Inside the arena.
The referee, who had originally intended to take a short break, saw that both contestants had already voluntarily walked onto the stage. Not only that, but they were also exchanging harsh words, pushing the atmosphere of the entire venue to a climax.
This led to the situation where if the match didn't start immediately, it would dampen everyone's spirits, which was unacceptable.
Therefore, at the signal of the head referee, the countdown for this match began as scheduled...
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
Begin!
Unlike countless previous duels, this time neither Adam Impact nor Lin Ran attempted to gain the upper hand through an opening rush.
The former bent down, sword held horizontally, lowering his center of gravity, while the latter somersaulted backward, summoning the Eighty Gates of Wealth.
Come, let me first test your strength!
Squinting his eyes slightly, Lin Ran gestured backward with his hand, and the Eighty Gates of Wealth immediately unleashed a volley of treasures.
Swish swish swish swish swish swish swish!
Due to the extremely rapid firing rate of the treasures, in less than a few seconds, hundreds of them were already approaching Adam Impact's face.
"A mere trick!"
Adam Impact snorted disdainfully and swept his mechanical greatsword in a horizontal motion, unleashing a surge.
This slash, accompanied by an electric pulse, repelled all the flying treasures, forming a thick barrier of air in front of Adam Impact.
It must be said, the mechanical greatsword in Adam Impact's hand was quite handsome. Its entire body was angular, and blue light flashed within the gaps. Its design was also very futuristic cyberpunk, clearly not an ordinary item.
Furthermore, from his previous fights, it was evident that this greatsword was similar to a Rubik's Cube, capable of changing its form at will, making it a super-high-spec version of the Thousand Machine Umbrella.
However, if these were all it had, it clearly wouldn't be enough to stump Lin Ran.
*Tang!*
Seeing that his treasures were temporarily ineffective, Lin Ran directly pushed off the ground with his toes, unleashing powerful high-speed momentum, and charged at Adam Impact bare-handed.
"Well done!"
Adam Impact was not to be outdone. He no longer intended to use his greatsword. He sheathed it and also accelerated, charging at Lin Ran with a punch.
*Dong!*
Thus, the two met with a single punch in the very center of the stage.
The sheer force of this punch could be seen from the ear-ringing air explosion and the whistling speed of the kicked-up dust.
Within this single punch, Adam Impact's mechanical components rang out dozens of times, and many parts were even slightly deformed.
Lin Ran also retracted his hand in pain, finding it difficult to lift due to soreness and weakness.
Okay, strong enough...
He hadn't felt such a powerful impact in a long time.
As for his arm, which had been somewhat battered, there was no need to worry at all...
With Lin Ran's life force pouring into it like it was free of charge, this arm was restored to its original state in mere seconds.
Even its glossy and full appearance suggested it was more robust than before the punch.
Adam Impact was in a similar situation. After a series of rapid adjustments by his core mechanical body, he had basically returned to a very complete state.
"Again!"
Lin Ran was clearly enjoying the fight. He instantly tapped his toes on the ground and launched another surprise attack, swinging his fist at Adam Impact.
Adam Impact neither dodged nor evaded, continuing to trade punches with Lin Ran, one after another.
*Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong...*
The two simply and unpretentiously used their pure physical strength, trading blows on the stage.
The contestants and spectators on the stage were dumbfounded.
"This is... playing too violently!"
"Indeed, who would have thought that the finals of this highly anticipated match would start like this."
"It's quite funny to think about..."
"These two, who have hidden so many means and trump cards, are actually resorting to such a simple way of clashing..."
"It's almost a return to simplicity."
"That's true... But speaking of which, their physical strength is truly monstrous..."
"Of course! One is a tin can powered by an energy core, and the other possesses a mysterious and ancient golden dragon bloodline, known for the strongest physique. They are definitely beyond our comparison!"
"So, will they just keep punching each other until a winner is decided?"
"That would be a bit anticlimactic for the most anticipated match."
"Impossible, impossible... Someone will surely break first."
"It's obvious that even if they intended to do this at the start, one will eventually be at a disadvantage."
"When that person is on the verge of defeat, will they still honestly adhere to gentlemanly conduct? Dream on!"
"..."
In the contestant area on the other side.
Arthur glanced at Caesar, who was still looking dejected, and patted him on the shoulder, smiling:
"Alright, it's no use if you can't beat that guy. After all, his tough physique is simply too overpowered..."
"Try to be optimistic. Life is generally filled with regrets, and this is no big deal."
"You couldn't beat him last year anyway, so it's normal not to be able to beat him this year. It's not the first time."
"Even if you had a miraculous comeback and beat that tin can, you'd still be brutally defeated by Lin Ran in the finals, wouldn't you?"
"What's the difference?"
Caesar coughed up blood:
"You're really good at comforting people!"
Arthur laughed heartily:
"Of course! I've always been synonymous with a heartwarming angel!"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about these people. Let's discuss something serious..."
"Speaking of which, what do you think of this match?"
After listening to Arthur's nonsensical talk, Caesar's mood finally improved a little, so he glanced at Arthur and said:
"Hmm... How should I put it..."
"Intuitively, I might feel Adam Impact is stronger, but I hope Lin Ran wins."
Arthur nodded:
"Got it! That's pretty much the same as me!"
"Ahem, right, how about this... Since we've both been eliminated and have nothing else to do, why don't we do something big?"
Caesar stroked his beard and looked at Arthur suspiciously:
"Do something big?"
Arthur smiled slightly, leaned close to Caesar's ear, and whispered a few words.
After hearing the last syllable, Caesar's expression changed drastically. He stared at Arthur with a complex expression, unsure whether to sigh in relief or lament:
"I knew you deliberately lost to me because you had something big planned!"