Chapter 16: Overwhelming Victory
“Clank, clank, clank~!”
The iron gate slowly opened, emitting a piercing sound.
This sound was deliberately preserved by the former leader of Blue City District, giving it a rather retro feel.
Hearing it, the audience was effectively stirred, evoking a sense of a trapped beast fighting desperately.
“Better not take any risks,” Master Kui said to Zhang Ji.
Zhang Ji glanced at Master Kui and replied, “I’ll assess the situation first.”
He was somewhat surprised; it seemed Master Kui truly regarded him as a disciple.
Having stayed on Shanli Island for so many years, it was unexpected that Master Kui still valued loyalty so deeply.
He wasn’t sure whether it was his talent that attracted him or because he once saved his life.
“Clang clang~!”
The sound of metal footsteps echoed as a figure emerged from the gate of the Xianshan Sect.
A man clad in a heavy exoskeleton stepped out.
His exoskeleton was equipped with several bullet launchers and bore numerous welded marks, evidently modified in a rather unorthodox manner.
But the man facing Zhang Ji was no different, also wearing a similarly welded and modified exoskeleton.
“Bang~!”
The moment the gate dropped, both opened fire immediately.
“Rat-a-tat-tat!”
Flames of gunfire sprayed, striking the opponent’s armored exoskeleton and sparking a cascade of fiery embers.
Bullets ricocheted in all directions.
Both sides fired while rapidly closing the distance between them.
Soon, the two were close enough for hydraulic hammers to slam out fiercely.
“Clang! Bang!”
“Clang clang!”
The collision of steel rang out. The patchwork exoskeletons didn’t provide the expected shock absorption; after taking two hammer blows, one of them was struck on the head and instantly froze in place. Blood seeped from the breathing port as the opponent was pinned down and relentlessly hammered again and again. The armor near the head was completely flattened before the opponent finally ceased moving.
“Lost!” Master Kui raised an eyebrow.
Indeed, Zhang Ji’s side had been defeated.
“Just two iron cans smashing each other? This might be simpler than I thought,” Zhang Ji murmured to himself.
He had expected the battle to involve rocket launchers flying wildly, various automatic grenades, and even poison gas, but it seemed both sides had certain restraints, refraining from using weapons beyond the island’s regulations.
From one perspective, they might actually be the ones holding the advantage in this martial contest.
“Who’s next?” The iron-clad opponent called out loudly.
He wanted to fight in rounds!
Neither Li Long nor Wang Quan showed any change in expression.
It was merely a match, after all.
Moreover, the key to this contest wasn’t with these fighters.
Only the man brought by Number One showed some reaction; his subordinates looked displeased upon seeing their leader defeated.
On Zhang Ji’s side, the man from Number Two also entered the arena.
Interestingly, Number Two was the hefty man known as Fat Bear.
As he stepped into the arena, Number One’s body still lay where it had fallen.
Fat Bear’s build was unique, and his welded exoskeleton was somewhat wider, making his footsteps sound heavier.
“Bang!”
The gate dropped, and he immediately activated his machine gun.
Six barrels spun at his waist, unleashing a torrent of bullets in a relentless spray.
“Ding ding ding dang dang~!”
The opponent intended to close in but was forced to retreat under the barrage.
“Gatling gun!”
Zhang Ji’s expression shifted slightly.
This thing was tough to handle even for him.
The caliber was large, and the rate of fire was extremely high.
Visible dents appeared on the opponent’s exoskeleton armor, clearly shaken and discomforted.
The opponent fought back but failed to produce much effect with their bullets.
Fat Bear’s ammunition seemed endless, firing continuously for nearly five minutes before stopping.
By then, the opponent’s armor was riddled with holes; several layers of thick welded iron plates had been shattered.
After winning, Fat Bear retreated immediately, with no intention of continuing the fight, carrying his heavy machine gun as he exited through the opened gate.
“If all of them are like this, fighting two is already tough,” Zhang Ji weighed his own strength, realizing that his plan to fight five in a row might have been a bit reckless.
“It’s your turn,” Wang Quan said to Zhang Ji.
Zhang Ji nodded and headed toward the gladiatorial arena.
Others had prepared modified exoskeletons, but he had no such elaborate gear.
His preparation consisted only of a few small rifles and a helmet.
Master Kui’s best weapons offered him little enhancement.
Wearing a helmet merely protected his vulnerable areas like the eyelids.
Although his skin and muscles were far from human, the area around his eyes remained a clear weak point.
Zhang Ji carried his gun and arrived at the arena.
Opposite him stood another iron-clad warrior.
The contrast between the two was stark, even leaving the spectators bewildered.
“Is he an idiot? No preparation at all? He was so cocky before, I thought he had some secret weapon!” one of Zhang Ji’s leaders exclaimed in surprise.
Most other leaders wore similar expressions.
Even Wang Quan seemed reluctant to watch.
Only Li Long and Master Kui remained indifferent.
Li Long saw something in Zhang Ji.
Master Kui had witnessed Zhang Ji display some combat ability during the preparation phase.
Zhang Ji had considered getting an exoskeleton for himself, but it would have been more of a hindrance.
