As the sun set in the west, a burly figure was running with difficulty on the playground of Thunder Base.
"I... I am trash!" "I am trash!"
Wang Li was covered in bruises. Every step he took was accompanied by heavy panting, but he dared not stop, nor did he dare to whisper. Because that teenager in the black training suit was sitting on the stands in the distance, drinking A-Rank Nutrient Solution while watching him expressionlessly.
The onlookers were silent as cicadas in winter.
Even Wang Li, known for his strength, had been tamed into submission. Now in the entire training camp, except for the unfathomable Chief Instructor Lei Zhen, probably no one dared to provoke Lin Zhiran.
"One hundred laps, not a single lap less."
When Wang Li finished the last lap and collapsed on the ground like a dead dog, Lin Zhiran faintly withdrew his gaze and stood up.
He glanced at the smart terminal on his wrist.
[Current Points: 20 (Initial 10 + 10 won from bet).] [Rank: 1st.]
Among these freshmen who were still worrying about how to keep their initial 10 points, Lin Zhiran, holding 20 points, was undoubtedly a true "Tycoon."
"Let's go, check out the Supplies Exchange Center."
Lin Zhiran ignored the awe-filled gazes around him and walked straight to a fortress-like building on the east side of the base.
...
Supplies Exchange Center.
This was one of the core places of the training camp. As long as one had points, one could exchange for military contraband unavailable to the outside world, high-tier cultivation methods, and even beast internal cores that could directly increase Vitality.
On the huge electronic screen, a dazzling list of exchange items scrolled.
[C-Rank Alloy Combat Saber: 5 Points] [B-Rank Combat Suit (Bulletproof and Stab-proof): 8 Points] [Tier 1 Beast Essence Blood: 10 Points] [Combat Skill "Mountain Splitting Axe" (C-Rank): 15 Points] ...
Many students gathered in the hall, but most of them just drooled looking at the screen. The 10 initial points in their hands were too precious. Once spent, if points were deducted in tomorrow's training, they would face direct elimination.
Only Lin Zhiran strode to the counter.
The person in charge of the exchange was an old quartermaster wearing glasses. He looked up at Lin Zhiran, a glint flashing in his eyes. "You're the kid who swung Wang Li like a windmill? S-Rank Lin Zhiran?"
"That's me." Lin Zhiran nodded. "I want to exchange for something."
"What do you want? With your current 20 points, you can get most basic equipment." The old quartermaster said with a smile.
Lin Zhiran's gaze scanned the screen quickly.
Weapon? He had the SSS-Rank Talent blessing; everything could be a spear. He didn't need a great weapon for now. Armor? Offense was the best defense, and his [Absolute Territory] itself was the strongest defense. Potions? He had a box of high-grade ones at home.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped at a gray, inconspicuous icon at the bottom of the list.
[Incomplete Movement Technique Manual (Unknown Rank): 3 Points.] [Description: A fragment excavated from an ancient civilization ruin. The text is obscure and difficult to understand, and key qi circulation routes are missing. Identified by multiple Grandmasters, forced cultivation easily leads to meridian reversal. Recommended as a collectible or research material.]
"That one."
Lin Zhiran pointed at the icon. "I want to exchange for this."
The old quartermaster was stunned, looking where his finger pointed, and then frowned. "The fragment? Kid, are you crazy? This thing has been sitting here for three years, and no one has exchanged for it. Although it's only 3 points, it's completely waste. A genius who didn't believe in heresy tried to practice it before and almost ended up paralyzed."
Surrounding students also cast strange glances.
"Is this the vision of an S-Rank genius?" "Probably thinks he's naturally gifted and wants to pick up a leak, right?" "Pick up a leak? Even Grandmasters identified it as waste. Can he master it? Don't end up crippling yourself, S-Rank becoming a cripple."
Zhao Tai mixed in the crowd. Hearing Lin Zhiran's choice, a trace of schadenfreude flashed in his eyes. Practice it, best if you go into qi deviation!
Lin Zhiran ignored the surrounding discussions, his expression firm. "Just this one. Also, give me two 'Primary Energy Potions'."
The old quartermaster looked at him deeply and shook his head. "Young people nowadays just don't listen to advice. Fine, since you insist, here you go. But let me say the ugly words first: if you practice it wrong, we are not responsible."
Card swiped, points deducted.
A worn, yellowing thread-bound book and two potions were handed to Lin Zhiran.
Lin Zhiran took the book. The moment his fingers touched the cover, the System in his mind jumped violently.
[Ding! Detected High-Tier Cultivation Method fluctuations...]
Sure enough!
Lin Zhiran was delighted.
His guess was correct. The SSS-Rank Talent [Heart of the Spear God] was not just mastery of spearmanship but a fundamental analysis of all combat techniques. In the eyes of the System, there was no "incomplete," only "uncompleted."
...
Villa No. 1, Quiet Room.
Lin Zhiran sat cross-legged, the dilapidated manual placed in front of him.
Opening the pages, the text inside was indeed archaic and difficult to understand, and many places were covered by wormholes or stains, making the original content unreadable.
"System, analyze."
Lin Zhiran recited silently in his heart.
[Received. Scanning "Unknown Movement Technique Fragment"...] [Analyzing...] [Found 36 cultivation method faults, 70% of qi circulation routes missing, core force generation points blurred.] [SSS-Rank Talent Deduction Activated! Retrieving database for completion...]
Hum!
In Lin Zhiran's mind, a golden figure seemed to appear.
The figure ran, jumped, and flickered constantly in the void. At first, the figure's movements were very jerky, and it even fell often (simulating meridian reversal). But with the System's deduction, the figure's movements became more and more fluid, more and more bizarre.
