In the martial arts system of the Empire, speed-type techniques are arguably the most difficult to cultivate and master. Yet, in battle, speed is also one of the most powerful weapons. This was one of the reasons why Kabono was so confident in himself. Although he had only recently reached the elite eighth-tier level, anyone familiar with martial arts would know that a speed-type expert at the early eighth tier could still hold their ground against a power-type warrior at the peak of the eighth tier.
Therefore, from the very start of the fight, the bald Kabono had already decided to suppress his opponent using his signature speed. And his strategy indeed seemed to achieve the desired effect.
After their first direct clash, Kabono had been circling around his opponent. With his incredible speed and the astonishing attack rate of his twin hand axes, Kabono’s rapid assaults left the opponent struggling to keep up. Under Kabono’s overwhelming speed, the opponent, the Hermit, seemed unable to follow his movements and was barely managing to defend himself, shifting awkwardly from side to side.
The audience in the hall listened intently to the sharp, explosive sounds of colliding crystal-energy weapons and clashing battle energies echoing from the arena. From every angle, Zhang Wen appeared extremely passive. It seemed as though merely tracking Kabono’s position and blocking his attacks had already drained all of Zhang Wen’s energy.
“Come on, Brother Hermit!” The bounty fighters in the red rest area clenched their fists tightly, biting their lips as they silently cheered for Zhang Wen.
“Hmph! That Kabono… indeed, speed-type martial arts live up to their reputation as the strongest offensive style. With an advantage in rank, no matter the opponent, he won’t leave them any chance to turn the tide,” Douglas from the blue rest area finally turned back with a satisfied smile, pointing out the situation on the arena to Linoah.
“Mm,” Linoah nodded lightly, her eyes never leaving Zhang Wen. What exactly was he planning? She couldn’t help but wonder inwardly. After witnessing how Zhang Wen had effortlessly defeated Dick, Linoah simply refused to believe that he couldn’t keep up with Kabono’s speed.
Sharing Linoah’s thoughts were Ironmask and his companions, standing at the far end of the red rest area. None of the three showed signs of tension. From the very beginning, they could tell that Zhang Wen wasn’t on the defensive because he couldn’t keep up with Kabono, but because he was deliberately concealing his strength.
Ironmask and his group weren’t mistaken. Zhang Wen had been holding back all along. If he truly wanted to compete in speed, even if his absolute speed couldn’t match Kabono’s, the unique body techniques recorded in the Springwater Manual would be more than enough to ensure he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. However, Zhang Wen also understood clearly that if he activated the Springwater Manual’s techniques, he would inevitably be drawn into a grueling head-to-head battle with Kabono. Even if he managed to defeat Kabono, an eighth-tier speed-type warrior, his own battle energy would likely be drained to the point of collapse.
On the other hand, from Kabono’s initial words and the tactics he chose, Zhang Wen had already nearly confirmed that the bald man still hadn’t taken him seriously. Thus, in that moment, Zhang Wen made his decision—he would use this very fact to his advantage. So, Zhang Wen chose a riskier strategy: he would endure, let Kabono attack freely, and wait for the moment when Kabono would finally reveal an opening.
Zhang Wen allowed Kabono to attack without restraint, and Kabono didn’t hold back in the slightest.
In the empire’s martial arts system, the speed-based techniques are arguably the most difficult to cultivate and master. Yet, speed is one of the most powerful weapons in combat. This is one of the reasons why Capono is so confident in himself. Although he has just stepped into the eighth-tier elite level, anyone with knowledge of martial arts knows that an early-stage eighth-tier speed-based expert might not necessarily be at a disadvantage even when facing a peak eighth-tier strength-based warrior!
Therefore, from the very beginning of the battle, the bald Capono had already decided to suppress his opponent with his most adept speed! And his tactics seemed to have indeed achieved the effect Capono desired.
After the first direct clash between the two, Capono continuously maneuvered around his opponent. Due to Capono’s extremely fast movement speed and the astonishing attack rate of the two hand axes he wielded, the Hermit seemed unable to keep up with his movements, only barely managing to fend off the attacks.
Listening to the crisp clashing sounds of energy weapons and the explosive collisions of combat energy from the arena, the audience in the hall had their hearts in their throats. From any angle, Zhang Wen was too passive. It seemed that just locating Capono and blocking his attacks had already exhausted all his energy.
