Breakthrough! Peak First-Order Stage!

The image on the screen went dark.

The spacious Conference Room One fell into a brief silence.

Nie Dingguo reached into his pocket and took out a pack of specially supplied cigarettes.

He pulled one out and held it between his lips, but his hand paused for a moment before lighting it.

"The orders have been issued."

Nie Dingguo exhaled a plume of bluish smoke, his gaze sweeping over the two people before him.

"First."

"Lin Yuan, Instructor Su."

"You two will remain in the Northwest Military Region. You are not to go anywhere."

"Lin Yuan, you have only one mission: grow stronger at all costs."

"Instructor Su, continue serving as chief instructor. Train every person sent here without mercy."

Su Qingxue silently nodded.

She understood the significance of this arrangement very well.

"As for that Peak Second-Order Stage Ferocious Beast in Shu Capital..."

At this point,

Nie Dingguo looked at Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan."

"Before the complete Spiritual Energy Revival."

"The higher-ups will directly send you to guard Shu Capital."

"That is your hometown. Any objections to leaving it in your hands?"

Lin Yuan clenched his fists.

His knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

"I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

His parents and younger sister were all in the family quarters. He would never allow Shu Capital to fall.

That Peak Second-Order Stage monster had to die.

"Second."

"From today onward, resources from across the country will be directed toward the Northwest Military Region."

"High-energy nutrient fluids, century-old wild ginseng, all kinds of rare medicinal herbs."

"As long as they can aid cultivation, there will be as much as you need!"

"The various military regions will also intensify their selection efforts."

"Any promising candidates who can sense spiritual energy will be flown here around the clock by special aircraft."

Nie Dingguo's voice carried an unquestionable dominance.

"That means I'll have more and more people to teach."

Su Qingxue raised an eyebrow slightly.

"That's right."

"You need to prepare yourself mentally."

Nie Dingguo answered decisively.

"Third."

"Other than the two of you, anyone who breaks through and becomes a true Martial Warrior—"

"Pack them up and transfer them out immediately!"

"Wherever there is a potential Beast Tide crisis, that is where they will be stationed."

"We are racing against death."

"These seeds must be planted on defensive lines across the country in advance."

Nie Dingguo walked to the tactical map and heavily tapped it with his finger.

Lin Yuan looked at the red dots marked across the map.

Every one of those red dots was a Beast Tide outbreak location Su Qingxue had provided from memory.

"Fourth."

"Popularize the Basic Breathing Technique."

"Before the Spiritual Energy Revival, it must be taught throughout the entire military!"

"Even if many people cannot sense spiritual energy yet, and practicing it is currently useless."

"As long as they build muscle memory and engrave the Breathing Method into their bones—"

"When spiritual energy fully erupts, the entire military will immediately have combat capability."

Nie Dingguo turned around, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

Su Qingxue softly agreed.

"This is a very wise decision."

"We suffered too many losses in our previous life because we had no preparations in the early stages."

Lin Yuan could not help asking.

"What about the fifth point?"

"How will the higher-ups decide on making the Breathing Method public to ordinary civilians?"

Nie Dingguo sighed.

"They are still discussing it. No final decision has been made."

"Why?"

"If everyone became martial warriors, wouldn't we have a better chance against the Ferocious Beasts?"

Lin Yuan was somewhat puzzled.

Su Qingxue glanced at Lin Yuan and took over.

"You think human nature is too simple."

"When heroes possess martial power, they violate the law."

"Ordinary people would suddenly gain Transcendent Realm power without military discipline to restrain them."

"What do you think they would do?"

Lin Yuan froze.

"Robbery, revenge killings, building private factions..."

"After the apocalypse erupted in our previous life."

"The number of people who died at the hands of their own kind was no less than those devoured by Ferocious Beasts."

"Before absolute order can suppress them, rashly making it available to civilians..."

"Would only cause society to collapse ahead of time."

A bone-chilling coldness filled Su Qingxue's voice.

She possessed memories of her previous life and understood human nature far better than Lin Yuan did.

Nie Dingguo nodded in agreement.

"Instructor Su is right."

"This matter cannot be rushed."

"We must wait until the military grows strong before gradually releasing the Basic Breathing Technique."

"You two should go back. Seize every second."

After leaving Conference Room One,

Lin Yuan headed straight into his private cultivation room.

The alloy door slowly shut, completely cutting off the noise outside.

