153: Chapter 153 Will and Weapons

"Prohibit a Breakthrough? Charging towards the Source Power Realm is already the next goal for many people, so why forbid it?"

"The reason is very simple," Cheng Jian explained indifferently. "The Regional Genius Tournament is grouped by Realm, and the Second Order group has its own quotas. If you break through now, you will only end up as cannon fodder in a higher-tier group."

"Remaining at the Second Order and polishing your combat power to the Peak is what's responsible for you."

Everyone suddenly understood, and their doubts dissipated completely.

"I'll give you time to consider it." Cheng Jian glanced at the time. "Before midnight tonight, those willing to stay must confirm their enrollment on their terminals."

"Those who are unwilling can pack their things and leave now. I will say it again: the hardship of the training camp exceeds your imagination, and it is not shameful to quit now."

As soon as his voice fell, voices rang out from below the stage almost simultaneously.

"Instructor Cheng, I am willing!"

"I am willing too!"

"We've come this far, there's no reason to retreat!"

No one hesitated.

Not a single person who fought their way from a billion people to the finals was afraid of hardship.

What lay before them was the path to the Universe stage; let alone hardship, even if it were a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, no one would retreat.

A trace of satisfaction flashed in Cheng Jian's eyes as he nodded.

"Very good."

He picked up a stack of specially made personal terminals on the table and signaled the staff to distribute them.

"One for each person. All notifications, training plans, and assessment results for the training camp will be sent to it. Later, the staff will take you to your dormitories.

Assemble at the training ground tomorrow morning at eight o'clock for the official opening."

After speaking, he and Minister Li Long turned and left the conference room. As soon as the door closed, the conference room instantly erupted into chaos.

"My god! I really made it in! I originally thought I had no chance!"

"Elimination for those at the bottom… It seems I cannot slack off in the future."

Zhang Feng looked at Xiao Xuan and grinned: "Xiao Xuan, just you wait. Let's have a proper competition in the training camp. I won't lose next time."

The corner of Xiao Xuan's mouth twitched slightly. He felt somewhat helpless, but he did not show weakness: "I'm ready whenever."

Liu Hai, who was nearby, smiled and patted Xiao Xuan on the shoulder: "Having a rival watching you makes for faster progress. It's a good thing."

As he spoke, he turned to Grandmaster Zhao Wuji and cupped his hands: "Brother Zhao, shall we go take a look at the dormitories together?"

"Please." Grandmaster Zhao Wuji nodded and stood up.

The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning.

On the giant training ground in the center of the special training base, seventy-two contestants stood in formation, silent as the grave.

The training ground was newly built, and the floor was paved with thickened special alloy.

Gravity chambers, pressure rooms, Mental Energy trial rooms, and other facilities were distributed around it. In the distance, there were rows of weapon racks, fully equipped with swords, spears, halberds, and more.

The entire training ground had been reinforced with multiple layers, enough to withstand the full-force bombardment of a Second Order Evolver.

Suddenly, a streak of light broke through the air.

The speed was extreme; everyone just felt their vision blur, and two figures had already appeared on the high platform in front of the training ground.

Chen Mo was wearing a black training suit, his posture upright, with Cheng Jian following behind him.

"Speaker!"

The moment they saw who it was, the whole place instantly boiled over. They had not expected the Speaker to come in person on the first day of the training camp.

Chen Mo raised his hand slightly, and the field instantly quieted down.

"No need to be excited." His voice was steady and clearly reached everyone's ears. "I came today to give you the first lesson of the training camp."

"The basic Cultivation Technique and movement essentials are all archived at the General Administration. You can look at them yourselves; I won't talk about them much.

Today, I will only talk about three things: Control, Will, and Weaponry."

He stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent, yet every word was like a pearl of wisdom.

"The first thing: Control. Many of you have logged into the Spirit Energy Universe and should be aware that the human Physical Body talent is not considered strong among the myriad races. At the same Realm, there are countless races whose pure strength and pure Physique are stronger than ours.

Under normal cultivation to the Second Order Peak, combat power often does not even reach fifty percent of the baseline for that Realm. This is the limitation of our racial talent."

Many people below nodded slightly, feeling deeply the same. Only after coming into contact with the Spirit Energy Universe did they realize how low the human starting point was.

"But the racial ceiling cannot trap Control." Chen Mo continued, "Control over the body, control over Mental Power. For every point of Control that improves, the combat power you can unleash becomes one point stronger.

