Last night's banquet felt like a gathering of old friends. Wang Xu was happy and enthusiastic with the drinks, while also learning about a few members of the Red Flame Battle Group.
The leader, a tall man named Pang Yu, wields a massive S-Level shield, nicknamed "Jin Tun," and is the soul of the entire team.
The Red Flame Battle Group was established by Pang Yu, dragging along the stubbled man, the second in command, known as "Ghost Math."
Nobody knows Ghost Math's real name. When Wang Xu asked, Ghost Math merely smiled gently and said, "I like this name now."
A straightforward-speaking, single-minded, thin man named Xu Nian has quite an understanding in body technique and is the scout of the Red Flame Battle Group, nicknamed "Red Eye." Wang Xu heard that he joined the Red Flame Battle Group because Jin Tun once saved his life.
Two other handsome-looking men, one named "Black Whip" and the other "Blue Sword," are named after their weapons, joining the Red Flame Battle Group last year.
Finally, there are Red Axe and Wang Xu, who are the newcomers to the team, though Red Axe is Tier Five and Wang Xu is Tier Four.
After waking up the next day, the dizziness from yesterday's hangover disappeared instantly. As a genetic warrior, his strong physique makes him immune to all poisons, and such a small amount of alcohol naturally can't trouble Wang Xu.
Today is the reporting day, and Wang Xu has to rush to the teaching building to meet his tutor.
The cultivation room is very large, more than ten times the previous one. Before Wang Xu arrived, dozens of people were already waiting here.
A moment later, a hot-blooded, stunningly beautiful woman with a ponytail strode in fiercely.
"From today on, I am your tutor, you can call me 'Poison Teacher.' As for why, you will soon know." As soon as the woman's words fell, she went straight to a few students whose eyes were continuously roaming over her, and kicked out!
A few students were all Tier Five genetic warriors, outstanding in both reaction and resilience. Yet facing the woman's strike, they couldn't even react and were sent flying. Their internal organs felt compressed together and the pain was extreme.
Wang Xu's heart skipped a beat. This Poison Teacher is truly poisonous, as the seemingly single kick actually attacked several people simultaneously in an instant.
Such terrifying instantaneous actions mean this Poison Teacher is at least Tier Seven!
The other students also looked at this Poison Teacher with astonishment, their eyes full of reverence.
"Alright, today I will teach you the first lesson about body technique and fist power levels..." Poison Teacher didn't even glance at the group of wailing students and began lecturing.
Wang Xu listened meticulously. After Poison Teacher finished speaking, he suddenly understood.
It turns out that the ancient martial arts he's cultivated are merely an assistance to the physical body. For example, body technique martial arts seemingly increase your body technique greatly, but the final speed and evasion ability do not change much. True body technique is divided into "Basic," "Agility," "Insight," "Will," and like most people, Wang Xu remains at the Basic level, with little change in body technique.
But once you comprehend the "Agility" level of body technique, you'll find that no matter where the attack comes from, you can quickly react and dodge past with millimeter or centimeter intervals. According to Poison Teacher, this is because your body technique becomes instinctive, rooted in the bone, allowing you to dodge insect beasts attacking you dozens at a time using only your body technique.
Similarly, sword technique, swordsmanship, staff technique, ancient martial arts, etc., all serve as assistance. Moreover, sword technique not only applies to the sword but can directly affect the body, allowing arms and legs to have sword technique-like power simultaneously, which is the so-called "exert force" level.
A good ancient martial art can elevate exert force level, but the space for improvement is limited. Therefore, we need better assistance to improve exert force level: the body.
The body is the foundation of all cultivation. A powerful physique allows endless potential for enhancement in body technique and exert force level, hence, a strong body signifies everything is strong.
And what can change the body is the concept that Poison Teacher mentioned: absorption.
"All ancient martial arts on the body introduce absorption, but few truly use it."
"Therefore, we can only consume our energy continuously. When energy is depleted, body technique will absorb subtle energy from heaven and cosmos, which belongs to passive absorption."
"True active absorption is using one's body as a vortex, absorbing energy, turning it into a vortex, so the energy vortex will autonomously absorb energy, and people just need to keep depleting energy to enhance the body's strength."
The more Poison Teacher lectured, the more Wang Xu listened attentively, especially regarding energy vortexes, eager to know what the final condensed "nucleus" of the energy vortex is.
But Wang Xu was disappointed that Poison Teacher did not talk about the "nucleus," nor did she mention the energy vortex being dispersed.
The course quickly ended, and Wang Xu puzzled and thought: does the so-called "nucleus" really exist?
Thinking about this, he returned to the cultivation room, knowing he hadn't truly begun, intending to start real cultivation of body technique and exert force.
But quickly, Wang Xu found that relying on just one person, it's impossible to cultivate real body technique.
