Leo interrupted, “I know about the others, but where is this underground arena?”
“At the Flying Dragon Grand Hotel, on the basement level three,” Renee replied.
“And where is the Fiery Blaze Sect’s mountain gate?” Leo asked again.
Renee shook her head, “That’s currently unclear.”
“How can I enter that underground arena?”
“I can arrange for someone to take you in.”
“Then let’s do it now,” Leo said as he got up from the couch.
Watching Leo’s departure, Renee became somewhat distracted, thinking about how he had defeated even the second-in-command, Gavin, of the Red Fire Nine Guards. This man’s strength far exceeded her expectations.
Exiting the Azure Financial building, Leo found a parked Audi by the roadside. He opened the car door and got in.
A middle-aged man, wearing sunglasses, was behind the wheel. After Leo got into the car, he started the engine.
Throughout the drive, the middle-aged man remained silent.
After about twenty minutes, the car entered the underground parking lot of the Flying Dragon Grand Hotel and stopped on the third basement level. The man led Leo to a wall.
“Mr. Bloomer, this is the entrance to the underground arena,” the middle-aged man said, taking out a card from his pocket and swiping it at a particular spot on the wall.
With a slight noise, the seamless wall surprisingly opened to reveal a door.
“Mr. Bloomer, please follow me,” the middle-aged man said, leading the way.
After passing through a corridor, the middle-aged man used his card to open another metal door. Inside, they entered a lavishly decorated reception area.
At the front desk, a beautiful lady in a tight-fitting cheongsam approached them.
“May I see your membership cards, gentlemen?” The lovely lady smiled as she spoke.
The middle-aged man handed over his membership card and pointed at Leo, saying, “He’s my friend.”
The front desk lady returned the membership card to the middle-aged man and smiled at Leo. “Sir, we operate on a membership basis here. You need to pay a ten thousand-dollar membership fee to enter. If you wish to participate in the competition, we will also need to verify your savings, which should be at least ten million dollars.”
Leo remained calm and took out his bank card, handing it over to her. “Please help me with the membership and verify my savings.”
The front desk lady accepted the card with both hands and proceeded to work on the computer at the front desk. After Leo entered his password, paid the ten thousand-dollar fee, and his funds were verified, she handed back his bank card along with a membership card and a mask.
“Sir, this is your bank card, membership card, and mask. The back of the membership card has a keypad and a small screen for betting. Please keep it safe, and I wish you an enjoyable time in the competition.”
Leo examined the membership card, which had a unique design with a keypad and a small screen on the back. Once the membership process was complete, the middle-aged man led Leo further inside.
After passing through a corridor guarded by more bodyguards, the two of them arrived in front of a double door.
Two guards, one on each side, pulled the doors open.
Upon entering, Leo was awestruck by the scene before him.
The underground space was vast, supported by several massive marble pillars. In the front were rows of sloping seats that extended downward.
In the center, there was a massive cage-covered arena. On the left and right sides of the arena were two large metal tunnels, positioned to face the arena’s center.
In one word, this place was a replica of the famous Roman Colosseum.
Although it was not as large as the original Colosseum, the level of luxury was beyond comparison.
The lighting throughout the arena was bright, and though many people were already seated, it seemed like the matches had not yet begun. Several beautifully dressed women in cheongsams carried trays, shuttling among the seats to provide drinks and food to the guests.
Leo took a quick scan, and so far, there were probably over a thousand people in the arena.
Judging from their attire, they were all affluent people, with many of them wearing masks to conceal their identities.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Leo also put on a mask.
“Mr. Bloomer, the match is about to start. You can go to Section B for a better view. My task is complete. Goodbye,” the middle-aged man said politely.
Leo nodded and said, “Thank you, goodbye.”
After the middle-aged man left, Leo found Section B and chose a seat. It was relatively close to the arena, offering a great view.
After a short while, the lights in the entire arena dimmed.
Leo keenly sensed a change in the atmosphere, as the well-dressed men and women in the audience showed excited expressions.
Before long, a lady approached Leo with a polite smile. She inquired, “Sir, may I ask what you’d like to drink?”
“Coffee,” Leo replied.
The lady retrieved a cup of coffee from her tray and handed it to Leo.
“Thank you,” Leo said as he accepted the coffee.
After roughly ten minutes, the lights inside the entire arena dimmed. Leo keenly sensed a shift in the atmosphere as the well-dressed men and women in the arena displayed excitement in their eyes.
“Thud!”
A beam of white light shone on the arena, and the floor in the center slowly rose.
Standing on the raised platform was a woman in revealing lingerie, with a stunning figure.
She held a microphone and exclaimed, “Esteemed guests, my name is Ursula, and I will be your host for today’s gladiatorial contest!”
Ursula’s voice had a hint of childishness, which, combined with her voluptuous figure, was quite seductive.
As soon as she finished speaking, the audience burst into whistles and cheers.
Ursula was evidently pleased with the audience’s response. She continued, “Next, we will begin the first gladiatorial contest of the day. I invite our animal trainer to release two fierce beasts!”
Fierce beasts?
Leo was momentarily stunned.
At the mention of “fierce beasts,” the atmosphere in the entire arena became even more electrifying.
Amidst the waves of cheers from the audience, the passages on both sides of the iron cage opened automatically.
“Roar!”
A deafening roar echoed, sending shivers down the spine.
Ursula had already run out of the arena in advance.
Soon, a gigantic tiger emerged from one of the tunnels, further fueling the excitement of the audience.
It was a Siberian tiger, and judging by its size and ferocious gaze, it appeared to be a wild one.
Ursula’s voice rang out again, “Ladies and gentlemen, the first combatant today is the wild Siberian tiger! The Siberian tiger is the largest surviving carnivorous felid, with males reaching lengths of around 3 meters and tails about 1 meter long. The Siberian tiger’s coat is pale orange in the summer and light yellow in the winter. It has multiple narrow black stripes on its back and sides, typically organized in pairs resembling the letter ‘U,’ which often merge in the middle, creating a pattern similar to the Chinese character for ‘king.’ That’s why it is called ‘king of the jungle’.”