Chapter Fifty-Five: The Strange Man Draws Attention

“I knew you would support me!” Yu Shang was so happy that he gave Xiao Yin a playful punch, but unlike before, this gesture carried the deep bond of brotherhood between them. Though everyone worried about him and didn’t want him to get hurt, he still felt grateful, for he knew so many good brothers cared for him. Yet, what he truly yearned to hear was not their advice to give up, but their unwavering support and belief in him—this was more important than excessive protection. Xiao Yin, who had accompanied him for years, understood his thoughts and gave him the words and confidence he most desired.

“Not only does he support you—look, we all do! Even though we’re worried, you’ve already agreed to this, so what else can we do? We can only wholeheartedly support you, but you must promise us not to wager your life for victory. If you lose, so be it—it’s nothing to fear. At least you can start again. But if you lose your life, there’s no second chance!” Yan Xue Su, seeing him so resolute, stopped the others from speaking further and smiled at him. As Xiao Yin had said, Yu Shang had already made up his mind; nothing anyone said could sway him now. So why waste more words? Better to give him trust and encouragement, to support him as he ventures forth—everyone must face trials to grow stronger, and without difficulties, one never discovers their own limits.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you down!” Yu Shang replied resolutely, his tone full of confidence. This was not only an answer for everyone, but also a promise to himself: no matter how formidable his opponent, he could not lose. If he missed this opportunity, he might never have the strength to come back again. Even if left with only one breath, he would rise and fight to the death, making his last effort. This was his responsibility to himself—he would not allow himself to suffer a crushing defeat. Others might think he cared too much about victory and defeat, to the point of suffocation, but without such resolve, his path ahead would be far more difficult. A king is born to carry the heavy burden of victory; he cannot lose, nor can he afford to lose.

“All right, it’s time for you to go to the arena and see for yourselves. Follow me!” The old headmaster said, then strode ahead swiftly. The others glanced at each other and followed. For some reason, as Yu Shang watched the old headmaster’s back moving forward, he felt more and more as if he were a messenger from hell, leading them into a fierce and unknown world, luring them step by step toward a bottomless abyss.

They walked for an indeterminate time before finally reaching the competition grounds. When Yu Shang saw it, he couldn’t help but marvel silently: “The Yan Lan Academy is even more vast than it appears, with competition grounds stretching as far as the eye can see, their end invisible. No wonder so many wealthy families coveted it, even resorting to force. Who wouldn’t want to possess such a treasured place? It’s no wonder the great elder chose to live in seclusion here—if the tragedy he caused were ever exposed, he would be ruined, hunted by all, and the academy would become everyone’s target, devoured by wolves, with not even bones left. But why must this crucial secret be revealed to me? What scheme does the so-called great elder have, dragging me into this? Does he not fear I will betray his secret?”

A string of questions plagued him, their answers far too tangled and complex, beyond his imagination.

Of course, the arena was a battlefield where dragons and tigers clashed, neither yielding. Sometimes, a single move determined defeat. The excitement among the spectators rivaled the matches themselves—some gesticulated wildly, their enthusiasm surpassing even the competitors. They cheered and leapt, wishing to rush onto the stage and battle themselves, while some young women watched their idols with bright eyes, eager to see them defeat opponents with grace. Yet, when their idols faced danger, they grew tense and dared not even breathe, fearing to distract them.

There was not just one stage; Yu Shang glanced across the crowd and saw five arenas constructed amid the sea of people. Clearly, the old headmaster had designed this specially for their five teams. The competitors on each stage had varying levels of cultivation, evidently pre-assigned by the academy; now, it was only a matter of selecting the strongest to face them. Indeed, the people of Yan Lan Academy were shrewd old foxes—ever since they entered, they had been watched and plotted against.

Suddenly, Yu Shang’s attention was drawn to a competitor on one of the platforms. The man’s skin was deathly pale, yet he wore a black battle robe that contrasted sharply with his complexion. On his face was tattooed a scorpion—so vividly rendered that its venomous tail seemed able to pierce a heart and inject poison, torturing its victim to death. Its pincers looked powerful enough to break an opponent’s neck with a squeeze. The odd shape of its head glowed faintly green, as if it could cloud a person’s mind and leave them dazed.

