Michael had been instructed that he needed to defeat at least three opponents before he was free.

Of course, the truth was that the person that led him into the arena figured Michael was going to die in the first fight anyway.

'FUCK!' The man began to sweat. Had he known how powerful Michael turned out to be, he would never have put him against a member of his gang. Now, as a consequence, one of the core pillars was dead.

"Ryan… The man you brought ended up killing Grock." A man sitting surrounded by several goons remarked.

This was Black Bears' boss, one of the main leaders of Azure's outer region.

"I—I have no excuses." Ryan dropped to the ground, his forehead hitting the floor in a plea for mercy.

"With Grock dead we will experience difficulties. I want his killer to join our ranks… No matter the cost." The boss said coldly.

Back at the arena, Michael patiently awaited the next challenger.

'If everyone here is so weak, I won't have much trouble getting rid of them.' He mused.

Despite the confidence in his strength, he was going to play it safe. He would get rid of as many goons of the gangs as possible before going after their leaders.

Naturally, if they were to appear before him, he wouldn't hesitate to take the chance and strike.

The arena was still silent, partly due to the shock of Grock's death and partly because many had lost a large part of their savings.

"Hehehe." The only one unaffected by the heavy mood was Ava. Since she knew that Michael was going to win, she had bet on him. Now she found herself much richer than before.

'While some might call it immoral to partake in the betting, they knew enough to bet despite the risk. No one can save people from their own stupidity.' Ava thought.

Just when Michael was beginning to grow bored, his next foe appeared.

"Grock wasn't that worthy anyway."

This time it was a woman. Her muscular build was on full display. Rather than hiding her stature with metallic parts, she showed her hard-created muscles.

"Isn't this Kate?!" The onlookers were visibly surprised by her appearance.

"You mean one of the Green Eagles, rumored to be even more powerful than Grock?!"

Michael scanned the woman with interest. He instantly picked up on her yellowed teeth, bloodshot eyes, and numerous scars around her arms.

'Obvious drug abuse, not just for physical enhancement but also for pleasure.' He concluded a second later.

"What do you mean he wasn't worthy?" Intrigued by her use of words, he asked.

A large grin spread over her face, showing her ruined teeth before going into a battle stance.

"Unworthy to bear children, of course!" The woman proclaimed. "His body wasn't worthy! I wonder if you will be any different?"

Heaving a sigh, Michael shook his head.

"Too far gone."

Boom!

The second fight ended even faster than the first one. This time Michael didn't bother to torment his opponent, giving her a quick end.

"..."

Michael looked around, clear disdain on his face.

"Is this what the arena has to offer? I must say I am disappointed."

His words were aimed to wound the pride of the leaders of the gangs. It would be perfect if they came to him rather than the other way.

"You still have one more fight, right?"

Fortunately, it seemed that his efforts had proven to be successful. A figure had moved from the VIP booth and was now standing before him.

"The boss of the Black Bears makes an appearance!"

Not paying attention to the audience, the man addressed Michael.

"I will cut the formalities short. Join our gang, and we will rule Azure together."

Before Michael could answer, a feminine voice called out.

"Bullshit."

The leader of the Green Eagles had come out herself, having the same plan.

If that wasn't enough, a third person entered the stage soon after.

This was the leader of the Red Tigers.

In a heartbeat the leaders of the three main gangs had come out on the ring, all with the intent to recruit Michael into their ranks.

'All of them are Peak Adepts; now it makes sense why the others were so scared of them.' Michael analyzed calmly.

"Why is the leader of the Red Tigers here? You didn't lose any troops." Green Eagle's leader retorted.

"I can't allow you to recruit such a powerful man into your ranks, now can I?" The man chuckled in response. "After all, it will be our end otherwise."

In order to gather more information, Michael played along. "Join you? I am sorry, but I am not informed about the standing of the gangs."

Black Bear's boss scoffed. "It's simple, we are the overseers of the whole region. Everyone goes through us. If you join my side, we can conquer the whole region before long. Imagine the gains you will enjoy."

Instantly the other two began to bark reasons as to why Michael should join them instead. Yet by that point he stopped paying attention to them.

'How lucky, the three biggest thorns in this place approached me. Even better, they did so without bringing any of their goons with them. Just how overconfident could they be?'

They had ruled the region for so long that their minds didn't even register any potential threat to their existence.

By that point Michael couldn't help but chuckle. Sometimes human arrogance was so amusing that he couldn't keep it together.

"Why is he laughing?"

"He must be overjoyed! Imagine wanting to be recruited by the three powerhouses!"

The audience misread his emotions.

After a second his lips pursed. "I have made my choice."

The three leaders instantly tensed. They knew that the gang Michael would choose would instantly feel the wrath of the other two. After all, they couldn't be allowed to prosper.

'Regardless of his choice, it's going to be a bloodbath.' The three leaders realized.

Instantly they got ready to fight the battle that will decide the fate of the whole region.

"So… Who do you pick?" The leader of the Green Eagles asked, her patience wearing thin.

With a flick of his finger, Michael summoned Devil's Tongue. Resting the soul weapon on his shoulder, he released his cultivation, bewildering everyone.

"Neither."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.