Crossing the Line

In fact, the two hooks that Ruiwen just threw, one light and one heavy, were the Russian Swing Punch and the Russian Grand Swing Punch, two special hook techniques.

The power source of the Russian Swing Punch lies in the shoulders and back, requiring strong shoulder and back strength to support it. This hook punch is more powerful than the jab and straight punch, but weaker than the big hook punch, but the punching speed is much faster than the ordinary big hook punch.

Therefore, the Russian Swing Punch is a very suitable attack to use as an "opening move".

However, this type of hook punch requires a high level of strength in the shoulders and back, so it is not suitable for everyone; otherwise, it may injure one's shoulder joints and back.

Of course, that applies to ordinary people; the Mutant's Physical Strength is absolutely sufficient to support such a punch.

Ruiwen took a deep breath. There's one thing that Mutant have in common. "Endurance." Although his strength has increased, Mutant also uses more force to throw a punch, meaning the impact of his weight has decreased.

"You know, what's interesting is that the person who named the Russian Swing Punch is actually R Country," Ruiwen chuckled. "Isn't that ironic? The M Country learned E Country's fighting style, got the R Country to name it, and the representative figure is a Ukrainian."

"I think that's the charm of martial arts, isn't it?" Xiao He said, stretching his shoulders.

"Maybe, but I'm not really interested in martial arts. My interest is in surviving." Ruiwen said nonchalantly.

The next moment he charged forward again, still in the grappling stance. But Xiao He had already figured it out. Although his opponent was using the grappling starting position, this stance was actually unpredictable. It could be an attack on the lower body for ground combat, or it could be a feint followed by an uppercut.

"What kind of..." Xiao He wondered to himself, remaining cautiously on guard.

The moment he reached Xiao He, Ruiwen suddenly adjusted his posture, planted one foot on the ground to stabilize his center of gravity, and threw a Russian Grand Swing Punch at Xiao He's face with his right hand.

"Upper attack!" Xiao He crossed his arms to block the punch, the heavy impact sending him sliding backward.

Ruiwen executed a cross step, quickly closing the distance. He followed up with two consecutive left hooks, suppressing Xiao He's defense. Then, he reached out and pressed down on Xiao He's shoulder, delivering a heavy knee strike.

Xiao He blocked the attack with his arm, took a small step back to slow the impact, and immediately pounced on Ruiwen after landing, throwing a Russian Swing Punch with his left hand. Ruiwen ducked to avoid it, grabbed his wrist, locked his neck with his feet, and used his waist and leg strength to press him to the ground. Just as the two fell to the ground, he twisted Xiao He's arm downwards.

This time, however, Xiao He chose to absorb the kinetic energy. Ruiwen felt like an ordinary person trying to break a steel pipe, unable to budge no matter how hard he tried. Xiao He then helped Ruiwen to his feet, Ruiwen immediately let go of Xiao He and stepped back.

The two then engaged in a fierce, back-and-forth struggle.

The intense battle left the commentator speechless, as his mouth couldn't keep up with the two fighters' movements. The lightning-fast exchanges and the shifts in offense and defense happened in an instant, leaving everyone momentarily speechless.

Both fighters represent the highest level of Mutant physique, and each punch delivers an explosive impact, creating a powerful visual experience that gets the audience's blood pumping.

However, although the match was exciting, not many people could understand it.

In fact, Xiao He was at a disadvantage at this moment, at least in terms of skill. If it weren't for the Kinetic Energy Absorption, Ruiwen would have knocked him down several times by now.

However, Xiao He was not discouraged at all; on the contrary, he was very excited.

Look closely, look even more closely! Xiao He stared intently at Ruiwen, studying every single detail.

"Tsk..." Ruiwen felt a surge of anxiety. He knew that "Yinglong" had other Superpower, but he just hadn't used them yet. This guy was observing him and learning from him. Ruiwen felt like he was being devoured little by little. Although "Yinglong" hadn't fully mastered the two Russian Swing Punch yet, he was becoming more and more proficient. After constant probing, sooner or later the other party would grasp the knack.

