The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"What's the meaning?"

"That means..."

Xiaoman took a step forward, and was only a few feet away from Jiang Xuan. He could smell the faint herbal fragrance on her.

"You stay here and work; I'll handle the training for you. And that's not all."

Her voice was low, carrying a dangerous allure.

"I can give you even more brutal training than at camp, and I'll personally be your sparring partner. You know, I'm the former head instructor of Camp 39."

Jiang Xuan's pupils contracted. The former head instructor? No wonder she knew everything about the camp.

"How about it?"

Xiaoman took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"These conditions are much better than what you're getting through in the camp, aren't they?"

Old Mo suddenly interrupted.

"Kid, you're lucky to have an instructor like Xiaoman. The students she trained back then are now all renowned figures in the empire."

Jiang Xuan's heart began to pound violently.

This proposal is indeed appealing, offering both resource guarantees and access to more advanced training.
Just as he hesitated, the door of the stone house was pushed open again.

A woman who looked exactly like Xiaoman, but with a completely different temperament, stood at the door.

She was wearing a crisp, dark blue uniform, the silver epaulets gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

Xiao Ke.

The current head instructor of Training Camp No. 39.

"No need."

Xiao Ke's voice was as cold as ice.

"From today onwards, Jiang Xuan will be personally trained by me."

The air inside the stone house seemed to freeze.

Xiaoman's expression instantly darkened, while Lao Mo shrank back, pretending to focus on the blueprints in his hands, but occasionally stealing glances at the twin sisters.

"Xiao Ke, this isn't your territory."

Xiaoman's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

Xiao Ke didn't even glance at her; her gaze was fixed directly on Jiang Xuan.

"Before sunrise tomorrow, at the abandoned training ground on the west side of the camp. If you're even a second late, you'll be sent back to Camp 39 to continue being the worst of the bunch."

After saying that, she turned and left, the hem of her uniform drawing a sharp arc as she disappeared into the night.

Silence spread through the stone house.

Old Mo coughed awkwardly twice, pretending to be very interested in a piece of equipment in the corner.

Xiaoman turned to Jiang Xuan.

"Looks like you're in luck."

Xiao Ke's individual training is definitely more suitable for you right now than mine.

Jiang Xuan keenly sensed the complex emotions in her words.

"Are you sisters?"

"That's not important."

Xiaoman waved her hand, her carefree smile returning to her face.

"The important thing is that you've been given a rare opportunity. Don't waste it."

She walked towards the door and paused for a moment.

"Remember, no matter how strict Xiao Ke is with you, don't complain. She has her reasons."

The door closed, leaving Jiang Xuan standing alone in the candlelight, his mind filled with questions.

The next morning, when the trainees of Training Camp No. 39 gathered, they found that one person was missing from the group.

Where is Jiang Xuan?

Ning Meng looked around. His comrades, who had completed the mission with him yesterday, had suddenly disappeared.

Xiao Ke stood at the front of the line, her cold gaze sweeping over everyone, without mentioning Jiang Xuan's absence at all.

Today's training mission.

Spiritual energy stress test.

Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Two people form a team, putting pressure on each other. The last ten teams to finish receive double points."

The trainees sprang into action, but Ning Meng remained standing still.

"Instructor!"

He finally couldn't help but speak.

Where did Jiang Xuan go? Is he...?

The words "eliminated" stuck in my throat, I couldn't say them.

Xiao Ke's gaze was like a knife piercing through him.

"Ningmeng, are you questioning my arrangements?"

"No, I just..."

"Twenty laps with weights, now begin."

Xiao Ke interrupted him.

"Ask questions after you've finished running."

Ning Meng grabbed the backpack next to him and started running around the training field.

He was filled with doubt and worry.

Jiang Xuan isn't the kind of person who gives up easily, so what exactly happened?
At the other end of the training field, Qi Can and Xin Wenbin huddled together, their faces beaming with schadenfreude.

"It seems our genius has finally given in."

Qi Can said sarcastically.

"They didn't even dare show their faces, they just ran away?"

Xin Wenbin smiled sinisterly.

"What a pity, I was hoping to take good care of him in the next sparring session."

"What's the rush?"

Qi Can patted him on the shoulder.

"He has to show up for the monthly evaluation, right? Hehe."

During the midday break, a message began to circulate in the camp.

"Have you heard? Jiang Xuan was recruited by a spirit pattern master to be his assistant."

One of the students said mysteriously.

"real or fake?"

The other one stared wide-eyed.

"Giving up the training camp to become a janitor?"

"Who knows? Maybe they think it's too harsh here."

The third person shrugged, his tone full of contempt.

Ning Meng sat in the corner, listening to the discussions, his fists clenching unconsciously.

