Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 56 marks the beginning of the peak!

"Tell me the truth." Zhang Ran forced a smile, but his curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't help asking.

"One sword, one head." Ning Ze replied simply, completely repeating his previous answer.

Zhang Ran's pupils contracted, and he asked casually, "So, how strong does the monster seem?"

Ning Ze fell silent for a moment. How familiar this question and answer was?

He replied truthfully, "The golden vultures on the third floor have many weaknesses. They are physically weak, small in size, and relatively weak in strength. Compared to the first floor, I feel that this floor is easier to kill."

Zhang Ran paused, then smiled awkwardly, "Oh, is that so... Let me tell you about the training camp."

Ning Ze nodded seriously and listened attentively. The training camp was what he was really interested in. People kept asking him why he was trying to break through the Trial Tower.

He simply killed a monster, which was only a beginner or intermediate level beast general. What's there to say about that?

Then there are flying monsters, which fly on the wind, and his sword strikes with the wind.

Not only can he perfectly predict the opponent's actions, but his movement technique is also at a perfect level. He doesn't even need to move much. When those golden vultures swoop down, he only needs to lightly tap them with his sword. Is there any monster easier to kill than this?

"I've seen your information. You've cultivated the 'Wind Slash' to the third level, so your power output is 2.8."

Ning Ze nodded.

Zhang Ran continued, "The combat power amplitude is equal to the 'fist power level' multiplied by the 'Trial Tower level.' One is the upper limit of your strength, and the other is the strength you can exert. Multiplying these two can reflect your combat ability to a certain extent. At the same level, a higher combat power amplitude naturally means greater strength."

"In fact, just like fighting those monsters, if the base strength is the same, and your combat power amplitude is 10, then you should be able to defeat several people whose combat power amplitude is 5."

"Your power exertion is 2.8, and your Trial Tower level is 3.6. Therefore, your combat power amplitude is 2.8 * 3.6 = 10.08. You need to verify your power exertion later. You can test it once a month as usual."

"A combat power amplitude of 1-2 is considered beginner level, which is the level of most newly admitted elite training camp students. A combat power amplitude of 2-4 is intermediate level, and after a year or two of training in the elite training camp, most students can reach intermediate level. A combat power amplitude of 4-8 is advanced level, which is considered the level of qualified elite training camp students. The four weaker ones you fought were all just reaching advanced level."

"A combat power range of 8-16 is considered excellent. This is the standard for 'outstanding trainees' in the training camp. Because the range of 8-16 is quite large, even among those who are considered excellent, there can be significant differences in strength. Tia, who you are fighting today, is around the level of the 20th in the training camp."

"It's difficult to increase combat power amplitude. Reaching 13 usually puts you in the top ten. Reaching 12 usually puts you in the top twenty. Generally, a combat power amplitude of 14-15 is enough to get you into the top five of the training camp."

"Going up..." Zhang Ran pondered for a moment, "A combat power amplitude greater than 16 is Special Grade! Also known as Super Grade. If you can reach this level, even the Master of the Guild would probably want to take you as his disciple, and the world's major powerful organizations would be willing to pay huge sums to invite such a person who can be described as 'peerless in talent'."

"Sometimes, throughout the entire five-year training camp, not a single trainee can achieve a combat power increase exceeding 16!"

Ning Ze's eyes were somewhat indifferent; he didn't know how to describe his feelings for a moment.

When he reached the first level of the Wind Slash technique, Manager Dongfang said he wasn't qualified, but he still kept an eye on him.

When he reached the second level of the Wind Slash, Manager Dongfang said he was still a little short. The enrollment period had already passed, and it was not stable for him to enter the elite training camp. If he entered the basic training camp first, there might be unexpected twists and turns. If he waited a little longer, he could directly enter the elite training camp in a few months, and his future would be bright!

Both times, his actual combat strength was roughly as described, sometimes only two levels higher, slightly exceeding the supervisor's requirements. He had just broken through, so he was qualified to come. However, he didn't have the money then, so he didn't come.

