Chapter 151: [Silent until the thunder strikes, astonishing the world with a single bound!] (Double Chapter)

In the afternoon.

Tang Mubai was in good luck once again, as it was time for his adult-group match.

His opponent was a woman around thirty years old, possessing a voluptuous figure, a seductive demeanor, and a pair of enchanting fox-like eyes that seemed to cast electric glances, captivating the soul.

As soon as she stepped onto the ring, the woman bit her lower lip, batted her fox-like eyes, looked Tang Mubai up and down, and giggled, "Little brother, you're really amazing. I like you so much."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of allure, silently and directly drilling into the depths of Tang Mubai's heart.

Tang Mubai's mind drifted for a brief second before he snapped back to his senses abruptly.

Immediately afterward, he gazed at the woman with keen interest, sighing in realization while secretly feeling pleasantly surprised.

Seduction arts!

This woman was actually practicing seduction arts!

In that exact moment just now, Tang Mubai had fallen for it, but his willpower was simply too strong. A mere slight trance was all it took for him to react swiftly.

Had it been anyone else, they would already be dancing in the palm of her hand by now.

Encountering someone who practiced seduction arts for the very first time, Tang Mubai felt an inexplicable surge of excitement.

Originally intending to end the fight quickly, he immediately decided to thoroughly experience and learn from this.

"Big sister, you're not bad either."

Tang Mubai grinned and said, "You're pretty and sexy, there must be a lot of people chasing you, right?"

"There are many, but none of them are to my liking."

The woman's lips parted slightly, her fox-like eyes full of electricity, batting at Tang Mubai again, "If it were you, little brother, that would be wonderful. How about it, little brother, would you consider your big sister? Even though sister is older than you, there are great advantages to being older~!"

Here it comes again!

Tang Mubai chuckled inwardly. This time, he didn't even waver in the slightest against her attack.

He had fallen for it the first time due to a lack of experience, but since she was trying it a second time, he had already built up an immunity.

"Thank you very much, big sister. I'd love to be with you too, but to be honest, I only like girls younger than me. So, I'm terribly sorry." Tang Mubai put on a look of regret and sighed.

Hearing this, the corners of the woman's eyes twitched a few times.

Taking a deep breath, she blinked again, exhaled a gentle breath, and giggled, "Hehe, what's there to apologize for? If the little brother likes younger ones, sister can introduce some to you!"

Whoosh~

The third wave of invisible attacks swept straight toward him.

Tang Mubai remained as motionless as a mountain, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, "Then thank you, big sister. I like them a bit fairer in skin, a bit taller in height, and with a slightly better temperament."

"No problem," the woman replied, grinding her teeth word for word.

All three seduction-art assaults had vanished like stones thrown into a bottomless pit, failing to stir up even the slightest ripple.

How could the woman not understand by now? Her seduction arts were completely ineffective against Tang Mubai!

No longer wasting her efforts, she directly unleashed her movement technique, her palms swirling with formidable internal energy as she rapidly closed in on Tang Mubai.

Having participated in both groups simultaneously and winning in both, Tang Mubai was quite famous now, and many people were paying attention to him.

The woman was one of them. She knew very well that she could not afford to give Tang Mubai any distance. Only by closing in for hand-to-hand combat and ending the match swiftly could she hope to defeat him.

As a professional third-tier martial artist, her seduction arts ranked first, while her palm techniques only ranked second.

Since Tang Mubai ignored her seduction arts, she had no choice but to rely on her palm techniques.

Whoosh!

A fierce surge of energy swept toward him head-on.

Tang Mubai controlled his momentum, immediately retreating and shifting his position.

Swish~ swish! Swish~

His constantly shifting movements followed no discernible pattern whatsoever, causing all of the woman's attacks to hit empty air while her eyes struggled to keep up with his rhythm.

Left, right, behind, front...

Tang Mubai darted about with dazzling speed, leaving the woman dizzy and forcing her to quickly retreat to put some distance between them.

Then, she hurriedly erected a "protective true qi" shield to guard against Tang Mubai's offense.

Bang!

