32. Blood (Please keep reading and cast a monthly vote~)

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“You know?” Li Fen bent her knees slightly. “Then you should understand all the more…”

Before she could finish, the muscles in her legs bulged as though exploding. Then, like a raptor diving upon its prey, she leapt across the low air at incredible speed, charging fiercely toward Ma En.

The instant she moved like a beast, Ma En also began to rise. In the blink of an eye, he created three layers of psychic shells around his body, isolating himself from the surrounding air and preparing for high-speed flight.

He drifted backward through the air with graceful ease, keeping his eyes fixed on her and ready to adjust his speed at any moment according to her movements.

But what happened next came as something of a surprise.

Claws tore through the air and swept past “by the narrowest margin” half a meter in front of Ma En—still more than ten centimeters from his third psychic shell.

He had not even accelerated yet.

Ma En had originally wanted to test how agile he could be while flying in combat, as well as how large the gap was between himself and other Tier II ability users.

Although he had not expected much from Li Fen, she was astonishingly slow.

Compared with the Tiger King, who was also Tier II, Li Fen was several times slower. Her reactions were sluggish enough to resemble a snail’s; her claws only began to descend after he had already dodged away.

He clearly remembered Li Fen claiming outside that she was one of the strongest among those of her rank.

Was she simply not good at close-quarters combat?

“Your warrior seems unable to do anything to him, does she?” the King of Vagabonds said gleefully. “It seems the crown of victory will be taken by my warrior.”

The Cannibal King smiled.

“Even if she loses, it would not be a bad thing. Besides, she has yet to use her ability.”

Li Fen suddenly stopped. The muscles throughout her body began to tremble.

“Can you do nothing but dodge? If so…”

Before she could finish, Ma En drifted down and raised his right hand where he stood.

Her body suddenly became motionless.

The other rulers present had yet to realize what had happened.

Ma En walked toward Li Fen, who had been immobilized.

“I have a few questions I would like to ask you. First…”

“How much does the company you mentioned know about me?”

Li Fen glared furiously at Ma En.

He raised his hand slightly and released the restraint around her head.

“Do you really think you can leave this place? After you caused us to end up in this state, there was never any hope.” She gritted her teeth as she stared at Ma En. “Even if I lose, you will never leave here alive.”

Ma En looked puzzled.

“You think losing to Xu Wen is my fault?”

She glared at him viciously.

“Look at you. Did you defeat him? Your stupidity has already dug your grave.”

Ma En lowered his head curiously and glanced at himself.

“Am I trapped here? Do I have any wounds on me? Look over there—even Ning Changkong shows no sign of beast transformation. Now, back to my question…”

Anger appeared on her face.

Ma En moved a finger.

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Bang.

Both of her arms exploded outward from within. New flesh immediately began trying to push out from the severed ends, while the beast transformation prepared to spread further across her body…

But the new arms failed to grow.

“That’s enough.” The Cannibal King took half a step forward and shouted, “You have already won.”

Yet he showed no real intention of intervening.

Ma En moved another finger.

Her right calf exploded as well.

At last, pain and fear appeared on Li Fen’s face.

“Wait! Didn’t you hear him tell you to stop? You’ve already won. Let me go…”

“Answer my question.” Ma En stared calmly into her eyes. “This is your final chance.”

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!” she cried hurriedly. “The company doesn’t yet know that you’re a high-level ability user. I haven’t revealed anything, but they already have other information about you, and they may be able to infer it.”

Ma En’s face showed regret.

“Thank you.”

The terror on Li Fen’s face intensified. She had already realized what he intended to do. She quickly turned her head toward the Cannibal King, standing in the distance, but he did not look at her at all.

They were all watching Ma En, their expressions grave.

Smack.

She suddenly felt a terrifying force pressing in from every direction. Then her entire body was crushed inward amid excruciating pain, while her organs were slowly compressed by her muscles.

“I’m sorry. Killing someone here is a little slow.” He withdrew his hand.

“I curse you! The company will find you and your family!” Li Fen roared at him with hatred written across her face. “Even if you get out, they will kill you…”

Ma En looked at her curiously.

“Would your company really offend an ability user of my level just to avenge you?”

The fury on Li Fen’s face slowly faded. Clear despair rose in her eyes.

The answer was obvious.

Ma En gave a slight nod and turned back toward where he had come from.

Bang!

The remaining flesh of her body flew in every direction. Several pieces even landed at his feet.

Amid the surrounding silence, he returned to the Tiger King.

“Are there two more warriors?”

She came back to herself and looked toward the others.

“Who else wants to challenge him?”

No one answered.

No one wanted to die.

The Tiger King said, “If no one else wishes to fight, then Ma En has passed the trial.”

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But the Cannibal King stepped forward. He unhurriedly walked up to them, then looked down at Ma En.

“Didn’t I just tell you to stop?”

Ma En raised his head and retorted, “Do you want to be the next warrior?”

The Cannibal King did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at the Tiger King.

“Your challenger has shown no respect for me or the other rulers. Furthermore, after his opponent had already lost the ability to resist, he still cruelly killed her. After discussing the matter, the four of us rulers have unanimously decided that he cannot enter the second level.”

Just as he said, victory or defeat in this battle was not important.

Their purpose had never been to come here for a trial. That was why the Cannibal King had called out to Ma En earlier but had not actually intervened.

The emissary from the second level was leisurely watching the spectacle.

The Cannibal King paused, then continued.

“Therefore, we have decided that you must personally kill this challenger and wash away the disgrace brought upon that warrior.”

The Tiger King narrowed her eyes.

“What if I refuse?”

“Then…” He smiled. “We will deal with him for you, and while we are at it, we will also remove you, this unqualified ruler.”

This was the prototype of the story that the inhabitants of the third level would hear in the future—a story that would use lies to direct the warriors’ fury entirely toward an outsider who was already dead.

After killing them, two trusted aides of the Tiger King who had long since been bought off would return to the third level. Those lunatics, whose minds held nothing but bloodshed, would be furious, but they would not hate the other rulers.

The emissary shifted uneasily at these words. But before he could act, the leader of the Ascetic Order stepped in front of him and whispered:

“It was the Tiger King who led the internal rebellion that overturned the third level. We have already gathered sufficient evidence, which you may take back to the second level.”

The emissary did not believe him at all. None of these rulers had any lack of ambition toward the underground second level. Yet, seeing the hostile look in the man’s eyes, he sat back down.

The situation was highly unusual.

But the emissary did not realize that his action had caused the four rulers to abandon their final reservations completely. Hope for a certain possibility now filled their hearts.

The Tiger King said, “This is against the rules.”

The King of Vagabonds gave a feral grin.

“But we are the rules.”

The General also shook his head and sighed.

“Your temperament is unsuited to be a ruler.”

The Tiger King’s entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. It had been a very long time since she had felt so excited.

Blood, death, and honor.

Ma En glanced sideways at the Tiger King. The situation was beyond his expectations, but fortunately…

He had already reached the elevator.