Zhao Mu returned to training.
But this time—
Everything had changed.
Every gaze that fell on him was no longer casual or indifferent.
It was filled with awe.
Shock.
Even a hint of fear.
No matter how hard they tried to reason it out, none of the trainees could understand what had just happened.
Zhao Mu—
A mere Battle Rank 3.
Had defeated Tian Hu—
A Combat Level 25 powerhouse.
The gap between them should have been insurmountable.
Like heaven and earth.
And yet—
Zhao Mu had won.
"Brother Xiao Mu, you're amazing!" Meng Qiuqiu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "No—forget amazing—you're practically a god!"
Zhuo Yun stepped forward as well, unable to contain his curiosity.
"How did you do it? That fight just now—it didn't make any sense!"
Zhao Mu only smiled faintly.
"When people believe victory is already in their hands…" he said calmly, "they tend to become arrogant."
"I simply… amplified that arrogance."
The group fell silent for a moment.
Then—
They erupted into discussion.
"That's true…"
"On the battlefield, overconfidence can kill you…"
"So even weaker opponents can turn the tables…"
Zhao Mu's words struck a chord.
This wasn't just theory.
It was reality.
Lu Yan, however, still looked puzzled.
"That explains part of it," he said, frowning. "But what about the first strike?"
"Tian Hu's attack—even if he held back—should've been overwhelming."
"How did you block it?"
Zhao Mu raised his right hand.
On his finger—
A silver ring gleamed faintly.
"At the critical moment," he said, "I used the power of the Ember Remains."
Understanding dawned on their faces.
"So that's how…"
"You concealed it perfectly!"
"Your control is insane!"
They looked at him with even greater respect now.
Not just for his strength—
But for his composure.
Not far away—
Shao Han watched everything in silence.
At first, he had been confident.
As a Combat Level 9 genius, backed by his family's resources and techniques, he had believed himself superior.
Zhao Mu?
Just an ordinary recruit.
But now—
A chill crept down his spine.
Zhao Mu's performance had shattered that illusion.
Chen Tang leaned in and whispered, "Boss… this Zhao Mu isn't simple."
"If we want to deal with him… we'll need your strength."
Shao Han swallowed unconsciously.
Then coughed lightly.
"Ahem… the Boot Camp comes first."
"We can deal with personal matters later."
The others exchanged strange looks.
Was their boss… hesitating?
That was unexpected.
Shao Han quickly recovered his composure.
"You fools don't understand," he said coldly.
"I'm on the verge of breaking through to Private Rank."
"At this stage, I need to stabilize my foundation."
"When I succeed…"
He sneered.
"Dealing with Zhao Mu will be effortless."
The group gasped.
"You're about to break through already?!"
Chen Tang nodded knowingly.
"That's no surprise."
"He's a specially recruited genius with a B-rank Talent."
"Qingfeng Camp will pour resources into him."
"And don't forget—the Shao family is a top-tier family in Lujiang City."
"They have no shortage of spirit resources."
The others couldn't hide their envy.
Some people—
Were born ahead of the starting line.
While others struggled to run—
They were already riding forward with the full support of their background.
Meanwhile—
Zhao Mu paid no attention to any of it.
Because of the earlier fight, the trainees were granted a brief rest.
But soon—
Training resumed.
The difficulty remained brutal.
Mo Guanguan gritted her teeth as she carried a massive stone up the slope, circulating her spiritual energy as she moved.
For her—
This level of training wasn't unfamiliar.
Her family had trained her under even harsher conditions.
Still—
She walked toward Zhao Mu.
"You need to be careful," she said.
Zhao Mu smiled lightly.
"I know. The instructors will probably target me now."
Mo Guanguan shook her head.
"That's not what I mean."
Her gaze turned sharp.
"You need to watch out for Tian Hu."
Zhao Mu's eyes narrowed slightly.
She continued,
"He's not the type to let things go."
"You humiliated him in front of everyone."
"And he lost his position in the Discipline Unit."
Her voice grew colder.
"He will remember this."
Zhao Mu nodded slowly.
Not everyone in the military was honorable.
The empire needed strength.
Power.
Ruthlessness.
And people like Tian Hu thrived in such an environment.
"I'll be careful," Zhao Mu said.
Mo Guanguan looked at him for a moment.
Then added,
"He won't act inside the camp."
"But outside…"
She paused.
"I owe you a favor."
"If you're worried, I can arrange protection."
Zhao Mu shook his head.
"No need."
His tone was calm.
But firm.
"The path I'm walking…"
"It was never meant to be easy."
He looked into the distance.
"For someone like me—without background, without support…"
"If I fear even a single opponent…"
"Then I have no right to aim for the peak."
Mo Guanguan said nothing more.
She understood.
Zhao Mu finished the ten-kilometer run shortly after.
As expected—
He came in first.
Once again.
Zhang Biao, Xu Zhixiong, and Instructor Xie Yingxue watched him with undisguised admiration.
Zhao Mu—
Still ranked first.
Unshaken.
At noon—
The trainees gathered to eat.
The environment was filthy.
The food—
Even worse.
Zhang Biao smiled as he reminded them,
"The meat you're eating… comes from that pool earlier."
Several trainees turned pale.
Some gagged.
But no one dared spit it out.
Because the punishment—
Was worse.
After training ended—
Zhao Mu headed to the infirmary.
The doctor on duty was a woman in her thirties.
She wore black-rimmed glasses.
Her hair was tied neatly with a pencil.
Her demeanor—
Calm and professional.
"New recruit?" she asked casually.
Zhao Mu rolled up his sleeve.
His left arm was swollen.
Badly.
The injury had been hidden beneath his uniform during training.
The doctor glanced at it.
"Training intensity is high," she said calmly.
She handed him a bottle of medicine.
"Apply this. It'll heal overnight."
Military-grade medicine.
Efficient.
Reliable.
After applying it, Zhao Mu felt immediate relief.
"Thank you," he said.
But—
He knew.
Tonight's physical training—
Was out of the question.
After informing Meng Qiuqiu and the others—
He headed somewhere else.
The Engineering Department.
Even with an injured arm—
He could still draw.
Inside—
Gu Ningli and Xia Lingling greeted him warmly.
Liang Gongchi, however, barely looked up.
She was immersed in her work.
Uninterested in anything else.
Zhao Mu greeted her politely anyway.
Then—
Sat down.
And began drawing.
For a Jinhai Master—
This was life.
Quiet.
Solitary.
Endless.
Sometimes—
Years would pass in isolation.
All for a single creation.
A perfect Ember Remain.
And in that silence—
Zhao Mu continued forward.
Unstoppable.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)