We must understand that, apart from General Pan Feng himself, no one has been able to master his Unparalleled Axe Technique to this day!
General Pan Feng is deeply troubled by this.
He has declared that anyone who can find a person that meets his criteria will definitely earn his deep friendship!
Just for the sake of General Pan Feng's friendship,
it's worth a try.
Moreover, nowadays Ding Ling has some sort of 'mentoring friendship' with all three of them, so it seems like something they all discovered together. Isn't it reasonable for all three to go together and jointly earn Pan Feng's friendship?
With this thought in mind,
they approached Ding Ling about it with mutual understanding.
Ding Ling naturally had no objections.
The three couldn't help but feel relieved, thinking they hadn't misjudged him. They found Ding Ling increasingly pleasing to look at.
However, in the eyes of other players, their behavior seemed very unusual.
Some new recruits who knew Ding Ling was a player were even more excited!
"That guy actually won the favor of the famous generals Zhang Hex and Gao Lan at the same time! How did he manage that?!"
"What's most incredible is that this guy managed to win over Zhang Hex and Gao Lan in just half a day! It's too unbelievable!"
"Unimaginable!"
...
The players were shocked, looking at Ding Ling with eyes full of confusion, puzzlement, incomprehension, jealousy, and envy...
It was truly a complex mix of emotions.
It's like when two students, one scores first in the country and receives commendations and trust from high levels; the other is at the bottom of the class!
That sense of disparity is enough to be lethal!
Fortunately, the only solace for these players was: there was only one such extraordinary figure! Everyone else was still stuck, learning the Pile Skill!
"This guy is definitely an old player, but I wonder if he's on the leaderboard? We must take a good look when we return!"
"What's his name again?"
"It's Ding Ling. I remember very clearly!"
...
The fact that Ding Ling was a player spread quickly from one to ten, ten to a hundred.
It soon echoed throughout the entire camp.
Everyone was astonished by this!
Especially the new players who previously belonged to the Zhang Hex and Gao Lan camps, they were utterly shocked!
Because at that moment, they recalled Ding Ling's performance.
His Sword Skill, techniques, and presence were simply unbeatable! How could he possibly be a player?!
They couldn't believe it, but after several inquiries and comparisons, they had to accept this fact.
"Who would have thought Ding Ling is actually a player! It's terrifying. That guy's Saber Technique isn't ordinarily strong! Who would've thought he was a player!"
"I guess he's either an old player, or in the real world, he also practices with swords. Otherwise, how could he be so ridiculously strong? The gap between us is just too big!"
...
Ding Ling was unaware that in the Jizhou camp, the new player recruits' discussions about him had reached a boiling point.
He had now arrived at the Central Army Camp and met the 'legendary' General Pan Feng.
At first sight,
Ding Ling was genuinely astounded.
It wasn't out of fear or trepidation.
But it was his first time seeing such an enormous, burly, and robust man.
He was probably over two meters tall!
Broad shoulders and thick waist; even the phrase 'built like a bear' wasn't enough to describe him.
His arms seemed thick enough to 'run horses' on.
Such a strong man!
The axe he wielded was even more exaggerated and intimidating.
An ordinary soldier couldn't lift it; it required two people to carry.
Boom!
Pan Feng lifted the axe single-handedly from the soldier's shoulders and planted it onto the ground with a boom, making the earth tremble in three shocks.
"So you're the so-called unparalleled genius Ding Ling?"
Pan Feng looked Ding Ling up and down with interest, and after a while, said rather disappointedly:
"Too thin and small!"
"..."
Ding Ling was speechless.
Despite his multiple enhancements, evolutions, and growth, which had improved his height and build to be comparable to Zhang Hex and Gao Lan,
he indeed appeared like a thin stick compared to Pan Feng.
"Compared to you, General Pan Feng, naturally he's no match."
Zhang Hex couldn't resist:
"But under the heavens, to find someone whose physique matches yours, General Pan Feng, is probably an impossibility!"
He spoke with great certainty.
But Pan Feng replied:
"There's a rumor that Jiuyuan Lu Bu, known as the Flying General, has a height and build comparable to mine. Who knows if it's true?"
"A rumor is just a rumor. It's unreliable!"
Gao Lan also said:
"Furthermore, to ordinary people, reaching your stature, General Pan Feng, or that of Lü Bu, it's tough for them to discern any subtle differences."
"True."
Pan Feng no longer dwelled on the issue of height and build and instead fixed his gaze on Ding Ling, saying:
"Zhang Hex and Gao Lan are the fiercest in my army aside from myself! You were able to win over the two of them and even earned General Cheng Huan's high praise. This indicates your exceptional talent. Very well then."
Pan Feng wasted no time and got straight to the point:
"I'll personally teach you Initial, Middle, and High-tier Axe Techniques! If you truly comprehend and grasp them as quickly as Zhang Hex, Gao Lan, and Cheng Huan say, then I'll teach you the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques!"
Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques?
The name seemed very familiar!
Suddenly, a flash of lightning crossed his mind.
Ding Ling remembered.
It seemed that Cheng Yaojin's Three Axes in the Sui and Tang Legends originated from the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques!
Because these Axe Techniques were too complex, Cheng Yaojin could only grasp the first Three Axes: Split Head, Ghost Tooth-Picking, and Ear-Picking!
As for whether these Axe Techniques were what Cheng Yaojin learned, he would naturally find out when Pan Feng demonstrated them later.
"It really is the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques."
Zhang Hex, Gao Lan, and Cheng Huan exchanged glances, understanding each other's expressions and thoughts clearly, and each mused:
"Aside from General Pan Feng, no one else can master this Axe Technique completely! Learn it fully! Because the killing moves of these Axe Techniques are too aggressive, fierce, and the use techniques are extremely complex and variable. Without the terrifying stature and demeanor of General Pan Feng, it's absolutely impossible to master it all. Like us, we can at most learn the first few moves. In such a case, it's better not to learn it at all."
Zhang Hex and Gao Lan naturally had the opportunity to learn the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques.
Because Pan Feng never intended to hide his skills; instead, he earnestly hoped someone could inherit these Axe Techniques, to prevent them from becoming extinct.
Unfortunately, Zhang Hex and Gao Lan couldn't learn either, so they opted to specialize in their family's secret techniques!
They understood the saying 'biting off more than you can chew' very well!
Especially when the prerequisites for these Axe Techniques are extraordinarily terrifying. Even if they possessed great comprehension, achieving the physical stature and height of General Pan Feng within their lifetime would be difficult, so naturally, they abandoned practicing it.
They brought Ding Ling here also to see if Ding Ling could fully master these Celestial Spirit Axe Techniques, and if he really could,
that would be astounding!
"Watch closely."
Pan Feng wasted no time; after some polite words, he delved directly into the core, principle, essence, and esoteric truth of the Initial Tier Axe Technique.
Nearby, Zhang Hex and the others listened intently, occasionally deep in thought.