Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14564 Woman in Black

When the woman saw that her attack had missed, a look of surprise flashed across her eyes. An ordinary person who had strayed into the area would already be a corpse with blood gushing from their throat. Although this man had no cultivation, his reaction was astonishingly fast.

But she did not pursue him; she merely glanced coldly at Ling Xiao before turning to leave again.

Ling Xiao took a deep breath and followed again.

This place is completely unfamiliar, and this woman is currently his only clue; he absolutely cannot let her go.

The woman suddenly stopped, turned around abruptly, flipped her right wrist to hide the short dagger in her sleeve, and at the same time lashed out with her left leg like a whip, kicking Ling Xiao straight in the abdomen with a soft whistling sound!

Ling Xiao dodged to the side to avoid a fatal blow, but was still struck in the side by the leg wind. A tremendous force struck him, and he staggered back more than ten steps. His blood and qi churned, and a dull pain came from his side.

He clutched his lower back and abdomen, his face extremely pale.

Not only were his cultivation and magical treasures sealed, but even his powerful body, which had been tempered and could withstand low-level supernatural powers, was suppressed to a mortal level by the rules of this place!

The rules of this Deathmatch Arena are terrifyingly powerful!

The woman withdrew her long leg, her eyes still cold, and ignored Ling Xiao, walking straight into the depths of the village.

"Young lady, how about we talk?"

Ling Xiao endured the pain and gritted his teeth to catch up again.

He must figure out the rules and origins of this place, or he will sooner or later become a wandering ghost.

The woman turned around abruptly, her eyes sharp as knives, her tone full of impatience and sternness.

"Are you bothered?"

"I know you?"

Ling Xiao did not answer, but simply followed her steps firmly without the slightest hesitation.

A fierce glint finally flashed in the woman's eyes, along with a hint of barely perceptible consideration. After several brief exchanges, she had realized that although this person had no cultivation, his reactions and responses were extremely sophisticated. If it really came down to a life-or-death struggle, she might not come out on top, and would certainly suffer a pyrrhic victory.

In this resource-scarce and perilous place, pointless consumption is tantamount to suicide.

Ling Xiao immediately seized this slight opening and said sincerely.

"I am new here and know nothing about this place. I humbly request your guidance, young lady."

Where exactly is this place?

"What are the rules?"

"If you can tell me, I will definitely repay you."

The woman scrutinized him, seeing that his eyes were open and honest, not feigning anything. After a moment of silence, she chuckled and pointed to the dark wilderness outside the village.

“Go thirty miles in that direction, and you’ll find a ‘Life and Death Platform’.”

“Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), people are risking their lives there.”

"The rules here seal off all cultivation, supernatural powers, and external objects, leaving only the most primitive martial arts and physical strength."

"The winner will receive 'Source Crystals', while the loser will either die or be maimed, or become a vassal of others."

"Now, do you understand?"

A sudden inspiration struck Ling Xiao, and everything became clear!

That's it!

The white-robed senior actually wanted him to completely strip away all external reliance in this desperate situation and return to the most original and purest origin of martial arts: moves, skills, will, and that demonic heart that had been tempered!

Without the blessing of demonic energy or the assistance of magical treasures, only one's own foundation and willpower can allow one to stand firm in this deathmatch arena!

This is not a desperate situation, but a perfect place to temper one's demonic soul and hone one's martial arts foundation!

"Understood!"

A look of understanding and burning excitement flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes. The dejection he had felt from losing his power vanished, replaced by a blazing fighting spirit.

He immediately bowed to the woman, his tone sincere.

"Thank you for your guidance, young lady!"

"I won't thank you enough; I'll definitely repay your kindness in the future!"

After saying that, he turned around and strode towards the wilderness the woman had pointed to, his steps firm and without the slightest hesitation.

"stop."

The woman's cold voice came from behind, carrying a hint of complexity.

