People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Putting aside those discordant voices, people's exclamations are entirely reasonable.

Casimir is the most fashionable country. Unlike Colombia, which pursues technological leadership, the "fashion" of the Casimir people focuses more on sensory stimulation. Stylish clothing, flamboyant looks, eye-catching moves, and extravagant attire—in an environment of extreme spiritual emptiness brought about by consumerism, everyone naturally pursues "the more unconventional, the better!"

Although they haven't evolved to the point where Ernst's previous life was back to basics, where being rustic to the extreme is actually trendy, this doesn't hinder their fervent love and pursuit of novelty.

The special effects on Jeston were absolutely top-notch, truly top-notch, undoubtedly the kind of extreme "sensory stimulation" they had always longed for but could not obtain!

"So handsome, so incredibly handsome!"

"How exactly did he create these special effects?"

"I used to think that Shelag was just a run-down rural area, much like my hometown, but now it seems like it's a trendy capital!"

"What? You're from the countryside? Let's break up! I'm going to Kjerag to find a better life!"

"Wow!"

"Whose priest hasn't been kicked yet!"

Compared to Jeston's extravagant outfit, Chongyue's attire seemed much more ordinary.

He wore a simple silk robe for practicing martial arts, with a sleeveless vest over it for easy movement. He also wore a pair of unremarkable brown trousers that were even tapered at the knees for ease of combat!

But that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that Chong Yue, dressed in an outfit that looks no different from the old men doing morning exercises in Longmen, was actually wearing a pair of white sneakers!

Yes, sneakers are indeed very suitable for sports, everyone knows that. Wearing sneakers is certainly not a shocking outfit choice; many fashion bloggers in Casimir recommend various sneaker styles when suggesting summer youth fashion trends.

But the problem is, what about the outfit you're wearing on your upper body? Does it make you look like a vibrant, energetic, and promising young person?

This is clearly for an elderly man, isn't it? Are those sneakers really not for seniors?

With an upper body resembling an old man and a lower body clad in sneakers, Chongyue certainly provided a profound "sensory stimulation" for the Kasimir audience, at least among the fashion-conscious Kasimir people!

Almost immediately, someone took a picture of the two of them and posted it on the city's internet, with the caption:

The difference is too big!

Indeed, "The gap is too big!"

Chongyue, who was also on the field, sighed in agreement.

As a pure martial artist, he naturally wouldn't care about what he was wearing.

His fashion sense is terrible? So what? Those who challenge him are after his status, hoping to gain some glory he doesn't care about by defeating him. Those who seek his guidance are after his martial arts, trying to learn a move or two from him. Even those who fear him are only interested in his origins—a 20-year-old agent, a fragment of a level-three behemoth that wields multiple [laws], and the largest fragment at that. Naturally, those people don't care what he's dressed like.

Chongyue has been learning how to be a human being, and since people don't care about these things, he naturally won't care either.

Therefore, what he lamented was certainly not the vague special effects or the differences in appearance.

He was impressed by Jeston's presence.

Compared to the strength that Jeston displayed during their last sparring match at the Rose Arena, his aura is now far more powerful!

Breath, it's a feeling that's hard to define. It's related to physical strength and power, but not entirely the same. Only those who practice Yan Kingdom martial arts can truly understand this term.

To put it simply, at this moment, Chongyue actually felt that Jeston's strength had reached the same level as his own, or even surpassed his own by a little!

Jeston's strength is inferior to his own. At least, Chongyue was certain that Jeston was inferior to him when they were in the Rose Arena.

The terms "50/50," "slightly better," and "evenly matched" are just polite expressions, a kind of humility that Chongyue learned from the Yan people and is ingrained in his bones.

However, since ancient times, there has been no first place in literature and no second place in martial arts. Where does a completely even match come from?

If you can't beat someone, you can't beat them. Chongyue was able to defeat Jeston with the "Striking Tumors Across the Mountain" technique only because the "Striking Tumors Across the Mountain" technique was enough to defeat Jeston, not because the "Striking Tumors Across the Mountain" technique was the only way Chongyue could defeat Jeston.

This is just the lower limit, not the upper limit.

But now, if Chongyue were to evaluate again, he would say that if judged solely on the comparison of aura, he would lose.

This human body is not the original [Shuo]. Although it is strong, it is not the giant beast that inherited most of [Sui's] power. It can be injured, bleed, get tired, and suffer pain. Birth, aging, sickness, and death only come slowly, but they do not completely disappear.

He can punch through a 10-centimeter-thick steel plate, but he can't punch through a 10-meter-thick one; that thing is longer than his arm, and he doesn't have a rubber fruit.

