. This cannot be missed. It is certain to be a clash between dragon and tiger — a battle that will shake the world. There will almost certainly be supreme powerhouses attempting to stop him!”
In the Northern Dipper stellar domain, the Southern Demon had possessed a heaven-defying natural talent. When he had severed his Dao, heavenly phenomena had occurred that were compared to the ancient Demon Emperor himself, causing the ten thousand demon clans to bow in reverence.
Now, here on the Eternal Main Star, he had once again stirred the winds and clouds. Clearly, he was still a supremely powerful figure — a focus of attention for all.
“No one knows whether he serves a great family or fights for himself alone. His origins have always been deeply mysterious. No one has been able to uncover anything about his background.”
“From the looks of it, he seems to be the supreme warrior cultivated by a great clan — someone is concealing everything about him.”
“He might even be a slave captured from outside the domain. Why else would anyone fight so desperately? He’s nearly reached his hundredth life-or-death battle.”
One hundred life-or-death battles — a stunning record, undefeated to this day. It was a truly momentous achievement. Yet still, no one had ever managed to uncover the secret of the Demon God’s true identity.
Ye Fan gathered much information outside the colosseum. This was the rulers’ form of entertainment — the favored pastime of the scions of the various princes and nobles, who would send out their battle-pets to compete for supremacy.
Each occasion was a grand affair, for it came with all manner of odds and stakes — bets placed on who would win and who would lose. Each time, the wagered sums were astronomical.
This was a contest of death. Those who entered fought to the end. One slip of carelessness and body and soul alike would be destroyed. No one entered willingly.
Ordinary people did not participate — it was simply too brutal. This was an arena for the great powers to settle their contests, with each side sending out their most powerful servants to fight. Many disputes were resolved here.
Of course, there were exceptions. Some entered to temper themselves. Others entered for the enormous prize money. And some were drawn in regardless.
High risk came with high reward. Underground gaming houses hoped for high-caliber cultivators to enter. They longed for renowned figures to clash. They spared no expense in putting up staggering prizes.
In the past, what drew powerful fighters were peerless beauties, sacred artifacts, and the like. But later, even the most advanced evolution fluids were added to the prizes — capturing the hearts of still more powerful individuals.
As a result, the colosseum grew hotter and hotter. Every time a significant bout was arranged, it drew crowds from ten directions — many princes and nobles came in person to watch.
The prize for the winner of this coming duel: the third-stage evolution fluid!
The Demon God was about to challenge the legend of one hundred consecutive victories. The whole world was watching. Naturally, the prize was extraordinarily generous. Many ancient families had become involved, and countless people would be placing their bets.
The three days passed in a flash. Many cultivators wanted to be present to watch, but tickets were nearly impossible to come by. No amount of gold could procure one. Every seat in the colosseum had already been claimed and divided among the various princes and nobles.
Ye Fan stared helplessly, unable to do a thing. Despite all his treasures, he couldn’t purchase a single ticket. There was simply no way in.
A large crowd had gathered outside the colosseum — all people who desperately wanted in but could not. Then, suddenly, Ye Fan’s eyes lit up. He spotted Qi Meng in the crowd. She had also come to watch, which gave a measure of how far-reaching the impact of today’s battle truly was.
He immediately edged over and transmitted his voice to her in secret — which startled Qi Meng greatly. Beside her, Qi Yao Guang appeared, and blocked Ye Fan off like a wolf-warden.
“Boy, I’m warning you — don’t you get any ideas about my descendants!”
“Senior — who would have thought we’d meet again so soon. Can you secure a ticket for me?” Ye Fan said with a grin.
The Qi Clan had come in a group of six or seven. In the end, one unfortunate soul, face dark as thunder, unwillingly surrendered his own ticket to Ye Fan. Full of resentment, he dared not act out in front of the Elder Ancestor and walked off into the streets, brooding.
“While you’re in this place, you will behave yourself — don’t cause trouble!” Qi Yao Guang admonished.
The colosseum was enormous and grand. At its center stood a stone platform like the flat face of a severed mountain — smooth and polished as a mirror. It was said that a great primordial saint had cleaved it into shape. It was immensely durable, carved with undying divine inscriptions.
The spectators were seated all around the stone platform. In front of them, a supreme formation served as a barrier, ensuring that no attacks or techniques could breach it. The audience could watch safely without worry.
The structure was predominantly stone — every seat, railing, and platform built from it, preserving a primal feel that radiated a natural air of pressure.
“In the ancient eras, saints often dueled here. The ground has been soaked in saint’s blood. This is truly a sacred ground.” someone whispered.
The battle had not yet begun, but the princes and nobles from the various factions were already seated. The massive colosseum was full — not a single seat empty. Everyone present was a person of standing and background.
Ye Fan had entered separately from the Qi Clan. His seat happened to be in the row directly behind theirs. Though adjacent, no one would think to connect them.
“My lord wishes to speak with Miss Qi Meng. Brother, would you mind switching seats?” A young man spoke, gesturing meaningfully with his eyes, indicating that Ye Fan should stand.
By a somewhat unfortunate coincidence, Ye Fan had ended up seated directly behind Qi Meng. Though he was trying his best to avoid any obvious connection between them, someone had still come to find him.
He glanced at the man. Though merely a servant, he had reached the Dao Severance realm — a formidable cultivator. Ye Fan followed the direction the man had come from, and some distance away, in another row, a refined and cultured young man was nodding toward him and Qi Meng.
“No. I’d rather not.”
“You…!” The young man’s eyes shot out beams of light — startlingly powerful. He was clearly a supreme expert himself. He had not expected Ye Fan to refuse without a moment’s hesitation.
