Zhou Xiong had just finished giving instructions to his subordinate about this very potion.
It was a new stimulant drug developed by the Lighthouse, and he had managed to obtain it through some special channels.
The drug's effects were potent; a small dose could increase one's innate strength tenfold, but it also came with considerable side effects.
Zhou Xiong had initially thought he wouldn't need to use it.
From the start, he had tried to provoke Xu An, who had a critical flaw: strong burst power but poor stamina.
Zhou Xiong hadn't expected Xu An to be so resilient. Despite the insults and vulgarities he had spewed all the way, Xu An had never lost composure. She had remained calm and unhurried, toying with him on the stage as if walking a dog.
This realization filled Zhou Xiong with an intense hatred for Xu An, making him wish he could kill her on the spot.
However, for whatever reason, he absolutely could not lose this match.
Therefore, he decided to use his trump card, something he had reserved for emergencies.
Meanwhile, Xu An, after taking a punch from Zhou Xiong, gritted her teeth fiercely, refusing to utter a sound. Her stubborn silence touched many of the spectators.
The small arena resembled a coliseum, and Xu An was the trapped beast in the audience's eyes. The surrounding crowd watched the center stage with excitement, waiting to see how Zhou Xiong would tear Xu An apart.
Xu An steadied her retreating form, her eyes cold, unfazed by the atmosphere.
She was waiting, waiting for Zhou Xiong to get careless, so she could deliver a fatal blow.
Only now did Xu An have to admit that there was indeed a gap in strength between her and Zhou Xiong, especially with Zhou Xiong having taken the drug.
But this did not mean she had no chance of winning.
Zhou Xiong clapped his hands together, slowly raising his eyebrows. His ferocious expression was tinged with dismissive mockery. He sneered, "Still not planning to surrender?"
Then, he lowered his voice, speaking so only the two of them could hear, "Although killing you isn't allowed in the arena, breaking one of your legs is perfectly fine. It would be much better to surrender early. Perhaps I'll be soft-hearted and let you go."
Xu An spat a mouthful of blood in Zhou Xiong's direction, "Is that all you've got, just your mouth?"
Zhou Xiong let out a cold snort, "Heh, you'll get to experience all of brother's skills sooner or later."
Xu An ignored his vulgar words and took the initiative.
Rather than wait to be slaughtered, it was better to strike first. Xu An didn't believe that drug Zhou Xiong took could last long.
With that, Xu An, without waiting for Zhou Xiong to react, launched a flying kick, charging forward without reservation.
Seeing this, Zhou Xiong immediately brought his hands up to protect himself.
This was exactly what Xu An was waiting for. She instantly changed her flying kick into a direct thrust, landing a kick squarely on Zhou Xiong's chest.
After taking Xu An's kick, Zhou Xiong remained utterly still.
Xu An made a move to retreat, but Zhou Xiong grabbed her. He seized one of her legs and prepared to smash his elbow into her leg bone.
Facing Zhou Xiong's fierce attack, Xu An knew that if he landed that elbow strike, her leg would be crippled, if not completely ruined.
The next second, Xu An's expression turned grim. She didn't dodge or evade; instead, she took Zhou Xiong's punch with her own body. The powerful gust of wind directly grazed Xu An's cheek, emitting a muffled thud.
In an instant, Xu An's body was sent flying by Zhou Xiong's punch.
Zhou Xiong's eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty excitement. He looked triumphantly at Xu An, who had been kicked to the ground, his eyes alight with the thrill of hunting prey.
"Brother Xiong, you're awesome! Go, Brother Xiong! Come on, Brother Xiong, take care of this woman!"
"Go! Brother Xiong! Take her down!"
"..."
Shouts of excitement surged from all directions.
Around the arena, many spectators who had come from the training hall circled, roaring hoarsely at the stage.
They weren't just hyping up Zhou Xiong; most of them had bet on him to win. To avoid losing everything, they naturally wanted Xu An to lose as miserably as possible.
Zhou Xiong gazed at Xu An, who lay in the center of the arena, her chest heaving. She looked as if she was at death's door.
He knew better than anyone how powerful that punch had been. Forget a woman like Xu An; even a stone would have shattered under its force today.
He estimated that Xu An's heart and lungs must have been damaged. As if on cue, while Zhou Xiong was thinking this, Xu An coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
A flicker of malice flashed in Zhou Xiong's eyes, behind which lay a layer of naked covetousness.
Among the beauties in the training hall, besides Zhou Haimei, the rose with thorns, Xu An was the most captivating.
Countless men had desired Xu An from afar.
The advent of the apocalypse had stripped humanity not only of its homes but also of its humanity.
Yet, no one knew that Xu An, seemingly destined to lose, lay on the ground, silently waiting for her opportunity.
For some inexplicable reason, the moment Zhou Xiong's fist landed on her, Xu An felt as if the entire world had slowed down before her eyes.
It was as if in slow motion, Zhou Xiong's originally powerful punch had become fifty times slower in Xu An's perception.
And the red butterfly, which had always been lurking in Xu An's consciousness, appeared in the air as if no one else could see it.
Xu An was shocked, fearing that someone would notice the butterfly. But she realized that no one around seemed to have noticed its appearance at all.
That was why she had deliberately taken the punch and waited on the ground for so long. No one around seemed to have detected the butterfly's presence.
Xu An guessed that the butterfly must have appeared so quickly that human eyes simply couldn't capture its movement.
After the butterfly disappeared, Xu An noticed pollen on Zhou Xiong's shoulder. She curved her lips slightly.
She had already tested this butterfly. The pollen, with its fine shimmer, indeed had a mind-confusing effect, though the potency varied depending on the amount.
Xu An pushed herself up again, not even looking at Zhou Xiong. In an instant, she unleashed a surge of power and charged directly towards him.
Zhou Xiong let out a disdainful chuckle, preparing to block with his hands.
But he had underestimated Xu An's explosive speed. The next second, Zhou Xiong realized something was wrong.
His normally strong and robust arms now felt weak and numb. A tingling sensation spread from his left shoulder throughout his body.
He thought he could stop Xu An's attack, but his hands felt limp and powerless, and Xu An caught him completely off guard.
With a punch to Zhou Xiong's face, Xu An truly showed no mercy, breaking his nasal bone with a direct blow.
Zhou Xiong was horrified! What was going on!