“Brother Hermit, hang in there!” The bounty fighters in the red rest area also clenched their fists, silently cheering for Zhang Wen.
“Hmph! Capono… the speed-based martial arts truly live up to their reputation as the strongest in attack. With a level advantage, no matter what opponent he faces, he will never give them any chance to turn the tables.” Douglas from the blue rest area finally turned back with satisfaction, smiling as he explained the situation on the arena to Linoya.
“Yes,” Linoya nodded faintly, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Zhang Wen. What is this guy planning? Linoya couldn’t help but wonder. After seeing Zhang Wen instantly defeat Dick earlier, Linoya didn’t believe he couldn’t keep up with Capono’s speed.
Sharing the same thought as Linoya were the Iron Mask trio standing at the deepest part of the red rest area. On their faces, there wasn’t much tension. From the beginning, they could tell that Zhang Wen wasn’t on the defensive because he couldn’t keep up with Capono’s movements, but because he was deliberately hiding his true strength.
The Iron Mask trio wasn’t mistaken; Zhang Wen had been biding his time. If it really came down to a speed contest, Zhang Wen, who had cultivated the Spring Water Technique, might not surpass Capono in absolute speed, but the special movement techniques recorded in the Spring Water Technique would ensure he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in combat. However, Zhang Wen was also well aware that once he unleashed the movement techniques from the Spring Water Technique, he would inevitably face a grueling battle against Capono. Even if he could defeat the eighth-tier speed-based Capono, his own combat energy would likely be depleted to the point of exhaustion.
On the other hand, from the very words Capono spoke at the beginning and the tactics he chose, Zhang Wen was almost certain that this bald guy still didn’t take him seriously. So, in that instant, Zhang Wen had already decided to exploit this. Thus, Zhang Wen chose a riskier tactic—he would endure first, let Capono attack freely, and wait for the moment when Capono exposed a flaw.
Zhang Wen let Capono attack freely, and the latter didn’t hold back at all.
“Haha! My speed is so fast that even tenth-tier masters can’t keep up! Just obediently go to your death! No! I won’t let you die. I’ll make you wish you were dead, haha!” Capono laughed maniacally as he continuously swung his dual axes. He quickly maximized the advantage of his speed-based techniques.
On the spacious arena, Capono seemed to transform into a streak of light, circling around Zhang Wen. Every time he swung his two curved axes, a sharp whistling sound echoed.
Several minutes passed, and Zhang Wen was still patiently enduring the attacks from all directions. In these minutes, Zhang Wen, who was entirely on the defensive, had expended a significant amount of combat energy. However, the continuous fierce attacks had also drained Capono’s combat energy almost as much. Both fighters had used their full strength in the offense and defense. If it weren’t for the extremely sturdy and combat energy-enhanced sea urchin stone used in the arena, the residual waves from their combat energy collisions would have already shattered the arena into pieces.
Zhang Wen could feel that Capono’s speed had noticeably dropped a notch. During several of Capono’s attacks, Zhang Wen felt he could almost grasp Capono’s position in that split second. However, Zhang Wen remained extremely patient, waiting for the perfect moment.
“Heh, what? Can’t keep up? Come on! Come on! Come on!” As Capono continued his relentless assault, he and Zhang Wen had almost moved to the corner of the arena closest to the left side of the hall. Seeing that he had cornered Zhang Wen step by step, an excited Capono shouted, raising his dual axes, which faintly glowed red, and swung them down at Zhang Wen like a windmill.
Capono was using a highly powerful martial technique—”Eagle Strike.” For Capono, who was on a fierce offensive, using this “Eagle Strike” to either knock his opponent off the arena or corner them wasn’t a wrong idea. But unfortunately, his opponent was none other than Zhang Wen!
The moment Capono raised his dual axes above his head, Zhang Wen had already seen through his next move. Moreover, to fully unleash the power of the Eagle Strike, Capono deliberately slowed down his movement speed. In that brief moment, Zhang Wen had Capono in the palm of his hand.
Zhang Wen, who had been biding his time until now, counterattacked without hesitation. The energy sword in his hand once again burst into a dazzling white light, just like when he first faced Dick—this was the sign of Zhang Wen pushing the Spring Water Technique to its limit.
