Chapter 126: I Have More Faith in Zhao Xing

"Puchi~" Zhao Xing pulled the Hundred Flowers Hat off a martial artist's abdomen, then quickly clipped it to his arm and scanned his surroundings.

As standard equipment for a Si Nong, the Hundred Flowers Hat not only amplifies the Heaven's Timing Sect's spells—its material itself is extremely hard.

The edge is very sharp; it can be used as a weapon, thrown to slash enemies.

It can also serve as a shield; its convex surface is smooth, making it easy to disperse the force of a slash.

"Half the people on the training ground are gone, and the Yuan Qi is in utter chaos."

After taking down those around him, Zhao Xing took a moment to observe the state of the match.

When Yuan Qi reaches utter chaos, it causes one consequence: most people can't release their Wu Ji, or if they do release them, they warp.

Because the Wu Ji of ranked martial artists are basically outward-projecting Yuan Qi techniques, not purely close-quarters brawling.

"With Yuan Qi in chaos, only experts can still maintain a fast takedown efficiency in this kind of situation."

"Most martial artists also have to get in close to brawl before they can take down the Si Nong."

Zhao Xing watched not far away as a burly martial artist executed a fist technique and drove back two Si Nong, but because the Yuan Qi had become chaotic... he didn't knock these two down, only drove them back.

With no choice, he could only keep pressing in close.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!"

Punch after punch—ten punches in all—before he finally knocked the two Si Nong to the ground, completely out of the fight.

"The martial artists' takedown efficiency drops, which for the Si Nong is actually a form of torment." Zhao Xing watched and felt a twinge of sympathy.

One must remember that the Si Nong's physical resistance isn't weak either, and they're wearing straw raincoats and hats... being beaten unconscious with bare fists, pummeled until they can't resist—it's simply torture!

"It's a complete workout for the Si Nong's ability to take hits. Under this kind of high-intensity training, their body coordination, reaction speed, coordination, and Wu Ji will all improve dramatically."

"Take enough beatings, and naturally you learn how to protect yourself on the battlefield."

Zhao Xing's lips trembled slightly; a sound spike pierced through that martial artist's knee, taking down the very martial artist who had downed two Si Nong.

"That's twenty-five now. Too bad Si Nong don't count toward the takedown tally—only who can hold out till the end matters." Zhao Xing isn't the type to sit back and take hits.

He's always been one to strike first; in his past life fighting team battles, he was never one to follow the usual path.

Breaking out in any direction is still breaking out—"When two meet on a narrow road, the brave wins" has always been Zhao Xing's creed!

"Hm?" Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Xing suddenly spotted three martial artists closing in.

"Qi and blood like mercury, bronze skin and iron bones—these three are very strong."

"At the very least, they're genius martial artists from one of the Four Great Martial Divisions."

Though he couldn't use spells, Zhao Xing's perception remained sharp; the flow of the wind let him sense these three's vague strength.

Zhao Xing had been cutting a swath through the field, taking out dozens of martial artists in turn, and finally drew the attention of the Martial Division's geniuses.

Some geniuses just want to test themselves against the toughest challenge—clearly there were weaker Si Nong nearby, yet these three insisted on taking Zhao Xing out first.

"Take my Armor-Breaking Fist!" Chen Fang's qi and blood surged; he shot out like a cheetah, his fist wind fierce, forming a bayonet in front of his fist.

Being able to still project Yuan Qi outward and stably execute Wu Ji amid such chaotic Yuan Qi fluctuations—Chen Fang was unquestionably an expert.

But just as his punch was about to land on Zhao Xing—

"Roar!"

Zhao Xing bent his legs slightly, then suddenly opened his mouth and let out a roar.

Chen Fang felt his entire body trembling; the bronze-colored layer on his surface faded in an instant. His qi and blood boiled within, and even his iron bones let out a teeth-grinding sound.

When even his body was affected like this, there was no need to mention his Wu Ji—they simply collapsed.

Zhao Xing seized Chen Fang's hand, then smoothly stepped back, leaving Chen Fang suspended horizontally in mid-air.

"Bam!"

A knee strike sent Chen Fang flying.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh!"

Three sound spikes instantly pierced his lower abdomen; the tremendous impact sent Chen Fang crashing out.

"Roar!"

Zhao Xing precisely controlled the sound wave—this time aiming for the heads of the other two.

Hu Bing and Shan Fei had originally planned to come steal the kill, just one step behind Chen Fang.

Their reactions were extremely fast; seeing Chen Fang sent flying, they immediately pulled back their force and shifted from offense to defense, a layer of bright yellow bronze rapidly spreading across their entire bodies.

