Chapter 53: If You Won

Time passed quickly, and the contestants from both sides have already entered the Divine Ghost Killing Arena.

According to tradition, before the challenge begins, a self‑introduction is required.

"I am Geli Feisi, oh, no,

I would prefer you to address me as the beautiful Lady Geli Feisi, which better matches my beauty and status."

Geli Feisi places a hand on her hip, holds a handbag in the other, and deliberately strikes a pose.

Beside her, Zhang Cheng furrows his brow and silently chuckles to himself,

Auntie, who are you? The powder on your face could crush flies!

"The Summoned Creature about to appear is my noble companion, who, like me, enjoys the honor of nobility."

"SS Rank — Madam Batuoli, or you may call her the Vampire Countess for familiarity."

"Remember, she is a Countess, not one of those ordinary Vampire Countesses!"

Because she has fought before in the Divine Ghost Killing Arena,

audiences worldwide have some impression of her.

But her self‑righteous aristocracy also breeds resentment in many.

"Geli Feisi herself is indeed unpleasant, but the Madam Batuoli she summons is a strong and terrifying fellow!"

"Recall last time, she won three consecutive matches, each opponent an SS Rank ruthless contender!"

"It is said Madam Batuoli was not powerful originally; she became formidable because she brushed against Bloody Mary, gaining a sliver of her power, which made her so terrifying!"

"Bloody Mary is an SSS‑Rank entity; possessing even a fragment of her ability is already enough to horrify."

"In this round, Dragon Nation has met a tough nut!"

"I really want to know which Summoned Creature Dragon Nation will send; it's such a tease."

"Madam Batuoli might actually win; after all, she is a veteran Summoned Creature with deep experience."

"Who doesn't know her strength?"

Although Geli Feisi is not well‑liked by everyone,

the might of Madam Batuoli has left the audience with a deep psychological scar.

At this moment!

Center stage.

Geli Feisi hears the surrounding chatter, especially the negative remarks, and her complexion instantly darkens,

"Pah, a bunch of lowly mortals; how can a noble like me tolerate their pointing and gossip?"

"And you! Why keep staring at me? Can't you curb your lecherous aura!"

Geli Feisi suddenly turns and glares at Zhang Cheng.

Her sky‑high fury makes Zhang Cheng uneasy, fearing she might spit out her false teeth.

"Who cares to watch you? Fight or not, if you don't fight, just admit cowardice and scram, stop being an eyesore!"

Zhang Cheng doesn't buy Geli Feisi's act and retorts bluntly.

Geli Feisi trembles with rage,

"Damned!"

"This really drives me mad!"

"Uncultured commoner, I will tear you to pieces!"

The words barely leave her mouth.

Geli Feisi's nails instantly become razor‑sharp; with a clang, she coldly gouges out her own eyeball, blood gushing.

Then, she clamps down violently!

The liquid from the eyeball, like thick sludge, spreads rapidly across the entire stage.

Within the sludge, a withered, dark tree grows wildly; in the center, a towering castle built of massive stones rises majestically.

Oval windows, domed roofs, guard posts—rich in old‑European atmosphere.

A blood‑red moon hangs high in the night sky.

Zhang Cheng stands on the platform, looking up, gazing through the dense branches,

and under that crimson moonlight, a bewitchingly beautiful figure stands prominently atop the castle.

She wears a flamboyant scarlet gown, one hand propping her cheek, the other at her waist, ruby‑like eyes filled with terror and murderous intent.

Her teeth appear forged of metal, flashing with a cold, icy gleam.

Around the castle, piles of decayed young girls' corpses rise like mountains.

These corpses nourish twisted, grotesque trees.

The scene is shrouded in white mist, mingled with a pungent scent of blood.

Madam Batuoli!

The legendary Vampire Countess!

"Die!"

Geli Feisi shouts at Zhang Cheng in fury,

Then, Madam Batuoli atop the castle points at Zhang Cheng.

The fallen girl corpses seem to revive, lunging toward Zhang Cheng at unnatural speed, bodies riddled with wounds.

Some have lost their lower halves and crawl using their hands.

Some have bamboo skewers stuck in their fingertips.

Some have hollow eye sockets, the eyeballs missing,

and faces torn apart into fragments.

This sight is utterly tragic beyond humanity.

It fully displays Madam Ba Tuoli's cruel "creation".

"Hahaha, be afraid, tremble, scream."

"No one can remain calm after witnessing this, Dragon Nation brat,

I know you're now so scared you can't move, you want to surrender, right!"

Ge Li Fei Si is arrogantly impudent, his eyes brimming with confidence.

However,

facing the surging rotting corpses,

Zhang Cheng feels only a hint of nausea, but no fear in his heart.

