It's All Xia Jing's Fault!

The martial instructor arranged a packed full day of training for Xia Jing, Chen Fang, Zhang Jie, Hu Bing, and the other ten.

First, they warmed up with paired sparring for a quarter of an hour.

Then came the Limit Running exercise.

Limit Running meant maintaining maximum speed from the very beginning, rapidly exhausting all physical strength, then relying on willpower to keep running slowly.

Once they reached their limit, the martial instructor would call a stop based on each person's condition.

But stopping did not mean resting. Instead, they had to continue fighting the martial instructor.

After an hour and a half, people were gradually being called to stop by the martial instructor.

"Wang Meng, attack me! Hurry!"

The martial instructor cracked his whip.

"Tiger's Roar Fist!"

Wang Meng charged at the training instructor and threw a punch. His fist shadows trembled violently, and his movements had already become severely distorted.

"Bang!" With a light kick, the training instructor sent Wang Meng sprawling to the ground.

"Get up. You must believe in your own potential and use your willpower to rein in your strength," the training instructor said. "When you feel like you can no longer endure, that is precisely when you should cultivate! Hurry!"

Wang Meng panted heavily. His entire body burned with pain, and every inch of his muscles trembled, yet he still struggled to climb back up.

His body was completely beyond his control, and all his movements were distorted. Wang Meng was now like a drunken strongman. The training instructor easily dodged his attacks and knocked him down again.

"Bang!" With his final fall, Wang Meng failed to get back up and passed out on the spot.

"Whoosh~" A physician hurried over and began treating Wang Meng.

"He did not even last an hour." The training instructor shook his head slightly. "Wang Meng is the weakest of this group of ten, and his willpower is the weakest as well."

When their physical strength was abundant, all these martial artists could achieve "unity of body and strength" and "full-body control," precisely controlling every movement and fully unleashing the power of their martial arts.

But after limit training, it became difficult to maintain that state. Only those with strong willpower could still strike accurately before collapsing, preventing their martial arts' power from dropping too much.

After an hour and a half of training.

Only Xia Jing, Chen Fang, Hu Bing, and Zhang Jie remained running in the group of ten. The other six had long since reached their limits, passed out, been treated, and completed one round of training.

"The gap between me and the geniuses of the Four Great Martial Divisions is still far too obvious." Wang Meng looked at the four people who were still running and could not help sighing inwardly.

"Grrr~" As he watched, Wang Meng's stomach growled. He was hungry.

The other five were much the same. After an hour and a half of limit training, they were already starving.

But they could only endure the hunger. Their food supplies all depended on that Minister of Agriculture, Zhao Xing, growing them.

If he did not grow anything, they would have nothing to eat.

Enduring hunger was also part of the training!

"Do you think Zhao Xing can keep the ten of us fed and full?" Wang Meng chatted with the person beside him. "Our group is strong, but we eat a lot too."

"Who knows?" The person beside him shrugged. "I heard Chen Fang say that Zhao Xing is a Grade A genius from the Earthly Advantage Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture. A genius like that should not leave us hungry for too long."

"Rest easy. In one day, the Military Sima Nong should be able to grow enough Second Level Supplies no matter what."

"The logic is similar to the first round of training. The higher-ups would not assign a Ministry of Agriculture member who was too poor to follow a group. During the Lawless Training, the Ministry of Agriculture members only needed to endure to count as a victory, while the martial artists were scored by the number of opponents they knocked down."

"This assumes that the food the Ministry of Agriculture members grow within a day is enough to support the recovery of the martial artists in their group."

"Among the fifty flying boats that descended upon the Earthly Advantage Institute, the martial artists were all among the stronger batch."

"That may be true, but what if he deliberately makes us go hungry?" Wang Meng asked.

"That is possible, but he needs points too." The person beside him sneered. "Would he really not want his own score?"

"What if other groups get a weaker Ministry of Agriculture member, one who is not very good at farming? If there is not enough food, would they not be unable to earn many points in the Speed Eating Training?"

"It depends somewhat on luck, just like the previous round. Some people might get lucky and survive until the end with a fairly high ranking, but that usually would not happen. Didn't we just say that the assigned Ministry of Agriculture members were all about the same? There will be enough food."

"Of course, it has only been an hour and a half. There probably will not be much in the first batch."

"That makes sense. Even if he has a conflict with Xia Jing, he could not deliberately starve him... Hm?" As Wang Meng spoke, he suddenly looked in a certain direction.

A green whirlwind rose not far away and flew toward them.

"Oh, speak of food and food arrives." Wang Meng immediately beamed. "It has only been an hour and a half. Zhao Xing really does live up to his reputation."

"Brothers, the food is here." The other six all rose to their feet.

The training instructor also sensed Zhao Xing's arrival.

He glanced at the green whirlwind, and a strange look flashed through his eyes.

