My Mosquito Clones Are on a Killing Spree

Chapter 68: Chapter 60: Gladiator Arena

Zhang Quan took a step forward, the invisible pressure making Lin Yi’s breath catch in his throat.

"Don’t expect me to train with you! The gap between our cultivation realms is too great. If I made a move, you wouldn’t even get to experience a near-death sensation. Only a true life-or-death crisis is the whetstone you need!"

Lin Yi nodded, completely understanding Zhang Quan’s intentions.

Actual combat, especially life-or-death combat, was indeed a way to break through bottlenecks and rapidly improve one’s skills.

The only unfortunate thing was...

This world didn’t have any virtual combat platforms.

In those web novels, virtual combat platforms were standard issue for the Martial Dao. You could upload your Spiritual Power to the platform, and even if you were thousands of miles apart, people could communicate face-to-face as spiritual bodies.

It could connect all the Martial Artists across the world, using the virtual platform as a medium.

However...

The technology on Blue Star today was still far behind.

After all, a so-called virtual combat platform could also be seen as a kind of Spiritual Weapon from a Spiritual Power cultivation system.

And on the current Blue Star, a Spiritual Power cultivation system hadn’t even been created yet!

Most Martial Artists’ Spiritual Power was extremely fragile!

If you used a machine to extract Spiritual Power, wouldn’t a person just die instantly?

Without a mature Spiritual Power Cultivation Skill, this kind of high-end virtual platform could naturally only be a pipe dream.

At this thought, Lin Yi’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’If I wait until the Spiritual Power cultivation method is created...’

’I have to be the first to create this virtual combat platform and charge every single Martial Artist in the world...’

’Becoming the richest man in the world would be just around the corner!’

’By then...’

’Would I still need to worry about a few measly cultivation resources?’

’I could just buy whatever I wanted!’

As for now...

He could only use the old-fashioned method and follow Zhang Quan to fight in the underground fighting rings.

...

「Twelve o’clock midnight.」

For ordinary people, it was a time they would have already been fast asleep.

But for the gray areas of Yang City, the real nightlife was just beginning.

On Bolan Street in the North City District, the scene was one of flashing lights and bustling nightlife, with all sorts of entertainment venues shining brilliantly.

Lin Yi followed Zhang Quan, walking through the bustling street.

Finally, they stopped in front of a huge, brightly lit building with a bustling entrance.

A huge, brazen neon sign displayed the words—

Thunder Arena!

Lin Yi stared at the enormous, glaring sign, stunned.

"Teacher, aren’t we going to an underground fighting ring? This... is so blatant!"

"Isn’t this it?!" Zhang Quan pointed a finger at the sign, his tone as flat as if he were talking about a vegetable market.

"No, I mean, shouldn’t an underground fighting ring be hidden in some abandoned factory, a basement, or a place with secret doors and passages?"

His face a mask of confusion, Lin Yi lowered his voice.

"Being so openly in business, aren’t they afraid the Public Security Bureau will come crashing down on them with an iron fist?"

Zhang Quan scoffed and patted Lin Yi’s shoulder.

"Kid, what are you thinking? Every cent earned here from fighting and running betting pools has to be dutifully declared for taxes!"

"Get it? These are legitimate fights!"

He glanced around at the boisterous environment.

"You think the higher-ups don’t know? Places like this exist to give Martial Artists an outlet to blow off steam! Otherwise, if this bunch of unruly guys with too much energy get bottled up and start causing trouble on the streets, wouldn’t that be an even bigger headache for the folks at the Public Security Bureau? It’s called channeling their energy, not just damming it up. Understand?"

Realization dawned on Lin Yi, and he nodded.

So that’s how it was. These were the unwritten rules and the way of survival in Yang City’s underworld.

But even though he understood, a faint sense of disappointment inexplicably welled up inside him.

’What a waste of excitement...’

’I thought it would be one of those more exciting, more secretive, illegal deathmatches.’

As the two walked toward the arena, Zhang Quan asked, "How many bones have you tempered?"

