Next Up, It's Me!

Seeing Shen Qing thrown into a pool of blood like a torn cloth sack, the fury among the new recruits finally ignited completely.

The crowd began shoving violently, the most hotheaded rookies in the front rows barely holding back their rage, while the veterans didn't back down, brandishing their folding batons.

What had started as discontent over the arena match was on the verge of spiraling into a camp riot involving hundreds of people.

"Everyone shut the hell up!"

At that critical moment, from the shadows of the second floor of the Black Boxing Arena, a low roar like a muffled thunderclap suddenly rang out.

The voice wasn't exceptionally loud, but it carried a tangible aura of blood and slaughter, instantly overpowering the chaos of the entire venue.

Every person present, whether arrogant veterans or furious recruits, froze the moment they heard that voice, like ducks with their necks grabbed, swallowing the rest of their curses back down.

Because the speaker was the absolute ruler of this underground Black Boxing Arena—the overseer known by the alias "Butcher."

On the steel viewing platform of the second floor, a man with a body like a mountain of flesh, radiating the terrifying pressure of a Martial Artist, slowly rose to his feet.

He toyed with two bones from some unknown Exotic Beast in his hands, looking down at the entire crowd from above.

"In this underground arena, only results determine victory or defeat."

Butcher's voice was ice-cold. "The rules were signed and confirmed by both sides before the fight began."

"Don't say I, as the house, favor the veterans. That rookie kid dared to accept this Life-Death Contract bet, so even if he gets beaten to death up there, he has to accept the outcome!"

These words made the new recruits gnash their teeth, yet they couldn't argue.

Butcher's hawk-like eyes swept over the restless crowd of rookies below, and his tone suddenly shifted: "However... if the veterans win like this, word will spread. Other Floating Lands will mock this camp, saying we only rely on outside help to bully a few fresh recruits."

"So, I'll change the rules."

Butcher cracked the bones in his hands with a loud snap, tossing out an extremely tempting balancing condition: "Remove the last entry spot from the veteran side!"

"Shen Qing's side was already one against five. Now, besides him, there are four substitute spots! Any one of you rookies can step up!"

"If, today, any of you can defeat Scar on the stage in a fair fight, that counts as a win for the rookies! The veterans' 200-point base bet, plus all the entry fees on this table, will still be yours to take!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in uproar.

On the arena stage, Scar heard this and, far from being afraid, grinned savagely.

He slammed his fists together with a heavy thud, his massive, muscle-bound body standing like an invincible demon god.

He looked down at the crowd below as if they were lambs waiting for slaughter, roaring arrogantly: "You heard that?! Who's not convinced?! Get the hell up here and fight me!!"

The deafening roar echoed through the Black Boxing Arena.

Yet the many new recruits, who had felt humiliated and defiant moments before, now seemed doused in freezing water, instantly silenced.

The 200-point base bet was tempting, but would they live to claim it?

Even Shen Qing, ranked in the top fifty among the rookies and unleashing all his killing moves, had both arms broken by this monster with a single punch!

For these ordinary rookies, who would step up and not be crushed into meat paste with one slap?

"Since Boss Butcher has spoken."

The referee on stage immediately caught on, smirking as he raised the Countdown Timer strapped to his wrist. "Time limit: ten minutes! If no one dares to step up within ten minutes, the veteran side will be declared the final victor!"

The Holographic Projection flickered, and a massive, blood-red countdown number, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over every rookie's head, began ticking mercilessly above the arena.

[09:59]

[09:58]

Time slipped away second by second. The entire venue fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing, forcibly dragged off the stage by a Logistics Robot, had received crude medical treatment—spray-on hemostatic and bandaging. He barely managed to stand, leaning against the cold iron mesh.

His arms hung at his sides in a grotesquely twisted position, but his bloodshot eyes were still fixed on Scar on the stage, filled with intense unwillingness and despair.

Just then, a figure like a ghost silently slipped through the crowded masses and came to Shen Qing's side.

"Your movements were wide and sweeping, your stance unstable, just a shell of brute strength."

A voice, eerily calm and utterly devoid of emotion, sounded in Shen Qing's ear. "You already saw through Scar's weakness up there, didn't you?"

