A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Once the researcher's clone has perfected the crystal weaponry, the trainees will then be equipped with more advanced training aircraft.

These matters are all top secret. All personnel and equipment are located in underground military fortresses deep in the mountains, completely cut off from private contact with the outside world. There is only official communication between fortresses and with higher authorities. Electronic storage is also avoided as much as possible to prevent hackers from stealing information.

It can be said that, in order to ensure the safety of the crystal-armed soldiers and the researcher clones, the entire base's security level was raised to the highest level.

Li Wei's plan was progressing steadily. He had gained a deep understanding of the ideas above through mind-reading. It was still the same old story: build high walls, store up grain, and delay declaring oneself king.

··· ·Requesting flowers···· ··

Although the Crystal Armed Forces possess an absolute numerical advantage, the timing is not yet ripe, so they need to bide their time. The "young ladies" hold an extremely hostile attitude towards anything that challenges their authority. The IS pilots within the country are relatively rational, but the foreign IS pilots and extreme feminist organizations, knowing of the Crystal Armed Forces' existence, will undoubtedly try to destroy the base before they can be mass-produced, eradicating any hope of men regaining their self-respect.

To ensure absolute secrecy regarding women, the underground base where the researcher's clone resides is staffed only by male members, and these male members all share a common trait: they are all single, regardless of age.

... ......

This era is so terrible for men. Only someone with a screw loose would want to be in a relationship. Why would someone who's perfectly fine on their own need to find a patriarch? So these fortress personnel have no desire for that kind of thing at all. Thinking about the faces of women these days, how low would they have to be to "get up"? Maybe only masochists would like this kind of world.

The idea above is simple: first, wait for the researcher's clone to improve the crystal weaponry, at least to increase its endurance. Once the endurance problem is solved, take advantage of the low cost to produce several thousand crystals at once, train a large number of crystal weapon users, and achieve an absolute advantage in manpower. Once such an advantage is achieved, the problem will be easily solved, and the road will be cleared.

While the researcher's clone was working hard alongside the rough-and-tumble guys in the underground base, Li Wei's main body was enjoying life. After all, the clone had done all the work, so there was no need for his main body to appear. Moreover, this time he didn't plan to use his main body to directly contact the authorities, since he still had to go to the IS Academy.

When the time is right, Li Wei will naturally unleash his crystal weapon again, but for now, he plans to stick to the original storyline, team up with Orimura Natsumi, and follow the IS Academy route. After all, he still has his sights set on causing trouble.

Chapter 1. Behind the Scenes

As time went by, Li Wei and Shinonono Houki became quite familiar with each other.

That day, Li Wei was practicing in the dojo when Shinonono Houki walked in carrying a bamboo sword.

"Huh? It's strange that no one from the Kendo Club is with you today." Li Wei put down his wooden sword and stopped. At this moment, besides him, only Shinonono Houki was in the dojo.

The other disciples who came to practice today left in the middle of the afternoon, while Shinohara Takashi went out to run errands. Li Wei stayed here alone, and if it weren't for the fact that Shinohara Houki was coming back, he would have left the dojo as well.

Shinonono Houki put her bamboo sword aside, took a bottle of drink from the small refrigerator in the training ground, tilted her head back and gulped down a few mouthfuls, looking relieved, and said, "They all have their own things to do. For them, kendo is just a bonus for the exam. Just keep up with the normal training. There's no need for extra practice."

Houki Shinonono seemed somewhat dazed, sitting there lost in thought.

Li Wei put down the wooden sword, sat down beside him, and said, "You seem to have something on your mind."

Houki Shinonono came to her senses and said, "Yes, that's right. Today the school announced that people from above are coming to select IS candidates, and every girl in the school will participate in the test."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Isn't this a good thing? So many people want to become IS pilots, don't you have any ideas?"

Shinonono Houki opened her mouth, unsure how to answer. She didn't really have many thoughts on this. Her feelings towards IS were quite complicated. Because of her troublesome older sister, not only had the world become chaotic, but even the daily lives of her family had inevitably been affected.

Moreover, once you become a pilot of IS, a star weapon, you are easily drawn into the vortex of the current situation, forced into the public eye, or even become the target of others' schemes. After all, she is Shinonono Tsukasa's younger sister, and becoming an IS pilot is something that is easy to make people think.

Shinobu Houki said, "I don't know either. If I become an IS pilot, I can get a high subsidy, and my family's expenses will be solved immediately."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Isn't this a good thing? Teacher Long has always been worried about money. If he becomes an IS pilot, the operation of the kendo dojo won't be so troublesome."

