Winter nights came relatively early. It was already dusk when school ended. Students walked on the road leading to the school gate in twos and threes, talking and laughing. The air was rippling with a kind of relaxed atmosphere.
"Go take a look! Year 1 paleo martial arts student Song Jian and Year 1 neo martial arts student Lewis are fighting on the field! "
The excited shouts of a group of busybodies at the entrance of Construction High School in Treasure Island City surged like waves, attracting the students who were about to leave the school. They all stopped in their tracks and looked into the distance with astonished and curious expressions. Almost in the blink of an eye, all of them ran back into the school, heading straight for the scene of the incident — the sports field.
The school gate, which had been bustling with people at first, instantly became quiet. Everyone's attention had shifted to the sports field. Qin Fen had come to watch the fight as well. He looked at the Byzantine style red brick building before his eyes and sighed deeply. Sure enough, the life of a rich person was much more free and unrestrained than that of a poor person. At the very least, one didn't need to work part-time after school, working hard for three meals a day and tuition fees. Moreover, these people spent all their time dueling on the Sky Martial Battle Net, and even after returning to the real world, they still could not extinguish their desire to duel. They set up battle after battle to exhaust their excess energy. On the other hand, he had to deal with his studies and work hard to earn money every day. His life was more tiring than a dog's.
"Who do you think will win, Song Jian or Lewis?"
"It's hard to say. I heard that Song Jian is quite proficient in the first stage of the Prajna Palm."
"Tsk, what's the use of that? I heard that Lewis' family spent money on a new implant surgery for him, and the neo martial art 'Electric Demon Wolf Claw' that he bought has also reached the first stage of maturity. He's a real one-star warrior now. "
"So it's hard to tell who will win?"
"That's right. It's only interesting when the outcome is unpredictable."
Qin Fen could only shake his head and smile bitterly when he heard the conversation of a few people watching the bustling scene from afar. He couldn't help but ask, Is this really one of the three most outstanding high schools in East Asia? How come these students don't even have the basic ability to distinguish? The outcome is hard to predict? Could Song Jian defeat Lewis? Unless he violated the school's rules and secretly consumed the Berserker Pill that increased his battle strength, Song Jian would definitely lose.
Qin Fen suddenly felt bored. There was no suspense in this duel for him. He raised his head and took a deep breath, then turned around and ran out of the school. He had no interest in watching the battle at all. As a poor student who transferred from the countryside, he didn't have much spare time like other students, wasting his energy on duels and entertainment. There was still a lot of work waiting for him to do after school. The entrance exams were coming up, and he hadn't even collected enough money to pay for his first year of university.
Qin Fen couldn't help but reveal an envious look as he walked along South Chongqing Road on Treasure Island and looked at the endless stream of maglev cars whizzing past him. Ever since humans found the legendary ruins of Atlantis a hundred years ago, technology rose rapidly like a rocket that soared into the sky, and soon entered the era of interstellar navigation and colonization.
When humans opened the second layer of the Atlantis ruins, they found some ancient words on it. After deciphering, the thousands of huge mysterious stone slabs actually hid sets of martial arts secret techniques. These martial arts were very similar to many of the martial arts on Earth.
It could even be said that the martial arts left behind on Earth were simplified versions of Atlantis' martial arts. They were basic versions, not even a hundredth of the original martial arts.
Humans had already entered the interstellar era. For the sake of possessing tenacity and powerful survivability in the universe, as well as being able to stimulate more adaptability when encountering danger, these martial arts, which had long since been reduced to fitness exercises, were reignited from the ashes. They reappeared in the human world, summoning a new round of life.
Its sudden appearance immediately set off a wave of paleo martial arts fever. However, people soon discovered that the cultivation of paleo martial arts was relatively slow, and the cultivation of these high-level martial arts was much more dangerous than the original basic versions on Earth. A single moment of carelessness could easily lead to a cultivation deviation that would paralyze the entire body, or even cause one's body to explode and die. Even the less severe cases would very likely lead to the awkward situation of impotence. There were even some men who cultivated into women in a single night.
Following the deciphering of another batch of remnant texts on the stone slabs, people learned a new martial arts method: high-tech martial arts.
