Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted

There were no fancy embellishments; he clenched his fist, turned to the side, and struck.

The fist, wrapped in bandages, shot through the air, and before the blade in the man's hand could fall, Yuan Chen's fist had already kissed the man's facial bones.

A sickening cracking sound suddenly rang out, and the man's face began to collapse from the bridge of his nose as the bone cracked.

Under the heavy impact, his entire body flew backward along with the impact on his head, while the inertia of his lower limbs continued forward, and for a moment he was suspended in mid-air like a corpse.

Then, Yuan Chen raised his hand again, his palm forming a blade. The muscles in his arm and back suddenly bulged, and in an instant, they cleaved down like a battle axe. With a loud bang, the person was cleaved, or rather, smashed in two, in mid-air.

Blood rained down, and a nauseating stench spread freely along with the scattered, broken organs.

The once somewhat noisy battlefield fell into an inexplicable silence almost instantly.

Yuan Chen simply straightened up calmly and then shook the blood off his arm.

"Come, let us rush into destruction."

"..."

He was leisurely enjoying the battle on the video, but before long, Baroque noticed that the sounds outside were gradually fading away, and even his fighting spirit was gradually weakening.

The battle is over? Sagat is dead? No... Sagat couldn't have been all show and no substance, given how highly Vega valued him.

Or is it that what came wasn't Sagat, so it has already been defeated?

Thinking this, Baroque sighed rather listlessly, then lazily stood up and walked towards the door.

Since Sagat didn't come here, I'll have to go find him myself...

As he pondered this, Baroque yawned and pushed open the door, then...

But then, the scene that came into Baroque's view plunged him into a long silence.

Book 1: Chapter 54 - The Man Named Baroque

Blood, blood everywhere.

The ground was almost entirely stained red with blood, and corpses lay scattered haphazardly in the blood everywhere.

Most of these corpses were incomplete, either with their heads smashed or broken off at the waist by a single punch. Broken organs were scattered everywhere, gradually cooling down amidst a nauseating stench.

Looking at Yuan Chen's calm expression, Baroque's eyes narrowed slightly.

Is that the guy who defeated Sagat? Isn't he seriously injured right now?

Although the battle video wasn't very clear, through the processing of the Shadow Tech personnel, Baroque was certain that the guy who defeated Sagat in the battle video, even if he wasn't dead, was definitely seriously injured.

Putting everything else aside, even if Baroque himself were to ask himself honestly, even if he could defeat Sagat, he would inevitably have to pay a price.

Especially in a life-or-death battle like that, even if you manage to win, it will be a crushing defeat.

Even with full confidence in his abilities, Baroque believed that if he wanted to kill Sagat in a life-or-death battle, he would need to recuperate for at least two to three months afterward... or even as long as half a year before he could unleash his full power.

And now...

Looking at Yuan Chen, Baroque was certain that the person in front of him was the young man from the battle video.

And his entire body showed no sign of weakness from the battle. Far from being a recovering from serious injuries, his overall aura was clearly at its peak…

Thinking this, Baroque didn't show much emotion, only coldly laughing and saying, "How cruel... Don't you have a heart?"

"Cruel?"

Upon hearing Baroque's words, Yuan Chen raised his eyes indifferently.

Shaking off the blood that clung to him, Yuan Chen said calmly, "Isn't it a kind of gentleness?"

"Gentle?" Upon hearing this, Baroque couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What a shameless man, actually calling such brutal killing gentle?"

Yuan Chen calmly retorted, "Isn't that right? Compared to harmless killing, brutal slaughter is more likely to instill fear and completely collapse one's mental defenses. Whether one surrenders or flees, it reduces unnecessary casualties."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baroque raised an eyebrow, then said nonchalantly:

"Not bad twisted logic, but more than that, I'm curious... what's your relationship with the guy who defeated Sagat?"

As Baroque descended the stairs, he looked at Yuan Chen and said:

“You’re definitely not the guy who defeated Sagat, because such severe injuries and exhaustion would mean that even if you didn’t die, you absolutely couldn’t recover in a short time. It would be quite reasonable for you to be completely drained of energy as a result…”

As he said this, a look of understanding gradually appeared on Baroque's face, as if he had discovered the truth of the matter:

"I have to admit, I was actually fooled by you at first... So, are you that person's older brother or younger brother?"

Yuan Chen simply sighed helplessly, too lazy to explain, and calmly said, "I am the one who will defeat you."

"Outrageous and shameless."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baroque sneered and then took out an iron mask from his lower back and put it on.

With a flick of his wrist, three sharp blades emerged from the gauntlet on his right arm.

"I hope your skills are as tough as your words."

Upon hearing Baroque's words, Yuan Chen also assumed a fighting stance.

It's just that unlike the previous sideways horse stance, this time Yuan Chen's left foot landed on one foot to support the whole body's weight. The muscles were tight and formed a stable fulcrum with the knee.

