Arena
"Master, I have something to ask," Yang Wu bowed to Yu Jing, who was smoking his pipe while sitting on a golden cushion.
"Go on, do I look poor?" Yu Jing snorted and toyed with a few Qi Stones, the currency of that world, with his fingers.
"I'm feeling great distress," Yang Wu sighed and made himself look tired, "If not for it, I wouldn't disturb Master."
"Ugh, just say what you want and stop the act!" Yu Jing felt disgusted.
"Cough," Yang Wu contained himself and asked, "Can I give up my position as your successor?"
Yu Jing was genuinely surprised, and asked, "Why?"
"It's troublesome," Yang Wu's face seemed to grow old as he explained, "I just want to cultivate in peace."
"No!" Yu Jing snorted, "You need to become a Peak Master!"
"For your objective?" Yang Wu sighed, already expecting it.
"Since you knew, why bother asking?" Yu Jing said with dissatisfaction, "Moreover, aren't you attracted by the benefits of becoming a Peak Master? Not only that, don't you know the benefits of being a 'Lineage' disciple?
"Although you are yet to make a successful debut, and thus are unable to enjoy all benefits. Once you prove yourself worthy, the resources available to you will make you unable to process reality!"
"Master, I understand!" Yang Wu accepted reality and asked, "I have another thing to ask, can Master give me something to hide my identity?"
"What are you planning?" Yu Jing asked with narrowed eyes, with smoke slowly flowing from between his teeth, "Do you want to peep the beauties taking a bath? Don't court death!"
'Do you think I'm you?' Yang Wu silently cursed.
"No, I want to fight in the Arena, but I don't want to show my identity," Yang Wu explained, "I don't want my future enemies to know about my hole cards."
"Tsk, boring fellow," Yu Jing looked down on him and gave him a white mask, it had a simple shape and seemed to be the most plain mask Yang Wu had ever seen.
"It's a Third-Level Treasure, normally only someone on the Golden Core Realm would possess it, so be careful to not lose it!" Yu Jing patiently explained, "It can change your external aura and appearance, nothing about the Real you will be revealed as long as you wear it. But you need first to refine it thoroughly."
"Thank you, master!" Yang Wu was genuinely happy, "I can finally vent my energy somewhere."
"Well, there's another place for you to vent your energy," Yu Jing suggested with deep eyes, "It's a hidden place, and only the most learned of men can find it!"
"Hmm" Yang Wu was quite sure his master was about to talk nonsense again, but still waited for him to say it.
"Cough. Despite being cultivators, we are still men, after all, we need to get to relieve ourselves..." Yu Jing said while massaging his beard.
Yang Wu twitched the corners of his mouth and stayed silent.
"Tsk, go away," seeing Yang Wu's strange expression, Yu Jing waved his hand and made Yang Wu get trowed like trash outside his room.
'Bastard!' Yang Wu cursed in his heart, but was still happy he got what he wanted, a way to fight!
He went to his room and began to refine his new treasure with his True Qi. It was rather similar to how a martial artist refined his treasures with his Qi Blood.
After only a few hours, it was thoroughly refined, and it was only possible because the treasure didn't require much energy to operate. If it was a weapon-type third-level treasure, he would never have been able to refine it.
The mask appeared inside his Dantian, a sign it was thoroughly refined. Yang Wu summoned it and wore it on his face, all his traces began to change. From his soul and body's auras to the height of his body. Of course, it was only an external appearance, his true body was still the same.
Not wanting to wait any longer, for his blood was on the verge of erupting, Yang Wu got up from his cushion and went to the Arena.
The Arena was a place where all kinds of people, of many different Sects, gathered to fight or watch. It was also the favorite place of gamblers.
The Arena wasn't owned by any Sect, it was an independent organization but possessed numerous branches. Just in the Broad Sky Sect, it had a branch in every Peak, even the poor Outer Sect wasn't spared.
