Chapter 638: Chapter 257: First Victory, Blood Curse, the True Monarchs’ Bewilderment

"Xiao Chen is also challenging the East Main Arena!"

This development immediately caught the attention of every Cultivator present.

After a full day of challenges yesterday, the situation at the eight major arenas had become crystal clear.

Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators could tell that while the East Main Arena offered the best rewards, it was also the toughest one to conquer.

Xiao Chen was already considered an exceptional figure in the eyes of outsiders.

His identity was unknown and his origins a mystery, yet he had spent a fortune at the auction and instantly defeated Chen Qingsong, the renowned Body Cultivator from Tingtao Sea, in a previous battle.

Thus, ever since he was recognized, the discussions about him had been ceaseless.

And now, Xiao Chen had immediately chosen the most difficult arena, the East Main Arena.

This naturally sent a thrill through the crowd, who were eager to take this opportunity to observe his Magical Combat style.

After yesterday’s numerous challenges, everyone had come to the unspoken agreement that the Chongzhen Temple disciples were even stronger than cultivators like Chen Qingsong.

That being the case, this battle was bound to be spectacular!

"Hey, who do you guys think will win? With Elder Xiao making a move this time, he should be able to take it, right?"

"I’d say it’s hard to tell. Chongzhen Temple’s Magic is truly formidable."

"Their Spiritual Artifacts are incredibly powerful, too. At this rate, they might just take over all eight arenas."

"They definitely won’t take them all. Don’t forget, Heavenly Sword True Man and the others haven’t even made their move. Even if Elder Xiao fails, we still have them as a fallback."

"I doubt that’ll happen. Isn’t Elder Xiao said to be an heir from a reclusive lineage, too?"

"Haven’t you guys noticed the arena’s been enlarged? It increases the distance between the two sides. It’s clearly a move against Elder Xiao, against Body Cultivators."

"Whoa, you’ve got a point! Doesn’t that put Elder Xiao at a disadvantage?"

...

Murmurs of discussion rose from below the arena.

It wasn’t just the Loose Cultivators; even the True Disciples from the Seven Great Sects were discussing it in hushed tones.

"Do you think Xiao can score the first victory?"

"Hard to say. From what I saw yesterday, it felt like his opponent was holding back. They probably didn’t even use their full strength."

"I just hope that regardless of the outcome, this fight lasts a little longer. Yesterday’s battles ended so quickly there was no time to study them properly."

Even the few True Monarchs watching from the high platform turned their gazes to Xiao Chen, a hint of curiosity in their eyes.

"Xiao, due to an unforeseen incident yesterday, the arena rules have been slightly altered."

The official announced, "During a challenge, in addition to the strict prohibition on using Tier Four external aids, each party is limited to using no more than ten Talismans per match."

"Violating this rule will result in an immediate disqualification!"

This new rule was added because a Talisman Cultivator had tried to win by overwhelming their opponent with a sheer number of Talismans the day before.

However, he ultimately failed because the Chongzhen Temple disciple had come prepared with an even greater quantity of higher-quality Talismans.

Thus, for the sake of fairness, a restriction was placed on an over-reliance on Talismans for all competitors.

"No problem!"

Xiao Chen nodded. He hadn’t planned on relying on external items anyway.

A Body Cultivator’s greatest asset was always themself.

’Ahem, well, at most I’ll add an Augment.’

THUD!

The red cloth ball hit the ground.

At the same instant, the Chongzhen Temple disciple on the left side of the arena, already prepared, immediately summoned a Refined Gold Spirit Shield.

His opponent showed no sign of underestimating him. Instead, he had resolved to fight cautiously and steadily today.

He aimed to force out Xiao Chen’s hidden trump cards.

As the Refined Gold Spirit Shield entered its Spirit Ascension Form, a dazzling golden light immediately erupted from the stage.

Even after passing through the transparent Defensive Array surrounding the arena, it was still bright enough to stab at the eyes.

It was so intense that many Loose Cultivators instinctively shut their eyes.

Obstructing an opponent’s vision was, in fact, one of the Refined Gold Spirit Shield’s secondary effects.

Paired with Secret Techniques that interfered with being locked on by Divine Sense, it could be miraculously effective.

THUD!

Another muffled thud of something heavy hitting the ground echoed.

Then, the stage fell silent.

Many of the Loose Cultivators circulated Magical Power to protect their eyes and looked toward the stage.

All they saw was a blurry figure standing on the left side, one hand behind his back, the other slowly being drawn back.

But the right side of the arena was completely empty!

CLANG!

No longer supported by True Essence, the Refined Gold Spirit Shield fell to the ground.

The golden light on the stage faded rapidly.

Only then could the crowd see clearly.

The figure standing on the left was none other than Xiao Chen!

An observant person, if they looked closely, would notice that he was standing exactly one step in front of where the Chongzhen Temple disciple had just been.

???

Everyone stood frozen, completely baffled as to what had just happened.

"Hsss—!"

One Cultivator sucked in a sharp breath. "How did they suddenly switch places? Zhang, did you get a clear look at what happened?"

"I don’t know!"

His companion was clearly baffled. "The golden light was so bright I had to blink, and when I opened my eyes again, it was already like this."

His words echoed the thoughts of every other Cultivator in the vicinity.

They all looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.

That is, until someone suddenly pointed and shouted, "Look, the defender fell off the stage!"

Everyone quickly followed the direction he was pointing and saw the Chongzhen Temple disciple picking himself up off the ground.

He was looking around, a trace of confusion still lingering in his eyes.

He himself hadn’t even processed what had just happened.

But to the onlookers, the truth was already painfully obvious.

Considering Xiao Chen’s motion of pulling back his hand and that muffled thud, it was clear the Chongzhen Temple disciple had been knocked right off the stage.

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