A torrent of black shadows swept over them! It was the originally enormous (Purgatory), now whipped into a furious storm by the (Ultimate Androgyne)!

"Ah!" (Long Zhan) gasped in shock! What power this fellow possessed. At least at the peak of the Advanced level.

In the blink of an eye, fierce energy shot forth, the black shadows lunging straight at him!

Whoosh! He sidestepped, immediately swinging his great broadaxe, sussussu!! Sweeping left and right, crisscrossing diagonally, four swift axe strikes flashed out like lightning, aimed at every part of the 's body.

"Fourth Boss is indeed the Fourth Boss, truly impressive!" The Fourth Boss? Strange, when did Long Zhan become the Fourth Boss? I was slightly bewildered, yet I saw (Dong Guan) beside me still looking ecstatic. When did this fellow become so confident in Long Zhan? One must remember Long Zhan's strength was merely that of a Mid-level Advanced Warrior, while his opponent was at the peak of the Advanced level. That gap wasn't just a little bit: "Open the betting, open the betting!" Dong Guan announced.

"I bet within a hundred moves, the Fourth Boss wins!" declared (Jin Hong).

"I bet fifty moves! The Fourth Boss wins!" (Shen Yi), though unfamiliar with Long Zhan's true strength, seemed to have more faith in him than Dong Guan did.

"Damn it! I bet forty moves, the Fourth Boss wins!" Even the usually steady (Long Qi) joined in the clamor.

Ah!! The robbers on the opposing side watched, utterly dumbfounded.

It wasn't unusual to see a Rogue nowadays, but after years of robbing people blind, encountering Rogues like this—placing bets right before a fight—the Dragon Soaring Gang was truly something else!

The also stared in disbelief at Dong Guan and the others cheering from the side. But seeing Long Zhan’s fierce assault coming, he quickly sobered up. With lightning-fast footwork, he twisted and turned, vanishing like a phantom, instantly retreating out of the striking range of Long Zhan’s four-axe combo. Seizing the moment Long Zhan’s combination missed, he flashed forward, swinging his axe down! It was also a horizontal sweep followed by diagonal slashes from both sides.

"Roar!! Damn it, when did I learn your 'Cross Cut'!" Long Zhan roared, leaping into the air and bringing his attack down: Sussusso! Four more axes, savagely hacked out: "Taste this Aerial Cross Cut!" The four axes cleaved instantly toward the 's head, chest, and both shoulders.

"What the hell are you shouting about! Yours isn't even the genuine article!" the retorted. "Don't think I haven't read books." He flashed again with his lightning steps, his figure weaving like a ghost amid the myriad of axe shadows! Seizing a precise opening, he stepped forward, swinging the giant (Purgatory) in a massive crescent moon shape. Boom! It instantly smashed through the one true body hidden within the chaos of axe shadows!

Whoosh!! Long Zhan couldn't hold his ground and staggered back! The gap in strength was quite obvious; Long Zhan was clearly losing in terms of raw power.

"Damn it! How did you spot that the middle axe was the real one!" Long Zhan sputtered, red-faced and furious. Honestly, being directly swept away like this was a first!

"Tch!" The smirked with satisfaction. "I told you yours wasn't authentic! How can a bootleg compare to the original!"

"Roar!! Motherf***er! I'm the original!" Long Zhan's Cross Cut should have been a signature move learned from the Meng Zhong Academy. Although his spiritual energy cultivation couldn't match the 's, he was at least a certified academy student, having received relatively systematic combat training. Compared to Rogues who learned on their own, his combat instincts should have been superior. Within a few moves, I understood why Long Zhan was so confident. Indeed, in the way of martial arts, superior strength doesn't guarantee victory. Like me, though only at the initial stage of Red Moon cultivation, I might not necessarily lose even against a Peak Red Moon Warrior. This is the difference between technique and strength.

However, I also noticed that Long Zhan's opponent, the , was no ordinary person either. His mastery of fighting technique seemed no less than Long Zhan's. Logically, common bandits shouldn't possess such profound axe skills. Moreover, judging by his stance, the 's axe technique followed the exact same lineage as Long Zhan's. Could this guy also be a graduate of some academy?

