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Chapter 127: A Single Call to Arms, Answered by Many!
🕑 Added 2024-10-19 08:48:22 +0000 UTC"You're the sixteenth to fall," Lord Tian said.
"The sixteenth?" Zhao Xing was a bit surprised. He had thought he would be among the last few to go down.
"The time difference between the top-tier geniuses is minimal," Lord Tian smiled. "Shi Yong and Zhuang Ziqing only held on for about ten breaths longer than you. Interestingly, Feng Qiu was the last one to fall."
"In the final stages, it’s more about luck," Lord Tian added.
Zhao Xing nodded slightly. By the time it came down to the last few, individual strength was no longer the deciding factor. It was more about who faced the strongest opponents at the end.
As Zhao Xing knew, the top two geniuses from the martial divisions, Xia Jing and Fu Ying, had already reached the late stage of the eighth rank and had mastered techniques surpassing the ninth transformation. If luck was not on his side and he encountered them earlier in the final stages, he might have been knocked out of the top 21.
"The Martial Arts Training will be held every two days," Lord Tian explained. "In between, you can participate in the optional training sessions at the various academies."
"For most people, getting a grade of Upper C is passing."
"But for you," Lord Tian emphasized, "in any optional training, you must at least get an Upper A to be considered passing. As a top-tier talent, you’re required to complete ten optional training sessions per year, and each session must result in an A-grade rating. Anything below that won’t count."
"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded. "I'll take my leave now."
"Go ahead."
On his way back from Fuchun Garden to his residence, the streets were bustling with chatter.
"Man, that was painful! Those martial guys hit way too hard!"
"Yeah, tell me about it! My butt’s all bruised!"
"Are you sure you got hit and didn’t just get stepped on?"
"Looks like you went down early! Who specializes in hitting butts?"
"Xia Jing from the Azure Dragon Martial Division and Fu Ying are too strong. I checked the martial artists' rankings, and they’re ranked first and second."
"Guess how many people they knocked down?"
"How many?"
"Xia Jing took down 1,123 people, and Fu Ying took down 1,085. Between the two of them, they took out over a fifth of the participants!"
"What? That's insane!"
"Yeah, it's crazy. The strength gap is enormous. Just like our Shennong Division division, Shi Yong and Zhuang Ziqing are head and shoulders above the rest. Everyone else is weaker by a large margin."
"I’m not so sure about that. Zhao Xing, who placed third in the fourth test, isn’t weak either."
"Zhao Xing is strong, but I don’t think he’s overwhelmingly so. Maybe someone will surpass him soon."
"Maybe it’s because Zhao Xing is low-key. Over the past two months, I haven’t seen him spar or bet with anyone, whereas Shi Yong has already reached level three in the Nine Sections Arena, and hasn’t lost yet!"
"Zhuang Ziqing has also reached level three. He even beat a 'Commanding Officer' from the Zhenhai Army in the arena—a military officer who commands several hundred people!"
"That’s true. I’ve also heard that Feng Qiu, Guan Junyang, and Cao Shuang are performing well in the Nine Sections Arena, but I haven’t heard much about Zhao Xing."
“…”
"I have such a wide gap with Shi Yong and Zhuang Ziqing?"
Zhao Xing overheard the conversations drifting in the wind.
It had been two months since entering the Ten Suns Cave Heaven. Apart from mandatory training or essential shopping trips, he rarely visited public areas and engaged even less in social interactions. Only Han Bing had seen him a few times, making Zhao Xing rather low-profile.
"Although I may have some gap with Shi Yong and Zhuang Ziqing, it’s not to the extent of a vast gulf, right? Is it because of the Nine Sections Arena results?" Zhao Xing pondered.
'The Nine Sections Military Shennong' specialize in military strategies and battles.
The Nine Sections Arena is a feature of the military world, where anyone can challenge other military Shennong for duels and tests.
In these two months since entering the Ten Suns Cave Heaven, Zhao Xing had focused solely on training, avoiding distractions like the arena to bet or earn points.
"It seems that’s why people think there’s a huge gap between me and others."
