The three-story pavilion behind the Quartermaster Office mainly served the soldiers within the camp. After all, the soldiers went out every day to carry out missions, fighting tooth and nail to kill Ferocious Beasts. Naturally, they could not be made to risk their lives for nothing.
Killing Ferocious Beasts earned contribution points, which could be exchanged for pills to improve one's strength. Once one's cultivation broke through, one could be promoted in rank. This was a rule exclusive to the military camp, one that had been upheld for countless years.
Only thus could the major military camps stationed on the front lines against the Alien Race continue operating normally, without soldiers mutinying or rebelling.
As Gu Yang entered the pavilion, he saw rows upon rows of pills displayed on the shelves.
Compared with the Small Pharmacy at the Martial Academy, there were more varieties of pills here and greater quantities as well, though the prices were also higher.
Without the Martial Academy's subsidies for disciples, Qi and Blood Powder now cost six points per packet, while Military Rations Pills had risen to ten points each. The prices of the other medicines had also increased by twenty to thirty percent.
Though they were expensive, Gu Yang still bought a packet of Qi and Blood Powder.
Points existed to improve one's strength. As long as one was strong enough, whether points or silver, both would flow in without end. He understood that principle well enough.
Carrying the Qi and Blood Powder, Gu Yang hurried back to the barracks and immediately began taking the medicine while practicing Stance Training.
Over the past seven days, lacking points to exchange for pills, he could only rely on time and slowly grind away at it. The speed at which his Blood Nourishing Stance Art improved had long left him dissatisfied.
Now that he had medicine, naturally he would not waste a single moment.
"Exhale..."
"Inhale..."
In the open ground before the barracks, Gu Yang practiced the movements of Stance Training, one move after another.
A squad of soldiers passed by in the distance. Seeing how focused he was, they immediately lowered their voices.
As the moon climbed above the treetops, the Military Rations Pill within Gu Yang's body broke apart, turning into a warm current that flowed throughout his limbs and bones.
After completing one round of Stance Training, Gu Yang swallowed another Military Rations Pill and threw himself back into cultivation.
Round after round of movements, realization after realization, bit by bit of progress.
"Exhale..."
It was not until the Hour of the Ox that Gu Yang finally opened his eyes. He let out a long breath, stopped his Stance Training, then walked over to fetch a bucket of mountain spring water to wipe himself down before preparing to sleep.
At that moment, the door to a barracks in the distance opened, and a drunken Martial Academy disciple staggered out.
Gu Yang lowered his gaze and did not meet the man's eyes. After quickly wiping down his body, he entered his room.
Drinking was forbidden in the military. That disciple must have smuggled the wine in from outside. Drinking at night was probably meant to ease the pressure brought by hunting Ferocious Beasts without pause during the day.
Gu Yang could understand it, but he could not approve of it, much less join them.
The moon set and the sun rose. Amid the rising and falling roars of beasts, another night swiftly passed.
At dawn, when the sky had just begun to pale, Gu Yang was already up and dressed, practicing Stance Training once more.
Though he had only slept two or three hours that night, he was in exceptionally good spirits.
He practiced for another two hours. Only after the medicinal effects of the Qi and Blood Powder had been more than half expended did he set out from the military camp.
Over one night and one morning, the proficiency of his Blood Nourishing Stance Art had risen by another seven points. Gu Yang was quite satisfied.
Though he was cultivating outside the city, the progress of his cultivation had not slowed by much.
In fact, with abundant Ferocious Beasts here for him to earn points and exchange them for pills, his Stance Training would improve even faster than it had at the Martial Academy.
"Rustle, rustle~"
After wading through a patch of withered grass, Gu Yang climbed to the top of a peak and looked down upon the land below.
The dim yellow sunset shone over the earth, bathing the entire mountain range in a layer of golden-red light.
This was already his eighth day at the military camp, and his seventh day hunting outside.
Other than the first day, he had spent every morning these past days cultivating until past the middle of the Hour of the Snake before leaving camp. Before the Hour of the Dog each night, he would return carrying the corpse of a Ferocious Beast on his back. Apart from sleeping at night, all his remaining time was spent cultivating the Blood Nourishing Stance Art.
