Gaining Fame in the Arena (Part 1)

The white lights of the Special Operations Ninth Division safe house were as cold as scalpels.

Lin Xiao sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, his back ramrod straight. The wounds on his right shoulder and back, nourished by the Jade Marrow Muscle Growth Powder, sent a deep, bone-marrow itchiness through him – proof of flesh and blood growing at a furious pace.

He closed his eyes, his breathing long and faint, yet fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

[Source Energy Points: -1.93].

In his mind, the deep blue light screen remained deathly still, its surface covered in black cracks like the etchings of an abyss.

Every attempt to concentrate felt like walking on a thorny path covered in broken glass, bringing a sharp, suffocating pain. The alarm of core depletion echoed silently in every corner of his consciousness.

"Brother Xiao! It's done! It's done!"

The infirmary door was shoved open, and Fatty Wang's shiny, oiled head poked in. His face was contorted with barely suppressed ecstasy, his voice cracking with excitement.

Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes. There was no ripple in their depths, only a profound, quiet weariness. He looked at Fatty Wang, saying nothing.

Fatty Wang squeezed in like a slippery loach, slammed the door shut behind him, and darted to the bedside. He lowered his voice, nearly spitting with eagerness. "Brother Xiao! That Skinny Monkey kid is a real talent! He got all the intel! 'Old Weasel's' place is in the 'Weasel's Den' on the abandoned subway line three. It's at ten PM the night after tomorrow! He even got the auction process! The mining rights start at fifty thousand, with increments of no less than five thousand! Most importantly, Skinny Monkey figured out how many ventilation shafts the 'Weasel's Den' has, the guard shift changes, pretty much everything! And..."

He took a breath, then carefully pulled a palm-sized package wrapped in oil paper from his bulging pocket, handing it to Lin Xiao with a mysterious air. "Got what you wanted too! Got it from Old Pi of the Black Market, absolutely fresh!"

Lin Xiao took the oil paper package. It felt heavy in his hand, carrying a pungent, strange odor of mixed sulfur and saltpeter.

He opened a corner. Inside were powders and granules of various colors and forms.

He identified them carefully, nodded, re-wrapped the package, and tucked it under his pillow.

"Good work," Lin Xiao's voice was hoarse from his severe injuries, but his tone was calm.

"Brother Xiao, so are we..." Fatty Wang rubbed his hands, his small eyes gleaming. "Planning to storm the 'Weasel's Den,' or..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.

Lin Xiao glanced at him, his gaze calm and unperturbed. "Storm it? That's suicide. 'Old Weasel' has established himself in the west of the city; he must have some tough guys under him, right? We need the mining rights, not to fight a losing battle."

He paused, his gaze falling on Fatty Wang's face. "Where's the money?"

Fatty Wang's excited expression froze, deflating like a pricked balloon.

He put on a pained face and began counting on his fingers. "Brother Xiao, we have... at most seven thousand three hundred credit points... and that's after selling off all those small battle spoils you had me deal with earlier... Fifty thousand... that's a huge shortfall! Even selling me and Skinny Monkey wouldn't be enough!"

Seven thousand three, a desperate chasm away from fifty thousand.

Silence fell again in the infirmary.

Only the faint city noise from outside and Fatty Wang's heavy breathing could be heard.

Lin Xiao leaned back against the headboard, closed his eyes, and unconsciously fiddled with the stopper of the mutton-fat jade bottle by his pillow.

The faint fragrance of the powder in the bottle couldn't soothe the anxiety in his heart.

Money! Damn money! Without money, even the most perfect plan was just a castle in the air.

Did he really have to go to Su Qingxue?

Or ask Ye Qingyan?

Qin Bing?

The thoughts flashed through his mind and were immediately extinguished.

Asking Su Qingxue would be lowering himself, breaking that fragile balance, making future "help" harder to exchange equitably.

Ye Qingyan? That was a viper that swallowed without spitting out bones; once he asked, the price would likely far exceed money.

Qin Bing? Heh, that cold-faced police flower would probably be delighted to see him at his lowest, making it easier to interrogate him.

Rely on himself! He had to rely on himself!

In the midst of this suffocating silence, the small LCD screen hanging on the infirmary wall, which usually only displayed internal notices from the Special Operations Ninth Division, suddenly flickered and changed.

It was no longer displaying cold notification text but had switched to the campus news channel of Tianhai First High School.

