The burly man’s face flushed crimson, and he said, "Big Brother, don't be careless; this kid has too many strange tricks, making him very hard to deal with."

The white-robed youth narrowed his eyes slightly, turned his head to look at Ye Chen, assessed him from head to toe, and smiled faintly, "The three of us brothers set up this challenge. Since you dared to answer, you must possess some skill. Come on then, let me take a single move from you." In the martial arts world, "taking a move" meant engaging in combat, not literally just one strike.

Ye Chen glanced at him, his expression calm. "Come up!"

The white-robed youth sneered, tapped the ground with his toe, and leaped upward from the flat surface like a great roc spreading its wings, landing steadily on the martial stage. Those familiar with martial arts felt a chill run down their spines when they saw that the youth’s knees hadn't bent at all when ascending the stage; his entire body movement was powered purely by the strength in his toes. This level of control surpassed everyone present!

Ye Chen's gaze tightened slightly. This white-robed youth was indeed the foremost master of combat techniques in his previous life. Even at this early stage, his brilliance was already blazing, making him a formidable opponent.

It had to be known that mastery of combat techniques was not achieved overnight. This implied the white-robed youth had received profound training since childhood. Although he had acquired some martial arts secret manuals in the apocalypse, those were merely embellishments. Even without them, his combat techniques were not to be underestimated.

"Let's begin!" The white-robed youth stood elegantly on the stage, his bearing refined. Though his posture appeared casual, it was fundamentally impenetrable; he was prepared to counter an attack from any direction.

Ye Chen's expression grew solemn. He took a step forward. If he hadn't grasped the Three Great Profound Meanings, facing this white-robed youth would likely be a struggle. Despite his decade of apocalyptic experience packed with rich combat knowledge, his opponent was a natural prodigy trained from youth. In a real fight, they would be evenly matched.

Hoo!

Ye Chen clenched his five fingers, adopted a stance, and smoothly drove a strike toward the white-robed youth’s center mass. It appeared incredibly slow, yet it contained immense underlying power.

A true expert shows their worth with their first move.

The previously placid expression of the white-robed youth instantly turned grave. He stared intently at the incoming fist, a fierce spark of fighting intent igniting in his eyes, and he roared, "Good!" He stepped forward, drawing in his abdomen and puffing out his chest, delivering a punch of his own!

Below the stage, the burly man saw the white-robed youth’s stance and his face changed slightly. "Big Brother has already unleashed the third level of the Tiangang Fist. I didn't expect this kid to have such strength as to force him to use his ultimate move!"

The lean man looked utterly shocked. "No way?"

The burly man shot him a glance. "Third Brother, don't lag too far behind. You haven't even grasped the entry level of the first stage. It’ll be too embarrassing if word gets out."

The lean man’s face reddened, and he mumbled, "Says you. You’re only at the first stage yourself."

The burly man gave him a sharp rap on the head. "Enough chatter, watch the fight."

The lean man rubbed his head, muttered under his breath, and fixed his gaze back on the stage.

Under the watch of the entire assembly, the two steady yet slow fists seemed to stretch time across a century before finally colliding.

Fist against fist!

"Burst!" Ye Chen’s eyes turned sharp as knives. The tendons, bones, and blood within his arm seemed to contract to the extreme simultaneously, tautening, before violently expanding, causing tiny spots of blood to seep out from his pores.

On the other side, a milky white radiance flashed fleetingly across the white-robed youth’s fist as it struck, the entire appendage solidifying like refined iron upon impact.

Boom!

The ground beneath both their feet subtly sank, followed instantly by the crisp sound of shattering bone. The white-robed youth, his face a mask of stunned disbelief, had his arm utterly crushed and broken by Ye Chen’s punch, sending him flying backward helplessly.

The burly man and the lean man below the stage watched their Big Brother fly past them, their jaws dropping unconsciously, frozen in shock.

Thud! The white-robed youth landed, the sound hitting the hearts of the two brothers like a heavy sledgehammer.

The victor was decided in an instant!

Silence descended upon the entire venue.

Even without having witnessed the white-robed youth fight before, everyone knew just by instinct that the man called 'Big Brother' by the burly man must possess exceptional power. Yet, he was defeated by Ye Chen in a single punch?

Xu Tianguo, Toswassin, and the others inhaled sharply, shock flaring in their eyes. While they were aware that Ye Chen, being so powerful in the outside world, must have formidable combat skills, they never imagined they would be this terrifying!

In a pure clash of strength, devoid of flashy techniques, victory was determined by the pinnacle of combat skill—the most subtle variations used to amplify offensive power. The Tiangang Fist used by the burly man and his brothers was precisely this type of technique, making them invincible among their peers.

However, what Ye Chen employed was the Profound Meaning.

It was a direct amplification achieved through the specific methods derived from the universe's trajectory. If the universe were compared to a chessboard, the Profound Meaning was the guiding line; following this path naturally leads directly to the destination.

Only those with a perfectly clear state of mind could grasp the Profound Meaning.

At this moment, the white-robed youth had staggered to his feet. He stared blankly at his broken arm, and if not for the agonizing pain that continually assaulted him, he would have suspected the scene was a dream.

