Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Irresistible Conditions
"Six years is too long! I say even two years is too long. How about we make it one year!" General Zhou countered with a lowball offer.
"Zhou, I’m the one who sets the rules here."
"Listen to me. You can’t handle something this big. Best let me take the reins."
"Zhou Datou!" the other man snarled.
"Black Old Ghost!"
WHOOM.
The two Generals’ gazes locked mid-air, neither willing to back down. Their auras clashed!
It was like two invisible tsunamis colliding.
The Guards on both sides felt the suffocating killing intent wash over them. A chill ran down their spines, and they stirred restlessly.
Tang Wen was stunned, feeling the aura that had erupted from nothing.
’If they used this kind of power on me, I probably wouldn’t last a single blow.’
’Their auras are far more terrifying than the Silver Wolf’s.’
"Zhou Datou, if you can’t make the decision, you can go back now and ask your Flame Lady!"
"Black Old Ghost, you’d best go back and tell your godfather this is impossible! Don’t even dream of it!"
"..."
"I’ll take a step back. Five and a half years!"
"Fine, I’ll also concede a step. Two years and one day!"
"Fuck your mother! Zhou Datou, you call that conceding?"
"You fucker."
The war of words and an intense round of haggling ensued.
By noon, they still hadn’t reached any conclusion.
Tang Wen, however, was listening with great relish. ’So, Commander Zhao and General Zhou, who act so dignified back at the camp, are just a couple of shameless, stubborn rogues out here.’
’To fight for their own interests, there was nothing they wouldn’t say.’
’They weren’t above screaming curses at each other like fishwives in the street.’
"Black Old Ghost! I’m hungry! When you go back to eat your cold meal, use that wooden head of yours and think hard. Six years? Even if we dared to agree, would you dare to believe us?"
The winters in the region where their two camps were located were lethally cold.
Going six years without coal would inevitably lead to war.
"Hmph!" As a General, Black Old Ghost naturally understood this as well.
He spurred his horse forward, coming to a position between the two armies.
General Zhou also slowly rode his horse over.
The two men’s lips moved slightly, and they began to discuss without a sound.
Someone in the Hunting Team looked on, confused.
A captain explained, "It’s a secret-speech technique. No matter how close you are, you can’t hear a word. It’s a skill only those at the General Level can master."
’Secret speech.’
The eyes of the Guards revealed expressions of either admiration or longing.
’Tang Wen silently calculated in his head. ’Martial Disciples are Hunting Guards, Martial Artists are Hunting Captains, and Martial Artists are Hunting Battalion Commanders.’’
’So, what Realm is a General?’
’After Martial Artist, is it Grand Martial Artist, Martial King, Martial Emperor, Martial Venerable, and Martial Emperor?’
"Then three and a half years! And I want the item now!"
Suddenly, General Zhou’s resonant voice interrupted Tang Wen’s wild thoughts.
’Item?’
’What item?’
"Bring it up," Black Old Ghost commanded.
An object shaped like a Stone Slab and covered with a black cloth was carried out by the men from Black Mountain Camp.
"Commander Li, you’re up."
General Zhou didn’t look, simply calling a Commander forward by name.
"Zhou Datou, still as timid as ever," Black Old Ghost sneered.
Commander Li strode forward, unveiled the black cloth on the Stone Slab, and studied it for a while.
He waved over two more captains, and the three of them studied it together.
The three of them looked for a while, their heads bowed as they discussed something.
The Hunting Guards grew curious.
Whispering among themselves, they guessed at what it could be.
When they saw one of the captains assume a horse stance and enter a state of Meditation...
Tang Wen finally understood. ’The Stone Slab probably held a Visualization Image.’
After a while, Commander Li said to General Zhou, "I’m a bit unsure. We need a few more people. Zhou Bing, you guys come over."
Zhou Bing had clearly guessed as well. He glanced back at Tang Wen, signaling for him to follow.
All eleven captains had gathered.
Everyone had practiced the Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist, so they knew at a glance that what was carved on the Stone Slab was a Visualization Image.
No one said a word. They exchanged glances, all frowning in unison as if facing some difficult problem, their faces filled with confusion.
In reality, even Tang Wen, who had only studied the Fist Technique for a single day, could confirm that this was indeed a Cannon Fist Visualization Image.
And it was part of the Core Strength Visualization Image.
But Commander Li and the other captains were putting on an act, staring at it as if it were written in a lost language.
Tang Wen focused his gaze and saw in the Visualization Image: the fiery light dispersed, the mountain swayed, looking as if it would collapse at any moment.
That was all the content. It was very brief.
This segment should connect to the Cannon Fist Visualization Image, after the Fireball explodes but before the mountain collapses.
