Chapter 97: The Arena
Evening had arrived, and with his missions complete and points in hand, Yu Xuan finally set his sights on the place where all grudges could be settled and every punch was legal.
The Arena.
To his surprise, it was located just behind the mission hall, tucked deeper into the town’s inner district. Despite all his time wandering around, he had never ventured this far before. The area was lively — more crowded and chaotic than anywhere else he’d visited.
The energy in the air was electric. Disciples patrolled the streets with heightened alertness, and further ahead, Yu Xuan spotted a massive coliseum like structure, its towering archways and glowing formation lines pulsing with spiritual energy.
A roaring crowd surrounded the entrance. There was even a line to get in, a long one.
"Whoa... they treat fighting like a festival out here," he murmured.
Curious, he stopped to ask a few passersby about the arena. A kind, older disciple, who wore the uniform of the Water Peak and had a gourd strapped to his back, took the time to explain.
Apparently, this area was the combat core of the town, one of the few places that attracted disciples from multiple peaks, though high-level visitors were rare. That said, due to this town’s close proximity to the main Elemental Heaven Peak, traffic from other peak was more common.
"The main coliseum?" the senior disciple said, stroking his beard. "That’s where Core Formation disciples and above fight. Those matches are part of the monthly ranking battles. Bettings are wild, but so are the fights. One second you’re watching someone duel, next second they’re in the healer’s ward."
Yu Xuan gulped.
"Below that level — Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment realm fights in the underground arenas. There are multiple entrances, see?" The man pointed to several inconspicuous looking stairwells near the side of the main arena structure.
"Those smaller duels are where fresh blood gets noticed. Sometimes scouts from the various peaks keep an eye out. Make a name there, and you could jump ranks fast."