Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “You might laugh at me for saying this, but a good friend of mine became a bandit. He personally witnessed a black-haired man wipe out his Orchid Coral Island. The eleven Highgods on the island, the leader included, all died. That black-haired man only used a single blade attack! My friend and the other ordinary bandits immediately fled in every direction. Most likely, that expert couldn’t be bothered to chase down and kill ordinary Gods.”

  The discussion between these two was overheard by quite a few people nearby, and these people all began to discuss the matter amongst themselves as well. Clearly, the news of many powerful bandit forces being destroyed was no longer a secret.

  “This is true. Roughly a month ago, it seems as though one of the Highgods of Blueshark Island’s bandit forces escaped. All the others died.”

  Linley’s group, hearing these conversations, couldn’t help but sigh in amazement.

  “Destroyed so many bandit forces, all by himself?” Bebe sighed, somewhat surprised. Olivier frowned. “Black-haired man? Everyone, do you still remember that man who resisted those thunderbolts back then that we ran into?”

  Linley’s mind immediately drifted back to the scene of the Fogsea Storm, and how that man who carried a warblade on his back resisted the lightning bolts. That man had a head of black hair.

  “If it was him, he probably really did have the power to destroy all those powerful bandits.” Linley said to himself. At the same time, Linley also thought of how when they had encountered a small group of ordinary bandits, that black-haired man had immediately attacked and killed them.

  Clearly, the black-haired man held a deep hatred for bandits.

  Linley’s group chatted while eating.

  “Linley, these dishes are excellent. Have a taste.” Delia said. Linley couldn’t help but to turn and smile at her. But right at this moment…“Bang!” A wild, explosive collision sound rang out on the second floor of the restaurant.

  Immediately, the other customers on the second floor were startled. Linley turned to look, and noticed that two people were fighting each other, moving as fast as lightning. “Clang!” Divine artifacts clashed, and then only blurred legs which gave off a fiery glow could be seen, smashing viciously into the chest of the other black-robed man, who was immediately sent flying.

  “Swoosh!” The black-robed man was kicked so viciously that he flew as fast as lightning towards the direction Linley’s group was in. The man was about to crash into and ruin Linley’s table of dishes.

  Linley couldn’t help but frown, and divine earth power began to gather on his body.

  “He actually really is trying to kill me.” The black-robed man who was kicked flying was actually overjoyed in his heart. He was planning to seize the opportunity to flee and fly out from the window near Linley’s group, but as he came falling down towards Linley’s group…

  A strange repulsive force activated upon the black-robed man’s body. The repulsive force was simply too strong. The black-robed man, suffering this invisible repulsive force, was actually sent flying back the opposite way, accelerating at high speed towards the fiery red figure.

  “Slash!”

  A fiery red blade shadow chopped down, and actually easily sliced through the black-robed man’s head. The black-robed man stared disbelievingly, and then his head blew apart. The impact of the sudden repulsive gravity being applied to the black-robed man had caused him to be in a state of astonishment, and so he had died to a single blow.

  “Haha, after so many years, I finally killed you, you bastard.” The fiery light surrounding the red-robed man’s body vanished. His face was filled with excitement, while at the same time, he stretched out with his hand to collect the interspatial ring and the divine artifact.

  At this moment, one of the waiters in the restaurant walked over and said casually, “You should know the rules. All the expenses, combined, total 32,100 inkstones.” At Miluo Island, there were very few people who dared to offend their alliance. Thus, there was no need for threats. A waiter coming over with the bill was enough.

  The red-robed figure very straightforwardly withdrew thirty thousand or so inkstones, and then left, heading towards Linley’s group. Bowing slightly, he said, “Thank you for your assistance. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before I would have been able to avenge my enmity.”

  “You can leave now. Don’t bother us.” Bebe, still chewing on delicacies, just frowned.

  The red-robed man wasn’t angry. He immediately left.

  “It really is necessary to be careful at Miluo Island. Battles can occur at any point in time.” Linley, after having seen this, warned himself. His plan was to next go to the Free Castle to buy some things. It seemed that he needed to be careful. After all, upon revealing his fortune, it was possible that others would lust after it.

  After dining, Linley’s group left the restaurant, then headed straight for the famous ‘Arena’ of Miluo Island.

  The Arena was extremely large, taking up over a hundred kilometers. The spectators of the Arena weren’t permitted to battle each other. If they were discovered to be engaging in battle, they would suffer the assaults of the patrol soldiers of Miluo Island, who would show no mercy at all.

  Anyone who wished to watch the battles would have to pay a fee of 100 inkstones.

  “The fee really is quite high. The Arena supposedly has millions of seats. If all the seats were filled, just based on this alone, their daily income would be in excess of a hundred million inkstones!” Linley sighed in amazement. “A hundred million inkstones a day…how much is that in ten thousand years?” This was indeed a vast sum. However, only someone with sufficient strength was capable of maintaining it.

  Just by looking at the many island guards with blood red armor, one would understand how powerful the force here was.

  While passing through the staircases and entering the walkways, Linley’s group would often see roving patrols of the island guards. “All of them are Highgods. I’ve seen over a thousand by now. Who knows how many island guards there are in total?” Linley was secretly shocked.

