Chapter 331 - 232: The Sideburn-Bearded Man’s Deal
The colossal Battle Arena was conspicuously out of place amidst the architecture of the Mortal World. Mu Can knew of the arena’s existence from descriptions within an ancient tome, where it was said to be a place of amusement for nobles. At that time, Mu Can had no clear understanding of what "nobles" meant and had even made a point to inquire further.
It turned out that the term referred to families with ancestors of extraordinary strength at their helm, whose power was passed down from generation to generation, sustaining and glorifying their lineage. Such families were recognized as nobles, and it was quite apparent that those Hidden Families within the Mortal World were indeed the most elite among them.
After all, not every family could boast of finding other spaces within the Mortal World suitable for human habitation.
The Battle Arena was a favorite pastime of these nobles for good reason; they delighted in capturing Gladiators and thrusting them into the Duel Arena for combat, while the crazed nobles placed massive bets. Back then, many families had the custom of rearing their own Gladiators. A family’s Gladiator winning a duel was a matter of great prestige.
Of course, the duels were not just between human Cultivators; they also included confrontations between Cultivators and Demon Beasts, or between Cultivators and powerhouses of other species.
The duel participants varied, but the result of the fight was invariable: death was the only conclusion. In that era, no one knew how many Battle Arenas existed in the Mortal World; participating in beast fights or gambling had become a vogue.
However, for some unknown reason, all Battle Arenas shut down overnight. Gradually, the grand structures decayed into ruins, upon which new constructions eventually rose.
Mu Can still vividly recalled seeking Xuanyuan Mingkong’s insight on the matter. Xuanyuan Mingkong answered his questions, explaining that a Gladiator had ascended, in silence, to the rank of Peak Martial Saint and destroyed all the Duel Arenas in one fell swoop. As a result, Duel Arenas became history, only to be discovered by chance in historical records by those like Mu Can.
And now, before Mu Can’s eyes stood such a grand and magnificent Battle Arena. The arena was a circular structure surrounded by spectator stands, whose unique design allowed everyone in the stands to clearly see the battles unfolding on the platform.