Wang Meng and the others could not see clearly, but he saw through it at once. The green whirlwind was carrying a huge number of fruits!

"Such a large quantity? Could it be Second Level Supplies?" The training instructor understood the rules on the Ministry of Agriculture side fairly well. Supplies came in second, third, and fourth grades.

Second Level Supplies were easier to grow, so the quantity was naturally greater. Even a thousand catties could only earn the basic score, showing that the difficulty was not particularly high.

The higher the grade, the smaller the quantity and the greater the points awarded. That was when the Ministry of Agriculture members' skills were truly displayed.

"Stop!" The training instructor called a halt to Xia Jing and the other three. "Assemble!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

The ten quickly gathered beside the training instructor.

"Restore your physical strength next!"

Once the Ministry of Agriculture provided food, they had to start eating. Speed Eating Training was also a top priority.

Back when Zhao Xing was at Chen Shijie's residence, he had always eaten extremely quickly. It was a habit formed by spending a long time in the army.

"You must eat the food grown by the Military Sima Nong as quickly as possible and restore your fighting strength."

"Every ten catties count as one portion. The more portions you eat and the faster you eat them, the higher your score in Speed Eating Training!"

As the training instructor spoke.

Zhao Xing also rode the gale and arrived before the martial artists.

When the ten martial artists saw the quantity of supplies carried within the gale, their eyes widened.

There was too much!

They had not expected Zhao Xing to deliver so much after only an hour and a half.

Whoosh~

The evaluator, Zhou Ming, also appeared before the martial artists.

"Commander Liu." Zhou Ming greeted the training instructor, Liu Yongli. "Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army has grown Third Level Supplies, totaling five thousand catties. Please immediately arrange Speed Eating Training for the ten martial artists."

How much?!

Wang Meng was utterly stunned!

Third Level Supplies, five thousand catties?!

Chen Fang, Zhang Jie, and Hu Bing, standing nearby, also widened their eyes.

That was far too much. Had this really been grown in an hour and a half?!

Xia Jing's mouth twitched as he looked at Zhao Xing in the sky.

Zhao Xing responded with a smile.

"Ahem... all right." Liu Yongli pointed at an open area nearby. "Please place it here."

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing waved his hand, and the gale swept lightly over the clearing.

After the wind passed, a small mountain of Numbfish Fruit appeared on the ground.

"These are Third Level Supplies, Numbfish Fruit. Consuming them can quickly restore a person's vitality."

Zhou Ming introduced them to the physician beside him.

The latter rubbed his forehead and went to retrieve his medical kit.

Hey, hey, hey, Physician, what do you mean by that? Could these Numbfish Fruit even be eaten? Why were you getting your kit?!

Seeing this, the ten martial artists had a bad feeling before they had even started eating.

"Sir, how... are these Numbfish Fruit supposed to be eaten?" Wang Meng asked cautiously.

"It is not complicated. Eat them with the skin on," Zhou Ming said with a smile.

If it was not complicated, why were you smiling?

Did your schadenfreude have to be so obvious?!

Zhao Xing glanced at Zhou Ming. It seemed this evaluator was also someone who enjoyed watching a spectacle.

"Begin." Liu Yongli gave the order.

The ten martial artists walked toward the mountain of Numbfish Fruit and began their Gluttony Art training.

Zhou Ming did not leave. He wanted to watch the show.

Zhao Xing did not leave either. He was not in a hurry to return and replant. He had to watch Xia Jing eat to feel satisfied!

"Crunch!"

Xia Jing bit into a Numbfish Fruit. It tasted extremely astringent and was hard to swallow.

The moment the skin broke, juice flowed out.

A fishy stench rushed into his nose. It was overpowering, like a dead fish that had lain around for days, its eyes rolled white, being served onto the table.

Xia Jing had disliked fish since childhood, much less something like this. The taste was practically suffocating.

"Crunch~"

He endured the discomfort and swallowed it with sheer determination. His stomach immediately churned violently.

Yet Xia Jing did not so much as furrow his brow.

He knew Zhao Xing was watching from above. If he showed any expression now, would he not be giving Zhao Xing exactly what he wanted?

I, Xia Jing, am the dignified Marquis Manor Heir. How could I fear a mere serving of food!

I'll eat!

In a few bites, Xia Jing swallowed a fist-sized Numbfish Fruit.

He did not forget to smile at Zhao Xing. "Hard Work, Minister Zhao, for delivering the meal. These Numbfish Fruit taste good and suit my palate quite well!"

Chen Fang, Zhang Jie, Hu Bing, and the others immediately looked at Xia Jing with strange expressions.

Brother, your mouth was too stubborn.

Could you really say this thing tasted good?

But when they saw Xia Jing speaking toward the sky, they immediately understood.

The two were competing against each other!

