"Hoo…"
Zhao Mu let out a long breath as he slowly straightened his back.
Before him lay a vast and intricate Spirit Rune Diagram Path, its lines crisscrossing in complex patterns that seemed almost alive. Every stroke was precise, every intersection flawless. The entire structure radiated a subtle, mysterious aura.
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Mu's face.
It was complete.
And more importantly—
It was perfect.
Not a single mistake.
Not a single deviation.
This was the power of Spirit Rune engraving at maximum proficiency.
Absolute control.
Absolute precision.
Around him, the trainees stood in stunned silence.
Their eyes were fixed on the formation beneath their feet, filled with awe and disbelief. To them, this was no longer just a tool—it was a masterpiece.
Something closer to art than technique.
Zhao Mu stepped back, surveying the entire formation one last time before turning his gaze toward a girl in the crowd.
"Wang Jiaojiao," he called calmly. "I'll leave the rest to you."
At his words, Wang Jiaojiao immediately stepped forward, her face lighting up with excitement.
"Got it, Captain! Leave it to me!"
She moved to the center of the formation and took a deep breath.
The playful expression on her face vanished instantly.
In its place—
Focus.
Spiritual power surged within her body.
The air around her began to ripple, as if disturbed by an invisible force. A green gale slowly emerged, swirling around her form like a living vortex.
Wang Jiaojiao.
B-rank Special Recruit.
Wind-element Ability User.
Combat Rating: Level 7.
She exhaled gently.
A stream of clear qi flowed from her lips, spreading outward in a fan-like pattern. Though it lacked destructive force, it was perfectly controlled, sweeping across the ground and dispersing all dust and debris.
Gradually—
The entire Spirit Rune Diagram Path was revealed.
Clean.
Complete.
Magnificent.
Instructor Xie Yingxue's eyes shone brightly.
Her hands clenched unconsciously, her excitement almost impossible to contain.
Nearby, the veteran instructors of Qingfeng Camp—and even Bai Meimei from the Advanced Camp—were equally stirred.
They all shared the same thought.
They might be witnessing the birth of a true genius.
"Alright," Zhao Mu said, clapping his hands once.
The sharp sound snapped everyone back to reality.
"Everyone, take your positions."
His voice was calm, but carried an undeniable authority.
"Stand along the edges of the Spirit Rune Diagram Path. Place your palms on the openings."
"These openings are the injection points."
The trainees moved quickly.
No one hesitated.
"Gather your spiritual power," Zhao Mu continued. "When I give the command, release everything at once. Maximum output."
They nodded.
One by one, they crouched down, placing their hands carefully on the designated points.
Zhao Mu moved among them, checking each position.
Correcting angles.
Adjusting placements.
Ensuring that not a single mistake remained.
Finally—
He returned to his own position.
He crouched down and looked up.
Fifty-three pairs of eyes were fixed on him.
Zhao Mu gave a small nod.
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three—Release!"
At his command—
All fifty-three trainees unleashed their spiritual power simultaneously.
Streams of energy flowed into the Spirit Rune Diagram Path like rivers converging into the sea.
Thanks to their rigorous Boot Camp training, their control over spiritual power had greatly improved. Though each person's energy differed in attribute and intensity, the flows did not clash.
Instead—
They harmonized.
The intricate network of Spirit Runes guided the energy flawlessly.
No congestion.
No chaos.
The formation came alive.
Light surged through the lines like lightning racing across the earth.
Within a fraction of a second—
The entire diagram was fully activated.
All the power converged at the center.
A vortex formed.
Massive.
Violent.
The air trembled.
The ground shook.
"It worked…" one of the instructors whispered.
Then—
Light exploded outward.
"RUMBLE!!!"
The earth shattered.
Soil erupted into the sky like a storm of debris, raining down in all directions.
But—
The force did not spread outward.
Zhao Mu had calculated everything perfectly.
The explosion was directed downward.
All of its destructive power was channeled into the ground, breaking apart layers of earth beneath the surface.
To those standing nearby, it was nothing more than a shower of dirt.
Messy—
But harmless.
In the distance, two other teams froze.
Led by Mo Guanguan and Shao Han, they had been digging manually—laboring tirelessly, yet achieving little progress.
Now, they stared in disbelief.
"What… was that?!"
Covered in dirt, they climbed out of their pits and looked toward Zhao Mu's position.
And what they saw—
Left them speechless.
The ground had collapsed into a massive crater.
At least ten meters deep.
The surrounding soil was cracked and loosened, making further excavation effortless.
"This… this is cheating!"
Someone blurted out instinctively.
Back at the site, Zhao Mu stood calmly, brushing dirt off his clothes.
He smiled faintly.
"Unfortunately, I can only deploy the formation once," he said. "From here on, we'll have to rely on manual labor."
Before he could say anything else—
Zhu Meng rushed forward.
"Zhao Mu!!!"
He grabbed Zhao Mu and lifted him high into the air.
"Zhao Mu! Zhao Mu!"
The others joined in.
Laughter.
Cheers.
Excitement.
They tossed Zhao Mu into the air repeatedly, unable to contain their enthusiasm.
It wasn't just about winning.
It was about witnessing something incredible.
Even the instructors did not intervene.
Because they—
Were just as stunned.
"An E-rank talent…"
"Battle Rank 1 at awakening…"
"And yet…"
Xu Zhixiong shook his head in disbelief.
"What he has shown goes far beyond raw talent."
"He has leadership."
"Strategy."
"Execution."
Someone muttered quietly:
"Could he become the next Marquis Changfeng…?"
At that name—
Everyone fell silent.
The legendary figure who rose from nothing.
Fought through countless battles.
And became one of the Four Pillars of the Xuanfeng Empire.
Instructor Xie Yingxue's gaze softened.
She looked at Zhao Mu with unmistakable pride.
"After today," she said firmly, "I will speak to the Headmaster."
"He must be treated as a Special Recruit."
Finally, Zhao Mu signaled for everyone to stop.
"Alright, that's enough," he said with a laugh. "The competition isn't over yet."
"Put me down—we still have work to do."
The trainees reluctantly obeyed.
Zhao Mu immediately began assigning tasks.
"Wang Jiaojiao," he said, "use your wind ability to clear the loose soil in the crater."
She nodded eagerly.
"Zhu Meng, you'll lead the excavation."
"Everyone else—assist where needed."
No one questioned him.
They moved instantly.
Their progress surged ahead.
Far beyond the other two teams.
Victory—
Was already decided.
On the other side, Mo Guanguan clenched her fists.
"I hate people from the Demonic Path…" she muttered.
After learning that Zhao Mu had used formation runes, she turned toward her roommate.
"Shen Moran."
"You studied under Instructor Liang Gongchi too, right?"
"If Zhao Mu can do it—so can you."
Hopeful eyes turned toward Shen Moran.
"That's right!"
"You're a B-rank Special Recruit!"
"There's no way you're worse than him!"
The pressure mounted.
Shen Moran's expression darkened.
Her lips pressed together.
Finally—
She spoke softly.
"I… can't."
The words felt heavy.
"I'm not at that level yet."
"I can't complete a full Spirit Rune Diagram Path."
Silence fell.
Because in that moment—
They realized something.
Talent alone…
Was not enough.
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