Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 245 Outperforming others
Special care ward at Dongjiang First Hospital.

Shang Hongyi lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, resting. His phone was playing Dongjiang News, and the familiar news broadcast made him feel very at ease, just like being at home.

I didn't eat fried dough sticks or steamed buns for breakfast; I just drank some thin porridge and ate two boiled eggs. My mouth felt bland and tasteless.

Shang Hongyi felt that there was nothing wrong with his body and really didn't want to lie in the hospital, eat these tasteless things every day, and have to be taken care of. He was very uncomfortable with it.

"Grandpa, would you like some water?" Shang Qingjun noticed the old man's slightly furrowed brows and assumed he was thirsty.

"Are there still so many people outside?" Shang Hongyi asked.

"Yes, they're all here for Xiao Wu. Grandpa, you don't need to worry about them." Shang Qingjun said, sounding a mix of annoyance, pride, and smugness.

The patient needs rest, but there are always people coming and going outside, even if they don't make a sound, it still makes people feel a bit irritated.

On the other hand, it's also clear that Xiao Wu is indeed different. This time, not only did An Da specially send experts to accompany him, but Song Yunkun also came personally, and high-ranking officials from the Dongjiang City Government also came to offer their condolences.

Even more people came from other places, so many that she was overwhelmed and couldn't remember them all.

Shang Qingjun had seen similar scenes in TV dramas before, but this was the first time she had experienced it in person. Everyone, regardless of their background, was exceptionally polite, warm, and even humble.

Although she found it a bit troublesome, the feeling of being the center of attention was truly wonderful. She'd even felt a little unsteady on her feet for the past couple of days.

However, Shang Qingjun couldn't say much about these things in front of her grandfather, let alone show them.

A sudden commotion erupted outside, and Shang Hongyi couldn't help but laugh: "Which important figure has arrived this time? Xiao Wu has really made something of himself."

The old man's smile quickly froze as he saw Gao Wu accompany Song Chunqiu in.

He was actually older than Song Chunqiu, but back then he was just a junior soldier in the army, a lieutenant. As Song Chunqiu's subordinate, he wasn't even qualified to speak to Song Chunqiu.

He was deeply impressed by this ruthless army commander.

He never expected that Song Chunqiu would come to visit him. The old man was even a little excited...

Song Chunqiu was quite considerate. He sat down next to Shang Hongyi, shook hands firmly with him, inquired about his condition, and told the old man to take good care of himself.

Although Shang Hongyi was a little excited, he was getting on in years and quickly calmed down. After chatting for a few minutes with his unfamiliar former boss, he felt both satisfied and somewhat sentimental…

The visit lasted only a few minutes. Song Chunqiu mainly expressed an attitude, an attitude of being close to Gao Wu.

Furthermore, Shang Hongyi had once served under him, and although they had never actually worked together, they still shared a bond of camaraderie.

Dongjiang is the hometown of King Wu, Song Xuetao, and everyone in the area knows the Song family. Especially the higher-ups, who all know the Song family's influence in Beizhou.

Everyone outside the ward could clearly see Song Chunqiu's attitude towards Gao Wu—warm and polite, more like that of a business partner than a junior.

The Sword Saint is too far removed from us, and the relationship between Gao Wu and the Sword Saint is unclear. As for Gao Wu's battle record, most people are actually unaware of it.

Song Chunqiu held a high position and wielded great power, enough to represent the Song family and even King Wu. His personal visit to an unknown old man was sufficient to demonstrate the Song family's attitude towards Gao Wu.

At this point, the higher-ups at Dongjiang all understood Gao Wu's importance and knew how to approach him, as well as his family and friends...

Gao Wu understood Song Chunqiu's meaning. He was a skilled fighter, but it wouldn't be appropriate to draw his sword and fight in his own home. It would be more convincing for Song Chunqiu to vouch for him.

After all, it was the result of decades of hard work and cultivation by the Song family that they have gained such a profound influence.

Once a person forms a stable viewpoint, it is very difficult to change it.

"Master Song, I'll take care of some personal matters today and be able to go over tomorrow." Gao Wu changed his form of address again; calling him "senior" felt too formal, so he switched to "Master Song."

