Chapter Fifty-Four: The Arena of Weakness and the Divine Youth

Carriage Three

The carriage stretched about thirty meters long and nine meters wide, utterly empty. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the walls, where rows upon rows of cards were meticulously arranged. Each card was a Fourth-Tier Soul General Card, displaying a dazzling variety of martial techniques. A sweeping glance revealed no fewer than two hundred cards.

The elder explained, “This Weakness Arena cost the master two hundred seventy-one Soul General Cards, all Fourth-Tier Silver. It contains nearly every major category of martial skill. Its extravagant construction is remarkable even within our organization—it’s a masterpiece.”

Master Kong’s face bore a trace of pride; clearly, he was deeply satisfied with his creation.

“Weakness Arena?” For many, it was their first time hearing such a name.

The elder spoke gravely, “Two hundred seventy-one Soul General Cards mean two hundred seventy-one Soul Generals. This carriage was crafted by a master; as long as there are enough Starstones, these Soul Generals are eternal. The arena will automatically select Soul Generals that counter your own, challenging you step by step. To this day, no disciple has passed its trial.”

Master Kong chuckled, “High-tier Soul General Cards are too expensive, and low-tier ones are useless. So I simply used Fourth-Tier for entertainment.”

Everyone was awestruck. Two hundred seventy-one Fourth-Tier Soul General Cards—used merely for amusement!

“So, you mean it’s possible to go in and fight two hundred Soul Generals?” Tang Tian pointed excitedly at the walls, eager to try.

“Exactly!” Master Kong laughed boisterously. “Well? Interested?”

“Absolutely!” Tang Tian’s eyes gleamed. “Training alone every day is so dull!”

Ten days of grueling practice behind the Light Gate was mind-numbing and daunting. Though now they could spar against the Mist Wall, it paled in comparison to the thrill of real combat.

“You’re right. Alright, you’ll go first!” Master Kong chuckled. He was curious about Tang Tian—a youth recognized by all must possess extraordinary strength, but Tang Tian’s talent had ranked dead last in the previous test.

Master Kong, having judged countless people, had never encountered such an odd youth before. He had wasted a spot in the Outer Camp to select Tang Tian. The Outer Camp’s requirements were far less stringent than the Inner Camp’s; even if Tang Tian never made a name for himself, the responsibility would not fall on Master Kong.

The others had no objections. Unlike Tang Tian and Amory, they were shrewd. The words Master Kong had spoken yesterday had sunk in overnight; they suspected that their true trials were beginning here. It suited them perfectly to let a reckless youth like Tang Tian go first, giving them a chance to assess the situation.

Han Bingning coolly reminded, “Be careful.”

“Ah-ha! Don’t worry, young lady. I am a boy as mighty as a god!” Tang Tian was full of fighting spirit.

A boy as mighty as a god...

The elder snorted coldly. Such boasts, with such poor talent! He was increasingly convinced that Tang Tian was just another loudmouth, all talk but useless in practice—a type he’d seen many times before. If Master Kong had chosen Tang Tian for the Inner Camp, he would have protested vigorously. But since Tang Tian was in the Outer Camp, he couldn’t be bothered.

He knew well how harsh survival in the Outer Camp was, and how high the elimination rate.

“Go, Basic Tang! Wipe them all out!” Amory raised his burly arms and shouted, making everyone’s ears ache.

Master Kong squinted. Wipe them all out? Ha! You all underestimate this arena. He nodded to the elder, who produced a Starstone and placed it into a slot in the wall. The crystal-clear Starstone glowed as soon as it was set.

A red square boundary illuminated the floor.

“We step outside the red line,” Master Kong instructed. Everyone complied, retreating beyond the boundary. As soon as they did, a square barrier slowly rose from the floor’s boundary, separating Tang Tian from the rest.

A beam of light enveloped Tang Tian. He looked up curiously; the light shining on him wasn’t painful, nor itchy, but slightly numbing.

“This beam is cast by the Gray Cat Eye, a bronze secret treasure from the Cat Constellation and the core of this arena. It can, to some extent, see through psychological weaknesses. This allows the arena to select appropriate Soul Generals to battle you,” Master Kong explained. “The two hundred seventy-one Soul General Cards on the walls cover nearly all types. Don’t be fooled by their Fourth-Tier status—many high-tier martial artists have struggled here. Don’t feel pressured; losing isn’t shameful. The arena was built not for victory or defeat, but to help overcome one’s weaknesses. That’s why I used Fourth-Tier cards; higher tiers would overpower you, masking your weaknesses.”

