73: Chapter 73 Hellish Training? It's Clearly Domestic Service Training!

The early morning wind carried a chill as it blew through Tianqiong War God Academy.

Only three days remained until the "Hundred Clubs Battle."

The air throughout the entire academy was as tense as a string about to snap.

On the training grounds of various clubs, battle cries and spiritual light swirled together into a chaotic mess; everyone was risking their lives for the upcoming glory and resources.

Except for Dormitory 404.

It was as quiet as if the world had forgotten it, with only a few lazy bird chirps and the "creak" of a bedboard turning over.

"President! Please give us your instructions!!"

Xiao Fan stood straight as a ramrod on the lawn below the dormitory building, a giant sword on his back and a fanatical look in his eyes, looking as if he were about to blow up a bunker.

The "Hell training" the President mentioned personally was definitely some kind of cruel and profound cultivation method.

Perhaps it was challenging limits in a gravity room, or hunting high-level Vicious Beasts at the edge of a restricted zone, or even teaching some world-shaking, peerless sword move.

No matter which one it was, he, Xiao Fan, was ready.

Beside him, Lin Xue had most of her face covered by a mask, but her eyes held a rare seriousness.

She knew very well how important the "Cloud Brocade Heavenly Silkworm Silk" was to Gu Fan—it was meant for sleeping.

For this goal, this unfathomable man would surely bring out his true, hidden skills.

She even quietly turned on a miniature recording pen hidden in her sleeve.

Under the gaze of one person and one lion (Wangcai was lying on the ground yawning), the dormitory door finally creaked open.

Gu Fan wore loose casual clothes and flip-flops, slowly carrying a steaming cup of... goji berry tea.

He sauntered over to the two of them, found a lounge chair to sink comfortably into, and then lifted his eyelids to scan the area.

"Is everyone here?"

Gu Fan blew the goji berries off the surface of the tea, his tone lazy. "Then let's get to work. Time is tight and the task is heavy. This special training concerns our quality of survival on the battlefield, so no slacking off."

"Yes!!"

Xiao Fan gave a thunderous shout that shook the leaves off the trees. "President, which subject are we practicing first? Sword Qi manifestation? Or tempering the Physical Body against lightning?!"

Lin Xue also leaned forward, pricking up her ears.

Gu Fan put down his teacup, pulled out two large packages from behind him, and dropped them at their feet.

"Practicing what Sword Qi?"

Gu Fan pointed at the package by Xiao Fan's feet. "You, open it. The 'Starry Sky Deluxe Edition Tent' I just bought yesterday. Your mission: set it up perfectly in ten seconds. The ground pegs must enter the soil exactly three inches and three points deep, not a hair off. The tension of the wind ropes must be absolutely balanced, and the internal air circulation System must activate the moment it's finished."

Xiao Fan was stunned.

He looked at the tent bag on the ground, then at the giant sword in his hand, unsure whether to draw it or not.

"Set... set up a tent??"

"What? You look down on setting up a tent?"

Gu Fan raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of pressure. "What's the situation like on a battlefield? It changes in an instant! You're tired like a dog and want to find a place to squint for a bit, but you spend half an hour just hammering pegs, and the enemy has already sneaked up behind you! A true powerhouse must be able to immediately build the most comfortable and safest nest for themselves in any environment! This is called the 'Absolute Domain' Construction Technique, do you understand?"

Xiao Fan trembled all over.

Absolute Domain... Construction Technique?

So that's how it is!

This seemingly simple task of setting up a tent was actually training spatial perception, hand micro-manipulation, and instantaneous control over the environment!

The President is teaching me how to quickly construct a defensive position!

"I understand!!"

The confusion in Xiao Fan's eyes vanished, replaced by an even more fanatical flame. "Thank you for the guidance, President! I will definitely master this divine technique!"

After saying that, he pounced on the tent bag like a hungry tiger, frantically disassembling and assembling it.

"Ha! Hammer of the Thundering Might!"

Xiao Fan grabbed a ground peg, didn't even use a hammer, and poured spiritual power into his palm, striking down with one hand.

Puff!

The ground peg was precisely driven into the soil without even a single tremor.

Gu Fan nodded in satisfaction and turned to the bewildered Lin Xue.

