WHOOSH.

The air in the suburban wilderness of Burnt Rock City seemed to part smoothly to either side, like water ripples.

A hatch opened in the transparent air. Floating treads automatically extended, rapidly forming a descending staircase in mid-air.

Someone stepped out from the invisible Fly Shuttle.

A young man, tall and strikingly handsome, slowly descended the floating stairs.

Following close behind was another man, appearing to be twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, dressed in a White Bear Guard uniform. His eyes held a clever glint.

"...Participants in the Ultimate Bloody Battle are selected from among the top Pure Martial fighters from various martial arts events Mosa holds across the country. Publicly, it's presented as a top-tier internal invitational event, but it's actually the 'Martial Sacrifice' the Mosa Religion holds every three years. They use high-quality battles and the blood of powerful fighters to make offerings to their 'Martial and Hunting God'..."

Peregrine Falcon quickly reported the gathered intelligence as he followed Lu Yuan off the Fly Shuttle.

"Martial Sacrifice?"

Lu Yuan's expression flickered slightly as he recalled the towering fighting arena in the Mosa Club in Burnt Rock City, which resembled an altar.

"What's the death rate?"

Peregrine Falcon replied, "Very high. Mosa's Ultimate Bloody Battle has no restrictions on fighting techniques, as long as firearms aren't involved. If it weren't for the incredibly tempting ultimate reward, it wouldn't attract so many top fighters each time..."

"Reward? What reward?"

After getting off the Fly Shuttle, Lu Yuan turned to look at Peregrine Falcon.

Peregrine Falcon lowered his head and quickly replied, "It's a special 'Divine Blood' unique to the Mosa Religion. I believe the organization requested some before and even conducted research on it. However, my clearance is too low; I don't know the specific internal details..."

Without a word, Lu Yuan used his access privileges to search the Yellow Bear internal database for information on the Mosa Religion and Divine Blood.

He quickly found the results.

"...It's a special substance containing 'Evil God Power,' with excellent enhancing effects on both psyche and physique. However, it inevitably causes side effects like physical mutations and leans towards the path of Evil Martial..."

As Lu Yuan read the description of Mosa Divine Blood, his mind stirred.

This Mosa Divine Blood seems similar to the Red Bead from the Crow God Sect.

If I could get my hands on it, could I use it to unlock my second Extraordinary Panel?

"How many people obtain Divine Blood in each Ultimate Bloody Battle?"

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Lu Yuan asked Peregrine Falcon.

Peregrine Falcon replied, "No one has obtained Divine Blood for several consecutive events. The conditions for obtaining it are extremely harsh; merely winning the Ultimate Bloody Battle isn't enough."

"No one has obtained it for several events? Then why do these people still rush to their deaths?"

Lu Yuan frowned, unable to understand.

After some thought, Peregrine Falcon answered, "Perhaps it's because the Mosa Religion official overseeing these recent Ultimate Bloody Battles is someone who obtained Divine Blood from it and was subsequently promoted. A living example right before them is always more persuasive."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan glanced at Peregrine Falcon and asked curiously, "The Mosa official in charge of the Bloody Battle was also promoted through it? What's his name?"

"Tyrant King. He's currently Mosa's Black Iron Spear Holder."

After Peregrine Falcon responded, he added, "I heard a rumor, but I'm not sure if it's true. Would you like to hear it, sir?"

"Speak."

Lu Yuan said calmly.

Peregrine Falcon promptly replied, "Tyrant King is short-tempered, narrow-minded, vengeful over the smallest slights, and intensely jealous of the talented. After obtaining Mosa Divine Blood, becoming a Black Iron Spear Holder, and gaining control of Mosa's covert forces in the two southeastern sectors, the first thing he did was annihilate all his former enemies. Some weren't even true enemies, merely people who had defeated him in normal sparring matches...

"So, many rumors are circulating. They say the reason no one has obtained Divine Blood in Mosa's recent Ultimate Bloody Battles is that Tyrant King, as the one in charge, deliberately increased the difficulty. His goal is to prevent a second recipient of Divine Blood from emerging after him.

"Oh, by the way..."

Peregrine Falcon continued, "Sir, the Mosa expert we were tracking—the one who killed Xia Weimin of the Sum Country archaeological team and took his belongings—was likely one of Tyrant King's subordinates."

Lu Yuan listened, then nodded. "Alright, I understand."

He took out his phone and began to hail a taxi on the side of the road.

Peregrine Falcon stood obediently by his side.

Soon, the arranged taxi was about to arrive.

Just as Lu Yuan started towards the taxi, Peregrine Falcon couldn't help but speak again, "Sir, if you're interested in the Divine Blood and the one who killed Xia Weimin, with your status as a Gold Bear, you only need to subtly hint at it to Mosa here. Tyrant King would surely deliver both the items and the person to you obediently..."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan paused, slightly turning his face to glance at Peregrine Falcon.

Peregrine Falcon immediately adopted a respectful posture.

In the next moment, Lu Yuan continued forward.

Peregrine Falcon also heard Lu Yuan's calm voice.

"...But that would be no fun."

"Er..."

Peregrine Falcon was stunned.

After a moment, watching Lu Yuan's retreating figure as he boarded the taxi, a faint look of resignation touched Peregrine Falcon's face.

***

Half an hour later, Lu Yuan's taxi arrived at a suburban area east of Chiming City.

After getting out of the taxi, he found himself facing vast fields of flowers.

Chiming City was a small, third-tier city famous for its floriculture.

It was now the season when the autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom.

