Chapter 331: Hunting Arena

Innkeeper Hua had never had much aversion to Gu Ning’an, this scholar from the mortal world.

After all, he gave off the impression of an honest and refined gentleman.

But ever since they met, everything he said had been increasingly unbelievable.

Visiting the Void Emperor? That, at least, could be interpreted as seeking a blessing or a stroke of fortune.

But his next two warnings made Innkeeper Hua feel that this man had a penchant for “speaking in riddles.”

If the first warning could be attributed to his sharp spiritual intuition, accidentally sensing the gaze of a powerful individual—

Then the second warning, in her view, was pure nonsense.

Duan Chen was her childhood friend. She knew his personality, his strength, and his cultivation level inside and out.

Just now, when Duan Chen said he was willing to face danger with her, she had no reason to doubt him. She was certain that if they encountered danger, he would take the blade for her—this was exactly why she repeatedly rejected his advances.

But no matter how many times she refused, his persistence was unshakable. Especially when it came to her—nothing short of a force of nature could make him back down.

Even so, despite his feelings for her, he had never once disrupted her life after she married.

In her heart, he was like a younger brother. Apart from his relentless confessions after her husband’s passing, he had never done anything to betray her trust.

So deep down, she believed Duan Chen would never do anything to harm her.

Besides, it wasn’t just personal feelings influencing her judgment. The reason she found Mr. Gu’s claim absurd was simple—her cultivation level surpassed Duan Chen’s.

If he had been the one spying on the inn, she was certain she would have sensed it.

But what if—just if—Mr. Gu was truly a powerful figure beyond her comprehension?

What if Duan Chen really was the one watching her?

What if today’s events were somehow connected to him…?

“Ugh, what am I even thinking?”

“No one could possibly keep up an act from childhood!”

“Right now, saving lives is the priority!”

Shaking off her scattered thoughts, Innkeeper Hua quickly gathered all the silver, jewelry, and valuables from her private room, storing them in her spatial artifact before hurrying out the door…

…

The night was as dark as ink, with thick clouds obscuring the crescent moon. But within Eternal Slumber City, the lights still burned brightly.

Walking through the bustling streets, Gu Ning’an couldn’t help but feel as if he were back in a crowded tourist attraction during a festival in his past life.

Everywhere he looked, there were only people—so many that the scenery itself was invisible.

“At the next intersection, turn right into the alley. Walk a hundred paces, then turn left onto the main street. That should save you almost a full incense stick’s time.”

Perched on Gu Ning’an’s shoulder, Doubao served as both a “lantern in the dark” and a “navigator.”

Gu Ning’an thought to himself that for just a little bit of spiritual energy, he was getting an incredibly thorough service—definitely a worthwhile trade.

Following Doubao’s directions, Gu Ning’an noticed that the crowd ahead was becoming more manageable. At the very least, he no longer had to stop every few steps, trapped in the slow-moving throng.

After a hundred more steps, he emerged from the alley and returned to the main street. Now, he could finally walk freely.

“Doubao, do you know what kind of shops are lining that previous street? What could possibly be attracting such a massive crowd?”

Hearing Gu Ning’an’s question, Doubao wriggled a bit before answering, “On one side, a pleasure house. On the other, a gambling den. Every night, that street is completely jammed.”

Pleasure and gambling—it was no wonder that cultivators, both human and beast, flocked to it like moths to a flame…

Gu Ning’an continued, “How much farther to the Hunting Arena?”

“Three hundred paces ahead, turn left into a side street. Then walk another five hundred paces to reach the entrance.”

Doubao responded like an unfeeling “navigation machine,” answering every query without emotion.

After walking for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Gu Ning’an finally arrived at the Hunting Arena’s entrance.

Built in the southern part of Eternal Slumber City, the arena’s exterior bore a striking resemblance to an enormous stadium. It was oval-shaped, vast, and featured a sunken central pit.

By now, it was already past the second half of the hour of the Pig (9–11 PM). In front of the massive archway of the Hunting Arena, many individuals holding wooden tokens were gradually making their way inside.

From Doubao, Gu Ning’an learned that these tokens were essentially “entry tickets.” Each had a seat number written on it, and once inside, the holder simply had to find their designated seat.

The starting price for a ticket to an ordinary “hunt battle” was two taels of silver, but if one wished to sit closer to the ring, they would need to tip the ticket-selling minor demons a little “service fee.” The more one paid and the earlier they arrived, the better the seat they could secure.

Of course, scalpers were also present outside the Hunting Arena. These demon cultivators reselling tickets held prime seats, but their prices were outrageously high.

While Gu Ning’an was queuing to buy a ticket, he was approached by dozens of scalpers asking if he wanted a front-row seat. After inquiring about the prices, he realized they were extortionate—seats slightly closer to the ring were being resold at ten times the original price or even more.

After purchasing a ticket through the normal queue, Gu Ning’an successfully entered the Hunting Arena.

The moment he stepped into the imposing arena, he was immediately hit by a mix of pungent smells, the strongest being the stench of blood.

Ascending the stone stairs near the entrance, Gu Ning’an arrived at the level where his ticketed seat [9077] was located.

After squeezing through the crowd and taking his seat, he finally had the chance to take in the arena’s grandeur, which appeared even more expansive and magnificent from the inside than it did from the outside.

At the very center of the arena lay a vast open area, its ground paved with coarse, dark red stone. These stones bore countless marks from blades and axes, and where they had been cut, traces of black-gray could be seen—perhaps the original color of the rock.

Surrounding this battlefield were high platforms arranged in a tiered structure, each level featuring rows of stone chairs for ordinary spectators who had paid the entrance fee.

At the very top of the seating area was a ring of luxurious private boxes. According to Doubao, it had once been brought inside to work and had personally seen the lavish interior.

From crystal screens to golden goblets and jade plates, the opulence was beyond question. But the most remarkable feature was that a formation was engraved within the boxes, which, when activated, allowed those inside to view the clearest possible battle scenes in the arena below.

At that moment—

“Alright, all you battle-hungry powerhouses!”

“The midnight fight is about to begin!”

“Please take your seats quickly. Once the Hunting Battlefield Projection activates, do not get up randomly. If you fall into the ring, well… you’ll have just paid to put on a show for the audience!”

A booming, energetic male voice echoed through the arena!

Looking in the direction of the voice, Gu Ning’an saw a broad-shouldered, middle-aged man with wings sprouting from his back.

With a powerful flap, the man soared into the air and hovered above the ring at the center of the arena…