Patrol Envoy

The most troublesome was stage C; he hadn't passed it on the 9th, nor during the 30 minutes on the night of the 18th, only managing to clear it on the 27th.

Countless low-level Beast General Level Iron-Armored Scorpions, led by ten mid-level Beast General Level Silver-Armored Scorpions, attacked in a coordinated, army-like fashion. Their synergy was impeccable, wave after wave; let alone low-level War Gods, even high-level War Gods could easily fall here!

It was under this immense pressure that Guan Ning constantly pushed himself to the limit, finally entering the third realm. Both his sword technique and footwork underwent a qualitative change, and he successfully passed the trial, though he was covered in wounds. Had his defense not doubled, he might not have made it through at all.

Reaching the third floor, facing the overwhelming swarms of Golden Vultures, Guan Ning had no room to resist. The main issue was his low force-exertion level; his strength and speed were simply insufficient, leaving his final Trial Tower ranking stuck at 3.0.

His force-exertion level remained at 2.0. Speaking of which, Guan Ning couldn't help but complain.

The Dugu Sword Manual is excellent, but if the realm doesn't break through, the force-exertion level doesn't change. What a load of crap!

With a combat power amplitude of 6.0, squeezing into the top 100 was not a problem. However, Guan Ning's physical fitness and force-exertion level were relatively low, and the highest-level monsters he could hunt were only mid-level Beast Generals. This was clearly insufficient to support his climb into the top 100.

Therefore, he used the Coiling Dragon Sword while hunting. Although the Coiling Dragon Sword was only a Grade 6 weapon, its material was special—concealed, sharp, and lethal. No high-level Beast General monster could withstand its sneak attacks, and even a monster with average defense at the Warlord level would regret it instantly if they were caught off guard.

When hunting, Guan Ning used the Qingming Sword to disguise himself. High-level Beast General monsters saw no threat in him and naturally lowered their guard. Taking this opportunity, he would draw the Coiling Dragon Sword; the monsters were either decapitated or gutted in a single strike. It was invincible, which allowed him to squeeze into 86th place.

During this process, he also discovered new insights into the Hidden Edge Sword Technique. He had forgotten that a sword is inherently a weapon of slaughter; it can only grow rapidly through killing. By hiding and restraining himself as he had before, he didn't know how much time it would have taken to master the Hidden Edge Sword.

After realizing this, Guan Ning cursed himself for his stupidity. Fortunately, it wasn't too late to wake up. Ever since he started using the Coiling Dragon Sword in actual combat, the Hidden Edge Sword Technique had progressed rapidly.

On the 12th, the Hidden Edge Sword Technique was compressed by Guan Ning from thirty-six moves to eighteen; these eighteen moves could be transformed into thirty-six at any time.

On the 18th, the eighteen moves became twelve.

On the 27th, which was yesterday, the Hidden Edge Sword Technique evolved from twelve moves to six. It was precisely because of this progress in his sword technique that he lasted longer in the second floor's C stage, which allowed his sword technique and footwork to step into the third realm and pass the trial—truly a case of moving one part and affecting the whole.

Guan Ning had a premonition that when he condensed the thirty-six moves into a single strike, the second layer of the Basic Sword Technique would be perfected. Not only would his sword technique and footwork advance significantly, but his force-exertion level would also undergo a qualitative change.

This was completely different from the first layer. When practicing the Swift Sword, he had mastered the Swift Sword Technique first, then integrated that strike into his sword moves.

Now, it was different; he was condensing his sword moves step by step, so when he finally condensed them into a single strike, he would naturally reach the perfection of the second layer.

The first method was bottom-up; as long as one followed the steps, perfection was only a matter of time. The second method was top-down, requiring astonishing comprehension. Neither was superior to the other; it all depended on the individual.

"Little Ning, come out and welcome us! We're back!"

Zhao Ruo's boisterous voice rang out.

Guan Ning arrived in the lobby to find Luo Feng, Shi Jiang, and Zhao Ruo already sitting on the sofa.

"Senior Brother Luo Feng, congratulations! You've actually reached 68th place. I reckon you'll squeeze into the top fifty next month."

Guan Ning offered his congratulations, speaking with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Junior Brother Guan Ning, you flatter me. I don't have that kind of confidence, but you certainly do. After all, everyone has witnessed your progress."

Luo Feng replied modestly, returning the gesture.

"Tsk tsk, you two are enough. Complimenting each other one after another—you really have no shame. Don't you agree, Senior Brother Shi Jiang?"

Zhao Ruo couldn't stand the mutual admiration between the two men.

"It's fine, I think it's alright!" Shi Jiang's expression wasn't very good.

"Senior Brother Shi Jiang, what's wrong?" The three of them naturally noticed Shi Jiang's anomaly, and Zhao Ruo, who was closest to him, asked.

"It's just... seeing Chu Qiang reach the top spot, I feel a bit uncomfortable!"

Shi Jiang forced a grim smile.

The three of them looked at each other, not expecting this to be the reason.

Because of Shi Jiang's mood, the four parted on a sour note.

Guan Ning took a shower and went to bed; this was his reward to himself. Balancing work and rest was the right path.

After returning, Luo Feng naturally spent his time on the phone with his little girlfriend.

Candice also received a call from his aunt, Venina Poletina, telling him to observe whether Luo Feng was a Spirit Reader.

Across the five major nations of the world, various forces were surging around the Elite Training Camp, both in the open and in the shadows. The instigators were none other than Guan Ning and Luo Feng.

