Lin Shu and his team stood opposite Xie Lang's group as the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.
"TODAY, WE HAVE A GREAT MATCH—ONE I'M SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!"
He swept his gaze across the roaring crowd, a wide grin on his face.
"ON THIS SIDE, WE HAVE THE TEAM UNDER CHI YANQI, THE DRUNKEN FLAME! AND ON THE OTHER SIDE—NEW RECRUITS OF THE TEAM LED BY QING LINYUE, THE VERDANT VOICE!"
The arena erupted in cheers.
"FROM THE DRUNKEN FLAME'S TEAM, WE HAVE—LI THE BEHEMOTH, KAI THE DETONATOR, AND AOYAN THE RED ROSE!"
He turned toward the opposing side.
"AND FROM QING LINYUE'S TEAM—XIE LANG, THE FIST OF GLORY! ZENG SHIYANG, THE BEAST! YUN QIU, THE SWIFT BLADE! AND XU JIN THE—"
The announcer paused, squinting at the parchment in his hand.
"…XU JIN THE FAT."
For a split second, the arena was silent.
Then it exploded with laughter.
Xu Jin slowly turned his head toward Xie Lang, his smile twitching dangerously.
"You told them that was my title, didn't you?" he said slowly. "You bastard. And you chose 'Fist of Glory'? Isn't that your master's title, you thief?"
Xie Lang burst into laughter, completely ignoring him.
Zeng Shiyang shook his head, while Yun Qiu let out a tired sigh.
Xu Jin clenched his fists, clearly ready to jump at Xie Lang, but Zeng Shiyang placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Change it later," he said calmly. "Ignore him for now."
Xu Jin took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"I'll pay you back for that later," he thought.
The announcer waited for the laughter to die down before continuing.
"NOW, I'M SURE YOU'D ALL LOVE TO SEE THESE TWO TEAMS TEAR EACH OTHER APART—but THIS MATCH WILL BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT!"
Some members of the audience leaned forward in interest, while others groaned, clearly hoping for a straightforward brawl.
High in the stands, two figures sat side by side.
One was a young man with long brown hair streaked with black. The other had bluish hair and sharp blue eyes focused on the arena below.
The brown-haired youth spoke first.
"So why did you call me here, Rampage?"
Rampage didn't look away from the arena.
"We'll talk about that later, Zephyr. I'm interested in this fight. So let's watch."
Zephyr having nothing to do shrugged and leaned back, his gaze drifting toward the fighters.
The announcer's voice rose again.
"THE RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS! EACH FIGHTER WILL BE GIVEN TWO GOLDEN TOKENS!"
A ripple of chatter spread through the crowd.
"THE TOKENS CANNOT BE STORED IN SPATIAL RINGS OR POUCHES! THEY CANNOT BE GIVEN TO OTHERS NOR CAN THEY CANNOT BE AWAY FROM!"
He raised a finger.
"A TIMER WILL BE SET. WHEN TIME RUNS OUT, THE TEAM WITH THE MOST REMAINING TOKENS WINS! YOU MAY DESTROY YOUR OPPONENTS' TOKENS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!"
Yun Qiu frowned and spoke up.
"But that doesn't make sense. We're four against four."
The announcer smiled brightly.
"The rules say each fighter gets two tokens. That salamander is a blood beast. And last I checked—it isn't a fighter."
Yun Qiu clicked his tongue but said nothing more.
Xie Lang scoffed.
"So what? Let them have it. We'll break all of tokens."
Xu Jin shot him a glare.
"Stick to the plan. Don't charge in like a blind bull."
Xie Lang looked annoyed but nodded.
"Fine."
The announcer stepped back and raised his arm high.
"TAKE YOUR POSITIONS! THE BATTLE FOR VALOR—BEGIN!"
The crowd erupted.
The moment the match started, Lin Shu's body was enveloped in dark, blackish steel.
Aoyan's eyes widened slightly. His armor was usually silver—but she didn't question it. If anything, it boosted her confidence.
Kai cracked his knuckles.
"Alright. Who's taking who? And who's holding four of our tokens or do we split them too?"
Lin Shu spoke calmly.
"Kai, you take Zeng Shiyang. Aoyan—you take Yun Qiu."
She looked at him, waiting.
"I'll take Xie Lang and Xu Jin. I'll also carry four of pur tokens since my defense is the beston our team."
