Chapter 673: Lecherous Youth

Tianluo Field, Nanxia Street, Xicheng District.

From the second dark alley at the end of the street, turning in and passing through the barrier gate guarded by just two people, a completely different world suddenly unfolded.

A massive underground arena capable of holding ten thousand spectators was filled to capacity.

This was the wild revelry of the refiners!

Burly, muscular men in the spectator seats roared at the top of their lungs at the fights in the arena, cheering on the competitors they had bet on and shouting their approval.

Here, they could forget their usual difficult lives and the deadly dangers that low-level refiners faced when entering Ling Mountain or the forbidden areas in the royal city.

Some held wine, others clutched betting slips, needing to worry about nothing except cheering for the blood, hyping up the battles, and roaring for everything they had wagered.

If they were disappointed or angry with a fighter, they could instantly shed their spectator role, jump into the arena, and become savage beasts, venting their inner rage through pure combat.

Life and death held no significance here.

In the arena, ten thousand fighters vied for a single spot.

Even second place could quickly turn into a cooling corpse.

“Roar!!!”

“Kill him, finish him off! I bet ten thousand spirit crystals on you—what the hell, how can you let him go?!”

“Don't kick him off the platform—finish him! He stabbed you in the back earlier, have you forgotten?!”

“You idiot! Two guys took you out that fast? How dare you even step into the ring? You died way too quickly—wish I had run into you sooner, I'd smash your skull with my elbows!”

“Go for it, little girl! Blow them all away—this is awesome! Who knew wood attributes could be used like that? Boom, boom, boom—blow it all up! Yeah, just like that, even more vicious… Oh, man, that's exhilarating!”

“Good heavens, where did this violent little loli come from? She's about to flip Xicheng District upside down… Damn, she won!”

“Hell, out of two thousand fighters, that violent little loli from Xicheng must have blasted half of them away!”

The crowd in the seats screamed wildly, their eyes darting frantically across the arena, which was divided into five zones by iron barriers, scanning for standout competitors.

The betting never stopped.

Right up until the champion was decided, everyone could use the special spirit tools to place wild bets on their favorite fighter.

“Into the final round!”

With the booming sound of iron barriers rising, the platform rumbled and sank, shrinking the arena by nearly half, forcing the remaining fighters to crowd toward the center.

“The barriers in all five zones are opening—everyone into the central area, time for another massive brawl… Place your bets! I'm going with that girl!”

“I'm betting on Zhao Fang—he was third last time, and nothing's stopping him now. He's got this win in the bag.”

“Zhao Fang's nothing—from the east zone, he's already exhausted like a dog…”

“That's tactics! What the hell do you know?”

“Say that again—who are you calling nothing?”

“I said you don't know shit…”

“I'll shove it up your ass, you dog-legged bastard—get lost!”

“Received fright, passive value, 1.”

The moment Xu Xiaoshou stepped into Tianluo Field, he was thoroughly startled.

Although the resting area was separated by a barrier, his "perception" ignored it entirely, extending straight to the deepest part of the arena.

The waves of noise there surged like crashing tides, even making the void tremble slightly—it was overwhelmingly loud.

Those red-eyed individuals grew even more uncontrollable as the battles intensified, howling like madmen.

“Are these even humans?”

It was Xu Xiaoshou's first time witnessing such creatures, and he could hardly believe it.

Apart from looking vaguely human, what about them suggested they were people at all?

With that kind of savagery, even wolves or tigers in the wilderness would be taken aback!

“Xu Shao?”

Xiao Lian paused ahead and turned back to call out.

The Tianluo Field staff seemed to know her, speaking politely, but even though they were close, the noise from his "perception" drowned out their words, so Xu Xiaoshou couldn't make out what they were saying.

“Xiao Wanfeng.”

Xin Gugu glanced back.

Xiao Wanfeng got the cue and nudged Xu Xiaoshou with the tea tray in his hand. “Xu Shao, let's head forward.”

“Oh, okay.”

Xu Xiaoshou pulled his focus back, his heart already starting to race.

Excited? Absolutely!

Once he stepped into the ring, they'd have to cheer for him just as loudly—the loudest ones would get a big reward!

Regaining his composure, he looked ahead.

The resting area was basically just a ring of corridors around the audience seats, separated by barriers.

