The Holy Beast Arena Finale

The Golden Lion King, the Crimson Dragon King, the White Tiger, Gold, the Peacock King, and the Little Defiant Dragon—none of the six young sacred beasts had suffered grave wounds in the second round of battles. They required no convalescence to enter the final showdown.

Tonight, every tavern in Heavenly Emperor City was packed. The crowd's excitement was at a fever pitch as they anticipated tomorrow's ultimate battle.

The major gambling houses had all opened their books. Bets were being placed on which young sacred beast would claim the title of Southern Wastes Beast King. Countless people were wagering everything from a few silver coins to tens of thousands of gold pieces. The city rang with noise and clamor deep into the night.

In every street and alley, every tea house and tavern, the talk was of nothing but the six young sacred beasts. Even common folk who could not afford tickets to the Beast-Fighting Arena joined the heated discussions, for the arena's promotional campaign had been overwhelming. After each match, the arena dispatched专人 to every corner of the city to recount the glorious details of the little beast kings' battles.

At this moment, Heavenly Emperor City had all but become the City of Beast-Fighting. Countless analysts pored over past battle records, speculating which little beast king would carve a bloody path to stand undefeated. Analysis and assessment surged through the city like a tide, spreading with every passing hour.

Someone had even written a commentary. Xiao Chen received a copy and read it carefully, finding it quite insightful.

The Golden Lion King was described as ferociously strong and overwhelmingly powerful, its speed unparalleled. It darted across the arena like a beam of golden light, leaving its opponents unable to track its trail. Most terrifying of all, it possessed an Eye of Destruction. The moment that vertical eye opened, blood light erupted. Even the Xuanwu, famed as the foremost defensive beast, would shatter under its gaze. This was an unstoppable force!

Most fearsome of all, the Golden Lion King had three heads, each bearing a vertical eye. It had only ever opened one. No one knew what power the other two eyes held, nor how terrifying they would be when unveiled. This was the greatest unknown, making it impossible for anyone to truly gauge the Golden Lion King's full strength. It had emerged as the strongest contender to claim the Southern Wastes Beast King title.

The Crimson Dragon King's brutality was plain for all to see. It entered every match intending to slaughter its opponent mercilessly. Some had taken to calling it the Blood Dragon King, a name that suited its gleaming crimson scales and the murderous aura that surged skyward.

The dragon race was the most dominant of all species, and the Crimson Dragon King had proven itself king among its own kind even in youth. Naturally, it possessed a terrifying strength that set it apart from its peers. Its perfect fusion of draconic battle techniques and unique divine arts was unleashed with devastating effect. Once its blood light emerged, one technique broke all techniques—nothing could stand against it.

The White Tiger seemed ordinary but was truly extraordinary. It had cultivated the Divine Avatar art and was equally versed in ancient battle techniques. It was a very dangerous little beast king. Moreover, its body was covered in Heaven-Bestowed Divine Patterns that contained ultimate mysteries. No one knew how many terrifying divine abilities it had mastered. Many speculated that the Divine Avatar was far from its only technique—it likely had even more dreadful hidden cards.

Gold and the Peacock King, two young sacred beasts, possessed the blood of heavenly gods. They were born with extraordinary talents, destined to surpass the gods themselves. Their overwhelming combat power was beyond doubt. Moreover, their ancestors had not only bequeathed them peerless bloodlines but also passed down many forbidden techniques. This was their greatest strength, making it hard to guess just how powerful these two divine descendants truly were.

The Little Defiant Dragon was described as a powerful, aloof, and extraordinary Dragon King. That was the commentator's first assessment. It mastered numerous battle techniques, possessed an unyielding spirit, and had limitless potential. The Rebellious Dragon Seven Steps were only the tip of the iceberg. If this little Dragon King were to unleash its full power, perhaps even the Golden Lion King, with all three eyes open, might not be able to stop this battle-crazed sovereign. The analyst had a very high opinion of the Little Defiant Dragon, calling it the little beast king most likely to seize victory among the six.

In every Beast-Fighting Palace, every gambling den, every tavern, and every betting house, the clamor continued unabated long past midnight.

Many found it impossible to sleep that night.

Dawn broke over the eastern sky.

The morning sun bathed Heavenly Emperor City in gold, promising a fine, windless day.

