Fake Out, Opening with a Slap

The entire Douluo Continent was steeped in a strange atmosphere woven from anticipation, worry, schadenfreude, and cold indifference.

They watched as golden light gathered on the Sky Screen once more, waiting for the matchup between Tang Chen and the heavenly prides of the Pokemon World to appear.

After witnessing Qian Daoliu's Demigod power, the people of the Douluo Continent assumed that no Spirit Master could stand against them.

Only those Pokemon from the Pokemon World, who never played by the rules, might have a chance.

Soon, as the account of Tang Chen's life came to an end, a new matchup appeared.

[Heavenly pride match successfully randomized]

[Level 96 Gengar, Level 96 Alakazam, Level 97 Snorlax]

The Heavenly Pride Arena Tournament began once again.

As the golden light faded, killing intent soared into the heavens from the arena!

Tang Chen held the Asura Demon Sword, wreathed in blood-red light as though forged from hellish blood crystals. The scarlet killing aura around him had already solidified, spreading like a viscous Sea of Blood. Every step he took made space itself hum and tremble under unbearable strain!

Empowered by Asura Divine Power, his eyes were red as blood, and his presence was savage yet majestic. He resembled a ruler of slaughter who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. A single glance from him was enough to freeze one's soul.

Across from him stood two familiar faces.

The dark-purple ghost Gengar, grinning with its huge mouth; the psychic sage Alakazam, holding two spoons with wise, profound eyes; and... a massive deep-blue beast as round and fat as a hill, its belly bulging as it looked half-asleep—Snorlax.

Compared to the previous battle, this lineup carried an unsettling sense of "professionalism" amid its strangeness.

Tang Chen's gaze was icy and piercing. He had no intention of wasting words. The instincts honed through countless battles in Slaughter City screamed a warning: these creatures from another world could not be judged by common sense. He had to crush them instantly with thunderous force!

Just as he raised his sword, the killing intent of the Sea of Blood surged like a tide, and the Asura Demon Sword hummed hungrily!

Snorlax, which looked the slowest and most harmless, suddenly snapped open its tiny eyes, savage light bursting forth!

Its enormous, bloated body erupted with ghostly speed, appearing before Tang Chen almost as though it had teleported!

It slapped him across the face!

Smack!!!

A crisp slap suddenly rang out, clearly echoing across the entire Douluo Continent!

Fake Out!

A priority move that also inflicted Flinch.

Caught completely off guard, Tang Chen's head was violently knocked to the side by that opening slap!

A clear, burning red handprint instantly appeared on his face!

What nearly made his blood run backward was the cold, bizarre power of rules that entered through the slap, instantly freezing his killing intent and strength.

Tang Chen's mind shook violently, and his movements fell into a fatal stiffness and Flinch! A mighty Demigod had actually been stunned in place by a single slap!

"You beast! You're courting death!" Tang Chen's fury erupted like a volcano! When had he ever suffered such humiliation?!

Qian Daoliu's crushing defeat was still fresh in everyone's minds, but experiencing such vile tactics firsthand sent the humiliation straight into his soul!

The blood-red Divine Slaughter's Domain contracted and twisted madly, as if it intended to grind space itself to pieces!

The Asura Demon Sword in his hand flared with blood light, its blade emitting a bloodthirsty shriek. Behind him, the phantom of a dark-red Clear Sky Hammer larger than a mountain instantly condensed.

Carrying a destructive force capable of shattering stars and slaughtering gods, it smashed down upon the seemingly simple-minded Snorlax that had just withdrawn its paw, bearing enough fury to flatten mountains and rivers for thousands of miles!

Seventh Spirit Skill: Avatar of the Martial Soul—Clear Sky Hammer!

Boom!!!

The giant hammer crashed down, and a dull impact like the birth of chaos thundered in all directions!

Snorlax was struck so hard that its fat rippled and shook like waves, its enormous body sinking deep into the arena!

Yet it had actually endured the enraged blow of a Demigod head-on without falling!

