Infusing Will

"This one."

Ji Zhixing reached out and grasped the pitch-black Army-Breaking Staff. "I'll choose this."

"No problem. It's yours for the next month." Teacher Tian nodded and recorded it on the registration form.

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath. With a thought, he drew the Army-Breaking Staff into his body.

"Refine!"

Inside the Gene Furnace, the eight-trigram pattern slowly rotated. The Army-Breaking Staff floated in the center of the furnace's space, enveloped by its power as it gradually permeated and melded with the staff.

A moment later, he finished refining this piece of gene equipment.

That feeling again!

Ji Zhixing opened his eyes, joy welling up inside him that he could barely contain.

He summoned the Army-Breaking Staff again and held it in his hands.

He immediately felt that clear connection of flesh and blood, as though the staff had always been part of his body.

Besides that, as he refined the Army-Breaking Staff, streams of information poured into his mind.

Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves.

Ji Zhixing's interest stirred.

According to the information that had entered his mind, the true name of the staff technique contained within this long staff was the Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves.

Shatter Space, Earth-Shaking, Thunderclap, Army-Breaking, Battle Across the Eight Directions, Sweep Through a Thousand Armies, Unstoppable Advance, Invincible Presence, Ji Zhixing silently recited.

Each of the Eight Army-Breaking Forms was fiercer than the last.

Their essence was to advance without retreat, to face death with no thought of survival, pouring every ounce of strength and will into a single strike to unleash power beyond one's limits.

More importantly...

Ji Zhixing could clearly feel that the Army-Breaking Staff Technique was completely different from the Basic Staff Technique.

The Basic Staff Technique is purely about technique. It teaches you how to exert force and swing a staff.

But the Army-Breaking Staff Technique places enormous importance on will, beyond technique alone.

When striking, you have to infuse your willpower into the staff.

The will to advance unstoppably.

The will of the Invincible Presence.

The will to advance and never retreat.

Only by infusing will can you truly unleash the power of the Army-Breaking Staff Technique.

Ji Zhixing put away the staff, excitement flashing in his eyes as he looked forward to the day he mastered the Staff Technique.

"Finished refining it?" He Yanbing asked.

"Yes." Ji Zhixing nodded.

"Let's head back to the training ground." He Yanbing said goodbye to Teacher Tian, then turned and walked out.

Ji Zhixing hurried after her.

Soon, the two returned to the training ground.

By now, the training ground was a scene of bustling activity.

Under the teachers' guidance, the thirty-odd students in the class were either practicing their gene abilities alone or sparring with one another. Some were even fighting the teachers.

Shouts and the sounds of fists and feet colliding rang out across the grounds.

"Hah!"

A fierce shout rang out. Ji Zhixing turned and saw a tall boy sparring with a teacher.

The boy had fused with Mighty Tortoise genes and possessed great strength. Every punch he threw carried a dull rush of wind.

But the teacher moved nimbly, dodging with ease and occasionally counterattacking, leaving the boy scrambling.

Elsewhere, a female teacher was guiding Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou.

Huang Yu darted between several training dummies at astonishing speed.

Every time he passed a dummy, he raised his palm, condensed violet lightning, and struck it.

Yu Zhirou stood nearby, lightly waving her hands. Wind blades flew from them and slashed toward distant targets.

Others were training their strength, muscles bulging all over their bodies.

Some unleashed bursts of speed, sprinting across the grounds.

"Ji Zhixing's back!"

Someone noticed Ji Zhixing and He Yanbing and spoke in a low voice.

Everyone looked over, curiosity in their eyes.

"Teacher He said she was taking him to the office. Why did it take so long?"

"They were gone that long. Something must've happened."

"Isn't it obvious? She probably went to apply for school support for him. He awakened dual gene apertures and mastered the Basic Staff Technique in just three days. He's different from us, after all."

Whispers drifted over.

Most students in the class had awakened first-tier gene apertures and received no support from the school.

As for Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou, both could receive abundant resources without He Yanbing having to apply for them.

He Yanbing led Ji Zhixing to a corner of the training ground and stopped.

"You have a good talent for staff techniques," she said. "Next, you can try practicing the Army-Breaking Staff Technique on your own, or choose to spar with other students or teachers to improve your actual combat skills."

"Teacher, I'll practice on my own," Ji Zhixing said immediately.

Having just refined the Army-Breaking Staff and received its Army-Breaking Staff Technique inheritance, he was at the height of his excitement. How could he spare a thought for sparring now? Naturally, he wanted to start practicing at once.

"All right." He Yanbing nodded. "Practice over here, then. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Teacher Sun over there. He's an expert with the staff."

She pointed at a burly, dark-faced man nearby.

"Understood," Ji Zhixing replied.

He Yanbing turned and left to check on the other students.

Ji Zhixing walked to an open patch at the edge of the training ground. With a thought, the Army-Breaking Staff instantly appeared in his hands.

