The Elite Training Camp

On the afternoon of August 3, Chen Daolin received a delivery from someone at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall: a password-protected safe containing the first two volumes of World Destroyer and the top-tier Guidance Technique, Weather Cloud Pillar.

The manuals were for his own use only. If anyone else was caught practicing them, they would face punishment.

The first two volumes of the World Destroyer spear technique came with four physical books, covering the spear technique and the Phantom Movement Technique, as well as two instructional discs. Weather Cloud Pillar came as a separate manual with its own disc. Chen Daolin opened the safe and began studying and practicing that very day.

Days passed. Chen Daolin practiced the spear technique and Movement Technique every day, cultivated Genetic Origin Energy, and constantly pondered the World Destroyer spear technique and Movement Technique.

In his spare time, he occasionally chatted with others on the Martial Artist Forum or sought advice from Yangzhou City's chief instructor, Wu Tong.

Sometimes he sparred with Ji Xuan, only to discover that he couldn't beat her at all.

Whenever he got hungry, he went to the Ji family home for a meal, treating it like his own.

On the second floor of the villa was a spacious training room of more than a hundred square meters. Chen Daolin stood barefoot in the middle, wearing a white training suit and gripping a long spear. He thrust and swung it through the empty air before him. Each time, the spear tore through the air with a piercing whistle. Sweat dripped from his face and body.

After who knew how long, Chen Daolin sat down in a chair to rest and drink some water, feeling helpless.

They say that mastering the first level of World Destroyer increases your force by ninety percent. But I've been practicing for almost ten days and still don't have the slightest clue how to get started, let alone master it.

What a sigh. A top-tier secret technique this powerful really is difficult. I'll just have to take it slow.

"With the Guidance Technique, my Genetic Origin Energy cultivation is much faster. My physical fitness has improved by a lot. My strength should be around 4,000 kilograms now, enough to qualify as an Advanced Warrior, right?" Chen Daolin mused.

After a while, he finished resting, picked up his spear again, and continued practicing, working up a sweat.

Next door, Ji Xuan had bought the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade manual and was also training hard in the blade technique.

Before he knew it, August 29 had arrived.

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan arrived early at the Extreme Main Hall in Jiangnan Base City. There, they met Yang Hui, a mid-level God of War who had come from headquarters specifically to escort them.

Under Yang Hui's guidance, they boarded a giant flying saucer passenger jet and arrived at Hongning Base City, home to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall headquarters, at four thirty that afternoon.

Hongning Base City had been built by the world's number-one fighter, Hong, and his followers. It was home to a population of eighty million and was considered the safest city in the world.

"This is the Elite Training Camp." Yang Hui stepped out of the car and smiled as he pointed to the spacious entrance.

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan got out and looked at the gate, their hearts stirring with excitement.

Just inside the entrance stood a colossal black dragon sculpture, nearly fifty meters tall. Its enormous eyes fixed on the entrance, and its overwhelming aura of darkness made it hard to breathe. On the black scales of the fifty-meter-long dragon were small screens, each displaying a name.

"no.1 Renatus & Bridge ()"

"no.182 Adeline & Will ()"

Each scale bore a name, from top to bottom, for a total of 182 names.

Yang Hui smiled. "There are currently 182 of the world's most talented students in the Elite Training Camp. They're ranked according to their combat points. The higher your rank, the more resources you receive. Anyone who places in the bottom three three times in total will be eliminated."

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan understood.

"Come with me, and don't wander off," Yang Hui said, leading the way. With backpacks on, Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan followed, looking around like country bumpkins in the big city.

The camp consisted of several main halls modeled after ancient palaces and rows of elegant pavilions, surrounded by flowers, trees, little bridges, and flowing streams. It was breathtaking, like a paradise on earth. Now and then, young men and women of all skin colors passed between the pavilions in loose training suits. Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan could sense how strong the students' spirits were.

Yang Hui pointed to the nine-story tower at the heart of the camp. "That's the Nine-Layered Tower. All the students' lessons and training take place there, including special training sessions."

The Nine-Layered Tower looked like an ancient building from the outside, but its interior was thoroughly modern. Its floors were made of hard alloy, each level six meters tall and more than 150 meters long and wide. Yang Hui led them to the top floor, where they found a spacious hall. Young men and women from around the world sat casually on cushions, chatting. They all turned to look at Yang Hui and his companions.

