There was no huge explosion, only a deafening hum from the hard-working Divine Cauldron. The dark green poison orb, carrying devastating destructive power, was swallowed by the Divine Cauldron in the blink of an eye, vanishing as if it had never existed. The Cauldron's gold-jade Essence flashed brightly for a moment, seemingly satisfied, as if it had just consumed a valuable elixir.

  The Deathbringer staggered back. His head snapped up. In his blue-green eyes, pure horror finally emerged. An artifact capable of completely devouring and neutralizing high-level poison essence? It surpassed the logic of his poison cultivation.

  "Impossible! You swallowed my Essence Poison! That is a Forbidden Ancient Cauldron!" the Deathbringer roared, his voice now filled with corrosive despair.

  Zhi Xuan, although he had thrown the Divine Cauldron, his body still felt a terrifying backlash. Even though the poison was absorbed, the energy it carried still had to be channeled by Zhi Xuan. He staggered, blood staining his lips again. He forced his black jade essence to circulate, restoring the Divine Cauldron to his palm.

  'This Divine Cauldron is the best defense, but also the worst energy drainer,' Zhi Xuan muttered, feeling the rapid Essence depletion. He could no longer let the Deathbringer attack with long-range poison projectiles. He had to end this quickly.

  "You rely too much on a filthy Dao," Zhi Xuan countered, his voice cold and piercing. He allowed the Divine Cauldron to spin slowly in his hand, radiating a suppressing golden wave.

  The Deathbringer, now panicked, knew he could not rely on projectiles anymore. He had to return to close-range poison. He leaped forward, moving with the madness of a wounded beast. He channeled all his poison essence into his two dull daggers.

  "Thousand Wounds Blood Poison!"

  The daggers were not aimed to kill, but to inflict a thousand small wounds that would channel the poison into every meridian. He attacked with a series of quick stabs and slashes that were difficult to avoid.

  Zhi Xuan, injured and depleted of Essence, had only two choices: total defense or a risky counterattack. He chose the latter.

  WHIRLL!

  Zhi Xuan unleashed his Blood Wind Vortex Sword Formation, which he had partially recovered. The formation spun around his arm, only half the size of before, but his blood Essence was pure and dense. He did not throw it; he used it as a deadly Spinning Gauntlet. He stepped forward, confronting the rain of poisonous daggers.

  CRACK! SHIING!

  A brutal close-quarters battle ensued. Zhi Xuan's Blood Wind Vortex deflected and cut the Deathbringer's attacks. Every time the Deathbringer's dagger touched the vortex, the tiny blood sword blades tore the layer of poison essence enveloping the dagger, producing horrifying Essence sparks.

  However, the Deathbringer was also a maniacal veteran. In one wild movement, he managed to find an opening. One of his daggers, containing only a little poison essence, managed to graze Zhi Xuan's side waist.

  SHIIING!

  A small cut appeared. The poison Essence immediately attacked, far more cunning than the filament poison before. This poison was designed to immediately penetrate the body's defenses and attack the internal organs.

  Zhi Xuan let out a grunt of pain. The poison spread rapidly, aiming for his spiritual kidney. The sharp, piercing pain almost made him fall.

  'Damn it! The poison is too fast!' Zhi Xuan roared in his mind.

  He had to stop it. He allowed the Divine Cauldron to hover over his head, radiating a fierce purification wave onto his body. The pain multiplied, as if the poison and the antidote were at war within his meridians. The fight suddenly became a race against time. The Deathbringer, seeing Zhi Xuan stagger, smiled brutally and maniacally.

  "Shatter! Die in pain, Young Master! My poison is a tailor that will rip your essence apart!" the Deathbringer roared.

  He launched another attack, aiming for Zhi Xuan's injured waist. Zhi Xuan could not dodge; he had to block.

  He spun his Blood Wind Vortex on his waist, creating a mini spinning shield at the injured point. The Deathbringer's dagger struck the vortex.

