Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

I started it all. I was the one who went to fight Yuan Chen first... and I ended up being treated like a nobody...

Meanwhile, in the center of the arena, watching Yuan Chen circling around as if to say that he had already won, Katahara Sayaka was also full of excitement.

"What happened! What happened?!" Katahara Sayaka's voice boomed through the megaphone: "The legendary Hellish Heaven—Marve-ous Seki! He was actually knocked down head-on by Yuan Chen with a bomb slam! Is this all the wrestler from the Demon World is capable of? Is the glory of professional wrestling about to end?!"

In the audience, Kazuo Yamada had his mouth open but couldn't make a sound. Suekichi Kaneda's usually squinty-eyed smile also showed a look of urgency and seriousness, clearly indicating that all his attention was focused on the atmosphere before him.

But just as Yuan Chen was still circling the arena, as Katahara Sayaka finished speaking, Guan Linjun, who was lying on the ground, moved.

He didn't do a somersault or roll to his feet; instead, he slowly and heavily propped himself up on the ring with his arms.

Even though Yuan Chen had deflected most of the impact and directed it to the ground, and even though he had used his recovery techniques to neutralize the remaining impact as much as possible, the residual force still caused his muscles to be visibly covered in wounds from the bomb slam he had just endured. It was as if his bones had become loose and unwilling, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

Even so, as a wrestler, Guan Linchun still managed to hold his own.

Kneeling on the ground, the muscles in his thighs trembled violently as he slowly lifted his upper body off the ground.

The black and white paint on his face had been mostly washed away by sweat, blood, and dust, but the violence he endured made him look even more ferocious.

"Roar!" A low growl rolled from his throat.

At first, Yuan Chen didn't seem to notice that Guan Linchun had woken up, and continued to circle the arena until people began to roar, seemingly cheering and encouraging Guan Linchun. Only then did Yuan Chen belatedly 'react' and look behind him.

At this moment, Guan Linchun had already stood up and rushed straight to Yuan Chen, his speed was astonishing!

next moment--

"Locked! Marvelous Lock has locked Yuan Chen's head!"

Katahara Sayaka's voice burst from the microphone, cracking with excitement.

Guan Linchun rushed to Yuan Chen like a thunderbolt, his right arm tightly gripping the back of Yuan Chen's neck, tucking Yuan Chen's head under his armpit, and as he charged forward, he also leaped, putting all the impact and weight on Yuan Chen's body, and with all his might, smashing Yuan Chen's head onto the ground.

"DDT!!!!"

Katahara Sayaka let out a roar that sounded like she had reached a fever pitch—this is one of the most classic and visually impactful wrestling moves in professional wrestling!

Lock your opponent's head under your armpits, then drop backward along with your own body weight, so that your opponent's head bears the combined weight of the two of you when it hits the ground!

That terrifying impact is enough to make anyone's mind race instantly; it's also known among wrestlers as a deep death experience!

Yuan Chen's head slammed into the ring, the sound so crisp it made the audience gasp, and a look of surprise flashed in Guan Linchun's eyes as he held Yuan Chen's head in his arms.

If it were someone else, they might not have felt it, but Guan Linchun could clearly feel that Yuan Chen had already completed his recovery almost the instant he touched the ground, and had evenly distributed the impact throughout his body in accordance with his 'performance,' and in the process, he had forcefully smashed a huge crack in the ground.

"Success! Hell Heaven has succeeded! That arrogant Great Waste Yuan Chen has fallen!"

Katahara Sayaka practically screamed those words.

The professional wrestling enthusiasts in the audience were already hugging each other, crying and shouting.

But right after that, Yuan Chen opened his eyes.

Using his elbows to brace himself against the ground, Yuan Chen exerted force with his waist and, with a burst of muscle in his legs, forcefully flung Guan Linchun off his back.

Guan Linchun did not resist. Instead, he rolled over repeatedly with Yuan Chen's force to dissipate the force. Then, he stood up by supporting himself on his knees and looked at Yuan Chen, who had already stood up. There was no anger in his eyes, only excitement, only the joy of meeting a worthy opponent and a talented general.

