“Stop wasting time,” the irate black-cloaked martial artist interrupted his companion’s conversation with Liliya, pressing the switch to end the communication.
“Continuing to talk to that ungrateful wench is just a waste of breath. Open the door, I’m going in to take care of that kid,” he turned coldly to his companion.
“Are you sure you can handle it?” the other black-cloaked martial artist’s tone turned increasingly grim.
“Hmph! At worst, I’ll just eliminate the wench as well,” the hotheaded black-cloaked martial artist impatiently exhaled.
“But…” the other black-cloaked martial artist hesitated.
In fact, the very reason the two black-cloaked martial artists had imprisoned Liliya in the storeroom was precisely because they didn’t want to kill her. Although the two black-cloaked martial artists spoke harshly, seemingly unconcerned about Liliya’s status, they had only spared her life because of Lord Herod’s orders. In reality, they didn’t care at all about “Lord Herod’s orders.” What they truly feared was the reputation of the Imperial Guard!
Liliya had served as the First Deputy of the Imperial Guard for several years. If she were to die mysteriously while on a mission in the Southlands, the Imperial Guard would never easily forgive the murderer for killing its Chief Deputy, if only to preserve their honor!
At that time, the Orleans family would likely shift all the blame onto the two black-cloaked martial artists to appease General William’s anger and hand them over to the Imperial Guard for punishment!
Nobody likes to be a scapegoat.
“Hurry up, what are you thinking about?” the impatient black-cloaked martial artist kept urging his companion.
“Fine…” the leader finally nodded decisively.
He reached out again to the psychokinetic lock, carefully operating his psychokinetic energy.
However, before the martial artist could complete the operation to unlock the psychokinetic lock, the communicator attached to it suddenly turned on by itself!
Both black-cloaked martial artists were startled.
When they arrived at the Southlands, they only knew that Liliya was a Saint-ranked martial artist but didn’t know exactly what Saint ability she had obtained after reaching the Saint rank. Seeing the communicator light up for no apparent reason, their first thought was that Liliya had activated the communicator inside the storeroom!
These three valuable item storerooms were originally designed with the intention of being used as temporary prisons. Their sturdiness and soundproofing were even better than several famous high-security prisons in the empire. No matter how much noise Liliya made inside the storeroom, no one outside would know. That’s why the two black-cloaked martial artists felt confident leaving Liliya imprisoned here.
However, if Liliya had the ability to activate the communicator inside the storeroom, it meant their plan to isolate her from the outside world had completely failed. They would be forced into a corner where they would have no choice but to kill Liliya.
Yet, just as the two black-cloaked martial artists were panicking, a sharp cracking sound, like fireworks exploding, suddenly came from the communicator. Then, a gust of wind accompanied by a thunderous rumble surged down the corridor and into the ears of the two black-cloaked martial artists!
“It’s not Liliya. Someone is causing trouble on the ship, and a guard pressed the alarm,” the leader black-cloaked martial artist exhaled in relief upon hearing the frightening rumble.
“Someone causing trouble on the ship at this time? Who could it be? Could it be targeting us?” the hotheaded black-cloaked martial artist asked impatiently.
“Shh!” the leader black-cloaked martial artist gestured for silence.
“Agate, what are you doing?” the communicator clearly transmitted the sound of a martial artist’s bravado-filled shout and loud music.
“It’s the Star Guest Casino next door,” the leader black-cloaked martial artist immediately identified the location of the alarm.
※※※
The Star Guest Casino on the south side of the Star Moon ship’s first deck.
Although it was still afternoon, the Star Guest Casino on the south side of the Star Moon cruise ship had drawn all the curtains tightly shut. The thick curtains blocked the sunlight, while 147 various psycholights illuminated the entire casino hall, creating an atmosphere of night-time revelry.
Beauty, fine wine, gambling… these were always the things that interested professional adventurers the most. In the Star Guest Casino, sexy maids in revealing outfits, various rare and precious delicacies, and all the popular gambling games in the empire were available!
