85: Chapter 85, do I have to do even a single section?

As he entered the octagon, the neon lights around the ring flared to life, and his information appeared on the electronic screen, immediately drawing the gaze of the crowd.

"What is this? They're even dragging out a Tier 1 to fill the numbers?"

"That pretty boy looks all refined, yet he calls himself Tie Pao? 'Sissy' would be more accurate."

"Look closely, this is a mixed match. Anyone who dares to play like this isn't just some ordinary person; they might be hiding their true strength."

"Hiding my ass. No matter how deep he's hiding, he's still just a Tier 1. It's not like he's going to sprout wings."

"Isn't a Tier 1 great? Just bet on him to lose, and that's that."

"Better be careful. The Hot-Blooded Gang has pulled similar stunts before; it might just be a trap to swindle money."

"Screw it! The payout is two to one, I'll drop two hundred and see what happens!"

Amidst the clamor from the crowd, Tang Long's opponent stepped into the octagon, and his information flashed onto the screen.

Savage Bull, Qi Manipulation Tier 2, record: 12 wins, 7 losses.

The opponent was a stocky, muscular man with thick arms and legs—clearly a strength-based fighter.

By comparison, although Tang Long's physique had improved recently, he still appeared somewhat thin.

Once inside the cage, Savage Bull continued to complain to the ring manager standing below.

"Brother Xin, what's the meaning of this? You're making me fight a Tier 1?"

"Cut the crap! One guy doesn't want to fight, the other can't win—does the company pay you just to sit around and eat?"

Savage Bull's face turned livid from the rebuke, but as he turned back, his eyes were locked onto Tang Long.

Tang Long was actually a bit worried—not that the guy was tough, but that he was all show. He was afraid he'd accidentally kill the guy with a single punch, given that the opponent's primary attributes were only one-third of his own.

Soon, the betting period ended.

The moment the gong sounded, Savage Bull charged forward with heavy strides.

Tang Long took a few hits, then retaliated with a few probing jabs.

To his surprise, Savage Bull's ability to take a hit was actually decent. Even though he was struck repeatedly and roared in pain, he kept his head down and pressed forward.

Savage Bull was equally shocked. His talent and combat power were nothing special, so he practiced a relatively rare defensive Guidance Technique, which allowed him to hold his own for a while against Tier 3 fighters.

But Tang Long's punches were unnaturally heavy. After just three or four hits, he was already feeling dizzy.

There was no helping it; Tang Long was nearly twenty centimeters taller than him, and he couldn't fight without closing the distance.

And the process of closing the distance was simply the process of getting beaten up.

During this exchange, Tang Long realized that his proficiency in the Guidance Technique was finally increasing, and at a decent rate. It seemed that actual combat was truly the best way to train this skill.

Although his spiritual energy was draining quite quickly, if he could unleash his attacks freely, it seemed it wouldn't be hard to grind out ten thousand experience points a day.

He got slightly distracted, and the force of his punches inevitably became uncontrolled.

Suddenly, a hook punch landed squarely against the side of Savage Bull's head. The man didn't even grunt before collapsing instantly.

A wave of boos erupted from the audience, followed by a chorus of curses.

"Screw this, that's way too fake!"

"What did I tell you? This is definitely a fixed match!"

"Is it possible... that Tie Pao is actually just really strong?"

"Bullshit! Copper Hammer has always been able to take a beating. Now a Tier 2 is fighting a Tier 1 and gets KO'd in less than a minute? What is this, a father letting his son win?"

"Fixed match! Fixed match!"

"Refund! Refund!"

Tang Long's victory didn't earn him any cheers; instead, it sparked a significant commotion. A team of 'staff' from the Hot-Blooded Arena immediately rushed over to maintain order.

A major venue like this was relatively professional; in the face of widespread skepticism, they definitely needed to provide an explanation.

But at this moment, even the ring manager, Brother Xin, was baffled. He went onto the ring himself to examine Savage Bull and confirmed that it was indeed a legitimate knockout.