Feeling Guan Linchun's gaze, Yuan Chen raised his chin and said, "...His ability to withstand blows is not bad."

Upon hearing this, Guan Linchun's mouth snarled, revealing his teeth stained with blood.

Although he looked rough and crazy, Guan Linchun understood Yuan Chen's meaning almost instantly—the performance was coming to an end.

Yes, the performance should indeed end.

Guan Linchun knew very well that Yuan Chen was cooperating with his performance and responding to his wrestler's spirit.

But in any case, this is still a competition, and it will eventually come to an end.

So Guan Linchun raised his head and replied, word by word, "Better than you!"

Yuan Chen sneered at this.

Although it was a cold laugh, there was no contempt in the voice; it was the satisfaction of a hunter finally seeing his prey bare its fangs.

"Then let's give it a try."

As they spoke, Yuan Chen walked unguardedly toward Guan Linchun.

Guan Linchun didn't answer. Although he didn't know what Yuan Chen was going to do, he knew he had already lost. What followed was simply a contest of willpower and perseverance.

If that's the case... recalling those hellish training sessions, recalling the ascetic practices where even when you were full, stuffed, you still had to keep eating, recalling the days when you trained to the point of vomiting but still couldn't stop...

With a smile on his face, Guan Linchun stood still, while Yuan Chen raised his left hand, gripped the back of Guan Linchun's neck, and slowly but forcefully raised his right fist.

Seeing this, Guan Linchun realized Yuan Chen's purpose, raised his head, grabbed the back of Yuan Chen's neck with his left hand, and raised his right fist.

For a moment, even the air seemed to stand still. Staring at the two men who stood like statues, the people present seemed to realize something, or perhaps they found it hard to believe. Because, no matter what, ending the fight in this way seemed a bit too playful, too direct, too… brutal.

They held each other's necks tightly, securing them in front of them. After a brief eye contact, Yuan Chen reached out, took a button, and tossed it high into the air.

In an instant, everyone could clearly feel the sudden change in the aura of the two people present, like two ferocious beasts ready to pounce. As long as a voice broke the stalemate of rationality, they would unleash their power without hesitation.

With the sound of metal hitting the concrete floor, the two men threw punches at each other's faces without hesitation.

Without dodging or even deflecting the force, the two giants stood upright in front of everyone's eyes, and then, without flinching or avoiding, they blasted each other's faces with all their might!

One punch, two punches, three punches… every punch landed with flesh, bones colliding! It was like two storms of fists clashing against each other, thick blood splattering from their disfigured faces, landing on each other's shoulders and chests. The blatant and pure brutality made everyone in the audience unconsciously hold their breath, even Katahara Sayaka forgot to shout.

She could sense that this was not wrestling or fighting, but simply two male beasts measuring each other's will in the most primal way.

In just a few breaths, Guan Linchun's cheekbone almost completely collapsed, and beneath his skin, shattered bone fragments shifted with each punch. Yet their right hands remained firmly gripping the back of each other's necks, their breaths mingling, each punch landing with flesh, neither dodging.

But in less than a minute, Guan Linchun's knees began to buckle.

It wasn't a matter of weak will, but rather that the body, under continuous heavy blows, finally began to disobey the brain's commands.

Nerves were on edge, brain was concussed, and even the cervical spine was severely worn down by Yuan Chen's powerful punches.

Instinctively, Guan Linchun gritted his teeth and channeled the last of his strength into his right arm. Finally, Yuan Chen's face was slapped to one side, and blood drew a thin red line in the air.

But then, Yuan Chen suddenly turned his head, raised his right arm, his muscles bulging, and from his arm to his back, all the muscles in his body seemed to merge into one in that instant. His clenched fist even began to increase the pressure and distort the surrounding air invisibly.

In a daze, everything in this world became exceptionally dim in everyone's sight, leaving only Yuan Chen's fist flashing an invisible radiance in the dark underground garage.

