"Energy has exceeded maximum operating capacity!" a robotic voice sounded from above the gladiator pit, causing beams of red light to flare like spotlights over the arena.

As the serpent struck, distorting space, Liu Mo's eyes widened. The three tigers of wind that he had conjured up were crushed like papier mache under the serpent's advance, dissipating into gusts of wind in its wake.

The black serpent was releasing a torrent of genetic energy as it shot toward Liu Mo, its curved fangs, green pupils, and slit tongue making it look so realistic one could easily mistake it for a living creature. Liu Mo was frozen by the sight.

"Dodge!" his companion called out, and Liu Mo barely managed to avoid the attack at the very last moment, leaping up into the air like a willow leaf drifting in the wind.

The serpent crashed into the ground, sending rubble flying all around the point of impact. Where it landed, there was a smoking crater seething with black genetic energy. Sparks of electricity shot out from the crater, and the piercing alarm and red spotlights vanished in an instant.

Liu Mo, buffeted by the wind, was flung quite a distance away by the attack.

Zhang Lie frowned. Liu Mo wasn't a weak hunter by any means, and he had managed to reduce the damage taken from Zhang Lie's attack by using some combination of soulshard and technique.

As Liu Mo landed on the ground and glanced at the crater that the serpent's attack had left behind, he felt his heart begin to palpitate. The floor was specially reinforced against such attacks, and yet Zhang Lie's serpent had still managed to do so much damage to it.  

Even he and his companion, working together, would have been hard-pressed to wreak such destruction. If he had been just a moment slower to react, he would surely have perished.

"There's something wrong with this kid," he whispered, his voice quavering.

"Yes, he's quite difficult to handle, isn't he? No wonder the two of us were dispatched! But attacks of this magnitude will surely place considerable strain on his body. He's still nothing more than a first-realm hunter, so I doubt his constitution and reserves will allow him to keep this up for much longer," the fire-attuned hunter analyzed slowly.

He walked forward, a radiant polearm in his hands.

Liu Mo reflected on his companion's words and did the same, striding up to him with a serrated longsword.

Fire and wind formed a barrier around them. Their genetic energy had mixed in perfect harmony, causing even Zhang Lie to goggle. The level of trust required for this sort of effect was akin to placing one's life in the other's hands.

A tiger of wind with wings of fire manifested in front of the duo.

The Wang clan had sent quite a challenge his way, and his reserves were indeed flagging. He would have to end the fight rapidly.

Zhang Lie raised his sword. He would win in one blow.

"Using this attack against a first-realm hunter? I can't believe we have to resort to this." Liu Mo raised his sword, his arm wreathed in wind.

"We have no other choice—he's too difficult to deal with otherwise!" His companion raised his polearm, aligning it with Liu Mo's sword, causing their respective genetic energies to meld together.

As both hunters thrust their weapons forward, the tiger launched its attack. A vortex of wind and flame was forming around the tiger, sucking up all the genetic energy that had been dissipated throughout the arena and causing the tiger to flare in brilliant light.

"I suppose we had better consume this as a precaution, too," Liu Mo's companion murmured, taking out a potion with an acrid, concentrated smell, so strong that Zhang Lie could smell it from quite a distance away.

If he weren't mistaken, this was a restricted potion that could temporarily raise a hunter's abilities.

Indeed, he could sense Liu Mo and his companion's auras surging by the moment, causing even Zhang Lie to feel short of breath.

"This is our strongest blow. If you can handle it, then we'll accept our defeat!"

Even before the tiger made a move, Zhang Lie was already starting to sweat. A pressure that he had yet to experience since the fight with the three-star scarab required his full concentration to handle. He took in a deep breath, and the genetic energy circulating through his body began to rampage.

This would be the final blow of the match.

Just as the two parties were about to confront each other, two middle-aged men in suits suddenly walked into the Ning branch of the dojo consortium, one of whom was wearing a curious pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

A long string of numbers and data scrolled down the glasses, but only its wearer was able to see it.

"You're certain that the Dragonwolf Zhang Lie came over here?"

"Of course. The person who gave me that information works right here in this building. Apparently, he's participating in some sort of test of strength."

"What? How are we going to find him, then?"

"Don't worry, Li. The person who sold me that information will lead us inside. We're sure to make the headlines tomorrow!"

"Excuse me, you're here to handle matters, aren't you?" a uniformed attendant whispered to Li, coughing as he did so.

"Yes, we are." Liu was rapidly motioning with his eyes, and Li quickly understood that this was the informant that Liu had been talking about.

"In that case, follow me—but remember, you can observe and inspect the scene, but you'd better not touch anything!" the informant warned. 

Liu smiled and nodded as he stuffed a red card into the informant's hands, which the informant pocketed. 

"You're the only people I'm letting in here. After all, this is a branch of the dojo consortium, and even the Dragonwolf Zhang Lie had to come here himself to take a test of strength!" As soon as their surroundings were cleared of people, the attendant patted his wallet and began to boast to Li, telling him that the only reason the two of them had been allowed in was because he was doing Liu a favor, that most of those hunters who worked in the building wouldn't have the required clearance to bring them inside.

Li rolled his eyes. More accurately, this informant was the only hunter working in the building who had been easy to bribe.

"Alright, we're here. The teleportation array is open—go do what you came here to do, and I'll bring you back out in half an hour."