Chapter 129 - 120: Measures and Grim Situation
Kyoto.
Martial Arts Association Headquarters.
Conference Hall.
A heavy atmosphere permeates the hall.
About a dozen people are seated around a round table in the center of the hall. Some have graying hair, others have loose skin, and deep wrinkles cover their faces.
They appear to be quite old.
But without exception.
Just by sitting still, these people exude an astonishing aura of power.
If an ordinary person were to enter the hall, they would likely be frightened to the point of heart failure.
These people present are the standing committee members of the Martial Arts Association, veterans who once assisted the official establishment of the Martial Arts Association.
Throughout Kyoto and even the whole of China, they are among the strongest individuals.
On ordinary days,
Most of them spend their time engrossed in cultivation within their respective sects.
At their level, the various affairs of the sect are managed by their disciples. ‘l’ney,
Are like the stabilizing pillars of existence.
But today,
All of these people have gathered, waiting for hours without a hint of complaint.
That’s because the person they are waiting for,
Has this privilege.
Click.
At this moment,
Accompanied by the sound, a figure appears outside the hall.
The Association committee members, who had been in meditation, all open their eyes.
Then,
The door is pushed open.
Appearing at the entrance is an old man in a wheelchair and a middle-aged man in a suit behind him, responsible for pushing the wheelchair.
The old man is dressed in a hospital gown, his wheelchair equipped with a breathing machine and infusion bottle.
His eye sockets are sunken, and his eyes lack vitality.
The few strands of white hair on his head are easily countable.
The old and loose skin clings tightly to his flesh, revealing the contours of each bone in his body.
An old man who looks like he doesn’t have much time left.
But upon his appearance,
“Chairman.”
Greetings sound.
All the martial artists in the hall stand up solemnly, their faces stern as they bow slightly in respect.
This man,
Is Li Wuji, the Chairman of the Chinese Martial Arts Association.
Decades ago, he single-handedly founded the Chinese Martial Arts Association, supported numerous martial arts sects, and vigorously promoted the development of martial arts.
Many of the committee members present were brought up by him.
It was also on his suggestion a year ago that the Wu’an Bureau was established to manage Qi-sensors and prevent the Heavenly People.
Today,
The Martial Arts Association and Wu’an Bureau have established branches in cities large and small throughout China, effectively managing local Qi-sensors and martial arts sects.
All of these are inseparable from Li Wuji’s efforts.
Many of the committee members present have also improved and optimized their own sect cultivation techniques with the help of the Martial Arts Association, thus rapidly progressing in their strength.
Therefore,
Most people hold an attitude of gratitude towards Li Wuji.
After everyone greets him,
Li Wuji nods slightly, his movements slow and barely noticeable.
Immediately,
The man in the suit behind him begins to push the wheelchair,
Stopping at the head of the round table.
“Please, sit down.”
Li Wuji shakes his hand weakly, removing his oxygen mask.
His voice is hoarse and feeble, revealing a sense of frailty.
nearing cms,
The Association members finally sit down one after another.
From beginning to end,
They don’t say anything except for their greetings.
They just look at Li Wuji, waiting for him to reveal the purpose of gathering
everyone.
Li Wuji falls silent for a moment, seemingly organizing the words in his mind.
About a few minutes later,
He finally speaks slowly. “In as short as half a month or as long as a month.”
“Qi will reach its peak.”
When these words are spoken,
The already solemn faces of the Association committee members become even more serious.
They naturally understand what Li Wuji’s words imply.
Qi reaching its peak,
Means…the awakening of the Heavenly People.
As the pinnacle of existence in the Chinese martial arts world,
They have a far deeper understanding of the tide rising period, Qi, Qi-sensors, and Heavenly People than ordinary martial arts sects. They are also keenly aware,
Of how terrifying the Heavenly People are as creatures.
Simply from the effects of Qi on humans and Heavenly People, one can begin to grasp their true nature.
Qi reaching its peak,
Means that in the coming period, Qi-sensors will emerge in increasing numbers like bamboo shoots after the rain all over the world.
The weak become strong,
And the strong become even stronger.
With the help of techniques such as breathing,
Humans can possess abilities that once only appeared in fantasy.
Scaling walls and leaping roofs,
Having the strength of an ox- these are the most basic abilities of Qi-sensors.
For the strong Association committee members present,
Destroying mountains and moving thousands of miles in a day
Is nothing difficult.
And in the coming period,
There will be more and more people who can do these things.
From this, it can be seen how great the impact of the peak of Qi on the human population is.
