Black Market Hegemony (2)

"Boom!"

Two massive figures collided fiercely in the center of the arena.

The momentum was like two giant boulders falling from the sky and smashing together. The dull, thunderous roar made the eardrums of countless spectators in the stands ache, and some were even knocked from their seats.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle--"

Blue arcs of electricity leaped wildly the instant the two made contact, like countless tiny lightning snakes, emitting a chilling hiss.

Lei Ao's body was like a humanoid high-voltage generator, every inch of his muscle containing the ferocious Lightning Power. This electricity drilled into Yan Kui's pores, attempting to paralyze his nerves and scorch his internal organs.

"Interesting!"

Yan Kui grunted.

If it were before, this kind of inner energy attack with elemental properties would indeed have made him uncomfortable.

But now, his Savage Boar Ramming Technique had reached great completion. His internal organs were wrapped layer by layer in a tough, rubber-like gelatinous substance. The Lightning Power that drilled in was like a clay ox entering the sea, struggling and thrashing within the thick gelatinous layer. Although it brought waves of numbness and stinging pain, it could never break through the defense line to cause substantial damage.

On the contrary, his Mysterious Iron Body surface had forcefully withstood Lei Ao's physical charge.

"Crack!"

Both figures retreated three steps simultaneously. The granite floor beneath their feet couldn't withstand the recoil force and shattered directly.

Four deep gullies were plowed into the ground.

"What?!"

Lei Ao's eyes were filled with shock.

He had awakened a trace of the ancient exotic beast "Thunder Rhinoceros" bloodline, possessing innate divine strength and control over lightning. In the past, any opponent he collided with would either suffer broken bones or be electrocuted into charcoal.

But this big dark guy in front of him was actually fighting him to a standstill?

And... his lightning didn't seem to have much effect?

"Again!"

Yan Kui, however, grew more excited the more they fought.

This kind of visceral, head-on collision made the blood in his body burn.

He stomped the ground fiercely and shot forward again.

Brute Bull Strength! Strength increased by 50%!

His fists rained down, each punch carrying a piercing whistling sound.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Lei Ao, unwilling to be outdone, roared and met the attack with his fists.

The two engaged in the most primitive brawl in the center of the field.

No dodging, no blocking.

You punch me, I kick you.

The spectators in the stands went completely wild.

"Fight! Beat him to death!"

"Too brutal! This is real bare-knuckle boxing!"

"Lei Ao! Use your ultimate move! Don't just fight him with brute strength!"

Lei Ao had no way to express his bitterness at this moment.

Did he not want to fight with brute strength?

It was just that he found that no matter how they fought, he was the one at a disadvantage!

The opponent's skin was too tough! It was even tougher than his, who had an exotic beast bloodline! Moreover, the opponent's strength was growing, and every punch that landed on him felt like being hit by a sledgehammer, shaking his internal organs.

"I can't let this continue!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lei Ao's eyes.

"Roar--!"

He suddenly roared up at the sky, the lightning patterns on his body suddenly lighting up as if they had come alive.

A terrifying aura erupted from within him.

His body began to swell, his skin turned purplish-blue, and a single horn grew in the center of his forehead, entwined with dazzling lightning.

Bloodline Burst: Thunder Rhinoceros True Form!

This was his trump card, and the foundation of his dominance in the Asura Arena. Once activated, his strength and lightning power would both double, but the side effects were immense, leaving him weakened for half a month afterward.

"Die! Thunderous Charge!"

Lei Ao lowered his head, aiming the horn at Yan Kui. His entire being transformed into a massive blue bolt of lightning, charging forward with the aura of destroying everything.

This strike was something even a peak Viscera Refining Realm martial artist would not dare to face head-on!

The entire stadium held its breath.

Everyone thought Yan Kui would dodge.

But Yan Kui didn't.

He looked at the roaring thunder beast, and instead of fear in his eyes, a fanatical smile appeared.

"Good!"

He also took a deep breath.

The two dormant powers within his body erupted at this moment.

Brute Bull Strength! Savage Charge!

Savage Boar Ramming Technique! Full power activated!

His body didn't grow larger, but his muscles tensed to the extreme. A dark red light spread across his skin, interweaving with his natural black to form a strange, dark crimson.