Clearly, Long Zhan sensed the situation was turning sour. His opponent's technique wasn't inferior, and his strength was greater. If this dragged on, Long Zhan might suffer a truly embarrassing defeat. And at this moment, Shen Yi was watching nearby with eager anticipation; he absolutely could not afford to lose face here.

"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!" With a wild roar, Long Zhan lunged like a mad tiger, his body enveloped in axe shadows, unleashed again and again! Acting completely crazed, he rammed straight toward the .

"Roar! As if I'm afraid of you!" The flared up too. "You imitation hack, let me show you what a true Cross Cut looks like!" The moment he spat out those words, the unleashed dozens of axe shadows!!

Boom-thump-thump! Countless impacts erupted, sparking blinding flashes of light and sparks! In a blink, the two exchanged dozens of moves! The rapid succession of attacks and defenses made onlookers dizzy!

What’s more, those watching on the sidelines were both shocked and annoyed!!

"Damn it, why can't these two just fight properly instead of arguing about who's the genuine article!" Boss (Long Xin) roared. "Be serious, or I'll confiscate the copyright!"

Boom!! The gang members behind him collapsed in exasperation.

The leader on the other side watched, his heart sinking, because he could see that in this furious exchange of offense and defense, the axe work Long Zhan displayed, while following the same path as his Third Brother, seemed to be at a disadvantage in terms of power. Normally, it shouldn't be difficult for his Third Brother to win, but it was obvious this guy was fighting recklessly, meaning even if his Third Brother won, the cost would be extremely heavy.

Long Zhan on the field immediately fell silent after Boss Long Xin's thunderous roar! However, the power behind his strikes grew stronger, and I could see his axe technique had greatly changed from the previous frantic assaults. He gripped the very end of the axe handle with both hands, and every swing utilized intense rotational force, generating incredible centrifugal power that made his strikes incredibly formidable! The (Purgatory Battle Axe) spun faster and faster, like waves on the Yangtze River—each axe faster, each axe heavier than the last! The entire space filled with Long Zhan's axe shadows!

Good heavens, Long Zhan was holding back this ace in the hole. This attacking method held a marvelous resonance with the "Breaking Kill" technique that I taught (Jia Luo) and the others back in the village, capable of increasing the axe's destructive force by at least twofold! No wonder Long Zhan looked so confident even knowing his opponent was at the peak Advanced level.

Long Zhan's sudden surge in offense put immense pressure on the , who frantically swung his own , laying down thick layers of axe shadows around himself to desperately block Long Zhan's mad assault. Perhaps he couldn't fathom how his physique and strength should far outweigh his opponent's, yet now he was forced into a clumsy, flustered state by Long Zhan's continuous onslaught, looking rather battered. But it was only battered. After all, the advantage of superior size and strength isn't easily suppressed. Long Zhan's special technique merely managed to equalize the power gap between them; it didn't grant him any distinct advantage.

Boom! Another deafening collision!! The two Purgatories struck each other.

The terrifying force caused both men to stagger back several paces almost simultaneously!

Roar!! Long Zhan immediately halted his retreat and lunged forward again toward the , unleashing a torrent of chaotic axe techniques! Although he kept repeating the few moves—the Cross Cut, the diagonal slashes—under Long Zhan's unique axe handling, every strike carried astonishing power. Part of this was due to Long Zhan's inherent skill, but the most crucial factor was the incredible boost provided by Shen Yi's cheers from the sidelines.

Have you seen the stunning advantage of home-field status in modern football? Long Zhan was currently fighting with all his might to establish an image of unrivaled ferocity in front of Shen Yi. Thus, an attack that normally possessed an offensive power of 100 was now elevated to 150 in intensity. It’s no wonder someone once said that the power of a beautiful woman is infinite. Was Long Zhan on the field not the best proof of this right now?

Long Zhan's reckless fight for survival began to exhaust the , who was struggling to keep up. If this continued, the might actually be finished off by Long Zhan’s bombardment!

