21: Chapter 21 Handing in Rare Divine Gear: Does Cultivating Immortals Require Special Training?

Director Li Guoan raised his hand and pressed down gently, signaling Qian Zhonghua to stay calm.

He didn't agree immediately, but instead turned an inquiring gaze toward Chen You.

“Little Chen, you said you can't use these two pieces of equipment in the game?”

Chen You understood immediately; he shook his head, a trace of helplessness appearing on his face.

“The game has strict class and level restrictions. I'm currently a Cultivator and only Level 3, so I can't equip or use them at all.”

“In my backpack, they're just two gray icons.”

He paused, adding a key piece of information.

“But in reality, there doesn't seem to be such a restriction.”

As he spoke, Chen You reached out and gripped the hilt of the vengeful spirit battle blade.

A bone-chilling cold spread up from his palm. The blade was incredibly heavy, far exceeding steel of the same volume.

But he could indeed lift it. The faint black mist swirling around the blade seemed alive, brushing lightly against the back of his hand and giving him goosebumps.

He tried to give it a swing.

“Whoosh—”

The heavy edge sliced through the air, creating a low-pitched whistle of wind.

However, that was all.

It was like a piece of extremely sharp, oddly shaped, ultra-heavy metal.

Aside from its own physical properties, the spiritual attachment effects from the game were completely gone.

“I can use it, but it feels... like it's just a very heavy blade,” Chen You said truthfully.

Director Li Guoan nodded, stepped forward, and took the battle blade from Chen You's hand.

The moment the blade entered his hand, a flash of surprise crossed Director Li Guoan's weather-beaten face.

He weighed it, his arm muscles bulging slightly before he could hold the blade steady and level.

“It is indeed very heavy,” he commented, then looked at Qian Zhonghua.

“Anyone can use its physical form, but the transcendent power it contains can probably only be accessed through the rules of the ‘Source Realm’...”

“Or rather, it might only be activated by a ‘player’ who meets the conditions.”

This conclusion caused the group's rising anticipation to cool slightly, but they weren't too disappointed.

After all, being able to bring this equipment into the real world was already a major achievement.

“Old Qian,” Director Li Guoan said, carefully placing the battle blade back on the table and addressing the materials scientist who had been looking on with eager anticipation.

“I'm handing them over to you. How much value can be extracted will depend on your team.”

“Yes! I guarantee we will complete the mission!” Qian Zhonghua stood at attention and saluted excitedly.

He then led his team to carefully pack the battle blade and armor into specially made alloy cases, treating them like priceless treasures, and quickly left the meeting room.

Director Li Guoan looked around and gave a final summary.

“Meeting adjourned. All units are to immediately begin execution according to the three core objectives established just now.”

The group stood up one after another, leaving the meeting room with a complex mix of excitement, solemnity, and hope.

Chen You also breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to slip away with the crowd, a large hand like a steel pincer clamped onto his shoulder.

tactical team leader Zhang Yunhai’s cold, stern face leaned in.

“Comrade Chen You, come with me.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of command that brooked no refusal.

Chen You's heart skipped a beat.

He looked pleadingly at Director Li Guoan, who hadn't left yet, hoping the Director would show some mercy and give him a day off.

He had just narrowly escaped death in the game, and he was exhausted to the limit, both mentally and physically.

However, Director Li Guoan only gave him an encouraging nod that seemed to say, “Work hard, young man,” and then turned to leave.

I'm doomed.

Chen You felt as if he had been sentenced to death. With a long face, he could only let Zhang Yunhai half-push, half-lead him out of the meeting room.

The two walked one after the other through a white metal corridor filled with a sense of future technology.

From time to time, researchers in white coats or fully armed soldiers hurried past.

They would immediately stop and salute when they saw Zhang Yunhai, but their gazes toward Chen You were filled with unconcealed curiosity.

Chen You felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at, so he could only keep his head down, looking like a prisoner being escorted.

In his mind, he had cursed Director Li Guoan no less than eight hundred times.

He said safety first, and now he's sending me to be ravaged by special forces?

Are there no human rights here?

After several twists and turns, Zhang Yunhai stopped in front of a heavy metal door. After passing both iris and fingerprint verification, the door slid open silently.

A blast of cold air hit him in the face.

Behind the door was a room so large it felt somewhat empty. The ceiling was extremely high, and the harsh white lights made the floor shine brightly.

In the center of the room lay a single, thin gray mat.

Other than that, there was nothing.

“This... this is?” Chen You looked at this scene, which could be described as rudimentary, and was a bit stunned.

This is the highest-spec training ground prepared for me?

Why does it feel like an abandoned warehouse?

That mat doesn't even look as thick as the doormat at my house.

“Temporary combat arena.”

As Zhang Yunhai spoke, he took off his crisp military jacket and draped it aside.

Underneath, he wore a black tight-fitting combat T-shirt. The outlines of his knotted muscles were clearly visible, filled with an explosive sense of power.

He rolled his wrists and neck, his joints letting out a series of crisp “crack-crack” sounds.

“It will take some time to select the top combat experts and psychological intervention specialists from the entire army; they will arrive tomorrow at the earliest.”

Zhang Yunhai turned around to face Chen You.

“So, tonight, I will be giving you your ‘introductory guidance’.”

Introductory guidance?

Chen You looked at Zhang Yunhai’s arms, which were thicker than his own thighs, and the cold expression on his face that said, “I'm not targeting you, I'm saying everyone here is trash,” and swallowed hard.

This isn't guidance; this is clearly a one-sided beating!

“Team... Team Leader Zhang,” Chen You forced out a smile that looked worse than crying.

“What... exactly are we being guided in? How about we start with some theory?”

“Theory?” Zhang Yunhai raised an eyebrow, seemingly finding the word amusing.

“Director Li was right. Your biggest problem in the game isn't technique; it's willpower.”

He took a step forward, a fierce aura washing over Chen You, making it almost hard for him to breathe.

“You hesitate when facing danger, you feel fear, and you make the wrong judgments because of so-called ‘costs’.”

“Your body simply cannot withstand that kind of near-death pressure.”

Zhang Yunhai's gaze was as sharp as a knife.

“So, your first lesson is very simple.”

“Learn how to take a beating.”

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yunhai's body sank slightly. His entire aura instantly shifted from a serious military officer to a leopard about to pounce on its prey.

Chen You's nerves instantly tightened. He remembered the fear of being surrounded by Ghost Wolves in the game and being heavily injured in one strike by the Vengeful Spirit General.

That sense of powerlessness and the shadow of death overlapped with the real-life Zhang Yunhai in this moment.

He subconsciously took a step back.

“See, you're retreating again,” Zhang Yunhai's voice rang out coldly.

“In a real fight, this single step back could be the death of you.”

“We cannot enter the game with you.”

“All we can do is temper your body and will into the strongest armor.”

Chen You wanted to say something more, but Zhang Yunhai didn't give him the chance.

An afterimage flashed by.

Chen You felt his vision blur. Zhang Yunhai's fist, the size of a clay pot, was already rapidly enlarging in his field of vision, accompanied by a gust of wind that seemed to tear through the air.

Too fast!

“The first step of combat is getting used to the pain!”

The cold voice, along with the wind from the punch, slammed toward his face.