Chapter 271: The Exhibition
Chapter 271: The Exhibition
When Pan Xiaode made his suggestion, Qi Huixin, who had been silent, suddenly raised her head, showing obvious interest in the proposal.
Tan Zhi said, "Forget it. Isn't daily sparring and training enough? It's supposed to be our relaxation time, and there's a high-level fighting tournament to watch tomorrow. Let me build up some excitement."
Pan Xiaode thought for a moment, rubbed the back of his head, and said, "Tan Zhi also makes sense. But that's for tomorrow. What should we do to pass the time until then?"
Tan Zhi offered a suggestion, "There's a dance hall here, and I heard that many famous dancers will be joining this time. Why don't we go and dance for a while..."
Pan Xiaode and Qi Huixin exchanged a glance and shook their heads, clearly not interested in the proposal.
As for Chen Chuan, he could appreciate others dancing, but as for dancing himself? He didn't have the enthusiasm for it either. He'd rather go back and practice some free combat routines.
Seeing that none of them were keen on the idea, Tan Zhi shrugged and said, "Fine, we won't go then. I heard that the Rhinoceros Horn Cruise Ship has invited the Sunwheel Band to perform, but we'll have to wait until the official departure. It's a shame we won't get to see it."
"The Sunwheel Band?"
Pan Xiaode's eyes lit up. "I like their songs too. It's a pity we have to wait until the official departure. It would have been great if we could stay a few more days."
However, after just a couple of sentences, the conversation unknowingly shifted back to fighting. Chen Chuan and Pan Xiaode chatted for a bit and discovered that this person's theory was very solid, and he was well-versed in various combat techniques. This was no ordinary fighter; most fighters would specialize in just one type, and it was rare to see someone so proficient in multiple styles. So, they continued their discussion.
This time, Qi Huixin joined in, and the three of them chatted away. Occasionally, Pan Xiaode would stand up and gesture to illustrate a point, not caring about the attention from those around him.
Tan Zhi, on the other hand, looked helpless and gave them a 'you've got to be kidding me' expression.
After finishing their meal, Pan Xiaode suggested they go to the fighting arena first, even though the main event hadn't started yet. But they could still watch some of the preliminary matches.
So, the four of them left the restaurant, each boarding a single-person sightseeing electric vehicle. Following the guidance of the Interface Token, they rode up the slope to the 9th-floor fighting arena.
The unique feature of the Rhinoceros Horn Cruise Ship is its dedicated 'Combat Deck' on a specific level. Whenever the ship docks at a location, it stays for two to three days and hosts an offshore fighting tournament.
Moreover, the internal arena of this tournament is not open to non-fighters. Only those who have reached at least the First Limit in fighting are allowed to watch on-site.
When they arrived at this deck, they headed straight for the internal fighting arena. The security personnel just glanced at them and let them through. Anyone who has trained in fighting can be identified by their gait and rhythm of movement.
The three of them, even without their Wuyi Academy uniforms, exuded a rhythm in their walk that clearly marked them as experts.
Once inside, Chen Chuan's Interface Token dimmed and then lit up. He found himself in a circular arena like a colosseum, surrounded by a dense crowd of spectators.
In fact, these people were all passengers on the cruise ship. Although they couldn't watch on-site, they could choose to project their realistic images here via the Interface Token.
As long as these people were in their cabins, they could project the scene of the fighting arena around them, thus merging the audience and the fighters into one, creating a vibrant atmosphere while maintaining a safe distance.
When the four of them arrived, a fighting match was just about to start, so they casually chose a spot to sit down.
Since it was just an ordinary fighting match, the commentator briefly introduced the backgrounds of the two fighters. Under the lights, the two fighters entered the arena one after the other.
The first fighter to appear was a martial arts school-trained fighter, holding a chopping sword and wearing protective leather armor. His exposed arms bore numerous scars, and his eyes were calm and collected, a clear sign of rich fighting experience.
His opponent, however, was different. His upper body had visible embedded lines of an implant, and one of his hands was modified into a fierce large pincer.
As he entered, he pulled off the apron below his waist, and exclamations could be heard from the Interface Token.
It was a completely shrimp-like lower body, with the abdomen and tail tightly pressed against the ground, featuring three pairs of curved toes for support. From the waist down to the tail, he was wrapped in a shrimp-like shell, complementing his large pincer. The whole person resembled a human-sized shrimp.
Chen Chuan, however, wasn't impressed by his combat power.
This person only had one pincer, and while he could stabilize his center of gravity with support similar to shrimp legs, the speed would inevitably lead to imbalance during movement and turning.
