Practical Combat

"How is it, Hao'er? Do you realize now that your experience is lacking? Even if someone tells you about this kind of actual combat experience, it's of little use. Anything can happen in a real fight."

Lu Hao nodded. It was true; after this actual combat, he felt his own shortcomings. Although he was very proficient in his combat techniques, those were fixed moves.

And real combat never has a fixed outcome. No one knows what the result will be until the very last moment; the process is complex and ever-changing.

"Mom, I understand my shortcomings. I will work even harder from now on."

Lu Hao said.

"Hao'er, don't be too discouraged. You are still young, and most of those you fought against are middle-aged martial artists. They have been stuck at this stage for who knows how long."

"Unable to advance, they will try every possible way to enhance their combat power. Although it doesn't compare to what is taught in schools, their combat effectiveness is quite good."

"Once you fight a few more matches and get used to it, you will be able to crush them by relying on the system's teaching resources."

Lu Hao nodded in agreement.

The next matches were not Lu Hao's, but he no longer had the intention of just watching as a spectator. Instead, he pondered carefully: if he were to put himself in the arena, what should he do?

He watched their fighting styles, learning their combat techniques and methods to prevent various underhanded tricks.

After watching three or four matches, it was Lu Hao's turn again. After adjusting himself, Lu Hao walked toward the backstage area.

"Next, I invite both combatants to the stage."

"First-grade high-stage martial artist, Falcon!"

Following the host's announcement on the ring, a man with a feminine appearance walked up, holding a dagger in his hand.

"First-grade low-stage martial artist, Blood Blade!"

As soon as Lu Hao stepped up, he saw the weapon in his opponent's hand. To be honest, after watching so many matches, this was the first time he had seen someone choose to use a dagger.

After all, this is a Duel Arena, not the wilderness. Using such a short weapon here is inherently disadvantageous. Looking at the opponent's situation, he likely tempered his lower limb bones and followed a path similar to an assassin.

Lu Hao analyzed the opponent's situation, judging how to successfully defeat him.

Following the referee's command, "Begin."

Lu Hao immediately deployed his Stance Technique, the Void-Standing Realm, borrowing force from the void to close the distance between them. After all, his opponent was using a short weapon, so closing the distance was an advantage for him.

Falcon, on the other hand, did not choose to widen the distance after the referee's command, but instead charged straight at Lu Hao.

In a single breath, Lu Hao reached Falcon. Lu Hao executed a leg technique in mid-air, preparing to kick Falcon out of the ring.

As Lu Hao's right leg descended, Falcon suddenly pushed off the ground with his left leg, jumping up and kicking toward Lu Hao with his own right leg.

Bang, bang.

With the sound of a collision, Lu Hao's leg and Falcon's leg slammed into each other. Lu Hao had expected his Point-Burst to directly disable the opponent's combat power.

As a result, the moment his blood energy exploded, the opponent also erupted with a burst of blood energy, and the two forces canceled each other out.

Lu Hao landed from mid-air. He hadn't expected this feminine-looking man to be his match in leg techniques.

Although the man was not using standard, formal basic leg techniques, the fact that he could use Point-Burst meant the man had studied leg techniques very deeply.

The feminine man, seeing that he couldn't take down Lu Hao with leg techniques, charged over holding the dagger in his right hand. Seeing this, Lu Hao also picked up his Big Ring Blade, preparing to clash weapons.

As a result, just before reaching Lu Hao, the feminine man threw the dagger directly.

Lu Hao hurriedly dodged.

In the process of dodging, the feminine man had already rushed up and kicked out. Seeing this, Lu Hao hurriedly held his Big Ring Blade horizontally to block the man's Point-Burst leg technique.

Bang!

Lu Hao retreated several meters to dissipate the force. Although the Big Ring Blade blocked the opponent's Point-Burst, the vibration made the web of his thumb ache. Lu Hao looked down and saw that his hand had been split open in several places.

This was because Lu Hao's upper limbs had not been tempered and could not withstand such a blood energy impact at the moment. If Lu Hao had chosen to temper his upper limbs, blocking like this would never have caused his hand to split open.

Seeing this, the feminine man continued his attack while Lu Hao was suppressed.

Lu Hao realized he didn't have time to adjust, so he hurriedly took a step back while circulating his blood energy, imbuing it into the Big Ring Blade.

The feminine man, seeing that one move hadn't worked, didn't retreat either. Instead, he went all out, preparing to defeat Lu Hao. He shifted his feet and kicked out with his other leg.

He believed that if this kick landed, the opponent would definitely lose all combat power. After all, he had given up tempering his large bones to fully temper the bones in both of his feet.

Lu Hao saw this and charged forward with his blade.

The feminine man did not dodge. Relying on the weapons provided by the Duel Arena, while they could break his defense, they couldn't cause him too much damage. Conversely, if this kick landed, Lu Hao would have no combat power left.

Lu Hao let out a low roar, gathered his blood energy onto the blade's surface, and struck the feminine man's incoming leg with a single slash.

Bang, clang.

When Lu Hao's blade made contact with the feminine man's foot, the opponent's Point-Burst exploded first, detonating right in front of Lu Hao. Lu Hao's face was splattered with blood from the blast, but he did not flinch.

He continued to slash down with his blade. Suddenly, Lu Hao felt a sense of heavy resistance, but as he concentrated his blood energy, the blade still cleaved through.

Flesh and blood burst apart right in front of Lu Hao's face.

"Ah! My leg! I surrender! I surrender!"

Following a shrill scream, Lu Hao turned his head to see that half of the effeminate man's leg had been split down the middle; the man was effectively crippled, which was to be expected since that strike had consumed a quarter of Lu Hao's life force and incorporated the techniques of the Blood Battle Mad Blade.

Such a result was well within Lu Hao's expectations.

Hearing that the effeminate man had already conceded, Lu Hao stood to the side and ceased his assault, watching as the man wailed while clutching his remaining leg.

Lu Hao felt no pity; after all, once you stepped onto the arena, you were responsible for your own life and death. The effeminate man was at least still alive, whereas if Lu Hao hadn't managed to block the man's Point-Burst in time, he feared it would be he himself lying there wailing instead.

Carrying his Big Ring Blade, Lu Hao stepped off the stage amidst the wild cheers of the audience.

He had barely emerged from the backstage area when he saw his mother waiting for him. Before Lu Hao could say a word, a medicinal pill was stuffed into his mouth.

From the taste, Lu Hao recognized it as a healing pill.

"Mom, these are just minor injuries, there's no need for a healing pill."

Lu Hao said with a wry smile, as his injuries were truly just superficial flesh wounds caused by the rupture of his life force; if he didn't take this pill, they would likely heal on their own in a little while.

"Hao'er, our family isn't short on a single healing pill. I'm just afraid you might be left with some hidden trauma, so it's safer to take one."

Bai Qiuyao said. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she couldn't bear it when she saw Lu Hao being beaten back and sustaining injuries on the arena; if Viper hadn't held her back, she might have already rushed onto the field.