Chapter 23: The Awakening of the Serpent’s Eye

“Hey, that college student actually survived a round.”

“He took a Batista Bomb and is still bouncing around?”

“He’s got some skill.”

As the first round ended, the audience below buzzed with excited chatter.

“Ding-dong~”

“Round two begins! Both fighters, step forward!” The referee gestured for us to approach.

“Good luck,” Han Xiao said with a cold face.

“Don’t worry.” With that, I climbed into the ring. Though Han Xiao seemed cold and expressionless, and was a gang boss, he actually seemed decent.

“Fight!” The referee yelled once we were both in position.

As usual, we exchanged a few words first.

“Looks like Mr. Han has taken a liking to you,” Shark Bing said.

“Not bad.”

“With your strength, you qualify to join the Wuyou House?”

“Why not?” I asked, puzzled.

“Only two beasts have joined the Wuyou House in the southern district: Mr. Han, number ten, and number five… that woman…” Shark Bing’s voice trailed off, deflated.

“Wu Xiaowu?” I asked.

“Ugh! Don’t say that woman’s name!” Shark Bing shouted.

I could clearly see him shudder violently at the mention of her name. That woman must have a dark history with these guys.

Though I could imagine. The day she tortured me was still fresh in my mind, a deep psychological scar.

“Less talk!” Shark Bing roared and immediately attacked.

Remember: speed! Dodge at all costs!

I could see it, could dodge, could evade! Facing his bear hug, I crouched and stepped back a few paces, creating distance.

“Oh? Not charging in?” Shark Bing sneered as I only dodged without countering.

“…” A provocation? I wasn’t falling for it!

“If you won’t attack, I will.” With that, he lunged for my throat with a claw.

If he caught me, I’d be beaten from start to finish.

No choice—rolling dodge!

“Think you can roll again?” Shark Bing saw my move and changed tactics, pulling back his hand to deliver a heavy kick!

The kick hit me square in the stomach, sending me flying across the ring. I crashed into the ropes and bounced back onto the canvas.

“Oof—cough!” I curled up, groaning and rolling on the ground. Damn, that bastard shark had a quick mind!

“I suggest you stay down. No need to suffer more.” Shark Bing didn’t press the attack immediately; he approached slowly.

“One! Two!”

“Get up!”

“Get up!”

“Three! Four!”

“Kid, hang in there!”

The audience was cheering me on now!

“Five! Six!”

“Kid, hold on!”

“Come on! Get up!”

Urged on by the crowd, I suppressed the intense pain in my stomach and slowly struggled to my feet.

“Good endurance, but this is the end!” Shark Bing closed in instantly.

He planted his left foot, pushed off with his right, twisted his massive body, and delivered a textbook uppercut to my face.

I had just stood up when the punch sent me flying back into the ropes. This time I hooked my arm over them to avoid bouncing back, hanging there.

A sharp pain erupted on the right side of my face, and blood filled my right eye. I think my eye was bleeding. That punch was brutal—my head spun, and my limbs felt weak.

“Still struggling? So tenacious.”

Seeing me barely hanging on to the ropes, Shark Bing decided not to let up and moved in for the kill!

He lunged like a drawn sword, using a clothesline to knock me out of the ring!

“Hmm? That aura…” Han Xiao suddenly exclaimed from ringside.

Ordinary people might not have noticed, but Shark Bing, being a beast, felt it even more intensely than Han Xiao!

Because the feeling came from that teenage boy barely standing by the ropes.

Only beasts could sense the killing intent—the same pressure they’d felt before from that god of death, number five!

The dominance of a higher species over a lower one! The pressure of an apex predator!

Shark Bing abruptly pulled back, retreating a few steps, staring warily at the boy by the ropes. But just as quickly, the aura vanished.

“Gone? What was that?” The aura disappeared, leaving only the same weak boy.

After retreating, he slowly approached again.

Suddenly, the boy looked up. The right side of his face was covered in blood, and his left eye had turned into a yellow beast’s pupil…

“Snake eyes!” Shark Bing exclaimed in shock.

“Snake eyes…” Han Xiao pondered, then turned and walked toward the audience.