What made Tang Chen's eyes nearly split with rage was that Snorlax not only showed no fear, but instead puffed out its round belly, its tiny eyes flashing with the crafty gleam of a scheme fulfilled!

It wore a familiar item on its head: the Rocky Helmet.

And it unleashed the move it had prepared long ago—Counter!

Snorlax threw a punch.

"Pfft!" Tang Chen looked as though he had been struck by divine punishment!

A terrifying impact far exceeding the power of his own attack, layered with the rules of Counter and the rebounding force of the Rocky Helmet, seemed as though the Clear Sky Hammer he had swung with all his might had exploded inside him, savagely blasting into his chest!

The protective glow of Asura Divine Power shattered at once! He flew backward uncontrollably like a cannonball struck by a divine mountain, crashing into the Barrier at the edge of the arena and sending cracks through the sky!

"What the hell is that?!" Tang Chen barely forced himself upright. Blood stained the corner of his mouth, while shock, fury, and disbelief raged in his eyes like stormy seas. This fat man's damage reflection ability was practically blasphemy against the laws of strength!

At the instant Snorlax completely enraged him and disrupted his focus, Gengar and Alakazam on the other side had already completed their first round of "preparations" with the precision of finely crafted instruments.

Dark-purple mist churned strangely around Gengar. Nasty Plot!

Its Special Attack soared in an instant, and Evil energy shot into the heavens! Blue light blazed in Alakazam's eyes as its two spoons crossed before its chest. Calm Mind! Its vast Mental Power and defensive Barrier rose simultaneously!

Then, the two Pokemon exchanged sinister grins and each held up an orb that radiated an ominous aura.

Two invisible ripples of rules instantly crossed space!

Trick! Exchange Held Items!

"Hm?!" Tang Chen suddenly felt the terrifying power of the Asura Demon Sword vanish from his hand! The divine weapon connected to his soul and bearing Asura Divine Power had actually been forcibly stripped away!

In its place, icy Toxic corrosion seeped into his left palm, while flames that scorched his soul engulfed his right palm!

The rules of Toxic and fire clung to his divine body like maggots on bone, invading it in an instant!

His life force began to drain away. Toxic weakened the power in half his body, while the Burn condition greatly diminished his physical attacks!

For the King of Slaughter, who had dominated the world through the Clear Sky Hammer's overwhelming offense, this was no different from losing an arm!

"Come to me, sword!!" Tang Chen roared furiously. Asura Divine Power erupted within him like a boiling Sea of Blood, forcibly suppressing the Toxic and flames!

He raised an empty hand, tearing space apart. The vanished Asura Demon Sword condensed in his grasp once more, carrying overwhelming bloody malice!

He soared into the air, fully opening Divine Slaughter's Domain. A blood-colored storm swept across the arena as he vowed to wipe out every impurity before him with a single strike.

"Die for me!"

Yet in the next instant, the same hair-raising grins appeared on Gengar and Alakazam's faces.

Each of them now held a heavy iron ball, black as ink and engraved with sealing runes.

Tang Chen's heart sank as an ominous premonition suddenly rose within him.

Trick, activated a second time.

Tang Chen felt his feet suddenly grow heavy, as though two ancient divine mountains had been shackled to them!

He looked down and saw two pitch-black, ice-cold Iron Balls tightly locked around his ankles.

All power of flight was instantly stripped away. Like an eagle with broken wings, he plummeted from the air and crashed heavily onto the arena.

No matter how he erupted with divine power, the iron balls seemed welded to the rules of heaven and earth, utterly unmoving. His ability to fly had been completely sealed.

Held Item: Iron Ball!

Effect: The holder loses the ability to fly, becomes exceptionally heavy, falls to the ground, and becomes affected by Ground-type moves, Spikes, and similar effects!

"Bastards! Utterly shameless!!" Tang Chen's roar made the entire Sky Screen tremble!

These vile tactics, one after another, were ten times more disgusting than what Qian Daoliu had faced!

This was definitely deliberate! Could they not have a proper, honorable fight?