Chapter 48 Ya Lie’s Intentions

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Ya Lie’s Intentions

Inside the Death Madness Tower, in a contestant’s room.

A long-haired Blade Master, bare-chested, was enjoying a massage from a charming female masseuse. With his wild, ruthless features and a rugged, imposing physique, he exuded a uniquely lethal charm. The masseuse straddling him kneaded his back muscles, her face slightly flushed. As she worked diligently, she panted and pleaded, "Mr. Ya Lie, if you keep doing this... I won’t have any strength left."

"Hahaha!" Ya Lie let out a few unbridled laughs and withdrew his hand from the soft cushion. "You’re not bad. Come to my room tonight."

The masseuse blushed and offered a fawning, coquettish smile, nodding obediently.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

A knock sounded at the door.

The masseuse hastily straightened her posture and resumed massaging in earnest. Ya Lie frowned slightly and said, "Come in."

The door opened, and a uniformed staff member walked in. He stood stiffly to the side, not sparing a single glance at the exposed masseuse. "Mr. Ya Lie, tonight’s Death Madness matches have begun. You are in the final bout, as usual."

Ya Lie gave a nonchalant grunt. "You didn’t need to come all the way here just to tell me that. What else is there? Spit it out."

The staff member leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Hong Yuan and Ghost-faced Fox have left the cruise ship and returned to their hideout."

"Oh?" Ya Lie raised an eyebrow, a look of interest crossing his face. "They finally got off the boat? I thought they were going to hide out there until that Xuan Guang Group’s little heiress took them away. Good job. Keep monitoring their movements. I’ll go play with them after my Death Madness match tonight."

The staff member looked hesitant. "They’re currently favored by the Xuan Guang Group. Is there really any need for you to go after them...? There’s no benefit to it..."

Ya Lie burst into maniacal laughter, a sickly excitement washing over his face. "Hahaha! So what if they have the Xuan Guang Group’s protection? Just imagining the look of despair on their faces right after they found hope... I find it hilarious. It’s thrilling just to think about it! Besides..."

His smile vanished, replaced by an expression of even deeper anticipation. He thought he might even be able to draw out that mysterious Black Armor Swordsman. It was simply too interesting.

Inside a VIP box at the Death Madness Arena.

Feng Yin intently watched the two experts slaughtering each other beyond the glass. It was a rare unarmed battle, and the fight had already been dragging on for several minutes.

One of the combatants was a short, stout man with a ferocious build. His muscles were knotted all over, and his fists were like bronze hammers. Every punch he threw forced his enemy half a step back. His opponent’s arms and upper body were already battered, bruised, and swollen.

The opponent, on the other hand, had a slender build, though the muscle lines across his body were equally well-defined. His fingers were formed into claws. With every swiping strike, he managed to tear open the stout man’s skin or puncture several bloody holes into him.

From the outside, compared to the slender man’s swelling and bruises, the stout Martial Artist was completely drenched in blood, looking several times more miserable. If it continued like this, he would likely bleed to death.

The stout man seemed to realize this hidden danger as well. With a sudden explosive roar, his muscles bulged once more as he lunged at his opponent. The slender man apparently hadn’t expected the disadvantaged stout man to launch such a sudden Counterattack. He took the brunt of the heavy collision and spat out a massive mouthful of blood. The two of them flew back several meters and crashed to the ground, lying motionless for a long time.

The excited shouts of the packed audience abruptly paused. They wondered who had won.

A few seconds later, the stout man lying on top was shoved aside. The slender man, who specialized in claw techniques, slowly sat up, his right index and middle fingers dripping with gore. Meanwhile, blood continually gushed from the stout man’s throat.

The victor had been decided!

ROAR—

The audience seats boiled over once again.

At the last moment, the stout man who had lunged at his enemy in a desperate attempt for a reversal had instead fallen into a premeditated trap. A single thrust to the throat had claimed his life.

"Ah!" A soft gasp echoed inside the VIP box.

Shen Jia, the best friend who had invited Xiao Yu to watch the Death Madness match, was now covering her eyes and shrinking behind Xiao Yu’s petite frame.

