Kong Xiu

This place truly buzzed with activity.

Everywhere, spectators, both men and women, cheered enthusiastically for the trialists battling in the arena.

Beyond the fighting, numerous tables, much like gambling dens, were laden with a dazzling array of treasures and spirit stones.

Inside, trialists fought fiercely, locked in a struggle to the death, while outside, others placed their wagers.

This arena permitted multi-person combat; currently, it was a chaotic six-on-six melee.

Bai Lan glanced at a jade tablet nearby.

The inscription confirmed it was a deathmatch.

She surmised the intense six-on-six brawl must have stemmed from some prior conflict.

Such occurrences were common.

In the Void Heaven Realm, many trialists formed fixed teams, like Xue Yue and Lan Yuqi once did, finding compatible companions to journey with.

After all, even those with social anxiety must sometimes brave the social arena.

“A deathmatch,” Bai Lan murmured, her gaze fixed on the brutal combat. “Looks like someone’s getting eliminated today.”

Beside her, Long Lingyu, his face alight with curiosity, questioned, “Huh? This is my first time in the Void Heaven Realm, so there’s a lot I don’t understand. Aren’t we all here to cultivate? Why must they fight to the death? Wouldn’t being eliminated just be a waste of time and opportunities?”

Upon hearing Long Lingyu’s question, Bai Lan immediately knew he was a newcomer, oblivious to the true essence of this place.

She offered a calm explanation.

“A cultivator who hasn’t faced life-or-death trials isn’t a true cultivator. By the way, I’m curious. Since this is your first time in the Void Heaven Realm, how did you manage to find Yellow Sand City?” Bai Lan inquired.

This was indeed a pertinent question for Bai Lan.

Most first-time visitors to the Void Heaven Realm found Yellow Sand City incredibly difficult to locate, unless they were exceptionally lucky.

“Oh, that?” Long Lingyu scratched his head. “I don’t know either. The moment I entered the Void Heaven Realm, I landed in an oasis. The most important thing is, there was a group of friendly people in that oasis. They brought me to Yellow Sand City. They also gave me a map of the Void Heaven Realm, clearly marking all the cities. I just followed the map.”

‘The oasis is probably less than three thousand meters from Yellow Sand City,’ Long Lingyu added earnestly.

Bai Lan almost choked upon hearing this.

So that was it.

It meant his luck was simply incredible.

However, those blessed with such fortune were ultimately few and far between.

“Alright, disregard my question,” Bai Lan conceded. “But I’m genuinely curious about your innate talent, Young Master Long. Would you be interested in joining me for a friendly spar up there?”

As she spoke, Bai Lan suddenly felt the urge to invite Long Lingyu for a match.

Sparring was permitted here, with battles ending at a mere touch.

Long Lingyu froze.

He hadn’t expected Bai Lan to bring him here to challenge him.

“A sparring match? Is… is that appropriate?” Long Lingyu hesitated, a hint of doubt in his voice.

“What? Young Master Long, are you afraid? Didn’t you say you wanted to be my friend? I need to understand your actual combat prowess, don’t I?” Bai Lan’s sharp gaze pierced Long Lingyu.

Under Bai Lan’s intense stare, Long Lingyu found himself unable to refuse.

“Ah, fine,” he relented, a hint of resignation in his tone. “Though I don’t know your true intentions, how could I, a mere man, refuse an invitation from such a beautiful lady?”

Seeing his agreement, Bai Lan allowed a subtle, mischievous smirk to play on her lips.

She was confident that anyone she knew, or anyone Xue Yue knew, who had fought her, she could recognize.

She was very confident in this.

However, their battle required registration.

Bai Lan led Long Lingyu to the arena administrator.

The administrator, of course, was familiar with the process.

After registering, they had to wait, as several matches were scheduled before theirs.

So, the two found a spot and sat down to wait patiently.

No sooner had Bai Lan settled than a deeply magnetic voice drifted into her ears.

