55: I will take your life within ten breaths.

Cheng Rui heard this and laughed, "Arrogant talk. I hope that on the Life and Death Arena later, you won't beg me to make your death easier."

"Whether my brother is talking big or not, we'll only know for sure once we're on the Life and Death Arena."

A hearty voice came from nearby: "I bet thirty Spirit Stones that Fang Huai wins."

This voice?

Fang Huai turned around and saw Pei Long approaching with a smile. The aura of his Qi Refining Seventh Layer was completely undisguised, startling the surrounding Cultivators into making way.

Beside Pei Long was a woman in black robes wearing a thin veil.

Fang Huai's heart instantly leapt into his throat. While Pei Long's cultivation was indeed startling, what shocked him even more was the veiled woman.

[Ling Bei]

[Foundation Establishment Middle Stage]

[Corpse Fiend Possession (Red)] [Blood Sea Demon Body]

[Blood Sea Demon Body: Except for the Divine Sense and Qi Sea, the vast majority of the body's organs have been replaced by the Blood Sea; the Blood Sea Dao has been formed.]

Although Ling Bei had concealed her aura, how could Fang Huai not see through it?

"Brother Pei, I hope you have been well," Fang Huai said with cupped hands.

He refreshed the tags on Pei Long and found that there was no [Blood Jade Body].

It seemed that after Feng Wuwang took Pei Long away, the latter did not join the Ascension Society.

As for why Pei Long was taken under the wing of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Ling Bei, Fang Huai didn't know the reason.

Pei Long nodded in acknowledgment and then said to Cheng Rui, "Cheng Rui, Blood Sea Peak and Beast Taming Peak have always been on good terms. Give me some Face and let this Life and Death Arena match end here."

Cheng Rui was feeling uncertain. His invitation to Fang Huai was originally meant to extort some Spirit Stones. Now that he saw a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivator backing Fang Huai, he already felt like retreating.

"Since this Senior Brother has spoken, I, Cheng Rui, am not a bloodthirsty person. As long as Junior Brother Fang pays the Spirit Stones for breaching the Life and Death Arena contract..."

"I only have twenty-three Spirit Stones, and I just bet them all on myself to win," Fang Huai said with a wave of his hand.

Cheng Rui was annoyed but suppressed his anger and said, "Out of respect for this Senior Brother's Face, I can share the breach of contract Spirit Stones with you."

"Stop talking nonsense," Fang Huai said, raising an eyebrow. "Either you pay it yourself, or we fight. This Fang isn't as sissified as you."

"Hahahaha."

Pei Long laughed: "Brother Fang still has the same temper as before, not yielding an inch."

If the conflict could really be resolved this way, Fang Huai wouldn't want to fight Cheng Rui to the bitter end either.

After all, they were both in the Ascension Society, and he was afraid of Feng Wuwang's blame.

Moreover, killing Cheng Rui might provoke the Family or backers behind him.

But he had no choice but to participate in this Life and Death Arena match.

Pei Long's grudge against him was deep. Now that they had met, Pei Long would surely want to kill him. Those words just now were merely a test for Fang Huai.

If Fang Huai showed weakness, Pei Long would arrange for Li Rui, Zhang Rui, Sun Rui, and so on to continuously challenge him on the Life and Death Arena, leaving him exhausted.

Or he might simply take action himself and assassinate him when he went out.

But if he could defeat Cheng Rui, who was at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, it would at least make Pei Long, at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, wary and not dare to act against him too openly.

Therefore, he had to accept this Life and Death Arena match and kill Cheng Rui with thunderous momentum.

Seeing Fang Huai speak like that and Pei Long laughing along, Cheng Rui's blood boiled, and he lost his reason.

If he backed down after being mocked like this, he would surely no longer be taken seriously upon returning to his peak.

"Senior Brother, it's not that I, Cheng, am not giving you Face, but this fellow Fang Huai is seeking his own death."

Having said that, he leaped onto the Life and Death Arena: "Fang Huai, come up and meet your death!"

Seeing this, Fang Huai was not flustered. He took out several stalks of Numbing Snake Grass and chewed them in his mouth.

He also took out a pile of miscellaneous poisonous grasses and swallowed them.

Cheng Rui was dumbfounded, thinking Fang Huai must be ill.

