Learning the Stake Stance

Just as the new recruits ahead were lining up for iris scanning to receive their injection authorization, a stern-faced logistics instructor cut straight through the crowd and stopped before Jiang Yue.

"Recruit Jiang Yue." The logistics instructor lowered his head to verify the data on his tactical terminal.

"Here."

"The military system has detected that your body has developed resistance to the Primary Genetic Serum."

The logistics instructor's tone was strictly business. "Per the Empire's highest principle of no resource waste, the peer-level resource substitution mechanism has been triggered."

With that, the instructor retrieved a miniature low-temperature cryotube no larger than a thumb from his portable constant-temperature tactical case and handed it over.

Through the special glass wall, a drop of pale blue liquid could be seen sealed inside.

[High-Energy Radiation Fluid].

"This is a high-energy particle fluid refined from celestial bodies. On the black market, it's worth more than the Primary Genetic Serum."

The instructor looked at Jiang Yue and issued a cold warning. "But it contains extremely violent cosmic radiation energy. Remember, absolutely no direct ingestion. It must be diluted and dissolved in a high-grade Medical Pod, absorbed over three treatment courses. Otherwise, your internal organs will be burned through by the violent energy."

"Understood. Thank you, instructor."

Jiang Yue accepted the cryotube with both hands. On the surface, he behaved perfectly, showing no abnormality.

But only he knew that the moment his fingertips touched the cryotube, the dormant green word [Gluttony] in his stomach suddenly erupted with a tangible, ravenous hunger!

Others feared the impurities and killing intent in Blood Essence, needing to spend points to dilute it.

But Jiang Yue didn't need to.

[Gluttony]'s trait was the Gluttonous Stomach—all things could serve as fuel.

Any violent energy entering his body would be forcibly stripped of impurities and transformed into the purest life foundation.

This dangerous item in others' eyes was, to him, a perfect tonic that could be directly poured into his body without side effects, far surpassing the value of the Genetic Serum!

Tucking the Blood Essence close to his body, Iron Wrist on the platform spoke again.

"Besides the material rewards, military points will be distributed next. Points are life on this Floating Land. Want better Gravity Chambers, high-tier nutrition meals, Ancient Martial Arts manuals? Risk your life for the rankings."

"Top five hundred receive points rewards."

Ding—

Almost the same second Iron Wrist's words fell, Jiang Yue's personal tactical terminal on his wrist emitted a very pleasant electronic chime.

He looked down, and a brief message jumped onto the screen:

[Settlement Complete: You ranked 412th in this Alloy Puppet Alley assessment.]

[Account Deposit: 200 military credits.]

Watching the numbers dance on his account balance, even Jiang Yue's calm, well-like mind couldn't help but ripple.

Having previously beaten the heavy-armored foreign mercenary Scar in the underground black boxing ring to rake in hundreds of points, minus the high daily consumption and the cost of buying Blood Essence over this period, plus this solid 200-point income...

His current point assets had reached a terrifying number that would make even most veterans green with envy.

With these hard currencies, the plans ahead now had a solid foundation.

Jiang Yue walked through the noisy camp, ignoring the bloodstains caked on his body, and returned directly to his rest pod.

Then, closing his eyes, his personal panel data appeared before him.

[Name: Jiang Yue]

[Unlocked Words:]

[Gluttony (Green)]: Ignores impurities, perfectly plunders energy.

[Thunder Breath (Green)]: Passive Breath Regulation, tempers internal organs, endless stamina.

[Tough Skin (White)]: Micro-reorganization, taking hits grants fixed resistance and absorption rate boosts.

[Calm Spirit (White)]: Absolute sleep, 100% energy transfer for repair.

Looking at this set of words grown through continuous accumulation, Jiang Yue took a deep breath, completely suppressing the slightly excited emotions from the assessment just now, and plunged his mind into absolute rational review and deduction.

"Only ten days remain until the life-or-death [Thirty-Day Monthly Exam]."