At most, there were scattered tables and chairs along the circular corridor.

But most of those were being used as footholds to watch the fights in the arena.

Those who couldn't snag a spot were floating in midair—clearly innate experts who didn't need furniture to see the action.

Besides scouting their upcoming opponents, many fighters in the corridor were warming up.

Some sat cross-legged, focusing solely on regulating their state, while others sharpened their weapons, mentally rehearsing kill techniques.

Everyone was absorbed in their own world. Even with Xu Xiaoshou entering with a throne and Xiao Lian, a stunning beauty, at his side, it only drew a few brief glances before everything returned to normal.

“Is this place always this shabby?”

As he walked up to Xiao Lian and the attendant, Xu Xiaoshou reached out and took the teapot from Xiao Wanfeng's tray. While sizing up the attendant, he tilted his head back and took a sip.

It wasn't just the men who were uninhibited here—even when excited, they might strip off their clothes.

The same went for the attendants… In Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, they might as well not be wearing anything.

A black lace crop top with holes, paired with a super-short skirt barely a few fingers wide… That was it!

Xu Xiaoshou really wanted to act like a proper gentleman and pay more attention to these otherworldly young women's striking outfits, maybe even spot some business opportunities.

But astonishingly, there was nothing more to see!

In this world, what he'd mostly encountered were humanitarian principles and refiner rules. Even in battles, opponents were usually polite and well-dressed.

This kind of ultra-modern, realistic art was a first for him.

It was too artistic!

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but steal a few more glances…

Under the dim corridor lights, all he saw before him was alluring black fabric, with only the impressive curves peeking from the edges of the crop top.

It felt incredibly hot in here.

Tiny beads of sweat glistened under the lights, trickling down the attendant's midriff before being swallowed up by the black mini-skirt.

When they reappeared, it was along a pair of smooth, straight, and full-figured legs.

“Gulp.”

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed his tea and placed the cup back on Xiao Wanfeng's slightly tilted tray, realizing it might slip off, so he picked it up again for another sip. He forced it down with effort, then set it down firmly and snapped at the dazed Xin Gugu and Xiao Wanfeng, “What are you staring at? So rude!”

“Heh, men.” Xiao Lian scoffed.

From the way these three had nodded and eyed everything up and down earlier, she'd already lumped them into the same category.

What's the point of waking up early if your true nature is still just as lecherous?

“Are the attendants here all this beautiful?” Xu Xiaoshou asked Xiao Lian.

By now, he could clearly see the face of the woman who'd seemed headless before—bright eyes, pearly teeth, and utterly charming.

An angelic face paired with a devilish figure… Turns out, the head he hadn't noticed was just swallowed by the darkness.

Her figure was graceful and curvaceous, and her looks were just as stunning. Tianluo Field really knew how to capture a man's heart… Xu Xiaoshou silently gave them a thumbs-up in his mind. He was suddenly loving this place's intensity.

Men should fight to the death in the arena!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't bother lowering his voice, and the attendant clearly heard him. After a brief pause, she smiled and said, “Let's talk in the private room—it's too crowded here.”

With that, she turned and strode off, her long legs drawing glances from nearly everyone in the corridor.

In Xiao Lian's peripheral vision, the three men simultaneously tilted their heads down then up. Xiao Wanfeng raised the tea tray to his neck, Xu Shao quietly took another cup, gulping it down, while the subordinate Xin Gugu said, “Xiao Wanfeng, get me a pot of tea too—it's way too hot here…”

“What a bunch!” Xiao Lian rolled her eyes skyward.

The corridor was long.

Not many noticed Xu Xiaoshou and his group, but as the lead attendant passed, almost everyone turned to look.

It seemed even the regulars here didn't see her often.

Several other attendants passed by, bowing politely—clearly not for Xu Shao.

Their outfits were eye-catching, and their faces attractive, but none matched the level of beauty of the woman leading them.

By now, Xu Xiaoshou sensed something was off. He looked at Xiao Lian with a questioning expression.

Xiao Lian had wanted to let Xu Shao embarrass himself a bit more, but seeing his look, she explained, “That's Yao Yue, one of the main managers of Tianluo Field. She's also my friend.”

“Normally, she doesn't show up in places like this, but I told her I was bringing an important guest, so she came out to meet us.”

