233: Chapter 233 Zhang Dabiao

Early the next morning, Zhang Dabiao arrived.

He looked a bit leaner than in Su Mingyuan's memories, but his spirit was much more vibrant.

Bald-headed, dark-faced, with sharper muscle definitions on his neck and a much deeper gaze—life in the Mecha Unit was clearly far more grueling than in the special forces.

"Report to Group Leader Su, Zhang Dabiao reporting for duty."

"Sit."

Zhang Dabiao sat down, his back straight, hands resting on his knees.

Su Mingyuan pushed his Root Bone detection report across.

"Root Bone Detection Report: S-Rank."

Zhang Dabiao glanced down at it without much reaction.

"Do you know what S-Rank means?" Su Mingyuan asked.

"I've heard about it," Zhang Dabiao said. "Out of over three hundred thousand people in the entire base, there are sixteen S-Ranks."

"You had the highest total score among the sixteen."

Zhang Dabiao was stunned for a moment, then grinned and chuckled twice, one hand instinctively scratching the back of his head, only to put it halfway down—probably remembering this was in Group Leader Su's office, not the company dormitory.

"At first, I thought there had been a mistake."

He grinned, the wrinkles on his tanned and darkened face layering up, and his teeth were blindingly white.

"I've taken first place in shooting, and first place in the five-kilometer run as well, but this first place—to be honest, I still haven't figured out what it's supposed to be."

Su Mingyuan looked at him, suddenly feeling that this person had not changed at all from when he was a bodyguard in the Giant World two years ago.

Clumsy-mouthed, single-minded, but he never dropped the ball on things he was supposed to do.

If you asked him to guard the door, he guarded the door; if you asked him to carry a gun, he carried a gun. He didn't ask why, didn't negotiate conditions, and after finishing, he would just chuckle stupidly, acting as if nothing had happened.

"You said you haven't figured out what it is, so I'll explain it to you clearly."

Su Mingyuan said, "Your Acupoints node response speed is 88 points, the highest among the three items. The reason why your mecha neural synchronization rate was the highest in the whole team before is right here; your body naturally reacts half a beat faster than others. This is not good luck, it is your talent."

Zhang Dabiao still had a smile hanging on the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were even more serious.

"Then this... Cultivate, does it have anything to do with piloting a mecha?"

This question really hit the nail on the head.

"Yes."

Su Mingyuan said, "And the connection is huge. After a Martial Artist's neural response speed and physical fitness are comprehensively improved, the control precision of the mecha will reach a new level. Your synchronization rate is already the highest in the team right now. If you really Cultivate to a First-Order Martial Artist and above, you can theoretically unlock some high-order combat modes of the mecha. Ordinary pilots' bodies simply cannot withstand that load."

Zhang Dabiao was silent for two seconds, then grinned.

"To not hide it from you, when I received the notice to come, my heart skipped a beat. I thought you were going to drag me off the mecha."

"How could that be." Su Mingyuan gave a chuckle, "I saw the battle report of you piloting a mecha to single-handedly fight Eagle Sauce's aircraft carrier battle group last month, and it's been spreading like wildfire across the base. If you were to be pulled down, I would be the first one not to agree."

Zhang Dabiao chuckled twice and didn't answer.

Su Mingyuan retracted his smile and said with a serious expression, "However, starting today, mecha training will be temporarily suspended, and your main energy will be put into Martial Artist Cultivation."

Zhang Dabiao opened his mouth, and Su Mingyuan raised his hand to press down.

"Don't rush, listen to me finish. Your current physical conditions for piloting a mecha are already the ceiling of the entire team, but you also know that several high-order combat modes of the mecha have always been locked—it's not that the machine is bad, it's that the pilot's body cannot withstand it. After you Cultivate to a higher level, those modes may be unlocked. When you sit back in the cockpit then, it won't be the same thing as now."

Zhang Dabiao understood, nodded, and didn't ask any more questions.

"Let me tell you another number." Su Mingyuan leaned back against the back of the chair, "Over in Cang City, it takes an average of three years for an ordinary person to Cultivate from zero to a First-Order Martial Artist. Your Root Bone is S-Rank, and matched with our optimized Cultivation Technique, the estimate is two to three weeks."

