The Heavenly King Ape moved its feet, retreating.
The Golden Mane Black Lion pounced again, its hind legs scissoring, attempting to trap it beneath its claws.
But the Heavenly King Ape dodged nimbly and, turning back, struck the Golden Mane Black Lion’s back with a palm. The Golden Mane Black Lion let out a low growl.
The crowd was stunned!
The Heavenly King Ape could fight back!
Scattered applause echoed through the arena, signifying the Heavenly King Ape’s slim chance of victory.
Fen Tian watched the arena intently. Regardless of the Golden Mane Black Lion’s performance, his expression remained impassive.
Yet, his clenched fists and slightly sweaty brow betrayed him.
His eyes were fixed on the Golden Mane Black Lion, filled with an infinite longing. Only when the Golden Mane Black Lion bit the Heavenly King Ape to death or rendered it completely incapable of fighting would he cheer.
However, the Heavenly King Ape’s bravery was fleeting, perhaps even a final burst of energy.
The Golden Mane Black Lion turned, its speed exceeding the Heavenly King Ape’s expectations, and lunged forward.
The Heavenly King Ape instinctively blocked, stumbling and nearly falling to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, the Golden Mane Black Lion’s claws became like scissors, slashing wildly. The Heavenly King Ape’s body was torn in multiple places, revealing raw flesh and blood.
With a howl, the Heavenly King Ape mustered all its strength and swiped with its palm, twisting its body. It then turned and fled rapidly, barely escaping the Golden Mane Black Lion’s entanglement. The Golden Mane Black Lion pounced again, biting down on the Heavenly King Ape’s hindquarters.
The Golden Mane Black Lion let out a piercing cry, and with a powerful swipe, it struck the Golden Mane Black Lion’s head with its backhand.
With a crisp crack, the Golden Mane Black Lion cried out in pain, shaking its head. It tore and gnawed, ripping off a chunk of flesh, blood gushing out.
The Heavenly King Ape screamed and retreated into the distance.
The Golden Mane Black Lion, meat in its mouth, did not rush to pursue. Instead, it chewed the flesh noisily, its eyes fixed on the Heavenly King Ape, a clear sign of provocation.
The Heavenly King Ape hid in a corner, dripping blood. It looked back at the Golden Mane Black Lion, its eyes filled with terror.
Song Fugui’s face showed a smug expression.
He had won without even trying.
An unexpected windfall, casually gaining ten million spirit stones.
But that was secondary. The most important thing was that he could dampen the arrogance of that shameless fellow.
This was even more exhilarating than a direct confrontation!
Fen Tian feigned nonchalance, but his heart was pounding as if it would leap out of his chest.
It must win, it must win!
Heavenly King Ape, stop being stubborn, just die quickly.
The surrounding onlookers cast mocking glances at Mo Qi: You’re essentially giving money to Young Master Song.
Mo Qi paid no attention to the strange looks, his gaze drifting, appearing profound, as if he were watching the beast arena, or perhaps something far beyond.
Unfathomable, what was he thinking?
It seemed as if victory or defeat had no bearing on him.
Murong Yanran watched, captivated: Could this be the legendary demeanor of a great general?
At this moment, the Golden Mane Black Lion lunged at the Heavenly King Ape once more.
After its successful strike, its momentum seemed to have surged. Its pounce was a seamless combination of scissoring, clawing, and biting, flowing like water.
Before it even reached its target, the Heavenly King Ape’s spirit was broken. It moved its legs, sidestepping to escape into the distance.
“Tch, boring.” A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd.
“If it just keeps dodging like this, how long will this fight last?”
“Finish it off quickly, don’t hesitate, pounce and bite.”
The Heavenly King Ape’s escape only enraged the Golden Mane Black Lion further.
Its leaps became more frenzied. After a few bounds, it managed to knock the Heavenly King Ape down.
The Heavenly King Ape dug its front paws into the ground, wriggling its hindquarters desperately to escape the Golden Mane Black Lion’s sharp claws. However, the Golden Mane Black Lion’s claws had already sunk deep into the Heavenly King Ape’s muscles, gripping it tightly.
The Heavenly King Ape dragged the Golden Mane Black Lion down as it fell. The Golden Mane Black Lion also lost its balance and tumbled to the ground. The Heavenly King Ape suddenly turned its head and bit down on the Golden Mane Black Lion’s neck.
“Hiss!” The crowd gasped, their tension mounting.
Could this beast also tear and bite?
The Golden Mane Black Lion’s hide was thick, and although the Heavenly King Ape had managed to bite it in its desperation, it was not skilled at tearing.
After struggling for a moment, the Golden Mane Black Lion broke free from its teeth.
Then, the two beasts became entangled, wrestling back and forth, rolling and tearing at each other.
Furious roars echoed continuously as the two beasts thrashed, tumbling and rolling, their fangs and claws tearing through muscle.
Blood began to flow, speckling the ground.
The spectators involuntarily stood up, their eyes glued to the two beasts, their own blood boiling.
At one point, the Heavenly King Ape suddenly broke free from its restraint and escaped the ring. The Golden Mane Black Lion chased for a couple of steps, then its body swayed, nearly falling.
It immediately sat down to prevent itself from toppling.
It seemed the bite on its neck by the Heavenly King Ape had injured it, and quite severely.
The Heavenly King Ape also sat down, its body covered in wounds. Several conspicuous pits marked where the Golden Mane Black Lion had torn off flesh, and blood was gushing from them.
The two beasts stared at each other, their eyes filled with a sense of helplessness and desolation.
Neither wanted to attack anymore.
They waited there, observing each other.
It appeared that whoever fell first would lose.
This was a silent understanding that had formed between the two beasts.
Who would win or lose was left to fate.
