Chapter 380: Just Surrender
“By using the terrain to trap me, you’ve trapped yourselves as well,” Zhang Yu sneered, summoning four Formless Warriors, two on each side, to block Bu Ziran’s retreat to the Barrier.
As Zhang Yu charged forward, Bu Ziran desperately wanted to shout, “Don’t come any closer!”
His fear wasn’t of Zhang Yu himself, but of his own teammates.
Especially after witnessing Zhang Yu’s body continuously enduring a barrage of Blood Thunder, Qi Bursts, and Silver Palm strikes as if he were taking a bath.
Bu Ziran lacked Zhang Yu’s resilience to withstand such punishment.
Ma Xuan quickly reassured him in the contest group chat: “Don’t worry, we’ve activated Shared Attack Intent. We’re marking our targets, so we won’t hit you easily.”
In the Bionic Eye views of Ma Xuan and his three teammates, four distinct markers — a palm, a blood droplet, a swirling vortex, and a small sword — flickered across their vision, each representing one of their attacks.
Each marker’s placement indicated the intended point of impact for their respective attacks.
This system allowed them to coordinate their strikes more precisely and minimize the risk of hitting Bu Ziran.
Yet, in the heat of battle, collisions remained inevitable.
After parrying a Blood Thunder strike with his sword, Bu Ziran glanced at his Bionic interface, noting his hand skeleton’s durability had dropped to 32%. A pang of anguish shot through him.
“Watch out! Don’t hit me!”
But in the next instant, Zhang Yu had already attacked again, the Formless Cloud Gang guiding waves of Qi Bursts that slammed fiercely toward Bu Ziran.
Sword qi and Gang Qi clashed and surged in a chaotic maelstrom.
After their initial entanglement, Zhang Yu retracted all his Humanoid Gang Qi. This served two purposes: conserving Magic Power and removing the humanoid forms that had been shielding Bu Ziran, leaving him more exposed to attack.
“As expected, after engaging this guy in close combat, Ma Xuan and the others’ offensive power has inevitably weakened by several degrees.”
At this moment, Zhang Yu refrained from using the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force, relying solely on the Formless Cloud Gang to continuously guide incoming attacks, bombarding Bu Ziran relentlessly.
Yet within these brief seconds of intense combat, Zhang Yu was already drenched in blood, his Gang Qi stained crimson, coiling around his body like flames.
“Perhaps I can take this opportunity to replenish myself…”
As streaks of Blood Thunder erupted from his flicking fingers, piercing large holes in the Formless Cloud Gang, they also slowed its momentum.
With a swift palm strike, Zhang Yu conjured swirling vortexes of cloud mist that channeled a torrent of Blood Thunder into a single point. The converging bolts collided at high speed, coalescing into a crimson sphere… which Zhang Yu promptly swallowed whole.
Zhang Yu’s eyes widened abruptly. “How much medicine did you take? This medicinal power is incredible!”
Feeling the medicinal power continuously being absorbed into his body, rapidly restoring his physical and Magic Power, Zhang Yu laughed heartily. He suddenly swept up the Silver Sand scattered across the ground with another palm strike and swallowed it whole.
Tilting his head, Zhang Yu grinned. “It’s not very nutritious, but it’s perfect for strengthening my physical body.”
Seeing Zhang Yu devour his Silver Sand in one gulp, Ma Xuan flew into a rage. “Keep attacking! He’s about to collapse!”
Though Zhang Yu continued to eat and drink, absorbing the medicinal properties from Yang Yan’s blood and digesting the Silver Sand to fortify his physical body, the Formless Cloud Gang surrounding him was being relentlessly torn apart. His wounds multiplied, leaving him a bloody mess.
The originally cloud-like white Gang Qi gradually turned pale red, then deep red, until it now glowed a dark crimson. The churning Gang Qi resembled a smoldering flame burning fiercely.
While Zhang Yu appeared severely injured, Bu Ziran’s heart bled even more.
Zhang Yu, locked in combat with him, continuously redirected the Blood Thunder, Qi Bursts, and Silver Arm attacks back at Bu Ziran.
Moreover, Ma Xuan and the others had inadvertently intercepted Bu Ziran’s attacks. Though they were ostensibly ganging up on Zhang Yu, Bu Ziran felt as if he were the one being besieged by Zhang Yu and his own teammates.
Amidst the fierce battle, his Bionic’s self-diagnostic system continuously reported declining durability, sending a chill through Bu Ziran’s heart that surpassed even the icy coldness of Zhang Yu’s Gang Qi.
“Damn it…” Bu Ziran cursed, furiously unleashing a barrage of sword qi. Staring at the bloodied, staggering Zhang Yu, he raged inwardly, “Why? Why won’t you fall? Why won’t you surrender?”