The next moment, Yuan Chen's fist transformed into a meteor, accompanied by golden flames, and became a beam of light, appearing in everyone's sight, blasting through Guan Linchun's face!

Guan Linchun's 141-kilogram body was thrown out of his grasp, his feet leaving the ground uncontrollably. He crashed to the ground in an arc, accompanied by a dull thud, and rolling dust spread in all directions.

After a brief silence, Yuan Chen turned his gaze to Katahara Sayaka, who was standing to the side. Sensing Yuan Chen's gaze, Katahara Sayaka finally remembered that this was Kengan Arena, not some professional wrestling match, and that she was the referee for the entire event.

Realizing her dereliction of duty, Katahara Sayaka was immediately startled, then roared, "The winner! Sakura-sou Charcoal Grilled Meat! Dai-ho Gen-tatsu!!"

"Hey! Yuan Chen! Yuan Chen!!!"

"Yuan Chen pinned Guan Linchun to the ground—the ultimate humiliation!!!"

"Hellfire Heaven! He actually lost?!?"

"Could it be that an exorcist surpassing even the god of wrestling has descended upon us?!"

"This kind of fight, this kind of fight should be in the ring of Super Japanese professional wrestling!!!"

"To be defeated by an unparalleled powerhouse like Yuan Chen, even Hell Heaven can finally return to the Demon Realm to rest in peace..."

Hearing people cheering, roaring, celebrating, and discussing in a way that far surpassed the way people competed in the game... Chun-Li still breathed a sigh of relief, and when she looked at Yuan Chen's back standing in the arena, she had a complex expression that was hard to describe.

Han Zhuli, on the other hand, didn't waste any more words. Looking at the excitedly discussing Yamashita Kazuo and Kaneda Suekichi, her face was full of incomprehension.

Yuan Chen didn't waste any words. After confirming his victory, he walked towards Guan Linchun, whose face had been blasted into a cave-in.

Combat is indeed the best way to communicate and cultivate.

I had been constantly practicing, trying, and honing my skills, but I had always struggled to make progress. But today, with the implementation of my intention, I have finally taken another big step closer to 'star-strike'.

But before reminiscing about the fight... saving lives is definitely more important.

Golden flames ignited in his hands as Yuan Chen rapidly activated and repaired the wounds, taking advantage of their recent formation and the fact that the cells had not yet become inactive.

The skin and flesh were okay, but the denser brain and hard facial bones could not be repaired in a short time. By the time the condition stabilized, more than ten minutes had passed.

Just as Yuan Chen stood up, Lu Yexuan, the president of Guan Linchun's company, walked over and looked at Yuan Chen with a look full of emotion, saying:

"President Nogi has already told me about your energy conversion ability, and I thank you for allowing Sekirin to truly carry out his beliefs in the Kengan arena."

Volume 1: Chapter 148 - Kengan's Fatal Elimination Tournament

[The previous text contained a typo for Kaneda Yoshizue; it should be Kaneda Suekichi. This has been corrected.]

Looking at Yuan Chen in front of him, Lu Yexuan's eyes showed no sign of frustration or anger after his defeat.

As a former fighter of the Kengan Association and a legendary figure in the professional wrestling world, Gen Kano is well aware of the incredible fortune a professional wrestler can experience by unexpectedly encountering a worthy opponent on such a stage.

Sensing the gratitude in Kano Gen's eyes, Yuan Chen simply shook his head and said, "I just did what I was supposed to do."

As he said this, Yuan Chen looked at Guan Linchun and said, "Emergency treatment has been carried out, and the bones have been basically pieced together. Do not engage in high-intensity activities for the next three days, eat more nutritious food, and you should be able to recover completely in about two weeks."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Lu Yexuan also showed amazement.

Although I had already learned some information about the Flame of Life from my conversation with Hideki Nogi, I have to say that when I heard that Jun Sekibayashi had suffered such severe injuries, with his facial bones completely shattered, his nerves severely compressed, and suffering a severe concussion...

Such injuries, which would normally require immediate admission to the ICU for emergency treatment, only took Yuan Chen two weeks to heal?