“And here…” She gestured to the corridor. “This is just the resting area for ordinary fighters. People with real influence stay in the private rooms.”

“Now, we're heading through here to the VIP private room Yao Yue prepared for us, where we'll handle the entry procedures.”

“Uh…” Xu Xiaoshou felt awkward. “So, she's not an attendant?”

Xiao Lian shrugged and chuckled. “If you insist on thinking that way, it's not entirely wrong. After all, since I said we had a major guest, she's here to ‘attend’ to you.”

The emphasis on “attend” made Xu Xiaoshou's face flush with embarrassment.

He fell silent, reaching back to take the cup from Xiao Wanfeng's tray and sipping again.

Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier? Enjoying the show, huh?

They entered the private room.

A cool breeze hit them as the door closed, blocking out the outside noise and heat.

The room had luxurious furnishings and a large transparent window overlooking the entire arena.

“Xu Shao!”

Xin Gugu suddenly pointed at the screen, where a twin-tailed little loli was darting around under the cover of ancient trees, dominating the field. He looked surprised.

“Yeah, I see it.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded—he'd spotted her ages ago. That was his junior sister.

It turned out that Mo Mo and Mu Zixi had gone out early that morning and ended up here for the competition instead of shopping.

Mu Zixi was still in the fight, but Mo Mo wasn't.

Xu Xiaoshou figured the latter had probably already finished and secured her spot.

For Mo Mo, that should've been easy. Her only concern was winning the championship while hiding her sealed attributes to avoid detection.

But Mo Mo was level-headed, so he didn't need to worry about that.

As for Mu Zixi…

Xu Xiaoshou watched his junior sister struggling a bit in the final round and couldn't help but smile.

She'd been going all out in Xicheng District earlier, but now she was running out of steam.

Plus, she wasn't at the innate peak level, so facing so many opponents, she'd likely lose this round unless something unexpected happened.

“Xu Shao, right?”

After Yao Yue sat down and poured drinks for everyone, seeing they were all fixated on the window, she spoke up.

“Yao Yue girl.”

Xu Xiaoshou turned and quickly cupped his fists. “I apologize for the rudeness earlier—my subordinates called you an ‘attendant’ the moment we arrived, leading to that disrespectful talk. Please forgive us. I'll punish them for not recognizing your stature when we get back!”

He shot a fierce glare at Xin Gugu, then added with admiration, “I knew right away that someone as extraordinary as Yao Yue girl must be a celestial being descended to earth. How could you be just an ordinary ‘attendant’?”

The scapegoated Xin Gugu: ???

His lips moved, but he was speechless.

“Received curse, passive value, 1.”

Yao Yue smiled charmingly, her red lips parting slightly. “It's nothing, just a trivial matter. I heard from Xiao Lian that Xu Shao wants to enter the ‘Tianluo Zhan’?”

“Yes.” Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

Tianluo Zhan was the intense battle raging in Tianluo Field right now.

Ten matches a day, with ten thousand fighters competing.

Only the champion of each could earn a spot in the royal city trials.

“What's your cultivation level, Xu Shao?” Yao Yue asked, unable to discern his realm.

“Innate.” Xu Xiaoshou stepped forward and sat down with Xiao Lian.

Xiao Wanfeng instinctively moved to stand behind a chair, tea tray in hand.

“Sit down!”

Xin Gugu patted the sofa. “What are you standing there for? There's plenty of room.”

“Uh, is that okay?”

Xiao Wanfeng looked to Xu Xiaoshou, well aware of his role as a mere servant.

“Received inquiry, passive value, 1.”

“Sit.”

Xu Xiaoshou patted the sofa beside him—by his side, there was no distinction between master and servant.

Yao Yue and Xiao Lian glanced at the casually seated Xin Gugu, then at the hesitant Xiao Wanfeng, exchanging looks of surprise.

They could tell these two were subordinates.

For most people, subordinates would be lucky to stand during their master's conversation.

Yet this Xu Shao's innate subordinate was being overly casual.

Not only had he sat down himself, but he had also invited the other attendant to join before Xu Shao said a word?

Were all semi-saint families this lax with rules?

Or had this Xu Shao reached a level of approachability that extreme?

“There's something to him…” Yao Yue couldn't help but reassess the lecherous young man opposite her.