After Ge Luo’s unexpected test ended, nearly eight out of ten martial artists who boarded the Star Moon ship gathered at the Star Guest Casino on the south side of the ship’s first deck.
However, the Star Guest Casino, filled with over a dozen sexy purple-uniformed maids and dozens of martial artists, was now deathly silent. At the same time, at the entrance of the casino, a marble gambling table with gold inlay had split neatly in half, scattering dice and chips everywhere.
Agate stood behind the split gambling table, still holding his signature massive sword in hand, maintaining the posture from just moments ago.
On both sides of the split table stood several other martial artists with pale faces. When Agate had walked in, they had been gathered together playing the most popular nine-card game in the empire. Agate had just used their gambling table as a tool to show off his strength.
“Sorry, I used a bit too much force. But, I’ve never been very patient. So, when I’m speaking, you’d better all listen carefully,” Agate calmly said, waving his massive sword again.
“Agate, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re an Overrank! There are over a hundred Tenth-rank experts here; if we all team up, you might not necessarily be able to withstand us,” one of the martial artists on both sides of the table, a muscular man with a standard “Mohawk hairstyle,” gritted his teeth and shouted at Agate.
From his voice, it was clear that this was the same person whose voice the two black-cloaked martial artists had heard in the communicator earlier.
“Oh? Are you planning to come try?” Agate sneered, his wrist moving as his massive sword immediately pointed at the Mohawk-haired martial artist.
“I…” the Mohawk-haired martial artist’s face turned even paler as he was targeted by Agate’s sword!
The “Demon” in Agate’s nickname wasn’t just for show! In the Southlands, everyone knew that “Demon Agate” was clear about his likes and dislikes. For his friends, Agate wouldn’t mind going through fire and water. But if someone provoked him, they’d better pray for mercy! Even those Overrank experts who were stronger than Agate would find themselves unable to eat in peace if Agate got angry with them!
Although Zhang Wen often teased Agate, calling him the weakest of the Overranks, in the Southlands, the number of Overrank experts who had suffered at Agate’s hands was already more than just a few. Therefore, any martial artist who knew the situation would rather offend other Overranks than provoke “Demon Agate.”
The Mohawk-haired martial artist had shouted at Agate, trying to save face, but now that he was targeted by Agate, he suddenly remembered Agate’s reputation.
The Mohawk-haired martial artist nervously looked left and right, hoping to find some allies. But soon, he found that apart from him, the other martial artists in the casino were all instinctively stepping back.
Gulp!
The terrified Mohawk-haired martial artist fainted outright.
“Hmph!” Agate sneered disdainfully.
“Agate, you’re an Overrank expert, and we can’t afford to offend you. But you specifically came to the Star Moon Casino—could it be just to prove your strength?” a female martial artist finally couldn’t help but shout from the crowd.
“Prove my strength? I’m not that idle!” Agate sneered again, disdainfully curling his lip, and continued, “I’m asking you, has anyone here seen a maid named Julie and a kid named Ryan?”
“Julie? Ryan?” the martial artists and sexy maids in the casino looked at each other in confusion again.
“Mr. Agate, what do you want with Julie?” after a while, a sexy maid finally gathered the courage to ask.
“What for? Do you even need to ask?” Agate glanced at the maid, a hint of anger flashing across his face, “The woman I’ve taken a liking to ran off without a word with a brat who hasn’t even grown up yet! I’ve searched the entire ship but couldn’t find a trace of them! That Ryan kid isn’t even a Tenth-rank; there’s no way he could have escaped from my grasp alone! Who among you is helping them defy me? Step forward willingly! I’ll spare your lives!”
“That Ryan kid must have a death wish to dare touch a woman I’ve taken an interest in! And, who’s the idiot helping them hide from Agate? Don’t they fear that this wrathful demon will send all of you to feed the fish?”
Seeing Agate posing like a villain, continuously waving his massive sword, the martial artists in the Star Guest Casino exchanged glances again, almost none of them not cursing in their hearts.
