Chapter 367 - Unrestrained, Arrogant, and Overbearing

"Wow, it's Cloud Dog Fist versus Crescent Moon Fist Hall!"

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Starting off intense, huh? Both are members of the Eastern Nine Sects. Cloud Dog Fist Sect is a first-rate sect, and Crescent Moon Fist Hall is also a notable second-rate sect. Their core disciples are way stronger than those of ordinary sects. This will be something to see..."

"I didn't expect two members of the Eastern Nine Sects to clash on the first day. This will likely be today's main event."

"Crescent Moon Fist Hall really drew the short straw; they ended up facing Cloud Dog Fist in last night's draw. Both schools get five spots in the match, and they're sending in their most skilled core disciples. While Crescent Moon Fist Hall's overall strength might not compare, it'll be interesting to see how many of Cloud Dog Fist's disciples they can take down before losing. Since they're both Eastern Nine Sects members, I'd bet they'll take down at least three."

"More like two." "I say one." "Zero!"

"Zero's not realistic. It's a tag team battle, so there's little time to rest. Taking down five opponents in succession, especially in a high-level competition, is nearly impossible—even the Eastern Three Stars couldn't do it. Conservatively, I'd guess two or three..."

The spectators around Ring Number One were buzzing with speculation, with countless disciples from various sects focused intently on the ring. Even eyes from other areas turned to watch, since the opening bouts on the other rings were between more ordinary sects.

It was clear that Ring Number One had captured everyone's attention.

Whoosh.

With a quick flip, a short-haired young man in a blue uniform vaulted onto the left side of the ring. His face was rugged rather than handsome, but his physique was lean and muscular, exuding the aura of a panther ready to strike. A crescent moon emblem adorned his left shoulder.

This was Colin, the second core disciple of Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall and a pugilist with second-level accelerated blood flow. Being the first to enter the ring, he intended to challenge Cloud Dog Fist and, with luck, secure an opening victory. It was a strategic choice.

Standing on the rubberized surface of the ring, Colin felt the springy texture underfoot and took several deep breaths, his heartbeat racing with excitement. He could sense countless pairs of eyes on him, including those from the second and third floors. A strong showing here could make him famous in no time.

At the very least, the sects in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts world would remember that this year's Martial Arts Exchange Tournament featured a fighter named Colin from Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall.

With a smirk, he shifted his stance slightly, loosening up his limbs in a series of light movements. His eager gaze turned toward the direction of Cloud Dog Fist, and he immediately felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

All the blood pumping through his chest turned cold in an instant.

"Thunder Dog Simone!!! Are you kidding me?! Sending out the main guy first?"

His face betrayed his shock.

The crowd erupted with chatter as well.

"One of the Eastern Three Stars? Thunder Dog Simone's starting off?!"

"No chance for his junior brothers and sisters to show their skills, huh..."

"Is he planning to take down all five? This will be interesting. Today's opening bout on Ring Number One is worth watching."

In other sections, especially where disciples from Star Ring Fist and Soul-Breaking Sword were gathered, two powerfully-built young men wore grave expressions.

In Ring Number One, Colin's vision blurred as he watched Simone vanish from the corridor and reappear in the opposite corner of the ring.

Colin's face froze, and the small ambitions he'd held shattered instantly. His opponent had transformed from an anticipated regular core disciple to one of the Eastern Three Stars. Winning was out of the question; he could only hope to drain Simone's stamina and tire him out for his junior brothers.

His sharp ears picked up the conversations from the crowd around him. Though he feared Simone, he couldn't help but sneer to himself, "Take down five? Even if you're one of the Eastern Three Stars, that's nothing but a pipe dream! I'll just focus on defense and wear you out. If I don't exhaust half your stamina after a hundred moves, I'll no longer be Colin!"

He took a deep breath, lowered his stance, and activated his blood to enter a ready state. As the minute of preparation elapsed, the referee stepped to the edge of the ring and jumped down.

"Match start!"

Colin immediately lowered his stance, adopting a flexible defensive posture with his waist bent like a drawn bow. "Let me..."

Whoosh!

"So fast!"