Capono was somewhat prepared for Zhang Wen’s sudden move. The moment the energy sword lit up, Capono “wisely” closed his eyes. At the same time, his hands didn’t stop moving, and the two small axes continued to swing down with inertia.
However, after Capono swung his dual axes, he was stunned to find that he hadn’t hit his opponent’s body, nor had he encountered any resistance—his fully charged Eagle Strike had completely missed!
Suppressing the urge to vomit from the missed strike, Capono hurriedly opened his eyes. But this only made him even more astonished. In front of him, there was nothing! His opponent had vanished like a ghost, without any warning!
What’s going on? Before Capono could figure out what had happened, he suddenly heard gasps from the surrounding audience and both rest areas.
In that brief moment, Zhang Wen had seemingly teleported, disappearing from in front of Capono and then reappearing behind him without any warning!
The audience’s gasps made Capono realize something was wrong. He was, after all, a seasoned bounty fighter. In that critical moment, he gritted his teeth and roared, forcibly pulling back the dual axes he had swung downward, using a simple swinging motion to rotate his body and slash behind him.
However, the moment Capono swung his dual axes, Zhang Wen, like a ghost, instantly moved behind Capono again. Turning around, Capono still couldn’t see Zhang Wen, and he was on the verge of collapse.
Although he could still hear the audience’s gasps, not being able to see his opponent in any direction filled Capono with an inexplicable fear.
“Ah!” Capono roared again, channeling all his combat energy, and spun his dual axes like a madman. But no matter how he spun, he couldn’t see Zhang Wen, who had pushed the “movement techniques” to their limit.
Finally, Capono, who had exhausted his combat energy, stopped, panting heavily. He instinctively bent over, wanting to place his hands on his knees to catch his breath. And then, something happened that would become a story the people of Casares who came to the Kemel Arena that day would laugh about every time they remembered it.
“I’m here,” the Hermit standing behind Capono slowly raised his foot, speaking as he kicked Capono in the butt.
Capono, who was facing the corner where Zhang Wen had been standing, was kicked and immediately flew forward ungracefully, falling off the arena and landing face-first on the ground.
Just like when Zhang Wen won his first match, after this match ended, the fourth-floor hall was silent for a moment, and then the entire place erupted. However, this time, it wasn’t cheers but uncontrollable laughter.
Amidst the roaring laughter, Capono, who had fallen off the arena, stood up, covered in dust, and glared venomously at Zhang Wen, who was walking off the arena, before reluctantly returning to the Thamis Academy group. But there, he was met with Douglas’s livid face.
Just as Capono was kicked off the arena by Zhang Wen, Linoya couldn’t help but chuckle softly. This only made Douglas’s already grim expression turn even colder.
“Idiot!” Douglas muttered under his breath.
In fact, Douglas didn’t care about Capono losing to Zhang Wen. Capono wasn’t a teacher at Thamis Academy, and Douglas had never held this arena bounty fighter in high regard.
What truly angered and embarrassed Douglas was that he had just boasted in front of Linoya that the Hermit wouldn’t have any chance of an upset against Capono. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Capono had lost the match in such a laughable manner! Douglas felt as if he had been slapped twice in the face! If looks could kill, Capono would have been torn to shreds by Douglas’s gaze.
“For the next match, I’ll take the field myself.” After glaring at Capono with a gaze as sharp as a knife, Douglas turned away and coldly declared.
Just as Douglas spoke those words with a chilling tone, Zhang Wen had already returned to the red rest area. With their spiritual leader winning two consecutive morale-boosting victories, the excitement of the Casares bounty fighters was palpable. From the moment Zhang Wen appeared in the rest area, the bounty fighters had been cheering non-stop. A few who were familiar with the Hermit even gave him a few hearty pats on the shoulder.
Zhang Wen nodded to them in acknowledgment and quickly walked into the locker room connected to the rest area. Closing the locker room door, Zhang Wen sat heavily on the bench inside. He removed his mask and tossed it aside, taking deep breaths.
Unlike the bloodless victory in the first match, the battle with Capono, though successful, had consumed a significant amount of Zhang Wen’s combat energy and stamina. He could clearly feel the fatigue after the fight, but Zhang Wen hadn’t considered giving up for a moment.