Li Wei stayed here for a while and gained a certain understanding of the operational crisis of the kendo dojo. The current situation is that with prices rising rapidly due to inflation, the maintenance of the dojo has become a huge drain on the family's finances. Previously, Shinohara Takashi had planned to renovate the dojo, demolishing the original parts to reduce future financial expenses, because there were not many students in the dojo to begin with, and such a large dojo was simply unnecessary.

In Japan, an annual income of one million yen is considered quite good for an average person. If you only consider the tuition fees brought in by the students, it seems that Shino House is doing quite well, but that's just an appearance.

Ordinary people can save money if they don't spend it, but it's very difficult for Xiaozhijia to save money because the dojo, this money-devouring beast, will constantly devour Xiaozhijia's cash flow. All kinds of maintenance of the dojo cost money. Cleaning and sanitation can be solved by themselves, but various consumables and the replacement of materials as the building ages all cost money.

So, the Xiao family's annual income is above average, but they can't save money like others. Li Wei sees this problem but doesn't intend to say anything because Xiao Zhilong has already made a decision. These past few days, Xiao Zhilong has been running around contacting construction companies to prepare money to reduce the size of the family's dojo. It's better to have a short pain than a long one.

Shinobu Houki said, "Yes, if I could become an IS pilot, my family's financial problems would be solved. But do I have that kind of talent? Becoming an IS pilot is not an easy thing. I'm just an ordinary female student."

The selection criteria for IS pilots are even stricter than those for pilots of the previous generation. Although Houki Shinonono's physical fitness is top-notch among her peers, there are just too many competitors. It can be said that tens of thousands of people are competing for one spot. This kind of competition, where thousands of troops cross a single-plank bridge, is not something she can do just because she wants to.

Li Wei laughed and said, "How can you know if you don't try? Although I don't know much about IS, I've heard that it depends on the synchronization rate between the pilot and the machine's core, right?"

Houki Shinonono said, "That's right. The higher the synchronization rate, the more of the machine's performance can be utilized. However, most people's synchronization rate is less than 90%, so even if their physical abilities are up to par, if their synchronization rate is too low, it won't work."

If we're just talking about physical fitness, Shinobu Houki isn't afraid of anyone. Her physical fitness is arguably the best among her peers. However, this fitness test is open to women under thirty, so with a larger pool of participants, the competition becomes much more intense.

Li Wei did some minor tampering behind the scenes for this test, which was very easy and simple for him to do now.

In the original story, the male protagonist, Natsumi Orimura, accidentally entered the backstage of the testing site and saw an IS that was not yet activated. He walked up to it out of curiosity and activated the IS. As a result, Natsumi Orimura became the only male in the IS Academy and became the "Chosen One".

In reality, Natsumi Orimura was a person with connections and did not have the qualifications to start IS. It was Shinonono Tsukasa who opened up the system behind the scenes so that IS could be started.

Natsumi Orimura is Chifuyu Orimura's younger brother, and Chifuyu Orimura is Natsumi Orimura's best friend. Natsumi Orimura is also Houki Shinonono's childhood friend, and Tsukasa Shinonono is an incurable siscon (sister complex), who will try to get whatever her sister likes or wants.

It is precisely because of this dual relationship that Natsumi Orimura was able to activate the IS as a man, becoming the only male IS pilot in the world.

So even if Natsumi Orimura hadn't accidentally wandered into the backstage area of ​​the test venue, Shinobu Tsukasa would have found a way to send him to IS Academy to be with her younger sister, Houki Shinobu. But now, Levi used mental magic to interfere with the highest-ranking officials in charge of this test, and they prepared two more IS units backstage. That means there are now three IS units backstage.

Two IS vehicles, started by two men, seems rather suspicious. But with three IS vehicles, this kind of thing wouldn't be so conspicuous.

Li Wei said, "Go and try it, Houki. You have to try everything to get the result. Whether you can pass the test or not, you'll regret it if you don't try. The cruelest thing in this world is 'I could have'."

Shinobu Houki nodded. She thought Li Wei made sense. If she went, regardless of whether it succeeded or not, at least there would be a result. What if she regretted it later if she didn't go?

Chapter 1. The Way Out for Traditional Martial Arts

After spending some time together, the erudite Li Wei had become like a confidant to Shinobu Houki.

Li Wei knew that haste makes waste, so he didn't reveal any ulterior motives, maintaining his current persona and not crossing the line. If he confirmed the relationship now, he wouldn't be able to waver later at IS Academy. It was precisely because he considered this that Li Wei wasn't in a rush.