The moment he gripped the Army-Breaking Staff, that feeling of being one with the staff swept through his entire body again.

Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves...

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath, and the staff technique information he had just acquired surfaced in his mind.

The first form, Shatter Space.

He held the staff with both hands, bent his knees slightly, and lowered his center of gravity.

The next moment, he unleashed his strength. The long staff rose high, then came crashing down with the power of his entire body behind it!

This was the first of the Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves, the Shatter Space Form.

On the surface, it looked no different from the downward strike of the Basic Staff Technique.

Yet his strike carried the momentum of an unstoppable advance, as though it could cleave through everything.

The staff fell, slicing through the air.

Whoosh!

Though he had not struck anything solid, Ji Zhixing could feel that this strike was at least ten to twenty percent stronger than the Basic Staff Technique's downward strike.

Keep going.

The second form, Earth-Shaking!

The third form, Thunderclap...

Ji Zhixing performed the forms one after another.

Every form was heavy and powerful, stirring howling winds.

He had already mastered the Basic Staff Technique and possessed a deep understanding of how to exert force.

Now that he had received the Army-Breaking Staff Technique inheritance, he could execute its moves after seeing them just once.

Soon, he had performed all Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves.

What a powerful staff technique! Excitement flashed in his eyes. It's much stronger than the Basic Staff Technique!

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath and continued practicing.

Having already mastered the Basic Staff Technique, he was proficient at drawing on his body's strength.

With the Army-Breaking Staff Technique inheritance and the assistance of the gene equipment, he quickly mastered all the moves.

Once, twice, three times...

Gradually, his movements grew smoother and more natural.

Before long, he could easily execute the moves even without using the Army-Breaking Staff.

There was just one problem.

Ji Zhixing put away the Army-Breaking Staff, switched to an ordinary long staff, and performed the Eight Army-Breaking Forms again.

His movements remained fluid, but their power dropped noticeably.

Just as I thought, Ji Zhixing mused. Without the Army-Breaking Staff, I can only execute the moves. I can't infuse my own will into them.

An Army-Breaking Staff Technique like this is only as powerful as the Basic Staff Technique.

To truly master the Army-Breaking Staff Technique, I'll still have to rely on this Army-Breaking Staff, practicing again and again until I gradually comprehend that army-breaking will.

He took out the Army-Breaking Staff again and continued practicing.

Meanwhile, He Yanbing did not disturb Ji Zhixing. Instead, she patrolled the training ground, checking on each student.

She walked up to Liu Qifan and stopped.

Liu Qifan was practicing wolf claw, frantically clawing and tearing at a training post. But the results were mediocre, leaving only shallow scratches on it.

"Liu Qifan," He Yanbing said.

Liu Qifan quickly stopped and said respectfully, "Teacher He."

He Yanbing looked at him and spoke slowly. "Your ironback ability is defensive, and it only protects your back. It isn't much use in a head-on fight."

"Your wolf claw ability only changes your hands a little. In terms of sharpness, it can't even compare to a real blade."

"An extra inch of reach is an extra inch of strength. Rather than transforming your hands into wolf claws to fight, you'd be better off using a weapon."

"I suggest you choose a Universal Skill to practice, such as the Basic Saber Technique. Fighting with a weapon would be much more effective than using your wolf claws."

Liu Qifan felt somewhat dejected, but he knew He Yanbing was telling the truth.

His gaze involuntarily turned toward Ji Zhixing, who was practicing the Army-Breaking Staff Technique in the distance.

Ji Zhixing held his long staff, every move stirring fierce winds. As the staff swept through the air, his momentum was astonishing.

That imposing power made Liu Qifan's confidence falter.

If I fought Zhixing... Liu Qifan silently compared them. Even if I were faster and stronger, I might still be no match for him.

"Teacher, I'll take your advice and practice the Basic Saber Technique!" Liu Qifan said through gritted teeth.

He Yanbing nodded. "Teacher Wu has gene equipment containing various Universal Skills. You can go choose a suitable piece to refine."

"Okay!"

Excited, Liu Qifan immediately went over to Teacher Wu at the side of the training ground.

"Don't get so excited. After refining the equipment, you'll only be able to use it for a little while. If someone else chooses the Basic Saber Technique later, you'll have to hand it over."

Seeing his expression, Teacher Wu could not help dampening his enthusiasm.

Liu Qifan immediately wilted.

He wanted to have a piece of equipment all to himself, just like Ji Zhixing.

Unfortunately, that clearly wasn't possible.

After Liu Qifan, He Yanbing began guiding the others one by one.

Before long, more students were practicing Universal Skills on the training ground.

Ji Zhixing mastered the Basic Staff Technique in three days. I wonder how long it'll take me to master the Basic Saber Technique?

A boy who had fused with Blade-Armed Mantis genes gripped his saber, silently rising to the challenge.

He took a deep breath and began practicing his saber swings.

Unlike the others, he possessed a two-star quality saber technique talent.