Zhao Mu's casual training session unexpectedly caused quite a stir.
That very night, the three principals of Qingfeng Camp and its three chief instructors held an online meeting to discuss him.
In the end, they remained divided in their opinions.
There was no denying that Zhao Mu's performance against the combat technique puppet had been extraordinary.
The problem was whether he was worth investing resources in.
A seemingly counterintuitive truth existed in the world of Spirit Power Users:
The greater the talent, the lower the cultivation cost.
For example, when learning an Intermediate Battle Technique, an A-Rank genius might only require one instructor and a single year of training to master it.
An E-Rank talent, however, might spend ten or even twenty years achieving the same result.
Highly talented Spirit Power Users possessed superior meditation efficiency, absorbed spirit source more effectively, and progressed much faster overall.
Those with poor talent were the exact opposite.
Resources were limited.
Naturally, everyone preferred investing in the sharpest blade rather than wasting effort on dull iron.
At Zhao Mu's current level, his combat abilities were undoubtedly exceptional.
But what about one or two years later?
By then, Zhao Mu might only reach Combat Level 15 or 16.
Meanwhile, B-Rank geniuses such as Shao Han and Shen Moran could easily surpass Level 50.
As for terrifying A-Rank talents like Mo Guanguan and Lu Yan, the gap would be even greater.
A difference of dozens of combat levels could not be compensated for through technique alone.
After much discussion, the principals finally reached a temporary conclusion.
They would continue observing Zhao Mu before deciding whether to grant him access to cultivation resources from the Spiritual Ability Domain.
---
After finishing his battle, Zhao Mu returned to meditate and recover his spiritual power.
Once his energy was restored, he immediately challenged another Advanced Combat Technique Puppet.
Then another.
And another.
Each battle pushed him to his limits.
The slightest mistake could result in severe injuries.
That constant sense of danger sharpened his focus and forced him to unleash his full potential.
As a result, the proficiency of his battle techniques increased at an astonishing speed.
Only after midnight did Lu Yan and Zhuo Yun finally reach their limits.
Zhao Mu also needed to return and discuss Tiangong Hall with Meng Qiuqiu.
The three of them headed back together.
---
When Zhao Mu entered the dormitory, he found Meng Qiuqiu lounging comfortably on an expensive sofa.
She was eating ice cream while leisurely watching the latest soap opera.
The moment she saw them enter, she flashed an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"The supply channels and sales channels are all set up!"
"In three days, the first batch of materials worth thirty million Xuanfeng Coins will arrive."
Zhao Mu nodded approvingly.
"Very good."
"However, we still need a dedicated studio to serve as Tiangong Hall's headquarters."
Because the school required him to keep his identity as a First-Level Jinhai Master confidential, Zhao Mu intended to earn money quietly and avoid unnecessary attention.
An independent workshop was essential.
"Tomorrow, I'll speak with Instructor Xie and see whether we can get a studio approved."
Crafting Ember Remains was far from simple.
Previously, Zhao Mu had found the process easy because the Engineering Department possessed every type of equipment imaginable.
For example, crafting weapon-type Ember Remains required advanced forging equipment to create the weapon embryo before enchantment could even begin.
Fortunately, this problem wasn't difficult to solve.
For the time being, he could discreetly borrow equipment and alloy materials from the Engineering Department.
Both Liang Gongchi and the school valued him highly.
As long as he didn't go overboard, they would likely pretend not to notice.
Zhao Mu then turned his attention toward sales channels.
Meng Qiuqiu grinned proudly.
"Do you even need to ask?"
"Of course we're selling to the Lujiang City Garrison!"
The Meng Family was Jiangnan Province's largest military equipment supplier.
They maintained business relationships with military forces across numerous cities.
With a few connections, Meng Qiuqiu could easily secure purchasing contracts through military procurement departments.
After all, military forces were perpetually short on Ember Remains.
Excellent Jinhai Masters were rare.
At the same time, Ember Remains were constantly being consumed and destroyed during combat.
"The military's demand is huge," Meng Qiuqiu explained.
"The downside is that their purchase prices are lower."
"Nearly half of what the black market pays."
Zhao Mu simply waved his hand dismissively.
"That's fine."
"There are some types of money we shouldn't earn."
"We're part of the military system. If selling our products helps protect the country, earning a little less doesn't matter."
"Besides, if Tiangong Hall wants to grow into a major organization someday, we can't focus only on short-term profits."
Ember Remains were tightly regulated by the government.
Legitimate companies were required to verify the identities of every customer.
People unable to purchase legally often turned to the black market instead.
Many of those buyers were criminals, fugitives, or individuals preparing to commit crimes.
Zhao Mu had no intention of allowing his creations to become tools for such people.
---
The following morning, Zhao Mu resumed his training routine.
Meditation.
Running.
Practicing Light Spirit Steps.
Weight training.
And strengthening his Innate Divine Strength.
As for the Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd, simple repetition no longer provided significant improvement.
Once an Intermediate Battle Technique reached the early-middle stage, raising proficiency required greater challenges.
Real combat.
Dangerous battles.
Or combat technique puppets.
Only by increasing the difficulty could improvement continue.
Fortunately, Zhao Mu wasn't in a hurry.
Following the principle of balanced growth, he intended to strengthen every aspect of himself.
Meditation.
Physique.
Battle Techniques.
Ember Remain Crafting.
He would eliminate weaknesses before focusing on explosive growth.
Only after building a solid foundation would he invest large amounts of spirit source into raising his Combat Level.
Yet one problem had become increasingly obvious.
His starting Combat Level had been only Level 1.
Moreover, his spiritual sea was several times larger than that of ordinary Spirit Power Users.
As a result, the amount of spirit source he required was vastly greater than normal.
At the Fang Rank, the difference wasn't too noticeable.
But the closer he moved toward the Private Rank, the larger the gap became.
The monthly resource packages distributed by Qingfeng Camp were nowhere near enough.
Zhao Mu sighed inwardly.
Money.
In the end, everything came back to money.
Without money, cultivation was nearly impossible.
His determination to earn wealth became even stronger.
---
Later that morning, all cadets gathered at the training grounds as usual.
However, Boot Camp had officially ended.
Only Instructor Xie Yingxue appeared.
Even members of the Discipline Inspection Department no longer monitored them.
The morning began with a five-kilometer weighted run.
Each cadet carried a heavy log across their shoulders.
Compared to a month ago, everyone looked remarkably relaxed.
Gone were the exhausted faces and chaotic formations of their first days.
The improvement was obvious.
Their bodies were stronger.
Their spiritual power control had become far more precise.
After the run, Instructor Xie gathered everyone together.
She looked across the crowd before speaking.
"Since you've successfully passed Boot Camp, you can now choose your own development path."
"Qingfeng Camp exists to cultivate elites."
"We don't expect everyone to follow the same road."
"You may use your electronic wristbands to access Qingfeng Camp's official network and select courses."
"The courses are divided into two categories."
"Compulsory courses."
"And elective courses."
"You must attend compulsory courses."
"Failing one is considered a serious offense."
"As for elective courses, choose according to your talents and strengths."
"There are many outstanding instructors within Qingfeng Camp."
"They can provide specialized guidance for nearly every field."
She paused before continuing.
"In addition to classes, you may also accept missions from the Qingfeng Camp task board."
"Completing missions will reward you with academic credits."
Then her expression became serious.
"Over the next five years, every one of you must earn one thousand academic credits."
"Only then will you qualify to enter the Intermediate Camp."
"If you fail to reach that requirement..."
She swept her gaze across the crowd.
"You will leave Qingfeng Camp."
"And be sent directly to the front lines."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)