"This visual assault only makes me want to vomit, nothing else gained."

"Come, witness true horror!"

Having said so,

Zhang Cheng claps his hands together!

The running rotting corpses instantly turn to dust.

Immediately, the illusory forest vanishes rapidly, and the castle beneath Madam Ba Tuoli collapses visibly to the naked eye!

The scene undergoes a dramatic change!

Ba Tuoli Furen widens her eyes, unable to believe it all.

The terrifying spectacle she created disintegrates and reassembles…

Until the blood moon is veiled by dark clouds,

the surroundings fall into darkness,

and one by one, eerie red lanterns suddenly light up.

The red glow illuminates the surroundings; Ba Tuoli Furen and Ge Li Fei Si, terrified, discover that at some point they have arrived in a desolate village.

Mud‑brick houses stand densely.

Black tiles cover the roofs, in chaotic disarray.

"What is this place!"

"Dirty and dark, terrible!"

Ge Li Fei Si disgustedly brushes dust off himself.

Ba Tuoli Furen gathers blood‑red light, attempting to tear the space, yet cannot break this realm.

A powerful barrier exists here!

All around is gloomy and eerie, the air thick and foul.

The cold wind blows, like a ghost clinging to the neck, icy to the bone, sending shivers down one's spine.

Ba Tuoli Furen and Ge Li Fei Si solemnly scan the surroundings; in the darkness, each mud house resembles a monster with a gaping maw, emitting low, grotesque chuckles.

Unease drives them toward the red lanterns.

Soon, they feel their way to the front of a huge, bizarre courtyard house gate.

The towering gate resembles a strange mouth, exuding gloom and oddity.

They look up at the hanging lanterns.

Strangely,

the ticking beneath the lanterns is clearly audible.

Is it blood?

The lantern is even stranger, letting no light through—because of its material, perhaps?

Upon closer inspection,

it turns out to be leather!

Sheepskin…

As a human, Ge Li Fei Si suddenly feels uneasy.

She hurriedly steps forward, intending to push the door open.

Just as she reaches out,

she is surprised to find a couplet hanging on the door.

Ge Li Fei Si, who knows a bit of Dragon Nation culture, frowns; during the Spring Festival, every household hangs couplets symbolizing auspicious joy.

However,

when she looks closely,

a strong sense of ominousness envelops her heart.

The characters on the couplet melt into black liquid droplets, flowing down.

Ge Li Fei Si hurriedly turns her head, her gaze landing on the "Fu" character on the door,

sending a chill down her spine.

Getting closer, using the faint lantern light to see clearly,

a coldness pierces straight to the marrow.

Because,

what's written there is not "Fu"!

but… "Dian"!

Ge Li Fei Si's heart roils with turmoil; the intense unease drives her to want to flee.

But just as she turned and took a step,

her feet suddenly felt sticky and soft,

as if stepping on a heap of rotting flesh.

Ge Li Fei Si lowered her head in terror,

only to see,

at some unknown point,

her feet were suddenly clad in a pair of bright red…

embroidered shoes!

"What the hell is this!"

Ge Li Fei Si widened her eyes, staring fixedly at the embroidered shoes on her feet.

The shoes, made of soft, fluffy fabric, were a vivid red, with flamboyant flowers competing for attention on them.

The craftsmanship was flawless; every stitch was hand‑sewn, and, by all accounts, these embroidered shoes should be quite eye‑pleasing.

However…

In this pitch‑black, eerily silent night, the faint glow of the sheepskin lantern illuminated,

the embroidered shoes not only lacked any festive cheer, but exuded a distinctly sinister aura.

Even worse, Ge Li Fei Si felt the shoes on her feet were damp,

as if a slight pressure would squeeze out a sticky substance, looking just like blood!

Could it be that these embroidered shoes just crawled out of a vat of blood water?

Wait!

Ge Li Fei Si snapped back to her senses, a crucial question popping into her mind:

"How the hell did this thing end up on my feet?!!"

Since being inexplicably imprisoned here, she had been constantly on edge,

she missed no detail along the way, even recalling the couplet pasted on the main gate with crystal clarity.

Who, so despicable, slipped the embroidered shoes onto my feet?

Could it be that the shoes grew legs and walked up themselves?

Hiss…

Ge Li Fei Si inhaled a sharp breath of cold air, her mind filled with bizarre, odd thoughts.

The unease in her heart grew wildly like weeds, instantly spreading through her body. She swallowed.

Staring at the embroidered shoes on her feet, she stepped back toward the courtyard wall.

Then, she hurriedly lifted her foot, trying to rid herself of the pair of embroidered shoes.