Zhao Mu looked at Shao Han and suddenly revealed a bright smile.
However, behind that smile was a faint hint of mockery and pity.
Slowly, Zhao Mu raised his index finger and shook it lightly toward Shao Han.
The meaning was obvious.
You can't compete with me.
Ever since Zhao Mu learned that Shao Han had deliberately persuaded the people of Golden Elephant City to target him during the Entrance Trial, he had already decided that there was no need to be polite anymore.
Making Shao Han stumble during the very first training event of the Boot Camp was only the beginning.
The Military Martial Specialization School was not an ordinary academy.
It was an elite institution directly managed by the Military Department, and it served as one of the important pillars supporting the Xuanfeng Empire.
Even if Shao Han's father was the deputy envoy of the Lujiang City Garrison, his authority could never reach into such an important institution.
Inside this academy, strength spoke louder than background.
Therefore, Zhao Mu did not care at all about Shao Han's reaction.
He followed a simple principle in dealing with others.
If others do not offend me, I will not offend them.
But if someone dares to offend me…
I will repay them tenfold.
No—a hundredfold.
This had always been Zhao Mu's philosophy.
The silent exchange between Zhao Mu and Shao Han did not go unnoticed.
Many trainees nearby witnessed the entire scene, including the group of followers who had recently begun gathering around Shao Han.
When they saw their leader being openly mocked like this, their expressions became extremely ugly.
Some of them clenched their fists.
Others looked both angry and embarrassed.
However, the reality was undeniable.
Shao Han had indeed lost badly in the Weighted Run.
There was no way to argue against that fact.
Therefore, they could only whisper quietly among themselves.
"He's just an E-grade nobody."
"What's there to be proud of?"
"Once we grow stronger, we'll crush him easily!"
In this world, it was widely believed that Spirit Power Users with low Talent Ratings possessed limited potential.
Their future growth was slow.
Their ultimate ceiling was low.
Because of this belief, many people assumed that Shao Han was like a young tiger, destined to grow stronger with time.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mu was merely a slightly stronger cat.
Even if Zhao Mu temporarily held the advantage, they believed that once Shao Han matured, the difference between them would become overwhelming.
Shao Han himself stared at Zhao Mu coldly.
"He only won because the first event happened to be his specialty."
His voice carried suppressed anger.
"Just wait until we reach a field where I truly excel."
"I will definitely make him pay."
The Ranking Announcement
As the trainees rested after the intense running session, their electronic wristbands suddenly vibrated.
A notification appeared simultaneously on everyone's devices.
Zhao Mu casually opened his wristband.
A holographic interface appeared, displaying a ranking list.
"Qingfeng Camp New Recruit Boot Camp Ranking."
At the very top of the list—
Zhao Mu's name appeared prominently.
Rank #1 – Zhao Mu – 10.00 Points
A perfect score.
There was no doubt about it.
Whether it was difficulty, speed, or endurance, Zhao Mu had surpassed every other trainee in the weighted run.
Second place belonged to Mo Guanguan, who scored 9.68 points.
Around her, several girls immediately expressed admiration.
"Guanguan, you're amazing!"
"You really deserve your reputation!"
"You almost got first place!"
Nearby, Shen Moran glanced at the ranking.
Her own score was 9.23, placing her in seventh place.
For a brief moment, a flash of dissatisfaction crossed her face.
However, she quickly concealed it and smiled.
"Guanguan, you're truly impressive."
But Mo Guanguan showed no excitement.
Instead, she frowned slightly.
"What's there to be happy about?"
"I'm only in second place."
She turned her head and looked toward the resting area where the male trainees were gathered.
Among them, Zhao Mu stood out clearly.
He was the only person who, after completing such intense physical training, could sit cross-legged calmly.
His breathing was steady.
His posture was relaxed.
He showed no signs of exhaustion.
Seeing where Mo Guanguan was looking, Shen Moran spoke lightly.
"You don't need to worry about him."
"He's always been good at physical training."
"But once the later training begins, his advantage will disappear."
Mo Guanguan shook her head.
"No."
"This kind of performance isn't easy to achieve."
Shen Moran blinked in confusion.
She didn't understand why Mo Guanguan seemed to be defending Zhao Mu.
However, Shen Moran herself stared at Zhao Mu with clear determination in her eyes.
Since childhood, she had always been extremely confident in her physical ability.
But today—
She had been completely defeated.