"...To promote the spirit of martial arts, resolve student disputes, and foster campus harmony, the school will hold the first 'Fairness Arena' of this semester at 3 PM today in the third martial arts training hall! This arena will be personally presided over by Mr. Wang Zhenshan, head of the Martial Arts Teaching and Research Group! All teachers and students are welcome to observe! Currently registered matches are as follows: Senior Three (Class 7) Zhao Long challenging Junior Two (Class 3) Li Hu; Senior Three (Class 1) Liu Meng accepting an anonymous challenger..."

On the screen, a stocky, bear-like student in the Tianhai First High School uniform, with a fresh scar on his face and a ferocious gaze, grinned menacingly at the camera, even making a throat-slitting gesture.

A small, ferocious wolf head badge was pinned to his chest – the symbol of the Blood Wolf Gang!

Liu Meng! Scarface Qiang's top enforcer!

Mid-stage One-Star Martial Artist!

It was said he practiced an advanced version of 'Raging Bull Strength,' possessing immense power and using extremely brutal techniques! After Zhao Hu was hospitalized, Scarface Qiang planted him on campus specifically to provoke Lin Xiao!

And that "anonymous challenger"... Lin Xiao's gaze instantly sharpened like a knife!

Below the screen, Wang Zhenshan's stern voice scrolled by: "...Martial arts sparring, stop when you reach a consensus! Malicious injury is strictly prohibited! Violators will be severely punished! Both challengers must abide by martial ethics..."

"Brother Xiao! It's that bastard Liu Meng!"

Fatty Wang recognized him too, pointing at the screen, both shocked and furious. "He's accepting an anonymous challenge? This is clearly aimed at you! Scarface Qiang must have ordered it! He wants to cripple you on the arena while you're still injured! That scoundrel!"

He stomped his foot in anger.

Lin Xiao looked at Liu Meng's arrogant smirk on the screen, at the glaring wolf head badge, then at Fatty Wang's indignant yet helpless demeanor, and then at the dead, cracked screen in his mind and the despairing number [-1.93]...

A cold flame surged from the deepest part of his heart, instantly igniting his blood!

An opportunity! An excellent opportunity!

The school arena! A public event!

Wang Zhenshan presiding! The Blood Wolf Gang's provocation!

And... that damn fifty thousand!

"Fatty," Lin Xiao's voice was terrifyingly calm, laced with a chilling cold that made one's heart skip a beat, "Go sign up."

"Huh?" Fatty Wang blinked, not understanding. "Sign... sign up for what?"

"To challenge Liu Meng."

Lin Xiao's gaze was like a knife dipped in ice, fixed on the arrogant bald head on the screen. "The anonymous challenger, that's me."

"Wh-what?" Fatty Wang almost jumped out of his skin, the fat on his face jiggling. "Brother Xiao! You... you're kidding, right? Your injuries aren't healed yet! That Liu Meng is a mid-stage One-Star Martial Artist! He practices the 'Iron Bone Raging Bull Strength'! He's incredibly strong! If you go up now... it's not... it's not suicide?"

"Suicide?" Lin Xiao tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile devoid of warmth, even tinged with madness. "We'll see who dies."

He threw off the blanket and, with somewhat slow but exceptionally firm movements, began to put on the neatly folded school uniform jacket beside him.

Moving his right shoulder aggravated his wound, causing his brow to furrow slightly, a bead of cold sweat appearing on his forehead, but his hands didn't pause for a moment.

"But Brother Xiao! Your injuries..." Fatty Wang was on the verge of tears, anxious.

"Shut up," Lin Xiao interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Go sign up. Now, immediately. Tell the registration desk, the anonymous challenger is Lin Xiao."

Fatty Wang looked at the resolute and wild look in Lin Xiao's pale eyes. He opened his mouth, then swallowed his words, stomping his foot. "Alright! Brother Xiao! I... I'll go right now! You... you be careful!"

With that, he scrambled out of the ward like a ball of meat.

Lin Xiao was left alone in the ward.

He put on his school uniform and carefully tucked the pale jade bottle close to his body.

He walked to the window, looking at the hazy sky outside and the faint outlines of the buildings of Tianhai First High School in the distance.

Time was running out.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the throbbing pain in his right shoulder and back, and the sensation of withered tearing deep within his soul.

Closing his eyes, his will became like the most tenacious steel wire, tightly entwining the almost collapsing pale blue screen in his mind!

