Chapter 17: Graduation

In the Imperial Army, there’s an unwritten rule: those who reach the rank of Second-Class Warrior before the age of eighteen can join the Special Forces. However, the most elite among these Special Forces only recruit Second-Class Warriors under the age of seventeen. This is just the minimum threshold; many other conditions must be met to catch the eye of the Empire’s most elite legions.

Qian Ye was already sixteen.

Awakening nodes, consolidating strength, and preparing for the final exam all required time. If he reached Second-Class Warrior status only at the age of seventeen, Qian Ye would likely miss his chance to enter the Special Forces.

Almost all graduates from the Yellow Springs Training Camp would serve in the Imperial Army for a few years before pursuing their own paths. From the moment he stepped into the camp, Qian Ye had secretly set his sights high. He not only wanted to survive but also to join the top-tier, or at least the first-class, Special Forces.

Only then, Qian Ye felt, would he not dishonor the name he was to receive—Lin.

Qian Ye was not lacking in talent, but an old wound nearly destroyed everything! In this world of war and turmoil, people only cared about results, not the process.

At sixteen, Qian Ye had yet to break through to Second-Class Warrior—this was the result. And tonight, he was determined to change it!

Under the moonlight, Qian Ye’s primordial force began to surge, gradually forming a tide, then pushing arduously through the scarred area, beginning to assault the node barrier.

Round after round of primordial force tides continued to form, each bringing unbearable pain. But Qian Ye’s mind was blank, quietly awaiting the outcome.

The seventeenth wave of primordial force receded, and the eighteenth wave finally arrived!

Qian Ye’s face was ashen, drenched in sweat. Under the intense backlash of the primordial force and excruciating pain, his body trembled incessantly. Each wave felt like a rebirth from death!

In a blink, from the first to the ninth wave, when the ninth wave fiercely struck the node barrier, Qian Ye heard a crisp crack. The once impenetrable barrier, under the mighty impact of the primordial force, now showed countless cracks, on the verge of shattering!

The tide slowly retreated, and the primordial force returned to calm. Finally, Qian Ye’s mind relaxed, and then darkness enveloped him as he fainted.

When Qian Ye woke up, two days had passed.

He opened his eyes to see the familiar classroom, lying on a cold metal table. Clearly, Shen Tu had saved him again.

“Reckless! Utterly reckless!” The old man, who never cared much for living things, scolded Qian Ye.

Shen Tu’s medical skills were indeed formidable. Despite the severe damage to his internal organs from withstanding eighteen waves of primordial force, Shen Tu managed to heal him without leaving any hidden dangers. Regardless of Shen Tu’s scolding, Qian Ye felt only gratitude toward him.

With the foundation of eighteen waves of primordial force, a month later, Qian Ye finally ignited his second node, becoming a Second-Class Warrior.

After becoming a Second-Class Warrior, most people would awaken a primordial force-related ability. Some lucky ones could even choose between several abilities. Qian Ye, with his astonishing talent, had the right to choose. He could select Heavy Bullet, Primordial Leap, or Dual Shooting as his ability.

Without much thought, Qian Ye chose Heavy Bullet.

Heavy Bullet was a common ability, specifically for primordial force firearms. When activated, it allowed for a strike with far greater power, approximately one and a half times that of a normal shot.

After igniting his second primordial force node, Qian Ye found that the force generated from this node was exceptionally fierce and difficult to control. In such a case, Heavy Bullet, which focused solely on power, was the perfect choice.

After two more months of meticulous preparation, Qian Ye applied for the training camp’s graduation exam. As he headed to the Grand Canyon, besides the basic combat dagger, he carried a peculiar rifle on his back.

This was a primordial force rifle, though it was the simplest and most basic model, it was still a primordial force firearm!

During the graduation exam, the training camp provided each student with only a dagger, forbidding any other equipment. However, handcrafted items by the students were an exception and could be brought into the exam.

Qian Ye’s perfect scores in all knowledge classes finally paid off. Starting from the basics of material processing, he had crafted a primordial force rifle! Although it was the simplest and most primitive, its energy compression device could store only one primordial bullet.

Thus, Qian Ye became the first student in thirty years to take the graduation exam with a primordial force rifle.

The crystal lizard was indeed a formidable opponent, but not for someone with a crude dagger. At a distance of a hundred meters, Qian Ye began to charge his primordial force rifle, aimed, activated Heavy Bullet, and fired.

A blazing red light burst from the gun, blowing off half the lizard’s head!

It was that simple. No one had forbidden the use of primordial force firearms; if you could make one, you could use it. And Qian Ye’s shot was exceptionally powerful, with the added boost of Heavy Bullet, equivalent to a Third-Class Warrior’s strike.