This is the first time…
I've lost so badly.
Meanwhile, Mo Guanguan understood something that Shen Moran did not.
Many people in the world believed that physical training was not especially important.
As long as someone possessed powerful Spirit Power, that alone was enough.
But Mo Guanguan knew the truth.
The truly powerful experts pursued perfection in every aspect.
In her own family, children were subjected to strict physical training from a very young age.
She raised her hand and examined her fingers.
They were slender and elegant, like bamboo shoots after rain.
But her palms carried faint calluses—the result of years of martial arts practice.
Her expression gradually turned serious.
"I will take back first place."
She had the pride of her family.
Since she had come all the way to the Military Martial Specialization School in this border city, she had only one goal.
To become number one.
Zhao Mu's Calm
Zhao Mu could clearly feel the various gazes directed toward him.
Some were curious.
Some were competitive.
Some were filled with hostility.
Many people had already begun treating him as the target they needed to surpass.
The Qingfeng Camp gathered the elite youth of Lujiang City.
Every trainee believed themselves to be a once-in-a-generation genius.
Who wouldn't want to stand at the very top?
But Zhao Mu did not care about their attention.
If anyone believed they had the strength to challenge him—
He would gladly show them how cruel reality could be.
His physical condition was excellent.
Therefore, his recovery speed was far superior to ordinary people.
Zhao Mu calmly sat cross-legged on the ground.
Then he closed his eyes.
He entered Meditation.
The power of the Demon Clown card quietly activated.
A system notification appeared.
[Spiritual Energy Rotation]
Meditation Combat Technique
Proficiency: 168
Thanks to his mastery of this technique, Zhao Mu could complete one full meditation cycle in only four minutes.
Soon, his breathing slowed.
His mind grew quiet.
His spirit gradually connected to the Subspace, drawing in fresh spiritual energy.
Others Follow His Lead
Seeing Zhao Mu begin meditating, many trainees suddenly realized something.
The recent weighted run had drained most of their spiritual energy.
If they could not quickly recover, the upcoming training sessions would be even more difficult.
However, meditation required calmness.
The practitioner needed to quiet their thoughts and synchronize their mind with the surrounding energy.
Doing this on a crowded, noisy, and overheated training ground was extremely difficult.
Especially when everyone was physically exhausted.
At that moment, Zhao Mu's Turtle Breathing Technique revealed its true power.
It allowed him to regulate his breathing rhythm quickly.
Within moments, both his body and mind entered a peaceful state.
Nearby, Lu Yan noticed Zhao Mu's actions.
Without saying a word, he climbed up from the ground and sat cross-legged as well.
He began imitating Zhao Mu and entered meditation.
Zhuo Yun soon followed.
The three of them quietly formed a small circle.
However, Meng Qiuqiu looked extremely awkward.
He scratched his head while gasping heavily.
After running dozens of laps, his lungs felt like they were about to explode.
His chest burned.
His face felt scorching hot.
Yet when he saw his three roommates preparing seriously for the next stage of training, he gritted his teeth.
Then he activated the Ember Remains on his left index finger.
A soft white light flashed.
A refreshing coolness surged through his body.
Instantly, the surrounding heat and noise faded away.
Meng Qiuqiu closed his eyes.
He also entered meditation.
A Priceless Treasure
Not far away, someone from Golden Elephant City noticed this scene.
His eyes twitched.
"First-grade Jinhai… Ice Heart Attendant!"
This was an Enhancement-Type Ember Remains, crafted from the plant-type exotic beast known as the Azure Nether Ice Lotus.
Its effect was extremely powerful.
It allowed the user to quickly enter a state of meditation.
For beginner Spirit Power Users, it was practically a divine artifact.
Even among first-grade Jinhai items, it was extremely rare.
At an auction house, it could easily sell for the price of three silver swords.
While ordinary trainees relied on talent and hard work to cultivate—
Members of the Meng Family relied on something else.
Money.
Soon, the four members of Dormitory 207 became the first group to enter meditation.
Seeing this, the other trainees quickly realized they could not afford to relax.
One after another, they sat down cross-legged and attempted to restore their spiritual energy.
However—
Not everyone succeeded.
Some people struggled to calm their minds.
Others were too exhausted to focus.
Gradually, the differences between individuals became clear.
Who was strong.
Who was weak.
Every detail was silently recorded.
All of it would eventually become data compiled by Instructor Xie Yingxue.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)