Chapter 139: The Black Fist Demon King

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: The Black Fist Demon King

Standing between the two top-tier fighters was a middle-aged man with curly hair—the referee for this match.

"Ladies and gentlemen! After more than a dozen brutal bouts, this year’s Demon King Competition has reached its final stage! This is the semi-finals. To my right is a top-tier fighter from our very own state of Nevada, Crov! And to my left is a top-tier fighter from Taiwan, Tang Lin!" the referee announced.

As the referee finished his introductions, the surrounding crowd erupted, screaming and shouting—

"Crov!" "Crov!" "Crov!"

"Tang Lin!" "Crov!"

The audience was incredibly enthusiastic, roaring for their favorite fighters. However, judging by the crowd’s reaction, the fighter named Crov clearly had more support.

"Crov’s finally fighting! My mighty, invincible Crov!"

"Tear your opponent to shreds, you beast, Crov!"

The crowd was in an uproar, screaming themselves hoarse.

"Ye Xing, who do you think will win? Crov or Tang Lin?" Alice asked with great interest.

"How should I know? I don’t know them," Ye Xing said, rolling his eyes.

"Come on, just guess!" Alice said. "Take a guess who’ll win!"

"It’s boring! I’m not guessing!" In truth, Ye Xing had already gauged their strength with a single glance. ’Both fighters are at the Late-stage Body Refining level, but Crov is a cut above. Tang Lin only has about a thirty percent chance of winning.’

"What’s the harm in guessing? You’re no fun. Come on, just take a guess."

"Alright, alright, I’ll guess. I guess... the referee wins!" Ye Xing said, finally giving in to her pestering.

"Pfft! You’re just being difficult!" Alice wrinkled her nose and huffed.

"Mr. Ye Xing, it’s actually quite easy to guess. Crov and Tang Lin are both top-tier fighters, but there’s a definite gap between them. You just have to compare their fight records," Frank chimed in from the side. "Crov is from our state of Nevada, nicknamed ’Vajra Leg.’ The power of his sweeping kicks is terrifying. He’s already defeated one hundred ninety-six fighters with them, and over a dozen of those were top-tier. In other words, Crov is the best of the best among the top-tier fighters. As for Tang Lin, he’s from Taiwan. His record is one hundred thirty-six victories, including—"

"Mr. Frank, I don’t really care who wins or loses between Crov and Tang Lin, but you just made a small error I’d like to correct," Ye Xing said in a heavy tone. "Tang Lin is from Taiwan, China, isn’t he?"

"Right, that’s what I said, wasn’t it?" Frank said, confused. "I just said Tang Lin is from Taiwan."

"It’s Taiwan, *China*!" Ye Xing stressed, his brow furrowing slightly. "Mr. Frank, I’m not sure if you noticed, but when you introduced Crov, you said he was from ’Nevada, USA.’ Yet when you mentioned Tang Lin, you used just the single, solitary word: ’Taiwan.’ Why leave out ’China’? Shouldn’t it be ’Taiwan, China’? Nevada is a part of the United States, and Taiwan is a part of China."

"Er, well..." Frank Prit’s expression suddenly turned awkward.

"Perhaps we have different nationalities and different perspectives. But I’d like you to try and see it from my point of view. If you were in a foreign country and someone just said you were from ’Nevada,’ leaving out the ’United States,’ how would you feel? I’m in a foreign country right now, and that feeling is particularly strong. I can tell you quite clearly that when my country is omitted like that, it makes me very uncomfortable. It feels disrespectful. And I will not associate with someone who doesn’t respect me, neither personally nor in business," Ye Xing said gravely.

Frank quickly replied, "I’m sorry, Mr. Ye Xing, I didn’t mean to, I—"

"Whether it was intentional or not, it doesn’t matter. I can’t control what you say on your own time. But when you’re in front of me, I’d appreciate it if you could consider my feelings a little. Don’t put me in an awkward position, okay?"

"Okay, right, right, no problem. I’ll be more careful next time!" Frank nodded hurriedly.

Staring at the boisterous crowd and the packed stands, hearing the endless waves of shouts and cheers, Ye Xing suddenly felt a chilling desolation. It was terrifyingly quiet, as if he were the only one there. Alone in a foreign land. For some reason, he was overcome with a powerful desire to go home, an impulse to leave immediately.

"Ye Xing, what’s wrong? You seem really down," Alice asked, her eyes full of concern.

"I’m fine. Let’s just watch the match."

At that moment, the fight in the ring had reached a fever pitch. The initial probing was over, and a brutal exchange had begun.

Crov truly lived up to his ’Vajra Leg’ moniker. His sweeping kicks were incredibly swift and fierce, each one stirring the air with a sharp WHOOSH. The sheer power on display was terrifying; getting hit by one of those kicks would undoubtedly mean broken bones.

Tang Lin was constantly dodging, forced entirely on the defensive with few opportunities to counterattack.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the match has entered its most intense phase! Both fighters have expended a great deal of energy. Will Crov press his advantage and crush Tang Lin, or will Tang Lin stage an incredible comeback and turn the tables? Stay tuned to find out!" The referee’s voice, amplified by the crowd’s roars, pushed the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Fists and feet flew as they exchanged blows in a furious flurry.

After about twenty rounds, Tang Lin’s stamina was finally giving out. He was a fraction of a second too slow, and one of Crov’s sweeping kicks connected. In that instant, his entire arm was dislocated, drastically reducing his ability to fight.

Two rounds later, Crov pinned Tang Lin to the mat and brought his massive fists down hard.

THUD! BAM! BAM! BAM!

A series of heavy blows rained down. Tang Lin’s head was instantly busted open, sending blood flying. His face became a swollen, bruised mess. His brain rattled violently in his skull, and he passed out.

"Worthless East Asian Dog!" Crov sneered. He lifted his foot and kicked the unconscious Tang Lin in the abdomen. Tang Lin’s body was sent flying, smashing against the ropes before collapsing heavily onto the floor. He lay there coughing up blood, several ribs likely broken.

This was the bloody violence of black market boxing.

"ROAR! That was brutal!"

"Crov!" "Crov!" "Crov!"

"Tear him apart! Tear that weakling apart!"

"Crov!" "Crov!"

The crowd was in a frenzy. The dark, primal side of human nature was on full display.

The competition continued. In the other semi-final match, two more top-tier fighters battled it out until one emerged victorious, advancing to face Crov in the finals.

However, that fighter was still no match for Crov and was ultimately carried off the stage with heavy injuries.

"This year’s Demon King Competition is officially over! Congratulations to Crov for taking first place and becoming the new Demon King of our underground boxing world!" the referee shouted, his expression ecstatic.

"ROAR!" "Demon King!" "Demon King!"

"Demon King Crov!"

The crowd was in an uproar, screaming hysterically.

"As you all know, our black market boxers are categorized as Junior-level, Middle-level, High-level, and Top-tier fighters, and above them all, the Demon King. The Demon King represents the absolute pinnacle of strength in the underground boxing world! As this year’s new Demon King, Crov will be awarded the grand prize of thirty million US Dollars!" the referee announced with passion. "And now, let’s welcome Demon King Crov to say a few words!"

With that, the referee respectfully handed the microphone to Demon King Crov.

Crov’s eyes were fierce and brutal. He took the microphone, swept his gaze over the crowd, and said arrogantly, "Winning this Demon King Competition came as no surprise. Fighters like Tang Lin and Zacks might have some skill, but in my eyes, they’re all just trash!"