Believe It or Not

Although his Blazing Yang Battle Art has acquired a powerful detoxification effect after incorporating the Evil-Slaying Sword Intent, that will only be effective once he raises his Internal Cultivation to level fourteen. Currently, his level twelve Blazing Sun True Qi remains the same as before, possessing only a certain detoxification ability, which is not outstanding. At least against the Scorpion Demon General's deadly poison, it can only have a nibbling effect, clearing it away bit by bit, and cannot be used in one go.

Although the Vacuum Zero-Energy Furnace can continuously replenish True Qi, quality is far more important than quantity at this time, and Si Ming doesn't have much time to waste on Xia Guanxue, which has nothing to do with personal grudges.

Even Murong Wu couldn't ask Si Ming to stay and rescue the people. He nodded understandingly and said, "I understand. I'll think of another way."

Si Ming tossed down a map and said, "Meet at the circled area. I'll continue searching. We'll attempt a breakout before evening." With that, he hurriedly left.

Watching the departing figure, Murong Wu sighed, "Even at a time like this, he's still thinking about saving others. Si Ming usually seems carefree, but he's very reliable in crucial moments. No wonder even my sister is smitten with him."

"Tch, if I had his strength, I wouldn't mind staying to save people. Anyway, even if we're surrounded by a demon tide, we can still fight our way out. He naturally has no worries," Ying Zhou retorted.

Murong Wu shook his head and sighed, "There are too many people who wouldn't pluck a single hair to benefit the world. If everyone were willing to 'help the world when they are successful,' there wouldn't be so many tragedies in the world." As he spoke, he was about to carry Xia Guanxue on his back.

"I'll carry her; you're in charge of looking at the map and confirming the direction." Ying Zhou snatched Xia Guanxue from him and casually tucked her under his arm.

This allocation method is the most efficient, Murong Wu did not object. He glanced at the map and said, "So the meeting point is yesterday's waterfall. Then there's no need to look at the map; I still remember the directions."

He looked up at the sun to confirm his location, then used his lightness skill to set off, with Ying Zhou following closely behind.

During their journey, Murong Wu said to Ying Zhou, "If... there's really no other way, then use my blood to save them."

Chapter 667 Believe it or not

At the foot of the waterfall, nearly sixty people gathered together, all with worried faces and solemn expressions. Even Si Ming's expression was not good, because he had misjudged the number of people.

According to the pattern of eliminating half of the contestants each day in the Martial King Cup, by the fourth day, there should only be about twenty people left. However, Si Ming forgot one thing: the contestants eliminated on the third night usually do not leave immediately, but choose to stay on the island overnight and set off the next morning, which means they cannot leave.

If it were just these people, it wouldn't be so bad, since they are all experts and gathering together would increase their chances of breaking through. But there are also staff members of the Martial King Cup on the island. They usually hide in the shadows and will step in to rescue any player who is seriously injured. They are also responsible for ferries.

This group of people were certainly not weak scholars; they possessed some martial arts skills, but they were far from being experts. It was impossible to expect them to be of any help; it would be fortunate if they didn't become a hindrance. And Si Ming couldn't possibly abandon them.

"This is troublesome. The original escape plan is probably not going to work." Si Ming looked around and counted, finding that there were twenty-five staff members, almost half of them. He frowned and said, "If we don't take these people, they're doomed. If we take them, I'm afraid the others won't be able to escape either."

Yu Shuying said sarcastically, "Now you know you regret it, don't you? If you had listened to my advice and gone to the military region to get reinforcements, you wouldn't be in this dilemma."

Si Ming, "I can't say I regret it. If I hadn't stayed, these people would have been dead. Now at least there's still hope. At worst, we can give up the breakout and hold our ground until the army comes to rescue us. With me here, I don't believe those Demon Beasts would dare to use ant-swarm tactics."

Nuclear energy techniques pose little threat to experts because the energy is too dispersed. However, they are a powerful weapon for clearing out mobs. Even the only drawback, the huge energy consumption, is compensated for by the Vacuum Psychic Energy Furnace. If the opponent really wants to use the ant swarm tactic, Si Ming doesn't mind wiping out the opponent's forces one by one.

Yu Shuying stared at Si Ming for a while, then put away her mocking smile and said, "Since you've made your decision, let's change the tactics. The Demon Beast may seem to fight independently and act like wild boars, but in reality, they also follow orders. Like the command structure of insects, when a high-ranking Demon Race issues a command, the low-ranking Demon Beast will obey it to the death. Therefore, the decapitation tactic is equally effective against them. As long as the Demon Race leader is killed, the Demon Beast will fall into disarray."

