Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

There were no fancy embellishments; he clenched his fist, turned to the side, and struck hard.

The bandaged fist shot out, and before the blade in the man's hand could fall, Yuan Chen's fist kissed his facial bone.

A sickening cracking sound suddenly rang out, and the man's face began to collapse from the bridge of his nose amidst the cracking sound.

Under the heavy impact, his entire body flew backward along with the impact on his head, while the inertia of his lower limbs continued forward, and for a moment he was suspended in mid-air like a corpse.

Then, Yuan Chen raised his hand again, his palm forming a blade. The muscles in his arms and back bulged suddenly, and in an instant, they cleaved down like a battle axe. With a deafening roar, the man was cleaved, or rather, smashed in two, in mid-air.

Blood rained down, and a nauseating stench spread rampantly along with the scattered, mangled organs.

The once somewhat noisy battlefield fell into an inexplicable silence almost instantly.

Yuan Chen simply straightened up calmly and then shook the blood off his arm.

"Come on, let us rush into destruction."

"..."

He was leisurely enjoying the battle footage when, not long after, Baroque noticed that the sounds outside were gradually fading, and even his fighting spirit was gradually weakening.

The battle is over? Sagat is dead? No... Sagat couldn't be all looks and no substance, given how highly Vega values ​​him.

Or is it that it wasn't Sagat who came, so he's already been dealt with?

Thinking this, Baroque sighed rather listlessly, then lazily stood up and walked towards the door.

Since Sagat didn't come here, I'll have to go find him myself...

As he thought this, Baroque yawned and pushed open the door, praying that Sagat wouldn't bore him.

But then, the scene that came into Baroque's view plunged him into a long silence.

Book 1: Chapter 54 - The Man Called Baroque

Blood, blood everywhere.

The ground was almost entirely stained red with blood, and corpses lay scattered haphazardly in the blood everywhere.

Most of these corpses were mutilated, some with their heads smashed open, others with their bodies broken off at the waist by a single punch. Broken organs were scattered everywhere, gradually cooling down amidst a nauseating stench.

Looking at Yuan Chen's calm expression, Baroque's eyes narrowed slightly.

Is that the guy who defeated Sagat? Isn't he seriously injured right now?

Although the battle video wasn't very clear, through the processing by Shadow Luo's technicians, Baroque was certain that the guy who defeated Sagat in the battle video, even if he wasn't dead, was definitely seriously injured.

Putting everything else aside, even if Baroque himself were to ask himself honestly, even if he could defeat Sagat, he would inevitably have to pay a price.

Especially in such a life-or-death duel, even if one manages to win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.

Even with complete confidence in his abilities, Baroque believed that if he wanted to kill Sagat in a life-or-death duel, he would need to recuperate for at least two to three months afterward... or even up to six months before he could unleash his full power.

And now...

Looking at Yuan Chen, Baroque was certain that the person in front of him was the young man from the battle video.

And there was not a trace of weakness in his body from the battle. Forget just recovering from serious injuries, his overall aura was clearly at its peak…

Thinking this, Baroque didn't show much emotion, only sneering and saying, "How cruel... Don't you have a heart?"

"cruel?"

Upon hearing Baroque's words, Yuan Chen raised his eyes indifferently.

Gently shaking off the sticky blood, Yuan Chen said calmly, "Isn't that a kind of gentleness?"

"Gentle?" Upon hearing this, Baroque couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What a shameless man, actually calling such brutal killing gentle?"

Yuan Chen calmly countered, "Isn't that so? Compared to harmless killing, brutal slaughter is more likely to instill fear and completely collapse one's mental defenses. Whether one surrenders or flees, it reduces unnecessary casualties."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baroque raised an eyebrow, then said indifferently:

"That's a nice twisted logic, but more than that, I'm curious... what's your relationship with the guy who defeated Sagat?"

As Baroque descended the stairs, he looked at Yuan Chen and said:

"You're definitely not the guy who defeated Sagat, because with such severe injuries and exhaustion, even if you didn't die, you absolutely couldn't recover to your full strength in a short time. It would be quite reasonable for you to be completely drained of energy..."

As he said this, a look of understanding gradually appeared on Baroque's face, as if he had discovered the truth of the matter:

"I have to admit, I was actually fooled by you at first... So, are you that person's older brother or younger brother?"

Yuan Chen simply sighed helplessly, too lazy to even explain, and calmly said, "I am the one who will defeat you."

"How arrogant!"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baroque sneered, then took out an iron mask from his lower back and put it on.

With a flick of his wrist, three sharp blades emerged from the gauntlet on his right arm.

"I hope your skills are as tough as your words."

Upon hearing Baroque's words, Yuan Chen also assumed a fighting stance.

However, unlike the previous side stance, this time Yuan Chen landed on his left foot to support his entire body weight, his muscles were taut, and his knee formed a stable fulcrum.

Raise the other thigh at an angle of nearly 90 degrees, with the knee pointing up to the height of the upper abdomen, the lower leg hanging down naturally, and the toes pointed.

