Volume One, Chapter 16: The First Opponent, the Tyrannosaurus!

“Hey, over here!”

Walking deeper into the street, two figures approached.

Chang Xi, wearing a Mickey Mouse mask, hurried out from the agreed meeting spot.

Beside him was a middle-aged man—Chang Xi’s father, Chang Huan.

Together, their names formed the phrase “joy.”

“Here we are.”

Ye Cheng stepped forward and gave Chang Xi a friendly punch.

Then he greeted Chang Huan, who wore a Donald Duck mask beside him: “Uncle Chang!”

Chang Huan patted Ye Cheng’s shoulder approvingly and said, “Ah Cheng, I’ve always said you’re no ordinary guy. See? I wasn’t wrong—you’re a hidden powerhouse!”

Ye Cheng chuckled, “Powerhouse? Uncle Chang, you’re joking.”

Chang Huan pointed at Mickey Mouse beside him, muttering, “Alas, bad luck in the family. How did I end up with such a prodigal son?”

Chang Xi retorted, displeased, “Enough, Old Deng. My recklessness comes from your genes. If Grandpa hadn’t passed down those shops for you to collect rent, you’d have starved long ago! What right do you have to criticize me?”

Surprisingly, Chang Huan wasn’t the least bit offended by his son’s words, nodding instead, “Fair enough!”

Ye Cheng was already accustomed to this eccentric father-son duo’s banter. Pointing ahead, he said, “Let’s go.”

The Chang family bickered noisily as Ye Cheng, visiting for the first time, keenly observed his surroundings.

They encountered various spectators and competitors of all kinds along the way.

After crossing two streets, they arrived at a martial arts school, brightly lit with a steady stream of visitors.

This was the Liang Martial Arts School.

According to Chang Huan, the underground fighting tournament was held twice a year, each season lasting about a month including preparation and wrap-up.

Though called an underground event, the organizers were influential, and the martial alliance and government tacitly allowed it without interference.

Chang Huan’s extensive connections secured him tickets annually to watch the spectacle.

In previous years, Ye Cheng had no chance to participate as he wasn’t a martial artist.

This time, on Chang Xi’s suggestion, Chang Huan had gotten an extra ticket so Ye Cheng could witness the action firsthand.

“Hey, you fighting or what? That’s the registration window!” Chang Xi pointed to a counter where several fighters were signing up.

“Ah Cheng, I know you want to fight to gain experience, but I must warn you—be cautious,” Chang Huan advised more seriously than his son.

“This isn’t a regulated tournament; the underground arena has no rules. Participants are desperate men who will use any dirty trick.”

“Watching the fights is thrilling, but stepping into the ring yourself is a whole different matter. It’s dangerous.”

Ye Cheng responded, “Let me observe first.”

The underground tournament was divided into two tiers: the Black Iron Ranking and the Bronze Ranking.

Typically, only martial apprentices competed in the Black Iron tier, while martial experts fought in the Bronze tier.

However, exceptions existed.

The top five in the Black Iron tier could voluntarily move up to the Bronze tier.

Each match awarded points to the winner and deducted points from the loser, determining ranks.

Contestants earned different rewards based on their points.

The organizers profited from ticket sales and betting pools.

After grasping the rules, Ye Cheng stepped to the registration window to sign up.

“You’re a newcomer—pick a nickname for yourself.”

After entering Ye Cheng’s information, the young woman with cat ears, dressed provocatively, smiled brightly.

“Xingtian.”

“Got it!”

She quickly completed the procedures and handed Ye Cheng a black card.

“This is your ID card. During this season, you can freely enter and exit the Liang Martial Arts School with it.”

“Those who perform well will have their cards upgraded to formal membership at the season’s end, granting unlimited access to venues in every city. Good luck!”

She then briefly explained the arena rules. Ye Cheng thanked her and moved over to the LCD screen.

The name “Xingtian” appeared in the last column, matched against “Tyrannosaurus” in Arena Eight.

“Hey, no way! That newbie Xingtian is facing Tyrannosaurus in his very first match!”

“That’s terrible luck; he’s going to get smashed and spat on everywhere.”

“This kind of match is no fun—Tyrannosaurus is guaranteed to win.”

“Completely one-sided! It’ll be a massacre!”

“Stop talking and place your bets before the odds soar!”

From the spectators’ chatter, Ye Cheng learned that Tyrannosaurus was a legend in the Black Iron arena.

He once won ten consecutive matches, only being dethroned by the reigning champion, Giant Cannon.

True to his name, Tyrannosaurus had a fearsome temper and struck with crushing force.

No fighter defeated by him left unscathed; all carried severe injuries.

He had even killed several opponents.

Before matches, fighters signed death waivers, bearing responsibility for their own lives.

“Tyrannosaurus, huh? Seventh rank martial apprentice, three ranks above me. Not bad—should be good practice!” Ye Cheng thought as he entered the martial arts school.

The school was a façade; behind it, the organizers had bought a row of houses and converted them into ten fighting arenas.

The largest central arena held over a thousand spectators, mainly hosting popular Bronze ranking matches.

Ye Cheng had no qualification yet to enter the central arena.

“Buddy, I checked your odds—they’re one to five, ridiculously high! If the organizers hadn’t capped the maximum payout, it would be even higher,” Chang Xi suddenly appeared, excitedly waving his arms.

Ye Cheng was speechless. “What are you so excited about? Looking forward to me getting beaten?”

“Don’t get me wrong—I want you to win, of course. If things go well, we might make a fortune! So tell me, do you have confidence in beating Tyrannosaurus?”

Chang Huan silently listened nearby, ears perked.

“Confidence? Absolutely! I’m winning for sure,” Ye Cheng replied with unwavering certainty.

“Well then, I’m going to bet a hundred thousand!” Chang Xi beamed.

Ye Cheng thought for a moment, then said, “Opportunity doesn’t come twice. Help me put down a hundred thousand too.”

He promptly transferred money to Chang Xi via phone.

“Got it!” Chang Xi ran off happily.

Chang Huan silently followed and, out of Ye Cheng’s sight, grabbed his son’s arm.

“Kid, don’t be rash—discuss before betting.”

“What’s there to discuss? Ye Cheng is my brother. Even if he lacks confidence, I’ll bet on him to win this first match. If he loses, it’s just encouragement.”

“Fool, even if we bet against him, he won’t know. I’ve seen Tyrannosaurus fight—he’s brutal and too strong. Ye Cheng can’t win.”

“Old Deng, if you say one more bad word about Ye Cheng, I swear I’ll sell the property deed and leave you homeless.”

“You dare? If I’m homeless, you come with me.”

“I don’t care!”

“You prodigal! Bet on whoever you want—I’m done.” Chang Huan stomped away angrily.

After Chang Xi placed his bet, Chang Huan scoffed. Buying a losing bet knowingly was foolish.

Money wasn’t just blowing in the wind.

“I bet fifty thousand on Tyrannosaurus to win. If Ye Cheng wins, you win ten; if he loses, I win fifty. It balances out. Heh, brilliant! Smart me!”

In Arena Eight, the two fighters stood in opposite corners, with the referee in the center.

Tyrannosaurus was two meters tall, bald-headed.

Shirtless, he revealed muscles like steel cables.

He wore no mask, his face rugged and fierce.

He prowled restlessly within the arena, pounding his chest and roaring at the crowd.

Like a wild beast, savage and ready to devour.