The entire second floor of the combat club was boiling over.Angry, frustrated shouts rose and fell in waves, mixing with endless curses and contempt.
"Shameless Fat Rabbit! You only bully us Body-Sealing realm fighters. If you've got guts, open up the arena and let Pulse-Nurturing cultivators in!"
"Yeah! Picking on us Body-Sealing scrubs? That's your big skill? I'm not convinced!"
Those who had suffered crotch-kicks were the loudest of all—along with their friends and relatives, who were also cursing with full force.
Hearing all this, Wang Baole felt just as unconvinced.
"I am Body-Sealing! How is that 'bullying Body-Sealing'? Stop shouting—if you've got balls, get up here and fight!"
Maybe his crotch-kicks were a little too straightforward.The number of people actually willing to challenge him kept dwindling.
But by now, with all his earlier practice, Wang Baole's wrist-locks and sudden, unpredictable kicks had grown incredibly refined.
He didn't even realize that he clearly had some kind of natural talent for close combat.As he fought more and more, he began inventing new moves—changing techniques just to kick people in the crotch in different ways…
Sometimes kicking straight from the front,Sometimes sweeping from the side,Sometimes driving upward from below,And once—he even managed to hook his leg backward from behind…
Under this variety of "fancy crotch-kicks," even while the crowd cursed him, the cold dread in their hearts only deepened.The more they watched, the stronger the phantom pain between their legs became. Their crotches practically started aching in sympathy.
So the insults and swearing grew louder and harsher.
If it had been someone thin-skinned, they would have already broken down and run away.But Wang Baole's face was thick—and on top of that, he was wearing a mask…
All of this made him feel more and more at ease, like he was swimming freely in his element.He felt as if his true self had been fully unleashed. Even his taunting skills had grown far more polished.
"Anyone else coming up to challenge me?!"
"You—yeah, you, the one shouting just now! Weren't you screaming at me not to break fingers? Come on then, I promise I won't go for your fingers this time!"
As Wang Baole shouted in high spirits, a woman's voice suddenly rang out.
Even in the noisy club, the voice cut clearly through the chaos and reached the arena.
"I'll spar with you."
It was a woman's voice—but crisp and powerful.
The moment she spoke, the crowd around her quickly parted, forming a path.
Countless gazes immediately fixed on the two figures walking along that path:Two beauties—one older, one younger.
The younger one wore training clothes and a kitten mask.The older one was not masked. Her face was stunning, and her outfit was tight and bold, showing off her curvy figure. Her entire presence radiated a breathtaking beauty.
Her long, wavy hair framed her like a halo.Her whole body seemed to exude charm, while the battle intent in her eyes was wild and fierce, like a hunting tigress. Any man who looked at her would find his heart racing.
Even more shocking was the aura around her.
It was not Body-Sealing.It was… Pulse-Nurturing!
In ancient martial cultivation, the Blood-Qi realm's power spilled outward due to its vigorous blood and qi.Body-Sealing was like sealing one's strength, gathering everything inward—but it could only be maintained for so long before dispersing.
The final realm of ancient martial arts, Pulse-Nurturing, however…required closing every meridian throughout the body, one by one—allowing the cultivator to maintain a peak state for long durations. Every ounce of strength was under perfect control.
It was the pinnacle of physical cultivation—a living weapon in human form.
Her appearance instantly triggered an uproar.
"It's the club's young miss—Zhou Lu!!"
"Haha! The Fat Rabbit is finished. That's Zhou Lu, the young mistress of this club. She hates injustice—she's used her authority many times to ban scumbags from the club. I heard she got into White Deer Dao Academy back then and is about to graduate. Some say the military is already trying to recruit her."
"Goddess! She's my goddess!!"
With the woman approaching, the crowd's breathing grew faster.Countless burning gazes locked onto her, making Zhou Lu the absolute center of attention.
Wang Baole blinked.
At first, he didn't know who she was. But after hearing the crowd's reaction, he immediately realized how important she was—and he jumped in shock.