Upon seeing Yuan Chen's actions, Baroque narrowed his eyes: "Ha, still saying you're not that person's brother... That guy in the fight video has never learned Muay Thai! A complete liar, what an ugly fellow!"

Seeing Sagat as a nemesis who had stolen all of Vega's attention from him, Baroque was naturally no stranger to the Muay Thai stance.

By simply observing, Baroque was able to determine that the man before him was not merely putting on a show, but rather possessed ample experience and training, and had made subtle adjustments to his own physique.

Just like now, even though he's supporting himself on one leg, his center of gravity remains incredibly stable... If this person in front of him really is the guy in the video, and he were to suddenly change his stance, his lower body strength would be completely wasted due to this shift in his center of gravity.

Yuan Chen didn't take this to heart. His eyes were fixed on Baroque, feeling the undisguised malice and killing intent in the other party. A strange sense of pleasure and joy began to rise in his heart.

As his fighting spirit rose, information about Baroque kept surfacing in Yuan Chen's mind.

Baroque, height: 186cm, weight: 72kg. One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shadow Luo, codenamed "Claw", Shadow Luo's chief assassin. Due to his weapon and the mask he wears, he is often simply referred to as Fork or Iron Mask by players.

He was born into a Spanish noble family, and his mother was a stunning beauty.

Due to the decline of his family, his mother remarried to a nouveau riche man he considered ugly.

As a child, his beautiful mother was murdered by his ugly stepfather, which instilled in him an extreme hatred of "ugliness" stemming from fear and pain.

He trained at a ninja academy in Spain and later, with his talent, he fused his superb ninjutsu with Spanish bullfighting techniques to create a fusion assassination technique characterized by speed and aerial dominance. This technique was both gorgeous and elegant, yet cruel and twisted, earning him the title of "Masked Nobleman" in the underground fighting world of his region.

It was precisely because of this reputation that he attracted Vega's attention and was recruited.

In Baroque's eyes, Vega was a combination of "power" and "beauty".

In order to prove that "strength is beauty" and to destroy all "ugly" people, he chose to join Shadow Luo and became one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shadow Luo.

The reason he used the iron claws in the fight was simply because he didn't want to touch dirty people with his hands.

The reason for wearing a mask is simply to avoid getting blood or injury on his perfect face during battle.

Sensing Yuan Chen's gaze, Baroque glanced at the time and then quickly walked towards Yuan Chen.

"I have no time to waste here with you... Come, revel in my beauty, and let me paint your vision red!"

The moment the words fell, battle qi erupted, and his not-so-thick lower limbs burst forth with astonishing power under the vibration of battle qi. His well-built body was like a gleaming cheetah, shooting towards Yuan Chen's figure with a whistling gale!

Volume 1: Chapter 55 - Baroque: Hang!

With his gaze fixed on Baroque, Yuan Chen dodged to the side without hesitation the moment Baroque attacked. Even so, with a flash of cold light, three bloody marks appeared on Yuan Chen's right arm.

As he passed Yuan Chen, Baroque did not stop. Instead, he twisted his body in mid-air as he approached the edge of the wall, compressing his body like a spring the moment he touched the wall, and squatted down on it.

Then, using his lower limbs, he attacked Yuan Chen's back almost without pausing—Sky Claw!

But just when Baroque thought he was about to succeed, a strange chill made him shudder.

Then, Yuan Chen turned around, and Baroque, without the slightest hesitation, hugged his knees and spun around like a top in an instant.

In the instant it was close, the great dragon of Yuan Chen's spine condensed the immense power of his back muscles, raised his left arm, and smashed down from above as a fierce gust of wind.

With a heavy stomp, the ground cracked, and Baroque's figure changed from a high-speed impact to a sudden arc, passing directly over Yuan Chen's head.

In a brief moment, fists and bodies clashed, and with just a gust of wind brushing against his face, Baroque could clearly feel the friction against the iron surface, and several strands of his long golden hair on his forehead were broken off.

The next moment, a heavy punch landed.

From the air, accompanied by a loud 'bang!', Baroque could clearly see countless cracks suddenly burst open on the floor tiles of the hall. The heavy impact sank into the ground, and the broken bricks mixed with semi-congealed blood were blasted into the air!

Although it didn't hit him, even Baroque's eyes narrowed as he witnessed the scene.

That force... is far too great.

If Baroque hadn't dodged just moments before, he was almost certain that his beautiful face would have been severely injured by that attack... or even killed on the spot!

As an assassin known for his agility, Baroque's weaknesses are clearly in direct physical confrontations and resistance to attacks.

But... such an aesthetically unappealing attack can't possibly touch you!

With this thought in mind, the instant he passed over Yuan Chen's head, and just as Yuan Chen's attack missed, his old strength exhausted and new strength yet to be generated, Baroque spread his arms, and with the silk scarf wrapped around his waist fluttering, his originally rapid figure suddenly came to a standstill in mid-air.

