Chapter 75 - Sparring Begins, Neck and Neck
Back to the company, Ling Jiu and the two saw and greeted Ai Tianfan and Jing Biao.
Ai Tianfan and Jing Biao nodded slightly. "The sparring is about to begin, Ling Jiu. Are you ready?"
"I am ready."
Ling Jiu nodded.
"Then let's go."
Ai Tianfan brought them to a large training hall. Ling Jiu was surprised to see crowd gather around.
And most of them were external personnel.
'So many spectators?
Ling Jiu was startled quietly.
"Because the last place involves many people and forces, and to guarantee fairness, Mr. Ai has invited some spectators," Jing Biao said, as if he had noticed Ling Jiu's puzzlement.
"With all these people as the witnesses, as long as you can defeat the other four contenders, the last place will be yours and no one could dispute that. Of course, if you lose, you could not dispute it too"
"I understand!"
"Everyone!"
Ai Tianfan came to the center of the training hall and gave everyone a once over. "I will cut the cackle. Please allow me to say just a few words.
"After rounds of selection, we have finally shortlisted five contenders for the last placement in the Super Training Camp. There are more candidates than the openings. So there is only one rule: survival of the fittest. The strongest person will get the last placement. I announce that the sparring begins."
Because this was impromptu sparring, there were few rules. They would draw lots to decide who was going to fight who.
The five contenders—Ling Jiu, Yang Tian, Chang Jiandong, Ai Shangcheng, and Chu Ding—walked to the center of the training hall and started to draw lots.
The results were quickly known:
Ling Jiu vs. Yang Tian
Shang Aicheng vs. Chang Jiandong
Chu Ding from the military district would be on standby
While they were drawing lots just now, Chang Jiandong stared dead at Ling Jiu. If not for so many people around, he would have surely charged at Ling Jiu to kill him, although he knew he was not Ling Jiu's match.
...
"First session: Yang Tian versus Ling Jiu!"
All eyes were instantly on the two persons in the ring.
"Who do you think will win?" Ai Tianfan asked Jing Biao.
"It's hard to tell."
Jing Biao shook his head. "Ling Jiu has Earth and Gravity Arcana, both are for long-range attacks. But Yang Tian has Mighty Mammoth Form Arcana, a nasty close-quarters combat arcana. Their fighting styles are vastly different. It is hard to say who will win. But…"
"But what?"
Ai Tianfan c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.
"Yang Tian's skill was best-in-class. No Level-Four arcanist could beat him in this realm," Jing Biao said slowly.
"That's for sure. Once Yang Tian shifted to Mighty Mammoth Form, his strength will increase by a hundredfold. By then, even Earth Manipulation and Gravity Arcana will have a hard time containing it."
Ai Tianfan nodded with a smile. "But it is still hard to say who will win before the battle ends."
"You are right!"
"Who do you think will win?" Yang Ling-er asked Ai Yuhe.
"Ling Jiu, of course."
Ai Yuhe said confidently.
"Are you sure?"
Yang Ling-er was a little surprised.
Jing Biao and Ai Tianfan looked at Ai Yuhe in disbelief.
Why was she so confident when even they were not so sure?
"No one can beat Ling Jiu below Level Five." Ai Yuhe let out a confident smile.
She had seen how Ling Jiu beat Jin Chao, and how he killed the Class-5 Direbeasts in Heihu Mountain Pass. She knew Ling Jiu's strength better than anyone else.
"Are you sure, my dear daughter?"
Ai Tianfan raised a brow.
"You will see, Dad."
On the other hand, Ling Jiu and Yang Tian had started talking.
"So you are Ling Jiu, eh?"
Yang Tian looked at him sideways. "I don't know who gives you the courage to come all the way from a village to Chang'an and compete with me for Super Training Camp's last placement. But let me tell you, you will be disappointed!"
"Just cut the cackle!"
Ling Jiu shrugged. "Make your move!"
"You are asking for it!"
Yang Tian hissed, then his body ballooned rapidly, and he turned into a five-meter-tall mammoth humanoid.
His legs and arms were huge. His ears looked like two large fans and he had two sharp fangs. There were also dark-green scales covering his body. He was neither mammoth nor human.
He was a hybrid of both species.
Boom!
The granite flooring cracked and shattered at once as Yang Tian stomped his feet on the floor and charged at Ling Jiu.
A mammoth always gave the impression that it was heavy and clumsy. But apparently, this was a delusion.
The mammoth was quick and could move at 20 km/h. In another word, it was said to be 5.5 m/s.
5.5 meters per second was only the speed of an ordinary mammoth. As for the best among the mammoth Direbeasts—Mighty Mammoth—could move at ten times faster than ordinary mammoths. In addition, it had incredible strength and defense ability.
So when Yang Tian moved, he ran like a steed and sent a tremor throughout the training hall.
"It's Mighty Mammoth Form. Interesting!"
As osmium soil surrounded Ling Jiu, he turned into a five-meter-tall osmium giant in the blink of an eye and activated Tungsten Form Arcana.
"What is this kid thinking? He wants to clash with his opponent head-on?"
"He wants to go head-to-head with Yang Tian? He must have hit his head somewhere!"
"Blow that naïve kid away, Yang Tian!"
Those spectators were shocked to see what Ling Jiu was doing. But they quickly derided him.
"Why going it head-to-head?"
Jing Biao frowned, thinking that this was very unwise of Ling Jiu.
Yang Tian was famous for his strength. By clashing with him head-on, Ling Jiu was punching above his weight.
This was stupid of him.
"Go home, lout!"
Yang Tian roared as he thrust a big and solid punch at Ling Jiu, who also flung his fist to meet Yang Tian's attack.
The two fists clashed like two high-speed trains collided.
An ear-shattering sound splintered the glasses around the training hall as Ling Jiu and Yang Tian were forced back at once.
"They are neck and neck?"
Those spectators were stunned. Yang Tian's Mighty Mammoth Form had increased his strength by a hundredfold, his punching force was as high as 30 tons.
Such a horrible attack could smash a van into a thin foil. Yet Ling Jiu had withstood it.
Are you kidding me?
"This kid is a badass!"