Chapter 486: First Spar In Five Years
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
After swearing loyalty to each other, the two sat down again, and the mood in the room became much lighter.
“Dongyang, there is no need to tell the others about my identity just yet… Not until we have consolidated power within the Maersa district.”
“Touché! Many things have changed, and so did people… Lie Jian, for instance.” Guan Dongyang said as he nodded in agreement.
Even though Einherjar Li Zhedao was the direct heir of General Li Feng, he was defeated by Patroclus in the end, much less the alleged heir, Wang Tong. Plus, Wang Tong was no longer the heir of the Blade Warrior, but simply a powerful warrior. Title and reputation were only useful during peacetime. During the time of chaos, actions spoke even louder than its peacetime counterparts.
Guan Dongyang knew very well that neither his strength nor the flaws in his personality would allow him to lead a large force. However, he could always assist by the side of a real commander.
Sensing the eagerness in Guan Dongyang’s eyes, Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, “I know that you have a lot of questions for me. We have lots of time to catch up in the future.”
“Haha, I wager that Duo Lun had learned a thing or two from you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to defeat that lousy a*shole. By the way, what level are you at right now? Legendary?”
“Um… I am not familiar with the current ranking system, but perhaps, yes. I have improved my tactics over the years. We should exchange some ideas when we have time.”
“Perfect! Being a bandleader is a tough job. Sometimes, it is too much for me. At one time, I almost gave up entirely.” Although Guan Dongyang was a powerful mastery user, he was not a leader. His unfamiliarity with politics and administrative tasks had greatly limited the expansion of the Battle Wolf.
However, Wang Tong was the opposite in that respect. Managing a war band required skills and experience, and Wang Tong had both. He had been the leader of the most influential student group, the S club.
However incompetent Guan Dongyang was in terms of managing the band, no one could ignore his improvement in his cultivation over the five years. Five years ago, Wang Tong had defeated Patroclus as a level six warrior, and five years later, Wang Tong’s power had risen to such a magnitude that it had become difficult for others to comprehend. After a period of rapid improvement, Guan Dongyang’s cultivation had hit a bottleneck half a year ago. He wanted to make another breakthrough, but his hands were tied down by endless paperwork… that is, until Wang Tong showed up.
Guan Dongyang believed that Wang Tong would be able to summon the sense of unity in the hearts of all Martians, and change the outlook of Mars. He couldn’t wait to be a part of this great transformation.
Guan Dongyang heaved a sigh of relief as he could finally have time to return to his beloved cultivation.
Before Guan Dongyang’s formal retirement, there would be a transitional period. However, with Wang Tong’s great power and experience, Guan Dongyang believed that the transitional period would be very brief. The thought of following Wang Tong into battles and liberating the enslaved humans inside the city of Maersa spurred Guan Dongyang to carry on their conversation.
Outside Guan Dongyang’s private vehicle, Lie Wushuang wondered what had taken the two to chat for so long. He reminded himself about the goal of their mission: to enlist Guan Dongyang to House Lie. Lie Wushuang turned to Lie Xuan and said, “When you get a chance, you need to find out what Guan Dongyang is up to.”
“You mean he is hiding something from us?”
“You really think that a level eleven no account could defeat a level sixteen warrior, and a mechanic could overcome Nihlathak without making a move?” Lie Wushuang asked quietly.
“No. I know Guan Dongyang is a powerful mastery caster, but he is not strong enough to lead soldiers that powerful, not yet.” Lie Xuan knew of Lie Wushuang’s suspicion. Guan Dongyang could have long since advanced further beyond level eighteen. From the information they had collected about the raid, they learned of a mastery spell that required level twenty or higher mastery fighters to perform. It had to be Guan Dongyang.
“Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, young maser values him highly. Power of a Mastery Fighter is a very slippery thing to measure. Young master had told me a couple of times to not to be too fixated on levels when it came to evaluating Mastery users.” Over the years, life had taught Lie Wushuang many lessons, and made his observation keener. From the events that happened at the tournament, he could tell that Guan Dongyang had matured a lot as a leader. He was no longer brash and direct as he used to be. Whatever trick he had pulled from his sleeve had worked well against Marcos, causing the latter to lose almost everything from the tip of his fingers.
“I disagree!” Lie Xuan snorted.
“Lie Xuan, what is going on with you two anyway? If you really like him, then be with him. If not, then stop keeping him in that awkward friendzone. You are not a kid anymore.” Lie Wushuang scolded Lie Xuan like an older brother.
“Should I call you mom? I don’t know… He is a nice guy, but we lack chemistry between us. He is not… manly enough, except for today at the tournament. I hope he can keep at it.” Lie Xuan said. She had given the matter a great deal of thought, and had decided that however nice Guan Dongyang was, he could not give her the thrill of living on the edge she always craved for. In a fit of frustration, the furry face of the mechanic flashed for a fleeting second in her mind.
Duo Lun and Tan Bu had kept things to themselves. Despite being the closest friends of Wang Tong at Battle Wolf, they didn’t speak a word about the mechanic.
“What is the deal with Duo Lun?”
“He is heartbroken after seeing his old lover. Practicing tactics keeps his mind cool.” Tan Bu said with a smile.
“Furface, I have learned a valuable lesson today thanks to you. It’s like having a second life. From now on, my life is yours.” Duo Lun was deeply touched by Wang Tong’s help, and his victory had given him more than just joy—it was a lesson for him to fight back against evil. Although Duo Lun appeared to be an amiable and easy going person, he had a very sensitive soul. Wang Tong’s help had saved not only his life, but also something he held closer to his heart than even life: dignity.
Tan Bu patted Duo Lun’s shoulder and said, “Furface, you will be our boss from now on. We will follow you wherever you go!”
Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, “I like your resolution. But, don’t complain later that I didn’t warn you about the hardships.”
Duo Lun and Tan Duo looked at each other and smiled knowingly. “We are ready!”
That night at the camp, Duo Lun and Tan Bu regretted ever agreeing to be subject to such inhumane training. When the two had overspent their energy and laid on the ground, Wang Tong walked to them and told them that it was just a taste of what was going to come.
After he finished training with Duo Lun and Tan Bu, Wang Tong returned home. But before long, he looked out of the window and saw the full moon hanging brightly in the night sky, and knew that the moment had arrived. Wang Tong disappeared into thin air and reappeared outside the camp in a clearing, where a dark showdown had been waiting for him.
“You really can’t wait… Hehe.”
“Hehe, it had been five years! Let’s start!” The shadow spoke up; it was Guan Dongyang.
“Show me what you have learned over the five years!” Wang Tong announced.
Guan Dongyang knew that he didn’t need to hold back power, so he unleashed all of his soul energy at once.
“Infinite Fire Bolt!”
Guan Dongyang sent a flurry of bolts at Wang Tong, lined up in a straight line. Wang Tong didn’t evade; instead, he waved the left hand, and the bolts fell to the ground as if they had hit an invisible wall.
Guan Dongyang was shocked by how easily Wang Tong had blocked his attack. Five years ago when he was only a level six warrior, Wang Tong had displayed unmatched intuition during the battle. Five years later, he was back and stronger, with the same acute sense of battle awareness. Guan Dongyang already saw no hope of winning the fight.
However, the stronger the Wang Tong was, the more Guan Dongyang wanted to continue the sparring.
“Red Lotus!”
Mastery was not only about absorbing the natural forces but to channel them as well; one would need a lot of skill in this department. In a blink, the flaming fire bolts on the ground sprang back to life and floated in the air. They twisted and weaved into each other, forming a fiery red glob.
