At that moment, three people flew over to Yuan Hong's side. One of them pointed in Lie Feng's direction while speaking respectfully. Yuan Hong waved him away, then turned and flew elsewhere.
A commotion rippled through the crowd. The contestants who had just emerged from the secret realm glanced at each other uneasily. Finally, someone lost patience and shouted,"City Lord Yuan, what is the meaning of this? Are you going back on your word and trying to rob us of our spirit herbs?"
Yuan Hong circulated his spiritual power, his voice booming,"Do not misunderstand. We bear no malice. I brought so many people here only to apprehend traitors."
He then pointed at Lie Feng and Qin Fen."Except for those two—everyone else may leave."
Hearing that it had nothing to do with them, the others quickly stepped aside to watch the spectacle. Soon, only Lie Feng and Qin Fen remained under the gaze of the entire crowd.
Qin Fen was panicked, though he forced himself to appear calm. Lie Feng, on the other hand, clenched his fists and glared at Yuan Hong with eyes full of fury.
Yuan Hong gestured at Chang Qingzi's corpse."Are you his disciples?"
Qin Fen hesitated, then bowed respectfully."Yes, City Lord. He was our master."
"Do you know who he truly was?"
"Our master never told us anything regarding his identity."
"You don't know? Then let me tell you. He was from Medicine King Valley. In other words—he was a spy sent by the rebel faction."
Qin Fen gasped."What?"
Yuan Hong pressed further, his tone harsh."Speak! Besides you two, are there other spies? Why did you come here? If you don't confess, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Qin Fen quickly replied,"City Lord, we've been wronged! We only came to compete in the tournament. We had no ulterior motives whatsoever."
At that moment, Lie Feng, who had been silent, suddenly roared at Yuan Hong,"Old dog! Was it you who killed my master?"
Qin Fen grabbed his hand to stop him, but Lie Feng shook him off without even looking at him.
As a city lord, Yuan Hong was rarely treated with such disrespect. Though displeased, he held his temper for the sake of his dignity."With his meager skills, he wasn't worth my hand," Yuan Hong said coldly.
Behind him, someone stepped forward—holding none other than Zhao Dun captive.
"Release my junior brother at once!" Lie Feng shouted.
Yuan Hong replied, "With your pitiful cultivation, you couldn't cause trouble even if you wanted to. Release him."
"Yes, Master." The man hurled Zhao Dun toward Lie Feng.
Lie Feng caught him immediately, setting him gently on the ground. He crouched down, placed his hands on Zhao Dun's shoulders, and asked the boy—whose eyes were red from crying,"What happened? Why are you here?"
Zhao Dun sobbed,"I was cultivating at the inn, when that man brought others to capture me. Master was distracted because of me… and was killed by him."
Lie Feng's breath quickened. He rose sharply, glaring at the culprit, ready to strike—but Qin Fen grabbed him again.
"Calm yourself," Qin Fen urged. "Or we'll both die here."
Lie Feng glared at him with contempt. He was about to retort when another voice rang out.
"Did you, young man, obtain a ring inside the secret realm?"
Lie Feng turned. Beside Yuan Hong now stood a richly dressed man. He appeared young, with extraordinary bearing, and even Yuan Hong treated him with respect. Clearly, this was someone of great status.
"Who are you?" Lie Feng asked.
"I am Xiao Ji, one of the Four Pillars of Great Qian."
The arena erupted in shock.
Among the crowd, Ji Wushi, Zheng Jian, and Li Qiuyun all tensed instantly.
Others began to whisper:"What? The Pillar of Medicine himself is here?""They say he reached the peak of the Sixth Realm in just over a century. One of the strongest in the empire—and he came personally. He must really care about this matter."
Xiao Ji continued,"The ring you found—I dropped it in there ten years ago. Will you return it to me?"
Lie Feng was unsettled by Xiao Ji's sudden appearance, though it cooled his anger somewhat. He wondered: Could the ring truly hide some great secret?
Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Ji added,"If you fear I'll kill you after reclaiming it, you need not worry. I came only for the ring. Return it, and I'll guarantee your safety."
But at that moment, Lie Feng felt the ring in his robes pulse with spiritual power, as though it were reacting to Xiao Ji's words. His heart sank. This was no simple matter.
"I refuse," he declared firmly.
"Why?"
"Because I know you're lying."
"Oh? And how do you know that?"
"If this ring were truly yours and so important, why didn't you retrieve it yourself—or send someone—long ago? Why wait until now to demand it of me? With your status, not even that old dog would dare stop you."
Xiao Ji's lips curled faintly. He seemed unbothered by being exposed. He turned to Yuan Hong."City Lord Yuan, I leave the rest to you."
Clearly, he did not wish to lower himself by personally dealing with a mere Third Realm junior.
