Chapter 138: Demon King Competition

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Demon King Competition

The underground space beneath Bronkson Park was immense, and it was here that the black market fights were held.

In the center was a massive ring enclosed by railings on all four sides. Surrounding the ring, rows upon rows of spectator seats rose up from low to high.

The seating was divided into VIP and regular sections. The two tickets Frank had bought were both for VIP seats, which were situated closer to the front, offering a much clearer view of the fights in the ring.

At that moment, two hulking brutes were trading blows in the ring. Built like oxen, they fought with ferocious savagery, throwing sweeping kicks and knee strikes.

"Mr. Ye Xing, see how skilled they are? Both of them are top-tier fighters, the kind who could take on ten men at once," Frank said, introducing the scene to Ye Xing with a hint of pride. "Usually, the black market fights feature Middle Level and high-level fighters. Top-tier ones rarely show up. But tonight is the Demon King Competition, so it’s all top-tier fighters."

"Wow, that’s incredible. I’ve seen boxing matches on TV, but I’ve never seen anything this ferocious. It’s a real eye-opener!" Ye Xing said with a look of feigned astonishment. Of course, he was just playing along to be polite.

"Haha, black market fighting is huge here in America, and it’s completely different from regular boxing. Those matches on TV have too much red tape, too many rules. It’s boring. Black market fighting, however, gets back to humanity’s most primitive, savage form of combat. Every move aims for a vital point with a single goal: to kill or knock out the opponent," Frank explained, his voice tinged with pride. "The night’s only half-started. These two are top-tier, but among the top tier, they’re just pretty good. The truly strongest is probably Crov. He’s the favorite to become the Demon King this year, nicknamed ’Vajra Leg.’ His sweeping kicks are terrifying. So far, one hundred ninety-six fighters have fallen to them, and nearly a hundred of those were crippled with serious injuries."

Listening to Frank’s explanation while watching the bouts in the ring, Ye Xing saw fight after fight. Though the top-tier fighters’ attacks were vicious, in his eyes, every single move was crude and clumsy. As he watched, he couldn’t help but start to feel drowsy, yawning again and again.

Meanwhile, the other spectators in the surrounding seats were on the edge of their seats, their shouts and screams rising and falling in waves.

Suddenly—

DING-A-LING! A cheesy pop song suddenly blared from his pocket as his phone vibrated and rang.

Ye Xing immediately pulled the phone from his pocket, swiped to unlock the screen, and glanced down.

’Ugh, it’s that girl Alice calling,’ Ye Xing thought. ’Right, I came to watch the fights but I don’t think I told her. Is she going to be mad?’ He immediately swiped the screen and answered the call.

"Hey! Ye Xing, are you done with your business meeting? You have to get over here and watch the competition! It’s amazing! Several matches are already over, and we’re getting close to the finals. Crov is about to come out! If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the real Peak showdown!" Alice’s voice was filled with excitement; she was clearly having a blast.

"Uh, I’ve actually been here for a little while. I’m watching from the stands right now," Ye Xing said.

"That’s great, you’re finally here! Where are your seats? I’ll come find you!" Alice asked eagerly.

"I came with that business friend I mentioned. We’re in row six, seat seventeen," Ye Xing said.

"Okay, got it. Forget it, I’m coming over to watch with you!"

"Uh, but there are no empty seats over here—" Ye Xing started to say, but realized Alice had already hung up.

A few moments later, Ye Xing saw a blonde, blue-eyed woman rushing over like a whirlwind. Her sizzling figure drew countless gazes along the way, punctuated by the sound of people swallowing audibly.

"Alice, what are you doing running over here? There’s no seat for you!" Ye Xing said with a wry smile.

"I don’t care, I want to watch with you!" Alice’s eyes darted around before she turned to a woman sitting next to Ye Xing. "Excuse me, ma’am, would you mind swapping seats with me?"

"Swap seats?" The middle-aged woman frowned, displeased. "This is a sixth-row VIP seat. If you’re offering a regular seat in the back, it’s too far—"

"Don’t worry, I have a VIP seat too. It’s in the first row!"

"The first row!!!" The woman’s eyes lit up, and she stared at Alice in utter amazement. "Yes, I’ll switch! I’ll switch with you!" she said hurriedly. She quickly pulled out her ticket, swapped it with Alice’s, and then scurried toward the front row, overjoyed.

"Huh, I guess that works," Ye Xing said, stunned.

"Of course it works. The first row is the throne; the view is the best. Didn’t you see how thrilled that lady was?" Alice shot Ye Xing an exasperated glance. "I gave up the best seat in the house for you. So, tell me, how are you going to make it up to me?"

"I can’t compensate you with money. I’ll just have to owe you one. I just invested a bunch of capital into my business, so this bro is totally broke right now," Ye Xing said pitifully.

"Hmph, who wants your stinking money!" Alice retorted with a pout.

Just then, a thoughtful and slightly surprised look passed through Frank’s eyes as he watched from the side. "Mr. Ye Xing, aren’t you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"What? Uh, Mr. Frank, I think you’ve misunderstood. Alice is indeed my friend, but we’re not in a romantic relationship," Ye Xing explained.

"Let me introduce you two. This beautiful woman to my right is Alice North, a good friend I just met on the plane," Ye Xing said to Frank, then turned to Alice. "Alice, this is Mr. Frank Prit, a new friend and business partner of mine."

As the three of them were talking, the entire venue suddenly erupted in a deafening roar. The surrounding crowd went wild.

"It’s almost the finals! Crov must be coming out!" Alice’s eyes lit up.

Ye Xing and Frank also turned their gazes toward the central ring.

There were three men standing in the ring. The one on the left was a Caucasian brute, nearly two meters tall and incredibly burly. His body was a mass of solid muscle, and his eyes held a vicious glint—less like a man’s and more like that of a bloodthirsty beast.

The fighter facing him on the right was an Asian man with dark hair and eyes. His skin, likely from constant training, was a dark bronze, as if forged from steel.