"A month has passed, Lin Tian. Our agreed time has come. Do the men you trained have the confidence to fight mine?"
Ning Ku had paid attention to Lin Tian's training. He knew Lin Tian's training was not simple and was extremely rigorous. He had not stopped it, and even inwardly approved. He knew Lin Tian's training was to enhance individual combat power, which was suitable for a select few. But whether Lin Tian had succeeded in his training, he did not know. Now was the time to truly test it.
"Naturally, we are confident!"
"It's good that you're confident. If you're confident, let's try it!"
"However, I can also see that your training is not simple, so I need to add a bit more difficulty!"
"For this match, the men you trained must fight one against five. Each one of them must fight five opponents. In other words, your ten men will compete against fifty people!"
Fighting one against five was undoubtedly an extremely difficult challenge. Except for those with extraordinary talent and superior martial prowess, very few could achieve it. Even seasoned veterans like Ning Ku would not dare to claim they could fight one against five with 100% certainty. The reason for making Lin Tian's trainees fight one against five was to teach them a lesson, to let them know the might of the army and that they could not excessively worship individual strength. In Ning Ku's opinion, only when Lin Tian realized this would he avoid many detours.
However, Lin Tian did not agree with his words.
"Doctor Ning, Wang Wu and the others have not trained for long, only for a month!"
"But I believe they are all outstanding soldiers with extraordinary abilities. Fighting one against five is not suitable for them; let's make it one against ten!"
"One against ten? You want them to fight one against ten? Do you know what fighting one against ten means?"
This was a very normal question, but after asking it, Ning Ku felt it was inappropriate. Lin Tian himself had once annihilated nearly a thousand men. Of course, he knew what fighting one against ten meant. Therefore, Ning Ku quickly changed his tune.
"Although you've trained Wang Wu and the others, they are not you after all. They cannot fight one against ten!"
"Letting them fight one against ten is more like child's play!"
"Whether it's child's play or not, only trying will tell!"
Lin Tian's tone was very calm, as if he were stating something very ordinary. Such a calm tone made Ning Ku look at him strangely. After thinking for a moment, Ning Ku did not refute Lin Tian's words.
"Alright! Let's give it a try!"
After saying that, Ning Ku went to call for people. Soon, everyone in the recruit camp was gathered. One hundred outstanding new recruits were selected to compete against Wang Wu and his group. Facing them were Wang Wu's ten men.
The feeling of ten men on horseback facing a hundred men on horseback was different. The other recruits in the camp felt the pressure for the ten men standing there.
"This is really one against ten!"
"Ten men against a hundred, who can win this!"
"That's right! Tie Zhu and the others are the strongest recruits in the camp. Not only are they strong, but they also train diligently. They have never lost in cavalry charges!"
"Alas! I hope Wang Wu and the others don't lose too badly, or they'll be utterly humiliated."
No one had high hopes for Wang Wu and his men fighting one against ten. Those who were friendly hoped Wang Wu and his men wouldn't lose too miserably. Most people, however, were there to watch the spectacle with amusement.
The next moment, the competition began. There were no schemes or tricks, just a direct clash between armies. Both sides used wooden weapons and rode their horses, charging directly. Though only ten men, Wang Wu and his group charged with an aura no less imposing than the hundred-man formation. Their shouts were thunderous.
"Kill!!"
With these battle cries, everyone immediately felt the momentum of Wang Wu and his men. They were fearless and their morale was sky-high. To have such spirit when fighting one against ten already astonished everyone. When the fighting began, it left many dumbfounded.
As the two armies collided, Wang Wu and his men drew their swords. Their speed was so great that it felt like a mere shadow flashed by, and an opponent was struck in the neck. The intense pain immediately made the recruit understand that if these were real swords, he would already be dead. With a dejected look, he dropped his wooden sword and retreated from the arena. Wang Wu and his men paid no mind to his reaction. Led by Wang Wu, they charged directly into the hundred-strong cavalry.
The real battle began. Their movements were swift, so fast that the wooden swords left afterimages. Everywhere they went, enemies were struck, all hitting vital points. The recruits they fought rarely lasted more than three moves. Such swordsmanship astonished many. Many veteran soldiers who trained recruits were shocked.