Colin's pupils shrank as Simone, originally standing dozens of meters away, glided toward him like a ghost. His pale, expressionless face and cold, piercing gaze descended on him like a predator stalking its prey in the mountains.

"First Quarter Moon!"

In a flurry, Colin launched a Secret Technique straight at Simone.

Bang!

The forceful straight punch was swatted aside by Simone's fierce tiger-like paw.

Colin's expression changed as he tried to counter with a quick left elbow, only for Simone's strike to land squarely on his elbow joint, numbing his entire arm. His defense crumbled.

All he could do was watch as the fast-moving figure charged into his guard, hitting him with relentless momentum. A powerful ram and follow-up strike sent him airborne.

Colin was launched three meters high into the air before plummeting back down. Thankfully, the referee leaped up in time to catch him.

Ugh! Cough, cough, cough...

Colin spat a mouthful of blood, his body racked by a fit of intense coughing. His gaze remained dazed; had he really lost? The entire fight had lasted only a couple of moves. Simone had closed the distance in a flash, swatted aside his punch, struck his elbow, and ended it with a brutal charge.

"This...isn't this difference in strength too much? So this is the power of the Eastern Three Stars? We're not even on the same level..."

Crushed in spirit, Colin felt completely dejected. So much for exhausting half of Simone's stamina—he hadn't even managed to wear down one percent.

Ten seconds later, Colin was carried off by medics, and the crowd around the ring grew even more animated during the break before the next bout.

"Clean and efficient—three moves from start to finish. Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall's second core disciple was no match. Truly worthy of the Eastern Three Stars' Thunder Dog Simone..."

"Impressive! That level is almost a full-blown combat artist!"

"The Eastern Three Stars—Thunder Dog Simone, Moon Fist Shaq, and Dead Soul Sword Sid—are in a league of their own compared to the younger generation. The younger waves are crashing hard against the old!"

In the ring, Simone listened to these remarks with a deadpan expression, but inside, he sneered. Eastern Three Stars? Had it not been for his physical condition, which prevented him from fighting at full strength in day-to-day battles, how could those two pretenders ever be his equal? They weren't on the same level at all. The Eastern Three Stars? Please—there was only ever one Eastern Star!

And as for defeating his opponent in three clean moves, Simone felt it was nothing to boast about. True strength, he believed, was about breaking an opponent's will without ever lifting a fist—crushing them with the sheer presence of monstrous power alone.

That was real dominance! An insurmountable gulf!

Standing before them, they would never even dare to throw a punch, knowing that doing so would mean death.

This, Simone had experienced firsthand from the master of the Golem Sect.

Near combat artist levels of strength alone was not enough; he would far surpass ordinary combat artists. He would make his mark on an even grander stage.

At this moment, Simone shed his usual lazy demeanor and displayed an unprecedented ambition.

Fight! He wanted to fight!

An orphan taken in as a child, Simone had only Uncle Fes to rely on, with little else to support him.

Upon beginning his training in Covert Martial Arts, he discovered a congenital spinal deformity, which limited his potential and made each practice excruciating. During fights, he could only exert 60 to 70 percent of his strength, losing a significant portion of his abilities right from the start—a cruel fate. Yet Simone fought through these limitations and became the first core disciple of the Cloud Dog Fist, rising to join the ranks of the Eastern Three Stars.

To say he lacked determination or ambition for strength was impossible. But the failed breakthrough several years ago had crushed his spirit, leaving him bedridden for quite some time. Only then did he fall into lethargy, hiding his frustrations behind a sunny disposition and, in private, a lazy, defeated outlook.

Now, though, a turning point had arrived!

The Golem Sect Master, Cassius, admired him! This mysterious organization was willing to perform a corrective spinal surgery, one with a guaranteed success rate, and Cassius himself would operate!

If the surgery succeeded, Simone was almost certain he would reach the level of a combat artist, stepping into an entirely new world.

He didn't doubt Cassius's promise, especially with the Demon Seed implanted in his body and the potent Life Vibration energy they'd given him. The Demon Seed alone was already astonishing; last night's breathing exercises had shown remarkable results, enhancing his physical prowess comprehensively and without any side effects.

This was particularly important for Simone.

