Fortunately, Li Zhonglou no longer cared about the opinions of those below the stage. Otherwise, being messed with by Bo Qiang would have caused him to wonder for a long time.
As for what Bo Qiang said, he naturally understood. Seeing that Bo Qiang had been so cooperative in playing along with him earlier, Li Zhonglou nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."
You really shouldn't have said that... Bo Qiang's expression changed a few times. In the end, he let out a helpless sigh and stretched his muscles.
"Then I'll give it my all from now on."
The helplessness in Bo Qiang's eyes vanished instantly. After saying that, a powerful fighting spirit suddenly erupted from him. The aura was so strong that even those watching from below couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
"As expected of someone chosen by the Ghost Team, his aura alone suggests he'll at least make it into the top twenty!"
"This guy seems to be a newcomer too. Why are all the rookies this year so fierce? One directly entered the top ten, and this one at least has a spot in the top twenty..."
Many people exclaimed in amazement. Among the crowd, Yan Gui finally revealed a look of relief when he felt Bo Qiang's change.
On the other hand, the people from the Dark Department looked dejected.
This aura... he's also a newcomer. Can he hold on?
Feeling an aura clearly stronger than his own, Yi Long couldn't help but worry for him. What's more, Bo Qiang was from the Ghost Team. Just this fact alone made everyone in the Dark Department feel a little uneasy.
Bo Qiang's transformation instantly gained the approval of everyone watching. In contrast, Li Zhonglou remained standing there, looking as ordinary as ever.
The staff member cast a curious glance at Li Zhonglou and then asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." Li Zhonglou also glanced at him curiously, not understanding why he was only asked and not Bo Qiang.
After receiving his reply, the staff member immediately said "Begin" and jumped off the stage.
At the same time, Bo Qiang's figure suddenly vanished from his spot.
So fast!
The crowd below felt as if they had just blinked, and Bo Qiang was already in front of Li Zhonglou.
"Forgive my rudeness."
Bo Qiang's hands moved like lightning, his fingers forming a dragon claw shape, as if two phantom dragons were lunging straight for Li Zhonglou's forehead.
Li Zhonglou's eyes narrowed slightly. This kind of move clearly carried a strong Chinese style. No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity the moment he saw him; he must have studied martial arts in China.
Since that's the case...
Li Zhonglou shifted his feet slightly, dodging Bo Qiang's claw attacks by the narrowest of margins. He then pressed forward, using his right shoulder and elbow to lift Bo Qiang's arms into the air, leaving him wide open.
Bo Qiang reacted with extreme speed, immediately raising his leg to block Li Zhonglou's knee. However, before he could react further, Li Zhonglou delivered a "Back Mountain Slam" directly to his chest.
*Puff.* A mouthful of fresh blood suddenly sprayed from Bo Qiang's mouth, and his body uncontrollably retreated step by step. However, Li Zhonglou had already vanished from his sight.
"No!"
Bo Qiang's heart was filled with sudden urgency. Ignoring the dull ache in his chest, he immediately brought his hands together to guard his chest and turned. The next moment, a massive fist landed squarely on his arm.
"Dragon Whip!"
As Bo Qiang was sent flying backward, he roared and lashed out with his right foot, carrying a fierce wind. The sound, to Li Zhonglou's ears, faintly resembled a dragon's roar.
*Bang!*
Bo Qiang's entire body hung in the air, his right foot striking Li Zhonglou's arm heavily. He had aimed for Li Zhonglou's head, but Li Zhonglou's speed was greater. Just as he was about to hit his head, Li Zhonglou had already blocked it with his arm.
Yet, a hint of triumph flashed in his eyes. Although he felt intense pain in his chest and arm, which clearly indicated broken bones, he was confident that Li Zhonglou would not escape unscathed from taking such a blow.
However, the next second, as he braced himself on the ground to stabilize his body, he froze in disbelief.
Li Zhonglou casually shook his arm, his expression utterly unchanged.
He's fine from that?
Bo Qiang couldn't accept it. Although he had anticipated a significant gap between himself and Li Zhonglou, he hadn't expected his defense to be so impenetrable!
However, Li Zhonglou no longer gave him any more chances. He flashed forward again, and before Bo Qiang could react, he kicked him off the stage.
Bo Qiang, caught off guard, fell face-first in front of everyone.
The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
It wasn't until Bo Qiang, with a shame-faced expression, got up and walked back towards the Ghost Team with his head down that the crowd finally reacted.
"Holy crap, how long was that?"
"Three, three minutes?"
"Three minutes, my foot! Was it even a minute?"
Everyone turned their astonished gazes towards Li Zhonglou.
"Uh, I was being very careful to hold back..."
Li Zhonglou cast a resentful glance at Bo Qiang, thinking, "You were cooperating so well before, why are you so off your game this time?"
Bo Qiang felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but in his heart, he was already cursing. "I'm also very wronged, okay? Can you not be so terrifying? My almost full-power attack couldn't even break your defense!"
Anyone else would have had their resolve shattered by now. It was only because of his strong resilience that he could endure it. But even so, how could he still be in the mood to play along with you!
"Never mind, I'll try to be steadier in the next match."
Li Zhonglou shook his head. At this moment, the staff member asked, "Would you like to rest for ten minutes?"
Li Zhonglou immediately rolled his eyes. If he needed to rest after just a few minutes, wouldn't that make him seem even more impressive?
The second match quickly commenced, but when the staff member announced the name of Li Zhonglou's opponent, the venue fell into silence once more.
"Next match: Yan Gui versus Li Zhonglou."
It wasn't until that figure, so familiar to everyone except Li Zhonglou, slowly walked onto the stage that the crowd finally came back to their senses.
"Holy crap, are you kidding me? The number one player is challenging the tenth?"
"Even Boss Yan Gui is making a move?"
Everyone looked at each other. It wasn't until the staff member directly shouted "Begin" that they had to accept reality.
"No matter what, let's watch first!"
As the number one player of the strongest team in the Iron Forest's numerous strongholds, they had never even dreamed of such a situation where he would challenge a newcomer!
However, what was even stranger was that at this moment, some people's hearts suddenly held another expectation: What if this newcomer defeats even Boss Yan Gui?
The thought alone made their eyes uncontrollably flash with excitement. They didn't know what would happen to Captain Yan Gui, but they knew they would definitely be thrilled!
After all, witnessing something unprecedented, and likely unrepeatable, was a moment of witnessing history!