Chapter 305: Setting Out

There are still a few people present who could handle Cheng Konghai, but the problem is, what would it cost to handle him? And after handling him, who would face Li Hao's anger? What about the benefits?

Cheng Konghai only looks fierce; Li Wu is the truly fierce one.

Everyone's memory was instantly brought back by Cheng Konghai's punch; without realizing it, they had fallen for his trick again, serving as free sparring partners. This arrangement was clearly intentional, exploiting their long-suppressed eagerness to prove themselves.

Fan Liweite's face was ashen, but he didn't say anything. From a certain perspective, Pakamei had given him a way out; his match was at least a proper exchange. It was a pity that Jialina had misjudged Wuzang's strength. He had already begun to grasp the Flowing Heart Martial Arts, but he was taken down before he could even use his full power.

One can only say that Wuzang was truly lucky, and it wouldn't be appropriate for them to kick a man while he's down. Currently, they still haven't found a way to deal with Li Hao.

When Cheng Konghai looked around with such dominance, it truly made Sheng Man and the others so excited that tears were almost falling. They had hovered on the edge of a breakdown and come back; for girls, such helplessness and despair make the display of dominance particularly striking.

The fight couldn't continue, and the teams slowly dispersed. Dita and the others didn't avoid suspicion and walked over to offer their congratulations. It was well known that they had a good relationship; many even suspected that it was Dita who recommended Tianjing Martial Arts to Arths. Back when Tianjing Martial Arts was still a small nobody, Tianxing had traveled a long way to Tianjing for joint training—if they weren't close, no one would believe it.

Su Yu, however, began to see Tianjing Martial Arts in a new light. Even as an outsider, she knew Tianjing Martial Arts was the weakest team, yet she hadn't expected them to actually go back and forth with Eternal. That spirit, in particular, was quite charming.

In such an atmosphere, neither Dita nor Arths stayed long, knowing that the Tianjing side still needed to properly summarize things and that Wuzang also needed treatment.

"Wuzang, Ant, you guys are too fierce!" Sheng Man gave a thumbs up. This is what a real man is: facing a certain-loss situation, yet able to charge forward and turn the tide.

"It's really satisfying, they should be taught a good lesson!" Lu Lingxiao clenched her little fist; just a moment ago, the little senior sister had been so angry she was almost crying.

Ant scratched his head in embarrassment, "My opponent was very weak. Wuzang's was the impressive one; that attack was very cool, that blade strike already had blade intent."

Zhou Nai was stunned, only then realizing that Cheng Konghai had been there the whole time.

Wuzang smiled slightly, his whole body radiating a sense of relief, as if the shackles on him had been completely unlocked, "Finally, I've gained some insight."

"Hehe, Second Brother said you could definitely do it. Second Brother has never been wrong about anything he says!" Cheng Konghai said proudly. His worship of Li Hao was like the man who moved the mountains.

"Heh, Captain Li, a very good move of 'devising strategies in a tent to win a battle a thousand miles away.' When he gets back, I'm going to have to slowly pick his brain for tactical insights!" Zhou Naiyi was so angry her teeth itched. He couldn't even tell her? She really wanted to give him a hard bite.

"Ah, oops, well, Sister Yi, could you please not mention me? Just pretend you guessed it yourself." Cheng Konghai only then realized he had let it slip, shrinking his neck like a dull little penguin, completely devoid of the dominance he had just displayed.

Everyone burst into laughter; truly, there is always something to subdue another.

The battle between Wuzang and Cheng Konghai established the momentum for Tianjing Martial Arts. At the very least, no one dared to look down on them again. Cheng Konghai's ruthless strikes were necessary; if you don't teach provocateurs a lesson, they'll just get used to their bad habits.

He is, after all, the most reckless one among the Hunters.

The first day of training ended, but there were no others as fierce as Wuzang and Cheng Konghai. Generally, pilots would hold back during sparring, and using EMPs for Mecha combat usually wouldn't result in too many injuries.

Wuzang continued his treatment. His problem wasn't major; Hailong's medical facilities were certainly better than Tianjing's, with the most advanced bone repair and restoration technology. However, Wuzang still needed to recuperate for a few days. With his physical fitness, light exercise was fine, but anything too strenuous had to be avoided; after all, recovering his vitality would still take some time.

After confirming Wuzang was fine, Zhou Naiyi went to find Aofei.

The Round Table Knights' quarters were similar to Tianjing's. In the room, Aofei brewed a cup of mellow coffee and brought it to Zhou Naiyi, "The coffee here is quite good."