With his spinal deformity, most medicinal treatments and training techniques were unsuitable for him, imposing an immense burden on his body with severe side effects. But the Golem Breathing Technique worked uniquely: instead of energizing from outside to within, it radiated from within outward.

It was as if an invisible magnetic field spread from inside his body to his limbs, nurturing his physique and strength without aggravating his spinal condition.

On top of that, the Life Vibration energy the sect master granted him had proven its worth. With it, Simone could exert his full strength freely. The Life Vibration offset the overload and side effects from his spinal deformity as if balancing destruction with repair.

With these incredible gifts, the Golem Sect held immense allure for Simone. He was, after all, an orphan, born without attachments. Besides Uncle Fes, there was nothing in the Cloud Dog Fist he particularly cared about.

Might as well just betray.

Amos had told him to go all out, to unleash overwhelming power. If he performed well, Cassius would perform the spinal surgery on him early, allowing him to break through to the combat artist level in the middle of the martial arts tournament.

What followed would be an inevitable championship win.

After that would come a bold challenge to the hosts, the Evil Eye Fist.

The target? The Evil Eye Fist Sect Master!

Following this chain of events, Thunder Dog Simone's name would resound everywhere, becoming widely known. Even if a twist occurred later, it wouldn't diminish the impact of the sensational feats leading up to it. The thought of all this left Simone feeling strangely relieved.

He placed his right hand over his face, covering his features, but the smirk on his lips was unmistakable. Simone felt that removing the mask he'd worn for over twenty years seemed fitting today. He wanted to be reckless, arrogant, even domineering.

Just like the Golem Sect Master!

"Begin!" The referee once again leapt from the arena.

The third core disciple of the Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall stood with tensed muscles, fists raised in a ready stance, inhaling deeply.

Bang!

A dark figure flashed past, and a human figure flew backward.

Fallen on the ground, the fighter spat out blood, his final vision a rapidly approaching fist.

"So fast! That speed, that punch!"

"One punch!"

"The gap is only widening!"

The entire first floor of the Black Pupil Tower buzzed with excitement. In martial arts, what could rival the thrill of defeating an opponent with a single punch? Charging in, throwing a punch, and—done!

It was thrilling, swift, and deeply satisfying.

Two more core disciples of the Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall took turns facing him, only to be swiftly defeated by Simone.

In the Cloud Dog Fist seating area, half the disciples stood up in excitement, watching the proud, icy figure standing on the ring, waiting silently for his next opponent. They didn't know why their usually easygoing senior brother was so wild today, but seeing him take down four fighters in a row was exhilarating!

The fifth match brought out the first core disciple of the Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall, another pugilist at the Major Culmination stage.

Previously, Simone would've been cautious, considering he could only unleash about 60 percent of his strength. But now? With his full strength unlocked, he would take them all down, head-on!

He wanted the so-called Twin Stars of the East to see what true domination looked like. There were differences even among the top talents of the East!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of strikes shook the circular arena as Simone's white figure furiously overpowered his opponent in blue.

The entire surrounding area reverberated.

Wham!

With one fierce swipe, Simone's hand tore through the air, breaking through his opponent's defense to land directly on his chest.

With a resounding crack, the first core disciple of the Crescent Moon Martial Arts Hall was sent flying.

"Ring Number One, match one victory goes to Cloud Dog Fist!" The referee announced from the ring, loudly declaring the result.

Simone glanced coolly at the bustling crowd, like a marketplace, and then raised his gaze to the third floor.

Standing by the metal railing, a blond youth in a coat smiled down at him, nodding.

"Sect Master..."

Simone's eyes flashed as he noticed a boy in a black suit beside the youth. "Tch..."

Third floor of the Black Pupil Tower, by the metal railing.

"Cassius, did you notice? That kid's imitating you."

Amos adjusted his glasses, the lenses glinting.

"Heh..." Cassius chuckled. "He can imitate me all he wants. With a remarkable example so close at hand, who wouldn't be tempted? If he can embody even a third of what I am and has a warrior's heart, then he's a true genius, isn't he?"

Amos sighed. "No wonder after our last fight, when you were injured all over, even with your heart pierced, your face remained unscathed. You really are shameless to a fault."