The Despicable Me

The magnificent architecture, vast enough to defy imagination, deeply shook Xu Yi's soul as he gazed towards the horizon.

Suddenly, an intensely exhilarating feeling surged from the depths of his heart. He recognized it as a desire to perform, the same familiar sensation he'd felt commanding his guild members during sieges in the game world.

This time, however, the urge to perform was a million times stronger than before, an ineffable and uncontrollable feeling.

Indeed, how could commanding a hundred people in the virtual world compare to the glory of having tens of thousands of eyes focused on him?

Xu Yi's blood boiled, his ambition soaring.

While Xu Yi was lost in this intense fantasy, Gao Pan, not far away, was consumed by shame and rage. In his eyes, the man surnamed Xu was utterly arrogant, completely disregarding him, Gao.

He stared at Xu Yi for a long time, yet Xu Yi didn't even spare him a glance, his eyes constantly darting around. Even as he looked around, his expression was incredibly animated, as if a country bumpkin had arrived in the city, only concerned with feasting his eyes, completely forgetting the ruthless, bloody assault he was about to face from the powerful Gao Pan.

As each man nursed his own thoughts, a loud clang echoed through the air. The clamor from the stands instantly died down, and a resonant voice, amplified by the sound gathering array, boomed across the entire venue. It was the duel's announcer, declaring the rules.

The rules were simple: no weapons of any kind, no tricks, and no mercy for life or death!

The moment the resonant voice faded, Xu Yi and Gao Pan's gazes finally met.

The sky was clear, the sun directly overhead.

The imposing Gao Pan, wielding a twelve-foot silver spear and clad in golden armor, glared at Xu Yi. The dim red sunlight glinted off his golden armor, making him look like a golden-armored deity emerging from the sun itself.

In contrast, Xu Yi was lean. Though not short, he barely reached Gao Pan's shoulders. He was unshaven, his face pale, and his faded blue robe could only be described as clean. Apart from his unusually bright, dark eyes, he would easily be lost in the crowd.

With this initial appearance, the disparity between them was stark!

As Gao Pan lightly raised his silver spear, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd, shaking the entire city.

At that instant, Gao Pan's satisfaction reached its peak.

He had participated in eight arena battles, but he had never stood on this renowned Ascending Dragon Platform of Guang'an.

This was because, in those years, Guang'an City was rife with conflict, and duels between Body Tempering Peak experts were commonplace.

However, in recent years, battles between Body Tempering Peak experts had become rare, making this duel exceptionally significant.

Furthermore, this battle was ostensibly a contest between Gao Pan and Yi Xu, but it also represented a confrontation between the Patrol Division and the Black Dragon Hall. The Black Dragon Hall, in a bid to assert its dominance, had wagered a hundred thousand gold on the gambling market, revitalizing the long-dormant scene and elevating the attention on this arena match to an unprecedented level.

The Prefect of Guang'an Prefecture had decided to reopen the long-closed Ascending Dragon Platform as the venue for this decisive battle.

With hundreds of thousands cheering for him, Gao Pan's pride soared to the heavens, and he completely forgot Ma Wensheng's instruction to finish the fight quickly.

With a loud clang, the silver spear sliced through the air and struck the ground. Gao Pan, head held high, was about to pompously begin explaining the origin of his silver spear according to procedure when Xu Yi, breaking the rules, spoke first.

"Quiet, everyone, quiet down!"

Xu Yi suddenly strode forward, spreading his arms and waving towards the high platforms. His resonant voice, amplified by the sound gathering array, echoed throughout the venue.

Instantly, the entire crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed on him.

The Ascending Dragon Platform had been opened countless times, but never before had a combatant addressed the high platforms.

This sudden turn of events intrigued everyone, and they instinctively leaned in, eager to hear what Xu Yi had to say.

Thousands of gazes converged, exerting immense pressure. Xu Yi steadied his mind, spread his arms, and declared loudly, "I just want to ask, is anyone here betting on me to win? If so, I congratulate you in advance, because you're guaranteed to profit! Come, those who bet on me to win, stand up and wave your hands so I can see you and cheer me on!"

BOOM!

On the high platforms, many people stumbled, and even Gao Pan's hand slipped, nearly dropping his silver spear.

"I've seen arrogant people before, but I've never seen anyone this arrogant!"

Gao Pan felt as disgusted as if he had eaten a rotten egg.

Just then, on the high platforms, a multitude of people actually stood up, waving their arms and shouting themselves hoarse to encourage Xu Yi. The scene was incredibly grand.

Indeed, with tens of thousands watching, even if only one percent dared to bet on Xu Yi, their collective cheers would form a formidable force.

Moreover, countless onlookers who enjoyed stirring up trouble joined in, their roars shaking the heavens and earth, echoing through the mountains and rivers.

Gao Pan watched this spectacle with envy, then became uncontrollably excited. He thought, It's obvious who has more popularity, me or this guy named Xu. If he can whip up this kind of scene, I can do a hundred times better.

The thought of tens of thousands cheering for him made Gao Pan's bladder feel like it was about to burst.

Without bothering to copy Xu Yi's act, Gao Pan let out an angry roar. The entire venue fell silent. Just as he was about to speak, a gust of wind brushed past his ear. Instinctively, he dodged his head, and a tremendous force struck his hand, sending the silver spear flying far away.

An unexpected turn of events!

Xu Yi had struck first!

It turned out that his earlier greeting and attempt to rally the crowd was merely a spur-of-the-moment idea.

He had already planned his strategy against Gao Pan in his mind: attack his weakness with his strength, and strike first.

His strengths were his swift movements and powerful physique; his weakness was his lack of martial skills.

The only technique he knew, the Demonic Ox Great Strength Fist, was merely a Body Tempering cultivation method, lacking offensive capabilities.

Without a doubt, the key to this battle was surprise and close-quarters combat; he absolutely could not let his opponent utilize his martial skills.

Gao Pan's silver spear was Xu Yi's first intended target.

In a duel between peers, one wielding a powerful weapon and the other bare-handed, especially when the one with the weapon was likely a master of spear techniques, how could Xu Yi allow him to leverage his advantage?

Therefore, he deliberately provoked the audience. While speaking, he moved around the entire venue, using the opportunity to close the distance with Gao Pan and find his blind spots, waiting for his chance.

Little did he know, before the audience could get truly worked up, Gao Pan himself had become impassioned and fallen into a wondrous reverie.

This was a heaven-sent opportunity, how could Xu Yi let it pass? He straightened up, a swift gust of wind, and his fists came crashing down.

What a fighter Gao Pan was! Countless battles had shaped his life, combat practically a reflex. Before the killing intent even arrived, his instincts screamed danger. In a hair's breadth, he managed to move his head half an inch, causing Xu Yi's punch to miss.

However, Xu Yi's fists came out together. Gao Pan dodged the blow to his head, but his hands were a beat too slow. Xu Yi's fist struck the shaft of his spear, the immense force of his punch causing the weapon to vibrate violently. He couldn't hold on, and the spear flew out of his grasp.

Whoosh!

Above the stands, an explosion of sound erupted instantly, a thunderous roar. If it could have manifested physically, Xu Yi would have been annihilated.