by <unknown>
Wei Changsheng sniffed hard and laughed in satisfaction. "It's truly the meat of Silver Striped Boars, with at least five kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures roasted with them! They are definitely the best food in the world. Our chief is truly generous now that the apocalypse is coming close!"
The qi-trainers' training often consumed enormous physical strength. It was a common practice for some food to be kept in the training chambers for the gluttons, but such delicious food like the meat of Silver Striped Boars was hard to come by.
One of the members of the Iron Bears Detonation Team swallowed and couldn't help but raise the white cloth on the meat of Silver Striped Boars, only to be slapped away by Fu Dong.
Fu Dong said coldly, "Don't touch it. It is prepared for Sand Scorpion. The food for other people is aside."
Wei Changsheng opened the few giant iron buckets and looked inside suspiciously, only to be irked. Although the contents smelt as good as the meat of Silver Striped Boars and some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures had been added, the most critical part of the food was ordinary pork and just the bones and internal organs of the Silver Striped Boars.
Chapter 572: Unbelievable Craziness! |
"Uncle Fu!"
Wei Changsheng attempted to hold back his anger and remarked, "What's the meaning of this? Before, not just Captain Shi and Captain Xiong, even Chief Xiong had the same food with everyone else when he was training with us! Who is this Sand Scorpion exactly? He doesn't look familiar. Why is he qualified to enjoy such a large Silver Stripe Boar all by himself while we can only eat some offal?
"Has he made any distinguished contributions to the tribe? Is he able to destroy a top-tier demon beast in the battle to come?"
"I know him!"
A member of the Iron Bears Detonation Team gazed at Li Yao for a long time before he finally remembered who the strange guy was. He patted his head and shouted, "This guy, Sand Scorpion, only joined the tribe a month ago. It's said that he fought two Emperor Sand Scorpions in the wilderness and saved Wu Mayan. He was wounded due to the venom of the demon beast, and his mind is clouded!"
"Right!"
Another teammate recalled him now that his origin was mentioned. He sniffed and said, "One month ago, during the competitive test with the Fierce Storm Assault Team, Wu Mayan brought the man to watch, but he was so shocked by a Wolf Fang that he fell to the ground. His face was pale, himself shuddering, and he failed to get back on his feet for a long time!"
"What?"
Wei Changsheng couldn't help but burst into laughter. "I remember it now. Indeed, there was such a coward back then. Did we talk about him for a long time after we returned?
"It was just a Wolf Fang! What's the big deal even if it did explode right in front of his face? Men of the Iron Bears Detonation Team wouldn't have even raised an eyebrow, much less dodging and hiding. I was wondering where such a timid fellow came from. I didn't know that it was him!"
"Hehe. Is it anything extraordinary to slay two Emperor Sand Scorpions? If I had encountered them, I could've killed three or even more!"
"Our chief is not fair regarding the matter. The guy only rescued his foster son. Even though Wu Mayan is a rarely-seen genius in our tribe, there's no need to treat him as nicely as this!"
The more they talked, the angrier they became. Suddenly, the personal booth was opened with a 'Chi' sound. As if a wind from the nether world blew by, Li Yao staggered out exhaustedly.
He was soaked in sweat and couldn't even stand straight. Even his eyes had lost focus.
The training just now seemed to have drained him. His stomach was rumbling, and he could only see the food in front of him. Not bothering the irritated newcomers, he sniffed, smelt the aroma of the pork, and walked toward the Silver Stripe Boar.
The members of the Iron Bears Detonation Team glared at him, but he took them all for nothing.
Wei Changsheng sneered. He took a step forward and stood in the way between Li Yao and the Silver Stripe Boar.
Li Yao's hair was soaked with sweat and was stuck on his face, droplets of sweat dripping constantly. He glanced at Wei Changsheng through the gap of his hair casually and indifferently.
With only that one glance, the smile on Wei Changsheng's face froze. He felt that he had been placed in a frigid hell at absolute zero. His face was pale, his eyelids jumping crazily. He failed to come up with anything for a long time.
Li Yao bypassed him silently and picked up the big tray of food, before he wobbled toward the gate with heavy feet.
"Sand Scorpion, you are not finishing the food here because you are in a hurry to train below?" asked Fu Dong, who was apparently not new to the situation.
Li Yao did not even have the strength to talk. He nodded and vanished out of the gate.
Everyone was awed by his uncanny aura. None of them stood out and stopped him; they only watched him leave proudly.
It was not until three seconds after he vanished that the icy air thawed. Everybody in the room swallowed subconsciously.
As if his neck had been grabbed by an invisible, giant hand, Wei Changsheng's face was practically blue due to shortness of breath. He was finally able to cough loudly as cold sweat began popping up on his back.
Horrifying!
The exchange of eyes a moment ago had been too horrifying!
He felt that a real Titan Warrior had stood in front of his face, staring at him emotionlessly from a high stance!
If he had made any other movements, he would've been slain for sure!
"Changsheng, what happened? Why didn't you stop the guy?"
"The guy is but skin and bones. He's not even two meters tall and barely reaches your chest!"
"Why didn't you punch him right in his face and snatch his Silver Stripe Boar?"