The so-called neo martial arts involved the insertion of genes through surgery into the human body, or the implantation of a small machine or the innards of a super organism into the body. It was even possible to add a high-tech power source. Not only could the new weapons in people's hands unleash enormous power, but the greatest benefit was that as long as one had the money to undergo surgery, there was …
"Ye Xin, you are nothing more than a three-star neo martial artist. You can't run. If you don't hand over the things you stole from the ruins of Atlantis, you will die here today! "
A voice filled with desolation suddenly interrupted Qin Fen's train of thought. He slowly moved toward the corner of the alley, thinking to himself in bewilderment, Did I run into a robber? His body froze slightly when he thought of this, and he quietly stopped his footsteps. Another conversation came from the other side of the corner.
"The things? I've already sent them out of Earth. Even if you kill me, it's useless! "
"Sent them out of Earth? Do you have the time? For the sake of our past friendship, hand over the things, and I'll give you a quick death. "
Oh my, they're serious? They aren't going to fight, right? Qin Fen secretly speculated on the development of the situation. He didn't want to be involved in this baffling robbery, so he tiptoed backward.
"You want to leave?" A cold and gloomy voice suddenly rang out from behind Qin Fen, and a palm filled with scorching heat and attack slammed into his back.
What bad luck! He was probably a three-star neo martial artist! Qin Fen cursed in his heart, and he immediately heard the sound of his spine snapping. It was like a porcelain cup held in the palm of Hercules, unable to withstand a single blow. His body was smashed into smithereens. The excruciating pain almost made him faint. Qin Fen's entire body flipped twice in midair as the man tossed him high into the air before falling heavily to the ground. The instant he landed on the ground, he kicked up countless clouds of dust and dirt, making it impossible for him to clearly see everything before his eyes. This made the pain in his spine even more unbearable.
If he had known earlier, he would have spent more time practicing the paleo martial arts. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen to such a state today!
The intense pain brought about intense gasps for breath. Qin Fen struggled to raise his head, and he just so happened to see the man who ambushed him approach step by step ….
At the same time, the sound of intense fighting rang out from the corner of the alley once more. The man who spoke first said hurriedly, "Don't worry about that kid. Hurry up and come help me get rid of Ye Xin! The electronic surveillance eyes of Treasure Island aren't just for show. The police can appear at any time. "
"I won't let you guys get 'it' even if I die!" The man called Ye Xin roared. He suddenly spread open his arms, "Uranium Explosion!"
"Hurry …." The man didn't even have time to shout out the word 'dodge' when Ye Xin's body suddenly exploded with a dazzling green light. The man who had just charged into the corner of the alley to ambush Qin Fen didn't even have time to make a sound before his body rapidly disintegrated under the illumination of the green light. "Dodge …." The man's body had already completely disintegrated by the time he shouted out the last word.
The alley, which had just undergone a fierce battle, instantly returned to its former tranquility. A metal ball the size of a fist rolled off Ye Xin's body, away from his disintegrating flesh and blood. It rolled out of the corner of the alley.
Cough ….
Qin Fen spat out another mouthful of blood in a burst of pain. He could clearly feel the aura of death gradually approaching him at this very moment. It would only take a moment for him to turn to ashes.
Qin Fen took a deep breath and silently mobilized the remaining energy within his body. When a person was seriously injured, he could only do his best to maintain a steady breathing. Only then would he be able to extend his life to the greatest extent possible and wait for medical personnel to come and rescue him.
After the metal ball collided with the wall, it bounced back and rolled toward Qin Fen's position. In the end, it actually stopped on top of the blood he had spat out.
What was this thing? It was actually unscathed under the circumstances of the Uranium Explosion? Qin Fen looked at the strange metal ball with curiosity. He temporarily forgot the pain of his spine being crushed, as well as the possibility that he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life if he survived.
Gurgle ….
The metal ball was like a soft caterpillar that had been entrenched on a leaf for a long time. It slowly wriggled its body. In the blink of an eye, it seemed to move once more.
What is this? Qin Fen thought that there was something wrong with his eyes. He saw the metal ball wriggle once more. It was as if there was a creature inside that wanted to break out of a cocoon. However, the outside was as tough as the membrane inside an eggshell.
Before Qin Fen could react, the metal ball's wriggling suddenly sped up. He didn't notice at all that the pool of blood beneath the metal ball had already vanished without a trace.
Whoosh!
