That punch hadn't dealt massive damage, but the shock running through Carl's shoulder instantly set off every alarm in his body.
Jason Luo's willpower was unbelievable.
To take a Liver Punch like that and still get back on his feet was already superhuman—but to counterattack with that kind of power, while still under the pain's effect? That was insane.
And this was just the beginning.
Carl quickly realized Jason Luo had entered a completely different state—like a beast fully unleashed. His offense grew fiercer and fiercer, and Carl's counterpunches could no longer break his rhythm. Jason Luo was ignoring every hit, charging forward through the storm, using his all-out assault to close the distance.
He wants to brawl? Fine!
Carl wasn't one to back down. Facing this kind of challenge, how could he hesitate? If he couldn't crush a man who had just taken a body-crushing blow, he wasn't worthy of being called a champion.
Fight, then!
He unleashed everything he had, and both men went all-in—no holding back, no hesitation.
The crowd was stunned.
What the hell was this twist?
Just moments ago, when Jason Luo went down from that brutal shot, most thought it was over—the match looked doomed. But then he rose again, like a wounded beast, his power surging, attacking with reckless abandon!
That raw, defiant energy rippled through the entire arena. The audience was roaring, hearts pounding, as Jason Luo's fans leapt to their feet, shouting in unison:
"He's fighting with his life on the line! Jason's all in! Come on, guys—let's give him everything we've got!"
"One, two—Jason Luo, fight! "One, two—Jason Luo, fight!
On the ring, Jason Luo and Carl finally clashed in true close-quarters combat, their rhythm lightning fast. Carl, hoping to capitalize on Jason's supposed abdominal pain, tried to end the fight quickly.
But what he didn't know was that Jason Luo no longer felt pain at all. Under the Victory in Adversity boost, his overall power had risen by nearly 20%. His heavy punches and durability were now nearing their maximum. Unless Carl landed a perfect shot to a vital spot, his attacks might as well have been harmless. That's why Jason Luo could attack like a man possessed.
The danger of close-quarters fighting was that there was no time to think. Every move was instinct and reflex—pure muscle memory. At that range, you either hit or get hit. Both men relied on intuition, but Carl's precision and instinct were slightly sharper...
Even so, it didn't matter. Jason Luo's explosiveness had skyrocketed. His punches came faster and heavier, one after another—there was simply no way to dodge them all.
Carl's Shoulder-Roll Defense, however, continued to do its job. Most of Jason Luo's frontal blows were absorbed or deflected, forcing Jason to circle, feint, and strike from angles. Both fighters swayed and twisted, bodies constantly shifting as they fired off punches at full force.
Thud!
Jason Luo swung a rear-hand hook; Carl turned slightly, letting his shoulder take the impact, then immediately countered with a body-uppercut-to-front-swing combo!
The "thud, thud" of flesh meeting leather echoed through the arena as both men stood their ground, trading heavy shots without a single step back.
Jason Luo pressed the attack, his superior stamina driving up the pace, but the results weren't coming. Carl's shorter frame should've given Jason an advantage—it made it easier for him to generate power on straight punches and hooks to the head.
But that damned Shoulder-Roll Defense made it nearly impossible to break through. Every time Jason tried to land clean, Carl's defense soaked it up like a wall of steel. Without the threat of a clean straight punch, his hooks lost their sting—Carl could just duck under them.
Carl, being shorter, had to punch upward when targeting Jason's head, making it a bit harder to connect—but the trade-off was that his body shots, especially to the ribs and abdomen, came far more naturally. That's how Jason had eaten that devastating Liver Punch earlier.
This can't go on… Jason grew frustrated. He was pounding away with fury, but it wasn't getting results. Sure, he had the momentum—but what good was that without damage?
He quickly adjusted, shifting his attacks downward. Carl's head was too well protected, so the torso would have to do.
The change worked instantly. Carl's upper-body movements helped him avoid headshots easily, but his midsection was a bigger target. He couldn't dodge as freely anymore. Jason's hit rate climbed sharply, his gloves thudding solidly into Carl's ribs again and again.
The more Carl fought back, the less confident he felt. Jason's punches had gotten too heavy—he could barely absorb them. And logically, Jason should've been protecting his abdomen after that liver shot. Yet even after landing multiple clean hits there, Jason didn't flinch. Not even once.
What the hell is this guy made of...?
But Carl refused to retreat. He was convinced Jason was just gritting his teeth through the pain—he had to be.
Driven by that thought, Carl forced himself to draw on his remaining stamina, ramping up his counters in one last desperate push.
He led with a heavy left uppercut, snapping it up toward Jason's face. Jason leaned back, barely avoiding it—but that movement exposed his stomach. Instantly, Carl retracted the punch and slammed another heavy shot straight into Jason's ribs!
That one was vicious.
The blow landed with full force, blasting Jason back several steps, his body curling inward like a shrimp.
Now's my chance!
Carl lunged forward, winding up for a massive Lun Pai swing—a potential knockout shot!
But Jason, his pain sensors completely shut off, stayed unnervingly calm. He suddenly lifted his head and gave Carl a faint smile. The eerie expression sent a chill through Carl's gut—but it was too late to pull back.
Jason suddenly exploded upward, springing off the canvas like a kangaroo. Midair, his rear hand snapped forward in a brutal strike straight toward Carl's face.
Antelope Hop!
Carl's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively raised his shoulder for a defensive roll—but Jason was taller, and the downward angle from the air made the defense useless.
BAM!
Carl twisted his head at the last second, sparing his already-bruised forehead, but the punch still crashed squarely into the side of his skull!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He stumbled back several steps, stars exploding across his vision, his mind going blank.
Jason saw the opening, lunged in, and unleashed a barrage—four, five massive hooks in rapid succession, each one slamming Carl off balance. Then, with perfect timing, he drove a crushing uppercut straight up—
Carl's legs buckled.
And he went down hard.