Cruel Arena Battles

"Bring it on!"

As the Whirlwind Leg came sweeping in, Iron Fist suddenly let out a thunderous roar.

Planting both feet on the ground, he drew his fists back. Chestnut-sized knots rose on his arms, while his veins bulged like ancient vines.

"Two Dragons Emerge from the Sea!"

His fists blasted out, producing a faint explosive crack.

"His fists are sounding—he's about to break through to Ming Jin!"

Fang Mo's heart stirred, shock flashing through his eyes. He knew that sound all too well.

"Damn it!"

Chasing Wind was equally shaken. He had never expected Iron Fist to have hidden himself so deeply. Even after being beaten back again and again, unable to fight back, he had still not revealed his full strength.

But he was already in midair, with no room to retreat. Gritting his teeth, he erupted with all his strength. Victory or defeat would be decided in this strike.

Bang!

Fist and leg collided with a tremendous muffled boom, like a clap of thunder.

Chasing Wind was sent flying backward and landed on the ground, staggering back several more steps. Iron Fist, however, stood with both feet planted as though welded in place, not retreating a single step. Blood energy surged around him, and steam rose from atop his head.

"Ha!"

Iron Fist roared, his hands crossing and sweeping through the air as he charged toward Chasing Wind in great strides. The ground shook with every step he took.

Chasing Wind's face was twisted in pain, sweat covering his forehead. One of his feet was clearly injured, and he retreated on tiptoe, but with his injury, he was no match for Iron Fist's speed. Watching his opponent close in, he could only forcefully raise his leg to kick, only for Iron Fist to knock it aside with a swinging punch.

The moment his foot touched down, pain made him bare his teeth. But Iron Fist's massive arm came swinging like a sledgehammer. He hurriedly raised both hands to block, but how could he possibly withstand it?

He felt as if both arms had snapped. His body was sent flying, crashing heavily into the iron cage, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Dark Clouds Covering the Top!"

Iron Fist bellowed as both fists smashed toward his head, fierce wind howling around them. If those fists came down, his skull would likely be crushed to pieces.

"Ah!"

Many women in the stands cried out in alarm. Some covered their eyes, afraid to watch the bloody scene, though gaps still showed between their fingers.

"I surrender!"

Chasing Wind shouted urgently, but it was already too late. Even if Iron Fist wanted to pull back, he could no longer stop.

Chasing Wind only had time to turn his head aside. Both fists slammed into his shoulder, and the crisp sound of bones breaking rang throughout the arena.

Pfft!

Chasing Wind sprayed blood wildly as he collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing without end. Blood poured from his mouth, nose, and ears, staining the arena red.

"Iron Fist wins this round!"

The host let out an excited shout, while chaos erupted in the stands.

"Iron Fist, you're too fierce! This old lady wants to sleep with you!"

"Iron Fist won beautifully! I'm rewarding you a thousand!"

People shouted excitedly, tossing money into the air until it fluttered everywhere.

"Fuck, you worthless trash! You made me lose ten thousand!"

"What Chasing Wind? He's nothing but Stifled Wind! How the hell did I ever pick him!"

The crowd on the stands screamed curses and hurled liquor bottles at the iron cage. Not a single person showed any pity for the severely injured Chasing Wind.

The iron cage opened, and two burly men quickly entered, carrying Chasing Wind out.

Fang Mo's gaze turned grave. The arena was truly dangerous. That strike had definitely shattered Chasing Wind's shoulder bone. He was likely crippled for life.

Yet his eyes grew even more resolute. This was exactly what he needed!

"Iron Fist has won his eighth consecutive match, maintaining an eight-win streak! He receives a reward of eight thousand, plus ten thousand in tips!"

The host raised Iron Fist's hand and shouted excitedly.

Fang Mo's eyes lit up. There were actually ten thousand in tips as well. For him, this meant he could gain combat experience and earn money at the same time. He no longer had to worry about using up that one million.

Iron Fist thanked the crowd, then stepped down. Seeing that the audience's enthusiasm had been stirred up, the host shouted in an equally rousing tone.

"Next, the second match!"

"This will be an evenly matched battle. Both fighters are holders of ten-win streaks at our Iron Stone Arena!"

"They are Black Panther and Red Robe!"

