The First Gauntlet Match

Shen Yi didn't think too much about it. Since Xia Yuan had told him to go, there shouldn't be any danger, so he didn't take it to heart.

At noon, Ji Yan was the first to call him out for lunch.

When Shen Yi walked out, the food was already on the table.

"How can I let you do this? You are the guest." Looking at the food on the table, he felt a bit embarrassed. It was his first time seeing Ji Yan like this.

"Eat quickly. After eating, we'll go to the match tonight." Shen Yi nodded. After finishing lunch, he organized his thoughts.

Now that the weather was getting cold, it got down exceptionally fast. By six o'clock, it was already pitch black.

Ji Yan led Shen Yi back to the backstage of the Black Arena.

The screen in front of the meeting room lit up again. The Grey-robed Man appeared on the screen, looking at the two of them.

"Are you ready? Tonight's match is about to begin," a synthesized mechanical voice came from the screen.

"I can participate in the match, but I have one condition." Thinking of what Xia Yuan had told him during the day, Shen Yi looked at the Grey-robed Man and spoke.

"Oh? What condition?" The Grey-robed Man looked at him with interest, surprisingly not rejecting him outright like he did during the day.

"If I win, give us two slots." Shen Yi spoke directly.

Beside him, Ji Yan appeared calm on the outside, but she was incredibly shocked inside. Through her clone's memories, she knew that this place was not somewhere you could negotiate conditions. Only they could dictate to you; you couldn't dictate to them. She felt Shen Yi was being a bit reckless and impulsive.

"Deal." Just as Ji Yan was about to pull him back, the Grey-robed Man on the screen agreed without hesitation.

"Huh??" Since when was this guy so easy to talk to? Ji Yan was a bit dazed. This actually worked?

Shen Yi, on the other hand, felt this was normal. Since Xia Yuan had said he could make suggestions, it was obviously possible. Although he didn't know what connection they had, it was clear that this person and Xia Yuan definitely knew each other.

After finishing the conversation with the Grey-robed Man, they were led to a small room. Ji Yan followed him in.

"When the match starts later, don't hold back. If you can kill them with one blow, do it directly."
"There are no rules here. People will use any despicable and underhanded means. You must be extra careful and don't waste your breath talking to them."
"Try to conserve your stamina. You need at least ten consecutive victories tonight to win."
"Don't feel that it's cruel. No one who comes here is kind or good; they are all wicked people." Ji Yan gave him a long list of things to watch out for in the Black Arena.

Shen Yi didn't reply, only nodding. This place was also a test for him.

Far away in Jingdu, Xia Yuan was currently sitting on a sofa, watching a video playing on the television screen. On the screen was an empty arena stage.

If Shen Yi were here, he would realize that the footage on the TV was the live feed from inside the Black Arena.

Xia Yuan wanted to see Shen Yi's performance. Although Shen Yi had joined the Ying Group, this battle was a massive test for an inexperienced student—a test of humanity and blood.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, it was past eight o'clock. The match was scheduled to start at nine and would continue until all ten matches ended.

"Get ready, you'll be entering the stage soon. Do you have a weapon prepared?" Ji Yan looked even more nervous than Shen Yi. After all, she was the one who had dragged him into this.

"I have a weapon. I exchanged for it from my teacher before leaving Jingdu University." Saying this, he took out a long spear from his storage bracelet.

Ji Yan nodded and said nothing more, waiting quietly.

Seconds turned into minutes.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Suddenly, the sound of drums echoed from outside. It was incredibly loud and deafening.

"The match is about to begin." Shen Yi was led into the Black Arena, which resembled a giant cage.

He stood at the entrance on the right side of the cage. Directly opposite him stood another person, but the distance was too far, and the dim lighting made it impossible to see the other's face clearly.

"Roar!" Before the match even started, the surrounding spectators began to go wild, roaring loudly.

A man stood on a rope ladder suspended above the center of the arena.

"Welcome, everyone, to our Black Arena! Tonight's match is about to begin!"
"Tonight is our annual Gauntlet Match! Tonight, you will witness a scene of madness, excitement, and bloodshed like never before! Are you excited?" The host held a microphone and shouted to the surrounding crowd.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The spectators below had gone completely mad, chanting loudly.

These people seemed possessed by demons, their eyes filled with cruelty, violence, and bloodlust. It was as if only scenes of violence and bloodshed could satisfy them.

Amidst the crowd's roars, the iron gate at Shen Yi's entrance slowly opened.

The moment the iron gate opened, the host's platform slowly rose, and a barrier of light immediately enveloped the entire arena.

Shen Yi walked to the center of the stage, looking at the surrounding spectators with a bitter smile. Not long ago, he and Huang Ren had been sitting below, watching others fight. He hadn't expected that in such a short time, he would become the one being watched.

Then, the opposite entrance slowly opened, and a tall, thin man walked out. The man looked to be in his thirties, with messy hair, shirtless, and covered in scars. He gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression.

"Here is our newcomer for tonight, who wants to try his hand at our Gauntlet Match!" The host stood at the very top, and the lights above the arena focused on Shen Yi. The dazzling light made it hard for him to keep his eyes open.

Hearing the host's introduction, the crowd below booed, clearly not thinking highly of him.

"We look forward to his performance tonight!" The host introduced loudly, but the audience still showed no respect.

Then, the lights shifted, focusing on the thin man. Under the spotlight, the scars on his body became even more prominent, looking like centipedes crawling on him. It was a terrifying sight.

"This is our first challenger tonight, Du Xie!"
"Du Xie! Du Xie! Du Xie!" As soon as the host finished speaking, the crowd below chanted the name. Clearly, they all knew this man.

"Du Xie has maintained a six-game winning streak in our Black Arena and is a Tier Seven expert!" The host introduced Du Xie with enthusiasm to draw the crowd's attention.

"Let's see how many minutes this young kid can last against Du Xie!" After saying this, all the lights above the arena turned on, illuminating the entire stage. Shen Yi drew his spear and watched his opponent quietly.

"Kill him! Kill him!" The crowd below fell into madness, as if they could already see Shen Yi being torn to pieces by Du Xie.