This was a martial artist's body-protection Wu Ji; practiced past the seventh revolution, the bronze light envelops the whole body like a golden bell, achieving invulnerability to blades and spears—a Wu Ji that can only be executed after achieving Bronze Skin and Iron Bones.

But when the color spread to their necks, it was as if it hit a wall.

The Kui Niu Thunder Roar was timed perfectly, just barely interrupting the two's Jin Zhong body protection.

Hu Bing and Shan Fei's eyeballs trembled violently, blood actually spilling from them, and their vision instantly went black.

Kui Niu Thunder Roar—sun and moon lose their light.

The two truly lost their sight, and their hearing failed them too!

"Bang bang!"

Hu Bing and Shan Fei were also kicked flying by Zhao Xing, then pinned to the ground with sound spikes.

Their injuries were too severe; they were immediately pulled off the training ground by the strong watchers outside, and physicians swiftly began treatment.

"Chen Fang?!"

"Hu Bing, Shan Fei?!"

"Th-this this this..." After dodging aside, Zhang Jie stared at the three fallen and was utterly shocked. "This is a Si Nong? Who on earth is he? How can he be this brutal?!"

Zhang Jie looked up and met Zhao Xing's gaze head-on.

Swept by that gaze, Zhang Jie's scalp tightened, as if his heart had been seized by someone.

"Danger, extreme danger!"

Every inch of Zhang Jie's skin, every bit of his flesh and blood resisted; instinct made Zhang Jie want to flee from this man's line of sight.

Fortunately, the other party didn't charge over; they only left after confirming that Chen Fang, Hu Bing, and Shan Fei were incapable of fighting back.

"Thump~ thump~"

"Ha~ hiss-ha~"

After Zhao Xing turned around, Zhang Jie suddenly let out a breath of relief, and his heart began pounding violently.

"Terrifying, absolutely terrifying. I felt like I was being stared down by an ancient fierce beast."

"Too brutal. He could actually take down three Martial Division geniuses in an instant."

Zhang Jie had just been thinking this training session was a breeze. After easily taking down thirty-nine Agricultural Officials, he even felt this mandatory training would have no training effect at all.

But now, he no longer thought that way at all!

"What kind of Agricultural Official is this? You'd convince me if you said he was a genius of the Azure Dragon Martial Division…"

Zhang Jie strode away. He put away his contempt and turned to leave.

But just at this moment…

A blurry spherical shape suddenly appeared in the air behind him.

"Bam!"

A tremendous force sent Zhang Jie flying directly, launching him out of the training ground in a dog-crawl posture.

"Shit, there's still an expert…"

Zhang Jie's back was a bloody mess, and he immediately passed out.

"Good lad, hahaha, well struck!" Lu Bang saw this scene and immediately burst into laughter. "He even practiced Kui Ox Thunder Roar. Even people from the Four Great Martial Divisions, he took down a few of them."

"His three sound-wave martial techniques are all formidable." Zuo Zizhi nodded. "Previously when fighting ordinary martial artists, he couldn't be forced to use his Kui Ox Thunder Roar. Just the two 【Refracted Sound Curved Form】 types were enough. Tian Hou, you said he learned it within one month? He hadn't practiced it before?"

"He was a clerk who got converted to full status. The moment he was converted, he was selected and transferred over." Tian Shan said, "When would he have had time to learn martial techniques? In the fifteenth year of Jingxin, he hadn't even been ranked yet."

"Truly a heaven-blessed talent." Zuo Zizhi sighed. "To cultivate sound-wave martial techniques to such a height."

"What the Military Agricultural Division needs is exactly this kind of all-rounder." Lu Bang praised without stint, "Without using spells, he still possesses remarkable combat power, and won't become a drag on others."

"Tian Hou, you picked up a treasure this time." Zuo Zizhi laughed, "The Heavenly Timing Institute missed out on such a good seedling, and you scooped up the bargain."

"Can't really say the Heavenly Timing Institute misjudged." Tian Shan said with a smile, glancing at Ge Jinsong not far away, "Don't praise Zhao Xing too highly."

Ge Jinsong's mouth twitched.

"Too careless." On the tower ship, Zhang Jie's training instructor 'Chen Min' couldn't help but shake his head, "Thinking that with the Black Tortoise Shield protecting his body everything was fine, watching the front but not the rear, he didn't even know someone was sneaking up on him from behind."

Chen Min, a martial instructor of the Black Tortoise Division, had been keeping an eye on the few students he was in charge of, and Zhang Jie was one of them.

Zhao Xing shifted his gaze because he saw Zhuang Ziqing perform the Yin Xun Nine Explosions, so he didn't make another move.

He merely stared at Zhang Jie for an instant, and instantly drew Zhang Jie's full attention.

Because he had just performed the Kui Ox Thunder Roar, he carried a unique aura about him.

