Chapter 101 - Who Won, and Who Lost?
Luo Wu cast his son a glance.
Luo Hai smiled and pulled Meng Chao to the side.
Just as Meng Chao expected, this was just like when Yan Organization saw the value of the future Ripple Force and wanted to work together with him no matter what.
As a saber master, Luo Wu could tell the value of the future One Hundred Saber Techniques and hoped to promote it on a wide scale after correcting some of the extreme moves that were not suitable to be practiced by the current generation.
A few days ago, he had also participated in Meng Chao’s treatment plans along with Ning Shewo and Yan Organization. With his connections, it was not difficult for him to learn that the mysterious Old Fire Relayer was behind Meng Chao.
So, he did not intend to kick Meng Chao aside and take this credit entirely for himself.
Instead, with Demon Subduing Slash as his meeting gift, he offered them to work together so that he could get acquainted with the Old Fire Relayer.
Since everyone should support each other, Meng Chao would naturally not refuse working together with this powerful elite from Heaven Realm.
He said that he could not make the decision and had to go back to ask for instructions.
Besides, he did not want to use the future One Hundred Saber Techniques to earn money.
“That’s only natural. We will definitely promote the martial arts technique for free. In fact, we will copy Ning Shewo and set up a foundation so that we can promote it even if it’s not profitable.”
Luo Hai told Meng Chao that buying and selling martial arts techniques was the lowest form of getting profit, and it had long since went out of date. It was only some three decades ago that upon creating a technique, people went to sell it right away.
When the citizens had to cultivate to fight against monsters in a battle of survival, selling techniques was short-sighted, and it made them seem greedy.
Besides, there were not many customers who bought martial arts. Hence, the creator could not get a lot of data of it being used in fights, and it could not be improved or upgraded later on, which was why the martial art would soon be eliminated.
Now, in the new profit model, the seller no longer used the martial art itself to earn money. Instead, they figured out how to increase the value of the additional services provided in learning the technique.
“The Luo family has been researching the saber technique for decades, and we have many gene medicines that can improve the nerve reaction time and the force executed in muscles. We also have a lot of training classes and training camps and work with a few weapon designers to promote sabers. Hence, we have managed to create the Soul Breaking brand.”
“What my father means is that you just need to lend us your fame and saber technique, and we will provide the medicine, training classes, and promotional fees,” Luo Hai said. “The saber technique will be offered for free as online lectures. We can guarantee you that even new learners will be able to learn up to fifty percent of it.
“If they’ll want to learn this technique further, they’ll have to spend money to come to our training classes and camps as well as buy our gene medicine or reserve sabers. They can even join the ten-day fog training trip that is led by my father.
“You must understand, the One Hundred Saber Techniques is one of the two great cold weapon techniques that we must learn during high school, and practically everyone in Dragon City knows it. Naturally, everyone wants to upgrade it.
“Based on my father’s analysis, Meng Chao, the version you used to kill the Bloody Moon Wolf King should be the strongest in the current market. Think about it, just how much profit is hidden in this market?”
Meng Chao’s eyes lit up.
He had learned something from Yan Organization already. The more basic a skill was, the bigger its market was, and the profit was also higher.
It was worth it to make this trade.
He thought about it and said, “I’m not famous, though?”
“Don’t belittle yourself. You’re quite famous now. There’d be nothing strange if a Heaven Realm fighter had killed a Bloody Moon Wolf King, but you were just a normal high school student, and yet you managed to kill such a powerful superbeast. Doesn’t that show just how powerful the upgraded version of the One Hundred Saber Techniques is?”
Meng Chao thought about it deeply.
“Meng Chao, talk about this with A’hai. If you’re interested, I will definitely support it. I’ll see what sort of results you boys can achieve.” Luo Wu was unconcerned about it. He got up and left.
With his status and power, he did not pay too much attention to this matter.
He just wanted to use the chance to train his son and help pave a way for him to get to know the strong people in his age group.
After the door shut, Luo Hai exercised his limbs. He smiled and said, “My dad is finally gone. When he’s here, I feel ill at ease and I don’t have the courage to speak loudly.
“Meng Chao, think about this carefully. I really want to work with you. My dad won’t interfere too much in this matter. Even if we manage to earn big, we’ll be the ones splitting the profit. When you enter the university, you’ll need a lot of money and cultivation resources too, right?”
Meng Chao observed Luo Hai for a while. “Honestly, you don’t have to work together with me. The One Hundred Saber Techniques has always been open to the public. Master Luo Wu understood a new saber will from the Bloody Moon Wolf King’s carcass and modified it greatly. It won’t be a problem in the slightest if you claim it to be something from the Luo family. You can just think about doing the business on your own. You don’t have to give me money.”
“What? Do you think this is free lunch, so you don’t have the guts to eat it?” Luo Hai laughed. “I like to plan far ahead when I do something. I believe that in the near future, we won’t just be working together on this upgraded One Hundred Saber Techniques. How can I lose something great for something small?”