From the moment he stepped onto the arena, Zhang Wen had made up his mind—he would keep all five of them on this floor. Not for any other reason, but because over the past six months, mingling with the passionate fighters and gladiator fans in the arena, Zhang Wen had come to realize one thing—he was also a Casares man!
“Well done!” As Zhang Wen was trying to regulate his breathing, the locker room door was pushed open, and the Iron Mask’s voice followed. In the Kemel Arena, the Iron Mask, Asura, and Old Drunkard were the privileged ones. Only these three could enter the locker room during the match intervals.
“Heh, three more to go,” Zhang Wen smiled as he looked up.
“You plan to keep them all on this floor?” Asura didn’t hide his surprise.
“Exactly,” Zhang Wen nodded.
“But…” Old Drunkard frowned, hesitating to speak.
“Honestly, I know that with my current strength, it’s a stretch to keep them all on this floor. But… look outside,” Zhang Wen pointed around.
“Brother Hermit…” Even with the locker room door closed, the excited calls of the bounty fighters for the Hermit could still be heard. Beyond the red rest area, in the vast fourth-floor hall, the audience had all stood up.
“Her—mit!”
“Her—mit!”
“Her—mit!”
…They rhythmically chanted the Hermit’s name, including the hoarse voices of the old nobles from earlier. The large screen hanging from the ceiling of the fourth-floor hall also displayed scenes from other parts of the arena.
The sixth floor, fifth floor, third floor, second floor, first floor… In the entire massive structure of the arena, all eyes of the Casares people were fixed on the central arena of the fourth floor. Even the bounty fighters on the arena had temporarily stopped their battles, looking up at the large screen above them.
On the spacious arena, Kabono seemed to transform into a blur of light, circling around Zhang Wen. Each time he swung his curved-handled axes, a piercing, whistling sound followed.
Minutes passed, and Zhang Wen continued to endure Kabono’s relentless attacks from all directions. During this time, Zhang Wen, entirely on the defensive, consumed a massive amount of battle energy. However, Kabono, engaged in continuous, intense offense, had also burned through nearly as much energy. Both were fighting at their fullest capacity. If not for the arena’s use of extremely durable sea-urchin stone, which absorbed and stabilized battle energy, the stage would have long since shattered under the force of their clashes.
Zhang Wen could feel Kabono’s speed had clearly dropped by a notch. On several occasions during Kabono’s attacks, Zhang Wen felt he could almost pinpoint Kabono’s position for a brief moment. Still, he remained patient, waiting for the perfect moment.
“Heh, what’s wrong? Can’t keep up? Come on! Fight back! Come on!” As Kabono continued his assault, he and Zhang Wen had gradually moved toward the far left corner of the arena. Seeing that he had driven Zhang Wen into a corner, Kabono shouted excitedly, raising his twin axes, which faintly shimmered with red light, and spinning like a windmill, he slashed downward in a continuous flurry.
Kabono was using a powerful martial technique—”Eagle Strike.” For Kabono, who was riding a wave of momentum, using this move to either knock his opponent off the stage or corner him wasn’t a bad decision. Unfortunately, his opponent wasn’t just anyone—it was Zhang Wen!
The moment Kabono lifted his axes overhead, Zhang Wen had already seen through his next move. Moreover, to fully unleash the power of Eagle Strike, Kabono had deliberately slowed his movement. In that brief instant, Zhang Wen had already grasped Kabono in his palm.
Zhang Wen, who had been holding back until now, launched his counterattack without hesitation. His crystal-energy sword once again erupted into blinding white light, just as it had during his first battle against Dick—this was the sign that Zhang Wen had pushed the Springwater Manual to its absolute limit.
Kabono had somewhat anticipated Zhang Wen’s sudden counterattack. The moment the crystal-energy sword lit up, Kabono “wisely” closed his eyes. At the same time, his hands didn’t stop, and the two small axes continued their downward arc purely on momentum.
However, after swinging his axes, Kabono was shocked to find that he had neither struck the opponent’s body nor encountered any resistance—his Eagle Strike, charged with full battle energy, had landed on empty air!
Suppressing the urge to vomit blood from the sudden loss of momentum, Kabono hastily opened his eyes. But this only deepened his shock. Right in front of him—there was nothing! His opponent had vanished without a trace, like a ghost!
