Calling the place where the Heavenly Marks Family's heir competition was to be held a coliseum was almost laughable.

The ancient structure was more a ruin than an arena, with crumbling stones and overgrown vegetation peeking through the cracks. Its once grand arches and imposing walls now leaned precariously, as if they might collapse at any moment.

This was no majestic battleground of ancient warriors; it was a forgotten relic, barely standing, yet it was here that the family had gathered.

As all six thousand members of the Heavenly Marks Family settled into their seats, the buzz of anticipation filled the air.

In the middle of the arena, Patriarch Nie Hai took his stand, his figure casting a commanding presence against the backdrop of ancient ruins.

"Today," he began, his voice rising above the whispers, "marks a momentous occasion unlike any before. In the past, the mantle of leadership was decided in the quiet council rooms by our elders. But now, we turn a new leaf. Today, it is the valor of our youth, the strength of their spirit, and the fire in their hearts that will determine who is truly deserving to guide the destiny of our great family."

His words ignited a fire in the crowd, their cheers echoing like thunder through the arena.

The rules were straightforward: a single champion stood in the arena. Anyone who defeated this champion would take their place and rest for an hour before facing the next challenger.

"Let's welcome our champion, Nie Li. And remember, according to our bet, if he loses even once, he dies."

With those words, Nie Hai leapt back to his seat among the other elders.

The doors to Nie Li's room swung open, but no one emerged at first, prompting Nie Hai to exchange concerned looks with his fellow elders.

Then, the atmosphere shifted palpably.

A wave of bloodlust, thick and intimidating, washed over the coliseum, causing everyone to turn their heads towards its source.

Nie Li stepped out, adjusting his armor, his presence commanding an eerie silence.

No one dared mock him now; the bloodlust he emitted was palpable, a tangible pressure that seemed to promise death.

Bloodlust, a trait honed through countless brushes with death, acted as a stark reminder of one's experiences.

It clung to an individual's soul force, a marker of their encounters.

What, then, did this say about Nie Li, who had faced dozens upon dozens of deaths in his dream simulation?

What about the fact that he had actually courted death in his first life?

All in all, even without knowing it, when Nie Li's emotions stirred up his soul force, the bloodlust trait would activate to form this aura of death so intense that it would put most cultivators to shame.

As Nie Li positioned himself in the center of the arena, the look in his eyes made one thing clear: he had no intention of showing mercy to anyone who dared face him.

[ Name: Nie Li ]

[ Status: Peasant ]

[ Cultivation Level: 1 star Bronze rank ]

[ Physique Level: 1 star Bronze rank ]

[ Class: Fighter, Demon Spiritualist ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Health Points: 1000 ]

[ Soul Force: 110 ]

[ Battle Power: 2642 ]

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[ Class Features:

- Perception

- Endless Vanguard

- Soul Manipulation

- Third Eye ]

[ Allies: None ]

[ Equipment: ]

- [ Dao Sword ]

- [ Homemade Gambeson ]

- [ Light Armour ]

[ Description: Born to a farmer in the Heavenly Marks Family, a young boy harbors ambitions far greater than his humble origins suggest, along with a deep secret. He carries the burden of memories from a past life, where he witnessed the destruction of Glory City. Faced with the daunting task of altering destiny, he must navigate his new life's challenges. Will he succeed in preventing the catastrophe he once saw, or is history doomed to repeat itself? ]

For the next few minutes, Nie Li stood still in the center of the arena, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Everyone waited in silence, wondering who would be the first to challenge him.

The teens from the branch families, ready to compete, were clueless about what their parents had done to Nie Li's family.

They had no idea of the depth of the wrongs that had been committed.

Originally, Nie Li had planned to quickly knock out whoever dared to challenge him, aiming to end the fights as swiftly as possible.

But now, his mind had changed.

This time, he had no intention of showing mercy, regardless of whether his opponent came from the main family or one of the branches.

To him, none deserved his leniency after everything that their parents had happened.