But as Tan Zhi pointed out, this was the company's way of promoting their products. Keeping one hand might be to better distinguish the two.
At this moment, the commentator's voice sounded from the Interface Token, introducing the fighter as using a new type of combat implant from Berlon Company, ideal for sea combat. The multi-functional abdominal claws were perfect for sea-going platforms.
On the screen in front of him, a list of modifications appeared for the person: artificial gills, artificial lungs, enhanced heart, pressure-adapted diaphragm, waterproof secretory glands...
This individual also underwent underwater sensory modifications by Berlon Company, enabling them to breathe underwater while maintaining agile movement.
The announcer joked, "If needed, we can even add underwater reproductive enhancements," which elicited laughter and inquiries about pricing.
Chen Chuan now understood; this match might not offer the exciting combat he had hoped for. It seemed like a platform for certain companies to showcase their "goods" to potential buyers.
Shaking his head, Chen Chuan stood up and said, "Apologies, fellow students. I'm not interested in this kind of competition." With that, he turned and left.
Pan Xiaode also stood up, muttering, "There's nothing interesting here." Qi Huixin remained silent and followed Pan Xiaode out.
"Hey, you guys."
Tan Zhi saw that all three had left, and with no one to keep him company, he shrugged and decided to leave as well.
Just as the four of them chose to depart, in a private box less than twenty meters away, Gong Zhanyi sat, and an attendant approached, bowing, "Young Lord, we have checked, but we haven't found the person yet."
Gong Zhanyi spoke in a cold tone, "Wei Wusheng is a martial arts fanatic. He wouldn't miss a combat event like tomorrow's. He will come. The Rhinoceros Horn Cruise Ship sets sail the day after tomorrow, so we must find him and retrieve the item before then."
"Yes," the attendant replied.
After giving instructions, Gong Zhanyi adjusted his posture and watched the two fighters below who had already entered combat mode. "I heard that among the fighters here, there's a student from Wu Yi Academy?"
The attendant answered, "Yes, since the vice-principal of Wu Yi Academy took charge, they have been promoting this. However, those students are not official students; they are recruited as external students."
Gong Zhanyi said, "What's the point of external students? If they were official students, it would be more interesting."
"That might be difficult," the attendant replied.
Gong Zhanyi remained unconvinced, "Since the vice-principal has already opened this door, with sufficient benefits, such a thing might be achievable in the future."
At this moment, Chen Chuan and the other three had walked outside, still undecided about their next destination. They spotted a young man in traditional combat attire and cloth shoes approaching from the opposite direction, his face adorned with a gentle smile and his skin glowing with a radiant sheen.
"It's Sun Xuechang," Tan Zhi said. He went up to shake hands with Sun Xuechang and introduced Chen Chuan, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin.
Sun Xuechang shook hands with each of them and greeted them with a smile. He then turned to Tan Zhi and said, "Tan Zhi, since you all found it boring after just a short while, it's understandable. Come with me, and I'll show you something you've never seen before."
He then instructed the security personnel nearby, "I'm taking my junior brothers and sisters for a walk. Don't follow us." The security personnel obediently moved away.
Pan Xiaode couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sun Xuechang, what are you going to show us?"
Sun Xuechang smiled and said, "You'll see for yourself."
He led the four of them to sit down in the cruise ship's interior exhibition hall located in the ship's belly.
In the hall were two objects covered by black cloth with spotlights shining on them. Sun Xuechang walked up to one of the objects and pulled off the cloth, revealing a square glass cabinet.
Through the glass cabinet, the four of them could see a long worm coiled inside. The creature had a segmented body with sharp bristles on its sides and a large crown of spikes on its head. Its body seemed transparent, emitting a faint glow from within, measuring about four to five meters in length.
Chen Chuan took a look and noticed that the second worm was slightly translucent, but not severely so. The degree of translucency was tolerable for ordinary people, but there was no doubt that it was the effect of this creature.
Pan Xiaode, surprised, asked, "Senior, what kind of monster is this?"
Sun Xuechang smiled and said, "This is not a monster, it's the 'Crimson Sea Worm', a gift from Canglong Company for tomorrow's combat event. With two fighters and this creature, won't the combat be even more exciting?"
Tan Zhi asked, "Will they agree to this?"
Sun Xuechang said, "Of course. If they didn't agree, I wouldn't bring these things out. After all, we should respect the fighters, right? Without trust, they might not seek us out for such duels in the future."
Pan Xiaode looked around and pointed at the larger object on the right, covered by black cloth, and asked, "Senior, what's that?"
Sun Xuechang glanced at the four of them and slowly said, "That's also something we prepared, but let me keep you in suspense for now."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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