He cultivated with all his might for nearly three months, and his combat power underwent a tremendous change. His mental power awakened, and with the increase in strength, the increase in the level of power exertion, and the comprehension of swordsmanship and movement techniques, he even killed two lord-level monsters.

He finally arrived. Even without hiding his strength, he had successfully cultivated all seven levels of the Wind Slash, and his body could unleash eight levels of power, each level being 70%, which meant a 5.6 times increase in power!

His Trial Tower level is 3.6. Even though he hasn't explored the Trial Tower much after hiding his strength, his combat power has already increased by as much as 20.16.

After three months of secluded training, he returned to his peak!

Ning Ze's feelings were somewhat complicated; the goal he had once strived for was now within his grasp.

If he really wanted to, he would have graduated as a top student by now.

However, he doesn't regret it.

In the past three months, he has accomplished a major life event, started a new family, become a husband, and begun to have new responsibilities.

He found a way to multiply his cultivation, which was a way to prepare for entering the training camp, so he wouldn't have to worry about trivial matters like increasing his combat power for a little bit of resources.

He slaughtered countless people, leaving not a trace of filth in the pool of blood, and then proceeded to wash the city of 003 in a bloodbath along the river.

He killed his childhood nemesis, found the real culprit who injured his father, witnessed the arrogance of the Wang family, and set his sights on that lofty goal.

Slay men! Slay gods! Slay the laws!

Now, all that's missing is the Heavenly Sword in my hand!

Seeing his silence, Zhang Ran assumed he was under too much pressure, so he comforted him, "Don't be discouraged. Your combat power amplification has already exceeded ten. Uh... you haven't finished the Trial Tower yet, so it might not be the highest yet. Your combat power amplification is around twelve or thirteen, which is almost in the top ten in the training camp."

Hearing these words of comfort, Zhang Ran's heart clenched painfully. Other graduates who made it into the top ten would be laughing in their sleep, their futures already limitless! And this newcomer, already in the top ten, needed his comfort? He felt like he was crazy!

"What kind of training camp can slow down training?" Ning Ze didn't explain. He was getting used to being misunderstood. Geniuses are always misunderstood because they think on a different level, and explanations are useless.

"As a training camp, of course, we need teachers." Zhang Ran paused here. Could an ordinary teacher teach this kid? He quickly continued, "Even the headmaster comes here, and there are also inspectors on duty. They are beings who surpass even the God of War. If you have enough talent, you can get their guidance."

Ning Ze's eyes lit up, and he nodded slightly. The world's strongest! Hong!

He grew up hearing the name of this great being, who could talk for days about humanity's great achievements, and the stories that followed could take ten days to tell! To be taught by such a person is incredibly fortunate! Even just meeting him once would be a great honor!

Zhang Ran breathed a sigh of relief. As the mentor, he had been somewhat frightened earlier, as his strength was only about the same as Wu Hao's. He didn't want to fight such a prodigy.

"Then there are the treasures within those ancient ruins. The virtual space you tested earlier is one type, and another is called a gravity chamber. You can find information about these in the student handbook. There are also some elixirs... and some instructional videos from the God of War, containing detailed explanations of all weapons and their various styles..."

As Zhang Ran introduced the place to Ning Ze, they unknowingly arrived at a beautiful courtyard.

The courtyard of Jiangnan Pavilion spans several tens of meters, with white walls and black tiles. There are even dragon carvings on the walls. The walls themselves are decorated with openwork patterns, revealing delicate flowers within. It looks exquisite, full of artistic flair, and yet close to nature.

Push open the courtyard gate.

There are three pavilions in the Jiangnan Pavilion, arranged in a "品" shape.

From the outside, it looks like a wooden building, but inside there are training rooms, which must be modern buildings, otherwise they could not withstand that kind of destructive force. The outer layer is just decoration.

Ning Ze was very satisfied with this place; this was where he would live from now on.

