Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Fan Chenxin rolled up his sleeves and picked up the wooden shovel with a blank expression.

Lou Xiaotian was shocked: "You really intend to do it?"

Fan Chenxin didn't even raise her head: "I will naturally do what she asked me to do. If Young Master Lou feels wronged, you can go back and continue planting flowers."

"Who's wronged?" Lou Xiaotian snatched another wooden shovel, raising his voice loudly, "I know my Lou family's spirit beast garden best."

Jiang Yining stood under the eaves holding Wubao, her eyebrows twitching as she listened.

No, she was just saying it casually. Are these two really going to carry manure?

Wu Bao sat in her arms, its fox tail wrapped around her wrist, and whispered, "Mommy, why are those two fighting over who gets to poop? It smells so bad!"

"Because I'm bored." Jiang Yining lifted the little girl up a bit. "Come on, let's go take a look ahead."

The preliminary rounds of the Hundred Cities Beast Fighting Tournament began in the afternoon.

The open-air arena in the center of Tianhuang City was hundreds of feet wide, with layers of black stone-built circular stands overlapping each other, and banners fluttering in the hot wind. The beast flags of various cities and tribes were planted all over the high platform, and the roars of ferocious beasts, the cheers of the crowd, and the clash of weapons blended together, even making the ground tremble slightly.

The Barbarian Stone Tribe was positioned on the very edge, directly facing the Zhang family's black banner.

Hu Yanlie gripped the wooden lottery ticket, his face grim.

"We drew the Zhang family in the first round, and Zhang Kuang is leading the team himself." He handed the wooden plaque to Jiang Yining and lowered his voice, "The Zhang family keeps a pack of wind wolves that specialize in ambushing and killing people in the arena. Zhang Kuang lost face outside the city, so he probably won't follow the rules today."

Jiang Yining glanced at the character "Zhang" on the wooden sign and casually stuffed it back into his palm.

"That's perfect, saves me the trouble of searching for them one by one."

Hu Yanlie was taken aback for a moment: "Madam Jiang, the Zhang family has a deep-rooted presence in Tianhuang City. Even if Young Master Lou is willing to protect you, he cannot take action for you on the field. The Beast Fighting Tournament has rules: once you enter, you are responsible for your own life and death."

"I know."

Jiang Yining looked up at the field.

"Rules are meant to give those who lack ability a way out. Since Zhang Kuang dared to offer himself up, I can't let him come all this way for nothing."

Wu Bao nestled in her arms and asked in her childish voice, "Mommy, are you going to hit the person with the snake?"

Jiang Yining pinched her little nose: "April has a good memory. But today you are only allowed to look, not to sneak away, and you are not allowed to pinch other people's snakes."

"But it spat first," Wu Bao argued earnestly. "April just tied it up."

Hu Yanlie couldn't help but chuckle, then tensed up again. He looked towards the arena; the Zhang family's team had already entered the preparation passage. Zhang Kuang's right arm was wrapped in a black arm guard, and his face still bore the gloom of fear he had felt in Black Wind Canyon.

Zhang Kuang also saw Jiang Yining.

He raised his hand across half the arena and made a slicing motion in front of his neck.

"You, surnamed Jiang, yesterday you were so arrogant because of your child. Now that you're in the game, let's see who can take the fall for you."

Fan Chenxin stood beside Jiang Yining, her eyes darkening.

"If you want to die sooner, I can send you down right now."

Zhang Kuang sneered, "A wild monk begging for food after following women dares to speak to this young master?"

Jiang Yining raised her hand and pressed down on Fan Chenxin's wrist bone.

"Ignore him." Her fingertips were cool, but her voice was steady. "There are rules in the ring. I'll settle what he owes myself."

Fan Chenxin looked at her, the veins on the back of her hand tightening little by little, then pressing down again.

"Okay. I'll keep watch from outside."

"Don't just watch." Jiang Yining looked up and smiled at him. "Hold April tight for me. If she gets hungry, take out the snake gall from this morning and cut off a piece for her to try."

