Then came the remaining two corpses, which the Earth Ox similarly grabbed and swung before hurling them into the distance.
The four bodies traced parabolas through the air, like four bloody comets streaking across the sky.
“They were getting in the way here,” the Earth Ox said, dusting off her hands before turning to the two men. “Let’s keep going.”
As the four bodies landed heavily in the distance, Brother Wang and the fat man felt their hearts drop with an audible *thud*.
A question inevitably arose in their minds.
It was said that the physical prowess of Earth-level beings far surpassed that of ordinary “Participants,” but just how much stronger were they?
If someone had told them that this frail-looking female Earth Ox could kill four men at once, they might have reluctantly accepted such strength.
But to lift two corpses, each weighing over a hundred pounds, overhead and fling them far away—just how much raw power would that require?
By that logic, killing four men at once wasn’t just plausible—she could probably slaughter forty without breaking a sweat.
“B-Brother Wang… this doesn’t seem right…” the fat man tugged at Brother Wang’s sleeve nervously. “Can we really do this?”
Brother Wang was clearly shaken too, but he slapped the fat man’s head in frustration. “What the hell’s the point of asking that now?!”
“But… you saw it too…” the fat man stammered. “Even if we both gave it everything we’ve got, we couldn’t toss a single corpse into the air like that… and she just threw two at once…”
“Quit being stupid!” Brother Wang swallowed hard. “Yeah, she’s strong, but she can’t use her hands or feet—she has to lie on the ground! If we can’t even beat her like that, then no number of us could!”
The fat man knew there was no backing out now. They’d already lost four teammates, and if they didn’t win this match, the consequences would be far worse.
How could they possibly explain to the two dead “Echoers” that they hadn’t won?
And how would the others even believe them?
“Fine…” The fat man gritted his teeth. “Same as before—I’ll tie the rope first!”
With that, he picked up the blackened rope from the ground and carefully wrapped it around his waist, securing it with multiple tight knots to ensure it wouldn’t slip.
“Yeah…” Brother Wang nodded. “The moment the tug-of-war starts, you throw yourself backward. I’ll handle the count. No matter what, we’ve got to drag this woman over.”
“Screw the count!” the fat man snapped, panic creeping into his voice. “I’ll just throw myself back—you’ll be the only one pulling.”
“Damn… you’re right.” Brother Wang scratched his head, then gripped the rope. “Then… I’ll be the one pulling!”
Even before the match began, both men were already drenched in sweat.
Meanwhile, the Earth Ox slowly walked to the other end of the rope but didn’t pick it up immediately.
Instead, she stretched her legs, then suddenly leapt into the air. As the two men gaped in disbelief, she thrust her feet downward with a powerful stomp.
**BOOM!**
Chunks of yellow earth flew into the air as her feet sank into the ground, burying themselves up to the ankles.
She calmly pulled her legs free, then dug her hands into the soil, shaping the dry, hardened earth as effortlessly as if it were soft foam.
In no time, she had dug a small pit—just big enough for her to curl up and lie inside.
“That should do it,” the Earth Ox said with a nod.
“Wha—” Brother Wang blinked in shock. “You can dig pits too?!”
“Hmm?” The Earth Ox glanced back at them. “Did I ever say I couldn’t?”
“You—”
“You can dig too,” she said. “It took me about twenty seconds. I’ll give you thirty. If you want, you can even use that time to bury yourselves.”
Brother Wang immediately looked down at the ground and pressed a hand against the dry yellow earth.
This so-called “football field” didn’t even have a single blade of grass—just hard, parched soil. Even with tools, digging a pit in thirty seconds would be impossible.
“Damn it… we’ve been played.” Brother Wang clenched his teeth. “What do we do now?”
Standing nearby, Qi Xia let out a quiet sigh and glanced up at the bead hovering above him. It had been swaying precariously for a while now—if he didn’t stoke the flames of this game soon, it might never end.
With that thought, he turned to the two hesitant men and spoke up. “Actually, I think this is a good thing.”
“Huh?”
“I just have a thought… though I’m not sure if I should say it.” Qi Xia hesitated. “After all, we’re strangers—you might not even listen to me.”
“No! Speak!” Brother Wang insisted. “I can tell you’re sharp. If you’ve got an idea, spill it.”
Qi Xia nodded. “Alright. The fact that the Earth Ox dug herself a pit tells me the situation is already dire for her.”
“Oh?” Brother Wang frowned. “How so?”
“She can’t use her limbs or exert force—the only thing she can do is slow you down.” Qi Xia’s voice turned cold. “This is the only trick she has left. If she wants to win, her best bet is to wear you out until you give up.”
“So what does that mean?” the fat man asked, confused. “We still can’t win.”
“You’re wrong.” Qi Xia shook his head. “Her actions reveal something obvious—if you can pull her out of that pit, she loses. Working backward, this is ‘retrospective reasoning.'”
The two men exchanged glances, slowly realizing the young man might be onto something.
“Even if that’s true, dragging her out of that pit won’t be easy,” Brother Wang argued. “The dry earth already has high friction, and if she’s lying in a pit… it’ll be even harder!”
“No, no.” Qi Xia dismissed the concern. “Continuous force would make it difficult, but what you need now is a sudden burst of strength. That pit is only about ten centimeters deep—pulling her out isn’t as hard as you think.”
“Sudden burst?”
“My suggestion is for both of you to tie the rope around your waists,” Qi Xia said. “The moment the game starts, throw yourselves backward at the same time—use your combined weight and force. That might yank her out of the pit instantly.”
“Hmm…”
Brother Wang considered it, then quickly picked up the rope and wrapped it around his waist as well.
Meanwhile, the Earth Ox slowly turned her gaze to Qi Xia, her lips moving slightly as she silently mouthed two words:
*”Thank you.”*
Qi Xia smiled faintly and mouthed back:
*”You’re welcome.”*
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