Zhao Mu's strength had been increasing at a pace visible to everyone around him.
Although his official Combat Level was still only Level 4, anyone with eyes could tell that his overall abilities had advanced far beyond that number. Whether in endurance, speed, strength, or reaction time, he had improved dramatically over the past twenty days of training.
His greatest progress, however, was in combat skill.
The Introductory Halberd Technique he had cultivated to maximum proficiency was no longer something ordinary trainees could handle. Any Spirit Power User relying on a basic combat technique would be completely overwhelmed if they fought him directly.
Even those who had begun learning Intermediate Combat Techniques would not necessarily defeat Zhao Mu unless they had reached a certain level of mastery.
In short, his actual combat power far exceeded what his Combat Level suggested.
That morning, as Zhao Mu followed his usual routine and headed toward the training ground, someone called his name from behind.
"Zhao Mu."
He turned around.
Instructor Xie Yingxue was standing there with her arms crossed, her expression serious.
"Come here."
Zhao Mu walked over obediently.
The moment he stopped in front of her, she spoke in a stern voice.
"Why has your Combat Level been increasing so quickly lately?"
Her sharp eyes locked onto him.
"Have you been using spirit source again?"
Zhao Mu did not bother denying it. He nodded honestly.
"Yes."
Instructor Xie's expression immediately darkened.
"You only recently completed Spiritual Ability Awakening. The most important thing at this stage is building a stable foundation."
She stepped closer, her tone growing colder.
"If your foundation becomes unstable, your future cultivation path could be ruined."
"You absolutely must not rely blindly on external aids just to raise your Combat Level."
After scolding him, her expression softened slightly.
"I know you are hardworking and motivated. But cultivation is not something that can be rushed."
She paused, then added:
"I've heard you also have talent in Jinhai Manufacturing. If combat doesn't work out, focusing on that field could still give you a promising future."
Zhao Mu almost laughed.
If only she knew.
His fundamentals were already stronger than most of the recruits around him.
But he could hardly explain the truth.
The real source of his progress was the mysterious Demon Clown, and that secret absolutely could not be revealed.
So he simply lowered his head respectfully.
"I understand. Thank you, Instructor Xie."
Then he grinned.
"Instructor Xie, I, Zhao Mu, have never thanked anyone in my life. You are the only exception."
Instructor Xie stared at him for a few seconds.
Then the corner of her mouth twitched.
She rubbed her forehead in helpless frustration and walked away without another word.
Recently, Zhao Mu's rapid growth had become a hot topic among the recruits.
Since spirit source was not a secret item, most people assumed he had been recklessly consuming it to force his level upward.
Many believed he was sacrificing long-term potential for short-term gains.
Especially Shao Han.
As the son of a noble military family, Shao Han believed Zhao Mu was simply a commoner with no guidance, no resources, and no understanding of cultivation.
In Shao Han's eyes, Zhao Mu had become impatient after awakening his power and foolishly chosen the fastest, dumbest route possible.
A talented fool.
That was how Shao Han saw him.
Today marked the twentieth day of boot camp.
The current top three rankings were:
Zhao Mu
Mo Guanguan
Shao Han
Although Shao Han had embarrassed himself badly on the first day, his background was still impressive.
His father was the deputy commander of Lujiang City's garrison forces, and Shao Han had received rigorous training since childhood.
Once the camp began, he steadily widened the gap between himself and the average recruits.
Yet despite all that effort, he was still eight full points behind Zhao Mu.
Eight points.
That was an enormous difference in a tightly contested ranking system.
And what made it worse for Zhao Mu was that the assistant instructors had been targeting him ever since he defeated Tian Hu.
To them, Zhao Mu defeating Tian Hu was not merely winning a match.
It was challenging the authority of the entire assistant instructor team.
Since then, they had found every legal method possible to make his training harder.
But Zhao Mu never complained.
In fact, he loved it.
The harder the training became, the more opportunities the Demon Clown had to evolve his body.
When others carried fifty jin of weight, he carried one hundred and fifty.
When others ran ten kilometers, he ran twenty.
When others finished exhausted, Zhao Mu still had energy left.
To outsiders, it looked like he was being suppressed.
In reality, he was benefiting more than anyone else.
However, on the twentieth day, something changed.
The recruits gathered at the training ground as usual, expecting another weighted endurance run.
