After a few rounds of drinks and dishes,
Fatty Wang Long brought up the latest situation. "Old Xu, I heard the base has started recruiting Quasi-Warriors from among the Martial Servants to train them.
"They're saying they'll go out to clear the surrounding area of the Alien Race and Mutated Creatures. The rewards are pretty generous. Did you sign up?"
"No." Xu Feng shook his head. "I just repair communicators. Fighting? That's not my strong suit. I know my own limits."
"What about you?" Xu Feng asked his new neighbor.
He was also a Quasi-Warrior.
"Me? Ah, I'm a coward too, but several Quasi-Warriors I know signed up.
"They say there's a 500,000 reward, plus weapons and equipment. It's enough to make anyone itch to join."
Huang Sen said that, then quickly laughed. "But I know exactly how strong I am, so I'm not getting mixed up in that excitement."
"Pfft!" Xiao Dan suddenly burst out laughing.
Xu Feng glanced at Huang Sen, who immediately gave an awkward laugh. "I'll try to keep the dirty jokes to myself from now on."
"Hahaha." Everyone burst into laughter again.
After the meal, Xu Feng saw the three of them off, then returned to his training.
Panel.
[Name: Xu Feng]
[Blood and Qi: 236c]
[Age: 40]
[Skills:
Nine Star Body Refining Art [Free Version] · Proficient (310/500) Communicator Repair · Proficient (84/100) Secret Blade Art · Master (4713/5000) White Wolf Blade · Proficient (160/1000) Mind Movement · Skilled (195/200) Pit Digging · Proficient (2645/5000)]
"The minimum blood and qi required for Warrior Grade is 250c. I'm still 14c short, which will probably take about half a month."
Xu Feng was naturally looking forward to crossing the threshold into true Warrior status in half a month.
That alone showed that all his hard work over this period hadn't gone to waste.
Also, his Communicator Repair skill was nearing the Master level.
By now, repairing Series 9 communicators came easily to Xu Feng.
A few days ago, he'd started learning the inner workings and repair techniques of the previous generation's mid- and high-end Series 6 smart communicators.
Books on the subject weren't easy to find, but with Lu Fei's connections, money could still get the job done.
When the time came, his income should be able to shoot up as well.
Also, his Flying Blade technique, Secret Blade Art, was nearing a higher level.
It had become his greatest trump card.
And White Wolf Blade had finally reached the Proficient level, bringing about a qualitative change.
Before, Xu Feng had only mastered a few simple close-combat techniques.
Now, his overall coordination and combat skills had improved tremendously.
Blade techniques didn't just train a particular body part or the arms.
A complete set of blade techniques trained the coordination and connection of the whole body, honing both the body and the mind.
White Wolf Blade was basic, but the manual itself was as comprehensive as a textbook.
Aside from blade techniques, it covered footwork, combat skills, experience in facing enemies, and more advanced concepts.
He could fully understand why this book had become a core course at Martial Arts University.
Finally, his Psychic Secret Art, Mind Movement, was also nearing the next level.
As his training progressed, Xu Feng's mind had become increasingly invigorated.
His focus had sharpened, his mental stamina had grown, his thoughts had become more active, and his senses had grown keener.
Xu Feng had also noticed that his entire bearing had changed dramatically.
It wasn't his age or appearance, but his vitality and spirit.
He used to be a pudgy, dispirited forty-year-old man.
Now, he'd lost weight and grown more handsome, but that wasn't important.
What mattered was that when he met someone's gaze,
ordinary people who weren't Warriors would look away from Xu Feng.
It was as if there were some kind of pressure—or some force he couldn't quite describe.
Xu Feng called it "Mental Pressure."
He didn't know whether mental power had a testing standard like blood and qi.
But if it did, his was definitely improving steadily.
That was why he was eager to see what new changes would come once he trained this art to the Proficient level.
Just two days later, a convoy of armored cars and off-road vehicles rumbled out of the base in a grand display.
Xu Feng watched with the crowd as the team set off to clear the surrounding area, his heart heavy with feeling.
They called it special training, but it had lasted less than five days. Though many people on the team had passed the Quasi-Warrior certification, they'd never experienced real combat.
Quasi-Warrior Martial Servants weren't expected to fight directly; their main job was to maintain the battlefield equipment.
But if they ran into the Alien Race or Mutated Creatures, would death distinguish between Warriors and Quasi-Warriors?
No. The battlefield was equally fair to everyone.
Even mighty War God Grade powerhouses, revered like Martial Gods, could die!
"Dad, what are we doing today? It's rare to have a day off, and I want to go out and have fun."
Xiao Dan tugged at Xu Feng's hand and looked up at him.
Xu Feng thought for a moment. "How about we invite your friends and have a picnic?"
"A picnic? Yay!"
Half an hour later.
In the backyard of Xu Feng's home, smoke curled into the air as Xiao Dan looked at Xu Feng speechlessly. "Dad, isn't this a little too close to call it the wilderness?"
"Do your homework or have a picnic. You choose."
"I choose the picnic!" Xiao Dan ran off, then happily played house and "survived in the wilderness" with three girls.
Xu Feng nodded in satisfaction and sat to one side, beginning to practice Mind Movement.
Soon, his mind cleared, and Xu Feng abruptly opened his eyes.
[Mind Movement · Proficient (1/500)]
He'd broken through!
He suddenly raised his hand and closed his fingers into a fist.
When he opened his hand again, a mosquito lay in his palm.
"My perception has gotten so strong. I feel like I can sense the movement and changes in the air around me even with my eyes closed."
Xu Feng muttered to himself, excitement stirring in his heart.
Just then, someone passing by on the roadside called out to him, "Sir, would you be interested in a loan? Three years interest-free, and it can cover any—"
"No." Xu Feng's face darkened, and he turned to answer coldly.
The salesman froze. When he met Xu Feng's gaze, a chill ran through him, and he hurriedly turned and ran off.
Xu Feng was slightly taken aback by the scene.
"That was Mental Pressure. I can use it like that?"
Xu Feng was delighted. He'd discovered another use for his mental power.
If he ever—he meant if—really managed to develop his mental power, even Mental Pressure alone could become a powerful weapon in battle.
A sudden moment of intimidation at a critical point in a fight might make his opponent falter for an instant—and that could decide who lived and who died.
Xu Feng might say he wasn't good at fighting, but he was always prepared.
In this world of the survival of the fittest, no one could ever completely escape conflict!
Just as Xu Feng was pleased with his modest improvement in mental power,
evening came.
Lu Fei brought him some bad news.
"Those foreign Warriors from the Eagle Alliance have moved into District D21 in the Wumeng Mountain Region. Their base isn't far from ours, so they might make contact.
"These foreigners don't care about Great Xia's laws or rules. There'll definitely be some minor clashes. Make sure to protect Xiao Dan over the next few days."
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