9: Chapter 9

9

The beautiful woman's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I heard you called Red Fire over?"

"Yes, I wanted him to test the depth of this person's skills."

"Very well.

If he can even defeat Red Fire, then bring him to see me."

The beautiful woman paused, "But before that, invite his manager over for a visit."

"Understood."

On the arena stage, A Mao's breathing had become heavy. "Is all you can do hide?!"

Failing to land a hit repeatedly made him burn with rage, feeling even more slighted—he was, after all, an Awakened who had touched the threshold of the First Rank. When had he ever been toyed with like this?

"As you wish."

As soon as Jiang Haojie's voice fell, his figure suddenly blurred.

A Mao only felt a blur before his eyes as a phantom image dashed toward him. An intense sense of crisis made the hair on his body stand on end! He let out a wild roar, pouring his internal energy into his twin hammers without reservation and smashing them down with all his might toward that phantom.

Clang!

The ear-piercing sound of clashing metal rang out.

Just as the hammer blades were about to touch his body, two slender curved blades appeared in Jiang Haojie's hands at some unknown moment. The blades flowed with a dark luster, like the forearms of a mantis, precisely parrying the heavy iron hammers.

Those Mantis Blades looked thin and light, yet they were exceptionally hard, actually shaking A Mao so much that he staggered backward.

A Mao was horrified; he couldn't see where the opponent had pulled the weapons from at all, and Jiang Haojie's offensive had already begun falling like a violent storm.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The dense sound of collisions was incessant.

Compared to A Mao's fierce but clumsy iron hammers, Jiang Haojie's twin blades were agile and treacherous. The blade light wove into a dense net, forcing A Mao toward the corner of the arena step by step.

The narrower the space became, the more those wide-swinging iron hammers felt restricted.

Finally, Jiang Haojie flicked his blade, a burst of clever force sending one iron hammer flying out of A Mao's hand to smash heavily against the edge of the stage.

The tip of the other Mantis Blade had silently pressed against A Mao's throat.

"Surrender, or die?"

Jiang Haojie's voice was calm and steady.

A Mao's Adam's apple bobbed, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

After a moment of stalemate, he dejectedly released his grip on the remaining iron hammer.

"...I surrender."

Compared to losing his life, bowing his head in surrender cost him face, but at least he could keep his life.

If a person dies, they truly have nothing left.

The moment A Mao lowered his head, not a single word of mockery rang out from the audience.

In fact, no one had ever held any expectations for him.

"Tenth round, X wins."

"X continues to challenge—" "Who are you people? Why did you bring me here?"

Huang Xingshan tensed his body, his gaze scanning the several unfamiliar faces in the room alertly.

Just now, two men had taken him away from the stands without explanation and led him to this enclosed private box.

At this moment, the middle-aged woman sitting opposite him was dressed exquisitely, her expression indifferent.

She gently swirled the wine glass in her hand and looked up.

"You are X's manager, right?"

Her voice was steady but carried an unquestionable weight. "This 'Dragon City Arena' is an industry under my name.

No need to be nervous; I asked you here just to understand some things."

Huang Xingshan's heart sank.

Years of experience roaming the underworld made him immediately understand the other party's intention—X's overly dazzling performance had already attracted the gaze of the controller behind the scenes.

"What do you want to know?"

He tried his best to keep his voice steady.

The woman leaned back into the sofa, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest. "X's true identity.

And the real purpose of your arrival here."

"He said he needed to earn a sum of money quickly, so I brought him here.

As for who he is..."

Huang Xingshan sighed and answered very bluntly, "I'm not sure either."

The woman picked up her red wine for a small sip, her gaze never leaving Huang Xingshan's face. "Mr. Huang, I hope you can cooperate seriously.

I have already investigated your background very clearly.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here.

Do you understand what I mean?"

As her voice fell, two men with heavy, condensed auras silently stood behind Huang Xingshan.

An invisible pressure filled the air.

Cold sweat seeped from Huang Xingshan's back, and a hint of bitterness rose in his heart.

Although he was X's manager in name, his understanding of that young man was actually pitifully small.

He hadn't expected X to be strong to such an extent, nor had he expected to draw the scrutiny of the organizers so quickly.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again: "I'm not lying.

This is all I know.