"Black Panther!"

"Black Panther!"

"Red Robe!"

"Red Robe!"

The stands immediately erupted in excited cheers. Men and women alike danced wildly, and the music grew even more intense.

Fang Mo looked over and saw two people emerge from the passageways on either side. On one side was a man in a tight black outfit, wearing a leopard-faced mask. His build was well-proportioned; one glance was enough to tell that he was a speed-type martial artist.

On the other side was a woman in red leather, tall and slender, with a pair of astonishingly long legs. She wore a vivid scarlet mask over her face.

Fang Mo had seen Guan Lu fight before, so he was not surprised to see her here. If anything, his interest was piqued.

Once everyone had finished placing their bets, the host stepped down. The instant the iron gates closed, the two moved at the same time. Both were extremely fast, clashing almost immediately.

They were both speed-type martial artists, fighting speed with speed. Black Panther was agile and ever-changing, his fist technique uncanny and unpredictable. The woman in red was light and graceful, her palm technique like a swimming dragon. Their figures constantly weaved across the arena, while the only sound was an unbroken series of thuds.

Fang Mo stared without blinking. Both of them had reached the peak of strength training and were on the verge of breaking through to Ming Jin.

He knew that he was no match for either of them unless his own strength broke through again. Still, simply watching them fight was beneficial to his improvement.

After ten minutes of fighting, both were panting heavily. It was clear they had already gone all out, yet neither could gain the upper hand. The audience cheered for their favored fighters, their shouts and applause reaching a fever pitch.

Quite a few scantily clad women swayed their bodies wildly to the music.

Bang!

At that moment, the door opened, and a staff member appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Iron Mask, it's your turn next. Please come with me!"

Fang Mo hurriedly rose and followed the staff member out. As they passed through the corridor below, he heard earth-shaking cheers from inside. He knew the result must have been decided.

Sure enough, when he reached the arena entrance and looked through the passageway, the battle was already over.

Black Panther was leaning against the iron cage, clutching his chest with blood at the corner of his mouth. The Red-robed Woman stood before him. Unfortunately, Fang Mo had not seen how he had lost.

"Red-robed Woman wins this round! Prize money: ten thousand! Tips: twenty thousand!"

Even Fang Mo clicked his tongue. She had earned thirty thousand in a single match.

By coincidence, the passageway where he stood was the Red-robed Woman's exit. She walked down and saw Fang Mo waiting in the corridor, but merely swept her gaze over him before striding away on her long legs. A rich, fragrant breeze brushed past him.

"The third match will feature two newcomers!"

"Iron Mask versus War Bear!"

"Go on up! It's your turn!"

The staff member gave Fang Mo a push just then. Fang Mo heard the announcement as well and hurried inside.

A beam of light shone down on him. As he walked through the passageway, there were none of the earlier cheers around him—only jeers.

"What's Iron Stone doing? Why bring in someone this weak?"

"Are they changing things up after watching such intense matches?"

"Is this supposed to be a joke? A weak kid against a burly giant—do we even need to watch to know who's stronger?"

Fang Mo walked on calmly, paying no attention to their cries. He had not come here to earn anyone's applause.

He looked toward the other passageway. A burly man emerged, tall and powerfully built, his body covered in solid muscle. Fang Mo's pupils suddenly contracted.

Today might be a hard battle.

"What's going on? Didn't I tell you to arrange a weaker opponent?"

Inside the private room, Xu Manli watched the burly man enter and her expression darkened at once as she turned to the staff member.

The staff member's expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly said:

"Manager Xu, this was arranged by Young Master Chen. Young Master Chen said this sort of contrast would make for a better spectacle and draw more people into betting!"

"Nonsense!"

Xu Manli's brows furrowed slightly as she said in a low voice, "What contrast is there? This is practically handing out money in the open. How could Iron Mask possibly defeat War Bear? War Bear may not have fought before, but he was born with immense strength. His punch force reaches three hundred and fifty kilograms. The gap in strength is far too great!"

"It wouldn't be easy to stop it now, would it?"

the staff member said worriedly.

"Forget it. Let it be!"

Xu Manli waved her hand and looked toward Fang Mo as he entered the arena. Fang Mo, you'd better pray for yourself!