It wasn't just running; it was more like teleporting!
One step out, the body turned into nine afterimages, making it hard to distinguish real from fake!
[Ding! Deduction successful!] [Congratulations Host, successfully repaired the fragment. Obtained S+ Rank Movement Technique — "Nine Shadows Phantom Step"!] [Skill Effect: Explode Vitality to instantly create up to nine indistinguishable afterimages. The main body can freely switch positions between afterimages. When practiced to Great Success, one can tread on snow without leaving traces and shrink the earth into inches!]
S+ Rank!
Lin Zhiran opened his eyes abruptly, a trace of ecstasy flashing in them.
3 points for an S+ Rank Movement Technique! This was simply a huge profit!
This was a manual that even Grandmasters couldn't repair, but under the System's brute-force deduction, it turned into a divine skill in less than half an hour.
"With this movement technique, combined with my [Absolute Territory] and spearmanship..."
"As long as it's not a High-Tier Grandmaster, who can stop me?"
Lin Zhiran suppressed the excitement in his heart, picked up the Energy Potion beside him, took a swig, and began to practice the movements of that golden figure in his mind over and over again.
Although the System provided the ready-made cultivation method, true mastery still required muscle memory.
Nothing more was said for the night.
...
2:00 AM.
It was when people slept the soundest.
Suddenly!
Woo—!!!
A shrill alarm resounded through the entire Thunder Base!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" "All students assemble immediately! Prepare for combat!"
Lei Zhen's urgent and stern roar came from the broadcast.
Immediately after, hair-raising roars came from outside the base's perimeter walls.
Boom!
A corner of the wall seemed to be rammed open by some giant object. Dozens of beasts with red-glowing eyes rushed in!
"It's beasts! The base has been breached?!" "How is that possible! This is a military zone!" "Mommy! Help!"
The students living in the containers and apartment areas instantly turned into a mess. After all, they were just high school students who had awakened a few days ago. Even if they had some talent, they had never seen such a battle array.
Some with poor psychological quality were so scared their legs went soft, unable even to hold their weapons steadily.
"Pick up your weapons if you don't want to die!"
Lin Zhiran kicked open the door of the villa and rushed out carrying an alloy long spear (a C-Rank weapon exchanged with the remaining 7 points).
He looked at the chaotic scene, his eyes terrifyingly calm.
This was no enemy attack.
If it were a real Beast Tide, the alarm would be sharper, and it wouldn't be just these dozens of low-tier beasts rushing in.
This was a drill.
Or rather, this was the first late-night additional exam of "Hell Week"!
"Roar!"
A "Iron-Hide Boar" the size of a calf spotted Lin Zhiran and charged at him howling. This was a Tier 1 Mid-Stage beast with thick skin and flesh; its impact force was enough to collapse a wall.
"Just right, I'll use you to test my footwork."
A sneer curled up on the corner of Lin Zhiran's mouth.
Facing the high-speed charging boar, he advanced instead of retreating.
Just as the two were about to collide, Lin Zhiran's figure suddenly flickered.
Swish!
The boar crashed ruthlessly into "Lin Zhiran," but passed through without any obstruction, smashing headfirst into the villa wall.
Afterimage!
And the real Lin Zhiran had already appeared on the boar's left side like a ghost.
"Die."
Puchi!
The spear was like lightning, entering through the boar's most fragile ear canal, piercing straight into the brain!
The boar's massive body twitched and crashed to the ground.
One-hit instant kill!
"This... What movement technique is this?"
Gu Jian (the sword-carrying teenager from Villa No. 2), who had just rushed out of his villa, happened to see this scene, his pupils shrinking sharply.
He considered his movement technique decent, but he actually didn't see Lin Zhiran's movement clearly just now! It was as if Lin Zhiran had teleported out of thin air!
"Is this the strength of an S-Rank?" Gu Jian gripped the giant sword in his hand tightly, raging fighting will igniting in his eyes.
At this time, more beasts rushed in.
"Ah! Help!"
Not far away, a girl living in the apartment area was pinned down by a Wind Wolf, screaming in despair. The Wind Wolf opened its bloody mouth, about to bite off her throat.
Although the surrounding boys wanted to save her, they were entangled by other beasts and powerless to help.
At this critical moment.
A black shadow cut into the battlefield like a ghost.
Nine Shadows Phantom Step!
Three Lin Zhirans seemed to appear in the air simultaneously!
The Wind Wolf was confused, not knowing which one to bite.
In this moment of hesitation, a cold long spear had already pierced its neck from the side.
Bang!
Lin Zhiran kicked the Wind Wolf's corpse away and pulled up the scared-silly girl.
"Hold your weapon."
Lin Zhiran said coldly, his voice penetrating the din. "If you don't want to die, don't close your eyes."
After speaking, he didn't even look at the girl again. His figure flickered once more, rushing into the densest part of the beast herd.
That night.
The students of Thunder Base saw a scene they would never forget.
Amidst the chaos and fear, there was a black figure, like a precise killing machine, charging in and out of the beast herd seven times.
Spear striking like a dragon, body moving like a ghost.
Wherever he passed, beasts were executed.
That blood-stained long spear became the only, and most dazzling, light in this dark night.
And on the high watchtower.
Chief Instructor Lei Zhen put down his binoculars, the smile on his lips growing thicker.
"This kid... actually mastered that fragment?"
"Entered the gateway overnight?"
"It seems our Thunder Base has really found a treasure this time."
He turned to the adjutant beside him. "Pass the order, the drill ends in ten minutes. Also, add another 50 points... to Lin Zhiran's score!"
"I want him to become the undisputed King of this training camp!"