His toes landed on the hanging chandelier—the swaying chandelier offered no effective support, but Baroque didn't need to stand or hang upside down on it; instead, he compressed his body like a spring once more.

The power from both feet converged at the waist and abdomen, and the force exploded. The enormous force permeated the entire lamp, and accompanied by dense and subtle cracking sounds, the entire lamp turned into shimmering glass dust!

Amidst this dazzling, almost dreamlike light, Baroque descended like a bolt of lightning, his steel claws slashing toward Yuan Chen's head, the surrounding energy leaving a chilling trail in the air—Barcelona Flying Strike!

But just as he was swinging his steel claws, Baroque suddenly realized that although Yuan Chen's attack missed, his peripheral vision was still firmly locked on him.

No, that's not all. As he threw a punch toward the ground, he also tucked his other arm to his waist to gather power... Was he planning to deliver a follow-up blow while getting up?

But so what?

Baroque's eyes were full of mockery—Baroque's ability to move back and forth across the wall at astonishing speed, fly, and leap was all derived from the ki and body training of Spanish ninjutsu. This internal and external flow of energy allowed Baroque's body to perform displacements, hang in the air, and bursts of power in mid-air that were unimaginable to ordinary people.

And what about this guy in front of me?

Although it was only a preliminary impression, Baroque was certain that this was a creature that specialized in appearance, just like Bison's aesthetically unappealing and stupid chimpanzee—an ugly and smelly modern thing.

For a fool like this who only has muscles in his head and only knows how to throw punches roughly, what can he do even if he notices his own attack?

With the old strength exhausted and the new strength yet to arise, let alone this stinking modern world, even classical martial artists, only those with profound skill, can reverse their center of gravity through continuous and precise control of their qi—but that's just a reversal of the center of gravity. After completing the reversal, launching another attack is another matter entirely!

But in the next instant, sensing something, Baroque's eyes narrowed sharply.

Despite missing his target with his punch, Yuan Chen didn't pause for a moment, nor did the expression in his eyes change in the slightest. As the third-ranking figure in Shadow Luo, Baroque might not be as strong as Sagat, but he was by no means an ordinary martial artist who could easily outmaneuver him.

The right foot, which had already crashed to the ground, suddenly sank even harder, crushing the already broken floor tiles into dust.

Using his heels as a pivot, his battle qi erupted, and the violent impact of the battle qi forcefully lifted Yuan Chen's sinking center of gravity upwards.

Then, he forcefully pushed his waist upward, and at the moment of exertion, two bursts of energy exploded from his waist and chest.

With the force of the impact, which seemed to tear the bones directly from the flesh, Yuan Chen forcefully and brutally poured the violent force against the current into the forcibly corrected spine, in Baroque's incredulous gaze.

His blood pressure surged, Yuan Chen's eyes turned bloodshot, and his right shoulder, elbow, and wrist simultaneously erupted with fighting spirit and blood mist. He violently twisted his right arm, and his hook punch, like a broken steel whip, flew towards the descending Baroque with a piercing shriek, turning into a streak of blood.

Seeing Yuan Chen unleash six bursts of battle qi in a short period of time—or rather, simultaneously—and feeling the iron fist, shrouded in blood-red light, hurtling towards his face, Baroque felt his facial muscles contract uncontrollably.

"Holy shit—"

boom!!

The moment of impact, the collision of flesh and steel produced a sharp noise, and the enormous impact blasted him away.

Blood splattered, leaving two dark red streaks in the air.

It flew straight out and only stopped when it embedded itself in the wall.

Yuan Chen did not stop there. Instead, he moved his body, which was stiff and sore from the continuous bursts of energy. His life energy warmed him slightly, and then he took another step, shattering the paving stones with one foot. His body shot out like a cannonball toward Baroque's landing point.

At the very moment of impact, facing the dust that had not yet settled, Yuan Chen mercilessly unleashed a powerful axe elbow strike towards the point of impact.

The elbow strike was as sharp as a knife, and the dust that followed seemed to be sliced ​​apart by a razor blade. Upon noticing Yuan Chen's flying elbow, Baroque no longer cared about elegance or splendor, and quickly rolled to the side to dodge.

Even so, it was still a step too late. Baroque's right shoulder was slashed open with a bloody wound, and even the point where it was supposed to land was cracked by the elbow strike!

Volume 1: Author's Note on Launching the Book

First, I want to apologize to the readers of my previous book. As a full-time writer, and with the book performing so poorly—not even reaching the average score—it theoretically wouldn't be able to get on the recommendation list later on...

Some readers may have read something similar before; I can frankly say that I also wrote that book. However, when I was writing that one, I had just finished a guaranteed income contract. It might sound strange, but having a guaranteed income contract that guarantees a steady income regardless of performance can severely damage one's motivation. Now, after the contract ended, I'm rereading the few books I've started, and they're all utterly appalling, riddled with grammatical errors and inconsistencies.