160: Melee

"Those willing to win this prize may step forward." Yang Tian stood beside Hall Master Yang Shuai, beaming with excitement.

He cupped his hands and said, "Today is my father's eightieth birthday. Keep it to a friendly match; do not take anyone's life."

Yang Tian narrowed his eyes, his murderous intent leaking out as he added, "Otherwise, it's a life for a life!"

This father and son were truly calculating. By placing the lives of the participants first, they were essentially handing out a "get out of jail free" card.

As for whether anyone would actually die, that was another matter; at the very least, they had to say the right things for the crowd.

In normal times, let alone hostages that could be exchanged for abundant supplies, even a bit of food would cause people to fight to the death.

"Thank you, Hall Master Yang and Young Master Yang Tian, for thinking of us."

"After this competition, if you don't mind, we are willing to join Zhongyi Hall."

"Yes, count me in."

"Me."

"And me!"

Hall Master Yang Shuai and Yang Tian exchanged a look, secretly delighted. These people were so easy to fool; it was just a small favor.

What had the Yang family actually given up?

Nothing at all, yet they gained a group of thugs who would follow them to the death.

The participants took the stage one by one, ranging from the lowest level of a five-year Contaminator to those with over twenty years of strength. Since no one was supposed to die, it was just for fun.

Zhao Le stood not far from Xu Jingzhe, looking at him with a cold, sinister smile.

Xu Jingzhe ignored him completely; he was nothing more than a housefly, let him buzz.

With so many people around, if he died, he died; who would notice?

The training ground was packed with a full two hundred people. Their combined martial spirits mingled together, scattering the clouds in the sky and revealing a starry expanse—it was truly breathtaking.

"Start!" Hall Master Yang Shuai ordered.

Instantly, the training ground descended into chaos, filled with constant screams. In a flash, over a hundred people collapsed, rolling on the ground.

Xu Jingzhe locked onto Zhao Le, using the Celestial Maiden's Drunken Steps to weave through the crowd without a single leaf touching his clothes.

Zhao Le’s eyes narrowed, his murderous intent undisguised as he charged toward Xu Jingzhe.

As he ran, his body changed; strands of silver thread covered him, forming a suit of silver armor.

Although Zhao Le talked down to Xu Jingzhe, when it came to the real fight, he was extremely cautious, afraid of capsizing in the gutter.

The two collided. Relying on his armor, Zhao Le raised his fist and smashed it toward Xu Jingzhe's face.

"Time Stop." Xu Jingzhe's voice was devoid of emotion.

Then, there was no "then."

Xu Jingzhe simultaneously utilized the energy from his Golden Contamination Core and the energy within his cells to execute the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea technique.

He snapped Zhao Le's neck directly; even the protection of his supernatural armor was useless.

A twenty-year Contaminant.

Instant kill!

With so many people around, no one noticed Zhao Le's death at all.

Xu Jingzhe then engaged a mutant with a human body and a bird's head. The bird-man opened his mouth and spat out seven or eight stones, which flew out with fierce wind.

Xu Jingzhe shattered them with one punch each. He charged up to the bird-man and punched him, sending him flying dozens of meters into the air before he crashed heavily to the ground, coughing up blood.

This time, Xu Jingzhe held back; otherwise, he could have killed this ten-year Contaminator with a single punch.

"Clang!"

Suddenly, a flash of sword light stabbed straight at Xu Jingzhe's back.

Xu Jingzhe moved like a dragon, twisting his body at an incredible angle to dodge the sneak attack. His fist, heavy as a mountain, struck out to his side with a thunderous roar.

"Pfft!"

The attacker was clipped in the chest and, as if struck by lightning, flew backward while vomiting blood, looking like a rainbow of blood.

"Thud!"

"Boom!"

Those who could persist until now were almost all the cream of the crop among Contaminators; very few had less than fifteen years of strength.

A youth who looked about the same age as Xu Jingzhe.

He sat atop a transparent tiger that was over ten meters high and three meters long, its roar making people's eardrums buzz.

The transparent tiger was immensely powerful; every charge sent several people flying, creating a vacuum zone around him that no one dared to approach.

A woman with eight spider legs growing from her back, each one sharp and comparable to alloy. The spikes at the tips of the spider legs were very sharp, like long spears, and she had poked holes through the abdomens of several people.

There was also a middle-aged man standing still, muttering something. He was surrounded by crackling electric arcs. Anyone who got close would be numbed by the electricity and lose their ability to attack.

Nuclear pollution brought strange and varied abilities to the humans who developed a pollution core, allowing them to survive safely in the Pollution Zone.

Half an hour later, only about ten people were left standing on the training ground. Those who could move had run out of the arena, and those who were unconscious or dead were left unattended for the time being. The ten people each occupied a position, wary of one another.

Among them, only one person made Xu Jingzhe wary.

He had delicate features, almost feminine, and held a Tang sword in his hand, which looked like it was made of alloy.

He stood there, holding the Tang sword at an angle, radiating an indescribable aura.

There were many onlookers, packed in layers. Qi Yuan and another person from Zhongyi Hall were trembling, unable to hold back the urge to urinate.

Goodness, this guy is so strong; he wouldn't come after them to settle scores later, would he!

But seriously, if you're that strong, say something. If you don't say it, how would I know you're so strong and dare to provoke you?

"Tian'er, watch closely. Those who can stand until now are all very strong. If you can make friends, don't make enemies." Hall Master Yang Shuai watched the people in the arena, his eyes sweeping over them one by one.

His gaze also lingered on the youth with the Tang sword, looking thoughtful.

"Little brother, you don't look very old, but your strength is surprisingly strong!"

"Why don't we team up first?"

A man not far from Xu Jingzhe said, gasping for breath. He had a deep knife wound on his arm, clearly inflicted by that youth.

He was exhausted at this moment and wanted to find someone to cooperate with to make it further.

"Boom!"

Xu Jingzhe made his move, taking the initiative to attack the man. He might be young, but he wasn't stupid. Only one person could win here, and there was no need to cooperate with anyone.

Who knows, the moment you cooperate, he might stab you in the back.

Xu Jingzhe fought with wide, open movements, each punch carrying the force of tens of thousands of pounds—fierce and overbearing.

The middle-aged man was exhausted, being suppressed by Xu Jingzhe. He was about to cry; how could this person be so unreasonable? They had been fighting for half an hour, yet his inner energy seemed inexhaustible.

Each punch was heavier and faster than the last, and his face was already swollen from the hits.

"Thud!"

A heavy blow struck his back, and the man, like a kite with a broken string, was knocked out of the arena, losing his ability to fight.

Xu Jingzhe's performance was stunning. It was hard to imagine that a body that looked merely well-proportioned could possess such explosive power.

The youth with the Tang sword walked over slowly; he wanted to have a fight with Xu Jingzhe.

The others in the arena didn't catch his eye; they were a bit too weak, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back and would accidentally kill them with a single slash.

Only this strikingly handsome youth was interesting and worthy of his effort.

The Tang sword pointed forward, gleaming with a dark light.

"Use your full strength," the Tang-sword-wielding youth said, his face showing no emotion.

Xu Jingzhe smiled at him. His hands were itching for a fight, and he turned to look at Hall Master Yang Shuai, wanting a long sword.

Long sword against long sword!