Three months after his sixteenth birthday, Qian Ye finally graduated from the Yellow Springs Training Camp.

News of Qian Ye’s graduation spread quickly. A few days later, Shi Yan drove a heavy truck to the entrance of the valley where the training camp was located.

In a flash, Qian Ye had spent nine long years at the Yellow Springs Training Camp.

By then, Qian Ye stood at one meter eighty-five, not much shorter than the robust Shi Yan. Unlike Shi Yan, whose muscles were prominently defined, Qian Ye had a lean, well-proportioned figure, with every line exuding tension.

Shi Yan remained the same, except for the slight traces of time around his eyes and brow, stark reminders of the years that had passed.

Seeing Qian Ye, a glint of joy appeared on Shi Yan’s usually stoic face. He lifted his hand as if to ruffle Qian Ye’s hair, then instead punched Qian Ye’s chest, praising, “Good boy! You made it out alive! Come here, let me take a good look at you!”

Qian Ye’s features were pure and clear, still very handsome. Yet, he didn’t even flinch from Shi Yan’s punch, which made Shi Yan even happier, his hard-set features softening into a smile.

With a nod, Shi Yan jumped into the driver’s seat of the heavy truck. This soldier, who rarely smiled, had a particular fondness for these rugged, heavy trucks.

Once Qian Ye got in, Shi Yan sped off.

In the driver’s seat, Shi Yan said, “Commander Lin was very happy to hear of your graduation and immediately sent me to pick you up. Unfortunately, he’s currently stationed in the Western Frontier, unable to leave, so you might not see him for a while.”

“What’s happening in the Western Frontier?” Qian Ye asked.

“Two provinces have rebelled, seeking independence. It’s not a big deal, just a bit troublesome. The rebels are very cunning, always hiding among the civilians to conceal their identities.”

“Rebels?” Qian Ye had never heard the term before.

Shi Yan spat, “They’re just a bunch of ignorant fools! The Empire is fighting the dark races, and instead of supporting the front, they cause trouble in the rear. They want to overthrow the Empire? Ha, the Empire has stood for twelve hundred years, with three hundred provinces spanning four continents. How can such clowns bring it down?”

Qian Ye listened quietly. If two provinces could keep Lin Xi Tang occupied, the rebels must be more formidable than Shi Yan suggested.

Driving in silence for a while, Shi Yan said, “The rebels are a nuisance. They hide among the common people, and many in those provinces are foolish enough to protect them, even if it means their families and themselves will be punished. Commander Lin is hesitant to harm innocents, so he hasn’t used drastic measures, delaying the conflict.”

Pausing for a long moment, Shi Yan sighed, “But this won’t last. If there’s no progress, Commander Lin will rotate, and another general will take over. Whoever it is, the two provinces will… run with blood!”

Qian Ye felt a heavy weight. If Shi Yan was using such terms, how many would die?

In the Yellow Springs Training Camp, Qian Ye had killed, and human life no longer held the same sanctity for him. But compared to these renowned generals, Qian Ye was insignificant. Even if he became a top assassin, the number of people and dark races he killed would pale in comparison to the numbers slaughtered by a single order from these generals.

The heavy truck raced on.

“Qian Ye!” Shi Yan suddenly said.

“Hmm?”

“Tomorrow is the day the Imperial Military begins recruitment. I’ll take you to the assessment. Do your best. Two of the Empire’s five elite legions will have examiners present. If you perform well, you have a chance to join!”

“I will do my best!”

Shi Yan sighed, “I hope you make it into the elite legions and one day become a renowned general of the Empire! Commander Lin… he has too many enemies in the military.”

Hearing this, Qian Ye’s heart sank.

Shi Yan took something from his pocket and handed it to Qian Ye, saying, “This is from Commander Lin.”

Unfolding the folded, intricately patterned paper, Qian Ye saw “Lin Qian Ye” written in strong, elegant script. The edges were worn, and the creases and ink were faded.

“Commander Lin wrote this nine years ago,” Shi Yan explained, as if reading Qian Ye’s thoughts.

“Nine years ago?” Qian Ye was incredulous. Nine years ago, when he first entered the Yellow Springs Training Camp?

“Commander Lin told me you’d come back alive when he sent you to the Yellow Springs,” Shi Yan said with a smile.

The heavy truck sped on, reaching an airship base late at night. Just as a cargo blimp was docking, Shi Yan drove the truck onto it.

After a brief resupply, the blimp set off at midnight.

Their destination was Xiangyang, the largest military-industrial city on Qin Continent, ranking third in the entire Empire.