Another crisp and decisive victory, the audience applauded fervently, cheering enthusiastically.
However, for Sun Haoran, these cheers sounded harsh to his ears, and he became enraged, suddenly standing up:
"A bunch of trash!!! How could you not even defeat a little girl!"
Losing the first round didn't matter; there were still two more to go. As long as they got their hands on the Liao Family Fist, losing a martial master was a small price to pay.
But losing two rounds in a row meant certain defeat, a crushing one at that!
Looking at the elated trio from Liao Family Fist, his face momentarily turned an angry shade of blue—frustration and unwillingness etched into his features—
[Absolutely cannot let it end like this, I must have them bleed!]
[Moreover, the corpses of Blood-Exchange Realm powerhouses have various incredible uses; I cannot let them have it too easily!]
~~~~~~~~
Down below, Liao Qe had already returned, and Lu Yao approached her with praise: "Heroine, what excellent skills! That scoundrel had no chance to fight back; in the end, he couldn't even spit on you~"
The girl giggled joyfully, her body trembling like a flower in the breeze.
Lu Yao looked around: "Two out of three rounds are won, can we collect our prize now?"
Normally there would be no need to continue fighting, but there were exceptions. Some martial arts halls, after losing two rounds straight, would still fight the third for the sake of their reputation, desperate to kill an opponent, if only to save face.
The audience looked towards the main seat in the east, where Sun Haoran spoke up: "As written in the life-and-death agreement, prepare for the third match."
The voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the tavern heard it clearly.
~~~~~~~~
Upon hearing Sun Haoran say "prepare for the third match," the Liao Family Sisters grew furious.
The other party was dead set on killing someone!
Liao Qe was worriedly frantic: "Sister, what do we do? Lu Yao has just started his Muscle Training..."
Liao Ya remained composed: "If it's written on the life-and-death agreement, we must fight. If we don't, they will have an excuse to deny the outcome. Don't panic, I have faith in our junior brother!"
Lu Yao stretched his limbs, saying calmly: "I too am very confident. Sun Haoran insists on fighting, right? Watch me win this duel, three to zero. I'll shave his head clean, and let this bastardly grandson understand the meaning of reaping what you sow!"
In the martial arts community, being shaved bald, especially in front of a crowd, meant a devastating blow to one's dignity, subjecting one to ridicule.
Lu Yao suddenly stepped to the side, letting his opponent's attack barely miss him as it grazed his clothes. At the same time, he slashed with his kitchen knife, cutting a gash into Lao Shen's wrist, and blood gushed out.
Lao Shen roared, the injury igniting his ferocity, and he lunged again, stabbing down with his knife!
Lu Yao's five senses, firmly locked on his opponent, captured his every move. Again, he narrowly dodged the attack and counter-sliced with his kitchen knife, disfiguring Lao Shen's face with a three-inch-long cut.
If he hadn't dodged quickly, he would have lost an eye, not just scarred a face.
Lu Yao flipped the kitchen knife in his hand, finding it even more handy and suited to his fighting style than he had anticipated. He didn't need much force, just needed to use the opponent's momentum.
By now, many had started to realize what was happening—
"This sickly kid has entered a spirit-refining focus. It's just like playing with monkeys."
"After focusing, the sharpness of his senses is beyond comparison. He can easily grasp the opponent's movements, indeed like toying with a monkey."
The Liao Family Sisters, who had been holding hands in tension, now wore broad smiles as they saw Lu Yao gaining the upper hand.
Liao Ya couldn't help but remark, "Our junior brother has surpassed me in Spirit Refinement. His state of focus is deeper than mine."
Liao Qe's big eyes never left Lu Yao, filled with admiration.
~~~~~~~
Lao Shen was covered in his own blood. It was clear that the sickly kid had no experience in combat, just hacking and slashing wildly, but he couldn't overpower him, and a few more strikes would guarantee his doom!
"Damn it! I'm going to kill you, you sick freak!"
Lao Shen immediately resorted to his special skill—he charged forward and made a stabbing attempt! As Lu Yao dodged, Lao Shen raised his arm towards him.
A three-inch-long arrow shot out from his wrist with a "swoosh." The man actually had a sleeve arrow bound to his arm!
Lu Yao, in a focused state, clearly saw his opponent's moves and even the heavy metal arrow being shot. He immediately dodged to the side, avoiding the arrow.
But unexpectedly, Lao Shen raised his arm again, firing a second arrow while sneering, "Surprised, aren't you? I've got two!"
Lu Yao's posture was old-fashioned, and he couldn't dodge it in time. Fortunately, his state of focus greatly assisted in battle.
Holding the kitchen knife sideways in front of him, there was a loud "clang" as the arrow ricocheted off the blade!
Lao Shen was astonished at the sight—he couldn't believe the sickly kid dodged two sleeve arrows within ten steps! These weapons were comparable to a crossbow, and Lu Yao wasn't even in the Muscle Training Realm. How did he do it!?
"That's it? Why didn't you bring more?" Lu Yao examined his opponent with the kitchen knife, looking for where to strike next.