  As Linley’s group of experts ran towards the viewing platforms of the Arena, they didn’t know that in a different part of the corridors of the Arena, there were some familiar faces!

  “Captain, our patrol for today is over. Let’s first go out and have some fun. Patrolling bores me to death.” Ten island guards, dressed in the same blood red armor, were walking together. They were chatting amongst themselves.

  “Go out for fun? Today, we have some things to do when we get back. Next time.” A calm voice rang out.

  “Oh.” The nine others couldn’t help but feel resigned. Only, they didn’t dare disobey the orders of their captain. They knew exactly how formidable and how powerful their captain was. He was a person who, in the Highgod Arena, had won a hundred battles in a row!

  To win a hundred consecutive battles in the Arena was a tremendous glory.

  “Cesar, that kid…alas.” The captain let out a long sigh. If Linley was present, he would definitely recognize this captain dressed in the blood red armor. Amazingly, he was an expert of the Yulan continent…Tarosse! Only, the current Tarosse had already become a Highgod!

  Book 16, Starmist Sea – Chapter 16, Familiar Face

  The Arena was divided into three levels. The Highgod Arena, the God Arena, and the Demigod Arena. There was only a single Highgod Arena, three God Arenas, and just three Demigod Arenas as well.

  “Boss, which level should we visit first?” Bebe hurriedly asked.

  “The Highgod battles should be the most exciting. Naturally, we’ll go there.” Linley laughed. The others also were rather more interested in the Highgod battles, and so all of them followed the directions on the walkway and headed directly towards the Highgod Arena.

  Moments later, Linley’s group arrived at the vast Arena.

  The Highgod Arena. The central dueling area was a round, empty expanse of land that was five kilometers in diameter. Around it was
an extremely dense cluster of spectator seats. At a glance, there were nearly a million seats.

  “The Highgod Arena is a large one. The other two arenas aren’t nearly as large.” The big-bearded Bates said. Linley’s group headed through the corridors to find some empty seats, then sat down.

  Deity-level combatants were able to see to a very great distance. Thus, everyone was able to see clearly across multiple kilometers to view the two men battling in the central dueling area.

  Currently, in mid-air, two figures were hovering while staring at each other. One was a muscular, one-horned man. The other was a devilish, bewitching red haired woman. What attracted Linley’s attention wasn’t these two people who were preparing for combat; it was the edges of the central area. In front of the viewing platforms was one blood red armored warrior after another!

  At the edges of the circular viewing platforms, every few meters, there was an island guards warrior.

  “There are actually over a thousand island guards here!” Linley inspected them carefully. These people alone represented a force of a thousand Highgods. In addition, these were just the ones who were standing at the edges. It must be understood that other areas, such as the roving patrols going through the corridors, had quite a few island guards as well.

  The number of island guards present at this arena was simply astonishing!

  “Wow. There’s quite a few island guards.” Bebe sighed in amazement.

  Aches laughed. “This is the Highgod Arena. They are here to prevent the shockwaves from the battle from harming the viewers. Thus, they arranged for so many island guards present. The number of island guards at the God Arena are far fewer, while the Demigod Arena has virtually no island guards present.”

  “How much damage could shockwaves from a Demigod-level fight cause?” The big-bearded Bates chuckled as well.

  While chatting, Linley’s group also carefully watched the battle going on in the center of the arena. Two figures, transformed into blurs, were currently battling as fast as lightning. In mid-air, multiple rays of light flashed, while Linley’s group continued to watch carefully.

  “Rumble…”

  The devilish red haired beauty actually brandished forth a red staff, striking down like lightning towards the horned man. “Aaaah!” A desolate scream could be heard, and the horned man was sent smashing away. And then, with a queer ‘boom’, his body exploded.

  “Clarinda, second victory!” A voice rang out.

  The devilish red haired beauty flew directly down towards the corridors below the arena.

  “Too weak!” Watching this battle, Linley secretly shook his head. “Just by using a slight amount of the rather unique ‘Explosion’ profound mystery of the Elemental Laws of Fire, she was able to win twice. The quality of the combatants in this Arena is really low.” Linley had simply seen far too many powerful experts.

  Bluefire, Beirut, Learmonth, Royalwing, Elquin, Phusro…

  Even the Ganmontin he had defeated was far superior to these people.

  Next to Linley, the big-bearded Bates said softly, “Linley, any Highgods who wish to participate in this arena are permitted to, so of course there will be differences in quality. However, true experts will occasionally appear as well, which is why the ordinary battles will of course be considered by you as uninteresting.”

  “Occasionally appear?” Linley shook his head, feeling resigned.

  The reason he had come was to watch experts do battle. According to their plans, they would only stay for a day or two at this Miluo Island. After finishing their shopping at the Free Castle, they would leave. He didn’t have time to wait here for experts to appear.

  “Unfortunate.” Linley sighed.

