It was no wonder Jiang Jiu was so shocked.
Without at least three to five years of real combat experience, almost no one would dare challenge an Intermediate-level combat puppet.
Even among the trainees of the Advanced Camp, many could only barely handle that level of difficulty.
An Elementary-level combat puppet still followed preset routines. Its attacks were based on standard combat forms and training patterns designed to help students practice specific techniques.
But Intermediate-level combat puppets were completely different.
They no longer followed rules.
They fought with one purpose only—
To defeat you by any means necessary.
That was why Jiang Jiu felt Zhao Mu was being far too reckless.
If he wasn't careful, the combat puppet could seriously injure him.
Jiang Jiu had even prepared a medical kit in advance, ready to bandage Zhao Mu the moment he was carried out of the training room.
Inside the training ground, the puppet's crimson eyes lit up once again.
A cold mechanical aura spread throughout the room.
Zhao Mu narrowed his sharp eyes slightly.
"So this is Intermediate difficulty?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
"What I want is pressure."
The next moment—
Whoosh!
The combat puppet moved first.
Its long staff cut through the air like a bolt of lightning as it smashed toward Zhao Mu's head.
But unlike before, this strike was no longer part of the Introductory Halberd Technique.
There was no pattern.
No warning.
No predictable sequence.
Zhao Mu instantly realized the difference.
The puppet's combat style had completely changed.
"Well come!"
Instead of retreating, Zhao Mu stepped forward and raised his heavenly halberd.
Clang!
The two weapons collided violently.
A massive force surged through Zhao Mu's arms.
The puppet's attack style had become incredibly complicated. It seamlessly integrated techniques from staffs, spears, halberds, clubs, and even close-quarters combat.
Its footwork was precise.
Its attacks were ruthless.
Every move was directed toward vital points.
The difficulty had increased more than tenfold compared to Elementary mode.
At the beginning of the battle, Zhao Mu felt enormous pressure.
This thing no longer resembled a training machine.
It felt like an experienced battlefield veteran.
Every strike was decisive and efficient.
Every movement carried killing intent.
Compared to the opponents Zhao Mu had faced before, this puppet was on an entirely different level.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
For the first few exchanges, Zhao Mu could do little more than defend.
His heavenly halberd moved repeatedly to block the incoming attacks while his feet remained firmly planted to avoid losing balance.
At the same time, his eyes tracked every movement carefully, searching for weaknesses.
Outside the training field, Jiang Jiu originally planned to rush over and stop the fight the moment Zhao Mu was injured.
But after watching for several minutes, his expression slowly changed.
Although Zhao Mu looked slightly disheveled at first, he gradually adapted to the puppet's relentless assault.
Not only that—
He was actually beginning to stabilize the battle.
Jiang Jiu felt genuinely stunned.
"How can someone like this exist?"
His mind instinctively recalled the information Xie Yingxue had shared about Zhao Mu earlier.
According to the military database, Zhao Mu's ability, Demon Clown, was considered mediocre.
Its main feature was simple:
Continuous practice could steadily improve proficiency.
At first glance, the ability seemed unimpressive.
After all, everyone could improve through practice.
Combined with Zhao Mu's initial Combat Level of 1, almost nobody had high expectations for him.
But now, Jiang Jiu finally understood.
"So that's it…"
A look of realization crossed his face.
"This guy is using diligence to compensate for talent."
"He trains endlessly and forces his mediocre ability to evolve beyond its limits."
Jiang Jiu nodded silently.
Inside the battlefield, however, Zhao Mu was experiencing something entirely different.
Excitement.
Pure excitement.
As he gradually adapted to the combat puppet's pressure, he felt his body and mind entering an unprecedented state of focus.
At the same time, the system notifications in his mind began appearing rapidly.
[Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd]: Proficiency +1
[Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd]: Proficiency 185
…
[Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd]: Proficiency 187
Zhao Mu's eyes brightened instantly.
This was exactly what he wanted.
When facing an opponent equal in strength but vastly superior in skill and experience, a person would naturally be pushed to their limit.
Not enough to collapse instantly.
But enough to constantly struggle.
And that critical state—
That edge between victory and defeat—
Was the perfect environment for explosive growth.
"Satisfying!"
Zhao Mu laughed loudly.
"This feeling is amazing!"
"Come again!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The heavenly halberd roared through the air, leaving crimson afterimages behind it.
The combat puppet's attacks became increasingly wild and unpredictable.
Eventually, it completely abandoned structured combat techniques.
The weapon in its hands became like an extension of its body.
Every strike flowed naturally into the next.
But Zhao Mu was no weakling either.
His Light Spirit Steps allowed him to move with astonishing agility.