The same questions plagued Yang Yan’s mind. As he fired bolts of Blood Thunder, he glanced at his Bionic’s billing statement and involuntarily slowed his attacks.
Yang Yan watched Zhang Yu, completely enveloped in a crimson mist, and thought to himself, “This guy can’t hold out much longer. I should conserve Spirit Coins by reducing my attacks. Besides…”
Meanwhile, Ji Susu pondered, “If he keeps refusing to surrender, what if we accidentally kill him?”
“We can’t kill him! The compensation would be astronomical!”
Though Zhang Yu appeared critically wounded, he stubbornly endured the relentless onslaught.
The more they saw Zhang Yu teetering on the brink of collapse, the more the four slowed their attacks, fearing they might accidentally kill him.
Ma Xuan couldn’t help but shout, “Zhang Yu! Surrender now! Do you really want to go bankrupt in this competition?”
“Look at your injuries! Can you even afford to heal them?”
Zhang Yu grinned, beckoned them closer, and said, “Hurry up. You’re running out of time.”
Though Zhang Yu appeared battered and bruised, the Civil Engineering Sacred Body was steadily boosting his resistances, making their attacks feel increasingly feeble.
His injuries weren’t worsening; in fact, the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art was actively healing him.
Another fierce exchange erupted, accompanied by sonic booms as the five combatants clashed hundreds of times in an instant, their Gang Qi and Magic Power colliding.
The bill continued to climb, durability plummeted, and another chunk of Silver Sand vanished…
To Ma Xuan and his group, Zhang Yu felt like a black hole. They kept throwing money at him, yet he remained unyielding, causing their wallets to ache.
As Zhang Yu stubbornly refused to fall, Ma Xuan and his group gradually abandoned their restraint, intensifying their attacks.
They soon discovered that even as they intensified their attacks, even going all out, Zhang Yu’s wounds multiplied, yet he refused to fall.
Meanwhile, Bu Ziran, watching his Bionic’s durability plummet to 21%, finally reached his breaking point.
His Bionic, specifically designed for high-speed sword techniques, was never meant for prolonged brawls.
Now, under the relentless assault of four opponents, each collision with Zhang Yu sent its durability plummeting, threatening critical failure. Repairing it would cost a fortune.
“Enough!” Bu Ziran shouted. “Someone take over for me! Or split the repair bill with me!”
Ma Xuan and the others ignored him.
Enraged, Bu Ziran sidestepped, only to find Zhang Yu relentlessly pursuing him. In an instant, the Bionic’s durability dropped to 20%.
Seeing Zhang Yu still fighting, Bu Ziran desperately wanted to yell, “What are you risking your life for?!”
But in that instant, Zhang Yu’s body suddenly swelled. He had activated both the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art and the Spring and Autumn Endless Zen, pushing his physical capabilities to their absolute limit.
As the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art’s negative effects intensified his injuries, the Civil Engineering Sacred Body surged again, causing his resistances to skyrocket.
Under the influence of Fourfold Thinking, Zhang Yu activated every protective Cultivation Art he had mastered, pushing his damage resistance to its absolute limit.
Bang!
He allowed Bu Ziran’s swirling sword qi to graze his body, while Ma Xuan and the others relentlessly bombarded his back, lower back, and legs.
With a burst of speed, Zhang Yu shattered Bu Ziran’s incoming sword qi, seized his head, and slammed him violently into the ground.
Watching Zhang Yu and Bu Ziran engage in a brutal ground fight, Ma Xuan and the others hesitated, fearing they might accidentally harm Bu Ziran.
But in the next instant, a sharp crack echoed as Bu Ziran’s Bionic twisted violently. With its durability plummeting to 19%, the Bionic suffered a critical malfunction.
Bu Ziran felt his Magic Power surge backward through the Bionic, paralyzing him temporarily.
With a savage roar, Zhang Yu tore off Bu Ziran’s Bionic and delivered a devastating blow to his Dantian.
The accumulated cold poison erupted violently, freezing Bu Ziran solid from head to toe.
Having temporarily subdued Bu Ziran, Zhang Yu turned to face Ma Xuan and the others, grinning through his blood-smeared face. “Who’s next?”
The sight of Bu Ziran’s torn-off Bionic and his frostbitten body sent a chill down Ma Xuan’s spine, as if he were already tallying the massive medical bills to come.
Zhang Yu’s crimson-tinged body and fierce gaze made them feel, for a moment, as if they were the ones surrounded, not him.
Shaking off the illusion, Ma Xuan frowned.
“Hmm? The tremors from outside have stopped?”
Throughout their intense battle, Ma Xuan had sensed the Barrier around them vibrating slightly, enduring constant attacks from the outside.
But now, after the tremors ceased, a quick check left him stunned.