Therefore, if Jeston can truly unleash the strength that matches his aura, then Chongyue will probably be defeated!

Clenching his fist, Chongyue smiled slightly.

Standing opposite him, Jeston naturally noticed Chongyue's change in expression, and he could understand what that expression meant, because he had just made the exact same expression.

That's "fighting spirit"!

Chongyue said in a loud voice:

"Brother Jeston, you really had something up your sleeve during our last sparring session! I have to admire you!"

“Ordinary people, even if they conceal their abilities, I can still glean some insight and be somewhat aware of them. But Brother Jeston’s method of concealing his strength and guarding his simplicity is truly brilliant! I have been fighting with you all this time, and I have not noticed it at all! Amazing, a wonderful method!”

Jeston scratched his head.

It's an ancient language from the Yan Kingdom; I can't understand it.

In order to make a good impression on Ernst, he did learn many languages, including Yan language, but the Yan language he learned was the official language of Yan, also known as the common language of Yan.

However, when Chongyue was in high spirits, he would casually mention things, and what he said were all concise and meaningful ancient sayings.

For someone like Ernst, who has a solid foundation in the subject, these words are naturally simple and easy to understand, but for Jeston, they are like a listening comprehension exercise.

But that's okay. Even if he can't understand, Jeston can guess. It's pre-match now, and if nothing unexpected happens, it'll be the trash talk segment. Chongyue saying this is most likely some pre-match warm-up, trash talk to build up the atmosphere.

Since that's the case, Jesston wasn't about to be outdone, and he immediately let out a hearty laugh:

"Chongyue, you have no idea who is standing in front of you!"

Well, that's it.

Jeston didn't dare to be too sarcastic. After all, blessed by the god Yeragand, he was being fought by a "spirit" in his place. So, there was a hint of unease in his words. (Weiwei face)

Moreover, strictly speaking, this is not mockery!

Not only did Chongyue not know who he was fighting against, but Ernst in the audience was also completely bewildered.

"Something's not right. What's with these special effects? Is it some kind of Jeragunda deity?"

Before Ernst could even retrieve the divine stone, Jeragand's voice, as versatile as a voice actor's, rang in Ernst's mind:

"I'm here."

"I did it."

"How about it?"

Ernst: "........."

Your words sound a bit provocative at first glance, but the way you're saying it makes me feel like you're actually waiting for me to praise you.

But is this really necessary? This is just a regular sports meet...

Well, even with Fremont, the ruler of the royal court, around, this isn't exactly ordinary.

But after all, Jeston was only competing against a martial arts master from Yan Country, right? I understand you don't want Sherag to lose, but let's just say, if you're not good enough, you should practice more. Jeston's skill level is what it is. If he can't win, he can't win. There's no need to make a fuss, right?

"Ernst, you don't know the identity of that guy named Chongyue?"

Jeragand's voice sounded somewhat puzzled. Ernst, on the other hand, was even more puzzled.

What other identity does Chongyue have? Ernst checked, isn't he a martial arts master from Yan Kingdom?

"Hmph, a martial arts master?"

Yeragand sneered at his words, a sound as cold as a gust of wind that sent a chill down Ernst's spine.

Yeragand quickly blew a warm breeze and continued,

"It is one of my kind."

"It's just that the state is a bit special. Perhaps, like [Time Sequence], the main body has suffered some kind of change, which is why it presents this incomplete state."

"But without a doubt, it is a [god]."

Ah...this...

Ernst fell silent.

He remained silent, not only because of Chongyue's identity, but also because of the sports meet.

The ruler of the Lich King's court is also a "god" like Jeragand, that is, a behemoth.

Even though it's incomplete, an incomplete behemoth is still a behemoth. Are you guys so bored that you came to participate in the sports meet? What, are you going to fry fish?

You smurf, I smurf, we'll turn bronze into king, you get it?

Also, what the heck is "time sequence"? When did the great god Yeragand meet his new friend? Judging from this, is it also a behemoth?

Ernst had no problem with the private social interactions of the great god Jeragand, but when did a giant beast suddenly appear in Sherag?

Ernst felt a headache coming on, as if he had been suddenly bombarded with a huge amount of information and couldn't process it all at once.

But there was one thing he understood.

That means Jeragand was right. With the opposing team having cheaters and fish-swapping guys, while they only had Jeston on their side, the task at hand was quite obvious.

You can choose not to use it, but you can't live without it.

"Well done, Jeragand!"

"They opened it first."

P.S.: I came across a very interesting Babel storyline extension.

