Chapter 17: Integrating the Will

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Integrating the Will

"This is the one." Ji Zhixing reached out and gripped the pitch-black Breaking Army Rod. "I’ll choose this."

"No problem. For the next month, it belongs to you." Teacher Tian nodded, noting it down on the registration form.

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath. With a thought, the Breaking Army Rod was instantly absorbed into his body.

"Refine!"

In his genetic furnace, the Eight Trigrams Map rotated slowly. The Breaking Army Rod hovered in the center of the Furnace Space, enveloped by the furnace’s power as it gradually permeated and fused.

A moment later, he completed the refinement of this piece of Genetic Equipment.

"It’s that feeling again!" Ji Zhixing opened his eyes, an uncontrollable joy welling up in his heart.

He summoned the Breaking Army Rod again and gripped it in his hand. Immediately, he could clearly feel that flesh-and-blood connection, as if this rod had always been a part of his own body. Beyond that, as the Breaking Army Rod was refined, streams of information flooded into his mind.

"The Eight Breaking Army Strikes."

Ji Zhixing’s heart stirred. According to the influx of knowledge, the staff technique inherent to this long rod was truly called the Eight Breaking Army Strikes.

"Shatter the Void, Shake the Earth, Startling Thunder, Break the Army, Battle the Eight Directions, Sweep a Thousand Soldiers, Unstoppable Momentum, and Invincibility," Ji Zhixing muttered to himself.

The eight strikes of the Breaking Army technique were each fiercer than the last. The essence of the technique was to advance without retreat—a do-or-die resolve that fused every ounce of physical strength and sheer will into a single strike, erupting with power that surpassed all limits.

More importantly, Ji Zhixing could clearly feel that the Breaking Army Staff Technique was completely different from the basic staff technique.

He analyzed the differences in his mind, "The basic staff technique is merely pure skill, teaching one how to exert force and swing the weapon.

"But the Breaking Army Staff Technique, apart from skill, heavily emphasizes willpower.

"When striking, you must infuse your willpower into the rod itself.

"An unstoppable will.

"An invincible will.

"A will to advance without ever retreating.

"Only by channeling your will into it can you truly unleash the power of the Breaking Army Staff Technique."

Ji Zhixing put away the long rod. A hint of excitement flashed in his eyes as he looked forward to the day he fully mastered the technique.

"Done refining?" He Yanbing asked.

"Yes," Ji Zhixing nodded.

"Let’s go. Back to the training ground." He Yanbing bid farewell to Teacher Tian and turned to walk out. Ji Zhixing hurriedly followed.

Soon, the two returned to the training ground.

By now, the training ground was a bustling scene of intense energy. Under the guidance of the teachers, the thirty-something students in the class were either exercising their genetic abilities individually, sparring with each other, or even fighting against the teachers. Shouts and the sounds of physical clashes echoed across the field from time to time.

"HAH!"

At the sound of an explosive shout, Ji Zhixing turned to look. He saw a tall, heavily built boy sparring with a teacher. The boy had fused with the Giant Strength Turtle gene and possessed immense strength; every punch he threw carried the muffled WHOOSH of breaking air. However, the teacher was agile, dodging effortlessly and occasionally launching counterattacks that left the boy completely flustered.

On the other side, a female teacher was instructing Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou. Huang Yu darted continuously between several training dummies, his speed astonishingly fast. Every time he passed a dummy, he raised his palm, condensed purple lightning, and struck it. Yu Zhirou stood not far away, waving her hands lightly as Wind Blades flew from her fingertips, slashing at the distant targets.

Elsewhere, some students were undergoing strength training with their muscles bulging, while others were sprinting across the field with explosive speed.

"Ji Zhixing is back!" someone whispered after noticing him and He Yanbing.

The crowd turned to look, their gazes filled with curiosity.

"Teacher He said she was taking him to her office. Why did it take so long for them to come back?"

"They were gone for a while. Something must’ve happened."

"Isn’t it obvious? She probably went to apply for school support on his behalf. He awakened twin Tier One Genetic Acupoints and mastered the basic staff technique in just three days. In the end, he’s just different from the rest of us."

The sound of hushed whispers drifted over. Most of the students in the class had only awakened a single Tier One Genetic Acupoint and were ineligible for school support. As for Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou, they would receive abundant resources without He Yanbing needing to apply for them.

He Yanbing led Ji Zhixing to a corner of the training ground and stopped.

"You have good talent in staff techniques," she said. "From here on, you can try practicing the Breaking Army Staff Technique on your own, or you can choose to spar with other students or teachers to hone your actual combat abilities."

"Teacher, I’ll just practice on my own," Ji Zhixing replied immediately. Having just refined the Breaking Army Rod and inherited the Breaking Army Staff Technique, he was at the peak of his excitement. He had no time to think about sparring; naturally, he wanted to begin his training right away.

"Alright." He Yanbing nodded. "Then you can practice over here. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask Teacher Sun over there. He’s an expert with the staff." She pointed at a dark-faced, burly man not far away.

"Got it," Ji Zhixing acknowledged.

He Yanbing turned and left to observe the progress of the other students.

Ji Zhixing walked over to an open space at the edge of the training ground. With a single thought, the Breaking Army Rod instantly appeared in his hand. The moment he grasped it, that sensation of being one with the weapon surged through his entire body again.