“Shi Huaiyu… she’s not attacking the Barrier. She’s reinforcing it??”
“She’s added several layers to my Barrier.”
“What does this mean? Is she trapping us all here with Zhang Yu? Abandoning her own teammate? Where’s the sportsmanship?”
As Ma Xuan pondered this in disbelief, the sand beside Zhang Yu erupted, and Xiao Qingxuan emerged from the ground.
Watching the scene unfold, Ma Xuan’s heart stirred. “Did they dig their way in?”
Xiao Qingxuan gazed at Zhang Yu’s grievous injuries, then at Bu Ziran pinned beneath him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Pressing a palm against Zhang Yu’s shoulder, Xiao Qingxuan sent a private message through his Bionic Eye: “I’ll heal you, but remember, this stays within the arena. Don’t let anyone else know.”
“Heal… heal me?” Zhang Yu replied privately. “Did you study at the Medical Department? Are you a doctor?”
Xiao Qingxuan replied coolly, “My parents aren’t doctors, so how could I be one? But the ancient Golden Core who possessed me in the past — back in his era, cultivators learned a wide range of skills. They say every cultivator knew healing magic.”
“Ninety-nine percent of the Immortal Dao Technology mastered by the ancient Golden Core has been rendered obsolete today.”
“But his Ancient Medical Techniques still have some use.”
“Ancient Medical Techniques?” Zhang Yu couldn’t help but retort. “History class said those were all scams — unreliable, lacking standards, and using them haphazardly could worsen injuries…”
Zhang Yu genuinely feared this guy would botch his healing with some ancient medical technique.
Xiao Qingxuan replied calmly, “That’s just propaganda spread by modern pharmaceutical companies to discredit Ancient Medical Techniques and monopolize medical resources.”
“Don’t worry. By activating the Five Elements True Qi within your body, I can stimulate the regenerative power of your organs, repair your injuries, and prevent your internal wounds from worsening… Hmm? Your constitution is remarkably strong. It’s already working to heal itself? Even better. The treatment will be even faster.”
Zhang Yu felt his heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs gradually accelerating their healing process under the influence of Xiao Qingxuan’s Magic Power. He asked in astonishment, “What’s the principle behind this?”
Xiao Qingxuan replied, “The principle of organ interaction and balance. Don’t ask me why it works. I understand organ interactions and balance, and I understand cells and bacteria, but I don’t know how the two are connected, so I can’t explain it to you.”
“All I can tell you is that Ancient Medical Techniques and the medical technology of the modern Immortal Dao system… are completely different things.”
With just a touch on Zhang Yu’s shoulder, their exchange was completed in an instant.
Meanwhile, Ma Xuan had also finished communicating with Ji Yuanshu and Cong Na outside.
Ji Yuanshu: “What’s the situation inside?”
Ma Xuan: “Bu Ziran has been knocked down.”
Ji Yuanshu: “What about Zhang Yu?”
Ma Xuan: “He’s still fighting us.”
Ji Yuanshu: “???”
Ji Yuanshu was stunned by Ma Xuan’s reply.
“You four ganged up on Zhang Yu for over twenty seconds, four upperclassmen beating up a second-year student… and he still managed to eliminate one of you?”
“Are you guys throwing the match on purpose?”
Ji Yuanshu desperately wanted to confront Ma Xuan and the others with these accusations, but he knew such divisive words would undermine their unity.
Instead, he said, “Shi Huaiyu is leading a group to chase after me and Cong Na. Cong Na’s too slow; they’re about to catch up. What do we do now?”
Ma Xuan hadn’t anticipated that the situation both inside and outside the barrier would change so drastically in just twenty seconds.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan were already charging toward them. Amidst the layered barriers, another chaotic battle erupted.
Streams of Dragon-Shaped Gang Qi erupted from Xiao Qingxuan’s body, sweeping across the battlefield.
Zhang Yu weaved around Xiao Qingxuan, constantly intercepting incoming attacks.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qingxuan periodically channeled Five Elements True Qi into Zhang Yu, healing his injuries.
Combined with Zhang Yu’s Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art and Civil Engineering Sacred Body, his injuries gradually stabilized within a manageable range, maintaining both formidable defense and explosive combat power.
With Xiao Qingxuan and Zhang Yu’s coordinated offense and defense, Ma Xuan and his group felt their expenses skyrocketing while the duo remained as vigorous as dragons and tigers, showing no signs of weakening.
After Shi Huaiyu captured Cong Na outside, Bu Ziran immediately messaged the group: “Just surrender. Don’t waste any more money.”
Bu Ziran: “Four against six. There’s no point in fighting anymore.”
Yang Yan: “Surrender.”
Ji Susu: “Surrender.”
Ji Yuanshu: “???”