Chapter 177 Fists and Weapon
Zhang Shan couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the man in front of him.
Actual combat every day—what had he been doing before coming here?
"I..." Zhang Shan hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Shan. I’ve learned some Sǎndǎ and Qin Na. I served in the army for three years, and after being discharged, I became a chef."
"Chef?" Everyone blinked in surprise at the revelation.
Zhang Shan’s appearance certainly didn’t align with the typical image of a chef. He was tall, with a physique brimming with solid muscle. If someone were to have said he was a fitness trainer, you’d have believed it without question—yet, he was a chef?
Qi Xia nodded slightly, a knowing look crossing his face. No wonder Zhang Shan had insisted on removing the bear paws last time... it must have been a professional instinct.
At the same time, both turned their attention to the tan, slender girl, Li Xiangling.
She wore simple sportswear and sat with impeccable posture, every inch of her demeanor radiating discipline and control.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Li Xiangling stood up again with a {whoosh}. Every movement of hers was filled with power, and when she moved, it was as if a gust of wind had swept through.
"I’m Li Xiangling, and I come from a family of martial artists. I’ve been practicing the Six Harmony Spear[1] since I was young, and it’s been twenty years now." She gave a formal fist-and-palm salute to the crowd. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Six Harmony Spear?" Qiao Jiajin’s face showed a look of astonishment. "The one with {Jing (essence), Qi (vitality), Shen (spirit)—Inner Three Harmonies} and {Waist, Hands, Eyes—Outer Three Harmonies}?"
"Exactly! Exactly!" Li Xiangling beamed, clearly pleased. "You’ve heard of the Six Harmony Spear?"
"Yes, I was going to learn it, but the {long spear} just isn’t very practical for me, so I never went through with it." Qiao Jiajin explained.
"It’s not a time of war now, so long spears are certainly impractical. We practice martial arts to strengthen our bodies and improve ourselves," Li Xiangling replied with a smile. "If you’d like, I can teach you a set of spear techniques sometime."
"Okay, sounds good." Qiao Jiajin nodded.
Qi Xia raised an eyebrow as he listened to their exchange. No wonder this girl’s essence, vitality, and spirit seemed so much stronger than the average person’s—she was a practitioner of traditional martial arts with an incredibly solid foundation.
Although traditional martial arts no longer emphasized killing, after twenty years of practice, Li Xiangling’s flexibility, coordination, reaction time, and physical fitness would undoubtedly be top-tier.
"It looks like... this team really isn’t half bad," Qi Xia said with a nod. "Strength, skill, and dexterity—all there."
"Qi Xia... you’re still being too optimistic," Yun Yao countered. "Our opponents are {Reverberatees}. Not to mention, they’ll have plenty of time to prepare. The {Judgment’s Domain} we’ll face tomorrow might be filled with {Reverberatees} who specialize in combat."
"Really?" Lin Qin, who had been quietly listening, thought for a moment before speaking up. "I have a feeling it will be difficult for them to find other co-conspirators."
Yun Yao was taken aback and turned to Lin Qin. "How do you know?"
"It’s just a guess," Lin Qin replied with a shrug. "Who did you encounter today, and what are their abilities?"
Yun Yao paused to reflect, then said, "I only know the ability of one of them—Jiang Ruoxue. Her {Reverberation} is {Hetu Phala}."
Qi Xia added, "And Xiao Xiao’s is {Adversity Shift}."
After saying this, Qi Xia looked at Lin Qin with a meaningful glance, and Lin Qin nodded in understanding.
She had met both Xiao Xiao and Jiang Ruoxue before, but it seemed that only Xiao Xiao was truly suited for participating in {Tiger} games. If Jiang Ruoxue were to take part, no matter how powerful her {Hetu Phala} might be, she wouldn’t stand a chance against Zhang Shan.
If she were accidentally injured, {Hetu Phala} could even backfire on her. After all, once she believed she was {injured}, the very concept of {death} would become a reality for her.
Yun Yao continued, "As for the third person, judging by his performance, he seems to have joined {Judgment’s Domain} not long ago."
Yun Yao turned her head to look at Qi Xia. "Qi Xia, you fought with him—did you see his ability clearly?"
"Speaking of his ability... it’s just too strange," Qi Xia replied.
"What do you mean by ‘strange’?" Lin Qin asked.
"He can create stones out of thin air," Qi Xia explained, "but the shape of the stone seems to form into whatever he desires."
Lin Qin nodded and said, "It’s called {Raw Object}."
"{Raw Object}?" Yun Yao frowned, "How do you know?"
Han Yimo interrupted, "The three of us were in front of the display screen at the time, and we happened to see their {Reverberations}.
‘{Raw Object}...’ Qi Xia silently repeated the term, though the full nature of the ability eluded him.
Lin Qin continued to speculate, "I suspect {Raw Object} and {Adversity Shift} may participate in tomorrow’s game, but {Hetu Phala} will not. This would mean they can only recruit one additional helper, at most."
"Really?" Yun Yao regarded Lin Qin with a hint of skepticism. "And how do you know that?"
"Just another guess." Lin Qin replied casually. "I figure the Adherents of {Judgment’s Domain} aren’t exactly popular, so their {reserve forces} probably aren’t very large."
"That does make sense…" Yun Yao nodded thoughtfully, her expression deep in contemplation.
The room fell into a thoughtful silence.
"But there is good news," Yun Yao broke the stillness. "The {Adherents} are a group of lunatics. They relish showcasing their individual abilities, completely disregarding the need for teamwork. This is where we have the advantage!" She glanced toward Zhang Shan, Qiao Jiajin, and Li Xiangling as she spoke.
The atmosphere grew a bit uncomfortable. These three had barely known one another before—how much more effective could their cooperation be compared to that of {Judgment’s Domain}?
Qiao Jiajin flashed a sheepish grin and said, "So we still need to cooperate? Haha..."
This man had once single-handedly defeated 37 opponents.
Zhang Shan, equally awkward, scratched his head. "F*ck... I thought it was just three one-on-one battles..."
This man had once personally slain a bear with his bare hands.
Both men had grown accustomed to facing danger alone, never relying on anyone else for assistance.
Qi Xia slowly brought a hand to his forehead, his expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation. The team now consisted of two {fists} and a {weapon}—even combined, it was still little more than a collection of {individual capability}.
If tomorrow's game truly turned out to be a series of three one-on-one matches, it would be far simpler. In a pure test of fighting ability, Xiao Xiao wouldn’t stand a chance—even with {Adversity Shift}. However, Yun Yao had mentioned that {Terrestrial Tiger} required a degree of teamwork. Could these three truly manage that?
Yun Yao paused for a moment, then proposed, "How about this... I have some small exercises designed to build team trust. We used to use them when our group was first forming. I’ll teach you now, so you can make a last-minute effort to develop some team synergy."
"Uh..." The three exchanged uncomfortable glances. "Small exercises to build team synergy...?"
Just a day ago, Qiao Jiajin had been ready to give Zhang Shan a good kick, but now, barely twenty-four hours later, they were being asked to cultivate team synergy?
Qi Xia reached out to stop Yun Yao and said to the three of them, "I don’t think it’s necessary. A makeshift team can never match the power of maximizing individual ability. Focus on delivering your utmost tomorrow, showcasing the full extent of your capabilities."