He didn't believe Jiang Xuan would give up voluntarily; there must be some misunderstanding.

"Don't listen to their nonsense."

A voice rang in Ning Meng's ears. He looked up and saw Li Yan, who had worked with Jiang Xuan several times before.

Li Yan lowered his voice.

"I saw Jiang Xuan when I went to the warehouse to get my equipment this morning. He was with Instructor Xiao Ke, and he didn't seem to be forced."

Ning Meng was somewhat excited.

"Really? Then why did he..."

"Not sure."

Li Yan shook his head.

"But I feel things aren't that simple. Instructor Xiao Ke leading the group personally must mean there's a special arrangement."

In the evening, a notice regarding the monthly performance review was posted.

The forty camps will compete in pairs, and the camp with the worst performance will be eliminated.

"I heard the matches are decided by random draw; if we draw a strong camp, we're doomed."

One of the trainees said with a worried expression.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Qi Can stood tall and proud.

"With me here, Camp 39 will not lose."

Xin Wenbin stepped forward to agree, glancing sideways at several uneasy-looking trainees in the corner.

"Exactly, some people deserted at the last minute, which actually reduces a burden on us. Right, Brother Qi?"

Qi Can sneered and did not answer, but the contempt in his eyes said it all.

Meanwhile, on a stone bench on the other side of the training field, Shi Yu was wrapping the wound on his hand with a strip of cloth.

Li Qiu squatted to one side.

"You mean Jiang Xuan really just left like that?"

Shi Yu paused, his expression sharp.

"That kid's got a tough bone to stick; he's not going to give up on his own."

He lowered his voice.

"I've inquired; it's someone the spirit pattern master personally requested."

"A spirit rune master?"

Li Qiu's eyes widened.

What's so special about him?

Shi Yu smiled mysteriously and tied the last knot.

"I have my own plans."

He stood up and patted Li Qiu on the shoulder. "Remember, we can only win the monthly assessment; we can't lose."

Li Qiu nodded emphatically, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"clear!"

The classroom was unusually quiet during the afternoon theory class.

The trainees sat upright, but their eyes kept glancing at the podium. The spot that should have been occupied by Instructor Xiao Ke was now occupied by the obese middle-aged instructor.

His greasy hair was plastered to his forehead as he explained battlefield first aid knowledge in a sleep-inducing voice.

"Therefore, the tightness of the tourniquet should be appropriate."

His voice suddenly stopped, and he squinted as he scanned the classroom.

"Why is someone missing today?"

A few snickers came from the corner.

Qi Can lazily raised his hand.

"Reporting, Instructor, Jiang Xuan has been transferred to be a spirit pattern master's apprentice."

The middle-aged instructor's chubby face twitched slightly, but he continued lecturing as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, in the most remote training ground, number 7, Jiang Xuan was undergoing "special training" that was a hundred times more brutal than that in the classroom.

"Too slow!"

Xiao Ke's stern shout echoed across the empty training ground.

She flashed away, and before Jiang Xuan could even see her move, he was struck hard in the chest, sent flying backward, and crashed heavily onto the sand.

"cough."

Jiang Xuan coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled to get up.

His uniform was already tattered, and his exposed skin was covered in bruises.

Xiao Ke stood still, her slender figure outlined in her black combat suit.

She looked at Jiang Xuan expressionlessly.

"Your 'Dislocating Tendons and Bones' technique is all show and no substance; in a real fight, it wouldn't last three seconds."

Jiang Xuan gritted his teeth and assumed a fighting stance once again.

Xiao Ke was somewhat surprised, then sneered.

"He has backbone."

Before she finished speaking, she was already close to him.

The next half hour was hell.

Jiang Xuan couldn't remember how many times he had been knocked down, but each time he got up, he got up faster and faster.

He gradually discovered that Xiao Ke's attacks were not without pattern; those seemingly random movements actually contained a kind of exquisite combat rhythm.

"Pay attention to where I'm applying force."

Xiao Ke suddenly spoke, and at the same time, she chopped Jiang Xuan's neck with a hand chop.

This time, Jiang Xuan barely managed to turn to the side, and a chop to the ear grazed him, creating a sharp, stinging sound.

"interesting."

Xiao Ke raised an eyebrow, and her offensive suddenly intensified.

Jiang Xuan's vision blurred, and he was kicked in the abdomen again. This time, he flew backward and crashed into the fence of the training ground.

“That’s enough.”

Xiao Ke suddenly stopped and glanced at her watch.

"Take a five-minute break, then head to training field number 10."

A soft laugh came from the corner.

Xiaoman sat cross-legged on the equipment box, swinging her legs.

"Ouch, you've been beaten so badly~ Do you want me to put some medicine on you?"