"Yes, my lord." Yuan Hong barked at his men,"Listen up! Tear them apart. Let everyone see what becomes of rebels!"
"Wait!"
Just as Yuan Hong's men prepared to strike, Qin Fen cried out,"We surrender! Please, spare us!"
Everyone froze. Even Lie Feng stared at him, dumbfounded."Senior Brother… what are you saying? Don't you realize he's our master's killer?"
"Shut up!" Qin Fen snapped. He then turned humbly to Yuan Hong."City Lord, we truly didn't know our master was a rebel. If you kill us now, you'll be slaying innocents. Allow us to prove our loyalty by helping you hunt down rebels and clear our names."
Yuan Hong smirked, then laughed heartily."Not killing you, but recruiting you? That's the funniest joke I've heard in years."
He grew serious again."Still, I see you're just a coward clinging to life. If you agree to sign a slave contract, I might spare you."
Qin Fen's face turned pale. After a painful inner struggle, he finally said,"Fine. We agree."
Lie Feng's answer was immediate and scornful."If you want to live without dignity, then go alone."
"I'm trying to save your life!" Qin Fen shot back angrily.
"Save me?" Lie Feng sneered. "Once you sign a slave contract, you'll have no choice but to obey his every order. With a single thought, he could kill you from a thousand miles away. That's what you call saving me?"
Turning his back on Yuan Hong so his expression wouldn't show, Qin Fen whispered,"It's only a stopgap. We'll find a way to break the contract later. Right now, there's no better option."
Lie Feng's eyes were cold."You think you're the only clever one, and the rest of us are fools? When will you shed this arrogant, self-righteous attitude?"
Those words cut Qin Fen deeply. His emotions flared. Being a head taller, Lie Feng always looked down at him—literally and figuratively. Now, that contemptuous gaze ignited all his pent-up anger.
He seized Lie Feng by the collar and shouted,"Do you know what I hate most about you? That haughty look of yours! Ever since you joined the sect, you've competed with me in everything, never once treating me as your equal. Even now—you look down on me! If we don't submit, we'll all die here!"
"And you'd rather live like a dog, without dignity?" Lie Feng bellowed back. "He's only doing this to humiliate you! Do you have no spine at all? Some things in this world matter far more than mere survival!"
"What good is dignity if you're dead? As long as we live, there's hope. Once we die, there's nothing!"
Their argument escalated. Tears welled again in Zhao Dun's eyes. Finally, the boy cried out with all his might,"Stop fighting!"
His plea silenced them both. The arena itself seemed to fall still, as if time had frozen. At last, Lie Feng broke the silence.
"Do you know why Master's expectations of you grew lower and lower?"
Qin Fen froze, his grip on Lie Feng's collar loosening.
"It's because you have pride—but no backbone. Cultivation is about defying the fate. If you shrink back whenever facing someone stronger, how will you ever face destiny itself?"
The words struck deep. Qin Fen averted his gaze. "My choice is right," he muttered.
Though they had never gotten along, Lie Feng could not help but feel sorrow."Senior Brother, this will be the last time I call you that. From now on, we are nothing to each other."
His words were cold as ice.
Qin Fen realized there was nothing more to say. He released Lie Feng, walked toward Yuan Hong, and accepted the slave contract that descended from the sky. Pricking his finger, he let a drop of blood fall upon it, sealing the pact.
Lie Feng watched in silence. His rage had burned out; only calm remained. He turned to Zhao Dun, crouched low so their eyes were level.
"Little junior brother… are you afraid of death?"
Zhao Dun said nothing. He wiped his tears and nodded.
"Then… do you want to go stand with First Senior Brother?"
But Zhao Dun shook his head firmly."I'd rather die."
His voice was soft, but the conviction behind it shook everyone more than anything else that day.
Though many admired Lie Feng's unbending resolve, most still believed Qin Fen's choice more practical. After all, cultivators were not ordinary mortals—they could one day ascend and achieve immortality. Their lives were more precious, worth preserving at any cost.
But when they saw an eight-year-old boy declare he would rather die with dignity than live in chains, they couldn't help but despise Qin Fen all the more.
Qin Fen didn't look around, but he could feel the scornful gazes falling on him. His heart burned with shame. He wished he could vanish to some place where no one knew him.
Lie Feng's nose stung, and tears slid down his cheeks. He knew that once the battle began, Zhao Dun would likely die. Lie Feng had chosen his own path toward death, but he couldn't bear the thought of his cheerful little junior brother accompanying him to the grave.
He whispered,"When the fight starts, run to that corner. I'll protect you."
Zhao Dun nodded. "Mm."
Yuan Hong interrupted them."I respect your courage. Do you have any last words?"
Lie Feng said nothing.
He only wiped his tears away, rose to his feet, and half-turned, fixing Yuan Hong with a razor-sharp gaze. From the corners of his eyes burned a killing intent that seemed endless.