Chapter 125: The Platform of Life and Death

"Kill him, kill him!"

"He's won, he's won! It's over!"

"Very good, excellent, truly strong indeed!"

...

As Li Fusheng led Wang Changsheng toward a certain location, a wave of clamorous noise reached Wang Changsheng's ears.

"What is happening?" Wang Changsheng asked, looking puzzled.

"This is a prime spot in the outer sect of Yun-gong Peak. Many have made their fortunes here, and just as many have been reduced to poverty," Li Fusheng said mysteriously.

"Gambling?" Wang Changsheng asked immediately.

"You could say that," Li Fusheng paused, then added, "but it's much more exciting than mere gambling."

"This is a gamble for life," Li Fusheng said with a smirk.

As the two rounded a mountain pass, they immediately saw a massive platform not far ahead, surrounded by a crowd of shouting cultivators. The noise was coming from them.

Wang Changsheng saw two cultivators locked in a fierce battle on the platform. One was dressed in black martial attire, while the other was covered in blood, wearing gray robes.

"Huh? Why does he look somewhat familiar?" Li Fusheng suddenly remarked with a hint of doubt.

Li Fusheng’s cultivation base was higher than Wang Changsheng’s, allowing him to see clearly. However, because the cultivator in the gray robes was covered in blood, he could not immediately recognize him.

The two moved closer. When Wang Changsheng finally saw the two on the platform clearly, his expression shifted abruptly.

The cultivator in black was pressing the attack. He had reached the sixth level of the Pulse Opening Realm, while the cultivator in gray was only at the fifth. The gray-robed man was coughing up blood, his body covered in numerous wounds.

"What a pity. Actually, the gray-robed one has a deeper foundation. If it weren't for the lack of a magical artifact, he might have been the one to win," Li Fusheng observed from afar, his tone mocking.

"Hey, Wang Changsheng, where are you going!"

Just as Li Fusheng finished speaking, he saw Wang Changsheng bolt toward the platform.

"This is bad!" Li Fusheng cursed under his breath.

Wang Changsheng was not acting out of madness. He had recognized the gray-robed cultivator: it was Fang Qing. Despite the many years since they had last met, Wang Changsheng recognized him instantly.

Fang Qing’s aura was extremely weak. As Li Fusheng had noted, his foundation and strength were on par with those a level above him; he was only being overwhelmed because he lacked a proper weapon. The man in black was winning primarily because he wielded a sword-type magical artifact of significant power.

"Hahaha, Fang Qing, weren't you so arrogant? Come on, get up and keep fighting!" The man in black slashed, sending Fang Qing flying. Fang Qing no longer had the strength to continue.

"Cough, cough..."

Lying on the ground, Fang Qing glared at the man in black, spat out a mouthful of blood, and gasped for air.

"Kill him!"

"Hurry up! I bet on you to win, kill him already!"

"End it quickly, there's another match coming up!"

Hearing the roar from the crowd, the man in black did not hesitate and thrust his sword toward Fang Qing.

Roar!

Just as Fang Qing closed his eyes to accept his fate, a sudden, thunderous roar erupted. The man in black faltered.

Bang!

Wang Changsheng delivered a kick to the man's chest, sending him flying off the platform.

Wang Changsheng had recognized him earlier and rushed to save him, but he had been too far away. Had he not let out that roar to startle his opponent, he would have arrived too late.

"Who is that? I've never seen him before! He's got guts!"

"Get down! Get down now!"

"Call the Senior Brother! Someone is breaking the rules!"

...

Fang Qing, who had been waiting for the final blow, felt nothing. Hearing the commotion, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Wang Changsheng standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" Fang Qing asked, his face full of confusion.

He was certain he had never seen this person before, yet for some reason, the figure felt familiar. Mostly, it was because no one he knew wore their hair this short. Moreover, this was the Life-and-Death Platform of Yun-gong Peak; he believed that even his closest acquaintances wouldn't dare rush onto the stage to save him.

Seeing that the man in black was no longer in a position to fight, Wang Changsheng turned to Fang Qing and smiled faintly.

"Long time no see," Wang Changsheng said softly.

Fang Qing was stunned. "Senior... Senior Brother?"

Wang Changsheng nodded.

"Is it really you?" Fang Qing exclaimed with joy. He tried to sit up, but the movement triggered his wounds, causing him to grimace.

It was no wonder he couldn't believe it. According to his understanding, it was impossible for Wang Changsheng to have reached the Shen-tian Realm in such a short time. He knew Wang Changsheng to be a cautious person; he would never have entered the Shen-tian Realm without the strength to protect himself. And in the Cheng-tian Realm, where resources were scarce, improving one's cultivation was nearly impossible.

Most importantly, Wang Changsheng looked nothing like the man in his memories. In his memory, Wang Changsheng was old, with white hair and a white beard. The man before him was young—even younger than Fang Qing himself.

"Don't move," Wang Changsheng said immediately.

He took out a pouch of medicinal herbs he had brought from the Corpse Refining Sect. He didn't know their names or which were meant for healing.

"See which of these are useful," Wang Changsheng said.

"So many medicinal herbs?"

"Who is this guy? Where did he get so many?"

"He must be an inner sect senior..."

The crowd had been clamoring for Wang Changsheng to be punished for interrupting the match, but as they saw him produce the herbs, they fell into a stunned silence. They were not fools. As outer sect disciples of Yun-gong Peak, they knew that anyone capable of producing such a wealth of medicine was likely an inner sect disciple.

The divide between outer and inner sect disciples was vast. Even those with higher cultivation than Wang Changsheng dared not offend an inner sect disciple.

"Wang Changsheng, let's go!" Li Fusheng rushed onto the platform.

"What's wrong?" Wang Changsheng asked.

"This is the Life-and-Death Platform. You've broken the rules; the consequences are severe," Li Fusheng warned.

Fang Qing’s expression changed, his joy vanishing. He knew that Yun-gong Peak would never accept Wang Changsheng into their fold—that was why Cailing had rejected him back in the Cheng-tian Realm.

"Senior Brother, you must leave!" Fang Qing realized the danger. "This platform may be for outer sect disciples, but it is under the jurisdiction of an inner sect senior!"

"Once you step onto this platform, it's life or death!" Li Fusheng added grimly. "Hurry!"

Wang Changsheng nodded and helped Fang Qing up.

"Don't let them leave!"

"The match isn't decided yet!"

"Stop them! They don't look like inner sect disciples!"

The crowd realized the truth: these men were not inner sect disciples of Yun-gong Peak. With that realization, the fear vanished, and they swarmed forward.

Wang Changsheng’s face darkened as he felt the pressure of the surrounding crowd.

"Want to leave?"

Just as Wang Changsheng prepared to break through with Li Fusheng, a cold, sharp voice cut through the air. Several figures descended from the sky and landed on the platform, standing not far from them.

The newcomers radiated a powerful aura—an aura Wang Changsheng recognized well: a Core Formation expert.

"Who are you?" The leader looked at Wang Changsheng and Li Fusheng. "Are you inner sect disciples? Which peak are you from?"

Wang Changsheng and Li Fusheng remained silent.

"Regardless, you are certainly not outer sect disciples of Yun-gong Peak!" the man continued. "I have been tasked by Senior Sister Cailing to oversee the outer sect, and I have never seen you before."