I became the King of Ryukyu

He needs to adapt to the rules.

Daigo Higa clearly saw Zheng Yi's weakness in fighting experience—Zheng Yi had a good technical foundation and quick reflexes, but his adaptation to K1 rules was obviously not as good as his own, a veteran who had been fighting for many years. So he adopted an aggressive fighting style, pressing forward step by step and not giving Zheng Yi a chance to breathe.

Halfway through the second round, Zheng Yi had already taken several heavy low kicks and hooks, leaving a raw, throbbing pain on the outside of his left calf and a dull ache in his right ribs.

These are parts that are rarely tempered in the Gaoliang River Secret Realm.

On the battlefield, the targets are decapitations, eyeshots, and heart-piercings—Zheng Yi wasn't wearing armor, so who would sweep his calf?

Therefore, these non-fatal areas are actually Zheng Yi's weaknesses.

If Daigo Higa were to strike his neck with a hand chop, it would likely be impossible to break through his defenses before his metacarpal bones fracture.

Faced with a passive situation, Zheng Yi is constantly learning and adjusting.

His advantage of having an intelligence of 94 was fully demonstrated at this moment—he quickly analyzed Higa Daigo's attack habits during the battle: before throwing a right punch, this guy's right shoulder would make a very subtle downward movement; before he raised his left leg for a high sweep, his supporting foot would first turn outward by fifteen degrees.

These subtle movements would take an ordinary person several rounds to notice, but Zheng Yi figured them out in just one and a half rounds.

After the third round began, the situation changed.

Daigo Higa continued his aggressive style, throwing a right hook that whistled through the air. But this time, Zheng Yi didn't retreat to block—he anticipated the signal of his opponent's right shoulder dropping, and the instant the fist was thrown, he suddenly dodged to the left, simultaneously delivering a precise left hook to Daigo Higa's exposed right ribs.

Daigo Higa's expression changed instantly.

The punch landed precisely on the weakest point of his ribs; even with protective gear, the impact was enough to make his breathing erratic. He took two steps back, readjusting his stance, but his rhythm had already been disrupted.

Zheng Yi didn't give him a chance to regroup. He took the initiative and pressed forward, feinting with a jab, followed by a heavy right hook that struck Higa Daigo squarely in the cheekbone.

Daigo Higa swayed, but did not fall.

He exhaled, regained his posture, and looked at Zheng Yi with a newfound respect.

The two faced off in the center of the ring for a moment, then attacked simultaneously.

The sound of fists colliding echoed on the second floor.

Finally, with thirty seconds left in the third round, Zheng Yi seized the moment when Daigo Higa lost his balance after a missed high kick, and landed a clean mid-section sweep kick to his abdomen. Daigo Higa clutched his stomach and knelt on the ring. When the referee counted down to eight, he was unable to stand up.

"The victor is—the Tripitaka Master!"

The applause from the audience was much more enthusiastic than last time.

[Ding! General Zhu Shou sends you his congratulations]

[Your Strength +2, Battlefield Warrior 3/5]

Your [Transformation] skill has improved.

Although the rewarded power points were slightly higher than last time, [Spiritual Transformation] was upgraded.

This is very important to Zheng Yi.

The more things he comes into contact with, the higher the requirements for concealing his identity become. He didn't start as an orphan; he still has people he cares about back home.

Zheng Yi stepped off the stage, removed his protective gear, and let out a long breath. His left leg was throbbing with pain, and his right ribs were also aching, but he was in a good mood.

Besides the reward, this victory was much more solid than the last one; it wasn't won by brute force or luck, but by skill and judgment.

"Well played."

A deep voice came from the side. Zheng Yi turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in his forties leaning against the railing of the rest area, wearing a black coach jacket with a fighting club logo embroidered on the chest.

"I'm Takuma Chinen, the head coach of the Naha Fighting Club." The middle-aged man handed over a business card. "You have a good foundation and quick reflexes, but your technique is still quite rough. If you're willing to receive professional training, I can help you sign with a club and participate in official competitions. With your potential, breaking into the top ten in Okinawa Prefecture within three years shouldn't be a problem."

Zheng Yi took the business card, glanced at it, remained silent for a few seconds, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't plan to pursue a professional career at the moment."

Chinen Takuma glanced at him, but didn't press the matter. He simply nodded and said, "Okay, if you've changed your mind, you can come find me anytime."

After he turned and left, Zheng Yi put the business card in his pocket and fell into deep thought.

He wasn't entirely unmoved by Chinen Takuma's proposal—professional fighters earn a decent income and have considerable fame, and victories in ring matches bring attribute rewards from the system, creating a positive cycle.

But he also had concerns.

His biggest advantage right now is his low profile.

No one knew he could refine pills, no one knew he owned Shadow Isles, and no one knew he had a five-meter-long electric eel and a group of intelligent monkeys under his command. If he were to pursue a professional fighting career, his name and face would appear in the media, and the risk of being traced back to his past would be too great.

However, Chinen Takuma's words reminded him of something else.

The effect of the "Declaration on Behalf of Heaven" is related to reputation. The higher the reputation, the more weight his words carry. However, he himself is not suited to appear in public—so he can use an alias to earn reputation.

The nickname "Tripitaka Master" might be worth cultivating.

As he was thinking about these random things, suddenly, a vibration came from the game warehouse.

Zheng Yi frowned slightly.

He opened the warehouse panel and saw the source of the vibration—the communicator.

Xuanhai, or rather, Shouzhen's communicator.

The black, old-fashioned encrypted satellite phone displays an incoming call number on the screen, with no notes, just a string of numbers.

Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat.

He also had another phone on him, which was also a genuine one.

An encrypted phone that looks a lot like a Nokia was Shouzhen's communication tool as an FBI undercover agent.

Two cell phones, two identities. One belongs to a criminal organization, the other to the FBI.

Now, the criminal organization's communicator has rang.

Zheng Yi took a deep breath, walked to the stairwell of the gym, and after confirming that no one was around, he connected the phone with his mind.

He didn't speak, waiting for the other person to speak first.

A deep, hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone, with a quality that seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of a throat: "It's me."

Zheng Yi's mind raced. He didn't know who the voice belonged to, but judging from the tone and overly familiar manner, it was probably someone in the organization with a higher status than Shouzhen. He decided to respond in the safest way possible—brief, respectful, and without revealing any information.