The woman, when not smiling, was as dignified as a noblewoman from the pages of history books. But when her expression became animated, there was an indescribable allure and allure that captivated everyone.
Her voice and movements were incredibly seductive, and some of the older children began to breathe heavily. The burly men, who doubled as both laborers and enforcers, looked fearful, and even Long Hai’s expression had visibly become unnatural.
Qian Ye suddenly recalled the two comrades who had failed their exams and were flogged to death by her, and a chill ran down his spine.
Next, Zhang Jing explained in detail the principles of origin power cultivation and the basics of the Martial Siege Technique.
The human body has nine primary origin power nodes. Three are located within the lower abdomen, chest, and forehead, while the other six are in the hands, feet, and knees. These nodes are essential for storing and drawing origin power.
Given that human history is a chronicle of war, the current ranking system bears a strong military flavor. After igniting the first origin power node, one officially enters the ranks of a fighter, becoming a First-Level Warrior. Each subsequent node ignited signifies an increase in rank.
When all nine nodes are ignited, there is an opportunity to break through the first major bottleneck, forming an origin power vortex upon successfully opening all nodes. This marks a qualitative breakthrough! Such a person becomes a true powerhouse, capable of standing up to the dark races, and on the battlefield, they are the pillars, worthy of the title of a Battle Commander.
Since the Martial Siege Technique is a fundamental martial art of the Empire, its style is as its name suggests—extremely aggressive and domineering. Its greatest feature is rapid progression; once the first node is ignited, the origin power within the body will surge like tides, layer upon layer, battering the nodes like waves.
Compared to the secret techniques of other noble families, the Martial Siege Technique advances very quickly in the early stages, sometimes even overcoming the limits of one’s natural talent. However, its flaw is also evident: the overwhelming power of the origin power tides can harm the practitioner, and the damage becomes more apparent as one progresses further.
No one has ever reached the level of a Battle Commander solely by practicing the Martial Siege Technique; a change in technique is necessary for a breakthrough. Hence, this technique is often referred to as the “cannon fodder’s exclusive.”
But as Zhang Jing said, those who practice the Martial Siege Technique, regardless of their status, have their reasons, and most do not live long enough to reach the ninth level. What is there to worry about?
If someone possesses the extraordinary talent to break through to the ninth level and become a Battle Commander, such a person would naturally have boundless opportunities and be sought after everywhere, without needing to worry about resources for later advancements.
Reflecting back, in the first year of Qian Ye and the other children entering the training camp, they had undergone various physical exercises. Only a robust body could withstand the ferocity and dominance of the Martial Siege Technique.
From that day onward, Qian Ye’s daily schedule included an additional two hours of cultivation time in the afternoon and evening, but the amount of physical training and knowledge and skills learning remained the same. Hearing the new arrangement, the faces of the children who had survived the bloody training of the past year turned grim, and their expressions fell.
In the afternoon, the children were led to a small valley not far from the camp.
At the center of the valley were hot springs emanating billowing steam. Dozens of thick metal pipes, with diameters over a meter, were inserted into the hot springs and connected together in a winding manner. The entire valley was crisscrossed with these giant metal pipes, resembling a spider web, interspersed with several towering mechanical structures, each reaching heights of ten meters. The purpose of these machines was unknown, and their outer shells were missing, revealing gears and chains, the smallest of which had a diameter of over a meter, interlocking densely.
Surrounding these mechanical structures were rows of long metal buildings. The outer walls of these buildings were a bright yellow, seemingly covered in copper, without a trace of rust.
The children were divided into groups of ten and led into the long metal buildings. Inside, the buildings were divided into individual small rooms, serving as their cultivation chambers.
These cultivation chambers were quite cramped, with unusually thick walls. The interior was speckled with copper rust, and the floor was a copper grille, through which one could see a dark, bottomless pit.
Qian Ye entered one of the small rooms according to the sequence. The room was empty, save for a small cabinet wrapped in leather in the corner near the door.
Qian Ye took off his shirt and pants and stuffed them into the cabinet. He then recalled the instructor’s demonstration, sat cross-legged, and almost immediately, the door was pushed open.
A dark-skinned, bare-chested slave entered, opened a copper door in the wall, and tossed a small, dark piece of wood inside before igniting it.
The slave did not utter a single word and shut the door firmly as he left.
A shrill bell rang, and the cultivation chamber began to vibrate, accompanied by the distant rumble of machinery. Moments later, scalding steam poured in from the walls and ceiling, rapidly filling the entire space.
Suddenly, a wisp of smoke emerged from behind the half-meter-high copper door in the wall. In the mist-filled room, the smoke was clearly visible, gradually spreading and eventually blending with the steam. The room filled with a peculiar fragrance.
