One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

As the last mark fell, the agreement glowed faintly, as if some invisible binding force was generated, causing a slight sinking feeling in the hearts of all the participants present—knowing that the matter was settled and there was no room for regret.

"Then, let's draw lots."

The suited man put away his tablet, seemingly relieved, but his eyes remained wary.

He waved his hand, and a bodyguard immediately took out a makeshift lottery tube made from a tin can. Inside were four folded slips of paper, labeled A1, A2, B1, and B2.

Although Bald Bear was unhappy, he still gestured for one of his men to step forward and draw lots. He was the host, but he clearly had little say in the matter and was merely a figurehead.

The lottery results came out quickly.

A1: China.

A2: Bald Bear's side.

B1: The Land of Cherry Blossoms.

B2: Eagle Country and Bear Country.

Because the representative of Bear Country requested a preliminary duel with Eagle Country, with the winner then vying for the final decision against the winner of the other side, it was decided, after discussion, that to save time, they be allowed to coordinate on their own, and that the representatives of the two countries would first conduct an internal competition, with the winner representing Group B in the final match.

"Ha! We're the first one?"

When Zhang Chulan saw the result, he burst out laughing. His smile almost reached his ears.

"The opponent is Bald Bear? Isn't this a free win?" He had just seen Wang Zhenqiu and the others being released, and a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. Seeing that Nie Lingfeng was in control of the situation and had even come up with such a "fair" way as a ring match, he suddenly felt that the advantage was on his side and got a little cocky.

"Don't be careless."

Nie Lingfeng said in a deep voice. His gaze swept over the bald bear's back—although he had lost many men in the melee, there were still five or six men standing beside the bald bear with considerable aura. Judging from their attire and demeanor, they should be his trusted elites or desperate criminals hired at great expense.

"Bald Bear must have capable men under his command to be able to establish himself in this place. Moreover, this is a life-or-death arena; he can't afford to lose, so he will definitely send out his strongest men."

"Don't worry, Brother Nie, watch me!"

Zhang Chulan patted his chest, eager to try. He was still seething with anger after being chased and beaten by Bald Bear, and now was the perfect opportunity to get revenge. His fingers unconsciously clenched, and his knuckles made a soft "crackling" sound.

"The opponent might use a war of attrition, or some underhanded tactics."

Wang Zhenqiu was freed from his shackles and walked over, moving his wrists. Although he was seriously injured and his left side was slightly tilted as he walked, his eyes were still bright.

"Chu Lan, you go in the first match. Probe their strength and conserve your power; there are tough battles to come."

"I know, I know!"

Zhang Chulan nodded, his chin held high.

Soon, a space in the center of the hall was cleared out and a circle was hastily drawn with lime powder, which served as the arena.

Scattered all around were rubble, corpses, and signs of battle, the air thick with the stench of blood and sulfur. The atmosphere was grim and eerie—like a stage set up in a graveyard, something just didn't feel right.

The various factions retreated to the edge, standing clearly divided. The people from the Sakura Kingdom were on the left, the people from the Eagle Kingdom and the Bear Kingdom were on the right, the people from the Bald Bear Kingdom guarded the entrance, and Nie Lingfeng and his group were positioned towards the missiles.

The collapsed giant and the bottomless pit stood not far from the arena, silently reminding everyone of the horror that had just occurred. The giant was mostly destroyed, its grayish-white ashes piled up on the ground like a small grave.

The missile stood silently to one side, the green "Ready" sign on the screen still glaringly obvious.

Bald Bear walked back to his men with a grim expression and quickly gave a few instructions in a low voice. His voice was so low that the content was indistinct, but his constantly waving hand and twitching facial muscles made it clear that it wasn't anything good.

After a while.

A man of unusually tall and robust stature, nearly 2.3 meters tall, with muscles bulging like cast iron, strode heavily into the limestone circle.

He was shirtless, wearing only leather pants, and a gruesome scar ran from his forehead to the back of his head, like a centipede crawling on his scalp. His skin was bronze, gleaming metallically in the harsh white light of the emergency lamp. His chest and arms were covered in a jumble of tattoos—skulls, chains, thorny roses—clearly not some respectable person.

With each step he took, the ground trembled slightly, and fine dust rose around his feet.

The giant stood there like an iron tower. The shadow he cast was almost enough to cover two Zhang Chulans.

His face was expressionless, his eyes fierce. He simply moved his neck, which made a series of cracking sounds, like some kind of mechanical device starting up. His muscles rippled with power, exuding an explosive sense of strength.

"My man, 'Bear' Ivan."

Bald Bear said coldly, with a hint of smugness in his tone—although he had just lost face, he still felt that his subordinate was still someone of importance.

"The rules are simple: fight until you're dead or you give up. Let's begin."

"Tsk tsk, those muscles are almost as big as Old Xiao's."

Zhang Chulan muttered to himself as he stepped into the circle.

He stopped in front of Ivan.

The difference between the two was obvious to the naked eye—Zhang Chulan's head only reached Ivan's chest, making them look like an adult with a child standing together. Within the limestone circle, their shadows were vast and overwhelming, while the other was huddled together.

"Kid, I'll crush every bone in your body."

Ivan spoke, his voice hoarse and low, like sandpaper rubbing against a steel plate.

"Uncle, don't speak too confidently, or you'll bite the hand that feeds you."