"Thank you. My thoughts are a bit chaotic, and I hope Senior Sister can help me clear them up. I feel like the rhythm has been a bit out of control since we came out." Zhou Naiyi didn't need to feign strength in front of Aofei, "There's a sense of powerlessness, being tied hand and foot. I want to coordinate, but I can't seem to, and the more proactive I am, the more mistakes I make."

Aofei smiled slightly and sat on the sofa, "You did very well."

Zhou Naiyi gave a bitter smile, "Senior Sister, don't laugh at me. If it weren't for you today, I might have disrupted the rhythm again. I can vaguely tell that he felt this was the only way to achieve the best effect, but why didn't he tell me? I could have just cooperated. I almost ruined it again today."

Aofei shook her head, "Our advantage as girls is in the details, and we have indeed gained quite a few victories by valuing details. But focusing too much on details while ignoring the big picture is also our problem. Calculating too precisely, we lose our fortune instead. This is something I only understood a long time later. In today's situation, even if you had tried to stop it, Wuzang wouldn't have agreed. Of course, Jialina wanted to drive you away, and he wouldn't have let it go easily, so the result wouldn't have changed."

Zhou Naiyi fell into deep thought. What she truly cared about wasn't whether Li Hao told her, but the worry that she might have inadvertently ruined Li Hao's arrangements. She, of course, knew that Li Hao was much stronger than her.

Seeing that Zhou Naiyi was still very conflicted, Aofei took a sip of coffee, savoring it carefully, "Do you know? During the Tianjing exchange tournament, I sought out Second Brother for a match. Before fighting, I had actually spent half a year doing psychological preparation. I once thought that even if I couldn't beat him, I would be very close, and might even find a chance or see something."

Zhou Naiyi was also very curious. At the time, Li Hao had fought Luo Bi, Zhou Naiyi, and even Dita, but none of the participants had said anything.

Aofei took another sip and waved her hand helplessly, "The result isn't important. Do you know what I felt?"

"He was holding back?" If nothing else, she understood Li Hao's personality; he struck hard against enemies, but was always accommodating to his own people.

Aofei gave a bitter smile, "He was fighting while measuring my bottom line. I thought I was probing, but he was already coordinating. Second Brother's strength lies not only in his power itself, but in the fact that the world he has experienced covers everyone. I suspect Fan Liweite, Romero, and the others all miscalculated, which is why they were so bold. One can only say that Mecha combat possesses a strong sense of deception."

What Aofei was talking about was the battle between Puppet and Romero. In that battle, Romero hadn't used his full strength but had already been close to victory. This was also why Romero wasn't discouraged; at least, that's what Romero himself thought. This was equivalent to digging a hole for himself.

Zhou Naiyi was a bit confused, "He's the same age as us, what could he have experienced? Apocalypse? You all experienced that too."

Aofei looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window, "That's also what I find strange. Have you noticed anything special about him?"

"His biggest problem is that he's too ordinary." Zhou Naiyi was between laughter and tears, "Do you know? Throughout freshman year, I was chasing him for attendance."

"He possessed powerful strength very early on. People who possess power and have experienced Apocalypse, even if they can control their emotions, cannot control their eyes. There is no killing intent left in his eyes; he is just like an ordinary person. Chao Qinglong can't do that," Aofei sighed, "And neither can I."

"What about Xilian?" Zhou Naiyi suddenly asked. She was also full of curiosity about the three giants of Apocalypse back then.

"He can. Back then, only he and Nangong Yuhang could. These three are monsters among monsters. Although I don't know Xilian's current realm, based on my understanding of his personality, being so composed, I'm afraid he has recovered ten out of ten. Moreover, the members of Hailong are the core of the Shadow Sentinels from back then. These five years clearly haven't been idle. He knows us very well, while what we know of him is entirely what he wants us to know."

"What about Maxis and Fan Liweite?"

"It's not quite the same. Maxis and Fan Liweite are very strong, but they are independent. They joined the Shadow Sentinels under the NUP's stance and name; it's a cooperation, after all. The Meraphis Family was the main investor in the Apocalypse project, while Anlitakelein and the others worship Xilian and are uninhibited. There were no rules during Apocalypse, but now it's different. Without considering external factors, Hailong remains a strong contender for this year's championship."

Zhou Naiyi was truly a bit shocked. She had always thought that Galaxy and Eternal Academy were the strongest. Although Hailong had taken first place in the Mid-Season Tournament, she had also participated in it and knew that the Mid-Season Tournament was more about balance and assessing strength, and there was no need to bring out one's strongest power.

Watching Zhou Naiyi's conflicted expression, Aofei smiled, "This isn't a problem we should be considering. Just do your own part well."

Zhou Naiyi thought for a moment and suddenly smiled, "As a team member, I'm worrying about the Captain's business all day; I need a raise."

