Chapter 422: The Tiger-Dragon Arena

Although the Qinghe Cui Family also possessed special resources to boost their comprehension of the Law of Light, these didn’t conflict with the Light Law Fruits.

With these five Light Law Fruits, Cui Ze estimated he could raise his grasp of the Law of Light to nearly one percent in the next few years—enough to earn him a reputation as a minor prodigy.

As for Song Chi, he was equally satisfied.

Counting these three Fifth-Tier Void Crystals, he now had four in total, drawing him ever closer to upgrading the No.004 Cultivation Secret Realm of Chicang to the sixth rank.

After that, under Song Chi’s ever-present watch, three days passed uneventfully.

On the fourth day, Cui Ze produced a special token, its surface bearing the two characters “Tiger-Dragon.”

After a full explanation, Song Chi learned it was an admission token to the “Tiger-Dragon Arena.”

It was said to have been gifted by Cui Ze’s cousin—Cui Yulong, that remarkably gifted legitimate son.

“What do you think, Brother Jingzhe? Shall we go take a look?”

“I heard the Tiger-Dragon Arena even has betting. Every winning wager earns Arena Points, which you can spend in the Arena’s exclusive shop on rare goods.”

“My cousin said the shop even carries Seventh‑Tier Floating-land Origin and Silver Legendary components. It seems the Changsun Family joined several other great dynastic clans to set it up, and there are Tiger-Dragon Arena branches in other star regions, too.”

At the mention of Seventh‑Tier Floating-land Origin and Silver Legendary components, Song Chi’s interest was piqued.

The entry requirements for the Tiger-Dragon Arena were steep: at least a Third-Tier Cruiser Captain. Zhulu-class and above Torch Captains, as well as their direct heirs, needed no further qualification.

However, unless one was a great being of Star-Destroyer Captain rank or higher, even newcomers needed an introduction from an internal member for their first entry.

Thanks to their admission token, Song Chi and his companion faced no obstruction and easily entered the arena.

The first thing that struck them was the sheer scale of the arena. It made the Beast-Fighting Hall of Zhenduan Palace look tiny by comparison.

A quick scan revealed that on the first level alone there were over a hundred combat platforms, each hosting a fight.

Most of the combatants were alien species from the Sea of Stars, including the Eight‑Armed Serpent Demon. To Song Chi’s surprise, more than ten platforms even had Third-Tier Torch Captains standing on them.

And these Torch Captains weren’t just sparring; it was real, life‑or‑death combat.

Song Chi frowned. Maybe those captains volunteered for the fight, but deep down he felt uneasy.

In this vast, shattered Sea of Stars, civilizations clashed endlessly—one misstep meant extinction. He understood the balance of light and dark, but openly pitting participants against each other for profit still sickened him.

They didn’t linger on the first level but headed down into the subterranean tiers.

Deep beneath the arena, multiple levels extended downward.

They arrived at the eighteenth underground level, the arena’s deepest tier—reserved only for the highest-ranking guests. Naturally, the token from Cui Yulong granted them easy access.

This level had just five combat platforms, each hosting a Fourth-Tier creature.

What made Song Chi narrow his eyes was that on the central platform stood two Zhulu-Class Cruisers in their Mythical Mech Form.

Around each platform, special energy isolation barriers contained the surging, clashing Law energy inside.

From the spectator seats, dozens of well-bred men and women watched the scene with keen interest.

Only when Song Chi and Cui Ze arrived did they turn their gazes toward them.

Faces in the crowd flickered with surprise as they saw two complete strangers.

Cui Ze paid them no mind. His face alight with excitement, he strode to the front of several platforms. Watching the fierce clashes of Fourth-Tier creatures and the swirling waves of Law energy made his blood pulse.

At the betting station near those platforms, he placed his first wager.

Cui Ze staked ten strands of Fourth-Tier Floating-Land Origin. If he won, he’d recoup them and earn an extra 100 Arena Points.

But luck wasn’t on his side—the Fourth-Tier beast he backed lost.

Unwilling to accept defeat, he quickly placed another bet.

Song Chi didn’t follow suit. Instead, he found a seat a short distance away and quietly observed everything.

After who knew how long, Cui Ze’s expression darkened. He’d bet many times but won only once, losing nearly half his Floating-Land Origin holdings.

Born into a prestigious Family and as the family head’s youngest son, Cui Ze naturally carried plenty of resources—so the amount he’d lost was substantial.

Behind him, Song Chi sat calmly, his right ear twitching at the sound of approaching footsteps from the right.

A middle-aged man with a polite smile and elegant bearing walked up to Song Chi’s side. Seemingly casually, he said:

“Friend, aren’t you going to join in? A little wager is good for the spirit. This is the Tiger-Dragon Arena’s most popular attraction. With enough Arena Points, you can exchange for Seventh‑Tier Floating-land Origin, Silver Legendary components… even Fifth-Tier Void Crystals.”

Song Chi folded his arms, offering no response.

The man’s smile froze at Song Chi’s icy indifference. He forced out more words, but Song Chi tuned him out completely.

Eventually, unable to maintain his facade, the man turned away with a darkened expression.

Whether intentionally or not, an arena official entered the eighteenth level and spoke up:

“A new shipment just arrived—two Fourth-Tier Eight‑Armed Serpent Demons will be delivered shortly. Dear guests, please wait a moment.”

