84 Ranking Tournament 4 (2/2)
Garen was breathing slowly according to the breathing rhythm of the Secret Martial Art to recover his energy. Even though he defeated the stout contender from Asura Palm in one blow, he still expended some energy. He still had to prepare himself to face the next opponent in his prime condition.
Unfortunately, after waiting for quite some time, his opponent for the next round didn't turn up. It wasn't just him, even the referee started to get impatient. He sent a disciple from Celestial Circle Gate to inquire, and found out that Garen's opponent for the next round was still in the middle of a tough fight. Apart from ongoing duels, some contestants had sustained severe injuries and required rest and treatment. All contestants for the fourth round had to continue waiting. The rest were martial arts experts who had already progressed to the fifth round. According to the rules, it was impossible to arrange a duel with them in that moment.
”That means I can have a little time to rest for now?” Garen stood up and asked softly.
”Yes. You have about half an hour to rest. In the meantime, you are free to move about,” the referee nodded and politely replied. In the Secret Martial Art world, the strong was always revered. Garen's true strength had gained his respect.
”Very well.” Garen planned to sit cross-legged again and continue his recovery.
After sitting only for a while, a disciple from Celestial Circle Gate clad in black handed a note to him.
”Senior Brother Garen, someone outside claims to be an acquaintance of yours. He asked me to give this to you.”
”An acquaintance?” Garen took the note, opened it, and his eyes widened instantly.
There was only one line written on the note.
'Want to know how Gregor died? Meet me at two o'clock at night. I'll be waiting for you outside.' There was even an illustration of a familiar tattoo design below the words: it was the graphic on the back of the hands of those psychokinetics.
He crumpled the note in shock. Garen's eyes narrowed; there was a trace of coldness in them.
”Where is the person who passed you the note?” he asked the disciple who handed the note over.
”Still waiting outside…” Before he could finish his words, he saw Garen jump straight off the ring and dash out the door. The packed crowd around the ring did not impede him at all. He was like a moving reef; the crowd automatically parted wherever he went.
He was out of the room in an instant. There seemed to be a commotion in the room on the other side; it sounded like a crowd cheering.
”Shura! Shura! Shura!” The cheers were like the tide, coming wave after wave; the atmosphere was bustling.
Garen glanced around the corridor. Suddenly the corner of a black cloak at the far end of the corridor caught his eye.
He arched his body and instantly rushed towards it. He was at the end of the corridor in a few strides. Around the corner was a ten-odd-meters straight black corridor; there were no bends in the middle, but the person earlier had vanished, all in a matter of a few seconds.
”Traveling twenty to thirty meters in a few seconds…” Garen looked at the people walking around in the corridor. He grabbed a female disciple that walked past him and asked, ”Did you see someone in a black cloak pass by earlier?”
”Ouch! That hurts! No! No I didn't!” the girl repeatedly answered in shock.
”I'm sorry, I've hurt you.” It was only then that Garen noticed he was using too much force, so he released his grip on her. ”You really didn't see?”
”I really didn't! Who wears a black cloak in broad daylight anyway?” she rubbed her shoulder as she finished replying, then ran off as fast as a rabbit.
Garen walked on along the corridor. He kept questioning passersby as he walked, but the answer was that no one had even seen a person in a black cloak.
The other disciples from White Cloud Gate rushed over too, and followed behind Garen.
Collin wanted to walk up and greet him, but was halted by Simon, who shook his head at her.
”It must be something important to Eldest Senior Brother. Let's help him search.”
Apart from Rimridor who was nowhere to be seen, the four of them kept asking everyone they met, but no one had seen a person in a black cloak at all.
Garen walked into a break room along the corridor. He slowly sat on the bench and wiped the sweat and oil off his face. The note and that corner of a black cloak were haunting him.
Shouts and cheers kept coming intermittently from the rooms around them: those were the tournament venues of other contestants.
The other three from White Cloud Gate were also exhausted, so they sat down with Garen.
”Eldest Senior Brother…” Collin looked at Garen worriedly.
”It's almost time for the next tournament, right?” Garen looked up, and reverted to his usual calm. ”Thanks for helping me out in the manhunt. Let's get back to the tournament.”
”Okay!” Simon and the rest answered hurriedly.
Garen stood up and sorted through his emotions.
Ever since he enhanced his Mammoth Secret Technique to the level of Achieved Mammoth, even though he didn't feel anything then, eventually he realized that the Achieved level of the Mammoth Secret Technique made his every action more coherent. The Four Major Forms of White Cloud Combat Techniques, Vibration Technique in Strength Utilization under the Mammoth Secret Technique, and Techniques in Fundamental Wrestling Arts had all harmonized into one. It was as if he was a real mammoth: his every move was calm but powerful, and integrated.
He finally understood the purpose of the Mammoth Secret Technique: it was coordination.
Coordinated practitioners of the White Cloud Secret Method, Explosive Fist Arts, White Cloud Combat Arts and the like, would be able to meld all the techniques into one, and form a naturally coherent comprehensive force.