In this tumultuous era, in this chaotic land, those who rise to power are usually the ones who claw their way out of the sea of corpses and blood with sheer strength. On this forsaken continent, there is no place for incompetent and mediocre scions to survive.
As soon as Instructor Liu made his move, the watching dignitaries were captivated. This was the true art of killing on the battlefield!
Compared to him, the previous two bloody battles were nothing but thug brawls, filled with courage but lacking strategy. The assassins’ techniques, while deadly, lacked the ability to confront an opponent head-on and were hardly fit for a real arena.
Qian Ye, however, had a different style. He was extremely agile, constantly shifting and moving around Instructor Liu, making it difficult to follow. But out of ten moves, seven or eight were feints, and with Qian Ye’s graceful form, one couldn’t help but wonder if he was performing a family martial art. Even the dignitaries, and many spectators, involuntarily thought of the term “flowery fists and embroidered kicks.”
Instructor Liu’s combat style should have been the perfect counter to Qian Ye’s flashy and ineffective tactics, yet to everyone’s surprise, the two were evenly matched, and the battle dragged on.
Although it was a virtual combat system, the force feedback was equivalent to that of a Level 1 warrior. After a while, Instructor Liu’s forehead was already glistening with sweat.
Qian Ye was riddled with openings, but each time, Instructor Liu found himself unable to exploit them due to some reason. Once or twice could be considered a coincidence, but after several attempts, if he still didn’t realize something was amiss, he wouldn’t deserve the title of instructor.
Instructor Liu’s face darkened, realizing that Qian Ye was a formidable opponent worth his full effort. Suddenly, he let out a long howl, his expression becoming calm, and his breathing deep and steady, as if preparing for a protracted battle.
Instructor Liu’s seriousness caught the attention of many spectators, and they began to scrutinize Qian Ye closely.
In a private box, a high-ranking figure slowly said, “This Qian Ye is quite something.”
In another box, a young man turned his head and laughed, “Do you really think Liu Zifan will lose? He is, after all, a current combat instructor of the Expeditionary Force.”
“Titles don’t mean much.”
The young man looked at Qian Ye with a smirk and said, “I actually fancy Liu Zifan. How about we make a bet?”
The shadowed figure in the box thought for a moment and nodded, “Alright, then.”
The young man smiled faintly, “A small bet isn’t much fun. How about one hundred Imperial gold coins?”
“Exactly, a small bet isn’t much fun. In addition to the hundred coins, I want the ‘Black Fang’ in your hand. What do you say?”
The young man’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, which quickly subsided. “If you are willing to put ‘Blazing Fire’ on the line, I have no problem.”
“Deal.”
Both boxes fell silent, and both sides focused on the fight.
The match had been going on for fifteen minutes with no sign of a clear winner. Both men were sweating, but their movements remained precise, indicating that they could continue for another hour or two without any issue.
After activating the origin nodes, physical abilities significantly increase, and endurance far exceeds that of ordinary people. In a prolonged battle, a Level 1 warrior can often kill dozens of regular soldiers and still have enough energy to continue fighting.
Liu Zifan maintained his concise military style, while Qian Ye remained flashy and elegant, though he had started to reduce the number of acrobatic moves.
The crowd’s cheers had diminished, but no one was impatient.
This was like a combat teaching match, and many people were secretly learning and contemplating the techniques of both fighters, gaining valuable insights. Even the small tricks Qian Ye used were highly valuable in actual combat.
However, Yan Laohu was getting restless. He suddenly turned to one of his subordinates and said something. The man immediately left and returned a short while later, dragging a woman with him.
The woman was young and beautiful, with an untamed wildness about her. Even in Black Stream City, she would be considered a top beauty. Her face was pale as she was dragged into the arena and brought to Yan Laohu’s side.
Yan Laohu suddenly raised his voice, shouting, “Hey, you! You’re Qian Ye, right? Take a good look at this woman. She seems to have some connection to you!”
Qian Ye turned to look and was momentarily stunned. Beside Yan Laohu was Min’er, but she rarely left Beacon Town. How did she end up here?
Distracted for just a moment, Qian Ye’s movements slowed slightly, and Liu Zifan seized the opportunity, sweeping a kick across his thigh. Staggering, Qian Ye was hit by a barrage of punches from Liu Zifan, and they separated again.
Several red patches appeared on Qian Ye’s virtual warrior, indicating injuries. If the injury turned fully red, that part of the body would be unusable. If critical areas like the head, chest, or groin turned red, it would be an automatic loss.
Young Master Zhao’s face turned ugly, and he stood up, shouting, “Yan Laohu, do you have any shame? Trying to play dirty, are you?”
Yan Laohu laughed heartily, spreading his hands. “I didn’t tell that boy to lose on purpose! Qian Ye, did you hear me? Beat him hard, beat him to death! Go on, beat him! Haha!”