At daybreak, Xiao Chen personally prepared a battle feast for the Little Defiant Dragon. Threads of ginseng king, lingzhi porridge, vermilion fruit juice, ginseng fruit cakes... It was an extravagance that would have dropped jaws if anyone had learned of the menu. All of it was to ensure the Little Defiant Dragon entered the fight at peak vigor.

Of course, Keke could not be left out of such a sumptuous pre-battle meal. The little creature had been squatting in the kitchen for most of the morning, drooling rivers. Its normally spiritual eyes were fixed and glazed with longing.

As the great battle approached, the Little Defiant Dragon remained utterly calm. Strands of refined energy flowed over its dragon body, carved as if from the finest mutton-fat jade. It had already adjusted itself to its peak state.

Sunlight spilled over Heavenly Emperor City; the sun had climbed high. Xiao Chen led the Little Defiant Dragon and Keke toward the Beast-Fighting Arena.

Today, the final showdown would be held in the Zhuge family's Xuanhuang Beast-Fighting Arena. The Holy Beast Platform, sealed for twenty years, would be opened—a stage intended for fully grown sacred beasts.

Under normal circumstances, mature sacred beasts were never pitted against each other in the arena. No ticket price was high enough to justify the risk. If a single adult sacred beast were to fall, the loss would be incalculable. No Beast-Fighting Palace, no matter how powerful, could bear such a loss.

Adult sacred beasts possessed at minimum the strength of the Nirvana realm. Experts of that caliber were far too rare; they existed only as a deterrent force. Perhaps only the most ancient and powerful families might keep one or two.

Moreover, once a sacred beast reached adulthood, it could no longer be treated as an alien creature. By then, it would be revered as a god within the household, never enslaved. In truth, adult sacred beasts could already take human form. Ancient aristocratic families would use every means to recruit them as family members, even resorting to marriage alliances.

The Holy Beast Platform was more a symbol than a practical arena. It was never meant to live up to its name.

More an open square than a battle platform, the Holy Beast Platform measured five hundred meters on each side—a vast arena spacious enough for the six young sacred beasts to maneuver and fight fiercely.

There were no seats around the Holy Beast Platform. If it were ever truly used, it would mean a battle of extreme danger, with no audience allowed nearby.

The Xuanhuang Beast-Fighting Palace was a complex of connecting halls. Apart from the existing VIP rooms, they had temporarily repurposed other chambers, hanging enormous crystal screens to broadcast the event live.

Packed!

The Xuanhuang Arena was bursting with energy today.

Every single room was overflowing. Fifty thousand people had bought tickets to watch the battle.

Outside the arena, countless more pressed close. Streets and alleys were thick with onlookers. Even without a seat or entry, many refused to leave, waiting on the streets for the latest battle reports.

Of course, the major gambling houses were just as packed, thronged with crowds so dense that not a drop of water could pass.

At present, the odds for the six sacred beasts were nearly equal. It was simply too hard to determine which was stronger. Strictly speaking, slightly more bets had been placed on the Golden Lion King—but only by a hair.

Xiao Chen sat in the VIP room, quietly waiting for the Little Defiant Dragon and the others to enter the arena. Beside him, Keke was fidgeting like a little monkey, unable to sit still for a moment. It was aching to go down onto the platform itself and fight those young sacred beasts.

Fearing trouble, Xiao Chen took the mysterious fine iron chain that bound the white turtle and fastened one end around Keke's furry little paw, the other around his own wrist, keeping her firmly tethered to his side.

"Ya-ya-ya!" Keke waved her other furry paw, glaring with defiance as she protested loudly.

Xiao Chen simply shoved a vermilion fruit into her mouth and then ignored her.

The vast Holy Beast Platform was eerily silent. With a thunderous rumble, six enormous iron gates opened in six directions. The six young sacred beasts emerged from six grand halls, advancing simultaneously toward the arena.

A grim, wordless pressure filled the air. In that instant, a fierce, slaughterous aura billowed across the entire arena. All six young sacred beasts had adjusted to their peak fighting state.

The Golden Lion King, gleaming with golden light; the blood-red dragon king, its aura surging to the heavens; the Peacock King, shimmering with five-colored divine radiance... The six sacred beasts stood in six positions, their presence overwhelming.

They faced off in silence. Without a doubt, the one who moved first would risk being swarmed by all the others.

The Little Defiant Dragon moved first. It strode toward the center of the arena, wearing an utterly fearless expression. In its heart, victory or defeat mattered little. What mattered was challenging strong opponents, surpassing itself, and undergoing a true dragon's transformation.