Suddenly, the Soul General Cards on the walls began to light up in succession.

“The Gray Cat Eye is making its selection,” Master Kong said.

The beam swept across the Soul General Cards, two hundred seventy-one in all, arranged on four walls, creating an awe-inspiring scene.

“This will take a bit of time,” Master Kong remarked. “It’s searching for the most suitable Soul General.”

The beam moved swiftly; soon, it finished scanning the first wall and jumped to the second.

“Interesting,” Master Kong said, surprised. “None on the first wall were suitable. Looks like young Tang is impressive!”

Amory agreed, “That’s right! Basic Tang is a boy as mighty as a god!”

A boy as mighty as a god...

Sima Xiangshan and the others’ foreheads twitched; every time they heard that phrase, they couldn’t help but silently mutter, “Really, he’s a boy as mad as a god…”

The beam quickly scanned card after card, then jumped from the second wall to the third. Master Kong and the elder were dumbfounded.

Master Kong asked, “The arena hasn’t malfunctioned lately, has it?”

The elder looked puzzled. “No! It was used just a few days ago.”

Both stared at the arena, bewildered. The two walls contained about a hundred and forty cards. That meant the Gray Cat Eye found none of those Soul Generals capable of countering Tang Tian.

A hundred and forty Soul Generals, and not one could counter Tang Tian...

The elder was shocked; he suddenly realized Tang Tian was indeed peculiar! He knew the Weakness Arena intimately, used it often himself. Though his own strength far surpassed Fourth-Tier, if he suppressed his power to remain at Fourth-Tier, the arena could still pinpoint his weaknesses.

Tang Tian...

Master Kong’s face was grave. The Weakness Arena was born of his own idea, and he had spent immense time and energy to find the Gray Cat Eye secret treasure. Though all Soul General Cards were Fourth-Tier, each had been carefully chosen to represent various skills and tactics.

But why...

The atmosphere grew strange.

The beam swept over the third wall and moved to the fourth. Master Kong, the elder, and the watching Light Martial Society warriors exchanged bewildered glances.

“Hey, why hasn’t a Soul General appeared yet?” Amory wondered aloud, confused. Sima Xiangshan and the others, quick-witted, picked up on Master Kong’s increasingly solemn expression. Recall Master Kong’s earlier explanation, and they began to suspect—

Could it be... could the Gray Cat Eye failed to find Tang Tian’s weakness?

Once this thought appeared in their minds, it took root and refused to leave.

“Hey, hey, hey, why isn’t anything happening?” Tang Tian shouted impatiently at the cards on the wall.

The cards remained silent.

The confusion and puzzlement on the faces of the Light Martial Society warriors vanished. They stared blankly at Tang Tian inside the arena as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.

No one knew the Weakness Arena better than they did—they trained here almost daily. Sometimes they’d even gamble, seeing how many rounds they could endure at Fourth-Tier strength, one of their favorite bets.

No one had ever survived more than five rounds in the Weakness Arena at Fourth-Tier strength.

With each round, the Gray Cat Eye would more sharply identify your weakness, and the next Soul General would target it more precisely.

But...

They stared at Tang Tian in a daze.

Ding!

As the beam landed on the last Soul General Card, it abruptly vanished. The square barrier slowly descended as everyone watched in near-stupefaction.

“Huh? What’s going on? Is something broken?” Tang Tian looked around, baffled.

His voice sounded unusually clear in the silent carriage.

Tang Tian glanced at the others. “Hey, what’s with those expressions? You noticed something weird too, right? I waited so long, and nothing appeared. You all saw—I didn’t touch a thing! It definitely wasn’t me who broke it!”

“Basic Tang didn’t break it!” Amory declared loyally.

Everyone stared at Tang Tian as if he were some kind of monster.

This fellow...

Does he really... really have no weaknesses?

Impossible... Impossible!

How could anyone in this world have no weaknesses?

Absolutely impossible!

Just then, the beam of light began to swirl chaotically, like a headless fly.

Master Kong suddenly remembered something the master who crafted the Weakness Arena had said: “The Gray Cat Eye is excellent as a bronze secret treasure, but if it fails to find the opponent’s weakness, it will spiral into chaos, and its soul will suffer a fatal blow.”

Not good!

Before he could react, the two hundred seventy-one Soul General Cards on the walls exploded like fireworks, one after another!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bursts of light exploded across the walls, creating a sea of radiance.

When the light faded, the walls were empty.

Everyone stood frozen in shock.

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A new week dawns. O mighty boys, don’t forget to vote!