As If Piercing Reality

Sule said wistfully, "Leaving that sense of failure for after your death... Is that the kind of reckless resolve you mean?"

"But if this goes on, Gaoxin will really be beaten to death."

"Have you not read a lot of books? Think of something!"

Luo Yan said, "I've been thinking this whole time."

He racked his brains with all his might, hoping to come up with a way to help Gaoxin.

Even helping a little would be good. He frantically recalled all kinds of knowledge he had learned, truly feeling that one only realized the lack of books when one needed them.

Wasn't knowledge supposed to change one's fate? He had read so many books and even committed crimes to get two million book coins, all so he could read the materials in the Emperor Penguin Group that only the upper class could afford.

Could there really be no way to change Gaoxin's fate—the fate of someone who had absolutely no chance of winning?

"Huh? Resolute? He's already so unwilling to accept defeat that he's lost the ability to adapt. Maybe that method can help him..."

Luo Yan suddenly recalled some knowledge he had once seen in an expensive document from the Emperor Penguin Group's book city.

He had never tried it either, but now that someone was about to die, he could only try anything, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

Luo Yan immediately rushed out and shouted recklessly, "Wait! This isn't fair!"

He suddenly interrupted all the Wa people's fun. Fúshé's brows instantly furrowed, and his imposing presence made anger unnecessary.

Knowing he had little time, Luo Yan shouted directly, "Two of you are ganging up on one! That's not fair!"

The Wa people were stunned. Wasn't this a one-on-one fight?

Sasaki roared, "Baka!"

He slapped Luo Yan to his knees.

Luo Yan obediently knelt and said, "Exactly! You hit him like that too!"

"What level are you, and what level is he? You're our master, yet two Glass Person slaves are supposed to fight one-on-one—and you first beat one of them half to death, leaving him at a disadvantage. What meaning is there in winning or losing then?"

Sasaki glared. So Luo Yan was talking about the two slaps he had given earlier.

"What does that count for?"

Many Wa people sneered. Everyone could see that even if it had made a difference, it had not been much. Gaoxin could not have won anyway.

He called that being at a disadvantage? That was getting brutally dominated!

Luo Yan shouted, "You're a powerful Black Hand, a Sub-Wolf Level existence!"

"Could Daishan Beida, who can split a cow in half with one palm, possibly be stronger than you?"

Sasaki was speechless.

Daishan Beida said awkwardly, "Lord Sasaki is naturally stronger. My palm force is insignificant compared with his."

Sasaki thought that was obvious, but so what?

Luo Yan hurriedly looked toward Fúshé. "Lord Fúshé, you said it yourself: Glass People should fight Glass People."

"Gaoxin only said he could beat a Glass Person. He never said he could defeat a Glass Person plus Lord Sasaki."

He stubbornly insisted that Gaoxin was facing the combined combat power of two people, doing his best to drag Sasaki into the comparison.

"You really are a baka!" Sasaki was furious. He raised his hand and struck.

"Do I need a reason to hit you?"

Luo Yan was slammed to the ground and vomited a large amount of blood.

Sule watched anxiously from outside the arena. These people were completely unreasonable, and now Luo Yan had been dragged into it too!

But Luo Yan struggled to his feet, caught the blood pouring from his mouth with one hand, and said, "I request that Lord Fúshé allow Gaoxin to be healed first, then let them start over."

Fúshé snorted.

Heal Gaoxin and fight again? Did he have nothing better to do?

Just as he was about to refuse, Luo Yan changed his tone. "I can heal him too!"

"Hm?" Fúshé suddenly paused. He could heal him? With what?

Luo Yan held the bloody froth he had coughed up in his one arm and shakily raised it. "There's vitality from Lady Rou Si's treatment inside my body..."

"If it can heal me, healing Gaoxin will be easy."

"There's no need to trouble Lady Rou Si to do it again. Just feed my blood to Gaoxin. It'll definitely be enough."

The Wa people were stunned at first, then struggled not to laugh.

Fúshé laughed. He had not expected that, besides Gaoxin, there would be another "expert" here.

What a clever idiot. Who had said that the Vitality Fat Rou Si had injected into him could be used on someone else?

