Chapter 68: Duel on the Edge of the Blade

“Haha... Of course...” Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he gazed at Kao across from him. At this moment, his spiritual energy was completely depleted. Technically, he had one last spirit pill left, but its energy had already been poured into the previous two, just as Kao had said earlier. His strength was spent. Even so, the desire to continue fighting burned in Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes. He still had his body, his fists. As long as he remained standing, he would battle on, no matter how the fight unfolded. Even if he couldn’t progress to the next round, he would give it his all. Encountering an opponent like Kao was, for him—newly awakened—like a boy with a newly acquired game console: he wouldn’t stop until the console broke.

Having heard Qin Xiaochuan agree, Kao pulled something from behind him—two daggers, their origin unclear. Raising them, he called out, “Good! Let’s settle this with our lives balanced on the blade’s edge! Hoo...” Catching his breath, Kao straightened and strode to the side, planting both daggers upright in the ground.

Watching Kao thrust the daggers into the arena floor, Zhang Yang was left bewildered. “He stuck two knives in the ground. What’s he up to?”

After securing the blades, Kao turned to Qin Xiaochuan. “Remove your right shoe, place your foot on the blade. That knife marks the line between life and death. Do not cross it—it's the only rule. Cross the line and you pay with your life. Only physical strength counts. Referee, please call the start!”

“R-right!” Miss Lingling, witnessing such a duel for the first time between team competitors, felt a surge of inexplicable excitement. She’d never seen anything like this; this was true masculinity—fighting to the last moment, standing on the blade, wagering life and death. Whether it was Kao or Qin Xiaochuan, the winner of this match had already transcended the competition’s rules in spirit, battling for the highest honor until the final second.

The audience too fell silent. Watching these two men stand on the blade, many monsters held their breath—it was sheer madness. Both Kao and the human, Qin Xiaochuan, were lunatics, fighting in such a way for victory. Unbelievable. But seeing Kao draw the knives, Lingju in the Six Wandering Monsters’ viewing section knew what Kao intended. A fight on the blade’s edge was his specialty—he’d never lost such a duel. Even in bare-knuckle combat, Kao’s robust body was his winning weapon. Compared to Qin Xiaochuan’s slender build, Kao seemed assured of victory.

“My old blood is boiling again...” In Little King Yan’s VIP box, Su Su could barely contain her exhilaration, rising to her feet. She hadn’t expected Xiaochuan to push his opponent this far. As the mother who’d raised such a fiery delinquent, she had her own share of passionate experiences, though she’d never told Qin Xiaochuan. Seeing Su Su so moved, Fan Fan, seated beside her, offered an embarrassed smile. Like mother, like son—Su Su had remembered something, and now she was so stirred.

Yet, watching Qin Xiaochuan remove his shoe and press his right foot to the blade, Su Su’s heart tightened. She worried for Xiaochuan’s safety. Though she’d never witnessed him fight before, she’d finally seen his wild, passionate side in this battle below. This was the Qin Xiaochuan she loved—the one with the most masculine spirit. Xiaochuan, you mustn’t lose! If you do, I won’t let you off, even if you flee to the ends of the earth—I’ll bring you back.

The battle had reached its critical moment. Everyone’s faces reflected different emotions: indifference, excitement, anticipation, and even members of other teams who’d hurried in from outside to watch. The actions of the two in the arena gripped everyone’s hearts, but none were more anxious than Yoshida, the owner of the Six Wandering Monsters team, who had wagered heavily on his own fighters.

He’d spent vast amounts of time and resources recruiting these competitors from slums worldwide. Now, only Kao remained as a substitute. Though he was familiar with Kao’s abilities, they were mostly ordinary scuffles—Kao had never lost and dispatched his opponents in less than thirty seconds. Yet, Qin Xiaochuan was proving formidable, pushing Kao to such extremes. Even if Kao won, he’d have little energy left for subsequent battles. Yoshida wondered if he should use his tournament resources to let Kao rest before the next fight.

