Lu Yuan slowly finished the instant noodles in the container.

The strong smell of seasoning always reminded him of the times he used to spend the night playing video games at internet cafes with his friends. Every time he took a bite, his mind was filled with memories.

He put the empty instant noodle container aside and opened the window, letting the autumn-tinged air filter in.

The commotion in the corridor outside had gradually subsided, and Lu Yuan could hear people from Mosa going room to room, asking about the situation.

He sat down again by the bed. By now, Yellow Bear's men had located Lin Zhiquin.

"...He's eating noodles at a small noodle shop two kilometers away?"

"Yes, he ordered two bowls of beef noodles, one with two extra eggs, but he didn't eat them..."

"What do you mean?"

"...Today... today seems to be his birthday... I only realized it when I overheard him talking to his daughter's photo on his phone..."

"Hmm?!"

Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback when he heard Peregrine Falcon's reply.

He quickly checked Lin Zhiquin's information; sure enough, today was indeed his birthday.

Lu Yuan ended the call with Peregrine Falcon and sat on the bed, silently lost in thought.

He had already sent information about Lin Mo's congenital cellular fatigue syndrome to Yellow Bear to help find a solution. He had also asked Yellow Bear to investigate why the world-renowned expert Liu had arranged for Lin Zhiquin had canceled his appointment at the last minute.

He had a vague suspicion about something, but he couldn't be sure.

Even if the Mosa Divine Blood could save Lin Mo, could Lin Zhiquin accept the consequence of physical mutation?

Lu Yuan didn't know.

But these were things he couldn't tell Lin Zhiquin right now.

Lin Zhiquin currently only had Mosa as his last shred of hope. If he told him, Lin Zhiquin would truly fall into despair.

Lu Yuan had no intention of meeting Lin Zhiquin before the competition.

Since he hadn't brought the specialized equipment for practicing the "Amitabha Gold Coat," Lu Yuan activated his body's muscles, stimulating his Martial God Strength. He then began to cultivate "Ten Thousand Refining Body" and "Steel Bone" in the simplest, most unadorned manner.

Both of these body-refining methods had already reached Lv. 4, approaching their maximum level.

Once "Ten Thousand Refining Body" reached its maximum level, it would probably increase Lu Yuan's strength by 1 point.

As for "Steel Bone," although it had always been inconspicuous, the improvement it brought Lu Yuan was immense. He could clearly feel that after "Steel Bone" reached Lv. 4, his entire skeleton felt as if it were forged from refined steel, incredibly hard.

He formed a palm-edge hand and gently swiped it through the air before him. Immediately, a sound like a sharp weapon cutting through the air was produced.

Lu Yuan had even experimented. He found that he didn't need to use much force; with just his physical palm striking vertically, he could slice through a solid block of wood as if it were tofu, and the cut surface was quite smooth, as if made by a knife.

Bone like a blade.

The "Steel Bone" Sect's technique manual stated that a max-level "Steel Bone" could achieve the effect of 'bone like a blade.'

My Martial God Strength's quality far exceeds ordinary Steel Bone Strength, so the bone-tempering effect is much better than the original version. I've already reached this degree at only Lv. 4. When "Steel Bone" is maxed out, I estimate there will be another qualitative change...

Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, wondering if he could reach the "Bone Mountain" realm, one of the five legendary talents in the Martial Arts Circle.

Even if I'm a bit off, it won't be by much.

This process of steady, all-around improvement in his attributes, gradually patching up the shortcomings and weaknesses in his strength system... made Lu Yuan feel very grounded.

While cultivating both bone and flesh, Lu Yuan's mind wasn't idle either. He opened the body-hardening techniques section in the Gold Bear's backend system, selected a technique called "Whale Body Covering Sea Flow," and began to study it meticulously, practicing it in his mind.

He had recently developed a new way to use "Imaginary Enemy." After selecting someone as an Imaginary Enemy and entering the Consciousness Space, he would immediately press pause. Then, he would simulate the cultivation of the new technique within the Consciousness Space. After becoming proficient, he would exit the Consciousness Space and begin practicing in reality, allowing him to master it very quickly.

Anyway, with Lv. 3 "Imaginary Enemy," after entering Deep Dreams, the time flow was vastly different from reality. Tens of minutes or even a few hours inside might only be a few minutes or even a few seconds in the outside world.

Previously, Peregrine Falcon had asked him why he didn't use his Gold Bear identity to pressure Mosa, which would have made things much easier. Lu Yuan had brushed it off perfunctorily.

The real reason was—

You have no idea how a true powerhouse is forged...

Do you know how much professional experience I can gain from a single Ultimate Bloody Battle...?

「...」

「The following day,」

Lu Yuan's door was knocked upon at 8:20 AM.

He put on his Three-eyed Goat mask and calmly opened the door. Led by a Mosa Believer, he headed towards the lower levels.

Along the way, the number of duos like his steadily increased, and the procession grew. One by one, the Fighters who had come to participate in this Ultimate Bloody Battle descended the stairs, lower and lower.

Everyone wore their respective masks, their expressions hidden. Only through their eyes could one read emotions fluctuating between nervousness, excitement, arrogance, coldness, or bloodlust.

Lu Yuan was probably the most relaxed among them, even though after yesterday's Spiritual Power probe, every goat statue in the entire building now seemed to harbor a faint "malice" towards him, making him feel constantly on edge, as if thorns were pricking his back.

