This Student Was Impossible to Teach

That day, the students pushed another twenty li deeper into the Wilderness.

Exotic Beasts in the Wilderness were like weeds, growing back in one batch after another. They were impossible to wipe out completely.

Fortunately, there were few Level 2 Exotic Beasts within a hundred li of the Fortress, making it a suitable place for the students to train.

Some students still got injured, but most had adapted considerably. At least they no longer completely forgot how to fight when they encountered a Level 1 Exotic Beast.

Lu Chong, of course, stuck to his usual style of stealing kills. By midday, he had earned another three hundred or so merit points.

He had no choice. If he didn't steal kills, he had no idea where he'd get the merit points for tonight's Medicinal Bath.

When they returned to camp, Lu Chong made a point of checking Xue Cheng's merit points.

Not bad. He had a little over three hundred, just a few dozen behind Lu Chong.

That was for the best. If the gap got too big, Lu Chong worried the kid might give up halfway and stop earning merit points for him.

When the afternoon martial arts training began, Lu Chong didn't choose Liu Ziqiang again. Instead, he went to another instructor who specialized in Iron Wire Fist.

Following the same playbook, he smoothly coaxed another middle-grade Martial Skill, Gale Step, out of him.

It was a movement technique focused purely on increasing running speed, quite different from Nine-Shadow Step's short-range shifts and dodges.

Lu Chong gladly accepted it, then returned to Liu Ziqiang to share the good news.

"Haha, nice! Instructor Zhang got played by me too."

Liu Ziqiang laughed gleefully, then gave Lu Chong a malicious look. "You've practiced your Seven-Step Killing Fist for a whole day now. Let's spar."

He'd wanted to beat this kid up for ages. How could he pass up such a perfect opportunity?

"Yes, please show me the way, Instructor." Lu Chong was happy to oblige, humbly asking for guidance.

He knew what the instructor was thinking. But sorry, my Seven-Step Killing Fist has already reached Great Accomplishment.

So, fifteen minutes later, Liu Ziqiang called a halt again, utterly dejected. He kept muttering that Lu Chong wasn't human and that this couldn't be real.

"Are you sure you'd never practiced this fist technique before?" Liu Ziqiang asked repeatedly, and every time Lu Chong gave him the same definite answer.

Fortunately, he'd already sent the other students to the Military Infirmary ahead of time. Otherwise, Lu Chong would probably have played him for a fool again that day.

"Enough. I can't teach you, kid. Go find someone better."

In the end, Liu Ziqiang sent Lu Chong off as if he were some honored guest, then went to scratch his head alone.

They were both human. Why was the gap between them so huge?

By the third day, however, Liu Ziqiang had come to terms with it, because Instructor Zhang had suffered the same fate.

And Liu Ziqiang had witnessed it with his own eyes: Lu Chong had defeated him with Gale Step.

That same day, Lu Chong got what he wanted again. Using his last unrevealed technique, Cloud Piercing Finger, he obtained another middle-grade Martial Skill, Three-Inch Palm, from Instructor Chang.

This Martial Skill had its own unique strengths. It focused on unleashing a lethal strike within three inches, making it a close-quarters killing technique that emphasized short-range force.

Lu Chong, of course, was happy to accept it.

So, on the fourth day, with Liu Ziqiang and Instructor Zhang watching, Instructor Chang was defeated by Lu Chong's Three-Inch Palm.

When the afternoon martial arts training began on the fifth day, none of the instructors would talk to Lu Chong. They left him off to the side.

Clearly, all seven instructors knew what he'd been up to and had chosen to steer clear of him.

After class that day, the seven instructors sought out Principal Fang to complain. "This student is impossible to teach! He's practically drained the lot of us dry."

After hearing what Lu Chong had been doing, Principal Fang burst into hearty laughter. Lu Chong had been driving him nearly crazy these past few days, too.

Who could have imagined that Lu Chong would need only five short days to nearly reach Microscopic mastery in Principal Fang's exceptional Tiger Roar Skill?

The frustration of being driven mad by someone else's talent was enough to make a person lose their mind. At least now he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

Of course, Principal Fang was far too shrewd to tell the instructors about it.

He was simply thinking that Lu Chong needed specialized training. He couldn't let him sit around doing nothing and disrupt the other students' practice.

With that in mind, Principal Fang said to the instructors, "The daily Wilderness training is still necessary. It'll broaden his experience, and this kid needs the merit points, too."

"But we do need to adjust Lu Chong's afternoon martial arts training to target his weaknesses."

Principal Fang pondered for a moment. "Any ideas?"

After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Dongye said, "Why not have him spar with the soldiers? Without restricting which Martial Skills they can use."

Principal Fang slapped his thigh. "Good. Let's do that."

"The soldiers are battle-hardened veterans. Without restrictions on Martial Skills, it'll be real combat—and real killing techniques."

"It won't just be Lu Chong. Once the other students have trained for half a month, they should join in, too."

"Let them see what a real soldier is."

Instructor Liu Ziqiang suddenly spoke up. "But if the soldiers are at the same level as Lu Chong, they probably won't pose much of a threat to him. You don't understand— that kid hits hard."

He was the instructor who had personally taken Lu Chong into the Wilderness. He knew just how ruthless the boy could be. The soldiers' ferocity might not be enough to intimidate him.

Cheng Dongye snorted. "No need to worry. If one isn't enough, send two. If that doesn't work, have a whole squad go at him together."

"Heh, I refuse to believe he can take on a hundred men in a row!"

Principal Fang nodded, enjoying the prospect. "Well said. We have to make sure this kid learns a lesson during special training."

Who was afraid of whom in the military camp? If you had a problem, you fought it out. Whoever was tougher got to be the big brother.

Lu Chong had no idea they'd already made all the arrangements for him. He was soaking in his tent, reviewing what he'd gained over the past few days.

Name: Lu Chong

Level: Martial Apprentice Stage 9 (65%)

Martial Skills:

Nine-Shadow Step — Perfection

Monument-Splitting Palm — Perfection

Cloud Piercing Finger — Perfection

Mountain Leaning Back — Perfection

Eagle Claw Technique — Perfection

Iron Wire Fist — Perfection

Heart-Piercing Kick — Perfection

Wind Splitting Leg — Perfection

Golden Cicada Robe — Microscopic (85%)

Tiger Roar Skill — Great Accomplishment (59%)

Seven-Step Killing Fist — Microscopic (50%)

Gale Step — Microscopic (35%)

Three-Inch Palm — Microscopic (10%)

Looking at the thirteen Martial Skills he'd mastered, Lu Chong felt incredibly fulfilled.

"Seven low-grade, four middle-grade, one high-grade, and one top-grade," Lu Chong thought. "I doubt anyone else at the Martial Apprentice stage has mastered such a wide range of Martial Skills."