Jiang Xuan ignored her teasing and closed his eyes to adjust his breathing.

He could feel that although the parts of his body that were hit were painful, his muscle memory had strangely remembered Xiao Ke's attack methods.

This learning method is brutal yet highly effective.

Xiaoman jumped down and reluctantly threw over a bottle of medicine.

"Don't stubbornly resist, apply it."

The moment the ointment touched his skin, Jiang Xuan gasped, feeling as if a million ants were crawling on his wound.

But after a while, the pain was significantly reduced, and the bruises faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"A spirit pattern master's medicine?"

Jiang Xuan asked in surprise.

Xiaoman proudly raised her chin.

"Of course, ordinary wound medicine wouldn't have this effect."

She suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"Hey, do you know why Sister Xiao Ke is so protective of you?"

Jiang Xuan shook his head, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to the other end of the training field, where Old Mo was engrossed in a pile of equipment, oblivious to the terrible scene on this side.

"because."

Just as Xiaoman was about to speak, Xiaoke's icy voice interrupted.

"Time's up. Training Ground 10."

Training Ground No. 10 is more than twice the size of Ground No. 7, with a circular ring in the center that is 20 meters in diameter and surrounded by towering metal netting.

As soon as Jiang Xuan stepped into the arena, he smelled a pungent, fishy stench.

"Today's opponent is the Flame Spider."

Xiao Ke pressed the button on the wall, and the floor in the center of the arena opened, revealing a golden spider as tall as an adult, its eight compound eyes gleaming fiercely.

Jiang Xuan's Adam's apple bobbed.

"One-on-one?"

"if not?"

Xiao Ke sneered.

"Remember, on a real battlefield, no one will talk to you about fairness."

The golden spider suddenly launched an attack with astonishing speed.

Jiang Xuan barely managed to dodge, but his shoulder was still slashed by the forelimb. The smell of blood seemed to spur the ferocious beast on, making its attacks even more ferocious.

The ensuing battle was incredibly fierce.

Jiang Xuan's tactics were repeatedly countered by the Golden Spider, leaving him with countless wounds.

Strangely, he became more and more courageous in battle, and began to instinctively use the skills he had learned from Xiao Ke.

An hour later, when Jiang Xuan finally seized the opportunity and precisely struck the golden spider's nerve node with a chop, the ferocious beast collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Xuan himself collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his clothes soaked with sweat and blood.

"Barely passing."

Xiao Ke appeared by the ring at some point and tossed him a towel.

"We'll continue tomorrow."

Jiang Xuan took the towel and suddenly asked a question.

“Why me?”

Xiao Ke paused, but didn't turn around.

"Because Lao Mo said you have that potential."

After saying that, he left the training ground.

Xiaoman skipped and hopped after him, making a face at Jiang Xuan before leaving.

"Don't get too excited yet, something even more exciting awaits you tomorrow!"

When Jiang Xuan dragged his tired body back to the dormitory area, it was already late at night.

Passing by the bulletin board, he stopped and, by the moonlight, read the assessment notice. Camp 39 would face Camp 40 in three days.

"I see."

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself.

He finally understood why Xiao Ke had suddenly increased the intensity of her training; she was preparing for the camp assessment.

Meanwhile, in the instructor's office, an obese middle-aged instructor was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Xiao Ke, Camp 39 only has 19 people now, while Camp 40 is at full strength with 25 people..."

Xiao Ke stood by the window and interrupted him.

"Numbers are never the key to victory."

That evening, Jiang Xuan dragged his exhausted body back to Lao Mo's warehouse.

"You're back?"

Old Mo squatted in the middle of a pile of spiritual materials and asked without looking up.

A yellowed blueprint of spirit patterns lay spread out in front of him, and he traced it back and forth with his fingers.

Jiang Xuan collapsed to the ground, leaning against the cold wall, panting heavily.

"Old Mo, is there any water?"

"On the left shelf."

Old Mo finally raised his head, a glint of light in his cloudy eyes.

"How many blows did you get today?"

"Too many to count."

Jiang Xuan smiled wryly as he reached for the kettle, the muscles in his arm trembling from overuse.

"That crazy woman always hits my sore spots; now even breathing hurts."

Old Mo chuckled twice, got up, and squatted down next to Jiang Xuan.

"Let me see if your understanding of spirit patterns has improved. Did that girl Xiao Ke use the Spirit Serpent Entwining Hand technique today?"

Jiang Xuan nodded, forced himself to sit up straight, and drew a simple spirit pattern on the ground with his finger.

"The flow of her spiritual energy when she attacked should have been like this; I sensed it when I was being hit."

Old Mo leaned closer for a closer look. (End of Chapter)