Chapter 309: Chapter 41: Exhibits
When Pan Xiaode made the suggestion, Qi Huixin, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. She was clearly interested in the idea.
Tan Zhi said, "Let’s not. Don’t we get enough sparring and training already? This is supposed to be our break. Plus, there’s a high-level fighting competition to watch tomorrow. Let me save up some excitement for that."
Pan Xiaode thought for a moment, scratching the back of his head. "Tan has a point. But that’s not until tomorrow. What are we going to do to kill time until then?"
Tan Zhi made a suggestion. "There’s a dance hall here. I heard a lot of famous dancers will be there this time. Why don’t we go for a little while..."
Pan Xiaode and Qi Huixin exchanged a look and shook their heads. They were obviously uninterested in the idea.
As for Chen Chuan, he could appreciate watching others dance, but joining in himself? He had no interest. He’d rather spend the time back in his room practicing the Orthodox Scattering Hand a few times.
Seeing none of them were on board, Tan Zhi shrugged. "Alright, forget it then. I heard the Rhino Horn even booked the Sun Band to perform, but that’s not until the official departure. We’ll miss it anyway."
"The Sun Band?"
Pan Xiaode’s eyes lit up. "I really like their songs too." Then he added, annoyed, "Not until the official departure? That’s a real shame. If only we were staying for a few more days."
But after just a few sentences, the conversation somehow turned back to fighting. Chen Chuan and Pan Xiaode started talking, and Chen Chuan discovered that Pan’s theoretical knowledge was incredibly solid. He had a deep understanding of how to use all sorts of weapons. That was no simple feat. Most Fighters focused on a single weapon; it was rare to find someone as proficient in so many. So, Chen Chuan continued the discussion with him.
This time, Qi Huixin joined in too. The three of them got deeper and deeper into the conversation. Pan Xiaode would even get up and demonstrate a few moves sometimes, completely ignoring the stares from people nearby.
Tan Zhi, on the other hand, was exasperated, wearing an expression that said, ’I give up on you guys.’
After they finished eating, Pan Xiaode suggested they go check out the fighting arena. Even though it wasn’t time for the main event, they could at least watch the preliminary matches.
So, the four of them left the restaurant, each hopping onto a single-person electric tour cart. Following the directions on their Realm Tokens, they went up a ramp, heading toward the fighting arena on the ninth level.
The Rhino Horn was unique in that it had an entire "Fighting Deck." Whenever the cruise ship docked somewhere, it would stay for two or three days to host an offshore fighting competition.
Furthermore, the competition’s inner arena was not open to non-Fighters. Only Fighters who had reached at least the First Limit were permitted to watch in person.
When they arrived on the deck, they walked straight toward the inner arena. The security guards just glanced at them twice before letting them pass. Anyone who practiced fighting could tell your skill level from a single look at your gait and the rhythm of your movements.
And as for their group, not only were three of them wearing Wuyi Academy uniforms, but the rhythm of their walk alone was enough to tell that every one of them was a skilled practitioner.
Once inside, the Realm Token Chen Chuan wore first dimmed, then lit up. He found himself in a circular arena resembling a coliseum, surrounded by a dense crowd of spectators.
In reality, these people were all passengers on the cruise ship. Although they couldn’t be there in person, they could choose to project their realistic avatars here via the Boundary Point.
As long as they were in their own cabins, they could make the scene from the dueling arena appear around them. This virtually merged the people inside and outside the venue, so neither side felt a lack of atmosphere, yet a real distance was maintained.
Just as the four of them arrived, a fighting match was about to begin, so they picked a random spot and sat down.
Since it was just an ordinary match, the announcer gave a brief introduction of the two opponents’ origins and backgrounds. Bathed in light, the two Fighters entered the arena one after the other.
The first to appear was a Fighter from a martial arts hall. He held a machete and wore protective leather armor. His exposed arms were covered in scars, and his gaze was reserved and calm. He had the look of someone with extensive combat experience.
His opponent, however, was different. Obvious Implant sutures were visible on his bare upper body, and one of his hands had been modified into a vicious-looking pincer.
As he entered the arena, he tore off the skirt-like covering below his waist, and gasps instantly erupted through the Realm Tokens.
It was a lower body that completely resembled a shrimp or scorpion. The abdominal tail section hugged the ground, supported by three pairs of bent appendages that bore his weight. From below his waist to the tip of his tail, he was encased in a shrimp-like shell. Paired with his large pincer, he looked like a humanoid crayfish.
Chen Chuan took a few glances, not optimistic about his combat effectiveness.
’This guy only has one large pincer. Although he usually relies on those shrimp-like legs to maintain his center of gravity, he’s bound to lose his balance when moving or turning at high speed.’
But according to Tan Zhi, these competitions were just showcases for companies to sell their products. The fighter probably kept one human hand to better highlight the difference.
