Killing

As Su Ti sized up Black Bear, three minutes quickly passed.

All the spectators had placed their bets, and the underground boxing match known as Death Fight was about to officially begin.

"Since our random challenger is competing for the first time, I'll explain the rules before the match begins."

On the second floor, Silver-Patterned Mask Man, surrounded by numerous men in black suits, revealed a bloodthirsty smile.

"The rules are simple. Walk out alive, and you win. Die, and you lose."

"The winner takes everything. As a random challenger, if you win, you can receive an appearance fee of up to one hundred thousand yuan, along with the status of a professional fighter."

Money was an excellent bargaining chip for driving the fighters in the arena to fight desperately.

But Su Ti believed that no innocent passerby would truly step onto this life-and-death stage, becoming entertainment for others just for one hundred thousand yuan. At least, he would not. Neither would his two deceased predecessors. They had all been forced into it.

"Unfortunately, none of the random challengers in recent matches have received this honor."

"There are no referees, no scoring, and no restrictions on moves. Throat strikes, eye gouging, groin kicks, biting—use whatever you want. Of course, your opponent can do the same."

"However."

Silver-Patterned Mask Man took a sip of red wine and drew out the word.

"Given the enormous gap in strength between random challengers and our professional fighters, which makes for poor viewing, we organizers can provide him with one weapon."

Silver-Patterned Mask Man waved his hand. Soon, a guard in a black suit carried a tray over to Su Ti.

Su Ti lifted the cloth covering it and found that the item on the tray was actually a dagger.

And it was a military dagger, complete with a fuller and serrations, exceptionally sharp.

Black Bear looked at Su Ti. Rather than panicking over the weapon, he revealed a cruel grin beneath his mask and made an inviting gesture.

There was a massive difference between fighting barehanded and fighting with a weapon.

A dagger might be small, but it could pierce defenses and kill in a single strike. Even if he were stabbed once, he could be severely injured or die on the spot.

However.

Most of the audience wore the same amused, mocking expression as Black Bear.

If weapons were truly useful, none of the previous random challengers would have failed to win.

This was not merely the difference between armed and unarmed combat. An ordinary person with a weapon might have a chance of taking down a professional fighter from the normal world, but professional fighters and professional underground boxers were entirely different occupations. The gap between them was like heaven and earth.

One competed through points, rounds, and knockouts. The other was a profession dedicated to killing people barehanded without restrictions.

In this regard, professional underground boxers surpassed ordinary people in both mentality and skill by far. Sheep with weapons were still sheep, while they were wolves.

"I refuse to use a weapon."

Su Ti pushed the tray away, his expression cold.

He did not refuse the weapon out of arrogance.

Although he now possessed mastery-level Comprehensive Fighting Techniques, his body was still that of a frail nineteen-year-old boy. Physically, he was at an absolute disadvantage.

His only advantage now was his superior technique.

And Comprehensive Fighting Techniques were unarmed combat techniques. He had no skill in fighting with weapons. If he took the dagger, it would instead weaken his combat ability.

"What?"

"He refused?! Is he insane?"

Su Ti had not spoken loudly, but the venue was silent at that moment, and most of the spectators heard him.

Although there was a huge gap between ordinary people and professional underground boxers, a weapon could make up for at least a little of it. Ordinary people would still likely die in the end, but with a weapon, they at least had a chance of winning, however minuscule.

But this was the first time they had ever seen a random participant simply give up a weapon after watching so many matches.

No matter how cowardly a contestant was, they would not abandon their final means of survival. Even if they trembled in a corner with a dagger in hand, they would grip it tightly.

"Giving it up? Interesting. Since the contestant has requested it himself, we'll respect his choice!"

Silver-Patterned Mask Man froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. Without further nonsense, he waved his hand. Black-Patterned Mask Man below immediately understood, had the irrelevant personnel leave, then shut the octagonal cage door and locked it completely.

The instant the door was locked, Silver-Patterned Mask Man roared loudly.

"I declare the match officially begun!"

Almost the moment the word began was shouted, Black Bear charged at the frail Su Ti like a beast.

But Su Ti was faster. He had already rushed out before that shout, and by now he was already close to Black Bear.

Seeing the frail Su Ti charge at him, the massive Black Bear was stunned. In his memory, no random challenger had ever dared to charge him proactively. Nearly every random challenger had cowered in a corner with a dagger, waiting for him to attack.

Thus, Su Ti's initiative genuinely caught Black Bear by surprise. Even the audience below the stage was momentarily stunned.

Yet what shocked them even more came next.

Su Ti rushed toward Black Bear's left side, then suddenly dipped low and vanished from sight while Black Bear was still stunned.

The sudden loss of visual contact made Black Bear reflexively turn, but the injury to his left foot slowed him by just a fraction.

Yet that tiny fraction was enough. A tremendous force struck his heel. Under normal circumstances, that force would never have been enough to trip Black Bear. But he was turning, his center of gravity was unstable, and his injured left leg took the hit. The world spun around him, and his muscular body fell backward.

The moment he hit the ground, tearing pain shot through his left foot, making Black Bear let out a bloodcurdling scream!