The other thigh is raised high at an angle of nearly ninety degrees, with the knee touching the upper abdomen, the lower leg hanging naturally, and the toes pointed straight.

Upon seeing Yuan Chen's actions, Baroque narrowed his eyes: "Ha, so you still say you're not that guy's brother... That guy in the fight video hasn't learned Muay Thai! Full of lies, what an ugly fellow!"

Viewing Sagate as his nemesis who stole all of Vega's attention, Baroque was naturally no stranger to the Muay Thai stance.

By simply observing, Baroque was able to determine that the person before him was not merely putting on a show, but rather possessed ample experience and training, and had made subtle adjustments based on his own physique.

Just like now, even though he's supporting himself on one leg, his center of gravity remains incredibly stable... If this person in front of him is really the guy in the video, and he rashly changes his stance, his lower body skills will be completely wasted due to this shift in his center of gravity.

Yuan Chen didn't take this to heart. His eyes were fixed on Baroque, feeling the undisguised malice and murderous intent in the other man. A strange sense of pleasure and joy began to rise in his heart.

As his fighting spirit rose, information about Baroque kept popping up in Yuan Chen's mind.

Baroque, height: 186cm, weight: 72kg. One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shadow Luo, codenamed "Claw", Shadow Luo's chief assassin. Due to his weapon and the mask he wears, he is often referred to by players as Fork or Iron Mask.

He was born into a Spanish aristocratic family; his mother was a stunning beauty.

Due to the decline of his family, his mother remarried to a nouveau riche man whom he considered ugly.

As a child, his beautiful mother was murdered by his ugly stepfather, which instilled in him an extreme hatred of "ugliness" stemming from fear and trauma.

He trained at a Spanish ninja academy and later used his talent to combine superb ninjutsu with Spanish bullfighting techniques to create a fusion assassination technique characterized by speed and aerial domination that is both gorgeous and cruel. He won the title of "Masked Nobleman" in the underground fighting world of his region.

It was precisely because of this reputation that he attracted Vega's attention and was recruited.

In Baroque's eyes, Vega was a combination of "power" and "beauty".

In order to prove that "strength is beauty" and to destroy all "ugly" people, he chose to join Shadow Luo and became one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Shadow Luo.

The reason he used iron claws in battle was simply because he didn't want to touch dirty people with his hands.

The reason for wearing a mask is simply to avoid getting blood or injury on his perfect face during battle.

Feeling Yuan Chen's gaze, Baroque glanced at the time and then quickly walked towards Yuan Chen.

"I don't have time to waste here with you... Come, revel in my beauty, and let me paint your vision red!"

The moment the words fell, battle qi erupted, and his not-so-thick lower limbs exploded with astonishing power under the vibration of battle qi. His well-built body was like a gleaming cheetah, shooting towards Yuan Chen's figure with a sharp whistling wind!

Volume 1: Chapter 55 - Baroque: Hang!

With his gaze fixed on Baroque, Yuan Chen dodged to the side without hesitation the moment Baroque attacked. Even so, with a flash of cold light, three bloody marks appeared on Yuan Chen's right arm.

As he passed Yuan Chen, Baroque did not stop. Instead, he twisted and turned in mid-air just before reaching the edge of the wall, compressing his body like a spring the moment he touched the wall and crouching down on it.

Then, with a burst of power from his lower limbs, he attacked Yuan Chen's back almost without any pause—Sky Claw!

But just when Baroque thought he was about to succeed, a strange chill made him shudder.

Then, Yuan Chen turned around, and Baroque did not hesitate at all. He wrapped his arms around his knees and spun around like a top in an instant.

In the instant before it arrived, the massive dragon of Yuan Chen's spine, condensing the immense power of his back muscles, raised his left arm and descended as a fierce gust of wind.

With a heavy stomp, the ground cracked, and Baroque's figure changed from a high-speed impact to a sudden arc, passing directly over Yuan Chen's head.

In a brief moment, fists and bodies clashed, and with just a gust of wind brushing against his face, Baroque could clearly feel the friction against the iron surface, and several strands of his long golden hair on his forehead were torn off.

The next moment, a heavy punch landed.

From the air, accompanied by a loud 'bang!', Baroque could clearly see countless cracks suddenly burst open on the hall floor tiles. The heavy impact sank into the ground, and the shattered bricks mixed with semi-congealed blood were blasted into the air!

Although it didn't hit him, even Baroque's eyes narrowed upon witnessing the scene.

That force... is far too great.

If he hadn't dodged just moments before, Baroque was almost certain that his beautiful face would have been severely injured by that attack... or even killed on the spot!

As an assassin known for his agility, direct physical confrontation and resistance to blows are clearly Baroque's weaknesses.

But... such an attack, devoid of any aesthetic appeal, could never touch oneself!

With that thought, the instant he passed over Yuan Chen's head, just as Yuan Chen's attack missed and his old strength was exhausted while new strength had not yet been generated, Baroque spread his arms, and with the silk scarf wrapped around his waist fluttering, his originally rapid figure suddenly became suspended in mid-air.