However, while cursing in their hearts, not all the martial artists could help but secretly smile.
“It looks like Agate’s time on the ship is nearly up,” outside the precious item storeroom on the north side of the first deck, the two black-cloaked figures exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other’s eyes.
When it came to killing Zhang Wen, Overrank expert Agate was undoubtedly their biggest concern! Now, Agate’s actions were practically self-destructive! After ruining Ge Luo’s test, he had gone on a rampage in the Star Guest Casino. No matter how patient Hassan was, after all this, he couldn’t possibly allow Agate to remain on the Star Moon ship.
“Let’s go!” the leading black-cloaked martial artist suddenly turned off the communicator and gestured to his companion.
“Go? What about Liliya and that kid?” the impatient black-cloaked martial artist hastily asked.
“Let them stay there,” the leading black-cloaked martial artist sneered coldly, “Earlier, I agreed to eliminate the kid because it would save us a lot of trouble. But now, everyone on the ship knows the two have gone missing together. Killing him would only bring trouble. Agate will be forced off the Star Moon soon; let the kid live a couple more days. Anyway, he’s stuck in there with Liliya, so they can’t cause any real trouble.”
“Fine,” the impatient black-cloaked martial artist hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
Just as they had arrived, the two black-cloaked martial artists silently disappeared into the dark corridor.
“Sigh…” in the storeroom, Liliya sighed deeply.
Upon hearing Agate’s voice from the communicator, Liliya knew that the two black-cloaked martial artists outside probably wouldn’t risk opening the storeroom door again. Her plan to force them to open the door and give her a chance for a desperate counterattack had completely failed.
However, Liliya wasn’t disappointed by her failed plan.
Since boarding the Star Moon, Liliya hadn’t met Agate at all. Agate’s public declaration was obviously Zhang Wen’s idea. Liliya also understood that the main purpose of Zhang Wen having Agate do this was to ensure her safety.
“Zhang Wen…” Liliya murmured softly, her eyes flashing with deep concern.
“Zhang Wen, I’ve done the favor you asked of me. But next, are you really going to stay on the Star Moon? After I leave, there will probably be no shortage of people on this ship wanting your head,” suddenly, Agate seriously asked Zhang Wen as they returned to the second deck’s floating staircase.
“I know,” Zhang Wen nodded.
“Heh! Since you’ve made up your mind, I wish you good luck,” Agate grinned, indeed saying no more.
The floating staircase soon stopped at the second deck. The door opened, and two blue-uniformed bodyguards appeared before Zhang Wen and Agate.
“Mr. Agate, Mr. Hassan would like to speak with you in person. We hope you’ll honor us with your presence,” the two blue-uniformed bodyguards bowed to Agate and politely gestured.
Coming quickly!
Zhang Wen and Agate exchanged a glance. Agate raised his head and smiled slightly.
“Let’s go.”
The Overrank expert—Demon Agate—would leave the Star Moon ship early the next morning!
That night, this shocking news spread throughout every corner of the Star Moon ship.
Although no one knew exactly what agreement Agate and Hassan had reached, the martial artists aboard the Star Moon ship couldn’t help but celebrate. For those martial artists who had no ulterior motives and were simply looking to earn some extra money, Agate’s departure meant one less formidable enemy. For those with hidden agendas, the news was even more joyous. Without Agate, a supreme expert, they could act with far fewer concerns about what they wanted to do on the Star Moon ship.
Thus, Zhang Wen’s first night aboard the Star Moon was surprisingly peaceful, even to the point of being somewhat astonishing.
Early the next morning, the martial artists awoke to find, at the horizon where sea met sky, a massive island covered in dense forest.
“…That’s Pico Island, one of Hassan’s properties. Hassan purchased this island three years ago and built an airport on it…” In the third-level hall, Shura quietly introduced to Zhang Wen the details about the first stop on their journey aboard the Star Moon.
