Formations Are a Symbol of Status

The methods of channeling energy in various palm techniques flashed rapidly through Si Ming's mind. Drawing on the knowledge of many masters, he quickly summarized a palm technique that would maximize the efficiency of enhancing power. Combined with the Blazing Sun True Qi, he humbly joined his palms together, with the little fingers and thumbs of both hands touching, like opening a lotus flower, and slowly pushed them upwards to meet the attack head-on.

Gui Zhenchuan, carrying unparalleled fist power, struck like a dragon falling from the sky, his fists slamming into Si Ming's palms. In an instant, the ground beneath Si Ming's feet seemed to be smashed by an invisible hammer, sinking two feet downwards, and the surrounding ground also trembled.

With a deafening roar, the image of the dragon's head shattered, and Gui Zhenchuan was swept back at top speed, crashing into the dense forest. He smashed through countless trees with a series of thuds before finally coming to a stop, at which point he fainted on the spot.

Si Ming slowly stepped forward, bent down and took off Gui Zhenchuan's bracelet, then squeezed it hard, crushing it to pieces.

"So, that counts as eliminating them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beeping sound rang out, and the number displayed on his bracelet changed from one to two, signifying that he had obtained the other party's share of divinity.

Meanwhile, the battle that had just taken place had been transmitted via cameras installed throughout the island, causing a huge uproar.

Chapter 657 Formations are a Symbol of Status

In the spectator area of Martial King Cup, four giant screens broadcast exciting battles from Smokeless Island for the audience to enjoy.

It's impossible to achieve full coverage of such a large Smokeless Island with just four cameras. In fact, more than a hundred cameras are installed on the island. The transmitted footage is filtered and switched by the back-end staff. Boring footage such as exploring, searching for objects, or eating is not shown on the big screen, since no one would watch it anyway.

Although it's called a camera, it's actually a signal receiver. The real cameras are the wristbands worn by each contestant. First, the images are recorded with the help of divine power. Then, the signal receivers on the island act as relay stations to transmit the content to the audience area. There are three points in total. The signal receivers on the island function similarly to signal towers.

This is a new technology invented in Nation of Valor. Its creativity lies in using the power of the gods to improve the monitoring technology. The Martial King Cup has become their best publicity platform. After all, everyone present is Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, who has a great deal of influence in their respective countries. It is much more efficient to publicize to them than to the common people. Moreover, as powerful figures, they are all familiar with Divine Arts, so they do not need to explain some professional terms.

"Purely mechanical cameras are not only bulky and inconvenient to carry, but they are also easily damaged, especially in battles between martial arts masters. If you're not careful, you could be hit by the residual force and become a pile of scrap metal. But our newly invented technology perfectly solves these two major problems. All you need is a device that can hold divinity, and you can achieve 360-degree viewing without blind spots. Moreover, it's worn close to the body and not easily damaged. Even if you accidentally break the device, it doesn't matter. As long as the divinity is still there, it can be transferred and continued to be used." The host enthusiastically introduced.

One person questioned, "While divinity isn't an extremely rare treasure, it's still quite limited and difficult to promote. There are only so many evil gods and shady shrines in the world; we can't very well target the Orthodox God, can we? Or has Nation of Valor already developed a method for quickly cultivating divinity?"

Perhaps in other worlds, gods are extraordinary beings, such as the embodiment of Principle and the true rulers of the world. Mortals who want to become stronger must find a way to acquire divinity and become gods. But in the Sea Continent, under the absolute suppression of the Eternal Barrier, gods are more like wandering knights.

Wandering knights are ruthless and combative, disruptors of order, but many of them are also highly skilled. As the saying goes, "Having mastered both literary and martial arts, they can serve the emperor." Once they are employed by the court and given an official position, they may become a constable in the Six Doors or a general in the army. Otherwise, without an official position, they are just commoners or bandits in the mountains.

The same applies to deities. Those who are officially recognized are considered Orthodox God, worshipped by all people, with incense burning continuously, and possessing the power to bestow Divine Arts upon others. Conversely, those who are not are considered evil gods or licentious shrines, which must be severely cracked down on, and all temples and statues should be demolished and destroyed if they are encountered.

As for divine positions and ranks, they are all determined by the authorities. If the authorities say you are the Yang God, even if you were originally the god of night, you must emit light. If the authorities do not recognize your identity and say you are a wild mountain god, even if you were originally the Heavenly Emperor, you will be immediately demoted.

If one's own strength is controlled by others, a true martial arts master naturally wouldn't take gods seriously; a weak spirit is no different from a wild beast in the mountains.

The host explained, "Actually, divine power could be used to replace divinity, but performance would inevitably be significantly weakened. For example, the frame rate would be reduced, the camera wouldn't be able to adjust in real time, and it would be prone to shaking. Of course, it would be more than enough for daily monitoring. You just need to remember to replenish the divine power like other True Qi machines. As for an important competition like the Martial King Cup, we certainly wouldn't be stingy with that little bit of divinity. As for our future research and development direction, it is to improve the efficiency of using divine power to replace divinity, and to launch civilian products as soon as possible."

He was giving a long and detailed presentation when he suddenly heard a gasp from the audience. He thought it was someone who was surprised by his own new technology and was feeling quite pleased with himself when he heard a series of gasps. He then realized that the person who was surprised was not him. He turned around and saw Si Ming easily defeating Gui Zhenchuan.

