Chapter 162: Ancient Wilderness Trial, the Genius Who Reverse-Slays Specialized Professionals!

Next, Qin Shi and Tan Cong engaged in opposition training; he set down that Perfect Grade Electric Shock Military Saber and exchanged it for an identical wooden saber.

"Wield the short to enter the long, in a flash moving vertically and horizontally!"

Tan Cong opened with the "Compel Character Formula," slashing continuously in one smooth flow, the airflow seemingly split apart and rolling back to both sides.

Over a dozen attacks linked tightly together; powerful wind pressure like a copper wall and iron wall squeezed heavily toward Qin Shi!

Just now while listening to the lecture, Qin Shi had already noticed Tan Cong's saber grip posture and the footwork beneath his feet.

He learned it very similarly, firmly remembering the profundity of "kill the man, not the saber"; true killing moves always target the human body's vital points as the main focus, blade clashing against blade is merely the process.

Thus, Qin Shi's eyes narrowed slightly, both hands gripping the hilt tightly, suddenly holding the saber horizontally in front, assuming a parrying stance, as if wanting to hold out until Tan Cong's strength was exhausted, seeking a flaw and opportunity.

Tan Cong's saber body grew faster with each strike, heavier with each strike; the pa-pa sounds of wooden sabers colliding reverberated in the training room, causing Wei Zheguang watching from below the platform to hold his breath and focus intently.

When the offensive reached the tenth strike, who would have expected that Qin Shi, who had been retreating step by step, his combat space compressed, suddenly circulated Qi Jin, his saber body shaking once to vibrate away Tan Cong's descending chop.

Immediately following, he rotated his wrist to unload the force, borrowing the momentum to thrust forward!

This change of move came suddenly; the wooden saber in Tan Cong's hand was involuntarily knocked askew, Qi Jin surging through the saber body into him, as if a struck tuning fork trembling violently, nearly slipping from his control.

"Listening to Blade Power!"

Tan Cong's facial color changed slightly; Qin Shi had used the "Change Character Formula," using the mutual collision of saber bodies to familiarize himself with the opponent's force emission changes, like stroking qin strings to recognize the tune by sound, perceiving the direction of force pouring in, thereby countering.

He never in a million years expected Qin Shi's learning ability to be this monstrous; at first exchange he was already employing it proficiently.

Tsk!

The saber tip tore through the air, stabbing toward the throat!

Tan Cong's skin tightened slightly; worthy of a saber grandmaster, he abruptly stomped his foot on the ground, letting out a furious roar.

The atmosphere was shaken, as if igniting a bomb, exploding with a thunderous boom!

At that same instant, his wrist deadlocked, the saber tip at an even faster speed, slanting to slice at Qin Shi's knees!

This is the "Roar Slash" within the "Deceit Character Formula"!

Distract the enemy, delay the offensive, then directly attack the lower body!

Even though Qin Shi's Spiritual Field Power was exceptionally powerful, he was still shaken by Tan Cong's all-out "Lion's Roar," his eardrums unconsciously bulging, the saber momentum he was delivering forward also slowing by a hair.

However, his spirit entered samadhi, body and spirit merging in darkness, grasping his Mortal Body, and did not let Tan Cong succeed; footsteps retreating, wooden saber returning to defense, flicking away the slanting slicing saber strike!

In just a few moves, the two traded blows back and forth, displaying the exquisite use of the Four Saber Momentum Formulas to the fullest.

"Not bad, not bad! The Old Era martial arts world spreads a saying: the saber is courage, steps are the soul. As the saying goes, living steps are the gate of life and death!"

Tan Cong, his offensive broken, retreated two steps backward to open distance, then looked on with praise in his eyes.

"Xiao Qin, you must remember, saber technique is not in the hands, but in the waist and legs. Your 'advance' and 'retreat' just now were grasped very appropriately.

Again! This time, we contest strength!"

Tan Cong steadied his body, both hands gripping the saber vertically before his chest; he personally demonstrated a three-step linked chopping slash, this time the saber swings slow but the steps heavy and fierce, bringing up a viscous and surging airflow wind pressure!

