Chapter 120 Breakthrough

Xu Jingming practiced alone in the martial arts field.

On the other side, the Xia Nation’s official livestream was extremely lively, with over a billion viewers across the country watching this grand event.

"Where’s Jingming?" Xu Hong returned to the stands, receiving a warm welcome from the crowd, but he didn't see his son, Xu Jingming.

"He went to the martial arts field," Li Miaomiao said.

Xu Hong was surprised. "He can practice anytime, why now? This is the Huozhong Cup National Tournament, with many experts gathered!"

"He probably had some insight and immediately went to practice," Li Miaomiao explained.

"You old fellow, say less," Xu's mother said.

Xu Hong coughed twice and asked, "Did my son see my match just now?"

Xu's mother smiled. "Don't worry, he saw it! He left after watching your match."

"That's good." Xu Hong nodded with a smile. "Let's continue watching the matches. Lei Yunfang is about to appear; he's one of the top experts in the world."

In the Xia Nation's official livestream, countless viewers gathered, excitedly watching the matches.

Each duel was a rare sight of experts clashing. Although ordinary 'God-level battles' occasionally featured experts, the collision of top teams was still very rare.

"Lei Yunfang's team won; Senior Lei Yunfang even took action himself. That footwork is so handsome; just a few steps, and the three enemies who rushed up to him lost their lives," Yang Qingshuo praised.

"Zhou Yi's arrows are truly terrifying, much more terrifying than his father, Zhou Fan. It's like a heavy machine gun firing," Liu Chongyuan said.

"The Xiansi team has so many beauties!" Heng Fang exclaimed. "They're beautiful and win beautifully."

In the second to fourth matches, the winners were decided one after another; they were all one-sided battles. After all, the strength difference between the teams at the bottom and the teams at the top was still very obvious.

"The fifth match is between the Yunshan team and the Bailong team. This match is interesting," Yang Qingshuo said with a smile. "Chang Qingpeng of the Yunshan team and Zheng Bailong of the Bailong team have a grudge."

"I've seen the collected information. Chang Qingpeng seems to have been crippled by Zheng Bailong?" Li Miaomiao asked.

Wang Yi nodded. "Yes, he crippled his lower body! It's a huge feud! Fortunately, in this era, with gene evolution methods, severed limbs can be regenerated. Otherwise, Master Chang Qingpeng would have been wronged."

In this battle, the Yunshan team had an overall advantage. Captain Huo Qingshan and his friend 'Chang Qingpeng' worked together to kill the members of the Bailong team one by one, leaving only Captain Zheng Bailong.

"So useless, eliminated in the first round?" Cheng Zihao was very upset when he saw this scene but had no way to change it.

He couldn't afford to hire stronger experts, nor was he willing to spend that much money.

"Huff."

On the ancient battlefield, Zheng Bailong looked at Chang Qingpeng in front of him.

"Zheng Bailong, it's really a coincidence that I met you in the first round of the Huozhong Cup," Chang Qingpeng said with a cold look in his eyes. Since his lower body was crippled, the eyes of outsiders, the contradictions between his family and his wife—the psychological torment was unimaginable.

In his thirties, a martial arts master, at his peak, he suddenly fell into the abyss.

But Zheng Bailong, this despicable villain, suffered no punishment.

The fighting circle had produced many scumbags who acted ruthlessly, causing their opponents to be disabled or even killed. But because professional events inherently had risks, as long as there was no evidence to prove it was intentional, they would not be punished!

Chang Qingpeng hated it and even had murderous intentions, but considering that his children were still young, he endured everything.

Fortunately, the gene evolution method appeared!

"Chang Qingpeng, I said long ago that it was an accident during the fight. Which year doesn't have accidents?" The heavily injured Zheng Bailong laughed. "You're just being stubborn!"

"Yes, I'm just being stubborn. In the virtual world, I will always keep an eye on you and kill you every time I see you. The days ahead are long; we'll see!" Chang Qingpeng pierced Zheng Bailong's head directly with a single halberd, and Zheng Bailong's figure disappeared into illusion.

Zheng Bailong left the battlefield and returned to the stands.

"Damn it!" Zheng Bailong gnashed his teeth in anger. "This era has allowed Chang Qingpeng to thrive. Hmph, we'll see! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Zheng Bailong." Cheng Zihao walked over.

"Boss," Zheng Bailong restrained his anger a bit.

"Eliminated in the first round; I have nothing to say. I announce the unilateral termination of the previous contract," Cheng Zihao said indifferently. As the investor, he had the right to decide whether to terminate the contract based on the results of the competition.

Zheng Bailong looked at Cheng Zihao and sneered. "Do you have the ability to hire a more powerful expert than me? You're an idiot!"

Cheng Zihao's face changed. "What did you say?"

