Empty-Handed Wolf-Snatching

The moment those words fell, the crowd of the Sea Shark Gang on the eastern side of the training ground parted, and a middle-aged man with a dark, sinister face, draped in a large cloak, strode over with a dragon's gait and a tiger's step, flanked by Xiong Wu and other leaders.

It was none other than the Sea Shark Gang's chief, Tang Qizheng.

As soon as he appeared, the surrounding clamor unconsciously dropped a few notches, and many onlookers' faces showed wariness.

Tang Qizheng walked straight to a few paces before Zhou Jingfeng and Gu Huaizhang, stopped, briefly met Gu Huaizhang's gaze as a greeting, then locked his eyes firmly on Zhou Jingfeng.

"Zhou Jingfeng, today's matter didn't have to come to this."

Zhou Jingfeng, facing this leader of the Sea Shark Gang, wore a calm expression: "Tang Qizheng, if your men had known their limits before, and after the mediation had backed off, how would today's affair have arisen?"

Hearing this, Tang Qizheng's face immediately darkened, a cold light flickering in his narrow eyes.

He stared at Zhou Jingfeng for two breaths, then suddenly let out a cold laugh: "What a sharp tongue! Since Hall Master Zhou thinks so, then Tang has nothing more to say. If reason can't prevail, then we'll settle it on the arena! It's just a pity for your newly accepted disciple!"

With that, Tang Qizheng said no more to Zhou Jingfeng, his gaze sweeping over Chen Yue like a venomous snake, carrying undisguised killing intent and contempt, as if looking at a dying ant.

That single glance made Chen Yue's father and mother, standing behind him, feel as if they had fallen into an ice cavern. Tang Qizheng snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, turned, and strode with his entourage straight to the eastern side of the training ground.

Around the training ground, scattered here and there, sitting or standing, were figures whose clothing and bearing clearly differed from ordinary folk. They either spoke in low tones or watched silently, keeping a cautious distance from either side.

"Is that the new Pearl Diver disciple of Iron Mountain Hall? He looks fairly steady."

"I heard he's only been training in martial arts for a month or so? Truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, daring to step onto the Life-Death Arena with Xiong Wu..."

"Heh, who cares if he's a Pearl Diver? As long as there's a show!"

"Zhou Jingfeng might take a fall this time. Tearing ties with Tang Qizheng over a Pearl Diver isn't worth it."

"Not necessarily. If he's defending this kid so fiercely, the boy must have something exceptional. Today's arena match—who will win or lose is still unknown."

These discussions mostly centered on the clash between the two major powers.

To them, who Chen Yue himself was didn't matter; what mattered was the life-and-death duel sparked by him. Many looked at Chen Yue as if watching the opening act of a grand drama.

Time flowed slowly under the weight of countless gazes and low murmurs. The sun climbed higher, golden light flooding the training ground, illuminating the bluestone floor brightly.

When the hour reached Si, Gu Huaizhang, seated in the main seat on the northern high platform, suddenly opened his eyes.

He stood up, walked slowly to the edge of the platform, swept his gaze over the dense crowd below, and finally landed on the Iron Mountain Hall and Sea Shark Gang members standing on opposite sides of the arena.

"Si hour has arrived! Both sides, ascend the arena!"

His resonant voice suppressed all noise, and the entire training ground fell silent in an instant.

Hundreds of eyes focused sharply on the arena and the two figures who would decide life and death.

The Life-Death Arena officially began!

Below the arena, Zhou Jingfeng patted Chen Yue on the shoulder: "Focus your mind, hold nothing back, and give it your all."

"Disciple understands!" Chen Yue nodded firmly.

He turned to look at his parents, their faces full of fear and worry. Father Chen gripped Mother Chen's hand tightly, forcing out a few hoarse words: "A-Yue... be extremely careful!"

Mother Chen bit her lip hard to keep tears from falling and waved vigorously at her son.

Chen Yue gave his parents a smile, then turned and stepped steadily onto the three wooden steps leading to the arena.

When both his feet landed on the arena, the last trace of noise in the field vanished completely, leaving only the rustling of wind-tossed banners and the suppressed breaths of hundreds.

On the other side, Xiong Wu let out a vicious grin, hefting his Ghost Head Saber, and with heavy, elephant-like steps, unhurriedly climbed onto the arena.

The two stood facing each other two zhang apart at the center of the arena, their gazes like blades clashing in midair.

Xiong Wu looked Chen Yue up and down, especially at the long saber at his waist: "Kid, how about we settle this with fists and feet? That way, you'll live a little longer and get a taste of your Xiong master's real skill! Using blades? Afraid you won't last three moves and die too fast, spoiling everyone's fun!"

His words seemed generous, but they hid malicious intent.

Xiong Wu was born with immense strength and a burly build, giving him an absolute advantage over Chen Yue in pure power. If they used fists and feet, this advantage would be magnified to the extreme.

Moreover, the blade technique Chen Yue had shown when defeating He Chong and the others that day made Xiong Wu somewhat wary. Proposing fists and feet would both weaken the opponent's strength and maximize his own—a two-for-one deal.

On the arena, the contrast between the two figures was stark.

Xiong Wu stood eight chi tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, muscles knotted like ropes. Standing there like an iron tower, he exuded an oppressive presence.

Chen Yue, though equally upright, was a full half-head shorter than Xiong Wu and appeared much slimmer.

Chen Yue's face was calm, as if he hadn't caught the calculation in the other's words. He merely glanced faintly at him: "No. Since we're on the Life-Death Arena, life and death are up to fate—use weapons!"

Both were in the Skin Refining Realm, with differences in strength, speed, and endurance, largely determined by innate bone structure and later training.

Xiong Wu's physique gave him an edge in a fist-and-foot fight.

But weapons could partially convert the gap in strength into a contest of technique, speed, and precision.

His Iron Mountain Saber had broken its limits, and combined with the Treading Mountains and Rivers movement technique, it was the perfect choice for using skill to overcome force and speed to beat slowness. Unless one tempered their body to the point of being impervious to ordinary blades, the boost from weapons was crucial.

"Hmph!"

Seeing Chen Yue refuse so bluntly, the flesh on Xiong Wu's face twitched, and the murderous light in his eyes grew fiercer. He sneered, "Sure enough, a ball-less Pearl Diver bastard! Without that blade, do you even have the guts to stand on this arena? You mud-legged scum reek of cowardice from the bone!"

Faced with Xiong Wu's insults and provocations, Chen Yue's eyes showed no ripple.

He stared at Xiong Wu and suddenly spoke: "Want to fight with fists and feet? Fine! Add a wager—three hundred silver taels as the bet."

"Three hundred?"

Xiong Wu was taken aback at first, then spat a thick glob of phlegm and burst into contemptuous laughter. "Hahaha! Kid, why don't you take a piss and look at your own reflection! If we broke you down and sold you by the pound, how many coppers would you be worth? Three hundred taels? Do you even have that kind of money on you?"

Chen Yue's face was expressionless, but his tone was resolute. "Naturally, I don't have three hundred taels on me. So if you win, aside from my life, you won't get a single silver coin.

But if I win, you must give me every last cent of those three hundred taels. That's the condition for a fistfight. Otherwise, we use weapons, and life and death are left to fate."

As Chen Yue spoke these words, a low murmur rippled through the crowd below.

This wager was a free shot for Chen Yue, but a real risk for Xiong Wu.

Win and get nothing; lose and not only lose your life but also your money! This was clearly a checkmate against Xiong Wu.