Chapter 1748 - Life and Death Exits
Liu Wuxie made no move to follow the Yin-Yang Elders. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Diao Jiuzhi inside the cage.
"That's impossible!" the elder on the left declared.
His words amounted to a death sentence for Diao Jiuzhi. After all, no one had ever dared challenge the underground fight club's rules, not even profound immortals.
As soon as he finished speaking, both elders stepped forward together, unleashing an even more terrifying aura that descended upon Liu Wuxie.
"How many immortal stones do you need? We'll pay," Ye Linghan said as she stepped forward and positioned herself between Liu Wuxie and the two elders.
The three profound immortals immediately entered a tense confrontation. Hearing the disturbance, cultivators from the surrounding areas quickly gathered to see what was happening.
"What's going on?" the cultivators arriving from other regions asked the people beside them, clearly unaware of the situation.
"Someone interfered with a match," the nearby spectators explained, briefly recounting the events that had just taken place.
"That brat must be tired of living if he dares provoke a business owned by the Eastern Emperor Pavilion!"
Everyone in Eastern Emperor City knew that the underground fight club belonged to the Eastern Emperor Pavilion. Whenever people mentioned Eastern Emperor City, they naturally thought of the Eastern Emperor Pavilion. Even the Myriad Artifact Pavilion, where Liu Wuxie had purchased the cauldron, was one of its businesses.
Countless eyes turned toward Ye Linghan. "What a waste. Such a beauty is going to die here."
Many cultivators were astonished to see a woman of her beauty appear in such a place, and greedy smiles soon spread across their faces. Crude and vulgar remarks rang out from all directions.
The people who frequented this place were ruthless and vicious by nature. Compared to them, Diao Jiuzhi had only entered as a fighter in hopes of earning immortal stones. Since Ye Linghan had offered to buy Diao Jiuzhi's life, it was obvious that she wasn't short of wealth. As the daughter of Fourfold City's city lord, immortal stones were never a concern for her.
"No amount of immortal stones will change anything. You have two choices. Either come with us willingly, or we'll drag you away by force," the elder on the right said as he released an aura that surpassed even Ye Linghan's.
Although all three stood at the pinnacle of the Profound Immortal Realm, a tremendous disparity still separated them. Furthermore, powerful experts were undoubtedly hiding in the shadows.
"Mentor, don't concern yourself with me. Leave immediately!" Diao Jiuzhi shouted as he struggled to raise his head. The moment he had entered the cage, he was already prepared for death.
"No one leaves after violating the rules," the two elders said as they summoned strange weapons. Each weapon resembled a curved blade attached to a double-edged sickle, with a grip fixed at the center.
Even if Fighter Three killed Diao Jiuzhi right now, it wouldn't erase the fact that Liu Wuxie had broken the underground fight club's rules.
"Every underground fight club has both a life exit and a death exit. Tell me how to activate the life exit," Liu Wuxie said.
Although this was his first visit to an underground fight club, he understood its rules thoroughly. The death exit meant that the fighters would settle life and death once they entered the cage. The life exit, however, offered a chance to alter that outcome, and every underground fight club possessed such a rule.
The life exit existed to provide the host with a way out should they accidentally offend a powerful figure. Since the Eastern Emperor Pavilion stood as the strongest force in Eastern Emperor City, nobody had ever dared make trouble here. As a result, no one had ever used the life exit.
The Yin-Yang Elders immediately halted their actions. "You actually know about the existence of life and death exits?! Interesting!"
Liu Wuxie's composure didn't fit that of an ordinary High Immortal. That alone forced them to view him differently.
Ye Linghan stood there, confused, unable to understand what they were discussing. This was the first time she had heard of life and death exits. Among the crowd, only a handful of cultivators knew of their existence, while most had never heard of them before. The cultivators familiar with the life and death exits quickly began explaining them to everyone else.
"I want to challenge the life exit," Liu Wuxie said decisively. Only by succeeding could he save Diao Jiuzhi.
The moment those words left his mouth, an uproar swept through the entire underground fight club. News of the life and death exits spread rapidly throughout the venue.
Saving Diao Jiuzhi would be anything but easy. The life exit of every underground fight club was notoriously difficult to overcome.
"Why should we agree?" the Yin-Yang Elders asked. In their eyes, killing Liu Wuxie would be far simpler than granting his request. There was no reason to go through so much trouble, especially when no one had successfully opened the life exit in the last century.
"Since you operate an underground fight club, are you saying the rules here don't matter?" Liu Wuxie asked, a trace of ridicule entering his voice.
Since they ran an underground fight club, they were obligated to uphold both the life exit and death exit. That was a fundamental rule. If the Yin-Yang Elders refused, they would be the ones violating the rules. At that point, they would have no grounds to restrain him.
Just as the Yin-Yang Elders were about to reject Liu Wuxie's request, an ethereal voice echoed throughout the underground world. "Grant him his request."
The voice seemed to come from every direction at once, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.
"Understood!" the Yin-Yang Elders replied immediately. They didn't dare disobey that command.
Had they refused Liu Wuxie's request, news of the life and death exits would have spread quickly. Once that happened, the Eastern Emperor Pavilion's reputation would inevitably suffer. Besides, no one had ever succeeded in challenging the life exit. Every challenger throughout history had met a miserable end.
"Sign the life exit agreement," the Yin-Yang Elders said as they produced a contract and tossed it toward Liu Wuxie.
Ye Linghan leaned closer to read it. The moment she scanned its contents, she inhaled sharply.
"Don't sign it!" she exclaimed, trying to stop him. Since they would face death either way, fighting their way out at least offered a sliver of hope.
