In the Phoenix Cry Empire, martial arts dominated, and conflicts were inevitable. Thus, outside the imperial capital stood the **Life-and-Death Arena**, a place where private grudges were settled. Here, as long as both parties agreed and signed the **Life-and-Death Contract**, once on the stage, even killing one another was beyond the reach of imperial law.

  On ordinary days, countless spectators gathered here for morbid entertainment. Today was no different, with crowds filling the stands. But as the duels concluded one by one and two youths ascended the stage, a ripple of excitement passed through the audience.

  "Isn't that Lorcan? Why is he back again?"

  "Yeah, he was nearly beaten to death yesterday. What brings him here today?"

  "Humph, probably tired of living. Wants to get himself killed, I guess."

  Long Tianxiao, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, was hailed as a military deity by the common folk who suffered the ravages of war. But in the capital, among the wealthy and powerful who lived in peace, the plebeian-born Long Tianxiao was held in little regard. Thus, his son Lorcan was similarly disdained by most in the capital.

  "Lorcan, you good-for-nothing, why are you back again? You're just wasting everyone's time. Why don't you just scurry away?"

  "Exactly. If you want to kill yourself, do it where no one's watching. None of us have the patience to witness a good-for-nothing's end."

  For a moment, the hundreds of spectators below erupted in curses and jeers, clearly harboring a strong aversion to Lorcan.

  However, in a nondescript corner in the distance, two veiled maidens watched the figure on the stage with rapt attention.

  "Sister, is that your betrothed? He looks rather pitiful, without a single ripple of power about him," one maiden remarked with evident disappointment.

  "Humph, Father presumptuously arranged this marriage when I was but a child, betrothing me to him. It's utterly infuriating," the other maiden replied with annoyance.

  On the stage, Lorcan was oblivious to the two maidens' scrutiny. As for the taunts from the crowd, he remained unmoved, merely gazing at Li Hao with indifference.

  Li Hao pointed at the restless crowd and sneered, "See them? You're a universally unwelcome good-for-nothing. Do us all a favor and just dash your brains out."

  Lorcan merely looked at him, silent and composed.

  "Ding."

  The sound of a bell rang out, signaling the start of the duel. With the bell's toll, the line between life and death grew perilously thin.

  The previously raucous crowd fell silent at the bell's chime. After all, this was a fight to the death, and at any moment, someone might meet their end.

  "Sister, your betrothed has no cultivation at all. How can he face someone at the Third Stage of Qi Condensation? Aren't you worried?" one of the women asked.

  "Humph, why should I care? If he dies, so be it. It's none of my concern," the other maiden replied with a snort, though even as she spoke, a peculiar silk net had materialized in her palm.

  "Hee, you say you don't care, yet you've prepared a weapon. Seems like you do care after all. But honestly, though his cultivation is pathetic, he's quite handsome. How about you give him up, sister, and let me have him?" the other woman teased with a grin.

  "Nonsense! Such matters aren't to be trifled with. If you like him so much, you can have him once I've broken off the engagement," the first maiden retorted indignantly.

  "Hee."

  On the stage, Lorcan remained as calm as still water, a stark contrast to the gritting, teeth-baring version of himself from yesterday.

  "Lorcan, are you finding peace at the brink of death? Rest assured, for the sake of our wager, I won't kill you today," Li Hao said with a self-satisfied smirk.

  "Enough chatter. Just make your move already. I've got places to be," Lorcan replied with a tinge of impatience.

  Due to the profound silence of the arena, every word of Lorcan's carried clearly to the ears of the audience. In an instant, the entire venue erupted into a chorus of ridicule.

  "Li Hao, what are you waiting for? Finish off this bastard and put us all out of our misery!"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Someone familiar with Li Hao shouted from the crowd.

  A cold smile crept across Li Hao's face as he discarded all hesitation. Unleashing the full might of his Third Stage of Qi Condensation, he tapped the stage with his foot and launched himself toward Lorcan, throwing a punch.

  As Li Hao made his move, the crowd erupted into cheers. His posture was graceful, almost dashing.

  "An excellent display of the 'Willow in the Wind Fist'!"

  Some recognized the technique, but the two women in the distance both spat in disdain, a smirk of mockery playing on their lips.

  A similar smirk tugged at the corner of Lorcan's mouth: could such a漏洞百出的白痴招数 even be used in combat?

  Seeing the punch hurtling toward his face, the howling wind unmistakable, Lorcan remained unmoved, not a muscle stirred.

  "Haha, this good-for-nothing can't even dodge!" someone in the crowd jeered.

  But the moment their mockery escaped their lips, Li Hao's fist hovered a mere three inches from Lorcan's face, frozen in place.

  The jeering crowd fell silent, realizing Lorcan's leg had shot out, his foot slamming viciously between Li Hao's legs.

