Chapter Ninety-Eight: Feiyan Encounters Trouble

"Hehehe, why aren't you making a move yet, little guy? Are you so scared you wet your pants?"

"What a fool you are, haven't you realized it yet?"

"Realized what? Are you babbling in your sleep? Hurry up and come at me!"

"I've already made my move!" With a flick of his robe, Feiyan revealed his left hand, pulling out a blood-drenched arm hidden beneath his cloak. Upon closer inspection, the arm was rough and knotted—it belonged to Black Demon Sha. White Shadow's cryptic words about the outcome had meant that Feiyan had already struck; he had severed one of Black Demon Sha's arms.

"Aaaaaah!"

Seeing Feiyan holding his own arm, Black Demon Sha finally felt the pain in his left limb. He raised his bleeding stump and howled in agony. He couldn't believe how swift this little fellow was; he hadn't even noticed when his arm was lost. Was there any point in continuing? But the pain drove him mad. Channeling his demonic power into his right hand, his fist transformed into an axe under the force of his energy. Watching Feiyan turn to leave, Black Demon Sha charged, swinging the axe towards Feiyan's body.

Feiyan, seemingly oblivious to the attack, was struck squarely on the head by Black Demon Sha's axe.

"Finished him! Ha!"

Looking at the two-piece corpse of Feiyan, Black Demon Sha grinned triumphantly. So this little guy wasn't much after all—he'd already been defeated. If he hadn't been careless, Feiyan wouldn't have managed to cut off his arm. What a lapse...

But just as Black Demon Sha basked in victory, a sharp sword pierced down from above, stabbing straight through his body. "What you saw was just an afterimage, you fool!"

No sound escaped this time. Black Demon Sha's eyes rolled back as he died. Standing on Black Demon Sha's lifeless shoulder, Feiyan pulled his bloodstained sword from the corpse's head, leapt aside, and wiped the blade on his boot. Turning around, he called to the Deathblade, "Keep tossing the dice. I think I'll be the next one up again!"

"Black Demon Sha is down! The winner of this match is Feiyan of the Qin Xiaochuan team!" The match ended so swiftly that Miss Xingmeng hadn't even seen clearly before Black Demon Sha lay sprawled on the arena floor. Gazing at the corpse, she explained loudly to the audience, "What terrifying agility! Feiyan seemed not to move, yet unleashed a fatal attack. Under his deadly speed, Black Demon Sha of the New World team was easily erased—what incredible skill!"

"Hurry up and throw the dice! What's the hesitation? Are you scared to face me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Deathblade's face darkened at Feiyan's taunt, and he tossed the dice onto the ground. This time, the face showed Monkey King versus Freedom. According to Feiyan's earlier words, whenever the Freedom side came up, it was still his turn. So Deathblade's roll meant Feiyan remained in the ring, waiting for the brash Monkey King.

On stage, Feiyan stood ready as Monkey King spat out his gum and cautiously asked Ba Master beside him, "Ba Master, are you sure this guy can't use Black Dragon Wave anymore?"

"Absolutely," Ba Master replied, his squinting eyes shining. "Earlier, he unleashed Black Dragon Wave despite insufficient demonic energy, which dealt devastating damage to his right arm. Though he's recovered somewhat, his current energy is only about sixty percent of his peak. He can't use that move again."

"I see, then I can rest assured."

"The black flames he wields are the Death Fire from the Demon Realm. Without enough demonic energy, they'll harm his own body. He can't use Black Dragon Wave, but if you withstand his other Flame Fist moves, victory will be yours."

"A kid who can't use Black Dragon Wave is just a child! Let's see how cocky he can be!"

With that, Monkey King strode onto the stage, kicking the bothersome Black Demon Sha out of the ring. Facing the expressionless Feiyan, Monkey King provoked again, "Don't think taking down Black Demon Sha makes you hot stuff. That guy was just filler; killing him is nothing special. Besides, it was your sword that did it!"

"What are you getting at?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying you couldn't have killed him so easily without that sword!"

"So what?"

Eyeing Feiyan, now free of his black cloak, Monkey King grinned provocatively. "Mind showing me your sword? I'd like to see for myself just how sharp it is!"

"Hmph!" Without a second thought, Feiyan tossed the sword at him. After all his circling words, Feiyan wanted to see what Monkey King was really up to.

Monkey King caught the sword, licked the blood still wet on the blade, and swung it, producing a sharp whistle.

"Excellent sword!"

"If you like it, you can rent it—the price is your life."

"Is that so? Then thanks!"

Without warning, Monkey King sliced at his own left hand, severing four fingers with the sharp blade. Blood spurted from the wounds. Feiyan was taken aback by the reckless act—what was this lunatic doing, cutting off his own fingers? Was this some kind of self-mutilation?

But Feiyan's shock was nothing compared to the audience and the commentator Xingmeng, who stammered, "Monkey... Monkey King just... just cut off his own fingers, what... what is he doing?"

"It hurts! Damn, it hurts! This sword is unbelievably sharp, hehehe!" Staring at the blood from his severed fingers, Monkey King grinned through clenched teeth, his expression bizarre and twisted.

The crowd was bewildered by Monkey King's madness. "What is he doing? He cut off his own fingers!"

"Yeah, is he trying to die?"

"Are all the New World guys this stupid?!"

...

Monkey King ignored the audience's confusion, placing the sword at his feet and pulling out a peach-shaped object from his jacket. Eyeing it, he sneered, "Hehehe, I've memorized the sharpness of this sword!" With that, he crushed the peach, "Black Magic Peach Dumpling!"

The dumpling burst into white smoke, which Monkey King inhaled deeply. Miraculously, after absorbing the demonic energy, his body sprouted hard black fur, and the four severed fingers regrew. His demonic energy doubled, surging through him. "Martial Armor: Black Ape Suit!"

Fully armored, Monkey King picked up the sword and tossed it back to Feiyan. "Here you go. This blunt blade can't hurt me now! Hehe."

"Interesting." Feiyan caught the sword and gripped it tightly. "Let's see about that!" Without another word, he charged, swinging the blade at Monkey King.

Monkey King sneered, seemingly unconcerned. He casually raised his right arm, now covered in black fur, to block Feiyan's sword.

Sure enough, after his transformation, Monkey King's body was extraordinary. The tough black fur on his right arm was unaffected by Feiyan's blade; instead, the sword snapped into several pieces. Feiyan paused in surprise, then leapt backward, retreating after his failed strike—a soldier's instinct. But it was too late. Seeing Feiyan try to escape, Monkey King leaped behind him, bringing both fists down hard.

"Too slow, kid!"

Though Feiyan tried to jump back immediately, Monkey King's speed had increased drastically, matching Feiyan's pace. He swung his fists, delivering a powerful blow that sent Feiyan flying sideways, crashing into the audience stands. Only the first layer of reinforced steel plates stopped him.

Given the danger of watching matches from the first level, this advanced arena had replaced all barriers with high-strength tempered steel, increasing safety and effectively blocking impacts from the stage.

Feiyan climbed up from the ground, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. That last strike was powerful—he'd avoided fatal injury, but the force and impact had left him with minor internal wounds.

"Feiyan is hurt!"

"That guy's strength is incredible!"

"If not for the steel plate, I might've died from that hit!"

"The sound of that impact was terrifying!"

"Yeah, this place is dangerous!"

"Look, the steel plate is bent!"

"You're right!"

"He's so much stronger after transforming!"

"Yeah, even Feiyan is injured!"

"Go on, finish him off!"

"Right, kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

...