After the pig demon was slain, another prison cart rolled forward, carrying an even larger wolf demon. The wolf demon crouched slightly, its head pressing against the top of the cage, claws gripping the iron bars as it stared at the gathered humans.
Clang.
The one-armed man opened the cage, speaking calmly to the wolf demon. "The rules have been stated. Win three rounds in a row, and you'll return alive, enjoying food and drink. Break the rules, and death by a thousand cuts awaits!"
"I understand."
The wolf demon let out a hoarse growl and stepped onto the arena. Its gaze immediately fell upon the blood thick with demonic aura.
It was from that foolish pig!
Though demons sometimes fought among themselves, the wolf demon felt a pang of sympathy for its fallen kin. It might very well die on this arena too.
Yet the reality was—
The wolf demon won three consecutive rounds, leaving one human youth gravely injured and tearing the arm off another. That arm could not be saved.
After the wolf demon stepped down, another demon took the stage.
Battle after battle ensued.
Human youths and demons alike sought to kill each other.
The disciples from the Eight Great Academies watched with utmost seriousness. Some were extremely nervous; each of them would have to step onto the arena. This was no ordinary sparring—this was life and death. Demons held back nothing.
Liu Qiyue also took the stage. She slew a cat demon but was forced to jump off the arena when facing a far more ferocious leopard demon.
…
"Twenty-three disciples have already fought," said clan leader Meng Yanping quietly. "Dajiang, it's Meng Chuan's turn."
"Mm." Meng Dajiang glanced toward Meng Chuan in the Mirror Lake Academy's section.
Yes.
It was Meng Chuan's turn.
As the only Zhusui Stage disciple among the Eight Great Academies to have comprehended a secret technique, he had naturally been saved for last.
"Senior Meng, be careful." Wan Mang, chest wrapped in bloodied bandages, cautioned him. "The demons are extremely cunning."
"I know." Meng Chuan nodded.
Among the twenty-three disciples who had gone before, most were extremely cautious. Only six were seriously injured, all recoverable. Just one—his arm was torn off by the wolf demon. This disciple, Bai Fengqi, belonged to the White family of the Five Great Demon-Human Families. After leaping off the arena, he wept bitterly.
His grandfather, present at the scene, scolded him angrily: "What's there to cry about? You knew the wolf demon was dangerous and acted recklessly. In a one-on-one fight, the demon had chains, and yet you lost an arm. On the battlefield, you'd have lost your life. Go back and train properly. Our family has techniques for one-armed swordsmen."
Though scolding, the grandfather's eyes glistened slightly—this was his grandson, his pride.
The academy disciples felt sympathy for Bai Fengqi; at only sixteen, he had lost an arm.
The attending directors, magistrates, and elders of the Five Families remained calm. They had witnessed cruelties hundreds of times worse. The Demon-Slaying Festival existed to ensure young elites did not die the first time they faced combat. By enduring hardship in youth, they would train harder and exercise caution on the battlefield.
"Six humans gravely injured, one disabled. Twelve demons have appeared; five slain!" Meng Chuan reported calmly, without a hint of fear.
Since age six, he had witnessed the terror of demons firsthand. Tens of thousands were slaughtered in one incident. Had Godfiends not intervened, almost none within dozens of miles would have survived. Those who escaped owed their lives partly to his parents' desperate efforts, partly to the intervention of a later-arriving Godfiend.
Having survived such horrors, Meng Chuan regarded this one-on-one arena combat as gentle—the demons were restricted to the stage, and humans could leap off to survive.
"Next, Mirror Lake Academy—Meng Chuan." The magistrate's voice rang louder.
All eyes turned to Meng Chuan.
He had been the talk of Dongning Prefecture recently—another prodigy had emerged, with potential to become a Godfiend.
"Be careful," Director Ge Yu advised.
"Yes, Director." Meng Chuan rose and walked toward the arena.
"Achuan, it's your turn." On the side of the Liyang Dao Academy, Liu Qiyue cheered, pumping her fists.
"Watch me." Meng Chuan smiled.
In the Yun family section, Yun Fucheng looked on and said with a smile, "Fun An, Meng Chuan seems level-headed… he and Qingping just weren't meant to be."
"Not meant to be," Yun Fuan replied with a forced smile, though his gaze toward Meng Chuan was colder by three degrees. The more outstanding Meng Chuan became, the more displeased he felt.
Meanwhile, Yun Qingping watched nervously. Today's spectacle had shaken her; she was witnessing legendary demons firsthand—ugly, vicious, and brutal.
At the main seat, the Yu Yang Palace Master's eyes fell on Meng Chuan. Smiling, he remarked to his companion, "Yuanzhi, Meng Chuan also comprehended a secret technique at fifteen. He ranks second among Dongning Prefecture's young prodigies. Being from the Meng family, he will likely receive full cultivation support from Meng Xian Gu. His path may even be smoother than yours."
"My cultivation path depends on myself! I will enter Primordial Mountain this year," said the frail youth Mei Yuanzhi. "The Palace Master has also instructed me several times."
"Merely simple guidance. Remember, you're considered a top genius only in Dongning Prefecture. Entering Primordial Mountain carries only a two-to-three percent chance. If there are more prodigies this year, your chance drops further. Prepare for the possibility of failure," the Palace Master warned.
Mei Yuanzhi shrugged. "No need to think now; I'll deal with failure if it comes."
The Palace Master said no more, turning his interest to the arena. He hoped to nurture more Godfiends among humans. Clearly, Meng Chuan had potential as well.
Meng Chuan stepped onto the arena.
"Demon." He fixed his gaze on a massive goat demon. It was tall, muscular, with long curved horns and green eyes locked on him.
"Human, if you're scared, jump off now," the goat demon growled. "My previous opponents, including that divine archer, fled."
Among the twelve demons already fought, this one was among the strongest. It had been deliberately saved for Meng Chuan.
"Scared? At you?" Meng Chuan's gaze shifted, burning with intense murderous intent.
"Chuan'er's eyes…" Meng Dajiang's heart skipped a beat. His usually gentle son had never exuded such killing intent.
"Hahaha, not fleeing? I like courageous little humans." The goat demon charged at once, moving so fast it left afterimages.
Meng Chuan merely watched, his mind utterly focused.
For these demons, his killing intent was boundless.
"Die."
The goat demon lunged, claws flashing across the arena in a grisly arc.
At that moment, Meng Chuan's mind clicked into perfect harmony with his body.
The intense hatred for demons that had simmered since childhood now fused seamlessly with his power, enabling a force far beyond normal.
Ancient Godfiends once said humans had enormous latent potential—capable of unimaginable power in critical moments.
Meng Chuan struck—far faster and stronger than any Mirror Lake Academy trial.
Swish.
A blade of light blazed forth—pure killing intent in a single, fluid slash.
The goat demon's eyes widened in terror. It instinctively tried to block, but the blade curved unpredictably, bypassing its arms, slicing across its neck.
Whoosh.
Meng Chuan's blade returned to its sheath, as if it had never moved. He had only shifted five zhang in position.
The goat demon stumbled forward, crashing onto the ground. Its head rolled nearby, blood staining the earth.
One strike.
A single strike killed it.
Gasps erupted. The goat demon had been formidable, skilled, and even Zhutai cultivators would struggle against it. It had easily won two rounds before. Yet before Meng Chuan, it fell to one slash.
Meng Chuan gazed at the demon's corpse, whispering softly: "You are the first demon I've killed."