This is the "Stacked Waves Advancing Strike" playstyle, emphasizing using momentum to pressure people, subduing the opponent from the front!

Qin Shi also did not fear; he used small quick steps to advance rapidly, the wooden saber like an iron anvil hammer striking, swinging out fiercely!

Force four to five gale winds swept as if rolling, rushing toward Tan Cong!

"Terrifying! Truly... terrifying beyond words!"

Wei Zheguang left the platform vicinity, consciously retreating farther.

The residual waves of these two sparring were truly too fierce; even though it was only wooden sabers colliding, they emitted the clangorous sound of gold and iron intersecting.

Especially the rolling saber momentum that departed from the normal technical category, moving with their bodies, directly resembling roaring furious dragons tearing and biting each other.

The wooden saber is claws and teeth, bearing the responsibility of offense; the Mortal Body is the dragon body, maintaining the changes of maneuvering.

"Instructor Tan is indeed terrifying! Normally we never see him practicing saber every day, didn't expect him to be this fierce!"

Colleagues from the Action Division echoed from the side.

"I say Qin Ge! He only just got his hands on it! What's the difference between this and playing a game for the first time, then solo lane undefeated, team fight pentakill, going even with a peak King rank player!"

Wei Zheguang seemed to have a toothache, rubbing his cheek.

This bunch of perverted geniuses is too despair-inducing; outrageous numbers and intensity, giving ordinary players zero experience!

If possible, he strongly suggests the designer nerf them!

"Qin Shi ma... the guest participates at Top Hundred competition standard, being a bit stronger is reasonable."

The Action Division colleagues weren't that surprised; unlike Wei Zheguang, they had seen Qin Shi's developmental period, understood that kind of inconceivable cultivation speed and combat power performance, so their mentality was comparatively calmer.

"Lao Wei, what place do you think he can get? I've inquired; Hengzhou Martial Association is spending heavily this time, rewards are very generous; if not for age being past, I'd want to try my luck too!"

Wei Zheguang poured cold water:

"Stop dreaming! Those in the Golden Age stage, Qi Life Force eighty or ninety, monsters! Each one strikes more ruthlessly and heavily than the last; whether you can even make top hundred by signing up is hard to say! Happily acquiring half-body paralysis bedridden is quite possible!

Moreover, according to reliable news, this Top Hundred competition isn't the usual platform battle; Hengzhou Martial Association after discussion has restarted the 'Wilderness Trial' popular a thousand years ago."

The Action Division colleague clicked his tongue, putting a group of genius youths who had who knows how much money and resources poured into them, into the wilderness outside the Urban Circle.

The Martial Association is truly conscience-less and mad!

In the past when Old Martial Arts factions flourished, the Wilderness Trial was almost a quality inspection device for testing true geniuses.

Famous for low survival rate, high cruelty.

Later emergency halted by the Martial Arts Association Headquarters, reason being insufficient humanitarianism, and too easy to cause casualties.

"Wilderness Trial, tsk tsk, the Martial Arts General Association approved it? If true, this Top Hundred competition gimmick is indeed enough! Might even have Tomorrow Media send people over to negotiate exclusive broadcast rights with us!"

The Action Division colleague exclaimed.

The Wilderness Trial is essentially a miniature version of the Star Cup.

The latter's event arrangements are multifarious, absolutely not simple platform martial contests.

From all aspects, they will squeeze the Mortal Body limits of the Martial Path.

"Ho! Lao Wei look, victory and defeat have been decided! Instructor Tan seems not to have gained any advantage!"

Wei Zheguang looked toward the arena; with a crack, both wooden sabers snapped, and two blurs of figures, like mercury spilling across the ground, separately retreated to the corners.

"The younger generation is formidable! Your talent in weapons is no lower than your cultivation aptitude!"

Tan Cong lowered his head, looking at the saber hilt in his grip; just now he had sparred with Qin Shi, performing at roughly seventy to eighty percent of his usual level, yet still could not take the opponent down.

"Tan Ge flatters me; mainly you teach well, explaining things especially thoroughly."

Qin Shi said modestly.

Through sparring with Tan Cong, he raised the proficiency of the Four Secrets of Saber Momentum, already able to apply them flexibly and switch between them freely.