It merely provided energy for cell regeneration and assisted natural healing.

It only activated regenerative effects when Rou Si personally injected it. Once injected into someone else, it would quickly assimilate and become that person's fat, with the flesh and blood making up for their injuries. Drawing it back out and giving it to another person would have no healing effect at all, at most replenishing various nutrients.

"Hahahaha!"

"Fine. Since you've put it that way, I'll give you this chance."

"But only this once. I don't want anyone else stepping forward to interrupt."

Fúshé agreed with a laugh. In his eyes, this merely added another layer of amusement.

Still, he had to reiterate the rules, lest someone push their luck.

"Thank you, Lord Fúshé!"

Luo Yan hurried to Gaoxin's side, helped him up, and fed him his blood.

"Listen. This contains that Rou Si's healing effect. It can ease your injuries."

He fed him blood as he spoke, giving him more and more without stopping. He even picked at the wound on his severed arm, hoping to stall for time.

Fortunately, Rou Si had healed Luo Yan earlier and replenished his vitality. Along with the strengthening he had received in the Silver Tower, he would otherwise have lost too much blood again.

Gaoxin nodded dazedly. He seemed to remember that Rou Si's healing ability was incredible, and he had even coveted it before.

By a twist of fate, Rou Si had treated Luo Yan, injecting a large amount of vitality matter into his body.

"Thanks, Vocational School Brother."

Gaoxin swayed as he stood up. Looking at the injured Luo Yan, he asked with concern, "Are you... all right? That little baka hit you hard several times. I... saw it."

He spoke very slowly, stumbling and stammering as though he had almost forgotten how to speak.

Luo Yan bared his blood-covered mouth in a grin. "I'm fine. My body's full of that fat woman's nutrients. I'm doing great. How about you?"

Gaoxin deliberately stretched his body a few times, grimacing from the pain. "I... have to say, that fat woman's blood... really works. I... feel much better."

Luo Yan brightened and leaned mysteriously toward his ear, whispering, "Listen. My blood works even better. There's a special ability hidden in it that can awaken your potential."

"Awaken... my... potential?" Gaoxin froze.

Luo Yan nodded. "That's right. It can unleash all the power hidden in an ordinary person's genes. It can also make people fearless of pain and injury."

Gaoxin grew excited. He was extremely emotional, but then tilted his head with an innocent, dazed expression. "You... aren't a Radiation User. How could your blood... have such a miraculous effect?"

Luo Yan said solemnly, "Haven't you always wondered why my family had no money, yet I could attend vocational school? It's because I became a test subject for the school."

"They conducted many experiments on me, giving my blood a miraculous effect. It doesn't work on me, but it can unlock the potential of any ordinary person."

"I didn't want to expose this, but you must keep it secret for me!"

Gaoxin was deeply moved. So that was it. This had to be Luo Yan's most important secret.

In a hellhole like Sin Prison Island, once people learned that his blood could unlock an ordinary person's potential, even a pig would know what would happen to him!

Luo Yan would be locked up forever and turned into a blood bag until he grew old, living a fate worse than death.

Gaoxin burst into tears. "You've only known me for one day, yet you trust me this much?"

Luo Yan's gaze burned brightly. "We agreed to leave together. If I can't trust you, who can I trust? Look at the other trash around here. Can they be relied on?"

Gaoxin was moved to the point of sobbing. "Don't say anything... Be careful they hear you. Don't worry... I'll definitely win... We'll leave together..."

Luo Yan smiled. "Winning is easy. You've drunk my blood. Once you awaken your potential, you'll definitely become a Superior Glass Person too. Beating him will be effortless."

"Just don't rush. I don't know how long this medicine will take to work. Keep dragging out the fight. Once you feel something, then risk your life!"

"I said I'll definitely win!" Gaoxin's gaze was firm. It was the first time someone had trusted him this much, and he absolutely had to win.

Sasaki came over and urged him, "What are you dawdling for? Are you done yet?"

Luo Yan moved away from Gaoxin's ear, returned to the crowd, and shouted, "Brother Xin Ku! Come on! Beat him to death!"

Gaoxin straightened his body and looked back at him. "Leave it to me. I'll definitely... beat! Him! To! A! Pulp!"