While the two were discussing, the other contestants were also exchanging information and quickly gained a general understanding of their current situation. The atmosphere became extremely anxious. Although they were all outstanding among their peers and had great confidence in their abilities, this confidence stemmed from their expectations for the future. They believed that they could become Spirit Transformation experts like their masters and elders, rather than just achieving their current level.

A newborn calf may not be afraid of a tiger, but if surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, it will still cower. It may be confident in fighting a Divine Rank Demon General, even if there is a difference in strength, because battles are full of variables. If it can capture one, it is not impossible to turn the tide. However, if it faces a large group of Demon Beast that are strong enough to kill it, the value of the variables is greatly reduced, and the possibility of being worn down to death is more than 99%, especially since each Demon Beast is fearless of death.

It's like flipping a coin. If you flip it ten times, you might get ten consecutive heads. But if you flip it a billion times, the probability of getting heads becomes infinitely close to one in half.

Furthermore, being killed by Divine Rank Demon General can be considered a glorious sacrifice, just as a general dies on the battlefield and a warrior dies at the hands of a strongman, which can be considered a worthy death. However, being killed by a group of Demon Beast and ending up with one's corpse being eaten is really too shameful. Even in death, one is still ridiculed.

Everyone had their own ideas and couldn't reach a conclusion. In the crowd, Gaoyang Wuji gave Hou Fei a look, and the latter nodded. Then, he raised his voice and said, "This constant arguing isn't going to solve anything; it's just a waste of precious time. Why don't we ask Si Ming first? After all, he's the one who gathered us all here, so he's the leader. Besides, everyone has witnessed Si Ming's abilities. Why not listen to his insightful opinion first?"

The group exchanged glances. As elites, they knew that arguing at this time was pointless. The most important thing was to make a decision quickly. Even a bad idea was better than no idea at all. So they quickly quieted down and turned their attention to Si Ming.

Of course, some people were Qi Ingestion and thought, "I'll nitpick after you tell me your plan. If you're determined to find fault, you can always find it. Talking is always easier than doing. Anyway, I can't really let you become the 'leader'."

For example, if Si Ming breaking out immediately, he would criticize it as too rash, as everyone was exhausted and lacked the strength to act; acting too early would only lead to their own demise. If Si Ming suggested waiting until tomorrow, he would criticize it as too conservative, as the enemy would surely take the opportunity to surround the island, thus missing the chance to break out. If Si Ming suggested taking a middle ground, he would criticize it as neither decisive nor prudent, as the people would not have enough time to conserve their energy and would be unable to catch the enemy off guard, making it a very poor strategy.

Regardless of whether others thought the same way, Fu Feng harbored this intention. Otherwise, if he adopted Si Ming's plan and made him his leader, it would be tantamount to acknowledging that Si Ming had saved his life. In that case, he would never be able to hold his head high in front of Si Ming again, and he wouldn't even be able to mention revenge. After all, Si Ming repaid evil with kindness and forgave the past, while Fu Feng was still holding onto past grievances. If word got out, everyone would condemn him as an inhuman son who repaid kindness with enmity.

At this moment, Si Ming naturally wouldn't back down. He leaped onto a high platform and was about to speak about the plan he and Yu Shuying had discussed when suddenly, he heard a Secret Voice Transmission his ear. He glanced over and saw Yu Shuying making a coded gesture, so he changed the subject.

"As for the battle plan, it has naturally been thought out long ago. However, no matter how good the tactics are, they are meaningless if there is no mutual trust between superiors and subordinates and no firm execution. Therefore, before discussing the battle plan, we must first talk about the issue of trust."

Fu Feng was taken aback by this answer, which was not what he expected. Fortunately, it wasn't unacceptable, and before he could even speak, someone else asked, "How can we trust you if you don't first explain your battle plan?"

Si Ming shook his head and said, "If you're willing to trust me, then don't ask what my plan is. Just follow my orders diligently during the operation. If you're not willing to trust me, then even if I tell you the plan, it won't make any difference. So what difference does it make whether I tell you or not?"

The questioner paused for a moment, then retorted, "You're putting the cart before the horse. We should decide whether to believe you based on the content of your plan, not decide whether to follow your plan based on whether we believe you. The latter is just blind faith."

