Sun Disc Platform.

  Grand Elder Jia humbly stepped forward to the front edge of the golden disk, spreading his arms wide to greet the audience.

  “The sun rises to welcome another day, casting its gaze upon all those ready to bathe in glory!”

  “Today, fortune smiles upon us, for His Majesty graces us with his honorable presence. Under his all-seeing light, every drop of blood spilled shall bring you glory like never before!”

  “Triumph, and be blessed by the sun! Triumph, and rise like the sun! Triumph for the glory of the sun!”

  “For the glory of the sun! For the glory of the sun! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo...”

  Like an infectious wave, cheers spread through the sea of spectators all over the coliseum.

  The Grand Elder smiled patiently and waited until the fervor died out.

  “Hmm. I am sure everyone can’t wait to witness wolves, tigers, and dragons shed blood. But before we begin...”

  “Let us make clear some of the minor changes in the rules... Elder Feng Lupeng, please do the honors.”

  The grand elder returning to his seats got a nod from the veiled lady in black who stepped forward.

  What followed was a monotonous broadcast from a voice aged like fine wine.

  “Since all warriors now stand on equal grounds, certain restrictions have been lifted. The following contrabands are no longer prohibited: bows, spears, crossbows…”

  Listening to the list being read off, Bubai wasn’t too surprised.

  The previous restrictions in equipment wasn’t only to balance the playing field, but also to prevent certain noobs from using powerful external aid to jump ranks.

  But now? With all competitors being inner disciples, it was all a matter of who has better means.

  Yet, such a rule actually still has some underlying favoritism.

  Not far from him, the honest-faced man shook his head.

  “Eh, they’re quite lax with that list like always. But let’s be honest, how many can actually get their hands on those restricted weapons and pills?”

  “Ou, Fourth Brother, you can’t say it like that. Sure, the big five hoard most of those craftsmen, but… who knows how much of their handiwork have flowed out in the dark?”

  “Xiao Ba is right. The right price makes everything possible, oh.”

  The two younger brothers exchanged knowing grins.

  Then, Qian Bage clapped his buddy on the shoulder.

  “Brother Bai, best to be careful. Even with that tough physique of yours, if you get turned into a sieve by arrows, it won’t feel great.”

  “Noted.” Bubai showed a solemn face that leaked nothing, but he was inwardly amused.

  Hey, that’s exactly why he brought his own pew pew! Long live the brotherhood! Ahem.

  Some things live long, but the no-longer-banned list wasn’t one of them. That soon drew to a close.

  “...Corpse Dissolving Liquid, and Blood Sage Explosion Pills. Any use of forbidden items not mentioned will be subjected to judgment from the Sun.”

  A pause, then the firm yet still indifferent voice continued like a stone tablet reciting its own inscription.

  “Now a reminder regarding the challenge rules for all disciples...”

  “No disciple can reject a challenge from another of the same rank. Consecutive challenges can be postponed for up to an hour or the duration of another fight, depending which is longer.”

  “Any challengers who fails to show up on stage within that time will be deemed to have lost unless a substitute can take their place...”

  This rule made Bubai’s eyes flash with interest. So simple, yet so much gold content hidden within.

  A no-show means a loss. That much was simple.

  But for cultivators, sometimes seclusion can easily make them lose track of time!

  It was totally reasonable that a substitute can be arranged to fight on their behalf, but…

  Bubai was sure this deliberate rule was meant for more than mere “do not disturb” convenience!

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  Never forget. The way of cultivators revolves around interests and benefits.

  Rules were established by the strong, but their purpose still can’t avoid these two terms.

  Every sect always has its share of the rich that have poor strength and the poor that were willing to bet their lives on their strength.

  When the price was right, any warrior can become a sellsword and blood will spill until the arena becomes a river of red!

  Most importantly, if there were enough interests involved, even the powerful factions will step down to join the fight!

  This wasn’t just a tournament—it was a grand festival of bloodshed driven by interests!

  In this sort of game, the floodgates for alliances were open, power plays run rampant, and the favored winners were always those powerful interest groups or those who band together!

  Going solo? That won’t end well unless you stay completely under the radar.

  Unfortunately for him, he is obviously in the limelight. He can’t hide. Even if he wanted to.

  That’s why he’s always making “friends” and finding allies, just to prepare for the worst.

  At his side, Qian Bage suddenly slung a hand over his shoulder, grinning like a merchant smelling a good deal.

  “Ouu, Brother Bai, are you thinking about looking for a substitute? Look no further! They might not look like it, but all my brothers should have no problems swatting off a fly or two.”

  Bubai’s gaze flicked over to the smiling faces lining up by his side.

  There’s no doubt about their strength. How can wolves that survived the recent secret realm’s ruthless culling be weak?

  Honestly, this was exactly the type of protection he was looking for! But…

  Every powerful fighter has demands, and even if he paid the price, a win wasn’t guaranteed.

  The real catch? Once a substitute lost, the consequences must be borne solely by the challenged!