Her cultivation, clearly beyond the Body-Sealing realm, put him even further on guard.
He had come here looking for sparring, not a beating.
His eyes swept around, and when Zhou Lu reached the glass barrier of his arena, Wang Baole cleared his throat lightly.
"Sorry, but I only accept challenges from below Pulse-Nurturing. Little sister, your cultivation is above the limit. I'm not fighting you."
"Besides, my ultimate move is too powerful. If I use it on you… well, you are a woman. It would be… awkward for me."
"So let's forget it. I'm tired today anyway—I'll head out now."
Wang Baole felt he'd phrased it beautifully.He hadn't revealed his age, had firmly refused her, and yet didn't make himself sound like a coward. After he finished, he put his hands behind his back, sighed regretfully, and walked toward the exit of the platform.
The crowd immediately erupted in boos.
The younger girl in training clothes, wearing the kitten mask, glared at Wang Baole and joined the shouting.
"Trying to leave?!"
At the same time, Zhou Lu stood outside the glass barrier, eyes full of disdain. She let out a cold snort.
She hated people who abused others. To her, this shameless finger-snapping menace was precisely the kind of scum who shouldn't be allowed to remain in the club.
And he had dared bully her little sister.How could she let that slide?
Raising her right hand, she took out a purple jade card and pressed it against the glass barrier.
In an instant, the previously sealed entrance to the arena…opened.
The sight sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Miss Authority used her privileges again, hahaha!"
"This time the Fat Rabbit is done!"
While cheers thundered on the second floor, the security staff on the third floor clutched their heads in headache and helplessness.
On the arena, Wang Baole jolted in shock, stumbling back a few steps. He stared wide-eyed at Zhou Lu stepping inside, her Pulse-Nurturing aura making his pupils contract.
He wanted to curse.
He felt the club was completely shameless.There was actually a method like this?!
He backed up in a hurry, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"I'm a paying customer! Customers are supposed to be God! You can't hit me—I'm filing a complaint!!"
Hearing his protest, the nearby security guards hesitated.In the third-floor security room, the stationed experts also looked on helplessly. This wasn't the first time the young miss had personally intervened; they knew that even if they wanted to stop her, they should at least be "late" in arriving.
"File whatever complaints you like. This isn't the first time someone's complained about me."On the arena, Zhou Lu's eyes were filled with pride. She was confident she could teach this Fat Rabbit a painful lesson before the club's security could intervene.
Her eyes flashed coldly, and her Pulse-Nurturing early-stage cultivation erupted.Her speed instantly soared to the extreme as she charged toward Wang Baole.
With everyone cheering for her on all sides, she felt even more certain that she was absolutely in the right.
Pulse-Nurturing speed was terrifying. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Wang Baole. Her right hand shot forward, reaching straight for his mask.
At that critical instant, Wang Baole shoved his thoughts aside and retreated sharply. His speed exploded as well, narrowly avoiding Zhou Lu's grab. But the sheer force of a Pulse-Nurturing expert created a gust of wind that slammed into him, knocking him backward and almost off balance.
"This place is a scam! A total scam!!"Wang Baole yelled, still fuming.
Zhou Lu ignored him completely.
The instant he retreated, she spun her body, whipping up her right leg in a vicious sweep. With a boom, she kicked Wang Baole squarely, sending him flying even further.
And she didn't stop there.
Zhou Lu's attacks were like a storm. Her cultivation surpassed Wang Baole's, and she had been honing her battle experience since childhood. Now that she had seized the initiative, she closed in again in a blur, reaching for his mask once more.
By now, Wang Baole was truly furious.
It was one thing for the club to be shady.It was one thing to abuse authority—he could swallow that.It was even one thing to use someone stronger to bully someone weaker—fine.
But trying again and again to rip off his mask?
That was too much.
"Don't push me too far!!"Wang Baole roared. He no longer cared about their difference in cultivation. He had never fought a Pulse-Nurturing opponent before—but he was being bullied into a corner.