"I remember this young man is the recently famous Son of Light of Light, right? With his monstrous strength, Sun Wu University was no unjustified."

"I remember Gui Zhenchuan. He was born with superhuman strength and used a body- Cultivation Method, making him a typical physical martial artist. In terms of pure strength, most Spirit Transformation are inferior to him. Yet, his full-force punch was blocked by the opponent with just one finger. The difference in strength is just too great."

"Isn't he Yan Jinghong's disciple? But Yan Jinghong specializes in swordsmanship and lightness skills, I've never heard of him knowing how to refine his body. Could it be that he's secretly practicing some kind of divine skill recently?"

"Don't forget, Yan Jinghong's sworn brother, Xiao Xuan, has returned to the martial world. Xiao Xuan's greatest strength lies in external martial arts and divine power, just like his nickname 'The Sea-Overturning Mad Hero.' I think this Son of Light is very likely Xiao Xuan's disciple. Their brute strength and madness are exactly the same. I guess this former Grandmaster felt that his own situation was awkward, so he had to entrust his disciple to his sworn brother to avoid being implicated."

A woman sitting next to Xing Daozhuang inquired, "Is he really the disciple of the Sea-Overturning Mad Hero?"

Xing Daozhuang scoffed, "Nonsense."

"So, when he said he only used three percent of his strength, was it a ruse or was it true?"

Faced with this level of monstrous strength, many Spirit Transformation felt somewhat apprehensive. Although Internal Cultivation could compensate for external strength, if the difference in power was too great, the slight advantage of internal Internal Cultivation alone would be insufficient to make up for it, and they would probably be in trouble if they were to withstand a single blow.

Xing Daozhuang said, "Why don't you fight him yourself and see?"

The woman smiled and stopped asking questions. Naturally, she wouldn't challenge a junior to a duel. Winning would be a given, but losing would mean losing face and becoming a stepping stone like Sun Wu University. She wouldn't do such a losing proposition. Anyway, they had no grudges against each other, and even if the other party was truly incredibly powerful, it had nothing to do with her.

At this moment, a slightly frivolous man walked over. He was dressed in blue silk, with a long white silk tassel tied around his waist, and a soft gauze draped over his clothes. He had long eyebrows that reached his temples, and his eyes were bright and lively. He looked like a college student in his early twenties who had not yet graduated. He was carrying a pen and a booklet, and he asked the guests in the audience one by one. Whenever he received a reply, he would write it down in the booklet.

He approached Xing Daozhuang and chuckled, "Thunder King, everyone has high hopes for your junior, believing he'll be the ultimate winner. They're all betting on him. Why don't you also show some respect for your own junior?"

Xing Daozhuang didn't even turn his head, and flatly refused, saying, "I never gamble with anyone."

"A little gambling is harmless, but excessive gambling is harmful. Just place a small bet. If you don't want to bet on your apprentice, you can bet on others. I have many betting options available, such as betting on how many people can make it to the fifth day, or betting on how many days a certain player can last, or betting on who will ultimately obtain Military School Profound Armor... If you don't like these, you can start a new game. Just name your name, and I'll give you an odds. I guarantee fair and honest dealings."

Xing Daozhuang remained unmoved. "I think I've made my stance clear enough."

"Don't be such a spoilsport," the man tried to persuade him further.

"Enough! Blade-Wielding Boy, Thunder King is not like a dissolute like you. He has his own magnanimity, principles, and convictions. If you have even a shred of self-awareness, you should feel ashamed and step back, and stop bothering him."

A woman of exceptional beauty walked over. Her face was as cold as frost, and her almond-shaped eyes were like ice. She was like a jade figure cast from a flawless piece of jade. Even when she stood there quietly, she exuded a unique charm and gave people a noble Tsinghua feeling.

She first reprimanded the frivolous man, then bowed to Xing Daozhuang and said, "It's been several years, but Thunder King's demeanor remains unchanged. He is still so selfless and self-disciplined, truly admirable."

Xing Daozhuang returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Yunxia, you flatter me. We are sworn brothers; there's no need for such formalities."

Blade-Wielding Boy curled his lip and muttered, "An old woman in her forties who still can't get married..."

"Hmm—" Lord Yunxia cast a sharp, sword-like glance, as if it could pierce through the True Qi.

Blade-Wielding Boy quickly chuckled and said, "You two continue your conversation. I'll take my leave now, so as not to disturb your reminiscing." He then slipped away as fast as he could.

Older women are scary, but older women who can't get married are even scarier.

After scaring away the Blade-Wielding Boy with a look, Lord Yunxia smiled at Thunder King and said, "You have to be ruthless when dealing with such cunning devils. Otherwise, if you give them the slightest leeway, they'll take advantage of you and become arrogant."

Thunder King nodded. "Thank you for the reminder."

The woman sitting next to Thunder King was a member of the Nation of Valor royal family. Upon seeing this, she quickly offered her seat and invited Lord Yunxia to sit down. Lord Yunxia thanked her and did not stand on ceremony.

"That Child of Son of Light is your junior apprentice, right? He's not very reliable and seems like he'll cause trouble," Lord Yunxia criticized, then immediately added, "But young people should be energetic, not lifeless like you and me."

Xing Daozhuang nodded and said, "Causing trouble is not a problem, as long as we have the ability to quell the waves, it's not a bad thing."