[Target Scan: Host (Lin Xiao)]
[Status Scan: Body severely injured, not yet healed (torn wound on right shoulder and back, minor bone damage, organ concussion, blood loss weakness). Meridians are mixed, energy circulation is sluggish. Mental exhaustion.]
[Modifiable Items: ... Temporarily optimize nerve signal conduction efficiency (local: visual, auditory, tactile correlation areas), enhance instantaneous reaction speed (estimated enhancement: 15%-20%). Duration: approximately 30 minutes. Side effects: Exacerbate mental exhaustion, may further decrease core stability.]
[Required Source Energy Points: 0.2! Warning! Current core state is extremely dangerous! Risk of collapse from this operation: High!]

0.2 points!

[-1.93] Deducting another 0.2 points would make it [-2.13]!

The risk of core collapse would skyrocket to unprecedented heights!

Lin Xiao bit his lower lip so hard he almost drew blood.

The alarm sounding from the depths of his soul felt like a million steel needles piercing him simultaneously!

It was an extreme fear of utter annihilation, a fear stemming from his very life instinct!

But he didn't hesitate.

The arena! Liu Meng! Fifty thousand! Black market share! Source Energy Points!

This was his only chance to break free with his own strength!

If he missed this, he might truly be swallowed by this mire of exhaustion!

"Modify!" Lin Xiao let out a silent, hysterical roar from the depths of his soul! His will was like a burning meteor, fiercely crashing into the pale blue screen covered in black cracks!

[Instruction received! Source Energy Points deducted: 0.2!]
[Source Energy Points: -1.93 - 0.2 = -2.13!]
[Modifying parameters... (Screen violently trembles! Black cracks spread and deepen wildly! Core emits a sharp cry of being unable to bear the load!) ...1%...10%...50%... (Extremely slow speed, as if struggling in thick mud) ...90%...100%... Modification complete!]

Buzz—!

An indescribable, immense emptiness and tearing pain from the deepest part of his soul instantly engulfed Lin Xiao like a tsunami!

It was more violent than any previous time!

His vision suddenly darkened, his body swayed violently, and a sweet, metallic taste rushed up his throat, which he desperately suppressed!

Cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of his clothes, stinging the wound fiercely!

In the real world.

The moment the modification was complete, Lin Xiao's eyes snapped open!

The entire world seemed to have become ten times clearer!

The minute dust patterns on the windowpane, the blurry text on a distant sign outside, the trajectory of dust motes floating in the air, even the low humming rhythm of the equipment in the next ward... all information flooded his senses like a tide!

His brain's information processing speed was forcibly elevated, creating a strange illusion that even the flow of time had slowed down!

But at the same time, a deeper, colder sense of exhaustion clung to his consciousness like a persistent maggot.

The screen in his mind, its light dimmed to the absolute extreme, was like the last ember of a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment.

Those black cracks were no longer cracks, but more like the crisscrossing abyssal ravines on a shattered mirror!

The core overload alarm was as faint as the moans of a dying person, yet carried a more desperate meaning.

[-2.13]!

Lin Xiao leaned against the windowsill, gasping violently. His face was as pale as gold paper, and large beads of sweat rolled down his temples.

He shook his head forcefully, trying to dispel the intense dizziness and the soul-tearing pain.

30 minutes!

He only had these 30 minutes, forcibly gained by overdrawing his core, like drinking poison to quench thirst!

"Student Lin Xiao, according to regulations, you need to undergo a routine check-up and confirm if your physical condition is suitable for leaving the safe house."

A medical staff member from the Special Operations Ninth Division, wearing a white coat, pushed the door open and spoke formulaically.

Upon seeing Lin Xiao leaning against the windowsill, pale-faced and covered in cold sweat, their brow immediately furrowed.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, forcefully straightened his back, and managed a weak smile on his face. His eyes, however, were exceptionally bright and sharp, carrying an undeniable persistence: "Doctor, I feel much better. There's an urgent matter at school, and I must return. A small personal grievance needs to be settled. I promise, I'll be back immediately after I'm done."

His tone was calm, yet it exuded a sense of resolute determination.

Those eyes, which had become exceptionally sharp due to optimization, and were currently suppressing immense pain and madness, made the medical staff member, accustomed to seeing the injured, inexplicably shiver.

Three in the afternoon.

Tianhai First High School, Third Martial Arts Training Hall.

The massive venue was bustling with people, almost completely filled.

The air was filled with the scent of sweat and excitement.

Students crowded the stands, chatting amongst themselves and discussing animatedly, their gazes focused on the alloy stage, over a meter high, in the center of the hall.

"Did you hear? The one who issued the anonymous challenge to Liu Meng is Lin Xiao!"

"What?! Lin Xiao? Wasn't he taken away by the Special Operations Ninth Division? I heard he was seriously injured!"