The trio who had left Casares City now numbered only two. Since Agate had been summoned by Hassan the previous day, Zhang Wen hadn’t seen the red-haired Flame Demon again. However, Zhang Wen felt no concern for Agate’s safety. There were certainly people in the world capable of killing Agate, but Zhang Wen believed there wasn’t yet anyone who could kill Agate so silently that no one would notice.
“Hehe! However, the airport on Pico Island is merely a necessary supporting facility rather than its core. The true centerpiece should be the Infinite Colosseum that Mr. Hassan set up right in the center of the island.” Suddenly, Batengping’s voice came from behind them.
“Hi there, Mr. Zhang Wen! We meet again.” Both Zhang Wen and Shura turned around to see Batengping’s cherubic face beaming as he waved at them.
“Pico Island, huh? You seem to know quite a bit about it,” Shura said, surprised.
Batengping had appeared behind Zhang Wen and Shura without either noticing until he spoke. This alone was enough to make Shura wary of Batengping’s abilities.
“Of course. Understanding every potential employer who shows interest in hiring me is part of my professional habits,” Batengping replied with a smile, bowing politely to Shura. “You must be Mr. Shura, one of the top three champions of the Casares Colosseum. A pleasure to meet you.”
“I am indeed Shura. And you are?” Shura, unaccustomed to Batengping’s overly familiar manner, responded coolly.
“Oh? Mr. Zhang Wen, you haven’t introduced me to Mr. Shura yet?”
“Apologies—I haven’t had the chance. But better late than never. Shura, this is Batengping, the one I just mentioned to you,” Zhang Wen said with a feigned helpless smile.
“A pleasure,” Shura replied with a slight bow, then lapsed back into his usual silence.
Though the island appeared distant on the horizon, for the Star Moon, it was merely a journey of about ten minutes.
Before long, the Star Moon had docked at a harbor on the eastern side of the island.
As the ship’s main hatch slowly opened, dozens of blue-clothed workers waiting at the dock sprang into action, loading carts of fresh water, food, and fuel into the northern cabins on the first deck.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Star Moon will remain at Pico Island for approximately three hours. During this time, you may choose to remain aboard and continue enjoying the amenities provided. Alternatively, you are welcome to disembark and explore the island. However, I must remind those planning to go ashore: please ensure you return to the Star Moon within three hours. Once the ship completes its resupply, it will depart immediately. Any passengers who fail to return on time will be considered to have voluntarily forfeited their eligibility to continue in the selection process.”
At the same time the Star Moon docked, the leader of the blue-clothed crew’s voice echoed throughout the ship.
“So, Mr. Zhang Wen, are you planning to stay aboard the Star Moon or go exploring on Pico Island?” Batengping asked cheerfully.
“It seems no matter where we go, you’re determined to tag along?”
“Of course!”
Sighing deeply, Zhang Wen felt uneasy about having Batengping around. The man was a ghost—his presence was nearly imperceptible despite his formidable strength.
While Zhang Wen and Shura were troubled by Batengping’s sudden appearance, the other martial artists aboard the Star Moon were visibly excited.
“Hehe! Pico Island! I’ve always wanted to see it, but never had the chance before!”
“Never had the chance? Hah! I bet you didn’t even know which way the island’s gates faced! Pico Island isn’t a place just anyone can visit. Have you ever received an invitation from the Infinite Colosseum? Without one, even if you found the place, you’d be turned away!”
Thus, Zhang Wen’s first night aboard the Starlight Moon passed with a tranquility that was almost surprising. Early the next morning, as the martial artists awoke from their slumber, they discovered a vast, densely forested island emerging at the horizon where the sea met the sky.
“…That’s Pico Island, one of Hassan’s properties. Three years ago, Hassan bought the island and built an airport on it…” In the third-floor hall, Shura whispered to Zhang Wen, introducing the first island the Starlight Moon was about to reach.
