Breaking the Limit

"Congratulations, you've once again perfectly mastered the Vortex-Word Technique with breakthrough speed. Xiao Chi is truly impressed."

Xiao Chi's AI voice echoed with emotion.

This was the first time Li Yi had heard the AI Xiao Chi express such sentiment.

Before, although Xiao Chi's voice was pleasant, it had mostly sounded stiff and mechanical.

Li Yi waited for a moment, then regretfully said, "It seems I didn't trigger any hidden training this time either?"

"Yes. Would you like to enter the hidden training mission you triggered previously, or choose to learn a new basic mech technique?"

Li Yi was a bit surprised.

"There's more? Mech techniques have this many variations?"

And Xiao Chi had actually used "you" (you) this time.

Had his consecutive record-breaking performances made even the AI uneasy?

"Yes, but this is indeed the last basic one. Shall I arrange for you to learn it?"

"Yes, arrange it quickly."

"Understood. Arranging it for you now: the Rupture-Word Technique."

"Although the Rupture-Word Technique is a mech technique, it also possesses armor-piercing capabilities. It is the most complex and practically significant of the basic mech techniques. Please study it carefully."

Just as everyone was engrossed in the virtual reality training, Chen Qiong Zhi's voice suddenly came through the public channel:

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, this instructor will have to be absent for the rest of the afternoon's training. Therefore, the virtual reality training time for everyone is extended until the end of today's training. Tomorrow's training will proceed as normal. Please be advised."

Upon hearing this, a crowd of people immediately cursed.

It couldn't be helped. The opponents in the virtual reality setting were too strong, specifically targeting weaknesses, repeatedly using the Quake-Word Technique to stun trainees from a distance, and then forcibly waking them up.

The entire process, though some had gradually adapted, was still unbearable for many.

After all, adapting was one thing, but feeling resentful and displeased was another.

Li Yi was fine, as he was the one dominating the opponents in the virtual reality.

However, mastering the Rupture-Word Technique this time had indeed taken him a considerable amount of time.

It took a full 10 minutes!

As he controlled the Pluto Mech and punched a target in front of him, causing the massive material, as hard as a planet's core, to crack, Xiao Chi's slightly trembling voice also came through:

"Congratulations, you have once again mastered the Rupture-Word Technique with breakthrough speed and achieved a cracking impact special effect."

"You have triggered a hidden training mission again!"

"This hidden training mission was set by the second-generation instructor Zong Kaishan. If you complete it all, you have a chance to master the Divinity Technique, Open Heaven."

"Do you..."

"I didn't expect 10 minutes to be a record-breaker too,"

Li Yi exclaimed, then quickly interjected, "Accept, and then postpone."

"Understood. Regarding your question, I can tell you that in the Jade Pool's past records, the fastest learning speed for the Rupture-Word Technique required a day and a half."

"Therefore, your mech technique learning speed is undoubtedly the record king of the Jade Pool."

Li Yi felt a sense of accomplishment. It seemed that concentrating on acquiring combat memory fragments over the years had paid off.

Mastering a skill like this to completion had also elevated his comprehension in the field of combat to an extraordinary level.

However, he suddenly thought of a problem:

"You said I'm the record king. If no one breaks my record later, won't I be unable to trigger these hidden training missions?"

"Theoretically, yes,"

Xiao Chi replied. "However, if no one triggers them for ten consecutive years, the system will automatically adjust the mechanism to lower the trigger difficulty. After all, these are your human race's ultimate skills, and it would be a shame if the inheritance were to be interrupted."

Li Yi nodded. "Understood. Now, please help me activate the hidden training mission for the Quake-Word Technique. I've completed the basic mech techniques now, so I should be able to clear the fourth stage without any issues."

"Understood. Activating it for you now."

Without Chen Qiong Zhi's supervision, once the time set for the virtual reality ended, everyone, no matter how tired or exhausted, acted like wild horses that had broken free from their reins and went wild.

On the virtual reality seats, some people had already jumped onto them, shouting loudly and unrestrainedly.

Chii~

The helmet automatically popped open. Li Yi opened his eyes, slightly adjusting to the transition between virtual and reality.

Beside him, Cai Xiaodong's complexion was still grim, but he looked much better than last time.

"You haven't fully mastered the Quake-Word Technique yet?" Li Yi asked.

"No, Xiao Chi told me I'm still a bit short and need more practical experience," Cai Xiaodong replied with a look of exhausted wisdom. "But it's okay, I feel like another session tomorrow will do it. I do have a foundation, after all."

"Then I wish you success tomorrow."

Li Yi stood up, preparing to head to the cafeteria. Just then, a familiar voice called from behind him, "It seems you've adapted well these past two days."

Was that Lin Guotao's voice? Li Yi turned around and confirmed it was him. He smiled, "Commander, what brings you here?"

"I happened to have some free time. I wanted to chat about what we discussed last time. Come with me." Lin Guotao stood up and walked towards the exit of the enclosed training facility.

Li Yi told Cai Xiaodong to sort out his own dinner and then hurried after Lin Guotao.

Outside the enclosed training facility, Lin Guotao gazed at Li Yi and began, "I originally planned to come back in a month, but some recent developments forced me to come earlier."

"I was a bit worried you might not have adapted yet, but seeing your condition now, I know you've fully adjusted to Chen Qiong Zhi's intensive training rhythm and made significant improvements."

"For example, is your physical fitness overall a notch better than it was during the last competition?"

Li Yi felt a bit puzzled. After two days of gravity training and high-intensity nutritional supplements, his physical condition had indeed improved considerably. But wasn't this just normal progress? Why was it being emphasized?

"Are you curious why I'm specifically mentioning this?" Lin Guotao asked.

Li Yi nodded.

"It's simple. I'm here to tell you that you've broken through your physical limits."

Li Yi was astonished. "Didn't you say one must receive sufficient Divinity radiation to break through human limits and embark on the path of evolution?"

"That's theoretically correct," Lin Guotao nodded. "But if someone can master their combat techniques to perfection, possess extremely strong self-control, and combine that with sufficiently rich high-energy nutrition, there's a chance they can break through their physical limits."

Lin Guotao held up two fingers. "In your case, you have one more chance to break through your limits than ordinary people. That is, after independently breaking through your physical limits, you can still utilize Divinity radiation to break through a second time."

Li Yi was still skeptical. "So I've broken through my physical limits? That can't be right. Although my improvement is noticeable, it doesn't feel like a world-shattering change."

"No, you need to understand that you had already reached the peak for non-evolved individuals. Theoretically, you shouldn't have been able to improve your physique further before becoming an evolved individual."

Li Yi nodded slightly. That explanation seemed plausible. He had previously thought his improvements were purely due to the high-energy nutritional supplements. But from another perspective, Lin Guotao's explanation might be correct.

"Breaking through one layer of shackles simply resolves the bottleneck that was suppressing your body's progress. However, to achieve a transformative improvement, you need to continue training. Therefore, you still have plenty of room for improvement ahead."

"You'll only encounter the issue of a second breakthrough when you reach the next bottleneck or receive enough Divinity radiation."

Lin Guotao continued, "Because you've already broken through the first layer of limits, I can now explain the classified plan to you."

"Classified plan?"

"That's right, the Deus Mech Project."

In the enclosed training ground.

Cai Xiaodong was packing up his things, preparing to leave. At that moment, Zhang Xuqiang and another tall man approached Cai Xiaodong.

"Kid, you've been hanging out with Li Yi a lot lately. Where did he go?"

Cai Xiaodong frowned, "What do you want?"