Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Late at night, at the special operations training ground of the Jinghua Military Region.

The lights in the training room had just been turned off when a hundred trainees walked out in formation. After three hours of military technology training, their faces showed fatigue, but their eyes were still bright.

"Today's lecture on electromagnetic warfare on the battlefield was truly eye-opening," Zhao Ming said to Li Wei beside him, rubbing his throbbing temples. "I didn't realize that electronic warfare isn't as simple as pressing a few buttons. It involves calculating frequencies, analyzing signal characteristics, and predicting the enemy's countermeasures..."

"Nonsense." Li Wei stretched his stiff neck. "Otherwise, why do you think Colonel Lin made us learn these things? In modern warfare, not understanding technology is like being blind and deaf."

Just then, the roar of a helicopter came from the sky.

A black helicopter without any markings rapidly approached from the night sky, the wind whipped up by its rotors causing the flags along the training field to flutter wildly. The trainees instinctively stopped and looked up.

The helicopter hovered briefly above the training ground before slowly landing on the central open space. The cabin door opened, and three figures jumped out.

When they saw what the three people looked like, all the trainees were stunned.

Lin Zhe walked at the front. His combat uniform was covered in dust and stains, with a noticeable tear on his left shoulder, revealing the bulletproof layer underneath. The paint on his face was blurred by sweat and blood, leaving only his eyes visible—eyes that shone like wolves in the night, sharp, cold, and carrying the weariness and killing intent of someone who had just experienced a life-or-death battle.

What's even more chilling are the dark brown spots on his combat uniform—they're blood. Some have dried, others are still slightly dark, standing out starkly under the training field lights.

The two people behind them were the same. The man on the left (Long Lin) had a bandage wrapped around his left arm, with blood seeping through it; the woman on the right (Long Qing) had obvious bullet holes in her helmet and several small wounds on her face.

The three of them stood together, and the aura emanating from them—a heavy smell of blood, gunpowder, and an indescribable aura of death—instantly silenced the entire training ground.

Even Gao Cheng and Cang Lang's team members held their breath. They had seen blood and been on the battlefield, but the murderous aura emanating from these three people was far too intense. It was as if they had just crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, and the killing intent on their bodies had not yet dissipated.

Long Lin and Long Qing made a few hand gestures to Lin Zhe—making a circle with their thumb and forefinger, extending the other three fingers, and then pointing to the helicopter. Lin Zhe nodded, and the two reboarded the helicopter.

The helicopter quickly took off and disappeared into the night sky, as if it had never been there.

But the smell of blood and gunpowder still lingered in the air on the training field.

Lin Zhe turned around, his gaze sweeping over the students who stood there dumbfounded. His eyes were calm, but beneath that calm lay a bottomless coldness. Like the sea before a blizzard, seemingly calm, yet turbulent undercurrents.

The trainees shivered involuntarily as that gaze swept over them. It was a gaze they had never seen before—not the sternness of training, not the focus of demonstrations, but a kind of indifference born from witnessing too much death.

Zhao Ming swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

Li Wei clenched his fist, his fingers turning white from the force.

The other trainees were the same. They stared wide-eyed at Lin Zhe, at his blood-stained combat uniform, and at his cold eyes.

At this moment, they finally understood one thing—the strength Lin Zhe displayed during his training was merely the tip of the iceberg. The real Lin Zhe was the killing god before them, forged in blood and fire.

Lin Zhe's gaze lingered on the students' faces for a few seconds before shifting away. He looked at Gao Cheng, nodded, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the dormitory building.

His steps were steady, but each step revealed a heavy weariness.

The training ground only came alive again after Lin Zhe's figure disappeared at the dormitory entrance.

"Oh my god..." one of the students murmured.

"That's blood, isn't it? On Colonel Lin..."

"Where did they go? What mission are they on?"

"Can't you smell it? Gunpowder... and blood..."

The trainees chattered amongst themselves, their voices filled with shock and confusion. They were all college graduates who had enlisted, and had never experienced real war. Growing up in peacetime, their understanding of war was limited to news, movies, and textbooks.

They knew that being a soldier was a dangerous profession, and that there might be sacrifices, but that understanding was vague and distant. It was like knowing that people can die, but never having witnessed death firsthand.

But tonight, the bloodstains on Lin Zhe and his two companions, the murderous aura emanating from them, the aura of someone who had just come from the battlefield... brought the words "war" and "death" to life right before their eyes.

"Quiet down!" Takashiro took a deep breath and shouted, "Line up!"

The trainees instinctively lined up, but their eyes kept glancing towards the dormitory building.

Gao Cheng walked to the front of the group, looking at these young faces, and felt a surge of emotion. He knew how much this scene tonight had impacted these trainees.

"Did you see Colonel Lin's appearance?" Gao Cheng's voice was deep. "That's a real soldier, a soldier who has come from the battlefield."

He paused, then continued, "You might think, 'We live in a time of peace, why are there so many wars?' Let me tell you—peace is won through war! It's won by people like Colonel Lin, with their blood and lives!"

The training ground was completely silent.

"What are you learning knowledge in school and practicing skills on the training ground for?" Gao Cheng continued, "So that one day, when the country needs you, you can pick up a gun like Colonel Lin, go to the battlefield, and defend this country and the families behind you!"