The entire audience stared wide-eyed. Black Bear's left ankle ligaments and joints had been completely torn apart. His heavy foot dangled from his lower leg like a decoration, swinging back and forth.

Naturally, the one who had done all this was Su Ti.

He had first avoided the frontal approach and circled behind Black Bear's side. Then, with a grounded sweep, he struck Black Bear's injured leg. Taking advantage of the instant Black Bear fell, he trapped the ankle under his armpit and used Black Bear's falling momentum along with his own strength to execute a Straight Ankle Lock.

Su Ti had not used that Straight Ankle Lock to force a submission. There were no ring rules here where one stopped upon gaining position. He had attacked to cripple one of Black Bear's legs!

Mastery-level Comprehensive Fighting Techniques had greatly increased Su Ti's combat experience. Coupled with Black Bear's contempt, his movements flowed like clouds and water. In an instant, Black Bear's ankle had been completely torn apart!

Su Ti did not let his guard down. After crippling Black Bear's leg, he immediately released the Straight Ankle Lock and retreated to the side, refusing to engage Black Bear at close range again.

"M-My foot, my foot!"

Black Bear did not pursue him. He was clutching his lower leg and screaming in agony.

His left ankle had been completely torn apart, and the joint had fully separated. Only some flesh and skin remained connecting the foot to his lower leg, leaving it unable to exert any strength at all.

Human joints were extremely fragile, especially the ankle joints that bore body weight. Injuries of this severity were essentially impossible to heal completely.

What awaited Black Bear was not only the end of his career, but disability for the rest of his life.

Excruciating pain, fear, shock!

Black Bear had never imagined that he would suffer such a disastrous defeat in an "exhibition match," receiving a life-altering injury from a random passerby offered up as a sacrifice.

The immense pain and anger made his eyes turn red with rage.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Ahhh!!"

A name could be mistaken, but a nickname never was. Black Bear lived up to his name. Even with crippling injuries, he only screamed briefly before transforming into a furious bear in his extreme rage and rising from the ground again.

Seeing Su Ti backed into the edge of the arena, Black Bear suppressed his pain through sheer fury. With a roar, he dragged his injured leg, hopped on one foot, spread his arms, and pounced at Su Ti like a rampaging bear.

Su Ti had long been wary of a counterattack. He ducked beneath Black Bear's embrace, refusing to make frontal contact with him.

Though he had been severely injured, Black Bear still held an immense advantage.

His physique was more than twice Su Ti's size, and he had trained in the martial art Bear Wrestling Hand. Those massive palms possessed incredible force. Once he caught an opponent, it was like a black bear seizing prey—he could tear them apart alive!

"I'll press your head against the iron cage and force it through the bars until your skull explodes!!"

After Su Ti evaded him, Black Bear roared and pounced at him again.

Su Ti ducked again, evading Black Bear's grab. He did not doubt Black Bear's words in the slightest. The flesh and hair on the steel bars had been left behind by his two predecessors.

They had both been caught by Black Bear, their heads forced into gaps between steel bars less than half the width of a skull, and died with their heads crushed.

Though Black Bear was injured, his strength and size still overwhelmingly surpassed Su Ti's. If Black Bear caught him, Su Ti would end up just like those two predecessors.

Yet despite that, Su Ti was not panicked or afraid in the slightest.

His heart pounded furiously, but his mind was cold as ice.

Although he possessed mastery-level Comprehensive Fighting Techniques, technique was still only technique. Perhaps Su Ti was so calm because it was in his nature. The more dangerous the moment, the more fearless he became. This battle had thoroughly awakened his instincts. It felt as if flames burned in his chest and his blood boiled, but his mind remained incredibly calm, racing at high speed.

He calmly tracked Black Bear's movements and nimbly evaded the one-legged Black Bear's lunges with his uninjured legs.

His frail frame was not entirely a disadvantage. At least at this moment, it became Su Ti's advantage.

Like an agile monkey dodging a massive black bear, he continuously avoided Black Bear's clumsy grabs.

Once, then again.

Though even one mistake would have been enough to kill Su Ti, his calm temperament allowed him to evade dozens of Black Bear's lunges. The most dangerous moment came when Black Bear's palm caught Su Ti's clothes and was about to drag him over, but Su Ti instantly slipped out of his shirt and escaped disaster!

That had been the most dangerous moment, because once Black Bear caught his body, absolute strength would have made even the greatest technique useless. Su Ti would have been doomed.

And after Su Ti resolved that fatal situation, Black Bear had missed dozens of lunges in succession, greatly draining his stamina.

This was perfectly normal. Black Bear's body weight was there for all to see. Hopping on one leg consumed far more stamina than usual. Yet Black Bear, blinded by rage, had not noticed.

When his anger gradually faded due to his exhaustion, he finally felt his head grow dizzy and his vision darken.

It was hypoxia caused by expending too much stamina in too short a time.

A professional fighter like him had actually failed to control his stamina consumption. He had been completely blinded by rage. It was a serious mistake.