Shinonono Houki looked at Li Wei and said, "I probably won't be able to meet the requirements. Anyway, it's just a formality. I'll just stick to the original plan, take the exam for the high school I like, and get good results in the high school's Jade Dragon Flag competition."

Li Wei asked, "Aren't you planning to go to university?"

Shinonono Houki said, "Going to university won't help me in carrying on the family dojo. The sooner I graduate, the sooner I can relieve my father's burden. I know he has things he wants to do, but because of the family dojo, he's not free, so I want him to retire early."

Shinonono Houki deeply respects her father. In her eyes, he is a man who lives with dignity. Even in today's extremely unfriendly social environment towards men, he cannot bow his head. However, such a way of life is exhausting, so she wants to make it less tiring for him.

Li Wei nodded. He knew what Shinobu Houki was thinking. Many ignorant people like to say that when something goes wrong, you should look for the cause within yourself first, but this statement is not always true, at least not in this context. When the problem is external, to expect people to reflect and look for the cause within themselves is just plain stupid.

When the entire social environment is in trouble, normal people are treated like monsters. In particular, Japanese society is already distorted enough, and now it's just a complete collapse.

As Lu Xun once said, "Just because something has always been this way, does that mean it's right?" This statement is still very relevant in today's world.

It could even be said that everything that the gentleman criticized back then has come back to haunt us now. It's just that history is a circle, and we've simply returned to the very beginning.

Li Wei knew that Xiao Zhilong was unwilling to bow down to life, and such willpower was admirable. It should be said that people who are able to refuse to bow down and compromise with their surroundings, and who struggle to save themselves the more they are in the mud, are all worthy of respect.

Li Wei said, "Actually, if conditions permit, going to university is a good option. Going to university and inheriting the kendo dojo are not mutually exclusive. Moreover, in-depth study of human biomechanics can better improve traditional swordsmanship and promote its development."

Shinonono Houki sat down next to Li Wei, took off her tabi socks, and let her sweaty little feet breathe. Li Wei looked at Shinonono Houki's delicate feet and silently withdrew his gaze. For those foot fetishists, this girl's feet were a gift from heaven. She was clearly an athletic girl, but her feet were flawless.

Shinonono Houki didn't notice the instantaneous change in Li Wei's eyes and said, "Human biomechanics? I don't know much about that."

Li Wei said, "Any traditional martial art, regardless of its country of origin, cannot continue to develop in modern times without systematic and scientific training and reinforcement. Take traditional martial arts in Japan, for example. Apart from Japanese wrestling, which hasn't changed much, other martial arts have fewer and fewer applications. They were eventually integrated into 'Sansho,' a very free modern martial art that tests the practitioner's imagination. In Japan, among traditional martial arts, after excluding Judo and Karate, which have been modernized, only Toyama-ryu and Koto-ryu still have considerable modern combat capabilities. Moving forward requires a complete understanding of the past."

Shinonono Houki looked at Li Wei with genuine emotion and said, "Does the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu school still have a path to advance?"

Li Wei raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Of course, would you like to see the results of my training these past few days? The New Yagyu Shinkage-ryu Nodachi Sword Technique."

"You've already achieved results?! So fast!" Houki Shinonono exclaimed in surprise.

Li Wei had been practicing the nodachi swordsmanship before, but he rarely showed it to her. She thought he was just starting out. She had heard her father say that Li Wei was a martial arts genius, and now it seemed that was indeed the case.

Li Wei stood up and took his own special training tool, a sheathed nodachi made of ironwood, from the training tool shelf next to him.

This wooden nodachi used for practice is more than twice as heavy as a real sword due to its material, weighing seven kilograms. The blade is one inch long and the hilt is two and a half inches long. When it stands upright, it is taller than a person. Ordinary people simply cannot handle such a weapon.

Li Wei slung the nodachi over his shoulder and swiftly drew it. The nodachi drew a sharp arc, and the wind pressure that stung the skin made Shinonono Houki's long hair flutter.

Shinonono Houki narrowed her eyes slightly. Even though Li Wei was using a wooden training knife, the wind pressure generated when the nodachi was drawn was more exaggerated than that of a real sword. She couldn't even see the movement of Li Wei's arm when he drew the sword.

With the nodachi drawn, Li Wei moved like a tornado, his nodachi slicing through the air with a series of sharp, piercing sounds. This was a sound that could only be produced when the blade's tendons were perfectly aligned. No matter the angle at which Li Wei swung his sword, he could unleash the nodachi's destructive power to the fullest.