Everywhere he looked, golden and red hues painted the view, and a cool breeze carried a faint floral fragrance.

A few flower farmers, hoes over their shoulders, walked slowly along a nearby field path.

Lu Yuan followed the road ahead.

After passing the large expanse of flower fields, he turned onto a wide, deserted street and soon found his destination: an inconspicuous old building.

As he drew closer, he saw a sign for the Mosa Fight Club hanging in front of the building.

Familiar Goat Head Statues were visible everywhere.

The decor had a slightly unsettling, eerie style.

As Lu Yuan entered the building, he immediately felt a sense of "scrutiny" far more intense than anything he had experienced at the Mosa branch in Burnt Rock.

Since his Intelligence had once broken its limit, his perception was astonishing.

Previously, he had only felt slight discomfort, but now he felt as if all the Goat Statues hanging on the walls had instantly "come alive."

The hollow eye sockets emitted a crimson glow, coldly gazing at him.

Lu Yuan remained unperturbed. He calmly entered the elevator hall and pressed the down button.

Five minutes later, he appeared in a room.

"Your age?"

"Seventeen."

"HA!"

The short-haired woman sitting across from Lu Yuan, typing his information into her computer, couldn't help but laugh.

She looked at Lu Yuan with an amused expression.

She seemed to want to say something, but the moment she met Lu Yuan's calm, deep, and completely untroubled eyes...

Her laughter died down, and her demeanor became serious and composed.

"Title?"

"Feast Eater."

"..."

After logging his information and checking Lu Yuan's invitation letter, the short-haired woman reminded him, "Turn right when you leave, third room on the right. That's where you get your mask and room key. The Bloody Battle officially starts tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. You made it just in time; registration closes in two hours..."

"Thank you."

Lu Yuan nodded his head and politely thanked the woman.

He then stood up to leave.

After Lu Yuan left the room, the short-haired woman at the computer lightly patted her chest and murmured to herself, "Seventeen? Who's he kidding? Still, he's quite good-looking, and so young... It'd be a shame if he goes in tomorrow and doesn't come out..."

***

"Dinner and breakfast will be delivered. Please rest well for the time being. May the radiance of the Mosa God protect you."

The Mosa Believer who had escorted Lu Yuan to his room performed a peculiar salute, then politely departed.

They're much more professional than the ones back in Burnt Rock. It seems that because this is a regional headquarters, there are fewer temporary staff and more actual Mosa Believers...

Lu Yuan mused as he walked into the room.

It was a very ordinary hotel standard room; the furniture and decor looked somewhat dated.

Lu Yuan didn't mind and sat on the edge of the bed, examining the mask he had just received.

It was the same style as the mask he wore as Feast Eater at the Mosa branch in Burnt Rock, only this one was more exquisite.

Moreover, he couldn't tell what material it was made of. It was soft, conformed perfectly to his face when worn, and didn't hinder his breathing or combat ability.

Lu Yuan put on the mask and walked over to the room's full-length mirror, casually observing his reflection.

Then, with a slight shift in his eyes, his vast Spiritual Power suddenly spread outward.

WHOOSH—

It was as if a pebble had suddenly fallen onto a calm surface of water.

Scenes from the entire building's interior flashed through Lu Yuan's mind, frame by frame, like a fast-forwarding film.

He saw a middle-aged man, looking like a retired cadre, leisurely brewing tea in his room.

He saw a brawny man, muscles rippling, meditating in his room.

He saw several naked bodies tangled together, engaged in piston-like movements...

A flood of images poured into Lu Yuan's mind. During this process, the Goat Statues hanging in every room, on corridor walls...the Goat Statues in every corner of the building seemed stimulated by this Spiritual Power and began to hum and vibrate.

It seemed like there was an ancient and vast consciousness in the building awakening....

This subtle anomaly alarmed many fighters with keen martial senses, and they rushed out of their rooms.

Lu Yuan paid it no mind and continued to extend his Spiritual Power downward.

He even felt a desire to deliberately provoke the consciousness hidden within the building.

He was truly curious...

...what kind of power did the so-called 'Martial and Hunting God' behind Mosa truly represent?

WHOOSH—

As Lu Yuan's Spiritual Power probed the lowest level of the building...suddenly, a vast, empty subterranean cavern materialized before his eyes.

—

He saw a "City Without a Top"!

It had a pyramid-like structure, and at its apex stood a colossal black iron throne, its backdrop formed by innumerable sharp spears.

On the throne sat a burly man, his figure massive, several times larger than an ordinary person.

The man wore a black iron mask adorned with strange patterns.

It seemed he was listening to a report from the person next to him.

An immense Goat Statue hung above the head of the man in the black iron mask.

When Lu Yuan's Spiritual Power encroached upon this area...the hollow eye sockets of the giant Goat Statue suddenly flared with red light.

The masked man on the throne also seemed to sense something. He snapped his head up and bellowed, "Who goes there?!"

***

WHOOSH—

Lu Yuan retracted his Spiritual Power.

As if nothing had happened, he removed his mask and, with a calm expression, used his Gold Bear access to issue a directive to Peregrine Falcon and the others: find Lin Zhiquin.

Then he glanced at the snack shelf in the room and saw some instant noodles.

A flicker of interest crossed his face...

Five minutes later, Lu Yuan stood by the window with a bowl of instant noodles, gazing at the brilliant flower fields in the distance.

He picked up a forkful of noodles, gently blew on it, and put it into his mouth.

As he ate, he mused idly.

Black Iron Spear Holder... What an interesting title.ŸŸŸ

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