My movements became berserk as I lunged between Gu Dusi's legs, pinning him and striking him repeatedly with both fists.
The sudden shift in dominance stunned the entire arena. Even the Dou'an tribe members who had been sneering at me fell silent.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Gu Dusi gasped for air, clearly dazed by my assault. He could only instinctively raise his arms to shield his head, buying himself precious moments to breathe.
Yet, despite his desperate defense, I still managed to break through his guard, landing a few solid blows on his face.
With Gu Dusi utterly unable to retaliate, the bird-beaked shaman, who had been acting as the announcer, suddenly cried out loudly.
"Gu Dusi has been knocked down by Ba Du and is being attacked continuously, unable to fight back!"
The shaman's words were like a stone dropped into a calm pond, instantly igniting the fervor of the watching Dou'an tribe members, who erupted into a massive cheer!
Amidst the deafening roar, my hair suddenly stood on end, as if a ferocious beast had been awakened by the sound!
A tremendous force surged from beneath me, an unreasonable power attempting to flip me over.
I quickly tightened my grip, clamping down on Gu Dusi's body, while simultaneously freeing one hand to viciously pummel his head.
But Gu Dusi suddenly abandoned his defense, taking my blows head-on. He raised his right arm, flicking it upward with lightning speed. His fingers closed, forming a hand blade that sliced through the air in a bizarre arc, striking my shoulder with brutal force.
*Crack!*
I grunted, a faint cracking sound emanating from my shoulder.
My body lurched, half of me going numb and uncontrollable.
Gu Dusi seized the opportunity, pushing off with his legs and instantly breaking free from my grasp. He swung a leg, kicking me flying.
*Cough!*
Clutching my chest with my left hand, I spat out a mouthful of congealed blood.
Damn it, had this Gu Dusi guy swallowed some super-strength pills?!
How did he suddenly become so ferocious!
I rubbed my slowly recovering shoulder and pushed myself up from the ground, facing Gu Dusi.
The sight made me gasp in cold dread.
Gu Dusi's appearance was now terrifying. His left eye, swollen from my blows, was the size of a pigeon's egg, reduced to a mere slit.
But his remaining right eye was even more disturbing. The pupil was entirely gone, replaced by the whites of his eye, as if he had cataracts.
A more horrifying transformation was occurring on his body. His physique had suddenly ballooned, increasing in size by twofold, his height now exceeding two meters thirty!
His rapidly expanding body ripped through his previously well-fitting animal hide clothing, leaving only his lower garment clinging on.
His exposed skin was covered in bulging veins, with thick black lines forming the pattern of a giant deer across Gu Dusi's chest!
Holy hell, this guy transformed!
Seeing Gu Dusi's bizarre change, my heart sank. I suddenly remembered Ada telling me that Gu Dusi had received a blessing from the Shepherd God.
The black lines on Gu Dusi's chest looked increasingly familiar. Then, it hit me. Weren't they the same as the black spider on my own chest!
This realization sparked countless conjectures. Was the black spider on me somehow related to the giant deer on Gu Dusi?
As I pondered this, Gu Dusi finally spoke.
"Ba Du, you are truly remarkable. It's been a long time since I suffered such a loss. If you hadn't killed my brother, I would have hesitated to kill you."
Gu Dusi grinned, as if issuing a hunting declaration.
On the high platform, the bird-beaked shaman seemed re-energized, leaping up and performing a bizarre dance.
"Behold! Great Shepherd God, you have blessed Gu Dusi! The unfortunate Ba Du is about to meet his doom!"
Incited by the shaman, the surrounding Dou'an tribe members let out even more fanatical roars, their cries now mixed with fervent prayers. The death arena had transformed into a grand prayer ceremony!
"Ptooey!"
I forcefully spat the blood from my mouth onto the ground.
"Gu Dusi, who lives and who dies is yet to be determined!"