Chapter 3

In the Fengming Empire, martial arts are highly esteemed, and conflicts are inevitable. Therefore, outside the capital, there stands a Life and Death Arena, a place where personal grudges are settled.

Here, as long as both parties agree and sign the life and death contract, once they step onto the arena, even if one kills the other, they will not be punished by the empire's laws.

On a regular day, countless people gather here for entertainment, and today is no different. However, after several intense battles, when two young men stepped onto the stage, a commotion broke out below.

"Isn't that Long Chen? Why is he here again?"

"Yeah, he almost got beaten to death yesterday. Why is he back today?"

"Hmph, he must be tired of living and wants to be killed here."

Long Tianshao, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, is known as a military god. However, those who truly call him a military god are the impoverished civilians who suffer from the ravages of war year after year.

In the capital, where the wealthy and powerful live in peace and prosperity, they do not look highly upon Long Tianshao, a man of humble origins. Therefore, few people in the capital respect Long Chen.

"Long Chen, you useless waste, why are you here again? Isn't this just a waste of time? Who wants to watch you fight? Get lost."

"Exactly, if you want to commit suicide, find a deserted place. No one wants to waste their time watching a useless person."

For a moment, the hundreds of spectators below loudly cursed, clearly harboring strong resentment towards Long Chen.

However, in a corner far away, two veiled girls were intently watching the figure on the stage.

"Sister, is that your fiancé? He looks so weak, with no signs of strength at all," one girl said, somewhat disappointed.

"Hmph, it's all Father's doing. He arranged our marriage when we were in the womb. It's infuriating," the other girl said, extremely annoyed.

On the stage, Long Chen was completely unaware that two girls were watching him. He showed no reaction to the curses, only looking at Li Hao with a calm expression.

Li Hao pointed at the agitated crowd and sneered, "See that? You're an unwelcome waste. You should just kill yourself."

Long Chen only looked at him calmly, saying nothing.

"Clang"

A bell rang, signaling the start of the duel. Once the bell sounded, life and death hung in the balance.

The originally noisy crowd fell silent due to the bell's sound. After all, this was a life-and-death battle, and at any moment, someone might die.

"Sister, your fiancé has no cultivation at all. He's facing a Third Stage Qi Gathering Realm opponent. Aren't you worried?" the girl asked.

"Hmph, what's there to worry about? If he dies, so be it. It's none of my business," the other girl said with a light snort, but in her hand, she already held a very peculiar silk net.

"Hehe, you say you don't care, but you even prepared a weapon. It seems you do care about him. Although his cultivation is terrible, he's quite handsome. How about you give him to me, sister?" the girl said with a smile.

"Nonsense, can such matters be casually given away? If you like him, you can have him after I break off the engagement," the other girl said angrily.

"Hehe"

On the stage, Long Chen remained as calm as water, a stark contrast to the Long Chen who gritted his teeth yesterday.

"Long Chen, are you so calm because you're facing death? Don't worry, for the sake of your bet, I won't kill you today," Li Hao said with a smug look.

"Enough talk, get on with it. I have other things to do," Long Chen said, somewhat impatiently.

Because the entire venue was quiet, every word Long Chen said was heard by everyone, and instantly, the stage below erupted in laughter.

"Li Hao, what are you waiting for? Kill this bastard. He's too disgusting."

Someone who recognized Li Hao shouted.

A cold smile appeared on Li Hao's face. Without hesitation, he unleashed his full Third Stage Qi Gathering Realm strength, leaping towards Long Chen and throwing a punch.

As soon as Li Hao attacked, the crowd below erupted in cheers. Li Hao's posture was very graceful and handsome.

"Great move, the Wind-Embracing Jade Tree Fist."

Someone recognized the move, but the two girls in the distance spat in disgust, their lips curling in ridicule.

A mocking smile also appeared on Long Chen's lips. Such a flawed and foolish move, could it be used in combat?

Seeing the punch aimed at his face, the wind howling, Long Chen remained unmoved.

"Haha, this waste can't even dodge," someone below mocked.

However, just as the mockery was shouted, Li Hao's fist stopped three inches from Long Chen's face, motionless.

The people who had been mocking suddenly fell silent. They noticed that Long Chen's leg had extended, and his foot had kicked Li Hao's crotch.

Li Hao, who had been full of confidence, now had a face as purple as an eggplant. Clearly, Long Chen's kick had not been pleasant, causing intense pain and distorting his face, making him unable to move.