Xiao Yu, however, stared intently at the bloody arena with shining eyes. She mockingly brushed her off, "Sister Shen Jia, you’re so annoying. You scream every time someone dies. If you’re this scared, why did you even come to watch?"

Shen Jia stiffened her neck and explained, "I thought it would be like in the TV dramas, the kind where they look really cool when they fight. How was I supposed to know it would be this bloody? I’m never watching this again!"

Nearby, Xie Jingyuan patted Feng Yin on the shoulder. "Having watched so many matches, have you gained anything?"

Feng Yin nodded slowly. "In a death match without Defense, prioritizing your own preservation is key. Even when it’s time to explode and put your life on the line, you must be extremely cautious. Because your opponent is very likely waiting for your last-ditch effort."

Xie Jingyuan nodded slowly. "Over these past dozen death matches, this is exactly why some of the Zero Point Group’s hired Warriors managed to win even when they clearly weren’t stronger than their opponents." He sighed. "Many Fierce Level fighters have only fought safe battles while wearing Protective Gear, leading to major flaws in their tactical choices during critical moments. Even their desperate strikes end up leaping straight into someone else’s trap. You’re still young, and you will inevitably encounter situations where a death match is unavoidable. When that time comes, don’t die due to impulsiveness in this kind of scenario."

"I know, Master," Feng Yin replied softly, his eyes completely devoid of fear.

He had been here for less than half a month, yet he had already experienced several death matches in both his "dreams" and "reality"—all of which meant total destruction if he lost. His future combat experience would probably surpass anyone else’s in this world. Would being afraid do him any good? Even if he was afraid, he still had to fight!

Watching Feng Yin’s serious demeanor, Xie Jingyuan felt as if he could sense the young man’s indomitable resolve, and couldn’t help but nod lightly. He thought about how incredibly strong-willed this kid was.

While the two were exchanging these few words, the host outside had already delivered a passionately charged buildup. Amidst the scorching cheers of the audience, Ya Lie stepped into the arena.

"That’s Ya Lie!" Xiao Yu excitedly leaned against the glass to get a better look. "What a muscular and fierce man!"

Shen Jia also took a glance, then turned back to look at Feng Yin. "I still prefer Feng Yin’s type."

Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at her. "Don’t even think about it."

Shen Jia stuck her tongue out at her. "Blegh!"

Feng Yin gazed intensely at the arena.

Ya Lie maintained his usual getup: bare-chested, wearing loose culottes on his lower body, and a ghost mask on his face. Gripping his sword with shifting hands, he held it horizontally beside his face, adopting a stance similar to the Qi Mei of the Jiao Swordsmanship.

Ya Lie’s opponent was a tall, sturdy Caucasian man wielding a military saber. He was similarly bare-chested and masked. With his left hand resting behind his back, he took a horse stance, resting the saber on his shoulder, and bellowed in the common tongue, "You arrogant Genroku monkey, today I’ll show you what a professional Swordsmanship expert really looks like!"

"Heh heh..." Ya Lie paused as a vicious laugh echoed from beneath his mask.

The fully Armed referee stepped forward with a staff and swiftly struck the ground. "Death Madness match, begin!"

The two of them exploded forward simultaneously. In less than a second, their blades clashed.

CLANG—

The expression beneath the Caucasian man’s mask shifted. He realized the feedback from his strike felt entirely wrong!

In the very next instant, the crossed military saber suddenly tilted, forced into a Skew by an eerie strength. Ya Lie, meanwhile, dashed forward abruptly. With a horizontal dragging slash, he crossed paths with the Caucasian Blade Master.

SHLICK!

The sharp Katana silently sliced open the opponent’s abdomen, causing a massive spray of blood and internal organs.

The Caucasian man let out a desperate, muffled groan, but before he could even beg for mercy or surrender, Ya Lie spun around and unleashed a reverse thrust.

STAB!

The tip of the Katana pierced through the back of his neck and erupted out the front!

Drawing the blade back and shaking off the blood, Ya Lie turned and slowly walked away.

Behind him, the military saber-wielding Blade Master—who had been arrogantly shouting just two seconds prior—collapsed to his knees and fell forward, his body twitching uncontrollably as his blood pooled on the floor.

"Trash."