As the recruits ahead lined up to scan their Iris and receive injection authorization, a cold-faced Logistics Instructor walked straight through the crowd and stopped before Jiang Yue.
"Recruit Jiang Yue." The Logistics Instructor glanced down to check the data on his tactical terminal.
"Present."
"The Military System has detected that your body has developed resistance to the Primary Genetic Serum."
The Logistics Instructor's tone was strictly businesslike. "Under the Empire's supreme principle of wasting no resources, the Same-Tier Resource Substitution Mechanism has been triggered."
With that, the instructor took a thumb-sized Micro Cryogenic Vial from the Thermostatic Tactical Briefcase he carried and handed it over.
Through the special glass, a single drop of pale blue liquid could be seen sealed inside.
[High-Energy Radiation Fluid].
"This fluid is extracted from high-energy particle streams emitted by celestial bodies. On the black market, it's worth more than the Primary Genetic Serum."
The instructor gave Jiang Yue a cold warning. "But it contains extremely violent cosmic radiation. Remember, you must not swallow it directly. It has to be diluted and dissolved in an Advanced Medical Pod, then absorbed over three treatment sessions. Otherwise, the violent energy will burn straight through your organs."
"Understood. Thank you, Instructor."
Jiang Yue accepted the vial with both hands. Outwardly, he behaved by the book, showing nothing unusual.
But only he knew that the instant his fingertips touched the vial, the dormant green trait [Gluttony] in his stomach sent a ravenous hunger surging through him, so intense it felt almost tangible!
Others feared the impurities and baleful energy in Blood Essence and had to spend Points to dilute it.
Jiang Yue didn't.
The nature of [Gluttony] was the Gluttonous Stomach: all things could serve as fuel.
Any violent energy entering his body would have its impurities forcibly stripped away and be transformed into the purest Life Essence.
What others saw as a dangerous substance was, to him, a perfect tonic he could pour straight into his body without a single side effect. It was worth far more than a Gene Potion!
He tucked the vial close to his body. On the raised platform, Iron Wrist spoke again.
"Besides physical rewards, Military Points will now be distributed. Points are your lifeblood on this Floating Land. If you want a better Gravity Chamber, Advanced Nutrient Meal, or Ancient Martial Arts Manual, fight for your ranking with your lives."
"The top five hundred will receive Points."
Beep—
Almost the moment Iron Wrist finished speaking, Jiang Yue's Personal Tactical Terminal let out a pleasing electronic chime.
He looked down. A short message appeared on the screen:
[Assessment complete: You placed 412th in this Alloy Puppet Alley assessment.] [Account credited: 200 Military Points.]
Watching the number in his account balance rise, even Jiang Yue's usually unruffled heart stirred.
He had earned hundreds of Points by crippling Scar, the heavily armored outside fighter, at the underground Black Fist Arena. After subtracting his steep daily expenses and the cost of buying Blood Essence, then adding these very real 200 Points...
His current Points balance had reached a staggering figure that would make most veterans envious.
With that hard currency behind him, his next plan had a solid foundation.
Jiang Yue crossed the noisy camp and returned straight to his rest pod without bothering to clean the caked blood from his body.
Then he closed his eyes, and his personal status appeared before him.
[Name: Jiang Yue] [Unlocked traits:] [Gluttony (Green)]: Ignores impurities; perfectly plunders energy. [Thunder Breath (Green)]: Passive Breath Regulation; tempers the five organs; stamina replenishes without end. [Tough Skin (White)]: Microscopic restructuring; taking hits permanently increases resistance and absorption rate. [Calm Spirit (White)]: Absolute sleep; transfers 100% of energy into recovery.
Looking over the traits he had built up, Jiang Yue took a deep breath and completely suppressed the excitement left over from the assessment. His mind settled into a cool, rational review of his situation.
Only ten days remain until the Thirty-Day Monthly Exam that will decide whether I live or die.
With the penetrating Inch Power of the Six Harmonies Method, my killing power should be enough against someone with similar physical abilities. But my Baseline Strength is still only around 800 Kilograms. There's no getting around that weakness.
Before the next assessment, I need to push my strength to the upper limit for a Quasi-Martial Artist.
In a battle amid thousands of fighters, technique could be deadly, but overwhelming physical power was what endured.
Without a body strong enough to contain it, many high-strain killing techniques simply could not be used repeatedly.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the vial of pale blue liquid in his hand.
I hope this High-Energy Radiation Fluid works well enough...
He tipped his head back and drank it all. The expected searing pain never came, leaving Jiang Yue momentarily baffled.
He regulated his breathing for a while, but still nothing happened.
Puzzled, Jiang Yue wasted no more time. He stood and headed for the agreed-upon training location.
Shen Qing said I could start the Stake Stance once I reached minor mastery of the breathing method...
I should be ready for the next step now.
An hour later, in the training room.
After intense training, Jiang Yue stood bare-chested, beads of sweat clinging to his muscles.
Beside an Alloy wall, he held a large water bottle and gulped down drinking water mixed with a little salt and electrolytes.
Not far away, Shen Qing watched him drink, and the corners of his eyes twitched sharply.
He could not hide the shock in his eyes.
He stared at Jiang Yue's chest. Jiang Yue maintained the rhythm of the Six Harmonies Breathing Method not just while sitting cross-legged and deliberately practicing.
Even now, as he tipped back his head to drink, raised a hand to wipe away sweat, or moved about casually, every subtle rise and fall of his chest matched its breathing rhythm perfectly!
Thanks to [Thunder Breath]'s passive Breath Regulation, Jiang Yue had turned this obscure Ancient Martial Arts breathing method into a subconscious bodily instinct in just a few days. In Shen Qing's family, elders had to train children with sticks from an early age, and even then it took ages to barely grasp the basics.
As long as Jiang Yue lived, the breathing method would keep running without end.
What an absurd monster...
Shen Qing gave a rueful chuckle to himself. It was a crushing blow, but as Jiang Yue's half-teacher who had shared all he knew of Ancient Martial Arts, his gaze grew sterner and colder.
He strode up to Jiang Yue and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Yue, you've completely mastered the breathing method. That proves your Blood Energy is circulating perfectly. The speed at which you generate, replenish, and move it has far exceeded normal human limits."
"But!"
Shen Qing's tone shifted abruptly. His sharp gaze fell on Jiang Yue's muscles, hard as granite and faintly gleaming blue-black. "Ultimately, the breathing method is just a pump."
"It can produce violent Blood Energy without end. But if your body isn't a sturdy enough vessel, all that Blood Energy will be nothing but loose sand!"
"It could even turn against you!"
Shen Qing's voice turned severe. "Your strength has risen too quickly. Your normal exertion already exceeds 800 Kilograms."
"If you want to ride this momentum and force your way to the limit within ten days, you'll need to build a stronger foundation."
With that, Shen Qing said no more. He took a deep breath and set his feet slightly apart on the hard Alloy floor.
Then he assumed an extraordinarily strange, even awkward posture.
His knees bent slightly inward. His spine, normally straight, tightened in an instant like a mighty bow drawn to its limit.
His arms formed a rough circle before his chest, and his center of gravity sank sharply.
The moment Shen Qing took that stance, his somewhat slender frame seemed to become an iron tower rooted deep in the earth, impossible to shake.
"Watch closely. This is the second step of Ancient Martial Arts—the Six Harmonies Round Stake!"
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