  CLANG!

  Zhi Xuan's Blood Wind Vortex withstood the attack, but his Essence was draining at an alarming rate. His spiritual blood was still fighting the poison that had penetrated his initial defenses.

  Zhi Xuan knew he could not win this fight with defense. He had to trade life for life.

  He extinguished the Blood Wind Vortex at his waist, concentrating the ten blood sword blades into his right hand, condensing them into a single Blood Sword Blade, but not as powerful as the Peak Fusion Attack earlier. This was a faster version, driven by the remnants of his black jade essence.

  "Blood Jade Slash!"

  Zhi Xuan stepped forward, dodging the Deathbringer's wild attack. The Blood Sword Blade shot out quickly, not aiming for the chest, but aiming for the Deathbringer's right arm.

  SHING!

  The Blood Blade cut the Deathbringer's arm at the elbow. The arm, still holding the poisonous dagger, fell to the black sand. Thick black blood spurted from the remainder of his arm—blood that was now filled with poison.

  The Deathbringer let out a roar that was no longer a shout, but a painful, loud hum. He looked at his severed arm, and in his eyes, madness was replaced by profound horror.

  Zhi Xuan did not stop. He had to end this before the poison overcame his body. He released the Blood Sword Blade that had cut the Deathbringer. He leaped backward, letting the Divine Cauldron over his head finish its internal battle against the poison. A fierce purification wave poured down, burning the poison attacking his spiritual kidney.

  The Deathbringer, now without his right arm and covered in his own poisonous blood, staggered back. He felt a devastating Essence depletion. He had spent everything on poison and attacks.

  Zhi Xuan, now focused on internal healing, directed the Divine Cauldron toward the Deathbringer, letting it emit a cold resonance.

  "You lose. Surrender to be killed," Zhi Xuan commanded, his voice hoarse from pain and exertion.

  The Deathbringer merely sneered, a smile that showed insane despair. "No, Young Master. I will take you with me!"

  He channeled the last remnants of his chaotic poison Essence. From his severed arm, a final Green Death Mist exploded, not as an attack, but as a suicidal energy release—designed to poison and kill anyone nearby.

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  "Pure Poison Detonation!"

  The mist spread quickly, targeting Zhi Xuan, the audience, and even the Arena Guide. Zhi Xuan knew he could not stop it. The poison was too wild and fast.

  He could only protect himself. Zhi Xuan let out an almost bestial roar. He summoned the Divine Cauldron over his head, enlarged it to the size of his body, and dropped it over himself, creating a solid gold-jade shield.

  THUD!

  The Pure Poison Detonation struck the Divine Cauldron shield. The shield shook violently. In the center of the cave, the green mist spread, making the audience in the front rows scream in horror, covering their mouths and noses. Those who did not react quickly felt instant dizziness and nausea.

  Zhi Xuan, who was under the Divine Cauldron shield, felt a horrible shockwave hit him. Although the poison did not penetrate, the force of the explosion shattered all the repairs he had just made to his ribs. He coughed up blood again.

  When the Divine Cauldron was lifted, the poison mist was gone. The Deathbringer had vanished, leaving only a pile of black ash on the sand. His body, filled with poison, was unable to withstand his final energy release.

  Amidst the ashes, a deeper, faintly glowing red-green Blood Crystal, the second Blood Crystal, began to solidify.

  Zhi Xuan staggered, kneeling. He had won, but he was completely broken. He crawled, his hands shaking, to the pile of ashes, picking up the Blood Crystal. He forced himself to stand, raising it high.

  The audience's roar, this time, was mixed with horror and awe. They did not care about the poison; they cared about the Blood Crystal and the madness of the Black-Haired Devil.

  "TWO BLOOD CRYSTALS! THE BLACK-HAIRED DEVIL IS A LEGEND!"

  The Arena Guide, who survived thanks to his strong essence defense, wiped the poisonous sweat from his face. He looked at Zhi Xuan, who was covered in blood and grime, with a mixture of deep respect and fear.

