Chapter 442: Wild Duel (1)

“What is a wild duel?” Lan Zao asked curiously, having only heard of heroic duels.

Shuang Tu explained, "You can think of it as a heroic duel without restrictions. It's more thrilling and bloodier than a heroic duel. Both duelists may employ any means during combat and cannot surrender voluntarily. The duel only ends when one combatant is utterly incapacitated. Whether the loser survives depends entirely on whether the victor chooses to spare them."

"Also, while heroic duels typically involve sentient beings, wild duels are different. Your opponent could very well be a beast like a tiger or wolf, even dragons or demons might appear."

Lan Zao frowned. " This sounds incredibly dangerous."

Shuang Tu nodded solemnly: "This danger can be controlled.  You must understand: Hen Fa, you need to engage in such combat.  It will help you familiarize yourself with your body and truly hone your battle skill."

“Solitary training in isolation is highly inadvisable.”

"Combat prowess untested in practice is unreliable. You should grasp this principle."

Lan Zao nodded silently.

Shuang Tu continued: “During your upcoming infiltration mission, you'll likely encounter formidable foes, even silver level adversaries like Bing Xiao or Spring Boxer.”

"When that happens, you'll likely have to rely solely on yourself. Therefore, you must ensure you possess a certain level of combat capability."

“I've already registered for you.”

“You're currently iron level, but as a newcomer, your first battle will be against a bronze level beast.”

“The risk is manageable.”

“One more thing: members of the Bayonet Gang will also participate in this wild duel. Rejoining the Bayonet Gang might allow you to approach them and secure their renewed recruitment.”

Lan Zao understood and grew increasingly eager.

Truthfully, he was also curious about his own combat performance.

The two teleported back together. Lan Zao ate, while Shuang Tu went to the secret chamber to handle matters at hand.

"Hen Fa has been properly arranged. Over the next period, he'll participate in several wild duels. His opponents will be pre-selected and arranged by us, enough to hone his combat skills while ensuring his safety. The key is for him to feel genuine threat in battle, pushing him to train harder and use the alchemy gear we've equipped him with more frequently. Take the projectile core, for instance. He'll sustain injuries in combat, but we'll provide follow-up treatment. All these measures will gradually make him dependent on us, both physically and mentally. This is a crucial step in turning him over to our side."

"Master Cai Jing has recruited over thirty potion apprentices, nearly twenty of whom are our operatives. It is now confirmed: the underground space he secretly excavated is precisely where the legacy of the legendary druid lies. This requires close attention."

"Although Ba Qi has received treatment, his condition remains critical. Based on timing, the Heroism Pirates have likely joined forces with Lady Sea Snake and others.  The capture of the gold level sea serpent carries minimal risk of failure. We should see the outcome of this operation shortly."

"The temporary base for Bing Xiao and his group has been secured. They are actively arming themselves, having acquired a batch of Ice Spike Bayonets from the black market. Their overall combat effectiveness has improved, though the increase is not significant. All movements remain under our surveillance."

Shuang Tu felt content while handling affairs.

With Ba Qi's assistance, his primary mission had achieved breakthrough progress. Additionally, both Hen Fa and the intelligence gathering on Tranquil Hill were advancing smoothly.

By afternoon, Lan Zao was led underground by a snow elf.

This subterranean chamber spanned at least 500 square meters by rough estimate.

The ceiling, surrounding walls, and floor were all reddish-brown.

“You can familiarize yourself with this space beforehand. This will be your next battlefield,” the guiding snow elf advised.

The underground chamber was nearly empty, save for five or six stone pillars.

These pillars were thick and sturdy, most of which reached up to the ceiling, while a few had been severed.

Lan Zao's gaze lingered briefly on the pillars before sweeping around the room.

He noticed traces of doors lining the perimeter. These doors varied in size, many barred with iron gratings through which dim, shadowy scenes could be glimpsed.

Unlike the arena, there were no spectator seats here.

But magic runes covered every surface, the walls, the floor, and the ceiling.

“It seems that the audience for this wild duel watches through magic projections,” Lan Zao guessed the truth.

Wild duels were filled with bloodshed and violence, and betting rings opened every time they were held. This activity had long been banned by the Ice Sculpture Kingdom and was illegal.

Flower Skirt Island lay in the sea near Ice Sculpture Island, a neutral territory. Islands like this almost invariably hosted wild duel arenas.

Whether driven by the thrill or profit of gambling, a worship of violence, or a craving for bloodshed, these arenas drew countless spectators each year.

Others attended for different motives, like revenge, or to test vicious weapons.

Most spectators hailed from the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, including influential figures and dignitaries. Given the event's negative implications, these individuals naturally avoid public exposure.

