A Conversation

Early the next morning, all 238 new and returning students, including Feng Qingmo, gathered in the square in front of the Central Building.

After the opening ceremony had gone through its usual routine and was about to end, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from above.

The students looked up. A plane was flying toward them at tremendous speed, then came to a hover above the Central Building.

"Some big shot has definitely arrived," whispered a young man beside Feng Qingmo, who was also a new student. "He didn't even need to get clearance. He can fly straight over the Training Camp, so he must be someone extraordinary..."

The other new students began whispering among themselves as well, while most of the returning students seemed to know what was going on. Their relaxed postures immediately straightened, as rigid as pines.

"Silence!"

The person in charge of the Training Camp, standing at the front, barked the order in a deep voice. Though it wasn't loud, it rang in every student's ears like an explosion. This person was clearly no ordinary fighter.

Every student fell silent at once.

"Whoosh..."

The door of the hovering plane opened, and a lean, middle-aged man in a black Sun Yat-sen suit stepped out. He stopped steadily in midair, as though there were an invisible platform beneath his feet.

"Planetary Level! Could that be Jia Yi?" Feng Qingmo looked up at the man in the Sun Yat-sen suit, standing in midair, and wondered.

Jia Yi looked down at the students, then slowly descended, stopping in midair three meters above the ground.

Though he wasn't tall and had a lean build, he radiated an overwhelming presence. The weight of it was almost divine, compelling everyone to feel awe in his presence.

"I'm Jia Yi," he said, standing in the air and gazing calmly at the students. "Whenever Huashan Training Camp opens, I come to see you if I have the time. To me, you represent the finest fighters from each Martial Artist Combat Assessment, or the finest fighters of the past six months or year..."

He descended again, landing lightly on the platform in front of the students.

"I'm glad you've chosen to join the military! Before the Great Nirvana, a soldier's duty was to protect the country and its people. Today, our duty remains the same, though our enemies have become the monsters..."

His voice grew more impassioned.

"Since the Great Nirvana began, countless soldiers in our country have laid down their lives and shed their blood without regard for their own safety. Along with the other Martial Artists, they made it possible for us to establish the Six Great Base Cities and allow more than a billion people to continue living in peace..."

"Now, we face more monsters than ever before, and they're stronger than ever! But our country's Martial Artists are growing in number and strength, too. One day, we'll wipe out every last monster!"

"To wipe out every monster, we can't rely on ourselves alone!" He raised his right hand and thumped his chest, then pointed toward the person in charge of the Training Camp. "We need them!"

He pointed at all the students. "And, more than anyone, we need you!"

The students were swept up in a surge of excitement.

"Destroy the monsters!" The student representative at the very front clenched his fist, swung his arm, and shouted.

"Destroy the monsters!" The other students joined in, raising their arms and shouting along.

After the students had chanted a few times, Jia Yi said in a deep voice, "Good. Remember your goal. To achieve it, you'll need to work ten, a hundred times harder. You'll have to sweat, and even bleed!"

"Flowers raised in a greenhouse can't withstand storms. The Training Camp isn't a greenhouse; it's a furnace. Whether you're a rough stone or a precious jade, if you endure the furnace's trials, you'll be transformed into a brilliant diamond, ready to pierce the endless tide of monsters!"

After Jia Yi's stirring speech, the students were brimming with enthusiasm, their hearts pounding with excitement!

Jia Yi then announced that the opening ceremony was over and that they could rest for the day. Their training would officially begin tomorrow.

Once the students had dispersed, Feng Qingmo was about to head back and continue training when a message came through on his watch: Come to Room 201 in the Central Building.

The message was from Li Ping, so Feng Qingmo turned and headed for the Central Building.

Outside Room 201 in the Central Building.

Feng Qingmo raised his hand and knocked.

"Come in."

He pushed the door open and couldn't help freezing in surprise. He hadn't expected Jia Yi to be there, too—not just Li Ping. Out of courtesy, he hadn't sent his Spiritual Force inside while standing outside the door.

After what had happened with Dr. Long, he'd learned that some people were naturally sensitive to Spiritual Force probes. Anyone at War God Level or above could certainly sense a nearby probe.

"Sir, Teacher Li." Feng Qingmo quickly straightened and greeted them.

Jia Yi looked him over and smiled. "You must be Feng Qingmo. Very good!"

"Yes, sir. I'm Feng Qingmo."

"Come, sit. Don't stand there." Jia Yi went over and sat on the sofa first, then said, "Li Ping, you sit too."

Feng Qingmo and Li Ping sat on either side of Jia Yi.

"Li Ping told me you came to the Training Camp early and trained very hard over the past half a month. That's good."

Jia Yi's voice was calm. He didn't put on airs like a Planetary Level powerhouse, and his manner was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

"But training isn't just about burying your head and working hard. That's why you need teachers to guide you, teammates to spar with, and the Wilderness Zone to put your skills to the test..."

"I understand, sir." Feng Qingmo nodded.

"I read Dr. Long's report after examining you," Jia Yi said, looking into his eyes. "According to the report, the potential of the Spiritual Force core in your Sea of Consciousness is roughly between Beginner War God and Intermediate War God. Once your Spiritual Force core completely dissolves, I imagine your vision problem will resolve itself. There's nothing I can do about that; you'll have to rely on yourself..."

He paused, then added, "Though saying there's nothing I can do isn't quite right. I'm not a Spiritual Master, but I've had some contact with them. I know that the core in a Spiritual Master's Sea of Consciousness exists because their physical fitness isn't good enough to support all their Spiritual Force, so..."

"If your physical fitness can reach Advanced War General in a short time, the Spiritual Force core in your Sea of Consciousness will dissolve on its own!"

"The Training Camp has a few treasures that can speed up your body's evolution, but none of them are particularly high-grade. As for the most effective one, that would have to be the Limit Dojo's Dragon Blood. Unfortunately, I don't have any..."

Feng Qingmo fought the urge to roll his eyes. If you don't have any, why bring it up?

"Haha." Seeing his expression, Jia Yi couldn't help chuckling. "I may not have any on hand right now, but I know how to get some. Besides, you've mastered the first level of the Wind-Washing Sword, but I doubt you can afford the second-level manual, right?"

"That's right." Feng Qingmo nodded without hesitation. "That's why I applied to the Training Camp earlier to go to the Wilderness Zone and hunt monsters..."

"Haha." Jia Yi laughed again. "Even after mastering the first level, your force amplification is only 1.8 times. At most, you'd be able to fight at Junior War General level. With your Spiritual Force added in, you'd still only reach Intermediate War General level. If you're hoping to earn enough for the second-level manual by hunting monsters, it'll take you forever..."

"That's right," Li Ping said with a laugh. "The second-level Wind-Washing Sword manual costs 1.5 billion. Even at half price, it's still 750 million. If you're only hunting commander-level and soldier-level beasts, you might not even earn enough in a year..."