  “The experts here at the Arena are actually fairly common.” Bates said in a hushed voice. “The Highgod Arena has a rule; if one can defeat ten combatants in a row, then all items at the Free Castle will be 10% off. If one wins fifty victories, everything in the Free Castle will be 20% off. But if you win a hundred victories! All items in the Free Castle will be at half price, and in addition, a reward of ten billion inkstones will be given! At the same time, one will be qualified to enter a secret area of the western part of the island to do a special viewing!”

  Half price shopping and a ten billion inkstone reward? Linley didn’t care too much about those, but…

  “A special viewing of a secret area in the western island? What does that mean?” Linley was rather puzzled.

  The eastern part of the island was publicly open to anyone, but the western part of the island was forbidden to outsiders. However, Linley had never heard of a ‘secret area’ in the western part of the island.

  “Miluo Island is jointly controlled and run by five great clans. The disciples of these five clans, as well as the island guards, all live on the western part of the island. However, supposedly, the western part of the island has an extremely important hidden area. Only someone who receives a joint invitation from the five clans or someone who wins a hundred victories is qualified to go pay a visit.” Bates sighed.

  Linley couldn’t help but feel curious.

  Five major clans jointly managed Miluo Island. Then…what was this so-called secret area on the western part of the island?

  “Bates, you’ve never gone to take a look?” Linley looked at him.

  “I would very much like to.” Bates shook his head and laughed. “Only, I value my own life rather highly. Winning ten victories, for me, wouldn’t be too hard. But a hundred? After all, not all combatants will be very weak. If an expert suddenly appears, won’t I be finished?”

  “Can it be that nobody has been so lucky as to only encounter weaklings during the hundred battles?” Linley asked.

  “Impossible.” Bates shook his head. “Even if you are lucky and only encounter weak Highgods during the first 99 battles whom you defeat, at the 100th battle, the five clans will arrange for one of their own experts to go test the challenger! Every single person who was truly victorious in a hundred battles is a true expert, and has at least my level of power.”

  Linley nodded slightly.

  It made sense. The five clans wouldn’t so casually toss out ten billion inkstones to someone who was lucky but weak.

  “The reward alone is ten billion inkstones. The five clans truly are rich and profligate.” Linley said to himself.

  “Linley, if you try for yourself, winning a hundred battles would be very easy.” Bates said enticingly. “Generally speaking, someone at the Six Star Fiend level is capable of winning a hundred battles. Lucky Five Star Fiends also have a shot. After all, generally speaking, you might not see a Seven Star Fiend participate in the Arena even so much as once every ten thousand years.”

  Linley chuckled. That was of course the case.

  Would an almighty Seven Star Fiend care about ten billion inkstones? But of course, as time passed, over the course of ten thousand years, perhaps a Seven Star Fiend might appear to take part.

  “Boss, quick, look!” Bebe said urgently.

  “Eh?” Linley looked at Bebe, puzzled. Not just Bebe; even Delia and the others all called out, “Linley, quick, look at the person who appeared in mid-air. That’s the person we encountered back then!”

  After having seen the first battle, Linley wasn’t too interested in the arena battles any longer.

  But at this moment, Linley immediately turned to look. What he saw shocked him!

  In the wide, empty space, there was a familiar figure!

  “Him?” A look of amazement appeared on Linley’s face. “Who would have expected that an event which happens perhaps once every ten thousand years is happening right now. Such a powerful expert really has come to participate.”

  In the empty space of the arena, a cold, callous man, dressed in a long black robe and carrying a warblade on his back was standing there. His long black hair fluttered loosely in the wind. He stood there like a glacier who had existed for countless years, icy and unapproachable.

  In his eyes, elect
ric sparks were dancing.

  “It’s him.” Bates cleared his throat and said in amazement, “If he participates, isn’t he guaranteed to win a hundred victories?”

  The nearby Bebe said, puzzled, “Eh? I remember that he travelled faster than us. Logically speaking, he should’ve arrived at Miluo Island long before us. He shouldn’t be here with us at the same time.”

  Travelling by himself, that black-haired man was indeed very fast.

  But Linley thought back to the conversations of the others in the restaurants.

  From Bluemaple City to Miluo Island, all of the larger bandit forces had been destroyed.

  “Perhaps it was because he destroyed so many bandit forces on the way. Or perhaps he was training on the way.” Linley said to himself.

  Linley immediately began to watch the arena carefully. After all, the person battling was the powerful black-haired man.

  “You are too weak. Beat it!” A calm voice echoed in the air above the arena. The speaker was the black-haired man. His opponent was dressed in a long white robe, and was a handsome, violet-haired youth who wielded a scepter that was flashing with white light.

  The viewing area immediately burst into a commotion. It had been many years since they saw someone so arrogant, to order the opponent to beat it before the battle even began.

  The violet-haired youth, hearing this word, couldn’t help but feel enraged. “You’ll only know after fighting!”

  The black-haired man couldn’t help but stare at him.

  “Swish!”

  Suddenly, two bolts of electric light shot out from the black-haired man’s eyes. The speed was so fast that the violet-haired youth wasn’t able to dodge at all. It directly slammed into the violet-haired youth’s body, and the violet-haired youth trembled slightly, then collapsed, never to rise again.

  The hundreds of thousands of onlookers were all momentarily stunned.