"Hey, don't you think something's a little strange?" Uncle Waste Wood remained incredibly composed even during the fight, absentmindedly muttering, and with a palm strike, he forced Corpse Blade King back.

"Haa...haa..." Corpse Blade King's breathing was already ragged. In this brief pause, he didn't even have time to catch his breath, let alone answer the other's question.

The two had been fighting for tens of minutes. Corpse Blade King had basically exhausted all his trump cards and his Stamina Points were bottoming out, but Uncle Waste Wood still seemed unfazed. It was a truly terrifying situation.

"It seems that after that explosion just now..." Uncle Waste Wood continued, speaking to himself when his opponent didn't respond, "The commentary disappeared."

"Why..." At this moment, Corpse Blade King was deaf to everything else. All he cared about was victory or defeat, "Why! After taking so many A-level combat skills, there's no way you're completely unharmed..." His eyes were bloodshot. "How are you doing it!"

"Huh?" Uncle Waste Wood turned back to look at Corpse Blade King, sneering. "Heh...there's no reason to tell you that, is there?" He stroked the stubble on his chin. "But...you today are indeed like a different person compared to last time."

"Hmph...because this is my true strength!" Corpse Blade King replied.

"Oh..." Uncle Waste Wood seemed to understand something. "I see...you didn't take any drugs, did you?" He smiled. "Are you trying to prove something?"

"I just want to win, to win with dignity!" Corpse Blade King said in a low voice.

"What a ridiculous argument." Even as he said that, Uncle Waste Wood didn't laugh, and his expression turned solemn. "Do you think...that stopping cheating in this match will regain your dignity? Your level, equipment, skills, all came from playing the game while drugged. Those are unchangeable facts. You're like an athlete who made it to the finals by using stimulants. Do you think that stopping the drugs before the final battle will put you on equal footing with everyone else? Hmph...wake up."

Corpse Blade King's veins bulged when he heard this, but he couldn't refute it.

Uncle Waste Wood continued, "Actually, you're a very strong player. If you had never used drugs, you would be even stronger. Unfortunately...you're already used to playing the game while drugged. Suddenly stopping will definitely make your nerves unable to adapt." He shook his head and sighed. "To use an analogy...your talent is like a high-end sports car with manual transmission, and the studio's drugs are like an automatic second-hand car. Now you've changed cars right before the battle. Tell me...how much of your already rusty driving skills can you use?"

"Even if what you say makes sense..." Corpse Blade King raised his halberd violently, leaping into the sky, his desperate move already brewing. "I'm still going to give it my all!"

"Hmph..." Uncle Waste Wood sighed with a smile. "I'm not the kind of opponent you can defeat with mere willpower..." As he turned his palms, a gust of wind suddenly swept out, forming a fierce wind wall in front of him.

The outcome of these two would be decided after this move.

However, at that crucial moment of victory, unexpected guests suddenly barged in.

"Hold on, you two!" A roar, followed by two swift shadows.

Swallowing Sky Ghost and Shiva arrived from mid-air. The former unfolded his figure, meeting Uncle Waste Wood's palm wind; the latter manipulated the Heavenly Dance Hourglass's stone disc, using the "Moon" effect [Lunar Prism], blocking Corpse Blade King's killing move.

…………

At the same time, elsewhere in the city.

"So...you want to temporarily form an alliance with me?" Matcha Su said to Feng Bujue.

Brother Jue had already released her, but he still didn't leave the range of two meters from Matcha Su, his intention to intimidate obvious: "That's right, are you interested?"

"What if I said I wasn't interested?" Matcha Su asked with a smile.

"I'll convince you," Feng Bujue replied.

"Oh? Heh..." Matcha Su looked like she was ready to watch a good show. "I'm all ears."

"Xiao Tan, come over here for a moment." Brother Jue suddenly turned his head to Xiao Tan.

"Oh, what is it?" Xiao Tan walked closer a few steps.

"As long as you agree to form an alliance with us, after it's done, his points will be yours. You can kill him or cut him up as you please." Feng Bujue pointed at Xiao Tan, saying without batting an eye.

"Hey!" Xiao Tan was shocked. "Does anyone say these kinds of things in front of the person being betrayed!"

"That's just how upstanding I am." Feng Bujue said shamelessly.

Xiao Tan squinted and turned to Matcha Su. "Beauty, let's kill him together. This guy is worth a third of a share."

"That's not a bad suggestion." Matcha Su didn't take it seriously, just replying casually. Although she was putting on a nonchalant front, she was constantly thinking about how to escape.

Feng Bujue was well aware of this, but he wouldn't expose it.

"Oh, right." Brother Jue then said to Matcha Su, "Qiu Feng Se of your guild and I are good brothers, he should have mentioned me, right?"

"Mm...he mentioned you." Matcha Su glanced at Brother Jue.

"No wonder you've been looking at him with a look that's a mix of contempt and fear." Xiao Tan added from the side.

Brother Jue ignored Xiao Tan's retort and continued to Matcha Su, "Then that's fine, a friend of a friend is also a friend, that's the basis for building trust."

"Qiu Feng didn't say you were his friend..." Matcha Su looked at Brother Jue.

"How could that be~" Feng Bujue dragged out those four words. "He and I hit it off right away..." His ability to talk nonsense was top-notch, "Our relationship is so tight that we call each other by nicknames...By the way, his nickname is Pikachu, and my nickname is the mysterious trainer Feng Bujue, who wishes to remain anonymous."

"Hey...that's a nickname that's eighteen words long, contradictory, and not mysterious at all..." Xiao Tan muttered. "It sounds like it was made up on the spot...and he doesn't forget to take advantage of people when giving nicknames..."

"Hmph...everyone here is smart, you two don't need to put on a comedy show in front of me." Matcha Su put away her smile and looked at Feng Bujue. "You're seeking my help, there must be some special reason. This script is full of experts. If I have any unique qualities that would catch your eye...that would be my expertise in machinery." She paused for a moment. "So...let's get straight to the point, what do you want me to do for you? What conditions can you offer? If I'm satisfied, temporarily forming an alliance isn't impossible."