Chapter 132: The Martial Path System
In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and it was finally time for the Ability User Martial Arts Tournament to begin.
Thanks to the continuous fermentation of major news stories in the preceding period, coupled with pervasive propaganda, on the day of the tournament's opening, hundreds of millions of people worldwide tuned in to this grand event through various means.
The attacks by the Sea Clan and the subsequent conflicts across the world had cast a mournful shadow over everyone's minds. A significant portion of the population had experienced the painful loss of loved ones in the past few months, and they yearned for a grand event to temporarily forget their sorrow.
At the same time, the disasters and wars further fueled the deep-seated desire for power within people—whether it was the ambitious who sought to make a name for themselves like Ganan, the Black Emperor of Ethiopia, or those who simply wished to protect what they cherished, or even the idealists who aimed to change this society rife with sin.
Without power, one could only passively endure.
Of course, Bai Mo, indifferent to all these sentimental matters, clearly wouldn't dwell on such emotional thoughts. In his eyes, this competition was merely a crucial part of his grand scheme, or rather, a plan to rapidly convert the immense power in his grasp and the inexhaustible Contribution Points into actual strength.
Given the estimated destructive power of Ability Users, the competition venue was set up on a desolate plain a thousand kilometers north of Tianqing. Helicopters responsible for aerial photography were stationed on both sides, ready to live-stream each match, as the vast combat range of Ability Users made it nearly impossible for live spectators to witness the overall situation.
As the nine o'clock chimes rang out in the morning, twelve saluting cannons on both sides of the venue fired in unison, and the honor guard played a marching tune, officially signaling the start of the opening ceremony.
Tens of thousands of contestants began entering the arena to the sound of music. Aside from superficial rituals like the torch relay, the scale of the entire competition significantly surpassed that of the quadrennial Olympic Games.
"Is Bai Mo still not coming to the opening ceremony?" On the main stage, Hua Changjiang, representing the government at the ceremony, quietly chatted with Hua Taishan, who was seated beside him.
"He said he's in charge of the medical team, currently busy coordinating with the logistics team. He doesn't have time to waste here."
"Coordinating what? He knows medicine?!" Hua Changjiang was a little surprised.
"We didn't believe it at first either, but after he demonstrated his skills yesterday, we were left speechless. His proficiency in both internal and external surgery is simply terrifying; watching him operate is like watching an elaborate performance, very much like Butcher Ding carving an ox. Moreover, he seems to possess abilities similar to psychokinesis, allowing him to perform multiple surgeries simultaneously, which is why we agreed to his request."
"I originally thought that if he were to handle treatment, he would rely entirely on the regenerative capabilities of liquid metal. I really didn't expect him to be proficient in medical practices as well; it's quite unexpected," Hua Taishan continued.
"You intend to find people to compile the Martial Edict together, and we plan to conduct a survey of a large portion of the world's forces along the way. So what exactly does he want to do?" Hua Changjiang didn't hide anything too unclassified from his younger brother.
"Don't ask me, I'm not sure either. But I estimate the secret lies within the medical area. You can go take a look after the opening ceremony concludes."
"He'd let us in? That kid is always so mysterious, hiding in the experimental grounds, who knows what he's tinkering with."
"If he wasn't constantly holed up in the experimental grounds doing research, I imagine you'd be even more restless," Hua Taishan teased him.
"He's too strong. Even though we're desperately trying to catch up, drinking a bottle of potion every few days and practically living in piles of Spirit Stones, it feels like the distance between us is only growing wider. He's become even more unfathomable. According to reports from our subordinates, he had another breakthrough recently."
"Ultimately, the widening gap is still due to severe information asymmetry. There's too much we're completely clueless about. Even if we wanted to learn it ourselves, we wouldn't gain anything in a short time. We can only rely on them, and only they know how much core information they've truly concealed."
"Furthermore, it's not just him who's become excessively powerful. Many researchers dedicated to their work in the Spirit Energy Research Institute have already reached the high-level Spirit Animation Stage. This cultivation path seems to favor researchers too much," Hua Changjiang said helplessly. "Now, some in our circles are starting to worry that Huaxia will eventually become a Scientist Republic, where everything will make way for research, and serve research. Researchers will replace us as the core of power." Hua Changjiang revealed a hint of fear as he spoke.
"I've also thought about this problem. When it comes to the accumulation of natural scientific knowledge, we simply can't compare to those engaged in research. So I'm wondering if we can forge a new path through the compilation of the 'Martial Edict'—a path of cultivation that doesn't rely on knowledge accumulation, but rather focuses on mental will."
"According to Bai Mo's conjectures in his documents, the essence of the Life Field is the influence of mental will on the material world. So, if we directly develop our mental will to elevate the Life Field and thereby gain power, it should also be feasible. The advantage of martial artists lies in their will!"
He always grew particularly excited when discussing topics that interested him. Hua Changjiang knew his younger brother had always been like this, so he didn't interrupt his passionate speech.
"By tempering our will, and then utilizing the Life Field that can interfere with reality through will, I believe that martial artists will one day be able to gain the power to change the world through their will!"
"Brother, watch yourself, we're still on stage." The person in front of him was his own younger brother, so Hua Changjiang couldn't be too harsh. He himself was quite optimistic about the prospects of this path, and more importantly, the one leading it was his own brother, one of their own, unlike that group of cold, aloof researchers who were all outsiders.
"Changjiang, regarding Xiao Wu's matter earlier..." Realizing his lapse, he quickly composed himself and asked Hua Changjiang a rather sensitive question.
"Xiao Wu's matter was his own doing! They shouldn't have set their sights on us." When the topic of power struggles came up, it was Hua Changjiang's turn to get a little agitated.
The surrounding secretaries and bodyguards had long noticed the two men's excited conversation and, wisely, had all cameras preemptively turned to focus on the contestants below the stage, to spare the leaders any embarrassment. The other guests on the main stage naturally had no desire to get involved in these factional disputes, so they too pretended not to hear.
Hua Changjiang quickly realized his lapse and swiftly adjusted his demeanor, straightening his collar and resuming his dignified seat in the front row of the main stage. In his heart, he secretly felt that his martial arts fanatic younger brother truly still didn't understand social graces, to ask such a sensitive question in this kind of setting.
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