The burly man's severed head rolled across the stage.
His blood-splattered face still bore a fierce, venomous expression.
A Rank 33 Battle Spirit Master…
And still, defeated with a single sword strike.
The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
Li Zhexian sheathed the Qinglian Sword, turned, and walked toward the corridor leading backstage.
His white shoes stepped through pools of blood with a wet, sticky squelch.
Only when his figure vanished into the shadows of the corridor did the audience erupt—
A thunderous roar threatened to blow the roof off the Spirit Arena.
"Sword Wine! Sword Wine!"
"Sword Wine! Sword Wine!"
Everyone shouted his name in unison.
Some fans, overcome with excitement, even screamed while tearing at their own hair.
The scene was utterly spectacular.
—
Second-Floor VIP Box
The seven members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team sat in stunned silence.
"Two purple Spirit Rings…"
Dugu Yan's green eyes narrowed into slits like a venomous snake's.
Her voice came out slightly hoarse:
"His first Spirit Ring is already at the thousand-year level? Who the hell is this Sword Wine? Which major sect bred this kind of freak? Or is he the disciple of a Titled Douluo?"
It was common knowledge across the Douluo Continent—
Attaining optimal age Spirit Rings was already the pinnacle for most.
But the first and second Spirit Rings both being at the thousand-year level?
Unheard of!
Ye Lingling still wore her usual distant, lonely expression,
but a flicker of strange light stirred quietly in her deep blue eyes.
The previously dismissive Yu Feng swallowed hard.
"So fast… so sharp…"
"How can a Spirit Grandmaster be this powerful?!"
The Shi brothers, who possessed the Black Turle Martial Soul, grunted in their deep voices:
"Even if we could take that strike, we'd still be injured."
Their Martial Souls were known for top-tier defense.
At Rank 37 and 38, the two of them working together with the Black Turle Formation could even withstand attacks from a Spirit Ancestor at over Rank 40.
But now?
After witnessing Sword Wine's attack—
They were no longer confident in their own defenses.
"…Boss,"
Osler looked worriedly at Yu Tianheng. The other five team members wore tight expressions; the atmosphere was heavy.
"This Sword Wine is terrifyingly strong."
Yu Tianheng's brows were furrowed, but his voice remained steady:
"If he breaks through Rank 30, I won't be his match."
"But right now, he's just in the twenties. Both of his Spirit Abilities are already revealed."
"I have no reason to lose."
—
Third-Floor VIP Box
The shock on Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo's faces gradually faded.
"This young man will achieve greatness one day,"
"Young master, you were right to befriend him."
Even for seasoned Titled Douluo, seeing a youth with two thousand-year Spirit Rings was astonishing—bordering on the unbelievable.
Though Xue Qinghe's expression remained neutral, his chest rose and fell slightly, betraying his inner turbulence.
After a moment of silence, he stepped out of the box.
The two Douluo moved to follow.
But then—
"Don't follow me."
—
Private Contestant Box — Downstairs
Li Zhexian lounged in a plush chair, casually eating fruit.
As a rising star in the Spirit Arena, he now enjoyed top-tier treatment.
Just then—
Knock knock—!
A firm knock on the door.
Li Zhexian quickly sat up, crossed one leg over the other, slipped on his faceless mask, and assumed a cold, aloof demeanor.
After all, the persona of "Sword Wine" was that of a lone, emotionless swordsman—cool and detached.
It had a certain flair to it.
Just as he prepared to respond—
The door creaked open on its own.
His brow furrowed.
Who the hell doesn't knock properly?
He looked up—
And saw Xue Qinghe walk in, dressed in white, fanning himself leisurely.
Li Zhexian didn't say a word. Still in character, he remained cold and silent.
His emotionless eyes stared directly at Xue Qinghe.
Xue Qinghe stopped, staring back calmly.
The two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.
The silence stretched—
Then Xue Qinghe suddenly said:
"Do you still want that Three-Immortal Chicken tomorrow?"
Li Zhexian broke.
The aloof swordsman persona completely crumbled.
"Aiyo, my dear prince! You're here!"
"Come in, sit! Sit!"
Hearing the words "my prince," Xue Qinghe's expression twitched slightly.
He coughed twice, hiding his discomfort, and took a seat at Li Zhexian's invitation.
But the moment he sat down—
He pounced.
"Li Zhexian, am I your brother or not?"
"You're this strong—why didn't you tell me?!"
Even Xue Qinghe didn't seem to realize how much his tone resembled a jealous, unreasonable girl right then.
Li Zhexian rolled his eyes.
"I told you—there aren't many students at the Imperial Academy who can beat me."
"You just didn't believe me."
"I…"
Xue Qinghe was momentarily speechless, but quickly retorted:
"Well, you never told me you were fighting in the Spirit Arena either."
"You're the Crown Prince. I couldn't possibly bother you with such trivial matters."
Now Xue Qinghe had no response at all.
He pressed his lips together and said nothing, quietly turning to watch the next fight on the arena stage.
"…Are you mad?"
Li Zhexian bumped Xue Qinghe's shoulder with his own.
Xue Qinghe immediately scooted away slightly.
"You're so petty."
Li Zhexian reached over, threw an arm around his neck, and said with a grin:
"Who doesn't have a few secrets?"
"As long as we don't betray each other, it's all good."
Xue Qinghe turned his head, looking at Li Zhexian's bright, spirited expression.
After a pause, he nodded.
"Mm. You're right."
They fell silent after that.
Li Zhexian still had his arm around Xue Qinghe's neck, munching on slices of fruit now and then.
The scent on him—tinged faintly with blood—was oddly pleasant.
Trying to keep his composure, Xue Qinghe asked:
"Li Zhexian, your opponent later is Yu Tianheng. Are you confident?"
"We'll see then."
"Yu Tianheng. Nineteen years old. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Spirit Power: Rank 39 Spirit Elder. Spirit Ring configuration: yellow, yellow, purple."
"First Spirit Ability: Thunder Dragon Claw, single-target attack. Second Spirit Ability: Thunder Crash, area attack. Third Spirit Ability: Thunder Fury, amplification-type."
Li Zhexian looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you… helping me cheat?"
Xue Qinghe replied naturally:
"Yu Tianheng's already seen your Spirit Abilities. Now you know his—it's only fair."
Li Zhexian chuckled.
"Well, I probably won't need it, but thanks for the heads-up, brother."
Just then—
The previous match ended.
It was now 9:00 PM.
The announcer was already on the stage, calling out the next match.
As soon as his name was called, Li Zhexian stood up.
"I'm off. Remember to cheer for your brother."
"Mm." Xue Qinghe nodded.
Just as Li Zhexian was about to disappear from view—
He couldn't hold back anymore and called out:
"Li Zhexian—come back in one piece!"
Li Zhexian didn't even turn his head.
He simply raised a hand and waved.
Stepping into the slightly dim corridor—
The deafening cheers of the crowd surged in his ears.
Li Zhexian reached the steps leading up to the stage. He looked straight ahead.
On the steps on the other side, a young man in blue martial attire slowly walked onto the stage...