"Brother Xia is too polite. This is merely the duty of a Military Sima Nong." Zhao Xing smiled. "I heard Brother Xia is the number one genius of the Azure Dragon Martial Division. Your Gluttony Art must surely be exceptional as well. In Speed Eating Training, Brother Xia will definitely take first place in the Martial Division."

Your mouth was stubborn, was it? Then let's see just how stubborn it could be!

Zhou Ming could not help laughing as he watched the verbal exchange between the two.

Xia Jing refused to admit defeat.

Zhao Xing seized the opportunity to praise him, putting Xia Jing over the flames.

As the number one genius, Xia Jing could not possibly eat less than everyone else, could he?!

"I will certainly not disappoint Brother Zhao!" After speaking, Xia Jing hurriedly circulated the Gluttony Art to absorb the vitality within the fruit flesh.

"Hm?" The moment he circulated the Gluttony Art once, Xia Jing shuddered.

It was numb, as if he had been electrocuted.

At first, it was not particularly intense.

But every circulation brought another shock.

Xia Jing's Gluttony Art was at the third level, so his absorption efficiency was high, which meant the shocks came even faster.

Damned thing, absorbing the vitality of these Numbfish Fruit feels like getting electrocuted! Xia Jing cursed inwardly. But he had already spoken boldly, so he could only pretend nothing was wrong and continue eating.

After eating two in a row, he had consumed only one catty.

Ten catties made one portion, so Xia Jing needed to eat twenty fruits to finish one portion.

But when he had eaten about half of them, Xia Jing suddenly felt a faint twisting pain in his abdomen.

Even his circulation of qi and blood became somewhat sluggish.

Damn it, these Numbfish Fruit are actually poisonous too!

"Gluttony Devouring Heaven and Earth!"

Xia Jing circulated his cultivation technique and swiftly expelled the toxins.

He truly was formidable. After finishing the first portion, he was the fastest.

The others did not put on as much of a front as Xia Jing. Their faces were full of bitterness.

"Fuck, this tastes awful. My mouth is full of rotten fish stench!"

"Brother Chen, Brother Hu, do you feel numb when you eat them?" Zhang Jie asked in a low voice.

"Yes. The faster you absorb the vitality, the stronger the feeling becomes." Chen Fang's brows were tightly furrowed and had not relaxed at all.

"Oh no, I think I've been poisoned!" Hu Bing's expression changed slightly.

"What? They are poisonous too?" Wang Meng, beside him, was immediately startled. "Why don't I feel anything?"

"You eat slowly, so you have not felt the trace toxins yet." Hu Bing quickly sat cross-legged and circulated his cultivation technique. "Once you finish one portion, you'll understand."

"This..." Wang Meng looked at the purplish-black fruit in his hand and was left speechless.

He suddenly did not feel very hungry anymore.

"Getting assigned Minister Zhao for this round of training is really terrible luck."

"Shh, keep it down. Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"It cannot be blamed on Minister Zhao. It is all Xia Jing's fault! Why are we in the same group as him?"

"That's true. He even stubbornly insisted it tasted good. Won't that just make Zhao Xing go even further next time?!"

"Sigh..."

Zhao Xing remained in the sky until he watched Xia Jing finish five portions, then finally left.

The moment Xia Jing saw Zhao Xing leave, his composure collapsed. His brows knitted tightly, and his stomach churned so violently that he could not help wanting to vomit.

But Zhao Xing suddenly turned back to look at him and gave a cold laugh.

He had used Discern Minute Details to observe for a full three quarters of an hour, finally confirming that Xia Jing's earlier stubbornness was not merely because he refused to admit defeat. There was another motive behind it.

"He wanted me to think that digesting Numbfish Fruit was no difficult matter for him."

"His goal was to make me switch to another kind of food next time?"

"He didn't like that fishy smell? He hated strongly flavored food?"

Discern Minute Details could grasp fluctuations in others' emotions. Although Xia Jing had concealed it well, Zhao Xing still noticed.

"Good. Very good."

Zhao Xing returned to the side of the flying vessel and immediately began searching through the Wen Bamboo Box.

"If third-tier supplies can't shut that stubborn mouth of yours, let's see if fourth-tier ones can!"

"If I don't make you cry from eating, then I'll have been Military Sima Nong for nothing!"

Zhao Xing sneered as he rummaged through the box.

"Found it!"

After searching through the fourth-tier Wen Bamboo Box for quite a while, Zhao Xing's gaze fell upon a seedling.

"Hehehehehehe~"

Having found a seedling to his liking, Zhao Xing let out a strange laugh.

Zhou Ming, who was hurrying back from the martial artists' side, saw Zhao Xing rummaging through the box with a sinister smile and instinctively took a step back. "Why is his laugh so creepy... Hm? He plans to plant that?"

"Gasp! Xia Jing is really going to suffer for offending this kid..."

The second update will be out before midnight. I don't know when the third one will be, but I'll definitely write it. Brothers, don't stay up waiting.