"But I’ve only recently started training in the three major secret techniques. I haven’t even begun to comprehend the Seasonal Qi Diagram, so there’s no rush to enter the Nine Sections Arena," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
He had his own plans and wouldn’t be swayed by outside opinions.
"This month, I’ll first focus on the Martial Arts Training, and I’ll also take on a few optional training sessions."
Zhao Xing wasn’t in a hurry to start optional training. The most crucial thing right now was the Martial Arts Training. If he fell out of the top 21 three times in a row, he would be demoted.
This time, he ranked sixteenth, just five places away from falling out.
Lord Tian had said that the final stages involved some luck, but he also mentioned that Zhuang Ziqing and Shi Yong held on for ten more breaths than Zhao Xing!
"Kui Niu Thunder Roar and Folded Sound both still have room for improvement."
"Training the Yin-Yang Self Sutra must also continue," Zhao Xing reflected. "In the final stages, my Kui Niu Thunder Roar started to distort. The main issue was that my energy consumption was too high, and I was injured, which allowed Xia Jing to approach me so easily."
"If I had been at my peak and let out a roar, even Xia Jing and Fu Ying couldn’t have knocked me down so easily."
"Once my strength increases, I can last longer in the final stages."
"After a few rounds, those martial geniuses will realize I’m tough to deal with and will naturally choose to attack others first." Zhao Xing calculated. "Luck does play a part, but strength influences who becomes a target."
The Martial Arts Training began on May 7.
After each session, there were two days of rest, during which the Shennong participants could engage in Optional Training. Each academy—Tian Shi Academy, Di Li Academy, Taicang Academy, Pinghuai Academy, and other smaller divisions—offered training challenges for the Shennong to attempt.
However, Zhao Xing didn’t immediately pick a challenge, sticking to his planned course of action.
On May 10th, at the southwest training field.
"Attack!"
"Break their ranks!"
"Shennong brothers, are you ready to face the wrath of my fists?!"
"Hmph, I barely even hit you, and you're already down."
Once again, it was a chaotic battlefield.
Zhao Xing, from the start, used Folded Sound to break through the weak points in the martial artists’ formation. He then moved through the field, proactively eliminating other martial artists and guiding more Shennong to rally behind him.
In the mid-to-late stages, as the energy became increasingly chaotic, Zhao Xing still moved freely.
"Zhao Xing! Fight me one-on-one!"
As he moved, a furious shout reached his ears.
It was Chen Fang from the Azure Dragon Martial Division.
After Zhao Xing had knocked him out in the last session, Chen Fang’s ranking plummeted, and he was reprimanded by his teacher for being careless. Fueled by resentment, Chen Fang had gathered his fellow victims, Hu Bing and Dan Fei from the Black Tortoise Division, to challenge Zhao Xing and settle the score.
"There's no need for honor when dealing with these martial brutes! Everyone, charge together!" Zhao Xing rallied the Shennong around him to rush at Chen Fang.
"What? Cowardly!" Chen Fang, Hu Bing, and Dan Fei, seeing the crowd rushing at them, immediately turned tail and fled.
They weren’t fools. If Zhao Xing had accepted their challenge, they would have ganged up on him. But seeing him with so many people, they quickly ran off.
"Hmph, you’re too green to outwit a military Shennong," Zhao Xing scoffed, not bothering to chase them and continuing to roam the battlefield.
A few hours later.
Once again, the Shennong forces were defeated, but with the lessons from the first training session, they held out for a full hour longer.
This time, Zhao Xing was the fourteenth to fall, knocked down by Fu Ying from the Azure Dragon Martial Division. He still ended up with a black eye.
By May 13, the Shennong's coordination was significantly improving. Zhao Xing, Zhuang Ziqing, Shi Yong, Feng Qiu, Meng Song, Jiang Tianming, and Guan Junyang had all begun consciously organizing the troops. These capable leaders, coupled with their numerical advantage, had a noticeable impact.
However, due to the close proximity and cramped space, the Shennong side still suffered a heavy defeat.
This time, Zhao Xing was the nineteenth to fall, taken down by Huang Qingshan of the White Tiger Division, breaking four ribs in the process.
On May 14, Zhao Xing's Folded Sound·Sound Blade and Folded Sound·Sound Thorn broke through to the ninth transformation.
