"Kid, your Grandpa Cao never leaves survivors. Submit now, and you might just keep your life."
On the fighting ring, opposite Ling Chen, stood a man in a blood-red robe. His fierce-looking face bore a ghastly scar on each cheek, making him look rather savage.
His words caused quite a stir among the crowd below.
"I didn't expect them to send out Cao Meng. It seems the Underground Martial Arena is determined to prevent him from passing this round."
"It's hard to say. Though Cao Meng is the Underground Martial Arena's trump card, that masked boy isn't to be trifled with either. Even Zuo Wangsun fell inexplicably to him."
"Cao Meng is not Zuo Wangsun. His Martial Realm is clearly a level higher."
However, this clamor did not affect the two on the stage at all.
Ling Chen's expression was indifferent. "It's simple if you want me to surrender, but you don't have that strength yet."
"I don't have this strength? I'll show you right now if *I* have this strength!"
Suddenly, a beast-like roar burst from Cao Meng's mouth. His True Qi circulated rapidly through his meridians, and an immense power exploded from within him.
BOOM!
BOOM!
...
He strode towards Ling Chen, each step causing the stage to quiver slightly.
"The cultivation technique Cao Meng practices is called the Fierce Tiger Sutra. Cultivating this technique makes one as strong as a fierce tiger, augmenting one's power and granting immense strength."
"Looking at his physique, he should be capable of unleashing at least 400 kilograms of force. He's practically a humanoid beast!"
A few deacons discussed amongst themselves.
"Fierce Tiger Fist!"
He threw a fierce punch.
Though it appeared to be a punch of brute force, it carried a subtle skill, making it harder to deal with than it seemed.
This man appears reckless on the surface, but he's actually meticulous. If one is careless, they might easily be deceived by his appearance, Ling Chen thought to himself, his expression unchanging. He switched the sword scabbard to his left hand and, surprisingly, met the punch with his right palm.
BANG!
A deafening sound erupted!
A fist and a palm paused, frozen in mid-air.
Ling Chen, with just one hand, had blocked Cao Meng's incomparably fierce fist strength.
Seeing this, all the warriors in the Underground Martial Arena were utterly astonished. No one could have imagined Ling Chen's strength was so formidable.
"Cao Meng possesses innate Godly Power! Even without using martial arts, he can unleash 400 kilograms of force. Could Ling Chen's strength be even greater?!" a deacon exclaimed, his expression somewhat horrified.
"No way! Most Divine Intent Sect disciples practice Qi Refining. For their physical strength to reach such a realm... I doubt there are any, are there?"
Another deacon shook his head. "Typically, martial arts cultivation is divided into internal and external methods: Qi Refining and Body Refining. Qi Refining is the cultivation of Internal School arts, while Body Refining is for External Kung Fu. It's hard to say which is superior, but most sects possess top-notch internal cultivation techniques, so the majority of sect disciples follow the path of Qi Refining. Their physical strength isn't generally their highlight."
Most warriors choose to follow either the Internal School or External School path. Those who cultivate both are exceedingly rare, as it divides their focus and ultimately, the losses outweigh the gains.
Ling Chen, of course, hadn't cultivated External Kung Fu. But they didn't know that Ling Chen had absorbed the entire Essence Blood of the Exotic Beast, the Black Devil Ape. That Black Devil Ape possessed immense strength, at least 1,500 kilograms. Ling Chen now possessed great power, having inherited the Black Devil Ape's bloodline.
Furthermore, if Ling Chen were to fully activate the Black Devil Ape bloodline, his strength would be far greater than this.
"Brat, you're pretty strong! Take another punch!"
Cao Meng refused to believe it. How could a wet-behind-the-ears brat truly match him in raw strength?
"Fierce Tiger Pounce!"
Cao Meng catapulted over six meters into the air, unleashing the final move of the Human-level top-quality martial art, Fierce Tiger Fist. His fists clenched, like a starving tiger encountering delicious prey, he brought his war axe down fiercely once more.
With the execution of a Human-level top-quality martial art, Cao Meng's strength surged again, surpassing the 500-kilogram limit, resembling a wild beast.
