Chapter 10: The Sword Strikes Without Return, Life Without Regret

Chapter 10: The Sword Strikes Without Return, Life Without Regret

Huntian City is dominated by three major powers: Huntian Dao Academy, the Beast Arena, and the Ye Family!

Huntian Dao Academy is affiliated with the Huntian Sect, one of the top ten factions in the Eastern Wasteland. The Ye Family is the foremost clan in the Great Xia Kingdom, while the origins of the Beast Arena remain shrouded in mystery.

Chen Feng and Li Xinyue arrived together and, with the help of a Beast Arena attendant, found a steward.

"Welcome, both of you. May I ask what brings you here?" The steward, a middle-aged man with a square face, inquired politely.

"I’ve come to fight beasts," Chen Feng replied bluntly.

"Oh? Then, sir, are you aware of the rules of our Beast Arena?" the square-faced steward countered. Seeing Chen Feng shake his head, he continued, "To participate in a beast fight here, you must first pay ten taels of silver. Your cultivation level will then be verified, and you may choose to conceal your identity or not. Additionally, for each victory, you earn ten taels of silver. If you lose, you may flee—but if you fail to escape... death awaits."

"Only ten taels?" Chen Feng sounded disappointed.

Winning ten taels per match meant he would need to win thirty matches to earn the three hundred taels he required.

"Our Beast Arena also offers special beast fights," the square-faced steward said with a faint smile, understanding Chen Feng’s thoughts. "A standard fight is a one-on-one battle against a beast of the same level. For special fights, you may choose to face multiple beasts of the same level, with the reward doubling for each additional opponent. Alternatively, you may challenge a beast one level higher than yourself in a one-on-one fight. Victory in such a match earns you one hundred taels of silver. However, each type of special fight can only be attempted once per participant."

"Which type of fight would you like to participate in, sir?"

Chen Feng turned to Li Xinyue with slight embarrassment. "Instructor, could you lend me ten taels of silver first?"

Without hesitation, Li Xinyue took out ten taels of silver and handed them to Chen Feng.

"I’ll take the one-on-one cross-level beast fight," Chen Feng declared to the steward.

"Very well," the steward agreed without objection.

"Chen Feng—" Li Xinyue’s expression changed, and she quickly spoke up. Chen Feng gave her a reassuring look, his confidence stemming from his mastery of swordplay and movement techniques.

After paying the ten taels and undergoing the cultivation verification, Chen Feng changed into a set of gray cloth robes and donned a dark silver mask to conceal his identity. He waited in a secluded chamber, familiarizing himself with the Hundred Refinements Sword temporarily lent to him by Li Xinyue, until he was summoned.

Roughly an hour later...

"Unreturning Swordsman, it’s your turn to enter the arena." The chamber door opened, and a low voice called out to him.

Chen Feng’s closed eyes snapped open, their sharp gleam piercing the dimness of the chamber.

Unreturning Swordsman!

This was the alias Chen Feng had chosen for himself. Since he was wearing a mask to hide his identity, he naturally couldn’t use his real name.

Its meaning? The sword strikes without return—life without regret!

"Now, let us welcome the newcomer, the Unreturning Swordsman!" A booming voice echoed throughout the Beast Arena, drowning out all other noise. "The Unreturning Swordsman is at the Sixth Level of the Body Forging Realm. He will be engaging in a cross-level beast fight!"

"A cross-level fight!"

"Sixth Level of Body Forging? That means he’ll be challenging a seventh-tier demonic beast!"

"Cross-level fights are deadly. Without sufficient strength, one can only be torn apart and devoured by the beast."

For a moment, the thousands of spectators in the Beast Arena erupted into a frenzy of excitement. The overwhelming attention made Chen Feng’s entire body tense.

Standing in the center of the Beast Arena, Chen Feng took a deep breath, his emotions gradually calming, yet his sharp and formidable strength remained activated, ready to burst forth at any moment.

"Roar—"

A fierce, savage roar reverberated through the air, filled with bloodlust.

Chen Feng's scalp tingled, and beneath his mask, his eyes trembled slightly as they reflected the image of a massive tiger—two meters tall, its gray body streaked with black patterns. Its cold, ruthless eyes gleamed, and its slightly parted jaws dripped with thick saliva. A low, thunderous growl continuously rumbled from its throat.

"Ironbone Tiger!"

"A starving Ironbone Tiger... the Unreturning Swordsman is done for."

It was common knowledge that starving demonic beasts were far more aggressive—they were driven by hunger.

