The Earth Fire Sect had sent a lineup composed entirely of old men, each with one foot already in the grave.

Was it because the Earth Fire Sect had no one left in its younger generation? Of course not. They had come with the intention of giving their last ounce of strength for their sect.

That was why as soon as the old man stepped onto the stage, he used every trick in the book to fight Song Changsheng to the death, even going so far as to burn his own lifeblood and self-detonate his Magical Artifacts. Had Song Changsheng been a rookie, he might have actually been intimidated by the man’s ferocious, death-defying aura.

Unfortunately for him, Song Changsheng had experienced many vicious battles since he began his cultivation and was completely unfazed. He slew the man in less than twenty exchanges, marking the first death in the arena tournament.

The enmity between Song Changsheng and the Earth Fire Sect was already an irreconcilable blood feud, so he didn’t mind adding a few more lives to his tally.

Watching the decapitated old man, Qu Jinsheng’s expression remained unchanged. After ordering someone to remove the corpse, he immediately sent out the second person, determined not to give Song Changsheng any chance to catch his breath and recover.

The Earth Fire Sect had brought five men this time, every one of them over ninety years old. They were seasoned, ruthless in their attacks, and unafraid of death. After fighting four of them in a row, even Song Changsheng, with his abundant Spiritual Power, was beginning to feel his stamina wane.

Still, the results were impressive. He had slain four Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivators—a loss the Earth Fire Sect could not easily afford.

However, if it meant they could kill Song Changsheng, Qu Jinsheng felt it was all worth it. The boy was too strong. His talent was terrifying—they feared he would be the next Song Xianming, or even the next Song Taiyi!

"Senior Brother, it’s all up to you now," Qu Jinsheng said, his tone cold and sharp as he looked at the last old man behind him.

"I will not fail the Sect Leader’s trust. To sacrifice this withered body of mine to eliminate a great threat to our sect... there is no better bargain in this world." The old man nodded solemnly, then walked onto the stage without a backward glance. In that moment, his gaunt frame seemed as imposing as a mountain.

Song Changsheng sized up his final opponent with a solemn expression. The man’s hair and beard were completely white, and he was decrepit with age, his entire body exuding an aura of death. He had to be at least one hundred and ten years old, approaching the lifespan limit for a Qi Cultivator.

He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. He knew that the true killing blow the Earth Fire Sect had prepared for him was about to be revealed.

The old man’s movements were slow, but his steps were steady. With every step forward, his aura grew more powerful, and his stooped body gradually straightened.

As he took the final step, the aura within him surged to its peak, surpassing that of anyone who had come before him.

Song Changsheng couldn’t help but be moved, a hint of pity in his voice. "Why throw your life away for a dandy like Chang Tianhua?"

The old man shook his head faintly. "I am not doing this for the Young Sect Leader. Although he is the Sect Leader’s son, in my eyes, he is just an ordinary disciple.

I am here for the centuries of glory of my Earth Fire Sect. I fight for the honor in my heart!"

The moment the word "fight" left his lips, the old man shot toward Song Changsheng like an arrow loosed from a bow. He wielded a large, ring-pommeled saber, and his every move was incredibly sharp.

Song Changsheng took a deep breath and clashed with him. The battle became white-hot from the very start.

Although the old man had used some unknown Secret Technique to greatly enhance his strength, a temporary boost was still just that. After less than twenty exchanges, he gradually began to show signs of weakening.

Just as he was on the verge of defeat, Song Changsheng keenly noticed that the man was clutching something in his hand.

’That must be the trump card he prepared.’

At that thought, Song Changsheng became extremely vigilant and quickened his assault, giving the old man no opportunity to use it.

The old man struggled to defend himself, looking extremely anxious but helpless. Finally, he made a careless move and was struck in the head by the Treasure Gourd that Song Changsheng controlled. His aura dissipated in an instant, and he collapsed to the ground.

After he fell, the object he had been clutching slipped from his palm. Song Changsheng took a closer look and saw it was a metal sphere.

"A Thunder Pearl, of all things." Song Changsheng recognized the metal sphere, and a wave of retrospective fear washed over him. A Thunder Pearl was a powerful, single-use consumable item.

Although this one was only Tier One, he wouldn’t have escaped unscathed from a close-range explosion. If it didn’t kill him, it would have left him severely injured.

He breathed a sigh of relief, preparing to pick up the Thunder Pearl from the ground.

Just then, the unexpected happened!

A red glow suddenly burst from the old man’s heart, shooting straight for Song Changsheng’s head.

Alarm bells screamed in Song Changsheng’s mind. He retreated explosively while simultaneously casting one Defense Magic after another in front of himself. Still not feeling safe, he also summoned the Water Element Shield to protect him.

The red glow arrived in the blink of an eye. In its path, Song Changsheng’s Defense Magic was as fragile as soft tofu, shattering instantly. The glow then slammed heavily into the Water Element Shield. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

CRACK!

The crisp sound made Song Changsheng’s heart plunge into an icy abyss.

The next moment, the Water Element Shield, a Tier One top-grade artifact refined from Gui Water Elite, was shattered by the red glow, exploding into a shower of fragments.

The red glow continued onward, its momentum undiminished, and exploded with a deafening roar less than ten feet from Song Changsheng.

BOOM!

An earth-shattering boom was accompanied by billowing shockwaves. The stone stage collapsed, kicking up clouds of dust and debris. The cultivators closest to the stage had to circulate their magic just to withstand the aftershocks of the explosion.

"Changsheng!"

Song Luzhou’s eyes nearly split with grief, his heart filled with regret. The old man’s disguise had been too perfect. Everyone had thought his trump card was the Thunder Pearl. No one had expected the true killing blow would be launched after his death, at the very moment everyone’s guard was at its lowest.

"Hahaha, the little bastard is finally dead!" Qu Jinsheng roared with laughter, his face alight with glee. The humiliation Song Changsheng’s mother had once dealt him was finally repaid in this moment.

The crowd erupted in an uproar. No one had expected such an outcome. The Earth Fire Sect was simply too treacherous.

Just as everyone thought Song Changsheng had met his end, rays of light pierced through the cloud of dust from the explosion.

Everyone’s gaze was immediately drawn to it.

The dust gradually settled, revealing Song Changsheng in the ruins of the stage. He was sitting cross-legged atop a jet-black Lotus Platform, his palms pressed together. Before him, a black and white Tai Chi Diagram spun slowly, emitting a hazy glow.

Although Song Changsheng’s face was a little pale, his aura was perfectly stable. He had survived!

Song Luzhou was overjoyed, but the audience was dumbfounded. ’He didn’t die even after all that? This Song Changsheng is a tough one to kill.’

Qu Jinsheng’s laughter died in his throat as if someone had suddenly strangled him. He stared at the unharmed Song Changsheng, his expression like he had just seen a ghost.

"Th-that’s impossible! That was a technique our previous Sect Leader left behind at the cost of his own lifespan! And it couldn’t even stop him?" Qu Jinsheng’s face twisted, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.

Song Changsheng opened his eyes and slowly stood up. In a voice ringing with vigor, he declared, "I, Song Changsheng, am here! I await your instruction!"

...