Chapter 311: Chapter 43: Barging In
The moment the voice rang out, the two people inside the water tank moved as one. A massive wave of water surged outward.
The audience’s Realm Tokens instantly filtered out the churning waves and splashes, doing their best to present the fight as clearly and completely as possible. Despite this, most of them still couldn’t track the fighters’ movements. It wasn’t until the Domain was overclocked that they could observe the action clearly.
The one from the Wilderness Sect was clearly faster and more aggressive. Once in the water, he didn’t stand but shot forward like a fish.
The Implant Fighter remained standing in place. It wasn’t that he didn’t know a better way to move in the water; standing on the bottom simply gave him better control over his center of gravity and made it easier to generate Power.
After closing in on his opponent, the Wilderness Sect’s Fighter straightened his body, transforming into a living arrow. He left a long, thin wake behind him as he threw a direct punch!
The Implant Fighter didn’t dodge. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart, sank his center of gravity, and after gathering his strength for a moment, threw a punch of his own!
Their fists collided in an instant. A shocking scene unfolded: at the point of impact, a ring-shaped shockwave radiated through the water.
Both of their arms exploded simultaneously. The Wilderness Fighter’s entire arm disintegrated, fragments of bone and flesh scattering outward. The Implant Fighter lost his forearm, which went flying as tissue fluid and blood instantly clouded the water tank.
The crowd was dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected the fight to be so explosive from the very beginning. The probing, maneuvering, stalemates, and drawn-out skirmishes they had expected never materialized. There was only the purest collision of strength!
Chen Chuan watched without blinking. ’This is the result of them both choosing the same strategy,’ he thought. ’They focused all their Power into that first attack, concentrating it in their arms and abandoning all defense to gamble everything on a single blow. That’s what led to this straightforward, unadorned clash.’
’They probably realized what their opponent was doing, but neither of them backed down. They just committed to the one strike that best suited their convictions, the one they believed was right!’
Despite the gruesome scene, neither fighter’s expression changed, as if their shattered limbs were of no consequence. In that moment, their eyes saw only the opponent before them.
The Implant Fighter appeared less injured, but the Power from his blow had been completely neutralized by the Wilderness Fighter’s exploding arm. In contrast, some of the Power from the Wilderness Fighter’s attack had penetrated his own body.
This knocked his center of gravity off-kilter. The water’s resistance kept him from falling easily, but his body was now tilted at a slight angle.
That slight tilt was all it took. The Wilderness Fighter used his remaining momentum to close the distance, getting within striking range. Pivoting on his spine, he spun in place. His remaining arm lashed out like a whip, fingertips raking across the Implant Fighter’s chest.
As if cut by a razor-sharp scalpel, a huge gash opened up across the Implant Fighter’s chest and abdomen, slicing halfway through muscle, bone, nerves, and the organs within.
Yet, the attack didn’t have the expected effect. Despite a wound that should have severely impaired his bodily functions, the Implant Fighter’s movements remained agile.
He retreated, and as he moved back, his Mutated Organization pulled the massive wound tightly shut. He then ducked, spun, and launched a side kick straight at his opponent’s neck!
The immense force of the kick parted the water. The Wilderness Fighter, using the momentum from his own swing, half-spun and met the kick with the shoulder of his ruined arm. A mist of blood exploded between them—another all-out collision.
The Wilderness Fighter’s shoulder shattered and collapsed. The Implant Fighter’s metatarsals were crushed; his toes twisted and broke, leaving only three still attached.
Furthermore, the force of his kick tore open the wound that had just sealed itself. Implant tissue fluid and blood gushed out, and through the gash, one could clearly see his severed internal organs in cross-section.
The two fighters retreated a short distance. The Implant Fighter pushed off with his uninjured foot and charged his opponent. The Wilderness Fighter was about to adjust his stance to meet the attack when the floor suddenly split open, revealing a swirling vortex below.
The Implant Fighter seemed to have anticipated this, as his charge didn’t falter. He had the advantage of knowing about the environmental change in advance and had already factored it into his premeditated attack.
’It might seem unfair, but there’s no such thing as absolute fairness in a fight. Since his opponent agreed to fight here, he should have considered the disadvantages of fighting on someone else’s home turf.’
The Wilderness Fighter appeared to be caught by the vortex, but then his body twisted and flowed with the current. Like a nimble fish, he not only dodged the incoming fist but also used the water’s momentum to sweep around to his opponent’s side.
Turning in water is difficult, and the Implant Fighter had put his all into that attack. He only had time to turn his body slightly, protecting his head.
If nothing else had interfered, the Wilderness Fighter’s hand would have plunged into his opponent’s chest. But at that exact moment, a massive creature shot out of the hole in the floor. It brandished countless stiff bristles and snapped a pair of sharp mandibles at the nearest person—the Wilderness Fighter.
The surprise attack caused the Wilderness Fighter’s movement to falter slightly. The Implant Fighter seized the opportunity to turn and evade the blow. The two brushed past each other in an instant. From the outside, a thin trail in the water showed where the attack had narrowly missed him.
