Let the show begin

Wang Jianqiang couldn’t help but steal a glance at the fierce woman beside him.

Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes shimmering with an unusual glow, brimming with anticipation.

At this moment, he finally confirmed it.

The feces were indeed freshly produced by this very woman.

And this lady undoubtedly had some peculiar tastes.

No wonder she was so enthusiastic about the matter.

Thinking of this, Wang Jianqiang felt both amused and exasperated. He glanced at Bu Yueban and Xiong Zhuang.

"Gentlemen, the stage is yours."

Bu Yueban’s chubby face and Xiong Zhuang simultaneously twisted into expressions uglier than tears.

Gritting their teeth, they crouched down with a mix of reluctance, indignation, and grim determination.

The moment they got close, the foul stench made their stomachs churn.

Suppressing their nausea, they exchanged a look.

With another fierce clench of their jaws, they shut their eyes, each grabbing a handful and shoving it into their mouths, smearing it all over their faces.

The sight nearly made the surrounding crowd vomit. Even Wang Jianqiang felt a wave of discomfort rising in his gut.

Only the fierce woman was an exception.

Her excitement only grew, her body trembling as her eyes sparkled with exhilaration.

"Damn it, why does it taste like garlic?!"

Two muffled voices rang out almost simultaneously.

Yue~~

The next moment, Bu Yueban and Xiong Zhuang dropped to their knees, retching violently, nearly vomiting up their bile.

After their violent heaving, they stood up, faces pale, and glared at Wang Jianqiang with venomous hatred.

"Wang Jianqiang, you’ve got guts. Just you wait!"

Wang Jianqiang frowned, fanning his hand in front of his nose. "Your breath is foul. Go brush your teeth first."

"You—"

The two trembled with rage.

Under the mocking gazes of the crowd, their faces burned with humiliation. They couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer.

Like fleeing rats, they slunk away in disgrace.

Watching their retreating figures, Wang Jianqiang sneered before turning his attention back to Arena No. 9.

Su Yutong, who had been knocked unconscious, had already been carried away. Only Wang Yuyao remained on the stage.

After each challenge, the defending champion was granted half an hour to recover.

Wang Yuyao sat cross-legged on the arena, seizing every second to recuperate.

Half an hour later,

she slowly opened her eyes.

Her spiritual energy had been severely depleted. Even after half an hour, she had barely recovered thirty percent.

Still, it was enough to restore some of her combat strength.

Below the arena, most challengers had exhausted their opportunities.

The few remaining challengers eyed Arena No. 9 with wariness.

Though Wang Yuyao’s foundation was weak, the sheer power of her magical artifacts made her a formidable opponent.

Her victory over Su Yutong, even while enduring the might of a talisman treasure, had left everyone in awe.

Even in her weakened state, none dared to challenge her lightly.

Rather than gamble on her condition, it was far safer to target the obviously weaker defenders.

For a time, Arena No. 9, like Arena No. 1, became a forbidden zone for challengers.

As time passed, the number of remaining challengers dwindled, and the tournament neared its final countdown.

Just as it seemed Wang Yuyao would emerge victorious without another fight,

Ye Lingyun, standing atop Arena No. 1, suddenly rose to his feet.

As one of the tournament’s undisputed top contenders, every move he made drew attention.

His action instantly pulled the crowd’s focus.

Under the watchful eyes of the spectators, he strode to the edge of the arena—and then,

he voluntarily stepped down.

The audience froze in shock.

What was happening?

Had Ye Lingyun just abandoned the first-place title that was practically his?

Just as this thought crossed their minds,

Ye Lingyun transformed into a streak of golden light, streaking across the plaza at blinding speed. In an instant, he appeared on Arena No. 9.

Only then did the crowd understand.

Ye Lingyun was here to avenge Su Yutong!

This was going to be good.

On Arena No. 9,

Wang Yuyao stared grimly at the domineering presence of Ye Lingyun, her teeth clenched.

The oppressive aura radiating from him filled her with unease.

Yet she refused to back down.

Before the tournament, Wang Jianqiang had shared his plan with her.

To help him, she had to secure a spot in the top ten.

So she couldn’t retreat!

Ye Lingyun wasted no words. The moment he stepped onto the arena, his palm slammed against the ground.

In an instant, a terrifying gravitational force erupted from the earth.

Wang Yuyao’s face paled as she was forced to her knees.

She desperately channeled the power of her Perfect Moonwater Robe, using its lunar barrier to resist the crushing weight.

But even the robe couldn’t fully negate the force.

She remained pinned on one knee, unable to rise.

"You seemed so impressive earlier," Ye Lingyun taunted, his voice icy.

"Where’s that little seal of yours? Use your strongest move now, or you won’t last three breaths against me."

With each step he took, the gravitational force intensified.

Wang Yuyao trembled violently, as though she might collapse at any moment.

Her lips, bitten hard enough to draw blood, were now stained crimson.

Just as she prepared to fight with her life on the line,

a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

"You can’t beat him. Surrender."

Wang Jianqiang!

Wang Yuyao hesitated.

"Jump off the arena now."

His voice returned, sharper this time.

Hearing the urgency in his tone, she finally acted.

Her Perfect Mystic Water Ring flashed, amplifying the power of her Moonwater Robe.

The protective lunar glow thickened.

With a sudden lightness, she dashed toward the edge of the arena.

"Trying to run?"

Ye Lingyun’s brow furrowed.

His hand shot out, fingers clawing at the air.

A monstrous gravitational pull seized Wang Yuyao, halting her in her tracks. Instead of moving forward, she was dragged backward.

Gritting her teeth,

she activated her Perfect Violet Jade Boots.

With the combined might of her three high-grade artifacts, she finally broke free.

Ye Lingyun snorted coldly.

His palm thrust forward.

The gravitational force transformed into a repulsive blast, slamming into Wang Yuyao’s back like a hammer.

Blood sprayed from her lips as she was hurled off the arena, crashing onto the ground dozens of feet below.

The impact rattled her organs, forcing another mouthful of blood from her.

At that moment, Ye Lingyun appeared at the arena’s edge.

His expression was frosty as he pointed a finger downward.

A devastating repulsive force shot toward the wounded Wang Yuyao like a shockwave, distorting the air in its path.