The Ironbone Tiger's icy, savage eyes locked onto Chen Feng's figure. Another thunderous roar erupted, shaking the surroundings. Its powerful limbs tensed, and its massive, muscular body lunged forward in a deadly pounce.

An overwhelming surge of killing intent swept over Chen Feng, making his scalp prickle and his heart pound wildly. Yet, the divine essence of the Divine Talisman Of Creation resonated in his mind, steadying his nerves and sharpening his focus. His hand rested on his sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment.

The Ironbone Tiger surged forward like a hurricane, leaping several meters into the air before descending upon Chen Feng with merciless force.

With a weight of over a thousand kilograms and the sheer force of its descent, combined with its monstrous strength, the beast could shatter even solid rock.

Nearly everyone in the audience watched with eager anticipation.

In the next breath, they expected to see the Unreturning Swordsman's slender body torn apart under the Ironbone Tiger's claws in a gruesome spectacle.

BOOM!

A deafening impact shattered the stone floor—but Chen Feng's figure had already dispersed like an illusion.

A sudden change!

A sharp sword cry pierced the air as a streak of sword light flashed, instantly splitting into five phantom blades that ruthlessly stabbed toward the Ironbone Tiger—swift as the wind, piercing through everything in their path.

The Ironbone Tiger reacted with astonishing speed, but the blades still tore into its body. In agony, the beast whipped its tail with crushing force—enough to smash through anything in its path.

Chen Feng remained expressionless. Activating the Nine Shadows Illusory Body, he left behind an afterimage that was shattered by the tail strike.

Meanwhile, his real body appeared nimbly to the side, striking again.

Five Shadows Sword Technique!

Five more wounds split open on the Ironbone Tiger's body, blood gushing freely.

Demonic beasts possessed far greater vitality than human warriors. Despite its injuries, the Ironbone Tiger refused to fall—instead, its ferocity only intensified. It roared furiously, its claws tearing wildly at the surroundings while its tail lashed out, smashing the stone floor into fragments.

Chen Feng continuously maneuvered with his movement technique, multiple afterimages flickering around him as he effortlessly evaded the beast's frenzied counterattacks. The spectators in the stands held their breaths unconsciously, fists clenched, bodies tense, faces flushed with excitement.

"Die!"

Seizing an opening, Chen Feng's afterimage flickered as his sword shot forward like lightning, piercing straight into the Ironbone Tiger's eye—penetrating deep into its brain. He immediately withdrew his blade, dodging the retaliatory swipe of the beast's claws before retreating swiftly.

With its brain impaled, the Ironbone Tiger thrashed wildly in its death throes, wreaking havoc for several breaths before its massive body finally collapsed.

Chen Feng exhaled a long breath.

His first cross-level battle against a demonic beast... victory!

"Demonic beasts are truly terrifying!" Staring at the Ironbone Tiger's massive frame and sensing the lingering ferocious aura, Chen Feng felt a chill in his heart. "In this battle, if I hadn’t coincidentally mastered the Nine Shadows Illusory Body and wielded the instructor’s Hundred Refinements Sword, relying solely on the Wind Shadow Sword Technique would have barely scratched the Ironbone Tiger, let alone secured victory."

The sheer physical might of demonic beasts was utterly beyond expectation.

His sword was only of the Ten Refinements Grade, making it difficult to inflict significant wounds on a demonic beast like the Ironbone Tiger.

If it had been a Seventh Level of the Body Forging Realm warrior, being pierced with over twenty bloody holes would have long been fatal—let alone surviving a brain strike and still managing to counterattack for several breaths.

That said, warriors weren’t inferior either. Compared to demonic beasts, each had their own strengths.

"The higher a warrior’s cultivation, the more martial techniques they master, and the stronger they become."

Chen Feng silently reminded himself never to underestimate any opponent, be it human or beast.

"He won!"

"The Unreturning Swordsman actually killed an Ironbone Tiger while fighting above his level..."

"A genius, a true genius!"

Waves of cheers surged like a raging tide, echoing in all directions.

Li Xinyue was deeply shaken.

Soon, someone came to remove the Ironbone Tiger’s corpse, while one of them approached Chen Feng and spoke in a low voice.

"Unreturning Swordsman, congratulations on your victory," the Beast Arena staff member said with a smile.

"Thank you. I want to fight two beasts above my level," Chen Feng immediately declared.

The Beast Arena staff member’s expression stiffened, his face filled with shock.