Chapter Ten: Pulling Up Seedlings to Help Them Grow (Part One)

When Zhao Li returned to the ranks, everyone was running laps around the training ground. This was no ordinary run; they were required to maintain perfect posture and precise movements, and no one was permitted to stop unless commanded by Instructor Arnold.

Having just come out of the infirmary, Zhao Li broke into a sweat, partly from relief that his secret had not been exposed, and partly from having escaped the unpredictable allure of the female medic. He was glad he had controlled himself—otherwise, who knew what embarrassing incident might have ensued.

Judging by her age, the medic named Christine seemed only a few years older than Zhao Li. However, with the prevalence of cultivation practices, appearances could be deceiving. Still, it was rare for anyone over thirty to speak in such coquettish tones.

Zhao Li couldn't tell if he was lucky or unfortunate—he had met this enigmatic military doctor twice already. Others would probably consider it a rare opportunity. Yet, when faced with a choice between being a guinea pig or getting close to a beautiful woman, Zhao Li unhesitatingly chose the former.

“Hey, Zhao Li, what perfume does that pretty doctor use?” Zhao Li was about to rest and begin his cultivation when Adams, refusing to let him off the hook, leaned over and started teasing him. The banter quickly drew in the others nearby. Everyone had seen the stunning medic today; she was indeed a rare beauty, so much so that a few had even feigned injuries just for the chance to see her.

“I have no idea!” Zhao Li replied honestly. “I didn’t notice.”

“Come on! Alone in a room with a gorgeous woman for that long and you didn’t even think about anything else?” Adams poked his head over from his bed, eyeing Zhao Li suspiciously. “Are you even a man?”

Zhao Li simply answered with a raised middle finger, then ignored the group of infatuated men. He slipped on his vibration ring and began his cultivation alone.

The vibration ring was specially designed to wake someone from meditation. Its gentle tremors were just enough to rouse a cultivator from their practice.

Zhao Li wasn’t sure if it was Christine’s influence, but even before beginning, his blood seemed to boil—a bad sign. Forcing himself through one cycle of his foundational technique, he felt much better and soon slipped into a deep meditative state.

“How are the records today?” Instructor Arnold asked as he saw the usual troublemakers settle into meditation, then made his way to the infirmary to confer with the medic.

“That boy is interesting, but his aptitude is average. He’s been practicing the basic fitness technique for three years and still hasn’t shown any signs of true energy saturation,” Christine replied, glancing at her notes, her tone tinged with regret.

“That’s normal. If he were gifted, he would’ve been recruited by the academy years ago. Why would he still be here?” Arnold responded casually, not the least surprised.

At the mention of the academy, Christine frowned slightly before quickly regaining her composure. “He has an unusual mindset—worth keeping an eye on. He’s met me twice now and still manages to keep his composure. That’s rare.” As she spoke, a trace of a smile appeared, recalling Zhao Li’s awkwardness that afternoon.

“Hey, he’s a good seedling. Don’t ruin him,” Arnold warned, clearly pleased that Zhao Li had held his ground around Christine.

“I know what I’m doing—you needn’t worry,” Christine replied, her eyes flashing at Arnold. “You should focus on weeding out the unqualified. You can’t keep letting them use shoddy excuses like training injuries to skip out.”

Whether by design or not, after the squad training ended, Arnold unleashed a series of grueling physical drills that could only be described as hellish. The daily routine was so intense that even those who practiced strength-enhancing techniques complained bitterly. By the time they reached their dorms, they barely had the strength to climb into bed. Sleep was hard-won, as they were forced to continue their cultivation, only allowed a full night’s rest once every six days.

After all, this was the military. Though some had managed to sneak into the infirmary by feigning injuries—tempted by the beautiful medic—they never forgot the punishment that followed. Even onlookers felt the deterrent, and no one dared push their luck too far.

Yet, relentless pressure inevitably breeds resistance, even in the military—especially among fresh recruits who had no idea what further challenges awaited them. With such intense training, injuries were inevitable; every day, someone ended up in the infirmary.

Despite her appearance as a mere ornament, Christine was a master at treating injuries. Her true energy must have specialized in healing, for unless it was a severe break, she could resolve most injuries within hours. Even the most dubious of patients were delighted by her gentle, smiling demeanor. Her kindness inspired a protective urge in the injured and sparked their imaginations.

Zhao Li was among the exhausted, and his situation was arguably even worse. Having never practiced an advanced technique, the physical strain nearly broke him. Yet, through sheer willpower, he persevered.

It wasn’t that Zhao Li’s stamina matched that of his peers, but during every brief rest, he would seize the moment to swiftly run a full cycle of his fitness technique. These breaks were rarely more than ten minutes—hardly enough for most to complete a full cycle, which would be interrupted and rendered ineffective. Others preferred to use the time to relax their muscles.

But after three years of continuous practice, Zhao Li could perform the technique effectively, even if his form slipped a bit. To outside observers, he simply appeared to be resting, with no hint that he was cultivating.

Even a single short cycle left Zhao Li half recovered, allowing him to keep up with the others. Of course, having never mastered a higher-level technique, he couldn’t compete for the top spots, and thus maintained a low profile.

Notably, Zhao Li never once visited the infirmary for injuries, something Instructor Arnold greatly admired.