He had studied Zhanbingquan (a style of Chinese martial arts) with Song Chunqiu, so this way of addressing him is more appropriate. It shows respect and also helps to build rapport.

As for Song Mingyue, everyone can have their own opinion, there's no need to fuss over these details.

Song Chunqiu nodded: "Meet me at the military airport in the northern suburbs of Dongjiang at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

"Teacher Song, I need to trouble you with something. I have something left at An University. This thing is quite useful in the secret realm."

Gao Wu said, "I'll need your help to transport it over here."

“That’s easy,” Song Chunqiu replied casually.

Gao Wu chuckled: "It's just a bit heavy, about five tons..."

"Uh, no problem." Song Chunqiu was also a little surprised; what could be so heavy? Since Gao Wu wanted it, airlifting it over was no problem. Transport planes could hold quite a lot.

After seeing Song Chunqiu off, Gao Wu went to greet all the parties involved. With Shang Qingjun and Zhou Hongying watching over things, there shouldn't be any problems.

However, there are some things that need to be clarified. Gao Wu said to Shang Qingjun, "Just accept ordinary gifts and remember the recipient's name. Don't accept valuable gifts."

How valuable?

"Don't accept anything over one million."

Gao Wu didn't really care about the million, but he was afraid that someone might not understand the situation and think that the million was a generous gift. If he accepted the gift and didn't react, he might offend the other party.

The next day, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue boarded the plane with Song Chunqiu.

The small military aircraft flew very wildly, bouncing up and down like a fish while flying in the air.

In other words, Gao Wu's cultivation level is strong enough that even if the plane crashes, he is confident that he will survive and even protect Xiao Song.

He didn't care how bumpy the plane was. Song Chunqiu was clearly used to the way military aircraft flew, and even had the leisure to discuss the No. 197 secret realm with Gao Wu.

Song Mingyue sat quietly beside Gao Wu, listening intently to his discussion with her grandfather. The frantic roar of the airplane engine, ironically, made her feel particularly at ease. Perhaps it was because the two people she trusted most were by her side. She even felt that this moment was beautiful and warm.

Gao Wu noticed that Song Mingyue was in a good mood, so he quietly squeezed her hand.

It was quite exciting to be doing it in front of Song Chunqiu...

There is no airport in Secret Realm No. 197. After a six-hour flight, the plane landed at a small airport at a combat brigade camp.

The three of them traveled for two hours in an off-road vehicle to reach Camp 197.

The Aurora Legion's naming convention for the secret realms is very simple: they are named according to numbers. The corresponding camps within these secret realms are also named using the same numerical arrangement.

Camp 197 is located on a hillside, with a large lake at the foot of the hill. The clear lake water is vast and boundless.

At six o'clock in the evening, the sun was setting in the west, and the lake surface shimmered with golden light, which was very beautiful.

Song Chunqiu pointed to the large lake and said, "This lake is called the White Sea because it is as vast as the sea. It is rich in aquatic resources. However, it is too close to the secret realm, and in recent years, many otherworldly water monsters have emerged in the water, making it very dangerous..."

He pointed to a mountain peak ahead: "The entrance to the secret realm is over there. There is also a part of the White Sea inside, which nurtures even more otherworldly water monsters. The water area is vast, so we don't need to fight with the water monsters. We can just stay away from them."

The water area is too large; the monsters can hide in the water and are impossible to find. The key issue is that there are many of them.

The military organized several attempts to capture them, but with little success, so they lost interest in wasting their energy on these water monsters.

Song Chunqiu led Gao Wu on a tour of the camp. Camp 197 only had a few hundred people, mostly engineers who were responsible for mining ore.

Because the ore is valuable, a team of high-ranking warriors and a martial arts master were assigned here.

The colonel, a martial arts instructor named Xie Bei, was a taciturn, burly man with a strong military bearing and a tough, rugged style.

Because of Song Mingyue's involvement, Song Chunqiu felt that Song Mingyue's abilities far surpassed those of martial arts masters, and were not much worse than his own, so he modified the plan.

