Tactical Trap

"You have won this ranked match!"

"Points +13 (Base win points +10, blood-qi value difference bonus +1, 4-win streak bonus +2)"

"Your current rank is: Black Iron (545 points)"

The three opponents matched in succession were even less capable than Zhang Zhihao had been initially.

Two of them had lower blood-qi values than Chen Mochuan, and the first opponent's blood-qi value hadn't even broken 3, which left him wondering how Zhang Zhihao had managed to drop to 502 points to be matched with him in the first place.

Although these matches were easy to win and didn't offer much help in honing his fist techniques, Chen Mochuan did not lose heart.

He was familiar with the state of the Heaven Martial Battle Net and knew well that the Black Iron rank was a mixed bag, a paradise for low-tier martial artists to mingle. He had even seen many "players" online with negative points, and the strongest fighters in the Black Iron rank usually only reached the level of a Tier 5 martial artist.

With his current points, the strongest opponents he could be matched with were at the Tier 3 level.

However, he believed that as long as his points continued to rise, he would eventually encounter stronger opponents, which was the key to quickly digesting his insights into fist techniques and improving his strength.

As the ranked matches progressed, Chen Mochuan achieved a massive 15-win streak, and his rank points climbed to 766.

Once his points exceeded 650, he began to frequently encounter Tier 3 martial artists who had mastered Clear Force, as well as Tier 4 martial artists who, while not having mastered Clear Force, possessed more robust blood-qi. The combat pressure from three of them even exceeded that of Lu Feng after he had taken an Energy Burning Potion.

After a series of bitter battles, Chen Mochuan eventually defeated them one by one, securing victory in his hands.

However, in the sixteenth ranked match, perhaps because his win streak had triggered the system's special matchmaking mechanism, he was matched against a formidable opponent with over 800 points.

The opponent had a blood-qi value as high as 4.92 and had also mastered Clear Force. Although Chen Mochuan was completely outmatched, he still relied on his tenacious will to circle with the opponent, using them to hone his own martial path to the maximum extent.

After persisting for more than two minutes, he was struck in the head by the opponent's fist, and the Battle Net determined he could no longer continue, handing him his first defeat.

"We regret to inform you that you have been defeated."

"Points -7 (Base loss points -10, blood-qi value difference protection +3)"

"Your current rank is: Black Iron (756 points)"

With his 15-win streak ended, Chen Mochuan felt no frustration; instead, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.

Although he lost this battle, he gained a great deal. Not only did his fist techniques improve, but his application of Clear Force also became increasingly proficient.

To thoroughly digest the gains and losses of this battle, he immediately created a Personal Training Room to focus on reviewing and verifying his performance.

Once he had absorbed the combat experience, he wasted no time and began the next round of matchmaking.

From then on, the frequency with which Chen Mochuan encountered strong opponents increased significantly, and his wins and losses gradually began to even out.

But regardless of victory or defeat, he was able to extract nourishment from them, carrying out the cycle of combat → summary → combat to the end.

He was like a tireless gaming addict, immersed in one ranked match after another.

Fortunately, most of his subsequent opponents had higher blood-qi values than him. Under the blood-qi value difference protection mechanism, the points deducted for a loss were often less than 10, so even with a fifty-fifty win-loss ratio, his total points continued to rise steadily.

During this period, the martial arts displayed by his opponents were no longer limited to the Foundation Building Fist, allowing him to experience a wide variety of martial arts schools.

He had only known of these martial arts slightly from the internet or occasionally seen classmates use them in virtual school matches, but for most, this was his first time facing them in person, which greatly broadened his martial arts horizons.

He was even lucky enough to be matched with an opponent who also practiced the Tiger Fiend Fist. The opponent's level in this fist technique was far higher than his own, and in the heat of the fierce battle, Chen Mochuan gained a deeper understanding of the fierce essence of the Tiger Fiend Fist.

The most impressive encounter for Chen Mochuan today was an anonymous woman wielding a long sword.

Her strength was extremely high, and Chen Mochuan was killed in an instant upon their first exchange.

Fortunately, the woman was very measured in her strikes, and her choice of attack points was very precise. Before Chen Mochuan could even feel intense pain, he was judged as defeated by the Battle Net and removed from the arena, leaving no psychological trauma.

This was also the first time Chen Mochuan had encountered a weapon user on the Battle Net.

He knew that although the Heaven Martial Battle Net was a virtual world, users were bound to their citizen identification numbers. To project a weapon within the Battle Net, one had to possess a Weapon License in reality.

The requirements for obtaining a Weapon License were very high, and not just anyone could obtain one.

Possessing a weapon without a license was a serious illegal act in reality, punishable by detention at the very least, or imprisonment for more severe cases.

However, when he recalled the Battle Net information of the sword-wielding woman he saw before the match—a record of 17 wins and 0 losses, and a blood-qi value of 10.0, the limit for the martial artist realm—he felt it was reasonable that she could obtain a Weapon License.

He couldn't help but sigh that even such an expert had to start from the Black Iron rank with a new account, and even with a perfect win streak, it would take more than twenty matches to advance to Bronze.

Afterward, he pulled himself together and stepped onto the path of ranked matches once more.

However, one match caused Chen Mochuan to face a mental challenge.

"We regret to inform you that you have been defeated."

"Points -9 (Base loss points -10, blood-qi value difference protection +1)"

"Your current rank is: Black Iron (808 points)"

Chen Mochuan, who had already left the arena and returned to his personal space, furrowed his brows, his expression looking rather unpleasant.

This was not because he couldn't handle losing, nor was it because he had just suffered a three-match losing streak, but because he had failed to display his proper strength in this bout.

The opponent he had just been matched with was a female martial artist with a blood-qi value of 3.72 who had also mastered Clear Force—exactly the kind of evenly matched practice partner Chen Mochuan had been hoping for.

In the heat of the battle, Chen Mochuan had gradually gained the upper hand, and seeing victory in sight, he was about to end his losing streak.

But when he landed a heavy punch on her abdomen, the woman suddenly let out a delicate "Ah!" cry, her expression suggesting she had been touched on the chest.

Chen Mochuan had already fought several female martial artists today, and both sides had traded blow for blow without anyone minding the physical contact, so he had momentarily ignored the differences between men and women, focusing entirely on his martial arts progression.

At this moment, the woman's unusual reaction caused him to falter for the first time, and as he threw his punch, he couldn't help but feel hesitant, deliberately starting to avoid certain sensitive areas of her body.

The gap between the two sides was not large to begin with, so his timidity naturally caused the balance of the fight to shift, allowing the woman to take the upper hand.

The woman seized the opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack, even going so far as to use low kicks without any reservation, each strike aimed directly at Chen Mochuan's vitals, and the tide of the battle turned in an instant.

When she finally landed the winning blow, the undisguised, cunning smile on her pretty face made Chen Mochuan realize instantly: he had fallen into her tactical trap, but it was already too late.

Although the pain in Battle Net would not carry over to reality, Chen Mochuan still felt a chill in his lower half at this moment.

He made a resolution in his heart that in future battles, regardless of the opponent's gender or how they reacted, he must discard all unnecessary taboos and fight exactly as he should, otherwise, he would surely suffer a great loss.

After this battle, Chen Mochuan gained a deeper understanding of a phrase his best friend Li Biao often kept on his lips:

Women only slow down the speed of my punches!