Military Training

As he arrived at the sports field, a scent mixed with grass and the dust of a summer morning greeted him.

Ling Yun scanned the area. The first-year students were already gathered in groups of three or five at their respective class locations, their chatter filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness about the military training.

He quickly found his class's formation.

As soon as he stood in place, a figure rushed over energetically – it was Zhou Da.

He circled Ling Yun once, his eyes wide, and his tone sour enough to have just eaten ten lemons, "Holy crap! No way, Brother Yun? You put on this sack-like military training uniform, and you still look this handsome? Is there any justice in this world?"

Before him, Ling Yun's tall and straight posture managed to make the loose military uniform appear sharp. The outline of his brows and eyes revealed beneath the brim of his cap was distinct, making him stand out among the slightly bulky freshmen.

Ling Yun chuckled, raising a hand to pat Zhou Da's chubby shoulder, teasing, "Da Zi, stop howling. It's a fact that you can't learn my handsomeness, but your unique 'Collaborationist Army' captain aura is something most people can't imitate either."

As they were bantering, Ling Yun's peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. Jiang Yingqing had also arrived at the sports field.

Today, she was also wearing a loose camouflage uniform, but her tall stature and neat ponytail made her carry it with a different kind of cool heroism.

The sunlight outlined the delicate contours of her profile. Her aloof yet vibrant aura still made her stand out in the crowd.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Yingqing also saw Ling Yun – that face, too outstanding in any crowd, always caught the eye first.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly, and she walked straight towards them.

Seeing this, Zhou Da grinned knowingly, quickly put a few steps of distance between himself and Ling Yun, and pretended to study an ant on the ground.

"Ling Yun," Jiang Yingqing said as she approached, her clear eyes holding a hint of inquiry, "How did your talk with my sister go yesterday?"

"It was alright. We got along pretty well," Ling Yun explained, his tone natural.

Jiang Yingqing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, clearly unconvinced. "Really? The Ice Queen who never speaks more than three sentences to strangers? How could you get along with her?"

"Is there a possibility," Ling Yun blinked, a playful smile on his face, "that your sister isn't cold, but just has a bit of social anxiety?"

"Social anxiety?" Jiang Yingqing acted as if she had heard a fairy tale.

"My sister? I'm her own sister! How could I not know her personality? Besides, even if she really had social anxiety, she wouldn't be playing games with you online!"

She shook her head decisively.

"Practice makes perfect," Ling Yun shrugged, his gaze shifting towards the entrance of the sports field. "If you don't believe me, why not go home and ask your sister yourself?"

Jiang Yingqing was about to press further when a short, sharp whistle cut through the noise of the sports field.

A team of drill instructors, dressed in crisp military uniforms, marched in with synchronized, powerful steps. Their appearance instantly silenced the entire field.

Soon, a drill instructor, about 1.75 meters tall, with a posture as straight as a pine tree, walked towards their class.

He had a square face, healthy bronze skin, and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. His gaze swept over them with the unique determination and composure of a soldier.

He stopped in front of the formation and introduced himself in a loud voice, "Hello, students! I am your drill instructor for this military training, Cheng Yuanzhou, from the Air Force!"

Ling Yun knew that although Cheng Yuanzhou was in the Air Force, he wasn't a pilot – after all, pilots made up a very small percentage of the Air Force, less than 10%.

Just then, the familiar electronic voice sounded in Ling Yun's mind:

[Ding! Ning City's First Sect has spent a large amount of resources to specially invite a Steward Elder from the Heavenly Firmament Pavilion to provide concentrated body refining training for the host, aiming to lay the most solid foundation for your future path of cultivation. Please display outstanding potential during the training and gain the Steward Elder's recognition!]

[Mission Reward: God-Demon Body Refining Art - Qi Cultivation Chapter.]

"A body refining technique?" Ling Yun's heart stirred slightly, with a hint of doubt. "System, don't cultivators' physical abilities naturally increase as their realm improves? Why is specialized body refining still needed?"

[Host, please recall carefully. When you broke through to the mid-Qi Cultivation Realm, your strength did not increase.]