As we all know, in the main storyline episode 9-21, Rhodes Island was captured by the New Reunion and a very arrogant traitor who led a group to the island, and Kroos was also kidnapped. The reason the traitor was able to capture the island is that Rhodes Island's current defense system was built by Kroos and a hacker who supported the New Reunion. Because that hacker supported the New Reunion, he gave the traitor and Kroos a vulnerability in the defense system.

Many people, including myself, have complained that the plot is incredibly stupid, a truly awful mess concocted just to send Takagi away. I agree now. But that doesn't stop us from asking: what were the original defenses of Rhodes Island, a creation of a previous civilization?

This plot was resolved in the Tower of Babel—the Doctor shut it down.

Rhodes Island's original defenses suddenly became ridiculously weak. Assassins, capable of single-handedly killing Steam Knights, couldn't even get onto the island while its defenses were active. They had to wait for the Doctor to manually turn them off before they could rush up and kill Little Trump.

As is well known, when the Doctor led the assassins to kill Little Te, he was killed on the spot by Little Te. In other words, Rhodes Island's original defensive measures were turned off and never turned back on! It wasn't until Kroos and that hacker teamed up to write a shoddy version that Rhodes Island finally had a defensive measure.

Given Terra's technological level, installing this monkey-like defense system on Rhodes Island is like inserting a CD into a brain-computer interface—all it needs to do is move, hahaha.

Kal'tsit: What's the password to your house?

Lao Bo: Does our house have a password?

Chapter 407 [Chronology]: What's more terrifying than opening a box is being opened by someone else.

Kazimir, Great Knight Commander Kavaleriagi, Pegasus Arena.

Shigeaki felt an unusual amount of pressure.

Jeston is clearly not Pitram, but his "shell" is indeed too thick!

Moreover, compared to when they sparred at the Rose Arena, Jeston's "turtle shell" was all hardness and no ability to retaliate, Jeston now clearly found a way to deal with his "hitting the tumor from across the mountain" method.

He created many iron spikes on that thick iron shell.

These iron spikes were unlike the fragile ones that Jeston had forged before, which could be pulverized by Chongyue's punch. They were covered in an astonishingly cold aura. If Chongyue tried to break them with his bare hands, he would experience the secret technique of the Northeast: the tongue-sticking-to-the-railway technique! This made it impossible for Chongyue to do anything about them.

Left with no other choice, Chongyue had to change tactics and resort to leg techniques.

Yes, as an undisputed martial arts master, his skills naturally wouldn't be limited to his hands; he also had excellent fist and foot techniques. His fist techniques were quite good, and his foot techniques were equally impressive.

At this moment, the white sneakers that the Kazimierz people considered out of place became the best protection against the cold.

Chongyue's leg techniques embody the principles of being swift as the wind, slow as the forest, aggressive as fire, and immovable as a mountain. His whip kicks, with their tricky angles and powerful force, his straight and unstoppable flying kicks, and his shadowless kicks that leave afterimages and are so fast that they leave one in awe, are constantly challenging Jeston's "turtle shell" patience.

Chongyue's stamina was virtually inexhaustible. These ordinary martial arts techniques had been practiced countless times throughout his long life, with no end in sight. He had already mastered the art of saving energy, generating power, aiming, and adapting to each move to the extreme. Now, he was simply using these repeatedly trained skills in an unfamiliar setting.

He didn't mind dragging things out with Jeston and seeing whether Jeston needed more physical strength to maintain his Originium Arts or he needed more energy, which was equivalent to driving a wooden stake.

Jeston, however, was not in such a comfortable situation.

The biggest problem he faces is the difficulty in launching a counterattack.

Logically speaking, every person's attack has its weaknesses; it's either fast but not fierce, or fierce but not fast. But Chongyue is different; Chongyue's attacks are both fast and fierce.

After losing the initiative at the start of the match, Jeston was constantly on the defensive. He did try to counterattack, but Chongyue seemed to have a third eye; every time he tried to launch a sudden attack, his opponent could easily change tactics and retreat, dodging the attack effortlessly.

This is a complete crushing defeat based on pure combat experience.

Chongyue certainly didn't possess a third eye; he wasn't a Sarkaz, lacking the convenient abilities of a Cyclops, who could even foresee the direction of an enemy's attack and how it would kill him seconds later. But what he possessed was the "mind's eye," born from the very concept of "martial arts" itself!

What is the "mind's eye"? It is the insight cultivated entirely through training and practice, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, analyze the battlefield situation, and successfully disengage from combat. It is the ability to seize even the slightest chance and achieve a comeback from a desperate situation.

This concept is rather abstract, but it is indeed what distinguishes Chongyue, the "Martial Arts Grandmaster," from other ordinary martial artists.