Chapter 276: They Are Using Human Lives for Entertainment

The sight of King Xian’s arrival sent a jolt of excitement through the crowd.

And King Xian did not disappoint. Standing on the high platform, he offered a few words of welcome to the assembled heroes before ordering his men to prepare the tiger.

The steward in charge of the event then stepped forward and asked, "Which valiant hero would like to be the first to show us how it’s done?"

The noisy arena fell silent in an instant. A moment later, a low murmur of discussion rippled through the quiet.

It was a joke. As if they didn’t know their own capabilities.

Of course, they all boasted about their incredible prowess to others, but now was not the time for empty talk.

That was a powerfully built, full-grown tiger radiating a murderous aura.

Without the skill to kill it, going down there meant serving oneself up as a meal.

Though they called themselves heroes, they had to admit they weren’t yet able to disregard life and death.

Of course, while some valued their lives, there were also those with the skill and daring to truly take on the challenge.

"I’ll go!"

THUD! Two iron hammers were tossed into the fighting pit below, followed by a mountain of a man leaping down after them.

He cupped his fists in King Xian’s direction. "Ping Shan Zhao Lao Liu. I ask the Prince to watch me closely."

King Xian watched with a faint smile, and the steward praised, "Excellent! A true warrior. How admirable."

He then raised his hand. "Release it!"

CLANG! The iron cage was opened.

"ROAR!"

The tiger let out a thunderous roar before sauntering out of the iron cage.

Its pace was slow, but its killing intent was palpable.

Zhao the Sixth, relying on his immense strength, showed no fear of the tiger. Instead, he hefted his iron hammers and slowly closed in, intending to strike first.

"ROAR!"

The instant Zhao the Sixth swung his hammer, the tiger lunged.

Just as his hammer was about to connect, the tiger suddenly pivoted on its paws and sprang back.

"CRASH!"

The hammer crashed heavily onto the ground as the agile tiger leaped back into position.

"AAGH!"

The tiger’s jaws clamped down on Zhao the Sixth’s arm, and he screamed in agony. He tried to counterattack with his other hammer, but a swipe from the tiger’s claws tore open his chest.

"Agh! Help me! AGH!"

Zhao the Sixth was strong but clumsy, while the tiger, though massive, was nimble and swift. This was never a simple contest of strength. The outcome had been decided the moment he stepped into the pit.

Zhao the Sixth howled as blood and chunks of flesh flew through the air.

The onlookers couldn’t bear to watch the gruesome, terrifying scene, but no one dared to step forward and help.

In the end, Zhao the Sixth was mauled to death.

His massive body lay on the ground, his chest torn open, his eyes wide with terror even in death.

The sheer brutality of the scene horrified everyone in the crowd.

Those who knew Zhao the Sixth were particularly struck, their eyes turning red. One of them impulsively tried to rush forward to avenge his friend, but was held back.

"You can’t even beat me. You want to go down there and die with him?"

While some reddened their eyes in grief for Zhao the Sixth and others were scared out of their wits by the spectacle, the steward of Prince Xian Mansion merely offered a feigned sentiment: "Such a pity for this brave warrior. I implore you heroes, please be mindful of your own limits."

Blood was terrifying, but it also sent adrenaline surging through their veins.

"I’ll go!"

Another man, weapon in hand, leaped down. This one was smarter; he didn’t charge the tiger head-on but circled it, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Xiao Li took one look and knew he wouldn’t succeed. ’Another one feeding himself to the tiger.’

She raised her binoculars to the high platform and noticed several new seats beside King Xian, all occupied. Judging by their attire, they were not people of Longsheng.

They hadn’t arrived with King Xian, clearly wishing to avoid notice. But they didn’t want to miss such a spectacular duel, so they had slipped in quietly while everyone’s attention was on the pit below.

Xiao Li didn’t recognize any of them. However, one person sat closest to King Xian, his face hidden by a mask. Based on his aura, Xiao Li felt she should know who he was.

While Xiao Li was observing them, another man died in the pit.

The last man was barely cold before the next challenger jumped down. No one was shocked or saddened by the deaths anymore; they were all consumed by a feverish excitement for the ongoing battle.

"Go! Go on! Kill it, hit its legs!"

"It’s pouncing, run, run...!"

In the end, that man also failed to defeat the tiger. It pinned him with a single pounce and snapped his neck.

"Sigh. We all told him to go for the legs. What an idiot."

"If he hadn’t run and just fought, maybe he would have had a chance to win."

No one cared that a life had been lost. As if it were a game, they began to analyze the mistakes of the previous "round."

Some of the more cunning spectators even started a betting pool. As soon as a new challenger entered the pit, they would call out to those around them to place their bets, whipping everyone into an even greater frenzy. They were completely indifferent to the fact that these were living people dying before them.

Ziyue clenched his fists, his voice tight with anger. "Sister, they’re treating human lives as entertainment."

Witnessing a man get mauled to death in front of everyone, their initial shock gave way to a more ferocious, bloodthirsty passion.

They would feign pity while simultaneously egging on the next challenger.

As soon as someone jumped in, they would place their bets and their excitement would flare up once more.

It wasn’t that Ziyue had never seen death—he’d seen plenty. But those deaths had been in service to a cause, in battles that couldn’t be avoided. This was different. This was using human life as a blood sport.

Xiao Li glanced down, her expression cold. "No one is forcing them. They’re jumping in of their own accord, overestimating their own abilities."

’If they know they can’t beat the tiger but jump in anyway just to show off, they deserve to die.’

’As for these desensitized spectators... well, that’s just human nature.’

"ROAR!"

"AAGH!!"

Two more men leaped into the fighting pit.

This violated the rules stated on the Heroic Invitation, but no one moved to stop them.

The two joined forces, one drawing the tiger’s attention while the other prepared to attack.

But flashy tactics are useless in the face of absolute power.

The tiger dispatched the man acting as a distraction in a couple of moves, then turned and killed the attacker with a single bite.

Less than an hour had passed since it began, and already ten corpses littered the ground.

The crowd’s fervor was at its peak, but a seed of fear had also taken root.

Having killed so many, the tiger’s eyes were bloodshot and filled with a ravenous hunger.

Anyone who went down now would die even more quickly.

Seeing the crowd’s hesitation, the steward’s smile widened. "Are there any more warriors willing to try their luck?"

This time, no one responded for a long while.

"It’s him!"

Ziyue’s sharp eyes spotted a figure in black walking toward the center. "That man is going to go down."

No sooner had Ziyue spoken than the Lone Ranger leaped into the pit.

Seeing this, the steward from Prince Xian Mansion smiled. "Would this brave warrior care to announce his name?"

The air fell silent for a moment before a cold, deep voice answered, "Nameless."

The steward was dissatisfied with this answer. But just as he was about to press further, the man kicked a sword—left behind by a previous fighter—from the ground into his hand and launched himself at the tiger.