Chapter 112: Ambush

"Sudden?" BaiLi Pangpang scratched his head, "I think it's more like a surprise. Besides, what's wrong with taking a break? Why overthink it?"

Lin QiYe was silent for a moment before nodding. "Maybe I'm just overthinking it..."

Lin QiYe returned to his dorm and quickly packed his things, though, in reality, there wasn't much to pack. After all, most of his personal items were already at Hong Ying's place—one of the perks of being close to home.

In the end, Lin QiYe simply grabbed a lightweight backpack and made his way to the training field. BaiLi Pangpang, on the other hand, was even more outrageous, walking with his hands empty, not carrying a single thing.

"You're really just leaving like that?" Cao Yuan, dragging his suitcase, asked in surprise when he saw BaiLi Pangpang.

"Yep."

"What about your clothes? Your daily necessities?"

"I'll have someone buy me some more."

"…"

Damn rich people.

By the time the new recruits arrived at the training field, several buses were already waiting, with large black boxes stacked beside them.

As soon as Lin QiYe saw those boxes, his eyes narrowed slightly.

He knew exactly what was inside those boxes, and many of the other recruits could probably guess too.

"This break… doesn't feel simple," Cao Yuan frowned.

Instructor Hong stood in front of the recruits, hands behind his back, and spoke loudly.

"For this break from the camp, everyone will carry a Starblade! But unless absolutely necessary, you must not use it! Even if you encounter a special situation, try your best to avoid drawing attention to yourselves and causing panic among the public! Understood?!"

"Understood!"

"Take your blades!"

The recruits lined up in an orderly fashion, collecting their black boxes from the ground and boarding the buses in sequence. The whole process was smooth and efficient.

Lin QiYe took his box and sat down on the bus. His spiritual energy swept over the contents of the box with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Cao Yuan, sitting behind him, leaned forward.

"The blade doesn't have a name engraved on it. This must be a temporarily issued standard blade. We'll have to return it when we get back."

"That's for sure," Cao Yuan nodded. "It's only after we graduate from the training camp that we'll get our own personal blades, cloaks, and insignias. Our Starblades are probably still being forged."

BaiLi Pangpang tapped on his box, sighing. "The quality of this blade is pretty good, but it's still not on par with a Forbidden Item."

"… Shut up."

Once everyone was on board, the buses slowly started moving, heading toward the exit of the training camp.

As they gradually left the training grounds, everyone suddenly felt a lightness in their bodies, as if some heavy weight that had been pressing on them for months had vanished. A sense of clarity washed over them, like a barrier being broken, and a refreshing chill spread through their minds and bodies, cleansing every inch of their skin.

Lin QiYe's body jolted, and the next moment, he felt an unprecedented clarity.

"This…" Lin QiYe stared at his hands in disbelief. "I broke through? I really broke through!"

"Me too!" someone shouted.

"What's happening? I broke through as well!"

"Shit! I've reached the Pool realm, haha!"

"…"

It wasn't just Lin QiYe. The same thing was happening to all the recruits leaving the training camp.

At this moment, Instructor Hong, who was sitting in the front seat, stood up, grinning.

"You all thought we used that precious Forbidden Item just to suppress your Forbidden Realms, didn't you? While your Forbidden Realms were suppressed, your spiritual energy flow was also restricted. That Forbidden Item suppressed you for over five months, and now that it's been lifted, the spiritual energy that was held back for so long will erupt in a powerful rebound, allowing you to easily break through the Pool realm and enter a new stage!"

As soon as Hong's words fell, the atmosphere on the bus exploded with excitement.

Lin QiYe felt his spiritual energy flowing freely—both the quantity and the recovery speed were far superior to when he was in the "One Lamp" stage.

His spiritual energy had undergone a true transformation, breaking through from "One Lamp" to "One Pool."

While most people were feeling the change in their realms, BaiLi Pangpang, confused, scratched his forehead and looked at Lin QiYe.

"You broke through too?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh… I can't sense the realm of spiritual energy, but I do feel lighter."

"That means your spiritual energy has been greatly enhanced," Cao Yuan said slowly. "Even though you don't have a Forbidden Realm and can't directly sense it, it's still there. With your spiritual energy boosted, you'll be able to use Forbidden Items more effectively in the future."

"Sigh, I envy you guys with Forbidden Realms."

"… Look at your conscience and then talk about your Forbidden Items again."

"Can't compare, though. Forbidden Items are just external tools. No matter how powerful, they're not your own..."

Just as BaiLi Pangpang continued his lament, someone suddenly shouted, pointing outside the window.

"Shit!! What are those?!"

Everyone instantly fell silent and looked out the window, stunned.

In the deep blue sky, five unknown objects were rapidly streaking through the clouds, leaving behind long white trails, heading straight toward them.

"Those… those are…" Lin QiYe's pupils contracted in shock.

"Missiles!!! Those are missiles!!!"

"Everyone, get down and hold on to something!!!"

Instructor Hong shouted from the front, his voice filled with urgency.

Whoosh—!!

Five missiles tore through the air. Three of them flew just above the heads of the recruits, heading straight toward… the training camp behind them!

The instant those three missiles struck the training camp, a brilliant flash of light erupted!

Boom—!!!

The deafening explosion sent shockwaves through the air, and blinding flames spread like a rampaging dragon, with black smoke rising in a massive mushroom cloud!

Half a second later, a terrifying shockwave blasted from behind, shaking the entire bus violently.

Lin QiYe gripped the seat's frame, looking back toward the training camp. Amid the raging flames, a faint golden glow could be seen flickering.

At that moment, two more missiles fell from the sky.

One struck the military checkpoint they had just passed, and with a deafening explosion, the entire checkpoint was obliterated.

The other missile… came crashing down right above their heads!

Lin QiYe's pupils shrank in horror as he saw Instructor Hong leap to his feet, about to do something. The next moment, a spear wreathed in crimson flames shot out from a distant location!

The spear's speed was astonishing—it was nearly impossible to track with the naked eye. It shot across the sky in a red streak, intercepting the missile mid-air!

Boom—!!!