Lian Lingzhun had seen enough. He had lost more than a tenth of the slave kids during this brawl, so the thinning out the weak this time had been very costly. Mostly due to Huo Lan's savage display. He stood up from his throne and yelled after making up his mind.

"STOP THE FIGHTING! From now on, only those who wish to fight for the tournament rewards shall move to the center of the arena." Most of the kids paused in the middle of their fights and just ran to the edges of the arena, glad to hear they did not have to fight anymore.

Hou Yun, Houli Jingzi, the newly released Huo Lan, Yanku Zhimei, Shupi Juren, Wei Shixian, and the tall boy still carrying Tian Mingyun were the ones who stepped in. Alongside Yanku Zhimei was also the two hair buns girl that was bloodied but still energetic.

Appraiser Tong had been quiet for so long, but now he finally protested while raising his long arms and flailing his long beard.

"Lian Lingzhu, you ought to know measure and balance! How can the gray haired boy fight when he is still asleep in his opponent's arms!? Also, how come that bald boy can use the dismembered arm of another kid as a weapon!? This is unfair!" Appraiser Tong knew that victory could only be assured if he changed the currently unfavorable situation. He had a lot of money currently bet on his slaves winning.

Lian Lingzhu raised an open hand towards Appraiser Tong and closed it into a fist slowly. The immense power of Lian Lingzhu's well trained body made it so that his joints were as loud as horse steps as they arranged his fingers into a tight fist. The cracking was enough to silence the crowd and Appraiser Tong. He then spoke in a calm tone.

"Your youngest slave killed needlessly, the gray haired one got knocked out too easily, and that older girl was simply spared by the wrestler boy. I can cancel the whole damn tournament on a whim if you do not shut the fuck up, old friend." Lian Lingzhu spoke clearly. But he felt he needed to explain one other issue.

"We forbid the use of weapons here, but being smart enough to use dismembered arms and legs as weapons merits exception. But I will kill him myself if he kills or cripples anyone with that. In this tournament, grand injuries or killing are not allowed. You may also surrender whenever you wish." Lian Lingzhu looked oddly passionate about the tournament. Which man who had practiced Body Arts for decades would not be passionate about physical competition after all, even if that man was foul and evil...

Appraiser Tong did not dare raise his voice again.

Huoli Jingzi was currently being scolded by his sister for choosing to fight, but the entire arena was quiet outside of that. The tall boy was relishing all the different emotions these people were showing before a fight. The color they had was not as rich as Tian Mingyun, but all these people were certainly unique in their own regard.

After some pause to allow everyone to rest, Lian Lingzhu declared the first pairing, he had also used that time to learn their names by having a slave ask each one and relay it back to him.

"First off, Hou Yun is to fight Xie." The tall boy was simply named Xie, a fitting name. Though none heard that tall boy say it himself, it was what the other slave had relayed.

Xie placed Tian Mingyun down. He then walked to the center of the arena as the crowd cheered for the real fun that was about to begin. Hou Yun's twisted smile suddenly vanished as he approached the center.

Looking at him in clear light now, all the slavers and slaves could see how handsome and elegant Hou Yun's face was. However, his rugged body and ears seemed to contrast his beautiful face. Nonetheless, his appearance was no less breathtaking to the masses. Xie was also shocked, though for a different reason.

Everyone carried an emotion, they carried the fear of death on them even when buying apples, or the fear of falling down when seemingly casually walking upstairs. There was always fear, even if one did not notice it themselves. The mind managed to protect the body thanks to fear. Yet now, Xie saw no hint of fear in Hou Yun, he saw nothing at all. Looking at him felt no different than looking at a picture of a man, not a man himself.

Xie was shocked and caught off guard, but Hou Yun did not care for such things except when he was fighting a fellow Martial Artist. He simply charged in as soon as the fight started and quickly tripped Xie with his right leg swiping leftwards, while also striking the chest with a slap from his left hand going rightwards. Lian Lingzhu was impressed while watching.

Causing inertia or using distance between the center of one's heft and the point of impact were the basics of most grappling Body Arts. However, Lian Lingzhu did not expect to see such a young boy implement it not from a memorized move on a standard person, but on the fly against such a unique body. To Lian Lingzhu this meant that Hou Yun knew the basics well enough to improvise and adapt, this was only possible from comprehending one's Body Arts method to perfection. And, if Hou Yun had truly comprehended it already, then practice and experience alone would turn him into a grappler and wrestler fit enough to dominate non-Cultivator tournaments for his life.

Lian Lingzhu was slightly regretful, such a bright Junior would be sold as a slave to a Demonic Sect, but he would still do it even if he were selling him to a slaughterhouse. To Lian Lingzhu, nothing was sacred in the face of his goals.

Hou Yun followed the trip perfectly, taking Xie's back in one swift motion and locking up Xie's left arm and neck before starting to choke him. To most outside observers this all occurred in a flash, only a few of them like Shupi Juren and Lian Lingzhu capable of following the movements.

