The bloodstained underground fighting arena

Because the wire-cage arena was being cleaned, most of the now-quiet audience could hear his laughter.

The people around him turned to look at this little child in a black mask, not understanding what he was laughing at. Some frowned, some sneered, and some looked interested.

Bai Yushan did not answer Chen Qingquan.

He sprang up and charged down the steps in a few swift strides, weaving nimbly between the seats like an agile monkey. Someone he bumped into opened their mouth to curse, but before the words came out, Bai Yushan had already reached the bottom.

He flipped over and landed steadily in the center of the wire-cage arena.

The entire venue fell silent for an instant.

Then an even louder uproar erupted.

"Where did this little brat come from?"

"Whose kid is this? Did he come to the wrong place?"

"Get the hell down! Is this any place for you?"

Bai Yushan stood in the arena and looked around. His small, thin frame looked even tinier inside the enormous octagonal cage. The cage lights shone on him, stretching his shadow long.

He raised a hand, beckoning someone to come up.

The audience grew louder. Some heckled, some laughed, and some shouted, "Someone get in there!" and "Kill him!"

A bald, burly man seated in the front row stood up. He was a full two meters tall, his muscles knotted like a mountain of flesh. He wore a tank top that exposed two thick arms tattooed with skulls and snakes. His face was all bulging flesh, his eyes as small as mung beans, but those tiny eyes now gleamed with excitement.

"I'll do it!"

He strode down the steps, each footfall pounding against the ground. He pulled open the cage door, walked inside, and stood before Bai Yushan.

Standing together, the two made a stark contrast. The bald man was like a mountain, while Bai Yushan was like a little sapling at its foot. The man looked down at Bai Yushan and grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Little brat, do you know what kind of place this is?"

Bai Yushan said nothing, merely tilting his head as he looked at him.

The man laughed again, turned toward the audience, and spread his arms as though welcoming their cheers.

"See that? This little brat delivered himself right to my door!"

The audience erupted in laughter and whistles.

The man turned back and looked down at Bai Yushan from above.

"Little brat, don't say I bullied you. Kneel and kowtow three times right now, and I'll let you walk out in one piece."

Bai Yushan tilted his head at him, the corners of his mouth slowly spreading.

"Did you pump all those muscles full of air? They look intimidating. Standing there, you're like a meat shield. Anyone who didn't know better would think you sold pork. No, wait, selling pork takes a little skill. With that build, you're only fit to be a meat target."

The man's expression changed.

Bai Yushan did not stop. "Look at that head of yours, bald and gleaming. Are you especially afraid of the cold because there's no hair on top? Or is your head so empty you're afraid growing hair would let the wind leak through?"

The audience's laughter dwindled, and some sucked in sharp breaths. This little brat's tongue was sharper than a knife.

The man's face flushed crimson, the veins in his neck bulged, and bloodshot streaks appeared in his eyes one by one. He clenched his teeth, his cheeks bulging like two stones, his lips trembling, whether from anger or something else.

"You're fucking asking to die!"

The man growled, and two Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, slowly revolving around his body. Two rings, both yellow. He was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.

Fluctuations of Soul Power burst from him, making even the air tremble. He clenched his right hand, and an enormous iron hammer appeared in it. The hammerhead was as large as a washbasin, pitch-black all over and gleaming coldly. Its handle was thicker than his forearm, fitting just right in his hand.

The two Yellow Soul Rings lit up, and a layer of dark yellow light appeared over the iron hammer, adding further to its weight.

The man raised the iron hammer and smashed it mercilessly at Bai Yushan.

The hammerhead howled through the air, hurtling toward Bai Yushan's head like a meteor. The force of this blow was enough to smash a boulder to pieces. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression twisted, and a beastlike roar came from his mouth.

The audience fell silent for an instant.

Then frenzied shouting erupted.

Those people's faces flushed with sick pleasure, their eyes wide and their mouths open far enough to fit a fist. They waved their arms, rose to their feet, and leaned forward, impatient to see that child's head burst like a watermelon.

"Smash him! Smash him to death!"

"Quick! Bring it down!"

"Hahaha! That's the stuff! That's the stuff!"

Some slapped their thighs in excitement, some crushed the wineglasses in their hands without even noticing, and some stood and leaned halfway out, wishing they could rush down themselves and help deliver that hammer blow.

Chen Qingquan leaned slightly forward, his right hand already raised.

Light flickered between his fingers, and an icy killing intent spread from him. He stared at the bald man inside the octagonal cage, his pupils contracting slightly, ready to act at any moment.

Just then, a tremendous boom rang out.

It was not the sound of an iron hammer shattering bones, but of electricity exploding.

Blue-white arcs exploded inside the octagonal cage, their dazzling light illuminating the entire arena. Electricity tore through the air with deafening cracks, making the spectators' ears ache.

Those who had been waiting to see blood and flesh fly froze.

Their eyes widened further, but their expressions shifted from excitement to shock.

Inside the octagonal cage, Bai Yushan had caught the man's hammerhead with one hand.

His right hand was raised above his head, all five fingers spread, gripping the hammerhead firmly. The iron hammer stopped above his head, unable to descend another fraction. Electricity surged from his arm and coiled around the hammerhead, blue-white arcs dancing over the iron hammer with a sizzling hiss.

Bai Yushan's body did not budge, and there were no cracks in the ground beneath his feet.

The corners of his mouth spread into a smile.

"All that posturing, yet you can't withstand a single blow. That frame of yours really does look ridiculous."

His voice was not loud, but in the now-silent octagonal cage, everyone heard him perfectly clearly.

The man's face went from red to white.

His eyes bulged as though they were about to fall out, his mouth hung wide open, and the muscles in his face twitched. He pressed the hammer down with all his strength, veins bulging, the muscles in his arms tensing as though they would burst. Sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto the ground. Yet the hammer did not budge, as though it had struck a mountain.

"Y-you..."

The man's lips trembled, unable to form a complete sentence.

Bai Yushan tilted his head at him, as though looking at a bug.

"What? Out of strength already? Weren't you all swagger just now? First you wanted me to kneel and kowtow, then you wanted to smash my head open. And this is all you've got?"

The man was utterly enraged. His eyes were so red they seemed ready to drip blood, and the flesh on his face quivered violently with fury. The first of his two Yellow Soul Rings suddenly lit up, activating his Soul Skill.

Dazzling yellow light burst from the iron hammer. Its head swelled a size larger, and strange patterns appeared on the black metal surface. The man's arms thickened, veins coiling around his muscles like snakes, his entire arms shrouded in a layer of dark yellow light.

"Die!"

Gripping the hammer with both hands, he smashed it at Bai Yushan again. This time, the force was at least three times greater than before. The instant the hammerhead came crashing down, the compressed air cracked explosively, and the blast of air rattled even the octagonal cage's wire mesh.