Sparring Fight and Grizzly Bear (Please Follow-up Reading)

Earl Arthur ultimately agreed.

With William accompanying Chen Mu, he felt there would not be much danger.

After all, improving his practical combat ability would be of considerable help to Chen Mu.

Whether he inherited the title of Count later or became a lord in one of the territories within the Far East Territory, practical combat ability would be indispensable.

By the time Chen Mu and William arrived at the Golden Lion Arena, several days had passed.

The Golden Lion Arena was located within the Far East Territory, not too far from the manor where Chen Mu lived.

The Golden Lion Arena was a massive and magnificent structure, built from expensive materials such as marble, brass, and metal.

From the outside, its towering walls were adorned with exquisitely carved patterns and reliefs, every section radiating splendor.

At the entrance stood a huge arched gate, engraved with the Golden Lion Family's crest.

Above it were two crossed Knight Swords, giving off an air of grim menace.

Upon entering, the first thing they saw was a vast expanse.

Countless lavish seats filled it. This was the viewing stand where noble spectators watched the gladiatorial fights.

Some seats in the viewing stand were exceptionally luxurious, with cushions made of precious materials like silk and leather, surrounded by tapestries and ornaments.

Although Chen Mu possessed memories of the arena, this was his first time truly coming here.

His first impression was that this did not resemble an arena, but rather a resplendent and extravagant palace.

There were also facilities inside the arena, such as bars serving food and drinks, open-air gardens for nobles to rest and socialize, as well as sanitary facilities like toilets and baths.

It was extravagantly luxurious, capable of satisfying most of the nobles' needs.

The interior of the arena was divided into three sections, with countless marble arenas standing within them.

By the time Chen Mu entered, quite a few arenas already had people on them.

Some fought in ornate armor as though putting on a performance, while others fought bare-chested, their fists landing with solid thuds.

In just those few minutes, Chen Mu saw an incredibly muscular man have his neck broken before being carried off the arena.

The next moment, someone stepped onto the arena and cleaned up the bloodstains. In less than a minute, the marble arena was spotless again.

It was as though the person who had just died on it had been nothing but an illusion.

Screams, shouts, and deafening noise filled the entire Golden Lion Arena.

Nobles who normally paid meticulous attention to etiquette were now screaming at the top of their lungs.

Drenched in sweat, they shook their heads wildly as if they wanted to roar their throats raw.

The sharp contrast between lavish elegance and bloody violence left a deep impression even on Chen Mu.

"The Golden Lion Arena was built more than a hundred years ago. Construction alone took fifteen years."

William assumed Chen Mu had been shocked by the arena's grandeur, so he quietly explained.

"Young Master, would you like to watch from the viewing stand first, or participate in a fight directly? If you wish to participate, you'll need to register first."

"Let's begin directly!"

Chen Mu spoke as he lightly loosened up his body.

After registering for a Sparring Fight, Chen Mu was assigned to Arena No. 12.

Naturally, he had not registered under his real name, but with a casually made-up nickname.

Most people participating in fights here used nicknames rather than their real names.

This had actually been Chen Mu's own idea, and William had not objected.

Chen Mu naturally could not participate in a Life and Death Arena from the start. Leaving aside that William would not allow it, Chen Mu himself currently lacked experience in life-and-death combat.

Before participating in the Sparring Fight, Chen Mu had to go to the changing room to change his equipment.

The Golden Lion Arena's changing room contained countless separate changing cubicles, each with a locker inside.

Compared to the splendor outside, the cubicles were exceptionally crude.

Not only were they poorly ventilated, but they were also dark. With no lighting equipment, they felt even more gloomy and damp.

Sparring Fights were divided into armed combat and unarmed combat. Chen Mu was participating in armed combat this time.

This kind of fight required full armor. Chen Mu quickly put on a full set of knight armor, including a knight helmet.

Chen Mu calmly adjusted his breathing, his body instinctively circulating the Breathing Technique.

At this moment, Chen Mu realized that he was not nervous at all. All he felt was an inexplicable excitement.

"Number 16, it's your turn. Arena No. 12. Your opponent is Grizzly Bear."

