However, for Li Chonglou, there was no longer any suspense.
Among experts, such a flaw was no different from seeking death. Li Chonglou understood that Ma San was gambling, betting that he too could not finish the fight in one move due to the curse.
For Ma San, as long as he could survive this move, he could then change direction and continue to pressure Li Chonglou, at which point his thirteen styles would have completed their offensive.
It was just that this gamble was destined for him to lose.
Li Chonglou raised his right hand slightly, and as Ma San's side kick was completed, he precisely landed a strike on Ma San's dantian.
"The twelfth breath of qi, it started from here, didn't it."
The tone was still as calm as ever, but this time, it no longer brought confusion to Ma San's ears, but utter shock!
"Wait!"
Before Ma San could finish speaking, he suddenly felt his breathing rhythm interrupted. All the qi he could still mobilize within his body became chaotic at this moment. Li Chonglou didn't need to make another move; his face instantly turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Li Chonglou had already flashed to the side, so Ma San's mouthful of blood sprayed directly onto the face of a man closest to the arena.
"What the heck?"
The man who was unfortunately hit was filled with confusion, and for a moment, he even suspected if he was hallucinating, that Ma San, not that kid, was the one spitting blood at him?
On the arena, after spitting out that mouthful of blood, Ma San knelt on the ground as if he had been drained of all strength. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that he had lost his combat ability.
Such a sudden turn of events plunged the entire venue into silence.
Li Chonglou remained as composed as ever, standing quietly to the side, unhurried.
Long Shi, who was on the high platform, vaguely guessed Li Chonglou's intention.
"So he was hiding his strength? But in this kind of setting, what's the point of hiding or not hiding? Is it worth it?"
Long Shi couldn't figure it out. If he wasn't on a mission, he feared he would have already been unable to resist pulling Li Chonglou aside to question him!
After a long while, the crowd below the platform finally reacted.
"Damn! This kid won? How did he break Lan Qiao Ma?"
"It was too fast, I didn't see clearly either. What exactly happened just now?"
"Can someone tell me what's going on!"
Amidst the murmurs of confusion, Tong Wu, as the host, suddenly came to his senses.
"It seems my judgment is still good. May I know this brother's title?"
Tong Wu, shedding his previous cold demeanor, walked onto the arena with a spring in his step, praising himself while asking Li Chonglou.
"Li Chonglou."
Out of politeness, Li Chonglou replied. Then, before Tong Wu could speak, he continued.
"Do I still get to pick my opponent next?"
"No, no, no, Brother Li, letting you pick your opponent was just a reward for being the first to fight. From now on, I will help you choose your opponents."
At this moment, Tong Wu no longer harbored any dissatisfaction towards Li Chonglou. His attitude had undergone a 180-degree transformation compared to before! Although the difference might not sound significant to outsiders, Li Chonglou, as the person involved, could clearly sense it.
As for Ma San on the side, Tong Wu didn't even glance at him. The latter, after a brief recovery, bowed to Li Chonglou with a complicated expression, then quietly walked off the arena.
In fact, it wasn't just Tong Wu. Upon confirming that Ma San had indeed lost, the crowd below the arena immediately lost interest in him.
"Is what he practiced not the authentic Lan Qiao Ma?"
"Probably not, otherwise he wouldn't have lost so inexplicably."
"I've seen people use Lan Qiao Ma before. Their offensive momentum was nowhere comparable to his just now, and their defense was strong too, impenetrable. How could they lose so ridiculously?"
The few people who were still discussing Ma San had also changed their tune. In their eyes, Ma San had transformed from a formidable figure into a fake imposter.
However, Ma San showed no reaction to these harsh remarks. He had heard similar words too many times since losing his strength, to the point of being numb. Yet, when he returned to Hu Han's side, he couldn't help but show a hint of apology.
"I lost."
Hu Han quickly said, "It's okay, the opponent just got lucky."
At this moment, Hu Tian, a direct descendant of the Hu family, said coldly, "As expected, trash matches trash! Fortunately, I came along, otherwise, you would have disgraced the Hu family today!"
Ma San's expression immediately turned cold, and Hu Tian's bodyguard suddenly stepped forward.
"Trash should know their place, don't overestimate yourself," Hu Tian's bodyguard said with a cold sneer.
Hu Han quickly stepped between the two: "Brother An, it's a misunderstanding. Brother Tian, this is indeed my fault. When we get back, I will confess to the family head."
Hu Han took all the blame upon himself. Seeing this, Hu Tian said no more, snorted, and turned to the side, as if even standing with him was embarrassing.
Ma San couldn't help but say, "Little Hu, this was my fault this time."
Hu Han shook his head: "It's alright, Brother Ma San. I'm considered to be returning home, he wouldn't dare do anything serious to me."
Ma San sighed: "It's a pity that after all these years, I haven't found a solution. Otherwise, I could have made you famous and successful today."
Hu Han instead comforted Ma San: "It's okay, Brother Ma San. We were just going through the motions anyway. With one match lost, and others losing later, it won't feel like much."
Ma San then managed a smile, saying self-deprecatingly, "I never thought that at my age, I still can't think as clearly as you young people."
After speaking, Ma San's gaze fell upon Li Chonglou.
Although the real contact was only for a brief moment just now, a true expert can be recognized by their moves. As Ma San recalled Li Chonglou's defense and decisiveness, he realized with a shock that he was far inferior!
"Does he also carry the curse?"
Doubt began to appear on Ma San's face. The curse not only caused a loss of strength but also reduced the body's instincts and physical fitness to their lowest ebb. He had spent many years to barely return to this level, and Li Chonglou appeared much younger than him!
Therefore, he couldn't believe that Li Chonglou's current strength was what remained under the influence of the curse.
If that were the case, how monstrously powerful must his original strength have been?
Meanwhile, Tong Wu on the arena made a decision for the next match.
"Now, the competition continues. The next challenger for the defender..."
Tong Wu's gaze swept around the area, finally settling on the bodyguard of the Jiang family.