Chapter 325: Are You Good at Fighting?

Damn it!

What kind of sick defense is this!

The woman was finally forced to the edge of the arena, and at that exact moment, Yang Dongqing struck. A powerful hand ignored her impenetrable net of sword strikes, seized her slender neck, and hoisted her into the air one-handed.

She thrashed violently, but could not shake Yang Dongqing in the slightest.

"Concede," Yang Dongqing said coldly.

To his surprise, the woman gave a sinister smile. "You're the one who should concede. Look at your chest."

A bloom of blood had already appeared on Yang Dongqing's chest.

"Your defense is high, but I just hit the same spot with at least a hundred sword strikes and broke through it. As long as there's a wound, my poison will invade your body.

"There is no antidote for this poison. If you concede now, I can force the toxins out of you."

Yang Dongqing remained expressionless. He glanced casually at the wound on his chest; in the blink of an eye, the cut had already healed. At the same time, his skin took on a deep purple hue. The poison was clearly spreading.

However, after spreading for a brief moment, the toxins miraculously began to recede, eventually vanishing completely.

Panic overtook the woman. "That's impossible! My poison..."

Her words were abruptly cut short by the sound of her windpipe being crushed. Her face turned livid, her eyes bulging from their sockets.

"Stop!" the proctor bellowed. Only then did Yang Dongqing loosen his grip. The woman, who had already passed out, crumpled to the floor like a puddle of mud.

"I said there was to be no senseless killing in this tournament! Yang Mo, do you want to be eliminated?!"

Yang Dongqing tilted his head slightly and said icily, "Eliminating me is your loss, not mine."

"You!" The proctor flared with anger and was about to lash out, but then remembered a Count was sitting nearby. Forcing his fury down, he asked for instructions: "Lord Count, what do you think..."

Su Mu gave Yang Dongqing a mild nod. "Mr. Yang has quite the personality. He is very much like a friend of mine."

Yang Dongqing's heart skipped a beat. Had he been recognized?

Su Mu smiled. "Equally obnoxious. So, go ahead and eliminate him."

What?!

Yang Dongqing never expected to be eliminated right after starting the test.

It was truly a mix of relief and anxiety. He was relieved that Su Mu had not recognized him, but anxious about being disqualified.

If he got kicked out, how was he supposed to complete his Master's mission?

He was no longer as naive as he used to be. He would not foolishly assume that just because Specter was his Master, the man was obligated to help resurrect Jasmine. In this cold world, proving your worth was the only way to gain recognition.

If he failed his very first mission, his value would plummet.

"Guards! Didn't you hear the Lord Count? Throw him out!" the proctor shouted. The nearby enforcers immediately stepped forward, ready to drag Yang Dongqing away.

Anxious and furious, Yang Dongqing snapped, "On what grounds are you eliminating me? I am the strongest! I'm the most qualified person to join the exploration project!"

The smile on Su Mu's face remained unwavering. He said unhurriedly, "Mr. Yang, are you good at fighting? But what use is fighting? Here, it's all about status and background.

"As for the grounds to eliminate you, it's because I am a noble."

"Su Mu, you—!" Yang Dongqing nearly exploded with rage. He hadn't expected Su Mu to turn out like this. Wait... Su Mu had always been like this. Damn it!

Two enforcers clamped down on his arms. Though he could easily break free, he didn't dare. The moment he fought the enforcers, his mission would end in total failure.

Yang Dongqing had never dreamed a situation like this would occur. He had thought that after training desperately to become stronger, he could overcome any obstacle. Yet, the moment he stepped into society, Su Mu had taught him a harsh lesson.

Looking at the aloof, smiling Su Mu, Yang Dongqing suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if this was exactly what had happened back at the Vipers Gang Headquarters.

He had been captured alive by Su Mu back then, and the man had looked down at him from on high with that exact same smile.

"Wait, I need to talk to you!" Yang Dongqing yelled frantically.

Su Mu raised a hand, and the two enforcers stopped instantly.

"What do you want to say?"

Yang Dongqing hesitated repeatedly, debating whether to reveal his true identity. He believed that if Su Mu knew who he was, he could rely on their past connection to get through this hurdle.

"It's not convenient to talk here."

Su Mu smiled slightly. "Then come over here."

He and Yang Dongqing moved away from the crowd, heading behind the high platform in the training grounds.

He let out a heavy breath.

Looking at the familiar Su Mu before him, Yang Dongqing took a deep breath and said slowly, "Actually, I..."

"Hand it over." A hand was thrust in front of him.

Yang Dongqing froze. "Hand what over?"

"Money. Weren't you about to bribe this Count?" Su Mu said seriously.

Yang Dongqing was speechless.

Damn it, how long had it been since he became a noble? Had he been corrupted this quickly?

In the end, Yang Dongqing paid the price of a piece of Mithril in exchange for Su Mu letting him off.

After this minor episode, Yang Dongqing was noticeably more well-behaved. He no longer walked around looking like everyone owed him three million.

Su Mu weighed the Mithril in his hand, the corners of his mouth curling up. He found this highly amusing. He wasn't being malicious; he was just helping Yang Dongqing grow.

No matter what heaven-defying skills you learned in school, you still had to learn this lesson out in society.

However, Yang Dongqing's performance this time had genuinely surprised him. Yang Dongqing had already advanced to Silver 1, Follower of Strength, but his defense far exceeded that of a standard Follower of Strength.

During their brief contact just now, Su Mu had completely figured out Yang Dongqing's bottom line.

The other party had also undergone the mithril activation experiment, fusing Mithril into his body. Su Mu even sensed that Yang Dongqing hadn't just integrated Mithril—there was something else.

Mithril couldn't cure poison. Yang Dongqing really had been poisoned just now, but the toxins were purged almost immediately. This sensation reminded Su Mu of the Gold Artifact he had seen before, the Seven Halls Yama!

He could also sense the lingering aura of the Seven Halls Yama on Yang Dongqing.

It was an Artifact Specter had given to Yang Dongqing. Its defining trait was absolute adaptation. If an attack of a certain type didn't kill him outright, the Seven Halls Yama would adapt to it and evolve a powerful defense against that specific type of attack.

What doesn't kill him only makes him stronger—that phrase perfectly suited the Seven Halls Yama.

He remembered Specter once saying that the Seven Halls Yama carried a curse. Every time it was used, it would corrode the user's soul. If worn for too long, it would eventually reduce the user to a complete puppet. Back in Prison 749, Yang Dongqing had nearly died precisely because he had worn the Seven Halls Yama for an extended period while severely injured.

It seemed that to save Yang Dongqing, Specter had taken an unconventional approach, fusing the Seven Halls Yama into his body during the mithril activation experiment.

No wonder Yang Dongqing walked around looking down on everyone. He actually had something to rely on.