"The Great Wind Rises!"
Ling Chen unsheathed his sword. His Sword Momentum stirred the wind, and he swept his sword out with the force of a gale scattering clouds.
CRASH!
The instant they clashed, an explosive soundwave ripped through the air. Cao Meng felt his internal organs tremble violently, his blood and qi roiled, and he realized he had suffered internal injuries.
It was important to understand that Ling Chen could exert a force of 500 kilograms without using any martial arts. After using the Da Feng Sword Song, he could unleash at least 600 kilograms of force.
Moreover, the Da Feng Sword Song was not a martial art focused on strength enhancement. It emphasized the finesse of swordsmanship and the sharpness of sword qi, contributing little to raw power.
However, the Da Feng Sword Song was, after all, a low-ranked Earth grade swordsmanship. Performing it still allowed Ling Chen's strike to surpass Cao Meng's in power. Coupled with the counter-force from his sword qi, it would have been strange if Cao Meng hadn't been injured.
"Damn it! Again!"
Cao Meng's eyes were bloodshot with fury. When had he ever been suppressed by a mere youth? No matter what, he had to win this duel, or his reputation in the Underground Martial Arena would be severely damaged.
"It will be the same no matter how many times you try."
Ling Chen held the absolute advantage. He was calm and composed, expertly parrying every attack. The powerful punches Cao Meng threw with great effort were all effortlessly neutralized by him. Gradually, Cao Meng's True Qi consumption increased, and he began to show signs of decline.
"Ling Chen's strength far exceeds what he shows on the surface. Cao Meng is showing signs of defeat; I'm afraid he's going to lose."
A deacon sighed. Although Cao Meng's ferocity hadn't diminished, anyone could see he was no match for Ling Chen and was just wasting his energy.
There was a clear gap between the two. Cao Meng's defeat seemed only a matter of time.
Just as everyone was thinking this, Cao Meng's eyes suddenly turned blood-red. This crimson hue seemed to gradually devour his sanity. He looked like a madman, and his power surprisingly surged once more.
"Cao Meng was once bitten by a deranged tiger! This is his mad blood flaring up!"
The deacon who had spoken earlier showed a hint of delight. Perhaps there was still some suspense in this duel after all.
"To find a new lease on life in such a desperate situation! I'm afraid Ling Chen didn't foresee that his complete suppression of Cao Meng would, instead, force out Cao Meng's hidden potential," said another deacon with a grin.
"It's useless. Cao Meng will lose within three moves," the leader of the Black Market suddenly stated indifferently.
"What?"
The smiles on the two deacons' faces froze.
The moment the Black Market leader's voice fell, Cao Meng was blasted off the stage by Ling Chen.
The ninth battle: Victory!
Another win. Now, only one more battle stood between him and ten consecutive victories.
The deacons looked at each other in dismay.
The Black Market leader shook his head and added, "You've all underestimated Ling Chen from the very beginning. If you still viewed him as the Martial World's number one genius, you wouldn't be in this passive situation now."
One deacon didn't quite agree. "The Martial World's number one genius? The current Ling Chen seems far from that title, doesn't he?"
"Far?"
The Black Market leader sneered. "You people always judge by surface appearances. Just because his Martial Arts Cultivation isn't what it used to be, he no longer deserves the title? To go from nothing to his current state in just two short months—tell me, who else is more deserving of the title 'Martial World's number one genius' than this kid?"
"The leader has a point."
The deacons had a sudden realization. Indeed, to start over and recover to such a level of strength in only two months was truly terrifying.
"That may be so, but what's done is done. What we should consider now is who to send for the next match."
"If we really can't find anyone suitable, just let him have the ten consecutive victories. He clearly has the strength for it."
"If there's no suitable candidate, that's our only option."
The deacons discussed for a moment, but for the time being, they truly couldn't think of a better candidate.
"Leader, Deacons, for this final match, how about you leave it to me?"
Just then, a young man in black suddenly stepped forward, appearing before the deacons. He had volunteered himself for the final battle.