Chapter 196 – Black Iron Spear Bearer

In the suburban wilderness, the air split smoothly to the sides, resembling ripples in water.

In the transparent air, a hatch opened, and a hovering platform automatically extended, quickly assembling a floating ladder downward.

Someone stepped out from the invisible shuttle.

A young man with a tall and handsome appearance descended the floating ladder slowly.

Following closely behind was another young man, appearing to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, dressed in a White Bear Guard uniform with a sharp look in his eyes.

“…Participants in the Ultimate Blood Battle are pure martial artist system experts selected from various martial arts events held nationwide by the Mosa Sect.

Outwardly, it’s presented as just a top-tier internal invitation-only event, but in reality, it’s the Mosa Sect’s ‘Martial Rite’ held every three years.

They use high-quality combat and the blood of powerful fighters to worship their ‘Deity of Hunting and Combat’…”

As Peregrine Falcon followed Lu Yuan down from the shuttle, he quickly reported the gathered intelligence.

“Martial Rite?”

A slight fluctuation appeared in Lu Yuan’s eyes as he recalled the battle arena in the Jiaoyan Mosa club, towering like an altar.

“What is the mortality rate?”

Peregrine Falcon replied, “Very high.

The Mosa Sect’s Ultimate Blood Battle imposes no restrictions on combat techniques, as long as they don’t involve firearms.

If the ultimate reward weren’t so enticing, it wouldn’t attract so many martial arts experts each time…”

“Reward? What reward?”

Lu Yuan turned to look at Peregrine Falcon after stepping off the shuttle.

Peregrine Falcon lowered his head and quickly responded, “It’s a unique type of ‘Divine Blood’ from the Mosa Sect. Our organization seems to have requested some from them and conducted research on it. However, my access level is too low to know the detailed inside information…”

Lu Yuan said nothing, immediately utilizing his access level to search the internal Yellow Bear database for information on the Mosa Sect and Divine Blood.

He quickly found the results.

“…It’s a special substance containing the Power of the Evil Deity, with excellent strengthening effects on both mental and physical constitution. However, it inevitably causes bodily mutations as a side effect, leaning towards the path of Evil Martial Arts…”

Lu Yuan’s emotions stirred as he read the introduction to the Mosa Sect’s Divine Blood.

This Divine Blood seemed similar to the red beads from the Crow Deity Sect.

If he could get his hands on it, would he be able to activate his second extraordinary panel?

“How many people can obtain Divine Blood in each Ultimate Blood Battle?”

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Lu Yuan asked Peregrine Falcon.

Peregrine Falcon replied, “No one has obtained Divine Blood for several consecutive rounds. The conditions to acquire it are very stringent; winning the Ultimate Blood Battle alone does not guarantee it.”

“Several rounds with no one obtaining it? Then why do people still rush to their deaths?”

Lu Yuan frowned, unable to understand.

Peregrine Falcon thought for a moment and replied, “Maybe it’s because the current Mosa Sect leader, who presides over these rounds, initially obtained Divine Blood from an Ultimate Blood Battle and then advanced up the ranks. A real example right in front of them is always more convincing.”

“Oh?”

Lu Yuan glanced at Peregrine Falcon, curious. “The Mosa leader who presides over the blood battles also advanced through the blood battle? What’s his name?”

“Rage King. He is now the Black Iron Spear Bearer for the Mosa Sect.”

After answering, Peregrine Falcon added, “I heard a rumor, though I’m not sure of its authenticity. Would you like to hear it, Lord?”

“Speak.”

Lu Yuan said calmly.

Peregrine Falcon quickly continued, “Rage King is known to be violent, narrow-minded, vengeful, and envious of the talented.

After obtaining Divine Blood and advancing to Black Iron Spear Bearer, gaining control of Mosa’s hidden forces in the southeast, the first thing he did was kill all his old enemies.

Some of them weren’t even true enemies; they had merely defeated him in normal martial arts contests…

So now there are many rumors.

They say the reason no one has obtained Divine Blood in recent Ultimate Blood Battles is because Rage King, as the person in charge, privately raised the difficulty of acquiring Divine Blood. He doesn’t want to see a second person obtain it after him.

Oh, and…”

Peregrine Falcon continued, “The Mosa Sect expert who killed Xia Weimin from the Xia State archaeological team and took his belongings, whom you asked us to track down earlier, should be one of Rage King’s subordinates.”

Lu Yuan nodded after listening. “Alright, I understand.”

He took out his mobile phone and started hailing a taxi by the roadside.

Peregrine Falcon stood dutifully beside him.

Soon, the agreed-upon taxi arrived.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to step towards the taxi, Peregrine Falcon couldn’t help but speak again, “Lord, if you’re interested in Divine Blood and the person who killed Xia Weimin, given your status as a Golden Bear, you only need to hint at it to Mosa. Rage King would surely obediently deliver both the items and the person to you…”

“Oh?”

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

Peregrine Falcon immediately adopted a respectful posture.

The next second, Lu Yuan continued forward.

Peregrine Falcon then heard Lu Yuan’s indifferent voice.

“…But that would be no fun at all.”

“Uh…”

Peregrine Falcon was stunned.

A moment later, as he watched Lu Yuan’s back disappear into the taxi, a faint expression of helplessness appeared on his face.

…

Half an hour later, Lu Yuan arrived at the outskirts of Chiming, east of the city, by taxi.

