Unrivaled Soldier in the City-Chapter 277 The Competition Begins

Kang Cheng, however, flushed with embarrassment. Lin Kuang's words rang true, striking a chord deep within him.

They are soldiers, meant to be united as one against any outside threat. That is their duty!

With that thought, Kang Cheng glanced at Cui Hongyu and Wen Jianchao behind him. He saw their faces were flushed red with anger, which stirred an inexplicable anger within him as well.

Then, turning around, Kang Cheng met Lin Kuang's gaze with earnest sincerity.

"Thank you for your instruction, Instructor Lin. Rest assured, I know what to do," Kang Cheng said seriously, and then saluted.

Lin Kuang nodded in response, returned the salute, then turned and left, leading the Seal Special Team to the canteen benches.

At that moment, Kang Cheng shot Cui Hongyu and Wen Jianchao a warning glance before leading his men into the canteen. To avoid any incidents, Kang Cheng led the men of Thunderhawk to the far side of the room, putting a considerable distance between them and Lin Kuang's team.

The commotion didn't affect the Seal Special Team's mood. On the contrary, Lin Kuang's words had invigorated them. Their appetites soared, and they ate nearly a third more than usual.

After breakfast, Lin Kuang led his team away, while Kang Cheng and his men also headed for the parade ground.

At seven-thirty, both groups reappeared on the parade ground, standing quietly in two rows as they waited for Yang Wucheng and Zhang Guodong to arrive.

At seven-forty, warriors from the Nanjing Military Region began to appear, and soon over a thousand had gathered on the parade ground. These were not all the warriors of the Nanjing Military Region; this group was composed of its elites, gathered to observe and learn from the competition.

At seven-fifty, Yang Wucheng and Zhang Guodong finally made their appearance on the parade ground.

Looking at the crowd before him, Zhang Guodong couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. These were the elites of the Nanjing Military Region. The sight of these warriors made him beam.

"Alright, it's about time," Zhang Guodong announced loudly, his gaze then falling on Lin Kuang. "The old rules apply: anyone who is knocked down and can't get up within three seconds concedes defeat. Lin Kuang, you'll be the referee."

"Yes, Commander!" Lin Kuang responded sharply.

Zhang Guodong nodded. "Okay, let's begin. It's best-of-five. You may send out your men."

With that, Zhang Guodong fell silent, standing with Yang Wucheng to watch quietly.

Just then, Zhang Tianyou spoke up with a smile. "Captain Kang, will you go first, or shall we?"

As the true captain of the Seal Special Team, it was his role to speak at this time.

Hearing this, Kang Cheng returned the smile. "We'll go first, since we're the hosts."

"Alright then, we won't stand on ceremony," Zhang Tianyou replied, his gaze falling upon Kang Cheng.

Kang Cheng's eyes swept over the members of Thunderhawk. Every man was itching for a fight, especially Cui Hongyu and Wen Jianchao.

After a moment's consideration, Kang Cheng said with a smile, "Song Tao, you're up."

He turned his attention to Song Tao. In the Thunderhawk Special Forces, Song Tao's strength was second only to Captain Kang Cheng himself. By sending Song Tao out first, Kang Cheng was aiming for a decisive opening victory. After all, morale is crucial in combat. If Song Tao could win the first bout, the spirits of the Thunderhawk Special Forces would soar, which would be a great advantage in the fights to come.

"Yes, Captain!"

Song Tao stepped out from the ranks and spoke loudly, his gaze falling on Sun Lei of the Seal Special Team. The two were old rivals.

Hearing Kang Cheng's words and seeing Song Tao step forward, Zhang Tianyou smiled faintly. He had already guessed Kang Cheng would send out Song Tao. He would have made the same choice.

"Sun Lei, he's your old rival. I'll leave him to you. Any problem with that?" Zhang Tianyou said with a slight laugh, looking at Sun Lei beside him.

Sun Lei nodded. "Of course not. I'm curious to see if the guy has improved, too."

With that, Sun Lei stepped out from the crowd, his eyes locking onto Song Tao. The two men faced each other, smiles on their faces, but their eyes blazed with intense fighting spirit.

The two walked to the center of the parade ground. "Come on, Sun Lei," Song Tao said with a smile. "Let's see if you've improved these last few months."

"Alright," Sun Lei replied, smiling just as wide. "I'd love to see if you've gotten any stronger, too. But I won't be the one losing this time."

"We'll see about that," Song Tao retorted with a laugh.

At that moment, Lin Kuang asked coolly, "Are you ready?"

At his words, the expressions on Song Tao's and Sun Lei's faces turned serious. They both fell into their stances, fixing their gazes on each other as they replied in unison, "Ready!"

Lin Kuang nodded. "Good. Since you're both ready, then… Begin!" he declared, his voice suddenly rising in intensity.

Hearing the command, neither Sun Lei nor Song Tao rushed to act. As old rivals, they knew each other's strength well and would not attack recklessly. Their gazes remained locked while their feet moved slowly, as if searching for the perfect position or a flaw in their opponent's defense.

After more than ten seconds, they both stopped moving.

In the next instant, they simultaneously pushed off the ground, their bodies shooting forward like swift arrows. Within a moment, they clashed. Sun Lei threw his right fist as Song Tao threw his left. Neither man dodged, and their fists collided fiercely.

BAM.

A muffled crack echoed out as both men staggered back three or four steps before regaining their footing.

But Song Tao's expression immediately turned grave. In past encounters, an exchange of blows like this would have sent Sun Lei staggering back much farther. This time, however, they had both been knocked back an equal distance. It was clear that Sun Lei's strength had grown significantly!

A flicker of excitement appeared in Sun Lei's eyes. He knew his own shortcomings all too well. Just as Song Tao thought, in a head-to-head clash, his past self was no match for him. But this time, they were evenly matched—a clear sign of his improvement.

And he owed it all to Lin Kuang. Without that demonic training, he was sure his strength wouldn't have improved so quickly.

"Very good, Sun Lei! It seems your strength has really increased a lot," Song Tao roared with delight. "This makes things interesting! Come on, let's fight!"

He stomped his foot hard on the ground and charged forward again.

Sun Lei laughed heartily. "That's why I said you're bound to lose! Let's do this!"

With that, Sun Lei also shot forward, and the two men clashed furiously.