Chapter 80 - Abnormal

Two figures stood opposite each other on the stage. A subtle tension gradually suffused he air. One was tall and strong. The other was short and thin.

"Stupid bear, I didn't expect us to run into each other," Lance's thin lips parted as he spoke pleasantly.

"Stupid sissy, I also didn't expect to meet you in the second round." Moses grinned, his tone equally sharp.

"Perfect, shall we have a go?" Lance tilted his head slightly.

"I was thinking the same. We haven't sparred for months; the last time we fought was at the last banquet. Just so you know, I've improved a lot so I hope you won't disappoint me." Moses puffed his chest chest out slightly which made his body look even larger.

"What a coincidence, I've improved a lot too. I hope I don't make you cry with my hand chop later." Lance slowly raised his right hand.

Hearing this, Moses sneered inwardly. Improved a lot? Had he improved to the point where he could achieve a breakthrough and become a pugilist? That wasn't an easy threshold to cross. Moses himself only made it through with the help of the Fire Oil. There was no way Lance could be that lucky.

A pugilist fighting against someone at a lower level? That was like a father fighting a son. Lance wouldn’t be able to break through his defense even if Moses didn't move!

"

Heh

, you better not start crying from my hits. I don't want to see a man in tears." Moses shrugged.

Hearing this, Lance sneered inwardly as well. Moses's bear-like skin was indeed tough. Prior to his breakthrough, Lance could barely hurt him even at full strength. But now...with accelerated blood flow, his strength and the damage he could dole out would multiply. Fighting Moses would be like an adult fighting with a child.

Cassius squeezed to the front of the crowd. Moses and Lance, who hadn't started their match yet, noticed their junior brother. Moses turned his head and smiled at Cassius, showing his neatly arranged white teeth.

"Junior Brother! Just wait there and see me thrash this sissy."

Next to him, Lance also smiled and nodded, winking his beautiful left eye at Cassius. It wasn’t just about thrashing the bear. Having someone in the audience who knew his secret made it that much more fun!

Cassius smiled stiffly at the enthusiasm expressed from both sides. He swallowed hard. Before their breakthroughs, his Third and Fourth Senior Brothers were around the same level in terms of strength—one was tough and resilient, the other agile and elusive. Now that they've both broken through to pugilists, they were probably still evenly matched. The fight would likely end in a draw.

When they discovered each other's hidden strength during the fight, they wouldn't come looking for him, the one in the know, right...?

"Match start!" The referee jumped off the stage.

Immediately, the two auras clashed. One was agile and sharp, the other heavy as a mountain. The two faced off, both assuming the standard stance of the Wind Elephant combat.

Lance stepped forward, disappearing in an instant. A blurry figure flashed past. He appeared right beside Moses, and chopped his hand down heavily like an iron rod.

"So what if you hit me?!"

Moses took a deep breath, creating a white vortex at his nostrils in the process. He spread his arms wide and his clothes exploded off. Exaggerated, bulging black muscles rose, with green veins spreading like branches underneath.

Bang!

The hand chopped down. The hard muscle trembled slightly but fully absorbed the impact. At the same time, Moses threw a punch, while Lance swiftly sidestepped behind him, delivering a quick piercing punch to the kidneys!

Moses's body swayed slightly, then he struck hard behind him. Lance blocked it with both hands, retreating backward to create some distance.

"Your skin is really thick. Seems like I have to get serious," Lance said, assuming his stance again, squinting his eyes.

"Same here. I'll finish you in one move!"

Moses grinned brightly and launched an attack. The stage shook with every step as he advanced like a tank, crushing everything in his path. Lance took a step and moved swiftly around Moses, launching quick attacks. The hand chops landed squarely on Moses’s muscles.

An opening!

Moses's eyes widened. He threw a fierce, lightning-fast punch. "Wind Owl!"

Lance's eyes reddened as he slashed down with his hand chop. "Severing Flow!"

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Boom!!!

After a dull thud, both looked up to stare at each other. At such close range, they could see how bloodshot the other's eyes were—a clear sign of accelerated blood flow.

"You!" They said at the same time. "Fuck!"

Their reactions were unbelievably synchronized.

"I don't believe it!"

Both gritted their teeth and lunged at each other in a flurry of fists and feet. One moved gracefully and elegantly, hands slashing continuously like a dancing ballerina. The other stood tall and firm, striking steadily like a dedicated partner in a ballroom dance. They looked like a graceful ballroom pair, with one person moving fluidly while the other was strong and steady.

After the "dance," Moses had a twisted expression on his face, and his muscles were red and swollen. On the other side, Lance was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Yet, the match still did not have a clear winner. The referee had no choice but to declare the match a draw.

"When did you break through to pugilist?"

"I should ask you the same question!"

Moses and Lance bickered as they walked off the stage, heading toward Cassius. The corners of Cassius’s mouth twitched. How should he phrase his words?

Suddenly, he shuddered. His heart skipped a beat. It felt like he was being watched by a predatory beast.

He quickly turned his head, scanning the surroundings. There seemed to be a pair of blood-red eyes watching him from within the shadows of the crowd. They were filled with inexplicable greed and evil.

That feeling... It was just like facing the Shadow Demon for the first time where he was filled with a horrifying, shivering, inexplicable fear.

Cassius stood frozen in place, but in the blink of an eye, the sense of impending crisis was gone. Calm returned to him as if nothing had happened. He took a deep breath and scanned his surroundings but found nothing.

Since being parasitized by the Shadow Demon, Cassius had noticed his senses becoming much sharper. He could detect hostile glances and murderous intent so the chances of it being an illusion of some kind was very low.

"Li Wei, what's wrong?" Moses, who had just approached, asked with concern when he saw Cassius's pale face.

Lance also rushed over. "Junior Brother, are you too tired from the match? Talk to First Senior Brother about it later. Go rest in your room first."

"Yes, I think I am a bit tired. I'll talk to First Senior Brother later," Cassius said, holding his forehead.

Ten minutes later, on the cobblestone path in the manor, a tall figure walked toward the rest area.