523: Chapter 523 Steward Sun Cheng!

Qin Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

As expected of one of the top cities in the Taixuan Realm.

This was just the Eastern City, yet it already possessed such a grand atmosphere.

If it were the entire Taixuan City, what kind of sight would it be?

He continued walking along the road for a while before coming to a halt.

A massive building stood tall before him.

The building was circular, covering hundreds of acres, towering into the clouds with a magnificent Aura.

The entire structure was built from massive blue-gray stones, densely inscribed with runes that emitted a faint glow.

The building's outer walls tapered upward in steps, with each level featuring massive arched windows. Through the glass, one could vaguely see lights and figures inside.

At the top of the building was a massive dome, carved with a giant mural—countless Martial Artists engaged in fierce combat, with fist shadows, sword light, and blade glows intertwined, lifelike and majestic.

Above the main entrance, five words were carved in a bold, flowing style—Tiangang Arena.

Two guards stood before the entrance.

The two guards wore black battle armor with long sabers at their waists, standing as straight as pine trees.

They stood there expressionless, their gazes like lightning, alertly scanning everything around them.

They emitted a powerful Aura, possessing at least a sixth-grade cultivation.

Qin Yan stepped forward but was stopped by the two guards.

“Tiangang Arena. No unauthorized personnel allowed.”

One of the guards spoke coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

His hand was already resting on his saber hilt, ready to strike at any moment.

“I am a New Student of the Taixuan Holy Land, here in response to a commission from your arena.”

After speaking, Qin Yan produced his token.

Upon seeing Qin Yan's token, the two guards' expressions softened considerably.

They naturally recognized this token and knew it was the identification for a Taixuan Holy Land Disciple.

“Who is the client?” one guard inquired.

“Deacon Sun Cheng.”

Qin Yan stated the client for the mission.

That was the contact person attached to the mission information, a deacon of the Tiangang Arena.

“Wait a moment.”

With that, one guard turned and walked into the arena.

A short while later, the guard returned.

Standing beside him was another person.

It was a middle-aged man of average build and ordinary features, wearing a gray long robe.

His Aura was restrained, making it hard to gauge his depth, but to serve as a deacon, he must have at least a sixth-grade cultivation or higher.

When Sun Cheng saw Qin Yan, his brow furrowed slightly.

Because he perceived that Qin Yan's Aura was only at the fifth rank late stage.

This did not meet his expectations at all.

He wanted a powerful Fifth-Rank Martial Artist capable of handling the role of a Gold Medal Arena Defender.

The candidate didn't even meet the Fifth Grade Peak requirement; the chances of him being powerful were too slim!

However, considering the other party was a Disciple of the Taixuan Holy Land, he decided to meet him anyway.

They were from the Holy Land, after all; it wouldn't be good to reject him outright.

What if the boy had something special about him?

Thinking of this, he walked quickly toward Qin Yan.

“Hello, I am Sun Cheng.” He extended his hand and spoke.

“Hello, I am Qin Yan. I'm here to try out for the Gold Medal Arena Defender position.”

Qin Yan shook his hand and got straight to the point.

“May I see your token?”

Sun Cheng asked.

Although the boy claimed to be a Taixuan Holy Land Disciple, he still needed to verify his identity.

Hearing this, Qin Yan took out the token.

Sun Cheng's Mental Energy swept over it, quickly finding the name carved on the token—Qin Yan, East Courtyard.

Then, his Mental Energy looked at the back.

With one look, a flash of shock instantly appeared in his eyes!

Special Grade Disciple!

He was actually a Taixuan Holy Land Special Grade Disciple!

As a deacon of the Tiangang Arena, he paid quite a bit of attention to the Taixuan Holy Land.

After all, a large portion of the arena's business came from the New Students of these various factions.

He knew that the Taixuan Holy Land's East Courtyard had over thirty thousand New Students this year, yet there were only 113 Special Grade Disciples!

To become a Special Grade Disciple, one's talent and potential had to be world-class!

Fighting above their level was as easy as breathing for them!

The true combat strength of this fifth rank late stage youth before him likely far exceeded his Realm!

Sun Cheng's gaze toward Qin Yan instantly became fervent.

“So it is Young Master Qin Yan. Come, come, please come in.”

Sun Cheng was immediately all smiles, making a welcoming gesture toward Qin Yan.

That warm attitude was a world away from his coldness just moments ago.

Seeing this, the two guards nearby also looked strange. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

This Deacon Sun Cheng was usually a very serious man who rarely smiled and treated everyone with a business-like attitude.

They had been on guard here for so long, yet they had never seen him be this warm to anyone.

The smile on his face now felt utterly foreign to them.

It was so bright that it seemed a bit fake—so fake it felt surreal.

Their gazes couldn't help but turn toward Qin Yan, reassessing the young man.

To receive such a warm reception from Deacon Sun Cheng, this Taixuan Holy Land Disciple was likely no ordinary character.

Qin Yan followed Deacon Sun Cheng into the arena.

Upon entering the gate, his vision suddenly opened up.

A wide corridor extended forward, with various functional areas on both sides—resting areas, viewing platforms, and service counters—with people coming and going in a bustling scene.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sweat and blood, the unique atmosphere of an arena.

“Young Master Qin Yan, I presume you saw in the mission requirements that to serve as a Gold Medal Arena Defender, you must first complete our arena's assessment.”

Sun Cheng spoke as they walked.

Qin Yan nodded upon hearing this.

He had indeed seen this in the mission requirements.

Not just anyone could be a Gold Medal Arena Defender; one had to pass the arena's strength assessment.

After all, the arena was a place of business; they couldn't let someone without enough strength go up and embarrass them.

“Deacon Sun Cheng, what is the content of the assessment?” Qin Yan asked.

“Actual combat.”

“As long as you can defeat the assessor our arena arranges, you will pass.”

“This is the most direct and effective method. One fight will tell us exactly how strong you are.”

Qin Yan nodded, expressing his understanding.

Actual combat was indeed the most direct way to test someone.

After Sun Cheng finished speaking, the two walked a bit further and arrived inside a venue.

The space inside the venue was massive, several hundred feet in size, enough to accommodate over ten thousand spectators.

Surrounding them were tiers of spectator stands. Though currently empty, one could imagine how noisy and lively it would be during a match.

At this moment, many Martial Artists were engaged in fierce combat within the arena.

Some were striking flesh with powerful blows; some had flashing sword light and exquisite Moves; others had True Qi surging with a majestic Aura.

Shouts and the clashing of weapons intertwined into a single cacophony.