"Ah? You dare insult me?"
Zhang Hu froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
"You little punk, you're fucking asking to die!"
He rolled his neck, making it crack, while the Alloy War Blade in his hand gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
The veterans around them began to jeer.
"Zhang Hu, kill him!"
"New recruits don't know their place. Someone ought to teach him a lesson!"
"I've got Zhang Hu winning. One hundred bucks!"
Standing on the platform, Chen Lie raised a hand without expression. "You all know the rules. Once you step onto the Arena Stage, life and death are your own responsibility."
He paused, then said coldly, "Begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhang Hu exploded into action.
He lunged like a tiger pouncing on its prey, swinging the Alloy War Blade straight at Lin Feng's face. The blade tore through the air with a shrill whistle.
The recruits watching gasped.
"So fast!"
"Is this what a veteran can do?"
Li Ming clenched his fists nervously, his palms slick with sweat.
But Lin Feng reacted even faster.
In his eyes, Zhang Hu's movements were so slow they looked like a slow-motion replay.
There were too many openings.
Lin Feng slid aside, dodging the blade, and countered with a slash at Zhang Hu's armpit.
Clang!
Zhang Hu's expression changed. He barely managed to block the blow, but its tremendous force sent him staggering back three steps.
His hand went numb, and he almost dropped his blade.
"How is this possible?" Zhang Hu roared in disbelief. "You're clearly at the same level as me!"
Lin Feng offered no explanation.
The system had not only raised his cultivation level, but also optimized his combat instincts.
Every strike landed precisely on a vital point, without a single wasted movement.
It was a level of mastery ordinary Martial Artists could not reach, even after ten years of hard training.
Gritting his teeth, Zhang Hu charged again.
This time, he stopped trying to overpower Lin Feng and relied on technique instead.
His blade work became tricky, targeting Lin Feng's blind spots.
But it was no use.
Lin Feng effortlessly neutralized every attack.
After just a few exchanges, Zhang Hu was already panting.
Lin Feng's breathing hadn't even changed.
The veterans below the platform exchanged glances.
"There's something off about that new recruit."
"Zhang Hu's a Martial Disciple Rank 6. How's he getting pushed around like this?"
Wang Tie pumped his fist excitedly in the crowd. "I told you this guy was no ordinary recruit!"
A vicious glint flashed in Zhang Hu's eyes.
He suddenly stepped back, pulled a blood-red pill from his pocket, and swallowed it.
Chen Lie frowned. "A Blood Burst Pill? That kid's really willing to pay the price."
Below the platform, Wang Tie whispered, "That's a banned drug. It can raise someone's cultivation by an entire major realm for a short time, but it burns through their life force."
Zhang Hu's skin instantly turned scarlet, his veins bulging as his aura surged.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, finding it almost funny.
"Stupid dog. You think I'm going to stand around and wait for your pill to fully kick in before fighting you?"
The next second, Lin Feng moved.
He shot forward at astonishing speed, his blade aimed straight at Zhang Hu's face.
Zhang Hu's expression changed. The pill's effects hadn't fully taken hold yet, and he instinctively raised his blade to block.
Clang!
A tremendous force surged through the blade, knocking the Alloy War Blade out of Zhang Hu's hand.
Lin Feng caught it, then swung it back around and laid the blade against Zhang Hu's neck.
The whole arena fell silent.
Zhang Hu stared at Lin Feng, eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible... No, impossible..."
"I surrender!" he suddenly shouted. "I sur—"
He never finished.
Lin Feng raised his blade and brought it down.
Zhang Hu's head hit the ground.
Blood gushed like a spring, splattering across the Arena Stage in a glaring red sheet.
Zhang Hu's body swayed, then crashed to the ground.
The entire arena was dead silent.
Everyone was stunned.
Lin Feng spread his hands with an innocent expression. "Sorry, the wind was too strong. I didn't hear him."
Chen Lie jumped onto the Arena Stage, glanced at Zhang Hu's corpse, and announced without expression, "Lin Feng is the winner."
An uproar erupted below.
The veterans who had bet on Zhang Hu turned ashen. Some couldn't help cursing aloud.
Wang Tie rushed over, exhilarated. "Holy shit! I bet on you. Five to one—I'm rich!"
