Chapter 7, Dedicated to Cannon Fodder
Perhaps the goddess of fate witnessed Qianye's struggles and efforts, and starting from the fourth week, the number of knowledge-based courses suddenly increased significantly
Another week has passed, and Qianye has successfully crossed the milestone of seventy, becoming sixty-nine. However, in the third week, Qianye fell ill due to excessive training, causing a sudden drop in ranking to ninety-three
The incense within the copper door has burned out, and no fragrance escapes. Although the room is still filled with steam, Qianye's sensitivity to the Force gradually becomes dull and vague.
In such a cramped space, the humidity suddenly increased, creating a sense of stuffiness. Qianye instinctively took a deep breath. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy, as if he could faintly sense something lively moving in the surrounding void. It was similar yet different from the azure raindrops that had fallen upon him on that scarlet moonlit night.
Qian Ye took off his shirt and long pants, stuffing them into the cabinet. He then recalled the demonstration actions of the instructor, sitting cross-legged. Almost immediately, the door was pushed open
In just one afternoon, he had already condensed a trace of substantial primal force within his body. Although it was still extremely small and felt almost imperceptible, it was enough to make Qian Ye ecstatic. According to the description in the Battle Technique, achieving the condensation of primal force into form on the first day indicated exceptional talent, suggesting the potential to cultivate to the advanced warrior realm of level 7 or above
Qian Ye, unable to attend to the still damp underwear, quickly put on her clothes and exited the training room, hurrying towards the designated area to stand properly in her line.
In the center of the valley lies a series of hot springs, emanating thick steam, with dozens of thick metal pipes inserted into the springs at one end, while the other ends intertwine.
Qian Ye had long known that the piece of wood was not an ordinary item, but did not expect it to be so valuable
A bare-chested servant with dark skin entered, opened a copper door on the wall, ignited a small piece of dark wood, and threw it inside
The enslaved person did not utter a single word from beginning to end, and upon leaving, closed the door tightly.
Qian Ye slowly opened her eyes, feeling an immense sense of regret in her heart
However, as Zhang Jing mentioned, regardless of their status, those who come to practice the military tactics have their own reasons for doing so, and the vast majority do not survive to level 9. Why bother with such concerns?
However, it is evident that the new regulations aim to accelerate the elimination of half of the individuals. There is a significant disparity in the cultivation speed of 'Zhu Yan Xue', and as time goes on, the gap between the two groups, the earlier and the later, will only continue to widen.
When all nine nodes are ignited, there will be an opportunity to break through the first major bottleneck. Successfully connecting all nodes will create a vortex of primal energy. This represents a qualitative breakthrough! Such individuals are true powerhouses, possessing the ability to confront dark races head-on. Once on the battlefield, they become the backbone, worthy of being called generals.
The training room is rather small, and the walls are surprisingly thick. Inside, there are patches of copper rust, and the floor is made of copper grating. Through the gaps, one can see a dark pit below, seemingly bottomless.
Suddenly, a wisp of smoke emerged from the copper door, which was half a person high, on the wall. In the room filled with steam, the slender white smoke could initially be seen clearly, gradually spreading out until it completely merged with the steam. A fragrant aroma filled the room
Qian Ye entered a small room in order, which was empty and devoid of any furniture, except for a small cabinet wrapped in leather placed in the corner by the door
The human body has nine major Force nodes, three of which are located within the lower abdomen, chest, and forehead, while the other six are situated in the hands, feet, and knees. The Force nodes serve as both storage and key points for drawing upon the Force.
This is the resonance of the Force
Just like that, the first week passed quickly. At the weekend ranking, Qianye was in the seventy-fifth position, which meant he would be without 'Zhu Yan Xue' for an entire week
Since the entire history of humanity is essentially a history of warfare, the current classification of ability levels is heavily infused with a military atmosphere. Upon igniting the first Force node, one officially enters the ranks of warriors, becoming a Level 1 Warrior. Thereafter, each additional node ignited signifies a promotion to the next level.
If there truly exists a stunning talent that surpasses level 9 and becomes a battle general, then such individuals will naturally have limitless opportunities, with many eager to recruit them, and they will not need to worry about resources for future advancement
Compared to the secret arts of other noble families, the military strategy of decisive warfare allows for rapid progress in the early stages of cultivation, potentially enabling individuals to overcome their innate talent barriers. However, its drawbacks are also evident; the overwhelming power of the force tide can inflict damage on the cultivator's body, and the more one cultivates, the more pronounced the damage becomes
Suddenly, a booming mechanical sound echoed in the room, the walls began to tremble, and a strong suction force emanated from beneath the floor railing, causing the steam in the room to vanish in an instant. Then, amidst the creaking of gears and hinges, the heavy copper door of the training chamber slowly lifted.
This woman, when not smiling, is as dignified as a noblewoman from a history book; however, once her expression becomes animated, there is an indescribable charm and allure about her
Subsequently, Zhang Jing provided a detailed explanation of the principles of Force cultivation and the introductory methods of the Weapon Tactics.
From this day forward, on Qianye's daily schedule, there were two additional hours allocated for training in the afternoon and evening at the library. However, the amount of physical training and the learning of various knowledge and skills did not decrease at all. Upon hearing the new arrangements, the children who had survived a year of brutal training no longer showed any signs of ease; their faces all fell.