  Even worse news? It’s hard to tell which hired hand will throw a fight to split profits!

  It’s not that he didn’t trust others, but trust... really was a slippery thing.

  Unless there was really no other choice, it’s always safer to rely on himself!

  Otherwise, he would’ve tightly hugged the beefy thigh of that Jia Shizi from the get-go instead of playing hard-to-get.

  The same logic applies here. So, he only returned a small, polite nod.

  “Much appreciated, but there’s no need to trouble everyone.”

  Honest-faced Qian Zhongta heartily thumped his chest. “Trouble? What trouble? Since Xiao Ba treats you like a brother, I, Lao Si, won’t stand idly by if you ever need help!”

  The taciturn Qian Fusha also spoke up in support.

  “Right. Brother Bai, there’s no need to be polite. Chopsticks hold firmer when bundled together.”

  “Yea, yeah! Listen to Lao Er! Everyone has a time when they tire out. Don’t act tough only to end up as a pile of bones!”

  Bubai dryly smiled. “Bubai appreciates everyone’s kindness, truly. But I’ve already brought my own help...”

  He lightly patted the hand of the crimson-haired servant who was begrudgingly massaging his shoulders from behind.

  “Tch.” Miss Hong scoffed. But after flicking aside her stray bang, she casually released a pulse of her spiritual pressure.

  Sensing the show of force from the early-stage foundation realm bodyguard, the brothers exchanged quick glances.

  Just from this demonstration, it was quite clear the status of this young man in those elders’ heart wasn’t low!

  Xiao Ba was right. A big Buddha indeed!

  Getting that look from his brothers, Qian Bage sported an easy grin and poured some wine for his chummy buddy then raised his own to toast.

  “Ouuu, Brother Bai has his own ideas. Understandable. Understandable! We won’t push it. All Bage hopes is that brother won’t treat us as outsiders when the time comes!”

  Bubai got the hint and toasted back. “Of course, of course. A gentlemen will never turn his back on his brothers.”

  “Well said! Well said, brother!” “Good! Hahaha!”

  “Come, drink!”

  The brothers exchanged smiles. As long as the point got across, there’s no need for too many words.

  The same applies to the rules.

  “…maximum battle time is raised to a single shichen. Failure to decide a winner will result in a draw. That is all.”

  Just like that, the announcement wrapped up.

  Watching the classy lady in black striding back to her throne, Bubai rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

  A lot of restrictions got relaxed, but there were still plenty in place.

  “It seems… the flight ban is still there, huh?”

  Qian Zhongta nodded. “It almost always is. They say it’s to even out the playing field, but funny thing is… flying doesn’t even guarantee a win.”

  Qian Feifu shrugged.

  “Blame those resource hoggers who once abused their flight magic tools to stall a fight and force draws…”

  “Oi. You know how those muscleheads are. They can’t tolerate those cowards who run without putting up a fight.”

  “It’s fine if you can drag a match to a draw due to grounded reasons like skills or pills. But those hiding in the air like those self-important hypocrites on swords? That’s really just an eyesore, to almost everyone.”

  Qian Bage’s face soured when he thought of his own flying carpet.

  “Ouu, in real combat, who cares so much for what means are used! But too bad, too bad. This whole stage is about… how did they put it? Ou, right. Promoting growth in the sect.”

  Bubai arched a brow. “Growth?”

  The stern-faced Qian Fusha hummed solemnly.

  “There’s always an unsolvable rift between the rich and poor. To the powerful, this divide doesn’t matter much…”

  “But for a sect to grow, there ought to be some fairness to let the lower ranks feel a sense of belonging.”

  Sense of belonging? Bubai blinked. “Why not just wear uniforms?”

  Silence. All the brothers looked at him like he’d just said the dumbest thing in the world.

  Qian Bage patted his shoulder again. “Ouu, Brother Bai... think about it. Why wear uniforms like those face-hungry hypocrites? Want to get recognized when you do bad things?”

  Bubai’s lips twitched. Right… that actually made so much sense.

  It’s just that he always imagined demonic sect disciples wearing their banner of infamy like they do in novels and the likes.

  Guess that doesn’t apply here.

  Just like how certain sect tournaments clichés didn’t fully apply here...

  Outside the window, Grand Elder Jia commanded all disciple’s attention with his presence once more.

  “The next few days and nights will let you all witness the rise and fall of our Sun Furnace Sect’s future! As for the rewards...?”

  The Grand Elder’s usually kind face twisted into something more wicked and his devilish whisper somehow carried across the vast arena.

  “I’m sure everyone is aware of where your rewards will come from.”

  Bubai’s stomach sunk. Oh yes, he knew. They all knew.

  Unlike traditional competitions, this sect didn’t pass out congratulatory prizes for rankings.

  Then where did the chicken dinner come from?

  Oh, there were already plenty of breadcrumbs scattered along the way. All roads led to a single answer.

  Everything came from the only source that mattered in every battle: the opponent.

  That was why this Inner Sect tournament had another, far more fitting name.

  Legal Plundering Days.