The next morning, Ren Suo and the others changed into their uniforms in the dorm—not the camouflage type used for military training, but a combination of gray trousers and a gray vest, which looked like a downgraded version of the Black Body Armor. Then they went to the cafeteria for a meal. After eating, they assembled in front of the dorm building to count off.
"1!" "2!" "3!" ...
After thirty people had counted off once, Zhao Jingzhong, in a resonant voice, said, "Too soft! Still asleep? Again!"
"1!" "2!" "3!" ...
"Louder, I can't hear you!"
"1!" "2!" "3!" ...
After the third count-off, Zhao Jingzhong was finally satisfied and led them to a large parade ground within the training base.
There were already many teams dispersed across the field; some were civil servant teams, others were soldiers training on their own. Ren Suo estimated the track was about one kilometer long, and their first training exercise was indeed to run one kilometer!
Ren Suo and the others were not afraid of this, as physical fitness tests were a basic requirement for civil servant entry. Although they varied in fitness, running one kilometer was not much of a problem for them.
However, Zhao Jingzhong explained that they were not just going to run normally but were to engage in Cultivation while running!
"This sports field is not an ordinary one. Although it has a track, a football field, grass, goals, and even people playing football on it... it's not ordinary," Zhao Jingzhong said. "This place has been specially prepared by professionals, and it's particularly rich in Spiritual Energy—it's a Cultivation area!"
"I can't reveal the specific technology, but the Spiritual Energy here is three times that of a normal environment. Cultivating here can yield twice the results in half the time, helping you to enter the state more quickly. There are six such sports fields in the training base specifically for Cultivation."
Someone asked, "Instructor, the sports field is open-air. Won't the Spiritual Energy escape?"
"It won't escape." Zhao Jingzhong, who appeared to have been professionally trained for such questions, answered almost instantly, "Spiritual Energy is just our term for it; it is not a gas. It is an invisible Energy that permeates the entire universe, and it doesn't disperse or gather due to physical structures."
"Instructor, where is the Spiritual Energy strongest?"
"Instructor, exactly where does the Spiritual Energy start to surge? At the edge of the track? One meter outside the edge of the track? Two meters?"
"Instructor..."
Zhao Jingzhong, annoyed, finally lost his temper. "Stop asking! I'm about to explain the method of Cultivation, and I won't repeat it if you can't hear me!"
The area quickly quieted down. Zhao Jingzhong, very pleased, said, "This is the most basic method of Cultivation. First, you must be in this kind of..."
"Louder, I can't hear you!"
Zhao Jingzhong was instantly silenced, furiously roaring, "Who said that!? Step out!"
No one spoke. Zhao Jingzhong scanned them, shocked beyond belief—he hadn't seen anyone speaking. Moreover, the voice did not come from among the trainees but from above them.
Yet, without a doubt, the person who had spoken was among the trainees; the fact that Zhao Jingzhong hadn't noticed was what infuriated him the most. He was one of the first internal test warriors reassigned from the military to the National Security Bureau. Having served as a squad leader, he still carried his military customs with him and found such defiance and intentional insubordination particularly distasteful.
"I'll say it once more: step out, now!"
Zhao Jingzhong waited three seconds. Seeing that no one came forward, his expression became stern as he yelled, "Everyone, get ready for push-ups!"
The trainees looked at each other. Some obediently got ready to drop down, while others were unwilling to comply. For example, the prideful Xie Qiansi asked, "Why?"
"Why? Because someone among you is causing trouble and not coming forward to admit their mistake, so everyone must be punished!"
Xie Qiansi retorted sharply. He wasn't the sheltered university student one might expect; thanks to his family background, he was quite worldly. "Just because you're incapable of finding the troublemaker, you're taking it out on all of us? Who do you think you are?"
Zhao Jingzhong coldly looked at Xie Qiansi and said, "Because you are a collective!"
Xie Qiansi scoffed. "A collective? Don't bring your military nonsense here. We just met yesterday. I don't even know their names or recognize all their faces. And you call that a collective? Aren't you part of our collective? If so, why don't you do it?
"In five days, we will each go our separate ways to contribute to Mysterious Country's well-off society. We came here to learn, not to watch you lose face and vent your frustration!
"Besides, Mysterious Country has been open to reform for decades. Do you still want to revert to a feudal society with collective punishment? Either find the person who offended you yourself, or just proceed with the course normally! We are not your soldiers; we don't need to follow your rules. Suppose someone here committed murder—should we all be executed by firing squad?"