Wu Bao immediately hugged Fan Chenxin's leg: "Uncle Chenxin, April will be tough."

Fan Chenxin picked her up, her tone softening unconsciously: "I know. I'll make you some soup after your mother wins."

Suddenly, a very loud gong sounded from above.

"In the first preliminary match, Jiang Yining from the Barbarian Stone Tribe will face Zhang Kuang from the Zhang Family of Tianhuang City!"

The stands erupted immediately.

"Has the Barbarian Stone Tribe gone mad? They actually sent a woman to fight?"

"I heard she killed an earth dragon in Blackwind Canyon yesterday, and she brought a strange child with her."

"Killing an earth dragon is nothing. The Zhang family brought three peak second-tier wind wolves this time. Even a late-stage Qi and Blood Realm cultivator would have a hard time escaping when surrounded by wind wolves."

"What a waste of that face, it's probably going to be eaten until there's nothing left but bones."

The chatter was laced with unrestrained laughter. Hu Yanlie's face turned ashen, and he gripped the hilt of his sword, about to turn around and hurl insults.

Jiang Yining, however, had already walked towards the entrance stone gate.

Today she wore a close-fitting dark brown animal skin battle suit, with no extra ornaments around her waist, only a few wraps of thin, tough white cloth around her wrists. The snow wolf skin armor tightened her waistline, her long hair was tied up high, and the red mole between her eyebrows was dazzlingly bright in the blazing sun.

She didn't look back as she stepped onto the stone steps, only uttering a casual remark.

"Young Master Huyan, if anyone bets on the Zhang family to win later, remember to note the odds. When I return, make sure we collect every single penny that's due."

Huyan Lie opened his mouth, then finally shouted, "Go ahead, Lady Jiang! The entire Manshi tribe is betting on you to win today!"

Zhang Kuang stood at the other end of the field, with the black cloth covering the three iron cages beside him.

The three-headed wind wolves slowly emerged, their long, grayish-blue fur clinging to their well-defined backs, their canine teeth gleaming coldly. They were no ordinary wild beasts; their four paws were wrapped in the wind, making almost no sound as they trod across the yellow sand, yet their eyes were locked onto Jiang Yining's throat and heart.

Zhang Kuang drew his long steel sword from his waist and deliberately slashed his palm, causing blood to drip onto the sand.

"Can you smell it? That's her scent."

He looked at the three-headed wind wolf and smiled sinisterly.

"Bite off her leg first, don't kill her yet. I want to see her kneeling and begging for mercy."

The wind wolf on the far left lowered its body and let out a low growl.

Jiang Yining stood still, without even taking out her weapon.

Zhang Kuang narrowed his eyes: "You didn't even bring a knife?"

"It's unnecessary to deal with a few beasts."

"Stubborn to the end." Zhang Kuang raised the tip of his knife. "Tear her apart!"

The three wind wolves pounced at the same time.

Some in the stands screamed, while others stood up excitedly, eager to see this outsider woman torn to pieces by sharp claws. But Jiang Yining did not retreat; her purple-gold aura suddenly exploded beneath her feet, and fine patterns of light spread along the sand.

Her divine sense was severely suppressed in the Martial Spirit Realm, yet it was still much more acute than that of an ordinary Qi and Blood Realm cultivator.

The wind wolf on the left lunged at the shoulder and neck, the one in the middle aimed straight for the waist and abdomen, and the one on the right used the wind to circle around to the back. The three killing intents descended almost simultaneously; an ordinary martial artist would have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacks.

Jiang Yining slid aside the moment the wind wolf raised its claws.

She bent her knees, lowered her shoulders, twisted her waist, and slammed her right fist into the jaw of the first wind wolf with the shortest possible trajectory.

boom!

A dull thud of bones cracking echoed through the arena.

The wind wolf was sent flying by the punch, its head crashing into the iron bars. It twitched twice upon landing and never got up again.

