Unease!

"Breaking through the first Acupoint in one hour!"

"Looks like I might be able to break through the third Acupoint before today is over!"

Wang Xuan felt Heaven and Earth Essence surging through his first Acupoint, his eyes brimming with delight!

Meanwhile, on the training ground.

Everyone witnessing this scene widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief!

He had pierced through the first Acupoint after just one hour?

What kind of monstrous cultivation speed was that?!

Most of them had not even crossed the threshold of the Breathing Technique!

Yet Wang Xuan had already opened his first Acupoint!

Lu Yang's face twisted viciously, fury churning in his eyes!

"Why the hell does this guy get to...?!"

As early as yesterday, Lu Yang had already opened his first Acupoint!

But he had done so only with Chief Standard Bearer Liu's guidance, along with precious medicinal herbs purchased by his Lineage to assist him!

But Wang Xuan!

Without relying on any external aid, he had opened his first Acupoint in merely one hour!

Jealousy warped Lu Yang's face beyond recognition!

Fan Hong and Sun Qingfeng's expressions grew much graver!

To open the first Acupoint in one hour through one's own abilities was absolutely enough to count as genius-level talent within this county!

At one side of the training ground.

The many Banner Officers and Chief Standard Bearers could not help but sigh in admiration at the sight.

"As expected of someone Centurion Yang favors. He truly is extraordinary. He opened his first Acupoint in such a short hour. Compared to the recruits from our batch back then, this talent is far greater!"

"Of course. Why else would Centurion Yang think so highly of this kid? He must have the ability to earn that attention!"

The Banner Officers began whispering among themselves.

Wu Shan wore a radiant smile.

"I knew my decision yesterday was the right one!"

"This kid is bound to soar into the skies and rise like a dragon in the future!"

"I have to get on his good side ahead of time!"

Wu Shan thought to himself.

Though Wang Xuan had the cultivation insights Wu Shan had given him, if it had been anyone else, they would still have struggled to open the first Acupoint within a day!

While everyone marveled, the sallow, gaunt man not far from Wang Xuan revealed a faint smile.

Yet within that smile lurked a trace of sinister chill.

Wang Xuan felt Heaven and Earth Essence welling up from his first Acupoint and was about to examine it carefully.

But in an instant!

That icy sensation of being watched struck again.

Wang Xuan's expression changed. Without drawing attention, he activated the Tracking Art and observed his surroundings.

However!

Even after scanning the area with the Tracking Art's clarity that saw through fire, he detected nothing unusual.

Wang Xuan furrowed his brow tightly.

"Was it another illusion?"

"No. There's no way I was mistaken about that feeling of being watched!"

"Who exactly is watching me?"

With the Tracking Art's ability to see through fire, as long as the other party was not absurdly stronger than him, he should have been able to sense them!

Yet!

From last night until now, he had investigated twice and found nothing at all.

There were only two possibilities.

First, it was merely his imagination.

Second, the person watching him was far stronger than him, making it impossible for him to accurately detect them.

"Who could it be...?"

Unease rose in Wang Xuan's heart as he turned his head and swept his gaze over the area.

But with that single glance.

He saw the sallow, emaciated man standing not far away, looking directly at him.

The man wore a smile as he looked at Wang Xuan with narrowed eyes.

There was even a hint of appreciation in that smile!

Yet under the broad daylight, that smile made Wang Xuan feel a bone-chilling cold!

"Who is this guy?!"

Wang Xuan's pupils constricted, his eyelids twitching wildly!

When the man saw that Wang Xuan had noticed him, he smiled and nodded at him, then continued practicing his fist technique.

Wang Xuan immediately turned away.

His expression was exceedingly grave.

"Who is this guy? Why has he been staring at me?"

"And this feeling..."

"It's exactly the same as yesterday!"

"It's him! He must be the one watching me!"

Wang Xuan cried inwardly.

The instant the man had stared at him, Wang Xuan had felt as though he had returned to the day before yesterday, when he encountered Zhou Laifu's Blood Sacrifice and saw the statue of the Holy Mother of Pity Life!

That terror and chill born from the depths of his soul!

It was something Wang Xuan would never forget!

"Could this guy... be connected to the Pity Life Sect?"

Suddenly!

A disquieting thought surfaced in his mind, startling even himself.

