Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 110 First Battle
Chen Ye asked several cultivators before he finally found the location of the dueling arena.

When he arrived, all he saw was a vacant lot overgrown with weeds. The thick stone pillars standing by the field were covered with name tags, but they were covered with moss and looked dilapidated, as if no one had taken care of them for many years.

Beside the stone pillar is a huge bronze bell. Legend has it that if you want to launch a challenge, you need to select a nameplate, remove it, and then strike the bronze bell next to it.

Chen Ye glanced at the first inscription on the stone pillar, and there was a familiar name written on it—Su Chunyi of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

I had always heard that Su Chunyi had overpowered all the other contestants in sparring matches, which is why he was known as the number one in the Tongxuan Realm. I never expected that he would fight in this arena.

It just looks like this place has been abandoned for many years, and I don't know if anyone still takes care of it.

Chen Ye dared not be careless. He carefully looked at the names on the list, ignoring all the names of the five major sects and starting directly from the last ranking.

"That's it."

After much deliberation, Chen Ye chose the one ranked 100th, the rogue cultivator Li Minglu.

It wasn't because his name was anything special, but simply because he was ranked last.

The Lord was right; Chen Ye had no self-awareness about his own abilities and little experience in combat.

Previously, when facing enemies, Chen Ye either dug traps and set up formations, or he relied on Su Chunyi's coattails. He had never actually tried to fight someone in a fair and square manner.

Therefore, Chen Ye cautiously chose the last one to take on the challenge.

Chen Ye reached out and removed the nameplate that was already stuck to the stone pillar, then rang the bronze bell next to him.

"Clang, clang, clang," the melodious sound of the bells carried far and wide.

In an instant, the moss-covered stone pillar emitted a strange light.

Chen Ye stood there quietly waiting, but after a long time, no one appeared. Just as he thought the dueling arena had been abandoned and was about to turn around and leave, an old man with gray hair walked slowly to Chen Ye.

"Oh, I thought I was just getting old and my ears were playing tricks on me. I never expected that someone would actually ring the bronze bell of this arena, and it was you, Fellow Daoist Chen."

Chen Ye looked closely and recognized the man. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Fellow Daoist Lu, what brings you here?"

This man was Lu Shichang, also a rogue cultivator. Several months ago, Chen Ye had shared a couple of drinks with him. Although they weren't exactly acquainted, they had a certain degree of friendship.

Lu Shichang laughed and said, "I'm in charge of guarding this fighting arena, and I earn a few Azure Pearls every year. Fellow Daoist Chen, what made you think of coming here to fight?"

Since we ran into someone we knew, things became much easier.

Chen Ye explained, "After a period of seclusion, I wanted to stretch my muscles and bones. I happen to lack combat experience, and having heard that this place is a good place to spar with other cultivators, I thought I'd give it a try. But why is this arena so desolate and dilapidated?"

Lu Shichang explained, "This is a place for disciples of the five major sects to spar with each other. The other rogue cultivators are just here to make up the numbers. Last time, when the martial arts tournament was held, Su Chunyi from the Qinghe Sword Sect won too easily, causing the other sects to lose face."

"In the past few years, no genius has been heard of who can compare with Su Chunyi. As a result, the five major sects naturally no longer participate in this competition. Other rogue cultivators are just listed on this list and receive a small amount of Azure Pearls every year, so most people don't bother to care about their ranking."

"I see," Chen Ye understood. Looking at the name tag in his hand, Chen Ye asked, "Now that I've taken off the name tag and rung the bronze bell, can I still fight with others?"

Lu Shichang glanced at the nameplate in Chen Ye's hand and smiled, "Of course. When the bronze bell rings, the challenged person must accept the challenge and give a reply within ten days at most. If they fail to do so, it will be considered an automatic acquittal. However, according to the rules, each challenger needs to pay a fee as the price for the challenge."

"How many Azure Pearls do you need?" Chen Ye asked.

"Based on the ranking of the people you challenged... let me see. The 100th person receives an annual Azure Pearl subsidy of 100 Azure Pearls. You only need to pay 100 Azure Pearls. This fee will be paid to the person you challenged, regardless of whether they win or lose, it will be considered their income."

Chen Ye nodded and said, "That makes sense."

It's not surprising that challenges cost money. If there were no cost, those on the list would probably be challenged every day and wouldn't have time to cultivate.

Lu Shichang further explained, "When the bronze bell rings, the person whose name tag was removed will sense it. Now we just need to wait for the other party to respond. Fellow Daoist Chen can go back and wait for notification. The name tag in your hand is actually a magic weapon. Once the other party responds, I will naturally use it to inform you."

