Chapter 39

The truck entered the city and headed straight for the eastern district, where there was a large area of abandoned factories. This place was perfect for doing things that couldn't be seen in the light of day, and it was also the location of the Black Stream City underground fighting arena. Surrounding the city were over a dozen towns and villages, and their disputes were often resolved through gambling fights held here.

The rumored owner of this underground fighting arena was a high-ranking figure in the Expeditionary Corps. Within the Empire's territory on the Eternal Night continent, the Expeditionary Corps was an invincible ancient behemoth, the de facto emperor of the land. Therefore, no one dared to cause trouble in this underground fighting arena.

Each of the abandoned factories in Black Stream City was over ten meters tall and covered thousands of square meters. Five towering factories were neatly lined up, creating a grand and imposing sight. These massive structures, built with alloy steel and concrete, had withstood countless battles and still stood firm. The scale of these factories reflected the former glory of the Empire's industrial might.

However, with the development of the technology to extract black crystals from black stones, the first-generation power sources, represented by black stones and steam, gradually stagnated, and no groundbreaking technological inventions emerged.

The second-generation energy technology, which simulated the power of the original force by releasing the energy of black crystals, was known as the original energy power. However, this technology was limited in many environments, especially in the lower continent far from the sun and the asteroid belt, where the original force was weak. As the highest-grade driving energy of the Empire, it was naturally classified as a strategic material and strictly controlled.

Of course, the real obstacle to the use of black crystal technology was the price.

The original energy power drive device was too expensive. A set of tank engines could buy the entire Lighthouse Town. Although land and human life were not valuable in the Eternal Night, a small town was still a considerable wealth. These items were mostly smuggled goods, and their prices multiplied several times once they left the upper and middle continents.

Qian Ye wrapped his coat tighter and followed Lord Zhao and his group into the underground fighting arena. He was responsible for the virtual fighting section, which was a test of combat skills without bloodshed. For ordinary disputes, virtual fighting would suffice, but since this was a major bet, two additional bloody fights were required.

Lord Zhao, dressed formally, walked to the left side of the fighting arena, sat down on a sofa, lit a cigar, and squinted his eyes, looking at his opponent on the other side.

Opposite him sat a middle-aged man with his arms exposed, covered in dense tattoos, and a cruel expression. His shirt was open, revealing scars all over his chest.

The fighting arena had several hundred seats, which were now almost full.

Above were a few private boxes, providing the clearest view of the fights. The boxes were equipped with one-way glass, allowing those inside to see out, but not vice versa. These boxes were reserved for truly important figures, and it was said that the owner of the underground fighting arena occasionally attended. However, only true expert battles would attract him; a fight at the level of a town dispute would not.

When the time came, the bell of the underground fighting arena rang, and three referees silently entered. They were expressionless, their killing intent condensed but not dissipated, clearly second-level battle soldiers! The referees were also the maintainers of order.

The central referee carried a special pistol, with the original force patterns clearly visible on the gun. With the original force gun in hand, the referee's authority was guaranteed.

Qian Ye's gaze swept over the three referees and then lowered, standing silently behind Lord Zhao. In Qian Ye's judgment, these three referees could easily wipe out both sides.

Of course, that was only if Qian Ye did not intervene.

At this moment, a referee announced loudly, "The fight begins."

Lord Zhao exhaled a smoke ring and then smiled wickedly, saying, "Yan Laohu, since you dared to bet so much, why don't we start with some bloodshed?"

Yan Laohu suddenly burst into loud laughter, the sound deafening. He then slapped his thigh hard, "Bloodshed? Sure! I love it! Mr. Zhao, just don't wet your pants in fear! If you dare to fight me, I'll cut off your hands and feet and throw you into a cesspool, making you scream for days before you die!"

Lord Zhao exhaled another smoke ring and said leisurely, "There are many who want me dead, but I'm still alive. Those people are nowhere to be found. Oh, perhaps it won't be long before you mysteriously disappear. Who knows?"

Yan Laohu sneered, his chest scars trembling and twisting, "Fine! I'll see if you can make me disappear! Who will go down first and chop off that little Zhao's hands?"

Two large men behind Yan Laohu slowly stood up and entered the arena. They walked steadily, expressionless, with calloused knuckles, clearly ruthless killers.

Seeing these two men, Qian Ye's heart sank slightly. These two men clearly had the iron-blooded aura of soldiers and could be considered elite veterans in the Empire's Expeditionary Corps.

Qian Ye's gaze then swept over a man behind Yan Laohu and lowered again.

This was an ordinary-looking man in his thirties with a short, hard haircut. Apart from his sharp, knife-like gaze, he had no other distinguishing features. However, Qian Ye noticed that he only sat on half of the stool, his back straight, legs slightly apart, and hands resting on his knees, a posture clearly that of a military expert.

He seemed to sense Qian Ye's gaze and looked at him, but found nothing. Under the torment of the Dark Blood, Qian Ye's appearance and demeanor had changed significantly. Now, he looked like a handsome young boy, with no trace of the cold and ruthless aura of a Red Scorpion elite soldier.