"Impossible. If he were from the Pity Life Sect, the military camp couldn't possibly be unaware. But if he has nothing to do with the Pity Life Sect, then who is he?"

The joy of opening his first Acupoint faded away as Wang Xuan fell into thought.

"Wang Xuan, what's wrong?"

"Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"

Just as Wang Xuan lowered his head in thought, Wu Shan suddenly came before him and asked.

Wang Xuan came back to himself upon hearing this and looked up. "I'm fine. I just feel like my whole body has changed after opening an Acupoint!"

Wu Shan smiled. "That's perfectly normal."

"When I first opened an Acupoint and let Heaven and Earth Essence scour my body, I was even more excited than you."

"Heaven and Earth Essence is an incredibly wondrous force. Keep cultivating the Breathing Technique, and you'll come to understand its marvelous uses!"

"Essence is extremely important for cultivation in the future!"

Wang Xuan nodded.

"Come, let me explain the tricks for the Acupoints ahead. It'll help you avoid some detours!"

Without holding anything back, Wu Shan directly explained the points Wang Xuan needed to pay attention to when opening the other Acupoints.

This scene.

Made quite a few people on the training ground green with envy.

A Chief Standard Bearer personally explaining the Breathing Technique was something money could not buy!

But they also understood that Wang Xuan himself was exceptionally capable and deeply valued by Centurion Yang. They simply could not compare to him.

Half a day passed.

After Wu Shan finished his explanations, Wang Xuan opened another three Acupoints in one breath.

The circulation of qi and blood within his body had improved by more than thirty percent compared to before!

"There are five days left."

"As long as I can open four Acupoints every day, I'll be able to open twenty Acupoints by the time the assessment arrives!"

After opening his fourth Acupoint, Wang Xuan did not continue cultivating.

Cultivating the Breathing Technique consumed a great deal of qi, blood, and physical strength.

Fortunately, the gains from that consumption were doubled.

When he entered the new recruit camp, his strength had already reached 1,100 kilograms. But after cultivating the Breathing Technique for a day today, his strength had risen to 1,140 kilograms.

This increase might seem slow, but as long as he circulated the Breathing Technique, the qi and blood within his body would continuously strengthen at all times, while his body was constantly reinforced by the scouring of Essence!

After finishing his cultivation, Wang Xuan sought out Wu Shan again.

"Chief Standard Bearer Wu, I'd like to ask you for a favor. I want to know someone's information. Would that be possible?"

Wang Xuan asked when he arrived at the tent.

"Oh? Whose information?"

"If he's from the new recruit camp, I can give you his file directly!"

Wu Shan did not refuse.

Ordinarily, he should not disclose such information to Wang Xuan, but Wang Xuan was someone Centurion Yang valued. It was only a matter of time before he took flight.

Wang Xuan led Wu Shan to the tent entrance, quietly lifted the tent flap, and looked toward the man who had been watching him earlier.

Wu Shan glanced at the man, then immediately went to the shelves at one side of the barracks and began searching.

Very soon, he found a small booklet and handed it to Wang Xuan.

"This is his file."

Wang Xuan took the booklet and opened it, finding the man's information.

"Lu Qing, from Blackwater Village. Both parents deceased. Raised on the food of a hundred households. Enlisted because he could not afford to pay taxes."

After reading the information in the booklet, Wang Xuan's brow furrowed deeply.

"That's all?"

Wang Xuan looked up and asked.

"That's all. I personally brought this guy here myself. Is there a problem?"

Wu Shan could not help asking.

Wang Xuan shook his head.

"Nothing. It's just that he kept staring at me earlier. I thought he might also be someone competing for a place in the Soaring Dragon Assembly."

Wu Shan smiled. "Don't put pressure on yourself."

"In the entire new recruit camp, only Lu Yang and those other two are qualified to compete with you!"

"Behind those three are either aristocratic Lineages or a Centurion backing them, so they cultivate quickly."

"But your talent is no weaker. There's absolutely no need for you to worry about them!"

Wang Xuan nodded and returned the booklet to Wu Shan.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer. I'll head back first."

Wang Xuan then left the tent.

But after leaving the tent, Wang Xuan saw Lu Qing watching him again, still wearing that smiling face!

His scalp went numb, and his expression turned incomparably grave.

"No, I have to find a way to figure out this guy's purpose!"

"Otherwise, I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace!"