# Chapter 1116: An Old Acquaintance Appears
The man on the poster had jet-black hair, thick as a waterfall, draped across his chest and back. In his eyes, endless stars were born and extinguished, deep and intimidating, like a demon god.
Though only a side profile, it conveyed a sharpness—a face carved like a blade, as if an ancient deity had been reborn. Behind him, purple qi surged mightily, inspiring awe.
Southern Demon Qi Lin!
Ye Fan was extremely surprised. He never expected one of the participating gladiators to be him. This was completely unexpected—an old acquaintance from the Big Dipper.
Central Emperor, Southern Demon, Western Bodhisattva... back then, they had dominated the younger generation, the most brilliant talents. After so many years, he finally heard news of the Southern Demon again.
"This man is very powerful. Ninety-nine consecutive victories without defeat. He's called the Demon God, a living legend!"
Before the massive stone gate of the arena, many people gathered around the poster, murmuring softly, sharing some information about the Southern Demon.
"He's about to face his most critical battle. If he can reach one hundred victories without defeat, he'll qualify to contend for the strongest body and become a member of that sequence."
"We must come to watch in three days. Can't miss it. It will definitely be a clash of dragons and tigers, a world-shaking battle. There will likely be peerless experts trying to stop him!"
Back in the Big Dipper Star Domain, the Southern Demon had possessed a heaven-defying talent. When he severed the Dao, his divine phenomenon rivaled that of the ancient Demon Emperor, causing all demons to worship him.
Now, on the Eternal Main Star, he still stirred up storms. Clearly, he was an incredibly formidable figure, drawing the world's attention.
"I wonder if he serves a family or fights for himself. His origins have always been mysterious—no one can uncover his background."
"He looks like a strongest warrior raised by a major family. Someone is hiding all traces of him."
"Or maybe he's a slave captured from outside the domain. Otherwise, who would fight like this? He's about to face his hundredth life-or-death battle."
One hundred life-or-death battles—this was a proud achievement. Winning consecutively until now was truly sensational. Yet no one had ever managed to uncover the secret of the Demon God.
Ye Fan learned a lot outside the arena. This was entertainment for the rulers, the favorite pastime of princes and nobles. They often sent their battle pets to compete.
Each time, it was a major affair, accompanied by various betting pools. Wagering on who would win or lose—the stakes were always astronomical.
This was a death match. Entering the arena meant deciding life and death. One wrong move could lead to the destruction of body and soul. No one willingly entered.
Ordinary people didn't participate. It was too brutal. This was a competitive stage for major powers, using their strong slaves to fight, settling many disputes this way.
Of course, there were exceptions. Some people entered to temper themselves or for the exorbitant fight fees, joining in.
High risk naturally brought high reward. The underground gambling houses hoped for skilled cultivators to enter, even more eager for famous duels, thus offering sky-high prices.
Things that could attract strong people—in the past, it was peerless beauties, saint weapons, etc. Later, even the strongest evolution liquid became a reward, touching the hearts of more experts.
Thus, the arena grew increasingly popular. Every time a major battle occurred, it inevitably drew forces from all directions. Many princes and nobles personally attended to watch.
The winner of this duel would receive the third-stage evolution liquid!
The Demon God was about to challenge the myth of one hundred consecutive victories, drawing worldwide attention. The rewards were naturally generous, attracting many ancient families to participate. Many would surely place bets.
Three days passed in an instant. Many cultivators wanted to watch live, but tickets were impossible to obtain. Even spending a fortune couldn't get one. The arena seats were already full, divided among the various princes and nobles.
Ye Fan could only stare helplessly. Even with all his treasures, they were useless. He couldn't buy a ticket and had no way to enter.
A large crowd gathered at the arena entrance, all people desperate for a ticket but unable to enter. Suddenly, Ye Fan's eyes lit up. He saw Qi Meng—she had also come to watch! This showed the impact of today's battle.
He immediately approached, secretly transmitting his voice, startling Qi Meng. Beside her, Qi Yaoguang appeared, blocking him like guarding against a wolf.
"Kid, I warn you, don't set your sights on my descendant!"
"Senior, I didn't expect to meet again so soon. Help me get a ticket," Ye Fan said with a smile.
The Qi family had six or seven people. In the end, one unlucky fellow, with a dark face and unwilling expression, handed over his ticket to Ye Fan. Full of resentment but unable to vent due to the ancestor's face, he gloomily walked toward the street.
"In this place, you must behave! Don't cause trouble!" Qi Yaoguang warned.
The arena was magnificent and enormous. In the center was a stone platform, like half a broken mountain, its cut surface flat and smooth as a mirror. According to legend, an ancient great sage had cut it out, sturdy enough, engraved with immortal patterns.
As for the audience, they sat around the stone platform. In front, a peerless great formation protected them, ensuring no attack techniques could escape, allowing them to watch in peace.
The place was mainly stone—various seats, railings, platforms all built from stone, retaining a primitive atmosphere, exuding a sense of pressure.
"In ancient times, sages often dueled here. The ground has been stained with sage blood. This is definitely a sacred place," someone murmured.
The battle hadn't started yet. The various princes and nobles were already seated. Inside the huge arena, every seat was filled, packed to capacity. Everyone present had status and background.
Ye Fan entered separately from the Qi clan, and his seat happened to be behind theirs. Though adjacent, no one thought there was any connection.