His toes landed on the hanging chandelier—the swaying chandelier offered no effective support, but Baroque didn't need to stand or hang upside down on it; instead, he compressed his body like a spring once more.

The force of both feet converged at a point in the waist and abdomen, and the power exploded. The enormous force permeated the entire lamp, and accompanied by dense and subtle shattering sounds, the entire lamp turned into sparkling glass dust!

Amidst this dazzling, almost dreamlike dust, Baroque fell vertically like a bolt of lightning, his steel claws swung toward Yuan Chen's head, leaving a chilling trail of energy in the air—Barcelona's Flying Slash!

But just as he was swinging his steel claws, Baroque suddenly realized that although Yuan Chen's attack missed, his peripheral vision was still firmly fixed on him.

No, not only that, at the same time as he punched the ground, his other arm was also tucked into his waist to gather strength... Was he planning to deliver a follow-up blow while getting up?

But so what?

Baroque's eyes were full of mockery—Baroque's ability to move back and forth on the wall at an astonishing speed, flying and leaping, all stemmed from the ki and body training of Spanish ninjutsu. This flow of energy from the inside out allowed Baroque to perform displacements, hovering, and explosive bursts of power in mid-air that were unimaginable to ordinary people.

And what about this guy in front of me?

Although it was only a preliminary impression, Baroque was certain that this was a creature that specialized in appearance, just like Bison's aesthetically unappealing and stupid chimpanzee—an ugly and stinking modern being.

For a fool like this who only has muscles in his head and only knows how to throw punches roughly, what can he do even if he realizes that he is being attacked?

The old force has just been exhausted and the new force has not yet been generated. Let alone this kind of stinky modern world, even among classic martial artists, only those with profound skills can reverse their center of gravity through continuous and precise control of their qi. But that is only a reversal of the center of gravity. After the reversal is completed, launching an attack is another matter entirely!

But in the next moment, sensing something, Baroque's eyes narrowed sharply.

Despite missing his target with his punch, Yuan Chen didn't pause for a moment, nor did the expression in his eyes change in the slightest. As the third-in-command of Shadow Luo, Baroque might not be as strong as Sagat, but he was by no means an ordinary martial artist who could easily feign defeat.

The right foot, which had already crashed to the ground, suddenly sank into the original foundation, crushing the already broken paving stones into dust.

Using his heels as an axis, his fighting spirit erupted, and the violent impact of the fighting spirit forcefully lifted Yuan Chen's center of gravity upwards.

Then, forcefully straighten your waist upwards, and at the moment of exertion, two bursts of energy explode from your waist and chest.

Accompanied by the force of the impact, which seemed to tear the bones directly from the flesh, Yuan Chen forcefully and violently poured the upward force into the forcibly corrected spine, in Baroque's incredulous gaze.

His blood pressure surged, and Yuan Chen's eyes became bloodshot. His right shoulder, elbow, and wrist simultaneously erupted with fighting spirit and blood mist, violently twisting as his right arm's hook punch, like a broken steel whip, wrapped in a piercing whistle, turned into a streak of blood light as it hurtled towards the descending Baroque.

Seeing Yuan Chen unleash six bursts of fighting spirit in a short period of time—or rather, simultaneously—and feeling the iron fist, shrouded in blood-red light, charging towards his face, Baroque felt his facial muscles contract uncontrollably.

"Holy shit—"

Boom!

The moment it struck, the collision of flesh and steel produced a sharp noise, and the enormous impact sent him flying.

Blood splattered, leaving two dark red streaks in the air.

It flew straight out and only stopped when it embedded itself in the wall.

Yuan Chen did not stop there. Instead, he moved his stiff and aching body, which was accompanied by continuous bursts of energy. His life energy warmed up slightly, and then he took another step, shattering a paving stone with one foot. His body shot out like a cannonball toward Baroque's landing point.

At the last moment, facing the dust that had not yet fallen, Yuan Chen mercilessly unleashed a powerful and heavy axe elbow strike towards the point of impact.

The elbow strike was as sharp as a knife, and the dust that fell seemed to be cut by a sharp blade. When he sensed Yuan Chen's flying elbow, Baroque no longer cared about elegance and splendor, but quickly rolled to the side to dodge.

Even so, it was still a step too late. Baroque's right shoulder was slashed open with a bloody gash, and even the spot where he was supposed to land was cracked by the elbow strike!

Volume 1: Author's Note on Launching the Book

First, I apologize to the readers of this book. I'm a full-time writer, and the previous book's performance was really poor, not even passing the average, meaning it wouldn't be recommended in terms of later theoretical aspects...

Some readers may have seen something similar before; I can frankly say that I also wrote that one. However, when I wrote that one, I had just finished a guaranteed income contract. Although it sounds strange, signing a guaranteed income contract and not having to worry about grades can indeed severely damage one's motivation. Now, after the contract ended, I'm rereading the few new books I've started, and they're all utterly terrible, riddled with grammatical errors and inconsistencies.