"As for you, Student Lin."

Gu Fan pointed at the pile of pots, pans, and fresh ingredients. "Your task has even higher technical requirements. See that piece of Fifth-Stage Savage Beef? The spiritual power in the meat fibers is violent, making it hard to control with an ordinary blade. I want you to cut it into thin slices like cicada wings, each piece controlled at 0.1 millimeters thick, with an error of no more than 0.01. Then, using your best hidden weapon techniques, plate the meat rolls into a blooming peony."

The corner of Lin Xue's mouth twitched as she pointed at the kitchen knife:

"You want me... to use this to cut meat? And even plate it?"

I am a secret agent! An assassin! My hands are meant for harvesting lives, not for making cold platters!

"Cutting meat is also killing."

Gu Fan's gaze suddenly became deep. "I heard your flying daggers are fast? But what's the use of just being fast? Killing is an art, and so is cooking. If you can't even control the texture of a piece of dead meat, or precisely measure the ratio of seasonings down to the milligram, how can you expect to control the life and death of a living person?"

"This is called the 'Butcher Ding Carving the Ox' Dao of Killing."

Gu Fan's words struck Lin Xue's heart like a hammer.

Butcher Ding Carving the Ox? The Dao of Killing?

Lin Xue looked down at the kitchen knife in her hand, then at the crimson beef with its complex texture.

That's right, her organization's instructor had once said that a top-tier assassin could sever a target's carotid artery with a single strand of hair. That required extreme control over power and precision.

Could it be... Gu Fan saw through my Bottleneck? He's using this inconceivable method to help me Breakthrough the limits of my perception?

Lin Xue took a deep breath, the resistance in her eyes disappearing, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

She picked up the kitchen knife and gave her wrist a gentle flick.

Swish!

A cold light flashed, and a meat roll fell lightly, so thin it was translucent.

"Too thick."

Gu Fan didn't even open his eyes; he lay in the chair and said lazily, "The sound is wrong. That friction sound just now was too heavy, meaning you cut into the fascia. A truly fast blade makes no sound."

Lin Xue's pupils shrank suddenly.

He can hear the difference with his eyes closed? This man... what kind of monster is he!

"Again!"

Lin Xue gritted her teeth, and the shadows of her knife became even faster.

Thus, a bizarre and bustling scene appeared on the lawn of Dormitory 404.

On the left, a brawny man was frantically wrestling with a tent, spiritual power surging and dust flying, as if he were working on some high-tech infrastructure project.

"The angle of this support is wrong! Off by 0.5 degrees! Do it again!"

Xiao Fan was drenched in sweat but enjoyed it, putting all his strength into every peg he hammered, as if trying to punch through the Earth.

On the right, a cold beauty held a kitchen knife, focused intently on a piece of beef. Her movements were lightning-fast, every strike carrying the determination of a killing blow. The cut meat slices whirled in the air, precisely captured by her spiritual power, bit by bit forming the shape of a flower.

And Gu Fan lay comfortably in the middle, occasionally giving directions.

"Xiao Fan, did you tie a dead knot on that wind rope? What if I want to go to the bathroom at night and trip? Change it to a slipknot! The kind that opens with one pull, but won't break even in a tenth-level gale—a 'Ruyi Knot'!"

"Lin Xue, plating requires an aesthetic sense! Is that a peony you're plating? It clearly looks like a mutated man-eating flower! Re-plate it! It needs to embody the tension of life in bloom!"

Time ticked away bit by bit.

The sun moved from the east to the west.

Xiao Fan's fingers were rubbed raw and then restored under the nourishment of spiritual power; his spatial perception improved rapidly through the repeated assembly and disassembly.

Lin Xue's wrist was incredibly sore, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter. She found that when she focused all her spirit on the texture of the beef, the whole world slowed down. She could see the direction of the meat fibers and predict the angle the blade would enter. This wonderful feeling was something she had never experienced in countless simulated assassination drills.

"Alright, stop."

At Gu Fan's command, both of them stopped at the same time.

The setting sun hung on the horizon.

On the lawn, a luxurious tent that could be called a work of art stood proudly. Its structure was stable, its details perfect, and there was even a carpet spread at the entrance that had been dug up from somewhere.