“It’s fine. Zhao An, come back.” From some distance away, the white-robed, scholarly young man spoke. He seemed disinclined to make a scene. His eyes were sharp and bright, his cultivation clearly formidable.
“That is Zhao Qing Chuan — a renowned and celebrated powerhouse. Among the younger generation, he has an extraordinary reputation. The Zhao Clan, like the Cao Clan, is one of the great prince-level powers of the Eternal Main Star — among the very top tier of forces.” Qi Meng frowned slightly. She had no prior connection with Zhao Qing Chuan and did not understand why he was doing this today.
“Given his status, there are very few who would dare defy him. As one of the outstanding figures of the younger generation… the fact that he’s acting like this now…” He’s probing my identity. The thought stirred in Ye Fan’s mind.
“Correct.” Qi Meng nodded.
Ye Fan was an unfamiliar face. To those who frequented the colosseum, he was a total stranger. And yet he had just dared to refuse Zhao Qing Chuan — which conveyed a great deal of information.
“The arena battle is beginning!”
High above the platform, a curtain of light surged to life, enveloping the enormous stone platform and preventing the battle’s shockwaves from reaching the spectators. The curtain was crystalline and translucent — a formation inscribed by an ancient great saint. Absolutely reliable and safe.
Upon the vast stone platform, which resembled the flat face of a severed mountain, a young man appeared. Black hair cascaded to his shoulders. His body was a deep bronze tone — powerfully and solidly built. His eyes were sharp. He was like a demon god — carrying a particular, unmistakable air about him.
This body was identical to the Southern Demon’s in every way — yet Ye Fan could not project his spiritual sense through the great saint’s light-barrier, and could not sense his energy or aura. He could not yet make a definitive judgment.
“The great battle begins!”
A wave of noise swept through the colosseum. The second combatant entered the arena. His body was covered in lines of demonic inscriptions. Silver hair cascaded to his shoulders, and even his pupils were silver — powerfully imposing. The moment he appeared, he left several afterimages as he lunged directly for the Demon God.
“Silver Pupils — it’s actually Silver Pupils!”
“No wonder — I knew the Demon God’s hundredth battle would face obstruction. Who in the world was it that spent so much to bring him out of seclusion?”
This was a grand completion-level king. In his life, he had suffered only one defeat. For over a hundred years he had dominated the eastern region — yielding only to saints, fearing no Dao Severance cultivator, and having slain multiple half-saints.
It was said that a hundred years prior, during the selection for the Supreme Physique, he had lost to his opponent by a narrow margin due to an unexpected accident — a cause for great regret.
“All parties may now place their bets.” The underground gaming houses announced.
After his first strike, Silver Pupils quickly retreated and stood facing the Demon God — no longer pressing the attack. Clearly, both men were already familiar with the colosseum’s rules: they had to give the royal and noble spectators time to place their wagers.
After a brief wave of clamor, the colosseum grew quiet again. Many bets had been placed. The great battle was about to formally begin.
This was a primal contest — no battle armor, no war machines. Only the techniques of ascetic cultivators. To the people of the Eternal Main Star, there was something especially thrilling about it.
For since ancient times to the present day, they had relied on external implements. True ascetic cultivators had nearly gone extinct — this path of cultivation had all but vanished.
They had heard tales that in the age of their ancestors, ascetic cultivators had torn through battle armor with their bare hands and conquered the world. But that era was gone. All manner of powerful war implements had become their chosen path.
Inside the colosseum, beams of light flashed in every direction as the fierce battle erupted. The Demon God lived up to his name — like the reincarnation of an ancient demon sovereign, his might unstoppable.
Ye Fan made a quiet estimation in his mind. The Southern Demon had certainly taken evolution fluid — and more than once. Otherwise, there was no way he could have reached such a level of supremacy.
Silver Pupils, too, was powerful and fierce. After all, he was an absolute pinnacle Dao Severance cultivator — holding a decisive advantage in terms of cultivation level, surpassing the Southern Demon.
The two clashed. All manner of secret techniques were deployed in an endless stream — the full spectrum of an ascetic cultivator’s arts. This was a contest of the body’s hidden treasures, and it left the spectators utterly dazzled.
“Incredible! At this rate of development, they will eventually be able to tear ancient saint battle armor apart with their bare hands!”
“The Southern Demon is extraordinary — his cultivation level is lower than Silver Pupils’, yet he meets him strength for strength. This is truly beyond belief. Silver Pupils has virtually no peer among Dao Severance cultivators!”
The crowd murmured in hushed voices, riveted with attention.
Pff!
No one had expected it — after barely two hundred exchanges, the Demon God unleashed a peerless strike that nearly cleaved Silver Pupils in two. Silver blood splattered through the air. His opponent went flying, utterly spent, no longer capable of fighting.
“He’s won — this fast — one hundred consecutive victories!”
“Heaven above — that divine mineral ore I wagered on Silver Pupils…!”
At that very moment, another young man stepped onto the platform of the colosseum. He waved to the crowd with a smile and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, please quiet down. Would you like to know the Demon God’s origins? Only today, with one hundred consecutive victories to his name, do I feel it is finally appropriate to speak — he… comes from a mysterious ancient star! I have been anticipating this day for a long time, waiting for him to forge his glory. I will tell you plainly — he is only one of many extraordinary bloodlines on that ancient star. There are far more like him there. I believe you understand what I am saying, and you know what I mean. Through him, I have shown you the terrifying value of that mysterious ancient star. I believe everyone present is eager with anticipation — is anyone willing to set forth on a grand expedition?”