The first arrow arrived almost the instant she raised her "protective true qi," striking her abdomen. The explosive force shattered the clothes over her lower belly, exposing a patch of fair skin and drawing loud, exaggerated wolf-whistles from nearby spectators.

However, the woman had no time to care. The sharp pain radiating from her abdomen distracted her, forcing her to stumble backward once more.

Yet Tang Mubai's second arrow had already arrived, and amidst a loud explosion, it continued to slam into her abdomen.

Immediately, the woman's blood and qi surged in turmoil, and agonizing pain coursed through her entire body. She couldn't control herself as she staggered backward, and before she could even steady herself, Tang Mubai's third arrow descended once again.

Bang!

Amidst the booming blast of energy, the woman was lifted completely off the ground.

Swish!

Tang Mubai's figure shot forward like an arrow. Catching up to the woman, he flipped sideways and lashed out with a kick, striking her squarely in the face and sending her flying straight out of the ring. She landed heavily in the sand pit, clutching her lower abdomen, with a prominent, clear footprint stamped across her face.

Seeing this, the audience at the scene burst into a chorus of boos and jeers.

He had no chivalry whatsoever!

Sending such a sexy and beautiful woman flying was one thing, but kicking her right in the face?

That was simply inhumane!

Yet a small minority of people, amidst the general condemnation, noticed Tang Mubai's "Exploding Arrow Technique" and realized its terrifying power.

Clearly lacking any true qi enhancement, it still struck the opponent with the force of a massive impact, leaving her utterly unable to defend herself and rendering her "protective true qi" completely useless.

This level of mastery over archery had reached at least the realm of perfection!

Unlike the junior group, Tang Mubai's emergence made people feel wary and nervous.

Although the adults in the senior group were also amazed by Tang Mubai's formidable archery, the majority of them still hadn't taken him seriously.

After all, no matter how powerful archery was, as long as it couldn't pierce their defenses, it was useless.

However, at this moment, the might of the "Exploding Arrow Technique" displayed by Tang Mubai exceeded all expectations. Even without true qi enhancement, it packed as much destructive power as a cannonball.

A Tang Mubai like this already possessed the strength to threaten them!

Those who realized this began to look at Tang Mubai with newfound seriousness.

In the subsequent matches, everyone remained on high alert.

However, until the matches ended for the evening, Tang Mubai did not take the stage again.

The top 30 of the junior group had already been decided in the morning.

The top 30 of the adult group would have to wait until tomorrow.

Regarding this, Tang Mubai was brimming with confidence. Up to this point, he had only exposed one-third of the archery skills he masterminded, and that didn't even include the "Heaven-Riving Divine Arrow."

Even though the eight archery techniques like the "Exploding Arrow Technique" and the "Void-Breaking Arrow" had been fused, it didn't mean Tang Mubai couldn't use them anymore.

He had still mastered all eight techniques to the perfection realm, and he could switch between them at will.

Precisely because of this, he had chosen to enter both groups simultaneously, setting his sights firmly on claiming first place in both!

Today's afternoon match had opened Tang Mubai's eyes to the sheer diversity of martial arts.

The upcoming finals would undoubtedly present even more varieties.

...

After waiting idly for two days.

His young cousin, Fang Shuixian, and Xu Dali did not come to the venue today.

Therefore, when the matches concluded, Tang Mubai drove home by himself.

As he walked into the parking lot, he noticed a young man dressed meticulously from head to toe, standing straight and tall like a sharp sword by an off-road vehicle, waiting with a smile.

"Hello, Leader Tang. My name is Ma Chengrui. It's a pleasure to meet you. I wonder if Leader Tang could spare a few minutes? I have a business proposition I'd like to discuss with you—"

"Not interested." Tang Mubai cut him off directly, walked around the young man, got into his car, and drove away.

However, just a few minutes after driving out, Tang Mubai noticed a car tailing him closely from behind.

Frowning slightly, Tang Mubai stepped on the gas and accelerated.

Soon enough, the car behind caught up again.

Without even trying to conceal it, it hung tightly right on his tail.

Tang Mubai grew somewhat annoyed.

He simply pulled his car over to the side of the road, opened the door, and stepped out.