The trainees clenched their fists, their eyes burning with intensity.

"But—" Gao Cheng changed the subject, "Passion alone isn't enough, and knowledge alone isn't enough either. There's still a lot you need to learn. Starting tomorrow, the training intensity will increase by twenty percent. Those who can't handle it can quit now."

Nobody moved.

"Okay." Gao Cheng nodded. "Dismissed. Meet at six o'clock sharp tomorrow morning."

The trainees lined up and left the training ground, but no one spoke. Everyone was processing everything they had seen that night.

Zhao Ming and Li Wei walked at the back.

"Zhao Ming, tell me..." Li Wei asked in a low voice, "How many people...did Colonel Lin and his men kill?"

Zhao Ming was silent for a moment: "I don't know. But judging from the bloodstains... there must be a lot."

"Will we... be like this in the future?"

"If you can pass the selection, if you can become a real special forces member..." Zhao Ming looked at the night sky, "Yes, I will. This is the path we have chosen."

Neither of them spoke again, but a fire ignited in their hearts—not fear, but longing. A longing to become stronger, a longing to one day fight for their country like Lin Zhe.

In the dormitory building, Lin Zhe took a cold shower to wash away the blood and gunpowder smell. Hot water would irritate the wounds, while cold water would keep his nerves alert.

He examined himself in front of the mirror. The laceration on his left shoulder was shallow and had already scabbed over; there were several abrasions on his right arm; and a bruise under his ribs, left by an enemy's elbow strike.

They are all minor injuries and will not affect their mobility.

He changed into clean training clothes, sat on the edge of the bed, turned on his watch, and checked the encrypted message sent by Long Shou.

"The results of the operation have been reported to the Central Military Commission. The four countries lodged a joint protest, but they couldn't produce any evidence and could only suffer in silence. You did a good job letting some people know that the 'Hidden Dragon's' scales cannot be touched."

"In addition, the General Armaments Department has completed prototype testing and begun small-batch production of the individual soldier equipment design you previously submitted. The first batch of equipment will be prioritized for distribution to 'Qianlong' and the new units you are currently forming."

"Continue your training. The nation needs more soldiers like you."

Lin Zhe turned off the message, leaned against the headboard, and closed his eyes.

In my mind, I could still see the faces of the trainees on the training field—shock, confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

He knew how impactful tonight's events would be on these young people who had never experienced war. But some things are better understood sooner rather than later.

Peace doesn't fall from the sky. The peace and tranquility that China enjoys today is because of a group of people who work tirelessly in the shadows, patrolling the borders, carrying out missions abroad, and protecting this country in the shadows.

And he was one of them.

In this life, he possessed greater power, more advanced equipment, and a clearer goal.

What he needs to do is not only protect this country, but also make it stronger, so strong that no one dares to provoke it or covet it.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

On the training field, some trainees were doing extra practice—obstacle courses, combat, shooting…sweat glistened under the lights.

Lin Zhe looked at those figures, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

These young people are the future sharp blades of the Dragon Kingdom.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world.

The emergency meeting in Country M was still ongoing. In the smoke-filled conference room, the generals' faces were increasingly grim.

"Gentlemen, we must reassess China's military strength," the general presiding over the meeting said, slamming his fist on the table. "Especially that 'Ghost Force.' They were able to penetrate deep into Country C without our knowledge and wipe out our joint task force of four nations. What does this mean?"

An intelligence officer pulled up a report: "Based on the on-site reconnaissance, the enemy numbered no more than ten, possibly only three to five. The operation took place between 3:00 and 5:00 AM, lasting less than two hours, and eliminated 256 special forces soldiers. Moreover—all were close-range kills, without the use of explosives or alerting the outer guards."

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

"This...how is this possible?"

"Unless they are Superman."

"Not Superman, but highly trained and well-equipped super soldiers," the general said in a deep voice. "Moreover, according to intelligence from our undercover agents, the Dragon Kingdom is upgrading its individual soldier equipment on a large scale. Some new weapons and protective gear have already entered the mass production stage."

He pulled up several blurry photos: "These are satellite images of training at a military base in China. Notice the equipment these soldiers are wearing—new helmets, integrated tactical goggles, optical camouflage combat uniforms… Many of these technologies are still in the laboratory stage for us, but they have already begun equipping their troops."

The photo was zoomed in on the screen. Although blurry, it was clear that the equipment was indeed advanced.

"Gentlemen, we are losing our advantage." The general's voice was heavy. "In conventional military strength, the Dragon Nation is catching up; in special operations, they may have already surpassed us. More importantly—they have a 'ghost force' that we know absolutely nothing about."

"What should we do then?" someone asked.

"Two paths." The general held up two fingers. "First, accelerate the development of our own special forces and equipment. Second..."

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "Continue to apply pressure, continue to probe. The faster the Dragon Kingdom develops, the more loopholes it will reveal. We need to find their weaknesses, and then..."

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood.

The confrontation will not stop, it will only escalate.

The stronger the Dragon Kingdom becomes, the more wary and desperate some countries become of it.

This is a war without gunfire, a game that will determine the future world order.

In the Dragon Kingdom, people like Lin Zhe are the most crucial pieces in this game.

Unbeknownst to them, an even greater storm was brewing.