However,
For the Heavenly People-
Is like oxygen to them,
It is just one of the conditions to awaken their existence.
From this, it can be seen.
How terrifying the Heavenly People truly are.
“For the coming period of time.”
“Lift the strict control on spirit medicine and breathing techniques.
“Each of your sects will be responsible for managing a province.”
“I need you all to try your best to peacefully integrate and consolidate all the martial arts sects in various regions.”
“Make sure that when Heavenly People awaken within China’s borders, our
humans can unite and face it together.” Having said that,
Li Wuji seemed somewhat exhausted.
He put on his oxygen mask again, breathing softly.
During this time,
His muddy, aged eyes swept over the gathering of Association Committee Members.
As for his gaze,
Some held themselves with dignified righteousness, giving a slight nod.
Some avoided looking directly, not daring to meet it.
A very few had undisguised dissatisfaction in their eyes.
Apparently,
They didn’t agree with Li Wuji’s just mentioned proposal of loosening control over breathing techniques and spirit medicines, but dared not say it out loud.
After all,
Currently, all the spirit seeds, spirit medicine, and breathing techniques,
Were controlled by these committee members and their subordinate sects, with only a very small portion being allocated to the various regional martial arts associations to distribute to the local martial arts sects.
Li Wuji’s request for them to let go was tantamount to asking them to give up what originally belonged to them. As for the reactions of the committee members,
Li Wuji had long anticipated it.
Fortunately,
He didn’t expect too much from these people.
After all,
Being humans, they have selfish desires.
Those with power are no exception,
Because they just want to become stronger and control more.
Assisting others with their own power is a rare quality.
Thinking of that,
A touch of sadness flashed in Li Wuji’s eyes. He took off the breathing mask again. “Don’t worry, everyone.”
“This is a request, not an order.” “As chairman, I could force you to comply, but I know you might not do so.” “But what I want to tell you is,”
“Before the Heavenly People, we humans are all grasshoppers on the same string.”
“If we lose, we will face an end more painful than death.”
“There’s no reason to survive.”
“Everyone, take care of yourselves.”
Perhaps because he had spoken too much at once,
Li Wuji’s voice grew increasingly weak. His shriveled chest heaved dramatically,
Until he put on the breathing mask again.
Only then did it alleviate slightly.
Afterward,
He seemed not to be waiting for the responses of the committee members.
Raising a finger slightly,
The middle-aged man behind him immediately took out a document and placed it on the table.
Soon after,
Only the numerous Association Committee Members were left in the conference hall, sitting silently in their seats.
After a long while,
One of them slowly stood up.
He had a massive physique,
Standing over two meters tall, his body covered in layers of bloated fat. Even the features on his face were all squeezed together because of the excess fat.
“The success of my Devouring Gate has been nurtured by the Chairman.”
“I can’t control whether you do it or not.”
“But I’ll do it.”
After saying that,
The Sect leader of the Devouring Gate dragged his bloated body to the document on the table,
Checked the area under his jurisdiction, and left the hall without a word.
With his departure,
“Hmph.”
“He talks as if we all have hidden agendas.”
An elderly man with white hair and a somewhat hunched figure scoffed.
Speaking,
He leisurely came to the document with his hands behind his back. “As the chairman has spoken, how could I not listen?” “After all, I am not some selfish and self-serving scoundrel.”
While the old man appeared kind,
His words were utterly merciless.
As he spoke,
His eyes remained fixed on one of the committee members.
It was a square-faced man with his eyes closed,
His age made him the youngest among the many committee members present.
“You mean me?”
Facing the old man’s veiled criticism,
The square-faced man slowly opened his eyes.
From a distance, his pupils appeared pitch black, like a demon from a myth. However, if one looked closer, it would be discovered that,
The pitch-black pupils were actually formed by dozens of tiny pupils squeezed together,
Making one’s scalp tingle.
“I didn’t name names.”
“Whoever is a scoundrel knows it in his heart.” The old man chuckled slyly,
After identifying his jurisdiction, he left directly.
As for the square-faced man, he stared coldly at the old man’s retreating back, remaining silent.
“Trash, it’s just trash.”
“No matter how many resources are given, it’s still trash.”
“A sufficiently large number of ants may be able to bite an elephant to death.”
“But Heavenly People are not elephants.”
“We… can also choose to become a powerful ant.”
“Powerful enough to swallow the heavens and devour the earth.”
With steady steps, the square-faced man came to the document, quickly found his jurisdiction,
Power Sect – Fuhai Province..