Chapter 8: Ten Consecutive Battles!

Strong and agile, tall yet lean, with movements light as a shadow—his fighting style must rely on technique. His ten fingers, nails long and sharp, hint at mastery in hand skills. Du Gu Farewell observed his opponent closely, silently judging, calm and unhurried.

“Combat, begin!” the overseer declared loudly.

“Heh,” the Wolf was in no rush, grinning with a chilling sneer. “Newcomer, eh? Never fought in the arena before, have you? Don’t worry, I won’t take your life. If you’re really scared, just jump off and admit defeat.”

“Enough chatter,” Du Gu Farewell replied in a deep voice. “Make your move.”

“If you’re so eager for pain, I’ll oblige,” the Wolf growled, his back arching, power surging underfoot. He sprang forward with remarkable speed and ferocity, hands forming claws, nails glinting coldly, whistling as they slashed through the air, crossing to block any retreat.

“Beautiful!”

“Excellent fight, truly spectacular!” Voices of praise rose from below, as if they already saw Du Gu defeated in a single move, his face and body shattered, victory and defeat decided.

Du Gu Farewell remained unmoved, his mind clear. He lifted his foot lightly, stepping back a pace and a half. The Wolf’s claws missed by a hair, grazing the hemp robe.

“Hah!” Seizing the moment, as the Wolf’s old strength waned and new power had yet to rise, Du Gu Farewell shouted, his voice booming like a bronze bell, echoing thunderously. Power surged from the spring within him, coursing through his body, channeling into his right arm.

Crunch—his five fingers clenched into a fist, muscles and bones singing in harmony, elbow retracted, then thrust forward.

The fist shot forth like a dragon bursting from the sea, a giant serpent flicking its tongue.

Bang!

The punch was straight and unstoppable, striking the Wolf’s chest and ribs. The force exploded, knocking him away, tumbling several yards before crashing below the stage, dust rising like mist.

Silence!

The whole arena fell still.

Everyone had guessed the outcome would be decided swiftly, but the loser was not the “novice,” but the Wolf, seasoned by dozens of arena battles.

“He actually lost!”

“Defeated in a single move?”

“How is that possible?”

“Damn fool, must’ve been careless—serves him right, lost all dignity.”

“Damn, my wager…”

“My entire fortune, gone…”

…

Number Forty-Four, even the overseer had never seen a battle between champions end so quickly—far beyond expectation. He announced the result after a moment’s astonishment, his gaze landing on the sole wager for Du Gu’s victory, wondering who it was.

Amid the noisy crowd, Liu San was beside himself with excitement, wanting to shout to vent his emotions. But knowing he’d provoke the others, he quickly lowered his head, hurried to the overseer, presented his token, and received a generous reward. “Just as I thought—luckily I met him before and knew Du Gu’s true strength. Even as a fellow champion, I had no chance to resist before he captured me…”

Many champions who lost their wagers left in bitterness, cursing the Wolf. None noticed that, amidst the dust below the stage, the Wolf struggled to sit up, terror in his eyes, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

That punch haunted him like a nightmare. Others might not realize, but he felt its power firsthand—two ribs broken. Had it been any stronger, his heart would have burst and he’d be dead. “How is Du Gu so powerful?”

Du Gu Farewell, under the ecstatic gaze of the village elder and villagers, descended to claim his reward. Then, instead of leaving, he addressed the overseer, “I wish to challenge the Ten Consecutive Battles. All my rewards, I wager on myself to win.”

The overseer was stunned…

Soon after, the overseer announced that someone was preparing to challenge the Ten Consecutive Battles. “Challenger: Du Gu, one arena battle, one victory, no defeats. Opponent: First, Yaksha, fifty-nine arena battles, forty-one victories, eighteen defeats. Place your bets quickly.”

“Wow, he actually dares to take on ten in a row?”

“Du Gu is too arrogant!”

“Does he think he’s invincible after winning once? Doesn’t he know why so few attempt the Ten Consecutive Battles? Even if a champion has unlocked every power spring, their strength isn’t endless. Once their energy is depleted, defeat is inevitable—worse, their power spring might collapse, leaving them crippled, doomed to never train again…”

“Who cares, the challenge is on! He’s sure to lose, so why wait? I wager all on Du Gu to lose!”

“Me too.”

“…Anyone willing to lend me some betting funds? I need to recover my losses…”

…

“Such arrogance, no sense of limits,” Liu San clicked his tongue, shaking his head. He had great confidence in Du Gu Farewell for single battles, but ten in a row… forget it!