At the back of the hall was a passage lined on both sides with large rooms. Yang Hui led the two to the room at the very end. It was dim and cramped. When the lights came on, they saw two sofas with a dark blue helmet on each.

Yang Hui explained, "Our scientists spent countless hours reproducing the Consciousness Sensor from an ancient civilization's virtual-space technology. Put it on, and your consciousness will enter a Virtual Space that's one hundred percent realistic. There's a Trial Tower inside. You've already been granted admission to the Elite Training Camp, but you'll still need to take a test in the Trial Tower to receive your ranking."

"Which of you wants to go first?" Yang Hui asked.

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan looked at each other.

Ji Xuan spoke up first. "I'll go."

Ji Xuan and Yang Hui lay down on the sofas and put on the helmets. Chen Daolin waited obediently nearby. About twenty minutes later, Ji Xuan and Yang Hui took off their helmets and sat up at nearly the same time.

"How was it?" Chen Daolin asked eagerly.

Ji Xuan pressed her lips together. "It was interesting. You'll see when you try it."

Chen Daolin lay down where Ji Xuan had been, put on the helmet, and found himself standing on an endless silver plain. Yang Hui appeared beside him. Several hundred meters away stood a massive, seven-story tower that reached into the clouds.

Watching Chen Daolin glance around curiously and touch his own body, Yang Hui smiled and explained, "Only your consciousness can enter the Virtual Space. Spirit Reading Power can't, so the place is actually quite unfriendly to Spirit Readers."

Chen Daolin thought it over. Ji Xuan was a Spirit Reader, so this test would put her at a disadvantage.

Yang Hui continued, "Everyone's physical abilities are the same here: a punch strength of 10,000 kilograms, a speed of 150 meters per second, and an Advanced Warlord Level reaction speed, with excellent performance. Since everyone's physical abilities are equal, it's easy to judge their true combat strength."

They came to the foot of the enormous Trial Tower. A black stone pillar stood to the left of the main entrance, with the following words engraved on it—

"Name: Chen Daolin

Gender: Male

Identity: Elite Training Camp Trainee

Trial Tower Level: 1"

Another black stone pillar stood to the right of the entrance, displaying Yang Hui's information—

"Name: Yang Hui

Gender: Male

Identity: God of War

Trial Tower Level: 3.2"

Yang Hui said, "Each level of the Trial Tower has three stages. Your rating depends on how well you complete them. Level 1 is the starting point. For example, the first level is divided into 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3, depending on how far you get. Once you pass the first level, you reach 2.0. I have to warn you: even the first level isn't easy to pass. Dozens of students in the camp are still stuck on it."

"The Trial Tower is much harder than you can imagine. Even Hong, the head of our Extreme Martial Arts Hall and the world's number-one fighter, has only reached the sixth level. No one in the world has reached the seventh."

Chen Daolin listened, holding his breath as his blood surged. He stared at the towering Trial Tower, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Hong couldn't do it, and neither could the world's fighters. I wonder if I'll be able to someday.

Suddenly, an electronic voice sounded beside Chen Daolin's ear. "Chen Daolin, choose your combat suit and weapon. After making your selections, enter the Trial Tower within one minute to take the A-level test!" A selection of combat suits and weapons appeared before his eyes. He chose a long spear that felt right in his hands and a well-fitting combat suit.

When Chen Daolin walked into the dark entrance, he appeared on a vast, desolate grassland.

"Chen Daolin," the electronic voice echoed across the grassland. "The A-level test is to kill fifty Mang Bulls at the Elementary Beast General Level that will attack you, within fifteen minutes! If you die at any point, you fail. If you haven't killed all fifty Mang Bulls within fifteen minutes, you fail as well. Since this is your first time entering the Trial Tower, you have five minutes to prepare."

"..."

Chen Daolin was stunned.

He had to fight fifty monsters with physical abilities similar to his own and kill them all within fifteen minutes.

"This is insane! How am I supposed to fight them?" Chen Daolin knew his spear technique and Movement Technique were only average, while his Force Application Technique was at zero. How could he possibly fight fifty monsters at his level? He'd be in trouble against even two or three!

The five minutes flew by. Chen Daolin was drenched in sweat, desperately trying to think of a way out.

"What do I do? What do I do?"

Against an overwhelming difference in strength, there was no solution.

Before long, Chen Daolin was swallowed up by the fifty Mang Bulls. He fought back with everything he had, but still couldn't escape the herd's attack. He died swiftly.

Trial Tower Level: 1.0!