Ye Qin paused in thought, glancing at Huangfu Bing'er beside him. To enter Demon Spirit City, he needed a substantial amount of Yuan Crystals. Hunting Demonized Beasts in a territory was one way to earn them, but ascending the Demon Fighting Stage was undoubtedly the fastest and most effective method.

"Be careful!"

Huangfu Bing'er naturally understood Ye Qin's intent; she held immense faith in his strength. Besides, even if defeated on the Demon Fighting Stage, the loss was merely one Yuan Crystal, with no other penalty.

Ye Qin nodded.

The number of platforms on the Demon Fighting Stage was limited to ten, each occupied by a reigning champion.

Thousands upon thousands of Demon Spirit City cultivators gathered here. Whenever a champion stepped down, numerous cultivators would immediately swarm forward to claim the title. Thus, becoming a champion was no easy feat.

One either became a challenger, betting a sum of Yuan Crystals to unseat the current champion, or waited for the champion to voluntarily descend.

Ye Qin possessed only a single Yuan Crystal—too small an amount to initiate a challenge. He could only wait for other champions to step down voluntarily.

Seizing a vacant platform was certainly not difficult for him.

He was a Ninth Layer Nascent Soul cultivator, the very apex of the Nascent Soul stage. Few cultivators in that realm could stand as his equal.

As for Soul Transformation stage cultivators, most were high-ranking lords who rarely stepped onto the Demon Fighting Stage platforms personally. They merely observed the matches here, scouting for exceptionally strong Nascent Soul cultivators to serve under them.

Ye Qin wandered among the platforms of the Demon Fighting Stage, his gaze settling on Platform Number Ten. He noticed the previous champion signaling an intent to leave. In a flash, the instant the champion stepped off, Ye Qin occupied the absolute center of the thousand-zhang-wide platform, snatched a small flag designating the champion, and became the guardian of Platform Number Ten.

The guards of Demon Spirit City were also responsible for maintaining order on the Demon Fighting Stage.

A guard clad in black armor, standing at the edge of the platform, immediately rushed over and loudly proclaimed Ye Qin the champion of Platform Ten, open to challenges from other cultivators. The Demon Spirit City guards answered directly to the Elder Council of Demon Spirit City; no one dared cause trouble here.

Other Nascent Soul cultivators who had hoped to become champions were a step too late. Seeing Ye Qin established, they could only withdraw reluctantly.

"His magical aura is incredibly strong—a Ninth Layer Nascent Soul cultivator!"

"This man is quite powerful; who dares challenge him?"

"Esteemed Dao Brother guarding the platform, how many Yuan Crystals are you betting to allow challenges?"

As Ye Qin settled onto the platform, a large crowd of Nascent Soul cultivators gathered around, bombarding him with questions.

"Please state your name, cultivation tier, and the amount of Yuan Crystals bet. How many rounds do you intend to fight? I will halt the challenges once the agreed rounds are complete," the guard, who was at the Early Nascent Soul stage, inquired of Ye Qin.

"Ye Qin, Ninth Layer Nascent Soul. Unlimited rounds."

Ye Qin reached into his sleeve, producing a single Yuan Crystal, which he handed to the guard as the stake. He added with a slight air of reluctance, "I only have one Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal. It’s a bit meager, but it should qualify me as a champion, right?"

"What? Only one Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal?"

The guard taking the crystal was momentarily stunned. There was no rule stating that one Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal disqualified one from being a champion, so the guard dared not order Ye Qin down. More importantly, Demon Spirit City took a tax from the bets on the Demon Fighting Stage; upon the end of a champion's tenure, one-twentieth of the stakes was surrendered. One-twentieth of a single Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal—what was that good for? It was almost too troublesome to divide.

The crowd of Nascent Soul cultivators gathered beneath the bluestone stage erupted into an uproar after a brief silence.

"What a joke! A match between Nascent Soul cultivators will surely consume ample spirit wine. This one crystal won't even cover the cost of spirit wine!"

"Betting just one crystal? Which Nascent Soul cultivator would agree to fight you for that?"

"One Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal—killing a mid-stage Golden Core beast wouldn't even yield enough to fill the gaps between one's teeth! A fight between late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators isn't worth the effort unless there are hundreds of Eighth or Ninth-Grade Yuan Crystals at stake!"

"Brother, were you robbed by someone? You can't even produce a dozen Yuan Crystals. Just step down and let us take a turn. I, at least, have several hundred Seventh and Eighth-Grade Yuan Crystals on hand."

Ye Qin treated the taunts as if he hadn't heard them, closing his eyes to meditate, waiting for other cultivators to come forward.

After some noisy grumbling, the Nascent Soul cultivators saw that Ye Qin was settled on the stage and was not leaving, so they dispersed reluctantly to seek challenges on other platforms.