Liu Wuxie merely glanced at the agreement before signing his name. He then tossed it back to the Yin-Yang Elders.
"I'll explain the rules. If you fail the challenge, every one of you dies," the Yin-Yang Elders said as they put away the agreement.
"Let's begin immediately," Liu Wuxie replied. His only goal was to rescue Diao Jiuzhi. If they delayed much longer, Diao Jiuzhi would bleed to death.
The Yin-Yang Elders nodded. Soon after, a man approached carrying a plain outer robe embroidered with the number eight. From this moment onward, everyone would know Liu Wuxie as Fighter Eight.
"There will be ten consecutive battles. The number of opponents you face will continue to increase. If you're still standing after all ten battles, the challenge will be deemed successful," the Yin-Yang Elders explained. The agreement had already clearly outlined the rules. They were simple and direct.
The iron cage opened, and Liu Wuxie stepped inside. Meanwhile, Liang Han and Ren Fanfan entered the cage to carry Diao Jiuzhi out, and Ye Linghan immediately began treating his injuries.
The Yin-Yang Elders paid them no attention. Whether Diao Jiuzhi lived or died meant nothing to them when everyone involved would eventually die anyway.
The moment Liu Wuxie stepped into the cage, the overwhelming stench of blood made him frown. Years of slaughter had stained the floor a dark crimson. His opponent wasn't Fighter Three because the latter had already left the arena.
At that very moment, the iron gate on the opposite side swung open, and a terrifying aura rushed toward Liu Wuxie.
Shocked cries erupted throughout the crowd.
"It's Centipede Hands, Qi E!"
"It's been a long time since Qi E entered the arena. I never expected him to join the underground fight club!"
Qi E had once been Fighter One. In the past, he had achieved a five-match winning streak and earned an enormous fortune in immortal stones. However, he had disappeared several months ago. Only now did everyone discover that he had joined the underground fight club. The moment he appeared, he unleashed the aura of a ninth-level High Immortal and directed it toward Liu Wuxie.
"I'll twist your head off with a single move," Qi E declared.
He had survived hundreds of battles within the underground fight club, and everyone regarded that feat as nothing short of miraculous. No one knew exactly how much blood had stained his hands. Merely hearing his name was enough to make people shudder. Every opponent he defeated met the same fate. He would twist off their heads and then parade those heads around the arena for an entire lap.
Most people would lose the will to fight before such an opponent even attacked. In terms of aura alone, Qi E completely suppressed Liu Wuxie. Even ordinary first-level True Immortals wouldn't dare meet those murderous eyes.
The instant his words fell, Qi E shot forward. Countless palm shadows filled the air around him, creating a terrifying spectacle. This technique had earned him the title Centipede Hands. Rumor had it that he could unleash hundreds of strikes within half a breath.
"A first-level High Immortal against a ninth-level High Immortal? There's no suspense in this fight. I wonder where that brat found such confidence."
The spectators quickly lost interest. The disparity between the two cultivators was too great. There had been many geniuses throughout history who could challenge stronger opponents, but defeating someone eight levels higher was practically impossible.
Qi E crossed the distance instantly, arriving within three meters of Liu Wuxie. A foul wind accompanied his advance.
Suddenly, Liu Wuxie shifted one step to the left. That single movement allowed him to evade Qi E's attack with unbelievable precision.
"Brilliant!" countless spectators shouted as they watched Liu Wuxie avoid the strike.
The Yin-Yang Elders exchanged surprised glances.
"This brat's reflexes exceed those of ordinary people!"
Even the spirit immortals who had gathered nearby couldn't help but be astonished.
Qi E froze for a moment after missing his target. A moment later, overwhelming killing intent erupted from his body. If word spread that a mere first-level High Immortal had dodged his attack, it would become a permanent stain on his reputation.
He lunged forward again. This time, his speed doubled, and he moved like a giant centipede darting across the ground.
Just moments ago, he had arrogantly declared that he would kill Liu Wuxie in a single move. The moment he launched a second attack, that boast had already become a joke.
Faced with the incoming assault, Liu Wuxie remained completely calm. Relying solely on his footwork, he effortlessly avoided the attack once more.
This time, the entire crowd erupted. Dodging once could be dismissed as luck. Dodging twice in succession could no longer be called a coincidence.
"Brat, let's see how long you can keep dodging!" Qi E roared.
His fury exploded as he summoned a long blade and slashed downward from the sky. The appearance of his weapon immediately increased his combat strength.
The underground fight club imposed no restrictions on its fighters. As long as they could kill their opponent, any method was permitted.
Liu Wuxie summoned the Bloodthirst Blade.
The reason he hadn't retaliated earlier was simple. He wanted to force Qi E to reveal his weapon first. Although he could kill Qi E without using a weapon, doing so would require considerably more effort. More importantly, he couldn't risk exposing techniques such as the Great Five Elemental Immortal Art, which might reveal his identity.
The Divine Mystic Yin Needle was far too domineering. With so many experts watching, Liu Wuxie needed to keep a trump card in reserve. Under those circumstances, the Bloodthirst Blade was unquestionably his best option.
The moment he raised the Bloodthirst Blade, the blood-colored streak along its surface emitted a strange glow, as though the blade itself had smelled blood.
After all, the Bloodthirst Blade drew blood whenever it left its sheath, and years of slaughter awakened its true nature, especially in places drenched with blood. Had Liu Wuxie not forcibly restrained it, the blade would have already flown from his grasp.
The instant the Bloodthirst Blade appeared, Qi E's expression darkened. He couldn't explain why, but a chilling sensation crept up his spine the moment he saw the broken blade in Liu Wuxie's hand.