He glanced at Mr. Jade Capital beside him. Sitting on the sofa, Mr. Jade Capital wore his usual cold, detached expression, betraying nothing of his thoughts. He held a cigarette, leisurely puffing smoke, seemingly unconcerned with the outcome. Yoshida couldn’t tell if he’d placed bets on either team. Of course, all the BBC folks had their own gambling rings and betting channels around the arena. Never mind—he’d see how this match ended and, if Kao won, figure out the next steps. With that, Yoshida sighed and refocused on the tournament floor.

Now, both Qin Xiaochuan and Kao had removed their right shoes and stood with their bare feet on the dagger’s blade, staring at each other. Kao was nearly a head taller, his lanky frame packed with taut muscle, appearing much more formidable than Qin Xiaochuan. Yet, Qin Xiaochuan showed no fear at Kao’s physique; his face was alight with excitement and anticipation. He raised his head, grinned, and his arms slipped behind his waist, entering a preparatory stance for an all-out attack.

“Begin!” Miss Lingling, seeing both competitors in position, waved her hand to signal the start of the duel.

At her call, Qin Xiaochuan drove his right fist into Kao’s abdomen, even as his own right cheek took Kao’s full-force blow. Both launched fatal attacks at each other, utterly abandoning defense. Retreat meant death—this was a fight for life itself.

Grabbing the arm aimed at his face, Qin Xiaochuan swung his left fist at Kao’s right cheek, even as his own abdomen absorbed Kao’s fierce counter. Their fists never paused, every ounce of strength thrown into offense. Qin Xiaochuan, reeling from the blow to his stomach, lost balance, his right foot instinctively pressing harder onto the dagger’s blade.

The pain in his right foot sharpened his focus. Qin Xiaochuan clenched his teeth, ducked under Kao’s incoming left punch, then sprang up, roaring at Kao, “Watch my fists!” His fists shot out like bullets, pounding Kao’s chest in rapid succession—so fast the eye couldn’t follow, only the sound of slaps echoing from Kao’s torso.

Kao, struck hard in the chest, seemed to suffer internal injuries from Qin Xiaochuan’s onslaught—a mouthful of blood sprayed onto Qin Xiaochuan’s face. Swaying, he nearly toppled backward over the line. Realizing he was about to fall beyond the line of life and death, Kao whipped his head around and pushed off with both feet, spinning himself upright. But his right heel, pressed against the blade, erupted in blood—the injury was severe. The agony spiked through Kao’s mind. Rising, he smashed a heavy punch into Qin Xiaochuan’s left cheek, knocking him askew. “Now! Take this!” Seeing Qin Xiaochuan turn to recover, Kao rammed his head fiercely into Qin Xiaochuan’s skull.

The audience was silent, stunned by the ferocity of the fight. This was life and death—magnificent, exhilarating! This was a true duel between men!

“Amazing! Kao’s iron head is invincible! The outcome’s decided!” Lingju cheered, raising his right hand. Kao’s iron head was legendary—he could shatter millstone-sized rocks, let alone butt heads with a person. Lingju had never seen Kao lose a headbutt. The result seemed certain.

Seeing Kao’s head coming, Qin Xiaochuan met him head-on. In a fight, the head was his third fist—Zhang Yang had suffered plenty from this “third fist.” He’d never feared anyone in a headbutt. As their foreheads collided, a spray of blood burst forth, and the force drove their feet deeper onto the blade, slicing open more wounds. After a bone-shaking thud, both bodies halted, the entire arena holding its breath. This was the decisive moment—the silence was so deep, one could hear a pin drop.

Three seconds later, Kao’s eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness and pitched forward, his head smashing a spiderweb crack into the floor. That wasn’t a head—it was an iron hammer. Even in collapse, his skull fractured the ground. Had he been conscious, his headbutt would have been terrifying. Yet Qin Xiaochuan remained standing, his face lit with excitement, blood trickling from his brow, clearly wounded but not defeated.