Ling Xiao turned around, his eyes filled with questions.

The woman looked at him as if he were an idiot, her tone mocking yet carrying a subtle hint of warning.

"Are you going to your death?"

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"Why did the girl say this?"

"The life-or-death arena is a battleground where the victor can obtain the Source Crystal, which is exactly what I need."

"need?"

The woman scoffed, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"First, you need a 'battle token' to enter the arena of life and death. You need this to register for the competition. Do you have one?"

"Secondly, the life-or-death arena requires betting 'Source Crystals'. The winner takes everything, while the loser not only loses their life but also has to compensate the organizers for their losses. Do you have Source Crystals?"

“Third,” she paused, her gaze sweeping over Ling Xiao’s somewhat frail figure, “with your current unarmed state, where you’re not even as good as an ordinary martial artist, you wouldn’t last three breaths if you went up there. You’d only become someone else’s stepping stone.”

Despite being repeatedly questioned by her, Ling Xiao showed no anger in his eyes. Instead, a competitive fire ignited in his eyes, and a smug smile appeared on his lips.

"You underestimate me, young lady."

"In the battles of the mortal realm, I may not be able to..."

Before she finished speaking, the woman's figure suddenly blurred and approached like a ghost!

The moment the strong wind hit his face, Ling Xiao's demonic soul stirred slightly in his mind. Relying solely on instinct to predict the trajectory and the physical coordination honed by the thirteen ancient sages, he suddenly pushed off the ground and retreated violently to the side and back, narrowly catching the dagger tip that was stabbing towards his chest!

However, Su Miao changed her moves with astonishing speed. The dagger that had been restrained sank down, and with the force of Ling Xiao's restraint, she pressed down while her left knee slammed into his abdomen like an iron hammer. Every move was ruthless, giving him no chance to breathe!

With nowhere to dodge, Ling Xiao's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He simply released the dagger, and instead of retreating, he lunged forward, his arms like iron hoops tightly embracing the woman around the waist!

"boom!"

The two instantly lost their balance, rolling and wrestling on the cold ground, raising clouds of dust.

In the heat of life and death, what difference is there between men and women?

There is only victory and defeat, only life and death!

Su Miao reacted with lightning speed. The moment her body was pulled down and rolled, she twisted her waist sharply and swung her left elbow with a gust of wind, aiming straight for Ling Xiao's temple!

This elbow strike was simple and unadorned, yet it contained the twisting power of the entire body. If it were to strike solidly, there would be no chance of the skull being shattered!

Ling Xiao's pupils contracted slightly, and his right hand suddenly released its grip, turning his palm into a fist. He neither blocked nor dodged; at this moment, with his mortal body, the only option was to exchange his life for another!

He also gathered all the strength he could muster and punched straight into Su Miao's ribs!

boom!

Two dull thuds rang out simultaneously!

Ling Xiao narrowly avoided the elbow strike by turning his head, but the residual force grazed his shoulder, causing a burning pain; Su Miao was punched in the ribs, let out a muffled groan, and used the recoil to roll to the side and backward, instantly creating a distance of several feet.

The two sprang up almost simultaneously, facing each other from a distance.

Su Miao leaned forward slightly, her right foot lightly touching the ground, her right hand holding a short dagger horizontally in front of her chest, her left hand swinging back like a cheetah poised to pounce. Her muscles were taut, her eyes sharp as knives, exuding the danger and focus of a predator. Every inch of her posture revealed a murderous intent that could erupt at any moment.

Ling Xiao took a half step back with his right foot, his toes digging into the ground to stabilize his body. He loosely clenched his right fist, his entire body's power concentrated but not released. This was an instinctive stance he had honed through years of life-and-death battles, capable of unleashing his strongest power in the blink of an eye.

The night was thick, with only the heavy breathing of the two people and the faint sound of the wind in the distance mingling together; the air was so heavy it seemed you could wring water out of it. (End of Chapter)