Si Ming, "Many of you here are disciples of Military School, and you must have heard the saying, 'Therefore, commands should be given with civility, and disciplined with military force; this is the way to certain victory. If commands are consistently followed to educate the people, the people will submit; if commands are not consistently followed to educate the people, the people will not submit. Commands that are consistently followed are in harmony with the masses.' On the battlefield, discipline is paramount. The so-called 'orders must be obeyed and prohibitions must be enforced' means that if you were on the battlefield and your commander issued an order that you could not understand, would you return to the camp and ask your commander for a satisfactory explanation?"

The questioner was speechless and had no answer. Everyone looked at each other again, and many frowned at Si Ming's strong attitude. They discussed it Secret Voice Transmission. Among them, the disciples of the Military School strategist nodded secretly, indicating their agreement with the view that military orders are as firm as mountains.

Seeing this, Fu Feng had no choice but to step forward and ask, "If you're going to use us as cannon fodder, are we just going to obediently go and die?"

Si Ming glanced at him and said, "Some of you seem to have misunderstood the premise. I gathered everyone here not to rely on your strength to break through. With my own strength, even if the island is surrounded by Demon Beast, I can still easily break through and take two or three companions with me. The reason I didn't escape alone is to help everyone as much as possible. Therefore, I have no need or reason to find someone to be cannon fodder. You just need to protect yourselves."

Fu Feng was about to speak again when Si Ming flicked his sleeve and said, "Those who are willing to believe me, come with me. Those who are not willing to believe me, then figure it out yourselves. We Mohist School believe in democracy, so we give everyone the right to choose freely. We will never force anyone. But let me make one thing clear beforehand: if you choose to believe me, you cannot question any of my orders. If you feel you cannot do that, then don't come. This kind of thing requires mutual consent. Forcing things will not be sweet and may even backfire."

After saying that, without giving anyone a chance to react, Si Ming leaped off the platform, walked to a corner, and adopted an attitude of "think what you want."

He sighed inwardly, marveling at Yu Shuying's exquisite grasp of human nature. With just a few words, she had shifted his position from begging others to obey his orders to others begging him for help, all without any psychological burden. Even if word got out, no one would criticize him, since everyone's choice was voluntary.

He has already offered a helping hand, but others are unwilling to believe him. What can he do? He can't just kneel down and beg others to believe him, can he? The Mohist School don't believe in the idea of cutting off one's own flesh to feed an eagle. Instead, they believe in "As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement." If you don't even think about saving yourself, then you deserve to die.

However, Si Ming's arrogant and aloof attitude was obviously not pleasant, especially since everyone present was a group of high achievers. The group quickly started discussing it. On the one hand, they acknowledged Si Ming's strength and felt that breaking through together would increase their chances of success. On the other hand, they did not want to bow down to Si Ming and admit that they needed his help, thus finding themselves in a dilemma.

Listening to the argument, Fu Feng glanced at Si Ming, a cold smile appearing on his lips. Did he really think he was some big shot? Did he really think that without Butcher Zhang, people would stop eating hairy pork?

He immediately channeled his inner energy and shouted, "The matter of breaking through the encirclement concerns everyone's lives and property, and cannot be taken lightly. We must discuss it carefully and not act rashly. In particular, the position of commander should be filled by someone that everyone is willing to trust, not someone who is stubborn and self-willed. Here, I recommend Gaoyang Wuji from Sun Wu University. He himself is the Captain of the school team, has rich experience in command, and is a man of integrity and loyalty, a man of his word, and worthy of trust."

Fu Feng had his own reasons for choosing Gaoyang Wuji. On the one hand, Gaoyang Wuji was a student at Sun Wu University and was one of his own. On the other hand, there were many members of the school team present, who all followed Gaoyang Wuji's lead and would definitely support this proposal.

However, Fu Feng quickly realized something was wrong. He noticed that many people were looking at him with a mocking gaze, as if they were looking at a clown who was making a fool of himself.

Finally, someone couldn't help but mock, "You want to nominate Gaoyang Wuji? Don't you even consider whether he's willing?"

Fu Feng paused for a moment, then immediately turned around and found that Gaoyang Wuji had actually stood next to Si Ming, and Hou Fei, Jin Ganggang, and the others had followed. Clearly, they had agreed to Si Ming's conditions, trusting him completely and without any doubt.