[Host: Lin Yuan]

[Strength: Late Stage Tier-One Martial Warrior]

[Technique: Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula, First Layer (Mastery Realm 1%)]

[Martial Skills: Broken Rock Fist (Entry Realm 93%), Wandering Dragon Step (Entry Realm 95%), Overlord Spear (Entry Realm 87%)]

[Treasures: None]

After glancing at the system panel,

Lin Yuan did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately immersed himself in circulating the Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula.

True qi surged through his meridians like a rushing river.

Each full circulation made his skin and flesh tougher.

The tingling sensation of his muscles tearing apart and rebuilding left him in both pain and pleasure.

A full four hours passed.

Only then did Lin Yuan stop circulating the technique.

He rose to his feet, walked to the weapon rack in the center of the cultivation room, and grabbed an alloy spear weighing a hundred jin.

Overlord Spear, opening stance!

The spear shot forth like a dragon, producing a sharp sonic boom in the air.

Lin Yuan darted and shifted through the cramped space.

The Wandering Dragon Step combined with his spear technique, turning his entire body into a blur.

Even without a real opponent,

he continuously simulated scenes of facing beast hordes in his mind.

"Too slow."

"I can be even faster."

In the days that followed,

Lin Yuan's life became exceedingly orderly and monotonous.

Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, he obsessively ground away at his progress.

Yet the outside world was undergoing earth-shaking changes.

Helicopters landed on the Northwest Base helipad every day.

Batch after batch of promising recruits were sent into the underground base.

In just one month,

the once-empty underground training grounds had been packed with more than a thousand people.

All of them were military elites.

Yet every one of them looked at Lin Yuan with fanatical admiration.

Because Lin Yuan was a towering mountain standing ahead of them all.

One morning,

a burst of airflow suddenly erupted from a corner of the training grounds.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

"I did it!"

Ye Qingshan slammed his fist down, and the air gave a muffled boom.

He had finally broken through to First-Tier Early Stage!

Just then,

Su Qingxue walked over from nearby with a document in hand.

"Ye Qingshan."

"Congratulations on becoming a Martial Warrior."

"Pack your things. The helicopter is waiting for you above."

Ye Qingshan was stunned for a moment.

"Instructor."

"I just broke through. Can't I consolidate my cultivation first?"

Su Qingxue looked at him expressionlessly.

"There is no time for you to consolidate."

"The Magic City defensive line needs you to guard it. The pressure there will be immense."

Ye Qingshan's expression instantly turned solemn.

He stood straight and gave a standard military salute.

"I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Before leaving,

Ye Qingshan looked toward Lin Yuan's private cultivation room.

He did not go disturb Lin Yuan.

He merely swore to himself that he could not allow Lin Yuan to leave him too far behind.

And Ye Qingshan's departure seemed to sound some kind of horn.

Two days later,

airflow also erupted around a valiant female soldier.

Song Qingyin.

China's Valkyrie from their previous life had successfully broken through to First-Tier Early Stage!

There were no surprises.

That afternoon, Song Qingyin boarded a special plane bound for the south.

Immediately afterward.

Chu Tiankuo, Xiao Zhan...

Those names that had once shone on the list crossed the threshold into the Transcendent Realm one after another.

Breakthroughs, partings, and departures for the battlefield.

This scene played out in the underground base every day.

The atmosphere of farewell was somewhat heavy.

Yet flames burned in everyone's eyes.

They all knew full well that the next time they met, it might be on a battlefield strewn with blood and flesh.

Time flew by.

Only three months remained until the full resurgence of spiritual energy.

The Northwest Military Region's resource consumption had reached a terrifying figure.

But the results were equally remarkable.

Inside Lin Yuan's private training room.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged in the center, bare-chested.

His skin gleamed with a dark bluish metallic sheen.

The Qi Vortex within him spun and compressed madly.

Half an hour later.

Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, a dazzling gleam flashing through his pupils.

He rose to his feet, and his bones erupted in a rapid series of cracks.

The explosive power surging through him made him want to let out a long howl.

"Bzz~"

At Lin Yuan's thought.

A transparent screen appeared before Lin Yuan.

[Host: Lin Yuan]

[Strength: Peak First-Order Martial Artist]

[Technique: Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula, First Layer (Perfected Realm 1%)]

[Martial Skills: Broken Rock Fist (Minor Mastery Realm 8%), Wandering Dragon Step (Minor Mastery Realm 14%), Overlord Spear (Minor Mastery Realm 6%)]

[Treasures: None]