Meanwhile, the two-meter heavenly halberd in his hands became both shield and spear.
Attack and defense merged perfectly.
Gradually, Zhao Mu formed an invisible combat domain around himself.
The puppet attacked again and again.
And Zhao Mu blocked again and again.
Not only that—
He even began finding opportunities to counterattack.
Clang!
The halberd swept horizontally.
The puppet immediately blocked.
But Zhao Mu's footwork shifted instantly.
His body rotated.
The halberd stabbed forward like a dragon emerging from the sea.
The puppet narrowly avoided the strike.
Jiang Jiu's pupils contracted slightly.
"He's learning during battle…"
"No…"
"He's evolving."
An entire hour passed before Zhao Mu finally stopped.
At this moment, his entire body was drenched in sweat.
Steam rose from his skin due to the intense heat generated by continuous movement.
His breathing was rough and heavy.
Even lifting the halberd now felt exhausting.
Sparring against the combat puppet for one hour consumed more energy than an entire night of ordinary training.
But the improvement was equally shocking.
Zhao Mu walked to the side of the training room and sat down heavily.
The privileges of being a Seed Trainee were truly incredible.
Just this Intermediate combat puppet alone was something ordinary wealthy families would never have access to.
Only the Empire's true elites could enjoy such resources.
Thinking about this, Zhao Mu's eyes gradually sharpened.
The imperial nobles and royal families monopolized nearly all cultivation resources within the Empire.
Their descendants enjoyed the best training methods, medicines, teachers, and equipment from the day they were born.
Compared to them, ordinary people had almost no chance.
Zhao Mu poured a bottle of water directly over his head.
Cold water dripped down his body.
But his gaze slowly turned distant.
Whenever he exhausted himself completely, certain memories would inevitably surface again.
A burning village.
A freezing rainy night.
Monstrous black beasts tearing through the darkness.
People screaming in despair.
Blood mixing with rainwater.
Flames rising into the sky.
Zhao Mu unconsciously touched the massive scar on his chest.
The wound stretched deeply across his body like a terrifying claw mark.
His voice became low and firm.
"No matter how difficult the path ahead becomes…"
"I must keep growing stronger."
"Only when I stand at the top of the Empire…"
"Will I have the right to seek justice for what happened back then."
There was only one path before him.
Train.
Become stronger.
Push Demon Clown beyond its limits.
And never stop.
After resting for twenty minutes, Zhao Mu recovered some of his spiritual energy through meditation using Spiritual Energy Rotation.
Then—
He stood up again.
Jiang Jiu stared blankly.
"You're still going?"
Zhao Mu simply picked up his heavenly halberd.
"Of course."
The combat puppet activated once more.
And another brutal round of battle began.
This time, Zhao Mu trained continuously for nearly six hours.
Only when even his Innate Divine Strength-enhanced body reached its limit did he finally stop.
By then, Jiang Jiu had completely gone numb.
In other training rooms, most trainees only lasted two or three hours before collapsing from exhaustion.
But Zhao Mu was different.
He was like a monster obsessed with cultivation.
His physique was absurdly strong.
His endurance was terrifying.
And through meditation, he could recover spiritual power far faster than ordinary Spirit Power Users.
Most people needed long breaks after exhausting their spiritual energy.
They had to retreat into quiet meditation chambers before continuing practice.
But Zhao Mu's recovery speed allowed him to train nearly twice as long as everyone else.
And the scariest part wasn't merely his endurance.
It was his growth speed.
For ordinary people, practice only maintained familiarity with techniques.
Improvement depended heavily on talent and sudden inspiration.
But Zhao Mu's training produced guaranteed results.
Every battle.
Every movement.
Every strike.
All of it translated directly into measurable proficiency growth.
By dawn, Jiang Jiu checked Zhao Mu's progress one final time.
And he nearly lost his composure.
[Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd]: Proficiency 205
In a single night, Zhao Mu had increased his proficiency from 182 to 205.
An increase of twenty-three points.
For an Intermediate-level combat technique, this was absurd.
Equivalent to a genius spending at least half a year in bitter training.
And Zhao Mu achieved it overnight.
Jiang Jiu finally understood something terrifying.
Other people faced bottlenecks when cultivating advanced combat techniques.
Without sufficient comprehension, even if the Empire handed them its greatest secret manuals, they still wouldn't understand them.
But Zhao Mu was different.
He had no bottlenecks.
Because he always started from the basics.
As long as he continued practicing—
As long as proficiency reached its maximum—
The skill would naturally evolve into something greater.
That realization made Jiang Jiu stare at Zhao Mu as if he were looking at a monster.
No.
Not a monster.
A true cultivation madman.
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