He took another look at Tang Long. "Kid, do you know Savage Bull?"

Tang Long shook his head. "No."

Brother Xin thought for a moment. "Throw a punch at me. Let's see."

Tang Long didn't stand on ceremony and threw a punch without hesitation.

Although Brother Xin blocked it precisely, he immediately felt a sharp pain in his arm, and his expression grew increasingly astonished.

"I couldn't tell. Your strength is pretty good."

Tang Long shrugged. "Like I said before, I'm a veteran of many battles."

"The base pay for this match is two thousand, with a four-hundred bonus from the side bets. The next fight will be against a Tier 3. Are you sure about this?"

Tang Long smiled. "Can I bet on myself to win?"

"Why? Do you think the Hot-Blooded Arena won't take your bet? If you're not afraid of losing, go ahead and place it."

Brother Xin rolled his eyes. While signaling for people to carry Savage Bull away, he turned to announce that Tang Long's victory was legitimate, though that only invited another round of boos.

Tang Long stepped down to collect his pay, then took out all his savings, scraping together exactly five thousand, and placed a bet on himself to win.

Meanwhile, in a dark room in the corner of the arena, a white-haired youth was wrapping bandages around his hands while answering a call.

"Brother Xin, what is it?"

"Bai Ren, get to Ring 8 immediately."

The youth looked up at the screen, his expression immediately turning displeased.

"Ring 8? Do I really have to fight a Tier 1? Is the arena that short on people?"

"Stop complaining. This kid is bizarre. Even though he's a Tier 1, his strength is freakishly high. Average Tier 3 fighters can't handle him, so I suspect someone sent him here to stir up trouble. He's also from the First Specialized Academy, so it's best if you step in."

"From the First Specialized Academy? Fine. But my contract with the company states I only fight one match every three days. Once this match is over, I'm off the clock."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Brother, let me give you a piece of advice: don't take everything so seriously."

"You may be a genius, but your cultivation technique is too unique. Especially in the early stages, it requires a massive amount of resources. You have just over two months until graduation, and you must reach Tier 4 to get into a higher academy. If you can't clear this hurdle, your genius won't matter."

"I'll put in a good word with Brother Shan occasionally, but it all depends on you. The company will only provide as much support as the value you demonstrate. If you want to slack off, you're only cheating yourself."

"I understand, Brother Xin."

The white-haired youth hung up the phone and sighed deeply before walking out of the dark room and into the main hall.

The lights illuminated his handsome face, though it looked somewhat pale and gloomy.

His ancestors were originally nobles of the Yuanwu Kingdom, but they later migrated to this small southern nation, and the family's fortunes had declined ever since.

By his generation, although they had produced a genius like him who possessed the family's secret martial arts, they were simply too poor, and he had been reduced to working for a gang.

Now, he was even being forced to bully a first-year student, which was a heavy blow to his pride.

When he appeared at the No. 8 octagon, a commotion broke out, and people began gathering from all directions.

"Look! That's Bai Ren! He's actually stepping out!"

"He's a star figure, one of the resident experts at the Hot-Blooded Arena!"

"A resident expert? The cap for these lower-level mixed matches is only Tier 3, right? Can a Tier 3 really be considered an expert?"

"You don't get it. Whether someone is an expert doesn't always depend on their rank. Even among Tier 3s, no one has ever lasted more than a minute against Bai Ren. He even has a record of killing a Tier 4. He's known as invincible within his rank and has never been defeated."

"Exactly. These so-called resident experts are all top-tier powerhouses within their rank, specifically kept on hand for people who come here to cause trouble."

"In that case, Tie Pao must actually have some skill. The last match might not have been fixed after all, otherwise, a resident expert wouldn't have been called out."

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter now. Once Bai Ren steps in, he's guaranteed to lose."

"Heh, maybe this is just another trap? I'm going to bet on Tie Pao to win and see what happens!"