The underground arena did not exist on any map.
No signs.
No advertisements.
No official records.
Yet everyone who mattered in the city knew about it.
Liang Chen stood at the entrance of a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of the industrial district. Rusted metal walls. Flickering lights. Two large men in black jackets guarded the door, their expressions bored but alert.
From the outside, it looked abandoned.
From the inside, it pulsed with life.
Music thumped faintly through the walls — low, aggressive bass that vibrated through the concrete beneath Liang Chen's feet. Voices followed. Shouts. Laughter. The sound of money being exchanged.
This was not a place of honor.
It was a place of proof.
Liang Chen stepped forward.
One of the guards held out a hand.
"Invitation?"
Liang Chen met his gaze calmly.
"I'm here to fight."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Everyone's here to fight," he said. "That doesn't mean you get inside."
Liang Chen didn't argue.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black card.
The guard's expression changed instantly.
He straightened.
Without another word, he stepped aside and opened the door.
"Welcome," he said stiffly.
Liang Chen walked in.
---
The noise hit him immediately.
The warehouse interior had been transformed into a massive underground stadium. Tiered seating surrounded a circular fighting platform made of reinforced steel. Spotlights shone down from above, casting harsh white light onto the ring.
Hundreds of people filled the seats.
Businessmen in tailored suits.
Street fighters with scarred knuckles.
Cultivators hiding their aura poorly.
This place gathered them all.
Liang Chen scanned the crowd calmly.
He could feel it now — faint spiritual fluctuations beneath the surface. This city wasn't as ordinary as it pretended to be.
At the center of the arena, a man in a dark red suit held a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he shouted, his voice amplified and sharp, "welcome to tonight's opening match!"
The crowd roared.
Liang Chen moved toward the registration desk near the ring.
A young woman sat behind it, eyes glued to a tablet.
"Name?" she asked without looking up.
Liang Chen paused.
Names had power.
In his past life, his name alone could silence sects.
Here…
He smiled faintly.
"Liang Chen," he said.
The woman's fingers stopped.
She looked up.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
She shrugged and typed it in.
"New challenger," she announced into a headset. "First match."
A man standing nearby laughed openly.
"Another idiot," he said. "He won't last two minutes."
Liang Chen ignored him.
[Ding.]
[Mission 002 — Progress: Arena Entry Confirmed.]
---
Backstage was cramped and dimly lit.
Fighters wrapped their hands, stretched, or stared silently at the floor. Some radiated confidence. Others barely hid their fear.
Liang Chen leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
He focused inward.
His body was stronger than before.
Supreme Body — Stage 1 was stabilizing.
Still far from his peak.
But enough.
A bell rang sharply.
"Match One!" a voice boomed. "Challenger Liang Chen versus Iron Bull!"
The crowd erupted.
A massive man stepped forward.
Iron Bull lived up to his name.
Over two meters tall. Thick arms like tree trunks. Scars crisscrossed his exposed chest. He rolled his neck, cracking it loudly as he climbed onto the platform.
Liang Chen followed.
As soon as he stepped into the light, laughter rippled through the audience.
"He's skinny!"
"Is this a joke?"
Iron Bull grinned widely.
"Kid," he said loudly, "I'll go easy on you."
Liang Chen didn't respond.
The bell rang.
Iron Bull charged.
Fast. Brutal. No technique — just overwhelming mass.
Liang Chen stepped aside.
Iron Bull's fist smashed into the steel floor, denting it slightly.
The crowd gasped.
Liang Chen moved.
One step.
One pivot.
One strike.
His fist drove into Iron Bull's ribs with surgical precision.
A crack echoed.
Iron Bull froze.
His eyes widened.
Then he collapsed.
Silence swept the arena.
The entire fight had lasted less than three seconds.
The announcer stared, stunned.
"W-winner… Liang Chen!"
The crowd exploded.
Shock.
Confusion.
Sudden interest.
Liang Chen stepped back calmly.
[Ding.]
[Decisive victory detected.]
[Mission 002 — Progress: 30%.]
---
Whispers spread rapidly.
"Who is he?"
"That wasn't luck."
"Did you see that strike?"
Liang Chen returned backstage.
Several fighters avoided his gaze now.
Others watched him with calculating eyes.
The bell rang again.
"Match Two!"
Another opponent stepped up.
Then another.
Liang Chen fought three times that night.
Each fight ended faster than the last.
No wasted movement.
No flashy techniques.
Only absolute control.
By the fourth match, the laughter had vanished.
By the fifth, silence followed his steps.
In the VIP section, Zhao Ming's father sat stiffly, his expression dark.
"That's him," Zhao Ming whispered.
Zhao's father's eyes burned.
"So that's the one who humiliated my son."
Beside him, a man in glasses spoke quietly.
"He's not normal," he said. "His control suggests advanced cultivation… but there's no registered background."
Zhao's father clenched his fist.
"Find out everything."
---
After the final bell, the announcer cleared his throat.
"Tonight," he said loudly, "we have witnessed something rare."
The spotlight focused on Liang Chen.
"A challenger who entered without reputation… and left undefeated."
The crowd cheered.
Liang Chen stood in the center of the ring.
Then he raised his head.
His gaze swept across the audience.
And he spoke.
"Remember this name," he said calmly, his voice carrying without effort.
"Liang Chen."
The arena fell silent.
[Mission 002 — Completed.]
[Reward Granted.]
A surge of power flooded Liang Chen's body.
Deeper. Heavier.
[New Function Unlocked: Dominion Network.]
[Current Authority Level: Urban Tier — Established.]
Liang Chen exhaled slowly.
So this was only the beginning.
---
Backstage, the red-suited announcer approached him hurriedly.
"Mr. Liang," he said nervously, "the organizers would like to speak with you."
Liang Chen nodded once.
In a private room, several figures waited.
Men with sharp eyes and controlled auras.
"You made an impression," one of them said. "We'd like to offer you exclusive fights."
Liang Chen smiled faintly.
"I don't do exclusivity," he replied.
The men stiffened.
"I do dominance."
Silence followed.
Then laughter.
"This city is going to be interesting," one of them said.
---
Later that night, Liang Chen stepped outside.
The city lights stretched endlessly before him.
His phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
He answered.
"Liang Chen," a calm voice said, "this is Zhao Wenhai. We should talk."
Liang Chen looked up at the sky.
"You're late," he replied.
The call ended.
[Ding.]
[New High-Value Target Detected.]
Liang Chen slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"This world learns quickly," he murmured.
"But not fast enough."
Far away, forces began to move.
And for the first time—
The city truly noticed his name.