Chapter Fifty-Two: The Greatest Under Heaven

In the critical moment, Gao Wu quietly activated the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, simultaneously invoking the Gale Transformation. To avoid giving himself away, he even closed his eyes. After repeated trials and with Song Mingyue’s guidance, Gao Wu knew that when he triggered the Gale and Thunder Transformation, his eyes would flash with an unnatural light. Not to mention the mad dog before him, there were several high-definition cameras on the ring, and even the slightest change in his eyes would be caught.

The Gale Transformation increased his agility by half a point, which translated into a 25% boost in his speed, reflexes, and explosive power. In fact, if he unleashed the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra at full strength, he could have easily subdued the mad dog. But this was the arena, with so many eyes watching—revealing all his abilities would be sheer folly. With Huang Hai watching him closely, he had even more reason to conceal his true strength.

Within half a minute, the mad dog unleashed sixty punches in a row. Thanks to his fifteen-point physique, Gao Wu could withstand the assault physically, but it took a toll on him mentally. The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra instantly replenished his spirit, sweeping away all fatigue and tension; he was immediately restored to his peak condition. The mad dog’s ferocious onslaught depleted at least thirty percent of his stamina, leaving Gao Wu at an advantage. Though the mad dog’s shotgun fists broke through his guard, Gao Wu reassembled his energy throughout his body with the Divine Qi Mantra.

When the mad dog’s iron fist aimed for Gao Wu’s throat, Gao Wu slipped half a step back, just enough to evade the attack. The mad dog was baffled; his punch should have landed, but his opponent, even after his guard was broken, managed to muster strength and retreat. It made no sense.

With abundant combat experience, the mad dog immediately followed up his failed punch with a sweeping kick to Gao Wu’s head, employing the War Blade move from the Battle Soldier Fist technique. The War Blade was all about speed and ferocity—his leg flashed through the air like a cutting blade, emitting a sharp whistle as it swept across. Gao Wu, however, ducked and swept his own leg in a low arc, evading the high kick while striking the mad dog’s supporting leg.

Even with the mad dog’s modified body, one leg could not withstand a low sweep with over a thousand kilograms of force. His support leg was swept out from under him, and he crashed backwards to the ground.

Gao Wu was tempted to follow up with a flying strike, but considering the mad dog’s terrifying physique, such an attack would hardly threaten him. If they ended up grappling, Gao Wu would surely be at a disadvantage. The mad dog was stronger, tougher, more experienced in close combat—and he was notorious for biting, equipped with titanium-alloy dog teeth, truly terrifying.

More importantly, there was no need to display so much strength!

The mad dog hit the ground with a heavy thud but didn’t rush to get up; instead, he lay there, catching his breath. His furious barrage had drained him, and he needed time to recover. Now that he’d been knocked down, he didn’t see the need to hurry back to his feet.

Noticing Gao Wu hadn’t taken advantage and pounced, the mad dog felt a twinge of disappointment. This young man fought with remarkable composure—nothing like an eighteen-year-old!

On the big screen, the replay showed Gao Wu closing his eyes in the face of the mad dog’s attack, looking as though he’d resigned himself to death—an air of weakness about him. No one expected Gao Wu to counterattack with his eyes closed, precisely judging the mad dog’s move and sweeping him down with a simultaneous kick.

Applause erupted from the audience, accompanied by whistles and cheers in appreciation of the thrilling match.

Taking advantage of the mad dog’s delay, Gao Wu smiled and made a gesture of gratitude to the crowd. The upright, dashing youth radiated sunshine and enthusiasm, as if he glowed, prompting another round of cheers and admiration.

“This kid is something else!”

“No wonder they call him the Demon Slayer—he’s got real skills!”

“He’s ferocious—he even knocked the mad dog down!”

Yang Ru, listening to the chatter around her, turned to Han Yang in confusion. “Second brother, what kind of technique did Gao Wu use?”