Everyone watching was filled with excitement and shouted in amazement! The scene was no less electric than a cheer squad at a modern football match.

"Go, Fourth Boss!"

"Big guy, go! If you win, I'll go on a date with you!" Shen Yi dropped another bombshell.

Roar! As if injected with adrenaline, Long Zhan let out a tiger's roar that shook everyone’s eardrums like thunder on a clear day—the intensity of the sound wave rivaled the Divine Roar technique!

"A promise is a promise!" Suddenly, a brilliant golden light flashed, and the fighting energy Long Zhan unleashed underwent an astonishing transformation. The originally silver-white crescent energy turned into the golden-yellow Fiery Battle Qi.

In other words, at this moment, Long Zhan had instantly advanced three levels to unleash the Fiery Battle Qi, a technique only achievable by Red Moon Warriors!

Boom! Splat! Whoosh!! The shot backward like a kite cut loose from its string! Long Zhan was slightly stunned! Why did this guy fly so far? Clearly, Long Zhan himself was shocked by his own explosive power. That golden energy just now was the Fiery Battle Qi only Red Moon Warriors could use!

Boom! The crashed heavily onto the ground.

"Ah! That hurts! You bastard!" The seemed dazed by the impact. "Hiding your true strength, you scoundrel! I'll fight you to the end."

The suddenly bent his knees slightly, stooped his back, tensing his entire body until he resembled a fully drawn bow, ready to loose an arrow!

"Ah! It's the Leopard Pounce!" Long Qi gasped in alarm. How could this guy know a technique that only top-tier academy warriors learned?

"Leopard Pounce!" I was shocked. Is this move that powerful?

And the leader on the other side, the big bald man! His eyes blazed with sharp light. "Third Brother is going all out!"

The treacherous man's spirits lifted. "Victory or defeat hinges on this one move!"

Long Xin and the others' expressions changed drastically. This Leopard Pounce must be an incredibly potent technique. I silently prepared myself; if the situation turned sour, I would intervene immediately to save Long Zhan.

"Leopard Pounce!" Long Zhan on the field became intensely focused, daring not to be careless. "Let me see if your Leopard Pounce is the genuine article."

"Roar! Then open your eyes wide and watch!" The suddenly roared, and brilliant protective battle qi erupted around his body!! His long blue hair streamed rapidly backward!

Whoosh!! Immediately, a blue afterimage flashed forward!! In the blink of an eye, he arrived before Long Zhan's chest!

Ah! So fast!! The fierce energy! I gasped. The speed just now was absolutely not something a warrior of the 's level should be capable of. More terrifying than the speed was the impact force it carried. If this strike landed solidly, Long Zhan would surely die. There wasn't enough time to parry with the axe or sidestep! I couldn't even intervene in time to rescue him.

"Good timing!" Long Zhan roared. "Dead Rabbit Kicks Eagle!" As he spoke, Long Zhan's body unexpectedly recoiled backward, bending ninety degrees in that instant of lightning and flint! The felt empty before his eyes and lost sight of his opponent. The axe, which slashed like lightning, missed entirely. He didn't even have time to react.

"Watch out below!" the leader shouted wildly.

The looked down, seeing an afterimage slicing toward his abdomen!! Then, Boom! A force like an overwhelming tide instantly kicked him away. He felt as if he were exploding, followed by a moment of blankness!

Whoosh!! The , sent flying, carved a beautiful arc through the air before Boom! he crashed heavily onto the tavern floor.

"No!"

"Third Brother!"

The big bald man and the treacherous man both rushed toward the . But the showed no reaction at all.

Yay!! Dong Guan, standing behind them, jumped high!!

"First Round: Fourth Boss VS Ultimate Androgyne! The Fourth Boss wins!" Dong Guan shouted loudly. "Knocked out on the ninety-eighth move! Pay up, pay up, a bet is a bet!"

"Damn, such a well-built fellow, and he couldn't withstand even a hundred moves from the Fourth Boss!" Long Qi grumbled while reaching for his pocket. "Crap! I didn't bring any money! Can I put it on tab?"

