With his specialized swordsmanship and subtle movement technique, Feng Qingmo almost always defeated these trainees in a single move. Li Canyang was the only one whose physical fitness had reached Advanced Warrior Level; the rest were almost all Intermediate Warriors.
Not one of them had mastered subtle movement, and not one had brought their swordsmanship to the specialized level. To Feng Qingmo, they simply weren't the slightest challenge.
After watching the morning's sparring matches, Guan Chenglong naturally had a clear understanding of everyone's abilities. He'd started them off with a gauntlet of opponents to knock down their pride and show them that people their own age could be far beyond their reach. He hoped it would fire up their competitive spirit and drive them to train harder.
"Feng Qingmo only officially became a Martial Artist last month, just like you. But he's improved quickly. You need to train harder..."
Guan Chenglong said this casually, then turned to Zuo Mingkun. "Have you figured it out?"
"It's because Feng Qingmo is too strong. His swordsmanship must have reached the specialized level..." Zuo Mingkun said hesitantly.
Guan Chenglong shook his head slightly. "Strength is part of it, but more importantly, you were still treating it like a friendly spar. Your first strike could have gone for his heart, but you chose his left shoulder... Remember this: once you're on the field, treat your opponent like an enemy. Be as ruthless as you need to be. Otherwise, why would I need to stand there watching? Or are you worried I'm not strong enough to save you in time?"
Seeing the others lost in thought, he turned to Chu Mingxin. "You saw Zuo Mingkun lose in one move, so you decided to wait and react. That idea wasn't wrong in itself, but you overestimated your own ability. If you don't know yourself or your opponent, how can you expect not to lose?"
He didn't say whether Chu Mingxin had been afraid. That was something he had to overcome on his own. No amount of advice from others would help; it would only make him lose face and grow resentful. That wasn't what Guan Chenglong wanted.
He then went on to critique the others one by one, and they nodded along repeatedly.
"You've only recently become Martial Artists, and you've only been practicing the manuals you bought for a month. This is when you'll improve fastest," Guan Chenglong said sternly. "There are no shortcuts now. You just have to train—and train hard! This week is for learning. Next week will be for field training. You'll spend a week in the Wilderness Zone, and I hope you won't wait until you're facing monsters to regret not putting in more practice at the Training Camp..."
With Feng Qingmo as a catfish stirring up the pond, the other trainees felt immense pressure and didn't dare slack off. They trained diligently every day.
Every morning, Guan Chenglong sparred with the seven of them one at a time. In the afternoons, they sparred with the other trainees. After the first day's gauntlet, the others knew they were nowhere near Feng Qingmo's level, so Guan Chenglong simply had him fight several opponents at once. That let the others hold out longer and helped them build some teamwork.
On the afternoon of the third day, Feng Qingmo had just thoroughly beaten three trainees and was about to start the next match when his Communication Watch suddenly received a message: Tonight at 9:00 p.m., please report to the Trial Room on the ninth floor of the Central Building. Trial Room use is limited to half an hour. Time is limited, so please don't be late.
The other trainees then received the same message, though their assigned times differed.
"I can't believe they scheduled me for midnight!" Zheng Hu groaned.
"You got off easy. Mine's at 2:30 tomorrow morning!" Su Chenghui said with a wry smile.
"Come on, don't complain. This is a rare opportunity," Guan Chenglong said with a reassuring smile. "There are so many trainees. Divided among everyone, each trainee gets less than three hours to use the Trial Tower per month..."
"Based on our experience, half an hour is the ideal length for each trial, so the time will be split into multiple sessions, each lasting half an hour..."
A mischievous grin suddenly appeared on Guan Chenglong's face. "Are you afraid of pain? You should know the Trial Room's simulations reproduce pain with one hundred percent accuracy..."
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
"Th-then, does it simulate the feeling of dying with one hundred percent accuracy too?" Guo Hui asked, visibly nervous.
"You'll find out when you try it..." Guan Chenglong said flatly, then turned and left.
At 8:45, Feng Qingmo arrived outside the Trial Room on the ninth floor, more than ten minutes early.
The wall outside the Trial Room listed various rules and instructions.
After reading through them, Feng Qingmo understood how to use the Trial Room.
At exactly nine, the Trial Room door opened, and an older trainee came out, looking irritated. He'd probably taken a serious beating.
After the trainee left, Feng Qingmo swiped his trainee card. The door opened automatically, and he stepped inside. It locked behind him.
There were two reclining chairs in the room, comfortable enough to lie back in. A deep-blue helmet sat at the far end.
Feng Qingmo walked over, lay down, and picked up the helmet to put it on.
With a hum, his consciousness arrived on a boundless silver plain.
"Ah! It feels so good to see again..." Feng Qingmo looked around. He'd grown used to everything appearing blurry, but now he could see everything clearly. And with his physical fitness set to Junior War General, his eyesight was far better than it had ever been when he'd worn glasses in his previous life.
The starry universe stretched overhead, countless stars glittering in the endless night sky. Beneath his feet lay a boundless silver plain, and a towering structure rose into the clouds in the distance.
"As expected, there's no Spiritual Force..." He tried to summon the Spiritual Force within him, but couldn't sense even the slightest trace.
"Though this body's taller than my real one..." He started toward the distant building, getting used to his virtual body as he walked.
At the foot of the Trial Tower, a black stone pillar stood on either side of the entrance. Information appeared on them:
Name: Feng Qingmo
Identity: Trainee at the Huashan Training Camp
Trial Tower Level: 1
"Please select your Combat Suit and weapon," an electronic voice announced, echoing throughout the virtual space.
"I want to take the fist-force output test," Feng Qingmo called out.
With a flash, a fist-force testing machine appeared out of thin air before him.
Feng Qingmo stood in front of the machine and thrust out his right fist. The hidden force within him surged into his arm, making its muscles bulge visibly.
With a soft thud, a set of numbers appeared on the display above the punching target.
"18012"
"Fist-force output level: 1.8."
Feng Qingmo looked up. "I want to choose my Combat Suit and weapon."
A screen appeared in front of him, displaying various Combat Suits and weapons.
He quickly chose a Combat Suit that fit him and the Slender Willow Sword. Once he'd put them on, the gate opened, and he stepped through.
Whoosh!
The space shifted, and Feng Qingmo found himself in a vast, desolate grassland.
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