What was going on? Before Kabono could even begin to understand what had happened, he suddenly heard astonished cries from the audience and the two rest areas.
Just a moment ago, Zhang Wen had seemingly teleported, instantly disappearing from Kabono’s front and reappearing behind him without warning!
The audience’s outcry made Kabono realize something was wrong. Yet, he was no less a seasoned bounty fighter. In a split second, he gritted his teeth and roared, forcibly pulling his axes back mid-swing, and with a simple rotational strike, slashed behind him.
However, the moment Kabono swung his axes, Zhang Wen once again moved like a ghost, instantly reappearing behind Kabono. Now facing the opposite direction, Kabono still couldn’t see his opponent, and panic began to set in.
Though he could still hear the audience’s astonished cries in his ears, not seeing his opponent anywhere around him made Kabono feel an inexplicable fear rising from deep within.
“Ahhh!” Kabono roared again, channeling all his battle energy, he spun wildly with his axes held straight out, slashing in every direction. Yet no matter how he turned, he couldn’t catch sight of Zhang Wen, who had now elevated the art of movement to its absolute peak.
Finally, after exhausting all his battle energy, Kabono came to a panting halt. Instinctively, he bent over, placing both hands on his knees to catch his breath. Then, something happened that would be remembered and laughed about by every Kaseran who had come to the Kermel Arena that day for years to come.
“I’m coming,” the Hermit, standing behind Kabono, said slowly, lifting his foot. With that, he kicked Kabono square in the butt.
Kabono had been facing the corner where Zhang Wen had previously stood. The kick sent him flying forward in an undignified arc, tumbling off the arena and landing face-first on the ground below with a loud crash.
Just like when Zhang Wen had won his first match, the hall fell silent for a moment after the match ended, and then erupted into noise. This time, however, it wasn’t cheers—it was uncontrollable laughter.
Amid the thunderous laughter echoing through the hall, Kabono, covered in dust and shame, stood up slowly. He shot a glare of hatred at Zhang Wen, who was descending from the arena, and reluctantly returned to the group from Themis Academy. But waiting for him there was a furious and visibly embarrassed Douglas.
At the exact moment Kabono was kicked off the arena, Linoah had also let out a soft chuckle, unable to suppress her amusement. That only made Douglas’s already dark expression even colder.
“Fool!” Douglas muttered bitterly.
In truth, Douglas didn’t really care that Kabono had lost to Zhang Wen. Kabono wasn’t even a Themis Academy instructor, and Douglas had never considered Kabono, a mere bounty fighter from the arena, as anything more than a tool.
What truly enraged and humiliated Douglas was that he had just boasted to Linoah that the Hermit had no chance of pulling off an upset against Kabono. Yet in the blink of an eye, Kabono had lost in such a ridiculous and humiliating manner! At that moment, Douglas felt as though someone had slapped him hard across the face twice! If looks could kill, Kabono would have already been torn to shreds by Douglas’s gaze.
“My next match, I will fight personally.” After glaring at Kabono with a gaze as sharp as a blade, making the latter shrink back in fear, Douglas finally turned away and coldly declared.
As Douglas spoke those icy words, Zhang Wen had already returned to the red rest area. With their team’s spiritual leader having secured two morale-boosting victories in a row, the Kaseran bounty fighters were naturally ecstatic. From the moment Zhang Wen appeared in the rest area, the fighters cheered loudly. A few who were close to the Hermit even gave him hearty pats on the back.
Zhang Wen nodded politely to them as he quickly walked back to the locker room connected to the rest area. After closing the locker room door, he heavily sat down on the bench inside. He removed his mask and threw it aside, panting heavily.
Unlike his first match, which ended without much effort, the battle against Kabono had cost Zhang Wen a significant amount of battle energy and physical stamina, despite his successful gamble. He could clearly feel the fatigue after the fight, but he never considered giving up for even a second.
From the moment he stepped onto the arena, Zhang Wen had already made up his mind—he would ensure that all five of them would be stopped on this level. Not for any other reason, but because over the past six months, having mingled with countless passionate fighters and arena fans, Zhang Wen had come to accept one truth—he was a Kaseran too!
“Brilliant job!” As Zhang Wen was trying to catch his breath, the locker room door opened, and Ironmask’s voice followed. Within the Kermel Arena, Ironmask, Asura, and the old drunkard were naturally privileged individuals. They were the only ones allowed into the locker room during match breaks.
