85 The Truth 1 (1/2)
Chapter 85: The Truth 1
This coordination was already a hard limit; anything further would just be a slight enhancement. He had understood that—the Explosive Fist Arts, White Cloud Secret Method, and White Cloud Combat Technique—were all fundamental parts, like a mammoths limbs. Training in these martial art techniques was like honing the mammoth's limbs: the stronger they were, the better the foundation, and the stronger the integrated effect of the Secret Mammoth Technique.
The purpose of the Secret Mammoth Technique was to integrate all these together, to form a real large mammoth. Different people formed different Mammoth characteristics: this was dependent on physical quality, and the level of Explosive Fist Arts or White Cloud Secret Method they have trained up till.
Garen's own White Cloud Secret Method had reached an unprecedented level; his Explosive Fist Arts had reached an intermediate level, a minor achievement; his White Cloud Combat Technique was intermediate too. Coupled with the strong physical quality that he was most proud of—a physical quality that was beyond the physical limits of an average person—everything combined, the Secret Martial Art helped Garen attain a terrifyingly phenomenal level.
This was just a third-rate Secret Martial Art technique, but had been practiced by him to an unfathomable level with his mysterious special ability.
Other practitioners from White Cloud Gate would not practice Secret Martial Arts on such solid foundation. Basically they would start practicing it once they had a good foundation of the rest. After all, Explosive Fist Arts and the White Cloud Secret Method were time-consuming martial art techniques. If they only started practicing Secret Martial Arts after attaining a certain achievement in those, it would probably not happen even when the practitioner reached 40 years old. Even the best talents would only be able to attain intermediate levels in Explosive Fist Arts and the White Cloud Secret Method. With their White Cloud Secret Method limited to intermediate level, not even attaining advanced level, there would be too big a difference with Garen's unparalleled achieved level.
No one knew the changes that an achieved White Cloud Secret Method integrated into Secret Mammoth Technique would bring about. The role of White Cloud Secret Method in Secret Martial Arts was like the heart of the mammoth, consolidating the power and explosive force of the entire body.
Garen wasn't even sure what stage he was at. He just knew that he was stronger than before, stronger than when he went to the Golden Hoop meet!
He rushed towards the previous tournament venue along the way he came from.
”Where is Master now?” he asked as he walked.
”After the next round is the final round to determine the top ten, Master should be here to watch,” Collin explained simply. ”He should be with the masters of other dojos and sects now.”
Garen nodded and didn't say more. The incident with the note still weighed heavy on him; he didn't know who passed him the note, but…
A trace of coldness flashed across his face. Garen sped up. All along the corridor, every disciple from the Southern Twelve Gates would give way to him out of respect.
”I heard that Senior Brother Garen has been rated as the first person below the previous top ten! And it was Senior Brother Andrela who had personally evaluated this!”
”Senior Brother Garen, together with Senior Brother Tenstar Ni, have been regarded as the Senior Brothers with the most potential to enter top ten.”
”The next round is the finals. Let's go get a place, quick!”
The whispers of trainees would reach their ears from time to time. Garen turned a deaf ear to all of it, but the faces of the other three gradually shone with a trace a pride.
White Cloud Gate had never been bestowed such an honor. As a small, third-rate sect, its martial art methods were limited; even extremely talented disciples have never managed to reach such a level. Every disciple could only participate for three times consecutively, not to mention there was an age limit. Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother had passed the age limit long ago, and even they were far from attaining this degree of evaluation when they participated.
Now that Garen had achieved it, the three of them walked with their heads held high, no longer the same as before.
After he passed through a few corridors, Garen strode into his initial tournament venue. In the packed room, someone was already waiting for him in the white ring.
A proportionately muscular youth with a tall flattop haircut resembling a broom, he had white hand wraps on both his hands, and a rebellious look on his face. His upper body was bare, and he was wearing white shorts. He had a shoe only on his right foot; it looked very odd.
Garen subconsciously looked at his feet.
When the youth shifted his right foot, Garen realized that the he wasn't actually wearing a shoe, but instead there was a black shoe-like motif painted onto his foot: both his feet were bare.
”Senior Brother Garen, please step into the ring,” the referee shouted.
The tournament venue quieted down almost immediately. The crowd gave way to Garen and the other three. Most of them looked expectantly at him, only a few stared rudely.
Garen strode to the side of the ring, somersaulted into it then stood up.
”Order of the Iron Fist, Carlos.” The youth had a hand in front of his body, and another clenched, resting at his waist: he adopted the horse stance, and put on a solemn posture.
”Garen of White Cloud Gate.” Garen glanced at his opponent, not even bothering to adopt a stance. He looked sideways at the referee and asked, ”Can we begin?”
”Begin!” The referee rung the bell definitively, then somersaulted out of the ring. This wasn't child's play: duels at this level were considered to be between experts. A referee like him could be accidentally injured if he didn't take care.
As the referee's voice faded, Carlos threw a fierce punch which arced to hit the right side of Garen's face.
The few-meter gap between the both of them was closed by him in one stride. His fist pierced the right side of Garen's face like a sickle. Due to the extreme speed, only a trace of a shadow could be seen, like the sharp, curved shadow of a sickle blade.
”How fast!” Garen was stunned. He barely managed to lift his elbow; he could feel a gust from the force of the punch ripple the skin of his face.
Bang!
The two were interlocked in a fist fight. Garen blocked with his right arm and threw his left arm out towards his opponent's face. His arm flung out like a spring; he was using a standard Shot Form. The explosive force of the punch made a whoosh sound.
Clap!
Another crisp sound could be heard. All their attacks were blocked by the other.
Within less than half a meter from each other, Carlos' spike-like elbow attacked Garen like a storm. Garen blocked his crucial body parts; the rest of the attacks hit his muscles and caused them to quiver violently but the effect soon passed. His skin merely reddened slightly.
A very frequent 'tap tap tap' sound like raindrops could be heard.
Carlos looked grimmer. Even his Vibration couldn't penetrate the toughness of Garen's Body Hardening Technique. It merely caused a reddening of the skin; this was something he didn't expect.
But to be able to reach this stage in the tournament, his opponent would naturally not be a weakling. He was already mentally prepared.
”Abrupt Kick!” Carlos roared. His right leg shot up and headed straight for Garen's chin. Its swiftness transformed it into a grey shadow.
Wham!
Garen didn't manage to react in time, and got hit squarely by the kick; his head jerked backwards from the impact. But with a sly grin, he threw caution to the wind and took the opportunity to grab his opponent's shoulder with his right arm, and tripped Carlos with a foot.