Instead, they found Instructor Zhang Biao standing in front of them with his hands behind his back.
His broad body blocked the morning sunlight.
He wore the same frightening smile that always made everyone uneasy.
His fierce gaze swept across the crowd like a blade.
"From today onward," Zhang Biao announced loudly, "we're changing the game!"
Everyone stiffened immediately.
Whenever Zhang Biao said something like that, pain usually followed.
"We will no longer train individually."
He grinned.
"We begin group training."
The recruits exchanged uncertain looks.
What was this new trick?
Zhang Biao raised one finger.
"You have one hour."
"Within one hour, divide yourselves into three teams."
"Each team may have a maximum of fifty-four members."
"Every team must select one captain."
He paused dramatically.
"Future training scores will be calculated collectively by team."
Then he smiled wider.
"However... the captain receives double points."
The moment those words fell, many recruits' eyes lit up.
This was huge.
Normally, catching Zhao Mu, Mo Guanguan, or Shao Han in points would be extremely difficult.
But if becoming captain granted double rewards, then the rankings could be overturned overnight.
The top three positions in boot camp were highly valuable.
Those spots granted precious Qingfeng Camp academic credits—resources many people could only dream of obtaining.
Suddenly, captaincy became incredibly attractive.
But Zhang Biao was not finished.
He lowered his finger and said casually:
"If your team loses…"
"The captain will receive extremely severe punishment."
The crowd immediately went silent.
Everyone knew Zhang Biao's idea of punishment was terrifying.
If he called something "extremely severe," then it was likely hell itself.
Many people instantly abandoned the idea of being captain.
Still, the reward remained tempting enough that some were willing to gamble.
A hand rose.
"Report!"
It was Shao Han.
He stood straight and asked confidently:
"What are the rules for team formation?"
Zhang Biao glanced at him lazily.
"No rules."
The crowd stirred.
Zhang Biao continued:
"You've lived and trained together for twenty days. You should already know the people around you."
"So choose freely."
Then he looked at his watch.
"Time starts now!"
"Find the best comrades in your hearts!"
Chaos erupted immediately.
With no restrictions, choosing teammates became difficult.
If you selected weak teammates, they might drag the entire team down.
If you hesitated too long, all the strong people would be taken first.
Everyone began scanning the field nervously.
Then a clear, powerful voice rang out.
"Those willing to become teammates with me, Mo Guanguan, come here!"
Mo Guanguan stood proudly with one hand raised high.
Her posture was straight and fearless.
The effect was immediate.
"It's Mo Guanguan!"
"The A-Rank special recruit!"
"She's already Combat Level 12!"
"Follow her!"
Dozens of recruits rushed toward her position.
Her talent, strength, and confidence gave people instant trust.
Within moments, a large group had formed around her.
Seeing this, Shao Han snorted coldly.
He cleared his throat and shouted loudly:
"I, Shao Han, am willing to lead everyone to victory!"
"I have researched the Qingfeng Camp entrance trials in advance!"
"Follow me, and you won't regret it!"
His words also carried weight.
As the son of Shao Tianyi, deputy commander of Lujiang's military forces, he had entered Qingfeng Camp many times since childhood.
He was already familiar with most of the annual training projects.
That kind of insider knowledge was extremely valuable.
After a moment of hesitation, many recruits ran toward him as well.
Soon, Shao Han also had a large group surrounding him.
The field quickly split into two major camps.
Mo Guanguan represented raw strength and overwhelming talent.
Shao Han represented experience, strategy, and elite upbringing.
Compared to those two, everyone else seemed far less impressive.
Only one major figure had yet to move.
Zhao Mu.
The current number one ranked recruit.
The person leading the scoreboards.
The trainee who had beaten Tian Hu.
The man everyone had been watching.
Yet Zhao Mu simply stood there calmly, hands in pockets, expression relaxed.
He made no speech.
He made no promises.
He did not call for followers.
He merely watched.
Some recruits glanced toward him uncertainly.
Should they join Zhao Mu?
Or was his silence a sign he did not care?
Mo Guanguan narrowed her eyes.
Shao Han sneered inwardly.
Neither of them believed Zhao Mu understood command.
Individual strength was one thing.
Leading a team was another.
The remaining recruits hesitated in the center of the field, torn between three choices.
Time was passing.
And the team battle had only just begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)