Chapter 8 - Life-and-Death Duel

Outside the imperial capital, in front of the duel arena, a sizable crowd had already gathered. Apart from the usual onlookers, many young masters from the capital were also present. Today was the day of the life-and-death duel between Long Chen and Li Hao. Although duels were common here, such high-stakes battles to the death were rare. Moreover, this was a life-and-death duel between two young masters. Even though neither of them possessed earth-shattering power, the match still drew countless observers. In the city's most renowned gambling house, Blue Abyss Betting Hall, bets were open for the duel, offering choices to all gamblers: Li Hao's victory, offering 2 for 1 odds, Long Chen's victory, offering 10 for 1 odds. Because life-and-death duels don't allow for any possibility of deceit—especially between two young masters of noble status—the thrill of gambling on their lives was exceedingly enticing. For a while, even those who weren't habitual gamblers started placing their bets, albeit mainly on Li Hao's victory. Although Long Chen had defeated Li Hao previously, that was when Li Hao was caught off guard, allowing Long Chen to exploit an opportunity. Miracles tend not to happen twice. Still, a few thrill-seekers, willing to take risks for high returns, chose to bet on Long Chen's victory, though they were scarce in number. The betting booths were set up not far from the arena. The area for those betting on Li Hao's victory was crowded, while the section for those betting on Long Chen was almost deserted. "Thirty thousand gold coins on Long Chen to win." Suddenly, a tall man appeared in front of the registrar, throwing over a crystal card. "What?" The registrar was taken aback. The whole morning, he had only received around ten thousand gold coins collectively; he almost thought he'd misheard. The tall man was none other than Shi Feng. He had been entrusted by Long Chen to wager all the gold coins on himself. Long Chen predicted that his life-and-death duel with Li Hao, given their noble statuses, would be highly publicized by Blue Abyss. Even though Blue Abyss Betting Hall knew they stood to lose, they had to participate in such a high-stakes event to maintain their popularity. Their most lucrative operations were their internal wagers, but they had to engage in these external bets as well to avoid disappointing their clientele. But with their immense wealth, Blue Abyss could afford to take a loss for the publicity. Long Chen counted on this. Initially intended as a direct confrontation, the betting shifted to this external gamble: one even odds, the other ten to one. Long Chen knew what to do. Yesterday, with the help of Fatty Yu and others, Long Chen collected over twenty thousand gold coins, which he handed over to Shi Feng. Seeing Long Chen's confidence, Shi Feng also gritted his teeth and rounded the amount off to thirty thousand. Shi Feng's family wasn't wealthy. Due to their straightforward and hot-tempered nature, the Shi family wasn't great at business, making them actually less affluent than Fatty Yu’s family. To gather the money, Shi Feng even pawned his weapons and armor, aiming to take this leap of faith with Long Chen. After receiving the betting slip, Shi Feng's heart raced a few uncontrollable beats. "Brother, you better make sure of this. I've put all my assets on the line." As it approached noon, Li Hao arrived. With a light leap, he ascended the arena, causing a cheer to erupt. However, the cheers weren’t for his entrance but because the duel was about to commence—the spectacle awaited. Li Hao wore martial attire today, looking sharp and clean. A hint of arrogance flitted across his face: "Long Chen, the humiliation you gave me, I will repay tenfold." But after getting on stage, Li Hao waited for a long time, yet Long Chen didn’t appear. The crowd grew puzzled—could it be that he dared not come? Just as the crowd was perplexed, an elder guarding the arena said coldly, "The agreed duel time is three-quarters past noon. You're half an hour early. You can choose to wait on the stage or step down." Hearing this, an uproarious jeer erupted from the audience. The once-confident Li Hao looked bewildered: Damn, how could I forget to check the time? "No matter. I'll wait for him up here. After all, he's a dead man walking; his time is more precious than mine." Li Hao laughed lightly, sitting cross-legged on the stage with a certain grandeur. However, maintaining that demeanor soon proved challenging. Because it was noon, the sun was blistering hot, and the arena, paved with black rock slabs, was scorching—capable of frying eggs. Having already sat down, Li Hao couldn't stand up again. To preserve his image, he endured constant agony. Sharp-eyed spectators noticed a wisp of smoke beginning to rise from