"Eighteen. I’m working on the nineteenth," Lin Yi replied without hiding anything.

"So fast?" Zhang Quan said in shock.

As his spear technique teacher, he was naturally familiar with Lin Yi’s detailed situation.

Lin Yi was tempering the much more difficult torso bones, and he’d actually managed to temper eighteen of them in just a single month?

This speed was just too fast.

Lin Yi explained, "I took a Dragon Blood Potion before, and I didn’t absorb all of its medicinal effects. The rest accumulated in my bones, so my cultivation speed is a bit faster."

Zhang Quan nodded. He had also heard about Lin Yi taking a Dragon Blood Potion.

Seeing that he had successfully glossed over the matter, Lin Yi couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief internally.

’When you’re away from home, you are who you say you are.’

’This Dragon Blood Potion excuse is really great!’

’Now I don’t have to worry about exposing my Mosquito Avatar.’

Just as the two reached the heavy metal doors of the arena, they were immediately stopped by two guards with imposing auras and bulging, knotted muscles.

One of them, a scar-faced guard, extended a hand with a blank expression.

"Tickets? If you don’t have any, it’s five thousand a pop."

Zhang Quan was perfectly composed.

"We’re not here to watch. We’re here to fight in the ring. To register for a match."

The guard’s gaze swept over the two of them. "Who’s fighting?"

"Him!" Zhang Quan jutted his chin at Lin Yi. "I’m his agent."

The scar-faced guard nodded, asked no more questions, and picked up the walkie-talkie on his belt to whisper a few words into it.

A moment later, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching.

A middle-aged, pot-bellied man in a gaudy shirt came jogging out, his greasy face plastered with a professional, enthusiastic smile. The moment he saw Zhang Quan, that smile instantly became a bit more sincere.

"My goodness! Brother Zhang! What a rare sight! What brings you here today? It’s been ages!"

The newcomer was none other than the arena’s Manager Wang.

Zhang Quan also smiled and patted Manager Wang’s shoulder.

"Manager Wang, you’re too kind. This is my student. He’s young and needs some real-world combat experience. I brought him to your place to fight a few matches, see some blood."

The smile on Manager Wang’s face froze for a moment. His gaze shifted to Lin Yi, filled with obvious scrutiny and hesitation.

He wrung his hands, his tone becoming cautious.

"Brother Zhang, you... you’re putting me in a difficult position, aren’t you? You know the matches here are no child’s play. Broken arms and legs are commonplace, and a few deaths each year... that’s a regular occurrence too."

He lowered his voice, a pleading tone creeping in.

"This young man is a student at Yang City No. 1 High School! If something were to happen to him here at my place, this humble little establishment of mine... I couldn’t bear the responsibility!"

The smile on Zhang Quan’s face didn’t change, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Manager Wang, I know the rules. In the ring, life and death are decided by fate! If he really gets killed, it’s because his skills were lacking and it was his time to go! Yang City No. 1 High School will absolutely not cause any trouble for your arena!"

Manager Wang looked at Zhang Quan’s determined gaze, then glanced at Lin Yi, who stood ramrod straight beside him with no trace of fear in his eyes. Knowing he couldn’t refuse, he could only sigh.

"Alright... Since you’ve put it that way, Brother Zhang, how can I possibly stop you? Please, follow me."

He made an inviting gesture and led the two of them through a somewhat dim corridor.

He pushed open a heavy, soundproof door.

A deafening wave of sound, like a tsunami, instantly engulfed the three of them!

The view before them opened up dramatically!

The massive interior space was designed in a circular structure, like an ancient Roman colosseum.

In the center was an enormous ring enclosed by a high-strength alloy fence.

At that moment, an extremely brutal brawl was unfolding on the ring!

Two Martial Artists, wearing only shorts, were entangled like frenzied beasts, their every punch landing with a solid thud, creating dull impacts like the beating of war drums.

And on the tiered spectator stands surrounding the ring, a dense, dark sea of people was already packed in.

They waved their arms and screamed themselves hoarse, their faces twisted with excitement, the massive wall of sound threatening to blow the roof off.

