"Tsk tsk, it didn't even take sixty breaths to take down the two Flower Striped Leopards, and I was just getting into it!" Chen Shang commented from the high platform behind the Combat Arena, twirling a corner of his mustache.

Sitting next to Chen Shang were Zhu Si and Liao Zhong, who had just joined them.

The three were supposed to be guarding the dormitory tonight, but lacking the patience for such duty, they sent a few Qi Refining disciples to watch the entrance and came to the Combat Arena themselves to pass the time.

"Feng Ling's strength is indeed commendable. He has managed to remain unbeaten in the Combat Arena for so long. He really has a few tricks up his sleeve, but it's a pity," Liao Zhong remarked.

"Haha! I must admit, I also think highly of him. Not to mention anything else, but generally, demon beasts below Second Level are no match for him," Chen Shang laughed heartily.

"Since Senior Brother Chen is so confident, would you dare to wager a bet with me?" Zhu Si suddenly asked.

"Oh, what kind of bet?" Chen Shang's eyebrows rose, showing interest.

"There was a White Rock Weasel that just arrived here recently. Let's bet on whether Feng Ling can handle it, shall we?" Zhu Si suggested with a smile.

"White Rock Weasel..." Chen Shang's expression grew serious.

The White Rock Weasel, a first-level Upper Stage demon beast, was fast and strong, covered with thick Scale Armor. Ordinary low-level spells couldn't penetrate its defense, and it could use Divine Skills similar to Earth Shaking. Even Qi Refining Eighth or Ninth Level cultivators would find it challenging, let alone Feng Ling, who had his cultivation suppressed to the Third Level of Qi Refinement.

"What? Senior Brother Chen, you were just boasting about Feng Ling's strength. Are you backing out after hearing the name White Rock Weasel?" Zhu Si's eyes flashed with disdain.

"Hmph, just a White Rock Weasel. Since Junior Sister Zhu wishes to bet, I'll naturally oblige. But I'm not interested in a small wager; let's go big!" Chen Shang declared, banging the table.

"What would you like to wager, Senior Brother Chen?" Zhu Si asked, showing no signs of backing down.

"This is the Golden Feather Saber I just acquired. Although it is only Mid Grade, its power isn't far off from a High Grade," Chen Shang said, pulling out a broad-backed saber that gleamed with golden light and slammed it on the table, making a loud 'bang.'

"Senior Brother Chen truly has a grand presence! It's just unfortunate that I, your Junior Sister, am without influential connections in the sect and quite strapped for cash, unable to produce an item of equivalent value," Zhu Si remarked with a glance at the golden saber and a smile.

"Why pretend to be poor, Junior Sister Zhu? I heard you acquired a bottle of Vessel Firming Pills recently. Would you dare wager that?" Chen Shang said with a cold laugh.

"Senior Brother Chen is indeed well-informed. Well then," Zhu Si responded, pulling out a white Jade Bottle and placing it on the table. The lid wasn't even opened yet, but a tantalizingly sweet fragrance was already faintly detectable.

"That's the spirit! Let's have Fellow Daoist Liao bear witness," Chen Shang eyed the white bottle, he-he chuckling.

"I wouldn't dare refuse," Liao Zhong agreed immediately.

With the bet set between the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the nearby Qi Refining guardians quickly went to make arrangements.

The next battle in the Combat Arena began swiftly. A White Rock Weasel, about half a zhang tall and clad in Scale Armor, appeared in the arena, eliciting gasps of surprise from the crowd.

The beast looked small, but its eyes glimmered with a cruel green light as it stared towards Feng Ling, its body emanating a bloodthirsty murderous aura.

"How could it be a First-level Upper Stage demon beast? How can we deal with this!" exclaimed the chubby mine slave, both shocked and furious, his face showing a desire to retreat.

Feng Ling's face also darkened. Seeing the White Rock Weasel charging at him with a tangible evil wind, he had no choice but to meet it head-on.

After a brief exchange, Feng Ling and his companion were immediately pushed into a tough battle.

The White Rock Weasel was not only strong and fast with its solid Scale Armor, but also agile. Feng Ling tried several times to flank it and lock its neck from behind, but the beast skillfully dodged each time.

"Zhou Zhuang!" Feng Ling, experienced in beast fighting, saw that his opponent was tough and immediately changed tactics, signaling with a glance to the chubby mine slave.

Zhou Zhuang, catching the hint, swept towards the left of the White Rock Weasel while Feng Ling rushed to the right, aiming for a pincer attack.

However, the White Rock Weasel, highly intelligent, let out a low roar and its front paws radiated bright yellow light, which it then stamped forcefully onto the ground.

The yellow light spread like water ripples, making the stone platform of the Combat Arena shake, causing Feng Ling and the chubby slave to lose their footing, disrupting their coordination.

The White Rock Weasel seized the opportunity to counterattack, lunging at Feng Ling.

Its hind legs also emitted yellow light, shooting out two spear-like rays of yellow light that skittered along the ground at an incredible speed toward Zhou Zhuang's legs.

Zhou Zhuang tried to dodge hastily, but was still grazed by the yellow light, resulting in blood gushing out.

The sight of blood stirred up excited cheers from the spectators.

Chen Shang's eyes gleamed with thrill, he lifted a cup of wine from the table and drained it in one gulp, while Zhu Si smiled silently.

As time slowly passed, Feng Ling and Zhou Zhuang soon accumulated several wounds.

However, the two of them aided each other well in defense, syncopating their moves effectively, which also began to inflict injuries on the White Rock Weasel, especially the five blood traces that Feng Ling tore across its head, almost gouging out an eyeball.

But overall, it was the White Rock Weasel that had the upper hand.

Chen Shang's brow furrowed, his expression turning impatient, he was about to send a message urging Feng Ling.

