Chapter 72: Challenge Requirements, Generous Rewards for Victory
General's brows furrowed slightly; Xue Qinghe's request wasn't too difficult, but rather abnormally simple.
Letting a one-ring Spirit Master challenge all the Spirit Masters and Spirit Grandmasters in the army—setting aside whether his spirit power could sustain continuous combat—he was already certain of victory just by the prospect of facing Spirit Grandmasters.
No matter how gifted one was, they ultimately only had one spirit ring. Among the Spirit Masters and Spirit Grandmasters under his command, although most had a configuration of one white and one yellow spirit ring, it wasn't difficult to find a few Spirit Masters with two hundred-year spirit rings.
One ring against two rings had no chance of winning at all, not to mention the spirit power gap of over ten levels between the two sides; relying purely on attrition would be enough to wear the opponent down.
"Is Your Highness truly not joking?" General straightened up, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Xue Qinghe, who was seated opposite him, while secretly observing Tang Shan out of the corner of his eye.
He really couldn't figure out what was so extraordinary about this so-called Spirit Master Genius that could make the First Prince value him so highly.
"Naturally, there is no falsehood. However, between each battle, we must wait for Tang Shan's spirit power to fully recover before starting the next one."
"That is only natural."
General agreed without hesitation, not caring about this small requirement. So what if his spirit power was fully restored? That didn't mean his condition was still at its Peak. The mental energy consumed by the high tension during battle was not so easily recovered.
Even if you are a Genius from the Upper Three Sects with powerful Spirit Abilities, you won't be able to withstand the mental exhaustion of a battle of attrition; sooner or later, you'll show a weakness and be taken down by the brothers in the army.
"Then it's a deal." Xue Qinghe turned to look at Tang Shan beside him, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry. "Tang Shan, do you have confidence?"
Tang Shan nodded, his eyes filled with anticipation for the upcoming battles. This wasn't the first time he had fought a Spirit Master, but his previous opponents were either Su Yuntao and Su Haichao, or Evil Spirit Masters, and even two Titled Douluos.
They were either opponents he couldn't beat or old acquaintances he fought often. This time, facing enemies at the level of Spirit Masters and Spirit Grandmasters, it was the first time he would encounter a wide variety of different Spirits and engage in actual combat against them.
On the vast training ground, the soldiers formed a large circle, leaving a wide open space in the middle. Low-voiced discussions rose and fell incessantly.
"Have you heard? That Spirit Master following His Highness wants to challenge the Spirit Masters in our army, and even said he wants to take on all the one-ring and two-ring Spirit Masters."
"I heard about it already, but isn't this Spirit Master a bit strange? Why only pick one-ring and two-ring ones? Is he afraid of losing face? Someone following the First Prince should be at least at the Spirit Elder level, right?"
—
"He's not a Spirit Elder. I heard he's a Spirit Master Genius with level nineteen spirit power."
"Level nineteen? Challenging one-ringers is understandable, but challenging two-ringers is just being arrogant, isn't it? Who gave him the nerve?"
"Who knows? Maybe this 'Genius' title is just hot air. I think I've seen him before; he looks nearly fifteen. Being only level nineteen at that age isn't that impressive."
"Anyway, since he's so arrogant, he definitely won't win. They'll be fighting here in a bit; we just need to wait and watch the show."
Emerging from the main camp, General's face had returned to its usual calm, showing no emotional fluctuations. Xue Qinghe and Tang Shan followed behind him, curiously observing the layout of the entire military camp.
Arriving at the training ground and seeing many people already gathered, General's brows furrowed involuntarily. His deep, angry shout, wrapped in spirit power, resounded throughout the open field: "What are you all doing? One-ring and two-ring Spirit Masters stay, all other Spirit Masters go to training!"
The soldiers instinctively looked back. Seeing it was their superior's superior, they were so frightened they quickly turned and ran, fearing they would be scolded if they were half a step too slow.
"I've made a fool of myself before Your Highness; I'll definitely drill these brats well later." General turned to Xue Qinghe beside him, his tone carrying some embarrassment. Before the competition had even started, letting the other party see the loose discipline in the army made his side's Aura weaken first.
"It's no matter, General Hong. Why not stop the soldiers from training for now and let them stay to watch this competition?" Xue Qinghe watched the quickly dispersing soldiers, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"After all, the vast majority of soldiers are ordinary people, and training too strictly isn't good either; a balance of tension and relaxation yields the best results. Moreover, it's a good chance for them to witness battles between Spirit Masters, so they won't be at a loss if they encounter them in the future."
Xue Qinghe had no intention of letting go of this good opportunity to promote himself. Letting the soldiers gather to watch Tang Shan defeat their superiors in public—and since Tang Shan was a talent he had discovered—this was in itself a direct blow to the Second Prince's prestige in the army.
So what if they ate, lived, and trained together? Whether in Tang Shan's past life or on the current Douluo Continent, the army always followed the rule that might makes right, always believing that the strong are respected.
"This... isn't very good, is it? What if..." General stopped mid-sentence, but the troubled expression he gave Tang Shan clearly showed his concerns. If Tang Shan were defeated in public and Xue Qinghe went back on his word, making his previous promises invalid, that would be troublesome.