After a short period of wriggling, the hard metal ball actually transformed into liquid metal.
Liquid metal? How was this possible? Wasn't this the new type of super metal that the government had been developing all this time? Qin Fen stared fixedly at the liquid metal before him in disbelief.
It was as if this metal had grown eyes. It moved slowly toward Qin Fen's direction with extreme tacit understanding. Soon, it climbed up to Qin Fen's chest. The liquid metal didn't have the slightest intention of stopping. Instead, it climbed step by step toward Qin Fen's mouth with even more resolution.
Qin Fen's heart was already trembling with fear at this moment. This was because the palm just now had destroyed the majority of his body's abilities. He wasn't even able to complete the simple action of closing his mouth. He could only silently pray in his heart. I say, this is my mouth. You strange metal, please don't treat this place as your home.
The ball of liquid metal didn't pay attention to his prayer. It didn't even have the slightest intention of stopping its advance. It continued to do things its own way. It boldly climbed up his tongue, and it vibrated with joy under the wrapping of his taste buds. Before Qin Fen could react, the liquid metal had already slid down his throat.
It was accompanied by an ice-cold, numb, and itchy feeling, and the liquid metal suddenly reached his stomach. He opened his mouth wide, attempting to use vomit to expel this rude intruder. However, the intense dry coughing pulled at the wound on his back. He could only give up and acquiesce to this awkward encounter.
Qin Fen's two eyes stared straight ahead. He was nearly lifeless as he looked at the distant sky. He thought of all these encounters. He had just passed through an alley, and someone had inexplicably broken his spine. The heavens seemed to think that he wasn't miserable enough. In the end, he actually placed a strange metal in his internal organs!
In an instant, it was as if his stomach was overturning rivers and seas. It was as if boiling water was tumbling endlessly. The smell of blood rushed to his throat, and he opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. Fortunately, he had grown up in the countryside. His many years of training had given him a tolerance that surpassed that of an ordinary person. Even in this situation, he was still able to maintain a clear mind and not faint. For the first time, Qin Fen began to loathe his tolerance that exceeded that of an ordinary person. It would have been a relief if he had fainted.
The boiling temperature of the liquid metal didn't last for more than two seconds before it suddenly became like a glacier that hadn't melted for a thousand years. An intense and extremely cold aura quickly spread to his limbs and bones, calming the frenzied feeling of being roasted. But in the blink of an eye, this icy coldness quickly covered Qin Fen's mouth with a thin layer of frost.
But in less than a second, the bone-piercing cold of this world of ice and snow transformed into the hottest magma at the mouth of a volcano. It pierced through all the blood vessels and organs in his body, flowing back and forth in an ostentatious and domineering manner. At this time, the liquid metal seemed to have been completely cut and decomposed by this wave of heat. It transformed into a myriad of tentacles that pierced into every organ in his body. It was as if the tentacles had taken root.
One second cold, one second hot. This sort of pain that could make a person faint in half a second was enough to make Qin Fen faint. After enduring for ten seconds, Qin Fen could no longer resist this torment. His head tilted to the side, and he truly fainted.
Unknowingly, dusk soon ushered in the descent of night. Because the Uranium Blast had disrupted the electronic surveillance eyes in the alley, the police never discovered this astonishing scene.
"Hmm."
It was unknown how many hours had passed before Qin Fen finally woke up from his coma. He had a splitting headache, so sore that he couldn't help but let out a soft moan. He slowly sat up and suddenly realized something. His hands hurriedly searched his body. "What in the world is going on? Isn't my spine broken? How can I sit up? And it doesn't hurt at all? "
"What in the world is going on?!"
There was no one in the empty alley who could answer this string of questions. Qin Fen stood up in curiosity. He examined his body once more.
What the hell? Could it be that everything he encountered just now was an illusion? What about the strange liquid metal?
The city clock rang out ten times in a manner that was neither fast nor slow. Qin Fen suddenly wanted to go to the corner of the alley to confirm his suspicions, but he thought of his unfortunate encounter just now. In the end, he stopped in his tracks.
Why take risks for unknown dangers? Qin Fen advised himself. He decided to hurry up and walk out of the alley. Since there were no problems with his body anymore, it would be best to hurry home.