Without hesitation, Liu San followed the crowd, wagering everything—on Du Gu to lose. Despite the possibility of enormous rewards if Du Gu won all ten, no one believed it would happen. One champion after another reached the same conclusion, based on years of experience.

When the final tally came in, three hundred twenty-one bets were placed on Du Gu’s defeat. Only two bets were for his victory. Some insiders knew Du Gu wagered on himself, but the other fool remained unknown.

“Now, the Ten Consecutive Battles begin.” Even the overseer’s tone betrayed a hint of excitement. “Number Forty-Four, Du Gu, to the stage. First opponent, Yaksha, up… begin!”

Bang!

A sudden crash echoed as a figure shot off the stage at lightning speed.

Everyone was stunned, looking at Du Gu standing calmly on the stage, then realized—the Yaksha, whose appearance they hadn’t even caught, had already been knocked down.

The first match was over!

Wow!

As the overseer loudly announced the result, the champions around the stage erupted like a calm lake struck by a boulder, waves surging skyward.

“What swift moves!”

“He’s already won the first match—not easy!”

“That Yaksha was just trash,” a contemptuous voice chimed in. “If it were me, I’d win for sure. Just a minor champion, wiped out with a wave…”

“You? Wipe out? Who do you think you are—a General?” Those who had changed their opinion and now admired Du Gu Farewell shouted him down.

“A General… My greatest wish in life is to beat a General bloody—finally, my chance…” Someone stirred the crowd and took action. With a leader, many frustrated champions joined in, gang-beating the show-off. Cries rang out, “Beating a General feels so satisfying—what a thrill…”

…

The overseer, not wanting chaos to spread, quickly sent people to restore order, finally managing to carry the “General” away from the arena. Later, in his report to his superiors, he wrote: “Minor dispute, one lightly injured, safely transferred… Thirteen exhausted, recovered after rest, no lasting harm… A blessing for the arena, truly fortunate…”

…

“Ten Consecutive Battles, second match: Challenger Number Forty-Four, Du Gu. Opponent: Firebird, sixty arena battles, thirty wins, thirty losses.”

“Combat, begin!” Only after Firebird mounted the stage, steadied himself, and adopted a defensive stance did the overseer announce the start.

Bang!

Du Gu Farewell charged the stage, using his momentum for a powerful punch, breaking the air with a thunderous sound, fierce as a tiger descending the mountain.

Swish—

Firebird’s feet remained still, steady as a mountain, but his upper body leaned back, nearly touching the stage, dodging Du Gu’s first strike. His legs then surged with power, spinning and leaping, both arms fluttering like wings, soaring through the air.

“No wonder he’s called Firebird—what a fighting style.” Some champions, seeing his mixed record, grew excited, smiles blooming.

Swish—

Firebird spun, hands and feet forming claws, swooping down. His attack was as fierce as an eagle catching a rabbit.

“As a martial artist, fighting mid-air is a grave mistake—it limits options and makes defense harder.” Du Gu Farewell sneered, not dodging, twisting his shoulder and lifting his arm, his fist swinging down like a hammer. The wind howled, wild and dominant, as if it could punch a hole in the sky.

Smack—

Fist met claw, but the result was unexpected. Firebird used the force to leap again, spinning above, easily escaping danger.

Du Gu Farewell frowned, watching for the right moment, attacking again—standing tall on one leg like a pillar, the other swinging down in a wide arc. Yet Firebird skillfully used the force to flip backwards, tracing a semicircle and regaining a chance to strike.

This exchange happened several times.

“So, his technique is to use my strength against me, draining my energy, dulling my edge… Hmph, does he think I’ll just stand there being passive?” Du Gu Farewell saw through the tactic, immediately shifting strategy, bending his knees and arching his back, then bursting upward with a roar, shooting straight into the sky like an arrow.

Just then, Firebird was circling, ready to repeat his move. But suddenly his target vanished; as he hesitated, he felt a ferocious wind roar over the back of his head, killing intent chilling his blood, enveloping him. Extreme danger filled his senses, every hair standing on end. He was decisive, recognizing he’d met someone who could break his technique, and quickly cried out, “I concede!”

Bang!

Du Gu Farewell’s foot landed on his back, power held in check. He fought only for the arena’s water source—no need to destroy his opponent, since they were strangers with no enmity.

Firebird lost, but escaped unharmed, relying on his sense of danger. Thus, in sixty battles, his record was balanced, but he had never suffered serious injury.

“Ten Consecutive Battles, second match, Du Gu wins.”

…

“Third match, begin!”

Bang—

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