Li Yuan listened quietly. The entire video was very long, lasting a full 22 minutes.
"Attention, this file is confidential and is only for internal viewing at Jiangbei Martial Arts University. Do not leak it." The video ended there.
Li Yuan closed his eyes and silently recalled what he had just seen. Then he opened it again and started watching it closely. Most of the time, he sped through it quickly, but in a few places, he replayed sections several times until he was sure he had remembered all the information.
His strong mental power gave Li Yuan an impressive memory.
"Delete the source file."
"Delete chat records."
"Delete local network records." Li Yuan quickly pressed the buttons to destroy the evidence.
Of course, there would still be traces left on the virtual network. But with Li Yuan's beginner level skills, he could only do so much.
"If they really want to investigate, why bother with all the secrecy?" Li Yuan muttered to himself. "Besides, it's just a secret from Jiangbei Martial Arts University, not a military secret."
Li Yuan figured that as long as he didn’t spread the information, even if it was discovered, the impact wouldn’t be too great.
"Still, seeing this video in advance feels a bit unethical." Li Yuan thought to himself. While he wasn't directly copying answers, it was like knowing the exam topics and types in advance, which would naturally make things easier.
"But since Lin Lanyue could get the video, it’s possible that Wu Dongdong and the others could too." Li Yuan shook his head.
He wasn't a moral saint; this was just a practical assessment, not the college entrance exam.
"Since the situation is like this, I might as well make good use of the information advantage."
"I don't need to be first, but I want to kill a few more Star Realm creatures and see if I can push my spiritual awakening level to over 10%." Li Yuan made up his mind.
Exiting the virtual network, Li Yuan walked out of the lounge, grabbed his big gun, and continued with his martial arts training for the day.
...
"Li Yuan, do you ever take a break? Are you training again?" Gu Qianghan came out of the therapy room holding a can of cola.
He stared at Li Yuan in disbelief. "I haven't seen you rest for a single day in the past four days."
"You get up at four in the morning to train."
"After lunch, you train for another two hours."
"When you come back at night, you train until midnight. Can your body handle that?" Gu Qianghan couldn't help but say, "You're really a monster!"
"I don't have an advanced cultivation method, so if I don't train, how can I catch up with others?" Li Yuan laughed.
"I give up."
Gu Qianghan gave a thumbs up and sincerely said, "My dad told me that true top-notch experts, like Dongfang Ji, train for at least sixteen hours every day."
"I never believed it, thinking Dongfang Ji was just bragging after becoming famous." Gu Qianghan casually said.
Li Yuan: "..."
"Seeing you, I believe it now."
"But don't you have any hobbies or interests?" Gu Qianghan looked at Li Yuan. "Training is so tiring; how do you keep going?"
"Hobbies?" Li Yuan thought for a moment and smiled. "Why would training be tiring? Watching myself improve bit by bit should be enjoyable, right?"
"If I had to say what my hobby is," Li Yuan smiled, "training is my hobby."
Perhaps when Li Yuan first started practicing with the gun and cultivation methods, it was boring and painful. But as time passed, if he couldn't adapt to this lifestyle and find joy in the monotony, then even if he forced himself to continue, his progress would be slow.
Passion is the best teacher.
Now, Li Yuan really enjoyed the process of getting stronger through training.
"Training? Hobby?" Gu Qianghan was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed, "Li Yuan, to be honest, you would be a great son for my dad."
"My dad would definitely like you."
"How about I introduce you to my dad as a godson?" Gu Qianghan said with some reluctance, "I could also reluctantly accept you as my godbrother."
"Come on, call me brother first."
"Get lost!"
...
Maybe influenced by Li Yuan, Gu Qianghan, who usually only trained for an hour at night, surprisingly trained for an extra ten minutes.
...
The next day, to ensure he had enough energy for the practical assessment, Li Yuan didn’t wake up early to practice with the gun.
He lay in bed and slept for two hours.
For over a year, this was the first time Li Yuan had slept in bed, but perhaps due to his overly strong spirit, the quality of his sleep was quite poor.
"It seems that as my strength increases, one day, just sleeping might become a luxury." Li Yuan sighed.
...
Around six in the morning, after breakfast, they gathered at seven.
At a playground not far from the war fortress, thousands of students gathered.
Dozens of students from Jiangbei Martial Arts University grouped in threes, gradually checking each student's identity information.
There were also dozens of teachers from Jiangbei Martial Arts University and military officers standing in the distance.
Professor Ming was also present.