He knew Feng Ling possessed a secret technique that burned Essence Blood to temporarily enhance combat strength several-fold, enough to defeat the White Rock Weasel, otherwise he wouldn't have bet with Zhu Si.

Just then, a flashing blue light appeared on the stone walls above the dormitory, shaking it slightly.

"Why has the protective forbiddance of the mine been triggered? What's happened?" Chen Shang and the others were startled and stood up.

Seeing this, a flicker of joy passed through Feng Ling's eyes, and he leaped down from the high platform.

Zhou Zhuang had also reached the limit of his strength, and upon seeing this, he hurriedly flipped and jumped out.

The White Rock Weasel, restrained by the Secret Technique on the Combat Arena, could not follow and could only emit several howling sounds.

Feng Ling landed on the ground, where suddenly his feet slipped and he fell with a thud.

The ground beneath him cracked open abruptly, and a purple-black vine shot out, wrapping around his collar.

Chen Shang and the other two paid no attention to the situation on the Combat Arena, briefly discussed it, then left Chen Shang there while Liao Zhong and Zhu Si sped towards the underground void.

The guard disciples watching nearby also hurriedly followed them.

"Everyone, return to your quarters immediately. Without notice tonight, nobody is allowed to go out!" Chen Shang shouted.

The mine slaves who overheard this quickly left, and the once bustling Combat Arena became empty in the blink of an eye, except for the White Rock Weasel still standing on the platform.

Chen Shang, with an unsettled mind, no longer stayed on the high platform. He leaped to the ground and rushed towards the entrance of the dormitory.

That location was closer to the external underground void; any incident there could be conveyed at the first instance.

However, just then, a figure appeared ahead—it was Feng Ling.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Get back to your room and stay there. We'll settle the matter of your defeat in the battle later!" Initially startled, Chen Shang immediately shouted coldly and continued to move forward without stopping.

Feng Ling suddenly raised his hand and pointed, and a burst of powerful Mana fluctuations erupted from him, surprisingly reaching the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

The ground flashed with a yellow glow as seven or eight thick and sharp rock spikes burst forth with a bang, aiming at Chen Shang's legs with great speed and urgency.

Chen Shang was startled but, as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Guiyuan Sect with notable cultivation, his reaction was exceptional. His legs emitted a blue glow, and he leaped aside, narrowly evading several of the rock spikes.

"You restored your Mana? How is that possible! Who unlocked your collar?" After landing, Chen Shang immediately looked towards Feng Ling, noting his empty collar, his expression extremely ugly.

Feng Ling did not intend to explain to Chen Shang, and once again formed a hand seal. A batch of sharp rock spikes sprouted from the ground around Chen Shang, stabbing towards his lower body.

At the same time, he lunged forward, a blue light flashing at his fingertips, and a blue long saber magic artifact appeared, slashing towards Chen Shang's head.

Seeing Feng Ling fight as if staking his life, Chen Shang shuddered and swiftly slapped his storage bag on his waist.

A Silver Bell magic artifact appeared above his head out of thin air, thousands of strands of silver light cascading down to form a semi-transparent bell-shaped protective shield, enveloping his body within.

The Rock Piercing Technique and the blue long saber magic artifact clashed against the Silver Bell protective shield with "clang" "clang" sounds, being shattered and blown away, while the Silver Bell protective shield remained intact.

Seeing this, Chen Shang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Feng Ling, you dare collude with outsiders to sabotage the protective array and plot to escape? Wait to be apprehended by our Guiyuan Sect!" he shouted at Feng Ling and turned to rush outside the dormitory.

Even though Chen Shang did not understand how Feng Ling had restored his Mana and suddenly attacked him, his own safety was the paramount concern. As for the mine's safety, he did not care much about it.

"You're not getting away today!" Feng Ling shouted and immediately followed in pursuit, frantically chopping with the blue long saber against the silver protective shield.

A sneer crossed Chen Shang's face, continuing his earlier flight.

Just in that instant, the ground beneath him cracked open, and several thick purple-black vines shot out, swiftly wrapping around Chen Shang's legs.

Chen Shang, who had enhanced himself with a spell similar to the Wind Swift Skill, now had his legs entangled, causing him to fall to the ground suddenly.

His expression alarmed, he reached into his storage bag.

One of the purple-black vines wrapped around his legs shot out like an arrow, and with a "pfft" sound, it pierced his right palm and pinned it to the ground.

"Ah..."

Chen Shang, though of extraordinary origin, was cowardly and cautious by nature, having rarely fought against others. He had never suffered such pain before and was almost in tears.

A freezing power invaded his body, rendering him unable to move even half an arm immediately, and his Mana also became chaotic.

The Silver Bell protective shield trembled considerably, rapidly thinning by a large margin.

Chen Shang knew that it was a crucial moment of life and death, ignored the pain in his palm, and reached into his storage bag with his left hand.

A fragrant scent wafted through, and unbeknownst to him, a large cluster of purple spiritual flowers had bloomed on the vines entangling his legs, emitting bursts of floral fragrance.

Chen Shang hurriedly held his breath, but his body had already turned limp, his left hand falling down as well.

His Mana was completely disrupted, and the Silver Bell protective shield rapidly thinned, disintegrating completely after a few breaths.

A blue figure flashed by—it was the blue long saber shooting towards him, "piercing" through Chen Shang's lower abdomen Dantian.

Chen Shang's Mana dispersed completely, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He stared fixedly at Feng Ling, who approached slowly, his eyes revealing despair, unwillingness, and confusion.

"Want to know why I'm killing you? Remember the white-robed girl you killed in Wugou City eight years ago?" Feng Ling stepped slowly towards Chen Shang and slowly began to speak.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.