Yes, for the Little Defiant Dragon, even defeat was nothing. It had grown from a hundred-loss little dragon. In its younger days, it had been so weak that it could barely defeat ordinary young dragons. Step by step, battle after life-or-death battle, growing stronger against the strongest, never retreating—that was how it had become the Little Defiant Dragon of today.

The Crimson Dragon King, blazing with blood light, also moved. It was the king of the dragon race—how could it not understand the Little Defiant Dragon's intent? It had long recognized its former defeated opponent, the little mutt dragon. How could it fall behind? It was a born king of the dragons, with an instinct to push its limits and an unquenchable battle lust.

If those two Dragon Kings were human, their heroic spirit would have soared to the heavens. Their movement instantly spurred the other four young sacred beasts to action, all advancing toward the center together. They were the strongest sacred beasts of their respective lines—how could they lag behind?

As they advanced, subtle changes occurred.

Gold and the Peacock King gradually drew closer together. This surprised no one. They were both descendants of heavenly gods, raised together, and their alliance now was inevitable.

The Golden Lion King swept them with a cold glare, then turned its gaze to the Little Defiant Dragon and the Crimson Dragon King. The White Tiger remained placid, surveying its surroundings in silence.

To everyone's great surprise, the two Dragon Kings did not move toward each other. On the contrary, their mutual hostility was even greater than toward the other sacred beasts. Their aloof, proud natures and the fate that only one could survive made alliance between them impossible.

Cyan, yellow, crimson, black, and white—five-colored divine radiance blazed as the Peacock King, its body shimmering with multicolored light, took to the air. It hovered motionless above Gold.

The Golden Lion King was the most dominant. Its roar shook heaven and earth. Golden divine light blazed brilliantly as it began to run—and then launched itself skyward, hurtling toward the Peacock King in midair!

This was astonishing.

The Golden Lion King could run up into the sky! It could fly. This was far beyond what anyone had anticipated. Golden light lit up the heavens, as if a blazing golden inferno raged. The Lion King was as fast as lightning. It swiped its claws at the Peacock King, tearing through the air. Primal energy churned violently.

Whoosh!

A shaft of cyan light swept down. The Peacock King brushed aside the ferocious Lion King with contemptuous ease and soared gracefully into the higher sky.

Every spectator was electrified with excitement. Some had already begun to shout. Even the older generation were shaken. The Lion King's sky-charging might and the Peacock King's sweeping divine light showed them the kind of terrifying power that was growing in these beasts, and brought to mind certain legendary, invincible techniques.

"Roar..."

The Lion King's roar split the heavens.

The Golden Lion King clearly intended to kill. It was determined to dismantle the alliance between the Peacock King and Gold, striking down the Peacock King first. It even tried to open the vertical eye on its central head!

Five-colored mist shimmered in the sky. Sensing the danger, the Peacock King moved with lightning speed. Its wings beat rapidly, and waves of multicolored light surged toward the Lion King like a raging sea, seeking to crush it. The very fabric of heaven and earth seemed to tremble.

But even a torrent of colored energy could not outpace the Lion King's eye. That terrible vertical eye finally opened! A beam of blood-red light burst forth, sweeping straight toward the Peacock King!

"Ah!"

"The Annihilation Light!"

"It's over!"

Many cried out involuntarily.

Who could stand against the overwhelming Golden Lion King? Even the older experts, and masters of the Spirit-Treasury realm, doubted they could escape that divine light!

But events defied everyone's expectations.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Cyan, yellow, crimson, black, and white—the five-colored divine radiance blazed forth, breaking through all obstructions. It swept down! In the span of a breath, it brushed aside the crimson blood light, reducing that terrifying annihilation strike to nothing!

This was an explosive spectacle. The unbeatable, indestructible Annihilation Light had actually been swept away by the Peacock King. The entire crowd erupted in shouts and clamor!

"No way!"

"How is this possible!"

"What is that five-colored divine radiance?"

"Could it be the forbidden divine art of the heavenly gods?"

Every elder present had changed color. They had seen the Lion King's Annihilation Light before. Though they knew it was a legendary forbidden art, seeing it again was not as shocking as the first time. But the five-colored divine radiance was appearing for the first time. How could it not stir waves of terror in their hearts?

This was the invincible divine art of ancient mythic legend, said to be capable of sweeping away all things in the world, taking everything in, brushing away any defense!

Yes, even gods and buddhas could not withstand it!