44: Chapter 44 Li Meng's Contempt in the Octagon

The lingering resonance of the gong still echoed through the stadium's dome when Li Meng suddenly kicked the ropes of the octagon. The hem of his red battle robe swept across the black foam mats, creating a gust of wind that made Chen Wu's white training uniform tremble slightly. The red mark on the rope was particularly eye-catching under the lights—it was a provocative wound Li Meng had intentionally carved with the tip of his shoe just now.

"I heard you can take a punch from Black Bear?" Li Meng's voice was wrapped in a sense of hostility, harsher than heavy metal music. His right hand quietly clenched at his side, the red string of his peace lock squeezed into his palm by his glove, leaving a deep red mark. However, his face wore an undisguised sneer, his left eye narrowing slightly as he mimicked Chen Wu's usual expression when observing opponents. "Too bad, today you're facing a real lion."

The number of online viewers for the global live broadcast froze at 112 million. The slow-motion camera captured the cold sneer at the corner of Li Meng's mouth:

• "Mad Lion is trying to provoke Brother Wu on purpose! Don't fall for it!"

• "His eyes are so scary! The potion really changed his personality."

• "113 million online! Li Meng's right hand is shaking!"

• "Zhang Tao made a gesture below the stage! He's definitely going to use a dirty trick."

Chen Wu's Qi spread along the ropes, sensing the dark green toxins inside Li Meng's body accelerating like a swarm of restless poisonous snakes. The warm current emitted by the peace lock was compressed into a thin barrier, stubbornly resisting around his heart. "Your body can't hold out much longer," Chen Wu's voice was calm, as if stating a simple fact. "It's not too late to admit defeat now."

"Admit defeat?" Li Meng suddenly burst into wild laughter, his voice raspy like metal grinding against metal. "When I carry you out of here, remember to tell your fans—traditional martial arts are just a pile of useless trash!" He suddenly took a half-step forward, his knee slamming onto the ground with a dull thud, and a circle of fine cracks actually appeared on the octagon floor.

In the VIP box, Elder Zhou's fingers gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white. Grandpa Wang's bronze statue emitted a low hum, the seal characters on the base flickering with light, clearly resisting some invisible interference. "This child is too deeply controlled," the old man's dry tobacco pipe tapped a rapid rhythm on the tabletop. "Zhang Tao's mental interference waves are strengthening."

Lin Xue's voice suddenly appeared in Chen Wu's earpiece: "Detected high-intensity brainwave interference, the frequency perfectly matches Grey Shadow's mental control technology! We are initiating counter-measures, but we need thirty seconds!"

A flash of red light suddenly flickered in Li Meng's left eye, a sign that the interference waves had broken through the peace lock's defense. His left hand bent at a bizarre angle, and half an inch of cold light emerged from his glove—it was a steel wire Zhang Tao had secretly hidden for him, now emitting a faint hum along with the tremors of his muscles.

"The first move is coming!" Li Meng's figure suddenly blurred. The high-sweeping kick of "Raging Lion Tail-Swipe" came with the sound of breaking air, a full 0.2 seconds faster than in the simulations. The steel wire drew a deadly arc under the lights, aiming straight for Chen Wu's throat.

Chen Wu's Qi switched to a solid state in the blink of an eye, a golden barrier protecting his neck like steel armor. The moment the steel wire brushed against the Qi membrane, it made a piercing metallic screech, and sparks splashed onto the black ropes, burning tiny holes in them.

"Using hidden weapons in violation of the rules?" Chen Wu's voice turned cold. His left arm blocked like an iron gate, precisely locking Li Meng's supporting leg. Liquid Qi traveled along the opponent's Meridians, and a warm current suddenly erupted at the Acupoint behind the knee—it was Taiji's "Neutralizing Power," which could both redirect force and temporarily suppress toxins.

Li Meng's leg technique suddenly became sluggish, as if caught by an invisible hand. But the red light in his eyes grew even stronger, and a beast-like low growl came from his throat. The steel wire in his right hand suddenly sprang out, coiling toward Chen Wu's wrist. "Rules? In the face of absolute power, rules are meant to be broken!"