At his words, the men and women on the eighteenth level all showed startled expressions.

What is an Eight‑Armed Serpent Demon?

They’re a top-tier advanced lifeform of the Sea of Stars—blessed with exceptional talent and far greater individual combat prowess. And here were two Fourth-Tier specimens.

The thought of witnessing such high-level creatures clash ignited excitement in many hearts.

Cui Ze’s gaze sharpened, as though he’d made up his mind.

Ever vigilant, Song Chi saw that fleeting glint in his eyes.

Out of goodwill, he spoke quietly to Cui Ze:

“If you up the stakes again, you won’t leave the Tiger-Dragon Arena in good spirits. As for any more details, that’s your call!”

Song Chi’s words brought a flicker of hesitation to Cui Ze’s eyes, but determination soon took over.

Song Chi shook his head, saying no more.

His companion had made up his mind; any more words would be counterproductive. Better to stay silent. As for the losses… Song Chi would wait for Cui Yulong to finish his business and then teach his nephew a lesson himself.

Soon, the two Fourth-Tier Eight‑Armed Serpent Demons were placed on one of the platforms, bringing the eighteenth level’s excitement to a fever pitch.

As expected, Cui Ze staked everything he had.

At first, his chosen monster seemed to have the upper hand, but before long that advantage inexplicably vanished, and it fell under the other serpent’s complete dominance.

Cui Ze lost—spectacularly—wiping out all his Floating-Land Origin.

Even then, Song Chi remained unfazed.

That was, until the Tiger-Dragon Arena introduced a loan clause and persuaded Cui Ze step by step to sign for credit.

Buzzz!

The Law of Space swept in. The man who had been sitting calmly in the back vanished, reappearing moments later at Cui Ze’s side.

He reached out and firmly stopped Cui Ze’s right arm just as it was about to press his fingerprint.

The sudden move clouded the face of the betting clerk.

“Friend, this is the territory of my Tiger-Dragon Arena. You’ve crossed a line!”

He spoke as a mighty aura of Fourth-Tier life force surged from him. Sensing the disturbance, the patrolling guards outside poured in. Their aura was strong, and every weapon pointed at Song Chi as if they would attack at the slightest provocation.

In the distance, another group of men and women watched with keen interest.

From the crowd, a tall, slender man shook his head apologetically.

“Your Highness, I apologize for the spectacle. I will handle this immediately!”

Having said that, the tall man hurried over toward Song Chi and the others.

“What are you standing there for? How dare you cause trouble in my Tiger-Dragon Arena—seize them!”

……

“Your Highness, Changsun Ying seems to be acting on purpose. Should we intervene?”

“No rush. He’s the ‘enforcer’ our Cui Yulong brought over from the Yaoguang Star Tower. If you think these child’s play tactics can hold him, you’re gravely mistaken!”

Compared to the tall man Changsun Ying’s deliberate posturing, the one called Your Highness clearly understood the situation but held back his guards, waiting for the events to unfold.

Sure enough, at Changsun Ying’s scolding, the Fourth-Tier Torch Captain in charge of the betting station and several guards brimmed with latent energy and prepared to seize Song Chi and his companion.

Before they could react, the figure in the center—Song Chi—vanished once more.

Some dozen meters away, Changsun Ying’s body stiffened as a cold voice sounded in his ear.

“The mastermind? You? No… you’ve only just broken into the Minor Mastery of the Law of Lightning. You’re not qualified!”

At the chilling words in his ear, Changsun Ying immediately mobilized the Law of Lightning within him.

But before he could fully unleash it, an excruciating pain shot through him as torrents of the Law of Space enveloped him. If he dared to move even slightly, that Space Law would rend him to pieces.

“Is that all? If that’s the case, your vaunted Right-Hand Heir branch is a huge disappointment!”

In the blink of an eye, Song Chi had subdued Changsun Ying and returned silently to Cui Ze’s side. Only then did his cold voice echo through the eighteenth level.

Clap clap clap!

A crisp round of applause came from the entrance. Then a figure of perfect proportions, wearing a faint smile, appeared before Song Chi.

“Changsun Wu!”

Someone called out his name.

In an instant, most faces across the eighteenth level grew solemn.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was almost no one who didn’t know that name.

Changsun Wu—the Fifth Order of the Changsun Family. Counting the unoccupied First Order, he is effectively the fourth-ranked member of the family’s young generation.

What did that mean?

The Changsun Family was a powerhouse with nearly a hundred thousand years of history, its members numbering in the hundreds of billions. What did that even imply?

It was the equivalent of over a hundred million awakenings each year, and the young generation wasn’t just a single year’s worth—it spanned perhaps ten or even twenty years.

In other words, among billions of awakened Changsuns, he ranked fourth in talent—and he’d be in the top twenty among the entire Tang Dynasty’s youth.

“So, you’re the mastermind behind this incident?”

Unlike most on the eighteenth level, Song Chi’s expression was unusually calm.

He didn’t care about any Eighth Order clans’ pedigrees. He only knew that, at the Fourth-Tier Zhulu-Class Captain stage, the Heavenly Ruin was fearless of anyone.

Faced with Song Chi’s question, Changsun Wu neither answered nor denied. He merely said:

“It seems the ‘enforcer’ my aunt summoned from the Yaoguang Star Tower does have considerable strength!”