“Oh? It’s… it’s you, young lady.”

At the sound of the voice, Bai Lan immediately looked beside her.

Her pretty face paled, while Long Lingyu’s instantly flushed crimson.

She saw an incredibly beautiful face, yet it belonged to a man.

What struck her most was a sense of familiarity.

“You are…?” Bai Lan questioned.

“It’s me! We met outside the ruins a week ago, didn’t we? You snatched the last treasure and rushed out of the palace. Our eyes met for a moment,” the handsome young man quickly explained.

“Oh, it was you! You’re that Kong family disciple, aren’t you?” Bai Lan remembered.

Before entering the palace, two Heavenly Talents had engaged in a deathmatch.

One of them was a very beautiful young man, who, if not for his male attire, might easily have been mistaken for a woman.

The Kong family of Xiling was an ancient clan, deeply connected to the Peacock Tribe of the Beast Race.

Among the Peacock Tribe, males were renowned for being more beautiful than females.

“Indeed, that’s me. Kong Xiu, of the Xiling Kong family,” the handsome youth said with a beaming smile.

To Bai Lan, this man exuded the aura of a young master from a prominent family, though he seemed remarkably low-key today.

The Kong family was considered a top-tier force among the ancient clans.

Naturally, the Snow Clan had little contact with the Kong family, as one resided in the far north and the other in the far west—worlds apart, unlikely to ever cross paths.

“Oh, then, Young Master Kong, how may I help you?” Bai Lan asked.

“Er… would it be convenient for me to ask for your esteemed name, young lady?” Kong Xiu stammered after a moment’s hesitation.

His words made Bai Lan feel a little queasy, especially the ‘esteemed name’ part.

But truthfully, Kong Xiu didn’t give Bai Lan a sense of annoyance.

If he was merely approaching her with the genuine intention of making a friend, Bai Lan wouldn’t necessarily reject him.

She simply disliked being surrounded by a crowd, or, as in the previous instance, being approached with ulterior motives.

This Long Lingyu, for example, gave her a vague sense of an unclear purpose.

‘Huh? This? Hey, Miss Bai, isn’t this unfair? Why do you seem so resistant?’

Long Lingyu, seeing Bai Lan and Kong Xiu conversing amiably, seemed displeased.

He immediately complained, “Hey, you’re Long Lingyu, aren’t you? I just happened to watch your fight with Song Que!”

Kong Xiu felt as if he had discovered a new continent, encountering a celebrity from the Heavenly Ranking.

He was unaware that Bai Lan was also on the Heavenly Ranking.

“Oh? You know me? Haha, it seems I’m quite famous, aren’t I?” Long Lingyu chuckled.

Kong Xiu seemed to lose interest in Bai Lan instantly, rolling over to sit beside Long Lingyu.

They began chatting, and their conversation flowed joyfully.

However, while they were happy, Bai Lan was not.

Time slowly passed.

The two seemed to have become fast friends, their conversation never ceasing from start to finish.

The battles in the arena also concluded one after another.

Soon, it was time for Bai Lan and Long Lingyu’s match.

“Today’s sixth arena battle: Bai Lan versus Long Lingyu. This is a sparring match. Competitors, please take your positions.”

The arena administrator announced, his voice cutting through the air.

At his words, Bai Lan, whose face had been etched with annoyance, and Long Lingyu, who had been chatting animatedly, finally snapped back to reality.

“Had enough talking? If so, let’s get on stage.” Bai Lan said with displeasure, then stood up and walked towards the arena.

Seeing Bai Lan rise, Long Lingyu quickly followed.

“Eh? Brother Lingyu, you’re fighting Miss Bai? What’s going on?” Kong Xiu wondered aloud.

“Purely for sparring and entertainment, no need to worry.” Long Lingyu tossed a reply over his shoulder, then hurried into the arena.

Their battle, of course, promised to be quite interesting, given that they were both recent celebrities on the Heavenly Ranking.