Imperial City Ruins, opportunities refreshed daily

Chapter 89: Arena Battle, Bloodthirst Pill

"The Ninth Princess is here!" Just when many people and forces were thinking about how to sow discord, a voice of announcement attracted everyone's attention.

"Hiss, the Ninth Princess is here in person?"

Countless people were surprised, and then looked shocked.

Such a battle actually made the Ninth Princess come in person. It seems that this flag-grabbing battle is even more important than they imagined!

Under the gaze of the crowd, a woman in a brocade robe slowly walked over from a distance, with lotus flowers blooming with every step.

Even the gorgeous brocade robe could not conceal her noble temperament, and coupled with her peerless beauty, she attracted almost everyone's attention.

Regardless of men and women.

"This is the Ninth Princess!" People who had never seen her before felt a chord in their hearts being touched when they saw her.

If they were not afraid that this was the imperial palace, they would have shouted some taboo words.

The Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao seemed to be walking slowly, but in fact she was extremely fast. In almost an instant, she had crossed the training ground and arrived at the high platform directly opposite the arena.

She simply glanced at the chairs placed on the platform, then chose a seat in the center and sat down calmly.

There was no big fanfare, just one person.

But in everyone's eyes, the Ninth Princess is the biggest show.

After the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao sat down, she casually glanced around, and after taking in everyone's gaze, she closed her eyes and began to rest.

"The eldest prince has arrived!" Just when everyone wanted to come forward to pay their respects and make themselves familiar to the Ninth Princess, the announcement rang out again.

The next second, a group of people came to the gate of the training ground, walking with the gait of dragons and tigers, with a great pomp and ceremony.

First came a team of imperial guards, followed by a group of strong guards, and then a sedan chair carried by eight people.

Everyone around held their breath.

After the eight-man sedan chair entered the training ground, it went straight to the high platform in front of the huge arena, and then the sedan chair landed.

A burly man walked out of the sedan chair.

This is the eldest prince.

He was wearing a python robe and looked majestic. Judging from his face, he looked a bit like Xuan Qingxiao.

"Big brother!" The ninth princess Xuan Qingxiao stood up from her seat immediately and called softly.

"It's the ninth sister!" The eldest prince glanced at the ninth princess, Xuan Qingxiao, and said with a hint of sarcasm and ridicule, "Ninth sister is very clever. She cultivated such a genius without saying a word!"

The Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao was silent and did not answer.

Originally, since we are half-siblings, we wanted to ease the relationship a little, but now it seems that there is no need.

"Hmph!" The eldest prince snorted coldly when he saw the expression of the ninth princess Xuan Qingxiao. He then turned around and walked towards the main seat on the platform and sat down directly.

At the moment the eldest prince took his seat, Liu Chengmian, who was following closely behind the team, stepped directly onto the huge stage at the signal of the white-robed strategist.

"Captain Liu's aura is getting stronger!"

"It seems that Captain Liu's cultivation has also improved during this period of time. He may have reached the state of overflowing strength!"

"Yes, with this kind of bearing and Liu Qianhu's original background, he can already step onto the Earth Ranking. In this way, victory is a sure thing!"

"Look at the armor on Captain Liu. That sharp, cold light is clearly not ordinary! His cultivation is already so high, and he has such handy protective gear. I'm afraid even a warrior of the same level wouldn't be able to break his defense!"

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have seen it. This looks like the general's battle armor. The breastplate you see on the chest is a unique piece of armor. I didn't expect Captain Liu to have such armor. It's a piece of armor that can withstand earth-level weapons."

"Hiss, with this armor, who among the same level can break the defense? It is inherently invincible!"

Captain Liu stood on the stage, listening to the discussions around him with a happy expression.

He seemed to be the protagonist of the world.

As long as he wins this fight, his future will be bright.

He will be highly valued by the eldest prince. If he has another opportunity to break through the heavenly level in one fell swoop, he will rise to the top and become the most powerful person in the entire Daxuan Dynasty.

Time passed quietly as everyone was talking.

The closer the flag-grabbing competition got, the more nervous the others became. Many of them looked towards the gate of the training ground, waiting for Xu Hao's arrival.

