Zhou Huan looked down toward the audience, searching for the voice, but after scanning the crowd for a long time, he found no one. Before he knew it, a cool gust of wind swept past him, swirling eerily onto the stage. When Zhou Huan turned back to the platform, a figure was already standing there. This figure was none other than Tianya, the very man who had brought the cemetery king to cause trouble the night before!

"Disciple, kill him!" Tianya screamed repeatedly from the stage. As Zhou Huan listened to the sound behind him—a crisp, cracking noise like bone grinding—Lao Xue Tou’s two skeletal hands lunged toward him, the tips of his fingers sharp as blades, aiming to pierce Zhou Huan’s chest.

Sensing imminent danger, Zhou Huan swiftly sidestepped, raising one palm high before bringing it down in a fierce chop, severing both of Lao Xue Tou’s hands in one blow. He immediately followed up by igniting a talisman, which he dropped onto the pair of bone claws now lying on the ground.

"Roar! Roar!" Lao Xue Tou became completely frenzied, charging at Zhou Huan while shouting, "Give me back my hands! I’ll eat you!"

At this moment, Lao Xue Tou’s every move genuinely cornered Zhou Huan. He gathered all his strength, springing up with a kick, followed by a reverse kick. Then, he brought his single palm down in a crushing chop that cleaved from Lao Xue Tou’s head straight to his feet. He concluded the sequence with another talisman, slamming it hard onto Lao Xue Tou’s body. As the old man's corpse ignited, the blood that flowed out was a sickly yellow, entirely lacking the color of human blood.

"Oh! What color is that? It seems this old fellow isn't human at all!" A wave of gasps rippled through the audience below.

"Good for you, Zhou Huan! How dare you kill my disciple! We are not done today, get up here!" Tianya continued to bellow from the stage.

Zhou Huan dusted off his clothes. "Brother Tianya, I think you should settle down for a bit. I just finished a match; shouldn't I get a breather? After a quarter of an hour, we can continue then."

"What? What kind of logic is that? A challenger defends continuously; why do you need a break?" Tianya knew the rules of the arena: the defending champion could request up to a quarter-hour respite. However, intending to provoke Zhou Huan, Tianya mocked him. He planned to leverage his own abundant stamina against the fatigued Zhou Huan, though his main goal was simply to gain an advantage.

Hearing this, Zhou Huan knew it was a deliberate provocation. Even if he were foolish, he could still spot the tactic. Turning back, Zhou Huan offered a faint smile. "If you wish to waste time bragging, you can accompany me for a quarter of an hour. Otherwise, I’m going to sleep for fifteen minutes. Those are your only two options—you have to choose. If you choose to curse me, then I apologize in advance; I will have to excuse myself!"

Tianya was checkmated by Zhou Huan. He was unprepared; this was supposed to be a situation where he held the upper hand, yet he had been outmaneuvered. After a moment of thought, he sat down right there. "Fine. Since it is as you say, I'll chat with you for a bit. Let’s start with how you intend to account for killing my disciple."

"Ah, but we all signed the life-and-death waiver for these ring contests. Killing him was also saving him. I don't know what you did to him, but look how his hands turn the moment he moves—he's become a zombie, hasn't he?" As he spoke, Zhou Huan casually picked up Lao Xue Tou’s bony hand and tossed it to Tianya. "The man isn't even dead, yet his bones are already showing? That hardly seems right, does it?"

Slowly, the crowd below began to feel that the man on stage was contemptible. To train one's disciple to this state was akin to being a brute, making many feel awkward and apprehensive—the mere mention of ghosts brought shivers.

"Zhou Huan, stop with the nonsense. Tell me, when will your rest period be over? The quarter hour is nearly up, get back on the stage quickly." Tianya grew anxious, practically wishing he could leap down and devour Zhou Huan. Yet, a sliver of vanity regarding the grand martial arts convention kept him tethered.

The quarter hour passed quickly. As Zhou Huan and Tianya exchanged barbs, the audience members grew drowsy. The anticipated martial display on the stage had slowly devolved into a battle of wits, which bored everyone.

Suddenly, Zhou Huan slowly rose. The gong sounded, and his lithe figure materialized back on the stage. Tianya was already prepared. The moment Zhou Huan's feet touched the platform, the man’s movements were startlingly fast; his great blade swooped directly toward Zhou Huan’s neck. Unhurried, Zhou Huan leaned his torso slightly aside, dodging the attack. As he prepared to counter, the great blade shifted, hacking toward Zhou Huan's shoulder instead.

Zhou Huan let out a long cry: "Halt!" His hands glowed with vital energy, clamping down like tiger’s jaws, rigidly seizing Tianya’s massive blade. In a move as swift as the wind, he kicked toward Tianya's wrist. With a loud clang, they were equalized; now, both men fought barehanded.