Snake eyes… the same eyes as that woman’s brother—the legendary beast.

“Hah, I think I blacked out again…” I shook my head to clear it and shouted at Shark Bing, “Come on, let’s continue!”

I didn’t know why, but I felt incredibly hyped. My body was cold, and I needed to warm it up.

“Looking for death?” Seeing me take the initiative, Shark Bing sneered and charged at me with his powerful physique.

Instead of dodging, I used the ropes to rebound, launching myself like a cannonball toward Shark Bing!

We collided shoulder-to-shoulder in the center of the ring! Two completely different builds clashed head-on!

After the collision, both of us were knocked back!

“What?” Shark Bing stumbled back several steps, utterly shocked.

He had knocked me back? How had my strength suddenly increased so much?

Before he could think, the snake-eyed boy was already charging in for a fight.

The battle continued in the ring.

Below, Han Xiao walked over and sat down next to Ye Ying in the audience.

“Miss Ye.”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t you say Xiaobai was modified by that woman Wu Xiaowu?” Han Xiao asked.

“Right. His mutation is the same as Xiaowu’s—spider legs… but I don’t know the details.” Ye Ying touched her face.

“His lineage isn’t just from Wu Xiaowu… Just now, one of his eyes turned into a snake’s.” Han Xiao said.

“Oh? Xiaowu’s eyes should be cyan-patterned with white pupils.” Ye Ying was surprised.

“It was a yellow snake eye. I know one person…” Han Xiao’s face hardened.

“Who?”

“Number Four, the Undying Great Serpent, Wu Xiaowu’s biological brother.”

“Huh? That Number Four beast who died in the lab?”

“I don’t know if he’s dead. That day, an esper struck him with heavenly lightning and he fell into the river and disappeared. No one knows if he survived. If he’s alive, the world would be in chaos. I think the kid’s self-healing and toughness must partly come from him.” Han Xiao explained.

“Aren’t they siblings? It’s not surprising he has some of his blood. The stronger the kid, the better.” Ye Ying smiled.

“I hope so.” Han Xiao stood up and walked toward the ring.

Meanwhile, the two fighters continued their brutal exchange.

“What the hell is going on?” Shark Bing shouted.

No one answered him. The boy kept trading blows, growing crazier by the moment!

Knocked down, he got up and countered immediately. The more damage he took, the more excited he became.

“Shark, come on! Scared?” I yelled, punching him in the left eye.

He retaliated with a kick to my chest. I flew back, twisted midair to balance, and landed steadily.

“What’s wrong? Running out of steam?” I taunted.

“Kid, don’t get cocky! Take this!”

“Think I’m afraid of you?” I shouted back.

Fist against fist, blow for blow, every hit a solid impact! Pain fueled my blood, and hurt made me fight harder!

A punch to Shark Bing’s face stunned him, disorienting him!

“Aah!” I jumped onto him and rained down a flurry of punches: left hook, straight punch, right hook, left hook, wild punches—all hammering his face!

“Die, die, die, die!” I was completely berserk, just hitting!

“Kid, get off!” His face aching, Shark Bing shook wildly, pulled me off, and threw me to the ground!

“Thud!” I made intimate contact with the mat. The pain in my back only stoked my fighting spirit. I quickly rolled up and charged again!

“What’s going on?!” Shark Bing was in shock—deep shock. This unnamed beast had taken a dozen of his full-power punches! Though neither had mutated, the kid was matching him blow for blow!

He seemed unkillable, growing stronger with each hit. Fear crept into Shark Bing’s heart, reminding him of that undying man from before!

“Twin winds strike the ears!” The fourteenth form of Tai Chi’s twenty-four forms—I leaped like in the movies, slapping both palms against Shark Bing’s ears in rapid succession!

Hit! Then I slammed both fists into his temples. I could clearly see his eyes redden and lose focus—temporary disorientation.

He was out! I won!

Just as I was about to celebrate, a tremendous impact struck my chin, launching me three meters into the air!

A dragon punch…

“Thud!” The disoriented Shark Bing collapsed, his massive body falling limp to his knees.

“Crash!” On the other side, the boy plummeted from the air and slammed onto the mat.

Both hit the ground simultaneously!

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