Chapter Twenty-Two: Training Complete (Part One)

Zhao Li was still employing the basic body-strengthening technique; when it came to alleviating pain, this technique surpassed combat methods by far, making it perfectly suited for the moment. He had just endured a blow to the back from a teammate wielding inner force. Though his refined vital energy had managed to rebound most of the attack, a portion had penetrated, causing intense pain at the site of impact.

Fortunately, he had held onto his weapon—a police baton—so even Instructor Xiao Qiang was no threat. This was precisely why, after Zhao Li seized the weapon, the instructor felt somewhat at ease. Once he had efficiently taken down the remaining opponents, he finally had time to tend to his injuries. The basic body-strengthening technique swiftly worked to soothe the damage, healing it bit by bit. It was the first time Zhao Li had ever been wounded by a weapon infused with inner force; neither he nor his attacker had prior experience with such an incident.

Though Zhao Li had a rough idea of Instructor Xiao Qiang’s intention, he hadn’t realized the police baton he wielded was personally thrown to Li Xiuyuan by the instructor. But at the moment, he had no time to pursue the matter.

His body still ached, but it was within tolerable limits. Remarkably, Zhao Li managed to enter a meditative state. Vital energy flowed naturally through his meridians as his mind slipped into an empty, tranquil silence.

He had no idea how much time had passed before he gradually awakened. Opening his eyes, he saw the instructor’s smiling face and hastily stood to salute. “Instructor!”

“Not bad!” Instructor Xiao Qiang gestured for him to relax, speaking in a teasing tone. Before Zhao Li could respond, the instructor interrupted, “How are you feeling? Is the injury serious?”

At that moment, Zhao Li remembered he had been healing himself. He tried circulating his energy—everything was smooth and comfortable; there was no trace of discomfort. The pain had long since vanished, confirming the extraordinary effectiveness of the basic body-strengthening technique.

“I’m fine now, thank you, Instructor!” Zhao Li replied gratefully, forgetting entirely who had permitted this scuffle.

The instructor already knew from the military medic that Zhao Li’s injury wasn’t serious, so he paid it little mind. “You handled the baton well!”

“It’s all thanks to your excellent teaching!” Zhao Li responded with a smile, unsure what the instructor meant.

“Keep this momentum and attitude, and you’ll make a fine officer.” The instructor tossed out this enigmatic comment, then turned and left, leaving Zhao Li confused and at a loss.

“Today’s a rest day at the base. Take it easy!” The instructor’s words echoed from ahead. Zhao Li instinctively acknowledged, glanced at himself, and slowly made his way to the dormitory.

The fight today, knocking down so many people, didn’t surprise Zhao Li. In places unseen by others on the training ground, he had bested the instructor countless times. As for the dozen or so new recruits obsessed with mastering techniques rather than practicing their skills, there was nothing for Zhao Li to take pride in.

Yet, his only real gain was discovering that the refined vital energy from the basic body-strengthening technique was not useless in combat. After taking a blow, he could absorb and rebound most of the vital energy’s force—that was what truly delighted him. Presumably, the opponent wielding the baton could never have imagined that a new recruit practicing a fourth-level technique could rebound such a forceful strike, as if he possessed legendary invulnerability.

Whether this was a sign that refined vital energy could be mobilized, or merely a fluke, Zhao Li preferred to believe the former. That way, perhaps he could soon break through the bottleneck of the fourth-level technique and advance. If unrefined vital energy had such effects, what heights could refined vital energy reach?

Aside from three individuals, the rest had either been taken away or were in the medical ward. When Zhao Li entered the dormitory, the three present were about to speak, but he quickly interjected, “I’m still feeling a bit off. I’ll recover with some energy practice—let’s chat later.” The three sensibly said nothing more.

Lying quietly on his bunk, Zhao Li reflected. Today’s events would surely set him apart among the recruits. Fortunately, fourth-level techniques wouldn’t attract much attention from above, and the instructor had repeatedly emphasized that technique level wasn’t particularly important.

Combat techniques differed from civilian methods. If a civilian technique was sixth-level, it was strictly a sixth-level method, with unique cultivation approaches. Yet, their primary function was to strengthen the body; strictly speaking, techniques below seventh level were ineffective for combat. Civilian experts of seventh level and above had to register with the government to obtain advanced techniques.

In the military, things were different. Combat techniques were expressly designed for fighting, and their grading was not strictly by technique level, but more accurately by cultivation level—equivalent to a civilian technique’s rank under similar conditions.

Zhao Li was accustomed to the phenomenon of layered vital energy in his dantian. The two types of energy, both generated within his body, did not reject each other; they simply remained distinct and could not merge. This did not prevent him from freely manipulating his energy for any purpose.

The ability of refined vital energy to protect him was an unexpected delight. Whether this was a coincidence or true defensive efficacy, and whether its protection extended only to the governing meridians or other areas, all needed further verification.

Yet, after today’s scuffle, Zhao Li doubted he could—or should—test these things here anymore. One against ten was already excessive, even more so when a fourth-level went up against multiple fifth and sixth levels. If he showed any more dominance, his carefully guarded secret might be exposed. Better to wait for opportunities in the formal unit.

This was a training base, far from the city; even on rest days, there was nowhere to go. So he simply stayed within the base, either catching up on sleep or diligently practicing. There were no drills, but it was hardly relaxing. The truly relaxed ones were those teammates suffering in the medical ward.

A day’s rest passed quickly in the course of training, with nothing but meals and practice, no outings, and no interruptions. When Zhao Li heard the familiar assembly command and hurried out to the parade ground, he once again saw those teammates he had felled the day before.

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