When Marco felt that irresistible pulling force dragging both him and the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger into the black vortex, the world seemed to spin around him as if he were passing through a long tunnel made of pure darkness. The concepts of time and space became blurred; the only clear things were the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's soul fluctuations filled with resentment and brutality, and its body that had been forcibly stripped away and shrunk as well.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed—it could have been an instant, or an eternity. Marco landed heavily on the hard ground, his entire body wracked with pain. Struggling to his feet, he looked around and was deeply shaken.
This was a strange space, boundless and endless, with no sky and no earth—only an eternal chaos and void. The only source of light came from a massive glowing sphere suspended at the center, emitting a soft yet undeniable radiance, as if it were the embodiment of this space's rules. Beneath the sphere was a circular platform about a hundred meters in diameter, with the edges dropping off into a bottomless dark abyss.
"Arena of Life and Death..." Marco murmured to himself, recalling the terrifying legends about this ability. Here, all external factors would be stripped away, and the duel would revert to its most primitive and "fair" state.
Just then, a cold, emotionless, and grand voice, as if descending from the highest heavens, echoed throughout this void space, resounding directly in the depths of Marco and the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's souls:
"Welcome to the Arena of Life and Death."
"The rules are as follows:"
"First: Within the arena, the flow of time differs from the outside world."
"Second: Both participants in the contest, regardless of their original state, will be temporarily stripped of the majority of their power, reverting to their infant or initial state. The duel will be conducted using the purest life essence."
"Third: There are no restrictions on the methods of combat. Only when one side is completely dead will the arena be dissolved."
"Fourth: The victor will devour the loser's entire life essence and gain the qualification to leave."
"The life-and-death duel begins now!"
The moment the voice faded, Marco felt an indescribable power of rules envelop his entire body! To his horror, he discovered that the Soul Power he had painstakingly cultivated for years was receding like a tide, his four Soul Rings instantly vanished without a trace, and he could no longer even sense his Azure Flame Phoenix Spirit! His bones made faint cracking sounds, his muscles contracted, and his field of vision lowered... In just a few breaths, he had truly reverted to the form of a child about six years old! The clothes that had once fit him now hung loosely, almost completely enveloping his small frame.
"This... this is the rule of the Arena of Life and Death?!" A wave of immense panic surged within Marco. With only his newly awakened Martial Soul, how could he possibly contend against the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger? Even if the beast had also reverted to its infant state, how could a human child compare to a Soul Beast's innate physical strength and ferocity?
He jerked his head up to look across. The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger had also undergone a drastic transformation! Its originally massive, hill-like body had now shrunk into a cub only slightly larger than an ordinary house cat! Its body remained pitch-black, but the "king" character on its forehead had dimmed, and the scorpion tail on its back had shortened significantly, with the venomous glow at its tip as faint as a firefly. It seemed equally unaccustomed to this sudden change, pacing anxiously in place and emitting a milky yet still ferocious growl. Its crimson eyes stared warily and confusedly at the shrunken Marco.
After the initial panic, Marco forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and attempted to summon any remaining power within his body. His Soul Power was empty, his Martial Soul dormant... Yet, when he focused his consciousness deep within, a familiar, warm sensation of strength slowly awakened throughout his limbs!
It was Haki! Armament Haki! Observation Haki!
The rules of the Arena of Life and Death, while restricting powers from the Douluo Continent, had not limited this strength derived from the physical body and will itself! Through years of arduous training, he had honed Haki into almost an instinct, deeply imprinted into the very essence of his life!
"Hahaha... Heaven never seals off all exits!" Marco's heart was instantly flooded with ecstasy! He tried to concentrate his Armament Haki. Although the total amount and intensity had greatly diminished due to his smaller body—far from his prime—the solid, resilient sensation remained! His Observation Haki could clearly perceive the weak aura and intentions of the cub across from him!
"The rule is reverting to infancy... After cultivating Haki for so many years, its essence has long transcended the limits of age! Even if only the quantity of a child's body remains, its 'quality' and application skills are far beyond what a newborn beast like you can match!" A dazzling light burst from Marco's eyes, sweeping away his earlier fear and replacing it with powerful confidence and icy killing intent!
Across from him, the infant Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger seemed to have adapted to its body. Seeing Marco as its only prey and the key to escaping this place, it let out a low growl, pushed off the ground with its four limbs, and transformed into a small black shadow, pouncing fiercely at Marco! Its speed still far exceeded that of an ordinary cub, its fangs glinting coldly.