Zhang Ran continued, "There's a student in Jiangnan Pavilion who's a bit weaker than you. His name is Shi Jiang. He's in his fourth year, and he's ranked in the top ten in the training camp, which is quite outstanding. You know, the gap between the top ten is already very small, and the top thirty basically all have the physical abilities of a War God. If you're interested, you can try to get on his good side."

"Thank you, I understand." Ning Ze nodded.

As I entered the attic, a small head popped out from the second floor. She excitedly jumped down from the second floor, her short hair like dandelion seeds, her training clothes fluttering and revealing pink leggings underneath.

"Oh, a new person has arrived!"

Ning Ze smiled politely and said, "Hello." As he spoke, he carefully sized up this 'senior'.

Her petite frame gives her a girl-next-door feel. She has wheat-colored skin, but her small eyes detract from her overall appearance, making her not considered particularly beautiful. Personality-wise, she's quite outgoing, very extroverted, and extremely enthusiastic.

At this moment, she smiled and took Ning Ze's hand in hers. The two held hands, and she repeated "Hello, hello, hello" several times.

Ning Ze smiled slightly. This kind of personality was not annoying; in fact, it was rather endearing.

"His name is Ning Ze. From today onwards, he'll be living with you and Shi Jiang at Jiangnan Pavilion. He might not be used to things here yet, so you'll have him to help you adjust," Zhang Ran introduced with a smile. "This is Zhao Ruo, and this is Shi Jiang, whom I've already told you about."

"Don't worry, leave your junior brother to me! I'll take good care of him!" Zhao Ruo patted her flat chest and assured him.

Zhang Ran laughed and teased, "You can just talk to him. If you want him to take care of you, you can ask him to. Although he just arrived, his strength is no less than Shi Jiang's. Your Jiangnan Pavilion has the highest overall combat power."

With over thirty large base cities and 185 trainees, each base city can send three trainees here every five years: one recruited from outside and two promoted internally. Jiangnan Pavilion has two trainees who are among the top ten in strength, so they definitely won't lose in a team battle.

"O"

Zhao Ruo opened her mouth and made a sound. She looked at Ning Ze in shock. Was this handsome young man as good as Senior Brother Shi Jiang?

"Don't be skeptical. His Trial Tower level is at least 4, and it might go even higher with continued testing. Even Wu Hao couldn't beat him in the challenge. When he first arrived, he won 500 billion Chinese yuan in battles against Tia and the others." Zhang Ran introduced with a smile, then turned around, "You guys chat. Bringing you here completes my task."

"Thank you, mentor," Ning Ze replied.

Zhang Ran nodded, glanced at Zhao Ruo's adorable appearance, and turned to leave.

Ning Ze turned around and was startled, quickly taking a step back.

Just now, Zhang Ruo leaned closer and stared at him with wide eyes, as if she were looking at a monster.

"Do you really have the ability to be in the top ten?"

Ning Ze explained, "I'm just better at conquering the Trial Tower; my physical abilities have only just reached the intermediate-level warrior level."

Zhao Ruo grinned, "Intermediate-level warrior, how old are you, junior brother?"

"I'm nineteen years old this year."

"Nineteen years old!" Zhao Ruo exclaimed in surprise, her mouth forming an "O" shape.

"You're one of the youngest in the training camp, and you're incredibly talented. Come on, let's go to my place first."

There are three pavilions in the courtyard of Jiangnan Pavilion, arranged in a "品" shape, with the courtyard in the middle of the "品".

Zhao Ruo pulled him westward, to the courtyard on the left. "Junior brother, we're now across the hall from each other. Senior Brother Shi Jiang lives in the north pavilion. Come, sit down."

I sat down at the tea table in the living room.

Ning Ze was slightly reserved. In fact, he rarely spent time alone with other girls, and it could even be said that he never did after he grew up.

He wasn't a very talkative person before, but he gradually opened up when he was with Shuyi...

"Did Senior Brother go monster hunting today?"

"Yes, my senior brother said there's a guy behind us who's keeping a close score, and he's been training like crazy lately."