The trio that had left Casares City was now down to two. Since Agate was called away by Hassan yesterday, Zhang Wen hadn’t seen the red-haired demon again. However, Zhang Wen wasn’t worried about Agate’s safety. While there were people in the world who could kill Agate, Zhang Wen believed no one had been born yet who could make Agate disappear without a trace.
“Haha! But the airport on Pico Island is just a necessary auxiliary facility, not the core. The true core of Pico Island should be the Infinite Arena that Mr. Hassan has set up in the central part of the island,” Batengping’s voice suddenly came from behind.
“Hi! Mr. Zhang Wen, we meet again.” Zhang Wen and Shura turned around simultaneously to see Batengping’s doll-like face full of smiles, waving at them.
“You seem to know a lot about Pico Island,” Shura glanced at Batengping in surprise.
Batengping had suddenly appeared behind Zhang Wen and Shura. Before he spoke, Shura hadn’t noticed his presence. This alone was enough to make Shura wary of Batengping’s strength.
“Of course. It’s my professional habit to understand every boss who is interested in hiring me,” Batengping smiled and bowed slightly to Shura. “You must be Shura, one of the three aces of the Casares Arena. Pleased to meet you.”
“I am Shura. And you are?” Shura wasn’t accustomed to Batengping’s overly familiar personality.
“Eh? Teacher Zhang Wen, haven’t you introduced me to Mr. Shura yet?”
“Sorry, I haven’t had the chance. But it’s not too late now. Shura, this is Batengping, whom I just mentioned to you,” Zhang Wen smiled helplessly.
“Pleased to meet you,” Shura also bowed slightly to Batengping and then fell into his habitual silence.
Although the island at the horizon seemed far away, for the Starlight Moon, it was just a mere ten-minute journey.
Soon, the Starlight Moon docked at a harbor on the eastern side of the island.
As the ship’s doors slowly opened, dozens of blue-clad men waiting on the dock immediately busied themselves, transporting prepared fresh water, food, and fuel into the northern cabin on the first floor of the Starlight Moon.
“Gentlemen, the Starlight Moon will stay on Pico Island for about three hours. During this time, you can remain on the ship and continue to enjoy the services provided. You can also go ashore to breathe the fresh air of the island. However, I remind those who wish to disembark to return to the Starlight Moon within three hours. Once the ship is resupplied, it will depart immediately. Those who fail to return in time will be considered to have voluntarily given up their qualification to continue in the selection.”
As the Starlight Moon docked, the voice of the blue-clad leader echoed throughout the ship.
“So, Teacher Zhang Wen, do you plan to stay on the Starlight Moon or go ashore to see Pico Island?” Batengping immediately asked with a smile.
“It seems that no matter where we plan to go, you will definitely follow?”
“Of course.”
“Sigh!” Zhang Wen sighed helplessly.
Having someone like Batengping, who was elusive and had almost no presence despite his extraordinary strength, by his side made Zhang Wen feel utterly insecure.
However, while Zhang Wen and Shura were troubled by Batengping’s presence, the other martial artists on the Starlight Moon all had “excitement” written all over their faces.
“Hehe! Pico Island! I’ve always wanted to come here! Just never had the time before.”
“No time? Heh! I think you just didn’t know where the door to Pico Island was! This island isn’t just for anyone. Have you ever received an invitation from the Infinite Arena? Without an invitation, even if you find this place, you’ll just have to go back where you came from! They won’t let you on the island!”
“You… Bah! How do you know I haven’t received an invitation? I’ve always heard that the Infinite Arena in the center of Pico Island is called the ‘Graveyard of the Strong.’ I want to see what this so-called graveyard looks like.”
“Hey, hey! Didn’t you hear what that guy said? We can only stay on Pico Island for three hours. If we exceed that, this ship will leave without us.”
“Afraid? That’s three hours! Plenty of time! Not just to watch the excitement, but even to step into the ring and take down a couple of bounty fighters! Haha! Are you scared?”
“Who… Who’s scared! Damn it! It’s just a mere Infinite Arena! Anyone who doesn’t go is a coward!”
