Chapter 144: Pre-Battle

Xuantian Gate, outer sect training ground, life-or-death arena.

There are nine life-or-death arenas in the outer sect, all identical: square platforms nine zhang per side, covering about one point three mu, compacted from yellow earth.

Solid! Durable! Easy to repair!

At all times, the life-or-death arenas are never idle; Xuantian Gate has ten thousand outer sect disciples.

Cultivators, with vigorous blood and qi, start fighting at the slightest provocation.

Conflicts arise daily; disciples fight on the life-or-death arenas daily, and today is no exception.

At this moment, five of the nine life-or-death arenas have disciples dueling, and another is about to begin—Chen Yun's arena.

On the arena, Chen Yun stands with arms crossed, proud and relaxed, utterly unconcerned about the impending duel.

Below the arena, Lie Tian Gang members wait bored; Chen Yun's deputy hall leader's opponent has not arrived—the leader of that small gang.

At this moment, many outer sect disciples, seeing a duel about to happen, gather around to watch and inquire about the identities and cultivation levels of the combatants.

Someone recognizes Chen Yun on the arena and laughs: "Isn't that Chen Deputy Hall Leader of Lie Tian Gang? Who's the fool dumb enough to challenge him? Did he eat a leopard's gallbladder? How dare he offend Lie Tian Gang?"

As he speaks, he glances at the Lie Tian Gang members and spots a familiar bald man—Chen Dahu.

After his lower body was ruined, Chen Dahu became infamous in the outer sect; who doesn't know him?

He smirks inwardly but wears a serene smile, saying gently: "Brother Chen, who is Deputy Hall Leader Chen dueling? Where's his opponent?"

Chen Dahu recognizes him too—Beigong Wang, Warrior Stage 5, hall leader of the Blood Saber Gang's Bai Hu Tang.

The Blood Saber Gang is the second strongest gang in the outer sect, led by Xiao Jun, nicknamed Blood Saber, Warrior Stage 9, also among the top ten strongest outer sect disciples.

"Brother Beigong!"

Chen Dahu bows respectfully, then glances toward Xuantian Town with disdain: "Just the leader of some small gang. He hasn't arrived yet."

"A small gang's leader?"

Beigong Wang frowns—he knows Lie Tian Gang is expanding again!

Lie Tian Gang became the outer sect's top gang by cunning appropriation, swallowing smaller gangs to grow stronger.

Any small gang targeted by Lie Tian Gang that refuses their "alliance" policy is crushed under various pretexts, then absorbed.

The lucky ones have their entire gang absorbed; their leader becomes a minor commander, joining Lie Tian Gang.

The unlucky ones, like this small gang now, have their leader forced onto the life-or-death arena, ending with nothing—and possibly death.

Clearly, Lie Tian Gang is extremely tyrannical!

Blood Saber Gang is no match!

Beigong Wang sighs slightly, then asks: "What cultivation level is this small gang's leader?"

"What cultivation level?"

Chen Dahu freezes—right, what is Facing Facing Cang Luo's cultivation level?

The last time he saw him was two months ago; back then, was he a Warrior?

Chen Dahu hesitates: "Seems like Warrior Stage 9… maybe not…"

"Seems like?"

Now it's Beigong Wang's turn to freeze—is he serious? They don't even know the opponent's cultivation level, and they're about to duel?

Is Lie Tian Gang this arrogant?

Beigong Wang chuckles: "At least you know the opponent's name, right? And what's the gang's name?"

"Facing Facing Cang Luo!"

Chen Dahu spits out those two words through gritted teeth, revealing how much he hates Facing Facing Cang Luo.

"Facing Facing Cang Luo?"

Beigong Wang freezes again—he's heard that name.

Two months ago, a delegation from the imperial sect Kong Sheng Academy came to Xuantian Gate, and the two sects held several duels, with participants from the outer academy and outer sect, all at Warrior Stage.

One of Xuantian Gate's fighters was named Facing Facing Cang Luo—is this the same person?

Beigong Wang was present that day; he remembers Facing Facing Cang Luo, at Warrior Stage 6, defeating Kong Sheng Academy's Warrior Stage 9 outer academy disciple, whose name was Long Zhantian.

That day, Long Zhantian, confident in his higher cultivation, stood still and let Facing Facing Cang Luo strike three times, enduring three palm strikes.

He easily blocked the first two, but failed to block the third, and was ultimately defeated.

Beigong Wang thought Facing Facing Cang Luo won largely because Long Zhantian underestimated him—but Facing Facing Cang Luo wasn't weak; he had real ability.

Especially that third palm strike—it was no ordinary technique; Beigong Wang judged it at least a Low-Grade Earth-level martial art.

Recalling this, Beigong Wang looks again at Chen Yun on the arena and bursts into laughter.

If the Facing Facing Cang Luo Chen Dahu speaks of is the same Facing Facing Cang Luo who fought Kong Sheng Academy, this duel just got interesting.

Two months ago, the opponent was Warrior Stage 6 and still defeated a Warrior Stage 9.

What about now?

He's definitely stronger!