Shen Qing's whole body jolted. He whipped his head around. When he recognized the newcomer, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"It's you..."

Shen Qing recognized Jiang Yue.

He had a deep impression of this fellow rookie. During the early training's practical sparring, Jiang Yue's foundation had been appallingly weak, yet with a willpower that was nothing short of terrifying, he had endured a brutal beating from Shen Qing. Not only did he not collapse, but he used that vicious fight to undergo a transformation.

He'd heard that in the Gravity Exam a few days ago, this guy had also broken into the top thousand, with progress that was nothing short of astonishing.

"Mm."

Shen Qing let out a bitter laugh, not hiding anything. Gritting his teeth, he stared at Scar on the stage:

"His blood and qi are indeed formidable. His strength stats are a bit higher than mine at my peak, but his center of force is extremely unstable! He's just relying on his body size and muscle inertia to smash through."

"If you catch him when he's going all out, with his center wide open, and strike his flaw with an unexpected move, you could definitely disrupt his qi flow and cripple most of his combat power! But..."

Shen Qing lowered his head, looking at his completely ruined arms, his tone thick with helplessness. "I can't even make a fist anymore."

Jiang Yue's gaze remained fixed on the countdown timer as he asked softly, "Strike what flaw? Use what unexpected move? That technique you used to beat Old Cripple earlier?"

"Yes! The core below the navel, the dantian's sea of qi!"

Shen Qing had already taken Jiang Yue as his sole willing audience, generously explaining the key points of Ancient Martial Arts. "If you can strike there with [Inch Power], all that brute force of his will collapse on its own!"

"Inch Power?"

Jiang Yue's eyes flickered, precisely catching this core term. "Could this be the name of that Ancient Martial Arts striking technique of yours?"

"Yes."

Shen Qing nodded, spilling the core secret at a rapid pace. "When ordinary people punch, the power comes from the arm."

"But Inch Power is different! The power doesn't come from the arm, but from the spine, from the hips! It's about instantly drawing all the qi, blood, and strength of the entire body from the soles of the feet, threading it section by section up the great dragon of the spine, finally compressing it into a single inch and blasting it out!"

"The more the power is compressed, the stronger its penetrating force. It's enough to ignore that thick layer of muscle armor and directly shatter his internal organs!"

[03:15]

[02:40]

The red countdown in midair jumped wildly.

Listening to Shen Qing's explanation, Jiang Yue slowly closed his eyes.

Although he had never learned Ancient Martial Arts, he possessed an almost perfect, absolute control over his physical body, granted by [Smooth Breath] and [Tough Skin]!

"Tell me more..."

[00:30]

[00:15]

The countdown was about to hit zero.

All the new recruits in the arena had already lowered their heads in utter despair, no one daring to look at the glaring numbers.

Over in the veteran camp, Red Hair and Baldy were already walking toward the bookmaker's table with ecstatic faces, ready to claim the 200-point base bet and the massive commission in advance.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

The veteran referee raised his right hand with a sneer, shouting the final countdown. "Since all you new recruits are a bunch of spineless wastes, then I declare—"

"Hold it."

Just as the countdown jumped to the last three seconds, a low, calm, yet highly penetrating voice suddenly rang out from the shadows beneath the stage.

The voice wasn't loud, but it struck like a heavy hammer, slamming into everyone's heart!

The originally raucous Black Boxing Arena fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Xu Bo whipped his head around, eyes wide as saucers, staring in shock at the person beside him.

Shen Qing's mouth hung open in disbelief.

In that moment, hundreds of gazes in the arena converged in unison on the figure walking out from behind the crowd.

Jiang Yue's face was expressionless. He casually tore open the military buttons at his collar, stripped off his black training jacket, and tossed it aside.

He walked to the edge of the ring, pressed one hand against the icy alloy railing, and lightly leaped. Like a feather without weight, he landed steadily on the bloodstained platform.

Jiang Yue slowly raised his head, his eyes meeting Scar's, who stood before him like an iron tower. He spoke calmly:

"There's a candidate for the fifth match."

"The one stepping up next is me."