151. Losing Isn't Fun, So I Never Lose
He mustered his courage and stepped into the arena. Standing on the vast white sand field was a man with golden-brown hair and violet eyes.
Jia Renlu grew serious. Before entering the field, he carefully checked his equipment. He glanced at his opponent's publicly available stats:
"Alpha tier, Level 30 pure [Martial Artist], and not skilled in close combat—a Dragon Style. Perfect. I'm Crane Style. As long as I close the distance, I can take him out in one combo."
Though initially startled, a quick look assured him that everything seemed normal. With only 17 points in [Dexterity] compared to his own 19 points, the opponent's turning speed, evasion, and precision wouldn't match his.
Moreover, the opponent wasn't even wearing any equipment. Ha, such arrogance.
Once caught, the explosive power of Crane Style would overwhelm Dragon Style. Besides, Dragon Style Martial Artists lack invulnerability skills in the early stages.
Overall, considering both error tolerance and paper stats, Jia Renlu had the advantage.
Reviewing the stats boosted his confidence. This was his debut battle as a newcomer, and he had to prove himself to his guild seniors.
He scrutinized his opponent and smirked:
"So you're the so-called cheater? Doesn't look like much."
Li Aozi took a sip of lemon soda and glanced at him:
"A newcomer?"
Jia Renlu's face hardened:
"So what? Facing a Crane Style Martial Artist without armor, your luck ends here."
"Doesn't matter. Play as you like. You won't win anyway."
Li Aozi finished his soda and politely tossed the can into a trash bin below the arena:
"Nice! Scored!"
He turned back to Jia Renlu and said, "The match has already started. Go ahead."
Such disdain…
"Hmph!"
Jia Renlu set his face grimly, drew a pair of curved blades, and burst forward.
[Energy Burst]
[Crane Style•Iron Wire Dash]
His speed was impressive. He carefully adjusted his position, not recklessly charging. If the opponent fired a Qi Cannon, a slight toe tap would instantly redirect him.
To his surprise, even after crossing the halfway mark, Li Aozi still appeared leisurely, with drooping eyes, seemingly unresponsive.
"Too slow, too slow! Is this the level of 49 consecutive wins?!"
In an instant, Jia Renlu reached Li Aozi and slashed with his dual blades. The energy-infused blades emitted a chilling gleam.
At this range, it's a hit!
Just as the blades were about to strike, Li Aozi raised a hand and swung it forward.
[Dragon Style•Neutralizing Force]
Energy surged like a dragon, fierce and domineering. Jia Renlu's blades felt as if caught in a violent current. He almost lost his balance as his hands were yanked by the force. If not for the cloth bindings on his weapons, this move would have disarmed him.
The Neutralizing Force succeeded.
And it was—a highly skilled execution!
"A perfect Neutralizing Force?!"
Jia Renlu sidestepped and quickly jumped back several steps, scattering firecrackers to cover his retreat, his heart racing.
What a joke… Dragon Style Martial Artists are notorious for their difficulty in blocking attacks. Their only parry skill, [Neutralizing Force], requires precise energy control within a narrow timeframe to deflect incoming strikes.
Even executing a standard Neutralizing Force is challenging and would make highlight reels. A perfect one? That'd go viral.
Yet, when Jia Renlu glanced at the audience, he was dumbfounded:
These spectators… showed no reaction to the perfect Neutralizing Force.
No, it wasn't indifference. Their expressions were more akin to numbness.
The kind of numbness that comes from having seen too much.
Which meant—
Jia Renlu barely had time to steady himself when a calm voice pierced through the firecrackers' noise and smoke:
"Oh, not bad. You actually made it to the second round."
—This guy had performed a perfect Neutralizing Force in every match before?!
Jia Renlu's pupils contracted. He hastily threw a cluster bomb while retreating and switched to his 12.7mm machine gun, unloading into the smoke.
"Did I get him…?"
The next moment, as the smoke cleared, a bright red protective Qi aura shimmered.
Li Aozi stood unscathed, his shield unbroken. Raising his hand, he began to gather a menacing crimson energy ball, blood-like flames erupting from his eyes.
Damn, what kind of shield is that sturdy?
Such thick defense was impossible to penetrate. All he could do was watch as his opponent charged a Qi Cannon.
Even though Jia Renlu had used every trick he knew, giving up here would be too disgraceful.
Gritting his teeth, he tossed aside his machine gun, switched back to his trusted dual blades, and dashed toward Li Aozi. Rapidly tapping his chest, he activated his pressure points.
"Hmph! Haa! Ho! Hi-yah!"
Four pressure points activated. Adjusting his breathing, his Qi flowed like a second nervous system, controlling his body.
[Crane Style•Unyielding Stance]
Activating invincibility. Time for a showdown!
Seeing this, Li Aozi nodded slightly and halted his energy charge.
As expected, even Crane Style's invincibility forced Dragon Style to abandon charging moves.
Jia Renlu reached Li Aozi and unleashed a flurry of slashes. The razor-sharp blades tore through the air, creating a symphony of shrieks like a howling wind.
Unfazed, Li Aozi moved gracefully, cradling the semi-charged energy ball in one hand while keeping the other behind his back. Each step evaded the attacks by mere inches, creating the illusion that Jia Renlu was "just about to hit." The feint drew him deeper into reckless aggression.
The more actions you take, the easier it is to make a mistake.
And once you make a mistake…
Wham!
Li Aozi seized the moment, sidestepping the chaotic slashes and precisely kicking the inner side of Jia Renlu's right knee like a scalpel.
"—Aaaah!"
The vicious kick crushed the bone, causing Jia Renlu to scream in agony. Thanks to invincibility, he wasn't affected by the fracture, but he immediately turned off his pain sensors and swung his dual blades at Li Aozi's head.
Li Aozi tilted his head slightly to dodge. Reversing his grip, he slammed the spinning Qi Cannon into Jia Renlu's unarmored jaw.
This spot was the only unprotected part of his body.
The spiraling Qi Cannon shredded the skin and muscle of Jia Renlu's chin, visibly tearing through soft tissues, cartilage, and eyeballs in moments. Within seconds, Li Aozi casually clenched his hand, ripping Jia Renlu's jaw off entirely.
Smack!
Jia Renlu collapsed to his knees, entering a near-death state. With his eyes destroyed, his vision turned pitch black.
Li Aozi remarked:
"Next time, remember to equip an alloy jaw."
Turning away, he spread his arms wide and flashed a wicked smile:
"Anyone else think I'm cheating? You're welcome to see for yourselves anytime."
"After all, I'm invincible. Feel free to cheat too, if that helps."