84 Ranking Tournament 4 (1/2)
Chapter 84: Ranking Tournament 4
”I am Ai Luo of Asura Palm. And you are?” The portly youth had a head of blonde hair; it didn't look dyed, but instead natural. He reached a hand to brush his blonde hair off his face, and asked earnestly.
”Garen. White Cloud Gate.” Garen raised his hand, put on a Four Major Forms pose, and he instantly sharpened up.
”I'll just stand still and let you hit me, how's that?” the stout youth Ai Luo said, chuckling. ”As long as you manage to injure me, you win.”
”You idiot!” Jaden outside the ring covered his eyes as he couldn't bear to look.
Bang!
Garen leapt forward, his elbow straight like a sharp arrow, piercing straight into the fats of the chest and abdomen of the stout youth.
The layers of white fat started to violently vibrate; fatty ripples formed in the parts that were hit.
Ai Luo's expression changed: his face was pale.
”Go!”
Garen's expression was composed. He gathered momentum with a twist of his foot, and thrust his entire body against the stout youth.
Wham!
The force caused the hill-like body of the stout youth to fly out of the ring and crash onto the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust as he landed.
”Declare it,” Garen said casually as he straightened up.
”…Yes…yes, very well.” The referee snapped out of his shock. ”The winner of this round, Garen from White Cloud Gate!” He rang the bell hard, but the sound produced by the small bell was too soft; it was completely muted by the gasps from the crowd.
Jaden stood in a corner with a somber expression.
”Looks like we underestimated his strength. He is already qualified to challenge Beo of Crimson Sand Sword. Asura Palm is ranked seventh. This stout one was one of their best: he was ranked eleventh in the previous meet. The fat all over his body was his best defense. His Secret Martial Art is the constantly activated tough Ripples of Fat to counteract Vibration. Vibration by average experts have almost no effect on him.”
To a side, Long Er's petite face turned pale.
”So…so how did he take down the stout guy in such a short amount of time…?”
”His Strength, Speed, and his technique of consecutively concentrating power onto one point; he combined all these to directly break the surface tension and counter the Ripples of Fat Secret Martial Art. What a terrifying fighting spirit!” Jayden explained with a mumble. ”His Vibration, his physical coordination, and most importantly the speed of his Explosive Force, is so much more powerful than average practitioners of Secret Martial Arts! I once saw the Secret Martial Art of White Cloud Gate, the Mammoth Secret Technique. Its general effects could not achieve the toughness that he had displayed. Is it possible that he is training in a new martial art technique? Something that's not from White Cloud Gate?”
”No! He did actually use the Explosive Force Technique from White Cloud Gate,” a male voice could suddenly be heard beside them.
Jayden and Long Er were both startled. They turned around, and both instantly displayed reverence.
”Eldest Senior Brother!”
”Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother.”
Both of them quickly greeted him.
Standing to one side, was the one-eyed Andrela, who had just rushed over to watch the tournament. He was the strongest disciple of their generation from Celestial Circle Gate, and the most prominent youth martial arts expert in the South.
He had a black eye patch over his left eye, and a crystal clear, dark golden pupil for his left eye. A head of long, jet black hair was casually draped behind him to the waist. This gave him a mysterious and gentle impression.
”19, 23, you're still fresh. With only a few years of training under your belt, it's natural that you can't recognize his true style.” Andrela looked at Garen in the ring with a trace of admiration.
”If I'm not wrong, this Garen has mastered the highest level of Secret Martial Art of White Cloud Gate. How terrifyingly talented! Mammoth Secret Technique of White Cloud Gate is merely a third-rate Secret Martial Art; many sects have a similar training method for Secret Martial Arts. I can't believe he could actually train in a third-rate Secret Martial Art to such an extent.”
”It can't be… Eldest Senior Brother, you mean to say that, the Secret Martial Art level of this Garen is higher than that of his master?” Jaden asked, aghast.
”I'm not sure. The true strength of the White Cloud Gate Master is known only to the masters who have dueled with him. But it's just a third-rate Secret Martial Art, so even if he's highly trained in it, the power would be limited. Not to worry.” Andrela looked at Garen who was resting cross-legged, and shook his head regrettably. ”What a shame. If he was discovered by Celestial Circle Gate first, his accomplishments would be unimaginable. Shame… His Secret Martial Art is limited; he has peaked.”
He used the word 'shame' twice.
Jayden and Long Er understood what he meant. Garen had trained in the Secret Martial Art of White Cloud Gate to such an extent that his physicality had crystallized. It was impossible for him to change course and train in another Secret Martial Art. Moreover, the limit of a third-rate Secret Martial Art was the level on which Garen was at; there was no way to enhance it any further.
”So Eldest Senior Brother, in your opinion, what ranking does this Garen deserve based on his true strength?” Long Er asked curiously. With the strongest Eldest Senior Brother by her side, the trauma that Garen caused her seemed to completely vanish: she was instantly more relaxed.
”It should be the same as Eastern Saintcloth from Quicksand, around fifth or sixth—provided that the true strength of the rest hasn't changed much this year,” Andrela replied casually.
”Fifth or sixth?!” Jayden and Long Er were both shocked; they couldn't believe it.
Garen did not notice Andrela in the corner of the crowd. It was as if he had an unusual magic: the people around him barely gave him a second look, as if he was utterly invisible.