Chapter 134: The Third Match: Beast Victory

When the light faded, Li Jiuyuan’s figure had vanished from the arena, leaving only shards of the black iron heavy sword scattered across the charred ground, proof of his existence.

Though the Yin-Yang Beast, due to distance and the protection of temporal power, was not directly annihilated by the explosion, his already severely wounded body suffered further devastation under the proximity of Wang Hou’s peak self-destruction.

He slumped at the arena’s edge, his flesh and blood mangled, golden divine blood nearly drained, his mysterious golden-silver vertical pupils dimmed to darkness, his breath faint to the extreme—only a final thread of life remained, utterly stripped of combat capability.

The arena was utterly silent.

The human camp’s cheers died instantly; everyone stared dumbly at the empty arena, at the scattered sword fragments.

A vast grief and fury spread through every heart.

Li Jiuyuan had won—and yet he was dead.

He had crippled his formidable foe in the most glorious manner, defending human dignity, yet burned himself to ash.

“Jiuyuan!!!” Tie Shanhe let out a mournful roar, tears streaming down his aged face.

Ye Ting closed his eyes; Lu Wujiu clenched his fists tightly.

Jiang Xia stared at the arena, slowly closing his eyes, filled with reverence and sorrow.

Li Jiuyuan, this quiet and reserved martial alliance prodigy, had used his life to define what it meant to be a warrior’s honor and duty.

“Third match…” The grand voice of cosmic law seemed to carry a barely perceptible tremor as it echoed slowly, “Human side… fallen. Beast side… victorious.”

Beast side victorious!

The cost of defeat was the fall of a top human prodigy!

The beast camp, too, fell silent.

Though they had won, they had nearly lost a descendant of the Yin-Yang Dragon—though not dead, he was utterly ruined, at an equally terrible cost.

The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy. This battle on the Fallen God Arena had barely begun, yet was already so brutal.

The weight of Li Jiuyuan’s sacrifice hung like a dark cloud over the entire human camp.

The shattered fragments of the heavy sword were seared into every heart.

According to the rules, after three consecutive battles, both sides were granted one day of rest to recover and strategize for what followed.

In the main command tent of the human camp.

The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed ready to drip.

Except for Jian Nan Zhu, still guarding Jian Nan Pass, Mo Yuan was in seclusion, severely wounded.

Ye Ting, Lu Wujiu, and Ye Qing—the three Saint-class commanders of the Demon-Suppressing Army—sat upon the raised dais; below them stood representatives from major clans and sects, along with the remaining unengaged prodigies.

“Li Jiuyuan… went out too gloriously.”

Ye Ting’s voice was hoarse; even this iron-blooded war god could not hide his grief.

Li Jiuyuan was one of the martial alliance’s future hopes; his fall was a massive loss to humanity.

Lu Wujiu slammed his fist on the table, lightning flashing: “The Yin-Yang Dragon clan! This blood debt must be repaid a hundredfold!” His rage surged like thunder through the tent.

Ye Qing remained relatively calm, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil: “Our immediate priority is choosing the contender for tomorrow’s fourth match.”

The beast side has lost two matches; though they won one, the loss of their top combatant, Yin-Yang Yin, has dealt them a crushing blow.

Their next match will surely send a powerful warrior, determined to turn the tide and restore morale.”

All eyes swept across the remaining prodigies.

Akatsuki Jin remained unconscious from his wounds; Li Jiuyuan had died in battle.

Among the top combatants, Jiang Xia’s injuries had not yet healed, and his target was likely the final opponent—the Mayfly.

Du Gu Yun, Cui Jue, and Ye Lingxi were absolute mainstays, needed for more critical matches.

Wang Shichen, Ling Zhantian, and others were slightly weaker, yet facing whatever beast the enemy sent would be extremely risky.

Who to send? This was a dilemma.

Send a strong one, and if another misstep occurs, we’ll have no one left; send a weaker one, and we fear defeat—another loss will shatter morale completely.

The tent fell silent, broken only by heavy breathing and the howling wind outside.

At that moment, a voice—slightly defiant yet resolute—rose:

“I’ll fight tomorrow’s fourth match!”

All turned to see Qin Qianjue rise and step into the center of the tent.

His face still bore its usual cold arrogance, but deep in his eyes burned a steady flame.

“Qianjue?” Qin Hao frowned slightly, “Your strength…”

Qin Qianjue cut him off, his gaze sweeping the tent, finally settling on the three Saints: “I know—in your eyes, I, Qin Qianjue, may not shine as brightly as my elder brother, or Akatsuki Jin, or Jiang Xia.”

“But I have also broken through to Wang Hou’s late stage! The destructive power of my Thunder affinity, all of Itachi have witnessed!”

He drew a deep breath, raising his voice: “Li Jiuyuan gave his life for our people—I, Qin Qianjue, am equally willing to shed blood for humanity!”

“The Qin clan is not merely about personal grudges! I volunteer as the vanguard for humanity—death is no regret!”

His words rang with finality, carrying the spirit of burning bridges. The tent’s occupants reacted with varied expressions—surprise, scrutiny, and a flicker of emotion.

The feud between the Qin clan and Jiang Xia was well known; Qin Qianjue’s voluntary request for battle now drew stunned attention.

Ye Ting stared deeply at Qin Qianjue, as if piercing his soul: “Qianjue, do Itachi understand how dangerous this match is? The beast side’s next fighter will not be weak.”

Qin Qianjue lifted his head: “It’s merely death! Li Jiuyuan could do it—I, Qin Qianjue, can too! I beg the War God to grant me this chance!”

Lu Wujiu looked at Qin Qianjue, lightning flickering in his eyes: “Boy, Itachi’ve got guts. But remember—on the arena, only strength speaks. Courage alone is not enough.”

“I understand,” Qin Qianjue bowed. “I will not disgrace this trust.”

Ye Qing exchanged a glance with Ye Ting and Lu Wujiu, then slowly nodded: “Good. The fourth match goes to Qin Qianjue. May Itachi… return victorious!”

“I will not fail Itachi!” Qin Qianjue bowed deeply, a flash of resolve in his eyes.

…

Meanwhile, deep within the beast camp.

Several demonic Saint shadows gathered, the atmosphere equally heavy.

“Two commanders lost, Yin-Yang Yin critically wounded and near death… the human prodigies’ tenacity exceeded our estimates,” said Kage Long, his voice cold with fury.

“The next match must be won—and won decisively, to restore morale!”

Tao Tie licked his lips: “Send Kui Niu. His strength can crush most human Wang Hou. His innate ability perfectly counters human agility and spellcraft.”

Qiong Qi let out a low chuckle: “Kui Niu? A fine choice. That War Trample will shatter the hearts of any human brat. It’s settled.”

…

The day of rest passed in an instant.

When the sun once again illuminated the charred earth, the atmosphere around the Fallen God Arena was even more deadly than yesterday.

The air reeked of thick blood and lingering calamity.