"Brother, could you switch seats? My master has matters to discuss with Miss Qi Meng," a young man said, gesturing for him to get up.
Unfortunately, Ye Fan was sitting right behind Qi Meng. He was trying hard to avoid them recognizing each other, yet someone came looking for him.
He glanced at this person. Though a servant, he had reached the Dao Severing realm. Following the direction he came from, on another row of seats not far away, a gentle, refined young man was nodding at him and Qi Meng.
"Sorry, I don't want to switch."
"You..." This young man's eyes shot out beams of light, quite astonishing. He was a super expert, never expecting Ye Fan to refuse without a second thought.
"Never mind, Zhao An, come back." Not far away, the white-robed, refined man spoke, seemingly not wanting trouble. His eyes were very bright, his cultivation extraordinary.
"This is Zhao Qingchuan, a renowned expert, very famous among the younger generation. The Zhao family, like the Cao family, are princes and nobles of the Eternal Main Star, among the top major powers." Qi Meng frowned. She had no connection with Zhao Qingchuan. Why was he acting like this today?
"Given his status, few would dare to defy him. As one of the outstanding figures of the younger generation, acting like this now... he's testing my identity!" Ye Fan's heart stirred.
"Correct!" Qi Meng nodded.
Ye Fan was a new face, too unfamiliar to those who frequented the arena. Now, daring to refuse Zhao Qingchuan revealed quite a bit of information.
"The battle is starting!"
On the high platform, a curtain of light rose, enveloping the huge stone platform, preventing the battle from affecting the spectators. The light curtain was crystal clear and transparent, inscribed with legal patterns by an ancient great sage—absolutely safe and reliable.
On the vast stone platform, like half a broken mountain, a young man appeared. His black hair draped over his shoulders, his body bronze-colored, very strong and powerful. His eyes were sharp. He was like a demon god, possessing a special aura.
This body was exactly the same as the Southern Demon. Unfortunately, Ye Fan couldn't penetrate the great sage's light curtain with his divine sense, couldn't sense his aura, and couldn't make a final judgment.
"The battle has begun!"
Noisy sounds arose in the arena. Another gladiator appeared, his body covered with magical patterns, silver hair draped over his shoulders, even his pupils silver. Very aggressive. As soon as he appeared, he left several afterimages, pouncing to kill the Demon God.
"Silver Eyes! It's actually Silver Eyes!"
"No wonder. I knew the Demon God's hundredth battle would be obstructed. It's this person who has come out of seclusion. How much did it cost to invite him?"
This was a greatly accomplished king. In his life, he had only one defeat. He had roamed the eastern region for over a hundred years, yielding only to sages, fearless of any Dao Severing cultivator. He had killed several half-saints.
According to legend, a hundred years ago, during the selection of the strongest physique, he lost due to an accident, narrowly defeated by his opponent—a great regret.
"Everyone can place their bets now," the various underground gambling houses reminded.
After one strike, Silver Eyes quickly retreated, facing off against the Demon God, no longer attacking. Clearly, both were familiar with the arena's rules, giving the princes and nobles time to place their bets.
After a burst of noise, the arena returned to calm. Many had placed their bets. The battle was about to officially begin.
This was a primal duel—no mechas, no war tools. It was a battle using the methods of ascetic cultivators. For the people of the Eternal Main Star, this was especially thrilling.
Because, from ancient times to the present, they had always relied on external tools. There were almost no ascetic cultivators left. This profession was nearly extinct.
They had heard that in the age of their ancestors, ascetic cultivators tore apart mechas with their bare hands, battling across the world. Unfortunately, that era had passed. Various powerful war tools had become their choice.
Inside the arena, beams of light flew everywhere. A fierce battle erupted. The Demon God lived up to his name, like an ancient demon lord reincarnated, unstoppable.
Ye Fan secretly estimated that the Southern Demon had definitely taken evolution liquid, and more than once. Otherwise, he couldn't be this strong.
Silver Eyes was also fierce. After all, he was a peak Dao Severing cultivator, holding an absolute advantage in realm, stronger than the Southern Demon.
The two fought, unleashing various secret techniques—all methods of ascetic cultivators. This was a clash of the body's treasures, dazzling the audience.
"So powerful! If they develop like this, sooner or later they'll be able to tear apart ancient sage mechas with their bare hands!"
"The Southern Demon is too strong. His realm isn't as high as Silver Eyes, yet he can match him. Truly inconceivable. Remember, Silver Eyes is practically invincible among Dao Severing cultivators!"
People murmured, watching nervously.
"Pfft!"
No one expected that after just two hundred exchanges, the Demon God delivered a peerless strike, nearly splitting Silver Eyes in half. Silver blood splattered. This opponent flew sideways, no longer able to fight.
"Ah... he won! So fast! One hundred consecutive victories!"
"Heavens! My piece of divine mineral—I bet it on Silver Eyes!"
Just then, another young man appeared in the arena, smiling and waving to the crowd. "Everyone, quiet down. Want to know the Demon God's origins? Only today, after his hundred consecutive victories, do I feel qualified to speak. He... comes from a mysterious ancient star! I've been waiting for this day for a long time, waiting for him to create glory. To be honest with you all, he is just one type of powerful bloodline from that ancient star. There are many more there! I think you know what I'm talking about, understand my meaning. Through him, I've shown you all the terrifying value of that mysterious ancient star. I think my fellow countrymen here can no longer hold back. Does anyone want to launch an expedition?"