Chapter Forty-Eight: A Life on Cheat Mode

Who was Liu He? He was one of the five chief inspectors of the Extreme Martial Arts School, a global congressman, and a being who had surpassed the rank of War God. And he was now extending an offer to take on a disciple himself?

“With a genius like Qin Ming, perhaps it’s not so surprising,” Yang Hui thought as he glanced at Qin Ming, a sense of awe lingering in his heart. “This boy’s rise is unstoppable.”

“Greetings, Master!” Qin Ming quickly cupped his hands and bowed.

In the elite training camp, every cadet was assigned a mentor. Such mentors served more as guides; it was quite different from the concept of a master in the Grand Hong World. Since the offer had been made, Qin Ming was naturally willing to accept. With a mentor of congressman rank, at least for now, he had powerful backing.

“Good!” A trace of relief crossed Liu He’s heart. Had his offer been refused, he would have lost face entirely. He smiled. “I’ll personally oversee your matters. In the coming days, take some time to familiarize yourself with the camp’s environment. Afterward, I’ll guide you according to your particular shortcomings. As for your rewards—your secret technique, battle attire, and weapons—submit your selection online, and the secret technique will be granted immediately. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow!”

“There’s one more thing. You need to select a number for your records.”

“Today is July 2nd, 2056. Your number should begin with 5607. Choose two more digits to complete your code!” Liu He continued.

“Master, I’ll just take 560702.”

“Very well.” Liu He nodded and turned to the special envoy. “Yang Hui, could you take Qin Ming to his quarters?”

“It’s no trouble!” Yang Hui replied at once.

After they parted ways, Qin Ming followed Yang Hui down from the Nine-Tiered Tower.

“Uncle Yang, where will I be staying?”

“You’re from the Jiangnan Base City, so naturally, you’ll stay in Jiangnan Pavilion.”

“Jiangnan Pavilion?”

“The training camp recruits from all over the world, and the cadets come from every region. So here, accommodations are named after each base city, making it easier for those from the same place to gather together.”

“Old friends reuniting—lessens the sense of strangeness.”

“Exactly!”

Crossing a wooden bridge and listening to the flow of the stream, a cluster of buildings came into view ahead, exuding the charm of a water town in Jiangnan.

“That’s Jiangnan Pavilion. Right now, there are two cadets living inside. One of them is Shi Jiang—he’s formidable, ranked in the top ten. Even I’m not confident I could beat him,” Yang Hui said earnestly.

“That strong?”

“Yes,” Yang Hui nodded. “And it’s not just him. The top-ranked cadets here generally possess the strength of War Gods, though they don’t claim the title. Only by remaining unrecognized as War Gods can they stay in the camp longer. After all, this is the world’s finest cultivation sanctuary, equipped with unique gravity chambers, virtual trial towers, and more—facilities you won’t find anywhere else!”

Qin Ming listened quietly. To call the elite training camp a gathering place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers would not be an exaggeration. Having War God–level cadets here was an open secret.

Jiangnan Pavilion was a spacious courtyard, white walls and black tiles adorned with intricate carvings. Pushing open the gate, he found three independent two-story towers within.

Beneath the eaves stood two people: a young man dressed in black, lean and muscular, with bright, penetrating eyes; and a short-haired girl with a lively, spirited air.

“Shi Jiang, Zhao Ruo, didn’t expect you two would come out to greet us?” Yang Hui called out.

“Teacher Yang informed us—how could we not obey?” Zhao Ruo replied playfully. “Teacher Yang, this must be the specially recruited Qin Ming, right? Tsk, tsk, look at that young face! Little Brother Qin, I’m Zhao Ruo. From now on, I’ll be looking after you here!”

“Then thank you in advance, Sister Zhao!” Qin Ming smiled. “Greetings, Brother Shi Jiang.”

Shi Jiang nodded.

“All right, I’ve brought the newcomer. Look after young Qin,” Yang Hui said, then turned to Qin Ming. “If you need anything, let me know—though, of course, only the smaller matters. You won’t need me for the big ones!”

With that, he waved and departed.

Of the three towers, the central one belonged to Shi Jiang, the western to Zhao Ruo, and the eastern, left vacant, was now Qin Ming’s own.

Instead of heading directly to his quarters, Qin Ming joined Zhao Ruo in her living room. Zhao Ruo was very warm and welcoming; after a round of casual conversation, their acquaintance grew close.

Shi Jiang was from the intake fifty-three years ago—an old hand by now. His grandfather lived in Yangzhou City. Zhao Ruo had arrived last year, her family from Suzhou City. Both cities belonged to Jiangnan Base, making them fellow townsfolk here in the truest sense.

“Brother Qin,” Zhao Ruo said seriously, “there’s one thing you must remember above all else here: points. With points, you get a ranking; the higher your rank, the better cultivation resources you receive. There’s only one trial tower, for example—how is it allocated? By points. The higher your rank, the more opportunities you get, and the faster your strength will improve. The reverse is also true. So, in this place, points are your future!”

“I’ll remember that,” Qin Ming replied.

Arriving at the eastern tower, Qin Ming found everything perfectly arranged. Bedding and toiletries, all brand new and meticulously prepared. Even a laptop sat waiting on the desk; after identity verification, it would be his personal property.

Beneath the tower was a training room, built from alloy, exceptionally sturdy and well soundproofed—designed specifically for cadets to train without worrying about disturbing others.

Sitting down, Qin Ming logged into his personal page on the Extreme Home network. Immediately, a message popped up, asking him to select his reward.

An eight-billion credit portion of Dragon’s Blood would arrive the next day. For weapons, he selected the S-ranked Bloodshadow Saber, capable of cutting down high-level leader-class beasts. His battle suit was of the same rank—ordinary leader-class beasts would struggle to tear through it. As for the free secret manual, Qin Ming unhesitatingly chose the Ninefold Thunder Saber. In an instant, the manual was delivered, accompanied by a reminder: it must not be shared.

“At last, it’s mine!”

“With my mastery of Inch Punch, and having cultivated Blast Punch to the sixth level, I should be able to advance the Ninefold Thunder Saber rapidly!”

“These three techniques—Ninefold Thunder Saber, Blast Punch, Inch Punch—share similarities. Studying them together may yield unexpected insights!”

Qin Ming studied the manual carefully, committing every detail to memory while comparing it to the techniques he already knew.

“As expected of a secret art created by the Thunder God—its intricacy rivals Blast Punch, though it lacks some of the underlying depth.”

After a single reading, Qin Ming had already gained a solid understanding of the fifth stage of the Ninefold Thunder Saber.

He didn’t rush to practice. Instead, he went down to the basement and took his place in the center.

“In this world, physical strength is the foundation. My next priority is to increase my power, then use the Ninefold Thunder Saber and Blast Punch as my base, seeking the subtleties of the Inch Punch.”

Qin Ming had long since devised his plan.

With a thought, a ball of spiritual liquid appeared in his mouth, which he swallowed.

From the other world, Qin Ming had stocked his mindspace with Spirit Spring, bringing it over for cultivation. This was a key part of his strategy.

The spiritual liquid entered his body, and power erupted within him. Its force was far more intense than the Spirits of Grass and Wood.

Qin Ming set his stance and began training with the Profound Dao Diagram.

In just a quarter of an hour, he had mastered the thirty-second form.

Without pause, he continued onward.

Qin Ming’s progress began to soar once more.