His battle will exploded.
The Devouring Seed inside him spread out in an instant, and at the same time, he activated Body-Sealing.
With one absorb and one pause, even Zhou Lu was caught off guard. Her body was partially dragged, her motion stalling for a split second.
In that tiny window of time, Wang Baole's eyes twisted with ferocity as he shot forward. His left hand snapped up, grabbed Zhou Lu's fingers—
—and jerked them upward.
"Kneel. Call me Daddy!"He growled.
Agony shot through Zhou Lu's entire body.Tears nearly flew from her eyes. She tried to break free, but Wang Baole's palm clung to her hand like a suction cup. Even with Pulse-Nurturing cultivation, she couldn't escape his grip.
But her combat experience ran deep. Enduring the intense pain, she twisted her body. Although she couldn't completely free herself, she pivoted, swinging her other fist backward toward Wang Baole's temple.
Wang Baole's eyes flashed with vicious light.He didn't dodge—just twisted his torso a bit and raised his right hand.
As Zhou Lu turned her back to him and her fist swung toward his temple, his palm slapped down on her wrist and pressed hard, against the joint.
A sharp crack sounded.
First the fingers—then the wrist.
Waves of overwhelming pain surged through Zhou Lu, almost breaking her. But her unwillingness and refusal to admit defeat burned even fiercer. She lifted her right leg backward and kicked straight toward Wang Baole's crotch.
The kick created a howling gust of air. If it landed, the result was obvious.
Wang Baole, more than anyone, understood this kind of pain. He knew the meaning of "going easy" in a spar, so he always held back—especially after being brutally trained by the Grand Sparring Partner. That nightmare opponent never showed the slightest mercy.Though it was just a dream, the pain had always been very, very real.
But now, Zhou Lu wasn't holding back at all.She was going all out!
This infuriated Wang Baole even more. His anger flared, and his internal suction force erupted again—this time streaming out from his chest.
In an instant, her swinging leg was pulled off course, dragged upward. Her balance faltered, and much of her strength dissipated.
Wang Baole gritted his teeth and took her kick in the stomach—
—and at the same time, his own right leg shot upward without hesitation, slamming toward Zhou Lu's backside.
"Face the floor!!"
Boom!
The two of them kicked each other almost simultaneously.
Wang Baole's thick layer of fat helped cushion the blow. Zhou Lu's kick had already lost most of its power, but it still forced him back several steps.
As for Zhou Lu—
She let out a scream unlike any she'd made before.
Her backside took Wang Baole's full-force kick. She stumbled forward, clutching her butt in agony. She couldn't even care about her image—she hopped in place a few times, trying to endure the pain.
From a distance, her butt looked noticeably uneven—one side larger than the other, completely asymmetrical.
Everything had happened in a flash.The onlookers didn't even have time to react before it was over.
By this time, the club's security team had finally rushed in from all directions.
Panting heavily, Wang Baole glared once at the butt-clutching Zhou Lu. He resisted the urge to run over and kick her again. Thinking of the fact that this club belonged to her family, he snorted heavily.
Then he moved to the exit area of the platform and operated the controls, lowering the ring. He descended back into the private prep room.
Clutching his aching stomach, he took off his mask and hurried down the passageway. Before the second-floor crowd had fully processed what happened, he casually strutted out of the club as if nothing had occurred.
Only when he stepped outside did he finally let out a long breath.Rubbing his sore belly, excitement gradually filled his eyes—followed by a little confusion.
"So this grappling technique really works—it can even deal with Pulse-Nurturing cultivators!But… why does it feel like women's self-defense?"
"Could that little person inside the mask… actually be a woman?"
Wang Baole hesitated.But the fact that the technique worked was undeniable, so he didn't overthink it. Still excited, he headed off.
Meanwhile, back inside the club—
On the second floor, once the crowd snapped out of their daze, an uproar erupted—louder and more shocked than anything from before.