"The Eight Breaking Army Strikes..." Ji Zhixing took a deep breath as the newly acquired information regarding the staff technique surfaced in his mind.

The first strike, Shatter the Void.

He gripped the rod with both hands, bent his knees slightly, and lowered his waist. The next moment, he exerted a sudden burst of force. The long rod swept high into the air before viciously smashing down, carrying the full might of his entire body!

This was the first form of the Eight Breaking Army Strikes, the Shatter the Void Strike. On the surface, it looked no different from the downward smash of the basic staff technique. But as he swung the rod, it carried an unstoppable aura that felt as though it could cleave through anything.

The long rod descended, accompanied by the howl of tearing air.

"WHOOSH!"

Although it hadn’t struck a physical object, Ji Zhixing could feel that the power behind this strike was at least ten to twenty percent stronger than the downward smash of the basic staff technique.

"Continue."

The second strike, Shake the Earth!

The third strike, Startling Thunder...

Strike by strike, Ji Zhixing executed them one by one. Every move he unleashed was heavy and powerful, accompanied by whistling winds. He had already mastered the basic staff technique and possessed a profound understanding of how to exert force. Now, armed with the legacy of the Breaking Army Staff Technique, he could instantly perform these moves after just a single glance at the mental instructions.

Quickly, he ran through all of the Eight Breaking Army Strikes once.

"What a strong staff technique!" An excited gleam flashed in his eyes. "It’s much stronger than the basic staff technique!"

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath and continued to practice. Having already grasped the basic staff technique, he was naturally adept at mobilizing his physical strength. This time, receiving the legacy of the Breaking Army Staff Technique and with the assistance of the Genetic Equipment, he quickly mastered all the moves.

Once, twice, three times...

Gradually, his movements became smoother and more natural. Soon, even without using the Breaking Army Rod, he could effortlessly execute the forms.

However, when Ji Zhixing put away the Breaking Army Rod, swapped it for an ordinary long rod, and performed the Eight Breaking Army Strikes again, the moves remained fluid, but the power noticeably plummeted.

"Just as I thought," Ji Zhixing mused inwardly. "Without the Breaking Army Rod, I can only perform the physical moves, but I can’t integrate my own will into them.

"In this state, the power of the Breaking Army Staff Technique is merely on par with the basic staff technique.

"If I want to truly master it, I still have to rely on the Breaking Army Rod, practicing it over and over again to slowly comprehend that army-breaking will."

He took out the Breaking Army Rod once more and continued his training.

On the other side, He Yanbing didn’t disturb Ji Zhixing. Instead, she patrolled the training ground, observing the progress of each student.

She walked up to Liu Qifan and stopped. Liu Qifan was practicing with his wolf claws, tearing frantically at a training dummy, but the effect was mediocre. Only shallow scratch marks were left on the dummy.

"Liu Qifan," He Yanbing spoke up.

Liu Qifan hurriedly paused and said respectfully, "Teacher He."

He Yanbing looked at him and said slowly, "Your Iron Back ability is a defensive trait, and it only protects your back, which is of little use in a frontal combat situation.

"Your wolf claw ability merely alters your hands. In terms of sharpness, it doesn’t even compare to a real saber.

"An inch longer is an inch stronger. Rather than transforming your hands into wolf claws for combat, you would be better off using a weapon.

"I suggest you choose a general skill to practice, like the basic saber technique. Fighting with a weapon will make you much stronger than relying on your wolf claws."

Liu Qifan felt somewhat disheartened hearing this, but he knew He Yanbing was telling the truth. His gaze involuntarily drifted toward Ji Zhixing, who was practicing the Breaking Army Staff Technique in the distance. He watched as Ji Zhixing wielded the long rod, every move and stance producing a howling wind, displaying an astonishing aura with every swing. That imposing might made Liu Qifan’s heart quail.

"If I were to fight Zhixing..." Liu Qifan secretly compared them in his mind. "Even if I’m faster and stronger, I’m afraid I still might not be his match."

"Teacher, I’ll listen to you. I’ll practice the basic saber technique!" Liu Qifan gritted his teeth and declared.

He Yanbing nodded. "Teacher Wu over there has Genetic Equipment containing various general skills. You can go pick an appropriate one to refine."

"Alright!" With an excited expression, Liu Qifan immediately went over to Teacher Wu on the side of the training ground.

"Don’t get too happy. You’ll only be able to use the equipment for a short while after refining it. If someone else also chooses the basic saber technique later, you’ll have to hand the equipment over." Seeing his expression, Teacher Wu couldn’t help but deal him a blow.

Liu Qifan’s enthusiasm instantly deflated. He had hoped to monopolize a piece of equipment, just like Ji Zhixing. Unfortunately, that was clearly impossible.

Following Liu Qifan, He Yanbing began to instruct the other students one by one. Before long, more and more students began practicing general skills on the training ground.

"Ji Zhixing was able to master the basic staff technique in three days. I wonder how long it will take me to master the basic saber technique?" A boy who had fused with the Sword Arm Mantis Gene gripped his saber, silently stoking his competitive spirit. He took a deep breath and began swinging his saber in practice. Unlike the others, he possessed a two-star quality talent in saber techniques.