"Rest assured, since I have agreed, as the First Prince of the Empire, I will never go back on my word. Even if he is defeated, it would be due to Tang Shan's lack of strength, and the promises will naturally be fulfilled then." Xue Qinghe's expression was indifferent, but the confidence and pride in his words were audible to anyone.
General had no choice but to have the soldiers summoned back to the training ground. Fortunately, the training ground was wide enough; otherwise, it really wouldn't have been able to accommodate so many people. Of course, he didn't call the entire army over.
As the bulwark of Heaven Dou City, some soldiers had to remain on the city walls to guard the Empire's final line of defense; this was his duty.
It was an army after all, and they mobilized extremely quickly. Before long, a dense crowd filled most of the training ground. Gaze after gaze converged on the exclusive viewing stand, the pressure of being watched almost becoming tangible as it fell upon them.
General had long been accustomed to such stares, and Xue Qinghe, as the First Prince, had seen many grand occasions. Only Tang Shan was facing such a large crowd for the first time.
But whether it was because he had lived two lives or because he had experienced true death, Tang Shan didn't feel the slightest bit of pressure facing everyone's gaze; his expression remained calm.
Xue Qinghe glanced at Tang Shan beside him with some surprise. A seven-year-old child could be so composed while being watched by so many people; he really wanted to know how Grandmaster had cultivated such an outstanding disciple.
General looked at the soldiers below the high platform whom he had personally trained, a moment of complexity flashing in his eyes before returning to calm. He circulated his spirit power, his voice spreading throughout the training ground: "Today, the First Prince has personally come to our Barrier Army to express his regards, and intends to..."
The speech ended, and thunderous applause rang out in the training ground.
Next, it was Xue Qinghe's turn to speak. He wore a gentle smile, carrying a natural air of nobility as he walked. His gaze swept over the soldiers below as he slowly spoke: "I am the First Prince, Xue Qinghe. Today, on behalf of the Empire, I extend my most sincere thanks to the officers and soldiers stationed in Iron Wall City."
As the words fell, he actually bowed deeply to the soldiers below.
Standing to the side, General's brow twitched violently; he almost couldn't resist releasing his spirit power to stop him. As expected, the other party had ill intentions, starting to win people over as soon as he took the stage. This move made his side's Aura weaken by a few more points.
"I know the army believes in the strong and respects geniuses. This Tang Shan beside me is a Spirit Master Genius. Today, he will challenge all the one-ring and two-ring Spirit Masters in the army. As long as someone can defeat him, I will not be stingy with rewards. The winner will receive a prize of one thousand gold coins. Everyone can sign up once, and there is no limit to the number of winners." Xue Qinghe straightened up and stopped beating around the bush, directly stating the purpose of this trip.
To encourage the Spirit Masters in the army to participate actively, the rewards he offered were exceptionally generous.
Uproar!
The soldiers below instantly erupted into a commotion, clearly shocked by Xue Qinghe's grand gesture. One must know that there was no limit to the number of winners; if many people won, even if it was just a few hundred, he would have to shell out at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins, which was no small sum.
After discussing for a long while, the soldiers gradually calmed down and instinctively cast inquiring glances at General. This showed that General's prestige in the army was indeed extremely high.
General's cheek twitched, and he spoke helplessly: "The First Prince's words are entirely true. Everyone, just participate actively."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire training ground completely boiled over. The soldiers who were just talking about eating, living, and training with the Second Prince had now long since cast him to the back of their minds. No matter how good the friendship, it couldn't compare to cold, hard gold coins.
As for the few soldiers who remained clear-headed, they were also making calculations: even if Tang Shan really was a Genius, it was only a matter of time before he couldn't withstand the mental exhaustion of a battle of attrition. This one thousand gold coins was practically like picking it up for free.
Soon, the competition area was cleared again. No special stage was built; it was just a flat patch of grass.
Tang Shan walked to the center of the open space, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his expression indifferent, carrying a natural air of being unperturbed by change.
Looking at the soldiers surrounding him, he asked in a calm tone, "Who among you will go first?"
"I'll go first."
A voice rang out, and a middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd. He had a resolute face and sharp eyes, walking with large strides to stand before Tang Shan.
"Isn't that Captain Wang? His Spirit is a Long Spear, and even his first spirit ring is a hundred-year one."
"This kid's luck is too poor; he's running into such a tough nut right at the start."
"Hehe, once Captain Wang wins the money, he'll have to take us out for drinks."
"Don't underestimate this kid either; being able to be a Genius by the First Prince's side, he must have something extraordinary about him."
"So what if he has something extraordinary? Can a kid who hasn't seen much blood compare to soldiers like us who have fought our way through slaughter? Maybe as soon as Captain Wang releases his Aura, he'll lose his nerve."
Tang Shan pricked up his ears, silently gathering information about his opponent, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Confidence was one thing, but underestimating the enemy was another. He believed his strength allowed him to walk tall in the Spirit Grandmaster stage, but if he encountered a unique Spirit...
...or an opponent with strange Spirit Abilities, it wouldn't be good if he accidentally slipped up.
Filtering out useless information and extracting the important parts, Tang Shan soon had a general understanding of the opponent before him.
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