On the folding table, a platter of translucent meat rolls shaped like a peony carved from red jade was emitting an enticing luster. In the dipping sauce bowl next to it, chili oil, minced garlic, and chopped green onions were mixed in a golden ratio, sending out a fragrant aroma.

"Not bad."

Gu Fan stood up, stretched, walked to the meat platter, picked up a slice, rolled it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth.

"Mmm..."

Gu Fan closed his eyes, his face full of enjoyment. "Soft in the mouth with a long-lasting aftertaste. Student Lin, your 'Dao of Killing' has improved again."

He then crawled into the tent to feel it out. "This airtightness, this sense of stability. Xiao Fan, you are now a qualified... Nest-Building Master."

Hearing the praise, the two were so excited their faces turned red, more thrilled than if they had broken through a minor Realm.

Xiao Fan wiped his sweat and grinned: "It's all thanks to the President's good teaching! I feel like I can now look at anything and instantly draw its 3D structure in my head!"

Lin Xue didn't speak, but looking at the knife in her hand, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. This day of cutting meat was more effective than a month of secluded cultivation. This Gu Fan was indeed unfathomable.

[Ding! Detected 'Lin Xue's' admiration and self-rationalization towards the host's 'alternative teaching.']

[malice points +200.]

[Detected 'Xiao Fan's' extremely excited construction enthusiasm.]

[malice points +100.]

Gu Fan listened to the System's prompts, his heart blooming with joy.

Although the points weren't many, the feeling of having others work for him while they were still grateful to him was simply too good.

"Alright, today's special training is a Perfection."

Gu Fan gave a grand wave of his hand. "Clean up. We'll eat this plate of meat tonight. Don't waste the essence of the Fifth-Stage Savage Beef."

However, just as he finished speaking.

Boom—!

A muffled sound suddenly came from within Gu Fan's body. Like a long-suppressed volcano, it had finally found an outlet to vent.

It was the Foundation Establishment Stage spiritual power in his Dantian Qi Sea, which had already reached its limit.

Although he had been slacking off these past few days, the Backlash System had been operating every second. The flame wars on the forum, Zhao Tiezhu's resentment, and the wave of emotional conversion just now were all continuously providing him with energy.

That progress bar for breaking through to the Golden Core Stage at 99.9% finally ticked once before this dinner that was about to be eaten.

100%.

A majestic aura exploded outward with Gu Fan as the center.

The surrounding lawn seemed to be pressed down hard by an invisible giant hand, instantly flattening. The newly set-up tent gave a wail, nearly being blown away by this wave of Qi.

Xiao Fan and Lin Xue's expressions changed drastically as they were forced to retreat repeatedly.

"Pre... President?!"

Xiao Fan looked at Gu Fan, his eyes full of shock and suspicion. "What's wrong with you?! Is this meat poisoned?!"

Gu Fan stood in place, his expression a bit strange.

He clutched his stomach, feeling the force rampaging through his body, threatening to burst his Dantian.

This wasn't just a Breakthrough.

This was a leap in the level of life.

Turning Foundation Establishment into a Golden Core, his Lifespan would henceforth be five hundred years; spiritual power would turn from liquid to solid, forming its own small world.

But the problem was... wasn't this commotion a bit too big?

Gu Fan looked up at the sky.

The sunset clouds that were originally dyed red were fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Replacing them were large patches of ink-like black clouds. They surged from all directions, gathering and swirling directly above Dormitory 404, forming a giant black vortex.

Purple lightning snakes flickered through the cloud layers, making heart-palpitating crackling sounds.

A sense of pressure known as "Heavenly Might" enveloped the entire Tianqiong War God Academy.

"Troublesome."

Gu Fan sighed and rubbed his temples somewhat helplessly. "It didn't come early or late, but had to come right at dinner time. Is the Heavens unable to stand seeing me idle?"

He turned his head and looked at the two people who were nearly pressed to the ground by the Heavenly Might, his tone still as relaxed as before, as if discussing how nice the weather was today:

"Um, Xiao Fan, don't put the meat in the pot yet. Wait for me for a bit."

"I'm going to the roof to catch some lightning and, by the way... take a shower."