Just then, the announcer’s voice sounded from the Realm Tokens again, explaining that this fighter was using a new Combat Implant from the Ferris Wheel Company. It was extremely well-suited for maritime combat, and the multi-functional abdominal claws under his feet were perfect for seafaring platforms.
A light screen in front of him then listed the man’s modifications: artificial gills, synthetic lung tissue, a reinforced heart, a pressure-adaptive diaphragm, water-repellent glands...
The man also had underwater sensory modifications co-developed by the Porlon Company, allowing him to breathe and move freely underwater.
The announcer even joked that if needed, modifications for underwater reproduction could be added. This immediately drew a wave of laughter, and some people even started asking for prices.
’I get it now,’ Chen Chuan thought. ’This match probably won’t have the spectacular fight I was hoping for. It’s just a way for certain companies to display their "goods" to potential buyers.’
He shook his head, stood up, and said, "Sorry, everyone. I’m not interested in this kind of match." With that, he walked out.
Pan Xiaode also stood up, muttering, "Yeah, there’s nothing to see here." Qi Huixin didn’t say a word and quietly stood up to leave as well.
"Hey, you guys."
Seeing the other three leave, Tan Zhi found it pointless to sit there alone. He shrugged and decided to leave too.
Just as the four of them were leaving, inside a private box less than twenty meters away, Gong Zhanyi was seated. The Steward approached his side, bowed, and said, "Young Master, we’ve searched, but we haven’t found the person yet."
Gong Zhanyi said coldly, "Wei Wusheng is a martial arts fanatic. He won’t miss a fighting competition like tomorrow’s. He will definitely be here. The Rhino Horn sets sail the day after tomorrow. We must find him and get the item before then."
"Yes, sir."
After giving the order, Gong Zhanyi shifted his position and looked down at the two men who had started fighting. "I hear there are also students from Wuyi Academy among the fighters here?"
The Steward replied, "Yes. Ever since that vice principal at Wuyi took office, he’s been pushing for this. However, those students aren’t official students, just externally-recruited ones."
Gong Zhanyi said, "What’s the point of externally-recruited students? If they were official students, then it might be worth watching."
"I’m afraid that would be very difficult."
Gong Zhanyi was dismissive. "This vice principal has already opened a crack in the door. With enough benefits on the table, it’s not impossible for something like that to happen in the future."
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan and the others had walked outside, still undecided on where to go next. Just then, they saw a young man walking toward them from the opposite direction. He was dressed in a traditional Fighting Suit with cloth shoes, a warm smile on his face, and his skin was smooth and glowing.
Tan Zhi said, "It’s Senior Brother Sun." He went up, shook Senior Brother Sun’s hand, and then introduced Chen Chuan, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin.
Senior Brother Sun shook hands with each of the three and welcomed them. He chuckled and said to Tan Zhi, "Junior Tan, we saw you guys go in and come right back out. Fights like that aren’t meant for you, so it’s no wonder you were bored. How about this? Come with me. I’ll show you something I guarantee you’ve never seen before."
With that, he turned to the security guards waiting nearby. "I’m going for a walk with my juniors. You don’t need to follow." The guards obediently departed.
Pan Xiaode couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Senior Brother Sun, what are you going to show us?"
Senior Brother Sun smiled. "You’ll know when you see it."
He led the four of them back to the tour carts. They rode down the corridor, traveling deep into the ship’s belly to an internal exhibition hall.
Two objects covered with black cloths were displayed here, illuminated by spotlights. Senior Brother Sun walked over to one of them, ripped off the cloth, and revealed a square glass case.
Through the glass, the four of them could see a long worm coiled inside. The creature had a segmented body, with sharp bristles on its sides and a huge crown of spikes on its head. Its body seemed transparent, emitting a faint glow from within. It looked to be four or five meters long from head to tail.
Chen Chuan checked himself and noticed his Second Self was showing slight signs of fading. It wasn’t serious—to a degree that even an ordinary person could withstand—but there was no doubt this creature was the cause.
Pan Xiaode asked in astonishment, "Senior Brother, what the hell is that thing?"
Senior Brother Sun chuckled. "This is no ’hell thing.’ This is a ’Red Sea Worm,’ a little something from Canglong Company to spice up tomorrow’s fight. Two Fighters, plus this thing—wouldn’t that be more exciting?"
Tan Zhi asked, "And they’ll agree to that?"
Senior Brother Sun said, "Of course. If they didn’t agree, I wouldn’t have brought this out. We have to respect the Fighters, don’t we? If we lose their trust, they might never come to us for this kind of arranged match again."
Pan Xiaode looked around, pointed to the taller, cloth-covered object on the right, and asked, "Senior Brother, what’s that one?"
Senior Brother Sun looked at the four of them and said slowly, "That... is also something we’ve prepared. But allow me to keep you in suspense for now."
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