"Get lost, don't bother me!" Zheng Bailong waved his hand and shielded Cheng Zihao. In the stands, with over a billion viewers, it was possible to block others.

Without Tiger Shark Group behind him, Zheng Bailong didn't care about Cheng Zihao at all! He was polite in the past only for the sake of money.

"This Zheng Bailong!" Cheng Zihao was furious when he saw Zheng Bailong disappear before his eyes and could no longer find him.

…

The competition continued.

In the sixth match, Tie Lianyun was extremely strong. His teammates Zhao Pan and Zhang Feng were also very dazzling, and Fu Xiu and Sun Li were also decent, achieving a crushing victory.

In the seventh match, the team composed of Fang Yu, the old senior Liu Jianfeng, and a group of folk experts were very powerful. Fang Yu wore heavy armor and wielded a city-breaking halberd, leading the team to an easy victory.

In the eighth match, Xiong Tianshan and Wang Qiao worked together. Both of them used shields and axes, and their cooperation was extremely strong, pushing all the way through and being extremely powerful.

In the ninth match, the divine archer Zhuang Ziyu, with the help of well-known experts such as Yu Cheng, Zhang Qian, and Wu Sai, easily won.

The tenth match, however, was fiercely fought, and the team led by Feng Baiyu regrettably lost to the team formed by Gao Chong and Yang Yu.

******

While the tournament attracting the attention of the entire Xia Nation was in full swing, Xu Jingming was completely immersed in the shield techniques in the martial arts field of his personal space.

Facing a metal dummy weighing 100 tons, he practiced the five major killing moves of Bajiquan—*Hu Pu* (Tiger Pounce), *Beng* (Crush), *Pi Shan* (Mountain Split), *Tong Tian Pao* (Heaven Piercing Cannon), and *Meng Hu Ying Pa Shan* (Fierce Tiger Climbing the Mountain)—over and over again until they were ingrained in his bones. The Bajiquan lineage also had other killing moves, but the Mingyue City lineage mainly focused on these moves, which Xu Jingming had practiced since he was a child, and he was extremely proficient in each move.

Bang bang bang!!!

The metal dummy was covered in scars.

"*Tong Tian Pao*!" At close range, the double shields in his hands suddenly rushed upwards!

If *Pi Shan* was a furious chop from above, like a great axe chopping down, then *Tong Tian Pao* was the opposite, rushing upwards! Under the centrifugal force, the speed of the double shields became somewhat blurred, and the upper edges of the double shields slammed into the metal dummy's chin.

The 100-ton metal dummy trembled, and there were more dents and deformations in the chin area.

After practicing *Tong Tian Pao* hundreds of times, Xu Jingming turned to practice *Baji Hu Pu*.

"Boom."

Each time, he rushed out two steps. Just two steps allowed the speed to soar to 38 meters per second, and his figure became blurred. The double shields slammed into the metal dummy with a bang. The metal dummy immediately moved back about twenty centimeters, plowing out a groove.

Over and over again with *Baji Hu Pu*, Xu Jingming didn't count the number of times but practiced according to his heart. When he practiced smoothly and felt it was almost enough, he would switch to another move.

After practicing *Baji Hu Pu* dozens of times, his whole person's spirit was excited to a certain limit.

He performed *Baji Hu Pu* once again!

Xu Jingming's eyes faintly turned red. This time, he only felt extremely comfortable throughout his body. The force from his feet naturally exploded, and each step seemed to explode like thunder. Just two steps and his speed soared to 50 meters per second! His whole person was like a cannonball fired from a cannon, and the power was obviously much more terrifying than before. The double shields slammed into the metal dummy with a bang.

Boom!!!

This time, the sound of the impact was much louder, as if it exploded! The 100-ton metal dummy retreated completely, retreating more than a meter away. Finally, because of the tilt, the center of gravity was unstable and it crashed down with a bang.

One strike, smashing the 100-ton metal dummy.

Even Xu Jingming himself was surprised and delighted by the most ferocious of the five major killing moves, 'Baji Hu Pu'.

"I thought I practiced the 'Baji Hu Pu' move quite well before, and the force was fairly smooth. But today...this is what you call truly smooth force." Xu Jingming immediately opened his personal combat power panel—

Gene Evolution Method: *Tian Mang* (Sky Python) Evolution Method (Advanced 5%) (Practice time 602 days, cannot be improved)

Body: 190

Skills: Spear Technique (Third Order 31%), Footwork (Second Order 99%), Shield Technique (Third Order 15%)

Base Combat Power: 4180

Actual Combat Bonus: 35%

Combat Power: 5643

"The breakthrough in shield technique directly increased my spear technique from Third Order 20% to 31%?" Xu Jingming smiled. "The improvement in shield technique does allow me to better mobilize the deep power of my body, and my combat skills have improved across the board."

Many skills are interconnected.