Chapter 97

Update Time: May 16, 2013

When Tang Tian saw Jing Hao walking over, he stopped.

Jing Hao looked ashamed, "I really made a fool of myself in front of Brother Tang. Brother Tang's endurance is truly impressive, and I am in awe."

He had slept for two whole days and nights, longer than he had ever slept before. Recalling the previous sparring session, he felt a bit uneasy, but when he examined himself internally, he was surprised to find that his true energy had made a noticeable breakthrough. Not only that, his sword skills had also improved.

This filled him with both surprise and joy. At his level, every bit of progress was extremely difficult, often requiring a great deal of cultivation to achieve such a significant improvement.

Compared to the progress, the pain and suffering he endured during the sparring session seemed less terrible. When Jing Hao came over and saw that Tang Tian was still diligently practicing, he felt a surge of shame. No wonder Tang Tian's progress was so astonishing; just this level of hard work was impressive.

"Brother Jing Hao is awake," Tang Tian said with shining eyes.

For some reason, seeing Tang Tian's expression, Jing Hao felt a chill run down his spine. It was a completely instinctive reaction, beyond his control. He laughed awkwardly, "Brother Tang, come and sit down. Did you buy the Gold Cards last time?"

"Yes! I bought four!" Tang Tian said proudly, "It only cost me 800 points."

"Only 800 points..." Jing Hao's expression froze, and he stammered, "What? You spent 800 points?"

"Yes! 200 points each," Tang Tian said with a grin, "I just bought them, and the shop owner sent them over right away. I was thinking, the speed is really fast."

"Of course it's fast," Jing Hao looked at Tang Tian, opened his mouth, and then said, "You should have asked me before buying them."

Tang Tian's smile froze, "Did he trick me?"

"He didn't trick you. The price is fair, but few people buy them," Jing Hao explained, "Usually, even if the transaction is completed, it takes about a week to a month for them to reach you. The shop owner must have spent points to teleport them. No one else would buy them."

"Spent points?" Tang Tian was a bit confused.

"Yes, it's complicated, and I don't fully understand it either. The old guys in the guild came up with this teleportation method. It's very fast, but it's expensive. You see, each card costs 200 points, and just to teleport one, it costs 50 points," Jing Hao said.

Tang Tian exclaimed, "Then isn't he losing money?"

"How could he lose money?" Jing Hao patiently explained, "Fourth-rank Gold Cards are rarely bought. Why? Not because they're bad, but because you won't stay at the fourth rank for long. Like Brother Tang, with your current rate of progress, you'll soon reach the fifth rank. At that time, you'll start cultivating fifth-rank martial techniques. Fourth-rank martial techniques may seem powerful now, but when you encounter fifth-rank techniques, you'll find them even stronger."

Tang Tian said nonchalantly, "No problem, no problem. I think it's better to progress step by step, mastering each rank. This will be more helpful in the future. Hmm, like when I cultivated basic martial techniques before. Many people said they were useless, but now I find them very useful."

Seeing that Tang Tian wasn't concerned, Jing Hao didn't push further. He was well-informed and knew that everyone's cultivation methods and paths were different, so such arguments were unnecessary. Besides, the person in front of him was a genuine rich kid.

"Brother Tang's martial soul has reached the Silver rank, and many functions of the Light Badge can now be activated. Don't underestimate the Light Badge; it was crafted by the old guys in the guild using secret treasures. The stronger the user's martial soul, the more functions they can use. Unfortunately, my martial soul is only at the Bronze rank, so I don't know many of its functions. Brother Tang can explore them on your own."

"No wonder I felt the Light Badge seemed a bit more powerful," Tang Tian realized.

Jing Hao laughed heartily, "Come on, Brother Tang seemed to be still eager last time. Let's spar again."

"Really?" Tang Tian's eyes widened with excitement, and he rubbed his hands together, "Don't worry, I won't use too much force!"

Jing Hao's eyes twitched, and he silently thought, "Clearly, I'm the stronger one..."

But remembering that he had been the one to stop last time, Jing Hao wisely kept quiet.

However, this feeling of frustration deeply stimulated him. Without a word, he drew his long sword.

Both sides roared in unison and charged at each other again.

This time, Jing Hao lasted a bit longer, about four hours more than before, but then he was exhausted and collapsed on the ground like a pile of mud, unable to move a finger. Tang Tian, still eager, chattered incessantly beside Jing Hao, but seeing that Jing Hao couldn't continue, he reluctantly went to practice on his own.

This time, Jing Hao slept for a shorter period, only one day and one night before waking up.

Jing Hao felt the change more clearly this time. His sword intent was more solid and sharper, and the rough edges he used to feel were almost gone. Now, every sword he swung was like it had been polished, with a smooth sword glow and no rough edges.

Unconsciously, his martial skills had reached a new level.

Encouraged, Jing Hao began to actively challenge Tang Tian.

