Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 228 - 221: The Beginning
The green-robed elder seemed surprised by the Chief Commissioner’s decisive reply.
"The Martial Arts Realm can’t stay in its cradle forever. Since we’ve decided to bring it into the open, we must be ready to let them face challenges. For now, we can still manage to protect this land and give them the chance to grow. Even defeat will force them to take a clear look at themselves. Failure is a necessary step on the path to success."
"Don’t worry. Those young ones in the Martial Arts Realm aren’t so weak, nor is their will so fragile. They won’t be crushed so easily. Our nation is the same—we turn shame into courage. Besides, they won’t necessarily lose. This immense external pressure might be the very opportunity they need to advance."
The dragon’s mouth opened, and the Chief Commissioner’s voice boomed in the sky.
"You’re right. We can’t protect them forever. Some paths, they ultimately have to walk themselves."
"I will explain this clearly to the Elder Council."
The green-robed elder said with a sigh.
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Public debate grew more and more intense. After discussions at the highest levels and contact with the Starry Sky Country, a public statement was issued that very night. The Sports Bureau, temporarily acting for the yet-to-be-established Martial Arts Association, announced that, at the request of the Starry Sky Country, an unrestricted combat exchange competition would be held in Shangjing Prefecture.
The rules stipulated that both sides could only send young Martial Artists under thirty years of age. The matches would be unrestricted and have no referee. However, in the spirit of friendly exchange, the competition was non-lethal, ending only when one side surrendered or was rendered unable to fight...
The Martial Arts Realm would send the top eight contestants from the North-South Martial Arts Gala to compete against the Starry Sky Country’s masters.
As soon as the statement was released, the entire Martial Arts Realm was electrified.
’The higher-ups agreed!’
’Finally! We don’t have to swallow this humiliation any longer!’
Because the statement was highly topical and the "Donghua Sick Man" incident had already caused a massive uproar, the announcement went viral.
"The higher-ups actually didn’t chicken out this time. How rare."
"They’ve already called you the ’Donghua Sick Man.’ Chickening out again would be inexcusable, right?"
"It’s all up to those Martial Artists now. I hope they can make us proud!"
"Sigh, I actually wish we hadn’t accepted the challenge. What good is Donghua Martial Dao? It’s all just for show. What happens if we fight? Wouldn’t losing be even more humiliating? Honestly, other countries are just more advanced than us, whether it’s technology, fighting, or even the cultural and physical quality of their people. Our race is just inferior."
"Some people have been kneeling for so long they can’t stand up anymore! You must not know anything about the Martial Arts Realm, do you?"
"Found a banana. Do we go through the motions or just start roasting him?"
"..."
The internet was abuzz with all kinds of discussions. The focus of many had shifted to the unrestricted combat exchange between the two nations, with everyone trying to dig up information about the event.
Unfortunately for them, the news they got was that the event would not be broadcast. However, tickets would be available for public purchase, and they were quickly sold out.
Meanwhile, the top eight Martial Artists from the North-South Martial Arts Gala immediately began preparing to head for Shangjing Prefecture.
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「Starry Sky Country, Nebula Alliance.」
General Norton received intelligence forwarded by the Foreign Affairs Bureau.
"They reacted quickly."
A smile touched the corner of General Norton’s mouth.
"This is somewhat unexpected. If they had just turtled up and issued some flimsy protest, there really wouldn’t have been much we could do. It would have damaged their Martial Arts Realm’s reputation, but the losses would have been much smaller. Now that they’ve accepted the challenge, we’ll defeat them in front of everyone and completely crush the momentum they’ve been building."
A mocking smile played on the lips of Alex, who was standing behind General Norton. "Their intelligence network must have picked up on our new Symbiont model. Are they really so arrogant as to make this decision? Hiding in their shells to minimize the damage would have been their best option."
"They’ll regret this soon. The top eight from the North-South Martial Arts Gala? Do they think an age limit can restrict our power? So naive."
"This batch of young Warriors are the elite of the elite. They’ve fused with General level Celestial Demon Symbionts and been boosted by the new symbiont-enhancing mist. While they can’t reach true General Level strength, they’re more than a match for these so-called top Martial Artists."
"At this exchange, with everyone watching, I want to make sure they don’t win a single match!"
General Norton said, narrowing his eyes.
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「Two days later.」
「Shangjing Prefecture.」
「Secret Inspection Headquarters Conference Room.」
The prodigies of the northern and southern Martial Arts Realms had gathered in the conference room. Their opponents had already flown in from the Starry Sky Country and arrived in Shangjing Prefecture, waiting for the exchange to begin the next day.
They were now being briefed by the Secret Inspection Bureau on their opponents. All eyes were fixed on the presenter and the large screen at the front of the room.
"The good news is that the Starry Sky Country’s Super Warriors are all over thirty, so they won’t be your opponents. However, your opponents this time likely aren’t pure Martial Artists. They’re probably all Symbionts. My data on them is limited. I only know that a few of them are in a very special situation. They originally fused with General level Celestial Demons."
The presenter said, pointing to the photos of several people from the Starry Sky Country that appeared on the screen.
General level Celestial Demon...
Everyone seated here was an elite who had access to intelligence regarding Celestial Demons. They naturally knew what a General level Celestial Demon signified.
"So you’re saying they can likely wield Saint Awakening Level power?"
Someone asked in a heavy tone. If their opponents could truly wield Saint Awakening Level power, winning would be incredibly difficult. Their odds would be extremely low.
"Most of you have fought Symbionts, so you should know how they work. In a typical Symbiont, the Celestial Demon inside has been specially processed, making it difficult for the host to fully master its power. Apart from enhanced physical abilities and organ mutations, the Celestial Demon Illusion can only be used for passive defense, not for active attacks."
"Originally, this was true even for Symbionts who had fused with General level Celestial Demons. They simply had stronger physiques and more prominent abilities in one area. But when it came to the pure Celestial Demon Power, it was the same—it could only be used for passive defense against attacks like Heart’s Desire Bursting Out, not actively controlled."
"However, our intelligence network recently reported that the Nebula Alliance in the Starry Sky Country has achieved a breakthrough in their Symbiont technology. The fusion between host and Celestial Demon is much tighter, possibly allowing their Symbionts to actively use some of the Celestial Demon’s abilities to attack. We have no detailed intelligence on the extent of this capability."
"So, if you face their General level Symbionts, be extremely careful! They wouldn’t have provoked us so blatantly without something to back it up. We speculate they have some incredibly powerful techniques. Even with the age restriction, they should be able to unleash power at the Saint Awakening Level."
The presenter’s tone was grave.
’We might have to face Saint Awakening Level power...’
Upon hearing this, everyone felt immense pressure.
’We might have to face Saint Awakening Level power...’
Upon hearing this, everyone felt immense pressure, but at the same time, they also felt a thrill of excitement.
’So what if they’re at the Saint Awakening Level? Isn’t this the level we’ve all been dreaming of reaching? This is a challenge, but it’s also the best opportunity. Our opponents will be weaker than a true Saint Awakening, yet they’ll possess some of the same characteristics. This is exactly the kind of pressure we need right now.’
’This is our chance to achieve Saint Awakening!’