On April 29th, the trainees at the camp were much more relaxed compared to the previous 28 days, but Guan Ning did not relax. Today, in addition to eight hours of training in the simulated Gravity Room, he also had guidance from Feng Mu.

I believe the teacher will be greatly surprised this time.

Guan Ning intended to use the Coiling Dragon Sword when sparring with Feng Mu this time. That way, his progress would surely be greater, and since Feng Mu was somewhat of a maverick in the training camp, he didn't have to worry about leaks.

Just as Guan Ning was training in the simulated Gravity Room, and while Luo Feng was seeking advice from Jiang Fang, the intelligence on both of them was already sitting on the desks of the high-level officials at the Limit Martial Hall.

Because the stir caused by Guan Ning and Luo Feng this time was too great—two newcomers entering the top 100 in their first month—it was unprecedented, if not impossible to surpass. It immediately drew great attention from the upper echelons of the Limit Martial Hall.

Except for the Hall Master 'Hong', who was still in seclusion and did not appear, the other five Inspectors of the Limit Martial Hall, scattered across the globe, were all present. They gathered in a mysterious conference hall within the virtual space to hold a meeting.

The so-called Inspectors were the high-level officials of the Limit Martial Hall, second only to the Hall Master 'Hong'. Each one was an existence that surpassed the War God level!

As the Hall Master, 'Hong' rarely handled the affairs of the Limit Martial Hall personally; generally, it was managed by the five Inspectors scattered around the world.

There were five figures in white robes: three Chinese, one white, and one black.

"Everyone, these are the files on Luo Feng and Guan Ning."

"Luo Feng, Trial Tower level 2.9, punch force multiplier 2.8, which means a combat power amplitude of 8.12—he counts as 'Excellent,'" a Chinese man in a white robe said. "Guan Ning, Trial Tower level 3.0, force multiplier 2.0, combat power amplitude 6.0—he belongs to the 'High' tier."

A Black man in a white robe nodded: "Their monster hunting records are equivalent to those of third-year veteran students at the training camp. Guan Ning's combat power amplitude is 'High,' ranking 86th, while Luo Feng's is 'Excellent,' ranking 68th."

"Inspector Wang, I agree with recruiting them both, but the treatment you've offered..."

"Vladimir, I don't believe the treatment I've offered is too high."

Just as the five were embroiled in their dispute, an electronic voice rang out: "Five Inspectors!"

The five Inspectors looked up toward the ceiling. From the starry projection above the conference hall, ten files drifted down, landing directly in front of the five Inspectors. The electronic voice continued: "This is the decision of the Dojo Master regarding the matter of Luo Feng and Guan Ning. If you have any objections, you may report them to the Dojo Master; if you have none, please execute this decision."

"Do you have any objections?" the electronic voice asked.

"None." "None." "None." "None." "None."

The five Inspectors flipped through the files briefly and responded in quick succession.

"Then, Inspector Wang, please execute this immediately!" the electronic voice commanded.

At nine o'clock that evening, in a training room on the third floor of the Nine-Story Tower, Feng Mu looked at the Coiling Dragon Sword in Guan Ning's hand, which was as thin as a cicada's wing, and frowned: "Isn't the secret manual you're practicing the Mist Sword?"

"It isn't." Guan Ning shook his head. Feng Mu's brow furrowed even deeper. The problem was tricky now; practicing a secret manual in private carried severe consequences if discovered.

Seeing Feng Mu's expression, Guan Ning knew he had misunderstood and hurriedly explained: "Teacher, the secret manual I'm practicing was left behind by my parents; it cannot be found in the Warrior Mall."

"I see." Feng Mu nodded, though it was unclear whether he truly believed it or not.

"Since that's the case, let's begin."

As soon as Feng Mu engaged Guan Ning in combat, he noticed the difference. The Coiling Dragon Sword was not only bizarre in its techniques but also incredibly swift.

Clang!

The Coiling Dragon Sword slashed horizontally from the side. Feng Mu blocked with his own longsword, but just before the two blades collided, Guan Ning adjusted the angle. Although the longsword blocked the Coiling Dragon Sword, the latter bent in a strange way, tracing an arc to stab toward Feng Mu's neck, forcing Feng Mu to dodge.

That wasn't all. Facing the longsword attacking from Feng Mu, Guan Ning would sometimes use the Coiling Dragon Sword to parry; the blade would bend in the same way before instantly snapping back to its original shape, allowing Guan Ning to use that rebound force to suddenly increase his speed.

At other times, he would neither dodge nor parry. The Coiling Dragon Sword would coil around the opponent's blade like a spirit snake, winding circle after circle toward the wrist, forcing Feng Mu to stop his assault and swing his longsword wildly to neutralize the offensive.

"Is this your true strength? It's a bit troublesome, but it's still not enough."

Feeling the pressure increase several times over, Feng Mu raised his guard and focused entirely on the sparring match with Guan Ning.

Facing a serious Feng Mu, Guan Ning ultimately lost, but the duration of their duel had nearly doubled. Guan Ning could accept such a result; he hadn't harbored any delusions of defeating Feng Mu at his current level.

The next day, the morning of April 30th, Guan Ning was training in a simulated Gravity Room when a ringtone sounded. Guan Ning answered, and Feng Mu's weathered face appeared on the screen. He thought to himself, It's here!

"Teacher, is there something you need?" Guan Ning asked, despite knowing the answer.