As though the awkwardness of their breakup had never existed, Zhao Mu calmly walked over to Shen Moran's workbench. He glanced at the mithril engraving diagram she had drawn and immediately noticed the problem.
"The curves are too stiff," he said, pointing at the design. "They look fine on paper, but once they're engraved onto mithril, the lines will become uneven."
He tapped his own wrist as he explained.
"You need better control over your wrist. Precision is everything. If your force isn't perfectly controlled, the engraving will never be smooth."
Shen Moran looked at the drawing again before nodding thoughtfully.
"I understand."
"Good."
Zhao Mu smiled faintly.
"Take your time and keep practicing."
Having said what he needed to say, he turned around and prepared to leave.
He no longer held any special feelings toward Shen Moran. In his eyes, she was simply another classmate.
True acceptance wasn't about forcing yourself to forgive someone.
It was about genuinely moving on.
There was nothing left to resent.
Some people were merely passing waves in the river of life—appearing briefly before disappearing forever.
"Xiao Mu..."
Shen Moran suddenly called out.
"Are you still angry because I broke up with you?"
Zhao Mu stopped walking and looked back at her with genuine surprise.
Then he laughed.
"Did something like that even matter?"
"It was only a breakup."
"Why would I still hold a grudge?"
He spoke calmly.
"From now on, we're simply strangers."
"That's all."
There wasn't a trace of hatred, satisfaction, or lingering attachment in his eyes.
To him, it was merely an insignificant event from the past.
After saying those words, Zhao Mu turned and walked away without another glance.
Shen Moran silently gripped the edge of her workbench.
A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her.
The room seemed to blur before her eyes.
After a long silence, she whispered softly,
"...Maybe I should have ended things more gently back then."
---
The days that followed returned to their usual rhythm.
For Zhao Mu, training had become the greatest source of enjoyment in life.
Every time he watched the proficiency bar of his Demon Clown ability increase, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Nothing pleased him more than seeing himself become stronger.
The following morning, Zhao Mu arrived at one of Qingfeng Camp's weapon-training classrooms.
When he entered, dozens of trainees had already gathered inside.
Each held a standard training spear while quietly waiting for the instructor to arrive.
Zhao Mu glanced at the uniforms everyone was wearing.
Embroidered on each chest was the emblem of Qingfeng Camp—a cyan sword.
One sword represented an Elementary Camp trainee.
Two swords represented an Intermediate Camp trainee.
Three swords signified an Advanced Camp trainee.
Most people present belonged to the Elementary Camp.
A few were newcomers from the Recruit Camp.
Several others were veteran trainees.
Among them sat two Intermediate Camp trainees.
Unlike everyone else, they occupied the most prominent seats in the classroom, leaning back comfortably with relaxed expressions.
The surrounding Elementary Camp students instinctively kept their distance.
Whenever their eyes met, they greeted the two seniors with obvious respect—and even a little fear.
After all, anyone who had reached the Intermediate Camp had trained for years.
Very few of them would suddenly switch to a completely different weapon.
Those who did were either making up for weaknesses or learning a secondary weapon to broaden their combat style.
Zhao Mu found an empty seat and sat down quietly.
Before long, several classmates from the Recruit Camp noticed him and immediately walked over.
"Zhao Mu!"
"I didn't expect to see you in the Spear Technique class."
"I thought you mainly used a halberd."
One of them asked curiously,
"Why are you learning spear techniques?"
Zhao Mu smiled.
"The spear and the halberd share many fundamentals."
"I want to understand the foundation so I can apply what I learn to both."
"Hence, I'm here to broaden my understanding."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After all, Zhao Mu had already become one of the most respected figures in the Recruit Camp.
During Boot Camp, he had repeatedly demonstrated overwhelming strength while also showing excellent leadership.
Most of his classmates admired him greatly.
Not only was he powerful...
He was approachable as well.
While everyone chatted, one of the Intermediate Camp trainees suddenly looked over after hearing Zhao Mu's name.
