Meng Qiuqiu finally gave up trying to persuade Zhao Mu.
Outwardly, he shrugged it off with a helpless expression, but inwardly, he couldn't help sighing.
Xiao Mu… you're still too young.
One day, you'll understand what it means to have a rich and powerful woman backing you. Right now, you're treating pride as treasure… but sooner or later, you'll regret it.
Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself.
Meanwhile, not far away, Mo Guanguan walked over and sat beside Shen Moran and her roommates. Her expression was clearly displeased.
She raised her hand and touched the back of her head.
A slight bump was still there.
It hurt.
"That damn Zhao Mu…" she muttered through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing with irritation.
Shen Moran noticed her reaction immediately. A strange expression flickered across her face.
"Guan Guan," she said cautiously, "you should keep some distance from him."
Mo Guanguan turned to look at her, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
Shen Moran hesitated for a moment before continuing:
"With your background… getting too close to someone like him will only attract gossip. It won't be good for you."
Mo Guanguan blinked.
Then she laughed.
"Gossip?" she said dismissively. "We're already Cadet Soldiers now. Who cares about that?"
She leaned back slightly, her tone confident and carefree.
"I'm not some delicate noble lady. I've got strength—and methods. If anyone dares to talk behind my back, I'll deal with them myself."
Her words were bold.
Unapologetic.
Shen Moran fell silent.
She hadn't expected Mo Guanguan to completely ignore her advice.
And for some reason—
A faint bitterness rose in her heart.
Shen Moran did not regret breaking up with Zhao Mu.
In her mind, it had been the correct decision.
She was a rare B-rank Talent user, possessing Space Element Spirit Power—a combination that promised an extraordinary future.
She believed she would go far.
Far beyond ordinary people.
Yet now—
Seeing Mo Guanguan, someone from a truly powerful background, someone with even greater talent…
And seeing that same person showing interest in Zhao Mu—
It unsettled her.
She couldn't explain why.
She didn't want Zhao Mu back.
But…
She didn't want him to surpass her either.
Especially not after leaving her.
That—
Was unacceptable.
"Alright, enough talking," Zhang Yuan interrupted, breaking the awkward silence.
"Use this time to meditate. Who knows when the next training round will start?"
His reminder snapped them back to reality.
They were still in training.
This was no place for idle conversation.
Shen Moran and Mo Guanguan exchanged a glance before closing their eyes, preparing to meditate.
But—
Before they could even begin—
A sharp whistle pierced through the air!
"Huh? Already?" someone exclaimed.
"We just started resting!"
There was no time to complain.
Everyone quickly got up and formed ranks.
The previous round of training had been brutal.
The so-called "Whack-a-Mole" exercise had drained nearly all of their Spirit Power.
Even Zhao Mu had only managed to recover a small portion through a single session of meditation.
Now—
They were being pushed again.
Under the guidance of the instructors, the cadet soldiers were led to a new training ground.
It was a desolate field.
Wild grass grew unevenly across the land, and the terrain was rough and uneven. A narrow mountain path stretched ahead, winding into the distance.
Scattered across the ground were large stones.
Dozens of them.
Each one irregular in shape, with jagged edges and rough surfaces.
At first glance, their purpose was unclear.
But soon—
It became obvious.
Zhang Biao stood before them, arms crossed, his lips curling into a wolf-like grin.
"Yesterday's training," he said slowly, "was just an appetizer."
A chill ran through the crowd.
"Today," he continued, "we get serious."
A wave of unease spread instantly.
That was just the appetizer…?
Many of them had barely been able to get out of bed that morning. Their muscles ached, their Spirit Power was exhausted, and their bodies felt like they were on the verge of collapse.
And now—
That had only been the beginning?
Zhang Biao pointed toward the stones on the ground.
"Each of you," he said, "will carry one of these."
A pause.
Then, with a grin—
"You'll run a lap along that mountain path."
He gestured ahead.
"It's not far. Just ten kilometers."
Silence.
Then—
A collective sinking feeling.
Ten kilometers.
Carrying those stones.
After exhausting all their Spirit Power.
It was madness.
The stones weighed at least sixty to seventy catties.
And without Spirit Power—
They would have to rely purely on physical strength.
This was no longer training.
This was torture.
Meng Qiuqiu wiped the sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand.
"This is going to kill us…" he muttered.
"Report!"
A clear voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned.
It was Shen Moran.
Zhang Biao looked at her.
"Speak."
She took a step forward.
"Instructor, our Spirit Power is completely depleted. Could you allow us a short time to meditate and recover?"
Many cadets nodded eagerly.
Her suggestion resonated with them.
But—
Zhang Biao's expression turned cold.
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"If you were on the battlefield," he said slowly, "fighting for your lives…"
"And you ran out of Spirit Power…"
"Would your enemies wait for you to meditate?"
Silence.
No one answered.
"You have no idea," Zhang Biao continued, his voice hardening, "how cruel war truly is."
"You don't understand what kind of desperate situations you'll face."
He crossed his arms.
"So today…"
"I'll let you experience it."
Zhao Mu lowered his gaze, deep in thought.
After a moment, understanding dawned.
This isn't just punishment…
It's training.
First, their Spirit Power was drained.
Then—
They were forced into extreme physical exertion.
Under such conditions, the only way to survive would be to instinctively recover Spirit Power—even while moving.
Meditation under pressure.
Recovery under exhaustion.
This—
Was the real goal.
"Move out!" Zhang Biao roared.
Reluctantly, the cadets stepped forward.
One by one, they lifted the stones.
The moment they did—
They realized just how bad it was.
The surfaces were rough and uneven.
Some edges were sharp enough to cut skin.
Balancing them on their shoulders required constant adjustment.
"Hiss—!"
A cadet winced in pain.
A sharp edge had dug into his shoulder.
But before he could slow down—
A kick landed on his back.
"What are you waiting for?" a Discipline Department member shouted. "Move!"
The cadet gritted his teeth and continued forward.
The others didn't dare hesitate.
They quickly picked up their stones and followed.
Running with logs had been difficult.
But this—
Was far worse.
At least before, they could use Spirit Power to enhance their bodies.
Now—
They had nothing.
Only their raw physical strength.
And their will.
After just a few steps, many were already struggling.
Their legs felt heavy.
Their shoulders burned.
Breathing became labored.
And ahead—
Ten kilometers.
It felt like an impossible distance.
Meng Qiuqiu, however—
Surprised everyone.
He lifted a large stone onto his shoulder with ease.
There was no strain.
No hesitation.
A smug smile appeared on his face.
This is nothing…
He was just about to start running—
"Report!"
A voice suddenly rang out.
"He's cheating!"
The words cut through the air.
All eyes turned.
Meng Qiuqiu froze.
And just like that—
The situation changed again.
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