Combat experience advanced a step further!

"With a student like you, it's hard to be a bad teacher. Learning one thing and inferring three, drawing analogies — Nanhuang Dojo picking you up truly picked up a treasure."

Tan Cong tossed aside the broken wooden saber and laughed heartily.

He walked off the arena, bringing Qin Shi out of the training room, and stopped in front of an automated vending machine to buy two bottles of energy drink.

"Here, training this long is tiring too, right? Replenish some fluids."

Tan Cong twisted off the cap, tilted his head back and glug-glug-glug; the refreshing coolness made him let out a long breath, then he said:

"The official event of the Hundred Strong Tournament might be the Wilderness Trial. This thing has been abandoned for a long time, Xiao Qin, you'd best learn more relevant information.

In the past, Old Martial Arts factions had too many grievances and entanglements; quite a few crafty old geezers who loved schemes and dirty tricks used the Wilderness Trial to ambush other factions' promising seedlings, causing vicious bloodshed incidents."

Qin Shi's heart tightened; Lao Zhang and Lao Liang were both Old Martial Arts, and as a successor of both Hong Sheng and Nanhuang lines, he had naturally heard of a few past events.

Back then in Hengzhou, there were only ten dojos total, martial spirit flourishing, a mixed bag of dragons and snakes, not lacking in malicious, talent-envying old fogeys.

They privately colluded and sent large batches of dojo disciples into the Wilderness Trial, equivalent to grouping up for a dungeon run.

When they encountered lone fighters without famous sect backing, they joined forces to eliminate them; when they met strong enemies, they escorted their own — it came down to who had more people and greater momentum.

Over time, trial rewards were monopolized by dojos; others had no hope at all. Only after the Martial Arts Association Headquarters launched several rounds of purge and rectification did this situation ease somewhat.

As for why Hengzhou now has only Lao Zhang's Nanhuang Dojo, with none of the former Ten Great Dojos remaining.

The reason is simple: a thousand years ago Hengzhou produced a Tiwu ruthless figure; by some means he gained the favor of a certain Divine Spirit Pillar, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, setting the terrifying record of reaching Grandmaster in twenty years.

Afterwards he wiped out all Ten Great Dojos, slaughtering them to the last man and beast!

This case shocked Dongxia, prompting the Security Bureau and the Martial Arts Association Headquarters Chairman to personally intervene, eliminating the near-insane, completely depraved Tiwu ruthless figure.

To some extent, this case strengthened Dongxia's resolve to promote New Martial Arts.

"Old Martial Arts aren't all good goods either; there are too many outdated conventions and bad habits in that circle."

Qin Shi nodded in agreement, not blindly supporting them just because he himself was Old Martial Arts.

"Following past convention, they'll likely still pick a few heavily contaminated zones and drop you lot in — anyway, with that Divine Weapon, your self-preservation ability is absolutely maxed out."

Tan Cong wasn't too worried about Qin Shi; this kid's learning ability defied heaven, cultivation speed monstrous — even thrown into a chaotic battlefield, he wouldn't lose to anyone.

"Many thanks, Tan Ge; thanks for the hard work today."

Qin Shi didn't speak; having reviewed the strong-contender materials Lin Yunqing had gathered, he still felt a few degrees of nervousness.

Geniuses, this thing — just like crucian carp crossing the river, never in short supply.

Currently he could at most dominate the same-age tier of the Taian Metropolitan Area, but expanded to Hengzhou as an Administrative Star, he wouldn't dare claim peerless supremacy.

"Anyway I'm optimistic about you, kid! Make our Patrol Department proud! I've long found those guys in Central City an eyesore!"

Tan Cong slapped Qin Shi's shoulder hard, showing closeness, then sighed:

"Anything you don't understand, feel free to come ask later; these still-first-rate skills of mine, I really don't want to take into the coffin."

"Okay, Tan Ge mustn't mind if I'm annoying, mind if I'm slow."

Qin Shi smiled bashfully, thinking he'd later integrate a few killing moves from Lao Tan into a coherent whole.

Striving to unlock "Eternal Calamity Stance"!

