"You've won this ranked match!"
"Points +13 (base victory points +10, Blood-Qi Value difference bonus +1, 4-win streak bonus +2)"
"Your current rank is: Black Iron (545 points)"
The three opponents he faced in successive ranked matches were all weaker than Zhang Zhihao had been at the start.
Two of them had lower Blood-Qi Values than Chen Mochuan, and the first opponent's hadn't even reached 3. He couldn't help wondering how Zhang Zhihao had dropped to 502 points and ended up matched against him.
Though he won these matches with ease, they did little to help him hone his fist techniques. Still, Chen Mochuan wasn't discouraged.
He knew the ins and outs of Heaven Martial Battle Net. The Black Iron ranks were a mixed bag, a playground for low-ranked Martial Warriors to brawl in. He'd even seen plenty of "players" with negative scores online. As for the strongest among the Black Iron ranks, they usually peaked at the level of a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist.
With his current score, the strongest opponents he could be matched with would be at the Third-Rank level.
But he believed that if he kept raising his score, he would eventually run into stronger opponents. That would be the key to quickly absorbing his insights into fist techniques and improving his strength.
As the ranked matches went on, Chen Mochuan racked up fifteen consecutive wins, raising his rank score to 766.
Once his score exceeded 650, he began to frequently encounter Third-Rank Martial Warriors who had mastered Clear Force, as well as Fourth-Rank Martial Warriors who hadn't mastered Clear Force but possessed greater Blood-Qi reserves. Three of them exerted even more pressure in actual combat than Lu Feng had after taking an "Energy Burning Potion."
After a series of hard-fought battles, Chen Mochuan ultimately defeated them one by one and claimed victory.
However, in his sixteenth ranked match, perhaps his long winning streak had triggered a special matchmaking mechanism, he was paired with a formidable opponent whose score exceeded 800.
His opponent had a Blood-Qi Value of 4.92 and had also mastered Clear Force. Chen Mochuan was no match for him, but he still relied on sheer tenacity to hold his own as best he could, using the opponent to hone his martial arts to the greatest extent possible.
After holding out for more than two minutes, he took a punch to the head. The Battle Net judged him unable to continue, and he suffered his first loss.
"Unfortunately, you've lost."
"Points -7 (base defeat penalty -10, Blood-Qi Value difference protection +3)"
"Your current rank is: Black Iron (756 points)"
Chen Mochuan's fifteen-win streak had ended, but he wasn't frustrated. If anything, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
Though he'd lost, he'd gained a great deal from the match. His fist techniques had improved, and he'd grown more proficient in using Clear Force.
To fully absorb the lessons of the battle, he immediately created a Personal Training Room and devoted himself to reviewing and testing what he'd learned.
Once he'd more or less absorbed the experience, he wasted no time and began his next round of matchmaking.
From then on, Chen Mochuan encountered formidable opponents far more often, and his wins and losses gradually evened out.
But win or lose, he drew nourishment from every match, seeing the cycle through to the end: fight, reflect, then fight again.
Like an insatiable gaming addict, he immersed himself in one ranked match after another.
Fortunately, most of his later opponents had higher Blood-Qi Values than he did. Thanks to the Blood-Qi Value difference protection mechanism, losses often cost him fewer than 10 points. So even with his wins and losses roughly even, his total score continued to rise steadily.
During this time, the martial arts his opponents used were no longer limited to Foundation Building Fist, giving him a taste of all kinds of martial arts styles.
He'd only ever learned a little about these techniques online, or occasionally seen classmates use them in virtual matches on the school intranet. But most were ones he was facing firsthand for the first time, greatly broadening his knowledge of martial arts.
He was also lucky enough to be matched with an opponent who practiced Tiger Fiend Fist. The other fighter's mastery of the technique far surpassed his own, and in the fierce battle, Chen Mochuan gained a deeper understanding of Tiger Fiend Fist's fierce, forceful essence.
The opponent who impressed Chen Mochuan most today was an anonymous woman wielding a long sword.
She was incredibly strong; Chen Mochuan was taken out in a single exchange.
Fortunately, the woman showed great restraint, and her attacks were carefully placed. Before he could feel any intense pain, the Battle Net declared him defeated and removed him from the arena. He was spared any lasting psychological trauma.
This was also the first time Chen Mochuan had faced an armed opponent on the Battle Net.
He knew that although Heaven Martial Battle Net was a Virtual World, users were bound to their citizen identification numbers. To manifest a weapon on the Battle Net, one had to possess a Weapon License in real life.
And the requirements for obtaining a Weapon License were strict. It wasn't something just anyone could get.
Carrying a weapon without a license was a serious crime in the real world, punishable by anything from detention to prison.
But when he recalled the information he'd seen about the sword-wielding woman before their match—seventeen matches, all victories, and a Blood-Qi Value of 10.0, the upper limit for the Martial Warrior realm—he figured it was only natural that she had a Weapon License.
He couldn't help but marvel that even an expert like her had to start a new account in the Black Iron ranks. Even with a perfect winning streak, it would take more than twenty matches to reach Bronze.
Then he pulled himself together and returned to the ranked matches.
However, one match put Chen Mochuan's composure to the test.
"Unfortunately, you've lost."
"Points -9 (base defeat penalty -10, Blood-Qi Value difference protection +1)"
"Your current rank is: Black Iron (808 points)"
Back in his personal space after leaving the arena, Chen Mochuan furrowed his brows, his expression grim.
It wasn't because he couldn't accept losing, nor because he'd just suffered three defeats in a row. It was because he hadn't been able to perform to his full potential in that match.
His opponent had been a female Martial Warrior with a Blood-Qi Value of 3.72 who had also mastered Clear Force—the ideal sparring partner, evenly matched with him.
During their fierce battle, Chen Mochuan had gradually gained the upper hand. Victory was in sight, and he was about to end his losing streak.
But when one of his heavy punches struck the woman's abdomen, she suddenly let out a delicate "Ah!" and reacted as though he'd touched her chest.
Chen Mochuan had already fought several female Martial Warriors today. They'd all traded punches without holding back, and no one had minded the physical contact. So he'd briefly forgotten the difference between men and women, focusing wholeheartedly on improving his martial arts.
The woman's strange reaction made him freeze for the first time. As he threw his next punches, he couldn't help having second thoughts and began deliberately avoiding certain sensitive areas.
There hadn't been much difference between them to begin with. His hesitation threw the battle off balance, and the woman began to control the fight.
She seized the moment and launched a fierce counterattack, even throwing several shameless kicks to the groin, each aimed straight at Chen Mochuan's vital parts. The battle turned around in an instant.
When she finally landed the winning blow, the sly smile she couldn't hide on her pretty face made Chen Mochuan understand at once: he'd fallen into her tactical trap, but it was too late.
Though the pain in the Battle Net didn't carry over into reality, Chen Mochuan still felt a chill in his lower body.
He resolved that in future battles, no matter his opponent's gender or how they reacted, he would cast aside useless reservations and fight as he needed to. Otherwise, he'd pay dearly.
After this match, Chen Mochuan understood even more deeply a line his best friend Li Biao often repeated:
Women only slow down my punches!
Before you continue