Chapter Eleven: The Carnage

Gate of Life and Death, Martial Arena.

On the field, the master of the Gate of Life and Death, Han Yuanzheng, appeared. He was a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, clad in a white robe, his deep-set eyes and tall, imposing stature radiating authority and dominance. Even without anger, he exuded an aura befitting a leader.

After the customary opening remarks, he handed the stage to Elder Lu Xingchang, the guardian of justice.

The seats below were filled to capacity. Besides the cultivators from the five sects, the elders and disciples of the Gate of Life and Death had come to watch. After all, endless cultivation could be monotonous; witnessing the five sects battle fiercely for resources brought a touch of excitement to their otherwise dull routines.

“Everyone, the rules of the tournament have been explained to each sect’s elders. Now, I will announce the rewards for participating cultivators. First place among the Golden Core cultivators will receive 5,000 mid-grade spirit stones and a secret manual for the Golden Core stage; for Foundation Establishment cultivators, 3,000 mid-grade spirit stones and one Spirit Fusion Pill; for Qi Refining cultivators, 5,000 low-grade spirit stones and one Foundation Establishment Pill,” Lu Xingchang proclaimed leisurely.

There were no rewards for second or third place. The Gate of Life and Death had offered them in the past, but they found that by the time of the awards, most second and third place winners were already dead, making recalculation troublesome. It was simpler to increase the reward for first place.

As Lu Xingchang finished speaking, a stir rippled through the crowd. Such generosity from the Gate of Life and Death! Even the disciples watching were tempted to participate.

When the excitement finally subsided, Elder Lu slowly announced the start of the five-sect tournament, beginning with the Golden Core disciples drawing lots.

Fu Shaojian, Wan Yanwen, and Teng Ziyi ascended the stage nervously, praying not to face the peak Golden Core cultivator from Silent Cavern in the first round.

Soon, the drawing concluded, and the matchups were set.

First round: Fu Shaojian versus Yan Zheng from Heartless Pavilion; Wan Yanwen versus Kuang Tiancheng from Immortal Farm; Teng Ziyi versus Li Xuan from Peach Blossom Sect.

Yan Zheng, also at the fifth level of the Golden Core, wielded a black spear. He launched an assault, black spear shadows engulfing the stage. Fu Shaojian refused to be outdone, his flaming red sword piercing into the storm of spear shadows. Both unleashed their full strength, ignoring defense. In an instant, Fu Shaojian was riddled with bloody holes, but his crimson sword pierced Yan Zheng’s throat. Yan Zheng collapsed slowly.

Both had only exchanged a single blow—one dead, one wounded.

The very first battle claimed a life. The disciples of the Gate of Life and Death cheered loudly, while the members of the True One Sect were delighted by their auspicious opening victory, though none could guess what Heartless Pavilion felt.

Fu Shaojian left the stage, quickly consuming healing pills. He did not grow arrogant from his victory, for today the dead was another, but tomorrow it might be himself.

Only a single sword was needed for the Golden Core cultivator from Silent Cavern to kill his opponent from Immortal Farm. Though both were Golden Core cultivators, the difference was stark.

Several more matches followed, each with casualties. In no time, Heartless Pavilion, Immortal Farm, and Peach Blossom Sect each lost a Golden Core disciple. Only Silent Cavern and True One Sect had yet to lose anyone.

When it was Teng Ziyi’s turn against Li Xuan from Peach Blossom Sect, Li Xuan waved her hands and filled the stage with a pink mist. No sounds of combat emerged from within. Before long, the mist dissipated, revealing a dagger lodged in Teng Ziyi’s heart. His face wore a satisfied smile, but he was already dead, sending a chill through the crowd.

Zhou Qi felt a pang in his heart. Watching disciples from other sects die meant nothing, but witnessing the death of someone he knew brought home the tournament’s cruelty.

Victory or death.

Zhou Qi noticed that among the spectators from the Gate of Life and Death, many had started betting—wagering on which sect would claim first place, how many the Silent Cavern cultivator would kill. The elders merely turned a blind eye, accustomed to such scenes.

Zhou Qi’s heart was filled with indignation—he pitied the disciples of the five sects and was chilled by the Gate of Life and Death’s disregard for human life.

Yet he supposed the Gate of Life and Death acted similarly when facing the Heavenly Dao Sect; it was all for survival and resources.

Wan Yanwen entered next, facing Kuang Tiancheng from Immortal Farm. Kuang Tiancheng wore a sincere smile, greeting Wan Yanwen and asking for mercy, saying that victory alone would suffice and begging for his life to be spared. Wan Yanwen replied agreeably.

Yet as they exchanged words and attacks, their hands were ruthless despite their polite words. Kuang Tiancheng wielded a spiritual tool resembling a rake, and with a swing aimed at Wan Yanwen’s crown. Wan Yanwen transformed into a streak of light, appearing behind Kuang Tiancheng and stabbing toward his back with his sword.

“Humph…” Kuang Tiancheng snorted coldly, spinning his rake to create a purple shadow enveloping Wan Yanwen.

Boom! Wan Yanwen was launched dozens of meters across the stage. Kuang Tiancheng’s first strike had only been a feint.

Wan Yanwen struggled to his feet, only to find the rake overhead. Unable to dodge, he gripped the rake with both hands, determination flashing in his eyes. The Golden Core in his dantian spun violently—he was about to self-destruct.

Kuang Tiancheng saw the imminent explosion and hastily tried to withdraw his rake.

With a thunderous bang, the blast engulfed the entire stage. If not for the array inscribed on the platform, it would have been obliterated.

As the dust cleared, only scattered scraps of flesh and bone remained, along with a sword and a rake lying on the ground. Wan Yanwen and Kuang Tiancheng had been reduced to nothing in the explosion.

The arena fell silent. Liu Piaopiao cried out in anguish, “Senior Wan…”

Cultivation was hard, and self-destruction was rare. No one expected Wan Yanwen to act so decisively.

True One Sect had lost two Golden Core cultivators, leaving only Fu Shaojian, the victor of the first match. The mood among True One Sect members grew heavy.

At last, the first round ended. Silent Cavern won two matches, Immortal Farm two, Heartless Pavilion, Peach Blossom Sect, and True One Sect each won one, with Peach Blossom Sect having one disciple pass by default.

The second round left eight contestants, paired off for duels. Unfortunately, Fu Shaojian was matched against Silent Cavern’s peak Golden Core disciple.

There was no contest—defeat was certain, and entering the stage was tantamount to suicide. The fifth civilization recognized that Golden Core disciples would inevitably be at the bottom; it was wiser to forfeit.

True One Sect’s withdrawal in this round relieved many, for otherwise all three Golden Core disciples would have perished. The deaths of Wan Yanwen and Teng Ziyi left everyone with chills.

Especially among Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators, the question was not whether they could win, but whether they could survive defeat.

After Wan Yanwen’s self-destruction, the remaining matches grew even more brutal. Some, seeing imminent defeat, immediately self-destructed their Golden Cores—two deaths were preferable to dying alone.

When the Golden Core duels concluded, Silent Cavern had won five matches, Immortal Farm and Heartless Pavilion three each, Peach Blossom Sect two, and True One Sect one.

In the Golden Core battles, True One Sect had finished at the bottom.