With the same strength, those with exquisite Control can achieve results several times greater. This is also one of the cores of your upcoming training."

Everyone listened and nodded repeatedly, with thoughtful expressions in their eyes. Xiao Xuan and Grandmaster Zhao Wuji's eyes were even shining.

"The second thing: Will, which is also the focus of today."

As Chen Mo's voice fell, the field was silent.

Will?

Many people had confused expressions on their faces.

Chen Mo spoke unhurriedly.

"Control determines your lower limit, and Will determines your upper limit. Battle Intent, Saber Intent, the intent of guarding one's heart, the will of perseverance… There are many kinds of Will, but the essence is condensing your Mental Power, beliefs, and obsessions into a force."

"If your Will is strong enough, you can buff your Physical Body, amplify your strength, and deal damage far exceeding your own limits."

As his voice fell, he did not explain further, but simply released a wisp of Will pressure indifferently.

Boom—

In an instant, it was as if an invisible Mount Tai had descended from the sky, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.

Breathing instantly stagnated, blood seemed to stop flowing, their minds went blank, and even thinking became extremely difficult.

The strong and sturdy Evolvers couldn't move even a single finger at this moment, as if they had been nailed to the spot.

Grandmaster Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, stubbornly resisting the pressure and refusing to bow his head.

Xiao Xuan's face turned pale, his figure swayed, but his gaze remained sharp.

Lin Mo's body was slightly hunched, but he was firmly supporting his knees, his palms turning white.

This pressure came quickly and left quickly. In just an instant, it dissipated without a trace.

Everyone was gasping for air, their faces full of shock.

Is this… the power of Will?

Formless and intangible, yet more terrifying than any Physical Body strength.

"That was Will pressure." Chen Mo's calm voice sounded again. "True Will power can not only crush the spirit, but also be integrated into attacks, integrated into defense, and even condensed into a domain."

"If you want to Cultivate Will, the first step is to find the Will that belongs to you."

"After you go back, ask your own heart carefully."

"What do you want? What do you persist in? What do you fight for?"

"The answer is in your own heart. Once you find it, you have stepped into the threshold of Will cultivation."

The audience was silent, everyone bowing their heads in deep thought.

Some people's eyes gradually brightened, while others remained confused.

"The third thing: Weaponry."

Chen Mo continued: "There is a world of difference in combat power between having a weapon in hand and fighting unarmed. Being good at using tools is inherently a human advantage."

"More importantly, a weapon is an extension of the body. Cultivating with a weapon can help you perceive and condense your Will faster, and can also increase your power output limit faster. During the training camp, everyone must choose a primary weapon and practice until it is as flexible as your own arm."

These words were exactly what Grandmaster Zhao Wuji wanted to hear. A gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he nodded slightly; traditional martial arts naturally emphasize the unity of person and weapon.

"Next is your overall cultivation plan for the next two to five years."

Chen Mo said slowly: "From the first year to the second year, you will mainly practice Intermediate or Advanced training methods, combined with extreme Physical Body tempering, to polish your bodies to the Second Order Perfection Peak."

"Within five years, polish your Mental Energy to the limit of your current Realm, while gradually mastering the power of Will."

"Until the Regional Genius Tournament begins, you have only one goal: to reach the Peak of Second Order combat power."

The people below were shaken.

Intermediate training methods? Advanced training methods?

Many people were hearing this for the first time, feeling both curious and expectant.

A Cultivation Technique that could be spoken by the Speaker himself must surely far exceed the basic versions currently popularized.

Of course, they also vaguely guessed that behind the words "extreme tempering" lay unimaginable pain.

Chen Mo did not explain further, turned his head, and called out: "Cheng Jian."

"Present!" Cheng Jian stepped forward.

"The training camp is handed over to you. Take them to do a Physique test first, and formulate training plans based on their levels. If there are any requirements, report directly to Minister Li Long."

"Yes!"

After Chen Mo finished speaking, his gaze fell on the six champions: "You six, come with me."

Before the words had faded, a layer of soft light enveloped the six of them.

Before they could react, the scenery in front of them blurred, and the next second, they appeared in an empty cultivation room.

On the training ground, the remaining sixty-six people looked at the direction where they disappeared with envy.

Personal guidance from the Speaker… This is a huge Opportunity!

"Envy is useless." Cheng Jian interrupted everyone's thoughts. "Practice hard, raise your ranking, and you will have a chance too. Now, everyone, head to the testing center!"