Chapter 687 - 681: Beast King

"Weren’t they saying the challenger was some old guy? How’d a little brat end up out here?"

"Is that really a contestant? He looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over. The Beast King could probably take him out with a single breath!"

"Is this Underground Boxing Market a joke? Get him off the stage! I want to see the Beast King’s match! I want to see the Beast King kill someone! Stop wasting my time!"

"Get off! Get off! Get off!"

After a moment of silence, the entire arena erupted in a chorus of dissatisfied shouts. They hurled bottles, food, and whatever else they had on hand at Shen Haoran. Fortunately, the Martial Arts Arena was protected by a shield, so none of the projectiles made it through.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the Martial Artist from the Underground Boxing Market who had been on stage earlier rushed to get information. He reappeared on the Martial Arts Arena shortly after and announced in a loud voice, "Everyone, please calm down! I’ve just received word that this young brother is also one of the Beast King’s challengers. Therefore, the match will now continue! Supporters of the Beast King, get your cheers ready once more!"

"What? That kid is also challenging the Beast King?"

"Hmph, he really doesn’t know his own limits, daring to challenge the Beast King. Looking that scrawny, I could probably kill him with a single slap!"

"Just another young master from some big clan here to show off his superiority. Remember that guy just like him yesterday? Wasn’t he snapped in half at the waist by the Beast King? I wonder how this one’s going to die today."

"Fuck, who cares what his status is! In the Beast King’s eyes, he’s just a lamb to the slaughter. Stop wasting time and get on with it! I can already feel the blood boiling in my veins! Beast King, tear him to shreds!"

Hearing that Shen Haoran was also a contestant, the surrounding Martial Artists erupted into another round of jeers, the waves of sound growing louder and louder. On the Martial Arts Arena, a faint, inscrutable smile touched Shen Haoran’s lips as he heard the taunts. He then nodded toward a specific spot in the stands.

"Come on, come on, place your bets! Bet on who’s going to win this match! Will the Beast King tear that little weakling to pieces, or will the little weakling turn the tables and crush the Beast King? If the Beast King loses, it’s a one-to-two payout! If the little weakling loses, it’s one-to-ten!"

Suddenly, a shout cut through the cheers from the audience, quickly drawing everyone’s attention. All eyes turned in unison toward Long Aotian.

That’s right, the one who had just shouted was Long Aotian. Being stared down by so many burly men made even his scalp tingle. Before going on stage, Shen Haoran had told Long Aotian to open a betting pool as soon as he was up there. It was a common occurrence in the Underground Boxing Market, anyway. This was Shen Haoran’s primary way of earning Elemental Stones. ’Didn’t they all look down on him? Fine, then he’d just have to use their money to teach them a lesson.’

After staring at Long Aotian for a second, the crowd exploded with excitement again, and they all started walking toward him.

"I’m betting on the Beast King to win! Five thousand Elemental Stones!"

"How could the Beast King possibly lose? I’ll bet ten thousand!"

"I’m the Beast King’s little brother! How could my big bro lose? I’ll bet a hundred thousand!"

Moments later, Long Aotian was holding hundreds of thousands of Elemental Stones. Every single one of them had bet on the Beast King to win. On Shen Haoran’s side, aside from their own group of three, no one else had placed a bet.

"Well now, not bad. Looks like you have some supporters after all!" On the Martial Arts Arena, the Beast King, having also seen the betting, turned and jeered at Shen Haoran.

"Mm, in a little while, I might have even more," Shen Haoran nodded lightly, completely ignoring the Beast King’s taunt.

"That’s right. The Spirit Beasts below the Martial Arts Arena will love you. I doubt they’ve ever tasted meat as tender as yours!" the Beast King said cruelly, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.

"A pity they won’t get the chance to try. As for your flesh, though... perhaps they could make do with that. I wonder, after you’ve sent them so much food, will they be too grateful to take a bite out of you?" Shen Haoran remained completely unfazed.

"Sharp-tongued, aren’t you? Let’s hope you still have the strength to talk in a bit!" Seeing Shen Haoran’s shameless arrogance, the Beast King snorted coldly. He then lowered his stance, every muscle in his body bulging as he entered a combat-ready state.

The Beast King’s aura flared. Shen Haoran took a moment to feel it out. ’A Tier Eight Spirit Aspect. Not bad combat power,’ he thought, ’but compared to me, it’s still not enough.’

Shen Haoran made no preparations at all. He simply beckoned to the Beast King, his meaning clear: You first!

"That kid dares to provoke the Beast King? Does he have a death wish?"

"I remember the last poor soul who provoked the Beast King. He was held up and fed, piece by piece, to the Spirit Beasts below. This kid’s probably going to follow in his footsteps!"

"Fuck, this is exciting! Beast King, crush him!"

Seeing Shen Haoran’s provocative gesture, the crowd in the stands went wild again, roaring madly. On the Martial Arts Arena, the Beast King’s expression darkened, his eyes gradually turning crimson.

"ROAR!"

The next moment, the Beast King let out a furious roar and stomped his feet, charging at Shen Haoran. The terrifying explosive force shattered the stone tiles of the Martial Arts Arena. He looked like a frenzied primordial beast, and the very ground seemed to tremble under his charge. A violent aura rushed forward, making the robes on Shen Haoran’s body flap wildly.

Facing this human-shaped behemoth, Shen Haoran’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. His body remained relaxed, showing no intention of dodging. He just stood there, quietly watching the Beast King charge right up to him.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s unchanging expression, the Beast King grew even more enraged. In the past, whenever he used his Barbaric Beast Charge, his opponents would show expressions of terror. He savored those looks. But on Shen Haoran’s face, he could only see a playful smile and an expression of utter disdain.

The Beast King roared again, raising his massive fist and smashing it down toward Shen Haoran’s head. ’I’m going to turn this brat who’d underestimated me into meat paste and feed him to the Spirit Beasts below!’

The massive fist, carrying a whistling gale, arrived in front of Shen Haoran in an instant. Just as the Beast King’s fist was about to connect, Shen Haoran moved. He, too, extended a fist, meeting the Beast King’s attack with a deceptively light-looking motion. The next moment, the two fists—one large, one small—collided thunderously in mid-air.

"BOOM..."

A dull thud echoed as a powerful shockwave radiated out from the two of them, slamming into the surrounding protective shield.

The instant their fists made contact, the Beast King’s expression changed dramatically. He felt as if his punch hadn’t landed on Shen Haoran, but had slammed into a mountain peak. Not only that, but an even stronger force effortlessly crushed his own power, and his entire arm went numb in an instant.

The immense force sent the Beast King stumbling backward. His massive frame retreated several dozen steps before he managed to steady himself. His right arm hung limply at his side as he stared at Shen Haoran in terror.

’So strong...’