On May 15, Kui Niu Thunder Roar reached the sixth transformation.
By May 16, with his improved strength and better cooperation from the Shennong side, Zhao Xing was still not an easy target. As a result, he managed to last until only ten people were left, before being finally knocked out by Xia Jing of the Azure Dragon Martial Division.
This time, he was the ninth to fall.
On May 17th.
"Da-da-da~" Gao Ming rode his bamboo horse to the gate of Zhao Xing’s residence at the Eighteen Willows Courtyard.
"Zhao Xing, your delivery is here. I left it at your door!"
"Got it."
Zhao Xing, with bandages still on his forehead, appeared at the gate and brought the box inside.
"I spent 4,000 points a few days ago, and today I spent another 2,000 points on lung gold elixir. Now I’ve used up all my points."
"Hopefully, this time, Kui Niu Thunder Roar will break through."
"Damn those martial brutes, they better watch out."
Rubbing his head, Zhao Xing quickly carried the box into the courtyard.
From inside the house, the sound of roaring could be heard again.
By May 18, with the help of lung gold elixir, Zhao Xing could now practice his sound-based martial arts almost continuously. After ten days and 6,000 points worth of intense practice, Kui Niu Thunder Roar finally broke through to the seventh transformation!
With this breakthrough, both of his ninth-transformation Folded Sound techniques had also improved significantly.
On May 19, the Martial Arts Training began once again at the southwest training field.
This time, right at the start of the battle, Zhao Xing used his Kui Niu Thunder Roar to shout:
"Anyone with a seventh transformation technique, rally around me!"
"This time, we’re taking down the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Divisions first!"
"This time, it’s not about rankings—it’s about revenge!"
Han Bing was the first to respond, "I’m in!"
Zhuang Ziqing followed closely, "Count me in!"
Cao Shuang and Jiang Tianming hesitated for a moment but then joined as well.
With five top-tier geniuses from the Di Li Academy leading the charge, the Shennong forces quickly rallied around them.
After being beaten black and blue over the past few days, the Shennong participants were all seething with anger.
Zhao Xing’s rallying cry was simple but struck a chord: this wasn’t about rankings, but revenge! It instantly ignited the passion of the Shennong fighters.
Even some of the middle-tier participants thought, "If the top-tier guys aren’t worried about rankings, why should I be?"
"Charge!"
"I’m in too!"
"Let’s crush them!"
"Take down those brute martial artists!"
Zhao Xing's single call to arms quickly gathered a large-scale response.
It wasn’t just Di Li Academy—participants from Taicang Academy, Pinghuai Academy, and Tian Shi Academy also began to join in.
Shi Yong from Tian Shi Academy cast a surprised glance at Zhao Xing.
After a moment’s thought, he joined in as well.
And so, on May 19, an unprecedented scene unfolded during the Martial Arts Training.
The Shennong division organized a powerful offensive.
Led by Zhao Xing, Zhuang Ziqing, Han Bing, and others, nearly a hundred top-tier geniuses formed a spearhead and launched an all-out charge against the martial artists!
"What’s going on with these Shennong? They’re not running?" At the back of the martial formation, Zhang Jie was surprised to see the charging Shennong.
"Usually, they just hunker down and resist, and only a few charge. Why are so many of them charging today?" Chen Fang was equally puzzled.
The martial artists had arranged their formation with their strongest fighters in the rear, the exact opposite of how the Shennong were positioned.
"They’ve been pushed too far," Hu Bing sneered. "But what can they do about it?"
"Something feels off," Dan Fei said, jumping up to get a better view. When he landed, his face was full of shock. "Uh-oh, something’s really different this time."
Up in the sky, aboard the tower ship.
"Good! Good boy!" Lu Bang slammed his hand on the table in excitement. "I’ve been waiting for this!"
"This move of his has really stirred up the Shennong, bringing out their fighting spirit," Zuo Zizhi commented. "Lord Tian, did you know he was going to do this today?"
"I had no idea," Lord Tian shook his head. "He didn’t say anything."