Qin Fen sprinted the entire way, and it didn't take long for him to return to his dormitory. His dorm mates were already lying on their beds. They wore the Sky Battle Network helmets on their heads, continuing to fight and kill in the battle network, which was said to be connected to any corner of the world.
He picked up a cup of water from the table and drank two mouthfuls of cold water. Only then did he realize that he hadn't panted at all the way back. How was this possible?
Qin Fen looked at the clock on the wall and curled his lips. He was unlucky that he didn't go to work today. He should hurry up and log into the Sky Battle Network. He should write a few battle reports and reviews to earn some royalties.
Qin Fen smiled gently as he picked up the Sky Battle Network helmet. If the government hadn't been looking for more channels to send talents to the military, if the country hadn't opened up the eight free martial arts on the network, and if they hadn't distributed basic equipment to everyone, then he would've lost yet another way to make money.
These eight free martial arts were jokingly referred to as the Eight Great Commoner Martial Arts. They were the Eyebrow Snapping Hand, the Prajna Palm, the One Finger Zen, the Shaolin Thirteen Claws, the Burning Wood Blade, the Shaolin Arhat Fist, the Flood Fist, and the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art, an ultimate internal art that people would rather spend a bit of money to buy other internal art cultivation methods than cultivate in.
Qin Fen logged into the Sky Battle Network and adjusted himself to spectator mode. He used the positioning system to quickly enter the scene of the sparring practice field on the free viewing channel.
"Oh? Expert Mouth-Shooter, you're late today. "
Someone immediately greeted Qin Fen the moment he appeared. Quite a few people immediately copied the tone of their predecessors and greeted him.
The people who came to the Sky Battle Network were either poor people who came here to learn the public paleo martial arts techniques, hoping to soar in the future when they joined the military. Or they simply used the Sky Battle Network as a training ground where they could improve their combat techniques without actually getting injured.
Even the reporters of the various martial arts newspapers would often go around looking for people to fight and experience the thrill of battle.
Qin Fen was probably the only person in the entire Sky Battle Network who didn't have any battle records. From the moment he appeared, he just stood to the side and watched other people fight. Then he would write a few battle commentaries and send them to the newspaper in exchange for a bit of money. Because of this, he became a special reporter who wasn't considered a special reporter on the page of the newspaper, "Laymen See the Ropes."
Qin Fen gave these people a gentle nod. He had long since grown accustomed to them calling him Expert Mouth-Shooter.
As a man, who didn't want to be the center of attention? Who didn't want to endlessly improve themselves in battle? It was just that … Qin Fen shrugged his shoulders. If one had the physical strength to fight, then it would be better to find a job in reality and earn a bit more living expenses. Filling one's stomach was the most important thing.
Qin Fen looked at the match list: ID: Battle Angel. Height: one point eighty-three meters. Arm span: one point eighty-eight meters. Uses the neo martial art technique, the Magma Art. Two-star warrior. Battle record: seventy-two wins and thirteen losses.
ID: Six Solar Palms. Height: one point eighty-seven meters. Arm span: one point ninety-one meters. Uses the paleo martial art technique, the Plum Breaker Hand. Two-star warrior. Battle record: forty-six wins and nine losses.
Their levels were equal. The system had just sent him the match data, and Qin Fen had already made a simple analysis in his mind. The Magma Art was classified as an explosive technique. Its destructive power was in the middle of the pack among level two warriors. The Plum Breaker Hand was a speed-type martial art technique. Its destructive power was a bit weaker, and it was classified as an elementary martial art of the advanced paleo martial art technique, the Six Solar Palms.
A crisp "FIGHT!" came from the air above the practice field.
Battle Angel exploded with a roar, and a red dot flashed on his chest. His body instantly surged with a red light that was like magma.
Six Solar Palms quietly stuck close to Battle Angel. Its target was none other than the red dot on Battle Angel's chest. This was a sign that the neo martial art technique, the Magma Art, had not been cultivated to the pinnacle. When unleashed, the Achilles' heel would instantly be exposed.
Six Solar Palms was extraordinarily fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already neared Battle Angel. The Plum Breaker Hand condensed with a hint of faint blue light. It was as if he had already touched Battle Angel's achilles heel.
"Good!" Everyone in the audience channel immediately cheered in unison.
