Gongyi Tianheng extended an arm; his fist's strike already unleashed a qi burst. This qi burst instantly clashed with Ugly Bull's wind claw and caused the claw image to explode!
Ugly Bull's speed was very fast, and this speed could only let people perceive its oppressive shadow. Previously on every occasion, if his opponent couldn't seize the key moment or be even faster than him, usually this first move would rend flesh. Even if it didn't tear the person's flesh and they were able to dodge in time, it would leave b.l.o.o.d.y marks. The person would suffer internal injuries by the wind claw.
But this time, when that wind claw and qi burst clashed, not only was Tianheng unharmed, it was actually Ugly Bull who was shockingly wounded by that surprise attack. His jaw opened and he vomited a mouthful of blood.
Ugly Bull was incessantly fearful: “You, you — You're strong!”
Gongyi Tianheng flicked his hand, and arrogantly said: “The martial skills this young master has practiced isn't something that you can see through. Your reputation is actually so great, but in this young master's hands, you can't withstand a single blow!”
Ugly Bull's face darkened.
Who was this guy? Ugly Bull had so much experience fighting to the death. If he lost under this pampered young master's hands today, then he truly wouldn't be able to save face!
Ugly Bull packed away the contempt in his heart, and became much more calm a moment later.
It seemed to him that what happened now was just a momentary miscalculation. This young master could resist that strike, so the practiced martial skill was of a high rank, and his might was very formidable. However, it seemed that using this kind of high level martial skill once or twice had inflated this young master's ego. His opponent had never encountered him before, so wouldn't he die in his grasp? This round couldn't be an exception!
In the blink of an eye, Ugly Bull's trajectory became crafty and strange. His face revealed a look that was a combination of blood-thirst and brutality.
He was taking things seriously!
Gongyi Tianheng's eyes flashed with a hidden light, his palms launching out: “Behold my Mountain Strength, third form!”
Instantly, a valiant force shot straight out and continuously oscillated no less than three times as it surged at Ugly Bull. And Ugly Bull's reaction was very fast. Once he heard Tianheng's voice, he already changed his move. His form crouched down, intending to avoid the path of that power.
Who could have thought that while he evaded it, that power's oscillation was like a proliferating ripple. In the time it took for an old laborer to blink, the pressure on his chest made him vomit another mouthful of blood.
Ugly Bull furiously shouted: “This isn't Mountain Strength!”
Tianheng sneered: “You'd believe anything this young master says? Too stupid!”
Naturally, what he used wasn't Mountain Strength, but Collapsing Mountain Strength.
The former was a human level low rank martial skill, and Collapsing Mountain Strength was human level mid rank. The differences in power were like heaven and earth. In addition, a great majority of martial artists could get a hold of Mountain Strength, but Collapsing Mountain Strength only circulated among a few large Families. Those who utilized Collapsing Mountain Strength also weren't likely to fall for Mountain Strength.
Everyone below the stage who were watching couldn't help but jeer and reprimand:
“Ugly Bull! Have you gone soft in the head today?”
“Daddy's [1] hundred gold! f.u.c.king [2] give it back!”
“Ugly Bull, are you not even a match for a newcomer?”
“Ugly Bull, kill the new guy!”
“This maiden's [3] monthly commission was bet on you b.a.s.t.a.r.d [4]. What are you doing? Pay up!”
Gu Zuo felt helpless.
Ah, his patron's intentions were a little rotten… So lively. In the end, was it truly acting or taking delight in evil?
Ugly Bull's expression twisted.
Where could he have thought that he'd suffer such a big loss against a newcomer? He thought this was merely an oblivious fool. He never expected that he'd be the one to look like an idiot.
Immediately, he didn't concern himself with what Gongyi Tianheng said. He wanted to wholeheartedly kill Tianheng at his own pace!
And as for Tianheng? After he briefly showed that his acting persona wasn't completely without a brain, he didn't speak anymore. Only, after undertaking the task before him, he became even more ruthless.
Taking responsibility for one's life or death in this Arena. He started to experience this kind of feeling fighting another person, but it really wasn't a laughing matter.
Gongyi Tianheng became serious. He used three martial skills in total: Collapsing Mountain Strength, Thunderclap Punch, and Whirlwind Leg. He used them continuously and unpredictably. It made one unable to predict his next move.
From beginning to end, there were ten rounds. Although Ugly Bull was vicious, he was still suppressed by Tianheng — Even if Ugly Bull used even more sinister methods or sneak attacks to control the fight, he still couldn't resist Gongyi Tianheng's offensive.
Tianheng's every move displayed strength and discipline. He was free and unconstrained.
In front of him, Ugly Bull was like a common clown. Ultimately, Tianheng snapped his neck!
The corner of Gongyi Tianheng's mouth curved into an arrogant arc: “Ha, he only amounted to this!”
His display was so ostentatious, but his mind was actually calm.
The feeling of killing a person for the first time… There was almost no feeling at all. If he had to say something, then he felt a hint of his blood boiling.
There was also the fact that he previously only had his brains to control huge tracks of Clan property. Behind the scenes, he grasped the livelihoods of countless people, even their very lives. However, although that sort of feeling was very refreshing, how could it compare to the vivid sensation of the convergent power in his hands?
— No, perhaps it wasn't incomparable.
Rather, people were always greedy. When a person had martial strength, they'd desire authority. And when a person had authority, they'd desire martial strength. If there was a shortage of the two, then their thoughts were imperceptible.
In this world, only martial strength with sufficient power and authority that could harness sufficient help was genuine happiness.
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That pampered young master actually won! He won without the slightest injury!
When Ugly Bull's corpse fell, the sound of the crash filled the Arena.
