"Oh, right," Luo Ning said as if suddenly remembering something. "I forgot to mention, I've offended the Phantom Troupe. If I become too famous, it might attract their members to assassinate me, or simply target me on the arena stage."
Since the contract had already been signed, Luo Ning felt there was no need to hide everything. He spoke to Milia as he set the documents down.
Milia's body stiffened for a moment just as she was sitting down.
However, she simply gave Luo Ning a sharp look. "With that composed look of yours, you must have some way to stay alive. I'll assign some guards to you. If anything actually happens, they can at least serve as an early warning."
"That works," Luo Ning nodded in agreement.
Milia pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "If it comes to a match on the stage, are you confident you can win?"
Luo Ning instantly understood what Milia meant.
The Phantom Troupe was currently classified as A-Rank bounties. If handled correctly, a confrontation could make Luo Ning's reputation explode. It would even drive the betting odds for the match sky-high, providing a perfect opportunity to make a fortune.
It was just a pity.
Luo Ning shook his head. "I can't beat them. If it really came down to the arena, given my current situation, I would likely choose to forfeit."
"Is the gap that large? If I could increase your strength by three to five times, would you be able to fight them?" Milia asked again.
This time, Luo Ning's interest was genuinely piqued.
"How long can it last?" Luo Ning stared intently at her.
"At three times strength, seven minutes. At five times, four minutes," Milia replied without holding back. "Of course, the prerequisite is that we need to make arrangements in advance. This is also why I am confident in letting you challenge a Floor Master."
Although she didn't explicitly state what her Nen ability was, Luo Ning could generally guess a few ways to achieve the state Milia described.
Luo Ning fell into deep thought.
If his strength could be increased fivefold, would it allow him to perform B-Rank Ninjutsu? Furthermore, even without B-Rank techniques, after his powerful Nen was converted into abundant Chakra, could he unleash even greater physical power?
Luo Ning thought of a Taijutsu technique: The Eight Inner Gates!
Overall, the Eight Inner Gates should be considered an S-Rank Taijutsu. After all, it was a powerful explosive capability that nearly kicked the series to its finale. However, if broken down, opening only the first or second gates wasn't that difficult.
In Luo Ning's view, opening just the Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing would likely correspond to the difficulty of a C-Rank Ninjutsu. Moreover, even if he couldn't open the Eight Inner Gates, simply combining massive Chakra with the Cherry Blossom Impact would allow him to unleash an attack no weaker than Uvogin's Big Bang Impact.
Perhaps there really was a chance.
"It's worth a try," Luo Ning said, though he didn't make any guarantees.
Uvogin's strength should be in a period of rapid growth right now, much like his own. The next time they met, both of them would likely be stronger. However, if Milia could find the Scarlet Eyes for him in the meantime, his increased strength might give him even greater certainty.
"Good." A flash of shrewdness crossed Milia's eyes.
But then, as if realizing something, she suddenly changed the subject. "I heard that the Kurta Clan was massacred recently. Are you interested in the Scarlet Eyes? Do you want me to help you collect them?"
It didn't surprise Luo Ning that Milia could connect these dots. After all, he had practically piled the clues in front of her. If she still couldn't see it, she wouldn't be worth collaborating with.
"Yes," Luo Ning admitted directly. "After all, they are known as one of the Seven Great Beauties of the world."
"You said before that you had a grudge against the Phantom Troupe... it couldn't be that the ones who massacred the Kurta Clan were the Phantom Troupe, could it?" Milia looked at Luo Ning with a hint of scrutiny in her eyes. "Or perhaps, are you a member of the Kurta Clan?"
As soon as she said it, Milia shook her head. "No, you're too calm. It doesn't look like an act. On the contrary, your desire for the Scarlet Eyes is genuine. Don't tell me you were there at the time and wanted a piece of the action?"
"Something like that," Luo Ning replied ambiguously, choosing not to linger on the topic. "They will likely release a portion of the Scarlet Eyes into the black market. My goal is that batch. Even if I can't take them all, I want to buy as many as possible."
"The price of Scarlet Eyes will definitely not be cheap." Milia didn't dwell on Luo Ning's identity either, instead following his lead to analyze the situation. "The fact that the news of the Kurta massacre was leaked clearly tells buyers that the Scarlet Eyes are now a limited edition. This will push the already high price up another level. If you want to buy as many as possible, you'll need to prepare a massive amount of money."
Milia realized in hindsight that perhaps the talk of strength was just Luo Ning's excuse; what he needed most right now was money.
"Mhm." Luo Ning nodded. "So the current situation is: you help me find out when the eyes will be sold, and I will participate in as many matches as possible to build fame and gather funds quickly."
"Well, it looks like it's time to get busy." Milia stretched her hands, but after noticing Luo Ning's gaze, she quietly lowered them again. "While fighting more matches can build fame faster, don't overdo it."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Luo Ning stood up. "I'm taking the documents. We can stay in touch by phone, or you can come find me directly in the residential area on the 200th floor."
Walking out of Milia's office, Luo Ning felt a sense of relief.
Although he couldn't fully trust Milia yet, his intuition told him that she mostly viewed him as a profitable commodity. While that was somewhat unpleasant, there wasn't much to complain about. Luo Ning was also treating Milia as a tool.
The two sides were currently using each other. However, in Luo Ning's view, a bond forged by mutual interest was extremely strong—at least until a greater interest appeared.
Luo Ning took the elevator directly to the 200th floor. Although he had already received the data on the 200th-floor fighters from Milia, he still had to register first.
Starting from the 200th floor, the rules of the matches changed.
At this level, a declaration system was used. Everyone is given a 90-day combat preparation period. Within this timeframe, a fighter can specify their own match dates. Of course, one could fight every day, or fight one day and rest the next; after every match, the 90-day preparation period resets.
However, if a fighter fails to declare a match within that preparation period, they lose their eligibility to compete, and their battle record is erased. Furthermore, the rule to pass this level is that one must win ten matches. But if a fighter loses four matches before reaching ten wins, they also lose their eligibility.
If one wins ten matches, they earn the right to challenge a Floor Master. By defeating a Floor Master, they become the new Floor Master.
From the 230th to the 250th floors, Heaven's Arena has a total of 21 Floor Masters. As for the final 251st floor, it is reserved exclusively for the ultimate winner of the Battle Carnival held once every two years—a symbol of supreme status and glory.