More and more martial artists gathered in the third-floor hall. These martial artists, accustomed to being local tyrants, naturally refused to back down and admit they were afraid.
In the end, dozens of martial artists, not a single one left behind, all disembarked from the Starlight Moon. They boarded several heavy-duty thought-powered vehicles parked by the harbor and headed towards the center of Pico Island. Zhang Wen, Shura, and Batengping also joined the group heading to Pico Island.
At the same time, Zhang Wen noticed that the martial artist whom Batengping had referred to as “someone I can’t afford to mess with” yesterday also boarded the last thought-powered vehicle heading to Pico Island.
“Rofrey, aren’t you playing too big this time?” Just as the martial artists were leaving the Starlight Moon, Gero stopped a seemingly ordinary martial artist outside the third-floor hall’s escalator.
This seemingly ordinary martial artist, whom Gero called “Rofrey,” was actually one of the loudest martial artists in the hall earlier.
“Too big? Heh! Are you kidding me?” The martial artist laughed, his body gradually distorting in Gero’s eyes, transforming back into Rofrey’s appearance. “The game has just begun!” Rofrey excitedly licked her lips.
“Hmph… Aren’t you afraid that this game might not go according to your plan?” Gero sneered.
“Giggle… Gero, that’s why you’ll never understand the true fun of the game itself,” Rofrey giggled, gradually morphing back into the appearance of the martial artist and stepping onto the escalator.
In the imagination of most martial artists, the Infinite Arena on Pico Island should be like the Kemal Arena in Casares City, with a grand, luxurious giant arena center.
However, as the thought-powered vehicles gradually drove into the depths of Pico Island’s forest, they found that the situation seemed different from what they had imagined.
“Hey! Didn’t you hear what the guy said? We only have three hours on the island. If we’re late getting back, the ship will leave without us!”
“What’s to worry about? Three hours is plenty! Not only can we go sightseeing, but we could even fight a couple of bounty warriors on the stage and still make it back in time! Haha! Are you scared?”
“Who—Who’s scared? Damn it! It’s just a silly Infinite Colosseum! Anyone who doesn’t go must be a coward!”
More and more martial artists gathered in the third-level hall. These seasoned fighters, accustomed to being the top dogs in their own regions, naturally refused to admit any fear.
In the end, not a single one of the dozens of martial artists remained aboard the Star Moon. They split into groups and boarded several heavy psychokinetic vehicles parked at the harbor, heading toward the center of Pico Island. Zhang Wen, Shura, and Batengping joined the convoy heading inland.
Zhang Wen also noticed that the martial artist whom Batengping had described the previous day as “someone even I dare not provoke” boarded the very last psychokinetic vehicle heading to Pico Island.
“Rofelle, do you think you’re going too far this time?” As the martial artists disembarked, Ge Luo intercepted an apparently ordinary martial artist near the staircase in the third-level hall.
This seemingly unremarkable martial artist, addressed by Ge Luo as “Rofelle,” was none other than one of the loudest martial artists in the hall just moments ago.
“Too far? Haha! What are you talking about?” The martial artist laughed, his form distorting in Ge Luo’s eyes until he gradually transformed back into Rofelle. “The game has only just begun!”
“You’re not worried that this game might not go exactly as you planned?” Ge Luo sneered.
“Haha… That’s why you’ll never understand the true fun of the game, Ge Luo,” Rofelle giggled excitedly, licking her lips.
“Hmph…” Ge Luo scoffed, folding his arms.
“Ge Luo, that’s exactly why you’ll never truly understand the joy of the game itself,” Rofelle laughed again, her form shifting once more into the guise of the martial artist she had been moments before as she ascended the stairs.
Most of the martial artists imagined that the Infinite Colosseum on Pico Island would be like the Kemal Colosseum in Casares City—a grand, luxurious arena.
However, as the psychokinetic vehicles drove deeper into the forests of Pico Island, they began to realize that things were not quite as they had imagined.
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