"Damn it. We've been training and suffering in the desert day and night, and we're not even allowed to have one mouthful of the Silver Stripe Boar. Why is the fair-skinned boy entitled to the Silver Stripe Boar by training casually inside a windless and rainless training chamber?"
"Unfair! It's too unfair! We're going to argue with the chief!"
Members of the Iron Bears Detonation Team felt embarrassed for their fear a while ago after they came to again and all started yelling.
But Wei Changsheng was still not himself yet.
Fu Dong eyed them coldly, his lips curling in mockery, as he said, "Do you think that, by slaying demon beasts in the desert under scorching sunlight and savaging storm, you've had enough suffering and training and are qualified to eat the Silver Stripe Boar?"
A member of the Iron Bears Detonation Team shouted, "Our previous trip was an out-and-out practical drill. We cleaned up the nine nests of the demon beasts and killed more of them than anybody could count! What's craziness if our deed wasn't? Who's qualified for the meat if we are not?"
Fu Dong rose up suddenly and replied grimly, "You would not buy it if I say that Sand Scorpion is more qualified than you. Therefore, you can follow me and see how the man has been training himself so that you won't need to disgrace yourself before the chief."
"We might as well see it. How impressive can it possibly be? We've seen the outcome of his training just now. His grimacing face and half-dying appearance did not befit a real expert! The real men of Iron Plateau should be as calm as anything. Even if your leg is torn off by a demon beast, you simply kick out the teeth of the demon beast with your other leg!"
His words naturally raised laughter, and somebody even applauded.
Fu Dong smiled casually and led everybody into the personal booth.
Among the crowd, Wei Changsheng observed the surroundings suspiciously and mumbled, "Nothing interesting here. Who hasn't used True Qi Locks set at thirty times the standard pressure before? The weight of the deep squat is merely 1,500 kilograms. I can do twenty sets of them at any time!"
Fu Dong answered expressionlessly, "First, the weight of 1,500 kilograms is for relaxation and rehabilitation after seven hours of crazy
training. I will save the trouble of telling you what the maximum weight of his deep squat is because you won't believe it anyway.
"Second, look at the True Qi Locks more carefully. It's not thirty times the standard pressure, but fifty times!"
"What!"
All the members of the Iron Bears Detonation Team were dumbfounded.
Spiritual gas at thirty times the standard pressure was already the limits for common qi-trainers. Even experts at their level were not willing to recall the terrible experience of when they endured thirty times the standard pressure.
Fifty times? What would that feeling be?
Fu Dong smiled and continued. "This set of True Qi Locks was modified by Sand Scorpion himself. It can trigger the spiritual gas up to fifty times the standard pressure.
"He has been training for seven hours wearing such True Qi Locks and could still finish five sets of deep squats with 1,500 kilograms.
"His every training session consumes hundreds of True Qi containers!"
Those present were all experts. They inferred the intensity of Li Yao's training instantly and were all frightened.
Fu Dong then pointed at an iron target in a corner of the training chamber. "Now, look at the target. Do you see any anomalies?"
Everybody examined the target doubtfully. The target was made of 'Black Rock Gold', a common metal material on Iron Plateau. It was riddled with fist indentations.
However, it was not unusual. Everyone there could leave deeper, clearer traces on such targets when they exerted all their strength.
Fu Dong said strangely, "Touch it."
Wei Changsheng was bold enough to extend one of his fingers to the surface of the target. His eyes immediately widened as he exclaimed, "It's so hot. Hundreds of degrees at least!"
"Correct."
Fu Dong said with his hands held in his back, "Maybe you think that the highest level of punching such iron targets is to embellish the targets with the traces of your fists. The deeper and the clearer the traces are, the more awesome you will be.
"But when Sand Scorpion was punching the target, he transformed most of the damage into heat. Under his bombardment, the temperature of the target was raised by 420 degrees!
"And this was after he had just finished the high-intensity training in the True Qi Locks.
"I even suspect that, if he filled himself and took a good rest, he could punch the target so hard that it will melt when he exerts his full strength on the target without burden!"
Everybody looked at each other in bewilderment.
Fu Dong looked at their facial expressions and chuckled. "You think his training is as simple as that? Tell you what, such a personal booth was established because he needed to train himself in certain extreme environments!
"When you saw him just now, he was doing the final relief and recovery procedure. The oxygen concentration inside the booth is approximately 5%, one quarter of the comfortable parameter for human beings.
"During his real training, he pumps away all the air inside the booth to make it almost a vacuum!"
Wei Changsheng and his companions were truly appalled.
Training crazily in a vacuum while being pumped with spiritual gas fifty times the standard pressure!
Where was this monster Sand Scorpion from?
"He—he has been training like that all the time?" Wei Changsheng stammered. But for some reason, he believed that it was true when he thought of Li Yao's cold and indifferent eyes.
Fu Dong nodded with an inexplicable expression on his face. After a long sigh, he commented, "Since you went to practice in the desert, he has been coming to this place to conduct the extreme training that is beyond anyone's imagination every day.