The matter of a new guy killing a veteran had happened before, but those newcomers knew with a look that he was experienced and blood-drenched. How could he appear arrogant and brainless now? They thought that this was a rigged game of chance, but he unexpectedly hit the bullseye. It really was difficult for people to accept.
Some with discerning eyes attentively sized Tianheng up.
They knew about Ugly Bull's strength. Despite not being the strongest, he had many strategies. He could be counted as an expert. And this expert died like that in Gongyi Tianheng's hands. It was truly beyond people's expectations.
This caused them to harbor suspicions. This pampered young master truly was a natural talent, but his disposition was frivolous. Or was this a case of disguising as a pig to eat the tiger in order to trick them?
The shopkeeper's eyes flashed: “Alright. The compensation money we owe should be paid. In the end, the people here are our guests.”
Just then, several people's expressions changed as they yielded and restrained themselves.
That's right. In the end, what kind of person was Gongyi Tianheng? If one could understand, then they understood. If they couldn't, then they didn't ask about it. They were the type of people who hid in the dark. Admittedly, it was good to know, but sometimes one had to close their eyes.
At this time, Gu Zuo couldn't control what other people thought or did — At the very minimum, his current ident.i.ty was that of a henchman. He was eagerly attentive as he scampered to the front of the sales counter.
What was he doing over there? He went to receive the gambling money!
The princ.i.p.al was twenty thousand in golden banknotes. With one to eight odds, he could withdraw a hundred sixty thousand gold.
Thinking up to here, Gu Zuo was a little excited.
At last he'd finally witnessed his patron's ability to make money first hand. Even if it was him refining medicine for sale, it'd take a long time to obtain these tens of thousands of gold. His patron only needed one fight to swiftly settle things in order to basically get a huge profit!
That wizened shopkeeper also didn't procrastinate as he instructed someone to give Gu Zuo the sufficiently prepared golden banknotes, which were ten thousand a piece. Without any ambiguity, the shopkeeper pushed them over.
Gu Zuo took them and noticed his patron use especially bold footwork to get off the stage after winning. He arrived at Gu Zuo's side in an instant.
He recalled his own ident.i.ty, and hurriedly said: “Young master, these golden banknotes…”
Gongyi Tianheng was in high spirits: “You'd better bet these on this young master.”
A person on the side heard this, turned his head, and approached them.
The person in charge of registration and bet placements looked on distractedly: “You want to bet all of the hundred sixty thousand?”
Wasn't this style of spending too great?
Gu Zuo's heart moved and his face stiffened as he straightforwardly placed sixteen golden banknotes onto the counter. As a dog threatened based on its master's power [5], he said: “Young master's words hold enormous weight and he has always kept his promises! You all are short-sighted over a trifling hundred sixty thousand. The amount that drips from a cut of the young master's fingertip is more than this, and you're still unhappy with urgently placing young master's bet?”
This kind, this kind of feeling inside from acting…was very good!
The wizened shopkeeper coughed drily: “Place our guest's bet!”
The person before took one look and his heart trembled in fear. He hastily wrote it down.
Who in the stronghold didn't witness this? He was truly too shortsighted. Although there weren't many bets that exceeded a hundred thousand gold, they had happened before. Furthermore, there had even been bets that exceeded several hundreds of thousands in other strongholds. Indeed, one didn't have to make such a big fuss about nothing.
After waiting a moment, he realized that he reached his conclusions too early.
Perhaps the reason for it was due to the small number of fighters at this time. After two matches on that Arena, it was Gongyi Tianheng's turn again.
Tianheng also didn't stand on ceremony and threw himself onto the stage to fight his opponent once more.
Who would arrange the person Tianheng would fight? Besides the special challenger, the others who either watched on fortuitously or dealt with covert operations were all part of the ghost division.
This time, Gongyi Tianheng was the target of these arrangements.
Once he got on the stage, Tianheng could sense that his opponent was like something that had crawled out of a blood ocean. His body's fiendish aura surpa.s.sed Ugly Bull's several times over. Even though the rank was the same, the sense of oppression wasn't.
His mind took precautions, but his expression was still very haughty.
Instantly, both sides collided!
Below the stage, Gu Zuo watched as his heart began thumping all of a sudden. He could sense a great deal of danger from this person!
Patron, he… No, he hadn't revealed his true colors. He still believed in his patron.
Ever since Dragon Two and Xu Wenhe joined them here, their presences became very faint. However, at this time they took a step forward and joined Gu Zuo, completely focusing their attentions on the stage.
Gongyi Tianheng didn't make them lose hope. He used five kinds of martial skills this round. In this violent martial battle, he suddenly used Spirit Serpent Steps. When his counterpart's offensive was at its fiercest, he rushed through an opening and immediately sent an explosive fist at his opponent's weak point! This dealt a serious injury to the person. Afterwards, he showed no quarter and once more snapped this person's neck.
Thus, the book maker lost again. Even though the odds this round were already one to four, the sum of money they had to pay still reached as much as six hundred forty thousand gold. This was an all-or-nothing victory.
They immediately adjusted the odds at one to two. Gongyi Tianheng's opponent became even stronger and more blood-drenched.
It was such a pity. Tianheng still won — This round, he received a small injury, and the gold he obtained was 1.28 million.
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>>
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[1] 老子 - Lao zi, “I, your father,” much more common than “grandfather” in terms of egotistic self-identification. Similar to “yours truly” or “who's your daddy.”
[2] 他娘的 - Ta niang de, similar to 他妈的, which means f.u.c.k.
[3] 老娘- Lao niang, “I, your mother” the same as 老子 for women.
[4] 龟儿子 - Gui er zi, b.a.s.t.a.r.d or son of a b.i.t.c.h.
[5] 狗仗人势 - Gou zhang ren shi, an idiom meaning to use one's position to bully others.
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T/N: I learned a few more curse words today, haha.
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