"What on earth do you want to trade?" Tang Mubai stared at Ma Chengrui, who had also stepped out of his vehicle.

"This isn't a convenient place to talk." Ma Chengrui glanced around his surroundings before walking toward a distant alleyway.

"Playing tricks!" Tang Mubai muttered coldly, following him with large strides.

Avoiding the main street, the two entered a secluded alleyway flanked by towering walls on both sides. Coupled with the gathering night, the dim environment made it difficult to see very far.

Even so, Ma Chengrui still looked up, scanning the area for any surveillance cameras or hidden windows.

Tang Mubai didn't rush him, simply letting Ma Chengrui inspect the surroundings.

After a good while, Ma Chengrui finally withdrew his gaze, looked at Tang Mubai, and smiled apologetically, "Forgive me, Leader Tang, for making you laugh. It's just that if our conversation leaks out, it could easily cause unnecessary trouble."

"It's fine, go ahead and speak." Tang Mubai gestured with his hand.

"Alright." Ma Chengrui gave a light cough, turned serious, and said, "I would like to ask Leader Tang to withdraw from the rest of the competition. If Leader Tang agrees, you can receive three million federal dollars."

"If I agree, I get money, but what if I refuse?" Tang Mubai grinned.

"I think Leader Tang should agree," Ma Chengrui maintained his smile. "With your strength, making it into the top ten of the junior group's finals should be no problem—I have no doubts about that—but the top three might be a different story."

"Failing to make the top three means that even if you continue participating, Leader Tang, you will end up with at most fifty thousand federal dollars. But if you withdraw now, you can walk away with three million federal dollars. Fifty thousand versus three million... I assume Leader Tang is a smart man and knows which one to choose."

"Fifty thousand, three million—they certainly are easy to choose between." Hearing this, Tang Mubai laughed as well. "But have you ever thought that money isn't what I'm after?"

"Not here for the money?" Ma Chengrui raised an eyebrow. "Are you after the Vajra Ring?"

"That's right, I want the Vajra Ring. If you can produce three Vajra Rings as compensation, I'll withdraw from the match right this instant!"

Tang Mubai looked at Ma Chengrui with a half-smile, "Three Vajra Rings—do you have them?"

"Haha," Ma Chengrui laughed, "Do you really think you're worth three Vajra Rings?"

"Whether I'm worth it or not is none of your concern. You're the one who came to me for a deal, not the other way around."

Tang Mubai smiled lightly, "If you want me to withdraw, fine, bring me three Vajra Rings! If you can't produce them, then I'm terribly sorry, I'll just go win them myself."

"Haha, what a joke! You actually expect to take first place in the adult group too?"

Ma Chengrui burst out laughing, "I've heard of aiming too high, but I never thought 'ambitious' was even insufficient to describe you. Winning three Vajra Rings yourself? Who do you think you are?"

By the end of his sentence, Ma Chengrui dropped all pretense, his face full of sarcasm and disdain.

"No matter who I am, whether I can get three Vajra Rings or not is my business, and it has nothing to do with you," Tang Mubai sneered. "I'll ask you just one question: are you willing to cough up three Vajra Rings as the condition for my withdrawal?"

"I have only one sentence for you: young man, dream a little less, and don't be so arrogant!"

Ma Chengrui rebuked coldly.

"Me, arrogant?" Tang Mubai chuckled, "Fine, let's call it arrogant. Since you can't afford the price, I won't keep you company any longer."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

"Stop right there!"

Ma Chengrui barked in a low voice, "Tang Mubai, I'm giving you a chance. Are you sure you want to refuse?"

Too lazy to bother, Tang Mubai continued walking.

"You're asking for death!"

With an ugly expression, Ma Chengrui let out a low roar and launched a sneak attack from behind, aiming straight for Tang Mubai's back.

His speed was extremely fast, reaching behind Tang Mubai before the latter could even turn around.

However, with a shift to the right, Tang Mubai dodged the attack while simultaneously backhanding a vicious slap across Ma Chengrui's face.

Slap!