"That guy called Xu Hao takes himself too seriously. He's always the last one to arrive. Isn't he scared again?"

"Exactly. Even the eldest prince and the ninth princess are here, and he's still acting so arrogantly!"

In an instant, someone expressed his dissatisfaction and spared no effort to flatter Xu Hao in front of the eldest prince.

"Ninth sister, the people you train are too unruly!" The eldest prince heard the discussions around him, as if he had found some way to vilify the ninth princess.

"It's not the appointed time yet, we are here early!" The Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao said calmly.

The eldest prince said indifferently, "You have also seen that Liu Chengmian is already a powerful warrior in the Earth Level Strength Realm, and he also has the armor of a great general. Although the ninth sister's men are very strong, they are too young after all.

If Ninth Sister admits defeat, I can cancel this flag-grabbing competition, how about that?"

This is not only a demonstration of strength, but also a show of wealth.

The Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao glanced at him lightly and then looked away.

She originally had expectations for the eldest prince, but after investigation, she found that the reason why the White Lotus Sect was able to enter Kyoto without causing any abnormalities was that the eldest prince was secretly doing bad things.

She was truly disappointed with this kind of person.

The reason I am able to come and witness today is that I want to suppress the eldest prince's faction and crush their arrogance, so as not to destroy the Daxuan Dynasty which has already been riddled with problems.

When the eldest prince saw the ninth princess Xuan Qingxiao turned her head away, he thought that the other party did not dare to face him directly, and immediately revealed a playful and complacent smile.

He seemed to see the scene of Liu Chengmian winning the flag-grabbing competition and commanding his troops with all his might.

All along, he was not as fond of Xuan Qingxiao as the Ninth Princess. Even after the White Lotus attacked the imperial palace, his father not only did not reuse him, but instead reused Xuan Qingxiao. He even handed over an institution as important as the Pacification Division, which was related to the lifeblood of the Great Xuan Dynasty, to Xuan Qingxiao.

The eldest prince was mad with jealousy.

Being able to step on Xuan Qingxiao now is sweeter than eating honey.

"Here they come!" Just as everyone was talking, someone screamed, immediately attracting everyone's attention to the gate of the training ground.

On the ring, Liu Chengmian opened his eyes and stared straight over.

On the high platform, everyone from the eldest prince's family and the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao, who had always been calm and composed, also cast their eyes over.

At the gate of the training ground, Xu Hao and Tang Wan'er came together.

The reason why he was a little late was because Xu Hao had not eaten breakfast. When passing by the street, he stopped for a while to fill his stomach.

"What does this kid think of this flag-grabbing competition? He's actually holding a few skewers of mutton. If you don't know better, you'd think he's just here to enjoy the scenery!"

"Is this self-destruction, or is it a sure win?"

Xu Hao's actions received mixed reviews from the people around him.

Tang Wan'er, who was standing by, entered the training ground and was startled when she saw the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao sitting on the high platform.

She didn't expect that the Ninth Princess would come to watch in person.

Tang Wan'er didn't hesitate at all. She left Xu Hao and rushed to the platform, ready to report the details to the Ninth Princess.

As for Xu Hao, he didn't care too much at first and was about to run directly to the ring, but the next second, he stopped and looked at a virtual panel that appeared in front of him.

Because divination information appeared.

【Daily Chance Fortune Telling】

The Ninth Princess and the First Prince are at odds with each other, and the battle for the thousand households has drawn in the powerful interests of all parties. You are already deeply entangled and unable to extricate yourself.

After a brief information introduction was presented, Xu Hao took a deep breath and took a step forward.

As we walked, the signing information appeared one by one.

[Bad luck, turn around and walk away from the vortex!]

However, if you are involved in this, it is impossible to remain unscathed. If you leave now, the Ninth Princess's family will be disappointed in you and will not protect you. The First Prince's family will kill you all. Tomorrow morning, the entire Xu family will be wiped out. Extremely dangerous.

[Bad luck! Entering the ring, you surrender and are spurned by all factions. This will lead to immeasurable consequences. Very bad luck!]

