In Dragonking City, there was a specific plaza dedicated to selling spirit beast parts, mostly run by members of Spirit Hunting Teams.
Unwilling to sell their goods to shops or commerce guilds at a discount, they set up stalls here instead.
The prices were cheaper than the shops, but quality wasn’t guaranteed.
If a rookie Spirit Master came here, they might spend a hundred gold coins on a ten-year Netherwolf fang, thinking they scored a bargain on a thousand-year Flame Lion claw, and leave happily.
Tie Li didn’t usually buy his meat here.
He knew his own appraisal skills were lacking and that he could easily be scammed.
Knowing his weakness, he preferred to spend a little extra at the shops for peace of mind.
Of course, there were honest sellers here too!
Tie Li only came to the plaza today to ask around about the going rates for hunting spirit beasts.
However, he left disappointed.
Every team quoted exorbitant prices, starting at eight hundred or a thousand gold coins.
A few quoted prices similar to the shop’s estimate, but if the prices were the same, why choose them?
A team recommended by the shop would at least be more trustworthy.
Empty-handed, Tie Li wasn’t in a hurry to return to his cabin.
He needed a battle to quickly adapt to his newly enhanced body from the Spirit Bone.
Dragonking City housed a Great Spirit Arena.
He had registered out of curiosity when he first arrived but had never actually participated in a fight.
The arena was an oval structure reaching a hundred and eighty meters high.
Inside, it boasted two main arenas and thirty-six sub-arenas, capable of seating a hundred thousand spectators, and featured a hundred VIP boxes.
Battles were divided into three types: Sparring, Life-and-Death, and Gambling.
Before fighting, a specialized spirit power test was conducted to match you with an opponent.
Walking into the arena, the first thing he saw was a massive stone monument carved with the names of Spirit Masters who had lost their lives here.
Tie Li went to the Sparring zone.
After confirming his participation, staff tested his spirit power.
A Spirit Master could only participate in one 1v1 Sparring match per day, with the winner earning ten gold spirit coins.
Before leaving, the staff member gave Tie Li a slightly surprised look—it was rare to see a Spirit Master exactly at level twenty here.
Because many Spirit Masters participated, Tie Li was quickly matched with someone of a similar level.
With his level, he obviously didn’t qualify for the main arena.
The main arena was usually reserved for 7v7 team battles, and only for teams that had accumulated significant popularity.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our Spirit Masters!” the passionate announcer’s voice echoed through the sub-arena.
“On my left is the Giant Strength Spirit Master with his Iron Hammer martial spirit, and on my right is Spirit Master Ji Ge, wielding the beast martial spirit, Magic Wolf!”
When Tie Li registered, he didn’t use his real name; he used a codename.
The arena was circular, surrounded by tiered seating expanding upwards.
Sparring matches had the cheapest tickets in the Great Spirit Arena.
Though not the most popular mode, cheap tickets always drew a good crowd.
The three-thousand-seat arena was almost full.
“Whoa, Ji Ge has a hundred-year ring!
I bet on him to win, even though the payout is super low.” “Ji Ge has already won three in a row.
He’s practically guaranteed a fourth.” “Who is his opponent?
Never heard of him, and he’s wearing a mask.”
Even before the match started, the stands were buzzing.
Tie Li carefully observed his upcoming opponent.
He wasn’t wearing a mask and looked about fifteen years old, dressed in specialized black combat gear.
Tie Li, in comparison, looked a bit shabby in his plain cloth garments.
He had taken off his iron inner armor, as they inspected you for banned items before the match.
The arena provided small lockers for personal belongings.
Seeing the atmosphere was right, the referee announced the start of the match and quickly stepped off the stage.
The moment it began, Ji Ge activated his martial spirit possession.
His body took on the traits of a Magic Wolf: black fur sprouted, claws grew sharp, and his teeth elongated.
In an instant, he transformed into a werewolf.
Visually, it was highly intimidating.
Tie Li gripped the empty air with his right hand.
Lightning instantly burst forth, and a large hammer materialized within the arcs of electricity.
Is that…
an Iron Hammer martial spirit?
Ji Ge froze for a second, instinctively looking down at the referee as if asking, You’re telling me this is just an Iron Hammer?
The referee quickly checked his notes—it definitely said Iron Hammer.
No mistake!
“Getting distracted during a fight is not a good habit.”
Hearing the voice, Ji Ge sensed trouble.
In just that brief moment of distraction, his opponent was already right in front of him.
First Spirit Skill: Magic Wolf Leap!
Thinking his strike was guaranteed to land, Ji Ge used his first skill to bizarrely escape Tie Li’s range, appearing five meters away.
Boom!
His attack hitting nothing but air, Tie Li bent his knees and lunged forward with explosive power.
His burst of speed was equally terrifying.
Ji Ge’s pupils shrank.
How can a tool Spirit Master have this kind of physical strength?
Ji Ge chose to meet the attack head-on.
Facing Tie Li’s imposing hammer, he focused entirely on tracking its trajectory.
There’s my chance, Ji Ge thought.
Believing he had seen through the attack, he shifted his body sideways.
As long as he dodged this strike, he would unleash a storm of counterattacks.
But to his shock, as he shifted his body, Tie Li shifted the hammer’s trajectory in mid-air.
Impossible!
It’s incredibly hard to change the trajectory of a fully charged attack; forcing it should injure his own body!
For a normal strength-type Spirit Master, that would be true.
But Ji Ge couldn’t know that Tie Li possessed a Spirit Bone that vastly increased his physique and strength.
That overwhelming power allowed him to easily alter his attack path.
Furthermore, this wasn’t Tie Li’s full-power strike.
Since killing was forbidden in Sparring matches, Tie Li had held back, making it easy to redirect the blow.
Bang!
The hammer slammed into Ji Ge’s chest.
The immense kinetic force sent him kissing the floor before bouncing up heavily and rolling uncontrollably to the side.
Pfft!
Unable to hold it in, Ji Ge coughed up a mouthful of blood.
His aura immediately weakened; anyone could see he was severely injured.
Whoa!
An uproar swept through the stands.
A Magic Wolf Spirit Master with a hundred-year ring had lost just like that?