"Oh, Mu Yi, my dear Mu Yi, you've given me such a surprise! Heaven, a top-tier fighter—at the very least, a top-tier fighter! Ancient China truly is a magical country. You're every bit as outstanding as Tian Gang!" Old Jack, wild with delight, turned with a beaming smile toward his prized fighter, Tian Gang. "Tian Gang, go have a proper exchange with your compatriot. Oh, Tian Gang, my dear boy, don't be so hard on yourself. Relax a little. Learn to enjoy yourself!"
The Underground Boxing Ring's matches were divided into low-level, mid-level, high-level, and top-level matches! The fighters who entered them were correspondingly known as low-level fighters, mid-level fighters, high-level fighters, and top-tier fighters.
Different matches offered different appearance fees. Low-level matches paid a few hundred dollars, mid-level matches paid several thousand, high-level matches paid tens of thousands, while top-level matches paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
There were several dozen top-tier fighters competing in top-level matches. Among them, the strongest ten were known as the Ten Super Fighters, and their appearance fees exceeded a million dollars. Such a price was utterly staggering. A top-tier fighter could still earn over ten million dollars in a year, but throughout history, only two top-tier fighters had survived in top-level matches for more than three years.
Some underground fighters from training camps entered the appropriate tier of matches according to their strength. Fighters in high-level matches possessed more than five hundred Hundred Crystals of physical energy. Generally, anyone who had taken an A1 Gene Potion could enter high-level matches.
Mid-level matches were for fighters trained by some very backward camps. Those camps had neither the money nor the connections to acquire Gene Potions, so they could only send their fighters into mid-level matches. As for low-level matches, they were entered by bankrupt, low-status hooligans and street thugs struggling to survive.
Tian Gang, who came from China, was one of the Ten Super Fighters—among the top ten of nearly a hundred top-tier fighters. His appearance fee exceeded a million dollars, and his status far surpassed that of Old Jack's other five fighters.
At that moment, Tian Gang was still doing frog jumps, as if he had not noticed Li Yang's kick at all. The white man beside the barbell had stopped and was watching Li Yang with great interest, while the other four fighters looked at Li Yang with a measure of respect. Only fighters like them understood what it meant to burst a sandbag with a kick.
Though not every top-tier fighter could burst this type of sandbag, any fighter who could burst one was definitely a top-tier fighter! The sandbags used by top-tier fighters in training were better than those used by high-level fighters, and the materials were more expensive as well.
"Tian Gang, why aren't you greeting Mu Yi?" Old Jack seemed a little irritated.
Tian Gang continued his frog jumps. His rising and falling figure remained as rhythmic as ever, but his voice drifted from his mouth. "Strength is certainly important in the Underground Boxing Ring, but leg techniques are more important. The most important thing in the Underground Boxing Ring is killing with a single blow. Otherwise, what use is having a little more strength? Besides, top-tier fighters die almost every month. What are top-tier fighters worth?" At those words, a flash of anger crossed the white man's face. But when he recalled Tian Gang's strength, he said nothing.
After saying that, Tian Gang shut his mouth and did not utter another word, continuing his frog-jump training...
Li Yang looked at the cool and aloof Tian Gang, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "Interesting. One of the Ten Super Fighters?" Then Li Yang turned to Old Jack and said with a smile, "Old Jack, I know the Underground Boxing Ring's rules. You need to test physical energy, squats, bench presses, and leg speed to determine a fighter's strength before announcing which tier of matches he can enter. Let's begin!"
Old Jack asked in astonishment, "Right here?"
Li Yang glanced at Tian Gang, who was still doing frog jumps, then said to Old Jack, "Yes, right here!"
At once, the other five fighters stopped. Every one of them was ready to see just how strong Li Yang really was. Tian Gang also raised his head and shot Li Yang a glance before standing up, walking to one side of the training room, picking up a bottle of mineral water, and sitting down. Yet his gaze remained fixed on Li Yang.
Clearly, he too was curious about Li Yang's true strength.