[The worst luck, stand on the stage, crush the others with overwhelming strength, declare your sovereignty, and set the record straight!
However, fortune often carries with it misfortune. If I offend the eldest prince, I will face endless risks. The upside is that I will deepen the mark of the Ninth Princess' lineage. Very bad.]

[Bad luck, go up to the ring and pretend to be defeated, you can save your life temporarily.

However, fortune often carries with it misfortune. Although you may enjoy temporary peace, your reputation will be scorned, your status and position will plummet, and you will be unable to find opportunities, wasting your life. Very bad luck.

[The worst luck, he went up to the ring, defeated Captain Liu, and defected to the eldest prince.

If you want both sides, you will be ostracized by both. You will be treated as a traitor seeking personal gain. Not only will you not be valued by the Crown Prince, but you will also be feared by others, and your entire family will eventually be wiped out. Very bad luck!]

Xu Hao glanced at the virtual panel and was stunned when he saw that the five lottery spots presented were all bad.

He was forced to do this, so how can it be all his fault?
There wasn't even a good pick.

Xu Hao read it for a moment and then closed the virtual panel.

Since they are all bad signs, just choose the one that is beneficial to you.

What's in his favor?
That naturally means high status and position.

He has already received the reward from the Ninth Princess's family. If he changes his mind halfway, the future will be extremely dangerous.

What's more, only with a high status and position can he find the designated heavenly-level martial arts technique in more than twenty days.

If he has lost his status, where can he find the heavenly-level skills?

So, although it seems there is a choice, there is actually only one option.

Xu Hao continued to move forward, and when he came to the front of the ring, he jumped onto the ring with a move of Eight Steps to Chase the Cicada, and stood steadily opposite Liu Chengmian.

"You're quite courageous. You dare to come and die!" Captain Liu snorted coldly.

Xu Hao just glanced at him calmly without responding.

There is nothing to say to a dead person.

"The time has come!" When Xu Hao and Liu Qianhu stood facing each other, a court official spoke.

In an instant, everyone stopped talking and looked up at the platform.

"Let's sign the life and death agreement!" The eldest prince spoke calmly, his tone revealing a cold majesty.

"Sign the life and death agreement!" Immediately, an official walked up to the stage holding the life and death agreement, and first came to Liu Chengmian.

Liu Chengmian glanced at Xu Hao with contempt, then waved his hand, picked up the brush and signed his life on the death certificate.

The official took the death warrant and immediately came to Xu Hao.

Xu Hao looked over and looked carefully.

There is nothing too strange about the life and death statement. In a word, fists and feet have no eyes. They decide victory or defeat, as well as life or death!
It also clearly stated the position of the thousand households and the imperial court's printing.

Compared with the dispute over the position with Captain Liu, this life and death certificate is a court document with more legal effect.

After Xu Hao finished reading and confirmed that it was correct, he picked up a brush and signed his name. "The death warrant has been signed!" the court official said, and then stepped off the stage.

On the ring, Xu Hao and Liu Chengmian both drew their weapons from their waists immediately.

"Game start!"

As the court official finished speaking, Xu Hao and Liu Chengmian on the stage took action immediately.

boom.

Wherever the feet landed, a powerful force exploded.

Under the impact of the huge force, cracks appeared on the carefully crafted arena.

As the saying goes, an expert will know if something is there as soon as he takes action.

Just this one strike stunned everyone.

The strength of this battle is definitely at the Earth Ranking level!
Even the eldest prince, the ninth princess and others had their pupils shrink at this moment, and were surprised by the fighting power of the two people on the ring.

When.

The next second, the two men's long swords collided fiercely, sparks flying.

boom.

A powerful impact force suddenly emanated from the blades of both sides, rushing in all directions.

"Go to hell!" Liu Chengmian screamed in horror, and the power in his dantian surged out, adding to the long sword, and runes flashed.

At this moment, Liu Chengmian's slashing power seemed to have increased several times.

If it were anyone else, even if their Earth-level strength realm was overflowing, they would not be able to withstand another strong man with overflowing Earth-level strength realm and holding an Earth-level long sword.

