On the fifth day of intensive training, the trainees gathered in front of the laboratory building after having breakfast.
Since it was night and dark yesterday, no one noticed; but now, in the early morning light, they saw that the main door of the laboratory building was a thick black steel door, seemingly thicker than the walls. All the windows were made of integrated explosion-proof glass, and ventilation depended entirely on the ventilation system. Even without curtains, no one outside could see inside.
"Could this be the so-called one-way glass frequently featured in those romantic action movies?" Yuan Dang said seriously, his words completely at odds with his dignified appearance.
Generally speaking, Ren Suo's roommates were quite ordinary, maintaining appropriate distances and not foolishly using age to assign rankings of eldest to youngest—what bicycle dynamics in just five days of knowing each other—they only chatted a bit and had not revealed much about their backgrounds.
However, this training was not military but a step from being ordinary people to becoming transcendent. Even the most stoic could not help but reveal their true emotions in excitement. Despite some reservations, they did become good friends, and those nighttime risqué conversations were a critical part of their bonding.
Although Xie Qiansi befriended others with an agenda, his appearance and manner of speaking were indeed appealing. In the eighth team, he became capable of conversing with most people; Yuan Dang, the first to master the Intermediate Cultivation Method, graduated from one of the top two institutions in Mysterious Country and liked to show off his cleverness once familiar; and Zhao Huo was simply engrossed in cultivation, nothing out of the ordinary.
"We're leaving this noon, aren't we supposed to cultivate?" Ren Suo sighed, "I haven't even reached the first turn yet."
Like forming a Qi Cyclone, achieving the first turn doesn't take much time either. However, this is highly dependent on talent—some take only a few days, while others might need a year. A middle-aged scholar in the Spiritual Energy Recognition Class explained it like this: formation is akin to the fusion of a sperm and an egg, whereas the turn is like the embryo's formation.
Some are premature and emerge quickly, while others take years like the mythical Nezha, taking three years just to bubble up.
So far, they've discovered that the turn doesn't significantly correlate with talent, as some cultivators with low talent can activate their Qi Cyclone in just a few days, and others with high talent might take from morning till evening to achieve it.
The principles are not yet understood, leaving it up to luck, but cultivation can undoubtedly speed up the process, which is why Ren Suo was so eager to seize the opportunity to cultivate.
Having witnessed the power of Cloth and Lock yesterday, and even owning a Little Overlord console, Ren Suo still yearned to master such transcendent forces—considering that, for now, the console's rewards were all within the 'ordinary people' range, except perhaps the "Physical Fitness Optimization" that might have activated his Qi Cyclone.
However, as soon as Ren Suo spoke, his roommates turned their heads, their expressions saying 'I understand,' and with the eyes one uses to look at a complete loser, they kindly patted Ren Suo's shoulder.
Xie Qiansi said, "I know, you surely want to maintain your distance... But there are plenty of fish in the sea."
Yuan Dang added, "Besides, it's not like there's no chance; after all, we are all from Lianjiang City."
Zhao Huo just nodded, "Mhm."
After speaking, they glanced at the girls in the front row of the eighth team, then at Ren Suo, and sighed.
Rarely did Ren Suo use his brain to think about what they were saying; realizing last night that his magical approach could impress girls was the first sign of him coming to his senses in his twenty-odd years. He usually focused solely on his goals, indifferent to everything else.
At exactly eight in the morning, the instructors started arriving one after another. Yu Kuangtu, who had only appeared once before, showed up again, went straight to the steel door, grabbed the handle, and yanked it open!
The trainees were stunned, while the instructors quickly took the opportunity to show off, saying, "If 'Cloth' is enhanced to the limit, it can even negate the force feedback from objects; this is a basic operation. You all, you're too young."
Yuan Dang muttered, "This is indeed the strongest lock..."
No one opposed Yuan Dang's statement. Facing this plain iron door, all high-tech decryption devices were meaningless; only the most brutal, basic force could open this door!
Or perhaps, it could be opened only by a power that surpassed human imagination, the strength of an immortal!
After opening the door, Yu Kuangtu led the others in first, while the rest entered the laboratory building's third floor under the instructor's command, in an orderly line. The teams that weren't called stayed downstairs waiting.
This inevitably felt like the last day of military training, naturally causing dissatisfaction among many, but the instructors waiting downstairs were not just standing idly. They signaled for others to sit on the ground, while they demonstrated some derived techniques of Cloth and Lock.
Although the trainees had learned Cloth and Lock, knowing it was akin to understanding that 1+1 didn't equate to solving Fourier equations. The instructors demonstrated some more advanced techniques, which left the trainees exclaiming in awe, such as "Partial Cloth Transmutation," "Cloth Tough Armor," "Deadly Scissor Lock," and so on...
The most impressive technique was demonstrated by Zhao Jingzhong: the Cloth Lock Secret Technique! Anyone who came in contact with Zhao Jingzhong's invisible outer "Clothing" felt as if they had been attacked by a lock, losing control of their bodies and stopping in their tracks!
It was then that everyone realized Zhao Jingzhong was actually a major figure among first-turn Cultivators. Even among the first Cultivators in the military to practice these techniques, this Cloth Lock Secret Technique was top-tier. Even having been taught the intricacies, they had to spend countless hours practicing, let alone mastering such a skill.
When others asked how to learn these techniques, the instructors just smiled faintly, "You'll know once you return."
"That sounds like a flag; it feels like disaster will strike once we leave the base."
The long-absent, gender-neutral, sourceless voice of sarcasm appeared again, and the students downstairs immediately quieted down. They had previously thought it was some mischievous quip, but now they realized: even the instructors couldn't identify who was speaking, likely because the person used some undetectable advanced spiritual energy technique.
A while later, Team Seven came down one after another, some joyous, others calm, giving nothing away about what they had experienced. Zhao Jingzhong led Team Eight to the third floor, waiting outside a sealed room. Each person entered for a few minutes before coming out.
When it came to Ren Suo's turn, he discovered that the room was extremely spacious and only Yu Kuangtu and three Black Body Armors were seated to one side. On the ground was a strange, four-square-meter black tile, next to which were four items resembling soft light screens used in photography.
Yu Kuangtu signaled Ren Suo to enter the black tile area, saying, "Perform the Breathing Technique; a minute or two will suffice."
Ren Suo followed the instruction, and after a minute or two, the eyebrows of Yu Kuangtu and the four men all raised simultaneously.
In Ren Suo's anxious gaze, Yu Kuangtu said calmly:
"Spiritual Energy Breathing Talent is 1.25."
After a pause, he added:
"The average talent among new Cultivators is 1.77."