"Right, remember to ask for one for me, the advisor, as well." Aofei also smiled sweetly. The smiles of the two girls made the starry sky outside seem dim.

Li Hao had also finished his part-time job and felt a bit emotional. It was an eye-opener to see someone else's equipment and ingredients. The boss was behind the times, and Li Hao, relying on his super memory, recorded them one by one. He would have to go back and claim credit with the boss.

Only by understanding your opponent can you strengthen yourself. Breaking out of Earth truly faces enormous challenges.

Li Wu wanted to work overtime, but the Moon side didn't allow overtime; those who work overtime aren't good employees.

So Li Wu was chased off the clock. His head ached—why wasn't overtime allowed?

Changing out of his work uniform and stepping outside, he looked at the bustling Hailong City. He wanted to buy some gifts for Er Ya and the others. The Mars potatoes from last time were a bit of a scam; they tasted terrible. This time, he had been strictly instructed to buy something good.

Everything on the Moon is good, except that it's expensive. Li Hao looked at his balance and panicked a bit. Should he borrow some more from Dita?

It should be fine; Team Leader Dita is a good person.

"Hi, handsome, need a girlfriend?" A crisp voice rang out.

Li Hao looked serious, coldly lifting his head forty-five degrees to look at the starry sky, "Sorry, I already have a girlfriend. Don't covet my male beauty."

"Oh, is that so? Then would you mind having one more?" A Youyou had already put on her makeup and, wearing a duck-billed cap, stood prettily in front of Li Hao.

"That would depend on whether my girlfriend agrees," Li Wu laughed.

"Senior, you've learned to be bad!" A Youyou stomped her feet in anger.

Li Wu smiled without a word, gently taking A Youyou's hand, "How did you sneak out?"

"This is hardly my first time," A Youyou said with a hint of pride.

The two strolled along the tidy streets of Hailong; the major cities on the Moon are all touted as dust-free, and they were truly so clean and clear that it was refreshing to the mind and spirit.

"Did you hear about what happened today?" A Youyou asked curiously.

"What about it?" Li Wu gently wrapped his arm around A Youyou's waist, chuckling to himself inside.

"Wuzang, he was injured."

"Oh, it's nothing; for a man, a few injuries are like medals, and besides, Wuzang is very strong." Li Hao started to miss the days when he looked down on Ma Laoshi; he kept wondering, a man and a woman walking the streets for three hours?

So sweet.

"How did you know Wuzang would definitely win?" A Youyou's bright eyes blinked and blinked; she was clearly more interested in how Li Hao, who had orchestrated all of this, had made his judgment—was it really just good luck, some mysterious self-confidence, or a deeper level of understanding?

"Ah, did I say Wuzang would definitely win?" Li Wu was stunned for a moment.

"Jialina was a member of last year's championship team and is said to have already reached the realm of Flowing Heart Martial Arts, while Wuzang is only at Burning Will and hasn't even mastered it perfectly; logically speaking, he shouldn't have had a shred of a chance." This was exactly what A Youyou was curious about, and also what Dita couldn't wrap her head around; in a Mecha battle, perhaps there might have been a sliver of possibility, since the tonnage of a Mecha is there and the Zone might not be able to be fully utilized, but in a pilot battle, it really should have been a total crush.

"The NE is not the absolute standard for victory or defeat; everyone else underestimated Wuzang. I have never seen anyone who could be so focused on the martial path. With over ten years of solid foundation and extremely high talent, all he needed was an opportunity, and now all those seemingly difficult challenges are the best chances." Li Hao said proudly; his brother was just fierce.

"Is that so? The scene at the time was so dangerous, I was so afraid something might go wrong," A Youyou said offhandedly.

"Nothing would go wrong." Li Hao smiled inadvertently, placing A Youyou's slender, soft hand into his own palm.

"Is that right? Or are you saying you perform magic when you encounter danger? Immortal arts?" A Youyou pressed down on someone's rather restless hand.

Li Hao couldn't help but laugh or cry, rubbing his nose, "Don't be superstitious, I'm an ordinary person; that was just a little trick, it's not that exaggerated, just magic."

"You always say shocking things with such a straight face. I searched for information for a long time and never heard of it; it only exists in myths. If that's not exaggerated, what is?" A Youyou was a bit indignant, feeling like she was being handled at every turn.

"My girlfriend suddenly turning into an Arths, that is what's exaggerated."

"It's over, it's over, Second Brother, you've really learned to be bad. Should I break you and Ma Long up!" A Youyou felt like biting Li Hao; he was so good at sweet-talking now, "Hmph, I'm angry."

*Smack. *

Suddenly, A Youyou's face flushed red, and her body twisted instinctively; her soft, shapely, perky bottom had been patted by a warm, large hand...