A huge electronic screen hung directly above the ring, scarlet words scrolling across it:

「"Downhill Tiger" Zhao Hao VS "Fierce Fist" Zheng Feng!」

「Zhao Hao, First Grade Middle Stage, Odds 1:1.3!」

「Zheng Feng, First Grade Middle Stage, Odds 1:1.8!」

In fact, the disparity in the odds already showed the difference in their strength.

Inside the arena, chants of "Zhao Hao! Zhao Hao! Zhao Hao!" rose and fell like the tide. Clearly, this "Downhill Tiger" was extremely popular and had many fans.

Manager Wang pointed at the screen, a hint of professional pride on his face.

"Brother Zhang, you see, this Zhao Hao is one of our arena’s star fighters! Tonight is his crucial battle to become the ’Thirty-Win King’! If he wins, it’ll be thirty consecutive victories, and his value will immediately double!"

However, Lin Yi’s gaze was glued to the odds.

A bold idea instantly surfaced in his mind...

’Should I...’

’...fleece the arena a little?’

At the First Grade Middle Stage level, Lin Yi had absolute confidence!

He had tempered his torso bones, and the abundance of his Qi and Blood far surpassed his peers—it was almost double theirs!

Sheer power alone would be enough to crush them!

What’s more, his basic spear technique had long since reached the peak of the Micro Level, just a single step away from the Control Level. His skill was exquisite!

He whipped his head around to look at Zhang Quan, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Teacher! Can you... lend me a million first? I promise I’ll pay you back in a little while, with interest!"

Zhang Quan glanced at him, instantly understood the kid’s plan, and without hesitation, shook his head and poured cold water on his idea.

"Thinking of placing a bet? Forget about it. The arena rules strictly prohibit participating fighters from betting, precisely to prevent match-fixing and other dirty tricks!"

The excitement on Lin Yi’s face instantly froze, and he deflated like a frostbitten eggplant.

He had been hoping to fleece them for a bit of wool to buy a few Bone Tempering Pills.

He never thought the arena would have plugged its loopholes so tightly.

’Are they really this by-the-book?’

’I knew it, you can’t go to legitimate places!’

Standing to the side, Manager Wang watched the shifting expressions on Lin Yi’s face. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he wanted to laugh but was holding it back.

He led the two of them through the frenzied crowd and into a relatively quiet office.

Inside the office, Manager Wang expertly pulled a printed contract from a drawer, pushed it in front of Lin Yi, and put his professional smile back on.

"Young man, your name? And would you mind telling me your realm?"

"Lin Yi, First Grade Middle Stage," Lin Yi answered concisely.

"Lin Yi?" A flicker of surprise flashed in Manager Wang’s eyes as he sized Lin Yi up again. "The... number one student from Yang City No. 1 High School? I’ve heard so much about you! Truly, heroes are born young! To reach the First Grade Middle Stage in the first semester of your senior year, that’s incredible!"

He was outwardly complimentary, but inwardly, he was rapidly calculating the value and risk of this genius.

"Friend Lin, this is the fighter’s contract. Take a close look."

Manager Wang pointed to the contract’s terms.

"The rules are simple. Win a match, and the arena pays you prize money of five hundred thousand! Lose, and you still get a consolation prize of two hundred thousand for your troubles—call it medical expenses. However..."

His tone became serious.

"In the ring, you are responsible for your own life and death! Whether you are seriously injured, crippled, or... unfortunately die, it has nothing to do with the arena. Understand?"

Lin Yi picked up the pen but didn’t sign immediately. Instead, he pointed to the remuneration clause and asked a very serious follow-up question.

"Manager Wang, this prize money... is it pre-tax or post-tax?"

Manager Wang was visibly stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting this to be the first thing the young genius was concerned about.

The expression on his face turned a little strange, then he let out a laugh.

"Friend Lin, since you were introduced by Brother Zhang, it’s post-tax, of course!"

"That’s more like it." Lin Yi decisively wrote his name on the contract.

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