Both of them had mouths full of blood and saliva. They looked at each other and smiled.

When Gaoxin fixed his gaze on Daishan Beida again, it held not only determination and resolve but also a surging fighting spirit.

He no longer charged forward as though rushing to his death. Instead, he stood still and calmed his breathing.

And it had to be said, his injuries had clearly eased considerably. The sensation of pain so intense that it twisted his body gradually faded.

Among the crowd, Sule asked, "Will this work? Even if Rou Si's vitality matter can ease his injuries, it can't make up for the gap between him and that man."

Luo Yan's expression was solemn. "What vitality matter? Once this entered my body, if it could be drawn back out and used on someone else, wouldn't everyone store it in their bodies as blood bags? When we saved Tianshe, those people wouldn't have been in such a hurry to find Rou Si and bring her over again."

Sule froze. "Uh... Are you saying the blood you forced out has no healing effect at all?"

Luo Yan nodded. "Of course. Do you think these beasts would let me heal Gaoxin? They're just watching me make a fool of myself."

"Damn it!" Sule clenched his fists. "Then what else can we do?"

Luo Yan fell silent, staring fixedly at Gaoxin in the arena.

After a while, he said, "He can only rely on himself now. I've done everything I can... All we can do is do our best and leave the rest to fate..."

At that moment, Gaoxin was breathing heavily as he waited for his injuries to ease. The Wa people watching the fight were growing impatient.

"What are you waiting for?" Sasaki urged.

Gaoxin still did not move. He felt certain he would win, so what was the rush?

Instead, Daishan Beida grew anxious, thinking the urging was directed at him as well.

He immediately charged over in great strides and brought down a palm strike.

That attack contained no technique whatsoever.

At first, he had been cautious. But after repeatedly knocking Gaoxin away, he had grown more and more relaxed.

By the end, he was using brute force alone to hit him without any technique.

It was the same now. He simply did not believe that Gaoxin, reduced to a bloody mess, could block him.

Yet that carelessness gave Gaoxin an opportunity!

Gaoxin suddenly dodged the halfhearted strike. He brushed against Daishan Beida's arm, climbed up it like a pole, and drove his finger into Daishan Beida's eye socket with lightning speed!

"Ugh!"

Daishan Beida screamed after suffering such a heavy blow.

But Gaoxin gave him no chance to catch his breath or recover. While gouging at his eyeball, he wrapped an arm around his neck and bit down viciously!

With a low growl, he pulled outward with all his strength, savagely tearing away a large chunk of flesh! Blood sprayed everywhere!

The string of attacks was not smooth, but Gaoxin had put everything he had into every move.

"Bang!"

After suffering blow after blow, Daishan Beida finally recovered. He half-crouched and twisted, then struck out with his palm, finally sending Gaoxin flying.

Gaoxin crashed to the ground and panted heavily. He felt as though every bone in his body were about to fall apart, yet he began to laugh instead.

That vicious chain of attacks had been something he had thought up long ago. In fact, he had intended to do this during every charge before.

To defeat a powerful enemy across a level, he could only fight desperately and viciously.

Unfortunately, he had never managed to do it. He had been slapped away every time.

He had imagined it countless times in his mind, yet he failed from the very first step.

Moreover, as his injuries worsened, it became even harder to accomplish. The idea had been beautiful, but reality was harsh.

But just now, he had felt his injuries ease. Even his reactions had become faster. Combined with his opponent's carelessness, he had finally succeeded!

"Hehehehahaha~ Heh~"

Gaoxin struggled to his feet, making strange, excited laughter.

He could feel that two more of his ribs had broken, but somehow, he was still all right.

A tingling numbness spread throughout his body, soothing him from head to toe. He did not feel any pain.

This had to mean Luo Yan's blood was working.

Luo Yan, however, looked worried, suspecting that Gaoxin had gone completely insane.

"You can still stand?" Daishan Beida was furious and astonished. He had actually been ambushed and lost one eye!

That last strike had been fueled by rage. After taking it, Gaoxin should have been unable to stand.

Yet not only had he stood up, he was laughing!

