Fang Ping spent more than an hour at the morgue.
Someone had died during then, so he had once gone out to help lift the body but the process went without incident.
Little Zhao and some others looked at him curiously. This newbie was doing well. Perhaps he had seen blood before?
...
As lunchtime approached, Zhao Xuemei could finally take it no longer and threw up!
At noon, Lu Fengrou had invited them for a meal. Of all things, it was a bloody steak!
“You’ll get used to it after vomiting a while.”
Lu Fengrou was unconcerned and calmly said, “In the Catacombs, you can’t light a fire, so you can only eat dry or raw food.
“Of course, if you have an energy mine, you’ll be able to cook your food.
“Although, what are the chances you will?
“Besides, since they’re rare, it would be better to exchange the energy for pills. Using them to cook would be a waste.
“You’ll need to get used to this situation next time.”
Saying this, she looked toward Fang Ping. “What are your thoughts?”
“Martial artists aren’t as glorious as normal people think.”
“Exactly. Martial artists may enjoy privileges but we also die quickly.
“Casual martial artists have it slightly better but that’s only for now. It may not be the same in the future.”
“Yeah.”
“Have you considered the life or death arena?”
Lu Fengrou opened her mouth and spoke, “The life or death arena can give you more experience in combat as well as letting you experience toeing the line between life and death.
“Of course, it is not compulsory. It is up to you.”
“Let me think about it...”
“Instructor, I wish to do it!” Zhao Xuemei, who was vomiting, suddenly interjected!
Lu Fengrou frowned and said softly, “Your strength is too weak.”
“I am not weak! I’ve honed 40 pieces of bones and broke through as a martial artist with 169cal of Vitality. I’ve learned combat techniques, my pole-standing is about to reach a firm stance, and I have some success with my Puncture Kick.
“I don’t think I am weak!
“At the very least, I am not afraid of those who are in the arena today!”
“There is no rush now. You can first take on some capture missions or take part in a regular match. If you really want to experience a life or death situation, you must first wait until you have the experience.
“You are still too young and immature.”
It was not the same as letting Fang Ping take part in a life or death match. In Zhao Xuemei’s case, Lu Fengrou firmly made her wait.
“I can accept missions now?”
“Yes, you can.”
“Great!” Zhao Xuemei was so elated that she had even forgotten the feeling of disgust she had moments earlier.
Fang Ping looked at her strangely. ‘What was this woman doing?’
Zhao Xuemei, however, did not spare him a glance. After thinking for a bit, she clenched her teeth and faced the bloody steak. When she ate it, her face became frighteningly pale.
After eating for a while, Zhao Xuemei became even paler as she said, “I’m going to the bathroom!”
With that, she hurriedly left.
“Stop looking. She is chasing after strength and that’s normal,” Lu Fengrou said the moment she left.
“Her father, who was also a Rank-4 martial artist, died in a battle at the Tiannan Catacombs.
“They have a company at home and it’s not a small one. Now that her father was dead, it is being watched attentively.
“Without strength, she will eventually have to relinquish it.
“Now that she is a student of a martial arts university, it’s still fine. Plus with me as her instructor, she will be able to support it.
“However, if she doesn’t reach Rank-4 by graduation, how will she be able to protect it?
“If she loses the company, even if you got a little money for it, do you think she would be satisfied?
“It’s good for people to have some motivation, unlike you...”
“Instructor, I do have motivation too. I want to become strong and rich. I want my family to have a better life,” Fang Ping complained, feeling hard done by.
“You call that motivation? At least, you are afraid of death which is also a good thing.
“Your fear of death would serve as some pressure,” Lu Fengrou said jokingly.
Fang Ping was embarrassed.
‘As if you aren’t afraid of dying?’
“Continue to watch the battle this afternoon. Not to look at blood this time but to learn. Learn the fierceness of the martial artists of society, learn their unpredictability, and learn their will to live.”
After watching today, how about you participate in a regular match tomorrow?”
“Do people die in regular matches?”
“Depends on your luck. There are many cases of injuries while deaths are uncommon. It’s not like the life or death arena where it would be unusual if no one dies.”
“I... Then, I’ll give it a shot.”
