The three of them quickly arrived at the edge of the arena, wanting to observe the duel between the two up close. Unfortunately, just as Luka and the others arrived, the match was already declared over. The winner was the Luofu host's defending swordsman, Yanqing.

It was a pity; Luka didn't even have time to see what Yanqing looked like.

Luka sighed, "We're late, what a shame. Looks like we'll have to watch the replay later..."

"Son of a nice... that kid is fork-ing strong!" Boothill stepped off the arena and happened to bump into the three who had come to watch. "Oh, you guys came to see my match? Too bad the the IPC's cuties have their eyes on me. I've gotta bail."

Seeing that Luka had switched back to his old iron arm, Boothill nodded in satisfaction. "Mhm~ Your original iron arm still looks the best. But even if time is tight, there's always room for a farewell. Before I go, I'd like to treat you to a cup of tea. There's a Du's Tea House in Aurum Alley, and it's fork-ing delicious."

"Their 'tea' is a bit strong."

Boothill threw his head back and laughed. "Strong is good! We mature men need to be fork-ing strong! Kick!"

"No way, you're an the IPC wanted criminal! How could we let you take him for tea!" This was the first time Camellia had been so close to an the IPC fugitive. Even though she was scared to death, she still stepped out from behind Stelle.

"Hey, Camera-head, I don't mind you being an the IPC cutie, so don't you fork-ing mind me."

—

Ling Cage.

"Huh? So Boothill can't beat Yanqing?"

Shanda had the same disappointed look as Luka. With Boothill's skills, he really wanted to see what kind of spectacle it would be if those two experts clashed.

"Isn't it normal that he can't win? Boothill's weapon is a revolver, while Yanqing's weapon is flying swords controlled by his mind. The technological difference between the two is light-years apart, okay?" Xia Dou shrugged. When it came to power scaling debates, she was a staunch supporter of Yanqing.

"Bull-honky, it's just that Boothill didn't want to go for the kill," Xu Tong countered dissatisfiedly. "If Boothill transformed his left hand into a cannon, not only would he blast Yanqing away, but those flying swords definitely wouldn't be able to withstand the heavy firepower!"

Xia Dou's face flushed with anger. "Xu Tong, you... you're clearly the one talking out of your butt!"

The two of them turned their heads in unison and looked at Bai Yuekui, who was sitting nearby drinking tea. "Boss Bai Yuekui, you be the judge. Is Yanqing stronger, or is a serious Boothill stronger?"

"Within seven paces, Yanqing is stronger. Beyond seven paces, Boothill is stronger," Bai Yuekui said as she leisurely set down her teacup. "...But neither is as strong as Feixiao."

"Boss Bai Yuekui, tell us something we don't know. Of course we know Feixiao is the strongest," Xia Dou pouted. "With little brother Yanqing's current strength, I even think he could last ten moves against Jingliu!"

"Hey, hey, don't get ahead of yourself! Yanqing lasting ten moves against Jingliu? Does he even know you're hyping him up like that?" Xu Tong crossed his arms and curled his lip disdainfully. "It's just that Boothill didn't want to get serious with Yanqing. If it were a real life-and-death struggle, the outcome would still be uncertain."

—

Luka didn't mind and readily accepted Boothill's invitation.

Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the agreed-upon tea house on time.

"Master Boothill, you've arrived~ Please, take a seat~" When Boss Du of the tea house saw the person behind Boothill, his eyes lit up. "Oh my! Isn't this the 'iron arm' Luka everyone's talking about on the streets? You're both distinguished guests! Just say the word, what would you like to drink~"

After each ordering a drink, they began to discuss business. Boothill had invited Luka alone for two main reasons.

"First, I want to apologize. My intention was to test your resolve... but threatening a tournament opponent with a life-and-death matter was indeed a bit much. I apologize to you, I'm sorry! If you drink this tea, I'll take it as you forgiving me!"

Luka scratched his head. "That match with Mr. Boothill helped me grow a lot. I actually want to thank you."

"Alright, as long as you don't blame me." Boothill paused. "Let's talk about the second thing—I want to advise you to withdraw from the tournament."

Luka immediately refused. "That's impossible. Just like when I faced your gun, I won't run away from the fight."

"The reason I'm leaving, besides having to hurry, is also because of that defending swordsman. That kid isn't old, but his strength is nothing to scoff at. Fighting him takes too long, and winning isn't guaranteed. It's not fork-ing worth getting caught by those the IPC dogs over a win or loss." Boothill looked at Luka seriously. "You're different. You always have the choice to leave. The whole galaxy already knows you and your Belobog; you've achieved your goal."

"If you withdraw now, no one will blame you. But if you go out there now, you're just going to get a beating. Understand?"

Luka nodded. "I understand, but I'm still going to step onto that arena and throw a punch. Because winning or losing isn't everything in a fight."

Hearing this, Boothill laughed loudly and patted Luka's shoulder appreciatively. "Hahaha! Good lad!"

Luka suddenly realized. "Ah... you were testing my resolve again! You almost had me fooled!"

"Son of a Wubbaboo, you clever little rascal! You remind me of a friend, a girl named Rappa. She's just like you, incredibly stubborn."

"Is she as weak as I am then?"

Boothill didn't answer him directly but asked back, "Can you crush a star with your bare hands?"

Luka was stunned. "Uh... she can???"

Boothill shook his head. "She can't either, but she's always insisted she can."

"Hahaha, what kind of nonsense is that!"

"Son of a nice, she really is nonsensically strong."

Boothill downed the strong tea on the table, waved to Luka, and left the long street without looking back.

—

Baki.

"It's a pity Boothill didn't bring Rappa along this time. Otherwise, with her strength, she could have challenged Yanqing as well." Miyamoto Musashi shook his head regretfully.

"Is that so? Are you sure it would just be 'challenging' him?" Katsumi Orochi recalled the physical data that had flashed across the Celestial Screen earlier and smiled bitterly. "Her muscle density is 3,596 times that of a normal human. If a normal human woman weighs 38kg, her punch would carry 138.8 tons of force. If an elephant weighs 7 tons, she could easily lift 20 elephants for a workout."

"In the Wardance, a serious punch from her would probably turn her opponent directly into a bloody mist, wouldn't it?"