A man dressed as an attendant knocked on the door of Chen Mu's changing cubicle, his tone devoid of emotion.

After registering for an arena fight, everyone received a number, and Chen Mu was the Number 16 the attendant had mentioned.

Chen Mu opened his closed eyes, a glint flashing through his emerald gaze.

When the attendant saw Chen Mu emerge, he gave him a casual once-over.

Seeing Chen Mu's slender build, a trace of sympathy appeared in his eyes.

"I'll take you to the arena. A Sparring Fight isn't a Life and Death Battle, but serious injuries do occur from time to time. If you can't win, it's best to surrender quickly."

The attendant leading Chen Mu spoke softly from ahead.

He seemed to have taken Chen Mu for a down-and-out noble, so he said a few extra words.

Chen Mu also glanced at the attendant walking ahead in surprise. "Thank you."

The attendant did not reply again. In silence, he led Chen Mu to Arena No. 12.

When Chen Mu arrived at the arena, a burly man clad in heavy armor was already standing atop the marble platform.

The man was extremely tall. Standing on the arena, he looked like a giant, a full head taller than Chen Mu.

Chen Mu's brows furrowed slightly beneath his helmet. Naturally, he was not afraid of this man.

But he had registered his weight beforehand, and his opponent was clearly not in the same weight class.

He did not think the arena would make such a simple mistake.

If it was not the arena's fault, then it was highly likely that although the burly man before him was large, his knight realm was lower than Chen Mu's.

He had registered as a Peak Quasi-Knight, so this burly man was definitely not a Peak Quasi-Knight.

After all, apart from evaluating weight, Sparring Fights also matched opponents according to their overall strength.

Once he stepped onto the arena, Chen Mu noticed that quite a few people in the viewing stand had already turned their attention toward this arena.

Naturally, this included William, seated in the very front row.

The spectators watching this arena erupted into waves of jeers. The difference between Chen Mu and Grizzly Bear was simply too great at a glance.

"Lionheart versus Grizzly Bear. Sparring Fights prohibit killing. Once one side surrenders, the other must stop. Begin!"

Following the referee's command.

The seemingly cumbersome Grizzly Bear was the first to attack.

Rather than circling Chen Mu, he closed in at astonishing speed. The Heavy Sword in his hand slashed down at Chen Mu's head.

Metal armor clanged as the two Knight Swords collided with a deafening crash.

Even the spectators in the viewing stand could hear it clearly.

A trace of gravity appeared in Grizzly Bear's eyes.

He knew exactly how much force that strike contained, yet this skinny kid before him had blocked it with ease.

As expected, this Grizzly Bear's strength is far inferior to mine when I was a Peak Quasi-Knight.

With just one clash, Chen Mu had judged Grizzly Bear's strength.

When Chen Mu had been a Peak Quasi-Knight, his Physique attribute had been 2.2. This Grizzly Bear's could be no higher than 1.8.

The next moment, Chen Mu suppressed his strength to roughly Grizzly Bear's level and slashed his Longsword toward Grizzly Bear's chest.

Although they wore knight armor, Sparring Fights were scored as well. Otherwise, if one side refused to surrender, how long would they have to keep fighting?

But Grizzly Bear was also very experienced. With a twist of his Longsword, he deflected Chen Mu's strike.

After the initial probing, the two began rapidly circling each other around the arena. Their attacks became increasingly frequent, both attempting to strike every part of the other's body.

Clang after clang of metal rang out across the arena, echoing in the spectators' ears.

I really came to the right place. Everyone here is probably skilled in combat. This will be a huge help in improving my practical combat ability.

The situation on the arena changed in an instant. Even Grizzly Bear had not expected that the first to run out of stamina would be himself rather than his opponent.

"I surrender!"

A deep voice rang out. At that moment, Chen Mu's Knight Sword was only half a centimeter from Grizzly Bear's knight helmet.

The next moment, waves of screams and cheers erupted from the viewing stand. Amid them, Chen Mu heard his own nickname.

"Not bad."

Amid the screams, Chen Mu slowly sheathed his Longsword.

Faint light fell over his silver-white knight armor, making it dazzlingly brilliant.

William, seated in the front row of the viewing stand, also had a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Please Follow-up Reading~