"Really? He dares to challenge Liu Meng? Liu Meng is Scarface Qiang's fiercest enforcer! He practices the 'Iron Bone Raging Bull Strength'! He's a mid-stage One-Star Martial Artist! Lin Xiao winning against Zhao Hu last time was just luck, right?"

"I think he's crazy! Coming to the stage before his injuries have healed? Liu Meng will definitely go for the kill!"

"This is going to be good! The feud between the Blood Wolf Gang and Lin Xiao is finally coming out in the open!"

On one side of the stage, Liu Meng stood like an iron tower.

He wore a sleeveless elastic vest, revealing his rock-like, bulging bronze muscles. His arms were crossed, his bald head gleamed under the lights, and the fresh scar on his face added a touch of ferocity.

A cruel grin played on his lips, and his small eyes scanned the entrance like a viper's. The wolf head emblem on his chest reflected a cold light.

"Lin Xiao... you little bastard... Today, I'll break every bone in your body in front of the whole school! To avenge Brother Qiang and our fallen brothers!"

He growled in a low voice, not loud, but filled with violent killing intent, causing the few Blood Wolf Gang subordinates around him to grin along.

On the main platform directly in front of the stage sat several school leaders and teachers from the Martial Arts Research Group.

The person in the center was Wang Zhenshan.

He was about fifty years old, with a square face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He wore a faded gray martial arts uniform, his back ramrod straight, exuding a powerful aura of unpretentious authority.

He looked at the stage expressionlessly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, as if waiting.

Time ticked by.

There were still five minutes until three o'clock.

The entrance remained empty.

The discussion in the stands grew louder.

"Is Lin Xiao chickening out?"

"I knew it! How could he come with serious injuries? He must be scared!"

"Tch, boring! What a waste of time waiting!"

The cruel grin on Liu Meng's face turned into impatience and contempt. He looked towards the entrance and made an extremely insulting gesture.

"Lin Xiao! Are you scared shitless? Get out here if you have the guts! If not, crawl back to your mommy and suck her tit!"

He roared, his voice echoing in the vast hall, drawing uproarious laughter from the Blood Wolf Gang subordinates.

Just as the commotion reached its peak, and Wang Zhenshan frowned, preparing to announce Lin Xiao's forfeiture—

At the entrance of the hall, the light dimmed.

A figure dressed in Tianhai First High School's blue and white school uniform slowly walked in.

He walked slowly, his steps even a little unsteady. His face was so pale it was devoid of any color, cold sweat still clinging to his temples. His lips were tightly pressed together, as if enduring immense pain.

The oversized school uniform looked somewhat empty on him, especially around his right shoulder, which seemed stiffer than his left.

It was Lin Xiao!

The entire hall fell silent instantly!

All eyes, like spotlights, instantly focused on the figure slowly walking towards the arena!

Astonishment! Doubt! Pity! Gloating!

A myriad of complex emotions permeated the stands.

"He... he actually came?"

"His face... it's as pale as paper... he's swaying as he walks..."

"We're done for... Liu Meng is going to beat him to death!"

Wang Zhenshan's sharp gaze fell on Lin Xiao, his brow furrowed even tighter.

With his eyesight, he could naturally tell that Lin Xiao's steps were unsteady, his breathing uneven, and his Blood Essence depleted. He was clearly still seriously injured!

To go on stage in this condition was simply asking for death!

He applied a little more pressure with his fingers on the table, his knuckles turning white.

When Liu Meng saw Lin Xiao appear, he was stunned at first, then the sinister grin on his face instantly twisted into ecstatic joy and cruelty!

He licked his lips, like a predator spotting prey that had fallen into a trap, a fierce glint erupting in his eyes: "You little bastard! You actually dare to come and die! Today, I'll make sure you leave here on a stretcher!"

Lin Xiao seemed oblivious to the surrounding clamor, Liu Meng's roar, or Wang Zhenshan's sharp gaze.

He walked step by step, slowly but with unusual determination, to the edge of the arena.

Without even glancing at Liu Meng, he grabbed the ropes at the edge of the arena with one hand, using the leverage somewhat clumsily. He climbed up with visible effort.

This simple action seemed to aggravate his injuries, causing his body to sway slightly, his face to turn even paler, and more cold sweat to bead on his forehead.

He stood on the arena, breathing shallowly, his body beneath the school uniform seeming to tremble slightly.

He raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Wang Zhenshan's on the main platform. His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the now-silent venue:

"Grade 12, Class 1, Lin Xiao. Challenging Grade 12, Class 1, Liu Meng."