“Hehe, three more to go,” Zhang Wen said with a smile.
“You want to stop all of them on this level?” Asura didn’t hide his surprise.
“Exactly,” Zhang Wen nodded.
“But…” the old drunk furrowed his brow, hesitating.
“To be honest, I know it’s a stretch to stop them all with my current strength. But… take a look outside.” Zhang Wen pointed around.
“Brother Hermit…” Even with the locker room door closed, they could still hear the bounty fighters excitedly shouting the Hermit’s name. Beyond the red rest area, in the vast fourth-floor hall, the entire audience had risen to their feet.
“Hermit!”
“Hermit!”
“Hermit!”
… They chanted rhythmically, their voices joined by the now-hoarse tones of the elderly nobles. Meanwhile, the giant screen hanging from the ceiling of the fourth-floor hall displayed scenes from other parts of the arena.
Sixth floor, fifth floor, third floor, second floor, first floor… throughout the entire massive arena building, every Kaseran’s eyes were fixed on the central arena on the fourth floor. Even the bounty fighters currently engaged in battles on the arena floor had temporarily stopped fighting, looking up at the giant screen suspended above them.
With their acute perception, Tie Mian and his two companions could distinctly sense that all the spectators in the grand hall just beneath their feet had also risen to their feet, shouting loudly at the screen overhead.
With the heightened senses of Iron Face and his two companions, they could distinctly feel that even the audience in the three-story hall beneath their feet had all risen to their feet, shouting loudly as they gazed at the screen above.
“If I had this opportunity and didn’t even try, I wouldn’t forgive myself. I’m also a Cassaresian!” Zhang Wen smiled calmly and stood up from the bench.
“In the next match, they’ll send out the guy who injured Little Wolf. Be careful,” said Shura, his face always hidden in the shadows of his collar, but his voice was full of concern for his companion.
“Mm,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly and put his mask back on. Then, taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door to the locker room.
When Zhang Wen reappeared beside the arena, the four-story hall erupted once more in a thunderous cheer. Having stood on the arena for the third time after two grueling battles, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming fight, the Cassaresians had already acknowledged the courage of this warrior.
After the announcer declared the opponents for the next match, Zhang Wen stepped onto the arena alongside Douglas.
“I admire your courage,” Douglas suddenly spoke as they reached the center of the arena.
“Oh?” Zhang Wen also stopped, slowly adjusting his breathing.
“When you fought Capono earlier, you dared to completely conceal your speed and win with the final strike. That kind of courage is truly admirable,” Douglas nodded at Zhang Wen, but a proud, cold smile gradually appeared on his face. “However, I will soon show you the vast difference between an elite-level martial artist and one who hasn’t crossed that threshold!”
“Hah! Capono said the same thing earlier,” Zhang Wen replied nonchalantly, but his heart was on high alert. During last year’s visit from the Themis Academy, Douglas was someone Linoa had specifically noted. He was definitely not an arrogant fool.
“Match—begin!” The announcer’s passionate shout soon echoed through the four-story hall. The moment his voice fell, a long, shark-shaped blade suddenly appeared in Douglas’s hand.
The moment Douglas gripped the blade, it seemed to resonate with the energy sword in Zhang Wen’s hand, both glowing simultaneously. However, unlike the fleeting white flash from Zhang Wen’s energy sword, the white light from the shark-shaped blade domineeringly persisted for several seconds before suddenly retracting.
“A sea urchin stone weapon! It’s actually a sea urchin stone weapon!” Witnessing this scene, many knowledgeable spectators in the four-story hall couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment.
“What’s going on? Aren’t energy weapons supposed to glow only at the moment they’re charged with combat energy? What’s with that thing in his hand?” In the red rest area, the bounty fighters widened their eyes in surprise, asking each other.
“Nothing to be surprised about. That’s sea urchin stone,” the old drunkard, who had just returned from the locker room, said calmly, raising his bottle of wine and taking a hefty swig.
“Sea urchin stone? You mean the stone used for the arena’s base? How can it be used as a weapon?” Although the old drunkard held considerable authority in the coliseum, his words still left many bounty fighters skeptical.