Basement Level Two, Basement Level Three, Basement Level Four...

Descending level by level, Lu Yuan finally spotted Lin Zhiquin's figure in the crowd.

Lin Zhiquin's emotional state was very "calm," showing no significant fluctuations. The mask he wore, like Lu Yuan's, was a goat, but his was pure black. His title also seemed to be related to goats.

For some reason, Lu Yuan was suddenly reminded of the story Lin Zhiquin had casually mentioned when giving him the title "Feast Eater"—a black goat that generously and selflessly offered its body as a feast.

Lu Yuan once thought that black goat was an allusion to himself.

Now, he didn't think so anymore...

RUMBLE—

The massive elevator, carrying a full hundred people, slowly ground to a halt like a gasping behemoth.

Lu Yuan followed the crowd into the immense underground space he had seen with his Spiritual Power the day before.

The first thing that caught his eye was the enormous goat head suspended from the dome. Its black horns spiraled, its bones were silver-gray, and its eye sockets were pitch-black... Silently, it overlooked the crowd below, and an inexplicable sense of oppression permeated the vast space.

Lu Yuan noticed that the eyes of many Fighters around him were gradually changing. A mere colossal object couldn't evoke such a feeling in physically robust Fighters with strong willpower.

This goat head must contain some mysterious will of Mosa to produce such an effect.

Beneath the goat head stood a towering pyramid. On the Iron Spear Throne atop the pyramid, a burly man wearing a black iron mask rested his chin on one hand, coldly surveying everyone. Beside him stood a slender man in a silver sheep mask, his posture reverent.

Seeing everyone had entered, the silver-masked man stepped forward and announced in a slightly shrill voice, "Blood Fighters, enter the arena!"

All the Mosa Believers responsible for guiding them began to lead the Fighters through various entrances into the fighting arena before them.

Lu Yuan had initially wanted to find Lin Zhiquin, but they were too far apart. He decided against it; it wouldn't be too late to find him when the Bloody Battle officially began.

SWOOSH—

The lights on the dome above lit up, officially revealing the arena for this Bloody Battle to everyone.

A vast, roofless city!

Inside were all sorts of buildings, countless alleys, and streets—a miniature, labyrinthine city. The only thing was, none of the buildings in this city had roofs. And all the alleys and streets ultimately led... to the base of the pyramid in the very center!

HUBBUB—

A wave of clamor reached their ears. Many Fighters participating in the Bloody Battle looked up and around. Only then did they realize that the four sides of this enormous underground space were lined with a large number of spectator seats. Countless lavishly dressed men and women, wearing all kinds of flamboyant masks, sat in the audience, their faces alight with excitement and anticipation as they watched the participants enter below, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

No wonder the Bloody Battle arena is designed as a city without a top; it's to enhance the viewing experience for the audience...

The Ultimate Bloody Battle happens once every three years, with thousands of powerful Fighters clashing in bloodshed... These tickets must have been very expensive...

It was only when the lights came on that many understood the purpose of the City without a Top.

Thousands of Fighters poured into the City without a Top, disappearing in an instant like water into sand.

Lu Yuan stood on a dark gray road. In front of him were a crosswalk, streetlights, and a dark green mailbox. Not far away, several shops had their signs illuminated. Of course, besides him, there was no one else on the street. He could only hear the sound of footsteps from an adjacent street.

Lu Yuan paid it no mind, squinting as he looked upwards. His gaze passed over the generally low-lying buildings, allowing him to clearly see the massive pyramid and, at its apex, the tiny Iron Spear Throne.

Higher still, a colossal screen lit up. A cascade of names flowed down from the top of the screen like a waterfall.

[Title — Victory Points]

Everyone was listed in this format, and the victory points after each person's title were 0.

Suddenly, one name flickered, its victory points changing from 0 to 1. In an instant, it leaped to the top of the screen's rankings.

「The next second,」

Every Blood Fighter in the vast Duel City snapped to alertness. The very air flowing through the city seemed to ignite with bloodlust and the will to fight. From the surrounding spectator stands, roars and cheers erupted like a tsunami.

The Ultimate Bloody Battle... had officially begun!

「...」

At the apex of the pyramid, on the Iron Spear Throne, the Tyrant King sat quietly. Beneath the black iron mask, a distinct, rugged jawline was faintly visible.

"The spy from yesterday... have you found them?" the Tyrant King asked coldly.

The silver-masked man beside him bowed, his voice respectful to the point of humility. "We've identified several suspects, but we're not certain which one it is. We'll have to wait for the Spear Holder's decision."

The silver-masked man handed over a tablet-like device, which displayed a list of titles.

The Tyrant King glanced at it briefly, then looked away. "No need," he said indifferently. "Target all of them. Those who desecrate the Martial Rites must atone, must be cleansed, with more blood and pain than ordinary people..."

"Yes."

The silver-masked man nodded, quickly stepped aside, and issued an order.

「Meanwhile,」

Lu Yuan was standing in front of a convenience store, looking with a somewhat strange expression at an item inside a glass fire-alarm box.

Inside, surprisingly, lay a steel saber, its blade gleaming coldly.

Battle Royale?

Equipment all depends on scavenging after landing?!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.