He had practiced pole stances at three, boxing at six. At nine, he wandered deep into the mountains, got lost, and stumbled into a cave where he found a martial arts manual named the Tiangang Fist Codex!

From then on, he secretly practiced, astonishingly discovering that the Codex was profoundly mystical, its moves rarely seen in ancient or modern times. In less than three years, he mastered the first level of the Tiangang Fist, capable of fighting wild wolves and tigers barehanded. In this era of multimedia technology, martial arts were merely for fitness; no matter how high one's skill, a bullet could take them down.

But having studied the Tiangang Fist Codex, he realized his senses—his hearing and sight—had greatly improved. Even facing an armed special forces soldier, as long as the distance didn't exceed ten zhang, he could neutralize the threat.

Later…

He entered various corporations, becoming the private bodyguard for billionaires. Yet, due to his handsome appearance, he always managed to seduce the wives or daughters of these magnates, leading to frequent job changes.

He was a latent dragon soaring through the city. Even after the apocalypse began, he could survive independently, and slaughtering early-stage zombies was simple enough…

It was only in the apocalypse that he gradually learned that the fist manual he obtained originated from a prehistoric ruin. In his childhood, the spatial connection point of that ruin had momentarily destabilized, causing him to wander in by accident.

Since learning the Tiangang Fist, he had never known defeat in terms of combat technique. Even when captured, it was only because the opponents outnumbered him or possessed firearms. But now, in a bare-handed contest, he had been violently defeated by Ye Chen!

The white-robed youth’s years of pride felt trampled. His expression was complicated, and he remained silent.

Ye Chen gently rubbed his palm. Although this was a virtual world, the physical feedback was genuinely registering on his body. He turned to look at the white-robed youth, his eyes flashing, and walked toward him.

Everyone present paused slightly. Having witnessed Ye Chen’s cold-blooded methods, they couldn't help but feel a chill. Had defeating him not been enough? Was he going to execute him now?

As the crowd speculated, Ye Chen arrived before the white-robed youth, looked him up and down, and then spoke, "Are you interested in becoming my assistant?"

The white-robed youth, along with everyone else watching, was momentarily stunned. No one had expected Ye Chen, after so thoroughly defeating him, to suddenly want to partner with him.

The white-robed youth’s lips twitched slightly. Slap him first, then say he admires him—he never expected to encounter this kind of bureaucratic posturing, and furthermore, it was being expressed by the other party so blatantly, without any attempt at concealment.

"You want me to submit to you, to become your subordinate?" The white-robed youth sneered. "On what grounds?"

Ye Chen waved it off lightly. "State your terms directly."

The white-robed youth’s eyes shifted slightly. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth faintly. Although a core of unwillingness remained, deep down he understood that this man before him held a superior position. In the apocalypse, finding a wise master to follow was undoubtedly a tremendous stroke of luck.

Ye Chen observed the youth's fluctuating expression and cut straight to the heart of the matter. "You’re still not convinced?"

The white-robed youth was struck by the painful truth but disdained to argue, replying coldly, "So what if I’m not?"

Ye Chen said calmly, "If you aren't convinced, then challenge me again. Whether it’s combat technique or physical conditioning from the outside world, if you can last one minute in front of me, I will become your servant."

Everyone in the venue froze, utterly dumbfounded.

Arrogant, domineering, tyrannical!

Veins bulged on the white-robed youth's forehead, and his breathing grew heavy. He felt his entire sense of self-worth being utterly humiliated. He glared at Ye Chen, his face contorted in fury, but after a long moment, the anger in his eyes dissolved into bitterness.

From their brief exchange, he already knew that Ye Chen was far beyond him. To advance his combat skills further would take years, and regarding physique… the hope was even slimmer.

He knew he was being underestimated, yet he was powerless to do anything about it.

Ye Chen said plainly, "With your resources, your progress is too slow. If you want to surpass me, you can start by becoming my assistant. Otherwise, you will eventually lose even the qualification to fight me."

Direct. Spot on!

The blood in the white-robed youth’s chest surged, and he roared, "Fine! Don’t provoke me! Rest assured, one day, I will surpass you! And I will return every single word you said today, verbatim!"

Ye Chen nodded. "Very well."

The white-robed youth rolled his eyes, color returning to his face, and said haughtily, "However, if I am to be your assistant, I have one condition!"

"Speak!"

"When I discover talent that can be nurtured, I must incorporate them under my direct command and train them myself, so they aren't wasted by your Base City," the white-robed youth declared arrogantly.

Ye Chen casually agreed. "Done."

The white-robed youth looked at him once more before asking, "Then tell me, what duties will I have as your assistant?"

Ye Chen thought for a moment. "Be an Urban Regulator."

"Urban Regulator?" The white-robed youth, along with Xu Tianguo and the others below, widened their eyes in shock.

Ye Chen explained calmly, "Not just any regular city enforcement officer. This is an independent, special department. Your primary responsibility will be maintaining order within the Base City. Any entity that poses a threat to the Base City will require your intervention. In short, safeguarding the Base City will be your duty!"