Without hesitation, Lin Shu took the tokens. A hollow opened in his chestplate as he placed them inside. The armor shifted, flowing and thickening as the tokens were embedded deep within multiple layers and the tokens were sent to different parts of His armor.
To destroy them, someone would need overwhelming force—shock strong enough to bypass layers of reinforced stee and ivoryl. Even then, the odds were low.
Kai nodded.
Aoyan wanted to object—taking two opponents alone was reckless—but she trusted him.
"Good luck," she said.
"You too," Lin Shu replied. "Elder Yanqi would love it if we win since you said he hates Their agent. And I happen to have a few things I want to ask him."
He glanced at both of them.
"So don't lose."
Kai grinned. Aoyan nodded as her Infernoheart Salamander roared and surged forward.
Xie Lang pointed at Lin Shu.
"I'm fighting that one. You three take whoever you want."
Zeng Shiyang immediately locked onto Kai and charged.
Yun Qiu and Xu Jin moved together, choosing Aoyan as their target.
Kai led Zeng Shiyang away from the center as Lin Shu and Xie Lang sprinted toward each other.
Xie Lang's fists hardened into iron, heat building until they glowed red.
But just before they collided, Lin Shu suddenly veered off.
He exploded toward Xu Jin instead.
A vein popped on Xie Lang's forehead.
"Did that bastard just ditch our fight?!"
He roared and charged after him, each step cracking the arena floor.
"IRON BULL RUSH!"
Xu Jin barely had time to react as Lin Shu reached him. He raised his arms to defend—
—but Lin Shu opened his hand, tore one of the tokens from Xu Jin's waist, and twisted away.
Xu Jin's body suddenly expanded. His limbs thickened, his frame growing larger as he swung a massive fist.
Lin Shu caught it barehanded.
The ground shattered beneath them.
"How is he this strong?" Xu Jin thought. "I don't feel any Qi is this his natural strength if so is he body refiner?"
Xie Lang crashed in from the side, but Lin Shu had already moved, crushing the stolen token in his grip.
"Not bad," Xie lang said lightly. "But you're fighting me now."
Xie Lang snarled.
"You're not pulling that again!"
Lin Shu smiled behind his mask.
"Still hot-blooded. Good. I'll just waste his time."
He turned and sprinted toward Kai's battle.
Zeng Shiyang brought his axe down with crushing force. Kai sidestepped, dodged a follow-up punch, then stepped on the embedded axe.
Black gas wrapped around his fist as he whispered,
"HIGH TIER RANK ONE TECHNIQUE—FLAME COLLAPSE."
Zeng Shiyang turned instinctively to protect his tokens—
—and was blasted away.
The battle was only beginning.
At the opposite side of the arena, Aoyan and her Infernoheart Salamander were locked in combat with Yun Qiu.
Yun Qiu moved like a shadow, his feet barely touching the ground as he darted from side to side. Each time he tried to close in on Aoyan, a wall of flame or a snapping jaw forced him back.
"That damned salamander," he muttered.
He suddenly shifted direction, his blade flashing as he lunged toward the beast instead. The Infernoheart Salamander roared and responded with a torrent of flames, scorching the arena floor. Yun Qiu leapt backward, then reached into his pouch and flung several throwing knives in rapid succession.
The knives struck the salamander's scales, sparks flying as some embedded themselves while others bounced off. The beast hissed in pain and surged forward in rage, completely abandoning Aoyan's side.
Yun Qiu's lips curled into a smile.
"Her control is sloppy," he thought. "She let it leave her side the moment it got hurt."
He vanished in a burst of speed, bypassing the salamander entirely and reappearing in front of Aoyan. His blade cut downward—
—but a flaming fist shot toward his face.
Aoyan was smiling.
Yun Qiu twisted aside, barely avoiding the blow, and only then did he feel heat surge behind him. The salamander had already turned back.
He barely managed to sidestep as its jaws snapped shut where his head had been. At the same time, Aoyan's flaming fist slammed into his stomach. He twisted his body at the last second, reducing the impact, but the force still sent him skidding backward.
"She baited me," Yun Qiu realized grimly. "She let herself look open."
Before he could reposition, a heavy presence crashed into the salamander.
Xu Jin's body had expanded again, his muscles bulging as he slammed into the beast and knocked it aside. The salamander rolled across the ground, flames erupting from its scales in anger.