“May I freely attack and test the strength of the ground here?” Lan Zao inquired.

“Certainly. These surfaces can be repaired,” replied the snow elf.

Lan Zao pressed further: “Will my testing within the arena be leaked?”

“Absolutely not. This is our little private operation,” the snow elf replied, winking at Lan Zao.

“Seems this one is likely Shuang Tu's mole infiltrated into the wild duel,” Lan Zao surmised inwardly.

His suspicion was well-founded.

The clandestine faction represented by Shuang Tu wielded considerable power. Moreover, the master of the wild duel arena on Flower Skirt Island was merely a silver level fighter, penetrating his defenses posed little difficulty.

Lan Zao surveyed the battlefield.

It was undeniably monotonous.

“Stone pillars are the only viable cover.”

Lan Zao personally measured the distance between pillars, calculating the exact time it would take him to dash from one pillar to another.

He proceeded to attack the pillars.

“Very sturdy. Reliable cover.” The test results gave Lan Zao a quiet sense of satisfaction.

He then launched attacks at the floor tiles, ceiling, and surrounding walls.

“The defense is astonishing!” Lan Zao unleashed his full power, employing his strongest skill, Air Cannon, yet couldn't budge it an inch. At most, it caused the hidden magic inscriptions to faintly flicker with a ripple-like glow.

Lan Zao pondered for a moment, then began firing air cannons in rapid succession.

He gradually shifted the impact points closer to himself. This test primarily served Lan Zao's desire to experience the residual shockwave power of the air cannon.

The air cannon could detonate.

In actual combat, the most common scenario wasn't a direct hit on the target, but the explosion's shockwave catching the target off guard.

Moreover, the blast radius varied depending on the battlefield environment.

Before Lan Zao could complete the test, the snow elf pushed open the door, a hint of urgency in his expression: “Time's up.”

Lan Zao felt a pang of regret, yet he was satisfied.

He understood being able to test the battlefield in advance was already cheating.

The snow elf led Lan Zao into a secret chamber to rest.

Here, he cultivated the Air Pressure battle qi, actively restoring his battle qi.

As time passed, he could faintly hear the clamor growing louder outside the chamber door.

The noise became increasingly chaotic, clearly signaling the arrival of more spectators.

By the time Lan Zao had fully restored his battle qi, another half hour had elapsed. The chamber door swung open.

“Follow me.” It was the same Snow Elf again. He led Lan Zao out of the chamber, through a long corridor, and pushed open a large door.

“This is the waiting room. When your name is called to enter the arena, another door will open.”

“Remember, under no circumstances are you to engage in combat with others within the waiting room. Violation will result in immediate execution by the wild duel authorities!” After issuing these instructions, the snow elf parted ways with Lan Zao.

The waiting room was crowded.

A towering, tiger-headed beastman leaned against the entrance gate.

An elderly man with a sullen expression, radiating bronze aura, sat on a bench leaning on a staff that resembled a walking stick.

Two long wooden benches ran along the walls of the waiting room.

An ordinary middle-aged man sat on the same bench as the old man, but they were seated far apart, nearly at opposite ends.

In the middle of the other bench sat a silver level fighter.

Lan Zao recognized him immediately, it was Spring Boxer from the Bayonet Gang.

Spring Boxer couldn't help but show surprise when he saw Lan Zao enter.

He waved proactively, “Never thought I'd run into someone I know.”

Lan Zao knew the Bayonet Gang would send someone, so seeing Spring Boxer didn't surprise him. Lacking any flair for the dramatic, he maintained his usual detached expression, gave Spring Boxer a nod, and walked past him.

Finally, he sat down beside Spring Boxer.

“You advanced to iron level?” Spring Boxer asked, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his voice, “Why come to participate in a wild duel?”

He knew Lan Zao's bloodline had awakened, a pure 100% Fish Bladder bloodline. This meant Lan Zao could steadily advance to the silver level.

In Spring Boxer's view, Lan Zao should focus on cultivating himself and striving to raise his fighter level, rather than rushing headlong into dangerous combat.

Lan Zao replied: "I bought a battle skill and owed some money, so I have to participate in this wild duel."

This was the response Shuang Tu had prepared for Lan Zao.

Spring Boxer nodded.

Lan Zao asked in return, “What about you, Lord Spring Boxer?”

Spring Boxer offered a wry smile. "I'm after specific resources, things hard to come by on Flower Skirt Island. Truthfully, my reasons aren't so different from yours."

“To get us to Tranquil Hill as quickly as possible,” Spring Boxer added silently to himself.

The weight of his responsibility settled on his shoulders, and his conversational mood vanished instantly.

Lan Zao said nothing more.

After all, Hen Fa's persona was one of taciturnity.

The waiting room fell silent once more.