Qin Fen didn't agree with everyone's cheers. He shook his head inwardly. Neo martial artists would usually think of ways to hide their achilles heel. Battle Angel didn't hide anything at all. It was clear that he wanted to draw Six Solar Palms' attention. Everyone knew that the Plum Breaker Hand's attack point would definitely be Battle Angel's achilles heel. This restricted the Plum Breaker Hand, a martial art technique that excelled in speed and erratic. Battle Angel could easily predict where his opponent's attack would land.
Sure enough, the situation of the battlefield was just as Qin Fen predicted. Six Solar Palms' Plum Breaker Hand unleashed two swift palm strikes, but they were easily neutralized by Battle Angel at the critical moment. At the same time, Six Solar Palms was drawn into a small circle of combat, not giving Battle Angel a chance to display his nimbleness. The two instantly entered close combat. Fists, feet, and palms flew up and down, dazzling everyone's eyes.
The spectators let out gasps of surprise over and over. This fight was far too intense. The tempo was so fast that it was hard for people to breathe.
Qin Fen watched the intense battle with doubt. What was going on? How could a two-star warrior's strength be this weak? In the past, when Qin Fen watched a fight between two-star warriors, he calculated that even if he were to personally participate in the fight, he would only be able to react to the moves as they came. Today, in a fight between two-star warriors, no matter who it was, even if it was just a slight movement of the shoulder, Qin Fen would be able to know what attack his opponent was going to unleash in an instant. At the same time, Qin Fen would be able to instantly find a way to break through!
Qin Fen gently rubbed his forehead. He was a two-star warrior of paleo martial arts. Why did the two people before him, who should be on par with him, look like children fighting?
"How intense! I never thought that the free channel would have such a marvelous fight today! I really don't know who will win in the end! "
"Yeah! This is too marvelous! "
Qin Fen let out a bored yawn when he heard the exclamations of admiration from the people beside him. He spoke without thinking at all, "Battle Angel's neo martial art technique will win."
"Oh! Isn't this the number one expert in shooting one's mouth in hindsight? Don't you always wait for the fight to end before pointing out the reason why the loser lost? What's up with you today? "
For Qin Fen, who only watched and didn't fight, the spectators here didn't really like him. After all, anyone could lose in a fight. When they heard Qin Fen's words hit the nail on the head, they naturally felt unhappy. They always wanted to find a chance to teach this expert in shooting his mouth a lesson. Unfortunately, Qin Fen never personally entered the fight, so everyone could only mock him verbally to regain a bit of face.
"Battle Angel will win? I think Six Yang Palm will win. " A person who had been pointed out the reason for Qin Fen's defeat two days ago spoke words that were filled with provocation. "Number one expert in shooting his mouth, do you have the guts to make a bet with me?"
The surrounding people immediately began to laugh one after another. Qin Fen was most famous here for never entering the fight and only writing battle commentary after the fight. Another thing he was famous for was his cowardice.
It was common for spectators to place small bets in addition to watching other people's fights. Whenever everyone placed bets, Qin Fen would always intentionally or unintentionally pull away from them. He would never participate.
Fights didn't count. Any unexpected situation could happen. Qin Fen wouldn't participate in bets even when he was a hundred percent certain. Compared to others, he knew how hard it was to make money.
"Okay, how about we bet fifty dollars?"
Everyone's laughter came to a screeching halt. Those who were familiar with Qin Fen began to suspect that his account had been hacked. The person using his ID right now wasn't Qin Fen himself? After all, Qin Fen always used the system's privacy option every time he came, hiding his true face.
Qin Fen was stunned as well. Why did he open his mouth and agree? And this bet was a grand and extravagant bet of fifty dollars!
What was going on today? Qin Fen shook his head hard. First, he felt that the two-star experts below were like children playing, but now he actually agreed to a bet?
"Fifty dollars? Tch! After all this time, I thought you were going to place a huge bet. "
"Yeah! I'll also bet fifty dollars on Six Yang Palm to win. "
"I'll also bet on Six Yang Palm!"
"Me too …."
Quite a few people here had been commented on by Qin Fen in his fights. It wasn't easy to seize this opportunity, and they began to place their bets one after another. How much money could they win by betting? It didn't matter! The most important thing was to make this man, who felt like a country bumpkin, lose a great deal of face!
"I …."
Another person who was about to place a bet opened his mouth, but the system already announced, "Battle Angel wins by technical knockout …."
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