Seeing a burly masked young man approaching, the steward of the Arena smiled and greeted, "Welcome to the Arena, you seem to be a new face, do you need help?"
"I want to fight!" Yang Wu shortened his words, he was growing impatient.
"Of course, of course," the steward laughed and called, "Little Ying, come here and guide our dear customer!"
A young girl soon appeared, she seemed to have been doing some hard labor as sweat flowed from her cheeks.
"She will guide you to your Seat, please follow her," the steward was dissatisfied with the girl's appearance but didn't say anything outright.
"Please follow me, sir," the girl greeted Yang Wu, "My name is Lu Ying, I'm one of the employees of the Arena."
Yang Wu nodded, "My name is Yin Ming, an inner disciple."
"Do you prefer to pay now or later?" Lu Ying asked with a blooming smile.
Yang Wu took a bag of Qi Stones from his storage ring and gave it to her.
Lu Ying didn't bother to count the amount and just guided him to one of the many crystal seats in the building, it was called "Illusory Bridge."
It can connect someone's mind to an illusory world, similar to reality, where one can fight against other people without the risk of dying.
"No," Yang Wu suddenly shook his head, "I don't want this kind of service."
"You mean..." Lu Ying understood, "Do you want to fight the old way?"
"Yes," Yang Wu nodded.
"Follow me," she said and led him to the underground of the Arena.
Yang Wu began to feel the scent of blood and hear the shouts of many, it was the Underground Arena, the place where people wanted to fight while risking their lives, and also a place where the potential gain was higher.
It was just like a stadium, but underground, and many people watched the fighters in the center of the ring. The fighters were both cultivators, but they fought rather brutally, their moves didn't carry the common destructive force of a cultivator, keeping the damage confined to both of their bodies.
"The ring is a special artifact," Lu Ying began to explain, "It suppresses the destructive power of a cultivator's moves, consequently suppressing one's overall strength. It's a necessary tool, however."
"To keep the money flowing, right?" Yang Wu added, he knew the reason for it.
"Hehehe," Lu Ying didn't explain further.
"A new fighter?" a man asked as he noticed them approaching him.
"Hello, Uncle Gu, he is!" Lu Ying nodded.
"Boy, why bother using such an artifact? Are you owing money?" the man surnamed Gu asked, "My name is Gu Qing, I'm the manager of this place.
"What is your name and cultivation base?"
"I'm Yin Ming," Yang Wu nodded and didn't explain his reasons, "I'm currently at the Seventh Layer of the Qi Refining Realm." He lied about that, but since his Martial Practice had equivalent strength, it wasn't a problem.
"A Qi Refinement Realm Inner Disiciple?" Gu Qing was surprised, "It's a bit rare, but we can arrange a few fighters to match you."
"Since you want to fight, you need to first sign this contract," Gu Qing handed a paper to him, "I don't want the Sect to think we are villains."
The contract was about how Yang Wu agreed to assume all responsibility for his actions and also other things such as the payment for each victory.
Yang Wu didn't hesitate and signed the contract his his true aura.
"Sit there and wait for me to call your name," Gu Qing pointed at a place close to the ring, "Don't worry, I will arrange a fair fight!"
"Good luck!" Lu Ying cheered on him and went back to what she was doing before.
"That girl..." Gu Qing sighed, "How can she leave a customer alone like this?"
"There's no problem," Yang Wu shook his head and went to the place where Gu Qing pointed, there were many people there waiting for their fight as well.
Some of them looked at Yang Wu briefly and then ignored him.
Yang Wu sat on a random seat and closed his eyes, he patiently waited for his time
Time flowed quickly, Yang Wu spent it regulating his condition.
"The next contenders!" a loud female voice echoed in the whole arena, "Yin Ming, Seventh Layer of Qi Refining Realm, without a historic of fights. Wu Xian, Seventh Layer of Qi Refining Realm, with a historic of three wins and one defeat!
"Those who feel lucky, please place your bets! The fight will begin in five minutes!"