"Boom!"

He charged forward.

Not to dodge, but to collide!

To meet the strongest challenge with his strongest stance!

"Madman! He's a madman!"

A spectator in the stands exclaimed.

The next moment.

Red and blue, two beams of light collided fiercely in the center of the arena.

"Dong----!!!"

A deafening roar, ten times louder than before, erupted, instantly drowning out all the thunder.

It was the destructive sound of bone hitting bone.

A terrifying shockwave swept outwards, directly twisting and deforming the iron fences around the arena as if being wantonly crushed by an invisible giant hand. The closest spectators felt a tightness in their chests and were directly stunned unconscious, blood flowing from their seven orifices.

Smoke and dust billowed, obscuring the sky.

Everyone stared intently at the center of the field, forgetting to even breathe.

Who won?

A few breaths later, the smoke and dust dispersed.

In the center of the field, one person still stood.

A figure covered in blood, clothes tattered, yet still standing like a demon god.

It was Yan Kui!

A charred wound marred his chest, the spot where the thunder horn had struck, with a patch of flesh scorched and curled. But it was merely a surface wound.

And opposite him.

Lei Ao lay on the ground.

His proud thunder horn had been snapped off at the base!

Not only that, but his entire chest had caved in from the violent impact, broken ribs piercing his skin, his limbs twisted at bizarre angles. He looked like a rag doll smashed by a child.

"Cough... cough..."

A large amount of blood, mixed with lightning and internal organ fragments, surged from Lei Ao's mouth. His eyes quickly lost focus.

"What... what... kind of... martial art... is this..."

"Savage... Boar Ramming."

Yan Kui grinned. Though covered in wounds, his smile was incredibly bright.

Lei Ao's eyes widened, seemingly dying with unanswered questions.

The dignified Thunder Rhinoceros Bloodline, defeated by... a pig?

Yan Kui ignored his thoughts. He walked forward and placed a hand on Lei Ao's head.

"I'll borrow your life."

[Killed Asura Arena King (Exotic Beast Bloodline Awakener), plundered life essence.] [Origin Power: +3.5] [Detected high-level exotic beast bloodline fluctuations...] [Conditions met, system hidden function activated--] [New Function: Essence Plunder!] [Description: The Crimson Modifier can analyze high-level creature corpses, selectively extracting their bloodline essence and talent traits. Extracted matter can be converted into pure Origin Power, or it can grant the host corresponding physical resistance or traits with a certain probability.] [Detected trace amounts of Thunder Rhinoceros Bloodline Essence (12%), do you wish to plunder and devour it?]

"Devour!"

A tingling, hot current surged into his body from his palm. Yan Kui felt as if a restless factor had been added to his blood. Though still weak, it caused his physique to undergo another subtle change.

[Origin Power: 54.0 + 3.5 = 57.5!]

Origin Power is abundant!

Yan Kui clenched his fist, feeling the seemingly endless power within him. "Black Iron Tower! Black Iron Tower! Black Iron Tower!"

The stands erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers.

A new king was born!

Yan Kui stood in the center of the arena, basking in the glory of victory.

At this moment, the woman in the qipao, accompanied by a group of attendants, approached him, holding a tray.

"Congratulations, Lord Black Iron Tower!"

Her eyes were filled with adoration and awe. "This is your prize money for tonight, a total of three thousand taels of silver! Additionally, this is a small token of our boss's appreciation, a 'Bone Forging Pill'!"

"Three thousand taels?"

Yan Kui glanced at the silver notes and the pill on the tray, nodding with satisfaction.

This money was enough for him to splurge in Tianwu City for a while.

"Please thank your boss for me."

Yan Kui collected his winnings without any lingering thoughts and turned towards the exit.

"Lord Black Iron Tower, will you be coming again tomorrow?" the woman called out from behind him.

"No."

Yan Kui waved his hand.

The Asura Arena no longer held any challenge for him. With Lei Ao dead, the rest were mere pushovers.

Moreover, he had accumulated enough Origin Power.

Next, it was time to attend to business.

"Black Market... challenge... fusion..."

Yan Kui walked out of the Drunken Life Dream Death Tower, gazing at the starry sky.

His ultimate path had only just begun.