However, the audience was not satisfied. They wanted to see an immediate outcome, and most of them wanted the Heavenly King Ape to die at once.
Considering the extent of their injuries, the Heavenly King Ape was more severely wounded, its wounds bleeding profusely. It would soon die from excessive blood loss.
While the Golden Mane Black Lion was less injured, its wound was on its neck, a fatal blow.
Therefore, it was difficult to say who would fall first.
At this moment, Fen Tian and Song Fugui could no longer remain calm.
Fen Tian abandoned his pretense of composure and stood up abruptly, his gaze fixed on the arena, his body trembling.
Song Fugui, too, was so nervous his face turned pale, and he dared not breathe.
Ten million spirit stones, not a small sum, but not insignificant either.
If it were someone else, he might have been able to accept the loss.
But this person before him, he absolutely could not lose to. He had already lost face earlier. If he were to let him win another ten million spirit stones and swagger away, where would the dignity of his Song family be?
Therefore, he subtly signaled to a beast tamer behind a small door.
The beast tamer nodded and, without a sound, moved his hand.
The Golden Mane Black Lion suddenly went berserk, its eyes turning blood red, and lunged furiously at the Heavenly King Ape.
Its fangs and claws gleamed, like an executioner raising a cleaver, striking down at the Heavenly King Ape.
The Heavenly King Ape had rested for a while, but it was more like it was barely holding on.
Its blood was almost drained, its body even weaker, swaying precariously. Seeing the Golden Mane Black Lion pounce, it had completely given up resistance. With wide, innocent, and somewhat hopeful eyes, it awaited death.
Perhaps, after death, the pain would cease.
The Golden Mane Lion King, on the other hand, was in the opposite extreme, roaring, wildly flailing its claws, its maw gaping, displaying its bestial nature and ferocity to the fullest.
With the Heavenly King Ape unable to resist and the Golden Mane Black Lion so ferocious, the situation seemed clear, the outcome predetermined.
Many people cheered.
“It won, it won.”
“It should have won long ago, it wasn’t easy.”
Fen Tian and Song Fugui let out long sighs of relief.
They had finally vented their frustration!
Today, they could finally hold their heads high.
Fen Tian and Song Fugui walked towards the table, ready to collect their winnings.
“This is so troublesome, he put it all in one bag, and we still have to divide it properly, each taking ten million,” Song Fugui said with annoyance.
Fen Tian replied with great magnanimity, “It’s alright, I’ll divide it. It’s a simple matter, I’ll finish it in no time.”
Seeing Mo Qi’s unwavering gaze, as if he were very angry, Murong Yanran said softly, “Husband, don’t be angry, we still have two billion spirit stones.”
Mo Qi suddenly smiled enigmatically, “They won’t win.”
Before his words had even fallen, the situation in the arena changed dramatically.
The Golden Mane Black Lion lunged forward as expected. Just as everyone watched with eager anticipation, it seemed to have overexerted itself, flying directly over the Heavenly King Ape’s head.
With a thud, it crashed to the ground.
“What are you doing, get up! You useless creature!” After a brief silence, the crowd’s emotions erupted, and they began to curse loudly.
However, what was even more astonishing was that the Golden Mane Black Lion lay on the ground, motionless. Gradually, bright red blood seeped from beneath it, staining the surrounding ground.
What had happened?
Everyone was petrified!
A moment later, Murong Yanran leaped up, cheering, “We won, we won!”
A few people around also danced with joy, “We won, we won!”
Some even collapsed to the ground, crying out madly, “I’m rich, I’m rich!”
Choking back sobs, they nearly fainted.
Like Mo Qi, he had also bet ten million spirit stones!
He had won a hundred million spirit stones in one go!
And Mo Qi, besides winning a hundred million spirit stones from the house, would also win ten million spirit stones each from Fen Tian and Song Fugui.
Fen Tian was dumbfounded.
Song Fugui was still not giving up. He signaled, calling the beast tamer to enter the arena and check the Golden Mane Black Lion’s condition.
After the beast tamer’s inspection, he shook his head at Song Fugui.
It was like a thunderbolt, hitting Song Fugui so hard he reeled, almost fainting, but he managed to steady himself.
Song Fugui dejectedly waved his hand at the beast tamer, signaling him to announce the result.
It now seemed that the bet with Mo Qi was lost, and he had no choice but to accept his fate.
The beast tamer calmly announced, “The Heavenly King Ape wins!”
Sporadic cheers erupted in the arena.
The Heavenly King Ape was on the verge of death, its eyes half-closed, but it still sat stubbornly.
While everyone was cheering, Mo Qi flicked a healing pill, which landed in its mouth.
Slowly, its wounds began to heal…
Song Fugui’s only hope was that only a few people had bet on the Heavenly King Ape, and even with a ten-to-one payout, his establishment would still make money.
However, whether it was a profit or a loss, the house already knew the beasts’ conditions before the fight began.
Previously, Song Fugui would always check the betting records first and, if necessary, signal the beast tamer.
But just now, he had not checked the records at all. He had wanted to act on impulse, to win the bet with Mo Qi and vent his anger first, putting everything else aside.
The outcome of a single beast fight had little impact on the Song family.
He hurried over and checked the house’s records.
At that moment, he felt a chill run through his entire body, as if snow were falling around him!
This round resulted in a net loss of two hundred million spirit stones!
This was equivalent to all the revenue the beast arena had generated since its opening being wiped out in an instant!
Song Fugui stood stunned for a long, long time before suddenly remembering something.
The death of the Golden Mane Black Lion was too strange.
It had been fine a moment ago, so why did it die so suddenly? Everyone had seen clearly that the Heavenly King Ape had not touched it at that moment. How could it have died on its own?
The wound on its neck could not have taken effect so quickly.