Meng Chao continued staring at him. “Are you offering to work together or are you trying to recruit me?”
“If I tell you that I’m trying to recruit you, will you accept it?” Luo Hai asked directly. “We live in an era where trouble is brewing everywhere. We don’t know how many blessings and dangers there are outside the fog. If we want to achieve great things, we must form our own squads. If there comes a day where I form my own superhuman squad, will you be willing to be my vice captain?”
“You have your circle of friends and you have Master Luo’s connections too. You’ll definitely be able to find a suitable vice captain.”
“My friends are all aristocratic children with great backgrounds. All of them have their own thoughts and personal interests. It’s fine if I joke around and eat with them, but it’s too troublesome if we work together for a living,” Luo Hai said in an unconcerned manner. “As for my dad, how can the people he found for me be as reliable as a friend who fought in a life and death fight with me?
“You can easily get an army, but it’s difficult to get a good general. You’ve already proved your abilities during the mental strength test and the fight in the wild. Even if you ran into a small problem right now, I believe that you will still stand out in university. At that time, there will be plenty of people who will extend invitations to you, and at that time, you won’t even know who I am anymore.
“But right now, you’re in a state where you need help the most, so of course I have to use mutual benefits to make you board the same ship as me!”
His words were aggressive, but Meng Chao did not hate them.
Any talented youngster from a normal, poor family might feel touched and feel that Luo Hai was a sincere person, and from them on, they would be tightly bound on the ship of interests belonging to the Luo family.
But Meng Chao was different. “That makes sense. We did indeed work together before, but here’s a question. Why aren’t I the one creating a superhuman squad where you’re the vice captain?”
Luo Hai let out a bark of laughter. “You’re a broken-star superhuman—”
He knew that he had said the wrong thing, and he stopped himself from on time.
Meng Chao remained calm. “The number of main meridians cleared and whether I can fight or not are two completely different things. Your father mentioned just now that broken-star superhumans can bring out a stronger power of certain skills. We have only a few skills, but each of them is strong!”
Luo Hai’s eyes lit up. “Are you saying that if I win against you, you’ll be willing to join my squad?”
“What if I’m the one who wins?” Meng Chao asked.
The two of them looked at each other and said nothing else.
Their auras swiftly became stronger.
Their spirit flames clashed against each other and surged. It created a screech similar to that of a high-pressure cooker.
Luo Hai suddenly took a step forward. The spirit tattoos on his right arm shone, and he released the Soul Breaking Saber that was passed down in his family.
Meng Chao returned the blow by raising his arm and executing Demon Subduing Slash.
Luo Hai came from a family of martial artists, so his skills were much smoother and varied.
Meng Chao had reached a breakthrough during battle, and his main meridians were cleared while he was in a life and death situation, but those spirit meridians were thicker and sturdier compared to the main meridians Luo Hai had easily cleared in the cultivation rooms.
He did not have a lot of attacks, but each of them were fatal, and he looked as if he would fight until both of them died together.
Two balls of spirit flames clashed against each other, and the sparks that flew when the weapons crashed caused Luo Hai’s spirit flames to crumble the moment they touched each other.
Luo Hai’s expression did not change. Spirit tattoos appeared on his left arm and legs. He executed superhuman motor abilities, and his body turned into an afterimage.
That was the difference between clearing sixty-one main meridians and four main meridians.
Meng Chao only had supernatural abilities in his right arm, but Luo Hai’s arms, legs, and even organs were strengthened by leaps and bounds. His hands, legs, elbows, and knees could all release spirit flames, which made it look like he had eight sabers that could cut through metal like paper. His dazzling offense prevented Meng Chao from catching up to him, and he retreated.
But Meng Chao was still able to continue dancing among the clashing weapons. He managed to avoid Luo Hai’s offense every time.
There were a few times when the attack grazed his scalp, and a thin layer of skin was cut off. Even so, Luo Hai was never able to lock down on his vitals.
A shiny sheen of sweat broke out on Luo Hai’s forehead.
He noticed that even though Meng Chao only had his right arm strengthened by spirit energy, his other limbs and organs had reached the limits of his physical body.
He was like the amalgamation of the Olympic short-distance running champions, weight-lifting champions, and gymnastic champions. His control over his body and explosive force in his muscles had already reached perfection.
His fighting experience also made him into a veteran who had fought in more than one hundred battles. He could turn 120% of his strength into effective damage.
If both of them were unable to use supernatural strength and only used their physical bodies to fight, even if there were three Luo Hais, they might not be able to win against one Meng Chao.
‘Just how did this monster train?! If it weren’t for the fact that his main meridians have shrivelled up, his realm in the future might be even higher than my dad’s!’ Luo Hai was incredibly shocked.
But he did not know that the previous night, Meng Chao had used up more than twenty thousand contribution points to upgrade all of his basic skills, and it was all because he had a sufficient amount of medical resources.
