Chapter Seventeen: The Leakage Incident (Part Two)

Very soon, ten minutes later, Li Xiuyuan also emerged from the training room. Seeing Zhao Li, he was clearly taken aback—someone had finished even faster than him. This surprised Li Xiuyuan, who had always been outstanding. Fortunately, both had managed to clear a meridian, but even so, the result was hard for the self-confident Li Xiuyuan to accept.

They rested for almost half an hour before others began to trickle out of the training rooms. By the time the last new recruit had gathered, three hours had passed.

After listening to everyone’s reports, Zhao Li realized that his initial estimation had been a bit too generous. Of the twenty teammates, aside from himself and Li Xiuyuan, not a single one had managed to clear a meridian. The best among them had only reached about eighty percent.

“Excellent. No one showed any adverse reactions. The first cultivation session was a complete success.” The instructor was delighted, especially with Zhao Li’s performance. Whoever conducted the comprehensive assessment after the psychological testing had been remarkably accurate. In the prison for repeat offenders, perhaps only someone as exceptional as Zhao Li could truly fit the role.

Zhao Li himself had lost count of how many instructors had muttered about the accuracy of his psychological test results. Immersed in the exhilaration of mastering the battle technique without failure, he approached the rest of the day’s training with renewed vigor.

From now on, any further breakthroughs could be attributed to the random properties of the battle technique. No longer would he need to worry about becoming a guinea pig in some secret institution; his life would be free and unconstrained.

The first step of his plan had been completed perfectly. Next, he could simply enjoy his military life until discharge. The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to fly—the feeling of freedom was truly exhilarating.

Even his evening cultivation felt easier, thanks to this excitement. The first meridian had taken him six hours to clear, but now, with this foundation, circulating his energy through a full cycle took less than an hour.

The instructor had tirelessly cautioned them: during the first month, never attempt more than one cycle per session, listing countless examples of the dangers of overdoing it. Zhao Li, despite his confidence in his talent, was wise enough not to tempt fate.

For the remainder of his time, Zhao Li continued to practice the basic physical enhancement technique. Judging from how his true energy had cleared all meridians in one go, the basic technique had only brought benefits, no drawbacks.

He didn’t know how other prodigies cultivated their battle techniques, nor at what pace, but since Zhao Li had already gained immense advantages from the basic technique, he had no intention of giving it up easily.

Not to mention, the refinement of true energy alone had benefited Zhao Li greatly. Since he still needed to maintain his disguise, he continued his cultivation.

A single cycle of the battle technique produced far more true energy than the basic physical enhancement method, but in terms of compressing and refining true energy, the newly learned battle technique couldn’t compare at all.

This period seemed to be the critical phase for mastering the battle technique. Apart from nighttime cultivation under the instructor’s supervision, the rest of the time was spent on theoretical study: prison management systems, operational procedures, and necessary physical training—but nothing that left them exhausted. It was all relatively easy.

By the twenty-second day, even the slowest teammate had managed to clear all meridians and complete a full energy cycle. Only then did the instructor fully relax. The foundation was laid; from here on, it was just practice and habit, no major hurdles remained.

“Hey, we got lucky this time. All twenty of us passed,” Qi Zhen whispered mysteriously during a training break. “I heard the dropout rate for battle techniques is twenty percent.”

“How do you know that?” Yang Ze, nearby, was puzzled. “We’ve never heard that. Where did you get the information?”

“That’s none of your business!” Qi Zhen kept up his air of mystery. “Just know this: from the moment you entered the military, assessments have never stopped. Failed the psychological test? Sent back. Failed the basic training? Sent back. Failed the hidden personality evaluation? Sent back. Impure motives? Sent back. If you’re allowed to access the battle technique, you’ve already taken a big step closer to becoming a qualified soldier. I heard the evaluations for professional officers are even stricter, with even more complex tests.”

“Really?” Everyone found it hard to believe—so many tests, as if joining the army was some kind of talent show.

“Tch, believe it or not. Don’t tell me you weren’t grouped after the first phase of training. You know, some of those groups are for eliminated personnel, who are required to sign a series of confidentiality agreements before leaving the army. You think anyone can just join the military now?”

Everyone had experienced this, and recalling earlier events, it seemed Qi Zhen was telling the truth. Still, no one knew for sure; most teammates eyed him with suspicion.

“It’s true, I swear—may lightning strike me if I lie. I heard it from someone absolutely reliable.” Qi Zhen swore repeatedly, and at last, some people began to believe him.

But early the next morning, the instructor ordered everyone to line up. This time, something was different—a flyer was parked on the field, and two lieutenants with special insignia stood nearby.

“Qi Zhen, step forward!” Instructor Xiao Qiang, his face full of fury, glared at everyone, making them all uneasy.

Qi Zhen nervously stepped out. The instructor stared at him for a long time, eyes blazing, before turning aside. “Qi Zhen, follow these officers and report to the military office!”

The two lieutenants, expressionless, came forward and flanked Qi Zhen. He was clearly frightened, unsure what to do. One officer took him by the arm, and together they led him into the flyer.

Everyone watched as the flyer lifted off and disappeared. The instructor surveyed the group. “Everything Qi Zhen said yesterday—forget it. Bury it inside. That’s an order! From now on, I never want to hear such topics mentioned again.”

It was obvious that Qi Zhen’s words had been true. No matter where he heard it, the person who told him had committed a serious breach of secrecy. Everyone knew Qi Zhen would never return to the army simply because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

Seeing this happen before their eyes, everyone learned a valuable lesson. This was the military, not some relaxed company. Qi Zhen was right—assessment began the first day of training. Even if one was lucky enough to access the battle technique, it didn’t guarantee becoming a qualified soldier.

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Third update, striving for the rankings—please support with your recommendations, thank you! Also, please support the Sanjiang vote, much appreciated!