The system's words were enlightening. It was indeed true! After entering the mid-Qi Cultivation Realm, apart from awakening Spiritual Sense, the strength of his muscles and bones seemed to have reached an invisible bottleneck, with no further growth.

[The increase in a cultivator's strength primarily relies on the application of spiritual energy, the evolution of the Primordial Spirit, and the comprehension of laws. The physical body, as the 'container' that carries everything, does not automatically experience significant leaps in strength with the advancement of the realm.]

[The surge in strength you felt when you first entered the Qi Cultivation Realm was actually the effect of Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation, which excavated the potential of your mortal body to the theoretical peak for humans.]

[Looking across all heavens and myriad worlds, true prodigies are all dual cultivators of magic and body! Otherwise, once attacked by an enemy skilled in close-quarters combat, no matter how profound your magic, you might face immediate peril! Body refining is the cornerstone of survival and strength!]

The system's explanation was cold and clear. Ling Yun instantly understood: cultivation was not just a path of magic, but a perfect fusion of mage and warrior.

The physical body is the Treasure Raft for Crossing the World, and also the Shield for Protecting the Dao!

"Understood. Accepting the mission!" Ling Yun responded decisively in his mind.

The first day of military training was relatively basic: standing at attention, at ease, and attention.

However, with his Top-tier Comprehension, every movement Ling Yun made was as precise as a textbook.

When Drill Instructor Cheng Yuanzhou ordered "Attention!", Ling Yun's posture was as straight as a spear, his center of gravity as stable as a mountain, and his gaze was focused straight ahead. The standard military posture seemed to be ingrained in his bones.

This outstanding performance immediately caught Drill Instructor Cheng Yuanzhou's attention.

He walked up to Ling Yun, his sharp eyes filled with praise, and asked loudly, "Student, what is your name?"

"Reporting, Drill Instructor, Ling Yun!"

"Very good!" Cheng Yuanzhou's voice echoed across the sports field. "Everyone, pay attention to student Ling Yun! His military posture, from head to toe, every detail is textbook perfect! This is the benchmark! All attention, look to student Ling Yun!"

[Ding! Detected that the host, with his perfect military posture, has initially displayed extraordinary qualities and gained the preliminary attention and recognition of the Steward Elder (observing from the shadows). Mission complete!]

[Reward issued: God-Demon Body Refining Art - Qi Cultivation Chapter (temporarily stored in system space).]

[Additional Reward (due to host's excellent performance, far exceeding expectations): Body Tempering Pill × 4 (temporarily stored in system space).]

"I'll claim it later, when we get home."

Ling Yun muttered to himself, his expression unchanged, maintaining his perfect military posture.

Time passed, and the sun climbed higher. Its scorching rays beat down on the training grounds without obstruction, sweat beginning to soak through the backs of the students' camouflage uniforms.

The air was filled with the heat of summer and the scent of steaming grass.

"Attention, everyone—dismissed! Fifteen minutes break!"

Cheng Yuanzhou checked his watch. Considering it was the first day and the weather was getting hotter, he issued the break order at the appropriate time.

The students, as if granted a great amnesty, scattered to find shady spots to sit.

Many curious students gathered around Cheng Yuanzhou.

When they learned that this Air Force drill instructor had never actually flown a plane, everyone was astonished. They peppered him with questions about military life and training anecdotes.

Cheng Yuanzhou also smiled and showed them his rank in Honor of Kings on his phone—Glory King. This instantly closed the distance between him and the gaming teenagers, shattering their rigid impression of soldiers being "isolated from the world."

At this moment, a remarkably burly young man, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, who clearly exuded strength, pushed his way through the crowd.

This was Niu Li, the shot put specialist in their class.

He scratched his head and said to Cheng Yuanzhou, "Drill Instructor Cheng, I heard pull-ups are a basic skill in the army? How about we... have a go?"

Cheng Yuanzhou laughed heartily and slapped Niu Li's solid arm, "Sure, young man! Back in the army, I was top-notch when it came to the horizontal bar! Let's go, let's warm up!"

The two headed to the horizontal bar at the edge of the training ground.