To be honest, he and I... just happened to meet by chance today."

He recounted the entire process of how he met the young man calling himself X during the day, their conversation, and finally coming here, exactly as it happened.

Mr. X, I'm sorry.

I can't help myself either.

The middle-aged woman listened quietly without interrupting.

Her gaze was sharp; she could tell that Huang Xingshan hadn't made it up.

But if what he said was true, the matter became even more suspicious—where did that X come from?

The box fell into a delicate silence, with only the beads of sweat sliding down Huang Xingshan's forehead dripping silently.

At the same time, on the arena stage, Jiang Haojie finally saw his final opponent.

It was a youth with an upright posture and outstanding looks. A head of fiery red hair was short and striking, and a well-tailored black suit made his temperament appear awe-inspiring.

However, none of these external features were key—the key was that the energy fluctuations emitted by this person clearly indicated that he was not a Rank Zero Awakened.

He was First Rank.

"Red Fire is on the field! This time X is bound to lose!"

"There's no suspense.

I've never seen Red Fire lose a single match."

"The organizers are finally getting serious, and about time! This time X must be made to stumble hard."

When Red Fire's figure appeared in the center of the arena, the whispers in the stands quickly gathered into a noisy wave of sound.

On the arena, two gazes met silently.

Jiang Haojie scrutinized the person called Red Fire opposite him, and the other party was likewise sizing him up.

"Winning ten matches in a row in a few hours, interesting."

The moment the voice sounded, Jiang Haojie was slightly startled—it was actually a woman's voice.

He hadn't expected it at all before.

With the name Red Fire and that sharp appearance, anyone would have preconceived notions.

"You make the first move,"

Red Fire tilted her chin, her tone carrying an unquestionable certainty, "Otherwise, you won't have any chance."

That wasn't bluffing, but the composure brought by overwhelming strength.

First Rank versus Rank Zero, the outcome seemed to have been written long ago.

Jiang Haojie curled the corner of his mouth, and the pair of mantis-like weapons in his hands suddenly vanished.

Red Fire's pupils constricted slightly.

Storing objects out of thin air... she had only seen this method with those extremely rare storage artifacts.

A flash of heat quietly crossed her eyes—that was something even many truly powerful experts might not necessarily possess.

"I won't take your life,"

Red Fire suddenly spoke, "But after we fight, that storage equipment on you must belong to me.

How about it?"

Storage equipment? Jiang Haojie paused first, then realized—the other party had mistaken his system space.

He laughed softly: "Sure, as long as you have the ability to take it."

Before his voice had even faded, his figure moved.

Jiang Haojie had no intention of being modest; since the opponent was overconfident, he would take the opportunity to attack.

Facing a First Rank opponent, he used 'Lingbo Microsteps' right from the start.

.

Red Fire's originally nonchalant expression suddenly tightened.

This speed... was faster than expected.

And what shocked her even more was that the aura around Jiang Haojie was clearly still Rank Zero.

Had he been hiding his strength all along? This thought flashed through her mind, and Red Fire's entire body instantly became alert.

She flipped both palms, and two balls of blazing fire suddenly condensed, whistling as they smashed toward the incoming figure.

Jiang Haojie's eyebrows twitched—a Fire Psionic? This reminded him of Bai Yang.

Sidestep, dodge, advance.

The movements were seamless.

Red Fire was surprised but not panicked, quickly retreating.

Psionics were good at long-range attacks and must never allow an opponent to get close.

But Jiang Haojie's footwork was like a shadow following a form, giving her no chance to breathe at all. A straight punch had already arrived, breaking through the wind.

Red Fire waved her arm, and a wall of scorching fire suddenly rose between the two of them, just barely blocking the punch.

Taking advantage of this split second, she widened the distance again. Fireballs erupted in succession, covering the other side of the arena like a blanket.

Jiang Haojie moved and dodged in the limited space, but the fire net was too dense, and one eventually grazed his shoulder.

Exclamations had already sounded from below—no one had ever been able to retreat unscathed after being hit head-on by Red Fire's fireball.

But in the next moment, everyone was stunned.

The moment the flames touched Jiang Haojie's body, they didn't explode. Instead, they seemed to be quietly swallowed by something invisible, dissipating without a sound.

Only a wisp of light smoke remained on the arena, curling away.