Chen Ye nodded slightly and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly felt the name tag in his hand vibrate slightly.

Chen Ye held up the nameplate and asked, "What is the meaning of this tremor?"

Lu Shichang said in surprise, "Someone has accepted the challenge. I didn't expect that after so many years, someone would still be interested in this dueling arena, and respond so quickly. Please wait here, Fellow Daoist Chen. I believe Fellow Daoist Li Minglu will arrive soon."

Chen Ye immediately tensed up and hurriedly asked, "Are there any rules for this arena duel? Can we use magic weapons, talismans, and so on?" Lu Shichang explained, "There are no restrictions on the means. Before the duel begins, we will cast a protective spell on both of you. Once this spell is broken, or the protective shield turns red, you have lost. Moreover, the duel is mainly for friendly sparring, and you cannot intentionally kill anyone."

The rules are simple and sound safe.

Chen Ye finally felt relieved; all he needed to do now was focus on fighting the enemy.

Not knowing what methods this fellow Daoist Li Minglu was skilled in, Chen Ye could only think of his own methods before Li Minglu arrived.

Chen Ye's most powerful magic weapon right now is naturally the Myriad Soul Banner, followed by the sword box given to him by Su Chun. These two magic weapons are extremely powerful, and if he cannot defeat his opponent, then Chen Ye will be at a complete disadvantage.

"I should first harass them with sword energy, then summon vengeful spirits to suppress their soul..."

Chen Ye was simulating a magical battle in his mind when bursts of laughter came from the sky.

Chen Ye looked up and saw someone flying towards him from afar, riding on a giant sword.

Before the man even arrived, Chen Ye heard his confident voice: "Who dares to challenge my Broken Mountain Sword, Li Minglu? They really have guts."

Such a display of power suggests a highly skilled individual.

Although this person is ranked last, there are countless cultivators in the Hundred Seas Valley, and those who are on the list must all have considerable skills.

Unexpectedly, we encountered a formidable opponent right from the start.

Chen Ye grew increasingly nervous and could only take deep breaths to calm himself down.

A short while later, Li Minglu landed in front of Chen Ye.

This man was extremely tall; Chen Ye's head only reached his chest. Judging from his strong muscles, he was probably a cultivator who specialized in body training.

Such an opponent must be extremely difficult to deal with.

Upon seeing Chen Ye, Li Minglu exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the Fellow Daoist Chen who made a name for himself before? I heard that you single-handedly stormed the Incense Burning Sect. It's a pity I wasn't in the valley at the time, otherwise I would definitely have witnessed Fellow Daoist Chen's abilities."

That's clearly a sign of dissatisfaction.

Chen Ye cupped his hands in greeting and said to Li Minglu, "I would appreciate your guidance, fellow Daoist."

Li Minglu hoisted the massive sword, as big as a door panel, onto his shoulder and sneered, "Don't worry, I'll give it my all. It's been a while since I've fought in a tournament, and I'm itching for a fight."

Lu Shichang said to the two men, "Since both sides are ready, please take these two talismans with you."

Chen Ye received a jade talisman carved from jade from Lu Shichang.

"Please wear these talismans. Once activated with spiritual energy, they will form a protective shield. If the shield breaks or turns red, you will be defeated. Although there are no restrictions on the methods used, this Thunderous Battle is merely a friendly spar. You must not intentionally harm anyone. If you have no objections, please move to the arena."

After listening to what Lu Shichang said, Chen Ye put the jade pendant into his pocket.

After the spiritual energy was injected into it, a thin white light shield immediately appeared three feet around the body.

Li Minglu did the same. After activating the shield, he took the lead and jumped into the arena, his eyes full of provocation as he looked at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye smiled wryly, never expecting that the opponent he randomly picked would turn out to be a completely inexplicable enemy.

But this is fine too, he's not afraid that fighting will damage the harmony.

As Chen Ye slowly walked towards the arena, he was still carefully considering how to make his move.

Should we continue with the original plan of using sword energy to harass, or would it be better to unleash a barrage of Yin spirits instead?
Chen Ye's heart pounded with nervousness, but when Lu Shichang rang the bronze bell to announce the start of the contest, Chen Ye surprisingly calmed down.

Now that things have come to this, there's nothing to worry about anymore.

Chen Ye held the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in his left hand, while his right hand was already resting on the sword box.

The sword energy burst forth, transforming into dozens of meteors that flew towards Li Minglu.

(End of this chapter)