"Oh, Old Jack, there's no need to test my energy. I don't like people knowing my true strength. Just test my squats and bench press a little." Li Yang spoke calmly. His Breath Concealment Technique had only just reached the beginner level. He was confident in concealing his Internal Energy, but he had not yet reached the point where he could hide his physical energy. If his physical energy of over ten thousand Hundred Crystals were detected, Old Jack would probably suffer a heart attack on the spot.
At this, Old Jack's brows furrowed slightly. But when he thought of Li Yang's background, a smile bloomed across his face. "My dear Mu Yi, entering the Underground Boxing Ring only requires a test of your strength to determine which tier of matches you should enter. Testing your squat and bench press will be enough!"
Li Yang nodded calmly.
"Mu Yi, this is the squat-testing machine. You only need to brace it with your shoulders. I'll increase the weight again and again. If you feel you've reached your limit, you can stop," Old Jack said with a smile, pointing at the squat-testing apparatus.
Li Yang saw at a glance that it had been made according to the principle of leverage.
"Start with one thousand kilograms," Li Yang said evenly. Nearly every top-tier fighter could squat one thousand kilograms, so no one found Li Yang's request surprising.
With a smile, Old Jack pressed a button. Ten cylindrical weights rolled in, and Li Yang felt the pressure settle upon him. Yet to him, such weight was as easy as an ordinary person carrying a bag of fruit.
"Add another two hundred kilograms," Li Yang said just as calmly.
But the others were no longer calm. The heavier the squat weight, the harder it became. During testing, once the weight got high, they usually added it ten kilograms at a time. Moreover, twelve hundred kilograms was already considered quite formidable among top-tier fighters.
Li Yang easily performed one squat under twelve hundred kilograms, then smiled faintly. "Add another two hundred kilograms!"
At this point, even Old Jack was dumbstruck. What did a fourteen-hundred-kilogram squat represent?
Among top-tier fighters, the weakest could squat around one thousand kilograms, while the stronger ones could manage twelve hundred. But the higher one went, the more difficult it became. The Ten Super Fighters could all squat over thirteen hundred kilograms, yet none had exceeded fifteen hundred kilograms. As for the strongest king of the Underground Boxing Ring—the Demon King—his squat had reached a terrifying fifteen hundred kilograms.
Li Yang had asked for fourteen hundred kilograms in one go. That meant he was at least at the level of the Ten Super Fighters.
"Mu Yi, this... shouldn't you take it slower? Add one hundred kilograms first, then another hundred?" Old Jack suggested.
Li Yang smiled faintly and shook his head. Left with no choice, Old Jack added another two cylindrical weights. The burden increased again, but Li Yang still performed a squat with ease before setting it down. Ignoring the stunned crowd, he walked over to Old Jack. "Old Jack, I think this squat strength is enough to demonstrate my ability. There's no need to test the bench press."
Old Jack stared blankly for a long while before finally crying out, "Oh, Lord, thank you for your blessing!" Of course Old Jack understood the wealth a Super Fighter could bring him as an agent. What was more, Li Yang's relaxed appearance just now showed that his squat was definitely not limited to fourteen hundred kilograms.
Tian Gang stood and walked toward Li Yang. The other five fighters, including the white man, remained standing where they were, because they were truly stunned.
They were not stunned merely because Li Yang had squatted fourteen hundred kilograms.
They were stunned because from beginning to end, Li Yang's face had not reddened in the slightest. What did that mean? It meant Li Yang had not used his true strength at all!
Just how strong was he really?
The five fighters, Tian Gang included, did not know. But they knew one thing: even if the Underground Boxing Ring's Demon King came to squat under fourteen hundred kilograms, he could not possibly do it without his face reddening in the slightest. And Li Yang's relaxed manner from beginning to end had deeply shaken them all.
God, was the Underground Boxing Ring about to welcome a new Demon King?
That was the cry in the hearts of the five fighters. Tian Gang, however, walked step by step until he stood before Li Yang. His eyes stared straight at Li Yang. The cold, indifferent eyes of old were now burning red with heat, and a powerful aura surged forth.
"I, Tian Gang, challenge you!" His resolute voice rang through the empty training room.
Li Yang looked at Tian Gang, whose fighting spirit blazed to the heavens. A flash of interest passed through his eyes as he said with a smile, "Certainly. You're welcome anytime."
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