“The old drunkard is right. That’s sea urchin stone. However, the sea urchin stone used for the arena’s base and the sea urchin stone weapon in his hand are not the same,” Shura calmly addressed the group’s doubts. “You should all know that sea urchin stone has the ability to absorb combat energy. But in reality, the sea urchin stone we usually talk about, the kind used for the arena’s base, is just one ten-thousandth sea urchin stone mixed with several other types of rock. The sea urchin stone in weapons has a much higher concentration. However, sea urchin stone has an extremely high melting point and is very hard, making the process of crafting sea urchin stone weapons unimaginably difficult.”
“Oh? How difficult is it?”
“Let me put it this way: a couple of years ago, a weapon called ‘Dragon Tooth Slash’ was sold for fifty million imperial shields at the coliseum’s top auction house. Its sea urchin stone content was about one-thirtieth. Of course, Dragon Tooth Slash is considered a top-tier divine weapon. The weapon that guy on the field is holding probably has a sea urchin stone content slightly more than half of Dragon Tooth Slash!”
“What? So that thing in his hand must be worth at least tens of millions?” As soon as Shura finished speaking, the bounty fighters nearby nearly popped their eyes out. “What’s so special about sea urchin stone weapons? Why are they so expensive?”
“Sea urchin stone can absorb a large amount of combat energy,” Shura continued. “Generally, when two martial artists fight, the amount of combat energy they can charge into their weapons at once is quite limited. You should all know that the energy weapons we usually use can only charge about one-fifteenth to one-twentieth of our total combat energy at a time. That means the strongest technique they can unleash is only about one-fifteenth to one-twentieth of their total combat energy. But sea urchin stone weapons can significantly increase this ratio. For example, that Dragon Tooth Slash from before could hold nearly one-fourth of the user’s combat energy at once. That means it increased the power by four to five times!”
“But what’s the point? If you use such a weapon, the power increases, but won’t your combat energy be depleted quickly?” one bounty fighter interrupted Shura, still puzzled.
“Idiot!” The old drunkard, who had just taken a swig of fine wine, couldn’t help but smack the questioner’s head with his bottle. “If the power of a technique increases by four to five times, do you think the fight will still be a prolonged battle? For example, if Shura used a regular energy weapon to unleash a ‘Nether’ technique, the final power would be around six thousand cards. I could handle that with some effort. But if Shura used Dragon Tooth Slash to unleash ‘Nether,’ twenty to thirty thousand cards of combat energy would come crashing down, turning me into mincemeat in one hit! There wouldn’t even be a need for a second move!”
“Ohhh!” After the old drunkard’s explanation, the bounty fighters nodded in understanding. However, their gazes toward the arena couldn’t help but fill with a bit more worry.
“Damn! That kid Hermit is really in trouble now. Why didn’t he use that thing when he fought Little Wolf earlier? Don’t die, kid…” The old drunkard also stared intently at the situation on the arena, muttering under his breath.
“The next match, they’ll send out the guy who injured Xiao Lang earlier. Be careful,” Xie Luo said, his face always hidden in the shadow of his collar, yet his voice brimming with concern for his comrades.
“Hmm,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly, putting on his mask again. Then, he took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the locker room.
As Zhang Wen reappeared beside the arena, the grand hall on the fourth floor erupted once more with thunderous cheers. That he had returned to the ring for the third time after two grueling matches had already earned him the respect of the Cassares people, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming fight.
After the host announced the participants of the next match, Zhang Wen stepped onto the arena alongside Douglas.
“I truly admire your courage,” Douglas suddenly said as they reached the center of the ring.
“Is that so?” Zhang Wen stopped as well, slowly adjusting his breathing.
“Earlier, when you fought against Capone, you dared to completely conceal your speed and struck only at the final moment. Your courage is indeed admirable.” Douglas nodded at Zhang Wen, then his face gradually took on a faintly arrogant sneer. “However, I will soon show you just how vast the gap truly is between a warrior who has surpassed the elite level and one who hasn’t even crossed that threshold yet!”
“Hmph! Capone said the same thing earlier,” Zhang Wen said indifferently, but inwardly, he became more vigilant. In last year’s delegation from Thymis Academy, Douglas had been specially noted by Linoia. He was definitely not a conceited fool.
