Chapter 34: I’m Kidding
Chapter 34: Chapter 34: I’m Kidding
Iron Hand spat on the ground, his fierce eyes locked onto Fang Chen. "Kid, I’ve figured it out," he gritted his teeth. "You specialize in that Leg Technique, don’t you?
"It’s a pity, though. You’re too fucking arrogant!
"If you had followed up on that kick just now and launched a chain of attacks, who knows... I might have actually fallen for it!
"But now, I won’t give you another chance!"
He shifted his weight slightly, clearly planning to use his still-mobile left arm as his main weapon.
Fang Chen looked at him struggling to hold on and shook his head. His tone was flat, yet possessed an infuriating level of earnestness. "You’re right. Just now, I did have a few ways to end this battle immediately."
He paused, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "Although it’s a bit dangerous, I want to try something. I feel like if I don’t, it just wouldn’t sit right with me."
Vigilantly adjusting his stance, Iron Hand couldn’t help but ask, "Oh? Still trying to bluff? What are you planning to do?"
Fang Chen slowly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist, his knuckles producing a soft CRACK. He looked at Iron Hand and spoke words that sent the entire arena into an instant uproar.
"My fist isn’t lacking either, so I want to clash fists with you head-on!"
"What?!" Iron Hand’s pupils shrank, almost thinking he had misheard.
The crowd went absolutely wild!
"Is he crazy?!"
"Using his fist against Iron Hand’s Iron Fist?!"
"A head-on clash! Now this is what I call a show!!"
"Feng Yuxiu! What a real man!"
All the previous boos underwent a sudden Reversal, turning into fanatical and expectant cheers! A brutal, head-on collision was always the most primal and exhilarating spectacle in the fighting ring.
After a brief moment of astonishment, a ferocious and cruel smile appeared on Iron Hand’s face, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Oh? Hahahaha! Good! Good! Good!" He said "good" three times in a row, laughing so hard it brought tears to his eyes. "I’ve trained these iron hands for seven years, and this is the first time I’ve met someone actively seeking death like you! I’ll gladly grant your wish!"
Wasting no more words, he frantically poured all his remaining True Qi into his left arm. His dark-colored left hand seemingly expanded in size. Emitting a tragic yet domineering aura, he pushed off the ground violently and charged forward like a wild bull. Tearing through the air with a piercing screech, his left fist barreled toward Fang Chen like a heavy black sledgehammer!
Fang Chen’s eyes narrowed, and his right fist struck out, moving later but arriving first!
The True Qi from his Peak of True Martial Realm surged and flowed, fully compressing and condensing onto the surface of his fist. The Rock-Breaking Fist Intent of the Perfection stage was pushed to its absolute limit.
Ten Sounds Rock-Breaking Fist!
The tenth sound erupted from the inside out, driven by Inner Strength.
BANG!
Two fists smashed into each other violently, completely devoid of any flashy techniques. The massive, muffled thud echoed like a clap of thunder on flat ground, briefly drowning out the clamor of the arena. Bone against bone, power against power—they engaged in the most savage and direct dialogue!
CRACK!
A faint yet distinct sound of fracturing bone rang out.
Fang Chen’s figure swayed slightly. A piercing pain shot through the finger joints of his right fist, and the skin over his knuckles instantly swelled red as a trace of blood seeped from cracked skin.
Although the Peak of True Martial Realm and Perfect Rock-Breaking Fist were strong, the latter was ultimately just an ordinary Fist Technique. It couldn’t compare to a genuine True Martial Realm Combat Skill! He still had to pay a price.
However, Iron Hand’s situation was much worse!
The sinister grin on his face froze, replaced by extreme agony and disbelief. He felt as if his fist had slammed into an iron mountain hurtling toward him at high speed. The majestic, torrential force not only obliterated his fist’s defenses in an instant, but it also carried a bizarre and tyrannical Dark Force that penetrated his body wave after wave!
"Argh!"
He let out a muffled groan as his entire left arm emitted a loud CRUNCH, his arm bones clearly suffering severe trauma! His dark-colored fist was split open, flesh torn and dripping with blood, a state far more gruesome than Fang Chen’s injury.
The immense impact made it impossible for him to stabilize himself. STOMP, STOMP, STOMP. He staggered back five or six steps until his back crashed heavily into the steel cage. Only then did he barely manage to stop, his left arm hanging limply at his side. It was completely crippled!