The man’s attacks were swift, precise, and ruthless, treating his opponent as a mortal enemy and seemingly intent on killing him. His eyes brimmed with hatred, as if the person before him was bound by a blood feud. At the moment he turned to counter his opponent, his gaze locked with Yu Shang’s, and a tense, inexplicable atmosphere spread between them. Then the man gave Yu Shang a cold, cruel smile before resuming his fierce battle.

Yu Shang felt a premonition that this would be his final opponent, and that the man’s cultivation was at least equal to his own—perhaps even superior, making victory uncertain. Suddenly, Yu Shang remembered something and quickly turned to ask Yin Boxuan, “Brother Yin, do you know who this man is, and why he has such a strange tattoo on his face?” He sensed the man had some ulterior motive for joining the competition, and it wasn’t merely to enter the mysterious region. He felt the man carried too many burdens, enough to exhaust even a bystander like himself. Yu Shang didn’t understand why he suddenly had such thoughts—was this the so-called kinship between heroes?

Yin Boxuan followed Yu Shang’s gaze and his eyes brightened with excitement. “He’s quite remarkable. Though he’s a slave of the Nightshade Clan, he’s treated like a young master. Anyone unaware would think he was the next heir! See the tattoo on his face? That’s the clan’s mark for slaves, meaning he belongs to them for life.” Yin Boxuan looked at the man with a hint of envy, clearly intrigued by the story behind him. If given the chance, he’d love to hear it firsthand!

“Nightshade Clan? That name is certainly imposing. Brother Yin, do you know his name?” Yu Shang sneered and shook his head, continuing to ask.

“Not only is the name imposing, but their power is formidable! The clan dominates the entire human realm—except for a few areas outside anyone’s jurisdiction, everything else is under their control. Their authority rivals that of the imperial family.” Yin Boxuan spoke passionately, revealing his longing for such supreme power. Who wouldn’t want to wield such influence? Even Yu Shang was no exception. After a long silence, Yin Boxuan suddenly remembered, “Ah, yes! His name should be ‘Ye Wangchen.’” For some reason, his expression was conflicted as he spoke, perhaps unaware of the name’s true significance.

“Ye Wangchen…” Yu Shang repeated the name quietly, almost as if enchanted. “What a name—forgetting the dust of worries, forever out of reach!” Then he laughed aloud, drawing puzzled looks from those around him. After grasping the meaning of the name, Yu Shang suddenly felt a strong desire to face this man, to see if he was truly as formidable as rumored. Perhaps it was the mutual recognition of heroes, but Yu Shang sensed a unique affinity, though before that, a deadly battle would be unavoidable.

“Hey, brat! What scheming are you up to now? Laughing so slyly, someone’s bound to suffer!” When Xiao Yin turned to Yu Shang and saw him staring mischievously at the strange young man on stage, he knew there must be something unusual about him—otherwise, he wouldn’t have captured Yu Shang’s attention.

“Haha! You’ll find out what trick I’m planning soon enough!” Yu Shang joked, clearly anticipating many interesting events ahead.

“Brother Yu, let’s go over there to watch. Master has already arranged the best seats for us, so we can observe the changes all around.” Lan Bingxian, who had been absent for a while, suddenly approached, smiling as if he had encountered some good fortune. Yet, whenever Yu Shang heard the old headmaster’s name, he felt uneasy, growing more convinced that the old man was calculating to the last moment—even making his departing disciples work until the very end.

“All right.” Yu Shang gave the man a meaningful glance, then followed the others to the center of the arena and took a seat. No sooner had he sat down than he felt a powerful gaze strike his back, sending a chill through him. Turning around, he saw the great elder sitting behind him, calmly drinking tea. Odd—hadn’t the old man said he had more important matters during the competition and wouldn’t be watching? Why was he now here, watching with them, looking so pleased? It seemed none of the old man’s words could be trusted—perhaps the moment you believed him was the moment you fell into his trap, becoming subject to his schemes.