He’d closed his eyes and still managed to escape crisis and counterattack—she was bewildered. She’d been worried Gao Wu might get beaten to death, but now she was even more puzzled.

Han Yang shook his head. “I can’t figure it out.”

In the private box, Han Lingxia was equally mystified. “What kind of move was that?”

Song Yunhe shook his head as well. “Probably some kind of innate ability. If Mingyue sees something in him, there must be something special.”

He didn’t care much; having an innate ability and still being just a low-level martial artist only proved his lack of potential. There were countless geniuses in this world, and compared to Mingyue’s talent and intelligence, Gao Wu was simply lacking—not worthy. Whatever their relationship, being together was not a good thing.

In another box, Huang Hai was frowning. “The mad dog is too strong. If he kills Gao Wu, we’ll be in trouble!”

“He won’t die,” said Lü Hongsheng, a burly man with a ruddy face, showing Huang Hai a silver remote that looked much like a car key and was quite refined. “There’s an electroshock device in the mad dog’s skull. One press, and I can disrupt his brain’s equilibrium. Plus, there’s a referee to intervene—nothing will happen.”

Lü Hongsheng grinned. “That kid is a treasure. I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”

He paused, excitement clear in his voice. “His constitution is truly special—he can actually withstand the mad dog’s blows. It must be some unique innate ability.”

“Exactly. I always thought his body was unusual. Thirty vials of Blood Dragon Serum, fully absorbed, and he’s still bursting with vitality,” Huang Hai sneered. “The kid thinks I can’t see through his act—playing dumb with me.”

“That’s even better. If anything goes wrong, we’ll need an abnormally robust vessel.”

“I was worried he couldn’t handle the Spinosaurus bone cells in the Vajra Serum, that his genes would collapse. But with this kind of talent, let’s give him ten vials of the basic Vajra Serum—and twenty vials of Spinosaurus Energy Solution. That should rapidly push his physical strength to the limit.”

“I’m only concerned he won’t be able to take it,” Huang Hai said, worried.

“If he lasts a few months before breaking down, that’s enough,” Lü Hongsheng replied indifferently. “After the match, talk to him. The kid likes to take advantage and is fiercely competitive. Getting him to willingly take the serum won’t be hard.”

Forcing Gao Wu to take the serum was possible, but that would only provoke his resistance. With Gao Wu’s current popularity, detaining him would be a huge hassle—and finding a place to keep him even more so. Only if Gao Wu took the serum willingly would the effects be optimized.

Both Huang Hai and Lü Hongsheng understood this well, and were willing to invest in Gao Wu’s development. Even if things failed, losing a few vials of serum was nothing.

Back in the ring, the two fighters clashed again. After his earlier mistake, the mad dog was more cautious, mainly probing with pistol punches to find an opening. The pistol punch wasn’t as powerful but was quick and energy-efficient, suitable for prolonged exchanges. Occasionally, he used his war blade kick, aiming to injure Gao Wu’s supporting leg, but with little effect.

They tangled for another two minutes before the first round ended.

Gao Wu collapsed into his chair, sweat slick on his face and body—not from exhaustion, but from pain. The mad dog’s reinforced fists and legs felt like iron. It took all of Gao Wu’s restraint not to cry out.

“How are you?” Song Mingyue asked.

“I’m fine. Just hurts a lot.” Aware of the cameras, Gao Wu carefully controlled his expression, covering his mouth as he complained to Song Mingyue.

“The keratinized scales increase skin toughness, but severely impair heat dissipation. Hold out for another round—if the mad dog can’t shed the heat, his stamina will be halved, and by the third round, victory will be yours,” Song Mingyue said, glancing toward the resting mad dog. The two were separated only by the transparent ring, so she could only make out his silhouette, but she could see clearly enough—he still had some stamina, but his mental state was already unstable.

“Come on—you’re the future champion of the world. You can do it!” Gao Wu clenched his fists, muttering encouragement to himself.