"My current combat lethality, relying on the Inch Power penetration of the Six Harmonies Method, should still be sufficient under equal physical conditions. But my baseline strength is still only around 800 kilograms—an unavoidable hard flaw."

"Before the next assessment arrives, I need to rush to break through the Quasi-Martial Artist's strength limit."

In true warfare among thousands of troops, while technique is deadly, absolute numerical crushing is the most enduring capital.

Without sufficient physical strength as a vessel, many high-load killing techniques simply can't be used continuously.

He raised his head, his gaze locked firmly on the tube of pale blue liquid in his hand.

"I hope this High-Energy Radiation Fluid is potent enough..."

Tilting his head back, he downed it in one gulp. The anticipated searing pain didn't come, leaving Jiang Yue momentarily puzzled.

After a few breaths of regulation, still no reaction.

Somewhat surprised, Jiang Yue wasted no more time. He stood up and headed for the agreed training location.

"Shen Qing said that once the Breathing Method reaches minor success, you can begin standing at the stake..."

"My current progress should be enough to start the next step."

An hour later, in the training room

After enduring high-intensity training, Jiang Yue was bare-chested, his muscles covered in beads of sweat the size of soybeans.

He stood beside the alloy wall, holding a large-capacity water jug, gulping down drinking water laced with trace salt and electrolytes.

However, Shen Qing, who was watching from not far away, couldn't help but twitch violently at the corners of his eyes as he observed Jiang Yue's drinking state.

Shen Qing's eyes were filled with unconcealable shock.

He stared fixedly at Jiang Yue's chest, discovering that Jiang Yue wasn't just maintaining the rhythm of the Six Harmonies Breathing Method when sitting cross-legged in meditation or deliberately circulating his energy.

Even now, as he tilted his head back to drink, raised his hand to wipe sweat, or even during every second of his usual casual movements, the subtle amplitude and rhythm of his chest's rise and fall perfectly matched that breathing frequency!

Thanks to the passive nature of [Thunder Breath]'s Breath Regulation, this obscure Ancient Martial Arts breathing method—one that required elders in Shen Qing's family to beat it into children with sticks from a young age, taking a long time to barely get them started—had been completely transformed into a subconscious instinct of Jiang Yue's body in just a few short days.

As long as Jiang Yue was alive, this breathing method would run endlessly without pause.

"What a unreasonable monster..."

Shen Qing let out a bitter laugh in his heart. He was deeply shaken, but as the half-master who had imparted all his Ancient Martial Arts knowledge, his gaze grew increasingly serious and stern.

He strode over to Jiang Yue and spoke in a deep voice: "Jiang Yue, your Breathing Method has reached full mastery. This proves that the blood and qi in your body are circulating perfectly—the speed of generating, recovering, and transporting blood and qi has far exceeded the physiological limits of ordinary people."

"But!"

Shen Qing's tone abruptly shifted, his sharp eyes landing on Jiang Yue's muscles, which faintly shimmered with a bluish-black luster, as hard as granite. "The Breathing Method, when it comes down to it, is just an air pump."

"It can endlessly produce violent blood and qi. But if your physical body doesn't have a sturdy enough container, no matter how much blood and qi you have, it's just scattered sand!"

"It might even backfire and harm you!"

Shen Qing's voice became extremely severe: "Your strength is skyrocketing too fast right now. Your normal explosive force has already exceeded 800 kilograms."

"If you want to ride this momentum and forcibly push your limits within these ten days, then you need to accumulate more."

With that, Shen Qing didn't waste any more words. He took a deep breath, his legs slightly apart on the hard alloy floor.

Then, he struck an extremely strange, almost awkward posture.

His knees bent slightly inward, and his originally straight spine suddenly tightened like a drawn strongbow.

His arms formed an irregular circle in front of his chest, and his entire center of gravity sank sharply downward.

The moment Shen Qing assumed this posture, his originally somewhat slender frame seemed to transform into an unshakable iron tower, deeply rooted in the ground.

"Watch closely. This is the second step of Ancient Martial Arts—the [Six Harmonies Round Stake]!"