"This, this is too incredible! How is their swordsmanship so potent?"
"The sword strikes are fast, accurate, and fierce, directly targeting vital points. This is clearly a sword technique born for killing!"
"Such a fierce swordsmanship, and they learned it in just a month? How can it feel more brutal than my five years of battlefield swordsmanship?"
Wang Wu and his men's swordsmanship shocked many. They couldn't believe that Wang Wu and his group had reached this level in just one month. Yet, they knew Wang Wu and his group very well from a month ago, so they understood that this was all true. This made many look at Lin Tian with a different gaze.
The slaughter continued as Wang Wu and his men charged rapidly. This rapid charge made many recruits' hearts burn with passion. They saw familiar figures in Wang Wu and his men. That figure was Lin Tian. When Lin Tian charged against the enemy forces that had broken into Guanzhong, he fought in a similar manner. His speed was astonishing, and he defeated enemies with a single move. Wherever he went, no enemy could withstand even one strike. This performance had made him an object of reverence for countless recruits. Although this was not Lin Tian's full combat strength, it was enough to make everyone in their hearts submit. Now, Wang Wu and his men displayed combat power that already bore some resemblance to Lin Tian. Especially Wang Wu, who was at the forefront, fought like an invincible general.
This momentum of charge also put immense pressure on the remaining dozens of outstanding recruits. However, among them were no shortage of brave warriors. Li Tie Zhu could be considered the foremost among them. His family had a history of being butchers, generations of them slaughtering pigs. He not only possessed a robust physique but also a courage uncommon to others. Facing the rapid charge of Wang Wu and his men, he was undaunted.
"Die!"
Li Tie Zhu charged towards Wang Wu like a madman. He raised his wooden sword high and brought it down heavily on Wang Wu. His technique was very simple: using brute force to overcome skill. With a powerful, heavy strike, Wang Wu had no choice but to defend.
"Clang!"
"Crack!"
The sound of wooden swords colliding and breaking echoed. The strength of both Li Tie Zhu and Wang Wu was immense; their wooden swords could not withstand it. After just one collision, both wooden swords were broken into several pieces. However, Wang Wu and Li Tie Zhu paid no attention to this. With their wooden swords broken, they dismounted and fought with their fists and feet.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
The sounds of fists and feet colliding reached everyone's ears clearly, making many of the recruits who were merely watching feel a sour sensation. Just listening to the sounds, they knew that such blows, if landed on them, would not only cripple them but also severely injure them on the spot. The power contained within was self-evident.
But Wang Wu and his men exchanged over ten blows. It was only when Li Tie Zhu's limbs started to feel weak and his whole body ached that this bout found a victor. In the end, Li Tie Zhu was defeated by Wang Wu. Lying on the ground, Li Tie Zhu clearly found it unbelievable.
"This, how is this possible? I never heard you were that strong before? How do you have such immense power today?"
Li Tie Zhu knew Wang Wu quite well. They were all from Guanzhong, and he had heard of Wang Wu's reputation, but Wang Wu was not known for his strength. Therefore, Li Tie Zhu could not understand why Wang Wu possessed such punching and kicking power.
At this moment, Wang Wu replied with a cold expression:
"If you had endured the same hardships as me, you might have become even stronger than me!"
After saying this, he no longer paid attention to Li Tie Zhu, who had been defeated, and picked up a sword to continue the fight. It had to be said that Wang Wu and his men's training had been very effective. With the increased training intensity and adequate nutrition, their strength had soared. Now, even ten of them facing a hundred had managed to cut through the hundred-man formation. Injuries were inevitable, but based on the results of the match, Wang Wu and his men had won overwhelmingly. Ten of them, after a month of training, had defeated ten times their number. Such combat power left even Ning Ku speechless. He looked at the match results, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke to Lin Tian:
"Xiao Tian, in their future training, you should also guide them. I don't ask them to be as formidable as Wang Wu and his men; I only ask that more of them can survive on the battlefield!"
"They are all fine sons of Guanzhong!"
This was Ning Ku's plea.
...