“The match—begins!” Soon, the passionate voice of the host echoed once more through the fourth-floor hall. And as soon as he spoke, a long blade shaped like a shark suddenly appeared in Douglas’s hand.
The moment Douglas gripped the blade, it seemed to resonate with Zhang Wen’s crystal-energy sword, both flashing to life simultaneously. However, unlike the brief flash of white light on Zhang Wen’s sword, the glow on Douglas’s shark-shaped blade burned fiercely for several seconds before abruptly dimming.
“Sea-urchin weapon! It’s actually a sea-urchin weapon!” Many knowledgeable spectators in the fourth-floor hall couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them.
“What’s going on? Aren’t crystal-energy weapons supposed to glow only when infused with battle energy? How is that guy’s weapon glowing like that?” In the red rest area, the bounty fighters were wide-eyed with shock, asking each other in confusion.
“There’s no need to be so surprised. That’s sea-urchin stone,” the old drunkard muttered casually as he returned from the locker room to the rest area, raising his wine bottle and taking a hearty swig of red wine.
“Sea-urchin stone? You mean the same stone they use as the base for the arena floor? How could that possibly be made into a weapon?” Although the old drunkard held considerable authority in the fighting arena, his words still prompted many bounty fighters to wear expressions of disbelief.
“The old drunk is right. That is sea-urchin stone. However, the sea-urchin stone used in the arena floor and the sea-urchin weapons are not the same thing,” Xie Luo calmly took over the explanation, fielding the crowd’s questions. “You should all know that sea-urchin stone has the ability to absorb battle energy. But in reality, what we commonly refer to as sea-urchin stone—the kind used for arena bases—is actually a composite mineral formed by just one ten-thousandth sea-urchin stone mixed with other types of rock. The sea-urchin content in sea-urchin weapons is significantly higher. However, sea-urchin stone has an extremely high melting point and great hardness, making the crafting of such weapons unimaginably difficult.”
“Oh? Just how difficult is it?”
“To put it this way: a couple of years ago, a blade called ‘Dragon’s Tooth Cutter’ was sold at the top-tier auction in the arena for 50 million imperial shields. Its sea-urchin content was about one-thirtieth. Of course, the Dragon’s Tooth Cutter is already considered a top-tier divine weapon. The weapon that guy is holding now has a sea-urchin content slightly more than half of that in the Dragon’s Tooth Cutter.”
“What?! Does that mean his weapon is worth at least millions?!” As soon as Xie Luo finished speaking, the nearby bounty fighters were practically popping their eyes out. “What’s so special about sea-urchin weapons that they’re so expensive?”
“Sea-urchin stone can absorb a large amount of battle energy,” Xie Luo repeated. “Generally speaking, when two warriors fight, the amount of battle energy that can be infused into a weapon at one time is actually quite limited. You should all know that the crystal-energy weapons we normally use can only hold about one fifteenth to one twentieth of our own battle energy. In other words, the strongest technique we can unleash has a power level only one fifteenth to one twentieth of our total battle energy. However, sea-urchin weapons can greatly increase this ratio. For example, the Dragon’s Tooth Cutter I mentioned earlier could hold nearly a quarter of the wielder’s battle energy. This means the power output is increased four to five times!”
“But what’s the point? Even if the weapon enhances the power of the technique, won’t your battle energy be depleted much faster?” One of the bounty fighters interrupted again, puzzled.
“You idiot!” The old drunkard, just swallowing a mouthful of wine, couldn’t help but tap the questioner’s head with his wine bottle. “If the power of a technique increases four to five times, do you think the battle would last long? Take Xie Luo’s ‘Ming’ technique as an example. If he uses a regular crystal-energy weapon, the technique’s power might be around 6,000 cards. I might be able to handle it with some effort. But if Xie Luo uses the Dragon’s Tooth Cutter to unleash ‘Ming,’ two or three hundred thousand cards of battle energy would come crashing down in one blow—enough to turn me into meat paste in an instant! Who would need a second move?”
“Ohhh!” After hearing the old drunkard’s explanation, the bounty fighters nodded in understanding. However, almost immediately, their gazes turned toward the arena with involuntary concern.
“Darn it! Now the kid is really in trouble. Why didn’t we see him bring out this kind of weapon when he fought Xiao Lang earlier? Don’t die, kid…” The old drunkard stared intently at the ongoing match, muttering under his breath.
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