Seeing the two large men enter the arena, Lord Zhao's eyes twitched. His hand paused in the air and then pointed to the arena, saying, "Chop them up!"

Two fighters who had come with Qian Ye also stood up, entered the arena, and each chose an opponent, beginning to face off.

After three bell rings, the four men simultaneously drew their weapons and lunged at their opponents!

Bloody fighting allowed the use of short weapons such as daggers and knuckle dusters. One of Lord Zhao's men used a serrated dagger, while the other held two daggers in reverse grip. The two large men from Yan Laohu's side, however, both used triangular military bayonets.

All four were first-level battle soldiers, with strength and speed far exceeding those of ordinary people. The moment they engaged, blood splattered!

The fighter with the two daggers swung his blades like the wind, instantly cutting over a dozen wounds on his opponent. However, the large man only protected his vital points and charged forward, the bayonet piercing his opponent's heart, the tip protruding from his back!

A single strike to kill!

This was clearly a military style. Qian Ye's heart beat slightly faster but then calmed down.

Fortunately, on the other side, Lord Zhao's man was a true expert. He took advantage of the gap in his opponent's fierce charge, suddenly throwing away his dagger and using a grappling move to break the large man's arm. Then, with swift movements, he broke the large man's limbs and finally snapped his neck, winning the match.

This man was actually an expert in hand-to-hand combat but did not use finger strikes. Instead, he carried a dagger, causing his opponent to misjudge and charge in for close combat, resulting in a significant disadvantage. This showed that Lord Zhao's man was not only ruthless but also cunning.

Yan Laohu and Lord Zhao's eyes both twitched. Battle-level experts were hard to come by, and each one recruited required a significant cost. With one expert from each side dead, both were in great pain.

Yan Laohu grunted, "Mr. Zhao, you got lucky! Now it's one to one, so let's decide the winner with virtual fighting!"

Lord Zhao's expression visibly relaxed, and he smiled, "You know I have a good hand here, yet you still dare to decide the winner with virtual fighting? I think you're already senile. Why don't you just give up the territory?"

Yan Laohu glanced at Qian Ye and sneered, "Do you think I'm a little kid? But, you're not the only one with a virtual fighting expert! Coach Liu, go give that little kid a lesson!"

The ordinary-looking man stood up and walked to one end of the fighting arena. His steps were steady, his movements concise, and his stride width consistent, a typical military style.

"Could he really be a military combat instructor? I wonder which expeditionary corps he's from," Qian Ye thought to himself. He took off his long coat, walked to the other end of the fighting arena, and stood on a round platform.

Two staff members activated the switch, and the sudden power demand caused the lights in the fighting arena to dim momentarily before gradually returning to normal.

A green light curtain gradually rose from Qian Ye's feet, enclosing him. As the light curtain rose, a green light warrior appeared in the fighting arena. The man on the opposite side also stood on a round platform, and another virtual warrior appeared in the arena.

This virtual fighting system was a product of the Empire's original energy drive technology. It could fully capture the movements of the fighters on the platform and synchronize them to the virtual warriors. The data of the virtual warriors on both sides were identical.

The original design purpose of the virtual fighting system was to study some particularly powerful combat techniques. If these techniques were used in real combat, a hit would result in death or serious injury, making it impossible to practice and study. Additionally, since the data of the virtual warriors were identical, it created a completely fair environment for both sides to practice and refine their combat skills.

The virtual fighting system had been around for over five hundred years, training countless fighting experts for the Empire. It had spread to every corner of the human territory, even to Black Stream City, although it was just the basic version. It was said that the advanced virtual fighting systems could even simulate the combat of war generals.

Due to the significant role of the virtual fighting system, the dark races paid a heavy price four hundred years ago to obtain the original design plans and began building their own virtual fighting systems. Since then, both sides were back on the same starting line.

Qian Ye clenched his fist, and the virtual warrior in the arena did the same. The two virtual warriors approached each other and exchanged a punch. Qian Ye felt the force feedback from the original force field, his heart slightly trembling. The man on the opposite side also had a serious expression and glanced at Qian Ye.

The punch exchange was a routine test before the virtual fighting system was activated. Qian Ye signaled to the referee, indicating that the system was normal and ready to start.

The two virtual warriors began to slowly circle each other, just like in a real fight. Qian Ye was already familiar with the virtual fighting system to the bone from his time in the Red Scorpion Corps. If the opponent was indeed a retired instructor from the Expeditionary Corps, even a low-level one, he would not lack experience.

After a few rounds of mutual probing, both suddenly moved, fiercely charging at their opponents!

Coach Liu's movements were simple and direct, with large, sweeping gestures. Whether punching or kicking, he aimed straight for vital points, relying entirely on speed and strength, with few tricks.

This was another military combat style, seemingly simple but extremely difficult to deal with in a real fight. Coach Liu's style was as steady as a mountain, with rich combat experience, and very few openings. Even if there were extremely subtle openings, the feedback delay in the virtual fighting system would be enough to compensate, making it hard to exploit.

Most of the audience in the arena understood some combat techniques and began to appreciate the fight, cheering loudly.

In the private boxes, some people also began to pay serious attention to the battle.