Noticing Kano Gen's astonishment, Yuan Chen thought for a moment and then said, "It mainly depends on the timeliness of the treatment. If it is delayed until the wound loses its activity, then even I can only play a certain role in the auxiliary treatment."

In fact, that's not all. When Yuan Chen tried to use Star Strike at the end, he realized that Guan Linchun would inevitably be seriously injured after the battle. So he poured a ball of golden flame into Guan Linchun's brain in advance along with the bombardment to ensure that Guan Linchun's activity would be maintained for a long time.

However, Yuan Chen rarely explains matters involving life energy in detail.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen then looked at Lu Yexuan with some curiosity and said, "More importantly, Uncle, you're the president of the Steel Generation Group, right? Aren't you angry about losing a competition like this?"

"Haha, battles always involve winning and losing."

Upon hearing this, Kano Gen's face remained calm, showing no displeasure whatsoever: "On the contrary, for Guan Lin, encountering a worthy opponent like you is a lifelong benefit. Moreover..."

After a pause, Kano Gen looked at Nogi Hideki beside him and said, "Moreover, this competition is not simply for the sake of so-called commercial competition."

Sensing Gen Kano's gaze, Hideki Nogi remained silent, his expression grave.

No wonder Nogi Hideki had that expression, because the competition in this match was not about a business contract on the surface, but about obtaining the voting rights held by the Steel Group to initiate the Kengan Association's internal Kengan Elimination Tournament.

In this context, the reason why Nogi Hideki sent out Tokita Ohma was to further determine whether Tokita Ohma had the ability to become his pawn, adding a double insurance for the game and preventing Izumi Hatsumi from having no one to fight after encountering an unexpected situation.

But now... Tokita Ohma has lost, and one of the two insurance policies has been lost. Although Yuan Chen said that Tokita Ohma's memory has problems and his strength will increase exponentially after it is restored, but... is it worth the gamble?

Just as Nogi Hideki was weighing the pros and cons, a deep, resonant laugh came from the back of the audience.

"Hehehe—"

The crowd parted to the sides almost instinctively.

It wasn't an order, nor was it a shoving; it was the laughter itself that carried a certain oppressive force that made people instinctively give way.

Then, a group of tall, burly men in black suits led the way. Although the person who had been laughing had not yet appeared, many people narrowed their eyes just by seeing those burly men in black suits.

No one in the Kengan Association would be unfamiliar with this group of warriors in black suits—the Guardians.

Belonging to the private army of Kengan-kai leader Katahara Metsudo, this is a terrifying martial arts group comprised of countless masters, striking fear into the hearts of many. It's no exaggeration to say that even the Japanese National Police Agency and the Bakubu SMARTS would have to show this group of martial artists considerable respect.

Violence is always the most reliable cornerstone of law, rules, and stability.

From among the guardians, a tall, expressionless man with slicked-back hair, wearing a trench coat, slowly stepped out—Ganaga, the Fang of Destroyer.

But Kanao is not the main character. The main character is Katahara Metsudo, the president of the Kengan Association, who appears particularly short and old amidst a group of powerful guardians.

His pace was not fast, but each step was taken at a certain unhurried rhythm, as if he had known all along that he would arrive here and say these words today.

"Chairman Katahara?!" Exclamations rose and fell from the audience.

Upon hearing the exclamations of the crowd, Yamashita Kazuo's face showed utter horror, his mind filled with pure shock.

Katahara Metsudo—this is a name that no Japanese person would be unfamiliar with. The reason is simple: it represents the president and chairman of the Bank of Japan, the undisputed uncrowned king of Japan's financial world—Katahara Metsudo!

"Chairman?!"

"Did you come here specifically to watch the game?"

People asked each other questions, somewhat surprised.

This only made Yamashita Kazuo even more terrified.

Because from the beginning, people have been referring to Katahara Metsudo as 'Chairman' instead of 'President' or 'CEO'...

Although I know that there are countless commercial groups within the Kengan Association, but...

Does this even include a giant like the Bank of Japan, which accounts for nearly a third of all Japanese businesses?!