The sun blazed down upon the central heart of Easter Island, where a grand arena, constructed from specialized alloy steel plating spanning two hundred meters in length and width, stood tall. Within a two-kilometer radius surrounding the ring, scattered experts stood—those confident in their prowess. Beyond that perimeter, four massive grandstands were packed with spectators from the six major defense corporations.

Gu Xiachen perched atop a slender tree less than a hundred meters from the ring. The small tree, over three meters high and no thicker than a thumb, swayed precariously in the wind, yet Gu Xiachen’s body seemed glued to it, rocking with its motion. The terrain here offered a perfect vantage point, allowing him to survey everything unfolding in the arena. How could one possibly capture this dense, electric atmosphere from the back rows of the grandstands, even with high-powered binoculars?

The Hyde Defense Corporation had brought just over a thousand personnel to the Easter Island Exchange Conference, occupying a small corner of the Eastern grandstand. The other five defense giants maintained large, permanent garrisons and extensive support staff on the island, swelling the total spectator count to over eighty thousand. The sheer roar of so many robust, vital young men cheering sent a massive wave of sound that nearly lifted the heavy ring itself.

Having secured the final victory in the Operations Director Confrontation Tournament, the Hyde Corporation had guaranteed its baseline market share. What remained for the six defense companies to contend for was the remaining sixty percent of the market. According to the rules of the Exchange Conference, each defense company was to field sixty combatants, divided into sixty separate brackets. The corporation whose representative emerged victorious in each bracket would claim one percent of the total market share.

From his perch on the treetop, Gu Xiachen chuckled inwardly watching Penghua, who sported a swollen face, nearby. Penghua had invited over a thousand strange creatures and demons to the conference, yet only sixty slots were available for the competition. Last night, those masters truly descended into chaos fighting for those sixty spots. The orthodox Daoists, like Young Daoist Zhang, were caught completely off guard and were the first to be pushed out of contention. Several bald monks from the Plague-Dispelling Temple unleashed a cloud of debilitating toxins; Young Daoist Zhang and his group were still hogging the toilets downstairs, suffering from violent diarrhea. Following that, the assembled freaks and fiends engaged in a bloody internal struggle, which finally concluded with the sixty most ruthless, cunning, and powerful demons, including Penghua, emerging victorious.

Siren and Arethydya, relying on their status as Realm Masters, effortlessly secured their slots. Unsurprisingly, the finalized bracket pairing showed Siren and Jack placed in the same group.

Hands clasped behind his back, savoring the memory of last night's demon feast, a massive holographic screen suddenly materialized in the air, displaying the roster for the first match. Jin Bolai’s grim countenance appeared on the screen as he droned out, “The thirty-fifth Easter Island Five… no, Six Major Defense Corporation Exchange Conference officially commences. All rules are standard: the victor standing last in the ring will secure one percent of the market allocation for their respective company for the next five years. Furthermore, that individual will receive a ten-million prize bonus jointly offered by the six defense corporations!”

Thunderous cheers shot toward the heavens. Amidst the applause, stamping feet, and howls of tens of thousands, Penghua was the first to leap onto the stage. He provocatively raised a middle finger toward the sky. “I am Penghua, representing the Hyde Defense Corporation! Hey, hey, you little brats, that ten million prize money is mine!”

The representatives from the other five defense companies jumped onto the stage only a fraction slower than Penghua, but upon seeing Penghua standing there, the ten representatives from the Kunlun Corporation immediately leaped back off. The Kunlun representative, face blackened with fury, roared, “Kunlun Corporation representative Lin Mufeng concedes!”

Gu Xiachen shot an apologetic glance toward the Kunlun section of the stands. Madam Mei, seated in the very top row, happened to look over as well; she shrugged her shoulders toward Gu Xiachen with a helpless gesture.

“He cut such a pathetic figure back in London, but it seems in the Asian Dao Alliance, he truly has a fearsome reputation,” Gu Xiachen thought with exasperation, watching Penghua. “He’s intentionally bullying someone!”

The representatives from the Group and the other three corporations stared in astonishment as the Kunlun representative withdrew. They exchanged glances—it was the same treatment Gu Xiachen had received two days prior on Triangle Hell Island—and the four of them simultaneously launched an attack on Penghua. Four fists and twelve kicks tore through the air with tremendous force, slamming into Penghua’s body. He was sent flying high into the air, spitting out hot breath that was oddly colored and carried a strange, fishy scent. He crashed heavily onto a corner of the ring, head first.

Snap. A ghastly sound echoed. Penghua’s neck twisted impossibly at a ninety-degree angle. There was not a trace of living energy left in his body; it rapidly turned cold.

The four representatives from the other defense corporations froze. The rebound force from their punches and kicks informed them that they had indeed struck Penghua solidly. The four men looked at each other, then simultaneously let out a fierce roar, turning their aggression onto their immediate opponents with the most lethal attacks. Unlike the varied origins of mercenaries in the past Hell’s Mercenary Group, the defense corporations’ soldiers were mostly drawn from retired regular Federal Army personnel; every fighter was a combat machine proficient in all manner of killing techniques.

Their tactics were ferocious and precise, capable of swiftly dispatching an enemy within three to five moves. The four representatives remaining in the ring were all Neptune-level Innate Warriors. In a scant three seconds, they unleashed dozens of their strongest attacks upon their adjacent opponents. The clashing winds of their fists erupted in massive concussions. Three of the competitors, who were slightly weaker, spat blood and were thrown backward.

The representative from the Group stood firm in the center of the ring, his face twisted in a savage grin as he watched his three opponents slowly collapse, bleeding. His left arm was broken, a large chunk of muscle was ripped from his right thigh, and a deep, concave fist mark marred his lower abdomen—the opponents’ attacks had exacted a brutal cost on him.

Raising his intact right arm high, the Group’s representative roared triumphantly, “I…” Elated by the ten-million prize money seemingly within his grasp, he failed to notice Penghua stealthily getting back up.

Penghua slammed a punch into the back of the unlucky man’s skull, knocking the poor soul instantly unconscious. He wearily raised both hands, weakly cheering toward the sky, “I won, I’m the last one standing! I won! I… dammit, I won! Announce my victory already!”

Jin Bolai and the others stared with faces as black as night, glaring furiously at their respective company representatives in the ring. Were these fools blind? Didn't they notice Penghua still had mobility?

The first match concluded with Penghua swaggering off the stage amidst a torrent of sharp whistles and boos, having secured the victory.

Tens of thousands booed Penghua, including the soldiers from the Kunlun Corporation. Only in the grandstand occupied by the Hyde Corporation did a crowd of bruised and battered demons and monsters cheer wildly, waving their limbs in celebration.

Was this not utter shamelessness?