That night, the amount of gene medicine and high-calorie nutritional fluid he devoured was higher than what a normal superhuman might be able to digest over a long period of time.
If no supernatural abilities were involved, the current Meng Chao would have a hard time finding an opponent among his peers.
Whoosh!
When Luo Hai thought about how he could not take down a broken-star superhuman who had only cleared three to four main meridians even though he himself had cleared sixty-one main meridians, he became a little restless.
The five spirit tattoos circling his left arm were like a raging aquatic dragon. They jumped about his fingers, and a profound as well as complicated runic symbol was formed on his palm.
His palm was now covered with a runic symbol, and it became incredibly hot. He slammed it against Meng Chao’s chest.
Meng Chao coughed up a mouthful of blood, and it hit Luo Hai’s face.
Luo Hai’s expression changed.
He only wanted to spar. He did not want to severely injure the partner he had chosen carefully.
He did not expect that Meng Chao would slow down by half a beat and would end up being so heavily damaged.
Besides, that mouthful of blood was foul-smelling and spicy. It caused him to be unable to open his eyes.
At that moment, a powerful gust of wind came charging at his face, and the killing intent that assaulted him was so mighty that it sent a shock down his nerves.
Luo Hai reacted on instinct and formed the shape of a saber with his left hand to cut toward the artery on Meng Chao’s neck.
They came to a quick halt.
Luo Hai blinked, and he was finally able to see the situation.
Meng Chao’s expression was very calm. His left hand formed a very strange gesture, and two of his fingers were directed at his eyes.
However, he was still three inches away from Luo Hai’s eyeballs.
The main meridians in his left arm were not cleared, so it was impossible for him to activate spirit flames and blind Luo Hai.
But Luo Hai’s Soul Breaking Saber had already touched Meng Chao’s shoulder, and with a gentle slice, he could slit his throat.
The victor was decided.
“I won.”
Luo Hai released a long breath of relief, and he could not even be bothered to wipe off his sweat. “Are you okay?” he asked with great concern.
“I’m fine. We had a good fight today, I’m even more interested in our cooperation now.”
Meng Chao smiled faintly, then swallowed his blood in a completely unconcerned manner. “Thanks for your invitation today, and thank Master Luo for teaching me. I have something to do at home, so let’s spar again when we’re free!”
“Are you willing to join my squad now?” Luo Hai asked anxiously.
Meng Chao was about to open the door. When he heard this, he stopped for a moment. “Did you win against me?
He strode away.
Luo Hai was stunned for a long time. He could not understand what he meant even after he thought about it for long.
Meng Chao’s fingers were still three inches away from his eyeballs, but his spirit flames had already burned his neck. How could he not be considered to have won?
Meng Chao should not be the type to not admit that he lost.
He thought about it for a long time, and in the end, he had to brace himself and call his father.
Soul Breaking Saber Luo Hai listened to his son explain the entire spar. He fell silent for a moment after and said faintly, “You lost.”
“Why?!” Luo Hai was stunned. “If it was a real fight, before his fingers touched my eyeballs, my spirit flames would have definitely cut his throat. No matter how strong his will is, he’d just be able to dig out my eyeball. And even if I had an eyeball missing, I wouldn’t die. In a life and death match, I’d be the one who stands victorious in the end. I won!”
“It’s not a finger,” Luo Hai said.
“What?” Luo Hai felt lost.
“If that had been a real fight just now, what he would have used to strike your eyeballs wouldn’t have been his fingers.”
Luo Hai sighed and enlightened his good-for-nothing son. “What do you think Meng Chao’s best skill is? It’s not Ripple Force, and it’s not the One Hundred Saber Techniques. It’s his ability to shoot! During the intraschool test, he managed to shoot the golden target more than ten times! He’s a monster with terrifying gun skills! How many people in Construction High are able to do that?
“If it had been a real fight today, do you think that he wouldn’t have hidden a few guns on his person?
“He intentionally let himself be hit so that he would cough up blood and disrupt your vision. While you were dazed, he could bring his left hand to his waist and grab a gun. You know, the strange gesture you said he did wasn’t for using his fingers to poke your eyeball out. He was holding his gun and taking aim, then pressing the trigger at your eyeball.
“If this were a real battle, before your hand cut his throat, his bullets would have already pierced your eyeball and brain. You’re just a one-star superhuman, so your spirit energy hasn’t yet reached your eyeballs and brains, and they are really fragile. Even a normal bullet would have been able to make your head pop like a balloon when it’s fired point blank at your eyeball.
“Do you understand now, silly? Did you actually think that you’ve won? If you really fought against each other, you would have died!
“And you want to draw him to your side with such a performance? Hah…”
Luo Hai was dumbfounded.
With a shivering hand, he touched his eyeball and looked in the direction Meng Chao had disappeared. He recalled all the details of the sparring session just now, and the Construction High student council president felt his skin crawl. Cold sweat drenched his shirt.