Chapter 543 - To Fight to the End

Faido remained calm even though the Blood Coliseum’s lineup was stronger than his. Numbers held little meaning to him. Each of his followers had fought hundreds, if not thousands, of battles and had emerged victorious. Any one of them could face three to five opponents in a single bout.

“Since you are ready, let us start the challenge!” Faido grumbled.

He wasn’t looking at Han Wu, the Blood Coliseum’s owner. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the strongest being there, Seraphim Aisha.

Aisha remained calm and composed, as one would expect of an angel, but she couldn’t decide on the Blood Coliseum’s behalf. She turned toward Han Wu, who stepped forward with steady composure.

“Lord Faido, since you are here to challenge us, we must set the rules clearly,” Han Wu said.

Faido glanced at Han Wu and scoffed. In his eyes, Han Wu was far too weak to address him. A Major God at the Earthsunder rank lacked even the standing to speak in his presence.

One of Faido’s Heavenrender life forms stepped forward and berated Han Wu, “You are just an Earthsunder brat. You have no right to address the noble Faido.”

Marks bristled and shouted, “Who are you to talk so casually to the Blood Coliseum’s owner?”

The Heavenrender life form unleashed its aura to crush Marks, but none from the Blood Coliseum were pushovers. The Heavenrender Sanguine Combatant stepped forward and answered with its own aura, forcing the pressure back.

The air tightened, heavy with the sense that war would erupt at any moment.

Faido thrived on such tension and spoke with open relish. “So you are the Blood Coliseum’s owner. How did someone as weak as you inherit Duel’s mantle?”

Han Wu didn’t respond. Most of his avatars were still on their journey back, so he wasn’t at his peak. If all his avatars merged with his main body, even if he wasn’t as strong as Faido, he wouldn’t have been underestimated like this.

Han Wu said at last, his voice steady, “Lord Faido, please state the rules of your challenge, or the Blood Coliseum reserves the right to decline.”

Faido and his underlings scoffed at his words. “You, declining my challenge? Do you even have the qualifications to do so? One command from me would be enough to have my forces crush your coliseum.”

Han Wu wouldn’t back down. “I do, but if you refuse to set the rules, the Blood Coliseum won’t remain idle. Have you not heard the saying that a man would rather die fighting to the very end? If you command your troops to take us by force, you will lose a significant portion of your elites, and you may walk away with nothing.”

Upon hearing that, Faido grew visibly more serious. His voice dropped, low yet thunderous. “Brat, are you threatening me?”

“It depends,” Han Wu replied calmly. “It’s a threat if you choose to see it that way. It's a suggestion if you don’t.”

Faido fell silent. He never expected the new owner to be such a difficult opponent.

Then he burst into boisterous laughter. “

Hahaha

! Inheritor of Duel, I never imagined you would be this interesting. Fine, I will lay out the rules then. The rule is simple. We engage in mortal combat! There will be no surrendering. Once the battle starts, it continues until one side is completely eradicated. This will be a true battle.”

The Blood Coliseum erupted the moment the rule was announced, especially those from the Divine Civilization who had sent their strongest units to support Han Wu. Lending the units that they had painstakingly nurtured was one matter. Committing them to a fight to the death was another entirely.

Who would compensate them if their units died? Many of the lecturers and administrators messaged Xu Hai, asking whether they should recall their units. They had come to demonstrate support, not send their units to certain death.

Xu Hai cursed inwardly at their shrewdness. They didn’t contribute much, but worried the most excessively. Even so, he could not allow them to withdraw. Their units made up a quarter of the Blood Coliseum’s lineup.

Han Wu said, “Everyone, please stay calm. I understand your concerns. As a student of Imperial College and the Blood Coliseum’s owner, I guarantee that I will compensate you appropriately if any of your units are injured, disabled, or even killed during this battle. The Blood Coliseum itself will serve as my guarantor. If I fail to honor my word, you may petition the Divine Civilization to punish me.”

His assurance immediately put them at ease. With compensation guaranteed, their remaining concerns faded.

After confirming that the situation was settled, Han Wu turned to Faido. “Lord Faido, I accept the rule you set, but I have a condition of my own.”

Faido looked at him approvingly. “And what would that be?”

“If we commit to a full-scale war with all our units, the aftermath will be devastating to the battlefield, especially when the higher-ranking combatants join the battle,” Han Wu noted. “Why not divide the challenge into three stages? The first battle will be between Sage life forms, the second between Earthsunder life forms, and the final one between Heavenrender life forms. Best two out of three. What do you think?”

Faido burst into laughter again. “I expected something more complicated. You only want to separate the different ranks of life forms for battle. Very well, I agree.”

Han Wu nodded and discreetly gestured at the Origin of Mutation to start working. Upon receiving the cue, the Origin of Mutation understood its task and rushed toward the group of Sage life forms at the Blood Coliseum’s side.

“Then let the first war between the Sage life forms begin,” Han Wu said. “The Blood Coliseum needs some time to prepare. Lord Faido, please give us a moment.”

Faido waved his arm in assent.

Han Wu quickly checked the Sage life forms too. At the center of the group, the Origin of Mutation was using Controlled Mutation at an unprecedented pace, upgrading them all.

The process consumed vast amounts of Divine Points and shortened the Sage life forms’ lifespans, but they would receive incredible powers in exchange. All of them willingly accepted the price without hesitation.

Han Wu also activated Replicate, turning into a second Origin of Mutation and joining the effort. Even a minor increase in strength could make the difference in their upcoming battle, where victory depended on the narrowest of margins.

Unfortunately, time was short. Despite pushing themselves to the limit, they failed to upgrade every Sage life form before Faido’s patience started to wear thin.

Han Wu feared that Faido would see through their ruse, so he had no choice but to command all Sage life forms to prepare for the first round of the death match.