Song Mingyue looked at Gao Wu. “You want to be the best in the world?”

She’d known him for so long, but had never heard him state his ambition before.

“Yeah. Why?” Gao Wu replied.

“It’s too far-fetched,” Song Mingyue said, shaking her head slightly. She didn’t care for such unrealistic dreams.

“If a person has no dreams, what are they but a salted fish?” Gao Wu said. “As the ancients said, ‘Aim for the highest, settle for the middle.’ One’s goals should always be set high!”

“That makes sense,” Song Mingyue murmured thoughtfully.

“When I become number one in the world, I’ll make you second best!” Gao Wu promised earnestly.

“Thank you,” Song Mingyue replied seriously, making Gao Wu burst out laughing.

After chatting a while, Gao Wu felt completely relaxed, the pain subsiding. Normally, he should have rested in silence, but he was brimming with energy and didn’t need to.

The second round began. The mad dog launched a fierce offensive, always seeking a chance to grapple. But though he came from a military background and focused on stand-up fighting, his grappling skills were mediocre, and Gao Wu blocked every attempt.

Their strengths were actually evenly matched; the mad dog’s advantage was his iron body, but he couldn’t overpower Gao Wu in a clinch. By the end of the second round, the mad dog was breathing heavily, his iron-blue skin tinged with red, but he barely broke a sweat.

“He actually lasted two rounds!” Yang Ru exclaimed. She’d thought the fight would end in the second round, but despite looking passive, Gao Wu had withstood the mad dog’s storm.

Han Yang’s expression grew serious. Gao Wu’s stamina was monstrous. By the end of the second round, he was still at full strength, while the mad dog was flagging.

In the third round, the mad dog grew desperate; his attacks became more frenzied but lost all rhythm, his eyes dull. Two rounds had drained his energy, and the internal heat made his mind sluggish.

Gao Wu saw his chance. Taking two punches head-on, he grabbed the mad dog’s wrist, spun, and threw him hard over his shoulder. The mad dog crashed to the ground with a thud. Dazed, he tried to roll over, but Gao Wu’s sweeping kick struck him square in the face.

The blow, over sixteen hundred kilograms of force, distorted the mad dog’s face, snapped his neck sharply, and drove him headfirst into the mat, knocking him out cold.

The referee was a beat late in intervening.

Gao Wu glanced at the mad dog, whose chest was still rising and falling—he wasn’t dead. Gao Wu cupped his hands toward the mad dog. “Thank you for not tearing me apart, big brother. Much appreciated!”

He congratulated himself inwardly: “A courteous thank you—virtue +1!”

The referee shot Gao Wu a sidelong glance. Such a good kid—if only he’d keep his mouth shut...

The sudden reversal stunned the audience for a moment, then the arena erupted in wild applause and cheers.

Gao Wu ran to Song Mingyue and stopped in front of her, raising his arms and shouting, “I am the champion of the world!” He pointed to Song Mingyue and declared, “And you, my friend, will share in this glory with me!”

It had been an arduous battle, and victory filled Gao Wu with excitement and pride; his blood boiled, and he found it hard to contain himself. Besides, since Uncle Song had his grievances against him, he might as well provoke him a little more.

Song Mingyue placed her hand over her heart and nodded gracefully, expressing her thanks for Gao Wu’s sharing of the glory.

Gao Wu laughed heartily. Song Mingyue had been with him so long, she’d learned not to dampen his spirits!

The live broadcast captured the scene for every viewer, prompting laughter and whistles throughout the crowd. No one took the youth’s brash declaration seriously; they only found it amusing.

In his box, Song Yunhe sat with a dark expression. It was the first time he’d seen his daughter interact so intimately with another, and it made him deeply unhappy.

Han Lingxia stifled a laugh. “The kid’s quite something…”

(Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Last day of the month—please vote! Announcement: this book will be officially released at midnight on the 2nd—please subscribe and support—my deepest thanks!)