"Not about rankings, just revenge? This Zhao Xing is quite the organizer," Fang Wu remarked, his eyes glinting. "If he had called out something else, the others might not have trusted him. But this phrase—it’s incredibly compelling."
Fan Zhaoli smiled. "With just a little incitement, he’s rallied the majority of the Shennong, even Shi Yong joined in."
Fang Wu added, "It would have been disappointing if he hadn’t joined. If Shi Yong didn’t join in at a time like this, I would’ve given him a low score. How much impact can a lone fighter have? How could he lead an army?"
"No matter how high his arena rank is, it’s meaningless. Fortunately, he followed this time."
Fan Zhaoli asked, "Fang General, do you think the Shennong have a chance to win this time?"
Fang Wu shook his head. "Honestly, no. The gap can’t be closed by sheer willpower. But this will definitely create chaos. Zhao Xing is going after the top martial geniuses, and I suspect the rankings will shift significantly for the martial artists this time."
Zhao Xing’s call was limited to the Shennong division.
The martial artists had no idea what their plan was, including the top geniuses from the four martial divisions.
The martial formation had been arranged from weakest to strongest, so the front lines were unable to withstand the charge from the elite Shennong spearhead that Zhao Xing had organized.
"Roar!"
The Kui Niu Thunder Roar reverberated, dimming the sun and moon. Zhao Xing was at the forefront.
Behind him, the shadow of a Kui Niu appeared, roaring towards the heavens.
The shockwave spread across the front ranks of the martial artists, causing over a thousand of them to feel a deep sense of dread, as if disaster were imminent.
This roar wasn’t intended to knock people out; it was to create chaos.
Seventy percent of those in the front lines experienced temporary blindness and deafness.
In a sudden panic, the martial artists, usually brave and fierce, turned and fled.
Their retreat caused a massive obstruction for the top-tier martial geniuses in the back.
"Don’t run!"
"Idiots, what are you afraid of?"
"Are you insane? I’m a martial artist! Why are you attacking me?!"
"Mountain Crashing Fist! Get out of my way… Damn it!"
"…"
Chaos, pure chaos.
The Shennong's unexpected and organized assault, combined with Zhao Xing’s Kui Niu Thunder Roar, yielded extraordinary results.
As they closed in, a large number of martial artists were quickly eliminated.
Half of those eliminated were due to the martial artists’ own disarray, trampling and attacking each other in confusion.
Zhang Jie—eliminated! Chen Fang—eliminated! Hu Bing—eliminated! Dan Fei—eliminated! Lu Dong—eliminated! …
At that moment, the four martial divisions saw large-scale eliminations, primarily due to the elite Shennong spearhead led by Zhao Xing, Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, Jiang Tianming, Meng Song, and Cao Shuang. They pierced through the martial formation like a sharpened blade.
With the martial artists in disarray, except for a handful of top-tier geniuses, the rest saw their strength greatly reduced, becoming little more than easy targets.
Meanwhile, the Shennong spearhead was composed entirely of elite fighters!
"You’ve got to be kidding!" Chen Min, watching from the tower ship, was taken aback. "How did it fall apart so quickly?"
"What’s going on? Why are they collapsing so fast?" Another martial instructor grabbed the railing, staring intently at the battlefield.
"Zhao Xing’s Kui Niu Thunder Roar is way too powerful! How did seventy percent of the martial artists get affected?"
"What a terrifying Kui Niu Thunder Roar. It’s definitely reached the seventh transformation!"
"Kui Niu Thunder Roar is so difficult to master, and he’s already at the seventh transformation? I remember last time he was only at the fifth transformation."
"So cunning! He could have easily knocked out the front lines, but instead, he chose to disorient them, causing panic and making the martial artists turn on each other."
"How shameful…"
It was astonishing. Zhao Xing had unleashed a seventh-transformation Kui Niu Thunder Roar!
Not only were the martial instructors shocked, but even the experts from the Shennong division were taken aback.
"A seventh-transformation Kui Niu Thunder Roar? Could they actually win this time?" Ge Jingsong muttered to himself. "He only became an official after passing the scribe exam. There’s no way he knew it before. So he mastered it to the seventh transformation in just two months… His talent in martial arts is that high?"
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