Xie was wildly strong and durable, but he was no Cultivator. His lungs heaved, and his blood flowed all the same. Once his breath was disrupted and the flow of blood to his brain was cut, Xie was knocked out within seconds while helplessly striking Hou Yun's toned and trained side muscles to no avail.

Lian Lingzhu smiled, glad to see that the Body Arts of the next generation were not lesser, even orphans and slaves could carve a small piece of this harsh and competitive world by training hard. He had done so, and others could as well. He easily declared the winner since the duel was so decisive and the crowd cheered.

Hou Yun's expressionless and beautiful face faded away like it was a lie again, leaving its place to his usual creepy smile. He did his best not to show how much his sides were suffering after those haphazard strikes from Xie. Yet, it was not significant enough damage that he could not recover before his next fight.

Huo Lan was talking to Yanku Zhimei in a panic, still distraught after having killed and maimed so many people just minutes prior.

"Elder Sister Yanku Zhimei... What do I do? It just felt so easy and right to fight in that moment... I even chased those who ran away from me." Hou Lan was crying while hugging Yanku Zhimei's sides and shivering.

"Kill only when needed, and when forced to. Being young and violent in nature is one thing, but to slaughter like you have is another! Still... You are yet young, Junior Sister Huo Lan. Our situation here is also special. Do not hesitate until we are free again. The responsibility of whatever you do still lies with these evil slavers."

Yanku Zhimei was not insensitive to the loss of life, yet not foolish enough to be blind to their hellish circumstances of basically being combat entertainment right now. The fault remained with the slavers, tho she would have to discipline her Junior Sister harshly if she were to pass on the Wire Frame Body Arts to her. The last thing she wanted would be to pass on her Body Arts to a mass murderer who relished in taking lives.

Lian Lingzhu's voice rang out again.

"Yanku Zhimei is to fight Wei Shixian!"

Yanku Zhimei gently removed Huo Lan's arms that were still hugging her tightly. She walked to the center of the arena to see the giant of a boy that she would be fighting.

"Y-you have to be kidding me. How is this even fair?" She complained to herself, yet still took her lowered posture ready for a kick.

Meanwhile, Wei Shixian was yawning, he had not gotten enough of his sleep and was also feeling hungry too. He felt like he could not even get one straight thought in his mind without all the cravings of what he did not have enough of. He barely focused his eyes on Yanku Zhimei and spread his arms open to get ready to fight.

The signal to start the fights was always given by the sitting Lian Lingzhu's foot slamming down on the wooden podium like a drum. As soon as Yanku Zhimei heard the signal, she jumped forward to kick Wei Shixian in the neck.

Wei Shixian was slow to react, so his thick neck got cleanly hit by the strong kick of Yanku Zhimei, yet he simply grabbed her other leg before she could fall back to the ground. He was far larger and stronger than her, it did not take him much effort to lift her up and catch her by one of her arms as well.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

He did not have any martial arts knowledge, but he had the desire to win and the power that he had always had since birth. To add onto such power, he had always exercised in pursuit of getting stronger. He was driven by instinct since early childhood to eat, lift heavy things and then transition into eating more and lifting heavier. We Shixian even earned his income prior to his capture by carrying lumber on his shoulders and lifting carriages out of mud. To him, Yanku Zhimei was made of paper.

Lian Lingzhu was ready to stop the duel, before suddenly noticing what seemed like snakes moving under Yanku Zhimei's skintight one piece clothing. He only noticed that they were her muscles after remembering her prior fight. While not as experienced or strong as Hou Yun, she was still a Body Arts user.

Yanku Zhimei had not been grabbed like this for the first time in her life. She had rowdy customers who had gotten drunk and harassed her before. Though her uncles, mother, and brothers were all willing to beat such rude men, Yanku Zhimei figured out how to make someone let go on her own.

Someone would never hold onto something with their full force, one could be a master cook or a grand swordmaster, but they would still hold the knife with the same strength as an old lady. The same was the case for these situations. She was simply being held up in proportion to her weight, not with his full strength. Someone as big as this boy would be exhausted very quickly if he put his full force behind every move.

Yanku Zhimei used her Wire Frame Body Arts First Pose. She stepped on Wei Shixian's huge belly with her free foot, and then used the full might of her Body Arts to suddenly move the leg which was in his hands. The pose was simple, one leg would extend up, as much as possible and with the greatest speed possible.

Wei Shixian did not have time to adjust his strength as the rapidly moving leg left his grasp. He then noticed that the leg that was raised up, was now striking his face with a kick. He received the kick onto his face, then four more times, before he finally let go of her arm. He had noticed that his belly and the arm he was holding were acting as her ground support for the kicks.

Yanku Zhimei was sad to see only a torn brow and a little bit of blood on Wei Shixian's face after those five kicks. She knew that she could put more effort into fighting but thought that she might break a bone if she hit this ox of a boy any harder. She was getting ready to surrender before she made eye contact with Hou Yun, who was shaking his head from side to side.

A chance. This was a chance for her to gain experience and grow. She bit her lips and gathered her courage before resuming her kicks on Wei Shixian's legs.