It's a bit late today, so we need to give Gao Wu and Song Mingyue some time to adjust.

After dinner, Song Chunqiu called Xie Bei and asked him to arrange rest rooms for Gao Wu and Song Mingyue.

Xie Bei said to Song Chunqiu, "Commander, I would like to spar with Gao Wu."

Song Chunqiu nodded: "Very well, let you see the power of the young king. So that you won't always think that you've experienced bloody battles and look down on the experts outside."

Xie Bei chuckled dryly but offered no explanation. He had actually watched Gao Wu's video from the Azure Dragon Cup and was quite impressed by Gao Wu's palm strike in the final.

He also knew that Gao Wu had killed two level-six high priests, which was why he wanted to experience Gao Wu's prowess firsthand.

As a skilled military officer, Xie Bei possessed extensive combat experience, including several life-or-death battles. He found it hard to imagine how a martial artist could defeat two level six high priests, let alone a martial artist of such a high level!
Based on Gao Wu's performance in the Azure Dragon Cup, he was far inferior. That palm strike was powerful, but it couldn't kill a master; it could only destroy an inanimate arena.

The Azure Dragon Cup has only been around for five months, and he is really curious about how Gao Wu managed to do all of this.

Gao Wu understood Xie Bei's meaning. He stood up and said, "It is an honor to have the opportunity to spar with experts in the military."

Song Chunqiu laughed loudly: "This is how we martial artists should be. Go and call everyone over so we can all broaden our horizons."

When the soldiers in the camp heard that a martial arts competition was going to be held, they all rushed over to watch.

Everyone knows how powerful Xie Bei is, and everyone knows Gao Wu. Even if Gao Wu looks different from his appearance in the video, they will recognize him immediately if someone mentions him.

After all, the advertisements for "King of Youth" are so prominent that it's impossible not to see them.

Moreover, Gao Wu won the Azure Dragon Cup in Zhongzhou, making him a hero of Beizhou. Gao Wu can be considered the most famous person in Beizhou.

Song Chunqiu made everyone stand behind him; a battle between two masters was no joke.

The center of the camp is an open space, which is also a square specifically used for training, and it is spacious enough.

Xie Bei and Gao Wu stood facing each other. Xie Bei said "please" and immediately unleashed his Black Tiger Fist. Before his fist was even thrown, the source power he unleashed had already transformed into a roaring tiger.

Although many soldiers watching the battle were standing behind Song Chunqiu, they were so dizzy from the tiger's roar that they seemed to see a huge black tiger roaring above Xie Bei's head.

Before the fist was even thrown, the spirit had already been unleashed; the intent of the fist truly possessed the might of a tiger capable of swallowing ten thousand miles. Song Chunqiu nodded in agreement; Xie Bei had already grasped the true essence of the fist technique and would have the opportunity to advance even further in the future…

Song Chunqiu asked his granddaughter, "How many moves do you think Xie Bei can withstand?"

Song Mingyue said softly, "That depends on how many moves Gao Wu wants him to take."

Just as Song Chunqiu was about to say something, he saw Gao Wu accelerate and rush forward, using the assault rifle style from the Zhanbingquan (Battle Soldier Fist) style.

Xie Bei unleashed his Black Tiger Fist to meet the attack, while Gao Wu unleashed a barrage of rapid punches like spears. The first punch deflected Xie Bei's fist, followed by three consecutive punches that slammed into Xie Bei's chest. The penetrating force of the punches disrupted the source energy within Xie Bei's body, causing him to instantly lose control of his body.

Gao Wu feinted another punch at Xie Bei's throat, then withdrew his fist and retreated to his original position.

In the blink of an eye, the battle was over.

Xie Bei stared blankly at Gao Wu, his dark face turning a deep purple-red...

Before the soldiers could even react, they saw a figure flash and disappear, the tiger's roar still echoing in their ears...

In the ensuing silence, Song Chunqiu clapped his hands, exclaiming sincerely, "What a beautiful assault rifle stance! It's masterful and perfectly executed! To have mastered the combat fist to such a level surpasses my own by far. A true dragon among men!"

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(End of this chapter)