Chapter 80: A Crushing Victory

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As soon as he heard Shi Yue's voice, Lin Ye calmly walked forward and sat down across from Hei Xi.

"Are you kidding? A kid?!"

"They're putting a kid in the match? Has Mad Bear lost his mind?"

"I must be hallucinating!"

The crowd of patrons erupted in disbelief when they saw Shi Yue had actually chosen a kid whose thigh was slimmer than most people's arms. No one could understand what he was thinking.

"Mad Bear, you're sending a child?"

Even Bao Hu was stunned to see Lin Ye take the seat.

"What, is there a problem?" Shi Yue shot back.

"But…he's not even one of your team members!"

Bao Hu still couldn't believe it.

"How do you know he's not? He is part of my team; he's just on reserve because his cultivation level hasn't reached the standard yet," Shi Yue countered.

"What's the matter? Are you scared of just a kid?" Shi Yue sneered, seeing Bao Hu's look of disbelief. This was the same taunt Bao Hu often used on him, and it felt incredibly satisfying to throw it back in his face.

"You!"

Bao Hu choked on his words, gritting his teeth.

"Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you!"

Casting a long, intense glare at Shi Yue, Bao Hu growled his agreement.

"Prepare to start!"

As soon as the argument ended, the tavern staff announced the start of the match.

At the call, Hei Xi and Lin Ye both rolled up their sleeves, revealing their arms.

Hei Xi's arm was dark and thick, nearly as thick as Lin Ye's thigh. In contrast, Lin Ye's arm was fair and well-defined with muscles, but next to Hei Xi's, it seemed almost slender and delicate—lacking Hei Xi's overwhelming sense of raw power.

"What's gotten into Mad Bear today? Sending a kid to the field like this? It's like sending him to his doom!"

"Exactly! Even if the kid's martial soul is something powerful like a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, he's no match for Hei Xi!"

"I'm thinking the same. Hei Xi's arm alone is practically thicker than that kid's leg—how's he supposed to win?"

The crowd sighed in unison, expressing disbelief. Not a single person believed Lin Ye had any chance of victory. From appearances alone, the difference in physical strength was obvious.

"Boss, why are you sending Little Brother Lin Ye up?" Xia Lin angrily whispered to Shi Yue. It was the first time she had ever shown frustration toward him.

"Yeah, boss! What's going on today? Even though Little Brother Lin Ye is talented, he hasn't fully matured yet!" He Feng added with a sigh.

"Well, Lin Ye himself asked to take the field. We should have faith in him," Shi Yue replied, sighing himself. Though his heart felt heavy under his teammates' criticisms, he could only sigh and trust Lin Ye's decision.

On the other side of the table:

"Heh, little guy, is Mad Bear your enemy? To let you compete against me? Do you think he's got a screw loose, sending you to fight me? Aren't you afraid I'll twist that little arm of yours into a pretzel?" Hei Xi laughed menacingly, exposing his sharp teeth as he stretched his arm forward.

"You're awfully confident. But are you certain you'll win? Somehow, I feel that if I wanted, I could twist you into a pretzel myself," Lin Ye replied coolly, extending his hand.

"Heh, a sharp tongue, but talking alone won't do you any good." Hei Xi snorted coldly, grabbing Lin Ye's hand firmly.

Among his peers, Lin Ye was considered quite tall, and his hands were large, yet against Hei Xi's overwhelming frame, Lin Ye's hand barely peeked out past Hei Xi's grip.

"Ready, kid?" Hei Xi asked, flashing a sinister smile at Lin Ye as he prepared himself.

The tavern staff promptly shouted, "Match, start!"

At the signal, Hei Xi grunted inwardly, channeling all his strength into his right arm, trying to slam Lin Ye's hand down onto the table in an instant.

The moment the match started, everyone, from the members of the Mad Bear Hunter Team to the tavern patrons around them, held their breath, watching intently.

Just when everyone assumed Hei Xi would achieve a crushing victory, the outcome shocked them all beyond words.

"Impossible!"

At the table, Hei Xi had a death grip on Lin Ye's hand. His dark, muscular arm bulged with veins from the exertion, but despite giving everything he had, Lin Ye's seemingly "delicate" arm didn't budge. Hei Xi couldn't believe it.

"Impossible!"

Seeing that Hei Xi hadn't overpowered Lin Ye, the crowd around them erupted in disbelief.

"This is crazy! Lin Ye didn't lose!"

Over on the sidelines, Xia Lin's usually cool expression had shifted to stunned shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Su Ying's mouth hung open, while Luo An and He Feng were equally dumbfounded.

"I told you, have faith in Brother Lin Ye," Shi Yue chuckled.

"Is that all you've got? I haven't even used my strength yet," Lin Ye said with a calm smile as he noticed Hei Xi's arm trembling with effort, his face flushed red.

Lin Ye hadn't gone all out yet!

Hei Xi's martial soul, Black-Horned Rhino, was known for combining both defense and strength, and he was already at the Soul Ancestor level. However, without fully activating his martial soul, Hei Xi's raw strength, even with the aid of soul power, only amounted to about three thousand pounds—barely half of the strength Lin Ye had gained from training in Dragon Elephant Prana.

"You little…!" Hei Xi growled, teeth clenched, his face red with rage and humiliation.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Furious, Hei Xi let out a hoarse roar and summoned all his remaining strength. Veins popped and pulsed on his dark, thick arm as he gave it his all.

The crowd held its breath as Hei Xi's face contorted, summoning his last reserves, seemingly putting his entire weight into it. His chair creaked and groaned under the strain, yet Lin Ye's arm remained unmoved, solid as a mountain.

"Is that all? Now it's my turn."

Realizing that Hei Xi had no strength left, Lin Ye's calm smile deepened. His fair right arm tensed, muscles rippling with raw, refined power.

Suddenly, a surge of overwhelming strength erupted from Lin Ye's arm.

"No!"

Feeling Lin Ye's power surge, Hei Xi's face went pale.

He felt his arm being forced backward by an unstoppable strength. He was utterly powerless to resist as his arm was bent toward the table on his side.

Bam!

With a heavy thud, Hei Xi's thick, dark arm was slammed down against the table by Lin Ye's deceptively slender, fair arm in a display of absolute domination.

In the stunned silence that followed, Hei Xi could only stare in disbelief.

Around them, every patron wore a similar look of shock, and the entire tavern fell silent, no one daring to speak a word.

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