Zhang Shan found the man before him rather intimidating.
What exactly had he been doing before coming here? He seemed to be in combat every single day.
“I, uh…” Zhang Shan said awkwardly, “I should probably introduce myself too. My name is Zhang Shan. I’ve studied some sanda and grappling, served in the military for three years, and after discharge, I became a chef.”
“A chef?” The others were visibly stunned.
Zhang Shan didn’t look the part at all. He was tall, towering over most, with a powerfully built frame and muscles that suggested he could easily pass for a fitness trainer. But a *chef*?
Qi Xia gave a slight nod. *No wonder Zhang Shan last time insisted on taking the bear’s paw… Professional instinct, huh?*
“What about you?”
The two turned simultaneously to the slender, dark-skinned girl—Li Xiangling.
Her complexion was sun-kissed, her features delicate.
But what caught attention most were her eyes—bright, sparkling, as if brimming with vitality.
She sat upright in her casual athletic wear, posture impeccable.
Noticing the gazes on her, Li Xiangling shot to her feet with a swift motion, her every movement radiating strength, as if a gust of wind had swept through.
“My name is Li Xiangling,” she said, clasping her hands in a traditional martial arts salute. “I come from a family of martial artists. I’ve been practicing Liuhe Spear since childhood—twenty years now. A pleasure to meet you all.”
“Liuhe Spear?” Qiao Jiejing’s face lit up with surprise. “You mean the one that emphasizes ‘internal harmony of spirit, energy, and mind’ and ‘external harmony of waist, hands, and eyes’?”
“Exactly!” Li Xiangling beamed. “You know about it?”
“Yeah, I considered learning it once,” Qiao Jiejing admitted. “But spears aren’t exactly practical in modern times, so I gave up.”
“It’s not wartime anymore, of course spears aren’t practical,” she laughed. “We practice martial arts to strengthen the body and discipline ourselves. If you’re interested, I could teach you a set sometime.”
“Sounds good,” Qiao Jiejing nodded.
Qi Xia’s eyebrows rose slightly. *No wonder this girl’s presence feels so much more vibrant than an ordinary person’s. She’s a traditional martial artist with an incredibly solid foundation.*
Though traditional martial arts no longer focused on lethality, twenty years of training would have honed her flexibility, coordination, reflexes, and physique to an elite level.
“Looking at it this way… this team is actually pretty good,” Qi Xia mused. “Strength, technique, agility—we’ve got it all.”
“Qi Xia… you’re being overly optimistic,” Yun Yao interjected. “The other side has ‘Echoers,’ and they’ve had plenty of time to prepare. Who knows? The ‘Extremists’ we face tomorrow might *all* be combat-specialized Echoers.”
“Really?” Lin Qin pondered for a moment. “I doubt they’ll find many allies.”
Yun Yao blinked, turning to her. “How would you know?”
“Just a guess,” Lin Qin replied. “How many of them did you see today? What were their abilities?”
Yun Yao thought back. “I only know one—Jiang Ruoxue. Her Echo is ‘Causality.'”
Qi Xia added, “And Xiaoxiao, with ‘Transference.'”
As he spoke, he gave Lin Qin a meaningful glance, which she acknowledged with a nod.
She had briefly encountered both Xiaoxiao and Jiang Ruoxue, but it seemed only Xiaoxiao was suited for a “Tiger”-type game.
If Jiang Ruoxue participated, even with her formidable “Causality,” she’d stand no chance against Zhang Shan.
If she got injured, her own power might even backfire—she’d believe she was “hurt,” and thus “would die.”
Yun Yao continued, “As for the third person, he seemed like a recent recruit to the ‘Extremists.'”
She then turned to Qi Xia. “You fought him. Did you figure out his ability?”
“About that… it was bizarre,” Qi Xia admitted.
“How so?” Lin Qin asked.
“He could conjure stones out of thin air,” Qi Xia explained. “And he could shape them however he wanted.”
Lin Qin nodded. “His name is ‘Origin.'”
“‘Origin’?” Yun Yao frowned. “How do you know that?”
Han Yimo chimed in, “The three of us were by the display earlier. We saw all three of their Echoes.”
“Origin…” Qi Xia murmured the word, still puzzled.
Lin Qin continued, “I think ‘Origin’ and ‘Transference’ might participate tomorrow, but ‘Causality’ won’t. Which means they’ll only have one extra ally at most.”
“Really?” Yun Yao gave her a skeptical look. “How can you be so sure?”
“Another guess,” Lin Qin said. “I doubt the ‘Extremists’ have many friends. Their reserves probably aren’t deep.”
“That… makes sense,” Yun Yao conceded.
A heavy silence fell over the group.
“But there’s good news too,” Yun Yao suddenly brightened. “The ‘Extremists’ are all lunatics. They love flaunting individual prowess, so teamwork is the last thing on their minds. That’s our biggest advantage!”
She glanced pointedly at Zhang Shan, Qiao Jiejing, and Li Xiangling.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
These three barely knew each other. How much better could their coordination be than the ‘Extremists’?
Qiao Jiejing chuckled sheepishly. “Oh, so we *do* need teamwork? Haha…”
This was a man who had once single-handedly taken down thirty-seven people.
Zhang Shan scratched his head. “Damn… I thought it’d be three separate one-on-one fights…”
This was a man who had once killed a bear alone.
Neither of them had ever relied on others in dangerous situations.
Qi Xia slowly rubbed his temples.
This team was essentially two fists and a spear—hardly different from relying on individual strength.
If tomorrow’s game *were* three separate duels, that’d actually be better. In pure combat skill, even Xiaoxiao’s “Transference” wouldn’t give her an edge.
But Yun Yao had said “Earth Tiger’s” game involved teamwork. Could these three really pull it off?
After a long silence, Yun Yao suggested, “How about this? I know some trust-building exercises—things we did when our group first formed. I can teach them to you now. Maybe you can cram in some teamwork practice.”
“Uh…” The three exchanged uneasy glances. “Teamwork… exercises?”
Just a day ago, Qiao Jiejing had wanted to kick Zhang Shan. Now, they were expected to develop synergy overnight.
Seeing their reluctance, Qi Xia held up a hand. “I don’t think it’s necessary. A hastily assembled team’s coordination will never match the full potential of individual skill. Tomorrow, just focus on giving it your all.”
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