That moment came sooner than he expected. Ruiwen unleashed a Russian hook, and Xiao He's body suddenly blurred. Ruiwen's fist passed right through Xiao He's body, and Xiao He immediately followed up with a punch that was fast and ruthless—the same Russian Swing Punch he had thrown earlier.

The punch sent Ruiwen sprawling backward. He knew something was wrong, but he just couldn't regain his balance.

Seeing the second powerful swing punch that followed, Ruiwen was powerless to dodge.

With a "thud!", Ruiwen spun out like a bowling ball and crashed to the ground.

"I understand, it's the strength in my back and shoulders..." Xiao He said, moving his shoulders. "This feels right."

However, just when he thought the battle was over, a black aura spread out from Ruiwen's body, then transformed into thousands of crows that flew in all directions, emitting a sharp "cawing" sound, before swooping down on the audience in the stands.

A scream erupted from the stands, instantly triggering chaos as people tried to escape, jostling and pushing each other, resulting in falls and trampling.

Security personnel at the scene immediately began to maintain order, but the chaos did not last long. The crows soon flew back and swarmed around Ruiwen slowly stood up from the ground.

"Don't be nervous... it's just Plunder a little life force." Ruiwen rubbed the spot on his face where he had been hit. The large bruise there was rapidly dissipating as the crow flew back onto him, which was clearly also one of his Superpower.

It seems that Ruiwen's "Raven" can not only Plunder the power of strong opponents to enhance herself when she defeats them, but also Plunder the power of weak opponents to heal herself when she is defeated.

"You know, this changes the nature of the situation," Xiao He said, turning to Ruiwen, his tone turning serious. "Now, it's not just a simple game anymore. You've crossed the line..."

Ruiwen immediately got goosebumps: Yinglong had changed.

He knew that the monster would use all its strength to knock him down.

"That's how my Superpower works, and I can't control it!" Ruiwen quickly explained. "But look, the good news is that 'Weak-Target Erosion' can only be activated once against the same opponent. So..."

Ruiwen spoke, he suddenly rushed towards Xiao He, launching a sneak attack and grabbing Xiao He's leg. "Strike first!"

Xiao He activated the Time Stop effect, freezing Ruiwen in place. Xiao He circled around to Ruiwen's side and kicked him in the face. The Time Stop effect then dissipated, and Ruiwen fell to the ground, but he immediately rolled to his feet, threw himself into Xiao He again, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and threw him away forcefully.

Xiao He flipped halfway in mid-air to adjust his body, and the moment he landed on the ground, Ruiwen was already in front of him, throwing a punch at his face. Xiao He switched his body to Dimensional Plane, waiting for Ruiwen's fist to pass through his body before switching back to reality, hooking Ruiwen's arm with his right hand.

"Ugh!" Ruiwen stumbled a step after being hooked by Xiao He. The two of them spun around hand in hand as if they were dancing a ballroom dance. Xiao He then delivered a side kick to Ruiwen's face.

Ruiwen barely managed to react, raising his arms to protect his head. With a dull thud, he was kicked and sent flying, crashing headfirst into the arena wall.

"Screech!" Ruiwen angrily broke free from the wall, then grabbed a stone and threw it at Xiao He. Xiao He deflected the stone, and Ruiwen quickly closed in, his fist striking Xiao He squarely in the abdomen. However, he sensed something was wrong, looked down, and realized that his fist had stopped before it even hit Xiao He.

Forced Mediation... Xiao He murmured, then raised his hand. Metal chains emerged from the ground and wrapped around Ruiwen. Ruiwen struggled and broke the chains.

But as soon as he looked down, Xiao He's hand was already pressed against his chest, and a shock pierced through his chest, causing Ruiwen to stagger back several steps and fall to the ground.