"Very good." The burly man from yesterday still wore blue clothes, his voice cold and echoing across the playground. "There are 976 of you willing to participate in the practical assessment, and I am proud of your decision."
"What is martial arts? It is the way of killing! If you don’t kill, how can you call it martial arts?"
"Why does the country train martial artists?" The burly man's voice was like thunder. "To kill the enemy! To protect the country!"
"If we want to say it a bit grander, martial artists are the sharpest knives of human civilization."
"When the battle knife is drawn, it is meant to see blood."
"You are all elite students from the province, having trained for six years from middle school to high school, and your strength is close to that of ranked martial artists. Some of you can even match ranked martial artists."
The burly man's voice was powerful. "I hope that the six years of training, the countless simulated battles on the Star Combat Network, and the physical confrontations at school have prepared you well."
"I wish you all to complete the assessment and come back alive."
"Collect your equipment and set off!"
...
In the weapons room, students collected their gear in order.
"Li Yuan, this is yours: a full set of low-grade first-tier protective clothing, low-grade first-tier soft armor, first-tier battle boots, and a helmet." A junior handed the protective gear box to Li Yuan. "Try it on to see if it fits; if not, come back to exchange it."
"This is a special positioning wristband. At the assessment site, your smart wristband won't have a signal."
"The positioning wristband has very few functions, mainly for positioning, seeking help, and detecting your life energy." The junior reminded him, "But its biggest feature is that it's tough enough."
"Tough?" Li Yuan was taken aback.
"Unless it's hit by a second-tier creature, it absolutely won't break." The junior laughed. "You should know, the more precise something is, the easier it is to break."
"The simpler it is, sometimes, the more durable."
Li Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Is it made in Ross?"
"Smart! The genuine product is developed by the military of Ross! This is our imitation... iteration product, cough cough, cheaper and better performance." The junior grinned.
Li Yuan was speechless as he took the protective gear box into the changing room.
...
After changing into the gear, Li Yuan felt very comfortable and well-fitted.
The protective clothing didn’t hinder his movements at all.
Clearly, after a hundred years of warfare, the equipment for martial artists had improved significantly.
"A low-grade first-tier protective suit is made of materials that are tough, soft, and don’t restrict movement." Gu Qianghan, who had also changed, stood beside him and smiled. "It can withstand attacks from level 11 martial artists without breaking."
"A mid-grade first-tier suit can withstand attacks from level 15 martial artists."
"A high-grade first-tier suit can withstand attacks from level 19 martial artists." Gu Qianghan recited this knowledge proudly.
Li Yuan listened; he didn't know much about these martial artist gears since he had never thought about killing Star Realm creatures before college.
"However, the protective suit has its weaknesses." Gu Qianghan said, "It’s tough against tearing, but its hardness isn’t enough to resist impact."
"That's also why you wear an extra layer of soft armor and a helmet."
"To provide extra protection for important organs and the head without affecting movement." Gu Qianghan explained, "Against some lower-civilization Star Realm creatures, in a match of the same tier, human martial artists have a significant advantage with weapons."
Li Yuan nodded slightly; he had seen many documentaries.
Most Star Realm creatures had a low level of civilization.
"Once you become a Source Martial Artist, it will be different." Gu Qianghan said excitedly. "Second-tier battle suits, known as Source Power Battle Suits, must be activated with Source Power. They are not only tough but also greatly reduce various impacts, truly fearless against firearms..."
"You know a lot." Li Yuan remarked.
"Of course." Gu Qianghan was even more excited. "I'm a military and equipment enthusiast."
Gu Qianghan felt a sense of achievement in being able to be Li Yuan's 'teacher.'
"Just not strong enough." Li Yuan said seriously.
"Damn!" Gu Qianghan was frustrated. "Aren't we brothers?"
...
"Weapons." Li Yuan took a long time to choose in the weapons room.
In the end, he picked a black spear over two meters long, a half-meter short knife, and a dagger.
He held the spear, with the dagger at his waist.
The short knife was placed in the weapon bag strapped to his soft armor.
This was to ensure that if he accidentally lost the spear, he could still use the short weapons.
As a fourth-tier expert, even with unfamiliar weapons, he could unleash more power than a fully realized third-tier expert.
...
Everything was ready, and all the students entered an unremarkable building in order.
They followed into the underground of the building.
Below, there was a vast and spacious area, resembling a super-large subway station.
Several fully enclosed trains stood waiting with their doors open.
(End of Chapter)