21: Chapter 21 Demon Edge Pavilion

Chen Yuanji stayed at the Yaofeng Pavilion. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Every day, he woke up at the Hour of the Rabbit to practice Zhan Zhuang, fist techniques, and meditation in a cycle. The cultivation room on the third floor of the Yaofeng Pavilion was equipped with a Yuan Gathering Array, making the concentration of Yuan Qi several times higher than that of the outside world. Although Chen Yuanji did not Cultivate Yuan Qi, the dense Origin Qi of heaven and earth still provided significant assistance to his blood and qi cultivation.

He carried the martial dao source stone close to his body. The ancient jade drew energy from the source stone day and night, transforming it into blood and qi to temper his muscles, bones, and membranes. After half a month, his Fa Jin was completely stabilized, and he even faintly touched the threshold of Dan Power.

"Still a little bit short." Chen Yuanji finished his exercise, stood up, and stretched his muscles and bones.

Dan Power requires condensing the blood and qi of the entire body into the Dantian to form an 'inner core'. This is not just an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative leap. In his previous life, it took him ten years to step from Fa Jin into Dan Power. Although he had the assistance of the ancient jade and the martial dao source stone in this life, it wasn't something that could be achieved in just a month or two.

"I need actual combat," he calculated in his heart. "Working behind closed doors has its limits after all."

He decided to go out for a walk. Having not stepped out for half a month, his understanding of this city was still stuck at the fleeting glimpse he got when he first arrived. Stepping out of the Yaofeng Pavilion, the sunlight was dazzling. The streets were bustling with people, and the members of the Yao Race were all busy with their own affairs. Chen Yuanji walked at a leisurely pace, observing every corner of the city.

Heavenly Demon City is divided into four districts: East, West, South, and North. The East District is the commercial area, lined with various shops; the West District is the residential area, mostly housing ordinary members of the Yao Race; the South District contains the martial arts arena and the Coliseum, where the Yao Race compete and spar; the North District is the location of the Demon Emperor Palace and the headquarters of major forces, where ordinary people are not allowed to enter at will.

Chen Yuanji walked to the South District and heard sky-shaking shouts from afar. The Coliseum was a massive circular building capable of holding tens of thousands of people. In the center was a sunken arena, surrounded by Restrictions to prevent the aftershocks of battle from harming the audience. At this moment, a match was taking place in the Coliseum. The two sides in the fight were a brawny man from the Tiger Clan, over ten feet tall with bulging muscles, and a thin Human Race youth holding a long sword. Both possessed a cultivation of the Guiyuan Realm Middle Stage, and they were locked in a stalemate.

"Brother, is this your first time at the Coliseum?" a voice came from nearby.

Chen Yuanji turned his head and saw a Human Race male in his thirties with a round face, slightly chubby, and a pleasant smile. His cultivation was not high, only at the Ningyuan Realm Peak, but his eyes were sharp; he looked like a shrewd person at a glance.

"First time," Chen Yuanji nodded.

"I am Sun Fu, I do a bit of small business in Heavenly Demon City," the man introduced himself. "Brother, you must be new here, right? I can tell at a glance. There aren't many from the Human Race in Heavenly Demon City; only a few come and go, and I know them all."

"Chen Yuanji."

"Brother Chen, are you here at the Coliseum to watch the excitement, or do you want to get on stage?" Sun Fu lowered his voice. "If you want to get on stage, I advise you to think twice. The Yao Race here fight ruthlessly; if they kill you, they won't pay with their lives."

Chen Yuanji glanced at the arena. "What are the benefits of going on stage?"

"If you win, there's prize money. For Guiyuan Realm level matches, winning one match gets you a hundred taels of silver. There's a bonus for winning streaks; winning ten matches in a row gives an extra thousand taels." Sun Fu counted on his fingers. "However, I've never seen a human who could win ten matches in a row."

Chen Yuanji was thoughtful. What he lacked was not money, but actual combat. The opponents in the Coliseum were all from the Yao Race, and their fighting style was different from humans—more primitive and more ferocious. Fighting against the Yao Race would be very helpful for refining his Fa Jin.