The live camera captured the thrilling scene of the steel wire entangling, and the number of online viewers instantly soared to 115 million. When the slow-motion video showed how Chen Wu's Qi membrane blocked the cutting steel wire, exclamations in the bullet chat flooded in like a tide:

• "Holy crap! This defense is ridiculous! Even the steel wire can't cut through it!"

• "Brother Wu's Qi density has increased again! It had a metallic luster just now."

• "116 million online! Zhang Tao's face has turned green!"

Outside the octagon, Zhang Tao roared frantically into his headset: "Increase the dose! Let him go completely berserk!" The controller in his pocket emitted a faint green light, and a hidden transmitter somewhere in the venue was pushed to maximum power, the interference waves piercing toward Li Meng's brain like invisible needles.

Li Meng suddenly let out a painful roar, his entire body's muscles twitching at an abnormal frequency. In his loss of control, the steel wire in his right hand cut his own forearm, and blood instantly stained his red battle robe. But his attacks became even more frenzied, completely disregarding defense, like a dying trapped beast, biting toward Chen Wu's shoulder.

"This isn't a fight, it's murder!" The commentator's voice was filled with anger. "The referee should terminate the match!"

Chen Wu suddenly withdrew his Qi defense, allowing Li Meng's fist to land on his chest. The golden Qi flow spread along the opponent's glove, erupting in resonance the moment it touched the steel wire. The wire suddenly snapped taut and bounced against Li Meng's ribs with a crisp sound.

"Wake up!" Chen Wu's voice carried the vibration of Qi, transmitting directly into Li Meng's mind. "Your Master is still watching you!"

Li Meng's movements suddenly froze, and a crack appeared in the red light within his pupils. The red string of the peace lock broke free from the glove during the violent shaking and pressed against his wound. The moment the blood and the red string merged, a warm golden light erupted, forcing the dark green toxins back by half an inch.

"I..." A blurred groan came from the youth's throat, as if he were resisting something.

Li Meng suddenly jumped back to create distance, while his right hand secretly hid the steel wire back into his glove. His forearm was still bleeding, the stained battle robe clinging to his body and outlining the savage lines of his muscles. But in the look he gave Chen Wu, besides contempt, there was an additional, hard-to-detect trace of fear.

"Can you only hide?" Li Meng intentionally ground his foot over the blood on the floor, leaving a distorted trail. "Or is it that your Qi is about to give out?" He suddenly made an extremely exaggerated Baji Fist starting stance, his shoulder slanted as if it were about to dislocate, drawing bursts of laughter from Zhang Tao's team.

Chen Wu did not move, just quietly watching him. Gaseous Qi formed a transparent wall between the two, capturing the rhythm of Li Meng's every breath—hurried and erratic, clearly showing that the mental control and toxins were tearing his consciousness apart.

"When you practiced Taiji as a child," Chen Wu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying clearly to every corner through the transmission of Qi, "you loved using 'Cloud Hands' to catch your Master's 'Deflect, Block, and Punch' because you said it was like dancing with the air."

Li Meng's body jolted violently, and the red light in his left eye instantly dimmed. His right hand uncontrollably made the starting motion of "Cloud Hands," only to be crudely interrupted by a brutal will. His fist smashed heavily against his own temple, attempting to disperse those warm memories.

In the VIP box, Elder Zhou's tears finally couldn't help but roll down. He tremblingly held up a tablet computer, the screen showing a video of Li Meng at age seven practicing Taiji. The small figure was gesturing "Cloud Hands" in the morning light, his laughter as crisp as silver bells. "Meng'er..." the old man's voice choked, "come back..."

The live broadcast transmitted this touching scene across the globe, and the number of online viewers exceeded 120 million. The mockery in the bullet chat gradually disappeared, replaced by understanding and heartache:

• "So Li Meng also practiced Taiji... my heart aches for him."

• "Mental control is so disgusting! Zhang Tao deserves a horrible death."

• "121 million online! The golden light of the peace lock is shining again!"

Zhang Tao suddenly rushed out from the commentary booth, shouting toward the octagon: "Don't listen to his nonsense! He's trying to disturb your mind! Think about your Master's medical bills! Think about what you promised me!"

These words were like a curse, causing the red light in Li Meng's eyes to surge again. He let out a desperate roar, his muscles bulging and veins throbbing under his skin as if trying to break free. "Second move!" The youth's voice had completely changed pitch, carrying a ferocity that didn't belong to him. "Taste the power of the 'Poison Snake Coil'!"