It couldn't be entirely blamed on their mercenary nature.

Ye Qin was clearly a peak Ninth Layer Nascent Soul cultivator, among the absolute top tier of that realm. Few cultivators reached this level. Even if there were other powerful Ninth Layer Nascent Soul cultivators, would they really challenge someone for a mere Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal? That would be too ignominious. They weren't Golden Core cultivators, reduced to fighting over one meager crystal.

The Nascent Soul cultivators were unwilling to engage, leaving only some lower-strength Golden Core cultivators, and a few who were purely bored and came to watch the spectacle, lingering near the platform. They were there strictly to observe, or perhaps to find other Golden Core cultivators for a match, planning to step onto the stage after Ye Qin descended. They cared little about Ye Qin's stake.

The Demon Spirit City guard, however, cursed his bad luck. If no one challenged Ye Qin, the platform would be idly wasted, and he wouldn't collect any taxes or commissions from the matches. But rules were rules.

Ye Qin waited for quite a while with no challengers, rubbing his nose awkwardly. He couldn't just stand there while the cultivators below watched. He scanned the crowd below, suddenly pointing toward the center of the throng, "You! Come up and challenge me!"

The person pointed at was a slightly plump young cultivator with a pale complexion. This cultivator was dressed rather sloppily, currently looking around distractedly at the excitement, doing whatever it was he was doing.

"What?"

The young cultivator was still lost in thought. When he saw everyone staring at him, he realized Ye Qin had called him up. Startled, he frantically waved his hands, "No, no, no! I just recently reached the Early Golden Core stage. I am too far beneath you, Elder. I couldn't even beat one of your fingers! Going up there would be pure suicide!" He knew perfectly well that if one was killed on the stage, the victor bore no responsibility.

"It’s fine. I won't move, won't strike. You can do as you wish, attack with your strongest methods. If you can knock me off this platform, this Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal is yours!" Ye Qin said with a smile.

The pale-faced young cultivator hesitated upon hearing this, a flicker of temptation crossing his mind. A single Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal was beneath the notice of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but for an Early Golden Core cultivator, it was quite substantial—something earned by risking one's life hunting Golden Core beasts. Moreover, the Nascent Soul Ancestor on the stage said he would "remain still and not strike." He was in an invincible position; he should be able to win!

"Guard of Demon Spirit City, please bear witness, I absolutely will not intervene."

Ye Qin offered a gentle smile, casting a protective barrier around himself, and sat down cross-legged on the platform.

"Fight, finish quickly, so we can swap out," the guard muttered about his misfortune, then nodded. According to regulations, a lower-tier cultivator could challenge a higher-tier one. As long as both agreed, they could fight any way they pleased.

"You probably lack experience fighting Nascent Soul cultivators, right? For just one Yuan Crystal, you gain the experience of battling a Nascent Soul cultivator. In the future, you can tell your friends you challenged a Nascent Soul cultivator—regardless of the outcome, it's an honor. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators rarely get the chance to exchange blows with a Nascent Soul master!" Ye Qin encouraged him.

Down below, many watching Golden Core cultivators also egged the man on to ascend and challenge.

The pale-faced young cultivator finally made up his mind. Gritting his teeth, Fine, I'll risk one Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal! I don't believe I can't push a Nascent Soul cultivator off the stage.

"This junior is Tao Shanming, Third Layer Golden Core! I hope the senior will forgive any offense."

The young cultivator, holding onto a sliver of luck, shouted loudly and flew onto the bluestone platform, paying a Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal to the guard overseeing the match.

His two fists burst forth with golden light, and with a roar, he blasted towards Ye Qin, attempting to strike him off the platform.

Boom!

Tao Shanming's heavy punch struck Ye Qin's protective barrier. He instantly felt a violent recoil force, sending him flying back several dozen zhang. Blood churned within his chest, and staggering, he retreated more than ten steps before regaining his footing on the platform.

Tao Shanming's eyes were filled with disbelief. Ye Qin hadn't moved an inch, yet the simple rebound from his defensive shield had shocked him back dozens of zhang. Ye Qin’s protective light screen remained as steady as a great mountain, without even the slightest ripple.

Tao Shanming refused to believe it. He gathered strength in both fists again and charged toward Ye Qin.

Smack, smack, smack!

Tao Shanming’s heavy fists rained down on Ye Qin. The heavier his punch, the stronger the repulsive force. In less than the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, Tao Shanming's face turned ashen under the severe recoil—Pfft—he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of vital blood.

It was getting tedious for Ye Qin just sitting there. He had certainly defended this round. In the second defense, his stake would double to two Yuan Crystals—still pitifully small! Such a meager stake would attract no interest from Nascent Soul cultivators. Ye Qin sighed inwardly.