Zhang Kuang's smile froze.

"There are two more left." Jiang Yining clenched her fist and beckoned to the other two with her fingers. "Come at me all at once, don't waste my time."

The second wind wolf roared and pounced, its sharp claws sweeping across her shoulder. Jiang Yining used the momentum to duck, elbowing the wolf in the belly, grabbing its front leg with her left hand, and punching straight at its temple with her right fist.

a bit.

Two times.

When the third blow landed, the wind wolf's struggle suddenly stopped.

Blood splattered on her cheek, but she didn't even wipe it away before turning to face the last and fastest wind wolf.

The beast had already leaped into the air, its bared fangs only inches from the top of her head.

Jiang Yining dodged by leaning back, grabbing its front paws with both hands and channeling her purple-gold blood energy into her palms. Using the weight of the wolf's charge, she flipped over, swinging the hundreds-of-pounds-heavy beast's body over her head and slamming it hard into the ground.

A deep pit was created by the collapse of the yellow sand.

As the wind wolf struggled to get up, Jiang Yining's fist landed squarely on its forehead.

The arena fell silent for a moment.

Then, a deafening cheer erupted from the Manshi tribe.

Huyan Lie brandished his long sword, his voice hoarse from shouting, "Lady Jiang is mighty! The Barbarian Stone Tribe will surely win!"

Zhang Kuang's hand gripping the knife began to tremble.

The three peak second-tier wind wolves didn't even last the length of a cup of tea before she killed them all with her bare hands.

He gritted his teeth and looked at the referee on the sidelines: "She used evil magic! She's definitely not an ordinary martial artist!"

The referee examined the three-headed wind wolf's corpse with a stern face, and after a long while said, "Pure blood and qi, no trace of forbidden techniques. Young Master Zhang, continue the competition."

"Continue?" Zhang Kuang stared at Jiang Yining, his voice tense. "She killed my Wind Wolf, and you still want me to continue?"

Jiang Yining walked towards him step by step.

"You're the one who let them bite off my leg first."

Zhang Kuang took a half step back, then, as if enraged by his own cowardice, drew his sword and charged forward.

"You bitch, die!"

The steel longsword, imbued with the aura of blood and qi, cut through the wind and pierced straight for Jiang Yining's heart.

A collective gasp rippled through the stands.

Jiang Yining did not flash.

She raised her hand to meet the blade, her five slender white fingers suddenly closing as the blade pierced her chest.

click!

She actually snapped the fine steel longsword in two with her bare hands.

Zhang Kuang gripped the broken blade, his mind blank.

Jiang Yining raised her leg and kicked him in the chest and abdomen.

This kick showed no mercy.

Zhang Kuang was sent flying backward, crashing through the wooden fence at the edge of the field and then slamming into the protective stone wall. The hard black stone cracked with spiderweb-like patterns. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, and struggled several times but could not get up.

Jiang Yining stood in the swirling yellow sand, raising her hand to brush the wolf fur off her shoulder.

"Young Master Zhang, you are responsible for your own life and death on the arena. Remember to take back what you said."

The referee announced loudly: "In the first preliminary round, Jiang Yining of the Manshi Tribe wins!"

This time, the entire arena was practically deafened by the noise.

Some called her name, some hurriedly switched their bets to the Manshi tribe, and others quietly put away the Zhang family's banner. Several elders at the Zhang family's seats had gloomy faces. When they ordered Zhang Kuang to be carried away, their gazes fell on Jiang Yining as if they were poisoned.

In the highest-level VIP section, Lou Xiaotian could no longer sit still.

He plucked a bunch of glowing crimson-gold spirit herbs from somewhere, stood on the stone chair, and waved them frantically, so much so that even the Lou family servants couldn't stop him.

"Jiang Yining!"

"Jiang Yining, you're the best!"

"Did you see that clearly? The woman who beat the Zhang family to a pulp on the stage is the one I, Lou Xiaotian, have my eye on!"