On April 14, after returning from the Wilderness, Lu Chong went back to the Special Warfare Class training grounds.
After his impressive display the day before, none of the soldiers dared look down on him anymore. Instead, because he had freely shared his Martial Skill advice, they had gained a little more respect and affection for him.
Still, Li Yibing kept to their earlier agreement and sent soldiers from the Special Warfare Class to spar with Lu Chong.
Of course, they no longer fought him one-on-one. Two soldiers came at him together.
After all, what soldiers excelled at was never fighting alone, but working together in perfect coordination.
Having two soldiers attack in tandem was by no means as simple as one plus one equaling two.
As their opponent, Lu Chong felt that most keenly.
The soldiers trusted each other absolutely. They could entrust their backs to their comrades without reservation. A glance or a small movement was enough to tell them what the other would do next.
Lu Chong felt several times the pressure and had to focus completely. Only by relying on his solid fundamentals and maneuvering skillfully did he find a chance to win.
"You two, step down. Send three more," Li Yibing ordered.
He was even more astonished than Lu Chong. The kid seemed to improve with every passing moment.
Only a day had gone by, yet his Earth-Rank Martial Skill in the Microscopic realm was already even closer to perfection.
What was more, Lu Chong quickly adapted to the soldiers' coordinated fighting style and won decisively.
With three soldiers attacking at once, Lu Chong came under even greater pressure. He had no choice but to reveal another mid-grade Martial Skill, the Three-Inch Palm. He defeated one soldier at close range, then broke through their formation to claim victory.
"First it was the Seven-Step Killing Fist and Gale Step, and now he's shown a Microscopic Three-Inch Palm. Just how many times has this kid taken our officers for a ride?"
Li Yibing was at a loss for words. He didn't need to guess where Lu Chong had gotten the Three-Inch Palm.
After returning yesterday, he had gone to ask Cheng Dongye and several other instructors about Lu Chong's background.
He'd specifically asked about the origins of the two military Martial Skills, Gale Step and Seven-Step Killing Fist. That was when he learned that Lu Chong had already talked two instructors into teaching them to him.
But they hadn't told Li Yibing that Lu Chong also had a Microscopic Three-Inch Palm.
Thinking about it now, they probably hadn't deliberately hidden it. They'd just been too embarrassed to explain clearly.
Never mind. Li Yibing didn't dare go looking for the platoon leaders to complain.
The thing was, in just a few days, this kid had mastered three mid-grade Martial Skills to the Microscopic realm. Was he even human?
Li Yibing was reminded once again of the gulf between people.
Now he was looking forward to seeing how far this dark horse from Guanyun City would go in this year's national College Entrance Exam, and how many people he would amaze.
"His cultivation is still a little lacking, though. In past years, the top students in each province were all Martial Artists. Their Martial Skills might not be as solid as this kid's, but their cultivation alone would crush him."
"Across the country, there are far too many prodigies. Can he really fight his way through?"
Li Yibing came back to himself and stopped dwelling on it. He sent out the remaining five soldiers.
This time, Lu Chong couldn't hide his Wind Splitting Leg, which had already reached Great Accomplishment. Relying on his many mid-grade Martial Skills, he fought his way out of their encirclement and won again, stunning all the soldiers.
"All right, that's enough for today."
"Lu Chong, tomorrow I'll have them all fight you at once. We won't go easy on you." Li Yibing looked at Lu Chong, who was still full of energy, and spoke sternly.
He now felt that even more pressure wouldn't break the kid. It might even help him make another breakthrough before the College Entrance Exam.
"Thank you, Squad Leader Li." Lu Chong could tell the other man meant well, and thanked him sincerely.
On April 15, the soldiers of the Special Warfare Class came to the training grounds full of energy once again.
Today, Lu Chong would take on the entire class alone. The number of soldiers who came to watch had doubled, and the atmosphere was lively.
A Martial Apprentice Stage 9 taking on an entire Special Warfare Class was a rare sight even in the military camp.
It had been a long time since such a feat had taken place at the Guanyun City military camp.
But today, Lu Chong was clearly more at ease than he had been the day before.
It wasn't blind confidence. That morning, the three mid-grade Martial Skills he had learned here had all successively reached perfection.
Name: Lu Chong Level: Martial Apprentice Stage 9 (99%) Martial Skill: Nine-Shadow Step — Perfection ... Golden Cicada Robe — Microscopic (95%) Tiger Roar Skill — Great Accomplishment (85%) Seven-Step Killing Fist — Perfection Gale Step — Perfection Three-Inch Palm — Perfection
"It's not just the three military Martial Skills. My Golden Cicada Robe is almost perfect too," Lu Chong thought.
What excited him most was his cultivation. After accumulating strength for so long, he was finally on the verge of breaking through that major barrier and entering the true realm of a Martial Artist.
Perhaps it was because of the boost from the Tiger Roar Skill, but his cultivation had improved faster than he'd expected. He was only a hair's breadth away from breaking through.
Although the difference between a Martial Artist and a Martial Apprentice was only one word, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. A clear dividing line separated the two.
Their status alone made that obvious.
In high school, Martial Artists were qualified to work as teachers.
In society, Martial Artists could earn generous pay at martial arts schools or venture into the Wilderness to work as bounty hunters.
In the Military Department, Martial Artists could serve as squad leaders and complete missions on their own.
All these privileges marked a transformation from youth to adulthood. They meant that a person had the strength and ability to stand on their own.
That was why Lu Chong was so eager for the breakthrough.
Martial Artists also had special abilities that set them apart from Martial Apprentices, as well as access to Earth-Rank Martial Skills, which could only be cultivated after becoming a Martial Artist. These were all beyond the reach of Martial Apprentices.
And countless Martial Apprentices were stuck at this step.
Huaxia Country had a straightforward statistic: it took thirty Martial Apprentices to produce one true Martial Artist, let alone one so young.
It wasn't that they didn't want to break through. Their talent and resources were limited, and not everyone could make it across that threshold.
"Lu Chong, fall in!" Li Yibing's shout brought Lu Chong back to himself.
"Here!"
Lu Chong stepped forward and faced ten imposing soldiers from the Special Warfare Class alone.
"What's the matter, kid? Getting scared?" Niu Ben noticed that Lu Chong seemed distracted and teased him quietly.
This battle had drawn everyone's attention. Even Principal Fang and the seven instructors had come to watch.
To keep Lu Chong's secret, they hadn't let any other students come near. Instead, they'd had the students practice with one another.
If Lu Chong backed down now, it would be a very anticlimactic end.
Lu Chong was about to retort when he suddenly sensed something. He spread his hands, turned toward Li Yibing at the edge of the field, and said, "Sorry, Squad Leader Li, I'm afraid we can't go ahead with this match."
"Why?" Li Yibing frowned slightly. He didn't think Lu Chong would shy away from a fight at a time like this.
Feeling the warm current constantly welling up inside him, Lu Chong said helplessly, "Because I'm about to break through."
"Breaking through to become a Martial Artist!" Principal Fang leaped through the air, his face a mix of shock and delight.
"He's breaking through just like that?" Li Yibing stood frozen. This kid was making such an important breakthrough seem far too casual.
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