"I've been responsible for the training chamber for almost thirty years, and I've witnessed a lot of tough experts. Xiong Wuji in the old days, your captain Shi Meng, Xiong Zhenzhen of the Fierce Storm Assault Team, the young genius Wu Mayan who rose to fame only recently… They are all adamant and resolute people and have experienced cruel training without exception.
"However, this is the first time that I've ever seen a monster as crazy as him.
"How much of a contribution do you think a man who has been training in such a way can make in the battle against the apocalypse to come? Do you agree that he is qualified to have a Silver Stripe Boar all to himself now?"
Wei Changsheng was silent. Suddenly, he put one of the manacles on his wrist and, gritting his teeth, turned on the switch. The spiritual gas, set fifty times the standard pressure, was immediately poured in!
"Ahhhh!"
Wei Changsheng immediately screamed desperately like a pig being butchered. He fell to the ground as if he had been struck by lightning. Then he was bouncing and jumping like a lobster that had just been tossed into a cooker, crying for mommy.
"Not good. Changsheng is foaming at the mouth. He is about to pass out!"
"Hurry and save him!"
The training chamber was in a mess.
Chapter 573: Sky Scorpion Armor |
As the egg of apocalypse ripened, the gargantuan meteorite mountain began to emit large clusters of air currents in various colors that interweaved with each other and grew toward the sky helically. They swallowed one cloud after another and eventually formed a swirl of seven-colored smoke in the sky.
The residents of Iron Plateau called such a phenomenon an 'apocalypse cloud'.
The appearance of an apocalypse cloud suggested that the egg of apocalypse would break out in several days.
The egg of apocalypse that was about to mature was on the northwest side of the Furious Bears Tribe. When it was sunny during the day, one could see that a small apocalypse cloud in the northwest sky, surrounded by colorful radiance but with immeasurable darkness in the center, was staring at the ground like a weird, unblinking eye.
One month earlier, Furious Bears City had been seething with enthusiasm like a giant steel refining factory.
But as the apocalypse drew near, the entire city calmed down. Like a warrior who was whetting his saber in the darkness, all the anxiety, excitement, dread, worry, and hope were turned into the monotonous noise of the honing of their blades against the grindstone.
In the weapon factory, the refiners and workers who had been working hard for months were lying everywhere, snoring.
They had finally finished forging a batch of brand new magical equipment before the egg of apocalypse ripened.
The latest sonic sword model's distribution of tubes for the internal circulation and venting of spiritual gas had been redesigned. When the spiritual gas surged out, it would add slight vibration at a high frequency to the edge of the sword so that the damage of the blade could be improved.
Almost twenty ancillary spurts were added to two sides of the main spurt, which was emitting spiritual gas along the two sides of the sword. The middle of the sword would receive a counterforce that would make it essentially an invisible rail. Therefore, the strike of the sword would be more accurate and stable.
The latest Wolf Fang model had seven brand-new attack rune arrays on the interior side. Not only did they reduce the cost of crystals, they had also increased the firepower of the grenades. The latest Wolf Fangs also boasted a unique delayed detonation system that could be controlled with telepathic thoughts. As long as one thought about it, more than ten Wolf Fangs could be detonated simultaneously.
The elites of the Fierce Storm Assault Team and the Iron Bears Detonation Team absolutely loved the new weapons. They'd been dwelling in the test fields affiliated to the weapon factory to familiarize themselves with the new magical equipment.
Today, the last test was going to be held.
Tomorrow, the warriors of the Furious Bears Tribe would march into the desert and challenge the apocalypse!
In the test field, almost all the members of the Fierce Storm Assault Team and the Iron Bears Detonation Team had gathered.
There were almost a hundred soldiers on both sides. They were all experts a
bove the 40th level of the Refinement Stage. Although they were insignificant in number, the solemn and daunting aura emanated from them almost tore the entire test field in half, as if they were two armies.
The two parties confronted each other silently. But the last competitive test was postponed for a long time. It was not until people were whispering to each other that Xiong Wuji appeared on one side of the test field.
"Warriors of the Furious Bears Tribe!"
Xiong Wuji's voice was not high, but his every word swept into everybody's ears like a hurricane. "Tomorrow, we will be setting off to challenge the apocalypse. Today, we are running our last competitive test.
"The purpose of the competitive test is, on one hand, to let you understand the magical equipment in your hands better, and, on the other hand, to let you know your comrades and brothers who will be fighting side by side with you better!
"Fierce Storm can only entrust the ground to Iron Bears, and Iron Bears can only entrust the sky to Fierce Storm, after you learn each other's formidability in the competitive tests!
"Also, a new warrior will be joining the competitive test today. The competition of two sides will become one of three sides! The rules are the same. Each of the three sides has a home camp. As long as you bring the flag in the center of the test field to your home camp, your side will be deemed the winner!
"Due to the limitation of time, the warrior had no time to practice with everyone else in the desert, and therefore, is not familiar with the battle formations. Therefore, he is not going to be listed in the main troop but will be asked to perform free hunting as a lone wolf in the battlefield.
"But still, I think that it is necessary for you to meet the warrior. After the competitive test today, you will know whether or not you should be worried if he is standing next to you!"
Xiong Wuji's words raised a riot.