"Brother Chen, don't be so harsh." Another martial instructor beside him said, "That kid is no normal Agricultural Official. It's perfectly normal to fall at their hands."

"What Brother Wu says is right. Those two from the Agricultural Official Bureau clearly aren't ordinary people. From the very start, they were actively eliminating the martial artists."

"The fewer the martial artists, the more favorable the situation for geniuses like them, reducing the possibility of being taken down by a group beating in the final stage."

Chen Min said helplessly, "That's what they say, but a genius of my Black Tortoise Division being taken down by an Agricultural Official is still a bit embarrassing."

"What's there to fear? It's not just your Black Tortoise Division people who got sent flying. The Azure Dragon Division also lost a few."

The top-grade geniuses of the Agricultural Official Bureau displayed astonishing combat power.

For instance, Zhuang Ziqing, Cao Shuang, Jiang Tianming, and others had all cultivated sound-wave martial techniques to a fairly high level, and some of them were already no weak in fist-and-foot skills to begin with.

The highest-ranking big shots of the two divisions, Fan Zhaoli and Fang Wu, were also discussing the geniuses on both sides.

Fan Zhaoli said, "Xia Jing and Fu Ying of the Azure Dragon Martial Division are the two most outstanding of this cohort. Whether it's movement techniques, defensive martial techniques, offensive martial techniques, or grasp of timing, they surpass the rest by a notch."

Fang Wu laughed, "Xia Jing and Fu Ying, each has one martial technique that surpasses the Nine Revolutions. They are indeed the most eye-catching in this Martial Division session."

"Shi Yong, Zhao Xing, and Zhuang Ziqing of the Agricultural Official Bureau are also very impressive. For Military Agricultural Officials to perform like this in martial technique training is truly rare."

Fan Zhaoli said with a slight smile, "Shi Yong cultivated five martial techniques."

"Besides one sound-wave martial technique, he also cultivated one movement technique, two fist techniques, and one defensive martial technique."

"In the previous trials, he has also consistently held first place."

"Shi Yong is indeed the most outstanding of this cohort, and quite well-rounded. The Tiger Jiao Army truly picked a good seedling."

"But no matter how outstanding, in this kind of training, he still has to take a beating."

"His individual ability is indeed outstanding." Fang Wu said thoughtfully, "But if we're talking about being well-rounded, I still feel this Zhao Xing is more well-rounded."

"Oh?" Fan Zhaoli was somewhat surprised, "Why does General Fang favor him more?"

"He cultivated three types of sound-wave martial techniques. Besides the two Refracted Sound Curved Form types, he also cultivated Kui Ox Thunder Roar."

"Looking at the level of his Kui Ox Thunder Roar, with the three combined, only Xia Jing and Fu Ying could quickly take him down."

"Of course, in terms of martial techniques, he still can't compare to Shi Yong."

"What I'm talking about is grasp of timing, and organizational ability."

Fan Zhaoli watched, waiting for Fang Wu's explanation.

"Look, although Shi Yong also launched a counterattack at the first moment, and took down the most martial artists."

"In fact, the counterattack effect he produced is actually inferior to Zhao Xing's."

Fang Wu stared downward, "From a commander's perspective, every time Zhao Xing made a move, he coordinated with another group of Agricultural Officials. While taking down enemies, he maximized relieving pressure on friendly forces."

"Conversely, Shi Yong's martial technique power is strong, but his help to friendly forces is somewhat smaller."

"I feel this Shi Yong treated this as personal training, overlooking this point."

"But Zhao Xing is different. He proactively organized personnel, and every move was just right. I feel he wasn't particularly deliberate about it, because I didn't notice him communicating with anyone. It was entirely an instinctive strategic action. Yet as he fought, many people gathered around his area and followed his lead."

"Others either have the ability but not the mindset, or have the mindset but not the ability."

Fang Wu continued, "If I had to pick someone to go to war with me, I'd definitely pick Zhao Xing and not Shi Yong."

"This is exactly why I have more faith in Zhao Xing."

"It's getting harder and harder to fight."

On the training grounds, Zhao Xing also began to feel the pressure.

"The Si Nong left behind are fewer and fewer, yet the Wu Zhe keep growing in number."

"Although people are being eliminated on both sides, the gap in elimination ratios between the two sides is far too great."

After the chaos of the middle stage, the total number of people on the training grounds had already dropped below five thousand!

But among these nearly five thousand, Zhao Xing estimated there were still at least two thousand Wu Zhe!

What kind of concept was that? The Si Nong had eliminated nearly nine thousand, while the Wu Zhe hadn't even eliminated a thousand.

"Although the Si Nong Supervisor has its geniuses, and they aren't weak in Wu Ji combat either, the Wu Supervisor has even more geniuses." In the military's selection, the base number of Wu Zhe was far larger than that of the Si Nong.

