Jiang Qiu followed Yang Yu down a brightly lit avenue toward the data processing center of Tianjiao Base.

After the Non-commissioned Officer on duty confirmed their identities, the straightforward information registration process began.

Iris scans, facial features, fingerprints, and a full-body model appeared on the silver screen outside the metal pod.

Yang Yu stood with her hands in her pockets, silently gazing at the window, which offered no view of the inside.

’When my brother became an Optimizer, he brought me here too. He’s not with me anymore, but traces of that excitement and joy still remain.’

’It’s a shame I’m not the one getting my information registered.’

’The chance to become an Optimizer was snatched away by someone who just cut in line. I’m a little resentful, of course, but it’s a fleeting feeling.’

’After all, that person is a lot like my brother, and he even saved my life...’

CLICK—

The metal pod door slid open, and Jiang Qiu strode out. For a moment, he seemed to step out of a superimposed memory, an expectation from another time overlapping with the present.

Yang Yu pursed her lips and let out a soft, warm breath through her nose.

"Comrade Jiang Qiu, your Optimizer information has been registered."

The Non-commissioned Officer on duty smiled at Jiang Qiu, his eyes shining.

"Alright, thank you for your trouble." Jiang Qiu smiled slightly and looked at Yang Yu. "That information registration was pretty fast. Are we heading to the Virtual Training Pods next?"

"Mm... yes."

Yang Yu’s gaze gradually focused, and she nodded.

She led Jiang Qiu out of the data processing center. Their shadows overlapped under the glare of searchlights coming from all directions as they ambled deeper into the base.

Along the way, the wind gently brushed the loose strands of hair at Yang Yu’s temples. The short ponytail at the back of her head swayed slightly. She didn’t speak.

Jiang Qiu also had his hands in his pockets, walking in silence.

’After overcoming so many challenges to become an Optimizer, I feel surprisingly calm. This coveted status and opportunity are clearly so precious, yet I don’t know where to begin to describe the feeling.’

’It’s like being the only working streetlight on a blacked-out street. There’s light, but no one to see it...’

DING.

A crisp notification sound broke the night’s silence. Jiang Qiu casually pulled his phone from his pocket, the contact name [Liu Zili] reflected in his pupils.

[Liu Zili: Jiang Qiu, are you back in Gao Yuan City today? Are you hurt?]

[Jiang Qiu: I’m back. I’m not hurt.]

[Liu Zili: You must have passed the Military Department’s test and gone to Tianjiao Base, right? Congratulations! (Happy)(Happy)]

A light, warm breeze seemed to blow into Jiang Qiu’s heart. The corners of his placid lips quietly turned up. He casually scrolled through the group chat history for Site Eight, where there was still a lot of discussion.

However, it seemed they didn’t know the Military Department’s test was already over. Zhang Shan and Li Si were still hoping he would dominate the field and pass the test smoothly.

’Then how did Liu Zili know I was back in Gao Yuan City? Was it just a convenient time to check in?’

’Maybe...’

Just as that thought arose, a short-haired girl was standing under a streetlight on Thirteenth Street in Zone Eight of the Outer City. Dimples appeared on her face, and her smiling, crescent-moon eyes swept over a dark, unlit brick house before she turned and skipped away with a PITTER-PATTER.

"Jiang Qiu, we’re at the virtual training building."

A cool, deep voice pulled Jiang Qiu back from his thoughts. He looked up to see a massive building before him that resembled a dragon raising its head. Orange-yellow light shone from the windows of its dozen or so floors, connecting all the way to the top.

He glanced at the camera in front of the steel doors. With a CLICK, the doors slid open, and a gust of warm air rushed out, scattering the cold wind at his back.

Following Yang Yu’s figure down the spacious corridor, the sound of their footsteps—TAP, TAP, TAP—was like stones falling in an empty valley, echoing in his ears.

