"The other one..."
Wen Caiwei continued to scroll through the data in the special app on her phone.
"The other one is a Duel Master from Heiwei Yuan, codenamed 'Red Falcon.' Heiwei Yuan is a very mysterious organization with considerable influence in the Southern region and East Luoni. They're involved in everything from arms dealing and mercenaries to security services. They have a complete system for their Duel Masters, providing services to their members. They classify their Duel Masters into three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced."
"This 'Red Falcon' is one of the four Advanced Decisive Fist Masters active in the country's Southern region. His identity is unknown, and he wears a leather-like mask to every dueling match. According to the data, he should be practicing an unorthodox martial art called 'Red Falcon Fist.' This Fist Technique focuses on speed, agility, and striking weak points."
"'Red Falcon's' record is 27 wins and 5 losses in 32 fights. Because he's skilled at striking weak points, his KO rate is astonishing. However, his opponent fatality rate is only 20 percent, and the disability rate is even lower, less than 20 percent. In terms of fame and ferocity, 'Red Falcon' is no match for Wu He Mountain. But it's hard to say what his true strength is; we'll probably have to see them fight to know. After all, the title of a Heiwei Yuan Advanced Decisive Fist Master is not just for show."
"So? Interested in placing a bet? If you win, the money's yours. If you lose, it's on me."
Wen Caiwei asked Yu Yajie with a smile.
"No, thank you..."
Yu Yajie hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
"Come on, what's the point of coming here if you don't bet? How about this, I'll choose for you. Wu He Mountain. Based on the data, his fighting style is more brutal and his win rate is higher. You and I will both bet a hundred thousand. Just for fun."
Wen Caiwei tapped on her phone, seemingly placing a bet on some app.
Meanwhile, in the stands closest to the arena, two groups of people in sharp suits sat at opposite ends.
They were the organizers of this dueling match: people from the Luo Group and the Heng'an Group.
"Dad, is this Red Falcon guy reliable? Why is he so full of himself? We can't even meet him? His opponent is Wu He Mountain, you know."
Luo Fengyu, the Crown Prince of the Luo Group, frowned as he watched the two figures in the arena.
"We have no other choice. The Heng'an Group is slightly stronger than us. They've been coveting our business in Tianhe Country for a long time, and now they've started using all sorts of underhanded tactics to suppress us, causing us heavy losses. They were the ones who proposed this Decisive Fist match in the first place, so we had to accept. They came prepared. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. However, since Heiwei Yuan took this job, they must be confident. They wouldn't act recklessly."
Luo Hengyou, the chairman of the Luo Group, said calmly. The ups and downs of the business world had taught him much, forging a composure so steady he wouldn't flinch even if Mount Tai crumbled before him.
DING!! DING!! DING!!
Just then, a piercing bell suddenly rang out in the arena, signaling that time was up and the Decisive Fist match was officially starting.
In the arena, Zhou Yuanjue, codenamed "Red Falcon," and Wu He Mountain stood facing each other, both carefully sizing up their opponent.
In Zhou Yuanjue's eyes, Wu He Mountain wasn't particularly tall, but his physique was exceptionally powerful. His narrow eyes were filled with a murderous aura. As he moved, his shoulders naturally drew inward, constantly protecting the weak points on his chest and abdomen, just like a vigilant tiger.
His breathing was long and steady. With each breath, various parts of his body trembled and resonated in a subtle, rhythmic pattern. This was a sign that his Martial Arts training had penetrated from the outside in, refining his internal organs. A person like this possessed an extremely strong circulatory system and the ferocious stamina of a wild beast in combat—the mark of a true fighting expert.
What was most concerning were Wu He Mountain's hands. His palms were broad and thick, and his fingers looked short and stout. Zhou Yuanjue knew this was the sign of fingers that had undergone long, arduous training. Such fingers possessed immense gripping and tearing strength, and their short, thick structure made them even sturdier.
