“That’s because your rules weren’t clear enough!” Qiao Jiajin roared. “You said there’d be a reward for catching the ‘ball’—who knew you’d throw a burning coal ball at us?!”
“A coal ball… can’t be caught?” The Earth Horse raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t mind getting burned, you could hold that ‘ball’ in your arms.”
“Dang it!” Qiao Jiajin looked furious, thinking how lucky it was that the younger ones weren’t facing “Lianzhen” this round—otherwise, they’d be worse off than getting hit by an iron ball.
“Bro Qiao, are you okay?” Bai Jiu asked worriedly while pushing the cart.
“Can’t say I’m ‘okay’… more like ‘not dead,'” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “Don’t worry about me. Keep going.”
The others weren’t sure if he was serious, but since Qiao Jiajin had decided to stand in front of “Lianzhen,” they had no choice but to trust he could handle it.
“Everyone, stay alert,” Bai Jiu whispered. “We can’t let Bro Qiao take all the hits. Twenty, be ready for ‘Gale Wind.’ Seventeen, protect yourself—if it comes to it, jump off the cart rather than take a hit.”
“Jump off?”
“Exactly,” Bai Jiu nodded. “The rules say ‘riders’ are out if hit by a ‘ball,’ but she never mentioned falling off. Worst case, we restart from the beginning.”
“Got it!” Feng Seventeen replied firmly.
Everyone tensely watched Qiao Jiajin, who had stepped back several meters from “Lianzhen,” stopping just out of range.
He bent to stretch his legs, then straightened, raising one knee and bringing his hands to his temples.
“Such a warm welcome, ‘Lianzhen’…” Qiao Jiajin muttered. “I’ll kick you to hell—”
**BOOM!**
“Lianzhen” shot out a black coal ball like a cannon, trailing thick smoke. Gauging its trajectory, Qiao Jiajin took a step forward, planted one hand on the ground, and swung his right leg like an axe through the air, kicking the coal ball with full force.
**CRACK!**
Another crisp snap—the coal ball shattered.
Qiao Jiajin rolled forward, dodging the shower of sparks, then crouched steadily to the side.
“Damn horse girl…” He smirked. “You’re really testing my skills, huh? ‘Wing Chun’ first, then ‘Tai Chi,’ now ‘Muay Thai’… Was this game tailor-made for me?”
From afar, the Earth Horse narrowed her eyes.
This figure… overlapped with someone from her memories.
That man had once pushed her aside, saying, “Watch yourself, tall girl,” before assuming a Muay Thai stance and kicking away a flying spear.
How many years ago was that?
Over thirty.
No—exactly thirty. She had become an Earth Horse, while he remained a “participant.”
What a tragic, laughable reunion.
In those thirty years, neither the “Zodiacs” nor the “participants” had escaped.
Everyone seemed to be striving, but the “participants,” lacking memories, burned with far more passion than the “Zodiacs.”
“So it really is you?” The Earth Horse chuckled bitterly, murmuring, “Most of these traps were inspired by you… If you pull off miracles, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
She walked to a discarded boulder and sat comfortably.
Now, it was time to watch his performance.
Thirty years later—was he still the same?
Was their leader, Wen Qiaoyun, still active?
Would his unmatched combat skills overcome every obstacle here?
The third flaming coal ball soared. Qiao Jiajin leaped, spinning midair to kick it away. The exploding coal balls lit up the sky like fireworks, brightening the grim arena stained with countless deaths and melting the icy chill.
The man before her was like a sun, radiant even in the flames.
Then came the fourth, fifth, sixth.
Sweat drenched the tattooed man’s clothes—whether from exhaustion or heat—but his stance never wavered. He stood ready, facing “Lianzhen” head-on.
Finally, he launched into a flying knee strike, shattering the last coal ball. Pulling up his shirt to wipe his face, the others glimpsed his scarred torso and chiseled muscles.
Talent? No. The ability to deflect every “ball” today was born from effort far beyond the ordinary.
“Whew!” Qiao Jiajin exhaled deeply. “‘Lianzhen’! Good match!”
“Lianzhen” trembled as if conceding defeat, then lowered and retracted into place.
Qiao Jiajin rejoined the group. His clothes were singed with holes, his arms dotted with red burns.
“Bro Qiao, you don’t look so good…” Bai Jiu touched his arm, finding blisters from the heat.
“Not good?” Qiao Jiajin glanced down. “I can run, jump, even flip—how’s that ‘not good’? I’ve had way worse. I’m fine.”
Before anyone could respond, the Earth Horse spoke: “Do you plan to keep everyone alive by yourself?”
Qiao Jiajin turned, amused by her pale face. “What, you gonna guarantee our survival?”
“I can’t,” she admitted. “But I once wondered: if that man played this game, he’d carry everyone to the end. But as a ‘Zodiac,’ I had to stamp out such heroics. So I added ‘Jumen’ and ‘Tanlang’—to ensure death, even for the strongest.”
Qiao Jiajin frowned. “What man? What heroics?”
“I just wanted to show off my design,” she sighed. “Understand or not, saying it… eases years of pent-up frustration.”
“Nutjob,” Qiao Jiajin scoffed, ignoring her. To the others, he said, “Next round, stick to the plan. Astro-girl said ‘Wenqu’ might be an ‘ice ball’—probably similar to Round One. I’ll ride.”
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