Amidst a crisp, echoing sound, Ma Chengrui was sent spinning from the blow, crashing headfirst into the alley wall. He ended up battered and bleeding, with half his face swelling up like a pig's head.

Ma Chengrui's brain buzzed violently, and it took a good while for his consciousness to recover.

The very first thing he did upon regaining his senses was stare at Tang Mubai in absolute terror, "You... why is your strength so terrifying?"

The force behind that slap just now was overwhelmingly ferocious; it felt as though Tang Mubai could have crushed his skull directly if he had wanted to!

This completely contradicted the blood-qi realm Tang Mubai had displayed.

How could a professional third-tier martial artist possess such terrifying strength?

Unless he was born with supernatural divine power!

Tang Mubai's movement technique was already super-human, and his archery had reached perfection. Could it be that he also possessed a terrifying talent in terms of raw physical strength?

Thinking of this, Ma Chengrui was completely dumbfounded.

Slap!

Another crisp sound echoed through the dim, quiet alleyway.

Ma Chengrui's other cheek swelled up just like the first. Spitting out a mouthful of clotted blood, he stared at Tang Mubai in trembling dread and stammered, "What... what do you want?"

God as his witness, Ma Chengrui was a martial artist of the professional seventh tier.

Yet facing Tang Mubai, a "professional third-tier," he couldn't even muster the slightest thought of resistance.

It wasn't that he didn't want to—he simply didn't dare!

Ma Chengrui had a gut feeling that if he dared to resist, the consequences would be unimaginably, horribly grim.

"What do I want? I should be asking you that."

Placing a foot squarely on Ma Chengrui's chest, Tang Mubai looked down at him from above and asked, "Offering three million federal dollars to make me quit—who put you up to this?"

"It's... it's Han Li."

Ma Chengrui originally didn't want to answer, but the words slipped out of his mouth, spilling the truth.

"Han Li?"

Tang Mubai was slightly surprised and asked with a strange expression, "He wants me to withdraw early because he's afraid I'll snatch first place from him in the finals?"

Han Li was the fellow who, just like Tang Mubai, had signed up for both competition groups.

His strength was quite decent; in the promotion matches for the adult group, he had knocked out a professional eighth-tier opponent with a single direct punch.

Tang Mubai hadn't known him before, and they had no grievances between them—except perhaps for how the tournament rankings might intersect.

"...Yes!"

Ma Chengrui nodded in a daze, clearly not expecting Tang Mubai to guess the reason so quickly.

"Han Li is the only son of Han Pindao, the master of the Winged Sword Sect. He's been doted on since childhood, and he lives up to expectations. His talent in swordsmanship surpasses his peers. At eighteen years old this year, he's already a professional seventh tier, and the four-revolution martial art he practices, the *Thirteen Winged Sword Art*, has reached the grand mastery realm—he just hasn't shown off much until now."

"He said he wants to remain silent until he can astound everyone with a single feat!"

"As it happens, this martial arts tournament is the perfect opportunity. Han Li's goal is to take first place in the junior group and break into the top ten of the adult group!"

"He just never expected that right at the start of the promotion matches, Leader Tang, you would appear..."

By the end, Ma Chengrui's voice trailed off until it vanished completely.

Tang Mubai almost burst out laughing. "I thought Han Li was somewhat interesting, but hearing you put it like that, I realize he's just mentally handicapped and utterly absurd!"

"Wanting to use this tournament to make a name for himself? Fine."

"Does he think he's the only genius out there? Are the top 30 juniors from the other three urban districts just decorations?"

"If he really has that much confidence, he should step into the ring and fight for it!"

"Instead, before the finals even arrive, the moment he discovers someone might threaten him, he immediately resorts to shady, sordid backroom deals. And when I refuse, he tries to have me killed!"

"No, not killed," Ma Chengrui hurriedly explained. "It was just a negotiation. If you agreed to take the money and withdraw, everyone would be happy. If you didn't agree... then—then it was just to cripple one of your legs and one of your arms."

Ma Chengrui offered an awkward, dry smile.

"Is there a difference?"

Tang Mubai rebuked coldly, "Cripple one of my arms and one of my legs? Alright, I'll cripple yours first!"

Crack!