Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 859 - 860: The Melee Begins

Chapter 859: Chapter 860: The Melee Begins

Century Stadium!

The entire stadium was booked by the Zhao Family, and aside from some important individuals from the big families, no one else could gain entry.

Some key figures from the Su Family and the Sun Family had arrived, but Song Xiaodong did not let Miao Xuanxuan and the others come. After all, on such an occasion, unexpected events might occur, and their presence could easily distract him.

Although Miao Xuanxuan and the others were unwilling, they could understand Song Xiaodong’s decision and did not insist on coming over.

The Cao Family brought quite a number of people, their confidence bolstered by the support of four experts from the Zhou Family. They didn’t believe they could lose this time.

The Su Family and the Sun Family sat across from the Cao Family and the Zhao Family, separated by the open space in the middle, while the other big families were seated on the two flanks.

Witnesses were needed for such a high-stakes bet, and the members of these big families were the best candidates for the role.

Zhao Wenqiang walked to the center of the field, looked around proudly, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, today the Su Family and the Cao Family have made a wager. The fight will be in the form of a five-on-five melee, and the side whose members all lose their fighting ability will be declared the loser. The stake of the wager is two billion US dollars."

Even knowing the amount of the bet, the other big families couldn’t help but click their tongues in surprise. Two billion was a substantial amount, and among those present, there were perhaps only a few families that could boast such wealth. For the Su Family, it might also mean risking two-thirds of their assets. This kind of bet was akin to wagering the entire family fortune—a super gamble indeed.

Zhao Wenqiang continued, "There will be no referees and no rules in this contest. Everything will be focused on defeating the opponent, and casualties are thus unavoidable. Should any side suffer injury or death, there shall be no further pursuit of accountability."

The crowd went abuzz with shock; such a brutal contest was bound to be ferocious.

"Now, will those participating in the contest please enter the field."

Song Xiaodong, Su Zhentian, Sun One, Shen Ning, and Xu Hao stood up and entered the field. Their team, which included two women, seemed to have a weaker presence at first glance.

However, that was not the general consensus. Sun One had always been the top expert of the Sun Family; who would dare say she was weak? As for Shen Ning and Xu Hao, though young, they must have their strengths to have been chosen by Song Xiaodong.

What caused murmurs among the spectators was the fact that Patriarch Song himself was taking part in the contest. He was the esteemed Family Head of the Su Family, and for him to personally partake in such a perilous event was unprecedented among all the families present.

The four Family Guards from the Zhou Family and the First High School expert from the Cao Family stepped out, their combined aura seemingly overshadowing that of Song Xiaodong and his team.

Especially the Family Guards from the Zhou Family, they were now looking at Song Xiaodong and the others with disdainful eyes.

Song Xiaodong took his stand and addressed Zhao Wenqiang, "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I estimate you’ll no longer have the privilege of speaking here after this."

Zhao Wenqiang’s lips twitched, aware that he had irrevocably offended the Su Family this time. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "That would still require you, Patriarch Song, to survive this contest."

Song Xiaodong sneered and waved his hand, saying, "Come on, let’s start." He showed no consideration for the opposition.

"Seeking death!" a Zhou Family Guard thundered, taking a step forward and charging at Song Xiaodong.

From the moment the Family Guard took his position, Song Xiaodong knew who the finest Kung Fu practitioner was—the one who spoke first.

Su Zhentian’s eyes bulged as he bellowed, "Your opponent is me!" then fiercely struck out with a Zhentian Palm at the man.

Sun One said nothing, her figure flashed with a swift movement, leaving behind an afterimage. In an instant, she was attacking another expert in the middle.

The Zhou Family’s Family Guards were quite conceited and had not devised any special strategies. They were set on one-on-one fights, believing that once one of them defeated their opponent, they could assist their teammates.

Thus, the remaining three immediately lunged at Song Xiaodong and his comrades.

Song Xiaodong shouted, "Bring it on!" and sent out a forceful palm strike.

Xu Hao and Shen Ning were not to be outdone; they too engaged the other two opponents.

The field with ten people quickly turned into five paired duels, locked in fierce combat.

In that instant, palm shadows flew and leg shadows flickered. The surrounding individuals were dazzled by the moves, especially those from the smaller families, who watched in fearful awe. Such experts were not found in their families, not even those significantly weaker ones.

It was from this realization that everyone felt the vast gap between themselves and a major clan like the Su Family.

Attention was particularly focused on Song Xiaodong, the youthful head of the family, who was battling evenly with one of the Zhou Family’s experts.

The adversaries of Su Zhentian and Sun One were top experts from the Zhou Family, slightly stronger in power. In the short term, it would be difficult to defeat them, and over time, the two might be at risk of defeat.

However, Su Zhentian—having gained much practical combat experience recently, plus his Kung Fu being fierce and powerful—could hold on for a while.

Sun One, with her dexterous movement technique, resembled a leaf dancing in the wind, making it impossible to trace her path. Although her attacks didn’t seem fierce, they were incredibly cunning, always targeting vital points. Her opponent was left without an effective countermeasure for the time being.

This caused Zhou Zhengfang and Cao Fengqing to frown in concern. They had originally hoped their strongest experts would quickly eliminate the enemy, then help the others. Now, it seemed that wish would not be easily fulfilled.

The other two duels, however, brought hope to Zhou Zhengfang. Shen Ning and Xu Hao did not match the strength of Song Xiaodong and his peers and were already under pressure, likely to fail any moment.

Once Shen Ning and Xu Hao were defeated, doubling up on Song Xiaodong and the others could secure victory.

Zhou Zhengfang gave a sly smile and whispered to Cao Fengqing, "It seems this Song Xiaodong is a fool, choosing such a strategy. If they had opted for a best-of-five format, they might have stood a chance. Now, they have no hope."

Cao Fengqing also recognized the situation, his face relaxing into a confident smile, "Indeed, victory is within reach." Inwardly, he was calculating how to benefit from the Su Family.

Zhao Wenqiang, who had been anxiously awaiting the outcome, finally let out a sigh of relief. The pressure he had been under was perhaps even greater than Cao Fengqing’s, with the entire fate of the Zhao Family hinging on this contest. Fortunately, he had not backed the wrong side.

As he looked at the smaller families that were once comparable to his, pride swelled within Zhao Wenqiang. From now on, they would no longer be qualified to sit at the same level as him; the Zhao Family was set to rise.