Yun Qiu immediately pressed forward, slashing at Aoyan. She responded with bursts of flame, forcing him to retreat, but she could already see Xu Jin recovering behind him.
Lin Shu had stopped Xu Jin earlier—that much was clear. Without that, she would have been overwhelmed already.
She clenched her fists.
"I can't handle both of them for long," she thought. " I'll have to wait until Li can come bakc and help me i shouldn't risk losing my tokens."
She called to her beast, flames coating her arms as she prepared for another exchange.
---
Elsewhere in the arena, Kai and Zeng Shiyang were locked in a brutal clash.
Zeng Shiyang rolled to the side as Kai pressed forward relentlessly. The large man slammed his axe into the ground, sending a shockwave racing across the arena floor.
Kai leapt over it, but Zeng Shiyang was already moving. He hurled his axe like a missile.
Kai rolled aside, but before he could rise, Zeng Shiyang was upon him. A powerful kick crashed into Kai's raised arms, driving him backward.
Kai skidded across the ground, his boots carving deep lines into the stone.
Black gas and flame swirled around his arms as he pulled them back, the energy compressing violently.
He launched himself forward, rising into the air.
A dense sphere of black gas formed in one hand, a blazing orb of flame in the other.
"RANK ONE HIGH-TIER TECHNIQUE—RUPTURE BURST!"
The combined attack detonated against Zeng Shiyang. The large man crossed his arms and reinforced his axe with Qi, barely managing to block. The explosion hurled him backward, smoke and dust billowing.
Zeng Shiyang slid to a stop, boots digging into the ground.
He looked up and smiled.
"You're a good opponent—"
His words died in his throat.
A sudden, overwhelming sense of danger washed over him.
Not twenty steps away, Lin Shu stood with one arm extended.
"Lightning Fang Surge."
A bolt of lightning tore through the air.
Zeng Shiyang raised his axe instinctively, but the lightning blasted through his defense and sent him flying. He slammed into the ground, his axe spinning away.
"A peak-tier attack?" was the only thought in his mind before pain consumed him.
As he struggled to rise, he felt it—one of his tokens shattering.
Lin Shu's armor crackled faintly as he lowered his arm.
Before he could finish the job, a fist slammed into him from the side.
He turned just in time to meet Xie Lang's attack head-on.
The collision sent a thunderous boom through the arena, cracks spreading beneath their feet.
"You damned coward!" Xie Lang roared. "Why did you run and attack them from behind?!"
Lin Shu didn't answer. He countered with a punch of his own.
As they exchanged blows, Lin Shu's thoughts remained calm.
"I've destroyed two tokens already. Kai and Aoyan are holding their group well. But I can't break Xie Lang's tokens easily,he has a lot of techniques for everything so it's gonna take a very good hit to destroy his tokens. But if I land a full Surge…"
Xie Lang's fist smashed into Lin Shu's ribs, sending him sliding back. Lin Shu responded with a sharp punch to Xie Lang's face, snapping his head to the side.
Xie Lang's arms began to glow brighter, heat distorting the air around them. He slammed his fists together.
"HIGH-TIER RANK ONE TECHNIQUE—RUMBLING FIST!"
He charged.
Lin Shu retreated, dodging narrowly as Xie Lang's fists crashed into the ground, shattering stone. Lin Shu formed a long black steel blade from his gauntlet and slashed downward.
Xie Lang deflected it without fear, knocking Lin Shu's arm aside. Lin Shu used the momentum to spin and deliver a powerful kick that sent Xie Lang crashing into the arena wall.
Lin Shu turned his attention back to Aoyan.
She was struggling, fighting both Yun Qiu and Xu Jin. She had destroyed one of Yun Qiu's tokens—but one of hers was gone as well.
The crowd roared as the announcer shouted updates.
Lin Shu extended both hands.
"Thunderbolt Arc."
Two arcs of lightning shot forward—not to kill, but to disrupt.
Xu Jin ducked, while Yun Qiu slashed one bolt apart, forced to retreat.
"That masked bastard…" Yun Qiu thought grimly. "No wonder they let us fight them if he's that strong despite being outnumbered."
Aoyan seized the opening. Her flaming fist slammed into Xu Jin's stomach, forcing him back. Her salamander rushed Yun Qiu, cutting him off.