He was thin, pale, and looked slightly sickly.
His messy hair and sharp eyes gave him a rather gloomy appearance.
"So..."
"You're Zhao Mu?"
Hearing someone call his name, Zhao Mu turned around.
At the same time, the nearby trainees instinctively stepped aside, creating a clear path.
The two Intermediate Camp trainees slowly walked toward him.
Zhao Mu frowned slightly.
He had never met either of them before.
Still, he politely stood up.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers."
"Is there something I can help you with?"
The two men stopped directly in front of him.
Looking down from above, the pale young man sneered.
"So you're the newcomer who defeated Tian Hu during the entrance examination?"
Zhao Mu immediately understood.
So they were connected to Tian Hu.
"I simply challenged the assistant instructor according to the rules."
"And I won."
He remained calm.
"Is Senior Tian Hu a friend of yours?"
The pale youth's smile widened.
"We're only acquaintances."
"I was just curious."
"What kind of newcomer could actually make Tian Hu suffer such an embarrassing defeat?"
As he spoke, he casually placed a hand on Zhao Mu's shoulder.
"Junior Brother..."
"You're quite impressive."
The moment his hand landed, his fingers suddenly tightened with tremendous force.
It looked like a friendly gesture.
In reality, he intended to humiliate Zhao Mu in front of everyone.
However...
The smile on his face instantly froze.
His wrist refused to move.
Looking down, he discovered Zhao Mu's hand gripping his wrist like an iron vice.
No matter how much strength he used...
He couldn't move even an inch.
With his mastery of Eagle Claw Technique and the enhancement from Innate Divine Strength, Zhao Mu's grip had become terrifyingly powerful.
Even without spiritual power, he could tear apart a tree thick enough that one person couldn't wrap their arms around it.
Against such strength...
The Intermediate Camp trainee was completely suppressed.
Zhao Mu smiled calmly.
"Senior Brother..."
"We're not that familiar."
"So let's skip the unnecessary touching."
His tone remained polite.
But his grip tightened slightly.
The surrounding trainees couldn't help gasping.
Everyone knew the unspoken rules of Qingfeng Camp.
Veterans often bullied newcomers.
It was considered normal.
Few recruits dared resist.
Yet Zhao Mu had openly confronted an Intermediate Camp senior.
The pale youth, Ge Tianxing, immediately flushed with anger.
His eyes turned icy cold.
Just as the atmosphere became increasingly tense—
A powerful shout suddenly echoed through the classroom.
"What are all of you doing?"
"Get ready for class!"
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
A middle-aged man wearing a camouflage instructor's uniform strode inside.
He had a military crew cut.
Broad shoulders.
A thick waist.
His muscles stretched tightly beneath his uniform, and his arms were nearly as thick as an adult's calves.
He looked less like a teacher...
And more like a battlefield beast.
Instructor Xie Yingxue had once mentioned that every instructor at Qingfeng Camp simultaneously served in the military.
Whenever war broke out or special missions arose, they returned to active duty.
Only during their free time did they teach students.
The instructor slowly swept his gaze across the room.
Instantly...
Everyone felt a chill run down their spine.
Even Ge Tianxing and his companion immediately withdrew.
Neither dared cause trouble in front of him.
Before leaving, Ge Tianxing shot Zhao Mu one last cold glance.
The instructor ignored the small conflict.
He walked to the front of the classroom.
"My name is Wu Tianxiong."
"I'll be teaching your Beginner Spear Technique class."
He gathered everyone into orderly lines before continuing.
"All of you have already downloaded the Beginner Spear Technique manual from the military database."
"But today..."
"I'll personally demonstrate how this technique is truly meant to be used."
Although it's only an entry-level Battle Technique, Beginner Spear Technique is the foundation of every advanced spear art.
"If your foundation is weak..."
"You'll struggle every step of the way."
"But if your foundation is solid..."
"Every advanced Battle Technique you learn afterward will become twice as effective with half the effort."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)