Panting heavily, his eyes were unfocused, brimming with shock and despair.
Enduring the agonizing pain in his right fist, Fang Chen didn’t pause for a single second! Triggering the Gale Step Technique, his figure closed the distance like a phantom. In the split second that Iron Hand’s consciousness blurred from the intense pain and shock, Fang Chen’s left fist had already launched upward like lightning!
BANG!
A precise and powerful Upper Hook viciously smashed into Iron Hand’s unprotected chin!
Iron Hand’s head whipped backward, his eyes rolling up into his skull. His burly body, as if all its bones had been extracted, slid limply down the cage wall and crumpled to the ground. He was out cold.
The referee rushed over. After crouching down to check, he quickly stood up, waved his arms vigorously, and announced loudly, "The winner is—Feng—Yuxiu—!!"
The declaration echoed through the loudspeakers into every corner, igniting the arena once more! Cheers and curses intertwined, mostly fueled by a sense of incredulous excitement.
"Fuck! Didn’t even make a quick buck, and he still lost!"
"Damn it, I should have bet on Feng Yuxiu! Ten-to-one odds!"
"Hahaha! I just casually threw down a hundred bucks and made a thousand! Too bad I didn’t bet more!!"
"This Feng Yuxiu... he’s pretty good! How come I’ve never heard of him before?"
"He looks like a student, but he hits so ruthlessly! I’ll definitely keep an eye out for his matches in the future!"
After the referee announced the result, Fang Chen simply cupped his fists in a brief salute to the surroundings. Then, guided by an event coordinator, he headed to the club’s infirmary to treat his injuries.
The medical staff was highly skilled; cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging were all done in one smooth motion.
"The bones are fine; it’s just a flesh wound. Make sure to keep it dry and change the dressing on time. With a Martial Artist’s Recovery Power, it’ll be mostly healed in a few days."
Fang Chen nodded. Compared to the countless times he had been tempered in the Time Stop Domain, this little bit of pain was utterly insignificant.
Returning to his own cramped prep room, he changed back into his everyday clothes and left the combat uniform on the table for someone to wash.
Just as he finished packing up, a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK sounded at the door.
It was the same event coordinator. He held a thick envelope in his hand, a far more respectful smile on his face than before.
"Mr. Feng, this is your prize money for winning this match. The base prize is twenty thousand yuan, plus the revenue split from audience tips, which comes to one thousand one hundred and forty-eight yuan. The total is twenty-one thousand one hundred and forty-eight yuan. Please count it."
"Alright."
Fang Chen took the envelope. Without feigning politeness, he meticulously counted the bills one by one right in front of the man. The coordinator’s mouth twitched slightly as he watched him verify the cash, but he maintained a professional smile and waited patiently.
"Alright, everything is here." Fang Chen safely pocketed the money and looked up. "Can I go now?"
"Of course." The coordinator nodded hastily. "You can come back to the infirmary for free dressing changes at any time. In addition, your opponent for the next match has already been determined, and it’s scheduled for three days from now. Your opponent’s alias is ’Charming Phantom,’ and the time is tentatively set for eight o’clock in the evening, but we still recommend arriving early to prepare."
"Charming Phantom? Okay, got it."
Fang Chen noted the information. Saying no more, he pushed open the door of the prep room and walked down the corridor toward the exit.
Just as he stepped out of the club’s back door, an urgent and booming voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
"Master! Please wait!"
Fang Chen paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Master?"
Through his Perception, he sensed that the emotional fluctuation was clearly locked onto him. He felt puzzled. "When did I ever get a disciple?"
With a hint of vigilance, he slowly turned around.
Under the light at the entrance of the alley, a burly figure was hurrying after him. It was none other than Iron Hand, whom he had just knocked unconscious in the ring!
At this moment, his right arm was in a sling across his chest, and his left fist was heavily wrapped in layers of gauze, looking like a tightly bound dumpling. His face still bore unfaded bruises, making him look rather wretched, but his eyes were unusually fervent.
Running up to Fang Chen, Iron Hand stopped, took a deep breath, and, under Fang Chen’s astonished gaze, readied himself to bow down.
"Master, please accept a bow from your disciple!"
Fang Chen was speechless. "Bro, seriously? You actually took that ’taking a disciple’ joke seriously?"