“Big guy.”

Qiao Jiajin’s shout interrupted Zhang Shan’s train of thought. “You hate your own body, so you’re still holding back even now?”

“Hm…?”

“Because you accidentally beat someone to death, every punch you’ve thrown since then has been filled with pressure,” Qiao Jiajin said. “That kind of thinking won’t do. I don’t want you to lie on the ground and tell me ‘actually I wasn’t going all out just now’ as if making excuses for yourself. That way, I won’t feel satisfied winning, and you won’t feel reconciled losing.”

Zhang Shan slowly stood up: “You’re really a strange person. What if you can’t withstand it when I strike with all my might?”

“I can withstand it,” Qiao Jiajin said.

“I was able to break your ‘triangle choke’ with brute force—you can withstand that?”

“I can withstand it,” Qiao Jiajin repeated.

“Fine.”

Zhang Shan moved his sore limbs in the open space, then looked down at the spot on his forearm that Qiao Jiajin had scraped earlier. Because he’d been sweating constantly, the blood had never been able to coagulate. Now his entire hand was covered in red liquid, sticky and viscous.

Qiao Jiajin also stood up supporting himself on his knees. His first reaction was to turn around with his back facing Zhang Shan and ask: “Big guy, help me check—did the characters on my back get rubbed off?”

Zhang Shan looked carefully. Qiao Jiajin’s back had extensive abrasions. Though the tattooed characters were still there, many places had already started bleeding.

Lines of blood flowed like sharp blades across the characters “Heaven and earth are inherently vast, yet the narrow-minded confine themselves.”

“The characters are still there,” Zhang Shan replied.

“That’s great then,” Qiao Jiajin smiled. “As long as these characters remain, I can go see the vast heaven and earth.”

“Maybe that’s not my blood flowing,” Qiao Jiajin said with his back turned. “But rather heaven and earth shedding tears.”

Zhang Shan looked at Qiao Jiajin’s back. Indeed, as he said, every character on his back bore flowing blood-tear flowers. Combined with the flowing, dancing tattoo, it was as if heaven and earth had rained blood.

After hearing this, Zhang Shan sighed: “Yes… no matter how vast heaven and earth are, we’re trapped in this blood-red world.”

“We won’t be trapped forever,” Qiao Jiajin turned back around, staring seriously at Zhang Shan. “The characters are still there. Someone will wipe away the blood tears and take us to see that vast heaven and earth.”

“But between the two of us… perhaps only one person can see that vast heaven and earth,” Zhang Shan said.

“We’ll all see it,” Qiao Jiajin said with complete conviction. “Every one of us will see the vast heaven and earth again, because someone promised me. At that time, heaven and earth won’t be blood-red like now.”

After listening, Zhang Shan fell silent, seemingly showing great hesitation about whether or not to “leave this place.”

“Punk… have you been in prison?” Zhang Shan asked again. “How can someone who’s been in prison dare to glimpse the vast heaven and earth?”

“I have been. That doesn’t interfere,” Qiao Jiajin answered. “What, you’ve been in prison too?”

Zhang Shan didn’t speak, as if acknowledging this answer by default.

“That’s really strange then,” Qiao Jiajin laughed. “You’ve been in prison, I’ve been in prison—how come I never saw you there? Otherwise, seeing you so pessimistic, I definitely would have patted you on the shoulder.”

“Ha…” Zhang Shan frowned and shook his head. “I wish I had even half your optimism.”

Both men stretched their limbs, preparing to begin the next round of their death match.

In just a few minutes of fighting, both had lost most of their stamina and sustained injuries, yet no one could hand them a sip of water, and no medical personnel would come to care for their wounds. What they could rely on had always been only themselves.

Next, they had to determine victory before their stamina was completely exhausted.

“Punk, in that case, I’m going full throttle,” Zhang Shan said. “If you can’t withstand it, you can surrender.”

“What a coincidence,” Qiao Jiajin replied. “I’ve also been holding back my trump card. You can surrender too.”

Zhang Shan removed his upper garment, revealing a stone-like upper body.

Generally speaking, for someone of Zhang Shan’s height, the daily energy expenditure was enormous. He would need to consume large amounts of food daily, and body fat percentage would also rise accordingly. It was very difficult to maintain clearly defined muscle contours while having a large build.

Yet Zhang Shan’s body looked as if it had been carved with a knife—every inch of muscle had distinct definition.

To achieve this level required either massive daily training, or…

Qiao Jiajin guessed Zhang Shan probably belonged to the latter, because he’d said he “hated this body,” so he was unlikely to strengthen his physique daily.

So this formidable body was innate.

Zhang Shan didn’t even need to make any effort. Without needing diligent training or maintaining his figure, the muscles on his body would grow in the most perfect form.

But for him, was such a body a blessing or a punishment?

“What the hell…” Qiao Jiajin murmured with some envy. “You can reach this level just by eating every day?”

Zhang Shan calmly moved his body, as if awakening the sleeping muscles on his frame.

Meanwhile, Qiao Jiajin raised both hands in front of his face, slowly lifting one knee as well, assuming a Muay Thai stance.

Meeting strength with strength.

Perhaps determining victory would only take a very short time. Saying goodbye to this world also seemed to require only a very short time.

Qinglong rested his chin in his hand in mid-air, watching the fight below. It seemed that in just a few minutes, they had already entered the decisive battle.

Magnificent, but not cruel enough.

“Earth-Dragon,” Qinglong called again. “What do you think—if these two truly became ‘Heaven’… no, even if they became ‘Earth,’ would anyone be able to deal with them?”

“Are you afraid you can’t beat them?” Earth-Dragon asked with a smile.

“Hard to say,” Qinglong also smiled. “These two rely too much on mortal combat methods, focusing on center of gravity and technique… an ordinary ‘gust of wind’ could take their lives.”

“Then why not say you rely too much on ‘immortal arts’?” Earth-Dragon said. “Their physiques are things that belong to them, but are your ‘immortal arts’?”

After hearing this, Qinglong fell silent, his expression naturally not looking good.

“‘Immortal arts’ are things that only exist in this space…” Earth-Dragon said. “As long as you leave here, you can’t do anything… not only will the ‘immortal arts’ disappear, even ‘divine power’ will cease to exist… this is the real reason you’ve always wanted to govern this land well, isn’t it?”

“Though what you say is correct…” Qinglong narrowed his eyes. “I always feel that ‘Heavenly-Dragon’ doesn’t care…”

“Hm?”

Qinglong paused, pondering before speaking again: “He seems not to care that he’ll lose these things… could it be he’s found a method to ‘preserve’ them?”