In such a confined space, the humidity suddenly rose, making the air somewhat stifling. Qian Ye instinctively took a deep breath and felt a sudden boost in energy, as if sensing something lively in the surrounding void. It was similar yet different from the cyan raindrops that fell on him during the night of the crimson moon.
This was origin power resonance!
Overjoyed, Qian Ye quickly calmed his mind and silently recited the principles of the Martial Siege Technique. Indeed, something within his body seemed to awaken from its slumber. The surrounding origin power became more excited and active, drawn into his body in fine threads.
Two hours passed swiftly, and a clear, resonant bell sounded in the valley, rousing the children from their meditative states.
Qian Ye slowly opened his eyes, feeling a deep regret.
In just one afternoon, he had condensed a tangible strand of origin power. Though it was still very small, barely perceptible, it was enough to make Qian Ye elated. According to the description in the Martial Siege Technique, being able to condense origin power on the first day indicated exceptional talent, with the potential to reach the advanced level of a Seventh-Level Warrior or higher.
The incense within the copper door had burned out, and no more fragrance escaped. Although the room was still filled with steam, Qian Ye’s perception of the origin power gradually became dull and vague.
The lesson was over.
The sound of machinery rumbled, and the walls vibrated. A powerful suction force came from beneath the grated floor, instantly clearing the steam. The thick copper door of the cultivation chamber slowly lifted with the creaking of gears and chains.
Ignoring his still damp underclothes, Qian Ye hastily put on his clothes and rushed to the designated area, standing in line with his group.
Long Hai reappeared, wearing a sly and cruel smile, and spoke slowly, “You should have all experienced the benefits of ‘Red Beauty Blood’ during your practice. A piece this small,” he gestured with his finger, baring his mouth and revealing his gold and silver teeth, reflecting a cold gleam, “is worth the lives of a dozen people!”
Qian Ye had known the wood was no ordinary item, but he hadn’t expected it to be so valuable.
However, the value of a dozen lives depended on how they were calculated. For someone like Qian Ye, who grew up in the garbage dumps, a dozen such individuals might not even be worth a silver coin. Before meeting Lin Xitang, Qian Ye had only seen a copper coin twice, one of which was missing a corner, and had never laid eyes on a silver coin.
Long Hai paused, then suddenly raised his voice, shouting, “But from now on, you won’t have such good fortune anymore! Starting this week, all training subjects will be scored based on your performance, with an assessment at the end of the week. The bottom half will receive no ‘Red Beauty Blood,’ while the top half will get double the amount. If you can make it into the top ten, congratulations, you’ll get a third piece of ‘Red Beauty Blood!'”
The children’s expressions changed, and they looked at each other with suspicion.
A few glances passed over Qian Ye, quickly shifting to others. Qian Ye was not particularly noticeable, having lagged behind in previous training.
Thus, the first week quickly passed, and on the weekend, the rankings were announced. Qian Ye was in seventy-fifth place, meaning he would go a whole week without ‘Red Beauty Blood.’
On the night the rankings were announced, Qian Ye couldn’t sleep.
He reflected on his performance in each training subject. The Martial Siege Technique wasn’t included in the rankings, and Qian Ye always ranked high in the knowledge courses taught by Zhang Jing. However, the majority of the scoring was based on physical training, in which Qian Ye consistently fell behind.
Lying quietly on his back, Qian Ye stared at the ceiling, lightly touching the large scar on his chest. The years of malnutrition from living in the garbage dumps had been mostly corrected by the camp’s diet, but because of this scar, his constitution was much weaker than that of a normal child.
Qian Ye now understood the words Gu Tuohai had spoken. The scar left a hidden danger, and whenever he trained beyond his limits, it caused a subtle pain, reducing his endurance and strength. Only through his unwavering willpower and greater effort and sweat could Qian Ye keep up with the training.
But now, the new rule was clearly meant to accelerate the elimination of half the group. The difference in cultivation speed with and without ‘Red Beauty Blood’ was significant, and over time, the gap between the front and back halves would only widen.
As Qian Ye finally fell asleep, exhausted, he thought of many things, but never once considered giving up. As long as he persisted, he would always see tomorrow and the faint light in the darkness.
Qian Ye would claw back his disadvantage, fighting tooth and nail for every subject and every point.
This week, Qian Ye trained desperately, and his rank improved, but only by one position.
Another week passed, and Qian Ye successfully climbed above the seventieth mark, becoming sixty-ninth. However, in the third week, Qian Ye fell ill due to overtraining, and his rank dropped to ninety-third.
Perhaps the goddess of fate saw Qian Ye’s struggle and effort, for in the fourth week, the number of knowledge-based courses suddenly increased significantly.
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