Inside the martial arts arena, built by the official forces, the atmosphere was as intense as a blazing fire, with the stands already filled with a diverse crowd of spectators.
At this moment, a tall figure slowly entered the arena.
This was a giant of a man, nearly three meters tall. His steps were steady and powerful, and with each footfall, the ground seemed to tremble slightly.
He exuded an invisible aura of oppression, his expression cold and resolute. The giant made his way straight to the front desk of the arena, handling the necessary procedures and registering his information.
When selecting his match, he didn't hesitate for a second and pointed directly to the option for the death match, his eyes showing no doubt.
The Death Match arena, a place that instilled fear but also drew endless temptation.
Following the rule of combat within the same cultivation realm, luck also played a crucial role here.
For example, a fighter at the early stage of Foundation Building might encounter a peak Foundation Building expert due to bad luck.
This giant man was none other than Sakaski, currently at the second level of Qi Refining.
After thinking for a moment when choosing his code name, he decided on "Red Dog."
As soon as he stepped into the Death Match arena, a wave of surprised gasps and discussions erupted in the crowd.
"A Qi Refining level two dares to challenge the Death Match arena? It's simply overestimating himself, unaware of his own mortality!"
A spectator sneered derisively.
"I bet 100,000. This guy named Red Dog won't survive this fight, he's as good as dead!"
Another person shouted confidently, greed glinting in their eyes as they waved their chips.
"I wonder who's lucky enough to face such a weakling like this Qi Refining level two novice."
The crowd was full of scorn and dismissiveness towards Red Dog, as if the outcome of the battle was already predetermined.
Just then, Red Dog's opponent stepped onto the stage.
It was none other than the eight-time consecutive winner of the Death Match, the Qi Refining level nine fighter known by the code name Black Tiger.
As soon as Black Tiger entered the arena, the cheers from the crowd reached a fever pitch, and the atmosphere became even more frenzied.
To the spectators, this battle seemed to have no suspense. Red Dog was like a lamb to the slaughter, with no chance of winning.
Black Tiger had a grotesque scar running across his face, making him look even more terrifying under the light. His shiny bald head and bulging muscles made him seem like an unstoppable force. In his hand, he wielded a spiked mace that gleamed with cold light, indicating he was not a man to be taken lightly.
He looked down at Red Dog and let out a bone-chilling laugh:
"Hehehehe... Look at this, what is it? Just a foolish little mouse. Don't worry, little brat, I'll make sure you feel every ounce of pain before you die!"
His tone was full of arrogance and contempt, clearly mocking Red Dog.
Facing Black Tiger's malicious taunts, Red Dog seemed unfazed. There was no change in his expression, and his eyes showed no sign of emotion.
Soon, the referee's loud voice cut through the tense air:
"Begin!"
The moment the signal was given, Red Dog moved like a streak of black lightning, charging towards Black Tiger at incredible speed.
His movements were so fast that a gust of wind followed him. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Black Tiger, throwing a punch directly at Black Tiger's face.
Black Tiger, not one to be outdone, also threw a punch, meeting Red Dog's attack head-on.
"Bang!"
A loud crash echoed through the arena, and the entire stage seemed to tremble slightly as their fists collided. An invisible force appeared to be resisting between them.
Black Tiger thought that with his Qi Refining level nine cultivation, dealing with a Qi Refining level two like Red Dog would be easy. However, when their fists collided, his expression changed drastically.
"Damn, this guy's strength is huge!" Black Tiger cursed, his mind in shock.
He had used all his strength but still only managed to fight to a stalemate with this person who was much weaker than him.
Realizing that he couldn't continue like this, Black Tiger's mind turned cold. A wicked idea flashed through his head.
Without hesitation, he quickly pulled out a small black pouch from his clothes and threw it towards Red Dog with lightning speed.
"Ha, try this!" he shouted viciously.
Inside the pouch was a special powder that would induce strong hallucinations once inhaled. In severe cases, it could blind the user and take away their ability to fight. This was Black Tiger's trump card.
The small black pouch hit the ground with a heavy thud, bursting open instantly. A thick black mist spread out, quickly enveloping half of the stage.
However, Red Dog's reaction was even quicker. As soon as Black Tiger threw the pouch, Red Dog's senses, enhanced by his Kenbunshoku Haki, detected the danger.
His body swiftly darted to the side, moving like a sleek and agile predator, easily dodging the powder.
In the Death Match arena, where no rules existed, anything was allowed to win, pills, poisons, weapons, and even powerful weapons like Gatling guns or bombs.
Seeing that the powder had no effect, Black Tiger's frustration grew. Seizing the opportunity as Red Dog evaded, Black Tiger disappeared into the black mist and appeared before Red Dog, raising his spiked mace high and swinging it down with all his might, aiming to crush Red Dog in one blow.
Red Dog remained calm, his expression unchanged. As Black Tiger swung his mace, Red Dog's arm was instantly covered by a layer of black material, as hard as iron. He didn't dodge or move away. Instead, he extended his arm and easily caught the spiked mace in mid-air.
Black Tiger's eyes widened in disbelief as his full-strength attack was effortlessly blocked.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed in shock.
But Red Dog didn't give him time to think. After catching the mace, a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
With a swift movement, Red Dog's hand clenched, and a burst of immense force exploded outwards.
"Crack!"
The once-unbreakable mace shattered like a fragile twig under Red Dog's grip.
Seeing this, Black Tiger's heart filled with fear, and he turned to run.
But Red Dog wasn't about to let him escape.
At the moment Black Tiger turned, Red Dog's arm transformed into flowing magma. The intense heat caused the air to distort and warp wherever it passed.
Without hesitation, Red Dog stretched his magma-covered arm forward, piercing through Black Tiger's body in an instant.
Black Tiger's eyes widened in horror as the life drained from him. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
The entire battle, from start to finish, took less than three minutes.
The spectators in the stands were left stunned by this astonishing turn of events. The entire arena fell into a deep silence.
It took a long while before someone snapped out of it, and the arena erupted into deafening cheers and gasps of astonishment.