"Right now, the only vacant one in this building is Virtual Training Pod 8. You’ll be practicing your Martial Arts in there for the next month," Yang Yu said slowly, her gaze stroking the clean white walls and the long light fixtures overhead as she walked ahead. "Each Virtual Training Pod is equipped with a large bed, a wardrobe, a lounge, and a bathroom. Meals can also be ordered and delivered to the building’s entrance by dedicated staff. The conditions are much better than the four-person dorms everyone else lives in, so you can focus on your training...

We’re here. Virtual Training Pod 8."

As she finished speaking, Jiang Qiu and Yang Yu reached the end of the corridor. A large steel door blocked their path, engraved with the number "8."

She glanced up at the overhead camera, and the door unlocked with a CLICK. Yang Yu reached out, pulled down the handle, and the sliver of black space in the doorway gradually widened. Lights flickered on one by one, from the entryway to the lounge.

"..."

Jiang Qiu ambled inside. It felt like he had stepped into a luxury hotel.

It had probably been too many years since he’d seen a place like this with his own eyes. His heart gave a THUMP and wouldn’t calm down for a long time.

The lounge had a tea table, a sofa, and an air conditioner. He pushed open the bathroom door and was greeted by the sight of a clean, white-tiled vanity.

The mirror reflected his own face, stained with dried blood, and a reddish-black scab stuck to the bridge of his nose.

He could also see a corner of Yang Yu’s back in the lounge behind him. She was slowly turning her head, as if examining the ceiling and floor tiles.

CLICK...

He slid open the inner glass door of the bathroom. A large bathtub, big enough for two people, was nestled quietly against the wall, but it seemed to crash into Jiang Qiu’s vision like a great ship he had long been waiting for.

"Finally, a bathtub."

He murmured, a long-buried sense of satisfaction creeping into his heart.

He quietly backed out of the bathroom and looked at Yang Yu, who was standing in the lounge before the only other steel door. "Is that the entrance to the virtual training?"

"Yes..." Seeing Jiang Qiu come to a stop beside her, Yang Yu shook her head slightly, the reminiscent light in her eyes dissipating. She touched the display screen on the steel door with her right index finger, her tone earnest. "This is where you set your training focus. You choose one of three: Spear Dao, Archery Dao, or Body Technique. Once the Virtual Training Pod is officially activated, only options related to your choice will appear here.

These are the things you can learn in the Virtual Training Pod..." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As her plain index finger swiped, icons flowed across the screen. With a TAP, it entered the Spear Dao module, and one Spear Skill introduction after another leaped into view.

A faint light gleamed in Jiang Qiu’s eyes as he murmured:

"Tier One Spear Skill, [Sky-Spinning Stab]. Difficulty: One Star. Condense all your Qi Blood into the spearhead and use your waist to unleash astonishing Vortex Force. Strong Armor-Piercing Ability... This seems to be the Spear Skill those Senior Non-commissioned Officers used.

Tier One Spear Skill, [Hundred Shadows Stab]. Difficulty: Two Stars... Is this the move Liu Yong used when he sparred with me?"

"Yes. This Virtual Training Pod contains many Spear Skills left behind by our Military Department predecessors. Tier One refers to the Spear Dao Mastery Level, and the number of stars determines the difficulty. The hardest in each tier is always Five Stars, but difficulty doesn’t determine strength. A Spear Skill can only unleash its full power if it suits you.

Most Optimizers choose a Tier One Spear Skill of three stars or less to learn. Those with the potential to be selected as one of the Ten Great Prodigies will aim for four or even Five Stars. As for Tier Two Spear Skills... that’s already in the realm of a true Martial Artist. Right now, only Lin Wei is learning one."

At this, Yang Yu turned her head to look at Jiang Qiu, a trace of respect and admiration flashing in her eyes. "If I’m not mistaken, the self-taught Spear Skill you used to cripple King Niu’s right arm has already surpassed the scope of Tier One Spear Skills.

It was obvious that it was a Spear Skill you comprehended on your own. It fits your personal Martial Arts perfectly. Its power and presence are things others can’t hope to imitate or learn.

Since you’ve already mastered such a powerful Spear Skill, you have a real chance of becoming the head of the Ten Great Prodigies, as long as you can break through to the Jade Sinew Realm within a month..."