Chapter 423 - 205: Gravity VS Telekinesis! Did I Say You Could Enter?
Chapter 423: Chapter 205: Gravity VS Telekinesis! Did I Say You Could Enter?
"This adjustment to the qualifier rules was also at the behest of our Kunlun East District’s Commander. He hopes that the juniors from our two halls can be tempered through real combat and prove their mettle."
"Indeed, Mr. Xiao."
Lv Yongze’s smile didn’t falter, but the veins on his clenched hand were clearly bulging.
"Learning in a vacuum is ultimately a subpar method. It’s a good thing to have an opportunity like this, to let them experience just how dangerous a real mission can be ahead of time."
The two men exchanged impeccable pleasantries, but the atmosphere behind them was already taut with tension.
Behind Lv Yongze were only seven or eight Hall Masters from Xinhuo, with Wang Jingcheng among them.
Long Bohan, the only deacon in their party, stood at the very back. He felt as if the air had solidified into a block of ice, pressing down on him so hard he could barely breathe.
He had never dreamed that he would one day be invited to the Yanjing Branch of the Kunlun Martial Hall to watch the qualifier match between the two Martial Halls alongside so many powerful figures.
This was Kunlun’s home turf.
The Kunlun contingent opposite them was four or five times their size. Each member had a heavy, imposing aura, and their gazes were filled with disdain and condescension.
Long Bohan felt less like he had come to watch a match and more like he had walked into the lion’s den.
If Lv Yongze, a true Martial Artist of the Celestial Human Realm, hadn’t been standing before him, acting as a shield, Long Bohan suspected he would have found it difficult to even breathe.
After the greetings, they all took their seats on opposite sides.
Xiao Yuanshan made an inviting gesture, his smile widening. "Judging by the time, there should be some activity over at the Rift soon. There’s no time to waste, so let’s begin."
Lv Yongze gave a slight nod and sat down beside him.
He knew exactly what game Xiao Yuanshan was playing, of course.
Xiao Yuanshan simply believed Kunlun had this victory sewn up and had specially invited them to his home turf to watch him, Lv Yongze, and the entire Firewood Martial Hall be utterly humiliated.
But he was just as confident in his own right, which was precisely why he had agreed to attend.
Light swirled on the wall at the front of the conference room, and soon, an incredibly clear, real-time image materialized.
The image showed the very basin surrounded by mountains. High in the sky, a faint white tear looked as if it were about to rip open, blurring the boundary between sky and earth.
On the ground, the teams from Kunlun and Xinhuo already stood in a tense standoff.
"Oh?"
Watching the screen, Xiao Yuanshan suddenly let out a soft exclamation of feigned surprise.
"Mr. Lv, what... is this? It seems the members of your esteemed hall haven’t been issued Exoskeleton Combat Armor?"
He pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and added in a slow, deliberate voice.
"This is the first time we’re holding the qualifiers in an actual Celestial Abyss Rift, after all. The situation is complex and fraught with danger."
"According to Kunlun’s regulations, equipping all personnel with the latest combat armor is the most basic precaution for an exploratory mission of this level."
"I was under the impression this was a mutual understanding between our two Martial Halls."
The moment he finished speaking, a Kunlun Hall Master behind him, taking the cue, immediately chimed in. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the conference room to hear perfectly.
"Commander, this should be common sense, shouldn’t it? Entering an unknown rift without taking every possible precaution is just being irresponsible with the lives of your members."
"A powerhouse like Xinhuo, logically speaking, shouldn’t be making such a rookie mistake."
"Silence!"
Xiao Yuanshan whipped his head around and barked, "Is it your place to speak here?"
"Report for punishment later!"
Although he was reprimanding his subordinate, even Lv Yongze could see the faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.
’They’re putting on a good cop, bad cop routine for my benefit.’
However, Long Bohan, Wang Jingcheng, and the others who didn’t grasp the situation all had their expressions change.
They felt an overwhelming pressure wash over them.
This was no longer an insinuation; it was blatant humiliation!
They were saying that not only was Xinhuo lacking in strength, but they couldn’t even handle basic preparations, that they were arrogant and were toying with the lives of their own members!
Long Bohan’s fists clenched inside his sleeves, his face flushing crimson.
However, Lv Yongze’s expression remained as calm and unperturbed as ever.
He lifted the cup of light tea before him, gently blew the foam from its surface, and only then spoke, unhurried.
"It’s not that we haven’t prepared."
"It’s that preparation is unnecessary."
At these words, the entire conference room fell deathly silent.
The smile on Xiao Yuanshan’s face froze for an instant.
’Preparation is unnecessary?’
’How arrogant!’
Xiao Yuanshan kept the smile on his face, offering Lv Yongze a way to save face. "You’re as witty as ever, Mr. Lv.
I’m sure your hall has some other ace up its sleeve. I simply assumed too much."
Though he said as much, inwardly, he scoffed.
’Go on, keep up that tough act.’
’I’d like to see how you’ll hold out when your people can’t even get into the Rift!’
Xiao Yuanshan didn’t linger on the topic. Changing the subject, he raised a hand and pointed to a figure at the very front of the Kunlun Martial Hall’s formation on the screen.
"Mr. Lv, you see him? That’s the first S-rank rookie our Kunlun has signed this year, Zhang Daoming."
"He was the national runner-up the year before last. His Martial Arts Spirituality is the extremely rare Telekinesis, and his Sword Control Technique is sublime."
"We began courting him two years ago, and our wish was finally granted this year when we successfully recruited him. He’s also the first rookie for whom Kunlun has ever broken precedent to offer an S-rank contract."
After introducing Zhang Daoming, Xiao Yuanshan changed the subject again.
"By the way, I wonder which young talent your esteemed hall has sent as its captain this time?"
Upon hearing this, Lv Yongze simply smiled faintly.
"Just some old-timer who’s about to age out of the youth division next year. Of course he can’t compare to your national runner-up with his limitless potential."