beneath Li Hao. Faces in the crowd wore strangely amused expressions. "This guy is truly ridiculous, putting on airs while suffering. At this rate, he’ll be cooked before the fight starts." A coquettish laugh came from one of the two veiled women watching the arena from afar. "In a word, he's pretentious," the other woman remarked with a shake of her head. "Dream Qi, we've been here for days. When do you plan to annul your engagement with him?" The woman called Dream Qi furrowed her brows slightly, replying in some distress, "Now that he's in a predicament, it feels too cruel to break off the engagement abruptly. I'm not really sure what to do." "But dragging it out isn't a solution either. Master has urged us several times to return to the mountains. If we don't go back soon, we might face punishment." "Besides, with your talent, you're destined to reach the innate realm and touch upon the heavenly way. You and he belong to different worlds—it was never going to work out," the other woman sighed. "Still, it feels wrong to do this to him. Let's just wait a little longer," Dream Qi gently shook her head, a hint of sorrow passing through her eyes. Just as the other woman was about to say more, a commotion in the distance caught their attention, drawing their gaze. They saw a man in a black robe, walking slowly through the crowd. With sharp brows and bright eyes, he exuded a unique charisma that gave him an extraordinarily profound aura. He was like a well—surface calm yet unfathomable. No one could discern the depths of his character or foresee his actions, making him an enigma. Even Dream Qi and her companion couldn't help but be captivated by the transformation in Long Chen. Compared to the previous days, he was brimming with confidence. Upon Long Chen's arrival, Li Hao leaped up from the ground. His fiery, aching backside filled him with rage. "Long Chen, get up here and die!" Li Hao shouted furiously. Without sparing Li Hao a glance, Long Chen scanned the crowd, spotting Shi Feng, who nodded at him. That settled Long Chen's mind. Not only did he see Shi Feng, but also Fatty Yu and others—clearly, they had come to cheer for him. Long Chen smiled at them, then turned and mounted the stage. Li Hao had leapt up, whereas Long Chen ascended the steps. Those who had bet on Long Chen suddenly felt a chill, fearing their money might be lost. "Long Chen..." Seeing Long Chen finally on the stage, Li Hao spat the name through gritted teeth. "Idiot, scorched your butt, have you?" Long Chen retorted with a cold smile. In truth, he had been there all along, watching from a distance in the shade, unnoticed. He saw everything unfold clearly. "It is now exactly three-quarters past noon. Both parties, sign the life-and-death contract." At that moment, the elder produced a document, and Long Chen, with a slight smile, signed his name. This was different from last time—there would be no surrender. The victor would have the right to decide the opponent’s fate. After signing, Li Hao glared at Long Chen with a contorted face, "Little bastard, today I'll return the humiliation you gave me a hundredfold." Now that the life-and-death contract was signed, the arena had become their battlefield with no need for referees. "Sharp blades heal quickly, but harsh words scar forever. Apparently, you don't understand. By provoking me over and over, you're forcing my hand." Taking a deep breath, Long Chen’s eyes filled with a deep killing intent. Since Zhou Yaoyang had insinuated he wasn’t Long Tianxiao's son, others began using those insulting words against him. "Die, you scum." Li Hao sneered, shouting fiercely as he channeled his spirit energy, visibly swirling around him. Spectators exchanged knowing glances. This time, Li Hao prepared defensively against Long Chen, learning from the last ambush where his guard was down. Although at the Qi Condensation Realm, he couldn’t project spirit energy outside, wrapping it around his body made him hard to hurt for ordinary folks. With his defenses set, Li Hao charged at Long Chen, hands clawing for his shoulders. His hands, brimming with spirit energy, were like iron hooks. An ordinary person would have their shoulder bones shattered upon contact. "Yes, Li Hao, cripple that waste!" A voice shouted from the crowd, none other than Wang Mang, who had half his teeth knocked out by Long Chen in the Imperial Academy. Now, with half his teeth missing and unable to afford costly pills for bone regeneration, Wang Mang had developed a deep hatred for Long Chen. Seeing potential victory, he couldn’t help but cheer loudly. His shout caused Shi Feng, Fatty Yu, and others to pale; throughout the bout, Long Chen showed no hint of his strength, making them anxious. Observing Li Hao’s attack, Long Chen smirked, stepping forward to meet him like a shadow. "Bam!" ...