After thirty minutes in line, Kyrian and Bai Zhu finally reached the entrance of the Cloud Coliseum.
The main gate was a monumental structure of black stone and white jade, over thirty meters tall. Sculptures of legendary spiritual beasts and warriors in combat poses carved into the surface seemed to come alive under the gray light of the eternal clouds.
Dozens of guards stood in double rows, all in the Core Formation Realm, exuding heavy and controlled cultivations that made the air vibrate. None of them smiled. Their eyes swept across the crowd like blades.
There were two distinct entrances.
To the left, the line for spectators, long, noisy, filled with common cultivators, families of minor nobles, and curious merchants. All paid a modest fee in spirit stones to enter and watch the fights. Mei Li bid farewell to Kyrian and Bai Zhu with an elegant wave.
"Good luck to both of you. I’ll watch from a good seat. Don’t die."
She smiled faintly and headed toward the spectators’ line.
Kyrian and Bai Zhu advanced to the right, the exclusive entrance for challengers. The line there was much shorter but more tense.
It was their turn.
A black stone counter with a middle-aged man seated behind it. He wore dark gray robes with the emblem of the Coliseum embroidered on the chest, a cloud pierced by a vertical sword. Upon seeing the crimson robes of Kyrian and Bai Zhu, he raised an eyebrow and greeted them with a professional smile.
"Disciples of the Blood Court. Welcome to the Cloud Coliseum."
He looked at Kyrian first.
"Name?"
"Kyrian."
The man wrote it down on a floating scroll beside him, even finding the name strange, there were always those who created nicknames to participate in the auction. Then, he placed a spherical blue crystal on the counter.
"Place your hand here. The crystal will measure your cultivation. That way we know whom you can challenge. Basic rule. You cannot challenge someone below your realm."
Kyrian already knew that. He placed his hand on the crystal.
The crystal remained the same color, light blue, without reaction.
The man frowned, thinking it was defective. He tapped the crystal lightly with his finger.
Kyrian sighed internally. He looked at the crystal and released a small amount of Qi through his eyes. The crystal trembled, then shone in a dark crimson tone. Golden letters appeared on the surface.
"6° stage of the Qi Release realm."
The man blinked, surprised.
"Interesting. You can challenge anyone in the Top 100, but you can only start from rank 90 or below. If you win, you move up and can challenge higher ranks. Coliseum rule. Gradual progression."
He showed a floating list beside the counter with names and prices.
Kyrian read quickly. Rank 92 costs ten thousand medium-grade spirit stones.
He didn’t think twice.
"I challenge Rank 92."
"Very well, sign here."
The man nodded, wrote it down, and received the ten thousand stones that Kyrian took from his spatial ring. A challenge seal was printed in the air, a symbol of a cloud pierced by a sword that fixed itself on Kyrian’s chest like a temporary tattoo above his clothes.
"Your challenge has been issued. A guard will take you to the preparation area. Your fight will be today, but the exact time depends on the schedule. Stay ready."
A guard appeared beside Kyrian and gestured for him to follow.
Bai Zhu was next. He gave a friendly slap on Kyrian’s shoulder before stepping forward.
"Good luck, Leader."
Kyrian followed the guard through a side corridor. They passed reinforced doors with containment formations until reaching an internal area, individual rooms for challengers. Kyrian’s room was simple. Bed, table, chair, and a small window overlooking the main arena. A servant appeared shortly after.
"Your fight will be soon. Stay here or go to the stands to watch other fights. All begin at noon. When it is your turn, your name will appear in the sky."
Kyrian nodded. The servant left.
Minutes later, Bai Zhu appeared at the door, also with the challenge seal on his chest.
"I got it! I challenged rank 95. Shall we go to the stands? There’s still some time before noon."
Kyrian nodded.
They left together. The guard led them through another corridor to a special area for challengers, an elevated, reserved stand with a privileged view of the main arena. There were already about twenty people there. All young, all with the challenge seal shining on their chests. Kyrian recognized almost all of them. Leaders or main disciples of the external forces who had participated in Tao’s party.
Nan Feng Yu approached immediately, with a confident smile.
"Kyrian. I already told the others you joined the bet. Five thousand stones each. The winner takes everything. It’s going to be fun."
He looked around, Lin Qiao, Mo Qian, Gu Tian, and other familiar names from the party.
"Everyone here will fight today. Just be careful not to die. I heard the ranked fighters fight for real. No mercy."
Kyrian gave a sideways smile.
"Thanks for the warning. But I think you should worry about yourself."
Nan Feng Yu laughed.
"I like the confidence."
Before they could continue, a loud sound echoed.
Above the gigantic arena, lines began to appear in the sky, golden strokes forming rapidly, as if an invisible hand were writing in the air.
Everyone looked up.
The lines became legible. Names appeared floating, immense, visible from any point in the Coliseum.
Kyrian found his quickly.
Rank 00 — Kyrian (Blood Court) vs. Rank 92 — Wang Dahai
The same appeared for Bai Zhu and all the other challengers present.
Then, a deep, amplified voice spread throughout the entire Coliseum.
"The bets are open!"
The roar of the crowd exploded.
Kyrian then looked again at his name, this time a bit more focused, and then, to his surprise, more information appeared.
Besides his name, his cultivation appeared right below. On the other side, more information about Wang Dahai, his opponent, also appeared. Kyrian immediately realized that this was more information for those bettors.
Also below each name there was a zero and the explanation. That was the total of spirit stones bet on each of them up to that moment. There were also the odds of each bet right below, already defined by those who run the Coliseum.
At the same time, in various places in the stands, several booths with guards appeared, they were the places where everyone could place bets. One also appeared in the stand where Kyrian and the others were. That way, everyone could bet.