Wei Shixian was aware of his own durability. He did not mind such kicks, he had bolstered his legs and knees with so many exercises that he doubted she could harm them without a knife. So, he stepped closer while reaching forward with his right hand, left hand lifted up and at the ready to protect his head.

That was when Yanku Zhimei changed her tactics. She raised her hand up to play with her hair and started dancing around with bent knees. She was not the most beautiful girl, but her dance soothed the hearts and made her look prettier than she was. Wei Shixian was not distracted any more than his usual self, his hunger bit him deeper than Yanku Zhimei's beauty.

Distraction was not Yanku Zhimei's goal, she moved closer and closer to Wei Shixian while avoiding his extended right arm. Her dance started incorporating more and more spins before she started planting the balls of her feet and her toes into the ground and delivering elbow strikes to Wei Shixian.

While dancing, she looked elegant like any dancer, yet she transformed into a fighter the moment she struck, her hand playing with her hair suddenly grasped her own head for support and helped make the elbow strike harder, her feet elegantly grazing the floor moment prior got stuck into the ground like roots and firmly added force to her strikes. She was dancing around Wei Shixian, while also brutally striking him from all sides.

Wei Shixian felt her elbow strikes more than her kicks, not because they were more powerful but because they were sharper since she was directly hitting him with her bones. The sharp pain especially was difficult to bear when she struck his ribs from his right side. Wei Shixian was experiencing a blow to his liver, without knowing it.

His whole body felt like it shut down the same way a store does at night. He told it to stand up, yet it did not listen. He wanted to grab her, yet his arms did not obey. He was just on the ground with an open mouth. His loss was declared a few seconds later.

Yanku Zhimei was left gasping for air. Stamina was not her strong suit. Performances could last long but there were plenty of breaks in between. Yet, she had to have such a fight without properly resting. As soon as the winner was declared, she went to a corner and laid down on her back to properly rest up. Not having the energy to smile at Huo Lan and Shupi Juren congratulating her.

"Well done, Big Sister Yanku Zhimei. You fight so much better than I expected. You took down such a big guy." Shupi Juren said, still a bit detached and emotionless since his mind was constantly pondering about paths ever since his breakthrough into becoming a Cultivator.

"Elder Sister... You actually beat him with but a few droplets of blood... So much more elegant than me..." Huo Lan still saw herself as no different than a man slaughtering beast, comparing the gory scene she had caused with the nearly unharmed Wei Shixian who got up and walked away after a minute.

Yanku Zhimei gave no false condolences. She did not have the energy to do so anyways and simply decided to take a short nap until her next fight. Oddly enough, Wei Shixian was also napping after his loss.

Lian Lingzhu was happy that the fights were so entertaining, while Appraiser Tong was even happier since all seemed to be well for his bets so far. Lian Lingzhu popped his bubble by declaring the next fight.

"Tian Mingyun is to fight Qin Fen!"

Tian Mingyun was half awake and clearly had bruises all over his back and sides. He was in no shape to fight, but Appraiser Tong had hoped that he might get some rest if he fought a couple of duels later. But he was at least glad that his opponent seemed just as bloody.

Qin Fen liked wearing her hair in two buns, even if it was drenched in mud and blood. She felt like she would just get back to doing housework and tending to livestock just like when she was 4 years old... Those were the good old days for her. She did not have to get beaten by strangers or have weird older men trying to force themselves onto her. She would even be okay hauling mud out of the coal mines again like when she was 6, at least the coal kept her hair very black.

Tian Mingyun stumbled towards the center of the arena and barely managed to raise his hands up and show off his jet black fingernails. Qin Fen never held back when hitting others, but even she felt bad looking at this scrawny kid with gray hair and black nails. He looked like he could barely stand up. However, she would really enjoy some meat, wine, and a tent to sleep in, when thinking about finally getting to relax, she was willing to beat up Tian Mingyun.

Tian Mingyun's back was hurting and aching a lot. He honestly did not want to fight at all, he would rather just lie down on the ground and rest. However, he knew that he would never catch up to Shupi Juren just by sitting. He had figured out a few of the circulation paths on his back after getting slammed to the ground like that. He was confident that if he pushed his body to the point that it was pulsing with pain, he would get to perfect his circulation much faster.

SLAM

Lian Lingzhu's foot slamming onto the podium signaled the start of the fight and Qin Fen launched forward. She did not know much in the way of martial arts, but her body was tempered through labor. Her first move was to grab Tian Mingyun by the hair and clumsily punch him in the neck.

Although there was not a trace of finesse to be found, her strength compared to her size was no joke. She struck Tian Mingyun like an adult man would, making his neck flash with pain. His response in his injured state was no different as he clawed at her face with reckless fury.

Tian Mingyun was like an injured dog, attacking without any decency. Not like he cared or knew of decency being a street orphan his whole life.

The fight between the two raged on, devoid of the expertise and tactics of the prior fighters, but instead simply as a childish yet bloody brawl.