"Get him! Get him!"
"Don't fight him head-on, you're not as strong as him. Go around him, go around him!"
"Hey! Don't go around like that! Pretend to attack, then suddenly dodge to the side. He definitely won't be able to react in time and will get past you..."
A clamor arose from the crowd, with many people excitedly waving their hands.
Zhou Xuan, with a small twig between his teeth, watched the scene in the distance with a somewhat speechless expression.
"It's not like a turn-based chess game. If you shout it out, your opponent can hear you too. What good will it do..."
Before he could finish speaking, the voice that had just given the idea came again.
"Hey, you're too slow, otherwise you could definitely have gone around it..."
"..."
Some were even more speechless. Zhou Xuan squatted on the ground and continued to stare at that spot.
Two figures could still be vaguely seen flashing in front of the crowd.
Martial Arts Arena, officially known as Martial Arts Tournament, is a cultural and recreational activity recognized and organized by the military region.
Two volunteer warriors will come up on stage to spar, while others can use Origin Crystal to bet on their wins and losses!
Hmm... those who have read this far should have realized that this event, though described as a cultural and recreational activity, actually involves gambling!
The military region originally prohibited such activities, and initially, it was indeed the soldiers who organized them privately for fun!
But later, it was discovered that some people were betting increasingly larger and larger stakes, becoming uncontrollable; in addition, there were frequent reports of warriors suffering serious injuries because of this arena battle...
Left with no other choice, the military region stepped down and began organizing and managing the event itself!
There are several reasons why the organization was removed from its post rather than being outright banned:
The pressure at the front lines is immense, and the soldiers need outlets for their emotions; in the Erosion Zone, there are very few viable recreational activities; and then there's the inflated ego that comes with increased strength...
None of these problems can be eliminated simply by banning them!
Ultimately, it turned out like this:
Organized and managed personally by the military region!
Under the direct organization of the military region, a series of new rules were added:
For example, it is prohibited for two sides with a significant difference in strength to fight; it is prohibited to use excessive force against the opponent; it is prohibited to attack the opponent's vital parts; it is prohibited to cause serious injury, death, or maiming to the opponent.
Those who violate this rule will be subject to penalties ranging from warnings and demerits to dismissal, depending on the circumstances.
For example: based on the terminal's records, limit the maximum amount of Origin Crystal each person can bet per time; limit the number of bets allowed in a short period; prohibit betting on behalf of others; prohibit private gambling, etc.!
Through a series of measures, we safeguard the physical and mental health of those who step into the ring and those who place bets!
Of course, this inevitably reduces the excitement of the martial arts arena, but at least, the situation of people going bankrupt due to serious injuries from battles or betting will not occur again!
Of course, there are exceptions...
"Whoo--"
"Yes, we won!"
"Haha, Old Wu, I'll let you bet..."
It seemed the battle had ended, as cheers and groans erupted from the front almost simultaneously.
Zhou Xuan's gaze swept across the crowd.
Soon, a figure with a somewhat round face squeezed out of the crowd, muttering to himself. It was hard to say what his expression was like, but it certainly wasn't happy!
"Looks like we've lost!" Zhou Xuan couldn't help but grin slightly.
Seemingly sensing the malice coming from this direction, the figure looked over, then frowned and decisively turned around and walked over.
"Why are you holding a twig in your mouth?" Lü Wenrui asked, frowning.
"Wow, so cool, don't you think so?" Zhou Xuan deliberately fiddled with the twig he was holding in his mouth.
"Tch, handsome my foot!" Lü Wenrui retorted irritably.
Zhou Xuan didn't care about this, after all, this was how the two of them communicated, and...
His grin widened, as if he already knew the answer.
"You lost?"
"I..." Lü Wenrui opened his mouth as if to refute, but after pausing, he turned his head and said with feigned disdain, "Ha! What do you know? This is called 'every loss has its gains'!"
"Ah, ah, ah, I know, every cloud has a silver lining!" Zhou Xuan echoed with a smile.
Lü Wenrui is the exception to the rules of the martial arts arena!
Because of his abilities, he was allowed to wager a large amount of Origin Crystal!
If he loses, he'll likely be less likely to encounter misfortune when fighting the Calamity Beast afterward, and there's a good chance he'll have good luck; if he wins, he'll earn a lot of Origin Crystal for free!
Of course, this can also be put in another way!
If you bet and lose, you'll lose a lot of Origin Crystal for nothing; if you bet and win... well, you might face serious consequences later!
after all.
Fortune is like flowing water, sometimes good, sometimes bad!
All the good luck you have now will have to be paid back later!
Therefore, don't be fooled by Lü Wenrui's current loss and bad mood; in reality, even if he had won, he wouldn't have been in a good mood, and might even have been in a worse mood!
Thinking of this, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but mentally complain about Lü Wenrui's pathetic ability.
This was the first time he had ever seen A-Class ability that had side effects on the user!
"What are you doing here?" Lü Wenrui asked, ignoring Zhou Xuan's flattery, his brow furrowed.
"No, I was just passing by and happened to see you there, so I waited for you for a bit!" Zhou Xuan replied, his smile fading.
Lü Wenrui pursed his lips and walked to the side.
Zhou Xuan quickly stood up and followed.
The two men walked forward, carrying the pole, and they could see soldiers one after another along the way.
Suddenly, Zhou Xuan's gaze paused, following several figures as they moved.
He only turned his gaze back when he felt some discomfort in his neck; his pupils shifted slightly.
"By the way, Fatty!"
"What?" Lü Wenrui glanced at him sideways.
"How many Origin Crystal have you lost so far this time?" Zhou Xuan asked.
"Eight Fourth Tier Origin Crystal!" Lü Wenrui replied listlessly.
"Wow, we've lost so much so quickly this time!" Zhou Xuan gasped.
Eight Fourth Tier Origin Crystal —that's almost as much as the resources he obtained in his most recent battle!
Hearing that gasp, Lü Wenrui felt even worse. He groaned and turned his head away from Zhou Xuan.
Seeing this, Zhou Xuan smiled.
"How about it, Fatty? Want to go hunting too?"
"Hunting?" Lü Wenrui frowned slightly and looked over again.
"Yes, just like the other teams, we'll gather some people, wander around outside, and kill any Calamity Beast we encounter!" Zhou Xuan confirmed.
"Don't you usually not go?" Lü Wenrui, somewhat puzzled.
"Normally it's normal, but sometimes the urge to go out and explore pops into your head, right?" Zhou Xuan said. "Besides, going out can earn us more Origin Crystal, isn't that good? Otherwise, we're the poorest team now!"
There was no response, and Lü Wenrui could not refute this.
Zhou Xuan urged again from the side.
"So, are you going or not?"