Chapter Seventeen: The Leak (Part One)

The system of combat techniques was vastly different from that of civilian cultivation methods. Still, much to Zhao Li’s relief, physical conditioning arts remained the foundation. It wasn’t that the first and second levels of cultivation techniques were meaningless; in fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire civilian system formed the basis for the combat technique system. Without such foundational accumulation, it would be impossible for anyone to suddenly transition into combat techniques and expect to grasp their essence.

Yet, combat techniques incorporated most of the lower-level methods. The reason one could break through the bottleneck of fourth-level techniques in a short time was owed to their unique approach to movement during cultivation. The theoretical principles behind this were explained tirelessly, again and again, during the initial courses, with the aim that all recruits would remember them well. However, actual practice was strictly forbidden at this stage; only once all theory and techniques had been mastered would it be allowed.

Zhao Li absorbed this knowledge with the hunger of a famine survivor, striving harder than anyone else among the trainees. When others had already left, Zhao Li would still be diligently seeking guidance from the instructors. Thanks to his experience with running the physical conditioning art during movement, his questions often went straight to the heart of the matter, pleasantly surprising the instructors. According to past records, such questions usually only emerged after about a month of practical training, once the recruits had gained some experience with movement-based cultivation and begun to reflect further. Unexpectedly, here was a student who had already reached this insight at the very start.

These were not fundamental issues, merely practical tips for application; omitting them wouldn’t cause any great harm. However, Instructor Xiao Qiang understood what such theoretical insight and ability to draw inferences meant, especially given Zhao Li’s unique circumstances. As a result, the instructor always answered Zhao Li’s questions in detail, sometimes even anticipating issues Zhao Li hadn’t thought of yet, providing him with a wealth of experience.

At last, the specialized training rooms were opened to all new recruits. Each person had a private room, simply furnished with a low, not particularly springy bed and nothing else. In truth, nothing else was needed during cultivation. Every room was equipped with surveillance devices, allowing instructors to monitor everyone's status and intervene promptly should any deviation arise in the early stages of training.

Though they were cultivating combat techniques, the initial period of adaptation and foundation building was still done while seated. Everyone was most familiar with this manner of energy circulation, so it was the only way to begin learning combat techniques. Only after becoming comfortable with this state would they gradually start moving, learning to master the essentials of cultivating while in motion—a necessary process with no exceptions.

Despite his experience, Zhao Li dared not reveal it, and obediently stayed in the training room, seated and awaiting orders.

“All right, there will be no further interruptions. You may now attempt your first cultivation,” came the instructor’s voice through the speaker, still stern but tinged with concern. “If you feel anything is wrong, stop immediately. This won’t cause any harm, but forcing yourself to continue could result in problems. Remember this—it's been emphasized countless times during theory classes, and this is your last warning!”

No one took this warning lightly. The military’s combat techniques were not suitable for everyone; if one's constitution or other factors failed to meet the standards, attempting to cultivate these techniques could lead to disastrous consequences. This had been made very clear in the theoretical classes.

It was only after this that Zhao Li became a little more anxious. He had originally thought that once he began practicing the techniques, everything would go smoothly; he hadn’t expected such a hurdle. As a result, he had to reveal some of his higher aptitude, constantly consulting the instructor to avoid making any mistakes.

“Pay attention—begin!” At last, the instructor gave the order, and Zhao Li immediately entered a state of cultivation.

It must be said that his talent with physical conditioning arts directly impacted his progress. Within less than half an hour of entering the state, Zhao Li was already skillfully guiding his vital energy through all the major meridians of his body.

The robust foundational energy he possessed had been compressed and refined through sixty-nine cycles, making it far stronger than the ordinary. Entering the other meridians was not as difficult as the instructor had warned; the resistance in these meridians was only slightly greater than when Christine had first infused energy into hers.

According to theory, it should take at least twenty days from the initial opening of the meridians to the completion of a full cycle through all of them—similar to the time it takes with basic conditioning arts to first sense one’s energy and open the meridians. But to Zhao Li’s shock, on his very first attempt, his vital energy surged forward unstoppably, breaking through the relevant meridians one after another.

All twelve major meridians, coursing throughout the body, were completely opened within a mere six hours. The speed of his progress was enough to make Zhao Li himself uneasy.

After completing one full cycle, Zhao Li gathered his energy into his dantian, sat with his eyes closed to reflect for a while, then slowly opened them. Everything seemed normal—except for his speed, there were no issues at all.

He stood up and stretched, just as Instructor Xiao Qiang’s voice came through: “Zhao Li, how do you feel?”

“Reporting, sir: Very well,” Zhao Li answered, instinctively snapping to attention.

“No need to be nervous—report to the surveillance hall at once!” The instructor’s concern was clear as he immediately summoned Zhao Li.

Surveillance cameras lined the walls of the hall; besides the instructor, there were several soldiers monitoring the screens. When Zhao Li arrived, he found he was the first to finish.

This speed was truly extraordinary. It seemed that mastering the basic conditioning arts to a certain degree had an extremely strong effect on combat technique cultivation as well.

“How many meridians did you open?” The instructor scrutinized Zhao Li for a while; seeing him in person was much more revealing than watching him on screen. Once satisfied there were no problems, the instructor finally asked.

“Reporting, sir: One!” Zhao Li understated his achievement considerably in his report.

“Very good; rest for a while and wait for the others,” the instructor said, clearly pleased with Zhao Li’s progress. He then turned back to continue watching the other screens.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Climbing the rankings, this is the second update—please vote if you can, there will be another chapter this afternoon.

Also, please support us by voting on Sanjiang—just select the book title from the link at the top right of the page and cast your vote. Thank you, everyone!