But after another day and night, Jing Hao collapsed again.

Tang Tian finished his meditation, feeling refreshed, and it was time for his intense training. He entered the Light Gate to start his training.

As Tang Tian's martial skills improved, the intense training behind the Light Gate also changed. Tang Tian now trained more in Uncle Bing's new recruit training camp rather than behind the Light Gate. According to Uncle Bing, that place was for those who didn't qualify to join the battalion.

Now, Tang Tian's intense training had moved to the new recruit camp, and there were significant changes, such as the elimination of martial skill training.

Mastery of martial skills became the basic requirement. This change made Tang Tian feel a bit uncomfortable, but he had to admit that the new training was very effective. For example, the endurance training helped him enhance his intuition.

"Is it still endurance training today?" Tang Tian asked, full of fighting spirit.

"No. Endurance training has already significantly improved your intuition," Uncle Bing shook his head and opened another planet.

Tang Tian felt the scenery change, and he found himself in a training room paved with blue bricks.

The training room was not large, about fifteen meters long and five to six meters wide. However, Tang Tian's eyes were curiously fixed on the bronze figures in front of him. These bronze figures were about the same height as Tang Tian, with different postures, some delicate and some rough. They stood in three rows.

One, two, three, four...

Tang Tian counted, and there were eighteen in total.

"Hey, Uncle, what are these things?" Tang Tian asked curiously.

"Eighteen Bronze Men," Uncle Bing said calmly, "This is the masterpiece of the fourth mechanical engineer of the battalion, the Eighteen Bronze Men Room."

"Eighteen Bronze Men Room?" Tang Tian was eager to try, "Are these bronze figures very powerful?"

"Of course, they're ordinary to me, but if the new recruits were asked to choose the three least favorite training sessions, the Eighteen Bronze Men Room would definitely be on the list," Uncle Bing's voice was somewhat sinister.

"What kind of training is this? Is it also for intuition?" Tang Tian asked, looking at Uncle Bing. Although he had only been in the new recruit camp for a short time, he had started to understand the style of the Southern Cross Battalion. Each training room in the new recruit camp had a specific purpose.

"No, it's suitable for training in 'Cloth Touch Fall.'"

Uncle Bing's explanation surprised Tang Tian, and he couldn't help but ask, "Cloth Touch Fall? Uncle, are you sure?"

Among the four Gold Cards, "Cloth Touch Fall" was the martial skill Tang Tian valued the least. "Cloth Touch Fall" required physical contact with the enemy, and in actual combat, Tang Tian realized how difficult this was. For example, in his sparring with Jing Hao, he never managed to touch even a corner of Jing Hao's clothes. Jing Hao's sword skills were superb, and the sword barrier he created was something Tang Tian could do nothing about.

In his sparring with Jing Hao, the martial skill Tang Tian used the least was "Cloth Touch Fall."

So when Tang Tian heard that Uncle Bing had specifically found a place for him to train "Cloth Touch Fall," he was both surprised and puzzled.

"Yes, 'Cloth Touch Fall' is a very good martial skill," Uncle Bing said.

Uncle Bing's explanation didn't satisfy Tang Tian, who asked, "What's so great about 'Cloth Touch Fall'?"

"Using the enemy's force against them," Uncle Bing said, "This is its most powerful aspect. It involves two key points: judging the enemy's strength and utilizing it. Both of these need to be done in a very short time, making it very difficult."

Tang Tian shook his head, "But it requires physical contact to work. Look at my sparring with Brother Jing Hao; I couldn't even get close to him."

Uncle Bing was unconvinced, "Of course, that's the case with your current strength."

"You..." Tang Tian's eyes immediately widened, and his expression turned unfriendly.

"Who says this martial skill can only be used with physical contact?" Uncle Bing's tone was full of ridicule, "Does his sword have no strength? Didn't you feel it? It's just that the strength gap between you is too large, and your understanding of strength is not as good as his, so you can't use it. But that doesn't mean the martial skill is bad."

Tang Tian thought about it and realized it was true.

Brother Jing Hao's sword was incredibly solid, while his own strength was relatively scattered in comparison.

"He's at the sixth rank, and you're at the fourth. He's much stronger than you. The only thing you surpass him in is your martial soul. The powerful intuition brought by the Silver martial soul is what allows you to last so long. So, the Silver martial soul and intuition are your greatest strengths," Uncle Bing said seriously, "As a soldier, you need to learn how to use your greatest strengths!"

"I'm not a soldier..." Tang Tian said weakly.

Uncle Bing was taken aback but quickly ignored Tang Tian's words, continuing, "The Silver martial soul makes you more sensitive to everything around you, including strength. This is why you are making faster progress in your martial skills. You are also more sensitive to true energy."

"And in battle, you will be more sensitive to the enemy's strength," Uncle Bing added, "As long as you know how to apply it."

He suddenly grinned, "Welcome to the Eighteen Bronze Men Room, young man."