’But he was still puzzled. What was the significance of this scene?’
He narrowed his eyes, assuming a standing Meditation posture, and repeatedly visualized the scene in his mind.
At this moment, Commander Li began to mutter to himself, "This Visualization Image... it seems right, but also wrong. What’s going on with it?"
A quarter of an hour passed, then half an hour. Before they knew it, noon had passed, and a full hour had gone by.
The people from Black Mountain Camp finally realized what was happening!
Black Old Ghost roared, "Zhou Datou! You’re taking advantage of us, you shameless bastard! Are you fucking practicing with it right here on the spot? Hurry up and agree to my terms! If not, I swear I’ll kill you today!"
"Noisy!" General Zhou shot him a sideways glance. "How would we know if it’s real without practicing with it? Kill me? Go ahead and try! You think I was born yesterday?"
Black Old Ghost’s eyes turned red, and a black mist swirled around his hands.
General Zhou gave a cold smile, and the surrounding air suddenly grew scorching hot.
Seeing this, the Guards all tightened their grip on their weapons.
After a few minutes of standoff, Black Old Ghost squeezed out a sentence through his clenched teeth: "Fine! Name a time. When can you give me a definite answer?"
"Another three hours should be about right."
"Pah! You’ve got some fucking nerve. Half an hour, max."
The two Generals cursed at each other for a while, and Flame Camp ended up with another hour of "evaluation" time.
The men from Black Mountain Battalion retreated to rest.
The Hunting Battalion retreated as well.
More and more people gathered in front of the Visualization Image, but they remained fairly orderly.
Aside from the eleven captains and those like Tang Wen who had successfully entered Meditation...
...the rest only had five minutes of observation time.
Five minutes. Unless one had extraordinary Talent, it was only enough to get a brief look.
Waves of people came and went. Tang Wen opened his eyes. He had found a clue, but not much of one.
’He guessed that even with this new part, the Visualization Image for the Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist was probably still incomplete.’
’But this segment had given him a great deal of inspiration.’
’It helped him realize what the other layer of Power in the Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist was, besides the Explosive Force.’
’It was Vibrating Force. Or, in other words, oscillation, vibration, a Shocking Fist.’
’Bombardments produce shockwaves; anyone who’s seen a proper war movie knows that.’
’However, knowing was one thing. As for how to actually execute it, Tang Wen was completely clueless.’
After eating lunch in shifts, an hour quickly passed.
General Zhou accepted the Visualization Image and formally agreed to the other party’s conditions:
First, only those under the age of 24 would be allowed to compete in this martial tournament.
Second, if someone could defeat six opponents in a row, securing an instant victory, the winning side would gain the mining rights to the coal mine for three and a half years.
The Hunting Battalion had one hour to select its combatants.
At three in the afternoon, the two sides would begin the competition on schedule.
In a secluded corner of the mining area, Commander Zhao, who was in charge of the selection, was having a tough time. Of the one or two hundred men who had come, many were under 24.
But there weren’t even six captains under the age of 24.
At most, they could only scrape together five.
It should be known that in Martial Arts Training, starting earlier wasn’t always better. Children’s constitutions, knowledge, and mental fortitude weren’t developed enough. Building a foundation was fine, but they simply couldn’t practice profound Martial Arts like Visualization Images.
The Martial Disciples in the Inner City Martial Arts Halls were all around fifteen years old.
Most of them were nearly twenty by the time they became First-class Martial Disciples.
The average person would be stuck in the Martial Disciple stage for many years.
If one could break through to the Martial Artist realm before the age of 25, they were considered an elite.
Someone like Zhou Bing, a genius in everyone’s eyes, was already a Peak Martial Artist and a Half-step Martial Artist at the age of 23.
"Martial Artists under 24 who are confident in their strength. Step forward!"
Commander Zhao shouted.
STEP, STEP, STEP
Four people stepped out.
Tang Wen looked and saw two familiar faces.
It was the second-place winner from the Hunting Team selections, the Lancer An Lei, and the third-place winner, the big fellow Zhang Lin.
The other two were probably veteran Hunting Team Members.
Before anyone else could say anything, Zhou Bing looked over and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Tang Wen, what are you waiting for? Step forward!"
Everyone turned to look in unison.
Commander Zhao said in a grave voice, "Captain Zhou, you have confidence in him? About this competition, I’ll say this now: we can afford to lose, but we cannot let them get a six-win streak!"
Commander Zhao was not an impractical person. Black Old Ghost had been willing to part with a Visualization Image just to get them to agree to his competition rules.
You didn’t need to be a genius to know that the other side was bursting with confidence and was determined to win this competition.
Looking at Tang Wen and the others, Commander Zhao said directly, "Time is short. You few, show me one of your moves!"