Niu Li took a deep breath and leaped up, grabbing the bar. With his powerful upper body strength, he grunted and groaned his way through ten quite standard pull-ups (chin over the bar, body steady) before dropping back to the ground, panting.

"Not bad! Really not bad!"

Cheng Yuanzhou praised him sincerely, patting Niu Li's shoulder with force. "It's rare to see students these days who can do ten standard pull-ups like you! You've got a great foundation!"

Cheng Yuanzhou's praise made Niu Li a little proud.

It was Cheng Yuanzhou's turn. He leaped up with ease, his movements fluid and rhythmic. Each pull was full of explosive power, and he controlled his descent perfectly.

He completed a full thirty pull-ups in one go before landing steadily, his breathing even, only a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"That's about it," he said with a smile to the surrounding students. "I could do a few more, but let's save some energy for the afternoon training. We're not going for extreme challenges."

Niu Li looked at the drill instructor's effortless performance, his face flushing slightly. His earlier pride vanished instantly.

"Any other students want to try?"

Cheng Yuanzhou scanned the crowd and asked loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a slender yet upright figure stepped forward—it was Jiang Yingqing.

Seeing this, Niu Li, despite feeling a bit embarrassed himself, couldn't help but speak up. "Classmate Jiang, don't underestimate me. Ten pull-ups is definitely impressive for an average person! Want me to teach you some techniques?"

His tone carried a hint of wanting to regain some face.

"Thank you, but no need."

Jiang Yingqing politely declined, her voice clear and bright. "I think I can do a few."

She walked to the horizontal bar, leaped lightly, and her slender fingers firmly grasped the bar.

Then, to everyone's astonished gaze, she began to pull up.

Her movements weren't fast, but they were extremely standard and steady. Each rep utilized her full strength, and her chin easily cleared the bar.

One, two, five, ten... It wasn't until the twentieth rep that she dropped down lightly, her cheeks flushed, breathing slightly labored, but her eyes bright.

"Whoa!" Cheng Yuanzhou couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes full of admiration. "This female student is truly as capable as any man! Her strength and control are outstanding! Better than all the male students who've performed so far! You must train a lot normally, right?"

"Mhm," Jiang Yingqing blushed a little at the praise, tucking a stray strand of hair damp with sweat behind her ear.

"I especially love rock climbing and go to the climbing gym every week. Pull-ups are part of my basic training."

Her arm muscles were well-defined and firm, clearly the result of long-term exercise.

The male students in the class, hearing the drill instructor say she was "better than all the male students," felt a pang of resentment. But looking at Jiang Yingqing's twenty standard pull-ups and Niu Li's ten, they could only swallow their words. The gap in skill was undeniable.

As for Niu Li, his spirit was utterly broken. He wished he could disappear into the ground.

If he had known, he wouldn't have boasted earlier!

He irritably ran a hand through his hair, his gaze unconsciously searching the crowd. Suddenly, his eyes lit up!

"Brother Yun!"

Niu Li, as if grabbing a life-saving straw, yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with anticipation and encouragement. "It's all on you now, Brother Yun!"

This shout instantly ignited the hope of all the boys! That's right! How could they forget about this master!

Ling Yun! The guy who looked incredibly handsome even in a potato sack, whose military posture was used as a benchmark by the drill instructor, and whose strength was unfathomable!

Swish! Dozens of pairs of eyes from the entire class, filled with curiosity, anticipation, and the excitement of watching a show, focused squarely on Ling Yun, who was sitting under a tree drinking water.

Zhou Da looked at Ling Yun, who had instantly become the center of attention. He nudged the classmate next to him and lowered his voice, a confident smile of "as expected" on his face. "Tsk, see? All the elements are in place! Our Brother Yun is about to start his performance!"

Ling Yun put down his water cup. Facing the intense gazes of the entire class, and the drill instructor Cheng Yuanzhou's scrutiny filled with strong interest, he slowly stood up.

His face was expressionless. He simply stretched his wrists, strode forward with his long legs, and unhurriedly walked towards the horizontal bar hanging quietly in the center of the training ground.

But in his heart, he thought, Time to show off again, this feels great!

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