Yang Wu opened his eyes slowly and walked towards the ring, he already saw his opponent, a tall young man with a sword hanging from his waist.
When the two arrived in the ring, both felt the surprising force of that artifact. Yang Wu discovered his True Qi was almost completely sealed in his Dantian, and even his Qi Blood was affected and turned extremely difficult to use.
Wu Xian seemed to be a man of few words, he didn't say anything and just prepared himself for the beginning of the fight. His sword was shining with bright blue light.
"Where is his weapon?" some people who gambled on Yang Wu were confused and began to wonder what the young man would use to fight.
Yang Wu used a basic fighting posture and prepared for the beginning of the fight.
"Fuck! Is he going to fight barehanded!?" Some people cursed and regretted betting on the new face.
"Hey, you two," Gu Qing shouted and said, "When the stone falls on the ground, begin!" He then threw a small stone in the ring.
When the stone touched the ground, Wu Xian's sword was almost touching Yang Wu's neck, but it was just an afterimage, he was behind Wu Xian and punched him without any technique.
Wu Xian reacted and easily blocked it with his sword, the shock produced between the fist and sword made many surprised.
"Fuck! That guy has a special constitution!" many reached the same conclusion, there was no other way for a cultivator to possess such a strong body with that level of cultivation base.
Yang Wu and Wu Xian both took distance from each other just to attack again, Wu Xian used an exceptionally fast sword technique, while Yang Wu used pure brute force to fight.
After exchanging dozens of blows, both knew it was going to be a long fight unless they gave their best.
"Please be careful," Wu Xian warned and sheathed his sword, a sharp domain began to surge around him.
"Sword drawing?" Yang Wu muttered with narrowed eyes, "Take my fist!" Although he said that, he attacked with a flying kick, his body was faster than before.
Wu Xian drew his sword with such speed that the air of the arena seemed to feel pain.
Just as the sword and feet were about to touch each other, Yang Wu retreated his leg and attacked with his knee. Because the sword was aimed at his feet and Wu Xian's strength was too concentrated on it, he was unable to retract the sword in time to block.
Yang Wu's knee hit Wu Xian's face with such violence that his body was sent flying and hit the transparent barrier formed around the ring.
"Damn!" Wu Xian cursed as he slowly got up from the ground, blood flowed from his mouth and his face began to swell.
"Well done!" the people who betted on Yang Wu were happy to see that scene and cheered on him.
"Still conscious?" Yang Wu was surprised, he was sure his blow was strong enough to knock his opponent unconscious, "You are rather tenacious."
Wu Xian took a deep breath and sheathed his sword again.
"Again with that move?" Yang Wu raised his eyebrows and attacked, this time he punched toward Wu Xian, the air around his fist was so hot because of the friction that his clothes began the tendency to burn.
Wu Xian didn't immediately draw his sword, but stepped to the side, cleverly avoiding Yang Wu's punch, and only then he counter-attacked.
This time, his sword seemed to contain his fury and full strength, Yang Wu felt some danger and quickly reacted, using his knee again to hit the flat side of the sword, making it fly from Wu Xian's hand.
Wu Xian was shocked, he never imagined Yang Wu would be so precise and hit the sword at the right time, even at that speed.
"Are you a pure swordsman?" Yang Wu asked.
"Huh?" Wu Xian was still shocked but answered, "Yes, I guess."
"Then admit defeat, you can't continue the fight," Yang Wu shook his head, a bit disappointed with the easy win.
"I... Admit defeat," Wu Xian sighed and picked his sword from the ground, he quit the ring with a depressed face.
"Hey! Match me with a stronger opponent next time!" Yang Wu shouted to Gu Qing.
"Are you still fine to fight?" Gu Qing asked.
"Yes, I am!" Yang Wu's eyes shone.
"Xu Qian, Eight Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, your opponent has been changed, go to the ring!" Gu Qing laughed and decided on the spot.
Next to the ring, a man opened his eyes, took his spear, and walked towards his opponent.