Young men of Wuling frequent the eastern golden market, riding white horses with silver saddles through the spring breeze. Chapter 137: Journey to the Treasure Island (10)

As the match progressed, the two fighters on the ring quickly determined a winner; the young man in the blue corner was outmatched by the red corner, his fight brought to an end by a sharp uppercut.

"Oh my, he's bleeding! Is it really this intense?" Cheng Chen shook the placard in his hand with glee.

"It’s bound to get even more explosive. Haven't you seen it in movies? It’s always a fight to the death," Zhao Bin said, his interest piqued.

Neither of the two warm-up matches had lasted long. Fang Yu lifted his arm to check his Omega Seamaster; it was already 1:30 AM.

"Let’s have a round of thunderous applause for our challenger from Green Pine, Aquina! Tonight, he will mount a powerful challenge for the champion’s title!" The rotund host hopped back onto the stage, instantly igniting the atmosphere in the arena.

"Yo, the main event is here," Fang Yu said, sitting up straight.

The fighter named Aquina was led out of a door in the corner of the basement by two security guards. With a fierce gaze and bulging, corded muscles, he clearly looked like a formidable opponent.

"Tch, why is he so small? He doesn't look much bigger than me. I thought this was going to be a heavyweight bout," Cheng Chen remarked with a grimace.

"Don't be stupid. This is an underground fight, not a professional one. Where are you going to find heavyweights for you?"

Underground fighting is all about blood and thrills. The opponents don't necessarily have to be hulking giants, but the action must be flashy—or rather, every punch has to land with impact.

Shortly after, the mysterious champion, Chapan, made his entrance, drawing whistles from the familiar crowd.

"Whoa, the size difference is a bit much, isn't it? Must be a gap of at least 10 kilograms," Fang Yu frowned.

Chapan, standing in the ring, was significantly larger than Aquina. This wasn't a fair fight; it was like a grown man bullying a child.

"Oh boy, Fang Yu, you've just thrown tens of thousands down the drain," Cheng Chen taunted from the side.

Fang Yu held back his anger, glaring resentfully at the placard in his hand. If it weren't for Xia Churan pulling him back, he would have torn it to shreds and tossed it into the trash.

All competitive sports have weight classes, and under normal circumstances, these two would never have been paired together. But this was underground fighting; no one here felt pity for the significantly smaller Aquina.

As the bell rang, the match officially began. Chapan, wearing red trunks, immediately pressed the attack, trying to knock out his opponent in the shortest time possible.

Chapan forced Aquina into the corner with a knee strike and followed up with a spinning back elbow, hoping to end the fight right there. Fortunately, Aquina was more agile; he dropped to the floor and slid away, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Chapan, having had his calf kicked by Aquina, lost his footing, allowing both fighters to create some distance. After a few tentative exchanges, it was clear that while Aquina was more nimble, he couldn't withstand Chapan’s heavy blows and didn't dare to engage head-on.

"Bang!" With a dull thud, Aquina failed to dodge in time. Chapan’s punch landed squarely on his brow bone, instantly splitting it open and sending blood surging out.

Seeing blood, the audience grew even more ecstatic, chanting Chapan’s name and waving their red placards high in the air.

At the end of the first round, Aquina had managed to hang on. He received emergency treatment at the ringside, his towel soon stained a deep crimson.

As the bell signaled the start of the second round, the two returned to the center of the ring. Aquina launched a fierce sweep kick, attempting to topple his opponent, but Chapan nimbly dodged and followed up with a powerful chest-kick, sending Aquina flying toward the guardrails!

At this moment, not only the three girls but even Fang Yu himself felt his blood boiling. This was completely different from watching on TV; the sound of fists hitting flesh was intoxicating. What man isn't inherently combative?

After three rounds, there was hardly an inch of skin left on Aquina that wasn't bruised. His face had two deep gashes, his ribs and legs were a raw red, and his dodging speed had significantly dropped.

Conversely, Chapan was largely unscathed, save for a stray punch to the abdomen early in the third round; the rest of the time, he had been purely on the offensive.

As the fourth round began, members of the audience were already shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!" The level of brutality in this match had clearly exceeded what Fang Yu and his group had imagined.

Chapan, seemingly sensing the crowd's expectations, fought with increasing viciousness. He soon forced Aquina back into a corner, fists pushing forward and knees raised high, charging directly at his opponent!

But Aquina was agile; he opted for an ugly but effective roll to dodge the onslaught. Not only that, he used the momentum to rise and, in a perfect position to generate force, landed a heavy liver shot on Chapan!

"Whoa, what a punch!" Even Fang Yu was excited now. This guy Aquina was truly skilled!

A liver shot is exactly what it sounds like—once you take one, you go down. The human body’s fragile protective mechanisms simply cannot withstand the agony of a damaged liver.

Chapan’s flushed face instantly turned deathly pale. He swayed, clutching the ropes, gasping for air.

In a match like this, there was no formal referee. Aquina seized the opportunity to land another heavy punch, this time to Chapan’s temple!

Chapan’s eyes rolled back, he began to foam at the mouth, and he collapsed onto the ring floor, his body convulsing uncontrollably.

The ringside erupted in an uproar. No one had expected the defending champion to lose in such a manner. Some continued to call out Chapan’s name, hoping to rouse him from the floor, while others angrily tore up their betting slips.

"Are you kidding me? How could he lose like that?" Cheng Chen stood up, cursing.

"Hahahaha, what did I tell you? You can't win if you don't bet. Glad I picked that... what's his name, Aquina." Fang Yu felt smug now. Emboldened by the alcohol, he draped his arm around Xia Churan and planted a heavy kiss on her flushed cheek.

"You stinky Fang Yu, you're drunk! Stop acting like a hooligan," the girl said, pushing him away with a shy, yet smiling expression.

Chapan lay on the ring floor, twitching. Soon, on-site medical staff rushed in to check on him. A minute or two later, they stood up and waved their arms, signaling that Chapan could no longer continue the match.

"Damn, refund! It's a fix!" Cheng Chen grumbled, grabbing his glass and downing a large gulp of draft beer.

Almost everyone in the arena had placed their bets on Chapan. Now, having lost everything, many were swearing loudly.

Meanwhile, a staff member approached Fang Yu’s group, smiling as he pointed toward the other side of the basement.

"Sir, congratulations. You can present your ticket and placard over there to collect your winnings."

Fang Yu laughed, shook his placard triumphantly at the three crestfallen boys, and said, "Oh, when luck comes, there's no stopping it. I'll be off then." With that, he followed the waiter toward the payout area.

The payout office was in a corner of the basement. Several young women sat inside, likely working in finance. One of the older women took his ticket and other items, quickly counting out 150,000 in cash.

"Sir, congratulations on your win. Since you bet on the underdog, the house will not charge a commission. Here is your 150,000. Please keep it safe."