Body technique requires evasion, and some non-threatening attacks don't even need evasion. After pondering for a moment, Wang Xu decided to give up.
Exert force level, according to Poison Teacher's conversion rules, the "Nine-Column Thunder Saber" can instantly elevate his power by 1.5 times, making exert force level 1.5. His current fist power is about 2000kg. Once exploding, it can reach 3000kg, enough to meet Tier Five students' qualified standards.
Tier Five students' fist power is generally 3000kg, allowing elevation space up to about 10000kg, maximizing fist power elevation potential. Ordinary Tier Six fist power is 7000kg, capable of breaking the 10000kg realm, but reaching Tier Six, the body hardens, making further fist power enhancement difficult.
But after the fist power becomes solidified, it can manipulate the exert force level. If a Tier Five student's fist power is 5000kg, and the exert force level can reach 2, then the force exerted in one punch is 10000kg, breaking ten thousand directly!
Therefore, what is truly powerful is not the cultivation realm, but the body technique level, exert force level, and fist power level.
.........
"Wang Xu, over here!" In front of the gate, Red Axe vigorously waved to Wang Xu.
Three days passed in a flash, and the Red Flame Battle Group had accepted a C-level task: to collect fifty Desert Sand Insect Beast corpses.
Originally, the Red Flame Battle Group accepted a B-level task, but Wang Xu's joining made them dare not take undue risks, so they opted for the lower C-level task.
"Desert Sand Insect Beast is a tier five insect beast. For you, it's a bit challenging to deal with. Leave them all to us." Jin Tun patted Wang Xu's shoulder and said.
Wang Xu nodded. It was his first task, needing to hone team chemistry and understand the task's model.
"Let's go!"
Wang Xu and several others boarded the train heading to the insect beast region, and during the trip, Jin Tun specifically advised him on things to adhere to during the task.
"Don't act recklessly!"
"Make sure to obey orders!"
"Pay attention to the surroundings!"
Wang Xu nodded, smiled, and said, "Rest assured, my life is still worth some money, I won't mess around."
Moments later, the train stopped.
"Remember, our target today is the Desert Sand Insect Beast, which is a gregarious insect beast. Later, I will be responsible for attraction. Only attack after I have drawn them in." Jin Tun said while walking.
Jin Tun, as the leader of the Red Flame Battle Group and the only Tier Six, naturally had to personally handle such dangerous matters.
"This is it. Up ahead is the insect nest of the Desert Sand Insect Beast. Everyone, hide first." Jin Tun reached out to stop the group.
What met Wang Xu's eyes was a wind-swept ruin, amidst a few ragged tall buildings, earthy-yellow insect beasts lay on the ground basking in the sun like crocodiles.
The Desert Sand Insect Beasts have a huge mouth, capable of spewing acid that rots steel, and they have thick skin, only A-level weapons can tear it open.
"Three at twelve o'clock, five at two o'clock, one at ten o'clock." Red Eye quickly reported.
"I'll draw them in, you prepare to attack." As soon as Jin Tun finished speaking, he began moving towards the direction with the least numbers at ten o'clock.
"Uh!" The Desert Sand Insect Beast sunbathing spotted Jin Tun, its cold, merciless eyes locked on him, crocodile-like body sliding swiftly over the sand!
Jin Tun was quick too, and as he was about to reach the group, he shouted lowly, "Attack!"
Instantly, the Black Whip Blue Sword, Blood Bone Giant Saber, and Red Axe Shadow encompassed the Desert Sand Insect Beast!
"Puh!" Before the Desert Sand Insect Beast could even roar, it was battered by the onslaught until it was torn open, everyone had A-level weapons, making it incredibly easy to kill it. Finally, Jin Tun pulled out the alloy shield sharp as a blade, instantly sending the Desert Sand Insect Beast's head flying.
"Just like that, complete the task in one go!" Everyone was excited, the cooperation this time was very seamless, their attacks almost synchronized, leaving no room for the Desert Sand Insect Beast.
Next, Jin Tun went to attract the three Desert Sand Insect Beasts at twelve o'clock, all staying close together, would need them to be drawn far and then killed.
Wang Xu quickly blended into the battle group, cooperating smoothly with the team's kills.
"Captain, let me handle this Desert Sand Insect Beast." Wang Xu suddenly spoke up, spotting a Desert Sand Insect Beast alone, no other insects around, any noise wouldn't alarm the nest.
"Can you do it?" Jin Tun glanced at Wang Xu.
"No problem." Wang Xu nodded firmly.
Seeing Wang Xu's determination to kill alone, Jin Tun agreed, after all, with them around, this Desert Sand Insect Beast couldn't stir trouble.
Wang Xu gripped the Blood Bone Giant Saber, step by step approaching the Desert Sand Insect Beast.
Using Tier Four power to kill Tier Five, this would be his first feat!