The Implant Fighter should have capitalized on his opponent’s missed kill-shot to launch a counterattack. That was his intention, but he suddenly froze and turned to look outside the tank.
The Wilderness Fighter also looked outside.
In the aisle outside the water tank, a tall figure had appeared and was now walking steadily toward them. The man was about six-foot-three and in his thirties. He had slanted eyebrows, a straight nose, a firm jaw, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist—a truly imposing figure. A hammer was tied to his hip, and he wore a set of blue, belted robes.
In the seats above, the Gongshi Steward couldn’t help but be startled. He pointed and said, "Young Master’s Hall, it’s Wei Wusheng!"
"What?"
Gong Zhanyi shot to his feet, staring intently at the man.
The audience, however, was confused. Their view was fine, so why was this man walking toward the arena? Security guards on both sides immediately moved to intercept him, as they were under strict orders not to let any outsiders near the fighting area.
But with a flicker of movement, the man passed straight through the guards. With a swish of his long robes, he arrived directly in front of the glass tank and fixed his gaze on the two Fighters inside.
The two men looked back at him.
He glanced at the water tank. "How can a duel between Fighters be constrained by something like this?" he said.
He reached down, took the hammer from his waist, and lifted it high for all to see. Then, with a spin of his body, he smashed it against the glass.
The security guards behind him rushed to stop him, but it was too late. The hammer struck the glass wall with a loud DONG! In the next moment, cracks appeared under the hammer’s head. With a series of CRACKING sounds, fractures shot out in all directions.
The spectators in the arena realized something was wrong. They shot to their feet and began moving toward the exits. However, those who moved fastest found the outer doors locked, and they froze in shock.
Just then, a loud BOOM echoed from behind them. All the water from the tank poured out, flooding the entire arena like a tidal wave. The closest security guards were immediately swept off their feet.
In the main deck cabin, Senior Brother Sun and numerous cruise ship managers were also watching this unfold. The person in charge beside him asked, "Mr. Sun? Should we open the doors and let the guests out?"
Senior Brother Sun stared at the Realm Token. He said grimly, "Don’t open them. Immediately activate regional bio-domain interference. Announce that the duel has been temporarily suspended due to a disturbance."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, find out that man’s identity."
Just as he gave the order, all the spectators’ Realm Tokens went dark, showing nothing.
A short while later, another notification appeared. It stated that security was dealing with the uninvited troublemaker and that the duel was suspended until further notice. To compensate for the inconvenience, all cruise-related fees for the three-day trip would be waived.
Most of the people here weren’t short on cash, but the cruise ship was owned by Canglong Company, one of the largest corporations in Dashun Country. No one dared to offend them lightly. Since Canglong Company had made this gesture of respect, they didn’t dare complain openly, grumbling only in private.
"We have an ID, Mr. Sun. The man is Wei Wusheng of the Celestial Forgiveness Gang."
Senior Brother Sun’s gaze flickered. "The Celestial Forgiveness Gang..." He didn’t bother asking how the man had gotten on board. Each invited Fighter could bring one to three guests. Someone must have invited him. Investigating it was pointless.
"Mr. Sun, we’ve confirmed it. With the Water Jade shattered, Multi-Eyed’s bio-field is spreading outward..." another manager reported nervously.
Senior Brother Sun said in a low voice, "Sealing the arena was the right call."
The manager said uneasily, "But the Fighters inside might be affected..."
Many of the Fighters who came aboard to watch the duel were prominent figures, each with their own powerful background. If something happened to them, it would be a disaster.
"Also, we’ve discovered that Gong Zhanyi of the Gongshi is inside as well..."
Mr. Sun’s interest was piqued. "Gong Zhanyi? Why is he there?"
For years, Canglong Company had been steadily infiltrating the various Island Countries, forcing them to band together and support an organization called the Ferris Wheel to resist them. The Gong Royal Family was well aware of Canglong Company’s activities. Although they appeared subservient on the surface, they usually kept their distance.
He keenly sensed there was more to this situation, that it might be connected to today’s incident. He said, "Have someone investigate this thoroughly at once. Also, soothe Multi-Eyed. Try to calm it down as much as possible."
In the fighting arena, the two Fighters from the Wilderness Sect and Implant Faction stood up from the water. They were still staring at each other. The former spoke a single name: "Gaoqiu."
The Implant Faction Fighter stiffened, realizing the other man was stating his name. He replied in a deep voice, "Lu Shiqi."
"’Sixty-seven?’" Gaoqiu remarked. "Interesting."
The two men looked over. Wei Wusheng stood there steadily. Wisps of white steam rose from his body as his soaking wet clothes began to dry.
He looked at the two of them and said, "I believe your duel is not yet over. You should continue."
Gaoqiu shook his head. "The duel has been ruined. It can’t go on."
Lu Shiqi merely watched him with wary eyes.
Wei Wusheng said casually, "It doesn’t matter. Either you two fight, or you fight me. Don’t even think about leaving. The doors outside are locked. No one is coming in." He looked at them both. "Today, only one person will walk out of here alive."
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