Black Continent.
The alarm in the underground fortress was especially shrill.
Beneath the dim lights, several men in suits looked ashen.
"Taking advantage of our crisis!"
"This is outright extortion!"
"They actually want the mining rights to our southern rare-earth deposits before they'll trade us a shipment of conventional weapons!"
A white-haired man slammed his fist on the table.
A coffee cup shattered, splashing brown liquid everywhere.
"Mr. President."
"Our second Defense Line collapsed completely ten minutes ago."
"Those Mutant Wild Boars aren't even afraid of armor-piercing rounds."
"If we don't agree to Dragon Country's terms..."
The bearded officer beside him gave a bitter smile.
He did not finish.
But the white-haired man understood.
Their country stood on the brink of annihilation.
Without martial artists, their scrap-metal weapons could never stop the evolved monsters.
"Sign it."
"Send Dragon Country the coordinates of the deposits."
"Trade for weapons! As many as we can get!"
A moment later,
the white-haired man seemed to age ten years as he spoke helplessly.
The same scene
played out in conference rooms across dozens of small countries.
With survival at stake, dignity was worthless.
To obtain Dragon Country's heavy firepower, they could only empty their National Treasuries through tears.
Weak nations had no say in diplomacy.
In this worldwide frenzy of evolution, those left behind were destined to become prey.
Southwest Military Region.
Outside the special-care ward,
Zhao Dingbang paced like a cat on hot bricks.
Two fully armed Guards stood like statues on either side of the door.
"How much longer will he sleep?"
Zhao Dingbang kept his voice low, afraid of disturbing the person inside.
"Commander."
"Colonel Lin has been asleep for eighteen hours."
"His bodily functions... defy everything modern medicine tells us."
"When he arrived, large areas of his muscle fibers were torn, and his organs had shifted slightly."
"But in just these dozen-odd hours,"
"Colonel Lin's damaged cells have been dividing and repairing themselves at a terrifying rate."
"Without any medication."
"He's like a primordial beast in human skin!"
"..."
The military doctor adjusted his glasses.
He gripped a medical report, his fingertips trembling.
"Spare me the medical jargon."
"I just want to know he's safe!"
Zhao Dingbang frowned.
Lin Yuan deserved more credit than anyone for holding back this Beast Tide.
Alone with his spear, he had fought his way from Shu Capital to Shennongjia, wiping out several Beast Tide cores.
That kind of sustained, high-intensity fighting would have wrecked a machine.
Yet Lin Yuan had endured it.
"Rest assured, Commander."
"The colonel's vital signs are stronger than ever."
"Once he wakes, he should return to Peak Stage condition."
The military doctor assured him repeatedly.
Only then did Zhao Dingbang wave him away.
Through the blast-resistant glass, he gazed at the young man on the hospital bed.
For Dragon Country to produce a true dragon like him was a blessing.
Inside the ward,
Lin Yuan's eyes snapped open.
The harsh fluorescent light struck his eyes, yet caused no discomfort.
The next moment,
Lin Yuan sat bolt upright.
His bones crackled in a rapid series of pops.
"I'm starving."
Lin Yuan rubbed his hollow stomach.
He threw back the covers and got out of bed to find food.
But the moment his foot touched the floor,
a shallow crack appeared in the hard tile beneath it.
His strength had slipped out of control.
Lin Yuan immediately noticed the change in his body.
His muscles, once slightly sore, now brimmed with explosive, violent True Qi.
With every breath, his organs resonated.
"System."
Lin Yuan called silently.
A transparent screen appeared before his eyes.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence System] [Host: Lin Yuan] [Strength: Third-Tier Martial Artist, Early Stage] [Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula, Third Layer (Entry Realm 26%)] [Martial Techniques: Broken Rock Fist (Mastery Realm 35%), Wandering Dragon Step (Mastery Realm 48%), Overlord Spear (Mastery Realm 38%)] [Treasures: None]
Lin Yuan stared at the figures on the panel.
His breath caught, and his pupils contracted sharply.
The Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula had jumped by over twenty percent.
