Yang Hui was stunned by what he had just witnessed—Wei Wen's mastery of the Ninefold Thunderblade Techniquewas undeniable. But the more he thought about it, the more something didn't add up.
Wait a second… His force output, blade skill, and footwork technique shouldn't be enough to clear the third stage of the Virtual Tower, right? he thought, eyebrows furrowed.
Sheer physical power wasn't enough. The third-stage C-rank trial was filled with fast-moving monsters—especially the flying types, which were usually quicker than their land-based counterparts at the same level. Even if a trainee could punch like a wrecking ball, if their blade technique and movement skill weren't refined enough, they'd get surrounded and overwhelmed in seconds.
Without advanced blade technique, pure movement skill meant nothing when trying to break through a monster blockade. Most trainees would just get cornered and killed.
Whatever. This is beyond me now… Better report it up the chain, Yang Hui decided, shaking his head.
Wei Wen had just joined the Elite Training Camp—he was only 18—and yet he had already cleared Level 4 of the Trial Tower. That alone made his Trial Tower Index a full 4.
If this news got out to the higher-ups outside the dojo, it would send shockwaves through the global martial world.
Wei Wen's talent didn't stop at comprehension. Yang Hui remembered that Wei Wen's genetic aptitude as a fighter was off the charts. On top of that, he was also a Psycher—a cultivator of Mental Force.
A nearly perfect warrior.
Maybe even more talented than Hong, the legendary founder of the Dojo of Limits, had been in his youth.
Yang Hui took a moment before saying, "Wei Wen, your current Trial Tower Index is 4, and your force output rating is 4.9. That means your combat power amplitude is an absurd 19.6."
He continued, "With that kind of number, it makes sense you ranked first this month. Especially since you're a Psycher—your efficiency at hunting monsters is miles ahead of regular warriors."
Here's how the system worked:
Combat Power Amplitude = Force Output × Trial Tower Index
Among the students at the Elite Training Camp:
1–2 = beginner level
2–4 = intermediate
4–8 = advanced
8–16 = elite
To crack the top 20 of the camp, a trainee usually needed a combat amplitude of at least 12. To reach the top 10, that needed to push 14–15. Anything above 16? Almost unheard of.
In fact, in the five-year history of the Elite Training Camp, no trainee had ever gone over 16.
Until Wei Wen.
With an amplitude of 19.6, he stood in a league of his own—and he'd only joined the camp that morning. He hadn't even begun receiving any of the camp's cultivation resources.
His future potential was staggering.
If things continued on this trajectory, breaking into the God of War tier would be almost effortless for him.
Wei Wen himself wasn't too concerned about the monthly rankings.
First place? Doesn't mean much. I won't be in this camp for long anyway.
Still, he remembered Luo Feng once signed a contract tied to certain benchmarks—rewards like Dragon's Blood, SS-grade battle gear, free secret manuals, even the coveted Black God Battle Armor.
Maybe I'll get a similar contract, Wei Wen mused. If he could land those rewards, he'd reach Planetary Rank faster and be far better equipped for survival.
Besides, he was now under the personal radar of Hong, head of the Dojo of Limits. That made Wei Wen practically untouchable. The dojo was fiercely loyal to its own. With that kind of protection, he could focus on cultivation without external interference.
Once Wei Wen got strong enough, nobody would dare stand in his way.
After Wei Wen and Luo Feng finished their Trial Tower assessments, Yang Hui guided them through the formal enrollment procedures.
They were now official members of the Elite Training Camp.
"Even though this camp was founded by the Head himself, it's quietly entangled with many organizations—governments, private forces, secret institutions," Yang Hui explained with a knowing tone. "The martial world runs deeper than you'd think. Most outsiders can't handle it."
"With your talents, it's inevitable that people will try to recruit you—maybe even manipulate you. My advice? Just focus on growing stronger. Don't get pulled into their games."
"I'll be sending your profiles up to the central office. I expect they'll offer you some very generous perks soon. Be patient."
"There's just one last bit of admin: your student numbers."
He glanced at the system. "Today's date is August 28, 2056. So your ID numbers will begin with '5608'. The last two digits are up to you."
"There are only two new recruits this month, so you get first pick."
Luo Feng paused before replying: "03."
Wei Wen grinned. "88."
"Alright. Luo Feng is 560803. Wei Wen, 560888."
Since only two other people were staying in the Jiangnan Pavilion, Wei Wen and Luo Feng had to share a room for now.
That evening, two new names appeared on the Black Dragon Rankings board of the Elite Training Camp:Wei Wen (560888) and Luo Feng (560803).
Word traveled fast.
Governments, intelligence agencies, elite families, and major corporations all got wind of Wei Wen's sudden rise. Before long, data on him was being compiled, analyzed, and passed to top strategists.
Some organizations began drawing up detailed recruitment offers—even contingency plans.
Back in his room, Luo Feng wasted no time diving back into Virtual Space. There was something he had been itching to study—his first genuine Psycher cultivation manual.
It was called: Mental Force Controller: Basic Foundations (312 Forms)
It was the only Mental Force cultivation method Luo Feng had ever received, and he couldn't wait to explore it.
He read:
"Mental Force originates from the mind and soul. The physical body is its anchor and foundation..."
Mental Force couldn't exist without the body. That made it both powerful and limited.
Because of that connection, raw Mental Force would simply pass through flesh and blood without doing damage. That's why Psycher attacks had to be channeled through weapons—knives, swords, flying daggers, hidden blades, and so on.
Still, once controlled, Mental Force could take two forms:
Tangible: Used for controlling objects—say, hurling flying blades at enemies from dozens of meters away. This was the signature skill of Controller-class Psychers.
Intangible: Stealth attacks, often used to invade the mind directly—killing without sound or warning. These were the techniques of Illusionists, like the white-haired Psycher Wei Wen encountered during his first mental duel.
Luo Feng's eyes lit up as he absorbed the manual.
He had been training blindly before, and yet he'd still managed to control three flying daggers within two months. That kind of progress was unheard of, especially considering the global average brain domain activation was just 21%.
Even a world-class Psycher like Magic Phantom Kateran had taken decades to reach a Mental Force Amplitude of 9.
With proper guidance, Luo Feng realized, he could achieve far more—much faster.
If I had this manual when I first awakened as a Psycher, Luo Feng thought, my strength could easily be double what it is now.
The final pages of the manual laid out a shocking truth: once a Psycher at the High-tier God of War level mastered enough weapons through Mental Force, they could directly evolve into a being beyond the God of War class.
As he finished reading, a system notification echoed in Virtual Space:
"Your bound companion has obtained the 'Mental Force Controller: Basic Foundations'. Congratulations. You have unlocked the secret teachings of the Psycher Class: Controller—Basic 312 Forms."