Zhang Chulan continued his sharp tongue, but a faint golden light emanated from his body—the glow of the Golden Light Mantra, flowing across his skin like a thin film of water. Simultaneously, white lightning crackled across his skin, the popping sounds particularly clear in the quiet hall.

"My name is Zhang Chulan, nice to meet you."

No referee called "start".

Almost the instant Zhang Chulan finished speaking—Ivan moved!

His massive body unleashed an astonishing speed completely disproportionate to his size, like an out-of-control heavy truck, "Boom—" rushing towards Zhang Chulan!

The ground shattered beneath his feet, sending rubble flying backward!

A fist the size of a bowl, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, hurtled straight at Zhang Chulan's face!

Simple, brutal, and without any frills—it's all about absolute power and speed!

The wind from the punch arrived before the fist itself, making the hairs on Zhang Chulan's face stand on end. The wind carried a metallic, metallic smell—the smell of blood.

"Well done!"

Zhang Chulan dared not take the attack head-on—only a madman would do that—a flash of lightning appeared beneath his feet, and his figure moved three meters to the side like a ghost.

"boom!"

Ivan's punch missed its mark, slamming into the ground where Zhang Chulan had been standing. The concrete floor instantly blasted open, creating a shallow crater, and rubble flew everywhere! One piece grazed Zhang Chulan's ear and landed with a "thud" on the wall behind him, embedding itself a good three centimeters deep.

The force of the punch grazed his cheek, stinging painfully. Zhang Chulan felt as if he had been slapped, half of his face burning.

"Thunder Magic - Palm Thunder!"

He seized the opportunity when his opponent's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, and with a backhand, he threw a highly compressed white lightning ball at Ivan's back!

however--

Ivan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.

With an agility completely disproportionate to his size, his massive body twisted violently! His other fist, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed directly into the lightning ball without dodging or avoiding!

"Bang!"

The ball of lightning exploded. White arcs of electricity leaped and tore wildly across Ivan's fists and arms, crackling and popping.

But all that remained was a patch of charred black on his bronze skin.

No substantial harm was caused.

Ivan's fist paused only slightly, but its momentum remained undiminished as it continued to strike Zhang Chulan!

"Holy crap! It's so hard?!"

Zhang Chulan was startled and quickly used his Swift Thunder Movement Technique to retreat. With a "sizzle," lightning exploded on the ground, and he was thrown back as if he had been launched into the air, narrowly avoiding the punch.

He finally realized—this giant not only possessed terrifying strength, but his defense was also ridiculously high. His own palm strike couldn't even break through his defense!

"Is all you do to hide, you little mouse!"

Ivan spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, his fists like pile drivers, each punch faster than the last, pounding towards Zhang Chulan. Left fist, right fist, left fist, right fist—each punch carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, forcing Zhang Chulan to constantly dodge.

The arena was instantly filled with flying stones and billowing dust. Lime powder was whipped up by the force of the punches, creating a hazy, gray scene that made it almost impossible to see anything.

"What do you know? This is called tactics!"

Zhang Chulan verbally refused to admit defeat, but inwardly he was lamenting his situation.

Although this big guy wasn't as fast as me, his attack range was large and his predictions were accurate. I'd been dodging a lot, which was taking a toll, and the arena was limited—if I kept dodging, I'd go out of bounds. Going out of bounds didn't necessarily mean I lost, but it would weaken my morale.

He glanced furtively at the edge of the limestone circle—just three steps behind him.

"We need to find a way to break through their defenses..."

Zhang Chulan's eyes narrowed.

After dodging another heavy punch, he moved forward instead of retreating, actively closing in on Ivan!

His hands were crackling with lightning, like two lightning blades, and he stabbed at the soft flesh of Ivan's ribs with lightning speed!

That's one of the common weaknesses in external martial arts!

however--

A hint of mockery flashed in Ivan's eyes.

Neither dodge nor avoid.

He allowed Zhang Chulan's lightning blade to pierce his ribs.

"Sizzle—!"

Lightning flashed!

Zhang Chulan felt as if his hands had pierced through a thick rubber tire. Although they had penetrated an inch, they were immediately clamped down by strong muscles and a special kind of Qi, making it impossible for them to go any further!

Ivan's hands, like iron clamps, were grabbing Zhang Chulan's shoulders and head from both sides!

If this is caught, it'll definitely break bones and injure tendons!

"We've fallen for their trap!"

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Chulan's mind—this big guy was deliberately creating an opening!

He instantly dissipated the lightning on his hands, and his body slid downwards like an eel, actually crawling between Ivan's legs! At the same time, he channeled lightning energy into his feet and kicked upwards fiercely!

"The Monkey Steals Peaches - An Upgraded Version: The Electric Dragon Drill with an Upside-Down Hook!"

Zhang Chulan let out a strange cry. He had made up this name himself, and even after he finished, he felt ashamed of it.

He slammed his feet hard into Ivan's thick, muscular glutes.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

Ivan swayed, a hint of unnatural red flashing across his face—more of fury at being tricked!

He turned around abruptly and delivered a powerful sweeping punch, as if he wanted to smash this slippery kid into a pulp!

Zhang Chulan used the recoil to roll forward, creating some distance, and patted his chest with lingering fear: "Wow, that's a hard butt! Did you practice Iron Butt Kung Fu?"

"puff--"

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but burst out laughing.

But she immediately swallowed it back.

On this life-or-death arena, Zhang Chulan's fighting style is really... too despicable.

"You're asking for it!"