80: Iron Fist VS Steel Claw

The shockwaves of the impressive military equipment display had yet to subside, and the roar of steel and the fervent cheers of the crowd still echoed within the Training Ground.

Now, the focus of all eyes finally shifted to the center of the Training Ground—the true contest between the strong was about to begin!

The rules of the competition were very simple: draw lots to determine opponents; the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.

The only variable was that the final four would accept challenges from anyone who was dissatisfied, and if the challenger won, they would take their place!

"First match!" Jiang Feifei's crisp voice resounded through the arena via the loudspeaker, "Between our base's civilian powerhouse—'Iron Fist' Gold Dragon, and 'Steel Claw' Wang Xi!"

Two contestants rose from the contestants' seats and strode toward the center of the field.

Gold Dragon, lean and capable, had his fists clenched tight, his knuckles covered in a metallic sheen, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's; every step he took carried a sense of steady power.

Wang Xi, slim in build with a cold gaze, had ten sharp steel claws flickering with a sinister, icy light quietly extending from between the fingers of his hands, which hung at his sides.

As he walked, he carried the dangerous aura of a predator.

Both were bona fide First-Tier Evolvers with similar power systems—both focused on the extreme strengthening of the upper limbs and fierce close-quarters combat!

At the referee's command, the two figures collided instantly!

"Clang!"

Sparks flew!

Gold Dragon's metallic-sheened Iron Fist clashed fiercely with Wang Xi's steel claws, emitting a harsh metallic screech!

Both were experts in close combat, their moves ruthless and direct, fists and claws flying and creating trails of afterimages!

Gold Dragon's footwork was steady, his punches fierce and powerful, each strike heavy like a swinging hammer; Wang Xi, on the other hand, was agile, his footwork treacherous, his steel claws like a viper flicking its tongue, attacking with tricky and ruthless angles, specifically targeting vitals!

The wind of their punches whistled, claw shadows wove together, and the sounds of intense collision were incessant.

Every dangerously close dodge and sharp counterattack drew gasps from the audience.

The two went back and forth, neither giving an inch, the battle falling into a stalemate.

Sweat soaked their clothes, and heavy panting was clearly audible amidst the intense clash.

However, Gold Dragon had, after all, joined the military earlier, having experienced more life-and-death battles and systematic, rigorous military combat training.

After one head-on collision, Wang Xi's steel claws were skillfully deflected by the back of Gold Dragon's fist, exposing a flaw in his chest!

"Hah!" A sharp glint exploded in Gold Dragon's eyes.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, he delivered an inch-punch condensed with his full strength, like a cannonball fired from its chamber, slamming fiercely into Wang Xi's chest!

"Bang!"

Amidst the dull sound of impact, Wang Xi let out a muffled grunt, his body staggering back several steps uncontrollably, his steel claws scraping harsh sounds against the ground.

Clutching his excruciatingly painful chest, his face pale, it was clear he had lost the ability to continue fighting.

"The winner—'Iron Fist' Gold Dragon!" the referee announced loudly.

Gold Dragon withdrew his fist and stood straight, cupping his fists to Wang Xi to show respect.

Wang Xi, panting, returned the salute; though defeated, his fighting spirit remained undimmed in his eyes.

"Second match!" Jiang Feifei's voice carried a hint of regret, "Between 'Vine Controller' Li Ying, and 'blaze Golden Blade' Blaze Ash!"

The result was without suspense.

Just as the gentle-mannered Li Ying stood firm at the edge of the field, attempting to channel her Supernatural Ability to summon vines, Blaze Ash didn't even summon his signature blaze mecha.

He just casually raised his right hand, and a mass of scorching, golden-red flames erupted from his palm with a "whoosh"!

The terrifying high temperature emitted by the flames instantly caused the few emerald-green vines that had just sprouted at Li Ying's feet to turn yellow, wither, and curl up as if they had met their nemesis!

Li Ying's face went pale; her plant-type Supernatural Ability appeared so pale and weak in the face of absolute level suppression and attribute restraint.