  "Death! The Second Blood Crystal has been harvested!" the Arena Guide roared, trying to drown out the chaos. "Who is next?! Who dares to face the relentless Black-Haired Devil?!"

  Zhi Xuan did not wait. He threw the second Blood Crystal to Jue Mu standing at the edge of the arena, then staggered, walking past the cheers. He had won the fight, but he knew that if he fought once more in this condition, it would be his last.

  Jue Mu caught the red-green Blood Crystal. The remaining poison essence on its surface felt sharp, but Jue Mu only grinned with satisfaction. This blood crystal was clearly superior to the first—proof that the Deathbringer was indeed a tougher opponent.

  "An excellent crystal!" Jue Mu roared, ignoring the frightened shouts of the audience who were still cleansing themselves from the Deathbringer's poison residue.

  Chu Feng immediately ran over, his usually stiff face, full of cruel laughter, now covered with worry about losing a valuable commodity. He saw the total exhaustion in Zhi Xuan's sapphire eyes and the blood that continued to trickle from his waist.

  "Young Master, you must return to the cultivation room immediately," Chu Feng urged. "Your wounds—"

  "Does the arena allow a spiritual beast to participate in the fight?" Zhi Xuan cut him off, his voice weak but his command absolute. He ignored the burning pain in his spiritual kidney. "Next match, I want to fight alongside my spiritual beast."

  The question, delivered in an indifferent tone amidst the horror and cheers, instantly drowned out the commotion of the Devil's Bite Chain Arena. The fight against the Deathbringer had driven the arena beyond its senses, and now this new demand challenged the unwritten rules.

  Jue Mu, still holding the second Blood Crystal in his hand, flinched. His single eye narrowed sharply. Spiritual beast fights were rare in the Arena, as the risk of revealing the spiritual status of the creature was too great.

  "Of course, Young Master," Jue Mu replied, his smile now showing a deeper calculation, no longer just greed. "The rules do not forbid it. However, the status of your Spiritual Beast will be exposed. That is a double-edged sword that could wound you."

  "I want to see," a thin smile pulled at the corner of Zhi Xuan's bloody lips, he wiped it roughly and snorted softly. "Who can capture my spiritual beast."

  Zhi Xuan knew the risk of revealing a heavenly moth in this underground arena was a price that might be too great for him to bear. However, he had no other choice. Yunyi Die was at the Verdant Titan stage, even a perfect stage with the five elements intermingling.

  However, Zhi Xuan was not careless enough to reveal that Xiao Die was a heavenly moth. This beast was from an ancient insect era; shallow cultivators would not recognize it. Moreover, the nature of ancient celestial insects to disguise themselves in any form after they reach the insect baby stage.

  Zhi Xuan stared at Jue Mu, his sapphire eyes now emitting a brief gold-jade light, like a hidden ancient heavenly aura—an undeniable pressure of will.

  "I have an insect beast," Zhi Xuan said calmly. "It focuses only as a support in healing, it does not have adequate attack qualities."

  Jue Mu laughed hoarsely, a slightly forced laugh to mask his surprise. "Support? In the Devil's Bite Chain Arena, every shadow is an attack! But, we will honor your request, Young Master. The next wager will be doubled, as your risk has exceeded the boundary of sanity."

  Zhi Xuan nodded, he knew Jue Mu was trying to squeeze more wealth from the crowd, but this time, the extortion worked for him. Higher wagers meant faster and more Spiritual Stones.

  "Two hours," Zhi Xuan commanded, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. "After that, I will return with my supporting insect beast. Prepare a strong opponent. I want the purest Blood Crystals."

  Chu Feng and Jue Mu exchanged glances, sensing the storm behind the Black-Haired Devil's calmness. They knew this youth was a blood-stained gold mine who would not stop until his goal was reached.