Ning Ze suddenly realized that Zhang Ran had told him before that the most important thing in the training camp rankings was points.

For example, the ancient device called the "gravity chamber" from ancient civilizations. Although there are replicas of gravity chambers on Earth today, their effects on martial artists are far inferior to those of the ancient device.

But... there's only one "training room" in the entire training camp. Who gets to use it? That depends on the rankings.

The higher the ranking, the longer the time allocated! That's just one aspect!

"Senior sister, what's your ranking?"

Zhao Ruo looked a little embarrassed, then put on a pitiful expression, "Senior sister came to the training camp last March, and her ranking is only 135 now."

There were 185 people in total. Subtracting the 35 people this year, we have 150. This senior sister's talent is considered average.

"Senior sister, good luck." Ning Ze didn't know what to say either, as their questions were completely different.

He quickly and successfully killed the conversation, especially after revealing that he was married. For a moment, the light in the senior's eyes went out.

The attic on the east side will be Ningze's residence from now on.

Thinking about how Zhao Ruo had just tried to work hard, he found it somewhat amusing.

He poured himself a glass of purified water, then sat down at his computer desk with the glass in his hand. This was one of the few household appliances he owned, besides the light.

Open the "Student Instructions".

The most important thing is the ranking, which is based on points. Then it involves a key attribute that Ning Ze had learned about earlier: combat power amplitude.

'Points' equal to 'Combat Power Amplitude' multiplied by 'Battle Points'

The way to obtain battle points is by killing monsters.

A low-level Beast General-level monster, worth 1 battle point.

A mid-level Beast General-level monster, worth 10 battle points.

A high-level beast general-level monster, worth 100 battle points.

A low-level lord-level monster, worth 1000 battle points.

There is another prompt at the end:

Once you've hunted down two low-level lords, your strength will be rated as "God of War," and you'll graduate and leave the training camp.

Ning Ze smiled slightly. Sure enough, his guess was correct. He hadn't touched either of those two lord-level monsters. "Slaying monsters, that's my forte!"

He continued reading with great confidence, and Ning Ze saw the reward that had captured his heart.

"If you rank first every month and accumulate nine first-place finishes, you can receive a Dragon Blood worth 800 billion, choose any three complete sets of secret manuals for free, and choose either 'Hong' or 'Thunder God' as your teacher and become their personal disciple."

"Ranking first each month, if you accumulate six first places, you can get a drop of jade marrow worth 300 billion, choose any complete set of secret manuals for free, and have a chance to receive personal guidance from 'Hong' or 'Thunder God' once."

……

Ning Ze squinted at the words "Dragon Blood." He had actually seen "Dragon Blood" at the Extreme House before. The price of 800 billion was half price; the price listed at Extreme House was 1600 billion Chinese Yuan!

As for its effects, Dragon Blood is said to double one's strength! It can also increase cultivation speed. He was even considering buying a copy directly.

According to the core rules of the system, this is an external force for him, which can definitely greatly improve his physical fitness, enhance his basic strength, and also improve his aptitude and cultivation speed to a certain extent!

Chalcedony is a similar treasure, also improving physical fitness, but being cheaper, its effects are naturally less pronounced.

He had previously wagered on a bet just to buy a portion of dragon blood!

The materials he initially sold for 200 billion, and he transferred 25 billion to his uncles. After that incident, he sold them directly to the martial arts school, and later sold them for another 335 billion. Adding the 200 billion compensation from the Wang family, the total came to 700 billion.

We were still 100 billion short of Dragon Blood, but they gave it away here!

"Nine times I got first place in dragon blood! Six times I got first place in jade marrow! That seems a bit long..."

Ning Ze silently calculated that, at his current cultivation speed, in another nine months, his body would be close to that of a War God, or he would have already reached the level of a War God.

According to the description of the effects of dragon blood, the weaker one's strength, the more obvious the improvement. If one becomes a war god, the effect will be much smaller.

Ning Ze continued reading with a hint of regret.

(End of this chapter)