Xie Qiansi felt quite satisfied with his tirade, and importantly, he was right—why should they all be punished? Any rational person wouldn't want to suffer because of someone else's mistake. If they were colleagues or comrades, one might cover for them. But here, they barely knew each other and didn't even know who was responsible, so naturally, they were unwilling to take the blame.
Xie Qiansi had carefully considered his words before speaking. He accurately pinpointed the crux of the matter, aligning himself with the majority and thereby establishing his authority. Although the "WeChat group" was temporarily ineffective, Xie Qiansi knew that after leaving, they would be welcomed everywhere. By forming connections with others now to oppose this unjust treatment, he essentially forged a comradely 'friendship'.
The most important thing was that Xie Qiansi was certain Zhao Jingzhong would eventually teach them how to cultivate; otherwise, if Xie Qiansi reported this matter, Zhao Jingzhong definitely wouldn't end well.
However, Xie Qiansi still couldn't fully comprehend the thinking of these former soldiers—Zhao Jingzhong's expression turned cold, and he surprisingly lashed out at him!
"I think you're that troublemaker!"
Zhao Jingzhong moved incredibly fast, his iron fists slicing through the air. Xie Qiansi, a young man of privilege who only occasionally worked out, was definitely not a fighter and couldn't even manage to retreat from Zhao Jingzhong's onslaught.
However, two hands suddenly reached out from beside him. Two precise punches aimed at Zhao Jingzhong's elbows, followed by a twist and a push, stalling Zhao Jingzhong's attack. Meanwhile, two palms pressed onto Zhao Jingzhong's shoulders, looking just like a friendly gesture.
"Instructor, there's no need to resort to violence," Ren Suo said with a chuckle. "We'll just do the push-ups."
"Yeah," Zhao Huo, holding Zhao Jingzhong's shoulders, also smiled. "We'll persuade him not to speak recklessly."
Zhao Jingzhong gave them a deep look, forcefully shook off their hands, and snorted coldly as he walked back.
Ren Suo surreptitiously wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow. Before coming, to prepare for any contingency—or perhaps simply not wanting to waste the opportunity—he had equipped "Combat Basics." Seeing Zhao Jingzhong moving toward Xie Qiansi, Ren Suo had taken the initiative to intervene.
For one, although Xie Qiansi was rather cocky and power-hungry, he had good people skills—last night, he bought a lot of snacks from the supermarket for his roommates to share. Secondly, I also wanted to test what 'Combat Basics' could really do.
The result was quite impressive. Although Zhao Jingzhong hadn't used any 'special skills,' he obviously looked like an experienced soldier and was certainly well above average in combat power among ordinary people. The fact that I could surprise and suppress him testified that my combat power had basically reached the level of an experienced soldier.
This also earned him some fame. After all, Zhao Jingzhong was no ordinary person—he was a Transcendent responsible for their training. The fact that Ren Suo could restrain him with one move surely made others take notice.
Zhao Huo also seemed strong, likely another devoted Martial Artist with considerable training. I don't know who is stronger between us, but it appears that those selected are all capable people.
Qiao Muyi and Li Qingxuan were watching this too, so Ren Suo turned and smiled at them. Their approval rating probably increased by +1, right?
"What you said makes sense," Zhao Jingzhong remarked, seemingly letting the previous incident go. He added lightly, "Let's start the official training then."
"Listen carefully. The incantation for Cultivation requires you to run while performing the Breathing technique. This technique must strictly follow the instructions, circulating it sixty-four times before stopping. Even a slight disruption means all prior effort will be wasted."
"Each cycle of the Breathing technique involves inhalation and exhalation. Long Breaths should be very slow, while short Breaths are completed within a second. The specific sequence is: three long, one short, two long, three short…"
"If the Breathing is successfully executed, then the Spiritual Energy in the air will be drawn into your bodies. Completing one Breathing Cycle Completion counts as one Cultivation session. After dozens of sessions, you should be able to generate your own 'Qi Cyclone.'"
Zhao Jingzhong repeated the Breathing technique three times and, pointing at the track, said, "Okay, start practicing now."
"Remember," as if recalling something, Zhao Jingzhong added, "although you all possess some talent, if you can't form a Qi Cyclone within five days, then it means your talent is limited..."