I Refuse to Accept This

"Heh, not bad!"

Mountain Breaking Claw shook the flesh from his fingers, then took out a handkerchief and wiped away the blood.

"But it's only not bad!"

He tossed aside the handkerchief, waved a hand to brush nonexistent dust from his abdomen, and looked at Fang Mo with a disdainful smile.

That kick seemed not to have affected him much.

"Scared now? Want to admit defeat?"

Mountain Breaking Claw looked at Fang Mo and sneered coldly. "Don't bother thinking about it. This is a Life-and-Death Battle. It only ends when one person falls!"

"A Life-and-Death Battle?"

Fang Mo's expression shifted slightly at those words, and he looked up at the host.

Sure enough, the man had no intention of stopping the match. Fang Mo turned toward the VIP rooms and immediately spotted Xu Manli standing behind the floor-to-ceiling glass window of a second-floor private room. Meeting his gaze, Xu Manli visibly stepped back.

He'd been set up!

Fang Mo's heart turned cold. How could he fail to understand that he had been set up?

No wonder the host had never explained the rules. It was a Life-and-Death Battle; the iron cage would only be opened once one of them was dead.

He trusted Xu Manli, yet he had never expected that she would not tell him.

Her evasive retreat just now already showed that she felt guilty. She knew!

"Kid, weren't you so arrogant?"

"Kneel now, and I can give you a chance to die more quickly!"

Mountain Breaking Claw wore a teasing smile. He did not seem in any hurry to kill Fang Mo; instead, he appeared to enjoy the sensation of a cat toying with a mouse.

"What do I do? What do I do?"

Fang Mo forced himself to calm down and considered what to do. He was unwilling to die here. He still had to pursue the martial path.

"Why is it so hard just to pursue the martial path?"

"The Qin Family forced me!"

"The Fang Family forced me?"

"I refuse to accept this!"

Fang Mo felt stifled, as though his chest were about to explode. The fury filling him wanted to erupt.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the Bronze Mirror in Fang Mo's mind trembled.

Above the sea of consciousness, the majestic Bronze Mirror radiated golden light that filled the sky and poured into his mind. In an instant, he felt enlightened. His understanding of the Tiger Subduing Fist rose to a new level, and golden words appeared upon it.

[Tiger Subduing Fist: Entering the Hall (1/5000)]

"It advanced!"

Fang Mo was instantly overjoyed. He had not expected to advance at such a critical moment.

Immediately afterward, invisible energy surged up from every part of his body like rushing magma, crashing through his entire body.

Wherever it passed, his bones, muscles, fascia, and blood seemed to ignite, devouring the energy and transforming. His strength rapidly increased.

At the same time, his stamina quickly recovered.

The pain in his abdomen was fading, while the bleeding on the back of his hand began to stop. It itched, as if it were healing.

In only a few breaths, his strength had risen by a great margin. His body brimmed with surging energy, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

He slowly raised his head and looked at his opponent, blazing flames in his eyes.

"You're not worthy of making me kneel!"

He stared coldly at Mountain Breaking Claw, supported himself against a pillar, and slowly rose to his feet. He lightly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze unwavering.

"You don't know your own limits!"

Seeing Fang Mo stand back up, Mountain Breaking Claw's expression immediately darkened. He stepped forward and charged.

"Then I'll send you to your death!"

"Nine Seizes of the Divine Eagle!"

An eagle's cry rang through the sky as his body descended from above. His twin claws became gust-like shadows, forming countless claw images that shot straight for Fang Mo's eyes.

Fang Mo's eyes were utterly calm. He suddenly stamped his foot, violently shook both hands, and let out a tiger's roar. Like a fierce tiger roaring through the forest, he lunged out in an instant.

Bang!

A muffled thunderclap sounded in the arena. The two figures landed at the same time, but Mountain Breaking Claw staggered back five or six steps before steadying himself.

"How is that possible? How did you suddenly become stronger?"

Mountain Breaking Claw's hands trembled slightly, his eyes filled with shock. He could feel both clawed hands going numb.

"There are plenty of things you think are impossible. How many have you even seen?"