"How do I sign up?"

Sun Fu's eyes lit up. "Brother, you really want to go on stage? You've got guts! Come, I'll take you." Sun Fu led Chen Yuanji to the registration desk backstage of the Coliseum. The person in charge of registration was an Old Wolf Demon at the Guiyuan Realm Peak, with a face full of scars and a look of disdain for the Human Race in his eyes.

"Registration fee is ten taels. A twenty percent commission if you win." The Old Wolf Demon didn't even look up. "Life and death are your own responsibility."

Chen Yuanji paid ten taels of silver and registered his name. "When can I go on?"

"Wait. When you're called, go."

Chen Yuanji sat down and closed his eyes to rest. Sun Fu sat beside him, chatteringly explaining the rules of the Coliseum. Chen Yuanji listened half-heartedly, focusing most of his attention on the arena. The matches on stage went one after another—Human Race against the Yao Race, and the Yao Race against their own. Chen Yuanji watched carefully, analyzing the fighting styles and weaknesses of both sides in every match.

"Chen Yuanji!" the Old Wolf Demon shouted.

Chen Yuanji stood up and walked toward the arena entrance.

"Brother, be careful," Sun Fu shouted from behind.

Chen Yuanji didn't look back and entered the arena. On the stage, his opponent was a brawny man from the Bear Clan, over ten feet tall and weighing at least five hundred catties. The Bear Clan was known for their strength; a Bear Clan member of the same Realm had three to five times the strength of a human.

"A human?" The Bear Clan man grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. "So fair and tender; I can flatten you with one punch."

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience. Chen Yuanji said nothing, just standing there quietly.

"Begin!" the referee ordered.

The Bear Clan man roared and charged like a tank, his massive fist wrapped in Yuan Qi as he smashed it toward Chen Yuanji's head. This punch had at least ten thousand catties of force. Chen Yuanji didn't take it head-on; he dodged to the side, avoiding the fist's edge. The Bear Clan man's punch hit empty air, and his body leaned forward slightly, revealing a weakness. Chen Yuanji raised his right hand, fingers pressed together, and lightly pressed against the side of the Bear Clan man's waist. Fa Jin was not about striking; it was about 'neutralizing'. The Bear Clan man only felt a numbness in his waist, and his center of gravity suddenly went out of control. His whole body spun involuntarily, and he staggered for several steps before steadying himself.

"Huh?" He was stunned.

The audience also fell silent for a moment. Chen Yuanji didn't give him time to react. He moved his feet, closing in, his hands tapping lightly on the Bear Clan man like butterflies. Every tap carried the power of Fa Jin—not to cause damage, but to disrupt the opponent's center of gravity and balance. The Bear Clan man was like a giant spinning top, being tapped around by Chen Yuanji, unable to even throw a single punch.

"Fall." Chen Yuanji's last palm struck the side of his knee.

The Bear Clan man's legs gave way, and he crashed to his knees. The entire venue was deathly silent. From start to finish, it had been less than ten breaths. The Bear Clan man hadn't even touched the corner of Chen Yuanji's clothes before being brought down.

"The winner, Chen Yuanji!" the referee announced.

Thunderous cheers erupted from the audience. The Yao Race worshipped the strong; whether you were from the Human Race or the Yao Race, as long as you were strong enough, you could earn respect. Chen Yuanji turned and walked off the stage, his expression as calm as ever.

Sun Fu came forward, his eyes wide as saucers. "Brother, you're way too fierce! That Bear Clan man was at the Guiyuan Realm Middle Stage, and you took him down without even using Yuan Qi?"

"Luck," Chen Yuanji said flatly.

"Luck? Do you think I'm stupid?" Sun Fu rolled his eyes.

Chen Yuanji collected eighty taels of silver from the Old Wolf Demon and turned to leave.

"Brother, will you come back tomorrow?" Sun Fu shouted from behind.

"I will."

Chen Yuanji walked away without looking back. Tomorrow, he would challenge even stronger opponents.