This enraged Daishan Beida. Blood and tears flowed from his one eye as he pounced forward, wanting to tear Gaoxin apart.

Gaoxin did not force the fight. He had not yet felt his potential awaken, and his body was still weak.

Relying solely on instinct, he took step after step, running in circles around Daishan Beida's blinded eye.

"Come on! Watch me... beat you to a pulp!"

Gaoxin's speech was halting and his voice hoarse, with a hint of excitement.

Daishan Beida spun around and struck wildly. Both hands whistled through the air, yet he could never land a hit, and grew more frantic with every attack.

Everyone outside the arena was stunned. Gaoxin had been beaten into a bloody mess, yet he had not completely fallen.

Now he had even counterattacked and turned the tables, heavily injuring Daishan Beida instead. How could they not be shocked?

Sasaki's eyes widened. Fúshé's expression darkened, while Rou Si watched with great interest.

"Baka waste!" the Wa people present muttered.

The Wa people were not shocked so much as angered by Daishan Beida's underestimation of his opponent.

They could see what had happened. Gaoxin was still weak, and his methods were nothing special. He was merely ruthless enough. His footwork was driven by instinct and lacked any system.

The only thing that slightly surprised them was Gaoxin's endurance. He could still counterattack despite such serious injuries, exchanging blood for blood in a manner that strongly resembled the people of Sin Prison Island.

"Daishan Beida, what the hell are you doing, you baka?" Six Scars roared.

After being berated, Daishan Beida suddenly came to his senses. He stopped his enraged pursuit and instead planted himself firmly in place.

The intense pain in his eye had robbed him of his composure. He had completely lost his bearings and allowed Gaoxin to lead him around by the nose.

His raw strength was far above Gaoxin's. On top of that, he possessed a full arsenal of karate skills. How could he have fought so pathetically?

He immediately assumed a stance, allowing Gaoxin to circle behind him without making a move.

He even took the initiative to close both eyes.

Seeing Daishan Beida's back turned toward him and his entire body riddled with openings, Gaoxin could even see the wound on his neck steadily bleeding.

He immediately charged forward, wanting to grab that wound with his hand, acting on pure impulse!

Many Wa people revealed cruel sneers at this sight.

"Glass Person is Glass Person. He has no combat experience at all."

They were all experts, so naturally they could tell that Gaoxin was moving like an amateur.

Daishan Beida sensed the wind stirring behind his head and abruptly ducked low, stepping backward!

His elbow slammed into Gaoxin while his right hand reached toward his left arm, catching the hand Gaoxin had tried to claw at the wound on his neck with.

"Ha!"

With a loud shout, Daishan Beida threw Gaoxin over his shoulder, dragging him from behind to in front of himself before smashing him viciously into the ground.

The move was filled with killing intent.

Gaoxin's body was upside down in midair, headfirst. If he hit the ground like that, his brains would spray out, and he would certainly die.

At the critical moment, Gaoxin felt his thoughts suddenly accelerate. Reacting swiftly, he planted his left hand against the ground!

At the same time, his toe struck Daishan Beida's blind eye.

"Pfft!"

Both were injured at once. Gaoxin's arm snapped outright, while Daishan Beida's eye socket burst open again, pain searing through his heart.

The latter could not help releasing his grip, but his reactions remained lightning-fast. He rapidly raised his foot and delivered a straight kick!

The kick slammed into Gaoxin's stomach like a heavy cannon firing!

"Boom!"

A deep, heavy thud rang out! Gaoxin flew upside down through the air like a rag doll, sailing four meters before landing—and then he went completely still!

Daishan Beida was hardly unscathed. Though he was still standing, he was panting heavily, blood pouring down his face.

He held a karate stance, one eye open, his body already beginning to tremble.

"Brother Xin Ku!" Sule cried out in alarm.

The newcomer group was also shocked and erupted into an uproar, marveling at what a bloody battle this was.

Gaoxin's raw strength had been exposed long ago. Everyone present could see that it was nothing special.

Yet he had climbed back to his feet again and again, fighting with his life and trading blood for blood, until he had battered Daishan Beida into serious injury!

That was a karate master twice his weight, with strength approaching four hundred kilograms.

Yet he had been worn down to this state by street-fighting moves and relentless brawling.

