Within the duel arena.
All this was personally arranged by Huang Baitao, the spectators were regulars who watched battles at the Hope Duel Arena year-round. Huang Baitao had specially gathered them here to teach the people from Xiaoshanhe Institute a lesson.
The inside of the duel arena was incredibly noisy.
A new fight was about to begin down below.
The host stood atop the platform of the Hope Duel Arena and announced to everyone in a loud voice, "The two participants battling today are Liang Qing from the North District and Liang Yi from the South District. These two are brothers, each having secured nine consecutive victories. If they win one more match, they will receive the reward for ten consecutive victories!"
Waves of astonished shouts came from the audience, "Brothers? Hahaha, it has been a long time since we've seen brothers on the duel arena!"
"Interesting, today's battle is interesting..."
"I bet on Liang Qing!"
"I think Liang Yi will win..."
The sudden clamor caught everyone from Xiaoshanhe Institute off guard.
Ruan Yunyi murmured, "It seems this is a place just like the Combat Pavilion!"
"Mm, indeed it's similar to the Combat Pavilion!"
Ye Heng nodded. They were seated in the first row, just a step away from the arena. He subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Yi standing behind him and frowned slightly, "Master has just arrived in Beast Emperor City and brought us here; could he be intending for us to fight here and gain experience?"
Jin Feiyan, upon hearing his speculation, laughed and said, "Senior brother, you're not being silly, are you? If it were for us to gain experience, why bother coming here? We could just do that directly at the Combat Pavilion, couldn't we?"
But the next moment...
Jin Feiyan found it difficult to maintain her smile as she heard the referee declare loudly, "Everyone is clear about the rules of my Hope Duel Arena: those who enter the stage can leave alive only by achieving victory. There is no surrender, no conceding, no draws!"
Jin Feiyan and Ye Heng exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
No draws, no conceding.
The only way to survive was to emerge victorious!
Jin Feiyan's face stiffened, "Tea... teacher brother, surely master wouldn't be so cruel, right?"
Ye Heng took a long breath and shook his head silently.
The host on the platform had finished the introduction, then leapt up and landed at the referee's seat. Simultaneously, the iron gates on opposing sides of the arena swung open with a bang.
Two figures emerged from within the gates.
Liang Qing stepped out from the north, the younger brother, and Liang Yi came out from the south, the elder brother.
The two bore a striking resemblance to each other.
Both stood atop the arena, their eyes locking; Liang Qing said, "Big brother, you know why I'm here. Once I win ten straight battles, I'll get the reward. Then, I can bring Xiaoqian home, you must let me have this!"
Liang Yi's face was devoid of expression, his voice hoarse as he replied, "Second brother, how can you be so selfish? You want to marry Xiaoqian and bring her home, but I need the rewards to treat your sister-in-law's illness. Without these rewards, she will die..."
"If she dies, she dies; what does that have to do with me? You've been married for so many years without giving our Liang Family an heir, it was already the greatest stupidity for you to come to the Hope Duel Arena for such a woman."
Liang Qing, his eyes red with rage, shouted, "But I'm different; as soon as Xiaoqian and I are together, we will soon have a baby, and our Liang Family's lineage won't end. Big brother, don't you wish to face our parents after death with dignity?"
Hearing Liang Qing insult his wife so, Liang Yi's eyes, red with blood, revealed a fierce light as he roared, "Since you are so heartless, from now on our brotherly bond is severed. Let fate decide our lives and deaths!"
"Scared you won't make it?"
Liang Qing roared angrily.
The cultivation levels of the two were not high, just at the peak of the Shentong Realm.
In the eyes of people like Ye Heng, they were nothing more than issues that could be resolved with a simple slap.
Those problems they were facing, to Ye Heng and the others, seemed like trivial matters that could be easily solved.
For these minor concerns, which seemed trivial to Ye Heng and his companions, could it be that the brothers were actually turning on each other?
"Why won't Liang Qing help his brother to cure his sister-in-law?"
"You're wrong to say that. Why doesn't his brother help Liang Qing find a wife first?"
"I think you're all wrong..."
Ye Heng found that the disciples of the Xiaoshanhe Institute had started arguing about it.
Listening to their discussion, Ye Heng also tried to find a reason in his heart to convince himself, but he always felt like there was a layer of paper that couldn't be pierced, preventing him from finding that critical link.
The fight on the stage had become intensely fierce.
The brothers had grown up together since they were young and were very familiar with each other's strengths and moves.
They ended up covered in wounds, the younger brother's left hand was chopped off, and the older brother was stabbed in the abdomen three times, his intestines hanging out. These blood brothers, like sworn enemies in a life-and-death struggle, were desperately fighting, each trying to put the other to death.
Liang Yi suddenly grabbed Liang Qing, using his exposed intestines to tightly strangle Liang Qing's neck. His eyes were a furious red, and with tears streaming down his face, he roared, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, little brother, I'm sorry... Your sister-in-law is my only hope to keep living, I can't let her die, I'm sorry..."
Liang Qing's face was pale, frantically slapping Liang Yi, trying to make his brother go easy on him, just like when they were playing games as children.
But all he got was despair.
Watching the brothers self-destruct, Ye Heng and his group fell silent, while the seasoned spectators in the stands were thrilled: "Strangle him, Liang Yi, harder, strangle him!"
"We're about to win! Hahaha..."
"Useless, Liang Qing you waste, how much money have I spent on you..."
Life is full of all sorts, and all sorts of people are in life.
Every disciple of the Shanhe Court fell silent.
Suddenly, they realized that people could be so indifferent; they realized that, for hope, brothers could turn on each other. They realized that despair truly renders one helpless; even if it's your own brother standing behind you, that intestine can plunge you into despair and darkness.
Some achieved enlightenment, some contemplated deeply.
Even though the cultivation levels of the warriors in this battle were just at the Shentong Realm, even though the progress of the fight had nothing for them to learn from, Ye Heng and the others still had an epiphany. Their mental states underwent a dramatic transformation.
Standing behind the crowd, Huang Baitao nodded slightly, smiling as he turned to Xiao Yi: "These little fellows are quite good!"
Xiao Yi nodded, smiling as he said, "Being able to comprehend so quickly has indeed exceeded my expectations. Now, I can finally leave them in your care with peace of mind. Take good care of them for me!"
Huang Baitao nodded, his expression slightly solemn, "Are you really going to that place?"
Xiao Yi nodded, his gaze deep yet resolute: "That place... is where my hope lies as well! I don't have much time left, just one month..."