---
Xie Lang stood up slowly, wiping blood from his mouth, a grin spreading across his face.
"I thought you'd run again," he said. "Looks like you actually want to fight now."
Lin Shu didn't respond.
Lightning crackled faintly beneath his armor.
"Not enough yet," he thought. "But in two minutes, it should be enough for a full strike."
He glanced at Kai.
Kai was once again clashing with Zeng Shiyang. He slammed the large man into a wall, then struck his face with a burst of force. Zeng Shiyang fell with a groan, but quickly threw Kai away and retrieved his axe.
Kai was breathing heavily.
His opponent's body was absurdly tough, and Kai had burned through much of his Qi. Zeng Shiyang, meanwhile, relied mostly on raw strength, conserving his energy.
"I can't break his tokens like this," Kai realized. "I need to regroup."
He turned and ran toward Aoyan.
Zeng Shiyang roared and chased after him, axe raised.
The timer continued to tick down.
The fight was far from over.
Xie Lang sprinted forward, his fist smashing toward Lin Shu's head with explosive force.
Lin Shu raised his arm and blocked. The impact rang like metal striking stone. At the same time, Lin Shu countered with a punch of his own, forcing Xie Lang to twist aside.
Xie Lang's palm opened.
A shockwave burst forth at point-blank range.
Lin Shu was blasted backward, skidding across the arena floor. His black steel armor screeched as it was torn and cracked at the point of impact.
Dust rose.
For a split second, Xie Lang thought he had done real damage.
Then Lin Shu stood up.
The cracks in the armor rippled—and sealed themselves shut as if they had never existed.
Xie Lang frowned deeply.
"That was a high-tier attack at close range," he thought. "And that's all it did?"
His eyes narrowed.
"If his armor can withstand that, then it might even tank a peak-tier technique… but I can't use one. Not now."
His Qi was already drained from chasing Lin Shu around the arena and unleashing multiple techniques. Using a peak-tier attack would leave him empty and defenseless.
Xie Lang clicked his tongue.
"Xu Jin was right," he realized. "Destroying his armor is a waste."
His gaze shifted toward the rest of the battlefield.
"Our token count is bad. Five to their seven."
His eyes flicked briefly toward Lin Shu's chest.
"He's carrying four tokens. Breaking those under that armor is nearly impossible."
A plan formed instantly.
"I'll destroy the remaining three tokens on his teammates. Then I'll hold him off while Xu Jin and the others recover."
Xie Lang charged at Lin Shu again—
—and abruptly changed direction mid-sprint.
He veered toward Kai.
Lin Shu's lips curved into a smile beneath his mask.
"He's copying my tactics now," he thought calmly. "Good. That means he understands the problem."
Lin Shu didn't chase him.
Instead, he turned his head and shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.
"KAI! RUN!"
Kai noticed Xie Lang immediately. His eyes widened, and he blasted backward using a chain of controlled explosions, trying to slow Xie Lang down.
Lin Shu didn't follow either of them.
He sprinted toward Aoyan.
Xie Lang destroying Kai's tokens was inevitable. Lin Shu chose efficiency over pride.
Ahead, Yun Qiu and Xu Jin noticed Lin Shu closing in—but his speed was terrifying. There was no time to retreat.
Aoyan saw him too.
She smiled and issued a sharp command.
Her Infernoheart Salamander surged forward, cutting off escape routes with roaring flames, while Aoyan moved to the opposite side, boxing them in.
Lin Shu's smile widened.
"Good," he thought. "She understands."
Yun Qiu cursed and hurled a barrage of throwing knives toward Aoyan.
One blade grazed her face, slicing across her cheek.
She winced—but didn't stop.
Flames surged around her fist as she ducked and lunged forward.
Yun Qiu sidestepped and drove a knee into her stomach.
Aoyan crashed to the ground, gasping for air.
Yun Qiu hesitated.
Xu Jin was smashed into the arena wall by the salamander at the same time and Lin shu was not far.
Yun Qiu's mind raced.
"Run or finish her?"
If he couldn't escape, then destroying Aoyan's last token was the only option.
He started too look for it but was too slow.
A kick slammed into his side like a battering ram.
Yun Qiu was sent flying into the wall, stone shattering on impact.
Aoyan looked up, stunned.
Lin Shu stood there.
