Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 333 - 333 0257 Wouldnt it be like playing ducks and

Chapter 333: Chapter 0257: Wouldn’t it be like playing ducks and drakes? _2 Chapter 333: Chapter 0257: Wouldn’t it be like playing ducks and drakes? _2 Qi Tian pondered a little, then asked, “Do you get more spirit stones from a duel to the death than from a regular one?”

Chengzhang’s eyes flashed with contempt. This kid really didn’t get it at all. “Yes, you can get more. You can get an extra spirit stone from one match, but the prerequisite is that you must survive to claim it.”

“Alright, I’m ready to give it a shot.” The way Qi Tian acted showed that he was willing to risk his life for the spirit stones.

Chengzhang chuckled and said, “Alright then, just wait a moment. I’ll arrange it for you.”

Chengzhang arranged it quickly. Not much time had passed before Qi Tian was told to go over. There was a dedicated host by the pit where the duels took place. Chengzhang handed Qi Tian over to the host and instructed Qi Tian to follow the host’s arrangements.

The host wasn’t very interested in such a newcomer as Qi Tian. After simply asking Qi Tian about his situation, he began explaining the arrangements. The host planned for Qi Tian to fight in the next match, not against a human opponent, but a Deer Beast at the Foundation Establishment Stage Level 3. This Deer Beast was one of the beasts they raised in their arena. Until now, its wild instincts were still quite strong. This Deer Beast had a unique characteristic: every once in a while, it needed to consume a living human, preferably a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

The arena organizers brought out this Deer Beast for a bout with a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. This was a genuine duel to the death. If you won, all was good. But if you lost, you would end up as the Deer Beast’s dinner.

Since Qi Tian was willing to risk a fight to the death, he would be put up against the Deer Beast. The arena also gave Qi Tian a specific timeframe. As long as he could hold out for five minutes without being devoured by the beast, they could intervene and rescue him from the Deer Beast’s jaws, then reward him with four spirit stones. But if Qi Tian couldn’t last, and the Deer Beast made a snack out of him within five minutes, he would have no one but himself to blame.

Qi Tian raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is there a betting pool for my duel with the Deer Beast?”

“Yes, there is,” the host replied.

Qi Tian then said, “Alright, then. I’ll bet five spirit stones on myself to win.”

“Alright. As you wish.” The host accepted the five spirit stones Qi Tian handed him, patted Qi Tian on the shoulder, and said, “Kid, good luck.”

Qi Tian waited patiently. He watched as two Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators faced off in the duel pit. Neither of these two were locals from the arena, but outsiders who had rented the pit for a duel of their own. The fight between them was really lively, but since their lives weren’t on the line, neither of them brought out their best moves. As a result, the duel was entertaining, but not exciting.

The audience outside the pit booed. They didn’t want to watch this soft, friendly sparring; they wanted to see a bloody, life-and-death struggle.

At long last, the two dueling cultivators finished their match. The host entered the ring and announced the upcoming match between Qi Tian and the Deer Beast.

The host’s words were highly provocative. He touted Qi Tian as one of the most talented Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators in history, who had advanced to this stage at a young age. The Deer Beast, meanwhile, had already devoured dozens of early-stage cultivators and had yet to be bested. Would it continue its winning streak by consuming this gifted Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator Qi Tian? Everyone eagerly awaited the outcome.

After hearing the host’s introduction, the mood of the audience in the arena was stirred. Many of them quickly made their way to the betting stations around the arena. They had seen Qi Tian earlier and almost no one had any expectations for him. The vast majority of the bets went towards the Deer Beast, hoping to make more money by betting on how long Qi Tian would last. With this approach, if they won, the arena would pay them even more.

The arena could accommodate thousands of spectators, but not all of them placed bets. After the majority had placed their bets, five or six minutes had passed. When they returned to the pit, the host announced the start of the match.

At this moment, the Deer Beast was already waiting in the fighting pit. Its physique was like that of a common reindeer, crowned with hefty antlers on its head. At first glance, it might seem gentle and harmless, but the Deer Beast had revealed its true nature a few days ago. Those who were fortunate enough to witness it still remembered the ferocity of the Deer Beast when it fully unleashed its power.

The host escorted Qi Tian to the edge of the pit and pointed at the Deer Beast, saying, “Kid, there it is. Good luck, up you go.”

After speaking, the host let go of Qi Tian and stepped back. To his credit, he played fair and did not take advantage of the situation to push Qi Tian.

The Deer Beast stood inside the pit, its gaze fixed aggressively on Qi Tian. It seemed to know that Qi Tian would soon become its meal, and it paid no attention to the other cultivators, focusing solely on Qi Tian.

Qi Tian knew that there was no way to dodge this confrontation. Without any hesitation, he leaped, jumping into the pit amidst the cries of astonishment from the crowd.

The Deer Beast pounced from its position, its body leaping into the air, launching itself at Qi Tian at an incredibly high speed. Mid-air, it opened its mouth, displaying its knife-like teeth. These teeth were extremely solid and could bite through a cultivator’s limb in one bite, without the need for a second.

Just as Qi Tian and the Deer Beast were about to meet mid-air, a cold flash passed through Qi Tian’s eyes. He clenched his fist and struck at the Deer Beast.

Seeing Qi Tian’s action, the spectators around the pit let out a wave of hisses. The few cultivators who had bet on Qi Tian shook their heads in disappointment. They had been hoping for a miracle, but looking at Qi Tian now, he in no way seemed capable of producing one. The Deer Beast was too fierce to be defeated with mere fists. If it was so easy to deal with, would the arena continue to use it repeatedly?

It’s finished — this Foundation Establishment prodigy who is not yet twenty will be done for, he certainly won’t survive.

Just at that moment, Qi Tian collided with the Deer Beast. The Deer Beast’s neck suddenly lengthened, and it bit towards Qi Tian’s vital area. This trick of the Deer Beast was devastating if you weren’t familiar with its behavior. In the past, many a cultivator had fallen, taken by surprise, and bitten to death by the Deer Beast using this exact tactic.

Unfortunately for the Deer Beast, Qi Tian just so happened to have been present when it last displayed this skill. Thus when the Deer Beast used it this time, there was no way Qi Tian would allow it to land a hit.

The punch Qi Tian threw out managed to dodge the Deer Beast’s elongated neck, and simultaneously avoid its attack. He swiftly turned his fist into a palm, grabbed the antlers of the Deer Beast, exerted force on his wrist and leaned forward. In the blink of an eye, Qi Tian had managed to mount the Deer Beast’s back.

Qi Tian’s actions formed a single continuous movement, flowing like water. He had completed his maneuver before the Deer Beast or the spectators outside of the fighting pit could react. By the time they snapped out of their stupor, they could see Qi Tian securely mounted on the Deer Beast’s back.

The spectators were dumbfounded, as was the host. He had never imagined that anyone could achieve such speed and reaction time to mount the Deer Beast as Qi Tian had. There had been some who had done so before, but only by vastly surpassing the Deer Beast in strength, not with such extraordinary speed and reflexes.

Could it be that Qi Tian was really going to create a miracle? The few cultivators who had bet on Qi Tian’s victory became excited all at once and stood up, cheering for him.

However, soon, the cheers of these few cultivators were drowned out by the rest of the crowd who were rooting for the Deer Beast. These people had their bets on the Deer Beast’s victory. How could they stand by and watch Qi Tian win instead? After all, wouldn’t that mean their spirit stones wagered on the Deer Beast would be wasted?

These cheering cultivators grew louder and louder, like surges of rising waves. Under their cheering, the Deer Beast’s spirits soared, its eyes turning red…