ryethenovel Chapter 958 The Key to Upgrading
Chapter 958 The Key to Upgrading
Lin Qiye was still standing on the fighting platform.
He didn't leave immediately; he just stood there, the black iron spear hanging at his side, the last drop of golden-red blood slowly sliding down the tip and hitting the sand on the ground with a soft sound.
At the highest point of the stands, a tall figure stood in the shadows for a moment.
Thunderous Fiend.
He was clad in heavy black iron armor, and his face was partially covered by a black iron mask, revealing only a pair of cold, sinister eyes. Those eyes were fixed intently on Lin Qiye on the fighting platform, the killing intent in his gaze almost tangible.
But he didn't move.
The arena's ironclad rules were clear: anyone who attacked the victor after the match would be severely punished by the Overwatch Council. He was a veteran high-ranking deacon, and understood the weight of this rule better than anyone else.
He could only watch as Lin Qiye stood unharmed beside the corpse of the butcher he had sent.
The two met for a fleeting moment in the air, separated by the crowd.
Lin Qiye's expression was calm. He didn't even show any smugness or provocation, simply glancing at Lei Sha indifferently, as if to say—your man is dead. Who's next?
Lei Sha's fists clenched so tightly within the iron armor that they cracked and popped.
But he did not have an attack.
Three breaths later, he turned around, his heavy black iron armor making a low metallic scraping sound as he walked, disappearing into the shadows step by step along the passageway at the highest point of the stands.
His footsteps were steady as he left, without any unnecessary pauses.
However, on the wall of the passage behind him, there was a charred mark left by the source energy he unconsciously released.
……
As Lin Qiye approached, the gladiators lining both sides of the passageway instinctively took a half-step back, making way for him. Their gazes held a mixture of awe, curiosity, and a hint of schadenfreude—watching a newcomer challenge Lei Sha was certainly entertaining, even though it had nothing to do with them.
Ignoring the stares, Lin Qiye walked through the passageway and returned to his residence in the non-staff area.
The moment he pushed open the door, his previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
Inside, an oil lamp burned quietly on the corner of the table, its orange light casting a warm glow over the cramped space. Luo Sheng was sitting at the table waiting for him, a pot of steaming tea on the table in front of her.
She heard the door open and looked up.
"You won?"
"We won."
Luo Sheng didn't ask any more questions, but simply poured a cup of tea and pushed it to the other side of the table.
Lin Qiye sat down opposite her, picked up his teacup and took a sip—the warm tea slid down his throat and into his stomach, carrying a faint source of energy to nourish his meridians.
"Tu Gu's strength is not weak," Luo Sheng said calmly. "You were able to kill him, which means you've adapted to the combat rhythm of the Origin Universe. But this will also make Lei Sha more vigilant."
"I know."
"He wouldn't dare make a move inside the arena," Luo Sheng said. "The rules of the arena are there. But he can wait for you to leave. Once you're outside the arena's perimeter, he won't have any reservations."
Lin Qiye held his teacup but did not respond.
Luo Sheng glanced at him and continued, "Lei Sha has survived in the arena for tens of thousands of years not because of recklessness. His strength is certainly not weak, but his true strength lies in his patience. He waits, until an opportunity is permitted by the rules."
"Then we won't go out." Lin Qiye put down his teacup, his voice calm. "If he doesn't go out, he won't have a chance."
Luo Sheng was slightly taken aback.
Lin Qiye stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the starry sky that had been fragmented by the high walls of the arena.
"One competition a year, right?"
"right."
"That means, at least for the next year, he can only find ways outside the rules." Lin Qiye's gaze lingered on the starry sky for a moment. "And what I need is this year."
Luo Sheng watched his retreating figure in silence for a while.
She always felt that this man, who had ascended from a lower universe, was far more profound than she had imagined.
Lei Sha probably had no idea what kind of opponent he would become during the year he was waiting for.
The next day, when Lin Qiye stepped out of his residence, he could clearly sense that the atmosphere in the arena had changed.
The gladiators he encountered along the way treated him very differently than they had the day before. Before, their gazes were filled with scrutiny and contempt, but now they were filled with apprehension and avoidance.
Yesterday's battle has transformed him from a "somewhat interesting newcomer" into someone "not to be messed with."
He didn't react much to this and walked straight to the trading area.
The trading area is located on the first floor of the arena, near the bottom of the stands, and is a spacious hall. The stalls here are densely packed, selling all sorts of cultivation resources, weapons, armor, medicines, cultivation techniques, and intelligence.
He came here for only one purpose: to spend money.
Killing Butcher Bone earned him 10,000 Gladiator Coins. Combined with his previous small savings, he now had over 10,000 Gladiator Coins. This amount was a huge sum for a newcomer, but it wasn't much in the Gladiator Arena's price system; a decent high-level Source Artifact would cost tens of thousands.
After he entered the trading area, he clearly felt some strange looks.
When the stall owners saw him, their expressions were all subtle. Some had shifty eyes, some pretended not to see him, and some made no attempt to hide their gloating smiles.
He walked up to a stall selling cultivation resources, and just as he was about to ask the price, the stall owner waved his hand preemptively: "Not for sale."
Lin Qiye glanced at him: "Why?"
The stall owner, a strange creature with two fangs, grinned at the question, revealing a set of sharp teeth: "Lord Lei Sha has spoken. Anyone who dares to sell you anything is going against him. I still want to keep this stall in the arena; you'd better find somewhere else."
Lin Qiye did not persist.
He turned around, took a few steps, and then tried the second stall.
"Not for sale."
The third stall.
"Not for sale."
The fourth, fifth, and sixth companies all gave the same answer: not for sale.
The previously noisy trading area quieted down noticeably as he walked by. He could feel the gazes around him like needles pricking his back; some were waiting to see him lose his temper, others were waiting to see him back down.
But he wasn't angry.
He simply walked around the trading area, memorizing the layout of all the stalls, and then, amidst the gloating gazes, headed to the farthest corner of the trading area.
There is only one thing he needs to do now: increase his strength.
For Lin Qiye, the fastest way to improve his strength is... women.
Several huge iron cages stood there, containing some women in tattered clothes. Most of them had empty, numb eyes, and some bore obvious old and new wounds.