Tempering and Establishing Authority

The moment Shi Meng announced the appointment, the entire New Recruit Camp erupted.

"Squad Leader! He became a Squad Leader on his first day in the camp!"

"My god! He beat the Head Instructor!"

"So strong! Wei Zhe is too strong!"

The gazes of the new recruits towards Wei Zhe had completely transformed from initial shock to fervent adoration. In this military camp where strength reigned supreme, Wei Zhe had earned unparalleled prestige for himself in the most direct and shocking way.

The veteran soldiers, too, exchanged glances, their faces devoid of the contempt and mockery from before, replaced instead by solemnity and awe. They no longer looked at Wei Zhe as a new recruit, but as a comrade equal to them, or even stronger.

Shi Meng, helped up by two veteran soldiers, walked up to Wei Zhe. Though his expression was grim, his eyes were remarkably open.

"Kid, you're very good," he said in a deep voice. "The rules of the Northern Frontier are simple: whoever's fist is harder is the boss. Tonight, you won. You deserve this Squad Leader position."

"Thank you, Instructor," Wei Zhe replied, neither humble nor arrogant, and saluted. He knew that this battle had not only subdued the new recruits but also the iron-blooded instructor.

"Your ten soldiers are the men in your tent," Shi Meng said, pointing to Wei Zhe's tent. "Starting tomorrow, you'd better lead them well! If you bring out a bunch of useless soldiers, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes, Instructor!" Wei Zhe responded loudly.

"Are you all done gawking? Get back to your sleep!" Shi Meng roared at the crowd, venting his frustration.

The crowd dispersed with a clamor, but before each person left, they couldn't help but glance back one more time at the straight-backed youth standing in the center of the field.

Inside Wei Zhe's tent, the atmosphere was entirely different.

When Wei Zhe walked in, the nine youths, including Hu Lei, all stood up in unison, looking at him with unease.

"Squad Leader!" Hu Lei spoke first. His dark face turned red, and he bowed deeply to Wei Zhe. "Squad Leader, I, Hu Lei, was blind and offended you earlier. Please punish me! From now on, I, Hu Lei, will only listen to you!"

He was a straightforward person; he respected whoever was stronger than him. Wei Zhe's performance tonight had completely convinced him.

"That's right! Squad Leader, we'll all listen to you!"

"If Squad Leader tells us to go east, we won't go west!"

The other youths also expressed their loyalty, their eyes filled with awe and trust.

Wei Zhe looked at them and nodded faintly. "We're all brothers in the same tent. What happened before is in the past. From now on, as long as you follow my orders, I guarantee no one will dare to bully us again."

"Yes! Squad Leader!" The nine men responded in unison, their voices loud and clear.

That night, there were no snores from Wei Zhe's tent. The nine youths lay on their bunks, tossing and turning, too excited to sleep. Wei Zhe, on the other hand, closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the System.

"System, check rewards."

"Received 100 Tempering Points. Does the host wish to use them?"

"Use them!"

Wei Zhe didn't hesitate. He opened his personal panel.

Character: Wei Zhe
Realm: Mortal (Unranked)
Strength: 20
Agility: 12
Constitution: 15
Available Tempering Points: 100

"How should they be allocated?"

His strength was currently sufficient. After the fight with Shi Meng just now, he had a deeper understanding of the importance of agility and constitution. Agility determined his reaction speed and evasion capabilities, while constitution related to his endurance and resilience, both crucial for survival on the battlefield.

"Add 30 points to Agility, 70 points to Constitution."

As his thoughts commanded, a warm current flowed through his body again. He could feel his body becoming lighter, his breathing more prolonged and steady, and his senses seemed to sharpen.

He opened the panel again, and the data was completely refreshed.

Character: Wei Zhe
Realm: Mortal (Unranked)
Strength: 20
Agility: 15
Constitution: 22
Available Tempering Points: 0

"Very good," Wei Zhe nodded with satisfaction. After the significant increase in his constitution, he felt filled with inexhaustible energy.

The next day, before dawn.

The sharp assembly whistle sounded precisely on time.

When all the new recruits stumbled onto the training ground, bleary-eyed, they found Wei Zhe and his nine soldiers already standing at attention, full of spirit. Their formation was neat and uniform, a stark contrast to the other sloppy lines.

Shi Meng stood on the high platform. Seeing this, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Today, we begin formal training! The first item: weighted cross-country run! Each person will carry a thirty-pound sandbag and run ten laps around the camp! The last one gets no breakfast!"

With the order given, the veterans immediately distributed the heavy sandbags to each recruit.

The new recruits complained endlessly. With thirty pounds weighing them down, their legs felt weak before they even started running.

"Squad One, listen to my command!" Wei Zhe said in a low voice to his team members. "Adjust your breathing. Inhale for three steps, exhale for three steps! Don't look at anyone else, just follow my rhythm!"

He taught his team the basic breathing techniques from the Thousand Refinement Force in the simplest way possible.

"Yes!"

At Shi Meng's command, hundreds of new recruits charged out like headless flies.

Only Wei Zhe's squad, ten people, maintained an orderly formation, following Wei Zhe at a steady pace, their breathing rhythm astonishingly synchronized.

At first, they were in the middle of the pack. But after three laps, some of the teams that had sprinted at the beginning began to fall behind, gasping for air.

Wei Zhe's squad, however, maintained a steady speed. Although sweat glistened on everyone's faces, they were far less disheveled than the others.

Hu Lei, carrying the sandbag, followed closely behind Wei Zhe, his heart filled with shock. He found that by following the breathing method Wei Zhe taught, his previously heavy body felt much lighter. After running for so long, he was only slightly out of breath.

Five laps... seven laps...

More and more new recruits fell behind, and some even collapsed on the ground from exhaustion.

Wei Zhe's squad, however, acted like a sharp knife, continuously overtaking the teams ahead.

When they completed their tenth lap and crossed the finish line in perfect unison, most of the other teams hadn't even reached the ninth lap.

Shi Meng stood at the finish line, looking at Wei Zhe and his ten soldiers. Though exhausted, their demeanor was completely different. The shock on his face was undeniable.

He had initially thought Wei Zhe was only powerful in individual combat.

He never expected that he was also skilled at leading troops!

On the very first day, he had managed to mold a group of disorganized recruits into the semblance of an elite unit!

Where did this kid come from?

"Squad One, attention! Rest in place! You are qualified to eat breakfast!" Shi Meng shouted at Wei Zhe's team, his voice carrying an admiration he hadn't even realized was there.

"Yes!"

Wei Zhe's team members roared in unison, their voices filled with pride.

They straightened their backs, basking in the envious and jealous gazes of the other new recruits around them. At this moment, their faith in Wei Zhe reached its peak.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhe turned his gaze to the other side of the training ground.

There, several veteran squad leaders were leading their teams, watching them with scrutinizing and unfriendly eyes.

Wei Zhe knew that after defeating Shi Meng last night and stealing the spotlight in training today, he had become a thorn in the side of all the veterans.

The challenge had only just begun.