After spitting blood, Tao Shanming was nearly in tears. He felt utterly tricked. The claims of "remaining still and not striking" were false; the recoil alone was enough to make him suffer. He had offered one Yuan Crystal hoping to gain an advantage, only to end up spitting blood from the rebound.

"Brother Tao, perhaps you should step down. If you keep fighting, you might injure your own meridians," Ye Qin advised, amused, out of consideration for the Yuan Crystal he had "donated."

"Senior, you tricked me! What experience in fighting Nascent Soul cultivators? You sat there without moving an inch—I gained zero combat experience, wasted a Yuan Crystal, and even spat blood." The Golden Core cultivator looked ready to weep, having expended much of his magical power without being able to harm Ye Qin in the slightest. He could only leave the bluestone platform with a crestfallen look.

"Who says you gained no experience! Didn't that show you the defensive power of a Nascent Soul cultivator? That is also precious combat experience! Only by knowing how strong an opponent's defense is can you know how powerful an attack is needed to break it," Ye Qin stated seriously.

Tao Shanming paused, feeling that Ye Qin’s logic held a strange sense of truth.

"Do you wish to know the limit of a Nascent Soul cultivator's defense? Let me demonstrate. In the next match, two Golden Core cultivators will challenge together. The third match, four Golden Core cultivators. The numbers will double with each round until you knock me off the platform. The rules remain the same: I sit still, you use any means necessary, see what you can do. If you knock me off, all the Yuan Crystals go to you. Of course, if you fail to knock me down, you lose." Ye Qin smiled faintly. He directed these words not just to Tao Shanming, but to the cultivators below as well.

"I'll go!"

"Senior, this junior is willing to try!"

Hundreds of Golden Core cultivators were already gathered below, watching. A fight between a Golden Core cultivator and a Nascent Soul cultivator was rare on the Demon Fighting Stage, almost never seen. A single Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal was affordable for them.

Almost immediately, two Golden Core brothers leaped onto the platform, each paying one Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal to the platform guard. Since they were challenging together, they only needed one each. They then excitedly flexed their muscles, eager to see if they could knock Ye Qin off the stage. In their view, if Tao Shanming couldn't do it, it didn't mean they couldn't. Only an idiot would use their fists to collide head-on with a defensive shield and suffer the recoil. These two brothers planned to use brute force to slowly push Ye Qin off the stage. Naturally, their plan failed. Ye Qin sat there, weighing more than ten thousand jun; even with all their strength, they couldn't budge him an inch.

Soon, four more ambitious Golden Core cultivators stepped up.

The matches on Platform Ten of the Demon Fighting Stage continued.

Two or three hours later, this platform had drawn the astonished, curious, eager, and shocked gazes of thousands of Golden Core cultivators from across the Demon Fighting Stage.

As long as Ye Qin did not willingly step down, his stake would double with every subsequent successful defense. Even though his initial stake was the meager single Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystal, after the sixth round, it had already climbed to one hundred and twenty-eight crystals.

The platform was almost completely covered with Golden Core cultivators, yet they still could not break Ye Qin's protective shield. There was no longer room for more Golden Core cultivators on the stage.

One hundred and twenty-eight Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystals wasn't a massive sum, but it was enough to attract the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators. The commotion on Platform Ten had drawn too many low-level cultivators' eyes, already causing dissatisfaction among the surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators.

"Showing off in front of a bunch of Golden Core cultivators—what kind of skill is that! I, Yuan Dapeng, though only a Second Layer Nascent Soul, must still test your ability!" A large man with red-rimmed eyes, wielding a giant axe magical artifact, tossed a small bag of Yuan Crystals to the Demon Spirit City guard and violently leaped onto the stage.

The moment the large man stood on the platform, a golden giant sword cleaved toward him. Bang! The man hurriedly blocked with his axe artifact, but couldn't withstand the force, crashing heavily off the platform, drawing booming laughter from the surrounding Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators.

Ye Qin retracted his flying sword, not sparing him a second glance. He had never claimed he wouldn't strike against Nascent Soul cultivators either.

"Seventh Round, Ye Qin wins!"

"Eighth Round, Ye Qin wins!"

"Ninth Round... Ye Qin wins!"

"Tenth Round, Ye Qin wins!"

In the span of a short incense stick burning, four more early and mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators rushed onto the stage—none lasted more than a moment before being knocked off. For these Nascent Soul cultivators, a few hundred Seventh-Grade Yuan Crystals wasn't a large amount, so they were willing to take a chance and challenge. However, their results were uniformly poor.

"Ten consecutive victories—this is the first ten-round winner produced on the Demon Fighting Stage today! Who else wishes to challenge?!" The guard hosting Platform Ten shouted with great enthusiasm. The stake on this platform was doubling with each success, growing higher and higher, meaning his commission would be substantial.