Just, there was a loud bang.

The situation that Liu Chengmian had expected, where Xu Hao would be killed, did not occur.

Instead of being chopped away, Xu Hao glanced at Liu Chengmian with a slightly contemptuous look, standing on the ring like a reef, unable to be shaken in the slightest no matter how strong the wind and waves were.

"Impossible!" Liu Chengmian roared, and the power in his dantian surged again, adding to the earth-level long sword in his hand, unleashing an even more powerful impact force.

However, Xu Hao remained motionless.
"Is this all your strength?" Xu Hao couldn't help but sigh as he felt the power transmitted from the long sword.

The other party was at the Earth level, and I thought I could give him a little surprise, but this is the result?

He couldn't even move his feet.

It turns out that he has become so powerful.

"You!" Liu Chengmian was shocked.

However, Xu Hao did not give any chance. He moved his mind casually, and his right hand holding the handle of the long sword focused, and a force was added to it.

boom.

A huge force was transmitted from Xu Hao's arms, and endless power poured out in an instant.

In an instant, Liu Chengmian's body weighing hundreds of pounds including the armor was blown up by the huge force.

While still in the air, powerful forces came over him and crushed Liu Chengmian's strength.

The strength of the two people is completely on a different level.

boom.

Finally, the remaining force fell on Liu Chengmian's armor, leaving marks on it, which were finally eliminated by the defense attached to the armor.

But Liu Chengmian had already suffered internal injuries, and his blood was surging in his body.

boom.

The next second, Liu Chengmian felt as if he was invaded by an inexplicable energy, and his bones and flesh were unable to bear the weight.

Although he had not suffered serious injuries, his body was somewhat out of control, as if he had been seriously injured, and his own strength was not flowing smoothly.

"Hey, this thing's defense is pretty good, but how many of my hits can you withstand?" Xu Hao's expression froze when he saw the powerful defensive power of Liu Chengmian's armor. It turned out that no one should be underestimated!
He originally thought that this one strike would be enough to understand the opponent, but now it seems that he has to first break this turtle-shell-like thing.

With this in mind, Xu Hao took a step forward, and with the help of his powerful physical strength, his Eight Steps to Chasing the Cicada had almost reached its limit.

The next second, Xu Hao arrived first and caught up with Liu Chengmian who was flying backwards and still in mid-air.

"Dragon-Tiger Soul-Breaking Sword, Tiger Roar!" Xu Hao leaped up and slashed at Liu Chengmian who was flying backwards from top to bottom.

This time, Xu Hao directly used his characteristic [Burst].

"No!" Liu Chengmian felt the sharp wind and his pupils constricted.

His current situation of having nowhere to stay is a very bad omen.

Liu Chengmian quickly circulated the internal strength, covering the armor, and relying on his own earth-level cultivation, he twisted his body and sank down.

The moment his footsteps touched the ground, he simultaneously thrust out the long knife in his hand.

boom.

The swords collided, sparks flew, and the powerful force once again forced Liu Chengmian to retreat continuously. He could only use his earth-level armor to withstand the force that he could not resist.

Sonorous.

puff!
The armor's protective force was inexhaustible, and his entire chest seemed to be collapsing. He could no longer endure the churning of blood and energy, and a large mouthful of blood spurted out.

Why is it so strong?
Is this the power that a ground-level person can possess?

Even though he had the protection of Earth-grade armor, he was still injured by a single blow and could barely stand?

And the more you fight, the worse your condition becomes.

If he was at his peak at the beginning, strong and vigorous, then after enduring Xu Hao's blow, he was like a candle in the wind stepping into a coffin.

How to fight this?
Liu Chengmian's face was full of horror.

He originally thought that he had cultivated to the point where his strength was overflowing at the Earth Level, and that he was already an extraordinary strong man. Plus, with the support of Earth Level protective gear, he was able to be on the Earth Ranking.

Moreover, last night he had a very close fight with Zheng Chengshan, who was on the list of top players, and at least on the surface he was not at a disadvantage.