"Well done, Zhou Huan, your movement technique is quite fast!"

"Not at all. I just worried that holding that big cleaver made you dangerous, and I was afraid I might hurt you accidentally if I couldn't control myself properly!" As Zhou Huan spoke, his hand techniques surged forward. Tianya retreated repeatedly, soon finding himself pushed to the very edge of the ring. He planted his feet, dodging one of Zhou Huan's strikes, and then launched himself upward with surprising grace. By the time the crowd realized what happened, the man was standing in the center of the stage, having effectively thrown Zhou Huan himself to the periphery.

"Brother Zhou Huan, you should step down now. Watch this move!" Tianya leaped high into the air, using his knees as weapons, launching himself toward Zhou Huan like a cannonball.

Sensing disaster, Zhou Huan curled his body into a ball and rolled repeatedly on the ground. In moments, the wooden floorboards of the stage were riddled with holes, resembling a ruined platform.

The two wrestled like this for a long time, neither gaining a definitive advantage. The crowd below, caught up in the excitement, saw Dongzi approach the front line with Xiaofang, shouting loudly, "Go, Brother Huan!" The spectators were there for the spectacle; they didn't know what Tianya was called, but most recognized Zhou Huan’s name, and soon the entire audience was roaring cheers for Zhou Huan.

"Hahaha, Tianya, listen to that! Not a single person is cheering for you. It just proves there must be something wrong with your character," Zhou Huan teased while evading blows.

Looking at Tianya, he raised both hands high and roared, "Zhou Huan, the wise know to follow fate. Your day of death has arrived today; why are you still showing off?"

The moment Tianya’s words ended, Zhou Huan looked again, only to find Tianya standing motionless in the center of the stage. Zhou Huan seized the opportunity, rushing toward Tianya with maximum speed, intending to end the matter swiftly and push Tianya off the platform.

However, as Zhou Huan reached Tianya’s side, before he could even strike, he felt an incredibly strong magnetic field coalescing around Tianya—a malevolent, dark force that physically pushed Zhou Huan back, preventing him from advancing.

"What? Tianya, what are you doing?" Zhou Huan realized this was no good. He felt Tianya was summoning something, and touching Tianya’s body now might invite unimaginable trouble.

Zhou Huan retreated slowly, backing away until he was at a safe distance, watching Tianya’s every move with intense concentration.

Tianya mumbled something incomprehensible. All around his body, dense plumes of inky, dark-green smoke began to rise. Once the smoke enveloped Tianya completely, Zhou Huan reacted instantly. Lao Xue Tou had been his disciple; if even a martial practitioner could turn into a zombie, how many zombies might Tianya be planning to create? Was he truly going to use zombies against him?

Zhou Huan’s suspicion was confirmed. Seeing Tianya’s actions, mournful howls slowly approached the ring from the periphery of the martial arts convention stage. Occasionally, people in the audience could be seen covering their noses and mouths, and some had already fallen to the side, vomiting. As a result, the crowd naturally began to part, clearing a path. Along this path came first gusts of icy wind, and then, one after another, the zombies shambled toward the stage. Each zombie carried an appropriate weapon—swords, spears, long blades, halberds, axes, hooks, and pikes—all manner of implements.

Zhou Huan felt a sudden wave of concern. What exactly was this man planning? Summoning a horde of silent zombies seemed too absurd.

"Hahaha, Zhou Huan, let me explain it clearly. You can control zombies if you can. If you can't, they just bite people, and whoever they bite turns into a zombie. Why don't you let them bite you once, just to spare yourself the pain of getting beaten later?" Tianya declared with great pride.

Zhou Huan fell silent. He had no experience fighting zombies. Even the few he had encountered before were minor, faint spirits. But now there wasn't just one; there was a heap, a whole line of them. How could he possibly deal with this?

While Zhou Huan was deep in thought, several zombies had already ascended the stage. They even displayed a degree of decorum, lining up neatly. Soon, the platform was crowded with the undead. These zombies showed remarkable coordination, forming ranks under Tianya’s command, clearly intending to ensure Zhou Huan's demise.

"Tianya, why are you creating these things? Do you think that if these zombies die for you, you can escape future retribution?" Zhou Huan spoke of what awaited Tianya after death; creating so many zombies would surely incur karmic punishment.

Tianya, however, scoffed. He opened his mouth wide and laughed, "Zhou Huan, you don't understand. These fellows can no longer live. Turning them into zombies is saving them, giving them another chance to be active. Hmph, enough nonsense! My children, obey my command—kill the man before you!"