Bitter cultivation was bound to bring rewards. When he had first entered the mountains, his Stance Training proficiency had been only 106 points. After these past days of cultivation, it had reached 158 points, a full 52-point increase.
Though his Stance Training had improved greatly, it was nothing compared to the rate at which his other two skills had advanced.
In seven days, Azure Dragon Dance had gained more than 150 points of proficiency. The Killing Blade Technique, which had improved the most, had surged by over 200 points, ushering in another breakthrough.
Skill: Blood Nourishing Stance Accomplishment (159/400); Azure Dragon Dance Accomplishment (368/1000), Killing Blade Technique Accomplishment (27/400) Talent: Vitality Surge, Power Surge, Mighty Ox Strength, Killing Intent Perception, Killing Instinct.
He gently closed his eyes, and two lines of text appeared.
With a thought from Gu Yang, a piece of information surfaced in his mind.
Killing Instinct: You are a born killer. When facing an enemy, you can instinctively discover the opponent's weaknesses and openings, then launch an attack.
This was the talent manifested after the Killing Blade Technique broke through, a powerful combat talent.
After gaining this talent, slaughtering Ferocious Beasts became as easy for him as eating and drinking.
If he encountered that Black-Striped Leopard now, Gu Yang was confident he could kill it within three strikes.
That Black-Striped Leopard had already been the apex hunter in this mountain forest.
At the very least, throughout these past days of hunting, Gu Yang had not encountered an opponent stronger than that Black-Striped Leopard.
Besides that, after this period of incessant slaughter, the special nature of the Killing Blade Technique had gradually revealed itself. It was the Killing Intent Condensation Hong Tao had spoken of.
As he continued killing, the killing aura in his eyes continued to accumulate.
There was no secret technique, no need for visualization or incantations. Simply through killing, he could store killing aura within his body.
This reminded Gu Yang of what Hong Tao had said when he first taught him this saber technique. "The origins of this technique are anything but ordinary."
At first, he had only assumed this saber technique had been created by some great figure on Canglong Island whose Martial Path had reached the heavens.
Learning this saber technique would mean that he might have a chance to form a connection with that great figure in the future.
But he had not expected the true peculiarity of this saber technique to lie in the miraculous traits it displayed after cultivation.
His eyes flew open, and killing intent erupted.
In an instant, the temperature across the entire hill plummeted.
Every corner within five feet was shrouded in killing intent. The tiny insects slowly crawling across the ground instantly stiffened, their minds and spirits annihilated!
"Whoosh, whoosh~"
The killing aura appeared swiftly and vanished just as swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, the icy killing intent around Gu Yang had disappeared without a trace.
Killing Intent Condensation, eruption, restraint.
After his constant experimentation over the past few days, he had already mastered it proficiently.
Walking slowly down the hill, Gu Yang planned to hunt one more Ferocious Beast before returning to cultivate his Stance Training.
But at that moment, anxious cries for help suddenly rang out from a dense forest to the northwest.
"Help! Is anyone nearby? Come help me..."
Hearing the voice, Gu Yang immediately stopped and turned to look.
The voice was obscured by the dense woods. Even standing on high ground, he could not see what was happening inside.
"No Signal Arrow has been launched. It probably isn't a Martial Academy disciple trapped in danger."
Before entering the mountains, every Martial Academy disciple carried an exquisite Hand Crossbow. Yet the Hand Crossbow was not meant for killing enemies, but held a Signal Arrow within it.
If they encountered danger they could not resist, they could fire the Signal Arrow from the crossbow into the sky. Once Master Liao heard the arrow's sound, he would rush over at once.
"But not necessarily."
Sometimes, even with every possible preparation in place, danger would still come when it was meant to come.
Those preparations only reduced the chances of Trial Disciples being injured or dying.
"I'll go take a look."
Whether it was a Martial Academy disciple in danger or some other situation, Gu Yang was not afraid.
More than the danger he might encounter, what he craved at this moment was a powerful opponent!
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