"Wow!" the host exclaimed in surprise. "The stalemate seemed to collapse all at once! Yinglong is completely different from before. In just a few rounds, he actually knocked down 'Raven' three times!"

Ruiwen also realized this; the current Yinglong was on a completely different level from the previous Yinglong.

Previously, Yinglong was "fighting a competition," with the opponent's attacks controlled to the level of "communication," learning while fighting; but now, Yinglong is "carrying out a mission," with the opponent's attacks aimed at quickly subduing him and taking control of the situation.

This situation reminded Ruiwen of Yousuli: Wasn't that guy the same way he crossed the line?

"Huff, huff..." Ruiwen sat on the ground, panting heavily. He didn't rush to get up, wiped his sweat, and glared at Xiao He, cursing, "Just how much of a power do you have, anyway?"

"You can try..." Xiao He replied calmly, but before he could finish speaking, Ruiwen suddenly pounced on him from the ground, punching him in the chest. Xiao He adjusted Ruiwen's punching power parameters, causing Ruiwen's force to bounce back.

"Ouch!" Ruiwen clutched his wrist and backed away, collapsing back to the ground.

Xiao He approached him, radiating a fierce aura. Ruiwen suddenly felt like a well-behaved student about to be bullied, weak, pitiful, and helpless.

If this continues, things will go badly! Ruiwen's years of battlefield experience were frantically reminding him.

"We surrender! We surrender!" Ruiwen gasped, raising his hands to stop Xiao He from approaching further. "We surrender... Damn it, we can't win at all. These Superpower are ridiculous, each one is practically Level 5..."

"You're already very capable, but..." Xiao He reached out to Ruiwen, as if to pull him up from the ground.

But when Ruiwen grabbed his hand, Xiao He pulled him into his arms and then delivered a Russian Grand Swing Punch to his face. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, until the next instant when the shockwave spread outwards.

"Are you fucking abusing your power for personal gain? Using 'crossing the line' as an excuse to practice your Russian Grand Swing Punch..." Ruiwen thought to himself, but his consciousness was already fading away. He spun around and flew out, crashing to the ground.

This time, however, Ruiwen's "Weak-Target Erosion" didn't activate again; instead, she obediently fell unconscious.

"Don't worry, everyone, I've subdued him." Xiao He lifted Ruiwen from the ground and showed him off, reassuring the audience. "Please maintain Order and follow the security personnel to the infirmary for treatment. I promise you'll all be back for the next match after your treatment. I'll be waiting for you, I promise."

Yinglong's voice seemed to possess a magical power, restoring order to the chaotic scene. The "Plunder" spectators lined up neatly and followed the arena staff to receive treatment.

"Hmph, see that? That's the difference between a 'hero' and a 'Mutant'." Cui Man crossed her arms and laughed smugly. "Well done, Darling, you've really brought us honor."

"Brother Xiao always makes me feel very safe," Xia Yu said with a smile.

"That's right, it makes me feel incredibly safe." Qin Weize nodded repeatedly. "It's like I don't need to worry even if the world ends."

"After all, it's Yinglong," Xie Haining laughed. "Whether it's Typhoon or Earthquake, it handles them all quickly and efficiently."

"Even if the sky falls, I'm not afraid!" Han Tianyu boasted proudly.

The match was suspended due to the riot, and Xiao He returned to the rest room to rest for a while.

"How are you, Old Xiao? Are you hurt?" Ye Wanqing immediately came over and touched him.

"Hiss--!" Xiao He winced in pain. Ye Wanqing looked at him in surprise, then unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. Everyone present gasped: Xiao He's arms, shoulders, and chest were covered in bruises, at least a dozen in total.

"This is the first time I've seen Darling injured like this..." Cui Man frowned and pondered, but she quickly corrected herself, "No, to be precise, it's the second time. The first time was with Xia Yu, but Darling's Superpower hadn't been fully developed yet."