What a pity. Gaoxin had still lost.

That final full-force kick had been terrifying. Gaoxin had taken it head-on while airborne; even if he was not dead, he was crippled.

"Still not enough? The gap is too wide."

Luo Yan lamented, feeling sorry for Gaoxin, but this was reality.

Sometimes, giving everything you had did not guarantee a reward. All your efforts could still amount to nothing. Even if you fought with your life, what could you do?

He had no strength, talent, aptitude, education, or background. In the end, an unfortunate defeat was the most ordinary outcome imaginable.

"Daishan Beida, it looks like you need special training! Get your ass to the Redemption Squad and report in!" Sasaki was not happy about Daishan Beida's victory in the slightest. Instead, he was furious.

They had been fighting a mediocre, even inferior Glass Person, yet they had won so disgracefully that it made them all look bad.

Daishan Beida lowered his head and took the reprimand, feeling extremely depressed.

"Yes, Lord Fúshé. I'll go at once!" Daishan Beida replied.

But just then, a weak voice rang out. "It's... not over yet. Where... where are you going?"

"What?" Everyone stared at the arena in shock. The speaker was none other than Gaoxin.

He was still lying there without moving, seemingly paralyzed from head to toe and barely alive.

Yet he still refused to admit defeat. He wanted to keep fighting?

Good grief. He really was going to keep talking tough until he died.

"You!" Daishan Beida hated Gaoxin with all his heart. It was all because of him that he was being exiled.

He had thought this would be a simple match to win favor, but it had turned into this. How could he not be furious?

Fúshé was stunned as well. He was completely paralyzed and still would not admit defeat?

His face darkened. "Fine, fine, then we'll keep going until there's a winner."

He said "decide the winner," but his tone sounded more like he intended to decide life and death.

Daishan Beida understood immediately. This meant they wanted Gaoxin executed. He strode over.

Luo Yan panicked. "Stop being stubborn! As long as the green hills remain, there'll be no shortage of firewood!"

Gaoxin, barely alive, said, "...I... don't understand... I don't understand..."

"I'm fucking telling you to surrender!" Luo Yan shouted anxiously.

By then, Daishan Beida had reached Gaoxin. One of them lay on the ground while the other stood over him.

Gaoxin's face was swollen with blood, while his abdomen was a mangled, horrifying depression. His organs were probably a complete mess.

His lower body was paralyzed, and his left arm was broken and twisted unnaturally. Along with his many other injuries, he was certainly already on the brink of death.

Daishan Beida deeply hated him. He raised his foot, preparing to stomp his head apart!

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

Gaoxin opened his eyes!

His eyes bulged with rage. His only unbroken right hand clenched into a fist and suddenly rose, smashing viciously into Daishan Beida's groin.

The punch was immensely powerful. It even sent Daishan Beida's three-hundred-pound body bouncing into the air.

It was as though he had blown fate's balls apart!

"Eeeeee!" Daishan Beida's single eye bulged outward as pain tore through his heart.

His hands instinctively clutched his groin. His knees went weak, and he dropped straight to the ground, his upper body bending forward involuntarily.

Gaoxin did not stop. With the only hand he could still move, he extended two fingers like a sword and stabbed viciously, striking the other man's neck as he bent down.

The force was astonishingly great—like a bullet leaving the barrel! It actually pierced straight through his throat!

As if it had pierced through arrogant, all-powerful reality itself!

Blood sprayed everywhere!

The entire arena instantly fell into dead silence. Everyone stared in disbelief, mouths hanging wide open.

Fúshé shot to his feet, as though watching from a seated position had somehow been wrong.

"Brother Xin Ku!" Sule could not help screaming. Meimei covered her mouth in horror.

The sudden turn of events made every seated Wa person rise, all of them staring fixedly at the arena.

With a wet squelch, Gaoxin twisted and gripped with his palm before violently yanking it free. Blood immediately sprayed like rain.

He slowly raised the bloodied hand that had slain his powerful enemy, reaching toward the sky as if trying to grasp something. Word by word, he said, "I told you... I... am insanely good at fighting!"

"Whoooooa!"

"Xin!"

P.S. Sorry.