Could it be that he was afraid of being tortured on the Life and Death Arena and wanted to die more quickly when the time came?

Pei Long also looked puzzled, but he knew Fang Huai's character and knew he wouldn't do something foolish.

Estimating that the toxicity was about to break out, Fang Huai leaped onto the Life and Death Arena with a look of disdain:

"Cheng Rui, within ten breaths, I will take your life!"

Cheng Rui laughed out of extreme anger: "Arrogant fool, I'll have your dog's life!"

With that, he slapped the spirit beast pouch in his hand, and a Qi Refining Fourth Layer Demon Wolf appeared beside him.

"Even if you summon a Yao Beast, it won't change your fate of dying," Fang Huai shouted.

"Poisonous Fiend Technique!"

As his words fell, a blast of cyan-red poison fiend shot toward Cheng Rui.

Cheng Rui immediately sensed that the power of Fang Huai's Poisonous Fiend Technique was not high; he must have just learned it.

So, without even dodging, he summoned the Demon Wolf to charge directly at Fang Huai.

"Just in time!"

Fang Huai took out his skinning knife and flew up, charging straight at the man and wolf.

"Is This Fang Huai stupid? A Qi Refining Fourth Layer going head-to-head with a Qi Refining Sixth Layer?"

"He doesn't think that Cheng Rui really won't dare to kill him just because of that Qi Refining Seventh Layer Senior Brother behind him, does he?"

"I think he's suffered Qi Deviation from his cultivation; he's going to his death with a skinning knife."

"..."

The spectating Disciples discussed animatedly.

Pei Long's eyes also narrowed. He didn't believe Fang Huai was going to his death, but he couldn't see what Fang Huai was up to.

"Bang!"

After skillfully bypassing the Demon Wolf, Fang Huai clashed his skinning knife against Cheng Rui's spirit sword.

In an instant, Cheng Rui's entire body went numb, his head spun, and he felt as if he were entangled by a severe poison, even his spiritual power was Sealed.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he thought things were going badly. What Spell had Fang Huai used to make him fall for it so imperceptibly?

Seeing the skinning knife slash toward his neck and being unable to resist, he hurriedly begged for mercy: "Junior Brother Fang, spare—"

Fang Huai didn't let him finish; the skinning knife pierced his neck.

His Minor Achievement in the Skinning Technique not only made him skilled at stripping the hides of Yao Beasts but also gave him exceptionally high skill in cutting human flesh and bone.

Within a single breath, Cheng Rui's head was separated from his body.

Seeing its master dead, the Demon Wolf let out a mournful cry and pounced on Fang Huai, but for some unknown reason, its body also suddenly went numb, and it died under Fang Huai's skinning knife.

Everyone's eyes went wide, not knowing what Spell Fang Huai had used.

Holding the heads of Cheng Rui and the Demon Wolf in each hand, Fang Huai swallowed the detoxification pill hidden under his tongue. He forced himself to stand tall, maintaining a composed air.

"Senior Brother Pei, Senior Martial Brother Meng, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission and didn't let you two brothers waste your Spirit Stones!"

Meng Yi slapped his thigh hard. Had he known Fang Huai was so fierce, he would have bet a hundred Spirit Stones. But he was still happy that Fang Huai won, as he had a good relationship with him.

He congratulated: "Senior Brother Fang's cultivation is startling; to be able to kill someone of a higher level, you will surely have a boundless future."

Pei Long also congratulated: "As expected of my, Pei Long's, brother! After this battle, your name will surely spread far and wide!"

Fear grew in his heart. Although his cultivation was higher than Cheng Rui's, he completely couldn't see through Fang Huai's tactics.

If it were him on the stage, his end probably wouldn't be much better than Cheng Rui's.

Fang Huai waved his hand and said, "I didn't want to kill anyone, but Cheng Rui was too overbearing, so I had no choice but to act."

He knew in his heart that the [Muscle Paralysis] and [Heart-Piercing Toxin] he generated at the cost of damaging his own body were effective against a Beast Taming Peak Disciple like Cheng Rui, but against Pei Long, who was at the Qi Refining Late Stage and practiced the Blood Sea Dao, the effect would be mediocre.

Just as he bid everyone farewell and prepared to leave the Life and Death Arena, the female Cultivator beside Pei Long spoke:

"Martial Nephew, are you interested in joining Blood Sea Peak?"