Chapter 296: Five Together

Chapter 296: Five TogetherAt that moment, Zhou Ming realized just how large the gap between him and Zhang Lie was. The black runic tablet didn't look like it was anything particularly unusual, but that tablet alone had quashed the fighting spirit of all the troops gathered at the drill grounds.

Even Zhang Lie himself was shocked by how strong the tablet was; it was one of the abilities of [Ninecarp Transformation]'s fourth form, the dragonturtle. Zhang Lie hadn't had the opportunity to test out the effects of these tablets, and this was his first trial.

It was fortunate that he had excellent control over his genetic energy—or Zhou Ming might have been squashed into a human pancake.

"Team Leader Zhou Ming, will you concede?"

So securely was Zhou Ming pressed against the ground that he was barely able to force the words out of his mouth. He, who had thought that this match would be an easy win, had given up. He was already pressed against the ground immobile, and it was clear that his opponent had gone easy on him. Not admitting defeat and continuing to fight would just serve to prolong his misery.

The moment he surrendered, Zhang Lie unsummoned the stone tablet and reined in his genetic energy. The immense force of gravity pushing the troops down vanished, and they all heaved a sigh of relief.

"Deputy Leader Zhang Lie, I can't speak for the others, but I'm willing to submit to your authority!" Zhou Ming stood up and glanced at Zhang Lie again in awe. How had he managed to obtain such strength as a newcomer to the second realm? He had lost, well and truly, but against an opponent of such caliber, Zhou Ming didn't feel at all embarrassed. Indeed, he was even rather curious as to just what Zhang Lie's limits were.

Zhang Lie turned to the other team leaders. ?"Does anyone else want to challenge me?"

Since matters had progressed to this extent, he might as well beat the other team leaders into submission as well. The team leaders were all elites in their own right. Although Zhang Lie's technique had given them a tremendous shock, it wasn't enough to make them cower—or, in other words, having the courage to face him was more important than actually winning.

He had provoked them all; if they didn't have the guts to accept his challenge, how would they be able to stand up to their team members in the future? Furthermore, if all five remaining team leaders worked together and used one of their secret formations, they would stand a chance against Zhang Lie...

"Zhang Lie, I have to admit you're very strong, but even so, here in the special forces, we won't back down from your provocation. I, Ye Tianlang, accept your challenge!" A tall, stoic team leader strode forward. He had been one of the most outspoken of the team leaders against Zhang Lie.

.

Among the troops, he was known to be the strictest of the team leaders, both to his subordinates and to himself.

"Right, it would be dishonorable to back down now. Count me in! Just because you're a strong opponent doesn't mean that we'll back down. We'll fight!" Ye Tianlang's words spurred the other team leaders to action. They had to fight—as special forces troops, they couldn't back down and hadn't ever backed down because of fear.

Zhang Lie had more or less anticipated this situation. After all, they were members of the special forces; if this display of strength was enough to cause them to back down, Zhang Lie really would have looked down upon them.

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"As expected of the special forces of Qi! I'll cede you the first attack," he offered.

The five team leaders shot toward Zhang Lie while Zhou Ming shook his head, sighed, and headed back to his team. As the hunter who best understood Zhang Lie's present strength among them all, he didn't think the gathered team leaders had a chance of victory. Just from the strength of his one technique alone, it was evident that he was in a different realm of strength entirely.

Perhaps the five team leaders' formation could temporarily fend him off, but not for long. Furthermore, Zhang Lie hadn't truly attacked him. All he had done was stomp on the ground and cause a dark tablet to fall from the skies, but that alone was sufficient to render him immobile and the spectators kneeling...

As the champion of the Void Cup, Zhang Lie was known for [The Boundless Blade], and what he had displayed was only a thin sliver of his true strength. From his perspective, the five team leaders had already lost. Nevertheless, it would be impossible to dissuade them from continuing to fight, because Ye Tianlang had made this a question of the special forces' honor.

If he were to try to dissuade them now, he would be mocked for disgracing the special forces' courage.

In the makeshift arena, the five team leaders' faces were all tinged with some embarrassment. Faced with Zhang Lie's youthful appearance, they were reminded very clearly of the fact that they were essentially teaming up against a newcomer.

Sensing their discomfort, Zhang Lie hastily stepped forward and exclaimed, "Don't be shy, and don't hold back—if you don't use everything you've got, you might just suffer an ignominious defeat!"