His three Martial Techniques had advanced even more dramatically, each by over thirty percent!
"So that's it..."
It took Lin Yuan a long while
to understand what had happened.
Sitting alone in a quiet room to cultivate was the inferior path after all.
Fighting for his life was the greatest catalyst for advancing in martial arts!
Under that crushing pressure,
his body had instinctively pushed the Cultivation Technique to its limits.
The muscle memory of his Martial Techniques had been branded into his bones.
Every thrust of his spear had drawn on his hidden potential.
Every dodge had tested the very edge of his limits.
"Heh."
"Wandering Dragon Step advanced this much thanks to those Ferocious Beasts surrounding me."
Lin Yuan considered it.
Weaving through the herd, one wrong step would have meant being torn apart.
That environment honed his footwork a hundred times better than shutting himself away on a training ground.
Once he grasped the key,
the corners of Lin Yuan's mouth lifted in a faint smile.
He could never shut himself away to cultivate again.
Wherever Ferocious Beasts gathered, that was where he needed to go.
Paired with real combat, this system was practically a cheat for grinding proficiency.
A few minutes later,
he finished washing up.
Lin Yuan changed into a fresh training uniform and opened the door.
The Guards outside snapped to attention and saluted.
Their eyes burned with almost blind admiration.
The day Lin Yuan fought the Ironclad Mad Ape alone on a livestream, he had become a legend to Dragon Country's million-strong army.
"Colonel Lin, the Commander would like to see you."
A major serving as an aide hurried forward, his tone deeply respectful.
"Lead the way."
After passing through one electronic security door after another,
Lin Yuan arrived at the Southwest Military Region's command center.
"There you are, kid! Finally awake!"
The door had barely opened
when Zhao Dingbang strode over with a laugh and gripped Lin Yuan's shoulder.
"Sorry to have worried you, Commander."
Lin Yuan straightened and gave a crisp military salute.
"Sit."
Zhao Dingbang personally poured Lin Yuan a cup of strong tea and pushed it toward him.
No one else was in the command room, giving the conversation a private air.
Zhao Dingbang cleared his throat, his expression turning solemn.
"Lin Yuan."
"There are three things I need to tell you."
Lin Yuan sat up straight and waited silently.
"First."
"You fought your way through the Beast Tide Defense Line and killed a great many Ferocious Beasts. Your contribution was enormous."
"But the whole country is repairing Defense Lines and tallying losses. The logistics system is almost paralyzed."
"The higher-ups are still urgently working out your promotion and material rewards. It may take a few days to issue them."
"..."
Zhao Dingbang's expression grew grave.
All seven Beast Tides within Dragon Country had been dealt with.
But Dragon Country had paid a heavy price.
The soldiers who had died alone weighed heavily on the nation.
"Commander."
"I don't care about formalities like that."
Lin Yuan shook his head, his expression earnest.
He had killed Ferocious Beasts to protect everything he cared about.
As for rank and rewards?
If they came, that would be welcome.
Even if they did not, Lin Yuan would not mind.
"Then let's move on to the second matter."
"The higher-ups have sent word."
"Every talented martial artist, including you, will be transferred to the Imperial Capital soon."
"..."
Zhao Dingbang spoke to Lin Yuan again.
"All of them in one place?"
Lin Yuan's hand stilled around his teacup.
That was a risky move.
What if a massive beast tide struck the Imperial Capital?
Wouldn't Dragon Country's entire next generation of martial artists be wiped out in one fell swoop?
Zhao Dingbang saw Lin Yuan's concern.
He made no attempt to hide the reason.
"Don't worry."
"The Imperial Capital has the strongest defenses in the country."
"The higher-ups have also brought in the country's top researchers, biologists, weapons experts..."
"The reason is simple."
"They're preparing to establish the Dragon Country Martial Arts Research Institute."
"To improve martial arts cultivation techniques..."
"To decode the genetic mutations of ferocious beasts..."
"Even to develop a drug that lets ordinary people quickly sense aura..."
"You elite martial artists will be the best source of data, as well as the institute's strongest security force."
"..."
Before you continue