Just as Zhao Mu had predicted, the rest period did not last very long.
In fact, he had barely been off the training field for ten minutes when a shrill whistle suddenly echoed across the entire training ground.
"Gather!"
Zhang Biao's rough, commanding voice followed the whistle, resounding across the field like thunder.
Zhao Mu had already finished adjusting his breathing and physical condition. The moment he heard the order, he calmly stood up and walked toward the gathering area.
Ten minutes of rest was more than enough for him.
However, the same could not be said for the others.
Many trainees had barely entered a meditative state before the whistle sounded. Some had not even started meditating yet.
They were forced to get up immediately and rush toward the field, gritting their teeth as their tired bodies protested.
In truth, Zhang Biao had been quietly observing Zhao Mu the entire time.
Zhao Mu had been the last person to leave the field, yet he was the first to recover and stand up.
Compared to him, the others had enjoyed far more rest.
If even Zhao Mu had no complaints, then no one else had any right to protest.
Soon, all 161 trainees reassembled in formation.
But the energetic atmosphere from the morning was completely gone.
Most trainees looked exhausted.
Many struggled to regulate their breathing, and some even appeared pale from overexertion.
Zhang Biao stood before them.
At first, he wore his usual smile.
When Zhang Biao smiled, he resembled a friendly, approachable man.
But the moment his expression turned serious, his entire presence changed.
His face hardened, and a terrifying pressure seemed to spread across the field.
His sharp gaze slowly swept across the assembled trainees.
Most people instinctively lowered their heads under that gaze.
Only Zhao Mu and a few other outstanding trainees remained calm.
Zhang Biao snorted.
"For the first training exercise today, I originally thought that even if you were weak, you wouldn't embarrass yourselves too badly."
"But what happened?"
"Some of you started slacking off halfway through the run!"
"If someone saw you running, they might think my grandmother had just returned from grocery shopping!"
The trainees stood silently, listening to his scolding.
None dared to respond.
Zhang Biao's voice grew colder.
"With your level of ability, you still want to join Qingfeng Camp?"
"If you ever reach the battlefield like this, you won't even qualify as cannon fodder."
"You'll simply become food for the Dark Race and Mythical Beasts!"
The words struck like a whip.
Everyone lowered their heads even further.
Zhang Biao suddenly bent down slightly, lowering his head as if trying to follow their downward gaze.
"What are you looking at?"
"Embarrassed?"
He straightened again and continued mercilessly.
"Today is only the first day."
"The training intensity today is practically a vacation!"
"From tomorrow onward, the training will only become more brutal!"
"If anyone can't endure it…"
"Then admit that you're useless trash and go complete your withdrawal procedures immediately!"
"Qingfeng Camp does not accept garbage!"
Zhao Mu stood calmly with his hands behind his back.
Since the scolding wasn't directed at him, he remained completely unaffected.
He simply watched quietly.
Suddenly, Zhang Biao smiled again.
"But seeing how exhausted you all are, I don't want you to say that I'm cruel."
"The next exercise won't be tiring at all."
Many trainees secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Zhao Mu quietly thought to himself:
The first exercise had already pushed most people to their physical and mental limits.
The next exercise definitely wouldn't repeat the same type of training.
Instead, it would target another weakness.
Sure enough, Zhang Biao continued:
"Everyone, go pick up the logs you carried earlier."
"Stand them upright in the open space."
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly rushed to retrieve the logs they had dropped earlier along the roadside.
Soon, thick wooden logs stood upright across the training ground.
Zhao Mu thought for a moment before raising his voice.
"Report!"
Zhang Biao turned his head with a smile.
"Young Master Zhao Mu."
"What do you want to say?"
Zhao Mu answered loudly.
"I carried three logs earlier."
"Do I need to stand all three upright?"
Zhang Biao chuckled.
"Three logs?"
"That sounds exhausting."
He waved his hand casually.
"You only need half a log."
Then Zhang Biao walked forward.
He stepped on one of Zhao Mu's logs.
