Ruan Xing's first opponent was a lizardman.

He had a lizard's head but a human body with greenish skin.

The creature had watched all of Ruan Xing's previous matches and sneered, "I don't know what kind of tricks you used, but against us residents, that stuff is useless. Only weak humans would lose that easily. I—"

He never finished his sentence. A sharp pain spread across his skin like tiny blades slicing him open. Then, blood spurted out, and half of his arm fell to the ground.

The lizardman's face looked confused. What just happened? How did his arm end up on the floor?

The searing pain came a moment later. He started writhing on the ground as he broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't even used his power yet!

"Villains die because they talk too much," said the man across from him, sounding like he was just taking out the trash.

Pain flared in the lizardman's neck. He felt like he was suffocating, and before he could even beg for mercy, the reptilian head dropped to the floor.

Throughout the fight, that young man didn't even move.

In fact, it was even easier than beating the humans earlier. Some of the residents began to realize that none of the humans in the previous round had died. They were either knocked off the platform or had surrendered on their own.

Protecting human lives was actually more difficult than just killing a pollutant.

He wasn't going all out before.

As soon as that thought hit them, many residents' expressions changed.

A human who could easily kill one of them but chose to spare humans instead, that favoritism was obvious.

A shadow crept across the hearts of the residents.

That person eight years ago had been the same.

And what happened then? The Holy City had faced a once-in-a-decade uprising.

Would history repeat itself?

Qian Hua stood in the arena, staring at that figure while a bit puzzled. That fighting style… he felt like he had seen it somewhere before.

Kemov frowned as he looked at Ruan Xing. "Where did you find this guy? He's terrifyingly strong. Even among ability users, few can fight that easily."

Lloyd's face looked almost fanatical. If his eyes could shoot fire, the arena would be a volcano by now.

"Kemov, you are just jealous! Your luck is not as good as mine. So what if you have spatial powers? Only strong alliances make us stronger!"

Lloyd clutched his chest and had a lovestruck look on his face. "Oh my god. When he clears the fourth-tier challenge, I am definitely proposing again!"

Kemov had never seen Lloyd like this. He was already borderline deranged. "Are you under some sort of spell?"

Lloyd's expression turned serious. His red eyes gleamed with madness. "No, I have simply found faith."

None of the other challengers on the field could fight like that long-haired human. Facing challengers was like slaughtering chickens and pigs.

And they, the residents, were the chickens. The execution blade was already aimed at their necks.

The arena was dead silent.

Ruan Xing's clothes were stained with blood. His pale face was dotted with bright red splatters. The fallen limbs around him formed his backdrop.

That sea of red was his battle record. He walked across the battlefield as if he were strolling through a slaughterhouse.

He was the butcher, and the challengers were livestock.

An invisible pressure spread across the arena.

No human wanted to be someone else's property. To live forever in hell, to lose family, lovers, even freedom. To rely on anti-pollution medicine just to survive.

The humiliation, the beatings, and the ever-present pollution not only wore down the mind but also required living with constant side effects. This was the norm of the Holy City, the fate of the humans here.

But what if someone could break that fate?

Many collared humans looked at the long-haired man below with eyes full of awe, excitement, worship, and longing.

If someone like him could break the curse of the Holy City like the man eight years ago, could it bring an unexpected hope for those still struggling in hell?

The residents noticed the abnormal behavior of the pets. While angry, they were also terrified. Just this show of strength was enough to stir rebellion in the deeply submissive pets. If a human challenged all the way to Tier Four, could the city still be controlled?

Jealousy, fear, and dread began spreading among the residents, stirring unrest in the arena.

Chen Qiang watched another pollutant fall into Ruan Xing's hands. A strange feeling welled up in his chest.

Who was this powerful and beautiful person? Was he an undercover agent from the Investigation Corps?

No, even the Investigation Corps wouldn't send someone alone. Only Fu Zhi might dare do that, but nobody here knew this man.

If someone could easily kill pollutants like this, then maybe those pollutants controlling them could be killed too?

Finally, Chen Qiang could not hold back and shouted, "You can do it!"

His voice rang out like a battle cry amid the commotion. Several other collared humans also began shouting at the figure below.

"You can do it!"

"Kill them!"

"Keep going!"

The voices were scattered but sharp. Most were from dark-haired outsiders. Their eyes still burned with hope and ambition.

Eight Hands looked at Chen Qiang in shock. He noticed the hostility from nearby residents and tugged nervously on his collar. Then, with a surge of current, he shocked Chen Qiang's body.

The bulky mercenary grunted in pain but clenched his teeth and forced out the words, "You cannot control me."

Eight Hands grew angrier and increased the voltage, causing Chen Qiang to collapse in agony.

Around the arena, residents started to restrain their pets. The cheers faded, but the energy in the air had already begun to shift.

Chen Qiang, drenched in sweat, veins popping, stared at Ruan Xing through the pain and silently mouthed, "You can do it."

Though a bit exhausted, Ruan Xing had noticed the shift in the crowd. Many dark-haired humans in collars were cheering for him.

Fu Gui muttered in his mind: [Those black-haired ones are from outside the base. They have high hopes for you. The white-haired local residents don't seem to have much fight in them.]