……

……

Central City Gymnasium, Zhou Yuanchen with neat short hair and hands in pockets, answered the terminal's incoming call.

"Ying Clan? Looking for me? Let them wait."

Zhou Yuanchen shook his head, looking at the coach dispatched by the Education Bureau:

"I need to finish the last match, then focus entirely on the Hundred Strong Tournament."

Finished speaking, he hung up, set down the terminal in his hand, and strode toward the tall figure standing in the center.

"Yuanchen, are you sure you want me to use full strength?"

The tall figure was muscular and robust, exuding a heavy aura like a mountain peak.

The dedicated professional level's one hundred points of Qi Life Force had long since made that Life Seed sprout, transforming into a condensed, rich-vitality Life Crystal.

This allowed flesh and blood to approach energy-state; no matter what fatal injury was received, survival chance was guaranteed, and one could also briefly overdraft Qi Life Force to exchange for an explosion exceeding the body's load.

Therefore, a truly massive chasm exists between Amateur Level and Professional Level.

In the description of Dongxia's Highest Research Center, it is "mismatch on the level of life, leading to a gap in individual strength."

"I want to try, Teacher Song."

Zhou Yuanchen's attitude was sincere; he took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Hengzhou Hundred Strong Tournament — my goal is Champion, then assault the Star Cup. To ensure the champion reward lands in my pocket, I must possess Professional Level combat power; only then is it nine out of ten certain.

Even if I can't beat Teacher Song, I want to know exactly how big the gap is. So I hope Teacher Song, you absolutely must not hold back!"

The tall, exceptionally muscular Teacher Song considered a moment, then said:

"One punch! If you can block my full-power punch! That'll be enough to crush your Hundred Strong Tournament competitors!"

"Good!"

Zhou Yuanchen agreed.

He knew Teacher Song's strength well — high body development degree, persistent training of muscle groups, guaranteeing one hundred percent force output.

If he were in Bofa Zhaungtai, Song Laoshi, as a professional-level fighter, could destroy half a soccer field without any problem.

"Come on, Song Laoshi."

Zhou Yuanchen adjusted his breathing; his Bai Gu hummed, and wisps of extreme cold Qi Life Force drifted from his open pores, freezing the grass beneath his feet into layers of white frost, almost showing cracks like an ice surface.

His Qi Life Force was pushed to the extreme, causing the temperature within over ten meters around him to drop rapidly, while a pale blue cold light drifted, swirling around his palm.

"Almost reaching the Hundred Point Threshold!"

Song Laoshi narrowed his eyes and said appreciatively.

Suddenly, his figure blurred.

In a flash, the powerful body of a professional-level fighter tore through the air, and as he moved, he almost carved a human-shaped passage resembling a vacuum state.

Bang!

A conical Air Wave surged, pushing Song Laoshi's fist as it smashed toward Zhou Yuanchen!

Surprisingly, the latter also raised his fist to counterattack.

"How can an Amateur Level fighter clash head-on with a professional level..."

Confusion arose in Song Laoshi's mind, but everything was too fast; under full force, his fist seemed to emit a Mach Exchange, whipping up a violent storm that scraped chunks of turf into the air, with soil and debris spinning wildly!

Boom!

The violent collision like a battering ram made the gymnasium resound with deafening Roars!

The two erupted into Sanshe Bopo, like an invisible hand smoothing the turbulence.

An expression of unbelievable Shock appeared in Song Laoshi's eyes; he felt an unparalleled violent force traveling along his knuckles, madly tearing at muscle fibers as tough as Alloy Silk Threads.

"Yuanchen, have you broken through to professional level?"

Song Laoshi asked in astonishment.

"Not yet, but soon."

Zhou Yuanchen directly received the fierce attack of a professional level; the turf beneath his feet was shaken up, then collapsed, forming a shocking bowl-shaped pit.

He estimated Song Laoshi's force and roughly knew where he stood.

He thought to himself:

"With my Seventeen Billion Debt Accumulation, it is enough to complete the Nixi from Amateur Level to professional level! Plus 'Tenfold Borrowing King Fist' as my trump card Shaoshou Jian! In this Top Hundred competition, the championship is mine!"

Chapter End