Chapter 265: Returning to Base (2/2)

Hua Li chuckled. “After being surrounded by Paragons all day, you must be thinking you’re pretty garbage huh.”

“You’re garbage,” Lan Jue grumbled. “Only thing I felt was crisis.”

“How’s that,” Hua Li asked.

“If the Clairvoyant was any indication,” he began, “then all of the older generation Paragons are nearing their inevitable end. The Bookworm and Keeper may have found a way to extend their lives, but for how long? The Pontiff and Satan aren’t necessarily spring chickens, and we can probably safely assume the same for the North’s two Paragons. These men are the anchors of humanity, and they’re dying.”

Hua Li nodded. “It looks like you’re still worrying over that alien species.”

Lan Jue nodded in confirmation. “The Clairvoyant spoke with the Pontiff and Satan separately today. I don’t know what they spoke about, but when the two Citadel leaders returned they were certainly brooding. At the very least there was less hostility between them and us afterward. I imagine it was the addition of this foreign enemy. Sometimes rivals must band together to face a violent outsider 1. My guess is the Clairvoyant’s final prediction had to do with this problem.”

Hua Li shook his head. “Alright, well there’s no use worrying over all of it now. What we’re doing now is in service to humanity as well, right? Truth be told I’m a little jealous of you. Such a lucky bastard! Where it I training these young men and women, I doubt they’d enjoy such marvelous results.”

Lan Jue snickered. “I’m just a better quality of person! Better character means I’m better at everything. You go ahead and take an early rest, I’m going to meditate as well. There are still some residual protogenic powers left to absorb.”

It wasn’t just the Bookworm’s powers they all felt. The result of Satan and the gourmet’s encounter was also thick in the air. He’d been immersed in it while under the Wine Master’s protection. It was a rare occurrence indeed, and the benefits even to his own Discipline were not to be ignored.

The students continued their silent cultivation. In the end, much to Lan Jue and Hua Li’s surprise, they remained that way for three days and three nights. At least in general, for some would wake earlier than others.

Zhou Qianlin was the first to finish. Lan Jue was absolutely stunned to discover that the entire process of their training had lifted her Discipline from second rank to fourth – in a matter of days! The speed that she was improving was unprecedented! Even Lan Qing, who had improved at a staggering rate, wasn’t this fast. Part of it was due to her low rank, but even that couldn’t explain away the extraordinary situation. Strangest of all, however, was the fact that he still couldn’t tell what her Discipline was, even now. All he could determine was that her internal energies were very gentle and… familiar.

Qianlin had awoken on the morning of the second day. The Savage Goddess was second. The moment Tan Lingyun opened her eyes, everyone could feel themselves flooded with a sense of vigor and vitality. She wasn’t quite ninth ranked yet, but even she knew she was at the very peak of eighth-rank, and it would only be a matter of time. She left for her room to continue meditating.

Next was Wang Hongyuan, who was nearing eighth rank. Like Lingyun, he left for his dorm room to continue on his own.

The other students eventually came to, awakening mostly in order of prowess. By the end of the third day, almost all had opened their eyes. Each one of them felt the tremendous changes within themselves immediately. Their Discipline was stronger, as was their bodies.

Their muscles felt strong, elastic, and they felt their powers fusing seamlessly with their physical forms – much stronger and more potent than they’d experienced before. Some of the weaker students found themselves improved by an entire rank. All in all, they felt remade.

While their Demon Drillmaster was as cold and as hard as ever, the students felt no fear. There was only respect. All of them were the pride of the NEU, and if they couldn’t recognize the effort their Drillmaster had put in to them, they certainly weren’t worthy of the distinction. Originally there had been a great deal of skepticism with their teachers’ assurances this class would improve their piloting ranking by a whole class. Now there was no doubt.

Not everyone had risen a full rank during their training as of yet. However, the vast majority had seen incredible improvement. Improving one’s Discipline rank was much harder than improving a piloting class, and what’s more it was common knowledge that improvement of one’s Talent almost inevitable lead to improvement of their piloting ability. As the body improved, their strength and control did as well – qualities integral to mecha piloting.

Three days and three nights had seen stupendous improvement, and yet there were two students who had yet to awaken. Lan Jue’s two disciples remained immersed in self-reflection.

Jin Tao sat still, with his shock of red hair poking out in all directions. He drew long, calm breaths that were drawn in and exhaled over the span of a minute. However, underneath the calm exterior, the waves of his power held an explosive quality.

Over the course of the week’s training, he’d come to understand his own body again. He was faster to do so than any of the other students. The Genetica’s influence was evident in this way.

Tang Xiao’s situation was the polar opposite of his rival’s. He was much thinner than he had been at the training’s outset. He sat, completely motionless, even appearing not to breathe. It was like he was made of stone.

Tang Mi had awakened on the second day, but never moved from his side. She kept watch, anxiously waiting for her big brother to come to. The others had all awakened, with the more powerful opening their eyes first. So why hasn’t her brother?

1. This is a common trope everywhere, but also in China with historical undertones, especially when fighting against the Japanese. While that isn’t the case here, the implication is ‘protect the home and family against outsiders’. Historically this has a relationship with the tentative peace enjoyed by the Communists and the Guomin Dang/Nationalist Party when fending off the Japanese invasion of China circa 1937