This class has concluded
Qian Ye suddenly remembered the two companions who had failed the exam and whom she had beaten to death, and her heart sank with a chill.
He reflects on each of his training subjects one by one. The ranking of the military tactics is temporarily not considered. In the various knowledge courses overseen by Zhang Jing, Qian Ye consistently ranks among the top. However, the majority still lies in various physical training. In these areas, Qian Ye almost always falls behind.
Surrounding these several machines, there are rows of metal longhouses. The outer walls of these longhouses are a bright yellow, appearing to be covered with copper sheeting, and show no signs of rust whatsoever
On the night the rankings were announced, Qian Ye could not sleep.
With a sharp ringing sound, the training room trembled slightly, accompanied by a faint roar of machinery. Moments later, a large volume of scalding steam surged in from the walls and ceiling, quickly filling the entire space
The Art of Warfare, being the foundational technique within the imperial army, is characterized by its fierce and domineering style, as its name suggests. Its most notable feature is its rapid mastery; once the first node is successfully ignited, the internal energy will surge like tides, layering upon itself, crashing against the energy nodes like waves.
Qian Ye lay quietly on his back, staring at the ceiling above him, and gently reached out to touch the large scar on his chest. Years of malnutrition from living in the junkyard had been mostly remedied by the camp's meals, but it was precisely because of this scar that his physique was much weaker than that of normal children
Longhai has once again emerged at hetushu.com, wearing a somewhat cunning and cruel smile. He slowly said, "You should have all experienced the benefits of 'Zhu Yan Xue' from the recent lesson. You must know that such a small piece," he gestured with his index finger to indicate its length and width, grinning as his golden and silver teeth glinted coldly, "is enough to buy the lives of dozens of people!"
The children were divided into several teams, with ten individuals entering a metal longhouse. Inside the longhouse, it was further partitioned into individual rooms, which served as their training chambers
Long Hai paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted: "However, from now on, you will no longer have such good fortune! Starting this week, all training subjects will be scored based on your performance, with assessments taking place in one week! Those ranked in the lower half will not receive 'Zhu Yan Xue', while those in the upper half will receive double the 'Zhu Yan Xue'. If you can rank in the top ten, then congratulations, you will also receive a third piece of 'Zhu Yan Xue'!" Those ranked in the lower half will not receive 'Zhu Yan Xue', while those in the upper half will receive double the 'Zhu Yan Xue'. If you can rank in the top ten, then congratulations, you will also receive a third piece of 'Zhu Yan Xue'!
The children's expressions all changed, and their gazes towards their companions became wary.
In the afternoon, this group of children was taken to a small valley not far from the camp
Now, Qianye has begun to understand the words that Gu Tuohai said back then. This injury still poses a hidden danger; whenever he trains beyond his limits, he experiences a dull pain at the injury site, which reduces his endurance and strength. Qianye can only rely on a willpower that is much more resilient than that of others, along with putting in more effort and sweat, to barely keep up with the training pace
Two hours passed quickly, and suddenly a clear bell rang out in the valley, awakening all the children from their meditation
Several glances swept over Qian Ye, quickly shifting to others. Qian Ye was unremarkable, having occupied a position towards the back in past training.
When Qianye finally grew weary and fell asleep, he thought of many things, especially the *illustrated* books, but he never considered giving up. As long as he persevered, he would eventually see tomorrow and the faint light in the darkness
In retrospect, the first year of training for this group of children at Qianye was spent engaging in various methods to strengthen their bodies. Only with a robust physique can one endure the fierce and domineering nature of the military tactics.
Qian Ye felt a surge of joy in his heart, quickly calming his mind and silently contemplating the mental techniques of the military strategy. Indeed, it seemed as if something within him was awakening from its slumber. The primordial energy in the surrounding void became increasingly excited and active, as if drawn in, flowing into his body in wisps and threads.
These enormous metal pipes, each with a diameter exceeding one meter, spread across the entire valley like a spider's web, interspersed with several towering machines reaching heights of ten meters, the purpose of which remains unknown. These machines lack outer casings, with exposed gears having a minimum diameter of over one meter, interlocking through a dense network of conveyor belts and metal chains.
At this moment, her voice and her movements were extremely seductive. Some of the older children began to breathe rapidly, yet the burly men nearby, who were both assisting and keeping watch, all appeared fearful, and even Long Hai's expression noticeably became unnatural
Qian Ye must gradually recover from the disadvantage, fighting desperately for every point in each subject!
No one has ever been able to reach the level of a general solely through military tactics; to achieve a breakthrough, one must transition to a different method of cultivation in the later stages. For this reason, this technique is referred to as a method specifically for cannon fodder.
However, the value of a dozen lives depends on how one calculates it. For a child like Qian Ye, who grew up in a garbage dump, a dozen lives might not even be worth a single silver coin. Before meeting Lin Xitang, Qian Ye had only seen copper coins twice, one of which was missing a corner, and he had never seen a silver coin.
This week, Qianye trained tirelessly, resulting in a rise in ranking, but only by one position