Ruan Xing flexed his wrist: [If you're raised as a pet bird since birth, then you'll believe you're a pet bird. Even if your body is human, your soul is still that of a bird. You will not wear clothes. You will eat millet. You will chirp to please your master. The white-haired locals are probably like that. They think it's natural and don't understand why outsiders behave differently.]

Fu Gui coughed dramatically in his mind: [That analogy… is vicious.]

A new challenger died before Ruan Xing.

Suddenly, a scream came from the stands. Someone cried and shouted over the fallen body.

Ruan Xing looked up. It was a white-haired human with a collar, weeping for her dead master. Her pale eyes shimmered with tears.

When a pet's owner died, the pet was returned to the recycling center to be auctioned again at an even lower price.

But Ruan Xing could tell that this one was genuinely grieving the death of the pollutant.

He looked away: [What I'm really curious about is, if there are residents already in the city, why not just turn them into pollutants or let them join the tournament? Why risk bringing outsiders in? It seems dangerous and pointless.]

Fu Gui, finally recovering, replied: [Maybe there is some reason we can't think of.]

Ruan Xing agreed.

Twenty pollutants had fallen. The arena fell into silence. Even the minor host didn't know what face to make anymore.

If this were not someone Lloyd had personally brought in, they would have thought it was history repeating itself. That man had wiped the floor with all of them!

Ruan Xing looked at the host. His gaze still carried the chill of a killer, making the host shiver.

"C-Congratulations to our No. 1 contestant for clearing the challenge!" he stammered.

But no one applauded. The arena was deathly quiet.

A resident shouted, "Humans, get out of the tournament!" Clearly afraid of Ruan Xing now.

Ruan Xing turned and looked at him. The man instantly went quiet like a chicken, probably having spent all his courage on that one outburst.

Ruan Xing asked the host, "May I begin the next challenge now?"

Two more, and he could enter the Holy Land.

Just then, the host's earpiece buzzed. He paused to listen, then nodded.

"Alright, looks like we have a dark horse this year! A contestant this strong cannot be handled with normal rules. We just received a special invitation. If our contestant can survive thirty minutes against a high-tier challenger, he will be allowed to enter the Holy Land directly and can skip the rest of the challenges!"

The announcement caused another uproar.

Of the high-tier challengers present, only Kemov and Lloyd qualified.

And since Lloyd was the "owner," that left only Kemov.

Ruan Xing looked at the man stepping onto the field again. He wore a short top that showed off his tanned chest and grinned at him. "Hey, little guy, we meet again."

Fu Gui peeked from Ruan Xing's pocket: [A-class pollutant. Same level as that rabbit before. Gonna be tricky.]

The mycelium was already on alert.

Lloyd shouted from the stands, "If you lay a finger on him, I will kill you!"

Kemov ignored him and licked his lips, eyes locked on Ruan Xing. "I can go easy on you. After the match, how about becoming my bedmate? Don't stick with a romantic fool like Lloyd. He cannot satisfy you. Someone like you… is meant to be wrecked—"

Before he could finish, a black arrow slammed into the stone platform, corroding it with a sizzling hiss.

Kemov looked at the melting stone and chuckled. "So touchy. I'll take that as a yes."

Lloyd watched in panic from the sidelines, unable to intervene.

Just then, a servant tapped his shoulder. "Mr. Lloyd, the Administrator has summoned you."

Lloyd froze. "The Administrator?"

The servant nodded. "Yes, sir."

The Administrator rarely appeared in the Holy City. Why now?

Still, Lloyd had no choice but to follow.

As he left, he saw Kemov getting up close to Ruan Xing.

[Haste]

Ruan Xing dodged. He hated close-range fighters getting handsy. This guy was not just getting close, he was being touchy too.

"You smell really good."

Kemov sniffed, catching a faint whiff as Ruan Xing brushed past him.

"No wonder that guy Lloyd is so obsessed with you."

Just as Kemov moved again, something snagged him.

"Huh?"

Transparent threads wound around Kemov's ankle and pierced into his skin.

It was a trick the mycelium had learned from Professor Tuo. Say what you want, that guy really pushed the boundaries of string weaponry.

Kemov was bound, and Ruan Xing threw out poison mist, layering debuffs one after another.

He wanted to kill the guy, but could not. Killing a 1st Stage challenger had already spooked the Holy City. If he killed Kemov outright, he might get kicked out, or worse, draw the attention of the city's rulers.

Being kicked out was one thing, but if the city decided to relocate entirely, who knew when he would find it again?

Kemov did not seem interested in killing either. The two of them danced around like it was a staged show.

The host checked the timer and twitched his mouth. They actually managed to drag it out for thirty minutes!

Kemov whistled. "So? Give it some thought. I'm way more caring than Lloyd. Sure, your figure is mid, but I don't mind."

His eyes lingered on Ruan Xing's chest before sliding up to his face.

Ruan Xing looked back and smiled. This time, he used his real voice. "But he is willing to be the bottom. Are you?"

His voice was soft and smooth, like a gentle stream, but it was clearly male.

Kemov's expression twisted.

Kemov: Lloyd, you really went all in, huh?