novelslam Chapter 101 Stepping into the Octagon, Under the Spotlight
Chapter 101 Stepping into the Octagon, Under the Spotlight
Outside the passage, the roar of mountains and the roar of the sea are deafening; inside, you can hear a pin drop.
Ma Cong's footsteps echoed in the narrow space, one after another.
He could feel the ground trembling slightly beneath his feet, the sound of tens of thousands of spectators stomping and cheering. He could smell the air thick with sweat, dust, and a frenzied atmosphere.
None of these things could affect his heart.
In his world, only the ever-brightening light ahead remained.
At the end of the light lies the octagonal cage.
When he finally walked out of the passage and stepped into the field that was the focus of countless lights, the entire "East China Sea Summit" sports center was eerily quiet for half a second.
Immediately afterwards, an even more complex and massive sound wave, than when the Titans appeared, exploded out!
"Ma Cong! Ma Cong!"
"Go for it! Kill him!"
"Liar! Get out of here!"
"What a attention-seeker!"
Cheers, shouts, curses, and doubts mingled together, like a pot of boiling water threatening to overturn the dome of the entire venue.
Ma Cong's gaze did not linger on the audience for even a second.
He walked past the media reporters carrying cameras, bypassed the competition girls holding signs, and headed straight for the battlefield surrounded by barbed wire.
His gaze was fixed on the person inside the octagonal cage.
Titan.
The burly white man leaned against the iron cage, arms outstretched, chin held high, his face radiating arrogance and disdain. He looked at Ma Cong as if he were looking at a skinny mongrel that had accidentally wandered into his territory.
Ma Cong walked steadily, pushed open the cage door that the staff had opened for him, and went inside.
When the cage door clicked shut behind him, he knew there was no turning back in this battle.
He stood in the center of the octagon, facing the Titans from afar.
On the large screen at the scene, a data comparison between the two people was immediately displayed.
泰坦：身高195cm，体重110kg，臂展205cm。战绩：15战15胜，15次KO。
Ma Cong: Height 180cm, weight 75kg, wingspan unknown. Record: None.
The huge data gap made the audience members who had originally had high hopes for Ma Cong feel a pang of disappointment.
Their physiques are so different!
"My God, how are we supposed to fight this? The weight difference is thirty-five kilograms!"
"This isn't a heavyweight match at all, it's so unfair!"
"Oh no, I think this guy is in big trouble."
In the live stream room, the barrage of comments was flying everywhere.
"Physical dominance is overwhelming; there's no way they can win."
"Where are those traditional martial arts fans who were bragging before? Come out and show yourselves?"
"Heh, I told you that video was fake, now it's exposed!"
The referee, dressed in a suit, walked between the two and began to read out the rules of the game according to procedure.
His voice was loud, but at this moment, it seemed somewhat insignificant. All attention was focused on the two men facing off.
"...Attacking the back of the head and groin is prohibited, and attacking the eyes with your fingers is prohibited...Do you all understand?" the referee asked routinely.
Titan didn't even look at the referee. He stared intently at Ma Cong, a cruel smile spreading across his face, and said in broken Chinese, "Kid, kneel down now and lick my shoes, and I might consider breaking only one of your legs."
His voice, transmitted clearly through the miniature microphone pinned to his chest, resonated throughout the entire venue.
The entire audience erupted in uproar!
This is outrageous! Such personal insults before the competition has even started!
Countless viewers who supported Ma Cong stood up in anger and began to hurl insults.
"Fuck you, you foreign devil!"
"Kill him! Ma Cong! Kill him!"
Ma Cong's face was expressionless.
He looked at Titan as if he were looking at a clown jumping around.
The referee's expression darkened. He gave Titan a warning look, then turned to Ma Cong: "Do you understand?"
Ma Cong nodded.
"Alright, go back to your corners and wait for the match to begin!" the referee said, quickly retreating.
Titan cracked his neck, making a "crackling" sound, and retreated step by step to his corner, but his eyes, like those of a hungry wolf, never left Ma Cong.
Ma Cong also turned around and walked back to his corner.
Unlike other boxers, he didn't do a final warm-up or jumps.
He simply stood quietly, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his feet shoulder-width apart, and his eyes closed.
He was adjusting his breathing.
Adjust your breathing to the most subtle and longest possible state.
All the noise and clamor of the outside world seemed to have faded away from him.
In his world, only his own heartbeat and the sound of his blood flowing remained.
"Ding!"
The crisp sound of the bell echoed throughout the venue.
The competition has officially begun!
Titan roared like a tiger released from its cage and charged toward Ma Cong!
His massive body exuded a powerful sense of oppression, and every step he took made the arena resound with heavy thuds.
He wanted to use the most direct and savage method to completely crush this pretentious Chinese kid in their very first encounter!
However, Ma Cong remained standing in the same spot, eyes closed, motionless.
Has he gone mad?
Everyone's heart was in their throat!
In the commentary booth, Wang Meng, a former national Sanda champion who had been invited as a guest commentator, couldn't help but exclaim, "Danger! That's too reckless! Get out of the way!"
Titan's fist, accompanied by the sound of wind, was already in front of Ma Cong!
That was a devastating right straight punch, enough to kill a bull!
Just as the wind from that punch had already ruffled the hair on Ma Cong's forehead.
Ma Cong's eyes snapped open!
His body was slightly turned to one side at an incredible angle.
Just this simple side.
Titan's seemingly inevitable punch grazed his nose as it landed!
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Everyone could clearly see that Ma Cong barely moved his body, yet he dodged the fatal blow.
Titan, due to excessive force, experienced a brief loss of balance.
It's now!
Ma Cong's feet moved.
It wasn't retreating, nor was it dodging.
Instead, move forward!
With one step, he stepped into Titan's embrace!