Chapter Twenty: Drenched Like a Watered Flower...

A dull thud echoed, and a tremendous recoil instantly spread through both their bodies. Both were startled; this punch had ended in a draw. For the first time, Mu You faced an opponent of equal strength, and Hu Lei was even more surprised by Mu You’s augmented power.

Mu You seized Hu Lei’s arm, using the momentum to press forward. Another fist followed, swift and relentless. Hu Lei’s shock turned to delight—someone dared to confront him head-on. He swung his fist to meet Mu You’s attack.

But Mu You shifted, taking the blow squarely to his chest and, while Hu Lei watched in astonishment, landed a punch straight to his face. Only the most direct pain could vent Mu You’s fury at this moment.

“Damn you!”

Hu Lei reeled from the sudden strike, stars dancing before his eyes. Mu You pressed in, ducking low, and hammered Hu Lei’s chest with a flurry of punches—each one harder, each one heavier. Despite Hu Lei’s formidable build, even he couldn’t withstand the barrage; his chest began to cave in.

Another blow landed, but Mu You sensed something amiss—this time, it felt like hitting granite, pain shooting through his wrist.

Hu Lei’s retreat stopped abruptly. Mu You felt uneasy. He threw a left hook at Hu Lei’s jaw.

This time, Hu Lei didn’t dodge, letting Mu You wreak havoc on him. A vicious grin spread across his face as he began to exert force through his jaw, pushing Mu You’s fist back.

Trouble. Mu You grew wary and tried to withdraw, but Hu Lei clasped his arms around him and slammed him to the ground.

This impact was several times stronger than before. Mu You dropped to his knees, face down, and collapsed, powerless. On the grass, three mud pits appeared—where Mu You’s knees and head had struck.

His mouth filled with the metallic tang of blood and the damp taste of earth. Mu You’s head spun; in just seconds, Hu Lei’s strength had exploded beyond measure!

“Curious, aren’t you?” Hu Lei wiped the blood from his nose and sucked it back in, speaking slowly. “Do you know why the remnants of Zuo Ba sought to provoke conflict between us?”

Mu You pressed his hands against the ground, trying to rise, but failed repeatedly.

“Because even among the veteran dangerous inmates of Building A, my strength ranks in the top three. And none of the top three have ever gone all out—we all keep our trump cards hidden. In other words, I, Hu Lei, might just be number one—the strongest inmate in Building A!”

Seeing Mu You unable to resist, Hu Lei took his time, kicking dirt over Mu You’s head, intent on burying it.

“I’ll let you in on a secret.” Once Mu You’s head was half-buried, Hu Lei squatted beside him, patting and packing the earth down.

“‘Final Punishment’ doesn’t affect me at all. It restricts external abilities, but mine strengthens my body’s density through blood. So you’re facing a dangerous inmate at full power.”

Hu Lei patted the mound, and seeing Mu You still motionless, laughed as he unfastened his pants and called the other inmates over.

“I’m going to water the grass—who wants to watch?”

“Me!” came the immediate chorus.

Hu Lei squinted, twisted his neck, took a moment to prepare, and then the sound of running water followed.

“Ah…” Hu Lei sighed in satisfaction, shook off, and pulled up his pants.

Laughter erupted from the inmates on the twelfth floor, mocking Mu You’s pitiful state and then flattering Hu Lei.

Other groups from different floors began to arrive, pausing to witness the dangerous inmates’ brawl. They didn’t notice the frost suddenly blooming on Mu You’s neck—the ‘Final Punishment’—chilling the surrounding liquid into solid ice in an instant. Over twenty soul fragments rushed into it, the cold intensifying.

Hu Lei stomped on Mu You’s head, grinding it into the earth as he stared coldly around. “Don’t even think about messing with this punk. I want the outsiders to take him away for torture worse than death—so he’ll wish for death but never get it!”

The others quickly waved their hands, signaling their lack of interest in Mu You.

“Kid, you’re unlucky, provoking me. Why should you be a dangerous inmate just because you arrived? Do you know what despairing pain I endured to reach this position? You? You’re not even qualified to challenge me!”

With that, Hu Lei raised his foot and stomped hard on the back of Mu You’s head.

Mu You’s tense body instantly went limp, still.

Seeing Mu You had passed out, Hu Lei stepped right over him.

But as he lifted his foot, a pair of mud-caked hands grabbed his ankle.

Hu Lei paused, shaking his head in regret. “So eager to die?”

Mu You ignored Hu Lei’s threats. His fingers tightened, nails digging deep into skin, blood trickling down his ankle and freezing into beads of crimson ice as it passed the ‘Final Punishment’.

Hu Lei, hurt, pressed down harder with his foot, determined to crush this reckless fool’s skull.

“Your body weight is starting to decrease…” Mu You spoke coldly from within the dirt.

Hu Lei’s expression changed dramatically, shock flickering across his face.

This punk, after all that, was still observing him!

“I noticed your footsteps were lighter earlier, but if you hadn’t stepped over me, I wouldn’t have been sure. I admit, under that attack, I could only play dead, but one or two hits—I can endure.”

Mu You suddenly flipped upright, battered but smiling. Yet his smile held no warmth.

He had tasted Hu Lei’s blood and was amused; Hu Lei, after all, wasn’t so formidable.

“How’s it going?”

“All souls consumed. This bastard must die!” The voice within ‘Final Punishment’, once innocent, was now bloodthirsty and merciless.

“Watch closely, big brother’s coming!”

With blood still at the corners of his mouth, Mu You flashed a cold smile at Hu Lei and charged.

The ensuing fight was madness—Mu You completely lost control. No one would dare urinate on him; Hu Lei would die!

Gradually, Hu Lei began to falter.

He had never seen an inmate go berserk like this, fighting with reckless abandon, no technique, just blind fury—each punch carrying a determination not to stop.

It was either him or me!

“You’re forcing me to unleash my ultimate move!” Hu Lei roared in anger.

“Your ability not only has a time limit, but also a cooldown interval. I deliberately dragged things out to test you—do you think everyone rambles as much as you?!”

Mu You locked his arms around Hu Lei, slammed his head down, then flipped backward, kicking Hu Lei into the crowd of inmates and retreating rapidly.

Just now, the spirit in ‘Final Punishment’ had alerted him—when Hu Lei faltered, another murderous intent appeared in the crowd, undisguised.

Mu You had always suspected that dangerous inmates formed alliances; from the start, he wanted to expose any uncertain elements, lest they become a threat.

He had already pinpointed the source with his peripheral vision—on the sixth floor. But it wasn’t the pig-like dangerous inmate; instead, it was a young girl beside him.

She looked two or three years younger than Mu You, with pale yellow cheeks still tender, yet her figure held the charm of a girl eighteen or nineteen, blending innocence and maturity in a way that made her unforgettable.

Her eyes were large and bright, now filled with anxiety, gazing at Mu You with a mix of anger and murderous intent.

Father and daughter?

It seemed Mu You had finally found Hu Lei’s weakness…