Fang Ping sighed. He could not simply avoid the battle. The safety of the regular matches was reassuring. If he did not dare to accept the challenge then it was a waste to cultivate martial arts.
...
The afternoon of the same day, Fang Ping and Zhao Xuemei were watching the matches attentively, taking note of the particulars of the hand-to-hand combat.
Fang Ping had noticed a common trait among the martial artists who took part in the life or death arena. While their Vitality might not be high and their bone-honing unimpressive, their strength was not weak.
There were many times, even when they had been beaten to a pulp, that they could still fight back.
They were different from Fang Ping’s opponents in school. These martial artists were a bit more fierce.
From this, Fang Ping deduced that society martial artists were different.
People like Tan Zhenping and co were simple casual martial artists but there were also society martial artists who wanted to break through to higher realms and pursue the higher paths of martial arts!
They did not have the resources of the martial arts universities, nor the government’s assistance or the capability to open a business to earn money.
That was why they ended up in underground brawls.
By taking part in the life or death arena, a Rank-1 martial artist could get a guaranteed reward of 200,000 yuan. As for bets, that depended on oneself as any amount was welcome.
As for feigning losses, one could try it if they did not fear death. If someone placed a bet on their opponent winning, it was possible that they would just end up dead.
Therefore, when a martial artist was on the stage, they would usually bet on themselves.
If they died then all their troubles died with them. If they won, they would make a lot of money. It was normal for them to make five or six hundred thousand in a fight.
‘You could have brought Old Wang to fight. If he loses, just let it go. But if he won then you could earn tons.’ Fang Ping murmured to himself.
The guy felt like a cheat anyway but he did not know if he was someone who had fought in this kind of battleground before.
Of course, the outcome came after he fought a few rounds. The Nanjiang circle was small and it directly rejected his participation.
They were unlike Magic City, where the sheer number of martial artists meant that it would not matter if a few died.
In Nanjiang, the death of a Rank-3 martial artist would lead to a sizable commotion.
...
On the last day of October, Fang Ping and his party arrived at the same compound.
This time, the boss of the place came out early to greet them.
Lu Fengrou simply said, “Arrange a regular match for a Rank-1 martial artist.”
“This person’s strength...”
“Bone-honed 40 pieces.”
The strong man raised his eyebrows slightly. “There’s gonna be some risk with a gap that big.”
“If he dies here then he deserved it.”
“Alright, wait for a moment. I’ll get someone to arrange it immediately.”
The strong man responded and then looked at Fang Ping. “The regular match is relatively safe. Generally, people will not kill intentionally if they can hold back. I hope you can hold back as well.
“People join the regular matches instead of the life and death arena because they don’t wish to get seriously hurt.”
Fang Ping nodded subtly while Lu Fengrou said, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. It would be best if you don’t kill someone but don’t think about holding back either. Otherwise, don’t blame other people when you die. ”
Fang Ping once again nodded and asked with a smile, “Boss, how do you count the reward?”
“Fifty thousand per round.”
“That low?”
“Yes. You can bet on yourself winning. You’ve bone-honed 40 pieces, the other party is a peak Rank-1. The odds would be at least 1 to 3.”
“It’s alright for me to bet 1 million?”
“Absolutely!”
The boss replied without hesitation. What was 1 million even?
The one-day entry ticket for this place was more than that. For a martial artist, 1 million was really nothing.
As for where Fang Ping’s self-confidence came from, it was normal for students of martial arts universities. Although when they really took the stage, it may no longer be the case.
...
Half an hour later.
Fang Ping and the others reached an area different from the same stage from the day before.
Before going up on stage, Lu Fengrou pondered for a bit before saying, “You can surrender in a regular match but it would be useless to try that in a life or death arena unless your opponent did not wish to kill you. That is the difference, understand?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve bet 5 million on you. If you lose, you have to pay me.”
Fang Ping’s mouth twitched. ‘For what?’
Zhao Xuemei carefully said, “I’ve also bet 1 million on you...”
Fang Ping’s face was as black as iron. ‘I have only bet 1 million. You two have high expectations.’
Wins and losses in regular matches fluctuated a lot because it was not a battle of life or death. Here, it was normal to admit defeat and it was difficult to predict who would win or lose.
Betting here was riskier.
...