  Li Hao, whose face had moments ago been the picture of confidence and charm, now turned the color of an eggplant. Evidently, Lorcan's kick had left him far from comfortable. The searing pain contorted his features, rendering him immobile.

  Immobile, that is, until Lorcan sprang into action. Seizing the moment, Lorcan grabbed Li Hao's hair with both hands, yanked back forcefully, and drove his robust knee forward.

  "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

  Lorcan's movements were a symphony of precision and power. Each segment, each motion, each sound created a visually stunning impact and a brisk rhythm that left the audience breathless.

  The sickening cracks of bone echoed through the arena as Li Hao absorbed three devastating blows in quick succession. His nasal bone collapsed and deformed, his face a mask of blood, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

  A deathly silence fell over the venue. No one had anticipated that a cultivator of the Third Stage of Qi Condensation would be so swiftly defeated by someone without a shred of cultivation—a so-called good-for-nothing. And not just defeated, but in the cleanest, most efficient manner imaginable. It was as if a resounding slap had been delivered to the faces of those who had jeered.

  Even the two maidens watching from afar wore expressions of astonishment. To them, Li Hao was nothing—easily dispatched with a wave of the hand. But Lorcan was different. From start to finish, he hadn't utilized a single thread of spiritual energy. His victory was purely the result of mortal combat techniques.

  "Lorcan wins," a voice announced from the crowd. It belonged to an elder, the official overseer of the arena, responsible for registration and declarations.

  Lorcan's chest heaved violently as he fought to suppress the surge of murderous intent within him. This was not the time for killing. The long-suppressed fury had burst forth with a violence that was difficult to restrain. To the onlookers, it appeared as though Lorcan was panting wildly from excitement, his limbs momentarily drained of strength.

  Descending from the stage, Lorcan approached the elder, retrieved his wager—a long knife—and received a crystal card containing five thousand gold coins. The arena's rules dictated that all wagers be handed to the judge before the match, ensuring fairness and preventing any possibility of reneging.

  After reclaiming the blade, Lorcan promptly returned it to Shi Feng, pocketed the crystal card, and felt a flicker of excitement. Though five thousand gold coins were not a vast sum, they were enough to alleviate some pressing needs. The Long family's stipend had been withheld for so long that they were genuinely struggling to put food on the table.

  Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, the two departed. The two maidens, upon seeing Lorcan leave, vanished as well.

  News of Lorcan's victory over Li Hao spread like wildfire throughout the capital, leaving many bewildered. How could a good-for-nothing who couldn't practice martial arts suddenly become so formidable? Yet countless witnesses and the news of Li Hao being carried back to his manor left no room for doubt. Many found it hard to accept.

  After parting ways with Shi Feng, Lorcan had intended to share the winnings. However, Shi Feng refused staunchly, excusing himself on the pretense of urgent matters and leaving without even inquiring about Lorcan's sudden surge in strength. Lorcan silently acknowledged the favor and headed straight for the Hall of Hundred Herbs.

  Upon entering, Lorcan requested a catalog of herbs. It listed the names and prices of various medicinal materials. Most of the ingredients required for the Wind Mansion Pill were present, fortunately, not particularly rare. Yet, seeing the prices, Lorcan's heart ached. His meager gold coins would only suffice for three sets of materials.

  But he couldn't afford to buy just materials; he also needed an alchemy cauldron and additional backup herbs. The gold coins in his possession were but a drop in the bucket. Reluctantly, Lorcan gritted his teeth and spent 1,200 gold coins on the lowest-quality bronze cauldron available. He also purchased a set of herbs for the Wind Mansion Pill and a large quantity of materials for the Qi-Recovery Powder. When Lorcan emerged from the Hall of Hundred Herbs, his crystal card held a mere 500 gold coins.

  Returning home, Lorcan retreated to his room, locking the door tightly. He instructed Bao'er to inform everyone not to disturb him. Anticipating his mother would hear of his duel, he feared her worry and had Bao'er intercept her. Since he was unharmed, his mother would likely not be overly concerned.

  Time was of the essence; he must enhance his strength swiftly. The Long family's current plight was more precarious than it seemed, and Lorcan sensed impending danger.

  With a deep breath, Lorcan circulated the spiritual energy within him, and a flame appeared in the palm of his hand—this was the alchemist's fire, condensed from a丹师's spiritual energy through a unique process. However, the flame was disappointingly weak. Its temperature was barely higher than ordinary fire.

  Moreover, Lorcan realized that without a dantian to support it, his alchemist's fire could not sustain for more than a quarter of an hour—far too short for the alchemy process. A wry smile crossed his face. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. Instead of attempting to refine pills immediately, he placed the herbs for the Qi-Recovery Powder into the cauldron, extracting them one by one. But he did not use the alchemist's fire; instead, he relied on a wood fire.

  Once all the herbs were processed, a full jar of Qi-Recovery Liquid sat beside Lorcan. After a brief rest, he took a deep breath:

  It was time to formally begin refining the Wind Mansion Pill.