Amidst the laughter, Yan Laohu stood up, pulled out a short knife, and inserted it into Min’er’s collar, slicing downward. With a sharp sound, Min’er’s shirt was torn open. Yan Laohu ripped off her top, exposing her upper body.
Min’er instinctively covered her chest, but she was slapped.
“Who told you to cover yourself? A whore, that’s all you are. Since you took my money, what’s with this act of innocence? Put your hands down!” Yan Laohu roared.
Min’er’s face was pale, and her cheek quickly swelled, with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Shivering, she lowered her hands, allowing the audience to freely gaze at her body.
The sounds of heavy impacts echoed from the arena, and more red patches appeared on Qian Ye’s virtual warrior. Blood began to flow from the corner of Qian Ye’s real mouth. The force feedback was equivalent to the full power of a Level 1 warrior.
Seeing this, Yan Laohu burst into laughter, inserting the knife into Min’er’s waistband and screaming, “Do you want to see something even more exciting? This slut costs a silver coin for a night!”
That was a steep price even in Black Stream City. Min’er’s stunning appearance came with a premium. Many spectators whistled and hooted.
Young Master Zhao’s face was livid. He glared at Min’er and then said to Yan Laohu, “Fine, very fine! Consider this my warning. After this, you better watch your back!”
Yan Laohu gave Young Master Zhao a rude gesture and laughed maniacally, “If you lose this match, what right do you have to threaten me? I’m being merciful by not wiping you out already!”
In the box, the young man smiled and said, “Yan Laohu is utterly shameless! If you feel it’s unfair, I can have that woman removed and have them start over. What do you say?”
The shadowed figure replied calmly, “No need. If a woman can distract him, he’s not worth my large bet.”
“Oh, I see. Let’s continue watching then.” The young man sat down calmly.
On the arena, Qian Ye nimbly dodged Instructor Liu’s attack, and as they switched positions, he glanced at Yan Laohu and said, “I heard you placed a big bet.”
Qian Ye’s voice was incredibly calm, piercing through the noise and reaching Yan Laohu, causing a chill to run down his spine.
Yan Laohu jumped up, shouting, “So what? I can afford to lose!”
Qian Ye’s lips twitched, forming a smile, and said, “Is that so? Then lose it!”
In the arena, Qian Ye suddenly retreated, then shifted from extreme speed to complete stillness!
A strong sense of danger rose in Liu Zifan’s heart, the feeling of being hunted by a wolf! Stimulated by his opponent’s killing intent, he could no longer suppress his own battle spirit. With a roar, he lunged at Qian Ye!
Qian Ye also let out a low growl, sinking his waist and unleashing his power. For the first time, he neither dodged nor evaded, facing Liu Zifan head-on! The two collided without any finesse, launching a storm of attacks at each other!
A loud boom erupted, and all the spectators stood up, including the young man in the box, who involuntarily cried out and rushed to the window to watch the fight.
At that moment, Qian Ye and Liu Zifan were almost pressed against each other, using identical techniques and styles. Punches, knee strikes, and elbow jabs, every move aimed at vital points, each potentially lethal!
Qian Ye used the same military combat technique as Liu Zifan, but his counterattacks were faster and more effective. In a few moves, he shattered Liu Zifan’s stance, driving his left elbow into his chest three times in quick succession!
Thud, thud, thud!
The three muffled sounds merged into a longer boom.
Qian Ye’s first elbow turned Liu Zifan’s chest fully red, the second one made his entire torso red, and the third blow shattered Liu Zifan’s virtual warrior entirely!
The young man in the box slammed his hands on the window frame, exclaiming, “Such powerful military combat! This kid is a master!”
Even he was shaken, and the crowd fell silent. After a brief pause, the arena erupted in shouts and exclamations!
In the control pod, Liu Zifan’s face flushed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Although he had the strength of a Level 2 warrior, the feedback force was equivalent to a full-power strike from a Level 1 warrior. Three consecutive hits to the chest were too much for him, and he was severely injured on the spot.
Qian Ye remained calm, his eyes showing no emotion, except for a faint, barely noticeable red glow when he saw the blood in the arena.
He lowered his hands, standing with his legs slightly apart, mirroring Liu Zifan’s military stance. Then he turned to Yan Laohu and said quietly, “Did you enjoy losing?”
Yan Laohu was dazed and speechless.
This defeat was a massive loss for him. Just to get Liu Zifan to fight, he had spent nearly as much as the bet itself.
Yan Laohu lost five years’ worth of profits! After this defeat, he could no longer stay in his stronghold, Dongxing Town. Without finding a way out soon, Young Master Zhao’s people would come for him. Even if Young Master Zhao didn’t, other ambitious forces would surely take action.
In the adjacent box, the shadowed figure chuckled, “It seems my judgment was correct!”
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