He clapped Lin Feng on the shoulder and lowered his voice. "You're brutal, though. You didn't even give him a chance to surrender."
Lin Feng replied coldly, "If he'd won, would he have spared me?"
Wang Tie paused, then grinned. "Fair point."
Li Ming was too excited to speak and could only nod over and over.
Just then, the crowd suddenly parted.
A middle-aged man in an officer's uniform walked into the Beast Arena.
He was burly, with a hideous scar across his left cheek. His shoulder insignia identified him as Zhao Tianxiong, Deputy Commander of the Seventh Defense Line.
The entire arena fell silent. Everyone stood at attention and saluted.
Zhao Tianxiong walked to the edge of the Arena Stage and looked Lin Feng up and down.
His fists clenched, veins bulging.
Zhang Hu had been his nephew.
Killing his nephew clearly showed that Lin Feng hadn't taken him, the deputy commander, seriously.
But Zhang Hu had signed the Life-Death Contract of his own accord, so Zhao Tianxiong couldn't take action himself.
"Not bad," Zhao Tianxiong said sarcastically. "I've read your file. Martial Disciple Rank 5, admitted to a Martial Path undergraduate program, and came to the Northern Territory because you were short on money. But judging by the strength you showed just now, you're at least Martial Disciple Rank 7."
Lin Feng's heart tightened.
He knew his strength had been exposed.
"There's a mission in two days," Zhao Tianxiong said abruptly. "We need a squad to go deep into an F-Class Rift and investigate unusual energy fluctuations. The original team was wiped out in last night's Beast Tide."
He paused and fixed his eyes on Lin Feng. "Interested? Complete the mission, and you'll be promoted directly to Official Guard. You'll also get an extra fifty thousand in compensation."
The veterans around them sucked in a sharp breath.
Going deep into an F-Class Rift was like entering a Forbidden Zone of death—not even Martial Artists dared venture in lightly.
Defending outside a Rift wasn't especially difficult.
But once you went inside, the difficulty shot straight up.
There were an unusually large number of Exotic Beasts inside the Rift.
Out of ten people who went in, one making it back alive would be considered lucky.
Wang Tie's face changed. He tugged at Lin Feng's sleeve.
But a glint of excitement flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.
Going deep into a Rift meant more Exotic Beasts.
More Exotic Beasts meant more Martial Path Points.
Wasn't this practically a gift?
He looked up and quickly accepted, afraid Zhao Tianxiong might change his mind. "I accept."
Zhao Tianxiong seemed to freeze for a second, then narrowed his eyes. "Good. Meet at the North Gate in two days."
With that, he turned and left.
After the crowd dispersed, Wang Tie grabbed Lin Feng. "Have you lost your mind? That's a suicide mission!"
Lin Feng said calmly, "I know what I'm doing."
"Like hell you do!" Wang Tie panicked. "Do you know what happened to the last squad that went deep into an F-Class Rift? Twelve people went in, and not one came back!"
Lin Feng said nothing.
He glanced at the System Panel.
[Realm: Martial Disciple Rank 7 (0/70)] [Martial Path Points: 0]
To continue improving, he had to earn more Martial Path Points.
And going deep into a Rift was the fastest way.
"You're really going?" Wang Tie asked, looking at him.
Lin Feng nodded.
Wang Tie fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Then I'm going too."
"You?"
"Obviously. We're brothers." Wang Tie patted his shoulder. "Besides, I want to earn that fifty thousand too."
With that, Wang Tie gave a sheepish grin.
Lin Feng looked at him but didn't refuse.
Just then, Li Ming walked over too. "I... I want to go as well."
Wang Tie froze. "You? Forget it. You're only Martial Disciple Rank 3. You'd just be monster bait in there."
Li Ming bit his lip. "I know I'm weak, but I want to get stronger."
He lifted his head, stubborn light shining in his eyes. "I don't want people picking on me anymore."
Lin Feng glanced at him and nodded. "All right."
Wang Tie sighed. "Fine. We're all going to die anyway. One more or one less won't make a difference."
The three of them returned to the barracks.
Lin Feng lay on his bed and closed his eyes.
He had to improve as much as possible in the next two days.
And going outside the city to kill Exotic Beasts was the fastest way.
Night fell.
Lin Feng climbed over the city wall once again and headed toward the depths of the Wilderness.
Before you continue