He grabbed her by the shoulder and hauled her upright in one smooth motion.
"Xie Lang's targeting you after he's done with kai" Lin Shu said calmly. "Stay near me."
Aoyan nodded without hesitation.
Lin Shu turned.
Yun Qiu tried to defend, but Lin Shu ripped the blade from his grip and slammed him into the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of him.
Lin Shu crushed Yun Qiu's token beneath his foot.
Xu Jin roared and charged.
Lin Shu stepped in and punched him square in the stomach.
Xu Jin's expanded body shrank instantly as the air left his lungs. He collapsed to the ground, gasping.
Lin Shu destroyed his token without mercy.
He looked up.
Xie Lang was coming.
Zeng Shiyang was with him.
Kai was down in the distance.
"They broke Kai's tokens," Lin Shu concluded instantly.
He spoke without turning.
"Aoyan, stay behind your beast."
She obeyed.
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.
"ONE MINUTE REMAINING!"
Lin Shu counted quickly.
"We destroyed five of theirs. They destroyed three of ours."
Even if Aoyan lost her last token, victory was guaranteed.
But he wasn't leaving her exposed after all that's a bad look to give to chi yanqi.
"I'll end this here."
Xie Lang tried to bypass Lin Shu.
Lin Shu stepped in and smashed a fist into his path, forcing him to stop.
Zeng Shiyang charged past them.
Lin Shu turned sharply.
"Lightning Fang Surge."
Zeng Shiyang's face twisted in disbelief.
"Again?! How can a high-stage cultivator use two peak-tier techniques?! Even Xie Lang can't do that!"
Lightning obliterated him.
He slammed into the ground, his token shattering instantly.
Xie Lang struck Lin Shu hard, sending him crashing across the arena floor.
Lin Shu's armor cracked—but sealed again almost instantly.
"I still have plenty of Qi," Lin Shu thought calmly. "I haven't been using a lot of techniques. Just my body—and my armor repairs cost almost nothing."
He stood up.
Xie Lang attacked again.
Lin Shu caught his kick mid-air and hurled him backward.
Xie Lang gathered all his Qi, flames and power roaring around his body, charging in for a final blow—
"THE MATCH HAS ENDED!"
Xie Lang froze, his fist inches from Lin Shu's head.
Lin Shu turned and smiled behind his mask.
"You said you'd break me," he said lightly. "Better luck next time."
"GLORY."
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers.
Though Lin shu didn't like making enemies by mocking people since that's asking for trouble in this place it was something that he had to do getting rivals and forming these types of fights would make him a fortune.
Lin Shu walked over to Kai, who was lying on the ground, exhausted.
He lifted him and slung him over his shoulder without effort.
Aoyan rode her salamander over and dismounted, smiling brightly.
"Master is going to be flying when he hears we beat them."
Lin Shu smiled faintly.
"So am I," he thought. "After he pays me."
They headed toward the exit.
Behind them, Xie Lang watched silently.
His frown slowly turned into a grin.
"Good match," he called out. "Next time, let's fight one-on-one. I still believe you won because of dirty tactics."
Lin Shu laughed.
Xu Jin groaned, clutching his stomach.
"That bastard didn't need to hit me that hard—I was already falling!"
Yun Qiu stayed silent.
Zeng Shiyang finally spoke.
"I feel like… we all lost to the same guy."
Xu Jin sat down heavily.
Yun Qiu sighed.
Xie Lang scowled.
Zeng Shiyang glanced toward the stands.
"Do you think Miss Qing will be angry? She told us to crush them."
Yun Qiu pointed upward.
"You can ask her yourself."
They looked.
In the upper stands, Qing Lanyue stood with cold eyes.
Beside her sat a man with long red hair, drinking from a jug and laughing loudly.
Xu Jin's eyes widened.
"Wait… isn't that Chi Yanqi?"
Yanqi laughed uncontrollably.
"Hahahaha! You called me here so I could watch your fighters get their asses handed to them by my students, Lanyue?"
Qing Lanyue's expression darkened.
Yanqi stood, still laughing.
"Anyway, I'll go congratulate my fighters on yet another ordinary victory. You should check on yours—my top fighter probably broke a few of their bones."
He left, still laughing.
Qing Lanyue watched him go, her lips curling into a thin smile.
Then she turned and left through another exit.