"Roar! Trying to renege? No way!"

...............................

"You people are too much!" The treacherous man was so angry his lungs felt ready to burst.

"Hey, Third Brother, wake up." The big bald man shook him anxiously, but the remained unresponsive.

"Relax, he won't die. He just passed out," Long Zhan stated proudly. "I was careful not to aim for his heart."

"So you're saying you showed mercy," the treacherous man said darkly.

"What, you disagree?" Long Zhan challenged. "If you don't agree, we can fight again."

"Good, very good." The big bald man revealed a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You kid are quite something. Although you're only at the Mid-level Advanced cultivation, you managed to defeat my Third Brother who is at the Peak Advanced level." The big bald man continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be students from some academy out on cultivation training, right?"

"You guessed correctly," Long Zhan confirmed.

"Since you spared my Third Brother, I won't make things difficult for you," the big bald man said. "However, you are no match for me. My strength has reached the High-level Red Moon stage. If any of you can defeat me, I will let you leave."

"Otherwise, according to the rules, you leave your equipment and valuables behind," the treacherous man added.

"High-level Red Moon." This time, Shen Yin and Shen Yi's faces changed dramatically, and they involuntarily looked toward me. After all, I was currently the strongest warrior in our small team.

"Little brother, perhaps we should just leave our things for them," Shen Yin worried.

"Yeah, a true man knows when to bend," Shen Yi added with a forced laugh. They really didn't seem to have much confidence in me. It was understandable; my cultivation seemed only to be at the Initial Red Moon stage. But I knew clearly that after the training in the Zuma Temple, my spiritual energy was already close to the Mid-level Red Moon stage. In the past, I could contend with Peak Red Moon Warriors with only Initial Red Moon cultivation. Now that my cultivation was even higher than before, even if Li Xie stood before me now, I would be confident enough to defeat him, let alone this big bald man whose cultivation was only High-level Red Moon.

It could be said that in the Rogue world, unless encountering super experts among the younger generation like Long Yuan Fei Xue, or those hidden old monsters, truly no one could challenge me.

"Uh, Big Brother Two," said Shen Yin, "don't forget, they said if we surrender, the women can keep their undergarments and panties, but they never said what the men could keep."

Ah! Shen Yin's eyes suddenly widened, looking at the big bald man opposite her with shock. "Can we perhaps make a deal? As long as you agree to let me keep this entire outfit, I'll give you all my valuables."

"Hmph! Men only keep their shorts!" the treacherous man declared unequivocally. "Rules are rules; they cannot be changed."

"Ah!" Shen Yin's face instantly turned pale white, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. "It's over, it's over."

"Hmph, hmph, now you're scared," the big bald man said menacingly. "Are you going to make us do it, or will you do it yourselves?"

"Ah!" Shen Yi quickly moved in front of Shen Yin. "Hey, you can't do this! This outfit isn't worth much, why must you insist on it?"

"Rules are rules," the treacherous man maintained his eternally cold expression.

Pfft! Long Xin, standing beside us, couldn't hold it in anymore. "Why are you two so scared?"

"Exactly, you're surrendering before the fight even starts," Dong Guan laughed. "You have no backbone."

"Fight? How do we fight?" Shen Yi whispered tremulously. "That bald guy alone could wipe us all out."

"That might not be the case," Jin Hong countered. "Your brother isn't that simple a character."

"Right," Long Qi agreed. "If we let him fight, who knows who will end up miserable."

"Hey, kid, what are you waiting for?" Long Zhan snapped irritably. "Do you enjoy watching them worry?" He clearly couldn't stand seeing Shen Yi distressed, and he roared at me: "Hurry up and take care of these bastards!"

Hah! Such powerful intent! I dared not delay. I had never seen Long Zhan truly angry before, and now I finally witnessed it. It seemed Shen Yi held a significant position in his heart. I've noted this guy down—classic case of prioritizing beauty over friendship.

Fine! I drew the Dragon Shadow Sword and stepped onto the field.

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