And that dizziness caused Black Bear's body to sway for an instant. A cold glint flashed through Su Ti's eyes.

His upper body was now bare. His short-sleeved T-shirt had been torn apart by Black Bear during the earlier attacks. After paying a great deal of time and taking enormous risks, he had finally waited for the opportunity he wanted!

Now that the opportunity had appeared, Su Ti did not hesitate. Like a beast seizing its chance to attack, he pounced instantly.

He used a flying crab scissor from jiu-jitsu, his legs closing around Black Bear's weight-bearing right leg like scissors. In the gap created by Black Bear's exhaustion-induced dizziness, Su Ti clamped down with both legs, using his body weight and leverage over the joints to successfully trip him.

After Black Bear crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, Su Ti swiftly shifted his leg position, trapping Black Bear's thigh while threading his hands through and securing his ankle. The entire sequence was practiced to perfection, completed in an instant with flowing precision!

Black Bear had only just fallen and had not had time to react when intense pain shot through his ankle and knee joints.

Heel Hook!

"Ahhh!!"

In terms of joint damage, a Heel Hook was even more destructive than a Straight Ankle Lock.

Su Ti's Heel Hook directly twisted apart multiple joints in Black Bear's right leg, including the ankle and knee, causing extensive ligament tears.

And it was not over yet. Taking advantage of Black Bear's agony, Su Ti moved like a nimble snake, shifting positions again. His lower body wrapped around Black Bear's right leg while his upper body moved to Black Bear's left leg. With his hands clasped across his chest, he locked Black Bear's left thigh. His entire body coiled around Black Bear's legs like a giant python and pulled them apart.

Su Ti gritted his teeth and exerted force, his face flushed red. Black Bear felt tremendous pain at the roots of both thighs. Due to their positions, he could not attack Su Ti at all and could only hammer the floor wildly in agony, letting out heart-rending screams.

At that moment, two cracking sounds of breaking joints rang out. Black Bear's eyes widened like a fish stranded ashore, and his scream abruptly stopped.

Su Ti released his hands and disengaged from Black Bear's body.

That Buttocks Ripping Choke had completely broken Black Bear's hip joints and torn the ligaments in his thighs. Those two legs now had little to do with Black Bear himself.

The spectators below the stage were already dumbfounded, never having anticipated such a sudden reversal. Yet Su Ti did not stop.

Black Bear had already fainted from pain and lay facedown on the ground. Su Ti showed no mercy because of it. He stepped forward and used a Kimura Lock, directly breaking Black Bear's left shoulder joint.

Black Bear awoke from the agony, but before he could scream, Su Ti had already seized his right arm, positioned himself for an Armbar, and dropped to the ground to apply it.

Although Black Bear struggled wildly during it, under the enormous biomechanical advantage of that position, his great strength was of little use.

With a crack, his right elbow joint bent backward into an inverted V shape.

All four limbs broken, Black Bear could only lie on the ground like a pile of mush, tears and snot streaming down his face as he wailed continuously in pain.

His miserable appearance and suffering made even these spectators, who were accustomed to bloody scenes, shudder.

Silver-Patterned Mask Man on the second floor had his mouth slightly open. The masked woman pouring wine beside him did not even notice that the wine had spilled from the glass, still staring blankly at the arena as she continued pouring red wine.

Black-Patterned Mask Man, guarding beside the arena, also had his mouth slightly open, his face full of shock.

But Su Ti on the stage paid no attention to any of that. He grabbed Black Bear by the hair with one hand and, using all his strength, dragged his muscular body to one side of the arena.

From that position, he could clearly see the two corpses beneath white sheets outside the ring.

"You like killing people?"

Su Ti pressed Black Bear's head, now incapable of resistance, against the steel bars and asked.

Black Bear was still groaning when Su Ti slammed his head heavily against the iron cage.

"I'm fucking asking you, do you like killing people that much?!"

Blood streamed down Black Bear's head. The agonizing pain jolted him awake. Where was the high-spirited confidence he had possessed before the match? His heart was now filled with fear.

"Spare me... please."

"Spare you?"

Su Ti did not realize that he was grinning savagely. He lifted Black Bear slightly by the hair with his right hand, forcing him to face the two corpses outside, while roaring into his ear.

"Ask them if they agree!"

As he spoke, his left arm wrapped directly around Black Bear's neck. His right arm tightened, and he exerted force.

This was jiu-jitsu's strongest killing technique.

Rear Naked Choke!

"I'm fucking asking you, ask them if they agree?!"

He roared, turning all the fear, repression, and despair he had felt since arriving here into rage. His hands tightened again and again, strangling with all his strength!

Black Bear tried to struggle, but all four of his limbs had been broken. He was no longer a match for Su Ti. His face turned red, his eyes rolled upward, and finally, under Su Ti's Rear Naked Choke, he slowly stopped struggling.

But Su Ti did not stop. Even after Black Bear lost all strength, he continued strangling him for dozens more seconds!

Only after confirming that Black Bear was completely dead did Su Ti finally release his hands.

Thud.

Black Bear's corpse fell heavily onto the arena floor.

The entire venue fell silent.