Chapter 20: Unstoppable Force

In this match, Qian Ye emerged victorious once again.

The captain, who was serving as the referee, declared Qian Ye’s victory and his gaze towards him held a hint of admiration.

Wei Po Tian, after vomiting, was almost completely drained and had to be carried away by his comrades.

Not long after, Qian Ye faced a new opponent, a second-rank soldier. Qian Ye rushed forward with a storm of attacks, leaving his opponent no chance to retaliate. This opponent, who seemed weaker than Wei Po Tian, was kicked out of the arena in less than a minute.

Subsequently, opponents came and went, and Qian Ye quickly achieved five consecutive victories.

From the reactions and whispers of the onlookers, it was evident that among the candidates, many were so-called combat experts, and one of them even possessed a secret fighting technique.

However, as soon as this fighter stepped into the ring, Qian Ye exchanged three quick punches with him, turning his imposing presence into a defensive crouch. Under Qian Ye’s powerful barrage of punches and kicks, the combat expert was knocked unconscious within a minute.

If it weren’t for the fact that the fighter shouted the name of his secret fighting technique upon entering the ring, Qian Ye would never have guessed that he, too, had a hidden technique.

However, throughout the match, Qian Ye never got to see what the secret fist called “Flowing Fire Melting Gold Thousand Layer Break” looked like.

After several matches, Qian Ye realized that these so-called experts were surprisingly weak, almost pathetically so. In comparison, Wei Po Tian was the strongest among them, and Qian Ye had to put in some serious effort to defeat him. Because Wei Po Tian was his first opponent, Qian Ye had held back most of his strength in the subsequent fights, which prevented any fatalities.

After five matches, Qian Ye felt that he had just started to warm up, and his fighting spirit was burning fiercely. He scanned the surroundings, eager for the next opponent.

However, instead of an opponent, he only heard the referee’s roar: “You’ve passed! Go to the side and don’t take up space here!”

Only then did Qian Ye realize that he had already achieved five consecutive victories.

This test felt to Qian Ye like a child’s game, a stark contrast to the brutal, lethal combat training in the Netherworld Training Camp.

As Qian Ye left the arena, the candidates who had watched him fight now held deep fear in their eyes.

Qian Ye’s moves, at first glance, seemed ordinary—fast, brutal, and precise. Occasionally, he used some basic combat techniques that even beginners knew. The unique aspect of his fighting style was his ability to seize the tiniest weakness in his opponents and relentlessly exploit it until victory was assured.

However, among the true experts, including the examiners, their expressions changed. They recognized that Qian Ye was using battlefield combat techniques designed for killing!

These techniques were simple and direct, aiming to overwhelm the opponent with brute force. Such straightforward and brutal techniques were the hardest to counter.

Who was this person? Where did he come from?

Some examiners already had a few answers in mind. The Netherworld Training Camp and several other mysterious places as formidable as the Netherworld Training Camp were among their guesses.

Qian Ye was unaware that he had already earned a new nickname among the candidates: Madman. Despite his seemingly delicate and even fragile appearance, he fought with a ferocity that stunned everyone.

Qian Ye was the first to finish the combat test and had to wait for all the candidates to complete their tests before they could move on to the final exam.

Qian Ye walked to the rest area, found a spot, and slowly drank a cup of water. Soon, other candidates began to arrive, and they all maintained a respectful distance from him, filled with apprehension.

A few minutes later, Wei Po Tian also arrived and sat down beside Qian Ye.

“You actually passed?” Qian Ye asked, finding it quite amusing.

Wei Po Tian glared at him and angrily retorted, “What do you mean ‘actually’? Don’t you know who I am, Wei Po Tian? My Wei Family Secret Fist, Thousand Layer Mountain, is immensely powerful! How could I not handle such a small matter? Thousand Layer Mountain… that is…”

Wei Po Tian must have bragged about this before, spouting it all out in one breath. Suddenly, he froze, his face contorting in embarrassment.

Back in the arena, Wei Po Tian had been utterly overwhelmed by Qian Ye, even being forced to vomit. The more he boasted about Thousand Layer Mountain, the more humiliated he felt.

Wei Po Tian suddenly remembered the necklace and bracelet he had lost to Qian Ye, and his face turned a dark shade. His expression clearly indicated that he held a significant position in his family.