  "Not only that," Zhi Xuan suddenly continued, his hand raised and pointing towards the arena sidelines. "Provide arena slaves that can also be used as my opponents, I will shoot two birds with one cauldron."

  Jue Mu and Chu Feng's faces immediately froze. This demand was no longer about money; it was an insult to the basic morals of the Eastern Lower District—if they even had any.

  "Arena... slaves?" Jue Mu repeated, his voice choked. Arena slaves were cultivators who were stolen or sold, usually in the Lower Blood Transformation realm, who were dying, pitted against each other without resistance for warm-ups or easy wagers. Using slaves as opponents for a deadly pure Blood Transformation cultivator was an open act of mass slaughter.

  "Yes," Zhi Xuan said, his cold sapphire eyes staring directly at the iron bars in the corner of the arena, where several desperate cultivators huddled in the darkness. "I need weak opponents and many of them. I need Blood Crystals quickly and efficiently without ripping my meridians again. Twenty, thirty, whatever. As long as they all have Blood Crystals inside."

  Silence once again fell upon the Devil's Bite Chain Arena, this time a silence much colder and more terrifying than when the Deathbringer detonated his poison.

  The spectators in the stands, who were previously excited, now exchanged glances with a feeling of disgust mixed with hidden admiration. Even in this cursed place, mass slaughtering arena slaves was a savagery rarely displayed.

  ‘Monkey, you truly are a Devil. Using slaves to harvest Blood Crystals? That is the most efficient Dao of cruelty,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, her tone now filled with amusement.

  Zhi Xuan ignored Ruo Xianxue. He knew he needed a total recovery to fight stronger cultivators like Organ Transformation in the future. Harvesting Blood Crystals quickly and efficiently from weaker opponents was the best shortcut.

  Jue Mu let out a long sigh, his single eye darting between the red-green Blood Crystal in his hand and Zhi Xuan's pale face. "Young Master, that would violate the unwritten rules. We would lose face. That is a massacre, not a fight."

  "Then what is the difference with what just happened to the Blood Reaver and the Deathbringer?" Zhi Xuan cut in. He pointed to the pile of black ash. "Here, the strong prey on the weak. You call it a show. I call it a harvest. Or, are you afraid of losing slaves you can use in boring warm-up fights?"

  Chu Feng's face turned red. "We are not afraid, but—"

  "There is no 'but'," Zhi Xuan interjected, his tone low. "I fought against the Deathbringer with an open wound in my spiritual kidney, just for Spiritual Stones. I have provided the spectacle and pure Blood Crystals. Now, I am collecting the reward. I do not have time for expensive shows."

  Zhi Xuan glared sharply at Jue Mu. "If you refuse, I will leave now. I will get my Spiritual Stones elsewhere, and you will lose the Black-Haired Devil who promises you this wealth."

  The threat worked. Jue Mu knew. This Black-Haired Devil was the hottest commodity in the Lower District in recent years. Losing him now meant losing a source of premium Blood Crystals and all the profits from the increasingly insane wagers.

  "Wait, Young Master!" Jue Mu raised both hands. He smiled bitterly. "Alright. We will comply with your request. We will empty the arena slave bars. But only for ten minutes. After that, the real match will begin."

  "Twenty arena slaves. In one fight. Ten minutes," Zhi Xuan offered, his voice remaining unwavering.

  Jue Mu swallowed. "Twenty. In one wave. We will announce it as 'The Devil's Harvest'."

  "Good," Zhi Xuan said. He turned, no longer looking at the Blood Crystal or the crowd. He allowed Chu Feng to guide him, staggering, back to the dark passage towards the emergency cultivation room.

  'Twenty arena slaves. Nine more Blood Crystals. And Spiritual Blood Purification with cold bloodshed,' Zhi Xuan thought, the pain in his body no longer important. He only saw the numbers and the Spiritual Stones that would soon be his. In the Devil's Bite Chain Arena, he had found the brutal warmth he considered family—a promise of wealth reinforced by blood and greed.