Chapter 0456: Gale Blade Technique
There were two doors leading in and out of the Beast Arena—one opened toward the audience stands, while the other led directly into the arena and the dueling platform.
"Big Brother Yi, Sister Zhao Ji, watch from the audience and see how I slay this ferocious beast," Mu Guiying said boldly, her face radiant with heroic spirit. With a carefree wave, she stepped into the arena.
"Let's go. Since she's made her decision and looks well-prepared, she must be confident. If there's real danger, I won't just sit by and watch." Yi Tianxing smiled, taking Cai Yan's jade-like hand and quickly entering the arena as well.
From the outside, the Beast Arena didn't look particularly large, but the interior was immense, capable of accommodating a massive number of cultivators.
Its entire layout resembled a giant funnel, with the center at the bottom being the Life-and-Death Dueling Platform.
At the very top were the VIP viewing boxes—private rooms with an unobstructed view of the entire arena, clear and wide.
At this moment, Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan were seated inside Box Number 1.
Inside the box, seasonal fruits were already laid out, and several maids stood by to attend to any orders. However, Yi Tianxing dismissed them all with a wave, letting them wait outside the door.
"Now that the Beast Arena is active, the atmosphere feels completely different. You can smell the bloodthirsty madness in the air," Yi Tianxing said as he gazed down at the arena. The stands were already filled with spectators—mostly citizens of the city, many of them bounty hunters. A trace of madness flickered in their eyes. Their blood was boiling.
The Beast Arena had always been the most primitive, frenzied, and brutal of battlegrounds. In here, one could cast off all restraints and release every suppressed emotion inside.
Anyone who entered would find their appearance automatically veiled by a strange mist, obscuring both face and aura—allowing them to fight unrecognizably. Venting here often led to greater inner harmony, and sometimes even breakthroughs in cultivation.
This was where light and darkness in human nature clashed.
It was also a true battlefield of life and death.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A crisp bell echoed through the Beast Arena.
All background noise was immediately drowned out. Excitement spread across the audience, and bloodthirsty glints shone in many eyes.
"The Life-and-Death Platform is now open. Challenger, step forth."
A divine light shimmered on the platform, forming blood-red words mid-air—letters formed from real blood, exuding a powerful stench. Anyone who saw them would instinctively feel overwhelmed, even fearful. This was not only a warning but a test of will. If one couldn't even stand this pressure, they wouldn't dare step onto the platform.
To stand on this stage, one had to cast away thoughts of survival.
Whoosh!!
"I'll go!!"
With a crisp voice, Mu Guiying—dressed in tightly fitted battle garments—leapt onto the platform. Her outfit perfectly accentuated her athletic figure while remaining practical for combat. In her hand, she held a long and slender war blade.
The blade, slender and elegant, was clearly designed for a woman. It was no ordinary weapon—it had been custom-forged by the Dwarven House and was called the Azure Phoenix Blade. It was inscribed with wind-attribute runes, making it exceptionally light and as swift as lightning. It could double or even multiply the speed of the wielder's strikes.
"That's the young lady of the Mu family—Mu Guiying, daughter of Mu Yu from the old Mu Village. She's been heroic since birth, no less capable than a man. In Xuanhuang City, she's especially close with the City Lord's wife—almost like sisters."
"So it's her! With her temperament, she would definitely want to become stronger. No wonder she came to the Beast Arena. But I wonder what kind of beast she'll face. There are hundreds, even thousands of species here. No one knows what new monsters might've emerged from crossbreeding."
"This will be interesting. Few dare step onto the Life-and-Death Platform, and even fewer are women. She's one of the rare ones. I wonder how strong she really is."
Mu Guiying was well-known in the city. Because her father had led their mountain stronghold to join Yi Tianxing, her status was high. Many citizens still remembered how that stronghold had once protected them.
Seeing her now, concern flickered in many people's eyes.
Whoosh!!
The moment Mu Guiying stepped onto the platform, a flash of light instantly selected her opponent. That was one of the mystical powers of the Death Arena—it could instantly analyze the challenger's strength and match them with a suitable beast.
"It's the Shadow Panther—an incredibly fast predator of the forest. When it attacks, it moves so quickly that it becomes a blur. Its true body is nearly invisible, a perfect killer in the dark. I heard it was only captured after being seriously injured, and even then it gravely wounded two hunters before being subdued."
"Too fast… It's the worst kind of enemy to face in a fight. I'm worried Miss Mu won't be able to handle it."
In the crowd, many cultivators gasped in alarm.
"That reckless girl! She actually entered the Life-and-Death Arena without telling me!"Mu Yu, seated among the spectators, turned red with fury. He wasn't angry that she wanted to fight—he was furious she hadn't even told him. But now, nothing could be done to stop it.
"A Shadow Panther... its speed alone makes it deadly. Against an opponent like this, the risk is immense," Yi Tianxing muttered from the viewing box. Even among beasts of the same tier, speed-type enemies were the most dangerous. Most people didn't even realize they were dead until it was over.
"Dear, can't you intervene in the Life-and-Death Arena at all?" Cai Yan asked anxiously.
"Let's observe first," Yi Tianxing replied calmly.
He was curious. A Shadow Panther would be easy for him to kill in a blink, but among peers, it was nearly untouchable. This was a good chance to evaluate the true strength of the legendary Mu Guiying.
ROAR!!
The Shadow Panther had the size of a young bull, its sleek black body radiating the beauty of speed and power. Its eyes locked onto Mu Guiying—cold and predatory.
With a roar, it lunged like a bolt of lightning, leaving behind countless afterimages on the stage. A chilling murderous aura surged forward.
Somehow, the beast had instantly appeared behind her, its razor-sharp claw swiping at her heart from behind—ready to tear it into shreds.
"Kill!!"
But Mu Guiying moved as if she had eyes on her back. Her feet shifted rapidly, and her form flickered into multiple phantoms. Each one looked solid and real.
The claw passed straight through one of the images, which dispersed like mist.
It was a movement technique—Phantom Step (幻影步)!
Phantom Step allowed her to create up to nine illusory clones, each nearly indistinguishable from the real body. She had acquired this technique from the Scripture Pavilion and had trained it to an advanced level. Her combat instincts and reactions were razor-sharp.
As soon as the Shadow Panther made its move, she immediately countered—what it hit was just a phantom.
Clang!!
A crisp blade-drawing sound rang out. The Azure Phoenix Blade radiated a gentle breeze, its edge flashing dangerously.
In an instant, she struck.
Streams of azure blade-light flickered like ribbons in the wind, converging into a storm. Her slashes rained down like a gale.
Gale Blade Technique (狂风刀法)!
Fast—fast—unbelievably fast!
Each strike moved like a gust of wind, wrapping the panther in a storm of deadly blade-light.
But the Shadow Panther lived up to its reputation. It danced through the blade-light with uncanny agility, avoiding each strike by mere hairsbreadths.
Every dodge was perfect.
Now and then, it struck back with a claw, forcing Mu Guiying to evade.
Phantoms and afterimages flashed wildly across the platform.
The battle instantly entered a white-hot phase.
Any moment could decide life or death.
Down below, the audience was on the edge of their seats.
This was a duel between masters. Every second was breathtaking. One mistake, and it would all be over.
"Such speed... Her blade strikes are like a storm—unending and relentless. That must be the Gale Blade Technique. They say that once it's mastered, one can even comprehend the Blade Intent of the Gale, where the blade becomes so fast it's invisible."