Chapter 143: Not a Single Good Fighter!
Following that, everyone made their way toward the training ground.
On the way, the usually silent Hong Qingyan rarely initiated a conversation, asking, "Big Brother Ye, do you think that Great Protector, can he defeat that bald-headed Grand Lama monk from the Brahma Kingdom?"
Ye Feng couldn't help but laugh as he asked back, "What do you think?"
Hong Qingyan paused for a moment and said, "I wouldn't know, I can't tell at all. That Great Protector just now seemed quite arrogant and fierce, his Kung Fu should also be strong, I guess, and he's also the top expert from the Southern Territory."
Hearing this, Ye Feng only shook his head silently.
Hong Qingyan asked, "Does Big Brother Ye think he can't defeat that bald-headed Grand Lama? If we lose, this time the Southern Territory will probably lose face, and Xuanyuan Nation will be humiliated by association."
Ye Feng smiled and said, "Don't worry, everything is under my control."
"Mm, hearing Big Brother Ye say that, I have nothing to worry about," Hong Qingyan obediently nodded her head.
After spending some time together, for some reason, Hong Qingyan had developed a strong confidence in Ye Feng; she probably wouldn't doubt him even if he said he was going to pluck the stars from the sky.
By the time Ye Feng and the others reached the training ground again, the vast area paved with sand from the Western Sands was already surrounded by a dense crowd of people.
More than two thousand elite soldiers from the Southern Territory base camp had gathered there, apart from those who could not leave their posts.
Many were whispering and speculating in private: "What do you think, can our Great Protector win? Can he defeat the Reincarnation Wheel Grand Zen Master?"
"It's hard to say, that Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master is a high-ranking expert sent by the Brahma Kingdom. It is said that he even contended with our Old Southern King in the past, while at that time, the Great Protector was merely a retainer under the Old Southern King."
"Let's just wait and see; if we lose this battle, the Southern Territory will have suffered a great dishonor!"
All the soldiers of the Southern Territory were undoubtedly very nervous, as the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master had come with an aggressive momentum, obviously well-prepared.
"Silence!" Grand Commander Lan commanded, and the entire training ground immediately fell into silence; you could hear a pin drop. These two thousand soldiers were indeed elite, strict in discipline.
The Southern King, although sitting on the high platform, had a face full of worry. Seeing Ye Feng coming over, he suddenly spoke with a grin, "Northern King, after today's battle, regardless of the outcome, I intend to resign from my position as the Southern King."
Ye Feng, sitting in his wheelchair, turned his head to look at him and asked, "Does the Southern King no longer have confidence in himself?"
The Southern King smiled bitterly, "In truth, anyone with clear eyes can see that this battle is doomed for the Great Protector to lose. If he loses, the Southern Territory will have no face left, and I, as the King of the Southern Territory, cannot escape blame, nor would I have the face to continue commanding the Southern Territory."
After a pause, Dugu Ming continued, "Moreover, even if by some chance the Great Protector wins, my position as the Southern King is no less secure. By then, his reputation would soar, and together with several Domain Lords petitioning the capital, they would dethrone me as the Southern King."
Ye Feng just smiled slightly, shaking his head.
Dugu Ming asked, "How so, Northern King doesn't see it that way?"
Ye Feng did not directly answer his question but said instead, "In my lifetime, I've been through hundreds of wars, large and small. While most of them were with an advantage, I have also faced disadvantages, and extreme ones at that!"
Dugu Ming watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Ye Feng went on, "Whenever on the battlefield facing such disadvantageous situations, I would never allow myself the leeway to contemplate withdrawal. Does the Southern King know why?"
"Why?" asked Dugu Ming.
"That's because I have no choice but to stand firm, for behind me, there are countless soldiers who need me to stand in front, so even in the most disadvantageous situations, I would never consider retreat. Because once I retreat, the soldiers behind me would surely perish!"
As Ye Feng said this, he looked down at the more than two thousand soldiers in the training ground below, and then added, "I know I must win, I absolutely cannot give up because behind me, there are not only my soldiers, there is not only the Northern Border Twelve Banners, but the entirety of Xuanyuan Nation!"
Having said that, Ye Feng turned his head away and no longer looked at Dugu Ming.
Meanwhile, Dugu Ming fell into deep thought. He pondered Ye Feng's words and also silently compared them with the events he had experienced over the years. After quite a while, he nodded emphatically and said, "I understand now. I finally understand why, for the past few years, I've never been able to secure the absolute loyalty of the soldiers throughout the Southern Territory."
"Northern King, I am not your equal!" As he said this, Dugu Ming slowly rose to his feet and bowed deeply to Ye Feng.
Ye Feng remained still, duly receiving his bow.
In the training ground ahead, the Reincarnation Wheel Grand Zen Master, with his head held high and chest puffed out, swished his wide red robe and stepped toward the center of the arena.
Although the Great Protector was very reluctant, given the situation at hand, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over.
"Great Protector of the Southern Territory, please!"
"Reincarnation Wheel Grand Zen Master, please!"
On one side, the Great Protector performed a salute customary of the Xuanyuan Nation. On the other side, the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master placed a single hand on his chest and gave a slight bow, a ritual unique to the Brahma Kingdom.
All at once, the night over the training ground was shattered by an explosive shout. The Great Protector's aura surged, and the sand beneath his feet was swept up in the air, creating a whirlwind of flying sand and stones full of imposing momentum.
Then, the Great Protector launched himself forward like a cannonball, throwing a punch that even caused the air to burst with a ringing explosive sound.
A Half-Step Martial King, truly formidable!
Yet the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master remained still, standing upright and calmly watching the other party charge at him, his smiling face even betraying a hint of disdain.
Just as the Great Protector's Fist Edge was about to smash into his face, the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master finally moved. His right hand shot out like lightning and grabbed the Great Protector's fist.
In an instant, everything halted, all surging auras coming to a sudden stillness.
The Great Protector was taken aback and instinctively tried to retreat, but what shocked him was that he couldn't break free at all. His Fist Edge was grasped tightly by the other party, and what was more terrifying was the mountainous pressure emanating from the opponent's body, leaving him almost breathless.
This was the aura of a Martial King. As the saying goes, beneath a Martial King are all but ants. A Half-Step Martial King in front of a true Martial King, at best, is only a slightly stronger ant.
The Great Protector's face flushed red, but he still couldn't break free.
Then, the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master suddenly exerted force, throwing the Great Protector's fist aside, and in an instant, the Great Protector was tossed aside like a child.
The Great Zen Master let out a thunderous shout and stomped forcefully onto the ground, creating a large crater, before shooting out like an arrow.
The Great Protector hadn't even landed when the Quasi-Wheel Grand Zen Master was already upon him, and then he threw another punch.
Howl…
The Great Protector cried out miserably as he was knocked away like a kite with its string cut, spewing three mouthfuls of blood and stumbling to remain upright, eventually half-kneeling on the ground.
The Great Zen Master walked up to the Great Protector, looking down on him from above and snorted heavily, "Is this the number one master of the Southern Territory? In my opinion, he's nothing special at all. Weak, truly weak. It seems the Southern Territory truly doesn't have anyone capable of putting up a fight!"
The silent night was pierced by the words of the Great Zen Master, resonating like a grand bell long after they were spoken, intolerably grating on the ear.
An eerie silence fell over the training ground, with more than two thousand soldiers clenching their fists, their bodies trembling due to rage.
Yet in such a scenario, not a single person dared to stand up and refute the Great Zen Master's words!