His body was now more agile, with defense comparable to an ordinary iron-clad suit, and his burst speed was very fast.
Any equipment that could aid him was currently unavailable to Master Kui and the others.
“Kid, don’t worry, I’ll try not to smash you too badly,” the man opposite Zhang Ji said.
He seemed to have a voice amplifier, projecting his voice clearly.
Zhang Ji thought the man was a fool.
“Bang~!”
The gate shut.
“Rat-a-tat-tat!”
The opponent opened fire mercilessly. Though not as fast as Fat Bear’s Gatling gun, the rate of fire was still astonishing.
Zhang Ji drove off with all his strength, launching himself forward.
“Whoosh~!”
In an instant, he flew over ten meters.
His speed was so fast that the opponent’s gun muzzle struggled to track him.
By the time the opponent located Zhang Ji, he was already less than thirty meters away.
“Rat-a-tat-tat!”
Zhang Ji lowered his head and took a full burst of bullets head-on.
“Clang clang clang clang!”
Bullets struck his bulletproof vest, transmitting some kinetic energy.
Some hit unarmored spots, tearing his clothes, but the bullets were deflected to the side, accompanied by faint metallic clangs.
“Did he bind iron plates?” someone wondered.
“No, that doesn’t seem right! Even if he did, the bullets would still knock him back. Do they think bullets have no impact force?”
“A hard-training expert!”
At last, someone confirmed Zhang Ji’s status.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ji had already closed to within five meters of the iron suit.
He leapt forward, delivering a powerful kick.
“Bang~!”
The large iron suit fell heavily to the ground. Zhang Ji mounted it and landed a strong punch to the head.
“Thud~!”
The thick helmet dented slightly under the heavy blow.
The hydraulics hissed; the opponent seemed to struggle to rise.
Zhang Ji struck repeatedly with both fists, hammering the helmet relentlessly.
“Thud thud thud thud~!”
Under Zhang Ji’s powerful blows, the opponent writhed desperately but could not break free, growing dizzy and pained.
“Shhhlak~pfft~!!”
Suddenly, Zhang Ji’s five fingers jabbed into the thin, vulnerable area of the iron neck armor.
The opponent’s movements froze.
When Zhang Ji withdrew his fingers, they were stained with fresh blood. He stood atop the iron suit, blood dripping from his fingertips, then looked toward the Xianshan Sect’s direction.
“Initiated the technique!” Wang Quan exclaimed in surprise.
He had only recently taught Zhang Ji the “Raccoon Claw Skill”—and already he had reached the entry level?
Moreover, Zhang Ji’s displayed combat strength surpassed many professional fourth and even fifth-level martial artists, at least in defense, ranking him as a second-tier expert by their martial arts standards.
“Indeed,” Li Long nodded slightly.
From Zhang Ji’s finger and palm movements, he deduced that Zhang Ji must have entered the initial stage of the “Raccoon Claw Skill.”
To progress so quickly suggested his talent was comparable to his own.
Judging from Zhang Ji’s defense, Li Long suspected he might be a surviving heir of the Vajra Sect.
Only the “Vajra Indestructible Body Skill” could grant such defensive power.
Combined with Zhao Kui’s identity...
“The Vajra Sect still left such a trick? That’s quite surprising,” Li Long thought.
Many martial arts sects would rather perish than let their techniques leak.
That the Vajra Sect entrusted its legacy to a novice disciple as the sect fell was truly unexpected.
Zhang Ji’s performance not only shocked his own side but also startled the Xianshan Sect’s people.
“Is he from the Five Forms Sect?” Pang Yanyang asked.
“No, he uses hard-training martial arts. We investigated beforehand; he should be a surviving disciple of the Vajra Sect,” a disciple beside Pang Yanyang replied.
“Then no foul play; continue,” Pang Yanyang said casually.
He beckoned, and a woman behind him plucked fruit from a tray, feeding it to him as he opened his mouth and swallowed.
The iron gate reopened, revealing another iron suit.
This time, the opponent did not mock but showed a hint of fear, positioning himself clearly to evade and stall, with no intention of charging at Zhang Ji.
“Bang~!”
The gate dropped, and the opponent chose to suppress with firepower, even throwing a few grenades.
But Zhang Ji ignored the grenade fragments completely.
They were not those excessively powerful types; at worst, they’d tear his clothes but wouldn’t truly harm him.
Indeed, Zhang Ji’s body showed no sign of injury; shrapnel merely scratched his clothes and was otherwise blocked.
Soon, Zhang Ji repeated his tactic, rushing forward and using his fists and body to forcibly crush the iron suit.
The opponent even tried to face Zhang Ji head-on once.
The exoskeleton’s strength was far inferior; after taking Zhang Ji’s punch, a hydraulic pipe burst open.
Although “Iron Cloth” specialized in defense, the human body is a unified whole; strengthening defense also enhanced his strength and other attributes.
His body could exert power more easily without self-injury.
Against Zhang Ji’s perfected “Iron Cloth” at thirty percent strength, these makeshift iron suits were no match.
After defeating the second opponent, Zhang Ji panted lightly and began waiting for the third challenger!