Advanced War General

Luo Yuan was delighted to discover that his cheat could now pick up proficiency in manuals as well. It seemed he would no longer have to worry about how difficult they were to master.

"By the way, Captain Gao, I wanted to ask-are there many warriors here who practice the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade?" Luo Yuan sought out Gao Feng again.

Gao Feng set down the training equipment in his hands, thought for a moment, then looked at Luo Yuan. "Luo Yuan, don't tell me you practice the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade too?"

Luo Yuan nodded.

"Haha, then you've come to the right place. The Nine-Layered Thunder Blade is expensive, and buying it requires a certain contribution level. It's even harder to practice, but it's powerful, and it only gets stronger in the later stages. Ordinary Warrior-level fighters don't have the means to buy or practice it. But for us War General-level fighters, spending some time hunting monsters lets us save up enough to buy it. Even then, getting the first four layers is usually quite an achievement.

"See that man meditating with a blade in his hands? He's one of our veteran warriors. Everyone calls him Old Huang. He's been practicing the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade for nearly ten years. Although he's only reached the second layer, he can kill Intermediate Beast Generals with his Junior War General strength. Even against an Advanced Beast General, he can hold out for a while.

"Look at those two over there. They practice the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade too. They've been at it for five or six years and are at the first layer. If you want to find warriors with a deeper mastery, you can try the higher floors. Plenty of people practice this blade technique." Gao Feng explained patiently.

After thanking Gao Feng gratefully, Luo Yuan resumed picking up attributes. He paid particular attention to the warriors who practiced the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, collecting their dropped attributes as soon as they appeared. He worked his way from the tenth floor to the nineteenth, which meant nearly all the War Generals in this Limit Hall came to know of him. Their attitudes were friendly, though. No one wanted to offend a genius.

Luo Yuan discovered that nearly a third of these War Generals practiced the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, with most of them among the Intermediate and Advanced War Generals.

And so, in the days that followed, Luo Yuan mainly spent his daytime hours collecting attributes in the War Generals' Martial Arts Halls. At night, he merged attributes, trained on his own, and browsed information or idly chatted on the Warrior Forum. His days were fulfilling and pleasant. Wang Qian, the woman who had slept with him before, seemed to have gone to the Wilderness Zone on a mission. He had not seen her since, but he was happy to enjoy some peace and quiet.

Time passed, and before he knew it, August 28 had arrived. The members of the Fire Hammer Squad had finished their leave, and today was the day they would set out for a mission in the Wilderness Zone! It would also be Luo Yuan's first time leaving the Base City to explore territory occupied by monsters. He was a little nervous, since no one knew what level of monster they might encounter.

Luo Yuan checked his current personal attribute panel again.

Name: Luo Yuan

Strength rank: Apprentice Level (Advanced War General)

Strength: 35,000 kg

Speed: 219 m/s

Defense: 35,000 kg

Spiritual power: 21,000 kg

Evasive movement: Micro Level

Cultivation methods: Five Hearts Facing the Sky Method, Guidance Technique "Nine-Layered Hunyuan" (first layer)

Skills: Movement Technique "Flowing Light" (first layer), blade technique "Thunder Blade" (first layer)

Seeing his attributes reassured Luo Yuan somewhat. With his Advanced War General strength, staying alive should not be a problem as long as he was careful. He could now unleash the first layer's hidden force of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, which would be enough to deal with Beast General-level monsters for the time being.

In the Martial Arts Hall, Luo Yuan put on his black-and-gold Series D9 Combat Suit and tucked six black-and-gold Grade 9 Flying Daggers along the inside of his waist. He wore black-and-gold Alloy Combat Boots on his feet and Wrist Guards on both wrists. The rest of his body was wrapped in Fiber Leather Armor covered with nanometal. It was comfortable and breathable, offering no restriction to his movements. The combat suit also came with a gold-trimmed, hooded black robe as its outermost layer. It kept out dust, water, and fire, making him look mysterious and powerful.

He slung a warrior's Fine Backpack and a Type B6 Shuttle Shield onto his back, then secured a black-and-gold Type A9 Blood Shadow Battle Blade diagonally across it. A Fine Communication Watch was fastened to the Wrist Guard on his right wrist. He had also packed water and some high-energy food in his backpack.

When Luo Yuan walked out of his villa, the sight of his equipment nearly blinded Chen Gu, Luo Feng, and Zhang Ke, who were waiting for him at the entrance.

"Senior Brother Luo Yuan, your gear looks incredible! Compared to yours, mine looks like something I picked up from a street stall!" Luo Feng said enviously.

"Haha, Luo Yuan's equipment isn't just good-looking. Its defense and attack power are enough to handle Lord-level Monsters. Look at that Type A9 Blood Shadow Battle Blade, that Type B6 Shield, and that Series D9 Combat Suit. Tsk, tsk. Altogether, this must cost several hundred million at least, and you'd need a high contribution level too." Chen Gu stroked his chin as he commented.

"Ahem, don't get the wrong idea, everyone. I got all this through the two-hundred-million reimbursement allowance Supervisor Zhuge gave me. I don't have that kind of money myself," Luo Yuan explained.

"A two-hundred-million reimbursement allowance?" Luo Feng, Chen Gu, and Zhang Ke were stunned. Mixed emotions welled up inside them. They could not help thinking how highly Supervisor Zhuge valued Luo Yuan. Even Luo Feng had only been given an allowance of one hundred million.

"All right, let's go. The four of us will head to the HR Alliance Mall to meet the captain and the others, then set off for the Wilderness Zone together."

"Right, Brother Chen."

The four climbed into a car provided by the Limit Hall and quickly set off.

Jiangnan Base City, one of Huaxia Country's Six Great Base Cities, was extremely prosperous. In its main urban district stood an eighty-eight-story skyscraper, with the dazzling letters "HR" displayed on its exterior wall. Around its ground floor lay a beautiful plaza and the largest fountain in all of Jiangnan Base City. More than a thousand soldiers armed with live ammunition patrolled the plaza, forbidding outsiders from setting foot inside.

Beep!

An electronic tone sounded.

The soldiers on guard and patrol immediately stepped aside. A military off-road vehicle bearing the letters "HR" drove in and stopped outside the skyscraper's lobby entrance. The doors swung open, and Luo Yuan and the other three got out.

"Gentlemen, please come in." The doorman at the lobby entrance bowed respectfully.

The four entered the skyscraper. The lobby floor gleamed brightly enough to reflect their faces, and even its simple decorations were extraordinary. The male attendants were handsome, and the women were graceful and lovely, each wearing a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.

The moment Luo Yuan entered, he drew plenty of attention. His equipment practically radiated wealth. Some female warriors shot flirtatious looks his way, but he acted as though he had not seen them and found a place to sit with Luo Feng and the other two.

"What would you four gentlemen like to drink?" an attendant asked with a slight bow and a smile.

"Tieguanyin!"

"Pu'er tea with a little jasmine flavor!"

"I'll have some Dahongpao, thank you."

Chen Gu, Zhang Ke, and Luo Yuan spoke in turn.

P.S. To all you True Gods out there, please send tips, monthly votes, and bookmarks. Luo Yuan bows in gratitude.