A soft hum began to vibrate from Jin Yu’s body, almost imperceptible but undeniably present.

  It felt like something deep inside him was stirring, something restless and eager to break free.

  Lu Yucheng’s eyes flickered with wariness. He didn’t move, but his gaze sharpened as if assessing something beyond the surface.

  Then, just as quickly, his lips curled into a smile. “Young Master Jin, forgive my rudeness. I was merely hoping to spar with you, nothing more.” His tone was lighthearted, but the way he watched Jin Yu closely told a different story.

  Jin Yu tilted his head. “Spar? You looked like you were about to attack me. Who are you kidding?”

  “Hahaha, that? That was nothing. You just don’t know how things work around here. Anyone else would’ve picked up on my intent already.” Lu Yucheng’s easygoing smile never faded.

  Jin Yu studied his face for a long moment before finally rexing. The strange hum coursing through his body settled, fading as quickly as it had appeared.

  The man smiled again and turned his attention back to the already finished fight, people cheered fervently for the winner–the giant man

  "Wu Jiahong! Wu Jiahong! Wu Jiahong!"

  The whole pce vibrated more than before, even Jin Yu couldn't help but smile as he got adrenaline rush

  I never imagined my father's men to be so fierce, is it the same with the other two families?

  He wondered in excitement

  The lean man who lost the fight has already left the stage, leaving the giant man there.

  A cold-looking young dy stepped on the stage "Our champion, Wu jiahong has successfully won his forty-eighth battle"

  "YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

  The crowd erupted in deafening cheers, their voices merging into a wild frenzy.

  The name Wu Jiahong echoed through the vast hall like a war cry, shaking the very walls with its intensity.

  Jin Yu felt his heartbeat quicken.

  Forty-eight consecutive wins? His gaze nded on the towering figure of Wu Jiahong, who stood at the edge of the stage, wiping the blood from his split lip. The man was a brute of a warrior, taller than most, with arms filled with well proportion muscles. His bare torso was covered in battle scars, fresh bruises mingling with old wounds that told of countless battles.

  His chest rose and fell in steady heaves, but despite the damage of his fights, his eyes remained sharp, gleaming with a hunger that sent chills down Jin Yu’s spine.

  It didn't look like the exhaustion of a man who wanted to stop, it was the look of a beast eager for more.

  The cold-looking announcer raised her hand, and the crowd’s cheering gradually softened. “Two more fights,” she decred, her voice carrying an authoritative chill. “And Wu Jiahong will officially earn his pce in the Jin Dark Army.”

  Excitement surged through the audience, men gripping the railings, others stamping their feet. They knew what was coming next.

  Jin Yu, still feeling the residual thrill from the battle, leaned slightly toward Lu Yucheng. “The Jin Dark Army… How strong are they?”

  Lu Yucheng’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable. “Strong enough to make seasoned warriors tremble. They are the Jin's family hidden bde, soldiers who do not just fight, but conquer. Only the most brutal, relentless men make it through.” He smirked. “And Wu Jianhong is close, so close it’s dangerous.”

  Jin Yu raised an eyebrow. “Dangerous?”

  Lu Yucheng crossed his arms and nodded toward the stage. “Now that he’s at forty-eight wins, everyone will see him as a target. No one wants to let him reach fifty. If he wins, he becomes part of the Jin Dark Army. If someone stops him now, they get all the glory and a chance to take his pce.”

  As if on cue, a heavily-built man stepped forward from the crowd, leaping onto the stage with a dull thud.

  The audience erupted once more, anticipation thick in the air. The new challenger was a hulking man with broad shoulders and a wicked grin, his knuckles already wrapped tightly in cloth stained with dried blood.

  Jin Yu swallowed. This is madness… but I can’t look away.

  Just as the fight was about to begin, a firm hand cmped down on Jin Yu’s shoulder.

  “Young Master Jin” a deep voice rumbled.

  Jin Yu turned, startled. A man cd in dark armor stood before him, his presence exuding silent power. The symbol of the Jin family’s elite guard gleamed under the eerie blue light.

  “The Young Lord requests your presence” the guard said. His voice carried no room for argument. “Please follow me to the VIP room.”

  "Young lord?" Jin Yu asked in confusion. who the hell is that?

  "That's master Lin's disciple." Lu Yucheng chimed in from the side.

  "Oh" Jin Yu looked at the stern looking guard and hesitated, gncing back at the stage just as the new fight was about to explode into motion.

  Just two more fights… Will Wu Jiahong make it?

  But before he could see what happened next, he was being led away, his heart pounding with a mix of frustration and curiosity.

  what the hell does this maniac Uncle's disciple wants?

  As Jin Yu was led away through the sea of shouting spectators, the noise gradually faded behind him, repced by the steady rhythm of his footsteps against the cold stone floor.

  He cast one st gnce at the roaring crowd before stepping into a dimly lit corridor, feeling an odd sense of detachment, as if he had crossed into a different world entirely.

  The passage was narrow, lined with smooth, dark walls that gleamed faintly under the glow of embedded spirit crystals.

  The air was noticeably cooler, carrying a faint metallic scent that made Jin Yu uneasy. He hadn’t even known such corridors existed within the building. Just how big is this pce?

  The deeper they went, the more Jin Yu realized how vast this pce was. He hadn’t even noticed these hidden pathways before.

  ‘Are we… going up?’ he wondered. He had seen enclosed rooms near the upper levels of the building earlier but had dismissed them. Now, with each step, the air felt thinner.

  His suspicion was correct.

  Finally, they stopped before a heavy wooden door reinforced with bck iron. The subordinate knocked twice before pushing it open.

  Inside, the atmosphere was different.

  It was calmer and more refined, the room was spacious yet simple, illuminated by hanging nterns that cast soft shadows along the walls.

  At the center sat a young looking man, in his early thirties his posture firm yet rexed, exuding a quiet authority. His sharp, experienced eyes locked onto Jin Yu the moment he entered.

  "Welcome, little brother, have a seat."

  Jin Yu nodded and was going to have his seat when he stopped

  "Huh!, little brother?!, who is your brother?"

  The young man was confused by Jin Yu's question and replied "you didn't know I'm your elder brother?"

  What?

  WTH?!

  When did I have an elder brother?!