His figure suddenly turned into a red flash, his arms coiling toward Chen Wu's neck like iron pythons. This time he didn't hide a steel wire, but used the brute force stimulated by the genetic potion, attempting to directly snap the other's windpipe.

Chen Wu did not dodge, but instead took a half-step forward to meet Li Meng's pounce. Baji Fist's "Cross-Strike" erupted from his chest, his arms crossing into a stable triangle, firmly bracing against the opponent's attack. Golden Qi flowed through the contact point into Li Meng's arms, like a warm current drilling into a frozen riverbed.

"Feel this power." Chen Wu's voice carried the resonance of Qi. "This is Taiji's 'Silk-Reeling Power,' what you were best at as a child." His Qi suddenly simulated the characteristics of Elder Zhou's Qi field, gentle and resilient, like the calloused palm of an old man.

Li Meng's neck-strangling movement loosened slightly, the red light in his eyes flickering violently as if two Souls were battling within his body. His right hand was still exerting force, but his left hand uncontrollably wanted to push Chen Wu away, his fingers tracing the path of "Cloud Hands" amidst the trembling.

"No... I can't..." A painful whimper came from the youth's throat, and the peace lock on his chest burned intensely, the red string almost embedding itself into his flesh.

The entire audience held their breath collectively at this moment, 123 million pairs of eyes watching the stalemate in the center of the octagon. The light of the glow sticks switched violently between gold and red, like a tug-of-war for Li Meng's Soul.

"Now!" Lin Xue's voice sounded in the earpiece. "Counter-measure program activated! The interference waves are being suppressed!"

The LED screen at the top of the stadium suddenly flashed a soft golden light, echoing the light from Grandpa Wang's bronze statue. The interference waves inside the octagon instantly collapsed, and the red light in Li Meng's eyes receded like a tide, revealing his originally clear pupils.

"Master..." The youth's movements froze completely, the arms strangling Chen Wu's neck drooping powerlessly. Tears mixed with sweat rolled down, hitting the gloves and blooming into tiny salt flowers. "I'm sorry..."

Chen Wu's Qi took the opportunity to surge into his heart, merging with the warm current of the peace lock like two keys inserted into a rusty lock. The dark green toxins made a sizzling sound, rapidly dissolving in the golden light and revealing healthy red Meridians.

"It's not over yet." Chen Wu withdrew his arms and gently patted Li Meng's shoulder. "The third move, strike it out with your true power."

Li Meng looked up blankly, seeing Chen Wu's gentle gaze and then looking at the tearful Elder Zhou in the VIP box. He suddenly took a deep breath, his right hand tracing a standard Taiji arc in front of his chest—though weak, it carried a long-lost agility.

"The third move..." the youth's voice carried a sob, yet was incomparably firm. "Please advise."

Zhang Tao slumped in the commentary booth, his face ashen. The controller in his pocket emitted a piercing alarm, and the Grey Shadow logo on the screen turned completely into garbled code. Special forces members surged forward like a tide, pinning him firmly to the ground, his roars drowned out by the cheers of the entire stadium.

The final frame of the live broadcast was a bullet chat sent by 125 million viewers simultaneously, forming a golden bridge connecting Chen Wu and Li Meng's fists:

"The Martial Dao is eternal; humanity shines forever."

The ropes of the octagon swayed gently in the breeze, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the roof, casting a warm spot of light between the two. Li Meng's third move had not yet been unleashed, but everyone knew that this match already had the most perfect conclusion—not a KO, not a surrender, but a lost Soul finding the way home in the light of the Martial Dao.

Chen Wu looked at the light rekindling in Li Meng's eyes, suddenly remembering Grandpa Wang's words: "True Baji Fist isn't about knocking the opponent down, it's about pulling him back from the wrong path." He assumed the starting stance of Taiji, golden Qi forming a gentle Domain around him, waiting for the youth to use true kung fu to complete the final move of this battle for redemption.

The sunlight outside the venue was just right, shining through the glass curtain wall onto the golden wave of the audience, gilding the two figures in the center of the octagon with an eternal halo. At this moment, victory or defeat was no longer important; what mattered was that the light of the Martial Dao had finally pierced through the haze, illuminating the most precious humanity.