Blaze Ash didn't even launch an attack, just took a step forward with a rebellious smile, and the scorching heat wave rushed towards her!

Li Ying decisively raised her hand to signal surrender.

Second-tier against first-tier, fire restrains wood; this battle had ended before it even began.

"Third match! Let us welcome the base's Beast King Championship!" Jiang Feifei's voice rose sharply, full of anticipation, "Between 'Earth War Bear' Xiong Da, and 'King of Military Dogs' Howling Heaven!"

"Roar—!!!"

"Awoo—!!!"

The earth-shaking roars instantly ignited the entire arena!

Two massive, imposing Second-Tier mutant beasts charged into the field!

Xiong Da was like a moving hill, thick armor covering its entire body, every step causing the ground to tremble slightly, exuding an unshakeable sense of power.

Howling Heaven was like a silver-gray lightning bolt; though a size smaller than Xiong Da, its streamlined muscles were full of explosive power, its dark green eyes flashing with cunning and ferocity, a low, menacing growl rumbling in its throat.

At the start of the battle, Howling Heaven displayed its terrifying speed advantage!

It transformed into a blurry silver shadow, moving at high speed around Xiong Da, while suddenly lifting its head— "Awoo—!!!" A visible, high-frequency distorted circular sonic wave erupted from its mouth, smashing fiercely toward Xiong Da like an invisible heavy hammer!

However, Xiong Da just shook its massive head disdainfully!

The sonic wave impact, enough to shatter the skull of an ordinary zombie, crashed against the thick, mountain-like armor on its body, only stirring up ripples of light before dissipating into nothingness!

Howling Heaven's ranged attack was like scratching an itch through a boot!

Howling Heaven was unwilling to give up, using its speed to continuously pounce and bite, its sharp claws leaving harsh scraping sounds and sparks on Xiong Da's armor, yet it was unable to break the defense.

Xiong Da, however, was as steady as a rock, its huge bear paws wrapped in earthy-yellow energy light, swinging like a siege hammer, bringing with it a dull whistling sound through the air!

Each strike was heavy and powerful, and Howling Heaven could only rely on its speed to dodge dangerously, the ground being slapped into deep, cracked pits by the bear paws!

This was an ultimate collision of strength and speed!

It made the audience's blood boil, and gasps were constant!

Xiong Da's tough physique and strength, like an ancient war god, made every man's heart surge, wishing they could transform into it and tear through all obstacles on the battlefield!

And Howling Heaven's ghostly speed and unique sonic attack also won countless cheers.

However, the gap in race and power was ultimately hard to bridge.

The moment after a failed pounce, when its landing point was predicted by Xiong Da, the huge bear paw, condensed with earthy-yellow light, swept across like a mountain!

Although Howling Heaven twisted its body to the limit to dodge, it was still fiercely struck by the edge of the palm wind!

"Woo!" Howling Heaven let out a pained cry, its body sent flying by the immense force, rolling on the ground several times before stabilizing, looking somewhat disheveled.

The outcome was decided!

"The winner—'Earth War Bear' Xiong Da!" the referee announced.

Xiong Da stood upright, beating its armored chest with both paws, letting out a deafening roar, declaring its victory!

Howling Heaven shook the dust off its body; though there was dissatisfaction in its dark green eyes, it recognized the gap, giving a low growl at Xiong Da, acknowledging defeat.

If it had the armor-piercing capability of Tanya's "war god blade," the outcome might have been different.

"Incredible! Thank you to the two Beast Kings for bringing us this feast of power!" Jiang Feifei's voice was full of excitement, "Next, is the match everyone has been looking forward to! Let us invite—the base's guardian deity, 'ice fire divine lord' Major Zhang Lei! His opponent is the civilian powerhouse 'Muscle Tyrant' Wang Kun!"

"Zhang Lei! Zhang Lei! Zhang Lei!"

"ice fire divine lord! ice fire divine lord!"