With a sudden stomp, the massive three-meter log instantly stood upright.
Blue spiritual energy gathered in his right hand.
His fingers formed a blade-like shape.
Then—
CRACK!
He chopped downward.
The log split perfectly in half.
The cut was incredibly smooth, as if it had been sliced by a mechanical saw.
Zhang Biao pointed at the half-log.
"Young Master."
"You can use this one."
Zhao Mu frowned slightly but responded immediately.
"Yes, Instructor!"
In reality, Zhao Mu felt completely calm.
Compared to the harsh training Bu Yanhuan had once forced upon him, this so-called boot camp was almost nothing.
Still, Zhao Mu deliberately maintained a slightly troubled expression.
Sometimes, letting others feel satisfied was also part of social etiquette.
Zhao Mu carried the half-log and placed it upright in the training ground.
Everyone stood quietly, waiting for the next instruction.
Zhang Biao walked slowly before them with his hands behind his back.
"The Art of War says…"
"When marching and fighting, one should be swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire, and immovable as a mountain."
"What we just practiced was movement."
"Now we will practice stillness."
He paused slightly.
"And you can consider this a small rest."
Then his expression suddenly hardened.
"Climb onto your logs!"
"Stand firmly on top of them!"
"If anyone falls—"
"You are not allowed to use spiritual power."
"You will immediately perform one hundred push-ups!"
"And if one person fails…"
"Everyone's training time will increase by half an hour!"
The trainees' hearts sank.
The logs were about 30 centimeters in diameter and nearly three meters tall.
Most trainees were already exhausted.
Standing on such a narrow surface would require tremendous balance.
However, when some trainees glanced toward the front row—
They saw Zhao Mu.
And suddenly they felt slightly relieved.
If Zhao Mu had to stand on half a log, then their own situation wasn't the worst.
At that moment, Zhao Mu understood Zhang Biao's intentions.
The instructor had deliberately split his log to make the training more difficult for him.
But Zhao Mu felt nothing.
If Zhang Biao wanted to target him, he could easily find many excuses.
This was typical training for new recruits.
First, instructors crushed their arrogance.
Then they rebuilt their discipline.
Zhang Biao suddenly roared:
"What are you waiting for?!"
"Do you need me to personally invite you up there?!"
Immediately, everyone jumped onto the logs.
Each trainee stood upright, feet together.
Mo Guanguan leaped gracefully.
Her body moved like a swimming dragon.
She landed lightly on top of the log.
Then she stood on one foot, crossed her arms, and slowly closed her eyes.
Her expression was calm.
It was as if she had already practiced this type of training countless times before.
Zhao Mu also jumped up.
However, because his log was only half the size, its stability was much worse.
He could only stand on one foot to maintain balance.
Zhang Biao's method was indeed effective.
If one could maintain perfect balance, the exercise could actually serve as rest.
But for most trainees, maintaining stability required tremendous effort.
Within the Seven Kills Battle Method, lower body training was extremely important.
Only with a stable foundation could a warrior unleash powerful attacks.
Otherwise, they would be easily knocked down in battle.
Zhao Mu's lower body training had long been exceptional.
He could hold a 40-jin wine jar in each hand while maintaining a horse stance for half an hour.
Standing on a log was trivial for him.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then he activated the Turtle Breathing Technique.
His mind gradually became calm.
All external distractions faded away.
When the mind was stable, the body naturally remained steady.
Inside his consciousness, the familiar Demon Clown appeared.
It laughed strangely and wiped the progress bar.
The training target shifted.
Spiritual Energy Rotation was replaced by:
Breathing – Turtle Breathing Technique.
Practicing breathing techniques while standing in posture training produced excellent results.
Most trainees had trained for twelve years at Yuwu Academy.
Their basic skills were solid.
Standing on a log was still within their capabilities.
However—
The scorching desert heat, the midday sun, and their already exhausted bodies made the training far more brutal.
What appeared to be a simple exercise…
Was actually an extremely cruel form of torture.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)