Fang Mo spoke coldly, pressed down with both hands, and charged toward Mountain Breaking Claw.

"I don't believe you could suddenly become stronger! It has to be fake! Watch me defeat you!"

Mountain Breaking Claw gritted his teeth and roared in fury as he erupted forward as well.

The two clashed, their battle even fiercer than before. Fists, feet, palms, and claws shifted back and forth, and violent collisions rang out again and again.

Mountain Breaking Claw roared without pause, yet Fang Mo continued to suppress him, leaving him none of his former dominance.

"What's going on? How did Iron Mask suddenly become stronger? Was he pretending before?"

Chu Silin watched the battle in surprise.

Chen Song shook his head.

"Doesn't look like he was pretending. Those injuries were real. He was nearly crippled just now. No one would dare fake something like that, would they?"

"He must have made some kind of breakthrough!"

At that moment, Guan Lu fixed her gaze on the arena. "Didn't you notice that his Tiger Subduing Fist has clearly improved? It's much stronger than before. He probably gained insight during the battle just now, and his Fist Technique advanced!"

"That can happen? A breakthrough during battle?"

Liu Shiwu's eyes widened in utter disbelief, though he was also puzzled. "But why do I feel like both his strength and speed have improved?"

"That's your imagination. His Fist Technique improved, so its displayed power is stronger. Tempering the body and cleansing the marrow through martial arts requires steady accumulation, step by step. How could someone suddenly become stronger? What do you think this is, a game? Leveling up in one go?"

Chi Jing shot him a glance, her voice carrying a trace of mockery.

Liu Shiwu immediately looked embarrassed. Scratching his head, he did not dare say more. He knew Chi Jing was right. Martial training allowed no falsehood; one had to accumulate it step by step. How could one's strength improve so drastically all at once?

Crack!

Qin Yuanping nearly poured the wine onto his own face, disbelief filling his eyes as well.

"Young Master Qin, see? Didn't I tell you not to rush?"

Chen Yeming's smile returned. "The outcome is still uncertain!"

"Indeed, the outcome is still uncertain!"

Qin Yuanping calmed down again and said indifferently, "He merely gained some understanding of his Fist Technique. That won't decide the battle. This fight, he will definitely—"

Crack!

Before the word "lose" could leave his mouth, the cup in his hand shattered again.

He shot to his feet, his gaze fixed tightly on the arena, his eyes full of shock.

"I don't believe it!"

On the arena, Mountain Breaking Claw was being suppressed by Fang Mo. He howled madly and unleashed all his strength.

"Sky Rending Claw, die!"

His hands became like true eagle claws, as though they would rip the air apart.

"Tiger Step Collapsing Fist!"

Fang Mo erupted as well. His blood and qi surged through his body as he drove the power of the Tiger Subduing Fist to its limit. His fists blasted forward, directly knocking apart his opponent's claws. Like a tiger entering the forest, he struck Mountain Breaking Claw in the chest, sending him reeling backward.

Mountain Breaking Claw staggered back several steps, spat out bloody saliva, and laughed wildly.

"Hahaha, don't you know I practice Iron Shirt? You can't hurt me!"

"Inch Strength, Elbow to Heart!"

Fang Mo shouted and stepped forward to pursue him, driving the point of his elbow directly at Mountain Breaking Claw.

"Come on!"

Mountain Breaking Claw roared. Clenching both fists, the muscles in his chest bulged as he prepared to take Fang Mo's blow head-on.

Bang!

The elbow struck squarely on the Juque Acupoint. Fang Mo combined it with the Inch Strength of Taiji, and the force from his stomped foot surged forward again, making the strike even more penetrating. Mountain Breaking Claw's face instantly flushed crimson, and his body involuntarily retreated until he slammed into the iron cage.

Pfft!

He sprayed blood from his mouth, utter disbelief filling his eyes. With blood all over his mouth, he asked in agony.

"Im... possible... How could you... break my Iron Shirt!"

"Go down and ask!"

Fang Mo shouted deeply and pounced like a fierce tiger. His hands formed tiger claws as he heavily struck both of his opponent's ear gates.