After getting out of the taxi, a vast flower field unfolded before him.

Chiming is a third-tier small city known for its flower industry.

It was the season when chrysanthemums were in full bloom.

Golden and crimson hues filled his vision, and a cool breeze carried a faint fragrance.

A few farmers with hoes slung over their shoulders walked slowly along the field ridges not far away.

Lu Yuan followed the road ahead.

After passing through the large flower fields, he turned into a wide but deserted street and then found his target-a nondescript, old building.

As he approached, he saw a signboard hanging in front of the building that read “Mosa Combat Sports Club.”

The familiar Goat Head statue was in sight.

The decor had a slightly eerie style.

As Lu Yuan walked into the building, he immediately felt a much stronger sense of being “watched” than he had at Jiaoyan Mosa.

After his intelligence points limit break, his perception had become astonishing.

Whereas before he had felt slightly uncomfortable, now it felt as though the Goat Head statues mounted on the walls had all “come to life” in an instant.

Scarlet light seemed to emanate from their hollow eye sockets, coldly staring at him.

Lu Yuan remained unfazed and walked calmly into the elevator, pressing the down button.

Five minutes later, he found himself in a room.

“Age?”

“Seventeen.”

“Ha—”

The short-haired woman sitting opposite Lu Yuan and entering his details into a computer couldn’t help but laugh.

She looked at Lu Yuan with an amused expression, as if she wanted to say something.

But when her eyes met Lu Yuan’s calm, deep, and unruffled gaze…

Her laughter stopped unconsciously, and her demeanor became serious and upright.

“Title?”

“Feast Eater.”

“…”

After logging his information and checking his Invitation, the short-haired woman reminded Lu Yuan, “Turn right and go to the third room to get your mask and room key. The Bloody Battle starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. You made it just in time; registration closes completely in two hours…”

“Thank you.”

Lu Yuan nodded and thanked the woman before getting up to leave.

After Lu Yuan left the room, the short-haired woman at the computer lightly patted her chest and muttered softly, “Seventeen? Who’s he kidding? But he does look quite young… Hope he doesn’t get himself killed in the Bloody Battle tomorrow. That would be a shame…”

…

“Dinner and breakfast will be delivered to your room. Please rest well in the meantime. May the Deity of Mosa’s light protect you.”

The Mosa Sect member who had escorted Lu Yuan performed a peculiar salute and then left politely.

“Seems more professional than in Jiaoyan. Looks like it’s because this is the regional headquarters. Fewer temps, mostly proper Mosa Sect followers…”

Lu Yuan mused as he walked into his room.

It was just an ordinary standard hotel room, with furniture and decor that appeared somewhat outdated.

Lu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, casually examining the mask he had just received.

It was similar in design to the one he wore in Jiaoyan Mosa as the Feast Eater, but it was more refined.

Moreover, its material was unknown; it was soft, fitting his face perfectly without hindering breathing or combat.

Lu Yuan put on the mask and walked to the dressing mirror in the room to casually inspect himself.

Then his eyes flickered, and an immense Mental Power suddenly spread out.

“Whoosh—”

It was as if a stone had suddenly fallen into a calm pond.

The entire building’s interior scenes flashed rapidly in Lu Yuan’s mind like a fast-forwarded movie.

He saw a middle-aged man, reminiscent of a retired cadre, leisurely making tea in his room.

He saw a burly man with knotted muscles sitting quietly in his room.

He saw two naked bodies entangled together…

A flood of images poured into Lu Yuan’s mind. During this process, the Goat Head statues hanging in every room, corridor walls…

and every corner of the building seemed stimulated by this Mental Power, all buzzing and trembling.

It was as if a vast and ancient consciousness within the building was awakening…

The strange phenomenon alerted many martial artists with keen senses, and they rushed out from their rooms.

Lu Yuan remained indifferent, continuing to explore downward with his Mental Power.

He even felt a deliberate urge to provoke the consciousness hidden within the building.

He was genuinely curious…

Behind Mosa, the so-called “Deity of Combat and Hunting”…

What kind of power did it represent?

“Whoosh—”

When Lu Yuan’s Mental Power reached the lowest level of the building,

suddenly,

a vast, empty underground cavern appeared before him.

——

He saw a “City Without a Roof”!

It had a pyramid-like structure, and at the top of the pyramid,

stood a massive black iron Throne, with a backdrop made of countless sharp spears.

On the Throne sat a burly man, many times larger than an average person.

The man wore a black iron mask with strange patterns on his face.

He seemed to be listening to a report from someone beside him.

A massive Goat Head statue hung above the head of the man in the black iron mask.

When Lu Yuan’s Mental Power infiltrated this area,

a red light suddenly emanated from the hollow eyes of the giant Goat Head statue.

The masked man on the Throne seemed to sense something, abruptly raised his head, and roared, “Who?!”

….

“Whoosh-“

Lu Yuan retracted his Mental Power.

He calmly removed the mask from his face and, with a composed expression, used his Golden Bear access level to issue a directive to Peregrine Falcon and others to locate Lin Zhiqin.

Then he noticed some instant noodles on the snack shelf in the room.

His expression shifted slightly…

Five minutes later,

Lu Yuan stood by the window, holding a bowl of instant noodles, gazing at the distant, brilliant flower fields.

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

As he ate, he mused casually.

“Black Iron Spear Bearer…

Interesting.”