"It's nothing serious, just some bruises," Xiao He sighed. "His ability is simple and brutal—a powerful physique, probably around LV6. If he can defeat me, he should be at LV7 or even higher..."

"Does it hurt?" Ye Wanqing asked tenderly, holding Xiao He's hand. Xiao He poked his cheek and said, "A kiss will make it stop hurting."

"Shameless..." Ye Wanqing's face flushed slightly, but she seemed about to take a bite.

But at this moment, Cui Man handed a bottle of healing potion to Xiao He: "Drink it, and you'll feel better."

"Sister Man is a straight woman too..." Xiao He thought to himself as he took the healing potion from Cui Man's hand.

To be honest, he didn't think he needed to drink this, but he was really curious about what it tasted like, so he took a small sip and then frowned in disgust: although it looked like apple-flavored Mirinda, it tasted bitter and astringent.

However, the effect was indeed quite good. After just one sip, the bruises on his body became noticeably lighter, and after another sip, the bruises disappeared completely.

"That's it, just one more game to win." Cui Man patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go for it! Winning this game will be our complete victory!"

Xiao He nodded and began waiting for the halftime break to end. He had learned a lot of useful things from his duel with Ruiwen, but... it still wasn't entirely pleasant for him.

He wanted a battle like the one against the 9.6 magnitude Earthquake —a close contest, a back-and-forth struggle, and then... ideally, a victory.

Meanwhile, in the rest area for Mutant in M Country.

"What do you mean 'pause the game'? Those spectators can watch the game from the infirmary! This is just a damn time-wasting tactic! Yinglong is just making excuses to recover his strength!" Mike Nader was furious, jumping up and down, then roaring at Ruiwen, "Did you even use your full strength?!"

Ruiwen, his head pressed to an ice pack, looked exhausted. He glanced at Mike Nader and said coldly, "Who the hell are you yelling at? You think I won't kill you? I just got beaten up, and I'm in a bad mood. I can't defeat Yinglong, but killing you and getting out of here is a piece of cake. You idiot..."

Mike Nader froze, took a step back, glanced nervously at the Mutant present, cleared his throat, and tried to appear calm. "If this guy attacks me, you'll protect me, right?"

"Why? Our mission is to play the game, not to protect you," the Ball Thrower said lazily, tossing the baseball in his hand.

Taro covered his mouth and sneered, "Besides, we can't beat him. Good luck, sir."

"Anyway," Ruiwen chuckled, turning to Sebastian, "I know your Superpower a good counter to him, but don't underestimate that guy. He's a 'Raven' too, growing stronger by devouring creatures stronger than himself. If you're too careless..." Ruiwen's expression darkened, "You could get eaten, Your Highness."

"I'll play in the next match," Sebastian said calmly.

Mike Nader shook his head firmly. "No way! Yinglong hasn't been weakened too much yet. What if you lose if you go on stage?! You're our last trump card! If we lose, then our M Country will completely lose face!"

Sebastian stood up. "There's no need to wait until the final. If we lose here now, the M Country will lose face. What's the point of winning the final then? Or perhaps..."

At this point, Sebastian fixed his gaze on Mike Nader: "Are you going to offend me too? The only one here who can save you from Raven is me."

Mike Nader swallowed hard, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "I... I understand. You go ahead, but... you have to win!"

On the field, the spectators who were "Plunder" were not seriously injured; they only had a small amount of life force Plunder, and they could recover after eating and resting for a few days. This did not affect their ability to watch the final and most exciting match of the day. To appease these "Plunder" spectators, the stadium provided them with free nutritious meals so they could continue watching the game.

On the stage below, the two fighters had already emerged from their respective preparation rooms.

"Let us welcome General Yinglong from the Dragon Country and the Mutant 'Balance Man' from the M Country!" the host roared excitedly. "Will this be... the final match of the day?! Or will Balance Man defeat Yinglong and turn the tide of the game?! The match begins!"