"Two to three weeks?" Zhang Dabiao found it a bit hard to believe.

"A First-Order Martial Artist's physical fitness is about three to four times your current level." Su Mingyuan thought about how to convert it, "Punching speed, strength, and reaction are all multiplied by three to four comprehensively. When you reach the Second-Order, it doubles again."

Zhang Dabiao didn't speak, but his eyes lit up.

"When do we start Cultivating?"

"This afternoon."

At 2:00 PM, in the West District of the Yaowu World Forward Base.

An expansive training ground was re-zoned.

More than 30,000 officers and soldiers above C-Rank were divided into four major groups according to their Ranks.

C-Rank had the most, over 22,000 people, occupying five training zones, with over 4,000 people in each zone.

B-Rank had over 6,000 people, in one zone.

A-Rank had over 1,300 people, in a separate zone.

S-Rank had 16 people, directly arranged in an independent small building on the easternmost side of the training ground.

There were only two sets of Cultivation Techniques.

Tianheng spent three days disassembling, comparing, filtering, and reorganizing the Cultivation Techniques obtained from Cang City, and finally output two sets of standardized Cultivation Techniques optimized by AI.

"Rock-Shattering Strength", offensive type.

The core is the explosive circulation of Spiritual Qi in the Meridians, compressing Spiritual Qi to the limit, and then releasing it in an instant, taking a fierce and forceful path.

"Iron Wall Skill", defensive type.

The core is the condensation and circulation of Spiritual Qi on the body surface, allowing Spiritual Qi to evenly cover the whole body to form an invisible defense, taking a heavy and solid path.

The operational route maps of the two sets of Cultivation Techniques were drawn into three-dimensional dynamic graphics by Tianheng and projected onto the large screen of the training ground. Every Meridian, every Acupoint, and the direction and speed of the Spiritual Qi circulation were all clearly marked.

This was completely different from the teaching method of Cang City Martial Artists passing it down by word of mouth, relying entirely on the master's sentence "Qi sinks into the Dantian, guiding Qi into the Meridians" for the apprentice to comprehend by themselves.

Su Mingyuan stood on the second floor of the S-Rank small building, taking a glance at the dark crowd of heads on the training ground outside the window.

Over 30,000 people started Cultivating at the same time.

He turned around and returned to the room, sitting cross-legged on a futon.

Tao Zhe sat opposite him, holding a tablet in his hand, on which were the Cultivation parameters of "Rock-Shattering Strength" specially generated by Tianheng for S-Rank Root Bone.

"S-Rank's Spiritual Qi absorption speed is fifteen to twenty times faster than C-Rank, and the operation rhythm of the Cultivation Technique needs to be adjusted accordingly. The version Tianheng gave you has a Spiritual Qi guidance speed three times faster than the standard version, and the Meridian load limit has also been raised." Tao Zhe said, "Simply put, the amount of Spiritual Qi you can swallow in one breath is much more than others."

Su Mingyuan nodded.

"There is one more thing." Tao Zhe's tone changed a bit, becoming more serious, "There will be pain reactions during the initial Cultivation."

Su Mingyuan looked at him.

"The Meridians have never been penetrated by Spiritual Qi. When guiding Qi into the Meridians for the first time, Spiritual Qi is equivalent to forcibly opening up a path on a road that has never been walked before." Tao Zhe pushed his glasses, "Tianheng simulated this process—the inner walls of the Meridians will be washed and stretched by Spiritual Qi, accompanied by a strong burning sensation. The higher the Root Bone, the more Spiritual Qi is inhaled, the fiercer the flushing, and the stronger the pain."

He paused.

"The estimated pain for S-Rank's initial Cultivation is about four to five times that of C-Rank."

Su Mingyuan didn't speak, continuing to wait for Tao Zhe to go on.

"The good news is, it's only the first time." Tao Zhe said, "Once the Meridians are penetrated by Spiritual Qi, the meridian walls will quickly adapt, and there will be no such reaction in subsequent Cultivations. Just like new shoes biting your feet; once you grind through that moment, they will fit afterwards."

Su Mingyuan took off his jacket, folded it neatly, and placed it aside.

"Let's begin."