Staring at Qian Ye, Wei Po Tian was at a loss for words, but he couldn’t swallow his pride. He huffed, “You’re not that impressive! If… if…”

He had intended to say, “If we fight again, I’ll show you.” But halfway through, he realized that the outcome would likely be the same. Qian Ye’s fighting style was nearly impossible to overcome unless his original force could be suppressed.

After a long moment, unable to contain his frustration, Wei Po Tian spat, “Damn it!” Only he knew whom he was cursing.

Wei Po Tian fell silent, but Qian Ye didn’t need to follow suit.

Turning to Wei Po Tian, Qian Ye said, “By the way, Brother Wei.”

Wei Po Tian shivered, straightened his back, and moved slightly away from Qian Ye.

As expected, Qian Ye continued, “Do you want to bet on the third match? I noticed your belt is quite interesting.”

Wei Po Tian’s heart sank, and though he tried, he couldn’t muster the courage to shout that bold “bet” word.

Fortunately, at that moment, an examiner hurried over, ordering all candidates to gather and head to the training camp for the final exam.

The final exam tested the depth of one’s original force and any special abilities.

The exam was simple: candidates were to meditate in a training room for two hours and try to activate their special abilities. Their performance would be observed and recorded for a comprehensive evaluation.

Qian Ye entered the training room, sat down, and recalled a specific rule. Candidates who had practiced the Art of War didn’t need to demonstrate special abilities; they only needed to show how many waves of original force they could endure.

The standard for local military units was seven waves, ten for regular units, fifteen for special forces, and seventeen for elite special forces. For the top-tier elite units, the minimum was twenty waves!

But this was just the entry requirement. Even if one could withstand twenty waves, it didn’t guarantee immediate entry. Other scores and sometimes additional tests were also considered.

No one knew that twenty waves of original force posed a completely different challenge for Qian Ye.

However, Qian Ye didn’t have much time. At nearly seventeen, this was his only chance to join the top-tier special units. He calmed his mind and relaxed, slowly channeling his original force.

Gradually, the original force within Qian Ye began to surge, forming a wave and flowing toward his right hand’s original force node.

Wave after wave of original force formed, and after nine waves, a complete tide emerged. When the first tide receded, it triggered a resonance in the training room, causing gears to turn and the number on the dial outside to change from 0 to 1.

As the tides rose and fell, Qian Ye’s body trembled more violently. His face was pale, and cold sweat poured from every pore, but his expression remained calm, almost unnaturally so.

The numbers outside kept changing: 17, 18, 19…

Finally, the critical moment arrived! The twentieth wave was a deluge, sweeping everything in its path. The massive recoil turned Qian Ye’s body red, and fine blood lines seeped from his nose, eyes, and ears.

By the seventh wave, Qian Ye was already struggling, with internal bleeding starting. He had never attempted a full twenty waves, and if he continued, the ninth wave would shatter his heart!

Passing the exam but dying in the process would be pointless. But should he give up now?

Suddenly, Qian Ye had an epiphany and redirected the original force through the scarred area on his chest. This area, compared to others, was a swamp for the original force. The violent waves were somewhat slowed, but the pain was excruciating.

Qian Ye’s vision blurred, and he almost fainted!

With a fierce bite, he braced himself and continued to channel the ninth wave.

“Ahh!!!”

A pained scream echoed from the training room, and the dial outside flickered, changing from black nineteen to crimson twenty!

An examiner frowned and opened the door, asking, “Are you alright? Are you still conscious?”

Qian Ye slumped against the wall, too weak to stand. His clothes were drenched, and there was a large, shocking bloodstain on his chest.

Seeing this, the examiner’s frown deepened. Just as he was about to write something down, Qian Ye lifted his head weakly and said, “I’m fine.”

The examiner looked at Qian Ye skeptically. This condition was fine? But it wasn’t his place to question. As long as the candidate was conscious after completing the Art of War, the exam was passed, and the score was valid.

The examiner wrote down 20 and left. Qian Ye stayed in the room for another ten minutes before managing to walk out.

All candidates who completed the exams were returned to the camp, and the injured received free medical treatment. The Imperial Military represented the pinnacle of medical achievement, and most injuries could be healed. Qian Ye’s internal injuries were severe, but a day in the special healing solution restored him to near perfect health.

As Qian Ye slept in the solution, a special meeting was being held in the main conference room of the military camp.