An ordinary six-year-old child would undoubtedly die facing such an attack. But Marco was no ordinary child!
"Shave!"
Although his Soul Power had vanished, preventing a perfect "Shave," relying on his profound understanding of force application and the instant reinforcement of his legs with weakened Armament Haki, Marco's figure abruptly shifted sideways several feet, narrowly evading the pounce!
The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger landed empty-handed, turning its head in confusion as if unable to comprehend how this "weak" human had dodged its attack.
Marco steadied himself, his gaze cold. He raised his small fist, and with a thought, a dark hue rapidly covered his right fist and half of his arm—Armament Hardening! Though the area was small and the color faint, the solid sense of power was unmistakable!
"My turn!"
Marco took the initiative to attack! He moved his short legs, not quickly but with extremely steady steps, charging straight at the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger! The cub roared and pounced again, but Marco neither dodged nor avoided it. Seizing the moment, his right fist, coated in Armament Haki, shot out like a cannonball, smashing hard into the cub's forehead!
"Thud!"
**Chapter
A dull thud! The young tiger let out a pained whimper, sent tumbling by this Haki-infused punch. The faint "king" character on its forehead seemed to blur further! It shook its head, its crimson eyes filled with bewildered disbelief and rage! Why did this human child have such hard, painful fists?
Marco pressed his advantage without mercy, closing in! His fists and feet, coated in Armament Haki, became his deadliest weapons! He executed a simplified version of Martial Art, his punches, kicks, elbows, and knees landing precisely on the young tiger's vital points! Though his strength was limited by his shrunken body, the penetrating and striking power of Haki was nothing short of a dimensional downgrade for this equally weakened Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger!
"Growl! Awooo—!"
The young tiger was utterly overwhelmed, only able to emit shrill cries of agony and furious roars. It tried to scratch with its claws and bite with its teeth, but its attacks merely produced light clangs against Marco's Haki-coated arms or blocking legs, completely failing to break through! Every one of Marco's strikes sent pain searing into its very bones!
The more it fought, the more confused and terrified it became! This human was completely beyond its comprehension! This was nothing like the weak creature it knew!
Marco, however, grew more fluid and exhilarated with each move! He applied the Martial Art and Haki techniques honed over the years to their fullest in this juvenile body! It was a novel experience, a thrill of battle relying purely on his own tempered strength!
Finally, seizing an opening, Marco delivered a hand chop shrouded in dense Armament Haki, sharp as a blade, striking accurately at the young tiger's relatively vulnerable neck!
Crack!
A faint sound of bone fracturing echoed. The young tiger's cries ceased abruptly, its crimson eyes instantly losing their light. Its small body went limp, collapsing to the ground, twitched twice, and fell silent.
The cold, grand voice resonated once more:
"Duel concluded. Victor: Marco."
"Commencing absorption of the loser's life essence…"
A stream of pure and immense energy surged from the deceased Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger cub, flooding into Marco's body like a torrent…
Meanwhile, in the outside world, Star Dou Great Forest.
Where the black vortex had vanished, only the massive, soulless, and scar-riddled corpse of the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger remained, along with Li Zhaoyan, standing stupefied and ashen-faced.
"Ke'er… my Ke'er!!!" Li Zhaoyan let out a heart-wrenching cry of anguish, lunging toward the spot where the vortex disappeared. He frantically clawed at the ground with his hands, as if trying to dig his son out from the void! His eyes were bloodshot, tears mingling with the grime and blood on his face, his entire being on the verge of collapse. He hated! Hated the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger! Hated himself even more! Why couldn't he protect his son? Why did his son have to save him and… Yang Wudi quickly stepped forward, gripping the nearly out of control Li Zhaoyan firmly, and said in a low voice, "Zhaoyan!" Calm down! That vortex was strange; Ke'er might not necessarily be…" But his own voice carried a barely perceptible tremor—the aura emanating from that black vortex had unsettled even him.
Ye Lingling, Osler, and Qiu Yao were utterly terrified. Ye Lingling and Qiu Yao even began to sob quietly, while Osler clenched his fists tightly, his face deathly pale. The entire team was shrouded in despair and sorrow.
No one knew that within the eerie Arena of Life and Death, a battle that defied all rules had already reached its conclusion.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "QueenTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!