The fireball whistled toward him, but it suddenly froze the moment it touched the corner of Jiang Haojie's clothes.

The aura around him shifted like flowing water, and that ball of crimson flame actually seemed to be held up by an invisible hand, suddenly flying back and rushing straight toward the caster.

This move, 'Shifting Stars', emphasized using the opponent's own power against them.

Any force leaving the body or long-range technique could be redirected and sent back—it's just that it had to be this kind of externalized energy or undercurrent to have a chance to be shifted.

As Jiang Haojie performed it for the first time, he only felt the power flow smoothly without obstruction. He secretly marveled: no wonder the ancient manuals called this technique 'Reflected Shadow in a Mirror'.

.

Red Fire was stunned.

She had never seen anyone able to return an explosive flame along its original path.

Sidestepping the backfiring fireball, she clapped her palms together. Dozens of blazing flames suddenly blossomed in the air above the arena, like a rain of red lotuses falling, wrapping most of the field in a scorching heatwave.

The hot wind blew against his face, but Jiang Haojie suddenly lost interest in the fight.

He planted his heels on the ground, sank his energy into his dantian, and suddenly let out a long roar from his throat—

"Roar—!"

The roar was like the tolling of a giant bell in an ancient temple, instantly piercing through every inch of the fifth underground level.

Everyone in the audience changed color. Those who covered their ears were already too late; they only felt as if an iron spike was hammering inside their skulls, the pain making them almost want to bash their heads against the wall.

The glass of the private boxes shattered in response, shards falling like rain. Everyone inside looked toward the arena in horror.

Red Fire bore the brunt of it, slammed heavily against the railing by the soundwave. She spat out a mouthful of blood, staining her collar red.

When she looked up, her eyes were filled with shock.

Even the referee nearby was shaken and staggered into the wall.

Jiang Haojie's figure had already arrived like a ghost.

He gripped Red Fire's throat with one hand, lifting her into the air, his voice calm and steady: "Surrender, or die."

Red Fire gritted her teeth, wanting to summon her flames, but her meridians had been shaken by that roar, her energy scattered.

After a long while, she squeezed out two words from between her teeth: "...I surrender."

She couldn't understand how she, a First Rank Awakened, could actually lose to someone who hadn't even entered the ranks.

"It's time to announce the verdict."

Jiang Haojie turned to the still-dazed referee.

The referee gave a start and stammered out, "E-Eleventh round... X wins! C-Congratulations to X for completing the challenge!"

Jiang Haojie let go, turned around, and stepped off the arena.

Eleven consecutive battles had taken nearly twelve hours; the result was not bad.

He looked around but didn't see Huang Xingshan anywhere, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

At this time, two men in black quietly approached: "Mr. X, the boss requests your presence. Your friend is already waiting over there."

***

"What is the meaning of this?"

Jiang Haojie was led to a spacious room on the eighth floor. He was currently facing the middle-aged beautiful woman sitting on the sofa, his expression as cold as winter water.

The woman, who still possessed great charm, curled her lips into a composed arc: "X, we want to talk to you, which is why we specially invited you here."

Time had not given her vicissitudes, but a refined composure.

There was no girlish shyness in that smile, only a relaxed calm. Her charm had a perfect sense of proportion, making it difficult for anyone to feel ill-will toward her.

"Invited?"

A short, cold snort escaped Jiang Haojie's nose. "This grand display of inviting people is quite rare."

Beside him, Huang Xingshan hung his head, his face written with unease and guilt.

Standing beside the beautiful woman, Ming Ze's face suddenly darkened as he said sternly, "Kid, watch your tone! What kind of thing are you to speak to the Madam in such a way?"

"Ming Ze."

The beautiful woman gently raised her hand, stopping her subordinate's words.

Her gaze fell back onto Jiang Haojie, her voice gentle but carrying an unquestionable weight: "X, I truly have the sincerity to talk with you. My subordinates may have acted crudely and made you unhappy; I apologize on their behalf."

"No need for apologies."

Jiang Haojie's tone was flat and distant. "Just get to the point. I'm in a hurry."

He had been away from the hospital for too long. His father's condition was unknown, and whether his mother could cope alone... a heavy stone weighed on his heart. He only wanted to get the reward he deserved and leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.