The Si Nong reserves were only a little over ten thousand, but the Wu Zhe reserves exceeded one hundred thousand.

With a larger base, naturally more geniuses emerged as well.

"There's simply no chance of winning. No wonder the rule given to the Si Nong from the start was just to hold on." Zhao Xing shook his head.

At first he had still been wondering if there was a chance to organize a counterattack, but he quickly gave up on it.

Because the opponents also had experts — not just in strength, but also in command and organizational ability, they were extremely outstanding.

The four great Wu Supervisors were all trained according to the standards for cultivating Vice Generals.

Just like the four great academies of the Si Nong Supervisor, after two hundred people met the training standards, they could go to the nine armies to serve as seventh-rank officials!

"Time to get ready to take a beating."

Zhao Xing watched the changes in the surrounding situation, feeling somewhat helpless. He couldn't possibly jump out of the training grounds on his own initiative.

Because the Si Nong ranking was calculated by how long one held out — the last one to fall was first place.

He was Grade A Upper, so he had to be within the top twenty-one. Below this ranking, for three consecutive times, he would be demoted to Grade A Middle, replaced by other substitutes with better performance.

"If I have to take a beating, then so be it. Toughness training is also a form of training." Zhao Xing prepared himself to enter the final stage.

One hour later, the number of Si Nong on the training grounds was down to only fifteen hundred.

The number of Wu Zhe was also below two thousand.

After all, the further along it went, the stronger the close-combat ability of the Si Nong who remained.

The training grounds' space also grew larger, making it harder rather than easier for the Wu Zhe to knock down the Si Nong.

Half an hour later, a certain balance was broken.

The Wu Zhe's numbers decreased less and less, while the Si Nong plummeted rapidly from fifteen hundred to just over four hundred.

This was because once the Wu Zhe gained the upper hand in numbers, they began to hunt in groups.

At the same time, the geniuses of the four great Wu Supervisors — Qing Long, Bai Hu, Zhu Que, and Xuan Wu — also began to frequently encounter the geniuses of the Si Nong Supervisor.

When the very top tier of the Si Nong Supervisor could no longer hold on, the collapse naturally came even faster.

Two quarter-hours later.

The Si Nong numbered less than a hundred.

With almost every breath, someone was falling and never getting back up, losing all fighting ability.

At this point, Zhao Xing was also covered in wounds.

Because as the numbers dwindled, the Yuan Qi on the training grounds gradually returned to stability, and he had to face Wu Ji attacks coming from all directions.

Even with the straw raincoat and Hundred Flowers conical hat for defense, the Wu Zhe attacking him were also growing stronger and stronger. With two fists unable to fight off four hands, Zhao Xing could only fight while retreating.

In fact, it couldn't even be called fighting — Kui Niu Thunder Roar could only serve as passive defense, slowing the rate at which he was struck.

Just like that, Zhao Xing struggled to hold on at the training grounds.

Another quarter-hour passed, and fewer than thirty people remained on the training grounds.

"Boom!"

Zhao Xing was sent flying, slamming backward onto the ground.

The Hundred Flowers conical hat held across his chest had already been severely deformed, even partially shattered.

Zhao Xing glanced around and found he could no longer tell how many people were left.

"Roar!" Zhao Xing mustered his strength to unleash one final Kui Niu Thunder Roar. Even though he was exhausted and covered in wounds, he still fought on like a cornered beast.

Amid the rippling waves emanating from the Kui Niu Thunder Roar, the vast majority of Wu Zhe showed expressions of pain and dodged away one after another.

At this moment, however, a tall, slender youth ignored the Kui Niu Thunder Roar, swiftly leaping over and landing three meters in front of Zhao Xing.

"My name is Xia Jing." The youth calmly extended one finger and tapped toward Zhao Xing's chest. "I'll see you off."

"Whoosh!" A streak of Jin Guang sliced through, piercing straight through the Hundred Flowers conical hat and leaving a half-finger-deep dent on the straw raincoat.

"Boom!" Zhao Xing felt several of his ribs snap, and then his entire body was sent flying backward.

As he was sent flying, he still glanced back toward the training grounds.

However, he didn't observe the situations of the other geniuses like Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and the rest.

"I wonder what number I was to fall…"

Slowly waking from unconsciousness, Zhao Xing found himself already back in the Fuchun Garden.

"Teacher."

"Mm, you're awake." Tian Shan stood beside the bed. "You don't have any major problems — at worst you only broke a few ribs. You can do an internal observation of the Five Elements yourself to check again."

"Teacher, what place did I finish?" Zhao Xing, however, didn't rush to check himself — he still cared more about his ranking.