Chen Yun might not win.

Thinking of this, Beigong Wang becomes intensely interested, eagerly anticipating the duel, and immediately calls nearby Blood Saber Gang members over to watch.

"Brother Chen, what's the name of this Facing Facing Cang Luo's gang?" Beigong Wang asks again.

"Wolf War Gang!" Chen Dahu says casually.

"Wolf War Gang? The same one as Wolf War Barbecue?"

Beigong Wang freezes again—Facing Facing Cang Luo owns Wolf War Barbecue?

Few people know Facing Facing Cang Luo's name—only two or three hundred present during the two-sect duel, and most likely forgot after.

But everyone in the outer sect knows Wolf War Barbecue; even many inner sect seniors know it and have visited.

Even the sect master's daughter, Xuan Qingqing, has eaten there several times and praised the demonic beast skewers as delicious.

Many people, seeing the War Wolf Barbecue Shop doing brisk business, followed suit and opened their own barbecue shops; the Blood Blade Gang opened one too, but their barbecue didn't taste as good as the War Wolf Gang's, so business was very mediocre, barely enough to cover the rent.

Chen Dahu nodded and said, "Yes, it's the War Wolf Gang from that War Wolf Barbecue Shop."

"So that's how it is..."

Beigong Wang muttered; he now knew the reason Chen Yun and Facing Facing Cang Luo were dueling. The Lie Tian Gang also ran barbecue shops—two of them—but their business wasn't as good as the War Wolf Barbecue Shop's either.

This duel, swallowing the War Wolf Gang is secondary; the true purpose, I suspect, is to seize the War Wolf Barbecue Shop?

He felt that even if Facing Facing Cang Luo could defeat Chen Yun, the War Wolf Gang would ultimately be unable to escape the fate of being swallowed by the Lie Tian Gang; Ouyang Lie would never let the War Wolf Barbecue Shop go.

In the Martial Dao, talent is the foundation, but resources are the root.

Without resources, how can one speak of cultivation? How can one become stronger?

Ouyang Lie's current cultivation level relies on vast resources; moreover, he is preparing for the year-end tournament, preparing to break through to Martial Artist, precisely the time when resources are most scarce.

Therefore, he will absolutely not let go of this money-making barbecue shop.

Beigong Wang shook his head slightly, thinking of the impending fate awaiting Facing Facing Cang Luo and the War Wolf Gang, and felt a touch of sorrow.

He feared the Blood Blade Gang would face the same day; the Lie Tian Gang has wanted to move against the Blood Blade Gang for more than a day or two.

Ouyang Lie has challenged the Gang Leader to a duel several times, but the Gang Leader has always found excuses to avoid fighting; the Gang Leader worries that if he loses once, it will cause the gang's morale to scatter, allowing the Lie Tian Gang to seize the opportunity and ultimately swallow them...

As Beigong Wang pondered these thoughts, his ears suddenly twitched; he heard a strange sound coming from behind, somewhat like an old snake crawling quickly across the ground.

Who is so idle as to summon a beast pet?

Beigong Wang frowned slightly, turned around to look, and saw that many people nearby had also heard the sound and were turning to face the direction from which the strange noise came.

"What kind of demon beast is that?"

"Is that a demon beast? Have you ever seen one?"

"No, that's not a demon beast; look, there are wheels!"

"Wheels? There's someone sitting on top; could it be a mechanical carriage? Such a small mechanical carriage?"

Upon seeing the source of the strange noise, the crowd expressed surprise; some thought it was a demon beast, others thought it was a mechanical carriage.

Beigong Wang's eyes sharpened; whether it was a demon beast or a mechanical carriage didn't matter to him; he recognized the person sitting atop it and exclaimed in surprise, "Facing Facing Cang Luo!?"

"It's him..." Chen Dahu nodded in surprise; he recognized that the thing Facing Facing Cang Luo was riding was exactly the mechanical carriage parked at the entrance of the War Wolf Barbecue Shop.

Let's just call it a mechanical carriage; he had only heard of it, never seen it with his own eyes.

He originally thought that mechanical carriage belonged to some powerful expert who had eaten barbecue at the War Wolf Barbecue Shop, but now it was being ridden by Facing Facing Cang Luo...

Is the mechanical carriage his?

What a joke!

Even many Inner Sect True Disciples and Elite Disciples, not to mention the Sect Master's daughter, do not have one; yet he, an Outer Sect disciple, actually possesses a mechanical carriage?

While Chen Dahu was still in shock, Beigong Wang slightly curled the corners of his mouth; he felt things were becoming even more interesting.

This Facing Facing Cang Luo is the same Facing Facing Cang Luo who fought the Outer Sect disciples of the Kong Sheng Academy two months ago; now he is also a Gang Leader and the owner of the War Wolf Barbecue Shop.

Needless to say, his strength must be formidable; otherwise, he could not be a Gang Leader.

Heh! This is going to be a good show.

This kid Chen Yun might have kicked a iron plate this time.

By the way, should I open a betting pool? Make a huge profit? Everyone will surely think Chen Yun will win...