Seeing this, Shinobu Houki was stunned. It wasn't until Li Wei finished his two-minute demonstration that she slowly came to her senses. Then, she began to clap, her face filled with excitement. The nodachi skills that Li Wei had demonstrated would be so impressive in real combat that even her father wouldn't be a match for him. With a one-foot blade and a two-and-a-half-foot hilt, unless one directly faced a long-handled weapon like a spear or lance, most swords would be overwhelmed by the absolute distance and power before they even got close.

Li Wei exhaled sharply, slowly sheathing his long sword. The sharp aura emanating from him dissipated, and he became as warm as the sun once more.

Li Wei smiled and said, "This sword technique is not yet perfect; it's only in its initial form and needs further refinement."

Shinonono Houki said, "Isn't this already amazing? In an open area, with swordsmanship like this, even if you outnumber the opponent, you won't be at a disadvantage. Is this the result of the modernization of nodachi techniques?"

Li Wei nodded and said, "That's right. I referenced the two-handed swordsmanship of the German capital, Pülner, and the ancient Chinese horse-slaying sword technique, combining and modifying them to create this swordsmanship. This is the result of modernizing traditional martial arts."

Chapter 1. Sword Techniques

Shinonono Houki looked puzzled. She was just an ordinary female student, not a learned person like Li Wei. When Li Wei mentioned the Dobul Great Swordsman and the Zhanmadao, she was clearly confused.

Shinonono Houki said, "I do know a little about the Zanbato, but what's the connection between the Dobula Great Swordsman and the Nodachi?"

Houki Shinonono's knowledge of two-handed greatswords is limited to the massive, door-sized swords depicted in various anime. She knows nothing about real two-handed greatswords. While it might seem a bit funny that a martial artist practicing kendo wouldn't know about two-handed greatswords, it's understandable considering she's only ten years old and a national student.

Li Wei said, "The technique I used to wield the sword just now is the same technique used by the Dobul Greatswordsman when wielding a two-handed greatsword. It skillfully utilizes the strength of the forearm and wrist to lift the nodachi and use centrifugal force to accelerate it and increase its lethality. Moreover, when the nodachi is swung, it can also form a kind of shield. As long as the nodachi in your hand is not intercepted by the opponent, this kind of defense can play a very good defensive role against most attacks. Of course, it cannot intercept arrows, hidden weapons, or modern firearms."

Martial arts have their limits, and so does the human body. Unless one transcends humanity like Li Wei, with the current limits of human strength, we are all no match for firearms.

Li Wei drew his nodachi again, but this time he did so in slow motion, allowing Shinonono Houki to clearly see every movement of his body.

After drawing his nodachi, Li Wei began to wield it slowly and steadily. Shinonono Houki watched Li Wei's hand movements with a look of surprise. This swordsmanship, completely different from Japanese kendo, opened up a whole new world for her.

In any martial arts or combat technique, it is a major taboo to develop skills in isolation. In the real world, intelligence agencies have ranked the "100 strongest people in the underworld" based on the premise of a ruleless environment and a death match without any rules. They meticulously selected the 100 strongest martial artists of modern times, and none of these individuals developed their skills in isolation.

It's funny, really. In this ranking, Chen Haiwang, the founder of Unrestricted Martial Arts (Mad Dog Fist), a seemingly comical character, is ranked in the forties. This ranking is based on the actual combat ability of all martial artists in the world. It's already quite good that this bespectacled old man has such a ranking. You should know that even Brother Xiaolong is only ranked in the top ten. Brother Xiaolong and Chen Haiwang are both at a disadvantage because of their physical strength. If they had a strong physique, killing people would be as easy as killing chickens for them.

This list includes people from all over the world, but among those on the list are many domestic experts from the late Qing Dynasty. Although these experts are no longer alive, their combat abilities have been recognized by intelligence agencies.

Li Wei said, "My sword technique is based on the German two-handed greatsword basic training method, but the techniques from the forward slash and the dragging-style horse-slaying saber are used to connect these movements, and that's how it is."

Li Wei quickened his pace, and Shinonono Houki clearly saw the path of the nodachi. It was a huge circle, and any point on the arc was an attack path. The attack radius was astonishingly large. Although it was not as large as a polearm, it was still quite exaggerated compared to other swords.

Shinonono Houki noticed the nodachi that Li Wei was using; the hilt of the sword was somewhat unusual.

Shinobu asked, "Li Wei-kun, is this sword weighted?"

Li Wei stopped, hoisted the long sword onto his shoulder, and said, "That's right. Without the added weight, the hilt of this sword would be even longer, which would be difficult to wield. So I personally asked the craftsman who makes practice tools to add weight to the hilt and adjust the center of gravity of the entire sword so that the center of gravity is not too far forward."