Seeing the opponent not attacking, Wan Lei charged forward, transforming into lightning, and threw a simple yet powerful punch.
The ice shield in front of Chai Guangkun shattered like paper. Before he could even counter, he was sent flying backward.
Three wins.
Three consecutive wins, all with seemingly ordinary punches. The spectators were both excited and curious. They desperately wanted to know how powerful that punch was, to the point that so many couldn't withstand it and were defeated.
Their curiosity made them wish they could step onto the stage themselves to experience that punch.
"Lou Dongkai, stop dawdling and hurry down. There are over ten thousand people waiting!" Xiao Jin shouted arrogantly.
Lou Dongkai's expression changed. Just as he was about to descend, Xing Chen called out to him.
"Wan Lei's combat power is very strange. Those fighting him must be careful. Prioritize defense and use all the defensive techniques you've learned. Also, bring out your defensive artifacts; use them all."
"Senior brother, will this… really work?" Lou Dongkai had no confidence at all after seeing the performance of his three senior brothers.
"Alas, it probably won't do much, but it might help you last a little longer. At least you won't be defeated with a single punch, which would be too humiliating. You have to make him throw at least a couple of punches."
The senior brother was truly good at boosting morale.
"Oh, I understand." Lou Dongkai walked down the steps dejectedly.
A disciple beside Xing Chen whispered, "Senior brother, doesn't this feel a bit off? It feels like there's a trap here. Is he intentionally provoking our Water Hall, making us issue challenges, and then picking weaker opponents to fight, thereby earning merit points? After all, he knows how strong he is, but we don't."
Xing Chen sighed, "I've also noticed it, but what can we do even if we see it? The enemy is too cunning. Challenges cannot be rescinded. Refusing to fight is equivalent to surrender. Going up to fight is humiliating, and not fighting is also humiliating. I've already issued him a challenge. We'll see if he accepts it. As long as he dares to accept, I'll show him that Water Hall disciples are not to be bullied."
Upon arriving on the stage, Lou Dongkai first looked back. Behind him, medical personnel were already waiting with stretchers. Clearly, they weren't waiting for Wan Lei to lie down, but for him. Remembering the miserable state of his three senior brothers and the words of his senior brother, he felt a pang of dread. *I don't want to be here. I regret it. Can't your little fists stop hitting my chest…*
Seeing Wan Lei charging again, Lou Dongkai immediately shouted, "Wait, hold on a moment." Then, to everyone's confusion, he began taking out defensive artifacts one by one. These artifacts were piled up like a small mountain, forming a semicircle in front of him, creating an impenetrable barrier.
Seeing so many defensive artifacts, Wan Lei's expression shifted from initial bewilderment to solemn respect. *Good heavens, did you empty out your entire Water Hall?*
Wan Lei remained silent, but the surrounding disciples were enraged. "Shameless! You're ganging up on Wan Lei, and he hasn't even used artifacts yet, but you're already deploying them." "Is this a tortoise shell? Are all Water Hall disciples related to turtles?" "When your Water Hall disciples go to the battlefield in the future, will you also deploy so many defensive artifacts and rely on defense to wear down the demons?" "Trash Water Hall, truly contemptible. You can't win and can't afford to lose, spit!" "Get down yourself, lest you embarrass our Five Elements Hall!"
The disciples outside cursed fiercely, making the faces of the Water Hall members even more unsightly. Lou Dongkai, however, remained unfazed, muttering phrases like "face doesn't matter, life does." He kept accumulating more defensive artifacts, but Wan Lei no longer had time to waste with him; he was waiting for the next match.
Just as people eagerly anticipated Wan Lei shattering all defenses with a single punch, Wan Lei didn't move. Instead, he looked up and sent a bolt of lightning towards the sky. The crowd was confused, but before they could ponder what was happening, a five-colored lightning bolt struck down from the sky, hitting Lou Dongkai directly on the forehead. He had protected himself thoroughly from the front but had forgotten about the sky. The medical team carried him off on a stretcher. Water Hall disciples cursed Wan Lei as shameless for sneak attacking, but Wan Lei was unmoved. If anyone was shameless, it was them.
The subsequent events were rather uneventful. Xiao Jin continued to call out names, Water Hall disciples kept descending, and Wan Lei kept throwing punches. The matches continued until nightfall. The crowd grew larger and larger, as challenging hundreds of disciples in succession was not a common occurrence, and people naturally flocked to witness the spectacle. By this time, Wan Lei had already defeated over three hundred disciples, essentially ending each match with a single punch. He didn't fear energy consumption, as his internal small universe provided the energy. Among those present, the busiest weren't the combatants but the medical teams, who were working tirelessly to treat the severely injured Water Hall disciples. The medical teams in Arena No. 8 were insufficient, and several teams were borrowed from other arenas. A designated open space next to the arena was set aside for the injured, and its scale was spectacular, with people still being transported out. Each fight began and ended quickly. Wan Lei was like a factory worker on an assembly line, performing monotonous, mechanical actions and listening to a consistent sound (screams). The only solace for his spirit was the steadily increasing merit points.
As the sun rose again in the east, Wan Lei punched his opponent away. "Brother Wan, you have 499 merit points. One more and you'll reach five hundred!" Xiao Jin's excited shout echoed from a distance. Wan Lei's expression finally changed slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his lips, and he felt invigorated.
Just as everyone was discussing whether Wan Lei could hold out against ten thousand enemies, and as Xiao Jin was about to press the next acceptance button, a voice suddenly came from the sky. Looking up, they saw a Saint Hall elder holding an unrolled scroll.
"By order of the Immortal Venerable, to prevent disciples from maliciously exploiting the rules of the arena to farm merit points, the arena rules are hereby changed. Merit points can no longer be used as stakes. Combatants may pay ten thousand spirit stones as stakes, effective immediately."
Upon hearing this, the entire venue erupted in an uproar. "Preventing malicious farming of merit points? You might as well just tell me my identity number." He was on the verge of reaching five hundred merit points, and with the previous five hundred, he would have a thousand, enough to apply for an official position. At this very moment, the Immortal Venerable's decree arrived. This was blatant targeting. With this thought, Wan Lei almost spat out a mouthful of blood, tilted his head back, and roared in anguished fury, "Immortal Venerable scoundrel, you've betrayed me!!!"