“Here we invite our two challengers onto the stage, a peak martial artist, Black Mask!”
The host shouted loudly on the stage and soon, a middle-aged man with dark skin stepped into the ring.
“A mid-Rank-1 martial artist, the King of Swords”
...
Zhao Xuemei who was in the audience scoffed all of a sudden and said silently: “King of Swords?”
Lu Fengrou laughed faintly. “Showing some cheek, is he? The King of Swords yet he does not use swords? Although it may be a bit useful. Some people are stupid and would take the code name seriously.”
“No way.”
“They will. When you face an opponent in the future, don’t just focus on their code name.
“Luo Yichuan uses his spear very well but that doesn’t mean he won’t use anything else.
“Tang Lion’s fists and feet are powerful but that does not mean that his weapon skills are weak. It’s just his specialty.
“If you think that you can take advantage of Luo Yichuan just because he doesn’t have his spear, you’ll die without knowing what happened.
“Take note, although this boy is afraid of death, he is not stupid. When he’s pushed to a corner, he is unpredictable. He can take advantage of others and whoever takes advantage of him aims to kill him!”
Zhao Xuemei nodded pensively.
...
On the stage.
Fang Ping laughed innocently and said, “Uncle, this is my first time in the ring, Let’s learn from one another.
“If I lose later, I’ll admit defeat so please let me off.”
The dark-skinned middle-aged man furrowed his brows and replied, “We’ll see how it goes.”
“Uncle, it’s just a regular match, I think...”
“Begin!” The referee shouted before he could finish his words. He was not given the chance to talk nonsense.
Although Fang Ping was talking endlessly, when he heard “begin”, he jumped up and kicked directly at the black-masked middle-aged man!
This time, instead of a single kick, Fang Ping’s body was volleyed and with his left and right legs, he kicked in series!
Black Mask raised his hand to block but his body was still kicked back!
“Damn it, fight back!” someone shouted loudly in the audience. No one expected that Black Mask would be forced to a defensive position as soon as the battle started, not to mention getting kicked back non-stop by a youngster!
One was peak Rank-1 and one was mid-Rank-1.
There was a gap in their strength and many people thought that the black-masked man would be able to brutalize “The King of Swords” until he was on his knees, begging for mercy!
However, things did not go the way everyone expected.
Fang Ping kicked at his opponent more than a dozen times and the moment his body landed, Fang Ping did not retreat but charged. He shouted “Watch the legs”, but instead he held raised both his fists and thumped his opponent’s head!
Black Mask panted and hurriedly raised his hand to block.
Fang Ping’s fists smashed down a punch until his opponent backed up two steps. With the distance opened, he raised his leg and kicked again!
Bang! Bang!
The sound of collisions kept coming non-stop.
As Black Mask blocked and was thinking of ways to counter, Fang Ping was suddenly no longer solely kicking. With his right leg tensed straight, a bang erupted from the tip of his feet as it flew through the air before it connected with Black Mask’s shoulder.
Crack!
Black Mask’s shoulder suddenly collapsed and with a drastic change in expression, he gritted his teeth and shouted, “I surrender!”
“Thanks for the win!”
Fang Ping quickly retracted his legs and took a few steps back. He smiled and said, “Uncle, thank you for the win.”
Humph!
The middle-aged man snorted as he held his right shoulder and got off the stage.
He had not expected the mid-Rank-1 martial artist to rush and attack the moment he got on the stage.
He also had not expected that the kicks would bust his shoulder so soon. His upper limb bones had been honed and the bones were not fragile.
For his opponent to have injured his bones meant that his Vitality was not inferior to his; during a burst, it could be even stronger.
Otherwise, his defense would not be penetrated that easily.
Looking at the youngster again, he did not need to guess to know that he was most likely from a martial arts university. If they had fought to the end, the possibility of losing was also very high.
It was not a life or death arena. Evens so, if they had continued to fight, treating the injuries would be a big waste of money.
...
Below the stage, many people were cursing.
Lu Fengrou frowned. “It doesn’t help.”
Fang Ping’s strength was much stronger than the opponent. Be it combat techniques, pole-standing or Vitality, they were all superior. The only thing he lost at was his progress of bone-honing.
When Fang Ping attacked, the opponent did not have the time to fight back.