The Steel Claw Fierce Tiger Fist. The grip of those hands was like the steel claws of a tiger, capable of easily piercing bricks and stone, or bending steel pipes with a bare-handed grip. Once he grabbed someone, the immense gripping and tearing force could easily rip flesh from bone, inflicting tremendous damage.
On the other side, Wu He Mountain was also sizing him up. The bell rang, but Wu He Mountain didn't make a move. Instead, a smile played on his lips as he spoke, "Red Falcon Fist, an unorthodox martial art evolved from a Donghua Ancient Assassination Fist. I know that one of the inheritors of the Southern branch is named Fan Xinghai. Do you know him?"
Although he was from Southern Myanmar, he spoke the Donghua Language flawlessly.
"He is my master."
Zhou Yuanjue replied calmly.
"As I thought. Forty years ago, my master, Baldan, traveled through Donghua and encountered the Red Falcon Fist practitioner, Fan Xinghai. After a dozen or so rounds, my master dislocated one of Fan Xinghai's arms. My master once said that the Red Falcon Fist excels in agility, using tendons and bones for Power Release, and is precise in targeting acupoints, specializing in striking weak points. Unfortunately, it has more than enough agility but lacks attack power. It can only unleash its maximum lethality when paired with a short sword, rapier, or dagger. Bare-handed, it's pathetically weak. This is the difference in the caliber of a Fist Technique. Red Falcon Fist, at best, can only be considered a Second-class Fist Technique."
"Give up. I've seen your dueling match recordings. You're more than enough to handle those second-class boxers, but against me, there's only a dead end. Red Falcon Fist is fundamentally an Assassination Fist. Without a weapon, it's like a falcon that's lost its talons and beak. How can it contend with a fierce tiger?"
Wu He Mountain said flatly. He was using sharp words to shatter his opponent's confidence.
When two armies clash, courage is paramount. Once confidence is lost, the victor is clear!
"A single leaf blocks the sight of Mount Tai. A frog in a well sees only the sky above it."
Zhou Yuanjue was unmoved, his tone perfectly calm as he replied.
"It seems I'll have to make you face reality. Back then, my master was kind and spared your master's arm. I'm not so kind!"
A vicious smile appeared on Wu He Mountain's lips as he assumed a tiger-form opening stance.
WHOOSH!!
Suddenly, with a fierce whistling sound, Wu He Mountain lunged at Zhou Yuanjue like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
Wu He Mountain knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Red Falcon Fist—its Body Technique was nimble and its speed was extreme. Therefore, he couldn't give his opponent a chance to dodge. The Fierce Tiger Fist excelled at ferocious close-quarters combat and grappling. The most reliable strategy was to immediately close the distance, lock his opponent in a struggle, seize the initiative, and bite down without letting go.
Though he verbally scorned his opponent, in actual combat, Wu He Mountain deeply understood the principle of a lion using its full strength even to catch a rabbit. This was the hunting instinct of a predator.
The ten-meter distance between them was covered in an instant with that single pounce.
Wu He Mountain was already in front of Zhou Yuanjue. His chest swelled, a powerful breath gathering in his lungs. His strong heart pumped blood like a water pump, and the hormone levels in his internal organs surged to a terrifying degree.
His short, thick palms formed into claws and swung violently at Zhou Yuanjue. At the same time, the air was forced from his lungs, vibrating his vocal cords intensely.
ROAR!!
An inhumanly loud sound erupted from Wu He Mountain's mouth. It was like the roar of a tiger, like a clap of muffled thunder on a clear day, instantly spreading throughout the entire arena.
Because they were sitting relatively close to the central arena, Yu Yajie and Wen Caiwei's eardrums ached from the tremendous shout. Their heads felt swollen, and their hearts began to pound uncontrollably. A flash of terror, in particular, crossed Yu Yajie's eyes.
Before, she had been skeptical of Wen Caiwei's descriptions, believing that such terrifying humans couldn't possibly exist. But now, she believed. That single roar, inside an enclosed room, could probably even shatter low-quality glass. It simply wasn't a sound a human could make.