Unable to move, Li Hao was at Long Chen's mercy. At that moment, Long Chen grabbed Li Hao's hair with both hands, pulled him back, and thrust his knee forward.

"Bang Bang Bang"

Long Chen's movements were graceful and distinct, the combination of actions and sounds creating a strong visual impact and a brisk rhythm.

The sound of bones cracking was heard, and Li Hao received three heavy blows. His nose was crushed and deformed, his face covered in blood, and he had fainted.

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent. No one had expected a Third Stage Qi Gathering Realm expert to be defeated so quickly by a waste with no cultivation.

Moreover, he was defeated in the cleanest and most decisive way, a result that felt like a harsh slap in the face to those who had been shouting.

Even the two girls watching from a distance were stunned. Li Hao was nothing to them, easily killed with a wave of their hand.

But Long Chen was different. He had not used a single bit of spiritual energy, defeating Li Hao with purely human techniques.

"Long Chen wins."

A voice came from below, belonging to an old man who was in charge of the arena, responsible for registration and announcements.

Long Chen's chest heaved a few times. He used great willpower to suppress the killing intent in his heart. Now was not the time to kill.

However, after being suppressed for so long, it was hard to control the sudden outburst. To the outside world, it seemed like Long Chen was panting wildly from excitement.

Long Chen walked off the stage, approached the old man, reclaimed his bet knife, and received a crystal card with 5,000 gold coins.

The rule here was that before the match, the bets had to be handed over to the referee to ensure fairness and prevent any backing out.

After receiving the knife, Long Chen returned it to Shi Feng and put the crystal card in his pocket, feeling somewhat excited.

Although 5,000 gold coins were not much, they could solve some immediate problems. The Long family's salary had been withheld for a long time, and the family was really struggling to make ends meet.

Under the watchful eyes of many, the two slowly left. The two girls, seeing Long Chen leave, also disappeared.

The news of Long Chen defeating Li Hao spread like wildfire throughout the capital, leaving many puzzled. How could a waste who couldn't practice martial arts suddenly become so powerful?

However, many had witnessed it firsthand, and the news of Li Hao being carried back to his residence further confirmed it. For a while, many found it hard to accept.

After leaving, Long Chen wanted to share the spoils with Shi Feng, but Shi Feng refused. He made an excuse about having something to do and left, without even asking why Long Chen had suddenly become stronger.

Grateful for the favor, Long Chen headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Hall. Upon entering, he requested a list of herbs.

The list clearly recorded the names and prices of various herbs. Long Chen found most of the herbs needed to refine the Fengfu Pill, fortunately, they were not particularly rare.

However, seeing the prices, Long Chen's heart ached. His gold coins were only enough to buy three sets of materials.

But he couldn't buy all the materials. He also needed to buy a refining cauldron and some other backup herbs. The gold coins in his hand were just a drop in the bucket.

But he had no choice. Long Chen gritted his teeth and spent 1,200 gold coins on the lowest quality bronze cauldron.

He then bought a set of herbs to refine the Fengfu Pill and a large amount of herbs to refine the Qi Recovery Powder. When Long Chen left the Hundred Herbs Hall, he only had 500 gold coins left on his crystal card.

After returning home, Long Chen rushed to his room, locked the door, and had Bao'er inform everyone not to disturb him.

He knew his mother would find out about his duel and worry, so he deliberately had Bao'er block her. Since he was fine, his mother shouldn't be too worried.

Now, every second counted, and he had to quickly improve his strength. The current predicament of the Long family was more serious than it appeared, and Long Chen sensed a crisis.

"Phew"

Long Chen's spiritual energy circulated in his body, and a flame appeared in his palm. This was the alchemy fire that alchemists condensed. However, seeing the flame, Long Chen couldn't help but laugh and cry. The flame was too weak.

Alchemy fire is a spiritual fire condensed by alchemists using their own spiritual energy through a unique method. However, the alchemy fire Long Chen condensed was very low in temperature, barely stronger than ordinary fire.

Moreover, without a dantian to support it, his alchemy fire could not last for more than a quarter of an hour, far from enough to refine pills.

Long Chen smiled bitterly. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. He did not refine pills but first placed the herbs for Qi Recovery Powder in the cauldron and refined them one by one. However, he did not use alchemy fire but ordinary wood fire.

After refining all the herbs, Long Chen had a full jar of Qi Recovery Liquid. After a brief rest, he took a deep breath:

It was time to start refining the Fengfu Pill.