How come he was completely crushed after fighting with Xu Hao?
Just as Liu Chengmian was daydreaming, a figure slashed towards him. He quickly collected his thoughts and swung his sword to block.

boom.

Click. Click.

While flying backwards, Liu Chengmian heard two crisp cracking sounds, and then, as he looked on in disbelief, the long sword in his hand and the armor on his body began to show cracks.

Liu Chengmian was so frightened that he didn't even bother to wipe the remaining blood from the corner of his mouth.

The Earth-grade long sword and the Earth-grade armor were actually cut through?

Unheard of.

In Liu Chengmian's opinion, even a Heaven-level expert would not be able to break an Earth-level treasure in such a short time!

Who is Xu Hao in front of me?

Below the stage, many people opened their mouths wide, their faces filled with astonishment and shock.

They thought this would be a fierce battle between dragons and tigers, and even Liu Chengmian would have an absolute advantage and defeat Xu Hao.

But when they really got to the ring, the result was a one-sided defeat.

Instead of being defeated, Xu Hao had the upper hand, just like an adult beating a child.

If it weren't for the fact that the Earth-grade armor on Liu Chengmian had sufficient defensive power, and if Liu Chengmian hadn't truly reached the full state of Earth-grade strength, he would have been killed with a single blow.

Even so, Liu Chengmian's miserable condition was unbearable to watch.

"Liu Chengmian, cheer up!" Below the arena, the middle-aged strategist in white saw the eldest prince's gloomy face that looked like it was about to shed tears, and shouted hurriedly.

This time, I lost a lot of face.

However, he still had a glimmer of hope for Liu Chengmian's blessing, because the Netherworld Sect's Blood-Surging Pill had not been used yet.

But the sense of urgency has made the white-robed strategist no longer care about interfering with the fight on the ring.

boom.

Liu Chengmian, who was retreating and coughing up blood, had a fixed look in his eyes, no longer as arrogant and confident as before.

He knew that because Xu Hao was too powerful, he had no chance of survival.

If he loses this battle, his entire family will be purged.

Instead of doing that, you might as well give it a try.

He still has a chance.

At the moment of retreat, Liu Chengmian quickly took out a blood-red pill.

As soon as the pill was taken out, a bloody smell spread in the air.

The sharp-eyed onlookers had already recognized that it was the Netherworld Sect's Blood-Surging Pill.

This kind of elixir can stimulate human potential and burst out powerful combat power in a short period of time, but the price is also extremely heavy.

After the medicine takes effect, life will be exhausted.

No one wants to do this unless it is absolutely necessary.

Even on the high platform, the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao's face froze. She turned to look at the First Prince and said in a deep voice, "Flag-grabbing competitions are supposed to stop when they're done. And yet you're using this kind of banned drug? What do you intend to do?"

"The life and death agreement has been signed. No one is allowed to interfere, regardless of life or death!" The eldest prince spoke nonchalantly, sitting steadily on the main seat, looking at everything on the arena indifferently, as if it had nothing to do with him.

After the eldest prince finished speaking, several powerful men with majestic auras walked out behind him and landed on both sides of the ring, as if they were to maintain the fairness and justice of the flag-grabbing competition and prevent anyone from disrupting it.

When the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao heard the eldest prince's reply and saw such behavior, she immediately showed a look of heartache.

Because the Blood Burst Pill is the secret medicine of the Netherworld Cult, it can only be obtained by those who have contact with the core leaders of the Netherworld Cult.

The fact that Liu Chengmian was able to obtain the Blood-Stirring Pill is enough to explain the problem.

Previously it was the White Lotus Sect, and now it is the Netherworld Sect.

The Ninth Princess had completely given up on the First Prince, but she had also given up her last bit of hope.

Tang Wan'er, who was standing by, also looked nervous.

But soon, a jade hand fell on Tang Wan'er's shoulder.

Tang Wan'er turned her head and looked at the Ninth Princess's expression. Her heart relaxed a little, but she still looked at the arena worriedly.

At this moment, the arena was filled with the stench of blood because of the Blood-Surging Pill, which made people nauseous.

……

I will update one chapter of 6,000 words first, and then update the revised ones later.

(End of this chapter)