Fang Ping had won in less than a minute.
Such a battle meant little for him.
“Too bad the boy is afraid of death. Otherwise, he could try the life or death arena.
“However, there is no rush now since he has not reached peak Rank-1. For the time being, bone-honing should be the main focus.”
Lu Fengrou shook her head slightly but Zhao Xuemei was watching with a look of admiration.
“Fang Ping is much stronger than me. His Vitality... is it perhaps 300cal?”
“I don’t know. It may be.”
Lu Fengrou had not asked Fang Ping about it but for a thrice-honed Fang Ping, even if he had not broken the 300cal milestone, he should have at least 280cal.
...
Fang Ping found the regular match relatively simple but was still very happy. The main point was not that he won but that he had made money!
It was easier and simpler to win money this time. Since it was his first time, the people of Boxing Market were not familiar with his strength, which was why the odds were one against three.
Next time, however, the odds would no longer be this good.
Fang Ping bet 1 million on himself and received 3 million, plus a 50,000 yuan bonus for the win. In one minute, he had earned 2.05 million!
At this moment, for the first time, Fang Ping’s wealth had officially exceeded 10 million!
Last night, he was only going through his routine practice and stopped after spending about 50,000 yuan in wealth.
His wealth value was almost 8 million before but adding more than 2 million now, he had suddenly reached 10 million!
After his wealth value had reached 10 million, Fang Ping found that the system was updated!
It was the same as last time. It suddenly turned dark and then quickly, new statistics appeared!
...
Wealth: 10010000
Vitality: 267cal (289cal)
Spirit: 241Hz (249Hz)
Bone-honing: 40 pieces (90%), 166 pieces (30%)
There was one more stat: progress for bone-honing. Fang Ping’s gaze wavered. Did that mean he could add directly to the bone-honing progress? It was not as if he did not know the numbers to his bone-honing.
After trying to keep track of his bone-honing progress by heart, Fang Ping’s sight moved slightly!
At this moment, the data on his honed bones had changed.
Bone-honing: 40 pieces (90% progress), 1 piece (31%), 165 pieces (30%)
“It really works!”
Fang Ping was ecstatic. Could he directly hone his bones?
But soon, Fang Ping’s expression changed again!
His wealth had decreased by 10,000!
A 1% progress led to a decrease of 10,000 in wealth!
Doing the math, if he wanted to hone a bone to 90%, he would need 600,000 of wealth!
At present, he still had 22 bones that had not been honed to 90%, which was the standard of peak Rank-1.
In other words, he needed at least 13.2 million of wealth!
If he cultivated by himself using his Vitality, he would not need that much. At most it would take about half his wealth: 6 million.
“In summary, I can cheat but I’ll need to spend more wealth?”
Fang Ping felt rather powerless. He had tens of millions in wealth but he had spent a lot of time accumulating it.
In the end, it was not enough for him to reach peak Rank-1.
“In that case, I should cultivate as much as I can by myself to save the wealth value.
“Although, when it is really necessary, I can try to increase it directly. ”
After thinking about it, Fang Ping scrapped the idea of a direct increment — for now at least — since his bone-honing progress was already fast.
Any faster and Lu Fengrou would cut him up.
Not to mention, the consumption was far too much, more than double.
“This is pushing me to make more and more money!”
Fang Ping sighed. It was nice to cheat with the system but wealth was hard to earn and it was being used up faster and faster.
“Also ... there may be restrictions. Just like with Vitality before, when I raised my Vitality, it could ascend directly and can be used to nurture bones and physique right away.
“The bones may be similar. If increased directly. I’m afraid it may be related to physical endurance.
“At the very least, physical strength must keep up and this goes without saying. The system is not so kind as to allow me to directly improve to peak Rank-3 in one night.”
Fang Ping cursed in his mind. He did not think he was wrong. Otherwise, if he raised both the limb bones and torso bones to 90%, did that mean he will immediately reach peak Rank-3?
It was more likely there were more restrictions on other aspects.
‘Let’s not try it now. I’ll think about it later. On the other hand, I wonder if I can elevate till 100%?’
As he thought to himself, Fang Ping remembered Lu Fengrou and the others.
He had went straight to claim his winnings after getting off the stage and had forgotten to greet them.