Iron Turtle

An hour ago, Ding Baihe Group.

As he entered the arena, he saw a pink-haired girl wearing short denim shorts and a T-shirt with a bear print already standing inside.

Besides her, two people in yellow Zhongshan suits stood side by side. As he entered...

"The match begins!"

"That's the Mantis Fist brothers, Liu Dong and Liu Xi."

"That girl, isn't she Old Master Lu's granddaughter? I think her name is Lu Linglong."

"Then, who is that delicate-looking young man?"

"Don't know him. I heard his name is Mal'Ganis Ode, from the Tianxia Association."

"This guy is such a coward, he ran to the corner as soon as he entered."

Amidst the crowd's discussion, the four-person battle commenced. The Mantis Fist brothers, Liu Dong and Liu Xi, immediately charged towards Lu Linglong, while he used the opportunity to run to the corner.

One of the brothers' Mantis Fist specialized in attacking the lower body, while the other attacked the upper body. They fought back and forth with Lu Linglong, but she quickly found an opening and ended the fight.

Lu Linglong glanced at the fallen brothers and turned to charge towards the corner.

"Clang~"

Lu Linglong's palm struck a Tower Shield, emitting a dull thud.

"Where did this guy get that shield from?"

"Didn't see clearly. It just appeared as he moved his hand."

"It looks pretty intimidating, too. It's an Ironforge Lion Head Shield."

Lu Linglong pressed her palm onto the Lion Head Shield, leaving a clear palm print, then quickly retreated.

"Miss Lu's palm strength is quite impressive. Fortunately, I brought a big shield, or I would have been knocked out by Miss Lu."

As he spoke, he propped the Tower Shield on the ground and crouched down, bracing himself against the wall with his hands.

"Referee, isn't this considered a foul?"

Lu Linglong stared at the Lion Head Shield in front of her, speechless. Who brings a shield to a fight and hides in a corner? Isn't that just being a scoundrel?

"Tsk, isn't the method of an artifact refiner to refine Qi, Master Xingye?"

His voice came from behind the Tower Shield, unhurried and with a hint of mockery.

"Theoretically, yes. Miss Lu, this gentleman is not breaking any rules. The match continues."

Master Xingye of Dragon Tiger Mountain nodded and continued the match.

Lu Linglong's body glowed with a faint Qi. With a Yang Guan San Die, she fiercely struck the Lion Head Shield.

"Bang~ Boom~ BOOM!"

Her palm strike unleashed three layers of force. The Lion Head Shield instantly shattered into pieces, and the spectators applauded enthusiastically.

Behind the Lion Head Shield, he had already understood Lu Linglong's strength.

She had speed but lacked brute force. He had endured four attacks consecutively without triggering a single response.

Lu Linglong couldn't break his defense, so he, crouching in the corner, chose to hug his head and continue squatting in the corner.

He looked as if the world was vast and she could hit him as much as she wanted.

He squatted like that for an hour. Lu Linglong relentlessly pounded him for an hour, dragging the fight until all other competitors had finished, leading to the current scene.

The current scene was within his expectations, but attracting the attention of Feng Baobao and Zhang Chulan was an unexpected bonus. This would further solidify the belief in his methods.

"Miss Lu's perseverance is truly admirable, but I think you should just concede."

He slowly stood up. The panting Lu Linglong rushed forward again.

"I will not concede, Mr. Ode! I'm coming!"

As soon as Lu Linglong charged forward, she ran out of stamina and collapsed onto the ground.

"Ding•Baihe Group, Winner: Mal'Ganis Ode."

[Hunter Main Quest (2): Luotian Grand Ceremony - Stage 1, Advanced to Top 32, Quest Complete, Score 100. Score accumulated, subsequent quests unlocked]

[Main Quest (2) Luotian Grand Ceremony - Stage 2]
Quest Difficulty: LV5
Quest Description: Participate in the Luotian Grand Ceremony and achieve at least an 8th-place finish.
Quest Information: Defeat opponents through combat, bribery, or other means.
Quest Deadline: 5 days
Quest Reward: 4000 Paradise Coins, 2 Attribute Points (reward based on ranking)
Failure Penalty: Forced execution.

..., Feng Xingtong stared at the armor and couldn't help but recall his older sister's words. It didn't seem as exaggerated as she made it out to be; it was simply strong in terms of defense.

Feng Baobao, shouldering a shovel, shot Wang Changle a glance.

He keenly sensed Feng Baobao's gaze, but he wasn't too worried. He was currently occupying Lu Linglong's spot.

According to the timeline, his next match would be against Yun. If he won that, his next opponent would be Zhang Lingyu. He wouldn't have to face Zhang Chulan.

Since he wouldn't be a threat to Zhang Chulan, he wouldn't be Feng Baobao's target.

However, due to the [Side Quest: The Chairman's Investment], he had to make it into the top 32. This meant he had to win his next match!

Putting aside other thoughts, he headed towards the Tianxia Group hotel with Feng Shayan.

"Are you planning to just tough it out and fight your way through the tournament like this?"

Feng Shayan sounded a bit exasperated. This guy clearly had the ability, but he was so fond of hiding his strength.

"I'll do that for now. This armor can still hold up for a while. There are quite a few experts in this Luotian Grand Ceremony, and I don't want to become a target."

He shrugged and pointed out several names on the roster.

"Hmph~ The way you put it, I think you're quite similar to that 'Unwavering Lotus'."

As Feng Shayan spoke, she couldn't help but quicken her pace. This man was too cautious; communication was impossible.

"Of course. I'm not Jia Zhengliang, who charges 500 a night. Besides, with 'Unwavering Lotus' taking the heat upfront, no one will notice me."

Wang Changle muttered to himself, then suddenly stopped. He turned to look at a completely black Black Cat that was trailing far behind him.

The man and the cat stared at each other for a long time. The Black Cat let out a "meow" and disappeared into the bushes.

Wang Changle's lips slowly curved upwards as he looked at the spot where the cat had vanished. Interesting.

The next day, Dragon Tiger Mountain, Luotian Grand Ceremony.

The venue hadn't changed. His opponent was still Yun, a master of 'materialization'.

Content with his leisure, he focused on watching the matches between Wang Ye vs. Tie Malu and Zhuge Qing vs. Little Fire King. Watching others compete on-site gave him a lot of insight.

Especially Wang Ye vs. Tie Malu. Tie Malu's fighting style, combining Thousand Jin Drop with Golden Bell Shield, was very similar to his current style, giving him some ideas for his upcoming battle.

What caught his attention the most was that Bai Shi Xue wasn't fighting Hu Jie anymore. Instead, he was up against a beast tamer who controlled six cats.

The six cats had different colors and seemingly different abilities. They cooperated seamlessly, completely suppressing Bai Shi Xue and winning with ease.

Undoubtedly, the girl in the leather skirt was also a Contractor from Cycle Paradise, and a Contractor with a Charisma specialty at that.

After winning, the Leather Skirt Cat Girl made a gun gesture towards his direction.

He didn't respond to the girl's provocation and instead walked towards his own competition area.

"Mal'ario Ode versus Yun. The match begins."

In the arena, Yun, wearing a mask, looked at Wang Changle as he entered. The Heaven Measuring Ruler in his hand trembled slightly.

The stands were packed with people, including many familiar faces.

The battle was imminent!