Chapter 278 – The Competition
“The time we have left is limited. The beast horde is restless, and with tigers and wolves lurking around Hope Star and Jiuzhou Star, we are in imminent danger. The safety of the main star cannot be guaranteed. Our army urgently needs new strength to be injected; we, the Haenden Star System, require an invincible team.”
“Children, you are the hope of the Haenden star system, the most promising force for reclaiming the three wasteland stars. Since you have come here, I will not let you down. I will shape you into the most promising seeds and let you become the ones who can plant roses on the wasteland stars.”
Ye Hongci’s calm and soothing voice had surrounded everyone’s ears. There were no hoarse shouts, yet everyone felt stirred.
At that moment, everyone’s fighting spirit reached its peak. Striving for the Haenden star system and sacrificing to reclaim the three wasteland stars became an exceedingly honorable mission.
Ye Hongci’s satisfied gaze swept across everyone’s faces. “From this moment on, I will train alongside you and participate in every selection process, looking forward to your outstanding performances.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a wave of applause erupted from the audience.
To receive guidance directly from General Ye was an opportunity that no past military reserves had ever experienced.
“We are really lucky,” Ai Meigui said, unable to contain her excitement as she shared her joy with Tu Ran.
Tu Ran nodded with little emotion.
“Time is tight, and we can’t waste a single moment. My speech ends here; training will start from this moment.”
After speaking, Ye Hongci waved her hand, and Tang Ying strode into the crowd. She passed by Tu Ran, stirring up a chill in the air.
‘So cold,’ Tu Ran thought.
Tang Ying walked expressionlessly to Ye Hongci’s side, stopping there to share the admiration of the crowd.
“This morning, we will first take a look at everyone’s basic combat skills,” Ye Hongci said, patting Tang Ying’s shoulder. “Assistant Tang will be your instructor during this period. You can come up and spar with her; winning or losing isn’t important. The main goal is for me to understand everyone’s situation so I can further prepare the upcoming training plan.”
The trainees sitting on their stools exchanged glances, and one person raised his hand and stood up. “General Ye, I want to give it a try.”
“Alright, please step forward.”
Tu Ran looked at the person approaching and recognized that it was Xiang Qian, the older brother of the two.
From previous conversations with them, Tu Ran had learned that their parents were military personnel who had been strict with them since childhood and had taught them many skills used in the military.
Tang Ying stepped out from beside Ye Hongci and stood in the center, waiting for Xiang Qian to approach.
After Xiang Qian came over, a physical training instructor they had seen a few days earlier pushed a cart over, which was filled with various close-combat weapons.
Tang Ying spoke, “You can choose any one you like.”
“What about you?” Xiang Qian scratched his head and asked foolishly.
Tang Ying showed little expression on her face and said softly, “I don’t need one.”
She didn’t regard Xiang Qian at all, or rather, she didn’t consider any of the trainees present worthy of her attention.
Tang Ying clenched her fists and gestured in front of her, coldly stating, “Don’t hold back. Treat me like a beast, and I won’t show you any mercy.”
“Alright.” Xiang Qian nodded, tightening his grip on the dagger. The next moment, Tang Ying charged forward.
At that moment, Tu Ran felt that she truly lived up to her name.
Her figure was so fast that it left only an afterimage; her speed was difficult for the human eye to track. If Tu Ran hadn’t seen the ability panel above her head, she might have doubted whether Tang Ying possessed a power similar to [Teleportation].
Although Tu Ran understood that this world had mental powers, she had yet to grasp their specific manifestations.
Xiang Qian facing Tang Ying was like a rookie up against an eagle; it was merely a playful game for the eagle while the rookie had to exert all his strength.
Xiang Qian had no chance to fight back. All his moves and techniques crumbled under Tang Ying’s ghostly speed.
In the end, Tang Ying delivered a kick to his chest that sent him flying three meters away, crashing heavily to the ground.
The trainees who were closer to Xiang Qian were choked by the dust that erupted when he hit the ground, coughing uncontrollably.
Xiang Qian got up from the ground, covering his chest, his face flushed. After a while, he managed to ease the pain in his chest and returned his weapon to the cart, silently walking back to his spot.
Ye Hongci spoke up to comfort him, “Student Xiang, your fundamentals are quite good. Your speed and reaction time need improvement, so you can focus on practicing those two aspects from now on.”
“Thank you for the guidance, General Ye,” Xiang Qian said, bowing in thanks while suppressing his pain.
Everyone witnessed how harshly Tang Ying had struck.
Yet there were still those willing to spar with her, as the opportunity to receive direct guidance from General Ye was rare.
The second person to step up was a muscular man who chose not to pick a weapon but walked straight up to Tang Ying.
“Instructor Tang, I’ve long admired your reputation.” The man twisted his neck, making a creaking sound, and continued to rotate his wrists and ankles.
Tang Ying looked at him expressionlessly and waited until he had twisted all his audible joints before asking, “Can we begin?”
“Of course,” the man replied, and in the next moment, he threw a punch at Tang Ying.
Tang Ying effortlessly sidestepped and spun around to kick the man in the knee. However, the man, built like a mountain, showed no signs of being affected; instead, he threw another punch at her.
Tang Ying quickly flashed back to evade, then closed in again, lifting her leg to wrap around the man’s arm. Her body moved like a snake, agilely coiling around his arm, as she controlled his neck with both hands. Using the strength of her entire body, she countered and slammed the man’s large form to the ground.
All of this was accomplished in under thirty seconds, and aside from Tu Ran and Ye Hongci, no one could discern how she had done it.
Everyone was left dumbfounded.
Tang Ying stood up coldly from the man and returned to her original position.
The man lay on the ground, his own weight causing him to experience intense pain from the fall, particularly in his neck and arms—those were the areas where Tang Ying had exerted her force and the key points for her victory.
Two instructors came over to help him up and escorted him to the infirmary.
“Student Shi has strong core strength, making him suitable for shield-type mechas,” Ye Hongci commented on the recent match.