"For now, I'll wait."

As time ticked away, Nie Li found his patience wearing thin, his simmering anger growing hotter with each passing moment. He longed for a chance to release his pent-up frustration, but his intimidating bloodlust kept potential challengers at bay, only serving to fuel his anger further.

Then, breaking the tense silence, a voice shouted, "Bow to this young master!"

A reckless youth charged towards Nie Li, dagger in hand, intent on stabbing him.

As the saying goes, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

Nie Li watched the boy approach, an icy calm in his gaze.

With a dismissive flick, he tossed his sword aside and cracked his knuckles.

The scene that unfolded was far removed from any notion of a fair fight; it was a brutal, one-sided onslaught. Nie Li, fueled by a storm of emotions—from the mob's actions to the pain inflicted on his family, and the guilt of having allowed his loved ones to suffer—unleashed his fury on his opponent.

The first punch landed squarely on the challenger's jaw, snapping his head back with a force that echoed around the arena. Before the boy could even begin to recover, Nie Li grabbed him by the collar and delivered a devastating knee to the face, sending blood spraying.

Nie Li didn't just dominate; he overwhelmed.

Grabbing the collar of the hapless youth, he yanked him back with a force that left no room for escape.

The air was filled with the defeated cries of "Please, please!" as the boy realized the futility of his pleas.

But in Nie Li's eyes, those words meant nothing.

Mercy had left the building.

Nie Li's grip tightened, and with a swift motion, he spun the boy to face him.

With precision, he landed a series of punishing blows: a jab to the nose, breaking it instantly, followed by a swift kick to the knees, buckling them and sending the boy crashing to the ground once again.

He spun the boy around with a swift motion, only to land a powerful elbow to the back of his head, forcing him to the ground. The opponent, now a mere shadow of defiance, tried feebly to crawl away, but Nie Li was relentless.

He picked the boy up, threw him into the air, and as he came down, Nie Li met him with a fierce uppercut, sending him flying once more.

This wasn't just a beating; it was a display of sheer, unbridled anger.

Nie Li took it too far, his every move infused with a vengeance that seemed to scream from the depths of his being.

In just a few moments, the arena's ground turned into a chilling scene, drenched in red with the blood of Nie Li's defeated opponent.

The adults in the crowd, including seasoned cultivators who had witnessed countless battles, found themselves turning away, unable to bear the sight.

The violence Nie Li unleashed was unsettling, deeply disturbing even to those accustomed to the harsh realities of Glory City.

The only sound that filled the heavy silence of the coliseum was the weak, ragged breathing of the fallen challenger.

As Nie Li moved to retrieve his sword, a cry pierced the tense air.

"Mercy!"

Nie Li stopped and turned toward the source of the plea.

It was a woman he recognized; she was his neighbor.

Gripping the beaten boy by the neck, he lifted him high for all to see—a grim trophy of his wrath.

"Look at you all, a bunch of cowards!" he shouted, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he pointed his sword at the woman.

"What, you can't find the courage to face me now that I'm standing right here?

Why is that?

Because I'm strong?

Because I can defend myself?

Why ask for mercy now?"

It was then that Nie Li's soul force, driven by his intense emotions, began to compress within his dantian, building pressure like a storm cloud ready to burst.

And then, it exploded outward with a force that echoed through the coliseum, a shockwave of power.

In that moment, Nie Li's soul force manifested as blood-red wings unfurling behind him, twisting and writhing with a life of their own.

To the onlookers, he appeared not as a young cultivator, but as the angel of death incarnate, a fearsome specter whose wrath was as boundless as the heavens themselves.

"Don't try to tell me you weren't part of it. I can see the evidence right on your hands, the dirt from my ruined home still under your fingernails!

What did you do?

Instead of reason, you formed a mob to terrorize an innocent family. I could almost understand if your anger was directed at me, but you targeted my family.

That's where you crossed the line. So don't expect me to hold back."

Nie Li held his sword high as he was going to make everyone who hurt his family pay.