Elder Tong Mu and Senior Hu Wan Tong replaced the passed trainees with red tokens on the spot, and then took the failed trainees back to the academy.
The twelve passed demon youths were granted the freedom to move about. Several trainees who were close friends decided to explore "Huoling City" together. After all, most of them had not been out for years since entering "Tongling Academy".
However, Yan Qinghuai was called away to receive an award. Before leaving, he specifically told Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) to meet up later for a stroll.
Upon hearing that Yan Qinghuai was going to receive an award, the other trainees decided to leave first. After all, it was said to be a secret reward, so it was better not to pry too much.
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) mused with her characteristic whimsical thoughts that these demons here were surprisingly privacy-conscious. After they left, she sat alone to meditate. The spiritual energy continued to surge into her dantian with cheers.
When Yan Qinghuai returned, he found that there were no idle onlookers around. He smiled with satisfaction, then took an egg from his spatial artifact and handed it to her.
"This is your first-place reward?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) looked at the egg he placed in her palm and asked curiously.
"Yes, it's a divine beast egg. They are rarely seen in this vast land now, and due to insufficient spiritual energy here, many divine beast eggs cannot hatch. However, tens of thousands of years ago, they were highly sought after. Although divine beast eggs look similar, the divine beasts that hatch from them can be vastly different," Yan Qinghuai explained patiently. "So, if you can truly hatch it, it will definitely be a great surprise."
"What? Are you planning to give me this reward?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) stroked the divine beast egg in her hand and looked at him with a smile.
"Yes! I'm too impatient to hatch these little things, so you can have it to play with!" Yan Qinghuai's ears turned a suspicious shade of red as he spoke.
Seeing his expression, which clearly showed he wanted to give her the reward but was stubbornly denying it, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) found it incredibly endearing. "Alright, then I will nourish it well with my spiritual power. After all, this is the first gift you've given me, Qinghuai!"
"Mm, as you wish," Yan Qinghuai said, leading the way outside. "It's getting late, let's hurry to the city to explore!"
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) and Yan Qinghuai first went to the blacksmith shop to find Yan Jiuxing, only to discover the door tightly shut and a note posted: "Out visiting, will return in over two months."
They inquired at the neighboring shops, and were told that Yan Jiuxing had closed his shop five days ago, so he definitely wouldn't be back anytime soon.
"Bai Bai, since Uncle Yan isn't here, let's go see other places!" Yan Qinghuai suggested, noticing her slight disappointment at not seeing Yan Jiuxing.
So, they went to a well-patronized restaurant. Yan Qinghuai ordered several specialty dishes, much to the shopkeeper's delight.
As the waiter served the dishes, he took out a low-grade spirit stone to tip him. "Little brother, could you tell me if there's anywhere lively in Huoling City?"
The waiter happily accepted the tip and, seeing their tokens, became even more respectful. "Esteemed guests, you must be here with the other masters from Tongling Academy, right! The liveliest place here, and our unique specialty, is the Demon Fighting Arena. Those other esteemed guests from before went there too. If you have time, you can go and see."
After thanking the waiter, Yan Qinghuai turned to Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) and said, "Bai Bai, shall we go too?"
"Alright." Having decided on their next destination, the two demons focused on enjoying the delicacies before them.
An hour later, they, disguised, were seated in the renowned "First Demon Fighting Arena" of Huoling City. They were in a small private room on the second floor. It wasn't truly a private room, as large screens only separated different tables; if the commotion was significant, adjacent guests could still sense it.
At that moment, the host, holding a megaphone, announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the final match of today's arena is about to begin. We have a fifteen-minute countdown. Those who wish to place their bets, hurry up! We will close the betting channels once the time is up!"
Yan Qinghuai and Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) saw some trainees with yellow tokens placing bets in the private room on the second floor, but they themselves did not participate.
As the time arrived, two demons, capable of shapeshifting into human form, were brought onto the stage: one was a small, slender carp demon, and the other a tall, majestic locust tree demon. The fight was incredibly fierce, with both demons unleashing their full power against each other. The rules of the Demon Fighting Arena were clear: once on stage, only one could survive. There was no success or failure, only life or death.
"Qinghuai, this rule is rather brutal!" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) felt a pang of sympathy halfway through when the carp demon was beaten back into its original form.
"Bai Bai, this is inherently a world where the strong prey on the weak. So, the only thing we can do is to become stronger ourselves, to control our own lives." Yan Qinghuai found it all quite normal. "Besides, those who enter the Demon Fighting Arena are either willing to come because they are short of money, or they are captured to face retribution for their misdeeds. There's nothing to sympathize with."
"How do you know all this?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) found the current Yan Qinghuai increasingly perplexing.
Logically, Yan Qinghuai had come to Huoling City with her, and this Demon Fighting Arena was a unique establishment of Huoling City, and it was their first visit today. He shouldn't know these details!
"Oh, Uncle Yan told me about this before. And when I was at the academy, I overheard local trainees discussing it. They said the organization behind the Demon Fighting Arena is very powerful. Some victims, unable to avenge themselves with their own might, would pay spirit stones to commission them." Yan Qinghuai explained.
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) looked into his eyes and nodded as if believing him. She then poured him a cup of tea. "I didn't realize you knew so much! You've said so much, have a cup of tea to moisten your throat!"
Yan Qinghuai reached out to take the teacup, and Bai Qiushui's (Xiao Wenqiang's) fingers brushed against his as if by accident.
Something was wrong. She still couldn't read any information from Yan Qinghuai's mind. She could now read the true thoughts of many demons through physical contact, even Senior Hu Wan Tong, whose cultivation was slightly higher than hers.
Yet, with Yan Qinghuai, despite touching him for so long, she had never been able to probe his true thoughts. Could Yan Qinghuai's spiritual power have surpassed hers by so much? Or was he hiding some secret?